Veronica Mars
Chapter 8: Separation
Veronica
How could he not tell me he had a daughter? I mean come on he has spent the last few days getting to know our daughter, but never did he even hint to the fact that he had one. Oh my god! I run to the nearest bathroom, and begin throwing up the contents of my stomach, which wasn't much to begin with. I hear the door open.
"V, are you in here," Mac says as she opens the large stall door. I am a horrible mess heaped over the toilet dry heaving. "Oh, V, come on," she continues, but I don't budge.
"He never mentioned her," I sob as my stomach is still twisting in knots.
"I thought he would have told you. I mean even I don't know the whole story, but you have been honest with him so far. I still don't see why he," she was still talking when I interrupted her.
"It's because she can only be one person's daughter, and he knows how I feel about her," I snap carefully standing up. My head feels awful. I still feel sick, but splash my face with some water and take a damp paper towel to wipe my face. The coolness feels good on my hot face.
"I don't know who her mom is; she is usually dropped off by a nanny. Today we get the call that her mom was going to drop her off here instead of our house," Mac says softly.
"How do you not know the mother?" I question.
"Logan has kept that a secret, we are the middle people is all," she says.
"Why, though?" I ask
"Logan has been good at keeping his private life private from his personal life. When you left he kind of spiraled out of control and you dad had to step in. I don't know everything, but Dick stepped up and the two of them kind of grew up. There were no more party weekends, no more sleeping with various women. Whatever happened changed Logan into the person he is today. He has been good for Neptune," Mac says as she hands me a small bottle.
"What?" I begin when I see that it is mouth wash. I open it taking a big sip and swish it around in my mouth. I hated the after taste of vomit.
"Come on, I have got to get to work and Dick needs to check in at the surf shop," she says giving me a small smile. I walk back to his room and notice that Lilly was now in the room playing quietly with Logan's other daughter. Dick was hanging outside of the room.
"Good luck," he whispers to me as he grabs Mac's hand and takes his leave. I watch them walk away trying to figure out if it was safe or not to enter the lion's den. Logan has his back to me; he is standing up near the window looking out it.
"I told you before. No you listen to me you are lucky I haven't done anything sooner with you. I will not allow you to ruin my life just because you are having a pity party," he snaps at the person on the phone. I watch as his other daughter looks up as I enter the room.
"Caitlin, I will remind you this one last time. Do not threaten me about going to the tabloids! You had your chance while he was alive and didn't. You came to me asking for help, I helped you. Stop making me regret it," Logan snaps as he slams the phone down on the sill.
"Mommy," Lilly says seeing me.
"Hey, baby," I say pulling her into a hug.
"This is daddy's other daughter," Lilly says looking from me to the other girl.
"I see her, what are you two doing," I ask as I pick up a crayon.
"Daddy says you like ponies, so were coloring ponies," Lilly says smiling toward the other girl.
"I see," I say standing up. I can see Logan has settled into the hospital bed. He looks like he's aged so much in the last hour. "Hey," I say moving the chair to sit beside him.
"Veronica," he says without any emotion.
"Logan," I start but am interrupted by my dad.
"Mr. Mars," Logan says as my dad walks in.
"I came by to pick up two of my favorite girls. Lilly why don't you and Lynn come with me, I think the grownups need to talk," he says holding out his hand.
"Keith, I should be at home later if you want to bring them by," Logan says as I watch my dad take the girls. The little blonde's name is Lynn, a nice homage to his mom.
"I'm sorry for running out, I freaked out," I blurt out trying not to get too hysterical over the whole situation.
"I didn't mention Lynn because she was supposed to be with her mom for a little while longer, but like usual plans got changed. Veronica I wasn't hiding her from you, I just didn't want to throw this at you," he says looking toward me.
"Throw it at me, well how did that work out for you," I snap glaring at him.
"Not too well," he says residing a little. Aren't we the pair, right back to square one? I guess I need to take the high road.
"How old is she?" I question trying to think of anything, but one person keeps coming back to me.
"Veronica, she's not mine," he says softly, the four words take me by surprise. I mean I did hear him agreeing with the person on the phone, but wasn't thinking clearly to process that information.
"Not yours, but she called you daddy," I say softly looking up to his eyes.
"She's my sister, but I couldn't let her be ruined by my father like I was. You remember my girlfriend Caitlin Ford," he asks. I remember she was sleeping with Weevil's cousin in high school. After you left she called my lawyers threatening to destroy me, and ruin whatever life I had. I decided to keep Lynn a secret, and pay her off. She came a year or so ago wanting shared custody. I fought hard to decline it, but Lynn wanted to know her mom. I have tried to protect her from the life of being Aaron Echoll's child," he says watching as a nurse comes in to check on him.
"Why, I mean that's not your problem," I ask honestly.
