Once upon a time, Veronica Mars had been the perfect sleuth.
Now, Veronica's hair was perfectly groomed, like the rest of her. She looked utterly domestic in a white floral dress and matching heels, an apron uniformly tied at her waist.
She had never envisioned her life like this, so simplistic. Veronica Mars had spent her childhood shadowing her father, the town's Private Investigator. Veronica had grown up with a stun gun; she had learnt self-defence at twelve and had broken into her first building at sixteen.
Danger was what she lived for – until her mother left.
Everyone had seen the signs, Veronica included, but, she had refused to accept it. Veronica remembered the bitter stench of alcohol on her breathe, the red tinges in her eyes, the jittery movements; her mother was an alcoholic. And Veronica, she wouldn't accept that, she couldn't. Veronica naively drove her mother to the rehabilitation clinic, the contents of her college fund resting heavily in her purse. Silently, Veronica had held her mother's clammy hand and escorted her into the facility. Everybody deserved a second chance and Veronica wasn't going to give up on her mother, not yet anyway. Rehab worked for many people, why couldn't it work for Lianne? Veronica smiled reassuringly at her mom as a doctor ushered her further into the institution. Her mother's last words still sliced at her heart; "I love you, Veronica, please don't do this." Lianne had begged Veronica to stay, to not leave her but; the truth was … that was exactly what Lianne had done. Veronica had called the centre routinely – once every week – and after three calls, a monotone receptionist had said that Lianne had discharged herself.
That was the last thing Veronica had heard about her mother's whereabouts. It was also the thing that had forced her to re-evaluate her life. Lianne used to drown her sorrows in alcohol and it took her a while but Veronica realised that danger had become her drug. Veronica didn't resort to a bottle, she resorted to deceit and betrayal; things that distracted her from sad and hollow life. She lived for the rush that she would get when she caught a man cheating on his wife or jumping in the middle of a feud between the PCHers and the O9ers. Her relationship with her job – if you could call it that – was sadistic and unhealthy and so, she had stopped.
Suddenly.
Veronica, after much reluctance, had decided to put away the Taser and focus on something else, herself. And not the sadistic Veronica Mars who lived for danger, the Veronica Mars who made and maintained relationships; cared for her father, walked Backup, excelled at school. Veronica had graduated Neptune High as Valedictorian, the top of her class and Keith couldn't have been more proud. He stood on a set of bleachers, screeching at the top of his lungs as his daughter walked across the stage, diploma in hand. It was a fond memory Veronica had of her father. Her dad still lived in Neptune but he spent much of his time in San Diego, San Francisco, Vegas even; his detective work keeping him occupied. She rarely saw him now that she was all grown up, managing a home of her own.
Home.
Home was where she was currently. The large suburban home was white washed but was littered with memories that had led Veronica to this exact moment. Framed pictures adorned walls and multiples surfaces – pictures of her and Wallace; Mac, Meg, Duncan, Lily, Weevil, Dick and … Logan. Her favourite picture of them could be seen from where she was stood in the kitchen. Veronica was dressed in white (ironically, as Logan had mocked) and Logan was hugging her from the side, he, dressed in a black tuxedo. Their fingers were intertwined in the picture purposefully, their new wedding bands glimmering under the hot Californian sun.
Veronica remembered her wedding day as if it had happened yesterday. She had married her best friend on the beach a year ago. They had said their "I dos" in the presence of their loved ones and it had been the most magical day of Veronica's life. When she was a teenager, she hadn't thought marriage and commitment was for her … especially with Logan. But, after four years of an on and off relationship paired with periods of elongated separation, Logan and Veronica acknowledged that there would be nobody else for them. They were the most perfectly dysfunctional pair. And so, they'd taken the leap.
A leap that had brought them to domesticated bliss.
At least, domesticated bliss would be achieved (once again) after Logan came home.
After one his many breakups with Veronica, Logan had turned to drugs and alcohol to guide him through his tough time. Veronica had needed to clear her head after their last fight and had decided to go on vacation with Wallace to see his father. Over the years, Wallace's relationship with his father had progressed and the vacation had been relatively pleasant, for both Veronica and Wallace. It had been carefree and full of laughter; something Veronica realised she hadn't experienced with Logan in a while. Veronica and Wallace had been in the taxi back from the airport when she'd had gotten the call. Logan had drunk himself into oblivion whilst Veronica was away and had landed himself in the hospital. The event had been an eye opener for both of them. The thought of losing Logan to alcohol, like she had lost her mom, killed Veronica and the thought of killing Veronica, killed Logan.
