Logan sighed as he closed his front door. His day had been full of meetings, most of them insanely boring. He had to keep reminding himself that boring meetings meant a healthy company, but as the hours went on, he found he had to bite back razor-sharp words more and more.

Apparently taking a week off to run around a different town with your ex trying to track down your sister's kidnappers didn't actually excuse you from all the work that piled up at your company.

Movement from the dark living room caught his eye. He froze, then tried to look around for something to use as a weapon.

"I think you need better security." A smug voice informed him as he let out a sigh of relief and repressed his instinctual feeling of guilt. He clicked on the light to see Veronica grinning at him from his armchair, crutches leaned up against his end table.

"Please, do come in. Make yourself comfortable." He gestured as he threw his jacket over a chair.

Veronica made a show of checking the time. "And what hour do you call this, young man?"

He laughed as he made his way to the kitchen. "Some of us have to work for a living, Mars. Soda?"

"Sure." Logan watching her carefully out of the corner of his eye as she stood up slowly, leaving her crutches behind and limping over to the kitchen. He also caught her glare, daring him to comment. Opening her soda, he handed it over with a slight smile.

"Been here long?"

"Long enough to be bored out of my skull. And I thought my hours were ridiculous."

"Ah. I suppose rummaging through my things was only somewhat entertaining?"

"I mean, your stormtrooper outfit was good for a few laughs, but that was about it." She took a sip. "I hope you don't mind, I kicked the brunette twins out of your room."

Logan nodded. "Should have counted on that. Did you find the redhead?"

Snapping her fingers in mock realization, Veronica swore, "Damn. I knew I heard giggling in the closet."

Letting out a low chuckle, Logan couldn't help but reply, "Well, you should know that I'm really only partial to blondes."

He let the comment sit for a moment, testing the waters. When Veronica didn't respond (or run), Logan filed the information away and changed the subject.

"Anything new happening lately?"

"You mean besides everyone I know asking me 'how are you doing' in hushed tones?" She rolled her eyes. "Nothing too much. Two weeks away from work means a ton of super fun paperwork has piled up, but on the plus side, the newbies think I'm the biggest badass ever, so there's that."

Logan chuckled. "There is that." He sipped his drink, eyeing Veronica as she tested her weight on her leg, wincing at the pain. Glancing at the counter, he asked, "So, how are you doing?"

Veronica heaved an exasperated sigh. "Getting really sick of that ques-"

He looked up. "The truth."

She blinked at him, startled at the gravity in his voice, and surprised at the invocation of their previous deal.

After a moment of consideration, she answered, "Honestly? It sucks. My leg hurts like hell every time I try and do anything. The pain meds help, but I want to get off those before they become a hobby horse. PT is all about testing limits, which normally sounds right up my alley, but right now, walking and stretching and bending just makes me tired and cranky. So, in short, I'm not okay." She looked up to meet his eyes. "But I will be."

Logan smiled gently. "Good. Glad to hear it."

Veronica watched him, pressed her lips together, and asked softly, "My turn?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her as he absently bent his soda tab back and forth.

After taking a couple breaths, she asked all in a rush, "Why didn't you come back?"

The soda tab suddenly snapped off.

"At… at the hospital, I thought… and before, when we…" Veronica paused, trying to find the right wording. "I just… I thought you'd come see me."

Picking at a spot on the counter, Logan avoided her gaze. "Yeah, I meant to. I just got swamped at work and-"

"I saw you." She interrupted softly. "Outside my room at the hospital. You just stood there, staring. Then you left."

"I thought you were asleep," He said, as more of a comment than an explanation.

"I was in and out." Veronica answered, watching as he nervously crushed the empty soda can.

When he didn't add anything, Veronica took a breath, then continued, "You said you wanted to come visit me, but… you didn't. So…" She looked up to see Logan's shoulders tense, as if preparing for a blow. "I was… wondering why."

There was a long pause, then Logan's head tilted, his body relaxed slightly, and he glanced up almost in surprise. "Was that... an honest-to-God question from the Veronica Mars? Not an accusation, or a presumption, or even, dare I say, a speculation in sight?"

Veronica blushed. "I know I tend to… jump to conclusions and assume the worst of people, and I'm trying to be better at just… asking. And…" She peeked at him from under her brows, "and trusting."

