A bit of sand kicks up to her left and she sees a knee drop beside her, followed by a clumsy plop of his ass into the sand, unable to use his hands to help him. She truly had no desire to wake or disturb him but his arrival makes her heart soar. It's only his pointed decline of her advances earlier that keeps her from wrapping her arms around him now. He's wearing heather grey athletic shorts and what appears to be a white dress shirt. His right arm he's gotten through the sleeve despite the huge bandages on his hand but his left arm is held tight against his chest with a sling contraption to protect his shoulder so the sleeve on that side hangs limply.

"This is quite a look you've got going here..." Veronica resorts to snark and sarcasm.

Logan, staring straight out to the ocean, opens his mouth to speak then closes it again, turning to Veronica and cocking his head to the side. Veronica beams, it is a classic reaction from him.

He tries again, "Well...not only am I completely incapable of buttoning my shirt," he lifts his right heavily bandaged hand in the air, "I am also unable to flip you off as you rightly deserve."

Veronica grins and leans to her left for a gentle shoulder bump. Tenderly, "Are you okay?"

"Did we catch the bad guy?"

"We did."

"Then yes, I'm okay."

Sandpipers light on the skim of tide before them and the brief silence is easy.

"What about Lilly?" Logan asks Veronica.

"I don't know. The Feds took her into protective custody. I'm might try and track down Meg's sister Lizzy, depending on what shape she's in, she might be able to step in."

"And what's going to happen to Duncan?"

Veronica can hear it in his voice, his longing for the truth about Duncan to be just a nightmare that will dissipate in the light of day, the remnants of a childhood bond.

"He's been a fugitive for a decade for taking Lilly, that's all it took to get the Feds to show up. It'll take a little more time to compile the evidence against him for murdering Carrie...your Dad...Sachs...Lamb will shit his pants when the Feds show up and he'll hand over every single piece of evidence he's been sitting on so far, but we've got more work to do." Veronica notes Logan's furrowed brow and puts her hand on his shoulder. "I don't think anything remains of the Duncan we knew, Logan. You should've seen him when they hauled him off...textbook sociopath. He scares me and I can't decide if he's a criminal mastermind or truly not very bright at all...regardless of which it is, I think this story with Duncan is far from over."

"So...you're going to stay in Neptune because of Duncan?" Logan asks pointedly.

"I'm staying Neptune because it's where I belong."

This time the silence is more strained. The sun has set and the ocean breeze has picked up, Veronica is chilled and starkly aware now of how extraordinarily tired she is. She has removed her hand from Logan's shoulder and wraps her arms tightly around her knees to keep warm.

"You were right Logan, I don't do 'normal' and as much as you long for it, I don't think you do normal either." Boldly, Veronica looks him square in the eye, determined to speak honestly and clearly, with her heart on her sleeve. "I have an idea. What if we embrace the abnormal, accept ourselves for what we are, but promise ourselves one 'normal' day a week." She waits for a response but his bewilderment leaves him silent. He has no idea what she's talking about. "One day a week we do things like going for coffee and sharing the morning paper. Or we go grocery shopping and buy cereal and toilet paper. Or we go to the movies and share popcorn and Snocaps. Or we sit on the beach and hold hands and listen to the waves. Logan, I know there aren't any guarantees but what if we don't even try? What if we live with regrets?"

Logan finally turns to meet her gaze, his eyes glassy with emotion.

"So...this is kind of weird but um...since you've been here we've spent a lot of time together...and we have yet to...kiss each other. And I would really like to kiss you..."

It seems like a lifetime ago that he used this same ploy to get a hug and yet it was just a few days ago. That moment had almost undone her but days ago she was still running away...from everything. Trying to cling to a manufactured version of herself, an unsustainable version of herself. Every day in Neptune had stripped another layer of the facade off of her, leaving her in this moment, as much herself as she had possibly ever been.

"I was starting to think you'd never ask." Her own eyes well with tears as he leans in, first with an Eskimo kiss, nose to nose, playful. Then with the most tender kiss she's ever had, his lips so soft and warm, both of them trembling. Veronica is surprised by the chasteness of the kiss which ironically makes it possibly the most erotic kiss she's ever had.

