Note: Major apologies for such a long wait for a new chapter of this story... Promptober took up all of my October writing and it's taken me a while to get back into this story again.
Mid-September 2020
Five Months Old
"Okay, you're all done," says Veronica with a smile as she finishes adjusting Abigail's outfit and lifts her up off the changing table. "Shall we go wait for Daddy?"
"Ah, bub-bub." Abi responds eagerly, her fist coming to her mouth.
"All right, then, let's go," she says, resting the baby against her chest as she carries her down the hallway.
Placing Abigail tummy-down on the large blanket spread out on the living room floor, Veronica pops into the kitchen to grab a glass of orange juice and some breakfast. She returns to the living room to find the baby now situated on her back, her little legs kicking away, while Pony watches her from where she's curled up in her bed.
"Look at you rolling over like a pro," she says encouragingly, placing her plate and OJ down on the coffee table and kneeling on the floor beside her daughter. Catching Abi's feet in her hands, she leans forward. "Won't be long before you're rolling back onto your tummy too, huh? But you gotta promise me you'll only do it when Daddy's here, because he'd never forgive me if he missed it."
"Da!" proclaims Abi excitedly. "Da, da, da, da!"
"That's right, Daddy." Veronica grins. "Wanna see if we can spot him?"
"Ah, ah, ahh!" is all she gets in response.
"Come on, then, sweet thing." Veronica tickles Abi's toes, then scoops her up into her arms.
She picks up the juice and plate and tries to juggle all three as she slides open the French door with one elbow and steps out onto the sundeck, elbowing the door closed so Pony doesn't decide tear out of the house. She deposits her breakfast on the table, then takes a seat beside it, settling Abi on her lap and adjusting the baby's hat so she's shaded from the sun.
"Can you see Daddy yet?" she asks softly, before pointing along the beach. "He usually comes that way."
"Eh, eh, eh..." Abi responds, waving her arms up and down, smacking her legs in the process.
Veronica turns the baby to face her, an overwhelming feeling of love rising in her chest as she takes in her daughter's shining eyes and beautiful smile. She's beginning to see more of both herself and Logan in Abigail every day and it's so surreal. She loves her little girl—their little girl—so much, more than she ever imagined she could love another human being, even Logan.
Abi reaches her hands out towards her and Veronica takes them with a grin. "You want to play pat-a-cake?"
She begins clapping the baby's hands together, reciting the rhyme as she goes, Abi laughing along with her, but then the sound of a throat clearing, followed by a deep chuckle, draws her attention and she looks up to find a sweaty, yet extremely delectable-looking Logan resting one elbow on the fence surrounding the deck as he stretches his legs.
"Hey," she greets him softly. "Good run?"
"Uh huh." He nods, stepping up onto the wooden platform and running a forearm across his face.
"Look, Daddy's here," she says, turning Abigail to face him.
"Da… da…" the baby babbles, holding her arms out to him.
Logan grins as he scoops her up and sinks down into the chair beside Veronica.
"Hey, baby girl," he greets softly, before his eyes widen in delight as he notices her new outfit. "Don't you look pretty today? You're like Daddy's mini-me."
"Thought you'd appreciate it." Veronica grins.
She came across the cute little sailor outfit and matching hat online last week and couldn't resist, knowing Logan would get a kick out of it.
"Gah!" Abi's hands press against the sides of his face, causing Logan to laugh warmly.
"Sorry, sweetheart, Daddy's all sweaty."
"Yeah he is," murmurs Veronica absently, running her gaze over his muscular form, then blushing when Logan catches her eye and winks at her.
"I'm gonna take a shower," he announces, before making a face and sticking his tongue out at Abi.
The baby giggles, the soft sound warming Veronica's heart. Watching Logan interact with their daughter is the most adorable thing she's ever witnessed.
"Okay," she murmurs softly.
He doesn't make any move to get up, though; instead he lifts Abi up, pressing his face to her neck, inhaling her baby scent for a moment, before kissing her chubby cheek and hugging her to his chest.
"I thought you were gonna shower?" asks Veronica, watching him with amusement.
"In a minute," he responds. "I'm bonding with my baby girl here."
"Yeah, I see that…" She gives him a tender smile, before grinning mischievously. "But she's gonna stink like you if you don't stop cuddling her soon."
"Never," he declares. "She's too cute to stink."
Veronica just raises a sceptical eyebrow at that. "You realise she stinks several times a day, right?"
