Title: Accidentally In Love
Author: tlovesLoVe
Disclaimer: RT owns VM
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: LoVe
Word Count: 8001
Characters In Chapter: Veronica, Logan, Bella, Mac, Dick, Sam, Casey, Wallace, Piz, Parker, Sacks

Mentions Of: Aaron, Woody Goodman, Cassidy, Lamb, Thumper, Weevil, Jackie
AN/SPOILERS: Sam, Brian, Tina, Bella were all created by me.

Chapter 19

Three months have passed since that night a week after that they had to deal with the Aaron Echolls Trial in which the verdict came out as "Not Guilty" and he was free to go - well he didn't go to far someone shot and killed him on the way to Logan and Veronica's which was a big relief to Veronica and Logan because all Aaron kept going on to the press was to finally meet his granddaughter.

Woody Goodman's dirty little secret came to the public and he took off running, he molested boys that had been on his little league teams in which two of them were on the bus that went over the cliff, Beaver was behind the bus crash - Veronica had figured it out by going to a diner that Woody owned and she also put two and two together that he had raped her.

Dick though a graduation party at the Neptune Grand for everybody in their class so Veronica went searching to for Mac to get her away from Beaver but he turned it around on her Beaver set Veronica up thinking Mac was going to meet up on the roof to talk, and when Veronica went up on the roof he held a gun to her and threatened to kill her and he wanted to taser her to jump off the roof so if anybody asked why she died it would be because she was suffering from postpartum depression.

Since he didn't want her blood all over his shirt he thought that would be the best way for her to die without no connection to him, he had also blown up Woody Goodman's plane and Veronica had thought her father was on the plane when it blew up so while Beaver kept going on about what he was going to do with her she text messaged Logan to come to the roof.

Logan and Beaver fought and Veronica got a hold of the gun Beaver had and shot it up in the air breaking the fight up and Logan convinced her to put the gun down and think of Bella so she did and he ran to her and comforted her and then Beaver jumped off the roof and killed himself.

Turns out Keith wasn't on the plane, Lamb made him get off at the last minute and he rented a car and he drove home instead, Weevil had been arrested for Thumper's death some kids saw him jump him so he got arrested right before he was going to walk for graduation.

Bella was now four months old and she was the happiest baby around, she was starting to sleep though the nights but then her first tooth came in and they also had to keep an eye on her while she slept. Veronica was scared that Bella would sleep the wrong way at night and she didn't want SIDS to happen to her daughter.

It was now August and it was time for them to go back to school - both Veronica and Logan got into Hearst College both only going part time and they made sure the days they do go were different so that way Bella wouldn't have to go to a sitter very much.

Sam was now a senior at Neptune High and still with Casey - Casey got accepted at UCLA but he's still going to come visit her as much as he can - and to top it all off Alicia was pregnant the Mars/Fennel family just keeps growing, Wallace on the other hand found out Jackie had a secret life in New York and he hasn't seen her since.

'Damnit! Ronnie?' Dick screams from the living room as Veronica comes running from down the hall. 'What Dick?' she then laughs as he glares at her. 'Mini Mars spit up on me again!' he hands Bella over to Veronica as he wipes her spit off with Bella's burp rag. 'Oh, Dick how many times do I have to tell you? That's Bella's way of saying she really really likes you!'

'Then I really wish she hated me.' Veronica laughs. 'That's a good girl, you show Uncle Dick who's boss.' Logan comes into the room and sees Dick glaring at Veronica. 'Did she spit up on you again?' Dick gets up from the couch. 'Yes, she did - dude can't you tell Ronnie not to encourage your kid not to spit up on me so much.'

'Dick, how many times do I have to tell you - yet again... I don't control when she spits up I can't help it if your her favorite person to spit up on.' Logan stiffles a laugh. 'Dude, she's ruining my mojo I can't go to college smelling like baby puke.' Veronica rolls her eyes at him. 'Dick you don't have any mojo your just a straight up... dick...' she smiles innocently. '...when it comes to girls and their feelings.'

Dick smiles confidently up at Veronica ignoring her comment. 'So, Ronnie - did you know Casey's out in the pool house saying goodbye to Sam.' Veronica's head shoots up. 'Logan take Bella, I'll be right back.' she passes Bella to Logan and walks outside. 'So do you think shes going to catch them doing the nasty?'

'Dick watch the mouth, we do have a infant in the room.' Dick crinkles up his forehead and lifts up his arms and drops them to his side. 'Dude, she's like not even old enough to speak.' Logan tickles his daughters stomach and she squeals in delight. 'She has a mind like a sponge she can absorb things easily and when the time comes to her learning how to talk I don't want her first word to be about sex.'

