14 DAYS

Don't go.

Refusing her was impossible; it would've been easier for him to permanently give up oxygen. In the instant that she kissed him, all rational thought fled. Any ideas about maintaining distance and self-preservation were gone. Instead his mind was filled with need. The need to touch, taste, be inside Veronica.

Logan banged his head against the sand. Losing her from his life nine years ago nearly killed him - how was he going to let her go this time? What the fuck were you thinking, Echolls?

Less than twenty four hours ago he woke up in Veronica's bed and now he was here on the beach waiting for her. What a difference a day makes. The charges against him were dropped, Gia was dead, and Cobb was under arrest.

He shook his head. Only Veronica could save his life and end it all in the same day. Because that has to be why she asked him to meet her here. To tell him goodbye. He was already writing her speech in his head. Last night was wonderful, but we both have lives- you need to go fly planes and I need to go back to New York.

He would survive, but that's all he would do. Nine years spent missing her taught him the difference between surviving and living. At least this time when she walked away he had something else in his life that mattered to him.

In fourteen days he would leave on deployment and he could start the long process of forgetting Veronica. He smirked. Forget Veronica? Let me know how that works out for you, Echolls.

Logan didn't need to open his eyes to know she was there. He could feel her walking toward him. A small part of him wanted to be the one to say goodbye this time- beat her to the punch, but it was only a small part. The rest of him wanted to get on his knees and plead with her to stay. I'm such an idiot.

"Hey you." She dropped onto the sand next to him. "Enjoying your freedom?"

"That's what it's all about." The Easy Rider quote fell from his tongue without effort. Opening his eyes however was a harder proposition because, once he saw her face, he would know that it was over. "Thank you, Veronica; for coming out here…for saving my ass once again."

"It's what I do."

Something in her voice gave him pause. Forcing his eyes open, he turned his head to look at her. She'd drawn her legs up to her chest, arms wrapped around her shins, chin resting on her knees. She wasn't looking at him; she was staring at the ocean.

Logan touched her shoulder. "Are you okay?" Of course she's not okay, Jackass. Her father almost died, she'd seen Gia get shot right in front of her and then Cobb tried to kill her.

She smiled. "And that's what you do."

The breeze blew her hair across her face obscuring it from his view. He pushed it back and tucked it behind her ear. "What is it that I do?"

"Worry about me."

Because I'm in love with you- not again, but still. "At least you'll be safe in New York- my only worry will be nasty paper cuts and possibly the cab rides."

"I'm not going back to New York."

Logan had to remind himself to breathe. "What about"- he couldn't bring himself to say Piz - "your first big grown-up lawyering job?"

"I don't want to be a lawyer." She finally turned her head to look at him, her gaze locking with his. "Everything I want is right here."

Tendrils of hope started growing in his chest, wrapping their delicate stems around his heart. He closed his eyes against the brilliance that was Veronica. No, I won't do it. She means her dad, her friends, being a private investigator. I will not let myself fall down this hole again.

She pressed her palm against his cheek. "What's wrong?"

There's someone I've been missing; I think that they could be the better half of me. "Nothing." He shook his head both to give credence to the lie and to dislodge the song that was playing. Come home, come home 'cause I've been waiting for you for so long, so long. "I bet your dad is happy."

A frown marred her features. "He doesn't know yet."

Right now there's a war between the vanities, but all I see is you and me. The fight for you is all I've ever known- so come home. "Are you worried he won't approve?"

She shrugged. "Maybe, but…I don't want to talk about him right now. I want to talk about us."

And here it comes, the 'we made a mistake' speech, in three…two… "I missed you."

He'd forgotten how expressive her face could be, and how easy it was for him to read. It was how he knew whenever his cutting words hit their mark. A little flinch, a tight smile or the clench of her jaw and he'd know he hurt her. This open and vulnerable look was rare. It happened only after he pushed and prodded her; after he'd declared his feelings and stood there waiting for something in return. There was no prompting from him this time. Now it was just her being honest.