Logan fake gasps, covering Abi's ears. "Not in front of the impressionable child. You'll give her a complex."
Veronica just shakes her head and gives an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "Oh, just go shower already."
"Fine, fine. I'm going." He eases himself out of the chair and hands Abi back to Veronica. "I won't be long."
He leans down to kiss first Abi and then Veronica, before straightening up and heading inside the house. Veronica watches him leave, admiring the play of muscles under his tight t-shirt, then turns back to the baby again.
"How is your daddy so perfect, huh?" Abi just lets out a string of unintelligible babble, but Veronica nods sagely in response. "Yeah, I don't know, either."
True to his word, Logan returns in less than 10 minutes, freshly showered and dressed, and gulping down a glass of water as he steps outside onto the sundeck. As soon as he sits down, Abi starts squirming in Veronica's arms, reaching for him again, and he lifts her up with a wide smile, placing her down in his lap.
"So, what's on the agenda for today?" he asks, gently bouncing the baby on his knees.
"Nothing in particular," says Veronica. "What do you feel like doing?"
"I'm easy." Logan shoots her a small smile, though there's something in his expression that gives her pause.
"What?" she asks, curious.
"Nothing." He shakes his head. "Just, there used to be a time when we barely saw each other at weekends; you were always busy with cases and going undercover."
"Yeah, well…" She shrugs. "Being a mom takes up all my time now."
"Yeah, I know," he acknowledges. "And you're pretty amazing at it, too."
"Thanks." Veronica smiles, though she's not entirely sure she believes it. "But, actually, there's something I need to talk to you about."
Logan frowns slightly, but nods. "Go on."
Veronica glances at Abigail for a second, before lifting her eyes to Logan's and sucking in a breath. "I want to go back to work."
"Are you sure?" he questions, not seeming particularly surprised by her confession.
"I am." She nods. "I mean, I love Abi, you know I do, but I'm going crazy spending all my time at home with her. I miss it, Lo. I miss the excitement and intrigue. I miss using my brain. I miss solving cases."
"Okay." Logan nods, adjusting Abi in his lap.
"Okay?" Veronica blinks in surprise. "Wow, I was expecting more of a protest. Something along the lines of me not putting myself in danger anymore."
"Veronica." Logan shakes his head, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "You don't really think I could stop you from going back to work if that was what you wanted?"
"Well, no," she admits. "I guess not."
"'Cause, honestly, I wouldn't even dream of attempting it," he continues with a knowing smile. "If you want to go back to investigating, then do it."
"Okay." She gives him a small smile before sighing in resignation. "But it's not as simple as that, is it? If I'm working and you're working, who's gonna look after Abi?"
"Daycare?" he suggests.
Veronica looks to Abigail, her chest tightening with worry at the thought of her child being in the care of strangers in unfamiliar surroundings.
"No." She scrunches up her nose, shaking her head. "She's too young… and this is Neptune. Who knows what could happen to her in daycare?"
"Okay. No daycare," Logan agrees. "But, I mean, we can't take her to work with us either, so, how about a nanny?"
"A nanny?" Veronica's stomach bottoms out at that thought.
She's never wanted to become one of those parents; you know, the ones who hand their kids off to a nanny and are never around. And given how Logan was raised, she can't imagine it would be his preference either.
"You'd be happy with that?" she asks sceptically.
He shrugs. "If that's what we need to do so you can be happy, then, yeah."
"But I don't know if I want a nanny taking care of her instead of me."
Logan just gives her a slightly exasperated look, adjusting Abi on his lap when she starts to squirm. "Well, you can't have it both ways."
She frowns in thought. "Maybe I could take her to work… set up a small nursery space in the back room."
"And what about when you're out on a case?" he counters. "Or when she needs feeding and changing and you're with a client? You can't expect your dad or Mac to add childcare to their work duties."
Veronica's shoulders slump in defeat. "No, you're right. I can't do that."
"Look." Logan shifts forward, hugging Abi close as he reaches over to lay his hand on her knee. "Why don't we see what the world of nannying has to offer? If we don't find anyone we like, we can explore other options."
She considers the suggestion thoughtfully before giving a slow nod. "Yeah, okay."
"Okay." He flashes her a smile. "But going back to the topic of today's agenda, how about we take a trip to the park, grab some lunch…try for some regular family time before you get back into the ruthless world of investigating?"
"Sure. I'd like that." Veronica smiles, leaning over to kiss him.