'There you go getting all "maternal" on me again.' he raises his hands and does air quotes and then stops to think for a minute. 'Wait, maternal is what a girl is so would that make you "faternal" since your like a guy?' Logan looks at him with a stupid look on his face. 'I'm not even going to try and say something to that.'

'Ronica!' Sam screams as Veronica walks back into the house in a huff. 'Sam, listen I know that you and Casey are dating but what I almost walked into just now has to stop.' Sam groans. 'You can't even say that, look at you - your no saint.' Veronica nods her head. 'That's exactly my point.' Veronica grabs Bella and holds her up above Dick's head. 'Kissing leads to petting, petting leads to heavy petting, heavy petting leads to clothes shedding, and clothes shedding leads to sex which leads to this if your not smart.'

Veronica says referring to Bella in her arms and she holds her out for Sam's viewing and then Bella spits up once again and Dick shoots up from the couch. 'Dude! now I have baby vomit in my hair, how am I suppose to win over the ladies smelling this bad now?' and then everybody in the room starts laughing forgetting what Veronica and Sam were fighting about.

Dick then gets up from the couch and proceeds to huff down the hallway to the nearest shower cursing under his breath. 'Remind me again why we are letting him stay with us?' Veronica looks over at Logan handing Bella back to him so he can clean her up. 'Because, Ronnie he has no where else to go - everything went downhill for him after Cassidy killed himself.' Veronica flinches at the sound of his name.

Then Veronica turns her attention back towards her cousin. 'Sam why don't you go spend sometime with Casey before he leaves I bet he's wondering what's going on - but that doesn't mean your off the hook with what happened today when I get back from going to my first class and you come back home from school we're going to have a long talk.'

Sam rolls her eyes at her. 'Yes...mom - but I don't get how you can be so... against it I mean look what your doing in your life so what's the point of talking it out?' Veronica gives her a stern look. 'This is exactly my point, You don't need to go making mistakes of your own. I have to live what happened to me I've learned to take responsibilities for my actions your going on 17 you don't need a baby anytime soon.'

'Whatever.' Sam spins on her heel and heads back into the pool house to spend the remainder of her time with her boyfriend that was going to leave in a short few hours to go off to college. 'Well that went well.' Logan says laughing as Veronica glares at him. 'I should be heading off to my first class, I should be back before dinner - make sure she takes her nap and give her a bottle when she wakes up.'

Logan shakes his head. 'I know the deal sugarpuss - she is my daughter to after all, I think after five months of taking care of her I know what to do by now.' Veronica laughs. 'I know, it's just you know how I am when it comes to her now with her teething and everything... if she starts trying to eat her own fists just pop in her strawberry flavored pacifier teether.' she leans up and kisses him briefly on the lips and then kisses Bella on the head and heads out the door.

After Veronica's Intro to Criminology class she got a call from Wallace saying that he needed her help with his roommate that had gotten his stuff stolen and that he needed help to find out who did it and to get his stuff back for him - so she called Logan and told him she was going to be late to get him and she went about to Wallace's dorm room building.

'This girl, she's, uh, she's our age and she's a "detective." Is she also a cartoon?' Stosh 'Piz' Piznarski says doing air quotes Piz starts to pace, as Wallace lounges on the chair at his desk. 'Look, she doesn't carry a magnifying glass or anything. Her dad's a PI. He used to be sheriff.'

Wallace expels a deep breath. 'She's picked up a few things.' Piz looked unimpressed. 'Look, I appreciate that, man, but I-I think I'll just let the local police handle it.' Wallace chuckles lightly. 'Yeah, good luck with that.' There's a knock on the door, Piz opens the door and is stunned by the sight of Veronica.

'Hi, I'm Veronica. Are you Piz?' Piz doesn't know what to say and fidgets nervously. 'Yes, um, I'm Piz.' Veronica smiles and then leans around him. 'Wallace? Are you in there somewhere?' Veronica tries to spot him in the room. 'Yeah, come in.' Veronica passes Piz to enter the room. Piz regains his senses and closes the door.

'And you call yourselves college men.' Behind her, Piz mouths to Wallace "Who is this?" 'Where are the posters with beer and half-naked ladies?' Wallace grins at his step-sister. 'Oh, it's behind the case of porn and my shot glass collection. So, looks like Piz is just gonna let the sheriff handle things.'

Piz tries to gesture to Wallace to stop, then takes a deep breath. 'Actually, uh, I'd love your help.' As Wallace nods knowingly, Veronica turns to face Piz. 'As to my fee, five hundred, payable in cash, cashier's check or a pre-agreed upon exchange of goods or services.' Piz gives her a little smile. 'I could give you guitar lessons.'

'Pass. On the bright side, if I don't get your stuff back, you owe me nothing.' She turns back to Wallace. 'That's the brother of a friend rate.' Piz gave her a confused look. 'Brother?' he says looking at Veronica. 'Wallace, he's my step-brother our parents got married - he's also my BFF!' Veronica says in a chipper girly voice.

