Disclaimer: I think by now we can take it as a given that I don't own Veronica Mars, right?

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! It's always happiful when I open my email inbox to find another one waiting for me. :D All feedback is good, please, keep it up.

I took longer than I normally do to update - I try to keep it to a week, it's been slightly longer. I hope that this extra-long chapter makes up for it. This is something like twice as long as the others. I hope you enjoy.

I'm adding a summary of the previous chapters. I know that sometimes, when I read a new chapter of someone else's fic, it takes me a while to remember what it is I'm reading, and what's been happening. I hope this helps.

--

Previously:

After Logan beat up Gary Sorokin, Veronica went up to his room to shout at him. They didn't quite end up shouting... This was the day before Veronica and Piz broke up. Veronica then went away to her FBI internship, which would have been a joyous experience, had it not been for the discovery that she was pregnant. Now back in Neptune, Veronica's finally told Logan (the baby's father) and her friends the truth.

On the subject of Neptune, it has a new sheriff. Keith Mars is back as relieving sheriff after the murder of Vinnie Van Lowe. The crime remains unsolved.

Oh, and Veronica has a strange fear of a duck at the Hearst College pond. She thinks it wants to eat her.

This chapter continues right on from the last one. Veronica's finally worked up the courage to go visit Logan at the Neptune Grand. After a few moments of awkwardness, he invites her in.

"Wait. Why don't you come in?"

Veronica looked at Logan for a long, long moment, carefully weighing her options. His teeth were of particular note to her. She wasn't sure: had they always seemed so long, twisted and vampire like? She blinked, and they were normal teeth again. Veronica would have wondered at what the momentary hallucination said about her mental state, but that was when Logan started to open his mouth; presumably to repeat the question.

She didn't let him. She took a deep breath, nodded, and followed Logan into the hotel room, pretending not to see his sudden ecstatic expression - if such a small thing could make him so happy, then she'd been making him unhappy, and that would lead to another mountain of guilt. Veronica always found it easier to pretend such guilt-inducing things didn't exist.

They stood for a moment, looking at each other.

"You want something to drink?" Logan asked, playing the role of the host.

"You actually have something drinkable? I thought you subsided solely on room service."

"Yeah, and it's even non-alcoholic."

Veronica couldn't help but smile. "Sounds good."

It was strange. They actually spent a peaceful evening in front of the TV. No making out on the couch, no unplanned make-up sex, just a nice, relaxing time spent watching CSI.

As the closing credits scrolled, Logan tweaked Veronica's ear. "It's cute how you pick on their methods, and explain how they'd never work in real life."

She rolled her eyes. Logan started to lean towards her (presumably for a kiss), Veronica slid away.

"I should be going."

He nodded, a resigned look on his face. "I guess I just blew our chance at making up?"

Veronica hesitated, then sighed. "We need to be friends, first, rather than just jump back into whatever it was we had."

Logan thought for a moment before speaking. "I know you're good with quotes - you picked up that my prize winning essay was… an homage to 'Easy Rider'. So, it's up to you to pick where I'm paraphrasing from… Veronica, we're not friends. We'll never be friends. We'll be in love 'til it kills us both."

Veronica was freaking. She wanted to back out the door, and catch a plane to a remote island on the other side of the world.

"But," Logan added, "I'm willing to try."

She gave a sigh of relief.

"I really should go, though," she said. "Even with everything, I'm pretty sure Dad will still disapprove if I stay the night."

Logan smiled back at her. "Sweet dreams, then."

"You're just friends, huh?"

Veronica and Wallace had met at the Hurst cafeteria for a pre-lunch snack. They'd walked in, argued profusely over which table to sit at, and eventually decided by flipping a coin. Their meal had been going smoothly -- that is, until the topic of Logan had come up. Now Wallace was staring strangely at Veronica over a plate of snicker-doodles.

"Yes. We're both emotionally mature adults capable of forming a mature, platonic friendship for the sake of the baby."

"Logan, emotionally mature?"

