"I think we need to lay down some ground rules Dude" Dick declared as he climbed into Logan's car and began to eat the ice-cream cone which he had sent Cassidy off to retrieve for him.

"Ground rules for what?" Logan asked as he stood beside his car door, towelling drying his short brown hair, his muscles ached and he was glad to finally be out his wetsuit even if he did miss the feel of the cool water, the waves had been tougher than usual and he regretted not applying at least one layer of sunscreen this afternoon. Logan's thoughts were finding themselves making their way back to Veronica and her promise to meet him at his house after she finished up some paperwork at her dad's private investigations office.

"Now that you've decided to get all Loved Up on us" Dick explained. "It's no little secret that my Ice Madison and your Fine Vixen Veronica do not get along… but even so… that shouldn't mean that we don't get to hang out. So I think we should divide the week up, and reserve Thursday afternoons for Surf and Beers with the Boys… which means you gotta tell your little wildcat to go easy on the scratchs… or to at least retract the claws on Weds. It slows you down out there." He continued before handing Logan a soda from the cooler which he accepted gratefully, the cold liquid did nothing to calm the flush of embarrassment reddening his cheeks as the bubbles tickled his throat.

"I think Toothpaste is supposed to help with that" Dick suggested.

"It's natural yoghurt Einstein, not toothpaste" Cassidy mumbled as he shoved his wet clothes into his bag, sighing unhappily at the sight of the sand that Dick had put in, not just his trainers, but his clean socks as well. Shooting his older brother an unhappy look as Logan shook his head.

Thank God I don't have an older brother…

It was a common occurrence when Cassidy's style choices were ones that Dick decided ruined his image as an efficient wingman. He would pull pranks on his younger sibling frequently to 'establish dominance' and try to toughen the little guy up a bit, or most likely because he was just bored.

"Told you Lil Bro… embrace your position in the pack. Logan's Alpha, I'm the Beta and you… are the Omega" he lectured.

"You're such an asshole… these are Italian Leather… Mom sent them to me" the younger Casablanca's pouted.

"And there is the problem Lil Bro… you are far too old to be letting Mom dress you… and I don't know why you are crying like a little bitch. We are flying over there in 3 days.. you can get like 6 pairs for Christmas… I might even help you out by getting picking some that doesn't completely ruin your Game" Dick scoffed as Cassidy tossed the wet leather shoes into the bag and accepted the flip flops that Logan offered him.

"You couldn't pour the water out of a boot if the instructions were written on the heel" Cassidy grumbled.

"Okay… now try that again, but use your Big Girl words. This reminds me… Dude" Dick said turning his attention back to Logan as he climbed into the car. "Pool Party, my house, this Friday after the Basketball game… my dad's out of town. Duncan won't be there… The only way you get to blow this off is if you are getting blown off… I'm serious Dude… you gotta be there, even if I gotta like petition some Judge for like Joint Custody of you with Ms Mars" he insisted. "Better yet, bring her along… she can drive you home and you can tuck her into bed."

As subtle as a brick to the face…

Logan almost winced at the crude language his friend was using but knew it would be futile to outright refuse this second, he knew Veronica didn't really like attending 09er party's since Lilly's death.

At least… she hadn't before they'd started dating…

"Dick! You promised Dad there would be no party's after last time!" Cassidy complained.

"Don't get your bikini in a bunch Beaves… he said there was to be no House Party's… this is a Pool Party so it's totally cool" Dick corrected. "Loop Holes Logan… It's all in the fine print."

"You'd make a hell of Lawyer Dick" Logan smirked, quirking an eyebrow as he looked at Cassidy's sulking expression in the rear-vision mirror.

"Dude! That would imply ambition or responsibility… don't say shit like that Bro!" Dick gasped through a full mouth as he sucked on his ice-cream as he glanced back at Cassidy in horror and shuddered at the thought.

"I'll ask her" Logan conceded before turning the ignition and driving his friends back to their house.

Veronica finished clearing away the plates from the lasagne she'd had for dinner with her father as he stood in his office with Casey Gant's parents and some guy who looked like one of those Moon Mission Nasa employees. Apparently, Casey had run off to join some kind of cult and they wanted them to run some kind of background check. She had found Daisy's autopsy report in her father's playboy box when she'd gotten home when she went to take Backup for a run.

Did she really want to know all the gory details? She'd read Lilly's case file and those pictures were permanently seared into her brain.

"We just want him home for Christmas" his mother insisted before they left.

"You know… such pleasant people… they almost make me sorry for the mean, awful accurate things I said…" Veronica sighed.

"Yeah… there was something a bit off about them" Keith Mars agreed before he went to grab his coffee.

"You taking the case?" she asked.

"I'll do the formalities.. see what I can dig up" he nodded.

"They said he met one of the counsellors at school… I could ask around tomorrow… see what the recruitment process is? Maybe do a little undercover.." Veronica suggested.

"Veronica… honey we talked about this… I just want you to focus on school and helping me keep the office in order… I don't want you getting involved in the investigations anymore" he scolded and she broke away from his smoky grey-green eyes. They'd been having this conversation a few days now, neither side really willing to back down. He sipped his coffee and said nothing else, neither did she.

Sometimes the greatest way to say something… was to say nothing at all…

He shared Logan's reservations about her getting involved in cases. She knew it was because he wanted to protect her, but some threats were too big to ignore. The monsters got bolder if they weren't caught, and more people would get hurt until they were stopped. She was tempted to mention the troubles that Mrs Fennel had been having with her problem tenant but Wallace had asked her to let him handle it for now and the background checks would be emailed to her later on this evening. She'd been tempted to ask him about the yearbook photos and about how her parents had met.