'Wait, I haven't even decided if he's cool yet.' Wallace rolls his eyes at her ignoring her comment. 'Well act now. Time is running out on this special offer.' She glances back at Piz who smiles tightly and then a few moments later they all head outside of the dorm room building so Piz and show her his car.

'So I pulled into the parking lot and there was this...' he trails off for a moment before going on. '...heavy set girl with a clipboard. She had a Hearst sweatshirt and cap on.' Wallace is walking behind Veronica and Piz. A pretty girl passes them which distracts him momentarily. 'Anyway, she checked my name off a list, told me which dorm was mine, and said she'd keep an eye on my stuff while I went and found my room.'

'This girl, did she look like a student?' Piz nods his head while thinking back for a moment. 'Yeah, I guess. She said she was front of the Hearst Welcome Wagon Committee.' Veronica looks back at Wallace then looks back at Piz. 'Wallace said that you lost your clothes, your computer, a guitar-' Piz interrupts her. 'No, not just a guitar, okay. It was a 1967 Gretsch Astro-jet Red-Top.' Piz says very passionately about his guitar.

Veronica holds up "no offense" hands as Piz throws out his arms. 'It's like the holy grail of guitars, okay. I spent two summers mowing lawns just to earn enough to buy it.' They reach his car, Veronica and Piz on one side and Wallace on the other then Veronica suddenly hears the squeals of her daughter coming up from behind her.

Veronica smiles widely as she approaches Logan and Bella he had been pushing her in a stroller. 'Bella, what is daddy doing bringing you all the way over here?' Veronica looks up at Logan. 'Well sugarpuss, she missed her mommy so much we thought we'd come for a little visit.' Veronica unbuckles her daughter from her stroller and picks her up smiling and kisses her a couple times on the head.

Piz's eyes grew big when finding out that Veronica had been a mom and he was also disappointed that she had a boyfriend, Veronica gives Logan a brief kiss on the lips and then turns her attention back to Piz. 'Piz this is my daughter Bella and my boyfriend Logan.' Piz nods his head and Logan does the same. 'V, let me hold my niece I haven't seen her in a while.'

Veronica hands over Bella to Wallace who had been holding out his arms to take her in his arms and he bounces her up and down talking to her in baby talk. 'Anyways, back to business.' Veronica smiles at Piz. 'Okay, yeah - This is, this it is.' Piz says as he puts his hands on the roof of his car. 'They stole your stuff and covered your car in dirt? You're not welcome here.'

Veronica inspects the door. 'Doesn't look like they jimmied their way in.' Piz stutters a bit. 'It wasn't locked.' he then hangs his head in shame. 'College campus, all your worldly possessions. Where are you from, Brigadoon?' Logan and Wallace then chuckle. 'Portland, or, well, just outside of Portland, this little suburb called Beaverton. Real salt of the earth people, you know, mini-van in every driveway, chicken in every pot.'

'Where they never ask rhetorical questions?' Veronica heads around the other side of the car. Piz holds out a pleading hand before following. 'The Welcome Wagon girl said she'd watch my car.' Wallace is staring at the side of the car as Veronica and Piz join him. 'This is how you know you've gone from high school to college.'

The word "unwashed" is written on the car, with an arrow down from the H and an arrow up from the D. 'The graffiti goes highbrow. "Wash me" is so 2005.' Wallace says handing Bella back over to Logan she had been fussing, Veronica sighs and then turns to Piz. 'Come on, Beaverton. Let's go talk to your RA she turns to Logan who had been putting Bella back into the stroller and she kisses him and says goodbye to her daughter and the three head off as Logan and Bella head home.

When they talked to Piz's RA they had found out that The Welcome Wagon never exist to begin with so then the three of them headed out of the RA's room and Piz and Wallace headed back to their room as Veronica on the other hand was walking across campus, pauses at the sound of clapping. She hears the speaker and veers to watch the Take Back the Night rally.

'...here to ask one question to the students of this university, the faculty of this university and to the dean of this university.' A black girl by the name of Nancy who had very short hair is holding a megaphone, addressing a small gathering who are standing in front of a set of steps, the top of which serves as a stage under the Take Back the Night banner.

'How many women like me have to be raped, have to end up like this, their heads shaved before this administration listens to our demands?' Veronica heads her way through towards the front of the crowd, the female members of which are making various supportive noises. 'Two wasn't enough? Three wasn't enough.' Nancy is flanked by one girl on her right and two on her left.

'They say they are taking steps. Awesome. The dorm wings are same sex. Is that enough?' The "no" that erupts from the crowd is largely female. 'We demand more.' As the crowd claps and cheers, Veronica spots Mac and moves towards her. 'Mandatory sensitivity training, an official university sexual conduct code, more security personnel, more outdoor lights - twice as bright, and most of all, Dean O'Dell, shut down the fraternity houses.'