Logan blinked at her, then gave her a long, weighty stare.

"Alright." He said finally. "The truth?"

She nodded cautiously.

He fumbled for a beginning, "I…" He ran a hand through his hair as he let out a slow breath, then spoke in almost a whisper. "Your hair was stained red."

Veronica furrowed her brows in confusion.

"There was so much blood, it… it got into your hair." His eyes were distant, his voice low. "I've never seen so much blood in my life. And I've seen a fair amount of blood, trust me." His mouth twisted cynically. "Mostly my own."

Pressing her lips together, she did her best to keep any murderous thoughts of Logan's father at bay and to just listen.

"But seeing you like that…" Logan trailed off, then met her eyes with his own haunted ones.

"Everyone I love has died." He said suddenly, startling her. "Lilly was murdered, my mom killed herself, and you..."

Veronica reached out to touch his arm. "I didn't die, Logan." She told him quietly.

He shook his head. "That night, I wasn't so sure. There was so much blood, and I was so…" He let out a harsh laugh. "I've done a lot of stupid things, but I have never been so damn terrified as when I watched you bleed out in my arms."

Meeting her gaze at last, he said, "I was terrified because I love you so damn much, and I know that terrifies you."

Veronica drew her head back in surprise.

"So I was stuck. I couldn't lose you, not again. And I wanted to tell you, to finish whatever we started. But I knew that if I told you, I'd lose you. You'd run as fast as you could and leave a Veronica-shaped hole in the wall. And I'd be alone. Again."

The silence was punctured by Logan tossing his soda can in an arc into the trash can. "So. There you have it. The truth. Whole and nothing-but-the."

As she took a moment just to look at him, back against the counter, hands gripping the edge, fingers tapping in trepidation, Logan sighed and stared out the window. "I'm sorry I didn't come in to see you. I just… I didn't know what to say."

Feeling almost as if she was approaching a frightened animal, Veronica moved towards him slowly. "Hey," she called gently, waiting until he peered up at her. "I'm not running."

She glanced at her leg and chuckled a little. "And even if I did, I wouldn't make it too far. Pretty sure you could catch up with me in no time."

As his brown eyes searched her blue ones, Veronica drew closer and pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth, an echo of their first kiss on the balcony of the Camelot, all those years ago.

And just like that clear spring day, Logan watched her with an unreadable expression for one moment, two, then spun her into his arms to kiss her with desperate passion.

With her thoughts melting away into a delightfully fuzzy puddle, a smile making its way across her face, and feeling happier than she had in years, a sudden thought struck Veronica.

"Damn." She muttered, and Logan pulled back immediately.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt your leg?" He asked anxiously as he set her on the counter.

"No, no, you're fine, it's just… do you have fifty bucks?"

Logan raised a teasing eyebrow. "Seems a little low for your hourly rate, but I'm sure I could swing it."

She whacked his shoulder and tried to suppress her grin. "It's for a bet."

"Oh?" He inquired, hands trailing down her arms.

"Yeah… it's this stupid thing between me and Mac. She bet me fifty bucks that we wouldn't start dating, and c'mon, I know I'm slightly famous, but I'm nowhere that rich."

Logan's movement suddenly stilled. "Is that what we're doing?" He asked cautiously.

"Hm?" She asked distractedly, her ability to follow their conversation already starting to dissolve under the warmth of his skin.

"Dating?"

Her eyes popped open.

"Oh. Um. I mean," Veronica belatedly realized that this was probably one of those things that rational, mature people communicated about. "Yeah. I-I'd like to. If… if you want."

If Logan Echolls' signature smirks were the embodiment of irritating, the slow, gentle smile that he was giving her now was the definition of warmth.

"I want."

But as he moved to kiss her, Veronica couldn't help but think of all the times before. The promising starts, the broken-hearted endings.

All the times he defended her. All the times she ran.

His anger. Her distrust.

It seemed that Logan had bested his demons. Could she defeat hers?

"I…"

Logan paused at the emotion in her voice.

"I want you to know that if we do this…I'm in."

Logan canted his head as Veronica tried to pick her words. "I know I'm not good at the whole 'trust' thing," There was a ghost of a laugh from Logan at that. "And I can't promise I won't get scared, or be suspicious." She looked up to meet his eyes. "But if I have questions, I promise I will ask them first."

