Mac woke up and noticed two things right away. She was hung over; her aching head was unrelenting. And she was she was smelling something amazing. With her eyes still closed she tried to focus her mind on the smell and not the headache. What was it? Sandalwood…soap…the ocean. Mac immediately thought of Dick Casablancas, but she knew she was pretty out of it and that her mind must not be computing yet. There was something else she smelled, something that made her think of industrial cleaning supplies, like the doctor's office, or Kane Software, or The Neptune Grand.

Her nightmares were coming true: her brain realized she wasn't dreaming about the Grand, she was actually there. Still half asleep, she bolted upright in bed and screamed herself fully awake.

"What?" Dick said from across the room by his dresser as he pulled on some swim trunks, alarmed she was awake, even more worried she sounded terrified.

Mac watched as a naked Dick quickly threw some clothes over the bare butt that was facing her. She stared uncomprehendingly as he strode across the room and sat on the edge of the bed looking worried. She realized she was still wearing the dress Veronica gave her yesterday and saw she was in Dick's room at the Grand. The hotel smell made her react as though she was having another nightmare about being abandoned by Cassidy. And as awful as that memory was, at least it was familiar. Her reality scared her even more.

In one motion, Mac pulled her knees to her chest under the covers, rested her elbows on her knees, and covered her face with her hands. She didn't realize her inner monologue was being spoken aloud. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. What the…? How did….? WHAT IS GOING ON?"

"Mackie," Dick began slowly as he moved closer to her, "You're okay. You crashed on my couch last night, remember? Remember coming back to Logan's suite? You and Veronica and Wallace."

"That I remember," she said still talking into her hands, "What am I doing in your bed?" she started to sound hysterical, "Where are your clothes?"

"Right there! Look!" he said pointing to a pile of clothes on the floor by the dresser. She looked up and saw the clothes, then saw a frantic looking Dick. "I slept on the couch last night but I'm supposed to go surfing this morning. I came in here 2 minutes ago to find some trunks to wear down to the beach. I thought you saw me in here and started screaming, but you were screaming in your sleep and then woke up. Are you okay?" He was now sitting beside her on the bed.

She registered his closeness and recoiled. Dick quickly jumped off the bed, but walked around to her side of the bed and knelt down beside her on the floor. "Mackie, really, are you alright? You scared me shitless"

"So nothing happened between us?" she asked, her hands covering her face again.

Dick thought for a second. Did she remember touching him last night? Did she remember looking at him like she finally saw him? Mac turned her head to look at him as he pondered this and he realized how scared she looked. No, that wasn't what she meant.

"Mac! No! You were wasted! Logan and I brought you in here together." Well, Logan was with him the whole time.

"Oh, thank God," she said as her whole body relaxed and she fell back against the pillow.

Insulted, Dick stood up and left the room. Mac didn't understand why he left so quickly, but her head hurt too much to think about it or to protest just then. Minutes later, he was beside her again.

"Here," he said as he slammed something hard against the nightstand table.

Mac groaned at the sound and the force, but was quick enough to catch Dick's arm as he passed, "Dick, wait."

"What?" he said, harshly.

"My head hurts," she moaned pathetically.

"I know," he said only slightly softer. "That's why I brought this." He motioned to the table.

"No," she said tugging at his arm, "I mean, my head hurts, so I'm not thinking straight. I didn't mean…. I didn't think for a second you did anything to me."

"Oh," was all he said as he relaxed, finally looking at her again.

"I've just heard….I mean, the handful of times it's happened….well, apparently I get pretty friendly when I'm drunk," Mac said, hoping he understood.

He did. "OH," he said, not able to stop the smile from forming, "Really? I'll have to file that fact away for future reference, little Mackers."

"Augh," she groaned rolling over to face him, "Don't be disgusting. I'm about 5 seconds away from puking as it is."

Dick laughed, but put a trash can close to her side of the bed and backed away a few paces.

"So, for real, I didn't come on to you or anything, right?" she asked, serious again.

Was that what it was? Her touch? Her look? Just the booze? No, she had responded to him, something kind he had done. He was sure of that. But now wasn't the time to bring it up. "Even if you did, do you think I'd tell you?" Dick said with a sly grin.

"Oh my gosh, I did. Didn't I?"

"Oh yeah. Complete with table dancing and everything. It'll be up on you tube this afternoon."

"You're a jackass," she said as she groaned, not appreciating his humor at this hour, and turned again, this time lying on her stomach.

"Here, before you go back to sleep, take this."

"What is it?"

"Two advil chased by blue Gatorade—the best hangover cure I've found."

She slowly sat up as her world spun again. Mac accepted the pills he was holding and took the bottle from the nightstand. "You know, you're probably a leading expert in the field, so thanks."