Nancy holds up a fist and the girls in the crowd cheer. Behind them, a group of boys in fraternity t-shirts boo loudly and gesture with thumbs down. Veronica reaches Mac, who is watching Nancy. 'Women. Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch.' Veronica says softly as Mac grins without turning around. 'Why can't they just look pretty and get their MRS degrees?'

'Hmm.' Veronica puts a finger to her chin then moves around to stand next to Mac. 'How's tricks, kid?' Mac sighs heavily. 'Shrink asked if a lifetime without a libido was such a bad thing. I think she's given up on me.' Veronica gives her a tight smile. 'You just need more time.' Mac turns her head to look at Veronica. 'Irony of all ironies? Frozen from the waist down's new roommate? She's a one woman red light district.'

'Really?' Mac nods her head while rolling her eyes. 'Every night since orientation she's been with some new dude. The phone rings every ten minutes. If college is a boy buffet, she's got two full plates and a purse full of boys wrapped in napkins.' Veronica laughs lightly. 'Yet the void won't fill.'

'So how's Bella doing? I haven't seen her in a while.' But before Veronica could answer her they were both distracted as well as everyone else who was at the rally was by the sounds of loud music starting up - it was the sound "Rump Shaker" by: Wreckx-N-Effect.

The fraternity boys start cheering. One of them holds up a portable stereo. The attention of the girls on the steps and the crowd is turned to the fraternity and no one initially notices a boy wearing nothing but Union Jack underwear and a balaclava, and carrying a blow-up doll, do a cartwheel behind the girls on the steps. As the crowd notices and starts to react, Nancy looks behind her and see him, dancing suggestively with the doll, which is dressed in a French maid's uniform. Fern, one of Nancy's supporters on the step, swings her head round too. The dancer writhes, encouraged by the frat boys. The crowd, generally depending on gender, either express approval or disapproval.

'It's like we never left Neptune High.' Mac observes the scene that had been going on in front of her. Fern a pissed off girl , Fern strides forward and grabs the blow-up doll. The other two supported rush at the boy and knock him to the ground. They hold him down. Fern arrives and places herself between his outspread legs. 'You won't be needing this.'

Fern draws back her leg, then knees him, hard, in the balls. The boy grunts in pain. One of the other girls lifts the balaclava and pulls it off of his face. It was Dick. 'Oh, god. Oh.' Dick screams out in pain holding his crotch rolling around the ground. 'It's exactly like we never left Neptune High.'

On Logan and Veronica's bed, Veronica and Logan come up for air after strenuous, sweat-inducing sex. They lie back in the bed, side by side. 'Woof!' Logan laughs. 'You should seriously consider going pro in that.' he pulls her closer to him kissing her bare shoulder. 'What, and miss the college experience?' he looks down at her as she chuckles.

'Don't go anywhere. You're gonna get your brains spooned out whether you like it or not but first...' she pushes him off her and he tries to pull her back to him but she fights him off and gets out of bed. '...Must. Have. Water.' then she finds a shirt of his and pulls it over her head and Logan watches her go with a satisfied smile. She rushes out of the room and into the kitchen to get herself a water.

She comes back and goes into their bathroom then Veronica twists off the cap of a water bottle and pours from it. She looks at herself in the mirror as she sips and walks back into the bedroom and climbs back into bed with him and hands over her watch so he could get a drink for his now dry mouth. 'I saw your BFF Dick today half naked running around campus.'

'I heard about that.' Veronica looks over at him. 'He claims to be this big ladies man yet he loves to try anything to make the female specimen pissed off - is that any way to win a girl over?' Logan chuckles lightly. 'Well you know he's been having a hard time over Cassidy's death and all since all Dick has ever done to him was torment him growing up.' Veronica winces when hearing his name. Logan notices.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't of said his name - are you still having nightmares? he runs his hand down her arm. 'Sometimes - but their getting better I don't dream so much about him anymore.' Logan gives her a tight smile. 'Good.' Veronica sighs heavily. 'It's just hard being around Dick... sometimes, he's the reason why I was - raped and sometimes I hate him so bad for it I think that's why me and him always banter the way we do.'

'You know he's really beating himself up over that, he's trying everything to make things right for you since he found out what Cassidy did to you.' Veronica nods her head and pushes her lips together so her lips were curved to inside of her mouth. 'Yet he runs around half naked on a college campus dancing around with a blow up doll pissing off every girl in sight.'

'You know Dick he's just a...dick - it's the way he is now, he's not the smartest person around.' Veronica laughs. 'You got that one pegged.' Bella starts to fuss and Logan and Veronica turn their heads and he reaches over and picks up the video baby monitor. 'Aren't you glad I got a video monitor instead? Now we can just look and see if she she's wide awake fussing or fussing half asleep then stops.'