He wanted to kiss her. Cupping her cheek with his hand, he leaned forward and started lowering his mouth to hers. Their lips were so close he could feel the warmth of her breath. Her eyes drifted closed and her head tilted in anticipation

Logan stopped. She's not mine anymore.

Instead of kissing her, he pressed his forehead to hers and confessed: "I missed you too, Veronica."

Those words were insufficient. They didn't describe the empty places inside of him that longed for her. Or the lonely nights he ached to hold her. Missed was too small a word to describe the days where he was blindsided by the reminder that she was gone from his life.

A tiny wrinkle creased her nose as she frowned after the lost kiss. Her eyes opened and searched his face and then her lips curved in a soft smile. "I want—" Her stomach grumbled, cutting off her words.

"Food apparently." Thankful for the interruption, Logan jumped to his feet and held out a hand for her. He wasn't sure he was prepared to hear what Veronica Mars wanted from him. "When's the last time you ate?"

Taking his hand, she pulled herself up, and then brushed the sand from the back of her jeans. "Uh, this morn—" She shook her head and tried again. "Last night? Yesterday?"

"Guess I'd better feed you then." He started toward his car. Catching up with him, Veronica slipped her hand in his and laced their fingers together. It was easy and familiar and made his senses reel. "Chinese? Italian? Now that you're a sophisticated New Yorker, I'm not sure our cuisine will live up to your standards."

"I'm not a New Yorker."

"You?" —he smirked— "Miss Type-A, organized, overachieving, focused multi-tasker? You were born a New Yorker."

"Okay, laid-back, slacker, California beach bum- I want Mexican food." She gave his hand a gentle tug. "La Puerta?"

He opened his mouth to say no —too many memories of her comparing him to the specialty drink menu: the Jackass, or the Bad to the Bone, or Californication when she was in the mood— but Logan swallowed down the refusal and shrugged. "Sure."

They reached the parking lot and he realized he didn't know what car she was driving. Veronica answered his silent question. "You're my ride; I took a cab from the hospital."

Three blocks from the Neptune Grand, the restaurant was in the same one-mile radius of all the old Logan-and-Veronica dating haunts- the Cat, Burger Lounge, Heavenly Cupcake. All food. Logan smiled at the memory of his petite companion's appetite. He parked the car and turned to her. "Taqueso Carne, pickled jalapenos, and a viva Mexico burrito?"

Her eyes widened and then she laughed. "I can't believe you remember that."

Logan wanted to tell her he remembered everything, but he didn't. "I'm sure the entire restaurant remembered you packing away four tacos, a one-pound burrito, and three" —he wiggled his fingers— "sides. They probably have your picture on the wall somewhere."

"Time to break my record then," she said as she climbed from the convertible.

The restaurant's double-hung wood doors stood open, and a sign invited them to seat themselves. Logan let Veronica lead the way. She bypassed the tables in the front, opting for one of the horseshoe-shaped vinyl booths that ran along the wall opposite the bar. Veronica slid into the booth, taking the side of the table, which put her back to the thoroughly vetted restaurant and allowed her to keep her eyes on the exits. Old habits. Logan sat.

"What can I get you guys to drink?" The waitress asked as she put down the menus.

The corner of Veronica's mouth lifted. "I'll have the Bark at the Moon."

A slight frown puckered his brow while he contemplated the meaning of her drink choice. Forget it, Echolls, you're never going to figure her out. "Water for me, thanks."

He smiled at the waitress and caught the questioning lift of Veronica's eyebrow. "I'm driving," he offered by way of explanation and opened his menu while he searched for conversation.

Reminiscing about the past wasn't really available to them: 'hey, do you remember when I made you miserable and used your body as an unwilling salt lick?' And she could counter with: 'that was before I accused you of rape and murder, right?' He sighed. Good times.

