The blonde's jaw dropped and Veronica turned and found Troy standing behind her.

"Troy?" she squealed, completely forgetting Veronica was there. "Baby what are you doing here?"

She sauntered over and put her arms around his neck.

"Looking for you," he replied.

She tipped her head and smiled at him.

"You're not mad at me are you?"

"Mad?" He chuckled. "Because you stole my last score and left me to take the rap?"

"Yeah, because of that." She leaned up and kissed him. Veronica rolled her eyes and tried not to gag.

"Listen, Shawna," Troy said, once he got his breath back from the kiss. "I need the drugs back. The only way I can bargain my sentence is if I prove that the drugs never hit the market."

Shawna made an embarrassed "oops" sound and then gave a throaty laugh.

"Don't tell me you sold all of it?"

"Well I didn't exactly sell all of it," she chuckled.

Veronica pulled out her cell phone. Troy saw her and put his hand up.

"Veronica don't."

"Don't? She sold them all Troy. You have nothing left to bargain with. And now that you have your real accomplice you don't have to finger Logan."

Shawna ran her finger down the side of Troy's face. "The drugs are gone but I still have the money," she cooed.

Troy looked down at her and to Veronica's alarm, she saw something sparkle in Troy's eyes.

"What do you say?" Shawna whispered.

"I say he's not that stupid," Veronica protested. Shawna turned and glared at Veronica then looked back up at Troy.

"Come on baby, I've got the cash for our dash. Let's do what we always planned. You and me. In style."

Veronica saw Troy's expression and she shook her head.

"Troy…."

"Veronica's right," Troy said, disengaging from Shawna's grasp. He walked over to Veronica and took her phone. "You left me hanging out to dry once, what makes you think I'd set myself up for that again?"

He started dialing and then stopped.

"Then again, it would be a hell of a ride wouldn't it?" In one fluid motion he tossed the phone to Shawna and turned and popped open the door to a broom closet behind Veronica. Before she knew what was happening, he gave her a gentle shove and she stumbled backwards.

"You are that stupid!" Veronica cried as the door slammed in her face.

"What can I say, Ronnie," Troy shouted from the other side. "Love makes you do the wacky."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Veronica looked around the room for something that would help her pry the door open. She picked up a broomstick and was about to pummel the door with it when it suddenly popped open and she pulled back before she impaled whoever it was that opened it.

"Veronica?"

Veronica dropped the broom handle in shock.

"Logan?"

He stepped inside and the intense anger she had expected to see in his face wasn't there. Instead, when he laid his eyes on her he looked relieved. He crossed the small room and scooped her up in his arms.

Veronica was too stunned for words. Instead she hugged him fiercely. Until he started to sway and had to grab a nearby shelf for balance. She pulled back and looked at him.

"Are you OK? Why aren't you in the hospital? You were unconscious for hours!" And then a shadow clouded her face. "Logan, we have to find Troy. He can't get away."

She grabbed his hand but he didn't move. She turned on him. "Logan, I swear, I'm not sleeping with him. He's been blackmailing me. If I didn't help him find his ex-girlfriend he was going to name you as him accomplice to lessen his sentence. He said they were suspicious of you already because of the trips you made to Mexico with him and---"

He yanked her back into his arms and leaned down and kissed her. She stood stunned as his mouth caressed hers. She couldn't believe it had been that easy. There was suppose to be crying involved on her part. Possibly some swearing.

He pulled away from her and grinned at her dumbfounded expression.

"You believe me?" She sputtered.

He took her hand. "Of course."

He led her outside. "It helped that I overheard him threatening you in my hospital room. And that I found this when I got here."

They stepped outside and that's when she saw the police cars. Both Troy and Shawna were both handcuffed and Veronica sagged against Logan in relief.

"But how you managed to accomplish that from a broom closet boggles my mind."

Veronica grinned and looked around. Wanda Sykes spotted her and strolled across the parking lot over to them.

