Veronica was running through his mind during most of the rest of his classes as Logan weighed up the pros and cons of a relationship with her. It had been approximately six weeks since this new version of her had been in his life and he felt like a pawn in some cosmic game. He'd been so bitter for the longest time and the way she looked at him still felt too good to be real, she was so tender with him and he was unable to resist it. Those blue eyes were like comets and they were going to bury him deep in this love he felt growing for her. The worst of him didn't want to.

He was scrambling for some kind of answer to this conflict.

That anger he had felt during this last year had left him with an ignorant sense of safety, he had lost that part of himself when Lilly had died, he had been sure of it. Now he was watching the crumbling walls of defence descend around him. That guarded stance hadn't developed overnight. It was long process born of disappointment and her betrayal; it was a wound that got stronger every time it healed from being ripped back open. He'd been so afraid to let someone back in, so afraid someone else would leave.

But she had always been here…

She'd caught him off guard with that kiss and now he just wanted to belong to her.

Logan knew what it was to really fall in love with someone. It wasn't frivolous or lustful. Although he did crave her physically in a way that made him feel like he was going to lose control when she was around. It wasn't selfish. It was real. It was real because Veronica, and only Veronica, was worth that free-fall into the unknown… and the way she made him feel… he knew she'd catch him… they'd catch each other.

Veronica had always been a drug for him… when he had her attention the world had colours again, even when all they did was snarl at one another… he felt more alive doing that than he did doing just about anything else, it felt really cliché but it was the only way he could describe it.

They didn't have the most healthy start… he knew that… but that didn't mean that they couldn't build something from that struggle. He still didn't know what had possessed him to ask her to the homecoming dance… he still missed the way she used to be with her quips and her sassy attitude, but if their arguments recently proved anything, that side of her wasn't entirely gone.

The drive to Duncan's house had been one of the longest in his life and Logan was almost going to back out. He hated this house… Lilly had died here. Especially after he had seen that video of the four of them yesterday, it all felt rawer somehow. The Dedication Ceremony felt like they had been speaking about commissioning it a few weeks ago and now it was a year later and it was being unveiled.

Duncan had been so in love with Veronica then…

Duncan had moved on, so it seemed… he had even started a polite friendship with this newer Veronica and he had invited Faith Schultz to Homecoming… surely he wouldn't be too mad at him for asking her out?

"Hey Man, I was just in the yard if you wanna come out back?" Duncan smiled as he opened the door to the Kane family estate.

"Actually… could we talk out here?" Logan asked nervously as he stood in the doorway.

"Is everything okay?" Duncan asked, concern furrowing his brows.

"I hope so… Jurys still out on that part" Logan replied as he paced anxiously.

"Well get it out dude, what's the matter?" Duncan questioned as he crossed his arms and stared at Logan curiously. Then genuine worry in Duncan's eyes made him feel ill.

"I'm still trying to figure out how to ask this… I just wanna make sure it's cool with you…" Logan swallowed, unable to look at him.

"Then just… breathe…" Duncan assured him.

Logan inhaled deeply and finally looked his friend in the eye.

"You know… I've not really dated… like really dated since…" he exhaled nervously.

"Since Lilly" Duncan commented quietly.

"Yeah… well… I've sort of gotten involved with someone… and…" Logan admitted apprehensively.

Why was getting these words out so much harder when Duncan looked at him like he was happy at that revelation?

"Logan… it's been a year… I think it's okay if you let go" Duncan promised. "Lilly would have wanted you to be happy"

The words twisted in his gut. He felt wretched… would he still be saying that when he found out who she was?

"You taking her to Homecoming?" Duncan asked.

"I was planning on it… and its kinda weird but… I just wanted to run it by you…" Logan gulped.

"Man.. come on I am sure she will say yes!" Duncan laughed. "I haven't seen you this nervous since junior high when you asked out Lilly!"

"It's Veronica" he blurted finally.

"What?" Duncan bellowed.

"The girl its…" he repeated.

"I heard you the first time… what the hell Logan?" Duncan interrupted angrily.

"I wasn't planning on it…" Logan tried to explain.

"What you figured she's got some memory problems and you'd make your move before she remembers she hates you?" Duncan spat as his blue eyes flashed furiously at him.

"It's not like that…" Logan implored him as he ran his hand through his brown hair.

"Not like you asking me if it's okay you date my ex-girlfriend?" Duncan snarled. "She's in recovery… what the hell is wrong with you?"

The criticism sliced through him… Duncan was like his brother… he was his best friend…

"I care about her…" Logan protested weakly.

"No you are infatuated with her… obsessed… you have been for a while, don't think I haven't noticed" Duncan accused him.

Obsessed… hadn't Caitlin accused him of the exact same thing when she dumped him a month ago?

"Yeah well if you knew why didn't you say anything?" he demanded.

"Because I knew in a million years she'd never look at you!" Duncan snapped and Logan felt like he had punched him in the gut. It was true… the old Veronica probably never would have given him the time of day. "You wanted my permission to date my ex? Fine.. you don't have it"

Was he serious?

"I wasn't asking permission" Logan informed him.

"Weren't you?" Duncan argued. "Because when you said you wanted to make sure it was cool with me… it sounded a lot like it!"

"You broke it off a year ago… how could this bother you?" Logan exclaimed. "You're dating Faith!"

"Because I know who you are Logan!" Duncan complained. "Maybe that was okay when you were an okay guy when you were dating Lilly… she could handle you…"

Duncan Kane had been his best friend since kindergarten.. how could he think so little of him?

"What now I need to be handled?" he demanded.

"You need to stop acting like a jackass and drop this!" Duncan told him firmly.

A Jackass?

"She can make up her own mind" Logan snapped. "She's already said yes!"

In fact, she can barely keep her hands off me…

"Don't think for one second that if she were herself… that she would be agreeing to anything" Duncan said as he squared up to him. "Now get away from my house" he growled before he stormed away and slammed the front door.