"You're welcome, Macadoodle."

Dick watched as she snuggled back into a comfy position in his bed. She sensed his watching, opened her eyes and said, "Hey, thanks Dick. For everything. For letting me crash here. For giving up your bed. For all the drinks and the food and desserts. " She was mumbling now. "For pay per view movies. For putting up posters of Veronica everywhere. For letting me sleep in."

"Sleep in as long as you want. Order breakfast when you wake up. I'll put some clothes out for you so you can change. Oh, and Mackie?" he said after kneeling close again, whispering, "Apparently, you do get friendly when you're drunk."

Veronica woke up and knew exactly where she was—her favorite place on earth. But it was all wrong. She had been dreaming about being in Logan's bed all summer, but not being there alone. Where was his warm, toned body? Where were his strong arms and gentle calloused hands? Where was his deep rhythmic breathing?

Actually, she thought she heard that.

Veronica open her eyes and saw the man she loved on the far side of the bed, eyes opened, watching her.

"Morning," he said when their eyes met.

"Morning," she said groggily. "What are you doing all the way over there?"

"Well, Sugarpuss, the last time I saw you I made you cry for a few hours. So I didn't know if cuddling was on the menu."

"But I'm in your bed."

"I'm well aware."

"And I'm wearing your clothes."

"I did happen to sneak a peak." She was wearing his boxers and a T-shirt. Wearing them well, he thought.

"But I'm in the middle," she said, as if this was another reason he should not be far away from her.

"I'm sorry? The middle? Is that code for something?"

"Everyone knows the code," she said sleepily.

"No, Sweetums, not everyone. Do tell."

"If you come home and find someone on your side of the bed it means 'jump me now.' And if you find someone on their side of the bed it means 'leave me alone.'"

"And if you come home and find someone, my beautiful someone, wearing my clothes, and asleep in the middle of the bed?"

"It means things can be negotiated."

In an instant he was beside her. Warm, toned, strong, callused, gentle. All of him. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and both of them relaxed more than they had all night.

"I didn't know the code," he cooed in her ear.

She shivered. Her go-slow resolve wouldn't last long. "You've always been a quick learner."

"How's your shoulder?" he asked pulling away slightly, not wanting their embrace to hurt her.

"Fine," she said. It really hadn't bothered her in a whole day. The night before, after the boat ride, had been rough, but last night she slept without any pain. "And even if it wasn't, this would be worth it." She tightened their embrace again.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't want to make you sway. What? We're not having a sing-along?" She smiled up at him.

He laughed. "Really? You're okay?"

"Yes. Now that you're holding onto me, I'm okay. And I'm sorry, Logan, that I didn't tell you about the attack and my shoulder before. I was trying to be strong, but I just ended up hurting everyone."

She leaned up to kiss him and they had a soft, sweet kiss.

"Easy now," he said, "As much as I want to stay in bed with you all day, I'm going to have to get up in a few minutes."

"What? Why?" she pouted. "You and Dick go surfing every day. Let him sleep in and you can stay here with me." She kissed him more enthusiastically.

After several minutes Logan reluctantly broke away, "Absolutely. If Dick oversleeps, I'm all yours. But I think he's probably had a rough night and would want to clear his head on the water. If he does, I've gotta' be there for him."

"What makes you say that?" Veronica asked.

And on cue, they hear Mac screaming. Both sit up with a start.

"Go back to sleep," Logan tells Veronica as he quickly kisses her once more before getting up. "I'll go check on her."

Veronica Mars didn't like taking orders and she never let her curiosity go unsatisfied.

They burst open the bedroom door and find a dazed Wallace on his feet and shaking his head looking at the open door to Dick's bedroom.

"What's going on?" Veronica asked him. Mac's screams stopped as quickly as they came and they could hear Dick and Mac talking in his room.

"I thought Dick was being a pal waking me up for practice. Instead, he makes me sign a piece of tape I watched him peel off the door and put the time on it. Here—" he thrust the tape toward Logan. "I was like 'what the hell?' and then I see him walk in his room and drop trou and put on new shorts and then Mac starts screaming."

"Oh," says Veronica, already bored. "I'd scream too if the first thing I saw in the morning was Dick naked. " The boys laugh and everyone relaxes.

"Have fun," she tells Logan with a kiss. "Kick ass," she tells Wallace with a fist bump. "I'll be unconscious in here for the next 5 hours if anyone needs me." She says as she heads toward Logan's bed again.

Wallace was heading out the front door yelling a goodbye as Logan looked down at the piece of tape: 6:45am. He looked at the clock which read 6:50. He'd give Dick a few more minutes to iron things out with Mac. Thinking of Mac made him smile; he remembered he had some unfinished business that needed his attention.