Summary: Danger and chaos has always brought them closer, but as life settles down after Logan returns from deployment he struggles to trust that they can enjoy the peaceful moments too. Written fro the fantastic VMarsTrek for the VMFF Galentine's Day Gift Exchange :)

Peace

The sharp knock at the suite door barely cut through the sound of rapid gunfire and the occasionally lobbed grenade resigning from the television. Neither Logan or Dick made a move immediately to pause the game, but as soon as the second knock sounded everything froze. Logan glanced over to see a frustrated look etched into his friend's face as he sighed, rocking forward to propel himself off the couch. "I take it that's not room service?"

"Not the kind with food," Dick answered and Logan quirked an eyebrow at that.

Dick pulled the door open to reveal Madison Sinclair waiting impatiently for him. Ah. It was that kind of off-and-on-again room service. Funny. Logan was relatively sure that her face was stuck in that irritable frown of hers. She'd certainly worn it enough over the years.

"We had an appointment," she snapped at him.

"Make sure he pays you for the full hour," Logan popped off before he could stop himself and cringed internally as he could practically feel Madison's attention swing over to him. He stood, tossing the controller down onto the table in front of him, and grabbed his phone off the couch arm. Time to make a quick exit before he landed himself in more trouble than the fruitless question of didn't you learn your lesson last time? was worth with his oblivious best friend.

"Logan Echolls," Madison drawled his name out, and he knew that tone. She couldn't control Dick's lack of focus, so she'd make his life a living hell. Well, they said misery loves company. "How long has it been? Carrie's funeral?"

He forced down the surge of anger at the bait.

"Oh, that's right. Our ten year when you started a brawl and Veronica Mars set off the fire sprinklers to ruin the night. Dick says you two are giving it another go. Good for you. We should get together. Double date." Her voice was dripping with enough false sweetness to give him a cavity then and there. The fact that Dick had clearly been talking to her about him wasn't a good sign. There was no telling what had been said, but there wasn't a lot to be done about it right then.

Logan let a lazy, sarcastic smile pull the corner of his lips out. "If you wanna give her another chance to break your nose, that's between you and your plastic surgeon."

She huffed, her nose scrunching up in a way that had him seriously questioning his college-self's taste in companionship, even if it had just been for a few hours. It definitely made him question Dick's taste in current companionship.

"How is that going? Is she into the whole Naval Aviator thing or is it too buttoned up for her? You two were so hot and cold it was hard to keep up with what made you work. Or was it more the idea than the reality?"

Logan couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes at that one. "I know green's a natural colour on you, but it's never attractive. You two have fun." He started for the door.

"How long have you two actually been together this time?" Madison asked before he made it to his exit. "Since the reunion? Or have you been deployed? How long does that last?"

Logan finally turned to fix a glare on Dick. The asshole had been going on and on to this woman for only they knew how long. What had he been thinking? He hadn't. That was the problem, but somehow he looked offended now. Probably because his maybe-girlfriend was busy trying to get under another man's skin.

"Six months," Dick offered up and Logan had to assume that's what Brutus' knife felt like twisting.

"Oh," Madison answered like it was some kind of damning evidence. "So you two have only been living together, what? A month? Officially after Dick sold the house? Only been back two and a half? Usually the havoc you two wreak makes it into the papers."

He should turn the knob. Turn the knob and walk through the door, leaving both of them behind to deal with his buddy when the smell of sulfur dissipated from the suite. Sadly, as much progress as he'd made over the years, he was still really bad at walking out without being the one with the last word during a conversation with someone he didn't hold any respect for. Logan spun to look at her. "I got home, she's been working cases, I've been doing test flights for the Navy, and we are very happy. How 'bout you?"

"For now," Madison answered, ignoring the question.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Stupid question. Even as he asked it he knew it was. Some old habits die hard.

"Just that the two of you never could seem to function outside of the chaos. Dick and I went through it the other night, and every time you two have gotten back together, it's been on the coattails of some insane experience. Like a couple adrenaline junkies or something." That smile was positively evil. "I'm sure you'll be just fine as you settle down into a normal life. Her work, your work, maybe even buy a house, get married, and have a couple of kids, right? Definitely the kind of relationship you two were meant for."

Logan found himself frozen there for a long moment, staring with his usually very quick mind drawing a resounding and deafeningly silent blank when he demanded a response of it. A counter. Anything.

There was nothing.

Her smirk was the final straw. He turned, dragged the door open, and stormed out of it.

Afternoons gaming at Dick's suite tended to fade well into the evening, so it was surprising to find Logan's convertible parked outside the apartment. He'd known she was working a case - also something that tended to run late - so Veronica had expected to beat him home.

And maybe she had.

The apartment appeared empty as Veronica opened the door and it didn't take long for her to verify that in their six hundred foot space. In addition to a missing boyfriend was a missing surfboard on their balcony. Well that cleared things up. She tossed her things down and used the spare key hidden in the mailbox to lock up behind her.

Fewer people crowded the beach outside their apartment than had even a week before, the notorious spring break crowds returning to whatever universities they'd come from. There were a few stragglers, a few that must have had a later start, but it wasn't hard to spot the familiar form popping up on his board and finding his balance on the wave.

Even having grown up here, she'd never understood the draw to surfing. The beach, a good bond fire, toes in the sand, she could get all of that, but going out to get smacked around by the waves as they tried to drag you under was something she had never been able to find enjoyment in. But Logan did. And he loved it. He said it helped him find clarity. The ocean and the sky were his two favourite places. No wonder he'd landed where he did once he decided to get his life together.