Late September 2020
Five-and-a-half Months Old
Logan adjusts the baby bag on his shoulder, bringing his hand up to cradle Abi's back as he pulls open the door to the coffee shop and heads inside. Eyes scanning the room, he spots Veronica sitting by the wall, the table before her covered in papers as she scribbles in a notepad, brow furrowed in concentration. He watches her with a soft smile for a moment, then reluctanctly tears his gaze from her and walks over to the counter.
"Morning," greets the barista cheerfully when it's his turn to be served. "What can I get you?"
"Uh, two coffees with cream—one decaf, one regular—and two chocolate muffins."
"Okay, that'll be twelve-fifty." The barista—a young, bubbly redhead who can't be more than sixteen—smiles as he hands her a twenty, her gaze dropping to Abigail strapped to his chest. "Cute baby, by the way."
"Thanks." Logan grins. "We like her."
When his order is ready, Logan picks up the tray and turns to make his way over to Veronica. He only gets a couple of feet before a hand lands on his forearm.
"Logan?" He tries not to spill the coffees as he turns his head to see a short brunette grinning up at him. "What are you doing here? I thought you and Veronica were on the East Coast now?"
"Heather?" he asks, a smile spreading across his face. "Hey. It's been a long time."
"Clearly." She nods pointedly at his chest. "I seem to have missed a lot."
"Yeah, sorry about that," he apologises. "We've been pretty busy lately."
"So I can see."
"We moved back in December," he explains. "And this little one was born in April. Heather, meet Abigail, my daughter."
"Hi there, Abigail." Heather smiles, reaching out and running a finger across Abi's hand. "She's gorgeous, Logan. Congratulations."
"Thanks."
"You know, I'm not sure I've ever pictured you as a father before, but you know what? It suits you."
"Yeah, me either, until recently." He flashes a smile. He's about to ask what she's been up to, but the barista calls her forward, so instead he says, "Listen, Veronica's just over there. Why don't you join us when you've ordered? We can catch up."
"Okay, thanks." Heather nods. "I will."
Leaving her to it, he weaves his way through the coffee shop, towards Veronica's table. She glances up when he's a few feet away, and a lazy smile spreads across her face when she spots him, her bottom lip catching between her teeth, a 'come hither' look in her eyes.
Logan grins as he places the tray down on the table and slides into the seat opposite her. "What's that look for?"
"You know, I never really got the whole allure of a man with a baby before," she murmurs. "But I've seriously had to reconsider my stance on that in the last few months."
"Yeah?" He bobs his eyebrows.
"Uh huh… 'cause you look very sexy right now."
He gives a throaty chuckle. "You realise we're in public, right?"
"Yeah. Unfortunately." She pouts for a moment, before her eyes light up. "You wanna get out of here? We can take this to go."
"Can't, sorry," he says apologetically. "I just bumped into Heather at the counter and invited her to join us."
"Oh." The disappointment in her voice is obvious.
"That's okay, right?" he checks as he unstraps Abigail from the baby carrier. "With everything going on, we've lost touch and I owe her a catch-up."
"Yeah, it's fine," she says, taking the baby from him and balancing her on her lap.
"How's it going with the nanny applications?" he asks, folding away the carrier and getting comfortable at the table.
"Eh, I don't know." She wrinkles her nose. "I mean, they all seem perfectly qualified on paper, but I'm just—"
"Not sure you want to trust any of them with our child?"
"Yeah," she agrees. "I feel like no one is going to be good enough. Is that weird?"
"No. It's not weird." He smiles. "But do we have any contenders at all?"
"Maybe this one." She picks up a couple of applications and hands them to him, one at a time. "And possibly this one."
"Okay."
He scans the sheets of paper. Both candidates seem to have plenty of experience with children, and come with great references, but he understands Veronica's hesitation. He spent most of his own childhood being looked after by nannies, and while, in his case, that was probably a good thing given the kind of people his parents were, he and Veronica plan on being hands-on parents, and they intend on spending as much time with Abi as possible.
"Hey, guys." Heather appears at the table then and Veronica smiles warmly at her.
"Heather, hi." She gestures towards the empty seat at the table and Heather slides into it. "It's good to see you."
"You too, Veronica." Heather smiles. "You have a beautiful daughter, by the way."
"Thank you." Veronica looks down at Abigail, as she starts babbling and reaching out to the newcomer, and then up to Heather, who is watching the baby almost longingly. "You want to hold her?"
"You don't mind?" Heather asks, looking a little surprised.
