Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

AN: Here we are. The end. It's been eight months since I started this fanfiction. To those who've been here since the beginning, thanks for sticking around. For those who came into it recently, thanks for giving it a chance. I hope you enjoy this, the final chapter of this story. But do not fear. A sequel is forming in my mind. Enjoy.

Chapter 19

Same Old Neptune
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"Veronica, why are you not answering your phone? Either shut it off or take the call." Wallace said. He and Veronica were sitting at the breakfast bar in the Mars apartment, eating snickerdoodles.

"I'm not in the answering mood but don't wanna miss a call from Meg…or my dad."

"And?" Wallace pushed. "That doesn't really help with the not answering thing."

"It's nothing important. Anyway, are we not supposed to be having total BFF time at this precise moment?"

"We were. Then you lost interest when your phone rang. Just tell me, was it Logan?" Veronica glanced at the phone again, then back to Wallace.

"Yeah, okay, quit putting the screws to me."

"I thought everything was happy in the world of love?"

Veronica threw Wallace a look. "'World of love'?"

"Love – Logan and Veronica. And here's me thinking that you were a great student, I mean, you are in AP English. Seriously, V, a few days ago you two were joined at the lips, now you're ignoring his calls. It's making the kind of sense that's…not."

"I don't wanna talk about it."

Wallace sighed. "Fine."

"Okay then. South Park is on."

"I'd prefer to be attacked with railroad spikes than hear you mimic Cartman again."

ooooOOoooo

"Duncan, just leave it." Logan groaned, taking his cell away from his best friend. He grabbed the bottle from the table and drank deep.

"Logan, as much as I like to get drunk, this is just too…depressing to watch. Just call her and say you're sorry already."

"Why do automatically assume that I did something wrong?"

"Because you're Logan. And she's Veronica. And you two are epic." Logan's eyes grew. He began turning red.

"How do you know I said that?"

"She told me when I and Meg went to check in on her."

"I can't believe she told you that."

"In a way, it's kinda true. I mean, you've liked her since you moved here, were great friends, then enemies, then she helped you out, you thawed out, saved her from a non-kidnapper and she thanked you by kissing you. Your life is a soap opera."

Logan filled the two shot glasses to the brim and placed the bottle back on the table.

"To star crossed lovers." Logan raised his shot glass and held out before him. Duncan, catching on, followed suit and lifted his own. They clinked them and threw the liquid down their throats.

"I heard you on the phone to your dad earlier. How is he?" Logan asked, rolling the shot glass between his fingers.

"He wants me to come up and visit. After being lied to for a year and a half, I told him I needed alone time."

"Aaron's lawyers called me the other day and asked me to visit him behind bars. Obviously that wasn't going to happen. So I applied for emancipation. Don't know how long it'll take. I just can't stay under his power, living off his money."

"What about the money your mom left you?"

"I'm saving that for when the tough gets rough." There was a knock at the door. Logan stands, sways, stumbles to the door. He opens it and lets the room service in.

"Ah, buffalo wings. The greatest creation of God and Man."

ooooOOoooo

"So, you won't be telling Ms. Fennel about this?" Veronica asked her father after Wallace left the apartment.

"I won't. So, you'll be sorting it out tomorrow?" Keith pulled Veronica into a hug.

"Yeah, at the Hut. Just need to send the invitations out. So, do you really want a talk with Logan, because I can just tell you the important stuff myself, right now."

"Veronica, it's an annual rite of passage that a father meets the man that is taking away from daddy-daughter time."

"Fine. I'll call him later and ask him over tomorrow night."

"Good. So, mac and cheese for dinner?"

ooooOOoooo

"Veronica, have you got your permission slip?" Ms. Dumass asked. Veronica reached into her bag and pulled out the paper. She handed it to Ms. Dumass as Logan came up behind her. "And what about you Logan?" She asked. Logan pulled it from his pocket and handed it to the teacher. "Thanks guys." She smiled and turned away.

"Veronica, we need to talk." Logan started. Wallace quickly jumped to his feet and threw his bag over his shoulders.

"And that's my cue to leave." He smiled at Veronica, nodded at Logan and exited the room.

"Logan, my dad wants to have a chat with you tonight. Come to the house at seven thirty."

"Veronica, I love you, and I can't spend another minute not being around you. After we slept together, I…I dunno, I freaked out."

"You, freaked out? After sex?" Veronica threw him an incredulous look.

"Yeah. For the first time, it meant something more than pleasure. Even with Lilly, it wasn't as special. I love you completely and I want us to stay together but if we can't even talk about the direction of our relationship then we seriously have some problems."