"What do you say...you and I go back to Dick's place...and..." Logan leans in close, his nose tickling her ear, sending a shiver up her spine causing her to giggle. Giggling. She's giggling. Breathily he whispers "...sleep."

"You silver tongued devil, you know all the right things to say."

"Be chivalrous and help a guy up?"

Veronica stands and helps him get to his feet then brushes the sand off of them both.

When they return to the room, it is lit with only a small bedside lamp, a little plug-in Chinese lantern, covered in rice paper that makes for a soft warm glow.

They stand for a moment silently, side by side, staring at the bed.

"Can I," the words come out of Logan's mouth as a squeak, making him sound like a thirteen year old boy. He clears his throat and tries again, this time lowering his voice to an over-exaggerated bass. "Can I get you a t-shirt or something?"

Veronica pulls the shirt she is wearing over her head, revealing a lacy pink bra. Not one for dressing in a very girly fashion on the outside, she has a habit of wearing the frilliest underwear she can find.

"Why don't you just give me this," Veronica says, reaching over and giving a small tug on the empty sleeve of the shirt he's wearing. Walking behind him, she pulls the shirt off of his left shoulder, then gently moves it down his right arm and over his bandaged hand, revealing his back and that swimmer's physique. Broad shoulders, narrow waste. She swallows the lump in her throat as he turns to face her. If she thought his back was nice, it's got nothing on his chest.

As he looks at her, she slips one bra strap down, pulling her arm out, then the other. She pulls his white dress shirt around her, the sleeves almost comically long. She takes her time rolling them up, then reaches underneath the shirt to her back, unclasping her bra and letting it fall to the floor. Revealing nothing along the way. She undoes the button of her pants and shimmies those to the ground as well, stepping out of them.

"You're killin' me..." Logan says, breathing in deeply.

"Is there anyway you'd rather go?" She teases.

"Okay Mata Hari. Just turn down the bed, would you?"

Veronica laughs, relishing the effect she has on him, and pulls down the sheet and light blanket from the rumpled condition they were in. "You get in first and get comfortable."

Logan climbs in and works to find the right spot for himself that leaves enough room for her as well. Once he's situated as comfortably as he can be, he gives her a nod and she climbs in beside him, nestling herself on his right side. After she's all cozy, she notices the light is still on.

"Crap, I forgot to turn out the light."

"Clap twice."

"What?"

"Dick's a sucker for 'as-seen-on-tv' products. Just clap twice."

Sure enough, Veronica claps twice and the light goes out. She's so amused by it she does it again. Light on! Light off. Light on! Light off.

"Okay! Can four year old Veronica stop now?"

"Yes sir," she says as she gives him a little salute. Then they both get the giggles, lying there together, entwined until Logan says, "ow, ow ow" the growing laughter causing his broken collarbone to ache. Settling down and letting the sounds of the sea fill the room, they both drift off to sleep.

Veronica blinks several times, bright sunlight pouring into the room. She scans the room for a clock, seeing a small digital one next to the Chinese lantern. 8:30. Wow. They've slept for a long time and clearly deeply as it seems to Veronica that neither of them moved even a little bit during the night, plus it was a dreamless sleep, as far she can remember. Maybe she's dreaming right now, her hand resting on his chest. She looks at her hand then wiggles her fingers, moves it across his chest, right, then back to the left. His chest is smooth. She looks up at him, he is still fast asleep. Her hand is on the move again, this time down, across abs, stopping at his belly button. Looking down its clear that one part of Logan is wide awake, his grey athletic shorts practically tented. Delicately she lifts the waistband of his shorts, up and over, exposing him to the morning air. Leaning down, she kisses the tip, it jumps to meet her lips. She glances again at his face, his eyes still closed but the corner of his mouth curling the tiniest bit. Now she applies her tongue, causing him suck in a breath between his teeth as she takes him fully into her mouth.

His eyes still closed he utters, "Dick, what are you doing?"

Veronica stops, her eyes wide as he opens his eyes and chuckles. She slugs him in the ribs, hops up and stands at the end of the bed. "Really?! You want Dick? I'll go get him for you."

"I definitely don't want Dick. I want you."

Veronica remembers how handsy he always was as a lover, he relished touching her, caressing her, but he'll be unable to do that this morning. It's almost the equivalent of having him handcuffed to the headboard.

