Note: Sorry it took me so long to update. Wasn't entirely satisfied with the earlier drafts of this chapter. It was too long for my taste. I felt the need to explain what happened to the other characters. I realized it was better to scatter those details in the future chapters rather than just explain it all in a single chapter. After all, this story is mainly about LoVe. :) Anyway, I have a few places in mind where Logan will be heading to, but I'd like to get YOUR feedback. Where would you want to see Logan go?

"I'm hoooomee!" Veronica dramatically yelled, dropping her bags, as she swung the door to her and Keith's apartment.

She was greeted with silence.

She checked her watch. It was 8:00 am. Strange…dad's usually home at this time. I guess it's either he's out for work early, or he hasn't gone home yet. Must be out chasing a bailjumper again. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come home early to surprise him, Veronica thought, sighing.

It was a shame really, because Veronica really missed her dad. It was her first time home ever since she moved to Virginia to study. While she liked Virginia, particularly her lack of notoriety in her new school and the relative peacefulness of the area compared to Neptune, Veronica knew this was where she belonged.

I never thought I'd consider Neptune to be home after everything this town has put me and my dad through…but I guess that's the same reason why I'm so attached to this place. This place taught me to be tough. There wouldn't be any Veronica Mars without Neptune.

And of course I'll always come back here because HE said he would back for me.

Logan.

Veronica hasn't heard a word from him since he left almost a year ago. There were times when she thought that maybe the Sorokins had caught up to him. But just like the women in books and movies Veronica used to laugh at for being so melodramatic, she knew that she would know in her heart if Logan was dead. And it helps that I actually work at the FBI so any news about the Sorokins and Logan, I would know.

When the FBI offered her a permanent internship (which basically means she works for them but with no pay) and arranged for her to move to a university in the area, she was ecstatic. While she hated having to leave her dad, she wanted to get away from Neptune as far away and as fast away as possible.

When Vinnie Van Lowe won as sheriff, things got even worse in Neptune. The Fitzgeralds started lording around the poorer neighborhoods. The rich neighborhoods, seeking to keep their area immune from the rising crime rates, became even more snobbish and paranoid. Hired and heavily armed security guards roamed the area. Anyone from the wrong side of the tracks who ends up there would find himself in very big trouble. PI work became more dangerous so Keith was forced to make Veronica stop.

Her personal life wasn't doing much better during that time as well. She had broken up with Piz as soon as Logan left. It seemed wrong to lead him on when she knew it was always going to be Logan.

Veronica tried to push thoughts of him from her mind. I'm here to spend the week with my dad, not to get all nostalgic about a boy.

Veronica retired to her room, wanting to get some shut-eye before her dad came home.

Her room was the way it was when she left it. She smiled as she looked at her collection of pictures of illicit affairs that she had on her study table. FBI work wasn't as interesting as her life as a PI. Still, it was a good opportunity, and besides, it helped her keep tabs on Logan and the Sorokins.

That was the main reason she accepted the permanent internship. She knew the FBI was investigating the role of the Sorokin clan in the disappearance of Logan Echolls. One thing Veronica overlooked when she planned Logan's disappearance was the fact that he was a celebrity in his own right. With a mother who committed suicide, a father who beat him, a B-list actress for a sister, and an illegitimate brother whose identity was hidden for years, the press wasn't just going to let it go when Logan suddenly disappeared after beating up a mafioso's son.

The disappearance of Logan Echolls was a hot story for weeks! He was the culmination of the "Echolls Curse", as the press put it. Logan's face was on every magazine. Actors (including Connor Larkin), actresses, and pseudo-celebrities like Paris Hilton demanded justice for their "friend". The FBI immediately yielded to public pressure and vowed to go take down the Sorokin clan and find Logan (if he was still alive).

Veronica was sure Logan was going to get caught. She only hoped that it was the FBI who would get to him first and not the Sorokins.

The first letter came a few days after Veronica arrived in Neptune.

It was in a plain white envelope. The stamp indicated it came from Mexico. It looked worn out, battered from travelling a long distance.

The moment Veronica saw the name in front, she immediately knew it was from Logan.

Bill Wyatt. It was a combination of the names of the protagonists in Logan's favorite movie, Easy Rider.

Veronica quickly opened the letter. She couldn't help but smile at the familiar handwriting.

