"Veronica Mars."

She looked up from her spot on the couch. Beside her, Logan had a wrist in his hands, carefully applying medication. All around them, scattered forensic folks gathered 'evidence' from the crime scene.

"Sir." She smiled, a little relieved to have proven herself in front of someone who mattered.

Stanley stood, hands in pocket, debonair despite being close to sixty. He pretended to stretch. "Your attacker was no joke, kid. I think I pulled a hamstring there."

"Good thing my godfather's made of steel then." The ease of this conversation, bruises and cuts and all, didn't make sense - yet still, it felt like the most familial thing in the world.

Stanley smiled, benevolently hovering over the touching lovers. It wasn't exactly protocol to choose your own godparents - but since when had she cared? "You got a keeper there, girl."

The small smile she already had on her lips widened into something deeper, much more joyous.

"He cracked the accomplice's back, informed Clark, and called me. He also 'fessed up about being a total jerk to you," Stanley went on, casual and poignant. Then he switched to a stage whisper. "Make sure he apologizes."

Veronica laughed, and Logan gripped her fingers gently. She looked at him. "You wanna apologize?"

"For the rest of my life."

Usually, she hated big romantic speeches like that. But hey - they'd grown on her. She squeezed his hand back.

Now or never.

She breathed in. "Hey, Lo - there's something I gotta tell you."

"Agent Mars," Clark, fidgety and tense, interrupted their little triangle. They all look at the stocky marshal. "WITSEC would like to congratulate you and Mr. Echolls on finding and subduing the threat to him."

The entire thing felt like a nonsensical farce. She wanted to roll her eyes so badly. At least Logan did notice Stanley's number programmed into his phone - that was a good stroke of foresight and luck.

"We are fairly certain that evidence of assault and attempted murder will keep Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Boyd, and Ms. Sierra put away doubly longer - at maximum security," Clark added, self-important.

She smiled a tired smile. "Thank you, Clark."

"Of course."

The lull in conversation had the marshal excusing himself - before he turned at the last minute. "By the way, Agent Mars, with the Fitzpatrick threat eliminated, your request should be easy to process."

A strange surge of hope caught in her chest.

"We shall restore your identities within the week. Thank you."

Clark paraded himself away - his absence a welcome fact. The universe itself felt wide open - restored at last. She gripped Logan's hands tighter, speaking through touch. He squeezed back.

He knows.

She turned to face him, eyes teary. His eyes glistened too.

He knows - he understands.

"Seems like Veronica's going down as one of the most accomplished WITSEC shadowers." Lieutenant Stanley, leaning his torso back and forth, beamed proudly.

They broke their shared gaze to look at him.

"Protecting your man and catching the bad guy." Stanley smiled. "Told you you're the best candidate."

She could feel Logan kissing her hand. She laughed. "Guess I'll have to agree."

"I'll leave you to it. It's nice seeing you again, Veronica."

"Thanks, Stanley," Logan spoke before she could. "It's an honor working with you."

"No problem." Stanley bowed a little, old-fashioned man that he was. "I'll see you guys around?"

"Absolutely," they both said together.

Stanley promptly winked and backed away.

It took only a few seconds to muster the courage. She turned around fully and planted her hands around Logan's neck. "So - knight in shining armor, could we get married tomorrow?"

-Five years later-

"Mm, Bolognese?"

He heard her voice before he saw her peeking in at the serving window, forehead obscured by the three early dinner tickets.

He smiled - very widely. "Can't help it if it's the bestseller."

"Sexiest scent ever." She smiled, still leaning down to make her face fit between the stainless steel panels.

"I should start a line of cologne some time." He winked.

"I'd lick it right off you."

"Ugh, get a room, you two!" Ned, Norman's brother and the latest addition to their kitchen, was scowling to his right - in all his teenage glory.

Logan spared the kid a glance before smiling even wider.

"I'll see you at the back," he hollered to Veronica. She nodded before promptly disappearing.

"About time," his sous chefs muttered behind him just as he slides the steel door open. He was still smiling, seemed like he always was these days, because he knew they were kidding.

Wouldn't mind it if they weren't, though.

There was something refreshing about being the one in the healthy relationship, for once.

"Hey, sexy." Veronica walked up to him in the hallway, greeting him with a long, lingering kiss.

"Mm," he hummed back before they parted. "I take it work went well?"

"Yeah." She smiled, landing back on her soles. "Clark still doesn't like it that I'm his boss - but hey, I'm the one who caught the bad guy."

"Right - you." He knew his eyes twinkled. This was a very old, very familiar conversation.

"Hm, would you have known to get Stanley's number? No. Would you have known I was dangling off the balcony without my banshee wail? No. Did you actually help me get up the bal - "

"Alright, alright, we get the picture." His hand flew over her mouth playfully, obscuring half her face. Her eyes smiled at him. "You're my hero, okay?"

The bright smile on her lips matched her eyes once he let go. She grabbed both his hands. "Hey, if it's any comfort - I reread them last week, and the official records say 'Echolls' caught the gang."

He frowned, a little confused.

"They didn't really file it until a week after the attack." She let go of his right hand to lift her left, back of her hand facing him. "And guess who added a ring here during that week?"

He tried to fight the smile - very much - but it was simply too wide and genuine to hide.

"Thanks." It was the only word he could muster.

She beamed back, not displeased.

"So." She drew close, hands wrapping around his waist. "How's the survival diary of the working dad?"

He laughed a little. "She's in school all day now - so not exactly hard."

"Right. And where is she now?"

"Hm - I'm pretty sure the knife rack made a pretty good crib - ouch!" He jumped at her very precise pinching on his back.

Man, I love her.

"Where's my daughter?"

"Our daughter." He smiled, untangling them so he could hold her hand. He walked them towards the back room. "She's napping. Missed her mom, I think."

"Should I have stayed home?" The sadness in her voice took him by surprise.

"What? No - of course not. I mean - you already did." He smiled empathetically, squeezing her hand. "It takes guts for an agent to stay home till her child went to school."

"I guess." She still looked skeptical as they threaded into the private room they'd built into this place two years ago. It helped to be the owner. Her free hand flew over her belly. "I'd still have to go on maternity leave for this one, though."

"Que sera sera." He smiled, sitting down on the bed next to Vanessa. Her brown curls and blue eyes - she'd blown them away from the day of her birth. One child growing up normal had been enough to convince Veronica to at least consider having another one. "Besides - another girl could keep Vanessa company."

"And what if it were a boy?" His wife wasn't looking at him, eyes trained instead on their sleeping angel.

"Well, in that case," he spoke blithely, a happy man, "then I think 'Luke' would make a pretty good name."

A/N: A huge, huge thank you to irma66 for sticking with this story's highs and lows. She's done great stuff for our fandom. And a big hug to everyone reading this! I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know your thoughts! Signing off, Iris :)