What exactly was her mother's history with Jake Kane? How did the relationship end?

"Are you heading out?" he asked, noting her packed bag and coat that was waiting for her.

"Yeah… I um… have a date…" she confirmed as she closed up her laptop and he leaned idly against the doorway.

"You sure you know what you are doing with that boy honey?" he sighed and his words ricocheted around her head.

Was she sure? She honestly wasn't sure some days… but it didn't mean she appreciated him questioning her judgement…

Her father had never really forgiven Logan after the several pranks he'd pulled here at the office last year and the bullying he'd instigated amongst her peers, but she couldn't really make him understand how much he had changed without letting him know about her snooping into Lilly's murder investigation, about how much he was on their side now that he had finally read her journal and learned the truth. She couldn't explain it because she didn't really understand it herself… Logan was her focal point. When the storm raged around her, he's what she wanted, he was her safe haven. The trust thing… it didn't come naturally to her. She'd seen too much deceit, too many liars and failed marriages whilst working for her dad… but if there was someone she wanted to let in completely, to let herself be that open and vulnerable with, it was the man with soulful brown eyes who kept offering his heart out to her and kissing her like he needed her more than his next breath.

"It's my heart dad…" she answered quietly as she picked up her coat. She knew he'd rather he try and give it to someone more down to Earth like Wallace.

Not the tabloid and gossip pages troubled teen of an A list movie star. Hadn't part of the benefit of working for her father been she'd had an early education that Love was an over-rated commodity?

"I'm not going to tell you who to date" he told her casually but his tone told her everything she needed to know.

She had just found herself again… he didn't want her to get lost in this boy…

He didn't trust Logan and if he wasn't so busy with his recent case load he would probably be trying to organize some kind of father-boyfriend interaction while she got ready involving some rifle cleaning some evening and his best scary impression.

"I won't be back too late" she promised and headed towards the door.

"Ready to go?" Logan asked as she climbed into his car and she startled him when she hauled him closer for a deep kiss instead of putting on her seatbelt, a sound between a rumble and a growl vibrated from his throat and they were momentarily lost in sheer bliss as she inhaled the scent of salt and sin. When she pulled back a lazy grin had spread from his mouth all the way to his eyes.

"I missed you too Bobcat" he said in a deep and masculine voice as he tried to regain his composure as he stared at the petite blond buckling into her seat beside him. They had halted their little lusty interlude earlier in the AV room and compiled digital versions of the video files of all the Lilly Kane crime scene footage, the Abel Koontz Trial, the arrest and press coverage and compare everything with the crime scene pictures and witness statements of the original case files. He marvelled again at the change in the Veronica sat beside him who was so different to the girl he knew a year ago. She was a vigilante in a gritty corrupt town like Neptune, nothing like the sweet Sheriff's daughter who had been Lilly's best friend and he felt something tighten in his chest. In some ways, he didn't know this girl at all, maybe he never had and the notion rocked his world off its axis.

Even when she'd had none of her memories she'd kept her investigation a secret from him… there was just something in her physical make-up that made her naturally accustomed to fending for herself… how could he protect her if she wouldn't let him all the way in?

A knowing little smile played at the corners of her lips as her blond hair tumbled like skeins of spun gold down her shoulders and her fingers entwined with his, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Are you free tomorrow night?" Veronica asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"I'm usually very expensive" he retorted in amusement.

"I was thinking we could go on a date… we haven't really had much time to… just be us. Since everything…" she suggested shyly, her blue eyes roaming his handsome face. After Duncan Kane had broken her heart and she had woken up that morning after Shelley Pomeroys party she had sworn that the wall around her heart would be impregnable, no more tears, no more pain, no more self-recriminations, but this man had been the proverbial wrecking ball that had broken his way through. She'd lost too many people, Lilly, Daisy and her mother's disappearance, even herself.

She didn't want everything in her life to revolve around her secret shadow game against these unknown adversaries. All she had to go on so far was a hunch that the Kane's had been involved somehow, a parking ticket proving Lilly's time of death was off by a few hours that eliminated the alibi's of almost everyone originally investigated and the name of Abel Koontz daughter Amelia.

It still wasn't hard evidence though and none of the recordings she had listened to so far had offered up more than the usual bitchy high school gossip. Even her father had seemingly given up on looking into Lilly's murder after Abel Koontz had fired his court appointed public defender.

Maybe her father was right and she should just stick to calculus and making sure the filing system was in place?

Maybe she should just stick to making sure she didn't use her stubbornness and prickly demeanour to push away this man who was charming, fun and seemingly inexhaustible with his rapturous kisses?

The thought of going up against an organization like the Mob and people that well connected made her fearful of what her father would do if he got hold of that tablet that Becca had given her. Daisy deserved justice, but she'd also have been the first one to tell her to slow down, to take her time.

"Patience is an investigators friend. Allow them to make mistakes. Someone with something to hide always has to cover their tracks. All it takes is for them to slip up once and you can gather up the vital piece of evidence that unravels their web of lies" Daisy's had told her one night while she had been discussing why she loved her forensic classes so much.

"Are you trying to ask me out on a Date?" Logan smiled in surprise.

"Well I was thinking we could go rent out a fire pit and toast some marshmallows, then down to the Boardwalk and watch the fireworks display like we are some shameless tourists… or you could join me and my dad for dinner and enjoy a cross-examination on your intentions for his daughter over pizza?" She teased nervously but she could already see the softening of his shoulders.

"Do I have to wear one of those I heart Neptune t-shirts or can I just stick with a novelty key chain?" he laughed and his smile was a bullet to her heart.

Take a Leap of Faith Veronica… what's the worst that could happen?