Veronica had to give him that one. "Well, I am at least."

"Ah," said Wallace. "I thought this was your idea. You always were good at ignoring the obvious."

Veronica grabbed Wallace's plate, stood, and tucked her chair in. "That's what I get for labouring to provide you your favourite snack-food." She was about to walk away, with the plate, when she noticed an odd gleam in Wallace's eyes. "What?"

Wallace shrugged. Veronica watched as his eyes scanned her side of the table, carefully examining her three donuts, a large chocolate milkshake, a slice of pizza, and a half-eaten sandwich. He turned to her and grinned.

"I was hungry," she said, unsure of what he was getting at.

"And I wasn't picking on it."

"Come on, I'm eating for two now."

"And that's not my point, either."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm just trying to imagine you carrying away all that, and my plate of snicker-doodles. Are you really willing to dump your food to make a point?"

Veronica put the snicker-doodles back in front of Wallace, and sat back at the table in bad grace.

"So, how did Logan take to this scheme of yours?"

She shrugged. "I think he's okay with it. We're meeting for lunch by the pond."

"The pond?" asked Wallace. "The pond with the duck?"

She winced. "Yeah, that part wasn't my idea."

"The duck's still alive."

Logan looked at Veronica strangely. She was staring rigidly at a point approximately three metres away. Staring straight back at her was a gangly duck, with black and brown feathers in ugly splotches.

"Of course the duck's still alive," he said.

"But, I hoped…" She stopped to consider her words. "I found roast duck in the freezer this morning. And I was hoping that you might have killed the duck, just for me." When Logan kept staring at her, she added, "I don't like the duck very much."

"Yeah, I got that."

Veronica gave the head tilt.

"No," said Logan emphatically. "No, I'm not killing the duck. I'm sorry, Veronica, but… No."

Veronica widened her eyes like a puppy dog. "But if you don't, it'll eat me."

Logan stood up. "I'm backing away, now." He started to walk off, leaving Veronica alone on the grass.

The duck began to saunter over. Veronica blanched, and ran after Logan.

Weevil was leaning against the wall, as though waiting for her.

"You two -- never friends."

"Who've you been talking to?" Veronica asked.

"Wallace sent an email."

"Does that mean I'll be having this conversation with everyone?"

Weevil nodded. Veronica held her head in her hands.

"Leave! Leave! This kitchen, it's my domain, damn it. Let me work my magic."

Veronica and Keith passively left their kitchen.

"Does Logan even know how to cook?" Keith asked.

"I'm pretty sure he doesn't," Veronica answered.

Keith winced, and looked back to his kitchen, trying to decide whether it was worth disrupting Logan's mad scheme. When he saw that Logan was using the microwave, he decided to let it be. Logan had seemed so keen to cook them dinner since their last attempt had been interrupted, and it'd be heartless to stop him. And microwaves are generally considered to be safe, reliable devices.

"So, how goes the investigation?" Veronica asked.

"Nowhere fast." When Veronica continued looking at him, he sighed. "At the moment it's even money whether it was done by the Fitzpatrick's, or a PCHer with a watertight alibi."

"Watertight?" asked Veronica.

"He was in prison, and unless he's the new Houdini..."

"Right."

Keith looked down. "It seems like, this time, I'll actually be running for sheriff unopposed. Which means, if you want it, Mars Investigations is yours."

Veronica's eyes lit up. That was what Keith was afraid of.

"Thought," Keith added, "you are still going to finish college, and go on to do a nice, safe, law degree at Harvard law school. And, then, you're going to live a nice, safe, reputable life. You are not going to waste every waking hour doing detective work."

She was prevented from responding by a strange smell... The two Marses turned back to the kitchen, and realised, there were strange sparks coming from the microwave. Logan watched helplessly. Keith looked at the boy, raised an eyebrow. It took a strange talent to set a microwave on fire.

