#supermars

Veronica sighed, and ran her hands through her hair. "Logan. I've been in plenty of danger before, and I've always--"

"How long until your luck runs out, Veronica?" he asked, quietly. "God dammit, Veronica, I don't know what I'll do if you die. If you get hurt. There was that time a few years back, where you got knifed? I went out of my mind, thinking you were dying, you were going to die and I'd be left all alone. And I know those boys are like your brothers, but so is Wallace. And I'm your fiancé, and I just need you to... to not die. To not get hurt. And your dad needs you safe." Logan paused, running his hands across his face, twisting his ring on his finger.

"We need you, V. You're the one thing in life that I need. I could live on the streets, lose everything, but as long as I have you, I know I'll be okay."

Veronica got up from her seat on the worn leather chair, and crossed to the couch. She sat down next to Logan, and took his hands in hers. "You need me?"

"Of course I need you. I can't... life without you is nothing for me, V. Nothing. You're my world, my rock. The one thing that keeps me sane."

Veronica smiled. "And I love you, and you know that. But Dean and Cas, and even Sam, although we don't get along... I trust them. I trust them with my life. And I know that they'll do everything they can to keep me safe. If it's me or them, they'll put themselves in danger, and get me out. But they're some of the few people in this world-- including you-- who I can trust. Fully and completely. And... Logan, you know how hard it is for me to trust people. I can't leave them now, Logan. They're my brothers, they're important, and I'll come when they call.

"But if I think a situation is too dangerous? If they think a situation is too dangerous? I'll leave. I swear to god, I'll leave. I won't leave you, Logan. Nothing, not the king of hell, not angels and demons and monsters, nothing can make me leave you, okay?"

Logan sighed, and then smiled softly at her. "I love you, Veronica. I just want you safe."

"He said you could always do with a good hacker," Charlie said, shrugging. "Something about you being a PI."

"I suppose he didn't think to mention that I already have a hacker?"

"He said she's on-call, and has about five different businesses she's running with some guy called... uh, Dick."

"Yeah, Dick Casablancas. This kid who went to school with us, who she's now head-over-heels in love with. I'll call her up, see what she'd think of me taking you on."

Veronica glanced at Charlie surreptitiously as she dialed the phone. "Hey, Q? Yeah, so basically there's this girl here. Wants to be hired  to take on basically what your job is, here. I-- you're fine with that? I know you've got so much going on right now, I figured you would. Great, Mac. You're lovely. You should come over here and meet her, I think you'd like her. Uh huh. Bye Mac."

"So," Veronica said, setting her phone down on the table. "Mac says that's fine. She's still happy to do work for me here or there, but having someone take the brunt of it would be lovely. So, Charlie, it appears that you're hired."

"Yes!" Charlie said, grinning widely. "Dean said you were cool."

Veronica nodded, slowly. "Yeah. He says you're like a sister. How long did you two work together?"

"About twenty-four hours? Less?" Charlie said, shrugging. "A lot happened in that time."

"I can imagine. Well, you're welcome to stay, as long as you keep him away from me. I can hold my own against a lot of things, but them? Not so much."

"Believe me, I'm not planning on contacting them again," Charlie said, shuddering. "Finding out that my boss is a psycho monster who wants to eat people isn't the greatest feeling."

Veronica laughed. "Can't say I've had the experience, but I can imagine."

Charlie laughed. "So, uh... Veronica? I was wondering, do you know where I'm supposed to stay?"

Veronica paused. She hadn't considered that idea. "I might be able to put you up in one of the guest rooms for the night, but we'll have to find you a permanent place to stay. I'll call up Logan-- my boyfriend-- and see if he can find you a place. People aren't too interested in saying 'no' to him. I'll probably have to go over with snickerdoodles to convince the landlord to keep you."

They trudged up to her porch, and Veronica ran down the steps to meet them, embracing two of them, and pointedly shaking hands with the tallest. "Dean, Cas, Sam! What are you all doing here? It's been a year or more since I last saw you. Is there another case here, or...?"