'Well, I guess so yeah but that would be her hungry cry so that means I have to go feed our daughter - I really hate doing it now that she's teething.' Veronica gets out of bed to go feed Bella. 'I shall be back and then we can take a shower together and finally go to bed for the night you my dear wear me out every time.' Logan smiles confidently at her. 'Well I know what I do best.' she playfully hits him and then walks out of the room to feed Bella.

Veronica and Piz exit Veronica's new car, a silver Saturn. Piz points back to it as they head towards the entrance to the building. 'It's a cool ride. Graduation gift?' Veronica looks back at her car and smiles. 'My dad bought it for me for becoming a new mom - and it was also for graduation, his original plan was for us to go to New York together for a week but then I kind of ruined it by getting pregnant in the middle of my senior year.'

'Well, a Saturn for a Mars.' Veronica laughs at his comment. 'In Neptune. Yeah, the planets really aligned for this one. Now...' She points towards the building with her thumbs. '...move your anus. The mercury's rising.' then the two head into the Sheriff's station together.

Sacks walks into the hallway followed by Veronica and Piz. 'Don't feel too bad. Same outfit got four other victims. At least, that's how many we've heard about. All of 'em, in the span of ninety minutes.' They reached the main counter. Sacks walks around it as Veronica and Piz stop in front of it. 'Yeah, I guess that's comforting. Somehow.' Piz says disappointedly.

'Well, they must have had a truck or a van. You mind giving me a list of the other victims?' Sacks takes a long, long look over his shoulder at Lamb's closed door. 'I don't know, Veronica.' Sacks says reluctantly. 'I track down the bad guys. Call you, you make the busts. You know what that makes everyone, Sacks? A winner.'

Veronica tracks down two other people that also had their things stolen by they didn't tell her much the girl she talked to by the name of Rose who had been a sophomore at Hearst slammed the door in Veronica's face because Veronica accidentally offended her after asking her one simple question.

After leaving Rose's dorm room Veronica strides across the busy campus, passing a notice board. She stops just past it and then returns to look more closely at something that caught the corner of her eye. It is a flyer for Winston's, advertising a couple of punk bands at an "All Ages Show." The support act is the Perturbed. The main act is the Unwashed. The H and the D of the name has the same arrows as were written on Piz's car.

Veronica proceeds down the hallway of one of the dorms. She stops at one of the doors. There's a white board with a pink border on the door on one side. It is covered with flowers, lips and bouncy messages, such as "Parker is hot," "Parker hearts you" and "What the frak." On the other side of the door is a small strip of tape on which is written, "Mac." Veronica laughs and then knocks on the door.

The door swings open to reveal Parker, a beaming, bubbly blond, who had been Mac's overly chipper roommate who kept going on and on about how much she loved Mac - Veronica had no idea what to think of the girl and then moments later Mac shows up and Veronica silently thanked god for her showing up. 'Wanna go see a band play?' Veronica says once Mac enters the room.

'More than anything in the world.' Mac says sincerely and then Parker jumps into the conversation that the two of them were briefly having. 'Oh my god! I'm so totally in! Just give me a sec to change.' Parker turns and starts to take off the shirt as Veronica and Mac look helplessly at each other.

The three girls get out of the car as Veronica calls up Logan to check on him, Bella and Sam to see how they were doing because Sam had been moping around the house since Casey left for college she was now a senior at Neptune High and she felt she was going to a loner all year long since she just hung out with Veronica's friends and Casey for the majority of her junior year.

Parker had overheard the end of Veronica's conversation to Logan and she spoke up once Veronica hung up the phone. 'Oh my god!' she screams in excitement. 'You have a baby?' Parker says in an awe voice. 'Yes - I have a five month old daughter.' Parker made an awe face. 'Aw! I hope I get to meet her sometime, I love babies!' Veronica just chuckles as her,Mac and Parker approach the front of the venue. The names of the band are on the large sign above the door. They pause for a moment.

'Hey. I know that guy.' Waiting outside, next to the queue of people going into the club, are Wallace and Piz, who has his back to them, looking around. 'Our muscle. Short notice.' Veronica tells Parker. 'Boyfriend?' Parker asks Mac. 'No.' she replies quickly. 'Wallace is Veronica's step-brother and I don't know who the other guy is.'

Veronica leads the girls to the muscle. 'What's up, V? Hey, Mac.' Mac gives Wallace a little smile and wave. 'Wallace, Piz, this is Parker. Parker, Wallace and Piz.' Piz and Wallace shake hands with Parker who is smiling brightly. 'How do you do?' Piz asks Parker politely as she giggles. 'Nice to meet you.' Wallace says to parker.