Veronica sometimes wondered why she'd bought a cell phone. Sure, they're useful and all, but was it really worth it? It was generally used when somebody wanted to call her -- and when people called her, they generally had something to say. And sometimes, that something to say was something that Veronica didn't really want to talk to them about. Like:

"Veronica, you're delusional."

"It's six in the morning, Mac."

"I know that," Mac said.

Veronica tried to bury herself under her blankets. "Yes, Mac, but not everyone thinks that six a.m. is a time of wakefulness."

"Is wakefulness even a word?"

"I must reiterate: it's six in the morning!"

"Sorry. I just got an email from Wallace..."

Veronica groaned. "I'll think about what you said. See you later, Mac."

"Veronica, we haven't actually had the discussion, yet."

Veronica ignored her, hung up the phone, and turned it off. It was on mornings like this that she wanted to find whoever invented cell phones and have them tortured -- possibly by the sound of a million cell phones, all ringing at once, each with a different, discordant ring tones.

"Hey, Dad, I'm going to a doctor appointment, okay?"

"You need me to come?"

"No, no, I'm fine. Be back soon."

Veronica hurried out the door before her dad could comment farther. Or ask questions. Questions could be a problem. Because, the thing was, Veronica wasn't quite going to the doctors. She was going elsewhere. Elsewhere, as in the River Stix.

The car trip was short. Veronica used the radio to drown out her thoughts - she needed to focus, not think of how bad an idea this was. Instead, she tried to concentrate on the best possible way to find out if the Fitzpatrick's had killed the sheriff.

Then she arrived. She got out of the car (making sure to grab her trusty taser). She looked in front of her.

Logan was leaning against the wall, as though waiting for her, with an odd frown on his face.

"Why, what are you doing here?" Logan asked ironically, feigning surprise.

"That's the question I should be asking you," said Veronica.

Logan pointed to himself, and give a gesture which clearly said, isn't it obvious? When Veronica continued to look confused, he sighed. "I know you, okay? And, more importantly, I know when your doctor's appointments are. So, when I called your Dad, and asked where you were, and he said that you were at the doctors, well, I guessed you were about to do something stupid. And I thought, what sort of things would be on your list of 'ways to put myself and my unborn baby in danger today'? Then I drove here"

"So, here we are," she said.

"You can't seriously be considering going in, right?"

She smiled. "You know me, always putting myself in danger."

"You're not invincible, Ronnie!"

Logan stood, arms crossed between her and the door. Veronica sighed. "I know that. I need to talk to them anyway. There's no way they'll tell the truth to my father - after all, he's the sheriff. But they might talk to me."

She pushed past him, and walked inside, right into the waiting arms of Liam Fitzpatrick. She winced.

"I heard your little lovers' quarrel through the door." It was strange how Liam could make such an innocent comment sound so menacing.

Logan followed Veronica in. He saw what was happening, and groaned.

"Then I guess you know why I'm here," said Veronica, trying to pretend that she wasn't scared while she reached for her taser.

"You want to know if we killed the sheriff?" Liam noticed what she was doing, and took the taser off her.

"Pretty much, yes."

Logan walked back and forth, trying to figure out what the hell to do.

"Did your Dad put you up to this?" asked Liam.

"No," she said. "I don't think he'd like me meddling in his investigation."

"Then why are you?" Liam asked.

Logan muttered something, it sounded like "insatiable curiosity" and "stupid, moronic delusions of immortality" and possibly "can't let anything lie, now, can she?"

"So, you planning on telling anything?" Veronica was proud. She sounded a lot braver than she actually was.

She actually earned a chuckle from Liam; most people would have dissolved to a panicked mess by now. He let her go, and looked at her.

"Why would we kill him?" he asked. "He was our puppet! We're saddened by his tragic demise."

Veronica stared at him. He actually had a tear in his eye. Against her better judgement, she nodded, believing him.

"Okay, fair enough."

"Is that all?" asked Liam.

Veronica nodded. She walked out, followed by a very bewildered Logan.

"Are. You. Insane?!" Logan seemed angry.

