She rode the elevator down in silence, trying to stop the tears from tracing a path down her cheeks. She'd spent too many tears on Duncan Kane. Lilly had told her that after breakup number one. They'd sat in Veronica's bedroom one day after school. Veronica had been crying, begging Lilly to tell her the truth behind the breakup. Lilly had, of course, refused. But she'd only been able to handle so much of her best friend's pain; after about an hour she'd snapped. She'd looked Veronica in the eyes and said, Listen to me, Veronica Mars. You are amazing and the Donut is not worth your tears. You deserve so much better then what he's offered you. I don't ever want to see you cry another tear over my stupid brother, you hear me? Find someone else, someone who is able to love you, someone who won't hurt you like this.

Veronica was fairly certain Lilly hadn't met Logan, but it wasn't as if Veronica had made that decision either. They'd just happened. And now looking across the parking garage to the elevator she'd come out of five minutes before, seeing him standing there, she knew that they'd happened for a reason. And they would probably keep happening no matter how hard they might try and fight it.

Logan's eyes locked on those of the tiny blonde where she sat behind the wheel of her car. He wondered if she had sat there waiting to see if he followed, or if she had merely needed a few minutes before driving. Not that it mattered, just so long as he got a chance to explain. He crossed the lot, approaching the car where she sat. Her window was cracked, but she didn't say anything, merely hit the unlock button. He got the message, walked around the car and opened the passenger door. The car's interior was briefly illuminated, and he could see the reflection of the light off her face, from the tears that had managed to fall between the elevator and the garage.

She didn't speak, merely put the car in drive and pulled out of the lot. She needed space, needed air, and the stifling environment of the parking garage was causing her to hyperventilate. She hit the open air and kept driving. Veronica let her foot drift toward the floor, trying to make the miles melt away as fast as possible. She was impressed by Logan's silence. Had the situation been reversed, she would have already asked their final destination. Logan knew better then that, or perhaps he already knew where she was going.

As soon as the salt air hit the car, the tension melted from Veronica's shoulders. She pulled to the side of the road and was running onto the sand before her door had closed. Here on the beach, the sun beginning to peak over the horizon, Veronica could pretend the last hour, the last two years, hadn't happened. She heard the sand shift behind her, could feel his presence just behind her left shoulder. Turning around, their eyes locked. All of a sudden, she no longer wanted to forget the last two years, she just wanted to forget the fact that she'd been stupid enough to go back to Duncan.

He saw the collapse coming a second before it happened, and he was there to catch her. He moved forward and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Then he spoke for the first time, "I'm sorry it happened like that. I…I didn't want you to find out that way." It was hard to say the words, hard because he hated causing her pain.

Her voice was muffled by his shirt, but he enjoyed the feeling of her mouth moving against his shoulder. "I know. It's my own fault, showing up at four AM, what did I expect?" She lifted her head, "I knew something was wrong, he was acting weird. I just didn't think it was, well, that." She took a breath, slightly uncomfortable having her wounds exposed, even if it was Logan. It dawned on her she was not the only wronged party standing on this particular beach. "Forget me, how could he do that to you?" She looked up to his face.

"He didn't do anything to me. Kendall and I have been over for a while, over a month. I don't care what he does with the skank, except that he hurt you. I just wish you had given me a few minutes to beat him down." He tried for a small joke, hoping to make her smile. He failed. Her eyes met his again and he could see the pain there. "Veronica…"

"Why am I such a fool, Logan? How could I go back to him thinking things would be the same as before? What's wrong with me, Logan?" She pulled back from him, pushing away and moving down the beach.

"Veronica, wait. Stop." He followed her down the sand, not moving fast enough to catch up, knowing she still needed space, but following close enough that if she needed to she could reach him. "There is nothing wrong with you, Mars. Do you hear me? Duncan is just an ass. Don't question your own worth because of his actions." They both stopped, separated by a few feet.

