The small click of the bathroom door opening woke Veronica from her deep sleep. Through her heavy lidded eyes she spied Logan, a dark blue towel tightly wrapped around his chiseled hip bones, as he made his way through the room to his dresser.
"Are there any children in our bed?" she whispered from the middle of the mattress, unsure if any small people were near her, sleeping soundly.
Logan glanced over their large bed, checking to see if someone had crawled in while he showered. It was not out of the ordinary to have all the kids pile in with them, first thing in the morning. But today, they were miraculously kid-free.
"Nope," he replied. "All clear."
"Then, maybe you should drop that towel, Lieutenant," Veronica said, rolling to face him, her voice still thick with sleep.
"You know, the kids are up," he replied, clutching the edge of his towel, flashing her a wicked sexy grin. "They're just watching cartoons downstairs before breakfast."
"I'm not trying to start anything," she replied, stretching her arms over her head and yawning. "I just like a bit of a show some mornings. Makes me remember all those times we would spend the entire day in bed."
With a quick glance at the bedroom door, Logan quirked his eyebrow at her before letting his towel drop to the ground.
"Better?" he asked cheekily.
Veronica ran her eyes up and down his rippled physique, her pupils darkening as she thought about all the things she wished they could do alone, naked, together.
"Better," she said with a big grin, raising herself up on one elbow. "It almost makes me forgive you for not coming to bed last night."
Logan grabbed a pair of black boxer-briefs from his drawer, turning away from Veronica so she could watch his muscular behind as he pulled them on.
"Couldn't sleep so I crashed on the couch in the office," he murmured. "On the bright side, I did intercept Jack trying to get into our room, around midnight, and got him down in his own bed again."
Spinning back towards Veronica, he came and sat on the edge of the bed near her, leaning over to kiss her forehead.
"Plus, I've already gone for my run with Pony, and threw an egg-bake in the oven for breakfast," he added.
Veronica shimmied closer to him and placed a soft kiss on his lips.
"Were you working on Dick's case?" she asked, resting her hand over his as he leaned on the bed.
Logan nodded, his eyes cast down, sadness pulling across his face.
"Yeah," he said, pursing his lips to hold back any more information.
"Well, we've already broken our rule about talking about cases in the bedroom, so we might as well talk about it while we're alone" Veronica stated. "Did you find anything in the files?"
Pulling away from her, Logan stood and walked past his side table to the closet. Sliding the shutter door open, he reached inside and grabbed a green dress shirt off a hanger.
"I think Sean Freidrich may have something to do with Dick being framed," he said, pulling on the shirt and buttoning it. "Dick was one of his partners in the two clubs he owns in Neptune."
Veronica pulled her legs up underneath her, sitting cross-legged above the covers, and gathered her long cotton nightgown between her legs.
"So do you think Sean's mixed up with the Fitzpatricks?"
Logan ran his fingers through his wet hair and let out a deep sigh.
"I don't know. I'm really just playing a hunch," he said, walking back to the dresser and grabbing a pair of jeans and socks from two more drawers. "I started researching some of Dick's other business contacts last night, but my head kept going back to Sean."
"It would make sense, if Sean was still involved with using drugs," Veronica said. "I mean, if he was supplying drugs to Carrie, he may have some long, deep ties to the Fitzpatricks."
Logan dropped himself on the edge of the bed and began pulling on his socks. "That's what I was thinking. I highly doubt Sean got clean since I last saw him. Especially if he's smoking pot with Dick at his club."
Veronica raised herself on her knees and shuffled to Logan at the end of the bed. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind, she pressed her body to his back.
They hadn't spoken Carrie Bishop's name in years. Every so often, some music reporter would track Logan down to comment on a piece they were writing about Carrie's murder. And each time, Logan would calmly tell them he didn't discuss the matter, then disappear to the beach to go surfing, alone. Veronica knew that while Carrie was never the love of Logan's life, there was always going to be a place in his heart for the girl he cared about, but couldn't save.
"If you want to go talk to him, I'll go with you," she said, her lips close to his ear.
Logan rested his hands on her forearms wrapped across his chest. "Thanks. I think I'll take you up on it - if for no other reason other than you can stop me from punching him if he says something stupid."
Veronica kissed the side of his head. "Okay. You set it up and let me know."
Logan stood and smiled down at her as he pulled on his jeans. "Feel free to stay in bed longer. I've got the kids covered this morning. I'll even drop Jack off at Preschool and do pick-up."
"God, I love it when you're sucking up to me," she teased, rubbing her baby belly as it gurgled for food.
Logan made his way to the door, throwing her a wink. "I've gotten pretty good at it over the years."
Veronica bit her lip as it curled into a grin. "Yeah. I'd say you've become an expert."
Logan laughed as he left, closing the door behind him. Once he was gone, her smile fell to a frown. Logan's history with Sean – Carrie's one-time music video director and lover – could be clouding his judgment, she thought. She hoped Sean was a legitimate lead, but if he wasn't, she didn't know if Logan could let it go.
With a deep sigh, Veronica pulled herself out of bed, attempting to take on the day with some enthusiasm.
Later that morning, Veronica knocked on the oak doorframe leading into Mac's office.
"Hey Q."
Her friend peeked out from around a bank of computer screens on her desk, her short, spiked hair bobbing as she moved.
"Bond," Mac smiled. "Did you get the credit card info on Mr. Patrick I sent you?"
"Yeah, I did. Thanks," Veronica said as she entered the room, closing the door behind her. "Seems like I have a date with my camera, Mr. Patrick, and whomever he's seeing at the Camelot every Monday afternoon."