"I thought that was why you liked me," she asked with a small smile.

Logan stalked over to his car and drove off, without a word. Veronica couldn't blame him. She sat in her own car, and finally allowed the jitters to overcome her, in a delayed reaction to the fear.

The next day, Veronica was peacefully eating her lunch at the Hearst cafeteria when Parker came over and sat opposite her. Veronica fought the urge to groan. Although Parker was talking to her again, things between them were still, well, awkward.

"Hello, Veronica."

"Hey."

There was a moment of silence. Veronica looked at Parker, and realised that she wasn't her usual bubbly self.

"What's the matter, Parker?"

"It's you." She said it like an accusation.

"What did--"

"You and Logan, friends? Please. Even I know better, and I was dumb enough to date the guy, when he was obviously still in love with you."

Veronica shook her head. "We're trying to make a go of it."

Parker looked her in the eye. "It's never going to happen. Not in a million years. You two aren't going to be friends, Veronica. There's something about you and Logan... Something epic. And who was I to stand in the way?" She sounded almost bitter. Veronica watched Parker swallow the sentiment and smile, sadly. "Anyway, what I came to say was, I wish you luck."

Parker stood, and walked away.

Being told by her friends that her friendship with Logan was doomed hadn't been enough to convince her. Neither had being told by Logan. But being told by Parker... She couldn't help but start to believe it. And if there was one thing Veronica knew, it was that she wasn't ready to jump back into a relationship with Logan. She wasn't going down that road again.

Logan was sitting at Java the Hut, alone, and he didn't like it, not one bit. He glared at all the couples, all the groups of friends, that were sitting at the tables around him. It wasn't so much that he disliked solitude - for example, he liked the peace and quite of surfing by himself - but tonight he wasn't meant to be alone. Because tonight, Veronica had promised to show up for dinner with him, at seven o'clock sharp. And although Veronica was occasionally tardy, it was completely out of character for her to be a whole hour late.

"Can I take your order?" asked a waiter. This one was particularly brave; either that, or he hadn't seen the way Logan had glared at his fellow-employees when they'd asked that same question.

One of the others called the waiter away before Logan could think of a snarky comeback, and he sighed, deprived of even that small fun.

A moment later, the waiter returned. Logan raised an eyebrow at him.

"Sir," said the waiter, "we just received a phone call. Your dinner partner sends her regrets - she was unable to come."

Logan sighed. Late, well, that wasn't like Veronica. Not showing up at all? That was exactly like her.

Veronica smiled as she put the new sign on her desk. 'Veronica Mars, P.I.' It had a certain ring to it. She liked her new desk, and her new office. It made her feel important.

There was a tinkle as someone entered the premises. "Come right in," said Veronica, deciding that she needed to hire a receptionist. It felt demeaning to shout around corners, especially now that she was important, with her own office and everything.

"Piz," she whispered, seeing who it was.

That was when her phone started to ring. She gestured to Piz, just a second, and looked at the caller ID. Logan. She sighed, and hung up. She wasn't ready to talk to him; not after her discussion with Parker.

She looked to Piz again.

"Hey, Veronica," he said, awkwardly.

"Hi, Piz. What can I do for you?"

He took a moment to consider his words. "I heard that you'd be here. I wanted to talk. Wallace was muttering something about you and Logan, as friends? Never going to happen, Veronica."

"So everyone's informed me."

"Is that a bad thing, though?" Piz asked.

Veronica was surprised by that. "What?"

"Is it a bad thing, if you and Logan get back together?"

"You, of all people, think us two getting back together might be a good thing?"

Piz nodded.

"Have you heard the results of the last time we were together?" Veronica asked, disbelieving. As soon as she said it, she regretted it. She really didn't want Piz asking when it was her and Logan were last together.

Piz gave a sad smile. "Not entirely. But I do know that we broke up the day after."

Veronica's jaw dropped. Piz had seemed so casual, like he hadn't just revealed that he knew his ex-girlfriend had cheated on him.