Piz looks over at Mac, Veronica catches his gaze. 'Oh sorry - And this is Mac. Mac, Piz.' Mac and Piz shake hands. 'Nice to meet you.' Veronica looks at everybody and puts on a fake smile. 'So, gang, are we ready to rock?' Veronica says with false excitement while doing cornas with both hands. 'No.' Mac says with no emotion. 'Not particularly.' Veronica punches the air. 'That's the spirit!'

Veronica marches towards the entrance. Parker, the only one genuinely excited, throws her hands up in the air and follows. 'Whoo-hoo!' and everybody follows Veronica into the building where the concert was going to be held to find out some answers about Piz's stolen stuff.

After the band "Unwashed" played Veronica had gone up on stage to announce about how Piz's stuff had gotten stolen and if anybody came forward to come find her at a back table and two boys came up and said they seen the whole thing the boys looked like they were in their early teens and said they were checking out the college girls sunbathing when they saw it go down and Wallace got excited about the sunbathing spot and the boys went on about how two black guys threw Piz's things in a van in a hurry and they saw a girl taking off a fat suit and taking off in a white van that had no windows.

'Sam - do you want to talk about it?' Veronica hands her little cousin a glass of water and sits on the pool house couch next to her cousin. 'I just, he's treated me so much better then any other guy like ever in my life and now he's gone.' she sniffles. It was now ten at night and Veronica had just gotten Bella down for the night.

'He's not gone, he's just at college you know he told you he'd come to see you on weekends the boy has the money to afford to come see you and you can go see him sometimes if you'd like.' Sam looks at her and smiles. 'Really? - but I thought?' Veronica smiles at her. 'I thought some things over and I know you'll get... urges to express you feelings more with Casey and I talked this over with Logan and we came up with the conclusion you go on the birth control shot.'

'Why can't I just take the pill?' Sam crinkles up her forehead. 'The pill you can miss a day and end up with another Bella - the shot is more reliable I checked into it and on the plus side... no periods.' Veronica says in a really girly voice. 'Are you sure? what have you done with my older cousin Ronica?'

'She's still here, You've given me experience to what I'll expect in the next 16 years - but then of course Logan and I won't let her out like we're letting you sooo... when my daughters your age don't tell her we let you go on birth control.' Sam laughs. 'I won't tell her, it'll be our little secret.' Sam's voice turns into a whisper as she finishes her sentence.

'Well, I should be heading back inside I'm betting Casey will be calling you shortly to talk on the phone...' Sam smiles brightly. '...I on the other hand have to shower and get ready for bed I have to get up early to finish up Piz's case of finding out where his stolen goodies went off to with Bella with me - that should be interesting but has to be done Logan has a class tomorrow so it's my day to have her.'

Piz is sitting on a bench on campus. He looks at his watch and over his shoulder. He fidgets and plays with his hair, anxious. He doesn't spot Veronica appear behind him, carrying a large paper bag while pushing Bella in her stroller. 'Hey!' she sits next to him and moves Bella's stroller in front of her so she could keep an eye on her and then she hands him the bag.

'These are for you.' Piz takes the bag and peers into it. 'Clothes, a friend of mines, he can't use them anymore. You look about the same size.' The clothes used to belong to Duncan, Logan had found some of his old clothes in the house from when Duncan used to stay the night. 'Thanks.' she smiles at him as Bella squeals trying to catch her mother's attention. 'Hm-mm. Oh, and I think I found your guitar. It popped up on Craigslist late last night and the seller's just off campus.'

Veronica shakes the toys in front of Bella and she smiles big. 'Come with me and we'll go up to Craigslist and see if it's the "holy grail guitar" of yours.' Veronica says doing air quotes and they both get up from the bench and she kicks up the brakes that were keeping the stroller from rolling off and they head to Veronica's car.

Veronica and Piz exit the Saturn and Veronica goes to the passengers side backseat and gets Bella out from her car seat, they were parked in the driveway of a house, numbered 1752. They go to the door and knock. A man answers who's name turned out to be Donald. 'You here about the guitar?' Veronica rotates Bella from one arm to the other. 'That's us.'

Piz had to buy his guitar back for four hundred dollars they they found out that Donald bought the guitar at a flea market from some blond girl with a "hot bod" and later on Veronica dropped off Bella with Wallace in his dorm room for fifteen minutes so she could run across to the girls dorm rooms with her camera to take a picture of the girl who had slammed the door in her face as soon as she opened up the door Veronica snapped the picture and took off running before Rose could say anything.

On the door to Wallace and Piz's room, attached to the white board is the handwritten message: "Gone Bird Watching." Veronica shakes her head knowing what that meant - she arrived at the South Quad with a stern look on her face as she approached Wallace and Piz with Bella on Wallace's lap.