She swallowed. "I want you to know that I don't have an exit plan. I don't have an escape route. And that scares the hell out of me, but I think it's worth the risk… if it's us."

And as he stared, because he had said it to her so many times, because she had never said it back, because it terrified her to say...

(Because it was true.)

"I love you, Logan."

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, instead of the rush, the passion, the crashing together she expected, Logan leaned forward oh so slowly, and gently pressed his lips to her forehead, echoing the years of affection and care and protection he had always felt for her.

"You sure you won't run if I said I love you back?" He asked, the stubble on his chin tickling the bridge of her nose.

"Hmm," She tapped her lips in thought. "Well, it'd be more like hobbling, and it'd be just down the hall to that ridiculously comfy looking king-sized bed."

He pulled back to regard her with a mischievous half-grin. "Oh?"

She quirked an eyebrow in answer. "And I fully expect you to chase me."

"I've got a better idea." Before she knew it, Logan had literally swept her into his insanely muscular arms. "How about I carry you thataway, Officer and a Gentleman style."

As Veronica put her arms around his neck, she rejoined, "I think you'd need a white uniform first. One with lots of pins and medals on it, so all the ladies would be impressed."

Logan gave her a smile that heated her up all over. "I'm sure I could come up with an outfit that you would find suitably impressive."

For the first time in a long, long while, Veronica laughed in pure, unadulterated joy.

A few days later, Veronica showed up at Wallace's house for a meteor watching party, towing Logan behind her with one hand and preemptively holding out fifty bucks for Mac in the other. There was a general pause from everyone, then Mac whooped with joy and swooped in to hug her. Keith and Wallace followed to shake Logan's hand and tease Veronica mercilessly, while Weevil gave Logan a solitary nod ("You men," Veronica told him. "Always so emotional"). After whacking everyone in reach with her crutch, she went to get a hug from Jade and Valentina and coo at the twins Alexis was holding.

When the party moved outside, Veronica found herself sitting on a blanket, nestled under Logan's chin as they stared up at the stars. As streaks of light made their way across the sky, she took a moment to look around at the other people gathered on the lawn. There was her dad, absently rocking one of the twins to sleep as he talked with Mac, who was swaying back and forth with the other. The Fennels were on the porch swing, Alexis' head on Wallace's shoulder, both clearly fighting sleep. A few blankets over, Valentina was completely passed out and drooling on Eli as she sucked her thumb. Jade brought an extra blanket over and wrapped it around them, Weevil tugging her down for a kiss as she did so.

Just as she started to feel the familiar ache of loneliness, she felt Logan hold her hand and run his fingers back and forth across her palm. She wanted to say something, to let him know, but-

("Hey, if you're scared, just say so." Her physical therapist, Lisa, told her with a mocking shrug.)

Logan caught her gaze. "Whatcha thinking about, Ace?"

(Veronica shot her a deadly look, which Lisa seemed annoyingly immune to. "I'm not scared." She retorted. "This chair is just very comfortable is all."

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "You stay where you're comfortable, you'll never get anywhere.")

Taking a breath, Veronica pushed aside her instinct to run, and testing herself against her fear, told him, "Being with you…" Logan tilted his head at her pause, waiting for her to finish. "...makes me really happy."

(Sighing, Veronica bit her lip and stood slowly. She took one step, then tried to put weight on her bad leg. It immediately buckled and she yelped as she fell to the padded floor. Glaring at Lisa, she asked, "Isn't it your job to make sure I don't fall?"

Lisa bent down, clearly unconcerned. "You could have asked for help.")

Just as she was feeling stupid for saying anything, the corners of Logan's mouth turned up slowly. "Yeah?"

(Grunting, Veronica tried to leverage herself up to grab the parallel bars. "I'm not really built to ask people for help."

Laughing, Lisa gestured at Veronica's bandaged leg. "Well, I hate to tell you, kid, but it doesn't really matter what you were built for, 'cause you got broke."

Veronica looked up, startled.

"And whether you were built for it or not, being broken means you got to ask people for help. Otherwise you'll never get fixed.")

"Yeah." She told him softly, noting with gratified surprise that her fear was quieted by his response. "Stay with me?" She asked tentatively.

He tilted her chin up and watched the falling stars reflected in her blue eyes before kissing her.

"Always."