"I thought I could go back, Logan. I thought I could be with Duncan and everything would go back to being the way it was before we lost Lilly. But it's not. She's still gone and we're still broken. And I can't stop thinking about you. You crawled into my head and into my heart and you just won't leave, Logan. I want so bad to be with you but…" Her voice had raised an octave as her rant continued. As she confessed to still wanting to be with Logan, he took his cue. He moved forward and wrapped his arms around her once again.

"But what? What, Veronica? Why can't we be together?" If she had an answer, he could accept it. But he was pretty sure she didn't. He was pretty sure she was just trying to convince herself they were better off apart.

She pushed away, not breaking contact, but far enough that she could look into his eyes, "Because I love you, Logan. Because I can't stand to think about losing you. Last summer, everything was perfect. And then the PCHers shot your car. And it dawned on me how easy it would be to lose you. I can't do that again, Logan. I can't stand by and watch your coffin be lowered into the ground. It was hard enough to lose Lilly, but I won't be able to survive losing you." Her hands were wrapped in his shirt; he could see how difficult it was for her to relay the image of his coffin. He knew because that night had made him think the same way about her. And it had truly scared him to imagine seeing Veronica's face pale as death.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened over the summer. The thought of what could have happened to you because of what I was doing scared the hell out of me. It's why I didn't try to get you back, why I tried to move on with Kendall. I didn't want to be with someone I needed." He lifted her chin, to look into her eyes. "I used to think that Lilly was the girl for me. But me and her, we had problems. We fought all the time and no matter how hard I tried, someone else always came between us. But it's different with you."

She scoffed. "Come on, Logan. You and I have problems, lots of them. Remember that whole I thought you raped me thing? Or that year you spent trying to make my life hell? Those are way worse then anything between you and Lil."

He laughed. "No, they're not, because we didn't even happen till after all that. If those things had mattered, we wouldn't have gotten together last summer. But we did. Because this here, us, it's the real thing. I can't picture myself with anyone else, and the thought of you with another guy makes me sick."

"Logan…" She wanted to deny she felt the same way. She wanted so badly to walk away from him in order to protect her heart. But she felt so peaceful, there in his arms.

"Try and deny it, Veronica. But I know you." He ran his hand down the side of her face. "And you know me. That's why we fit. There's nothing between us but honesty."

Veronica knew he was right. And she was tired of fighting what she now knew was inevitable. "Logan. Don't do this to me. Don't say all these wonderful things and then break my heart. If we do this, I need to know you're not going to leave me."

"Ronnie, I'm not going anywhere. I've been waiting for you to come to your senses about Duncan for weeks, hoping you'd give us another chance." He leaned in close, bringing his lips practically to hers, but not quite touching them. "I love you, Veronica Mars."

She moved the last inch, catching his lips. Her arms went up around his neck and his tightened at her waist, pulling her flush against his body. She reveled in the feel of his heart beating against her chest even as he deepened the kiss. It was strange how right it felt, having Logan's arms around her. She was the one to pull back, only because she needed the oxygen.

His forehead connected with hers, and he was pretty sure this was the happiest he'd ever be. What could be better then a beach at sunrise, with Veronica Mars in his arms? He felt Veronica inhale, bringing her chest against his again. Then she opened her mouth and uttered four little words. Four words that took him closer to euphoria than what he'd been feeling seconds before could have dreamed.

"I love you too." Veronica let the admission slip through her lips. She always thought she'd regret saying those words aloud, as she had with Duncan in the last few weeks. But it was not scary handing her heart to Logan. It felt right. She should be pissed about all that she'd heard this morning, but she couldn't help but feel that she was finally comfortable within her own skin again, a feeling she'd missed since her split with Logan. Once upon a time, it had been Duncan who made her feel that way. But that had changed long ago, just as Logan had said. The girl who felt at home in Duncan's arms was dead. Veronica, version 2.0, felt whole here, in Logan's embrace. This was her normal now, even if it felt anything but commonplace. She and Logan had never had the smoothest course, but she'd rather weather the storms with him then sail the calmest seas with anyone else.