"So the Navy, huh?" She smiled over her menu. "That definitely brings back fond old memories of Fleet Week trips to San Diego."

"Sorry I can't say the same about lawyers- none of my memories are fond and they're a lot more recent."

"Good thing I haven't taken the Bar exam yet or I might think you weren't having fun with me." The waitress returned with Veronica's margarita, silencing the 'it would be more fun if you were naked' rejoinder and keeping him from making an ass of himself.

"Are you ready to order?"

Veronica was and did, asking to start with two appetizers: guacamole and chips and an order of cochinita flautitas, and as her entrée a carne asada quesadilla. The waitress turned to him, but Veronica wasn't done. She tacked on a request for refried beans, rice, and the pickled jalapenos. Logan shook his head and got the same quesadilla for himself.

Once the waitress collected the menus and departed, Veronica said: "I didn't realize how hungry I was until I saw the menu."

"Yeah, I'm sure that was it," he muttered.

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you already picking on my eating habits?"

"Uh… so… will you take the Bar exam out here?"

"No." It was short and decisive. Like her. "I'm going to renew my investigator's license and work with my dad."

Logan's eyebrows hit his hairline. "Why?"

"Because I'm good at it and I want to." There was no dissembling, just a quick, direct answer; Logan was impressed. "I'm going to find out who put my dad in the hospital and killed Sachs."

And she would, too. "What does…" He focused on a point past her shoulder. "Is Piz moving out here with you?"

She frowned. "Why would he?"

"You've been together- what? Almost ten years now?" Logan shrugged. "I would think he'd want to live in the same state as his… girlfriend." He almost choked on the word. At least it's better than fiancée or wife.

"Piz and I aren't dating anymore and we certainly weren't together for ten years. I ended things with him the day I left Hearst."

A tidal wave of relief coursed through him and he had to look away to hide his elation. The tortured thoughts of Veronica still being with Piz after all this time were a tangible, heavy weight he'd carried with him and now he felt lighter. He grinned, but there was no answering smile from Veronica; she was scowling at him. His smile faded as he backtracked through the conversation wondering where he went wrong. Maybe she's not happy that things are over. That idea dampened his mood. "Did he break up with you?"

"Yes, but things haven't been good for a while now."

"Okaaay." How was he supposed to navigate this? He longed to hear the cockpit voice message system —Bitchin' Betty— issue some audio cues: pull up, caution. His gaze fell to the table and he carefully aligned the silverware before putting his napkin across his lap.

"Logan, look at me." His head jerked up and he met her eyes. "What did you think last night was?"

A gift. "Your dad almost died, Veronica." She winced, and he softened his tone. "I understood that you didn't want to be alone and you wanted—" Logan waved his hand, allowing her to supply the correct word: comfort, company, a distraction.

"I wanted you."

Her admission hung in the air between them as the waitress arrived with the appetizers and plates. This was new territory for him. He wasn't used to this Veronica- the one who shared her feelings with him. I'm in over my head. Logan scoffed. What else is new? I'm always in over my head when it comes to this woman. "I leave in two weeks," he blurted.

She blinked. "Leave?"

"Deployment."

The guacamole-laden tortilla chip hovered near her mouth and she slowly lowered it to the plate in front of her. "For how long?"

"Six months this time. My last cruise was ten months, but the Navy is trying something new." He smirked. "Of course something new would be actually coming home when they say we will."

"I thought…" Her head bowed and he couldn't see her face.

Logan reached across the table and covered her hand with his. "Hey, you know, I am coming back, right?" But am I coming back to you?

She lifted her face and smiled at him. It was the smile he saw in his dreams- soft with the cute dimple near the corner of her mouth and a slight head tilt. It knocked him back in his seat.

"I think I should share my flautitas with you- you're going to need the sustenance." She pushed the mini-rolled tacos closer to him. "Fourteen days isn't long and we have a lot of catching up to do."