Piz is too busy watching the girl go by, as is Wallace. Veronica arrives and stands in front of them as they both stare at the back of the departing girl. 'You guys are pathetic.' Veronica leans down and picks up Bella from Wallace's grasp. 'What you don't think Bella makes me look good?' Wallace smiles up at Veronica. 'Right, because I was talking about how adorable you look with my daughter - you were using Bella to get numbers weren't you oh brother of mine?'

'My niece is the best in the world, she got me at least five numbers today.' Veronica glares at him and then looks at Piz. 'She got me at least three numbers.' Veronica puts Bella back in her stroller. 'Next time I put you in charge to watch her - no more "bird watching" I don't want strangers going anywhere near her.' she pulls out her camera and hands it over to Piz and Wallace nods his head knowing she had been a little upset with him.

'Piz, is this the Welcome Wagon girl?' She shows him the picture of Rose, which he glances at, still distracted by the sights. 'Hard to say, m-maybe.' he scratches his forehead. 'Add a few extra pounds.' He looks again, trying to concentrate. 'Yeah, I'm trying to. I don't think it's her.'

Discouraged, Veronica turns and gazes out over the quad. 'It's not often you get to see bikini babes in their natural habitat. Such gentle, yet elusive creatures.' She looks back at Piz and Wallace who are immune to her sarcasm and pretty much to her very presence as they remain enrapt with the girls on the grass. 'Okay. You two have fun being gross, I'll just continue trying to find your stuff, on my own, with no help.'

She walks away putting away her camera in her bag and puts it over her shoulder and pushes Bella in the stroller away from the quad. Belatedly, Piz responds, shouting after her. 'That's why you make the big money.' she turns around and sees Wallace waving goodbye to her and she just rolls her eyes.

Veronica waits on the same bench that she and Piz were sitting on earlier that day waiting for Logan to get out of his class, she was hunched over trying to keep Bella entertained so she wouldn't fuss from sitting in the stroller so long not doing anything to keep her busy.

'There's my two favorite girls!' Logan smiles rushing up to them walking across campus to them and he sits on the bench and Veronica turns towards him and kisses him on the lips. 'My dear step-brother Wallace was using our daughter to get numbers from girls today when I left her in his care for fifteen minutes.'

Logan laughs as Veronica punches him in the shoulder. 'Hey, why'd you do that - I wasn't the one using her to get girls' numbers.' she glares at him. 'It's not funny - I don't want strange women around my baby you never know what could happen.' Logan kisses her again. 'Well nothing happened so it's all good sugarpuss.'

Veronica looks over at the baby and then back at Logan. 'You think you can take her home with you because I have to do some more work for Piz's case and I really don't feel like pushing her around all day she needs to go and take her nap she's getting fussing.' Logan nods his head. 'Of course.' he gets up from the bench and kicks up the breaks of her stroller. 'Good luck catching the bad thief.'

Veronica went back to Donald's house to show him the picture of Rose to find out if it was her but he was about eighty percent sure that it was her that sold him the guitar and she saw that he had a book from her Criminology class and she had asked him if he did the mentoring program because she had thought about doing it as well.

'Best thing that I did as an undergrad, working with those kids. You can read all about street crime in a text book, but mentoring takes everything out of the theoretical, really grounds it. You should sign up.' Veronica feigns excitement on seeing a photo behind Donald.

'Oh my god. You can settle a debate for me.' She walks around him and grabs the photo. It shows his with a large blond girl, posing against a cityscape. She holds it out. 'Is this on the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building?' Donald looks down at the picture. 'That, that's actually the Space Needle in Seattle.' Keith took Alicia to New York for a week instead of Veronica and when she seen the trip pictures they debated what building him and Alicia was standing in front of.

'I have to remember not to debate my dad when it comes to architecture.' Veronica effects a dry throat. 'Can I have a glass of water?' Donald nods his head. 'Sure.' Donald leaves to accommodate her. Veronica stares down at the picture.

The next day Veronica was in her Into to Criminology class and it was about to finish up. 'So, by the time you finish your reading this weekend, you should be able to discuss crime and social control in relation to biological and sociological positivism. See you Tuesday.' Dr. Landry says finishing up his class.

The students start to collect their belongings and leave. Veronica makes her way to the front of the room where Timothy is lingering. 'Excuse me. Um, I was interested in the mentoring program. You're the guy to talk to, right?' he nods his head.

Timothy who was Dr. Landry TA takes some files from a filing cabinet and passes them to Veronica as he clears his throat. He hasn't warmed to his record-breaking successor. 'You can take your pick. All of them have juvenile records.' He takes the seat at his desk, leaning back to look up at her. 'Most of the girls, it's shoplifting, fighting, chronic truancy.'