That breakup had been their last and they had vowed to try reforming their relationship and themselves, together. Veronica had taken on a job at the local AA meetings in attempt to dissuade people from the tragedy that had become her relationship with her mother and Logan; Logan had enlisted in the Navy.
He had been deployed for the past two agonising months. The two had spent the last sixty odd days writing letters, talking on the phone and smiling at each other on grainy Skype screens. But, today was the day … the day he'd get to hold her, kiss her lips and tell her he loved her.
Veronica couldn't wait, not any longer.
She had spent her day buzzing like a bee during spring. She had spent a longer period of time on her appearance, focusing on the attributes that Logan had a particular fancy for her. Now, she was making dinner. Logan had told Veronica that he didn't want her to make the three hour drive to pick him up from the dock so; he had told her he would meet her at home. The duo had spent many a conversation arguing about the subject but … it seemed Logan's logic made sense.
"You're going to spend a collective six hours driving, I'd much rather you save your energy and I tire you out when I get home." The innuendo had much Veronica blush then and it was making her blush now.
She missed him, she missed him so much and she was certain … when he got back, if she could sew her skin to his … she would. But in the mean-time, Veronica distracted herself with domestic chores. She cooked and she cleaned and she made sure everything was perfectly in order for when her husband got back.
Soon enough, Veronica would be taking on another household task – childcare. Absentmindedly, Veronica ran a hand across her flat stomach. She was three months pregnant, her first trimester, and had found out a few weeks after Logan had left. She knew she needed to tell him in person and so had kept the news to herself. But, she was ecstatic and she was hoping Logan would be too. Logan hadn't been a family man, his family was as worse as it could get but … he had expressed starting a family with Veronica. His past relationship with his parents didn't stop him from wanting children of his own; it made him want his own children even more.
Logan was determined to not be Aaron Echolls. The mere thought of telling Logan that she was pregnant made Veronica giddy and her heart began to pound. Only a few more moments, she reminded herself, over and over again.
Veronica squatted down to make sure her thoughts weren't distracting her from making dinner. There was a chicken pie – Logan's favourite – in the oven and a lemon cake resting on the cooling rack. Everything was running as planned and Veronica grinned to herself, excitement bubbling within the depths of her stomach.
She glanced over at the clock on the wall wistfully, its arms indicating that she had still had thirty minutes or so before Logan said he would get in. Veronica looked around, triple-checking that everything was okay before a knock rasped at the front door. Veronica's heart jumped into her throat at the thought of Lieutenant Echolls stood at the door – maybe he was home early? At first, the knock was soft and light. If the house hadn't been as silent as it had been, she wouldn't have heard it. But as Veronica progressed for the door, the knocks grew louder … more violent. And then, the doorbell was being pressed. The high pitch ding resonated continuously throughout the house and Veronica laughed at herself. Logan was always impatient.
Using her hands, Veronica smoothed out her dress and swiped the loose strands of her husband behind her ear before pulling at the door handle, her smile dissolving instantly. There were police officers at her door, three of them.
"Is Mr. Echolls home?" The guy in the middle asked briskly, his eyes looking Veronica over stiffly. There was an intimidating yet equally as authoritative sneer to his tone of voice and Veronica couldn't help but let the scowl settle upon her face, a sense of panic surging through her. Was Logan okay? Had something happened that she wasn't aware of? Veronica subconsciously clutched her stomach, a sense of queasiness enveloping her senses. "Is it okay for us to come inside, ma'am, we have some questions regarding some crime in the area?"
"Is everything okay, officer?" Veronica questioned, unsure of why three officers were currently clambering into her home. Veronica winced lightly as they dredged dirt onto the floorboards she had spent hours mopping.
Veronica led the officers into the living room, ushering for them all to be seated. They all took seats quietly, their eyes flittering between one another; everybody stayed silent until Veronica clasped her hands together and courageously made the first notion to speak.
"Is everything okay, Sir?" She directed the question at the officer who had spoken to her earlier. The large golden badge upon his uniform signalled to Veronica that he had more authority compared to the other two officers, a Sheriff, maybe?