"You know I was Lilly's dad, but left to protect her. The moment I saw Lynn I knew I had to protect her from the media. She's only 8; I don't want her to grow up like me. I want her have a family that loves and cares for her," he says pinching his nose as the nurse takes his IV out.
"The doctor will be in shortly to go over you discharge paperwork and medicine," the nurse says as she walks out of the room.
"I am trying to wrap my head around Caitlin and your dad," I say honestly. He laughs at that.
"I thought the same thing, but he did sleep with Lilly and she was my ex-girlfriend. He seemed to like my ex's," he smirks at me causing me to laugh as well.
"I'm glad he won't be around to harm anyone else in our lives," I say smiling. We sit there for the next two hours telling each other about our little girls. I learned that Lynn was named by him after Caitlin handed over the girl because she hadn't really named her. He had help from my dad in knowing just how to raise her, he said he didn't want to screw her up. I laughed at that. She loves just about anything he cooks for her, loves to spend time with Alicia and my dad. I feel a little left out in some of the stories he is telling me, but put a smile on my face anyway.
"Mr. Echoll's I hear you are having quite a time keeping track of this little lady," the doctor says as he points toward me.
"Yeah, she's a flighty one," he mocks at me smiling. I listen as the doctor tells him to take it easy; try not to stand for long periods of time. He gives him some pain medicine and lets him know his cat-scan showed nothing serious. His headaches might just be from his head being hit too hard. He gives him the paper work to sign, and hands him a bag of his personal items.
"You ready to break out of this cell," I ask getting up quickly to emphasize my point. He smiles.
"I missed you," he says into my hair as he is snuggling into my side after getting dressed in his own clothing.
"I missed you too," I say as he sits in the wheelchair the nurse brings in for him. I walk beside him to our future. I am hoping that things will work out to keep both of us from heartbreak again.
******XOXOXOXO******
Logan
"Veronica," I yell for the second time trying to move. I have to use the bathroom so bad and have two sleeping girls on my lap. I have been home for two weeks and things have gone rather smoothly for us. We seemed to get right into a routine, it's strange that even though 6 years has passed by it still seems like only yesterday we were 19.
"Logan, shh!" she says as she enters the living room.
"Don't shh me, I need to use the bathroom," I say aggravated. Does she have any idea how hard it is to hold it in when your blander feels like it's ready to burst?
"Welcome to the pregnant woman's world," she smirks laughing at me as she sees my confused look.
"Seriously," I say holding in a laugh because of the urge to flee. She moves Lynn just in time as I move slowly, but as fast as I could to the bathroom near the kitchen. I am so ticked that I barely make it before the dam breaks.
"Must have been one heck of a drink," she smirks as I pull my junk back into my pants.
"Hey, out," I say half shooing her out of the door.
"You should learn to close the door than," she laughs walking out of the small hallway between the garage and kitchen. I know how nervous we both were two weeks ago coming here, but she seemed to be okay with the living arrangement. She had a spare bedroom upstairs next to Lilly's room. Lynn's room was on the other side of the hallway next to the master bedroom. I was staying downstairs in the guest room Dick usually used when he was in the dog house with Mac. It was a surprise that first night to turn over only to find that Veronica had slipped into my bed. She thought she was sneaky because she slipped out before I woke up, but she has done it every night since then.
"Have you been baking?" I ask as I see the dozens of cookies lining the counter.
"Why didn't you tell me about the missing woman?" she asks softly as I look toward the living room where the girls were still sleeping.
"I was afraid of how you would handle it," I say honestly.
"I know her," she mumbles. I pull away from her to see the tears falling down.
"What," I ask.
"She was the nanny Jake had hired to help me with Lilly. She was my friend," she says wrapping herself back into my arms. This wasn't good at all. This was way too close for it to be not connected to her, and I know that is what she must be thinking about as well.
*****XOXOXOXO******
?POV
I hated watching that asshole with my woman. I hated watching him take her away from me all those years ago as well. I bet it would wipe that damn smirk off his face if he knew I hurt all these women because he took her away from me. Would he still be her knight in shining armor or would she drop him like the roach he is.
What does he have that I don't? I have a family business, I own it actually. I have money from outside activities. I don't have any children with her, but if I could get her alone that would change. I hate looking down at them as they play house together. Man I wish I could just take him out once and for all, but there are too many people around them all the time. I mean even he has a wall of protection, but hers is even thicker than his. Ugh! I need to think of a way to get her alone.
I watch as she exits the fortress with the two girls chasing after a small dog. He stands at the doorway of the back porch. A few security men go ahead of the three blondes looking around as they make it to the beach to play in the water. I am getting so angry at him having what I want. He has to go, I need him gone.
"What," I snap as I answer my phone. Why would they be bothering me right now?
"You need to get your ass to the office," my cousin says as I hear the damn voice of the one person I hate more than the dipshit below me, Sheriff Mars.