"You knew?"

Piz shrugged. "I knew you were going there to yell at him, after the fight. You weren't home the next morning when I called you, so I went to check. I saw your car in the lot. I put two and two together."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Honestly? Selfish reasons -- I thought it would make things awkward. Any fool could see that our relationship was doomed, and I wanted us to at least be friends. Then, I started to realise that in not telling you I knew, it made things more awkward, and I regretted not bringing it up."

Veronica looked at the ground. "I'm sorry, Piz."

"I knew you were never over him, Veronica. It was stupid of me to try to pretend otherwise." He hesitated a moment. "I wasn't surprised that you and Logan... Whatever. I was surprised that you didn't get back together with him after we broke up."

"I couldn't," said Veronica.

"Why?" asked Piz. "It's not like he was going to hold anything you said against you. And I thought I made it clear that I was okay... Okay, not okay with it, but I accepted it."

Veronica hesitated a moment, then revealed the reason she hadn't told anyone. "I didn't want to turn into my mother." Such a simple sentence, so many ramifications.

"You're not your mother, Veronica," said Piz.

"Really? What's making me so different? Because, you know, I can't see it."

"You're mother was cheating on your father, what, the whole time they were together? You cheated on me, count it, once. One time. And afterwards, you came to end the relationship, because you weren't willing to live a lie. Your mother did everything she could to hold on to the lie."

Veronica was startled by his insight; but she had a secret weapon. "I'm pregnant, Piz, and when I found out, I didn't know who the father was."

Piz sat down, hard. "You're pregnant."

"Yes."

"And do you..." Piz closed his eyes, realising. "A couple of weeks back, Wallace asked for a DNA sample. That's what it was for. Which means, you know who the father is, don't you?"

Veronica nodded.

"It's Logan, isn't it?"

She nodded again.

Piz looked at the ceiling; Veronica wondered what he was thinking. He turned back to her, and smiled sadly. "We never would have worked, anyway. I guess, it's a good thing that the baby's Logan's. At least you two, well, you have a chance, hey?"

"I'm sorry, Piz--"

He cut her off. "No. Don't. It's weird, but... I'm not upset. I'd say I'm happy for you, but that would be really inappropriate for a teenage pregnancy, wouldn't it?"

Veronica actually smiled slightly. "Yeah, probably."

Piz looked at her, seriously. "You're not your mother, Veronica. You know what she'd have done? She wouldn't have let me break up with her. She'd have stayed with me, to keep up appearances. And then, when she found out she was pregnant, she'd pretend the baby was mine. You didn't do that."

"About me and Logan... I was going to tell you."

"I know you were." He thought for a moment. "Anyway, I've heard that you reacted badly, whenever anyone suggested that you and Logan aren't going to stay as 'just friends'. I wanted to say that it doesn't matter. That it's fine if you want to get back together with Logan. And you have my blessings."

"Piz..."

"Of course, it's your choice. If you want to get back together with me, I'm always open."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Well," he said, "it was worth a try." He looked out the window, as though noticing how late it was for the first time. "Anyway, I should let you get back to Logan." He grinned when she glared at him. "And about us: just friends?"

He held out his hand. Veronica took it, and shook it.

"I'd like that," she said.

"Now, you go and talk to your 'friend'. I've got to get going."

True to his word, Piz vanished. Veronica looked down at her phone. Maybe she should go and see Logan.

Logan was surprised by the knock on the door. He was even more surprised to see Veronica still standing there when he opened it -- this time, she hadn't run away.

"You stood me up," he said, casually.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It was-- Everyone was saying how our friendship is doomed to become something more, and I freaked."

Logan looked at her. "Do you think it's doomed to become something more?"

"Maybe," she said.

"And yet you came here anyway?"

She smiled. "Maybe I realised that I don't mind."

Logan leaned in for the kiss. This time Veronica didn't pull away. Still kissing, Logan manouvred her into the suite. Then, he reached out one arm, and closed the door behind them.