"We are going to have to record your answers for further references, if that's okay?" Veronica simply nodded as the female officer pulled out a recorder. Veronica remembered enough from her sleuthing days to know that the officer's question was just a routine. It didn't matter if Veronica said yes or no to the recording, they were still legally obliged to record her answers. "Can you state your name and your consent to this questioning, ma'am?" Veronica did as she was told, monotonously giving her name - Veronica Echolls - and her consent – I consent to my answers being recorded. "Can you state whether you have any form of contact with a Logan Echolls and a Mr. Duncan Kane in the past two to three months?" The officer asked and Veronica hiccupped, surprised.
Duncan? The last Veronica had heard from Duncan was that he and Meg had run away from home in order to protect their daughter, Lily, from being in the custody of Meg's abusive parents. Due to the fact that Duncan and Meg had been silly teenagers when she had fallen pregnant, it was likely for the Manning's to win custody over their daughter and neither Meg nor Duncan had wanted that. It was why Veronica had ended it with Duncan – properly this time – and helped them go on the run. She hadn't heard from them since.
"I've spoken to Logan over the phone, written him letters … I guess that's all the contact we've had. He's been deployed over the past two months." Veronica answered, gulping down the lump that had formed at the back of her throat. "Duncan … I … I haven't seen or spoken to Duncan Kane since I was about seventeen years old." The mucus in her throat was adamant and refused to move like a truck stuck in Canadian snow. Veronica hesitated as she looked the officer in the eye. She was unsure of what was going on and she let her back rest against the white painted walls, silently demanding an explanation.
"My name is Officer Samuels, that's Officer Linda and her understudy, Michael." The officer – Officer Samuels – pointed at the other two in the room and Veronica smiled at them weakly, trying to smile as much as she physically could. "We're the deputy team from the Calabasas police department and we've been working on a case about a local gang." Officer Samuels explained and Veronica listened to him quietly. She was genuinely curious to what Officer Samuels' story was and what it had to do with her, Logan and Duncan. "For the past few years, the town has been over-run by violent and dangerous street crime. The crime that is being conducted isn't minor crime: large sums of cash are going missing, people are shot or severely injured for invading territory, women and children are kidnapped as ransom and public property is destroyed to an unfixable state. Our officers have been tracking down these crimes but those that are victims are either scared to admit or reveal information about what is going on. It's been virtually impossible to collect any substantial evidence … but the minimal evidence that we do have, suggests that your … husband isn't part of the Navy and him and his friend, Duncan Kane, are the ringleaders of this criminal behaviour."
There was a pregnant pause in the room as Veronica let the officer's words sink in, all the emotion dropped from Veronica's face as she stared at the officer's face deliriously. The officer must have gotten something wrong. Logan couldn't be a gang leader. Veronica knew, for a fact, that Logan was part of the Navy. She had Skyped him whilst he was away, written him letters addressed to the Navy base, seen his uniform, and met his Squadron … there was no way her husband was a criminal but, Veronica couldn't help but let the tears spring to her eyes. The officer had to be wrong wrong. "Usually, in such cases, family members are heavily involved in the business," Officer Linda – the female – looked at Veronica warily. Her eyes were the size of saucers as she silently accused Veronica of something she hadn't done. "Or they are completely oblivious to what's going on around them-"
"Or stupid." Officer Linda looked Veronica up and down, sneering at her ditsy looking outfit and her perfect home. She had met so many women like Veronica. The type who did not have to lift a finger and were given everything they ever wanted. It made Officer Linda sick to know that she was out in the real world, working her butt off for an honest living, whilst women like Veronica were stealing from others and living off of stolen money. It was sickening, to say the least.
"I ... I ... I don't know what's going on." Veronica stuttered as she stumbled on over to the couch. Her finger nails gripped at the leather sofa as she steadied herself before taking a seat. The plush material engulfed Veronica's petite frame but, unlike it usually did, the couch wasn't able to provide her with comfort. Veronica's butt practically hung off the couch as she sat forward, nodding for the officer to continue.
"All will be explained, Mrs Echolls, just let us ask you a few more questions."