"Nah, Princess, we were just heading through California. Thought we'd stop by. Figured you'd beat us up if we came to California and didn't come and see you guys here in Neptune."

Veronica smiled, and led them onto the porch, reclaiming her seat on the swing. "So, what were you hunting this time?" she asked. She loved to hear about their cases, although she certainly didn't like living them.

"A couple of shifters down in Malibu," Dean said, shrugging. "They were pretty quick to get rid of."

"And you guys didn't get caught again?"

"Princess, we've been officially dead for years."

"Dean, you've been officially dead at least twice, by my count. At least, according to what's been released by the media." 

Dean winced. "Oh. Yeah. Well, y'know, it's business as usual for us. Just cruising around the country, catching monsters, defeating demons, occasionally running into angels..."

"And speaking of angels, how're you doing, Cas?" Veronica asked. She looked over the scruffy angel, and he shrugged.

"I am doing fine, Ms. Mars," he said.

"Cas. Seriously. Call me Veronica."

"Very well... Veronica."

Sam sat quietly watching her, his lip curled in distaste. "Moose, you look a bit grumpy," V said, laughing. Sam grimaced, but didn't take the bait.

They sat talking on the porch until late in the afternoon. Logan arrived home from surfing with Dick, and joined Veronica on the swing, casually draping his arm over her shoulders. Dean and Cas sat next to each other as well, Dean occasionally tugging on Cas's hair or ear. Sam sat to the side, eyeing the four of them. "Dean, we really should get going--" he started to say, but Dean sighed loudly, interrupting him.

"Look Sammy, I know that you and Princess don't get along too well, but she's my friend, and I haven't seen her in over a year. We just finished a case, we don't need to get home to anyone, we're fine."

Sam sulked, saying nothing.

Eventually, they moved into the house, Logan and Veronica preparing dinner for the boys, shaking their heads wearily when Dean said he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a home-cooked meal. "You boys need to find more people who'll take you in," she said. "You're staying here tonight, you got that? I'm not having you guys going over the the Camelot and eating vending machine food for breakfast."

Dean grinned. "See, Sammy? She's not all bad."

Sam continued to sulk. Veronica glanced at him, and shook her head. "Moose, you're far too grumpy for someone who's getting a free meal and roof over his head tonight."

Logan nodded at that, adding, "Then again, he's far too grumpy most of the time he's here."

"Apparently tazing a guy just one time makes him a bit grumpy," Veronica said, shrugging. "I really can't imagine why. I've tazed plenty of people and--"

"And they've either been thrown in jail or become sworn enemies of you," Logan chimed in, grinning at her. "You have far too many enemies, V."

"That's what the taser is for. Obviously," Veronica said, shaking her head. "You, Logan, were a golden boy for years. At least until you started dating me. Then you were the weird boy."

"Maybe it's because my girlfriend was a teenage detective who took far too much delight in tazing people?"

"Hmm, that might have been it," Veronica said, grinning at him.

Sam grunted, his eyes still shooting daggers at Veronica.

"Oh, come on and lighten up, Sammy," Dean said, pushing Sam's beer closer to him. "Princess isn't gonna taze you again. It was all just a big misunderstanding, years in the past."

"Ah, but Dean, I never make promises not to taze someone," Veronica said.

Dean shook his head. "Tell me something, Logan. What's it like, living with Princess?"

Logan wrapped an arm around Veronica's waist, pulling her close to his side. "Well, there's never a dull moment. Especially when she's made friends with people like you."

"Hear, hear!" said Dean, clinking his beer bottle against Sam's. The rest of the night, as always when the Winchesters came to Neptune, was full of much teasing, joking, and beer. But for once, no strange monsters showed up in Neptune, and Dean found himself able to drift off to sleep feeling safe, for once. That was the thing about staying with Veronica. The petite, fiery blonde, who was practically his adopted sister, always made him feel safe.