Logan crouched between the hedges, contemplating his next move. While the front of the property now had a concrete and iron wall dividing it from the street and the second property, the builder had elected to keep the thick hedges that once kept the Kane property and Echolls property separate. How many times, when he was younger, had he snuck out at night and pushed through the branches, just to meet Lilly on the other side? The path he created was now overgrown by time, the hedge now twelve-feet tall separating unknown neighbour from unknown neighbour.

Although really, the neighbour he was watching wasn't really all that unknown to him. As his eyes skimmed the house – shades drawn tight, no sign of life – he wavered between his options. Deep down inside, he wished he could just break down the door and beat Mercer Hayes to a bloody pulp. But that was part of the reason Mercer was after them now. Retaliation. Logan's choices were coming back to haunt him and he knew that whatever he chose to do now could have dire consequences for his family.

If he broke in while Mercer wasn't there, the place was probably alarmed, and he knew he had at least five to ten minutes to get in-and-out once the alarm was triggered. That could be enough time to find evidence enough for Leo to do a search of the home. Although not nearly as satisfying a thought as beating Mercer, he knew this could lead to his family being safer in the long run.

"Or I could just kill him," Logan muttered. The thought said out loud sent a chill down his spine. In his Navy training, he was taught how to avoid being killed, how to avoid killing someone else, but ultimately knowing that he could and would take someone's life, if called upon to do so. If it was a choice between the lives of his children and Veronica, and Mercer's, he knew that there would be no hesitation. But to break in and kill Mercer in cold blood -

Pulling one of his guns out of his pocket, he flipped the safety off, raising it to point towards a closed window on the bungalow. Two registered guns on him – he left the third in his car, along with his cell phone – was more than enough ammunition. The thought of the kids visiting him in prison flashed across his mind and he lowered the weapon. Logan was the son of a murderer; he didn't want that psychological title bestowed on his children as well.

Taking a breath, Logan refocused, his eyes scanning the back yard. Hedge to pool house; pool house to corner of the house; corner of the house to patio door – from there he could easily jimmy open the lock with his knife and get in. Ten minutes. Ten minutes in and out. Less if he heard sirens. More if he didn't.

In a flash he was on his feet, sprinting on his route, his eyes still fixed on the house, watching for signs of Mercer. When he reached the house, he took a deep, cleansing breath, pulling his switchblade from his coat pocket and flipping it open. Inching his head close to the glass, he attempted to see inside, but the thick curtains blocked his view. Logan crouched, getting closer to the lock, and inserted the thin blade between the sliding door and the wall. The lock popped easily and he slowly opened the door, listening for the tell-tale beeping of an alarm being triggered.

All the hairs on his arms stood on end when he realized there was no alarm sounding. It could mean that it was a silent alarm. Or it could mean that Mercer was in there. Raising his gun, he pushed the door open quietly and entered the house.

Pressing his back against the wall, Logan's eyes darted around, trying to orient himself to the surroundings. The living room was sparsely decorated – only a couch and a large television sat in the room. There were a number of doors off the room and a long hallway, leading away to what he assumed was another wing of the home.

Veronica's muffled giggle rang out and Logan froze, a cold sweat bursting from his pores. There was silence and then the unmistakable sound of her moan, followed by his name. Zeroing in on the room across from him, Logan sprinted through the room, his hand shaking as he reached for the doorknob. Opening the door, he raised his gun in front of him, trigger finger twitching.

The three computer screens on the large desk splashed the image of Logan's naked back, Veronica underneath him, her legs sticking up out from the blankets covering part of their bodies, making love in their bed at home.

"You're going to wake the kids." Logan's teasing voice filled the room and his eyes went wide as he slowly approached the desk.

Veronica giggled again and this time it was Logan's moan filling the room.

Cold metal pressed against the back of Logan's neck and the mechanical click of a gun being cocked snapped him out of his trance.

"This is my favorite video," Mercer hissed in Logan's ear. "Although the one where you take her on the couch is a close second."

Logan squeezed his eyes shut and mentally cursed himself for letting his guard down. "Fuck you, Mercer."

Mercer's deep laugh filled the room, momentarily blocking out the sounds from the video. "I actually think it's her fucking you. I mean, I've been enjoying the show – and I know that if I had Veronica, I would fuck her all the time – but really you two...porn stars have less sex."

"So, cameras in my house, huh," Logan replied. "Interesting way to go – is that why you poisoned my dog?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Once the dog was gone, the alarm was easy to bypass while everyone was out of the house. Now, flip the safety on your gun and drop it, if you would please. I'm on a tight schedule here and I don't have time for chit-chat."

Logan did as he was told, the gun hitting the ground, the sound of a tile on the floor cracking as the heavy metal came in contact with it.

"Whoops. Gonna have to get that fixed." Logan snarked. "That'll hurt the resale value."