"We have four people who will testify that they bought drugs off of Shawna tonight and they already confirmed the arrest warrant for Troy. When I couldn't find you I called it in."

Logan raised an eyebrow at her.

"You really are a narc?"

Wanda ignored him and looked pointedly at Veronica.

"We square now?"

Veronica nodded. She was feeling generous. She looked up at Logan who was staring at Troy with his jaw clenched.

"Come on," Veronica said, tugging on his hand. "Take me home. I need to wash off this foam."

Logan looked down and smiled at her. "So we're finally getting to the payoff you owe me?"

"I get the impression I'm going to be paying you off for some time."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Veronica and Logan walked across the courtyard of her apartment hand in hand. Logan was already envisioning a bathtub in his immediate future when they heard the voices on the terrace above them.

"There they are."

"Veronica are you all right?"

"Logan!"

They both looked up and Duncan, Meg, Wallace and Mac were looked down at them anxiously from above.

Logan, realizing that his evening was ruined once again, was already spewing a string of curses as their friends trampled down the stairs. Veronica laughed and buried her head in his chest.

"Remember they are here because they are concerned for your well being," she whispered to him.

"They've just ruined my well being," he replied as the group reached the bottom of the stairs.

They were still in shorts and t-shirts and smelled of suntan lotion.

"What happened?" Meg asked, looking at the large bruise at Logan's temple.

"It's a long story." Logan said. "Maybe we can talk about it to---"

"Come on up," Veronica said. "You must be exhausted from that drive."

"Yeah, especially since we had to rent a car first," Duncan pointed out.

Logan rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long night.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Logan closed his eyes as Veronica rubbed the suntan lotion on his back. Duncan's boat bobbed quietly beneath them and Logan's feet dangled over the side in the cool water. Veronica thought Duncan had loaned them the boat and the use of the house and he wasn't inclined to disillusion her quite yet. Instead he was just grateful that they'd found such an isolated little cove to beach at.

"Should I go over it again?" Veronica asked.

"The rules?"

"No," she laughed. "I meant your back. Do you need a second coat?"

"Definitely," he replied.

He felt his skin tingle as she eased her hands over his shoulders.

"And I don't think we need to go over the rules again," she remarked. "I think we've established them, don't you?"

He nodded, although he was having trouble concentrating as her fingers went down his arms.

"If I find you wrapped around Jude Law I don't jump to any conclusions until I've heard the whole story," he mumbled.

"If you find me wrapped around Jude Law," she remarked, "assume the worst."

He whirled around and grabbed her by the waist, tackling her into one of the boat seats.

"I'm kidding!" She laughed.

He nuzzled her neck and his hands went to the strings of the pink bikini that she was wearing.

"And I don't ever lie to you," she said quietly, running her fingers over his chest, "even if I think it's going to protect you from the community soap."

"That sounds about right," he mumbled, completely losing his ability to think.

She slipped her arms around his neck. "So how long do you think I'll continue to "owe" you for the entire Troy debacle anyway? Despite the fact that I did it with only the best intentions in my heart."

"Oh, it's going to be a while," he promised, pulling loose the string tying her top. "Could be months…."

Veronica sighed. There were worst punishments, she decided.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Well there it is. Sorry it took so long to get out. I ended up tinkering with it at the end. I don't have any other Veronica Mars stories in mind at the moment but I imagine as the season goes on I will be inspired to do so. Especially if this whole Duncan storyline continues. (I actually like Duncan but the chemistry between Logan and Veronica is so much better)

In a completely different realm (or realms I guess) I have a strange little Star Wars/ Serenity/ Spiderman/ Roswell story that has been rolling around in my head for some time. But I may take a break before embarking on that one.

So thanks again to everyone who reviewed!I appreciate everyone who takes the time to do so. You guys rock! And really what would be the point if no one read it? So thanks for giving me the inspiration to continue.