Bonnets and Booties
Disclaimer: NOT MINE. It all belongs to Rob Thomas and the networks.
Chapter Seven : The Maternity Tour
An: Thanks again to everybody who is reviewing I love reading them all.
"Thanks for meeting me guys" Veronica said as she joined Wallace and Piz over by Wallace's car. She had stopped at home on the way to change and was now wearing a bright pink baby doll top which gathers just under her bra then fell out loosely to half way down her white denim shorts.
"You could really be pregnant in that thing and I wouldn't know" Wallace commented.
"Exactly why I chose it" she smiled pulling Noah's book out of her bag. "See this" she opened it to the appropriate part and showed Wallace where the page was torn out. He nodded that he understood what she was showing him. "I've managed to trace this as part of Neptune Memorial's logo. Unfortunately I don't think they are too keen on us raiding their records so here is what we will do. Piz will be my husband and we are taking a maternity unit tour so we can decide if this is the perfect place to have our baby. "She slipped a fake wedding and engagement ring set on her fourth finger. "Meanwhile, Wallace I want you to slip into the nurse's station and find the files with baby boys born on the same day as Noah".
"I can do that, I'll copy them if I can, but if I can't I'll try to just get the name. It should have his name on it right?" he asked.
"It might, but if she hadn't named him straight away it might not. In that case you need to look for matching details – height, weight, hair colour, eye colour etc. Hopefully there will only be one match" she actually felt nervous. It was really important that they find a decent lead at the hospital otherwise she would have to contact Child Services just like she had promised her dad she would.
"What do you want me to do?" Piz cut into her thoughts.
"I need you to play the doting husband and expectant father, act like you head over heels in love with me and can't wait for our baby to arrive. Do you think you can manage that?" she smiled reassuringly at him.
"I think I can" he confirmed, after all he definitely had feelings for her, and ever since Logan had broken up with her they had grown by the day. Every day that past without their reconciliation made Piz's chances with her grow, or at least he thought they did
"Ok let's do this" she took Piz's hand in her own and headed into the main entrance of the hospital with Wallace trailing behind them far enough so that no one would connect the dots.
"Hi Mr Mars" Logan greeted him as he put Noah's carrier down on the floor and sat in the chair opposite Keith's desk. "I needed to get out of the room for awhile so I thought that Noah and I would come for a drive down and see how you went with the leads I gave you."
"I have some good news, so far I've successfully tracked down six of those girls and not one of them has a baby. All their medical records are clean with no mention of any type of appointments that could be connected to ante natal care". He walked around the desk to see Noah.
"Can I hold him?" He was developing a soft spot for the little boy.
"Of course" Logan told him reaching down to unbuckle Noah and hand him to Keith.
"You both look good, you seem to be adjusting to this really well" it had been awhile since he had held a baby. He had wanted more children after Veronica, but once he had followed Lianne one night and found her at the Camelot with Jake he made sure that he had always worn protection after that.
Lianne had never minded or questioned him on it, but deep down he knew that she knew he had caught her out. He had never pressed the issue though, because he loved Veronica too much and refused to risk the chance of Jake Kane taking her away and the best way to do that was to keep pretending they were a happy family, and that he was blissfully unaware he wife was cheating on him with an old flame.
"I am, it's funny you know I've spent months in college with no real purpose, not knowing where I was headed and now I seem to have one, every day I grow more attached to him. Maybe this is what I was meant for" he said softly.
"I have no doubt you'd be a great father Logan, but if by some chance Noah isn't yours what will happen then?" his concern was clear.
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, right now my number one priority is Noah" he stated.
"And how are you holding up with the press knowing you have a baby?" he had been surprised at seeing Logan's photo in the morning paper and was hoping that he wouldn't lose it with the paparazzi now that they were sure to be following him everywhere.
"I snuck out the back entrance of the hotel" Logan admitted. "I should stay in away from them but the room seems to be getting smaller by the minute"
"Just be careful, I don't want them to endanger you or Noah" he sat back down at his desk and propped Noah on his shoulder, remembering that this used to be Veronica's favourite way to be held.
"The thing I'm most worried about is what the media attention will do to his mother; I'm worried she might run"
"It's possible she might, or it might motivate her into coming forward. It depends on her real motives. If its fame and fortune she should be knocking on your door any minute" Logan wasn't the richest person in Neptune and the media attention had died down somewhat since the murder of his father, but the second they cottoned on to something happening with him they were usually all over it. The tortured son of a movie star murderer still sold papers.
"Well there hasn't been any sign of anyone. Do you think she's watching? Surely she wouldn't have just left without knowing that Noah would be ok" he hoped that was the case anyway.
"I'm guessing she probably is" Keith agreed "In my experience it's extremely hard to cut personal ties, so no it wouldn't surprise me if she was keeping tabs on you"
"well I'd best get Noah home" he took the baby from Keith and strapped him back into his carrier "thanks again for this Keith, and for keeping Veronica out of it"
"That's alright Logan, but once this is sorted out I think it's time we had a long talk" he said as he walked them to the door.
"Hi my name is Betty, and this is my husband George" Veronica said to the nurse at the desk in her best bimbo voice.
"I know it's late and we don't have a booking but I'm wondering if we can join the tour of the facilities, I rang this morning and the lady said just to come on over, we have just moved here" she explained reaching up to give Piz a kiss on the cheek. He smiled goofily at the nurse.
"Just let me call in and make sure there is room for two more" she told them, smiling at the happiness of the obviously newly wedded couple.
As the nurse turned her back Veronica nodded to Wallace who slipped past them and into the records room.
"Susie will fit you in" the nurse came back and told her "Just follow this red line on the floor and she will be waiting down the corridor with the other expectant couples"
"Thankyou" Veronica crooned. "See honey I told you this would be the best hospital" she squeezed Piz's hand.
"Yes you did pumpkin" he leaned in to kiss her forehead and rub her belly in a 'show' of expectant father fashion. "Thankyou" he said to the nurse and guided Veronica down the hall.
The tour had lasted for an hour and Veronica and Piz had learnt much more than they had actually wanted to know about birthing facilities and post natal care.
"You so owe me" Piz had told her when they reached the car park. His face still hadn't recovered from the lovely shade of green it had turned when Susie had shown them the various instruments that may be needed in the birthing process. "I'm serious Veronica, I can never look at tongs the same way again" he thought back to the forceps he had recently seen.
"Ok so I owe you, just add it to the list" she grinned at him, hoping in the passenger side of Wallace's car.
"Hey BFF how did you do?" she questioned him.
"I managed to get what we needed", he handed some photocopies to her. "There were three boys born here the same day as Noah, so I took copies of all of them" he grinned at her.
"And that" she turned to Piz "is why Wallace is my partner in crime"
"Thanks guys, I'll catch up with you later, I'm just going to go and show Logan what we have found." She gathered up her stuff and left the car. Piz's eyes followed her across the car park.
Veronica was already back in his room when Logan and Noah returned to the suite.
"So by that grin on your face I'm thinking you found something" he greeted her as he put down Noah. Veronica didn't get up but waited for him to come and join her on the lounge.
"Three boys were born that day, but only one matches Noah's details" she handed the paper to Logan and watched his face for any sign of recognition as he read the details.
"Are you sure this is her?" he asked.
"Pretty sure" she confirmed.
"So Noah's mother is – "
I know I'm evil. Please review and you will find out who it is next chapter. Logan shaped cookies to anyone who guesses who it is, but i bet you can't ;)