Veronica dropped her pen, faced him and he saw the tears trailing down her face.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" He asked, wiping her tears away.

"Come to the Hut tonight, after six. I have to help Wallace out then I finish my shift. We can have an open and honest talk."

Logan leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I'm gonna hold you to that." He said.

ooooOOoooo

Mr. Clemmons rose to his feet, threw a scathing look at the shareholders of the company and left the Hut. Logan passed him as he entered the room. He got taken to a booth in Veronica's section and ordered an espresso.

"So, you said you freaked out." A voice said to him from the left. "What do you think happened to me?" Veronica asked.

"I dunno. It was special, and I liked it…a lot. But if we never do that again, then that's fine. I wanna be with you, with or without sex."

"I liked it too."

"So why haven't you answered any of my calls or replied to my text messages?"

"I was worried that I wouldn't be…up to your standards."

"What? I love you, and I don't care and wasn't comparing you to anybody."

"I know that, but still…the one and only time I had sex is a blur to me."

"Was our night memorable?" Veronica nodded. "Did you enjoy it?" She nodded. "Did you like it?" She nodded. "That's all that matters then, not other people we've been with, just us."

Veronica laughed and took a deep breath.

"So, ready for dinner?"

"Do I have to?"

ooooOOoooo

"So, how's school?" Keith asked, raising his chopsticks.

"It's fine. People have been giving me a wide berth since you two found out that Aaron killed Lilly. Classes are boring, in an interesting way."

"And your friends?"

"Well, my true friends have stood by me through all the crap, and I've made more now thanks to Veronica."

"And what's it like in the Neptune Grand?"

"I'm treated like a king."

Logan took a drink of his orange as Keith had some more chicken. Veronica kept throwing looks at both her father and Logan.

"In short, life is good?"

"Very good."

"Ice cream anyone? My treat." Veronica asked, smiling.

ooooOOoooo

"Dude, this bus stinks." Logan commented, sitting beside Veronica behind Duncan and Meg.

"No disagreement there." Duncan commented.

"And Ms. Dumass won't let us a different mode of transport, as Dick angrily said."

"Shark stadium. My dad is gonna be so jealous. I wonder if we'll meet any players?"

"If we meet Cook, he won't let you wash your hands again."

"So, Goodman's daughter…Dick ask you who the blossoming flower is yet?" Logan asked, interlocking his fingers with Veronica.

"Yeah…and I'm trying to forget." Duncan said. Veronica leaned forward towards Meg.

"So, I was thinking of planting a camera for you-know-what?"

"How big would it be?"

"It isn't that big. And in that room, the corners are quite dark and it would be well hidden."

"Ok kids, we're here. We'll be here for a few hours, and there will be a buffet. Everyone must be back on the bus by six fifteen, okay?" Ms. Dumass shouted from the front of the bus. Everyone nodded and agreed.

ooooOOoooo

"We met him. We cannot tell my dad. We cannot."

"I'm just glad to off that stanky bus." Dick said.

"Oh my God!" Gia shouted. She pointed out the window at green car driving past the limo.

"Just what I needed to see." Veronica muttered.

"Never mind the buttocks." Logan smirked.

A sudden loud explosion was heard from in front of the limo. The limo driver shouted, jammed down on the breaks and turned the limo out of the direction of the cliff. Dick swung the door open and rushed out, as did everyone else. Once out, Veronica noticed Weevil behind the limo, taking of his helmet and placing it on the bike.

Veronica ran up to the cliff and looked over the edge. The smoke wiped around in the wind. The debris in the water was beginning to sink below. A bus seat floated across the top. Behind her, she could hear the screeching voice of Gia.

"It just went over the cliff! They're all dead!"

"Veronica!" Logan shouted, running up beside Veronica. He pulled her to his chest and kissed the top of her hair. Veronica threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight.

"Oh God." Meg cried out, clinging to Duncan for dear life. Beside the limo, Dick covered his mouth with his hand.

Beside his brother, Beaver was shifting on the balls of his feet. He placed his phone back into his pocket and wrapped his arms around his chest.

"Someone call the cops!" One of the other 09er's called out.

The smoke rose up the cliff, rose into the sky and mixed with the clouds.

The bus debris sunk deeper into ocean. Bodies destroyed beyond recognition.

At the edge, Veronica's tears ran freely.

'This is Neptune. Nothing happens accidentily.'
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AN: Look out for the sequel, coming to you in the not so distant future. Please review.