Officer Samuels had conducted these kinds of interviews all the time and after being in the work field for twelve years, he was sure he was a pretty great judge of character. Never had his suspicions been proved wrong and from what he could see from Veronica's surprised emotions and her silent tears; she had truly been oblivious to her husband's wrong doings. "Okay," Officer Samuels looked over at Michael who had pressed play to a tape recorder that was later going to be used as Veronica's defence. "How long have you and Mr Echolls been married?"
The next few questions delved into personal questions regarding Logan and Veronica's relationship.
"You said you had a small wedding? Why? You live in one of the priciest zip codes in the country; you could easily afford a big wedding." Veronica looked down at her hands, the tears pooling in her eyes as she thought back to her wedding day. They had gotten married on the beach because it held certain significance to Logan. He found his release in two things – surfing and Veronica. The water was where he could be free with no worries and its deep and clear colour reminded him of Veronica's eyes. So, they had chosen to go for a small beach wedding with close friends and family. Also, the ocean was where Logan's mother had ended her life. Having their wedding on the beach paid homage to Lynn's life; it was like she was there with them on their big day.
"We don't have very many family and friends so it was always going to be small. But we had decided that our love was worth more than what money could buy and so, we kept it minimal … we really just wanted to get married quickly, we wanted the commitment."
Officer Samuels looked up at Veronica, genuinely surprised by her answer. His first impressions of Veronica had deceived him. He hadn't expected such a humble answer from a girl who liked she'd walked straight off the cover of a Home Décor magazine.
Officer Samuels, who was married himself, suddenly felt sorry for Veronica.
From what he could see, she seemed to be pretty truthful and if she was in fact, telling the truth, she was going to lose everything that she had if police suspicions were correct. Her home would get repossessed by the local bank, all of her possessions would be sold to repay the money that Logan and his men had stolen and Veronica would lose her love.
She was doomed.
"Did Logan ever seem suspicious to you?" The question was a vague one and Officer Samuels elaborated further. "Would he come home late with empty excuses? Have you ever found anything that you've never been able to explain logically? Did you ever doubt he was cheating on you or whether he was up to no good?"
"No, Sir." Veronica answered truthfully. "Logan has been ... predictable since college. He's always home on time, he spent some of his weekends in Tijuana with some of his friends but other than that, Logan was at work and then at home."
"These trips away from home, who did he go with? Do you have the full names of those who accompanied him?"
"Ermm," Veronica thought carefully, trying to remember Logan's friends. "I remember a few, ermm ... Richard – Dick – Casablancas and his younger brother, Cassidy, Mercer Hayes, Eli – Weevil – Navarro and his girlfriend, Lily … Lily Kane, Duncan's sister."
Officer Samuels looked over at Officer Linda knowingly. These were the names of the people that had popped up on their radar. The police department had also been doing background checks on all of them.
"And, what did they do on these trips?"
"I'm not sure," Veronica shrugged. "It was Logan's guy-time, usually. I presumed they were just camping, going fishing, surfing ... that kind of stuff. It was just care-free time that he spent with his friends; I didn't really impose on his privacy and ask what they got up to. I trusted Logan and-"
"Trusted? As in past tense?" Officer Samuels was now at that point in the interview where he was prepared to dig into depths of Veronica's words and analyse everything that she said. It was a clever interview technique that put the interviewee on the spot so that they were subconsciously intimated to tell the truth; it was similar to hot-seating. It was the most effective way to get people to speak the truth because there wasn't enough time for them to come up with an alibi. "So, you don't trust Logan anymore?"
"No, I mean ... yes ... I ... I don't know." This was the moment where Veronica broke down into tears. A fountain of briny water dripped from her eyelids, smudging her mascara and she wiped at her face furiously as she tried to present herself in a presentable manner. Nothing seemed to work though because deep down somewhere, Veronica's conscious was telling her that the Officers were correct, fate had been correct, her dad had been correct ... they had all warned her about Logan and now Veronica was wedged into something she hadn't anticipated - ever.
"Mrs Logan, we're going to need you to calm down so that we can carry on with the interrogation, can you do that for me?" Officer Samuels touched Veronica's hand softly but she drew her hands back slowly. He was trying to keep her as calm as possible because she hadn't heard the worst of what her husband had been up to. Logan Echolls and Duncan Kane were dangerous people who had ruthlessly killed and robbed and the extent of their crimes was endless. Officer Samuels wanted to get as much solid evidence as he could before arresting the twenty-seven year old.
