A/N: Couldn't resist a little flashforward to finish - thanks to anyone who reviewed at all :)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 14 - We Used To Be Friends

"Tell me again why we came to this thing?"

After their encounter with Madison Sinclair at the front desk, Eli Navarro wasn't surprised to hear Veronica ask that question. Of course, while she was pissed at Neptune High's most hated rich bitch, Weevil had actually enjoyed seeing her again. "You know, V, I never thought I'd live to see the day when I wanted to come see all these idiots from high school again, but with you on my arm, and the two of us still solid after all this time, I'm already havin' the time of my life, babe."

That got a smile out of Veronica. As if she could help it after a speech like that. She didn't exactly mind the looks she was getting when people saw her on his arm either. There had been rumours enough about the two of them back in the day. In fact, there had been rumours about Veronica and most of the guys (and some girls) in school nine years ago and more. Now they were seeing a new version of Veronica and the guy who had been known as Weevil for so long, and these days, they came as a package deal.

"Now I remember why I agreed to come here," she said, leaning in closer. "To drive every other woman in the room crazy by hanging all over you all night long."

"You're not gonna hear any complaints from me," he promised, leaning in to kiss her, just as her cell went off loudly in her purse. "You can't shut that thing off for one night?"

"It's not work," she said as she pulled her phone from her bag and checked the screen, "it's Dad, but everything is fine, he just can't find the bedtime book."

In the pursuit of texting while walking, even with Eli's hand on her arm helping to navigate her through the crowds of reunion goers, Veronica still managed to bump into an unsuspecting guy in her path.

"Hey," he said, spinning around fast, stopping short of getting mad when he realised who was there. "Well, if it isn't Veronica Mars."

She knew the voice in an instant and looked up fast into the face of her ex.

"Logan?" she gasped. "Wow, it's been... years," she said, reaching to hug him on instinct.

She noticed too late that Eli hadn't actually let go of her other hand and didn't seem keen to do so until the very last moment, allowing Veronica her hug with Logan. It wasn't as if she couldn't understand it, even if there really was no need. Old jealous habits died hard.

"Echolls," he said shortly as they parted.

"Weevs!" Logan declared, too happily. "Wow. The two of you, huh?"

"The two of us." Veronica nodded in agreement. "Actually, I should've corrected you before. It's not exactly Veronica Mars anymore," she explained, holding up her left hand to show off the gold band that lived there. "Veronica Navarro for almost five years now."

She knew she was smiling when she said it, certain she looked proud, though she would never out-do the look on Eli's face. Of all people that he wanted to stick it to tonight, Veronica knew Logan was one. As crazy as it seemed on the surface, she was sure that Eli was more pleased to see Logan than she ever was, just for this moment.

"Well, congratulations," said Logan, smiling like he meant it.

Veronica actually believed he might, especially when he called to a woman nearby and then ushered her over for introductions.

"Ah, the famous Veronica," said the pleasant looking woman with auburn hair and a kind smile as they shook hands.

"I'm famous? Makes a change from infamous," Veronica only half-joked, and even if Claire didn't get it, the guys sure did.

The cell went off in Veronica's bag again and she scrambled to get it, apologising for the interruption.

"Dad's having some babysitting issues," she explained awkwardly, stepping away to answer the call.

"You have kids?" Claire asked Weevil politely.

"Just one, so far," he explained, looking at Logan as much as Claire when he explained. "Felicia's three and a half," he said, calling up a photograph on his own cell and showing it to the couple.

Logan was looking at the picture when Veronica returned and then his eyes came up to meet hers.

"She's beautiful," he told her. "Like her mom."

"Any good looks that kid has is all her father," she said, squirming just a little. "She's Daddy's little angel."

"And Mama's little sidekick," Weevil reminded her. "I swear she's gonna be solving crimes before she learns her ABCs."

"Not if I got anything to do with it," said Wallace, appearing from behind Veronica and Weevil with drinks in his hands for them both. "Why have a teacher for an uncle if he's not gonna get you ahead of the game?"

Veronica smiled, accepting the drink and mostly watching everybody else talk after that. It got even easier to fade out of the conversation when Mac came to join in with the reunion. Everybody wanted to know what Logan had been up to since he had been gone from Neptune. Wallace, Mac, and even Weevil didn't mind filling him in on all that he had missed, while Claire took it all in with interest, asking questions when she got lost. Veronica just watched, listened, drank it all in and let her mind wander.

It was strange how things worked out, she thought. In another world, she might have stayed dating Logan through college, or they might have broken up and she could have dated someone else entirely. Maybe she could have stayed single, transferred schools, had a career somewhere far away from Neptune as a lawyer or an FBI agent, or something completely different. It wasn't that she wished for a different life. The truth was, Veronica couldn't imagine ever being happier than she was right here, right now.

Sheriff Mars kept the streets of Neptune as clean as possible, with Veronica picking up the cases not dealt with by the law as the new owner of Mars Investigations. She and her husband shared the load at home, raised their daughter, and made enough to get by between her investigations and his garage, built from the ashes of his uncle Angel's less-than-legal venture that had come before. All this was duly explained to Logan, and Veronica felt herself reliving every moment with a smile on her face.

"Wow. Sounds like you've got it all figured out," said Logan, shaking his head. "And hey, you haven't changed at all doing it. I swear you haven't aged a day, Veronica."

"That's a lie," she said bluntly, smiling nonetheless at the compliment. "I know I've definitely changed. Veronica Mars didn't have a tattoo for one thing."

"Seriously?" Logan echoed.

"Oh, you too, huh?" said Claire, smiling wide. "I have a heart right here," she explained, showing Veronica her wrist, "and musical notes right there on my ankle," she said, pointing down.

"Cute." Veronica nodded. "Sorry, can't really share mine. Not in a public consumption place," she explained, "but hey, get a few more drinks in me and who knows?"

She laughed at her own joke and so did everybody else. Veronica looked at Weevil and they shared a smile, his arm going around her automatically and pulling her closer. She went into his embrace willingly, kissing his cheek, as everybody else around them continued the conversation without them. That was fine by Veronica Navarro.

Times had been tough here and there, but they always came out on top in the end, her and Eli. As far as Veronica could tell, it was just how it was supposed to be.

The End