Veronica watched as he came in closer to the beach, his balance outlasting the wave, and he hopped off the board and into the water that was shallow enough to stand in. He spotted her and she offered him a playful wave. "Hiya, handsome."

There was a half a second longer delay than there should have been and he returned a half hazard wave as he unlocked the tether around his ankle and tucked the board under his arm to start towards her. He tried for a smile, but the closer he got the more strained it appeared and her own faded. "Afternoon at Dick's not go like you guys planned?"

Logan gave a half shrug. "He had company show up. I made myself scarce."

He started towards the apartment and Veronica found herself torn between the view and the strangely sour mood. "Lady company?" she asked, trying to keep her tone light as she fished for information he didn't seem inclined to offer up freely.

"Wouldn't use that term for her."

Veronica snorted. Dick Casablancas wasn't exactly known for his high standards when it came to the dating pool, so there must have been something truly sketchy about whoever had dropped by. "C'mon, man. Don't leave a girl hanging. Who was it?" she prompted as they hit the stairs up to the apartment.

Logan bent to brush the remaining sand from his bare feet. "Madison Sinclair."

The name was always like a punch to the gut. He knew how much Veronica hated her and why, but Madison put her into a foul mood, not him. Even an afternoon cut short shouldn't be enough to cause this. Something must have happened. She followed him up to the top of the stairs, her temper starting to boil with his now. "What'd she do?"

Logan pushed the door open and stamped his feet one last time for good measure. "What makes you think she did anything?"

"Uh… every word you've grumbled out in the past five minutes and pretty much every inch of body language?"

He snorted and set his board out on the patio, closing the door behind him so that he could finally turn and meet her gaze. She saw the conflict there - the struggle - and it was everything she could do to crush old feelings of jealousy down. She trusted Logan. He wasn't dumb enough to let Madison try anything.

But maybe she had. Maybe that's what had set him off.

Veronica pulled in what she hoped would be a calming breath. Communication. That's what he wanted, right? Right. She could do that. "Logan," she started carefully, inching forward to close the gap between them, "if she did anything or tried anything, I know that you —"

"Are we good?" The question was so abrupt she wasn't quite sure what he meant and he must have realized that. "I mean… you and me."

"What the hell did she say to make that the question?" Veronica snapped, the urge to track Madison down and punch her in her perfect little nose again overwhelming.

Logan loosed a long breath, running a hand through his short hair before he took a heavy seat on the couch. He leaned back, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. "It's stupid. I know it is, but she had a point."

"I don't think I've ever known her to have a valid point in her life."

"We've never been good at comfortable."

Blonde brows drew together and she took a seat with him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we don't slow down. Every time we got together, it's been right after some crazy thing. You know…. Beaver, the whole thing with my dad…."

"We were kids."

"Your dad nearly getting killed a few months ago."

Veronica pursed her lips together thoughtfully. "Okay, that's fair." She'd never really thought about it, but even now she wasn't sure why it was bothering him so much. It wasn't like either of them denied the fact that they'd lived less than conventional lives, but things had been relatively quiet since he had gotten home from deployment. Sure, her job always had the potential of danger in it and so did his, but she'd thought they were doing pretty well. Leave it to Madison Sinclair to sow doubts.

Logan pushed a long breath out through his nose. "I know things are different, but every time we've tried this it's like we get to the stage we're at now and something manages to wedge its way in and everything goes to hell. We don't get to enjoy being together and… happy."

He looked so tortured in that moment and Veronica had to work to keep her rage at Madison out of her voice as she reached forward. Her fingers touched the back of his hand, ghosting over skin until they curled around to his palm to hold it. It drew his attention from the ceiling to her and she shifted from her place beside him so that she was in his lap, one leg on either side of his and she held his gaze. "I'm happy."

"For now."

"Logan." She waited until he looked at her. "Nine years. I told you I couldn't - wouldn't - keep doing the same runaround with you."

"And you left."

"I had to. I had to…. figure things out. We had to grow up. It's different now because we're different." She leaned down and her lips had barely grazed his before Logan moved, his hand against the side of her face to deepen the kiss, all of the fear that he seemed to be feeling funneled through it. She broke it, but didn't move and took a gamble at the core of what had him worried. "I'm not going anywhere."

His lips twitched up at that and she saw it in his eyes. "She gets into your head."

Veronica choked on a laugh, knowing the feeling all too well. She'd done well to avoid Madison after the class reunion, but she could remember those moments that felt like insanity that had driven her to ask Weevil to steal the other woman's car with every intention to crush it. She knew what it was like for her to live rent free in her head, but at least Logan hadn't let it fester inside until it got the best of him. At least she had kept her cool. Maybe they really had grown up at some point over their token apart. Imagine that.

"You know," she said softly, finding his eyes on her and her nose was still just a handful of inches away from his, "I think I know what the problem was." He quirked an eyebrow at her and her smile turned a little more mischievous as she pressed a kiss against his lips, pulling back only enough to whisper, "She's jealous."

"Yeah?"

"Has to be. Because no matter how many lives she destroys, no matter what she buys out of life, she knows she'll never have this."

"I don't want anything but this," Logan answered, his voice a little raw.

"Good thing we're on the same page there."

She couldn't tell which one of them moved first, and really it didn't matter. His lips on hers, her hands tugging at his clothing. Each kiss and every touch acting as a promise that helped to push back the doubts. And she saw it every time their eyes met: this was it. This was the time that was going to last. It had taken a few times to get it right, but if they were going to war for each other or snagging a few moments of peace between the chaos, their love was epic. It was theirs, and this time they knew how to fight for it.