"I ... I'm sorry ... it's just ... all of this ... it's, it's sudden and I ... think it's the hormones and the pregnancy-"
"You're pregnant?" Officer Samuels asked surprised and Veronica nodded. Officer Samuels rubbed at his forehead. Claiming you were pregnant or ill or mentally unstable was an excuse that many people used. It made them look vulnerable and it made police loosen up when charging for a crime. If Officer Samuels was going to continue with the interview, he was going to need proof that Veronica was pregnant, since she wasn't showing yet, and a doctor was going to have to be present as the interview progressed – this was so that defence lawyers could not use psychological harm to undermine the accuser when Officer Samuels took Logan to court.
A defence lawyer would use Veronica like a public toilet, for their dirty work. A lawyer would try to present Logan as the perfect family man and Veronica would play a significantly large part in his argument. If Officer's caused Veronica any kind of distress, especially whilst she was pregnancy, this could easily be manipulated in court and could result in Officer Samuels and Officer Linda's losing their reputations and, if it got too far, their jobs.
"Three months now," Veronica pat her stomach lovingly, however, she noticed she didn't feel as lovingly as she had done before. It may sound cynical and Veronica wanted to hit herself for thinking so but, somehow, within the space of moments it seemed as if the love for her unborn child had lessened. The thought of Logan doing such bad things made her think twice about him, everything about him ... including their child. How was she going to handle raising a child with Logan? If everything she had just heard about him was true? "I found out about two months ago."
"Have you been to a doctor or an OB yet or if you took an over the counter test, do you still have it by any chance?" Officer Samuels asked. Most women kept the pregnancy stick that confirmed that they were pregnant. It held sentimental value. "We need to ensure that you're telling us the truth and if what you have told is true, and you are pregnant, we're going to have a doctor come in and supervise our interview. Is that fine with you?" Officer Samuels didn't really care if Veronica disagreed or not, it was customary to ask her whether she was okay with it but no matter if she was or not, she didn't really have the power agree to disagree.
"I ... I saw my OB, Doctor Andrews, last week."
"Linda," Officer Samuels looked over at the female. "Get on the phone to Doctor Andrews. Veronica, do you have the positive test with you, by any chance?"
Veronica nodded, the tears were still streaming down her cheeks and her eyes had become red and puffy now. She sniffled lightly; trying to regain any sort of confidence she had before signalling for Officer Samuels to follow her towards the kitchen. Veronica had planned to tell Logan about them being pregnant that night and she had thought of the perfect way to do so. She had put her pregnancy stick into its original box and then placed it into multiple pieces of packaging. The box gave the illusion that Veronica was gifting Logan with a large present but as he undid every separate layer he would get closer and closer to the positive pregnancy stick ... Logan had seen something similar take place in a movie and she thought it was the perfect way to tell, or show, Logan.
She now knew that Logan wasn't going to get the present as she had intended.
Sadly, Veronica handed the officer the box and he looked at her sceptically. He was a bit puzzled, why was Veronica handing him a wrapped box?
"He doesn't ... Logan doesn't ... he doesn't know yet. I was going to tell him tonight." Veronica looked down at the box glumly. "It was meant to be a surprise." The officer looked at Veronica sympathetically. This was one downside to his job. Working for the police force meant that those who threatened society were locked up - a plus side - but it also meant that officer Samuels was forced to watch innocent people suffer.
"I am sorry, Mrs Echolls, I really am." Officer Samuels touched Veronica's shoulder. He inhaled deeply and then the faint scent of something burning enveloped his senses. His nose scrunched up as the aroma overwhelmed his senses and Veronica did the same, her eyes suddenly flickering towards the oven. She crouched down beside the oven to see that her food had burnt to a crisp. A loud sigh escaped her lips and unexpectedly, her legs gave in from under her. She fell backwards onto the kitchen floor, her back hitting the pantry cupboard as she sobbed. The impact of her back against the oak cupboard hurt but Veronica's heart was breaking internally.
Heartbreak was the worst pain imaginable.
"E ... Every ... Everything's a mess!" Veronica pulled her legs up to her chest as she hit her head against her knees caps. "How ... how did this happen?" She asked nobody in particular, her cries know seeping into her voice. Before, she had cried but she had cried silently ... now, she was wailing and nobody judged her for doing so.