Dear Ronnie,

I know you made me promise that under no circumstance should I contact anyone, especially you, but I think we both knew that I could never keep that promise. Now, before you go huffin' and puffin' about me being reckless and compromising your carefully laid out plan, I made sure that this letter won't be traced back to me. After all, I did learn a few things from you when we were dating. All those times you thought I wasn't listening to you while you talked about your cases? I was actually listening and not just looking at your lips (okay fine, maybe half-listening and half thinking about kissing those wonderful lips...)

Sorry, it took me a while to send this. I had to wait until all the press about my disappearance died down. Crazy huh? Do thank my "friends" for me (especially Connor…I was really touched by his manly tears). Didn't know so many people cared…and all it took for them to show it was for me to "die".

When I landed in New York, I had no idea where to go next. So I picked somewhere familiar…Mexico. You're rolling your eyes aren't you? I bet you think I'm just here cause of the booze, the drugs, and the girls. If you must know Miss Mars, Mexico is a very good place to hide. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I used to go here a lot, even when I wasn't on the lam. Here, I'm not Logan Echolls. I'm nobody…just another white man in some small Mexican town.

It's a coastal town, of course. It gives me the chance to surf once in a while, although my time now is usually spent making boats. The locals taught me how, and I took an instant liking to it. I didn't think I'd be any good at it (Remember my Wood Shop class? Neither do I. I do remember paying someone off to do my projects) but apparently I'm pretty talented at it. Who would have thought?

I'm staying with this family. Ricardo is a fisherman. He's a very jolly man. Always laughing and cracking jokes. Concepcion, his wife, cooks the best food I've ever tasted. They have a daughter, little Conchita. She's very playful and very, very clever. Reminds me a little of you. She's going to be breaking a lot of hearts someday. They're nice, decent, trustworthy people. They treat me like I'm part of the family. They worry when I go off alone without telling them. They actually took care of me when I got sick. Concepcion lets me help when she's cooking. Ricardo has taken me fishing (even giving me love advice!) Conchita won't sleep unless I tell her a bedtime story.

So, this is what having a real family feels like? I've got to admit, they're the reason why I've stayed in this particular town longer than usual. It breaks my heart that I have to leave soon. As much as I would love to stay, I know that if I do, I'll probably just get them into trouble.

I hope you don't mind, but I've told them about you. They haven't met you but they already love you (except Conchita. She thinks I just made you up). I wish you could meet them someday.

God, Veronica, I miss you. The thought that you're so near both gives me comfort and excruciating pain. Realistically, I know that this is probably the closest I could ever get to you (for a while, at least). It's taking all of my self-control not to rent a car and just drive down to Neptune to see you, but you'll probably just kick me instead of kiss me if I do.

One good thing about being on the run is that it's given me time to reflect…about me. You. Us.

I have a confession Ronnie. Even when things were good between us, I always wondered if you loved me as much as I loved you. For one thing, you never explicitly said that you loved me. Second, I always felt like you were always scrutinizing my flaws; always looking for an excuse to argue or break things off. When you broke up with me because of the Madison fiasco, I thought I had my answer. 'Obviously, she doesn't love me like I love her because if she were in my place, I'd forgive her in a second.' So I tried to move on…hence Parker.

I was wrong though. It took me a while to realize but I finally figured out that you loved me after all, even though you couldn't say it out loud. It was wrong of me to want you to love me liked I love you. When I love, I give it my all and I expected the same from you. I failed to realize that while you weren't giving your all, you were giving me all that you could give. You loved me in your own unique Veronica Mars way.

That night you burst into my hotel room, eyes red from crying, practically ordering me to leave town, I saw in your eyes how much you love me. And it struck me how much of a fool I've been. All this time, I wanted you to say you loved me out loud but all I had to do was look into your eyes. Your eyes scream what I've been longing to hear.

If only I realized it earlier. I'm sorry Ronnie. If only I didn't doubt that you loved me, our relationship probably wouldn't be so screwed up. I wouldn't have broken up with you. That thing with Madison wouldn't have happened. We'd still be together…and things won't be like they are now.

I'll make it up to you Ronnie. Wait for me. I WILL come back. Maybe then we'll finally have our happy ending.

L.

Veronica was close to tears when she finished the letter. She felt mixed emotions. She was happy that Logan was okay and was being taken care of. She felt sad because she missed him so much and just wanted him back. She felt guilty because she knew that it wasn't his fault alone that their relationship broke down, that she too was foolish in so many aspects and that all of the what-if's of their relationship also haunted her all the time. Finally, she felt frustrated because there were so many things she wanted to tell him but had no way of doing so.