"Sounds like a wild party," Mac laughed as Veronica plopped herself down in a swivling black office chair across the desk from her.
"Can you do me a favour?" Veronica began, lowering her voice. "I need background checks on everyone on the list of business contacts for Dick. As well as data on the actual business investments themselves."
Mac frowned. "Sure. But I thought Logan was pursuing that lead."
Veronica nodded and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her seat. "Sean Freidrich's name came up and I'm worried that Logan's going to fixate on him and leave out some potentially important leads that could be found elsewhere."
"Okay, but it's going to take a bit of time," Mac replied, picking up a pencil and tapping it on her desk.
"Concentrate on everyone other than Sean for now," Veronica directed. "Then we'll see what progress Logan has made with Sean by the time you finish."
"Sounds like a plan," Mac said with a smile, sticking the pencil behind her ear.
"And Mac –" Veronica began as she rose from her seat. "Let's keep this between you and me."
Mac threw Veronica a conspiratorial wink. "No problem."
"Grandpa!"
Jack's legs were running in mid-air before Logan even placed him on the ground, as he pulled his son out of the car seat. The boy's feet hit the pavement and he was off like a shot, down the sidewalk towards Keith's front door.
"Hey kiddo!" Keith called from the porch. "Got a big bowl of Macaroni and Cheese waiting for you at the table."
Jack launched himself up the steps, pausing to quickly hug Keith's leg, before continuing his trajectory into the house.
Logan followed down the front sidewalk, carrying Jack's backpack and jacket with him.
"Was expecting Veronica today," Keith said with a wide grin as Logan approached.
"Doing penance for yesterday," Logan chuckled. "Thanks for your help, by the way."
Keith patted Logan on the shoulder as the two men entered the house. "How mad was she?"
"So mad she tossed me to the kids to be picked apart," Logan sighed, dropping Jack's things on the seat near the door. "Like seagulls after a dead fish."
Keith let out a loud laugh, striding into the open kitchen. Jack was already sitting at the small table, happily devouring his lunch.
"Got time for a coffee today, Logan?" Keith asked as he approached the coffee pot.
Logan stretched his arms above his head and yawned. "Sure. Didn't get much sleep last night. Would appreciate it."
"Relegated to the couch?" Keith said as he poured a large cup of coffee for his son-in-law.
"No," Logan replied as he stepped up to the kitchen counter. "Up working on the case."
Keith pushed the cup of coffee towards Logan, casting a glance at Jack as he continued to eat his lunch as quickly as humanly possible.
"I heard on the news about what happened at the bail hearing," Keith said, his voice dropping to avoid Jack overhearing. "I'm sorry, son. I know Dick has been a good friend to you, over the years."
Logan nodded silently, looking down at his reflection in his black coffee. He remembered the look of sadness on Dick's pale, worried face, the times Logan woke up in the hospital, after his overdoses. It was a look that made him only want to drink more, to try and forget.
"I'm done!" Jack announced, hopping off his chair and running over to his grandfather.
"I think you may have broken your Mom's record," Keith exclaimed, picking up the boy to sit on the edge of the counter. "Fastest Mac and Cheese eater in all of California!"
Jack flashed Keith an orange cheesy grin. Keith reached over to the sink and grabbed a damp cloth. Returning, he washed the remains of lunch off the boy's face.
"Grandpa, I'm gonna be an im-besta-gator like you and Daddy," Jack announced proudly, putting his hands on his hips.
Keith caught a glance at Logan's face as it tightened into a frown.
"What happened to being a dinosaur scientist?" Keith asked his grandson, placing his hands on the counter on either side of him.
Jack paused, his small frown matching his father's.
"I do both," the boy proclaimed.
Logan and Keith laughed, causing Jack's face to light up with another big grin.
"Well, a paleontologist is kind of like a detective," Logan stated, reaching across the counter and giving his son's head a playfully rub. "You're just searching for clues to find dinosaurs instead of bad guys."
Jack flipped himself around and crawled across the counter towards Logan. Quickly moving his coffee cup out of the way, Logan caught him in a hug as Jack wrapped himself around his dad's neck.
"Okay Daddy," Jack said into Logan's ear. "I go play dinosaurs right now."
Logan kissed Jack's forehead and slipped him off the counter in his hug, releasing him when the boy's feet hit the floor. "Sounds like a plan. Have fun, little man."
Jack darted into the living room, immediately zeroing in on a basket filled with plastic dinosaurs. Grabbing the container, he proceeded to dump the contents directly onto the floor before tossing the basket on the coffee table, and dropping himself into the pile of tiny beasts.
"I wouldn't worry too much, Logan," Keith said quietly, taking a sip of his own coffee. "The kids will be what they will be. Lord knows I learned that with Veronica."
Logan continued to watch Jack play, lost in his thoughts of his children; remembering the day, with fear and excitement, that he and Veronica decided to try and start a family. How they talked about the things they would do differently than their own parents. The decision to protect them from Veronica and Logan's chosen careers. And the absolute shock when they discovered they were pregnant - after only trying for one month - realizing they would become parents sooner than they expected. The joy and terror of seeing not one but two babies in their ultrasound, knowing, in that moment, their lives would never be the same.
"We just want to try and protect them," Logan said quietly.
"We all want to protect our children, Logan," Keith replied. "But they are who they are and they become who they become. And we still love them, and they still love us. That's what matters."
Logan swiveled back towards Keith with a sigh. "Thanks for the advice. Again."
A warm smile tugged at Keith's lips, spreading to a twinkle in his eye. "Anytime."