She was innocent after all. She had been dragged into an unfortunate situation and officer Samuels knew that he had to allow the woman to calm down and let everything sink in. He bent over beside her, flicking the oven switch off and taking a seat. His hand clasped her knee cap, giving it a little reassuring shake.
"Everything's going to be okay, miss." He said comfortingly. "If you've done nothing wrong than you have nothing to worry about. You are going to be safe and healthy."
"Bobcat!" A voice called from further down in the house. A voice Veronica recognized like her own – Logan's. Veronica's head moved up from her legs and the clock indicated to her that Logan was just on time. Like always. "Babe," His voice had a light tone to it and Veronica heard him laugh. As expected, Logan wondered through the long hallway that lead from the entrance towards the kitchen, where Veronica usually was at this time. But as Logan saw the sight before him, he paused at the door.
Veronica's eyes lifted and she felt like her heart was tearing into two. Logan was in his white uniform, his duffel slung loosely on his shoulder and his cap drooping upon his head. He looked handsome, so beautifully handsome … and, he looked terrified.
"Officer, can I help you?" Logan asked, shuffling over towards where Veronica was seated on the floor. She was still crying and she knew if she said anything to Logan, was going to lose it. She wasn't ready to face him yet and so, she buried her face in her knee caps. "Baby, what's going on?" Logan was standing right next to Veronica now but she edged away from him discreetly; his presence was making her sick. Logan's cologne enveloped Veronica's senses and she could feel the bile arising from the pit of her stomach.
"There is no need for the facade, Mr. Echolls-" The officer chided at him.
"Please, call me, Logan." Logan replied back smoothly.
"Games over, Logan. We've got enough evidence to form a case against you, Duncan Kane and your boys." Panic surged within Logan but he didn't let that reflect onto his face. His smile didn't falter; he just crossed his arms across his chest. "It's a shame you'd do such things ..." Officer Samuels looked at Veronica and then back at her husband. "She really cared you know."
Logan looked at the officer as if he were speaking a foreign language. His eyebrows frowned together as realisation hit him - after four years in the business, he had been caught for the first time. Logan gulped but he knew, from within, that his boys would bail him out ... the police couldn't have much on Logan just because he was always careful. Duncan or Dick would bail him out, money wasn't an issue. "We are going to have to hold you and your wife, over here, in custody until the date of your trial is released."
"Veronica?" Shivers ran through Veronica's body as he says her name. "Why does she have to be held in custody? You said you had evidence on me, not her." Logan grew defensive over Veronica because he knew she knew nothing of this world. Veronica had been purposefully kept oblivious to Logan's line of work within the criminal world and Logan wanted to make sure it stayed that. The criminal world was dangerous and Logan had experienced many near-death situations because of the circumstances he put himself into. That used to be Veronica, putting herself in dangerous situations. Logan remembered how scared he had been when he found out she had ended up at places like the River Stix and he had been more than ecstatic when she had given that life up. There was no way Logan was letting her get involved in such situations again. Logan had many enemies and he knew none of them would hesitate when it came to attacking Veronica to get to him. Logan treasured Veronica's life more than his own and if anybody caught word of this, Logan was positive he would find his wife hurt ... or, God forbid, dead. Logan loved Veronica too much to risk her safety and so, he lied to her about his profession. He tried his hardest to cover up his traces just to ensure that she wasn't getting hurt. He ensured she was protected at all times. "She is your wife and in these scenarios, whether she was involved in any sort of criminal behaviour or not, there is a possibility that she knows information that we are unaware of. We've learnt some things since our interview with her earlier."
"You've spoken to her already?" Logan asked, startled. His eyes hovered over Veronica and his breathing became painfully slow.
Logan had spent all most five years trying to hide this from her and now, now everything was left out in the open. Some would think that it would feel like a weight off of Logan's shoulders, it felt the exact opposite. Logan felt as if somebody was clawing at his chest, stopping him from taking every next breathe. "Veronica?" Logan tried to reach for her but she scrambled away from his touch, not wanting him near her. He hadn't denied it … he hadn't denied anything … Logan's gut seemed to wrench as Veronica helplessly tried to escape him. It hurt Logan to know she was hurting … especially because of him.
"I think it's best for you to give her some time to let this all sink in-" Officer Samuels started with the advice but was immediately interrupted by Logan.