'Wait. Just because I'm a girl, that means I have to mentor a girl?' he nods his head. 'Yes.' Veronica gets a smirk on her face. 'That's just in case they get their period or something, right?' she asks sarcastically. Mac appears at the open door behind Veronica. She taps on the door frame. 'You Tim?'

'Who are you?' He looks at Mac. 'Dr. Landry needs you back in the lecture hall.' Veronica shrugs her shoulders. 'I'll wait.' Timothy leaves the office. Mac and Veronica share a conspiratorial smile before Mac leaves. Veronica goes to the files. She finds the file for Donald Fagan from the photo of his attached to the front. Behind it are the youths he is mentoring. It is the same three youths who approached Veronica at Winston's, claiming to have witnessed the theft from Piz's car. Veronica smiles.

'Hey dad.' Veronica smiles and greets her dad at the door with Alicia at his side. 'Alicia.' Veronica walks over and hugs her. 'So, how are you feeling?' Alicia smiles genuinely at her. 'I'm okay, I just wish I didn't have so much morning sickness - this is the only thing I hate about being pregnant, that and the gaining weight and then most importantly giving birth.'

Veronica laughs. 'Yeah, it's all worth it in the end isn't it?' Alicia smiles and puts a hand down to her stomach. 'It sure is.' Veronica looks around behind them. 'Where's Darrell?' she asks as they walk into the house. 'He's at a friend's house tonight.' Keith walks into the living room and picks up Bella who had been laying on the floor playing with her jungle gym toys that had been above her.

'Did you miss Grandpa?' he smiles at Bella as she reaches out for his nose and squeezes it. 'I'll take that as a yes - she always does that when I pick her up, is that her way of telling me I have a big schnoz?' Veronica walks over into the kitchen where Logan had been cooking dinner. 'Is it about ready?' Logan turns around. 'Just about just give it ten more minutes then we can all eat.'

'So where's Sam?' Alicia puts her purse down on the kitchen counter and sits on nearby stool. 'She's out in the pool house probably on the phone as always - she and Casey talk non-stop on the phone now since he has gone off to college, she got her phone taken away at school today for texting him during a class but she got it back at the end of the day.' Veronica rolls her eyes.

'Keith if you can, could you go out and tell Sam dinner's about done and have her set the table.' Keith nods his head. 'Is Dick joining us tonight?' Keith asks while his daughter shakes her head. 'No - he's barley here as it is, all he does is sleep here other then that he's always out partying.'

'The girl in the photo is the Welcome Wagon girl.' Veronica says showing the picture to Deputy Sacks her and Piz went straight to the sheriffs office the next day to report who they found out who has been stealing from people on campus. 'The guy is the ringleader.' Sacks, sitting at his desk, is holding the picture. 'And you're sure that's her.' Sacks looks at Piz. 'That's her.'

Veronica pulls the files she took from Timothy's office of the youths. 'His name is Donald Fagan and these three charming lads are the kids he mentors.' Sacks flips through them. 'Thieves. All of them.' Later on in a hard top area behind Fagan's house, where his garage is, Veronica and Piz have set themselves up in deck chairs, with a good view of the back of the house and the garage.

'Okay, so why would those kids at the club talk to us if they knew they'd stolen my stuff?' Piz looks at Veronica. 'Um, so they could steer us in the wrong direction? Then they just repeated the story to their mentor so the stories would match.' Piz smiles at her. 'So you do realize there's not a lot of college freshman girls who do this sort of thing. You know. Solve crimes.' he ends his sentence in a low whisper.

'There aren't?' she says in a faux surprise. 'So why do you do it?' Veronica shakes her head and lets out a deep breath, but remains flip. 'Cold, hard cash.' Piz laughs. 'Seriously.' Veronica starts to get uncomfortable. 'Um.' Piz goes on. 'Wallace told me about your friend, who was murdered.'

This news is unwelcome. 'Because I'm good at it, maybe, I don't know.' She shrugs. 'Wallace should stick to analyzing himself.' Veronica takes a long swig from a bottle of water and is spared further interrogation when Sacks exits from the small gate next to Fagan's garage door, followed by a blustering Fagan and another deputy.

'This is not right, this is absolutely not right. You cannot just walk into my house...' Donald says in a demanding voice - Veronica leans over to Piz. 'You wanna know why I do it? Here it comes.' She pats his leg. 'This is the good part.' Fagan is still babbling. '...come into my house, an-an-and take my things from me and then-'

He spots Veronica and Piz. Veronica gives his a "cheers" gesture with the bottle. Piz waves. Both are smiling. Fagan drops his objections as the garage door slides up. 'I might actually get my stuff back.' Veronica looks over at him with a big smile on her face. 'I might actually get paid.' As the door opens, stacks of goods are revealed. Veronica offers her bottle to Piz to clink, which he dutifully does. 'Boom goes the dynamite.'