Veronica unbuttons the shirt that she's wearing but doesn't take it off, letting the occasional peek of her bare breast tease him almost to distraction. She pushes her lacy underwear off her hips down to the floor. Reaching from the end of the bed she grabs the hem of his shorts, he lifts his hips and she tugs them off, leaving him naked on the bed except for the sling on his left arm. Sunlight still streams in through uncurtained windows. They are well shielded by some dunes but if anyone were to walk close to the house, they'd get an eye full.

Veronica crawls towards him from the end of the bed, straddling him, her hands on his chest.

"I want to touch you!" Logan growls with frustration.

Veronica moves up a little higher and leans down, the open placket of her shirt tickling the sides of his face as she offers him her breast. Gently he takes one her nipples in his mouth and this time it's her turn to suck in air. It is torture for them both that he can't use his hands, she wants so badly for him to touch her; everywhere. She moves back down to meet her mouth with his, abandoning the chasteness of the night before for tongues and teeth, hungrily wanting to devour each other.

As Logan moans, she can feel his eagerness pushing against her. Separating herself from his mouth she takes a moment to look at him. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too."

Then, throwing herself off the cliff, "I love you."

"I love you too."

Slowly she lowers her onto him and he fills her. They seem to have a silent understanding. Despite their longing and desire, they will not rush this to conclusion. Without words they know when to slow down to prolong this moment, never taking their eyes from each other. Finally, neither can wait any longer as Logan thrusts his hips hard into her and she bares down on him. Veronica climaxes harder than she ever has in her life, tears streaming down her face and for the first time ever she understands what it means to become one with another person. Sure she and Logan had good sex when they were together but they were both so damaged and frightened then, neither could fully give themselves to the other. But right now, in this moment, they are one person.

Veronica, naturally being a glass-half-empty kind of person, wants to bottle this full-to-overflowing feeling forever.

She returns herself to the position they had slept in all night and they drift to sleep again. Content. Happy.

...

His wrists and ankles shackled, he is ushered, shuffling, into the visitation room. No other inmates occupy the visitor bays and there are four guards to accompany him. He's lead to a metal stool, instructed to sit and keep his handcuffed hands on the counter in front of him.

"Why are you here?"

Without an answer, she puts two pictures up against the thick glass partition.

She can almost see his blood pressure rise, overcome with rage as he's assaulted by the images in front of him. She actually couldn't believe how easy it was to catch them in flagrante, screwing each other in plain view of anyone looking in their windows.

"They're FUCKING!" Duncan screams at the top of his lungs as he stands, kicking the stool he was sitting on across the room, clutching his hair as the guards close in around him. "SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO LOVE ME. THEY'LL PAY FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO ME. EVEN IF I ROT IN HERE THEY'LL PAY."

As Duncan is led away hysterical, Juliet puts the photos away. It's just so easy with Duncan, he's such a patsy. She identified his two biggest weaknesses within two weeks of being in his employ. Lily and Saint Veronica. At first she'd hope to make Duncan fall in love with her but there was no breaking the Veronica barrier. He thought of her as old, even though she was only five years older, plus he didn't seem particularly driven by sex at the time. Instead she made herself indispensable as a surrogate mother to Lily. At some level she really did care for the kid but ultimately she was a means to an end. Once she was indispensable with Lily, it was easy enough to manipulate Duncan, he was gullible, not very bright and after she replaced his medication with placebos, he was pretty unstable. As she eased him into more criminal activity, she also convinced him to use her as a front for funneling and laundering money to keep his identity and location secure. Everything he has is hers by the strictest letter of the law and once he's declared criminally insane he won't be able to touch her. She doesn't give a damn about that bitch Veronica or her asshole boyfriend, so if Duncan wants to see them dead, fine. The easier it'll be to put him away for life, the quicker she'll be able to get out of this armpit of a town. Who the fuck would ever want to live in Neptune anyway? On a post-it note she writes, "this isn't over" and sticks it on the picture of Veronica and Logan, then she slips the photos into an envelope addressed to the Mars residence, dropping it in a mailbox with a devilish grin on her face.

A/N I am more than humbled that you have read and enjoyed this story. Thank you. I've left the story a little open ended...maybe there will be more someday. For now, Logan and Veronica are together and Veronica is back in neptune where she belongs.