The Next Friday Night

A/N: I'm no Navy expert, so please forgive any mistakes/liberties I have made or taken. Thank you so much for the amazing response from last week, they absolutely blew me away! In particular thank to BeWitchingRedhead36 and Guest who left such insightful reviews that picked up on things that I didn't even notice.

She shouldn't be this nervous, she knew that. It's not like she was telling him some sort of horrible news. But she was still hyped up despite several pep talks from Mac, nervously fiddling with her engagement ring and tapping her fingers against the dark wood of the kitchen table, not so patiently waiting for the screen in front of her to light up. She relaxed a fraction when his face lit up the screen, both of them taking a moment to just stare at the other.

"Hey there sailor", She said finally breaking the silence.

"Hey Bobcat, how are you?"

"Good, I was really busy this week, so I'm exhausted now" That was partly the truth, she was busy working and corralling Hunter around the place, but she was also busy freaking out and planning and housing a baby in her uterus.

"Anything in particular stressing you out, a case perhaps?" He asked, leaning back into his chair slightly.

"No, I'm fine Logan, honestly," She stated in a firm tone of voice before taking a glance at the clock. "We only have twenty minutes right? You better get opening that present Mr."

He disappeared out of the screen for a minute, before returning with a box in his hands. "It sounds exciting, I shook it earlier" He said, somewhat sheepishly.

She had to laugh at that, "Who would thought I would live to see the day that Logan Echolls would be so excited about some ordinary mail, this is the Logan Echolls who lived in a five star hotel for several years. Who are you and what have you done with the real Logan?"

"Well I'm just a humble sailor now ma'am, none of that fancy cosmopolitan stuff for me anymore" He replied with ease, adopting a Southern drawl.

"They are right about service changing a person a person, I'm going to have to find me a new husband," Veronica sighed in mock worry.

"Like you could give up all of this," Logan replied gesturing to his chest before flexing his arm.

"You're right, it would take too long to train in the new husband, I suppose I'll have to stick with current model. Now start opening!" Their banter had almost made her forget that there was an agenda for this 'date'.

It had turned out that the timing of Veronica discovering her had been extremely fortuitous, there was a 'mail drop' scheduled for that week. The idea being that family of friends dropped a small package into the base in San Diego and these packages were then transported to the deployed ship with other necessities that were being brought on board. These drops happened infrequently, so Veronica decided to take full advantage of it. She had been contemplating sending an e-mail that went along the lines of, 'Hey Logan, How are you? We're all doing well here, Hunter placed fourth in his spelling bee, I wrapped up another case and the dog didn't eat any shoes this week. Have to go now, also we're having a baby in September. Love you!' However she figured that that would be the cowardly way out. She ended up going to the doctor on Monday morning and that had bolstered her, seeing the nine week old blob on the ultrasound screen had turned her into a complete gooey marshmallow and she had decided to get creative with telling Logan about his impending fatherhood. She swore Mac and Dick to absolute secrecy and went about her week with the excited fluttery feeling of having an amazing secret living in her stomach.

Logan carefully opened the top of the box and began rifling through the contents. Veronica had sent an array of small items that complied with the strict regulations on board. She had included a couple of pairs of socks, chocolate truffles from his favourite coffee shop down in San Diego, a new novel and a home-made bookmark from Hunter as well as some photos she had taken over the last few weeks.

"Thank you Veronica, I've been craving these like mad" He gestured to the truffles beside hm.

She had to supress a slightly manic giggle at the mention of cravings before replying, "There should be something else in there. Wedged into the corner."

"Indeed there is, how you spoil me wifey."

Veronica didn't reply as he lifted the fabric out of the box and shook it out, clearly confused. It looked tiny in his large hands and she let herself imagine a small baby curled up on his chest, dwarfed by him. He read the front of it, before turning it around, it read Leave Some Room In Your Heart For The Unimaginable- Mary Oliver on the front in a light yellow font against a light grey background.

"One of my favourite quotes, but I think it may need some explanation?"

"Middle of the book I sent, page 300" She replied in a nervous voice.

He carefully opened the book, cracking the spine for the first time, before flipping to the directed page. His long fingers plucked out the print-out that had Coming in September written in his wife's neat script. He looked up at her, his eyes intense and focused, "Is this?" Apparently she had managed to render him speechless.

"Yes it is, the first look at our collective work. We're having a baby Logan Echolls" She was trying to gauge his reaction, but she was failing miserably.

He looked down at the ultrasound in his hands and then at the onesie lying beside him before turning his gaze back to his wife, "Wow, seriously?"

"Seriously," She reiterated, "I peed on about twelve sticks, have vomited several times in the morning and got it confirmed by a doctor. I'm definitely pregnant. I was shocked at first too, don't worry. I mean, I'm still kind of in shock but I'm also really excited and –"

She was cut off by Logan's laugh of complete joy, "This is amazing, you're amazing, this all so-"

It was her turn to cut him off, "Amazing?" She asked with a smile and raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, everything feels sort of complete now. Full circle." He was looking at her with a look of contentment while carefully rubbing his fingers along the soft fabric.

"It does, doesn't it? It also feels terrifying" Veronica answered.

"God yes, that too, very terrifying. But more amazing than terrifying."

She saw someone enter the room behind Logan and sighed as she realised that their time was very nearly up, a smile broke through her face again as she saw Logan turn around and shout "Hey Groucho, I'm going to be a father!" He turned back to the screen, "I have to go now, I'm sorry. We should be able to Skype again next week. Will you send me an e-mail every day? I won't be able to read them that often but I want you to keep me up to date on everything, literally."

"Okay" She agreed quickly.

"I love you Veronica"

"I love you too. Be safe please."

"Always" He raised his hand up to the screen and she did the same, neither caring about the thousands of miles separating them, all too quickly the screen faded to black.

Veronica sighed and leant back, absentmindedly resting her hand on her still flat abdomen, "Now, I think that went well, don't you?"