Chapter 22: Two Can Play This Game

"Hey there, sweetcakes," Veronica said as she entered the house and saw Logan sitting at the kitchen table, looking deep in the middle of paperwork of some kind.

"Sweetcakes? Really?"

"Would you prefer honeybuns, or muffin?"

"I'd prefer Logan, thank you very much. What's got you in such a chipper mood?"

"Well, since I decided that this is a horrible dream and dreams have absolutely no consequences – I'm feeling a little frisky."

"Really? " Logan asked excitedly, shooting straight out of his chair and swooping Veronica up in his arms. "Then let's run off to Vegas, get hitched and have wild, unprotected sex and see what happens."

"Whoa, there, partner," Veronica said clawing her way out of Logan's embrace. "Just in case I'm not having that nightmare, let's slow down a little, k?"

"I was just joking, Veronica."

Veronica smiled and nodded, not so sure he was. She has just gotten used to the idea of Logan proposing, she wasn't sure she was quite ready to wrap her little blonde head around the notion of what he was implying with that last quip.

"Um, sure, but all the same…"

Logan smiled and rolled his eyes playfully.

"You just wait, Mars," he said sitting back down to his paperwork, "You'll come around soon enough."

"So what are you up to?"

"School stuff. I'm filling out some forms to get course credit for my summer abroad," Logan smiled – that jackass grin surfacing for the first time in a while.

"Your real estate stuff?"

"My stuff, as you so eloquently put it darling, is called Intro to Real Estate Acquisitions. Or at least that's what the paper says here…"

"So this is for reals?"

"Don't look so surprised. Do you think I do this kind of thing for fun?"

"I'm really not sure anymore. This new Logan has got me all confused and befuddled."

"Befuddled?" Logan asked with his trademark jackass smile.

"Completely," Veronica smiled back, melting into his waiting arms. She surrendered to his kiss just long enough to forget where she was and who she was until she felt Logan shove her away and vaguely heard the sound of a door opening.

"Hey, there, Sherriff."

"Logan. You look deep into something there."

"School stuff."

"Veronica, honey, how was your day with Mac?"

Veronica took a second to snap back to reality and turned to her dad.

"Great. We picked up Wallace and made a day of it."

"Glad to see you've expanded your friendships beyond these four walls. Nothing against you, Logan."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Logan smiled. "Don't want me to exert too much of my evil influence over her."

"Something like that," Keith smiled back. "So what's for dinner?"

"Sorry, I've been into this paperwork for most of the afternoon and I let time get away from me. Otherwise I would have wowed you with my culinary skills."

"You have culinary skills?"

"Don't look so shocked, Dad. Logan can actually cook—really well."

"Well, it's over. He's got you so far under his spell you now believe he can cook."

"Don't underestimate my evil genius, Keith," Logan smiled.

"I'm starting to see that," Keith laughed.

"Have no fear – I ordered take out. It'll be here in about ten minutes."

"Look at you…schoolwork and domestic management. God, I love this nightmare!" Veronica exclaimed.

Veronica kissed Logan on the cheek and headed to her room.

Logan put the finishing touches on his school paperwork and gathered it up and helped Keith clear the table.

"What was that about?" Keith asked Logan.

"She has decided that she's trapped in some nightmare, none of this is real, and she no longer has to make rational decisions because she's going to wake up soon and find out that she's not on the verge of having all her dreams come true."

"I'm not sure which I find more disturbing – the fact that she doesn't believe life is actually going well for her or that you think you're making her dreams come true," Keith joked.

"Who said anything about me? I was talking about the FBI stuff," Logan smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, kid."

"Is that the door I hear?" Logan smiled, changing the subject quickly.

He answered the door and retrieved the take out. He and Keith set out the food and plates on the table.

"Seriously, Logan. I'm worried about her. She isn't used to the happy ending kind of life and I don't know if she can let herself enjoy it."

"Of course she can't, Keith. That's our job…to make her accept it and enjoy it. I told you – my whole reason for existing is to make her happy, to give her the life she deserves. I won't stop until that IS her reality."

"I know, kid," Keith said, showing a rare affectionate gesture to Logan and putting his arm on Logan's shoulder, "I believe you. And if anyone can make her happy – it's you."

"Sorry to interrupt this Hallmark moment, but…"

"I was just congratulating Logan on the extra credit work. That's very responsible and mature of him. So – you know – completely unlike him."

"Yeah, whatever, I smell food."

"Where do you put it all, small one?" Keith asked.

"One of life's little mysteries," Logan joked.

….

"It's two in the morning. This better be really good," Logan barked into the phone.

"Things are escalating quickly. The FBI is in position and ready. We'll be following closely and when the Russians make their move, we'll be there," the mystery voice said.

"All this I already knew, and it certainly didn't warrant an update at 2 am."

"Your girl…she's wrapped up in the feds tighter than we thought. They followed her back here."

"Damn, I was afraid of that."

"She's still in contact. They are planning on using her."

"Is there any way to do this without involving her?"

"I doubt it. She's central to the feds plan."

"Damnit!"

Veronica moaned, and Logan realized she could wake up any moment.

"I have to go, but I'll call you first thing in the morning."

"Logan?" Veronica asked sleepily. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just a wrong number. Go back to sleep."

He enveloped her in his arms and held her tight, wishing he could do that forever.

…

"It's 6 am, what is really so important right now?"

"They're in town and they are moving. We need to get you here and get prepped."

"Right now, Nacombe?"

"Yesterday, Mars, now move your ass!"

Logan walked out of the shower just as Veronica hung up.

"What's up?"

"Oh, nothing, just some paperwork I didn't complete before we left Virginia. Some sort of exit interview. They want me to come to the San Diego office and take care of it."

"Well, I'll go with you."

"No, no...it'll be long and boring. They won't even let you in the building. You do know you're Logan Echolls, right?"

"Hey – they let you in. I don't believe my record includes aiding and abeding international fugitives."

"Oh, low blow," Veronica teased, scooting on the bed closer to where Logan stood wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Logan grabbed her hands before she could pull the towel off.

"You have things to do, and so do I. Plus your dad is right down the hall."

"Grown-up Logan is no fun."

"Oh, I can be all kinds of fun, but not so much when a gun-toting, daughter-protecting Sherriff lives just down the hall."

Veronica pretended to pout and stomped off to the bathroom.

Logan picked up his phone and dialed.

"The feds are making some sort of move."

"Yeah, I think Veronica just got called in."

"I'll meet you in an hour."

"Fine."