Mercer jabbed the gun into Logan's skin again and his head dipped forward. "You think this is funny, Logan? Is this some joke? I spent twenty-fucking-years in prison because of Veronica. Now, go sit your ass down in that chair over there and just shut up."

Glancing around the room, Logan's eyes settled on a wooden office chair just off to the side. He was so focused on the screens that he completely missed it when he came in the room. Without a word, he stepped away from the gun and made his way to the chair. Before he sat, Logan turned to finally face his advisory.

The image of young Mercer Hayes merged in Logan's head with the man standing in front of him. Although they were almost the same age, Mercer now looked about ten-years older – his dark hair receding and scattered with white hair that continued down into his beard. Deep lines ran around his eyes and across his forehead. In one hand, he held up the gun, but in the other, he held a wooden cane with an ornate metal eagle at the top. If Logan had seen him on the street he would have never noticed that this was the same man he knew all those years ago.

"Don't take my cane as a sign of weakness," Mercer snapped. "In prison I expertly removed a man's eye with it when he tried to underestimate me. It's just a little side-effect from Veronica stabbing me in the leg."

A smirk crossed Logan's lips. The fact that Veronica stabbed Mercer with an ornamental unicorn was always a detail of Mercer's case that amused him.

"Did you tell them in prison that it's an old unicorn injury?" He snarked. "Bet that would go over really well."

Mercer's eyes narrowed and he waved the gun at the chair. "Didn't I tell you to shut up? Sit down and put your hands on the armrests."

Logan shrugged, trying to maintain his calm exterior. The longer he kept Mercer busy, the more time it gave Veronica to get out of town, and far away with the kids. Doing as he was told, he sat, facing the now-blank computer screens. Almost as soon as he was down, a leather belt swung around his chest and he groaned as Mercer pulled him back against the chair, tightening it so his arms could not move. He stayed unmoving as Mercer moved around him, securing his arms and ankles to the chair. When he was done, he began patting Logan down and, finding his second gun, reached into his jacket and removed it, tucking it into the back of his own pants with a smile.

He turned away, busying himself for a second at the keyboard before the computer screens flashed to life again, showing the interior of Logan and Veronica's home. The time and date stamp showed that it was a live-feed. Their bedroom, the living room, and Jack's room were visible now but no one was inside.

Mercer turned and leaned against the desk, a twisted smile on his face. "Now, here comes the fun part."

Logan glanced from the screens to Mercer, his heart beating faster. "What's your plan, Mercer? Now that you have me, what are you going to do?"

Mercer's laugh sent chills down Logan's spine. "Well, you know, I haven't completely decided. Twenty years is a long time to think about these things, and it's changed over the years. But the crux of it being having a very good time with Veronica, while you get a front row seat. After that thought, I'm not too sure; I never really accounted for you both having kids over the years, but that just adds to the fun."

He walked to Logan, placing his hands over Logan's wrists and brought his face in close. "You know, I used to hear my mother scream and beg for mercy when my father would take her, in the middle of the night. One time, I tried to save her and burst into the room, but he still wouldn't stop, so I ended up just watching – watching as my father raped my mother over and over again. I was wondering what would happen if I let that happen to your children. What do you think, Logan? Do you think they would turn out like me?"

Fear and rage ripped through Logan and he started to rail against his restraints, forcing Mercer away from his face as he maintained his grip on Logan's wrists.

"Or that girl. That pretty little girl of yours," Mercer cackled. "I bet if I took her with me and disappeared, you would spend the rest of your goddamn life chasing us, wouldn't you? But what would she be like when you find her?"

"I'm gonna kill you!" Logan growled as he fought to get free. "You touch any of my kids and I swear to God I will kill you, you son of a bitch!"

Mercer's hand wrapped around the base of Logan's neck and he sputtered, choking for air.

"No, no you won't," Mercer said as white dots began to appear in front of Logan's eyes. "Enjoy the show, Logan. Enjoy watching your lovely little family get destroyed."

Logan fought. He fought against the straps. He fought against Mercer. He fought against the darkness.

The last thing he saw was Mercer's smiling face before he passed out, unable to fight any more.

Veronica held Keith's hand to her cheek, closing her eyes in silent prayer that he would wake up. Just after Logan left, the doctor came around to give them an update on Keith's condition. The CT scan indicated there was substantial swelling to the brain and they wouldn't know more about the severity until he woke up. And so Veronica and the kids sat around Keith's bed, talking to him gently, hoping he would open his eyes. She wasn't sure how long they had been in there, but when a kind nurse offered to sneak four sandwiches and soup in for everyone to eat, she suspected it was around dinner time.

Placing her dad's hand down on the bed, Veronica leaned back in her chair and looked over at the kids, still nibbling on the remains of their sandwiches. She pulled her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans, contemplating whether it was "safe" to turn it on and check for any messages from Logan.

Emotionally drained, she decided to take the kids home to finish packing and that way, she could check her messages once they were in the hospital parking garage.

"I love you dad," she whispered. "We'll see you soon."