"I don't think you should be telling me how to act towards my wife!" Logan's lip snarled upwards as he instructed the officer to mind his own business. Logan's voice grew loud and he tried to turn to his wife once again. It was killing Logan to have her so close yet so far after two months apart.
"It's best if you stay calm, especially in Veronica's current condition-" As soon as the words left the officer's mouth, Veronica felt her stomach begin to churn aggressively. She clutched at it tightly before making a speedy exit out of the room. She pushed past Logan as she ran for the closest bathroom in the basement. Veronica stumbled over her heels and over the stairs, tripping over the wooden steps until she got to the large space underneath the house. It wasn't used very often but, just like the rest of the house, it was kept in an immaculate garlands hung from the ceiling and white interior was skilfully placed at different angles to make the spacious room seem even bigger. A few splashes of colour were thrown around the room: a vase of fresh flowers, a folded blanket, some throw cushions.
The place was pretty to look at but from Veronica's point of view, the white-washed colour was making her feel even dizzier. She used her hands to guide her through the space before pushing onto the bathroom door and falling through and into the room. Her legs hit the floor and she used her hands to push her forward until she was at eye-level with the toilet. From the corner of her eye, Logan could see everybody pile in after her but she paid no attention to them. Her hands grasped at her blonde locks as she threw up the contents of her stomach. The smell of disinfectant lingered near the toilet and it made her feel worse, the food she had eaten wrenching from her stomach, up her throat and back out into the atmosphere.
"Veronica!" As Logan chased Veronica down the stairs, he looked about at the officer curiously. Logan knew that the officer wasn't going to leave him alone and so, he didn't object to him coming downstairs with him. Logan didn't really care though, not when the love of his life was so distressed. Imitating Veronica's steps, Logan followed her as she ran and he curiously glanced at her as she headed for the bathroom. Within seconds, Logan realised she was throwing up and his fast walk turned into a sprint. His knees fell to the bathroom floor as he rubbed at her back gingerly.
Veronica didn't have enough energy in her to object verbally, but, she had enough energy to shake his hands off her. Her body shook as she pushed his hands away from her and his hands dropped to the floor forcefully. "Baby, shhh, it's going to be okay, Veronica ... I promise." Logan's voice was cracking as he tried reassuring both himself and Veronica. She had started crying again and seeing her like that was like having somebody pierce a knife through his heart continuously. Logan sat beside Veronica as she vomited but every time he reached for her, she'd push him away. Her hands slapped at his and it broke Logan's heart into smaller pieces, every single time.
"Samuels!" Logan's head snapped upwards as another officer came running into the room. The brunette female looked at her fellow worker and then down at Veronica. "She was telling the truth, she went to the OB and they confirmed she was pregnant. Doctor Andrews said she can be here as soon as possible so we can finish the girl's interrogation."
Logan had just presumed she was throwing up because of what was going on ... because she was scared. Not because she was ... not because she was ... pregnant. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to take everything in slowly: Veronica was pregnant, they were pregnant. He was finally going to be a father; he was going to be able to start a family with Veronica ... he was going to be able to prove that he wasn't his father, that he wasn't Aaron.
"You're pregnant?" By this time now, Veronica had emptied out her stomach. Her clammy forehead was resting against the toilet seat lid as she let the cold solid send shivers through her. The icy contact was cooling Veronica down and she sat in silence for a few moments. The taste of her lunch lingered upon her taste buds and she gulped a few times, trying to rid herself of the horrific flavour. "Ronnie, you're ... we're-"
"This is your fault," Veronica whispered at first but once she realised she had some of her energy back, she turned to face him. Her red eyes met his green ones and suddenly, Veronica felt so much stronger. "This is your fault!" Her voice was loud now, all most a scream, and she reached forward and slapped her hand against Logan's chest, causing him to stumble backwards a little. "How ... how could you? Huh? I'm ... I'm meant to be your wife! You were meant to tell me everything." After every word there was a pause and this was where the room was filled with the loud smacks that Veronica was inflicting upon Logan. Veronica used the back of her hand to wipe at her nose. "I lost everything because you promised; you promised you'd be there for me! We promised that we'd stay by one another through thick and thin, through sickness and in health ... you said we were two pieces of a whole-"
"And, none of that has changed, Veronica." Logan was crying himself now. He didn't care that it made him look wimpy in front of the officers. None of that mattered when Veronica was in such a broken state, none of that mattered now that Veronica was carrying their child, his child. "I am still by your side and I always will be, I will guide you through the rest of your life, I will be there for you, for our child."
