Songs that inspired this short Logan story – Anna Leone – My Soul I & Max Schneider – I'll come back for you.

It had been exactly eight years, two months and three days since Logan Echolls had seen Veronica Mars and for some reason, she had been fleeting through his mind more often than not recently. His heart felt a little heavy as he listened to the sounds of his shipmates as they carried out their duties.

Maybe that's because he knew she would never have done something like this to him… Carrie was cheating on him, and he knew it, part of him didn't really care anymore, her shitty friends and the constant tabloid drama were wearing him down. They were supposed to be getting ready to settle down, build a life together… but the constant partying, the lying and the incidents of her being so drunk she passed out and missed their skype dates was telling him more and more that it wasn't going to happen. They'd had a good first year, now he felt like he was constantly trying to get her back on an even keel but you couldn't help someone who wouldn't help themselves. He knew that all too well.

At least out here running the routine maintenance checks with his crew mates on The USS Truman, he could get away from it all for a while. Four months and six days into his current deployment and his popstar girlfriend was pissed at him that he couldn't just go AWOL to attend the MTV Music awards with her. Bonnie De-Ville, Neptune, California's biggest success story since Kane Industries had launched streaming digital video. Her latest album, Confessional was taking the charts by storm and it had created a Media Tsunami. Not that she would admit to being angry with him, he had always a weakness for emotionally unavailable women he supposed. Their last attempted at a romantic weekend together during his shore leave in Italy, he had lost his temper and beaten the hell out of the paparazzi who had abseiled down the building into their bedroom.

"Hey Mouth, I'll see you in the Mess in 20" Bilbo called out and Logan nodded in agreement.

Every hour of his day was scheduled here, down to every single minute, every decision was triple signed off and he would be on clean up duty the second he stepped out of line. Military life was nothing like those frivolous days of his youth. It was his birthday today, and he knew the guys were planning a small celebration, in an occupation like this when you threw yourself head first into harm's way, every excuse to celebrate was taken up with great enthusiasm.

If it hadn't been for signing up to the Navy, Logan doubted he ever would have made it this far. If it hadn't have been for Dr. Galway his history professor at Hearst… he very well wouldn't have survived this long. Flying those Jets is what had saved his life.

Dude… have a great birthday man, beer's when you get home Bro – Dick.

The email this morning had been short but it had been enough to get him reminiscing about those days back at Neptune High, had it really almost been 10 years soon? The thought of never getting to see her again, of it just being over had haunted him the night of his Alterna-Prom, he hadn't thought such a thing would be survivable. Perhaps he had been being a little bit dramatic.

His adopted sister Trina had sent him a small box of aftershaves and chocolates, and a homemade card from his nieces, apparently having a brother who may shuffle off this mortal coil due to his occupation meant the last few years they had been making more of an effort to stay in contact. Motherhood suited her.

Maybe it's the way the sunlight bounced off the waves as he stood looking out onto the horizon that reminded him of the golden strands of her hair, or the pure blue clarity of the sky today that reminded him of her eyes, whatever it was, he let himself miss her for a moment.

Marshmallows and Promises…

They had been too young, loved each other too fiercely and their intense connection had been so strong that it had ultimately torn them apart but he wouldn't have traded that time for anything else in the world. Except maybe one more day of it. He had screwed it up and this was his burden, he couldn't rewrite those stars. He'd have better luck surfing on the moon. Something about staring into the waves always calmed his soul. Lynn Echolls his mother had committed suicide by jumping into the ocean when he was 17 years old, and her body had never been recovered, yet part of him could always feel close to her when he could smell the sea air, like she was with him somehow. It was comforting.

It had been complete radio silence since that morning Veronica Mars had left for the summer to go to her Internship at the FBI and he hadn't heard from her since, she never returned to Hearst College after that, she had transferred to Stanford and shortly afterwards Keith Mars had moved out of the two bedroom apartment in the Sunset Crescent Apartment's and left no forwarding address.

No response to his emails, no New Year's or Christmas text's exchanged. She had just disappeared from his life. The distance over the years had made it a little easier to move on.

He had always thought their story was Epic, the girl who had taken down the monster from his nightmares, his father Aaron Echolls, A List Movie star, the man who had killed his first ever girlfriend, Lilly Kane. Even now Logan knew he was still in love with her, the elusive force of nature that was his smart mouthed Petite Blond Sexy Sleuth. He wondered if she was thinking about him today, if she would notice the date on her calendar and wish him a silent happy birthday, even if she would never reach out. Of course she would, no detail went unnoticed by that beautiful mind.

"It's always been Veronica" Parker had told him. It always would be… in their own way.

Should he be feeling guilty about thinking about a girl who wasn't his girlfriend? Maybe, but this could be his little secret. It's not like he was still that lovesick boy waiting for her to come back for him.

"You trying to catch glimpse of a Mermaid?" Lieutenant Tad Gleason joked, knocking him from his melancholy gaze.

"Naw man, just taking it all in" he smiled.

"Yeah… it really is something, never fails to take my breath away" the Lieutenant agreed as they watched the Jet's pull some manoeuvres.

"Too bad you didn't score high enough by Medical after that cold, you could be up there today yourself" he smiled quietly. Lieutenant Tad "Dreamer" Gleason had recently failed the assessment to transfer into the Naval Aviator programme himself but he was still a damn fine engineer, one of the best on board.

"Ack, some things just aren't meant to be" Gleason told him before he turned and picked up the tool box he had been carrying.

"Yeah, I guess not" Logan smiled sadly, but his mind was thinking back on a particular blond Private Eye. Some things just weren't meant to be.