Veronica leaned over and kissed Keith on the head, hoping he would wake up when she did. When his eyes remained shut, she turned to the kids.

"Okay guys, let's go."

Lexie, Linc, and Jack all nodded before hopping off their chairs and walking over to the bed. In turn, each one took Keith's hand from between the bars on the bed and kissed it gently, murmuring their goodbyes. Veronica stood near the door, trying to hold back her emotions, giving the illusion to her children that she felt as strong on the inside as she projected on the outside. When Jack lifted his arms up to her, she couldn't resist picking up her baby and slinging him on one hip. He placed his head on her shoulder and she kissed his forehead.

"Let's go," she whispered as Lexie and Linc nodded, the twins joining hands and following her through the door.

As they moved down the hallway, Veronica was in a daze. So when her name was called out, she almost didn't hear it.

"Veronica! Veronica Mars!"

Turning around in the crowded hallway, Veronica blinked rapidly as the pretty blond in a black pencil-skirt, silk shirt, and high heels scurried to catch up to them.

"Oh...my..." she stammered. "Parker?"

Parker Lee – Mac's old roommate from Hearst College and Logan's ex-girlfriend – came to an abrupt halt in front of her. Parker's eyes darted between all the kids and a small frown wrinkled her perfectly sculpted eyebrows. She seemed to recover quickly and her frown was replaced with a large, friendly smile.

"Oh my gosh indeed!" Parker squealed with enthusiasm. "I can't believe I ran into you!"

"Yeah...wow...what are you doing here?"

Parker pulled her suit jacket off her arm, revealing a pink cast covering her wrist and part of her arm.

"Funny story – I'm a marine biologist now and I was doing a visiting lecture at Hearst on how climate change is affecting fish migration and I kind of tripped coming off the stage and broke my wrist." Her eyes darted between the kids again. "So...you and Logan got married and had kids, huh?"

Veronica looked over at Linc – Logan's tiny doppelganger – and smiled warmly. "Yeah. We did. Except for the married part."

Parker nodded and smiled. "My little guy and his dad spent the day at the San Diego Zoo. They're meeting me at the hotel now that I've been discharged."

"Wow, congratulations on the whole kid and husband thing," Veronica said, her over-tired brain starting to lose its words. "Very cool that you could come back to Hearst as a lecturer too."

"Yeah – it was a really hard decision coming back to Hearst because of you-know-who being released." Parker's voice dropped slightly, her eyes darting around at the people passing by. "But then I figured this would be the last place he would actually settle, all things considered."

Veronica frowned. "You-know-who? What do you mean?"

Parker's forehead wrinkled. "You didn't know? Mercer Hayes was released from prison on parole a few years ago. I was informed by the County before it happened. But I guess because you technically weren't one of his victims..."

Gripping Jack tightly in her arms, Veronica's body went cold. Suddenly, everything made sense in her mind. Dick, Pony, and Keith – harming them were just a means to an end - an end that probably had to do with Veronica and Logan.

"I...I have to go..."

Nodding, Parker tried to force a smile on her face. "Yeah, okay. Good seeing you, Veronica."

Nodding, Veronica turned her pace quickening as they wove their way down the hall.

"Mom? What's wrong?" Lexie asked, hustling to keep next to Veronica.

"Nothing. We just need to go home now." The doors to the parking lot opened automatically and Veronica reached out, taking Lexie's hand in hers. Lexie took Linc with her free hand and the group quietly manoeuvred to their van.

As the kids climbed inside, Veronica grabbed her phone and turned it on, tapping her foot impatiently as it powered up. Glancing at the screen, she saw she had one new message from Logan, dated hours ago, and she held her breath as she buckled Jack into his car seat before closing the door. Outside of the van, she checked her voicemail where the kids could not hear.

...Just get out.

Veronica let Logan's words sink in. He knew. He knew it was Mercer. If it was anyone else, he would have told her. Wherever he was, whatever he was doing, he was taking care of Mercer.

Opening the driver's side door, Veronica slipped into the seat, closing the door and engaging the locks.

"We need to leave for Grandma's house. Now." Veronica stated slowly, trying to keep her voice calm.

"But what about our stuff?" Lexie exclaimed.

"Yeah! I was almost done packing!" Linc chimed in.

"We can't leave without Mr. Bunny!" Jack cried out. "I can't sleep without him!"

Veronica covered her eyes with her palms and lowered her head for a moment. Three kids with no clothes, no snacks, and no toys. One pregnant adult with no food, no weapon, and no cell phone charger.

"Okay! New plan," she announced, uncovering her eyes and looking in the rear-view mirror. "Five-minutes. We will stop at home for five-minutes to grab some important stuff and go. Alright?"

Three heads nodded in quiet unison and Veronica started the car. A rush of worry for Logan's safety swept through Veronica and she fought to keep control of her emotions. She knew he could handle himself – she just had to have faith. For now, her focus needed to be on the kids, and keeping them as far away from Mercer Hayes as possible.