Officer Samuels was going to cut into the conversation. As a police officer, it was his job to handcuff Logan – a violent criminal – so that officers could search the premises and continue with interviews before solicitors and lawyers got involved. Officer Samuels should have handcuffed Logan as soon as he had walked through the door, just in case he tried anything, but Officer Samuels hadn't. He hadn't because he knew, in order for Veronica to be emotionally stable, she was going to have to confront Logan first. The officer was married himself and he could, somewhat, see from Veronica's eyes. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be in her position … to have this type of conversation significant other was difficult.
"My child," Veronica sneered at Logan. She used her legs to push her backwards until her back was resting against the shower compartment's door. "Not our child, Logan, my child."
"What?" Logan looked aghast as Veronica's eyes looked back at him with no emotion in them.
"You're not coming anywhere near me or my child." Veronica protectively pulled her knees upwards, blocking Logan's view of her non-existent stomach that was scheduled to grow bigger within the next month or so. "My child will not grow up with a criminal as a father." Veronica could feel her heart cracking as she said this. Never had she imagined her husband being a criminal or her own child growing up without a father but logically, Veronica understood that staying well away from Logan was the best thing for her to do - not only for her sake but her unborn child's sake too.
"You ... you ... you don't mean that," Logan's pupils dilated as the seriousness of the situation enveloped the room. It was like a grey cloud that had suddenly darkened his once sunny atmosphere.
The simple thought of not being there to see his son or daughter grow was enough to make Logan regret the decisions he had made because the truth was that Logan loved Veronica. She was the most beautiful thing to have ever graced his presence and he couldn't help but fall more and more in love with her as every day passed. Logan understood that he wasn't perfect and he had tried his hardest to fulfil all of her needs in order to keep her happy. It was why Logan had lied to her about what he actually did, he knew once she discovered what he was, and she'd leave him. It was a selfish thing to do but, Logan couldn't afford to lose her. He just couldn't. So, he'd pulled out all the works to stop Veronica from finding out about his criminal network. He showered her with money and gifts and clothes and he made sure she was always taken care of.
Veronica never doubted him or his love, until now. And, Logan felt stupid for putting himself in such a fatal situation. "You ... you can't take my child away from me, Veronica, you can't ... we can work through this, please!"
"Mr Echolls," Officer Samuels added to the conversation. "Actually, whilst Veronica is pregnant, she has full rights upon the unborn child. Whether she chooses to stay with you or not, she is able to do as she pleases without consulting you for the baby is growing within her. However, if Veronica chooses to keep the baby-" Veronica was about to intercept and state that abortion was not an option for her. "You can fight for legal rights then. That is if your trial runs smoothly. But, usually, the court sides with the mother and in your ... circumstances ... there is a little to no chance to you getting full or joint custody upon your child."
"No," Logan hit his fist against the wall. Everybody in the room heard something crack but Logan was a tough man and had been injured many times before, a few broken fingers was the least of his troubles. "Veronica," Logan was seated on his knees now. He was begging for forgiveness. "Please, baby, don't do this. I love you, you know that. You mean the world to me, Bobcat, don't do this ... just let me explain. Let me take care of you, babe, please. I did it for you, I did it for us ... I didn't want you to live a life like you did back when you were younger; I wanted you to be happy. I wanted to be able to give you everything you deserved! I wanted to be able to buy you everything that you wanted!" Logan was well aware of how pathetic he sounded but begging for Veronica to hear him out was the only thing he had left.
"None of that matters!" Veronica shook her head, left and right. Her hair swung wildly with her as she did. "I didn't want any of the money or the house or the clothes ... I wanted you. That's all I wanted. You."
"Please, just let me talk to you ... let me explain what happened!"
"I'll hear what you have to say in court, Logan Echolls." Veronica sneered as she said his full name, something which she never did. "Until then, I don't want to see your face." Veronica stood up. It took her a while to become stable upon her two feet and she nodded at officer Samuels who escorted her out of the room, for further questioning, whilst Officer Linda dealt with Logan. As she was leaving Veronica heard Logan say the same things her mom had before she left … "I love you, Veronica, please don't do this."