"Sure. She seems to want to say hi." She lifts her up so Heather can take her.
"Hi, there, Abigail," coos Heather, her hand cradling the back of the baby's head and neck as she smiles down at her. "Well, aren't you just the sweetest thing ever?"
With a small smile, Logan watches his friend interact with his daughter for a moment, before saying, "You're good with her."
"I love kids." Heather gives a self-conscious shrug. "I actually just got my masters in Early Childhood Development."
"Really? Wow." Logan is surprised. "How did I not know that?"
She shoots him an incredulous look. "Maybe because you've been MIA for the last couple years?"
Logan winces. "Yeah, sorry about that. It wasn't intentional; we've just had a lot going on."
"So, what are you up to now, Heather?" Veronica asks, taking a sip of her decaf coffee.
"I'm kind of between things right now," the younger woman admits. "I've been applying for pre-school and elementary school jobs, but I haven't gotten anywhere yet."
Logan catches Veronica's eye then, nodding towards Heather, who seems captivated by Abigail, and giving her a 'what about it?' look. They hold a silent conversation for a few moments, until she eventually nods and gives a small smile, mouthing, 'Why not?'.
"Hey, uh, Heather?" he starts. "How much experience do you have with looking after kids?"
"You mean like babysitting?"
"Yeah, or nannying, child-minding, that kind of thing."
"Some," she says. "I worked with kids during my degree, and I was a camp counsellor for a couple of summers, remember? Why?"
"Well, Logan and I are looking for a nanny," says Veronica. "So I can go back to work. You think you might be interested?"
"Me?" Heather's eyes widen. "Are you sure? I mean, you wouldn't rather hire someone with a lot more experience?"
"Honestly, I'd rather hire someone I know I can trust with my kid." Veronica looks to Logan. "And, yeah, okay, I don't know you all that well, but Logan does, and I trust his judgement."
"Wow. Okay." Heather looks a little shell-shocked.
"Of course, we can do a trial run first, see how things go," she says. "But if it works out, we'd be happy to hire you."
"And we'll pay you well," adds Logan.
Heather grins. "You'd better, Mr. Millionaire."
"So, you'll do it?" Veronica asks, a hopeful smile on her face.
Heather glances down at Abi, who has grabbed a handful of her hair and is tugging on it delightedly, before looking between Veronica and himself and nodding.
"Sure, I'm open to a trial run."
"Great." Logan gives her a wide smile. "If you're free, why don't you come by Monday evening, and we can go through some logistics?"
"All right, that sounds good." Heather smiles. "Thanks, guys."
Logan returns the smile, before looking to Veronica again, who nods at him encouragingly. He's glad she seems to be happy with the idea of Heather caring for Abi… after all, it seems like the perfect solution to their nanny problem.
Early October 2020
Almost Six Months Old
"Okay, so her bottles are in here," says Veronica, opening the fridge to show Heather. "They're all prepared, so you'll just need to heat them up. Don't forget to test the temperature before you feed her."
"Sure." Heather nods, adjusting Abigail in her arms.
"And we've just started her on solids," she adds, gesturing to a couple of Saran-wrapped jars on one of the shelves. "So you can try a few spoonfuls of pureed carrots or mashed banana, but don't worry if she won't take them."
"Okay."
Veronica closes the fridge, then flits across the room, picking up the sheets of paper she's prepared. "My office and cell-phone numbers are on here, as well as Logan's cell and his number on base. You've also got my dad's office and cell on here, and Mac's, plus Abi's paediatrician, and Pony's vet. If you have any questions, about anything at all, just call me, okay? I'll come right home."
"We'll be fine, Veronica," says Heather. "Honestly."
She turns to Heather anxiously. "Are you sure? I don't have to leave right away; I can stick around for a bit, make sure everything's all right."
"Veronica…" Heather looks at her in amusement. "You have nothing to worry about. Seriously. Just go to work, okay?"
Veronica bites her lip, the thought of leaving her daughter alone with a virtual stranger for the whole day making her feel a little nauseated. She inhales a calming breath, then nods reluctantly.
"Okay. I'm going." Stepping forward, she strokes her hand over Abi's head and leans down to kiss her cheek. "Be good for Heather, okay?" She looks up at the younger woman. "I'll be home by four."
With one more kiss, this time to the top of her daughter's head, Veronica straightens, collecting her bag from the kitchen counter and reaching down to ruffle Pony's fur, before finally leaving the house. She slides into the car and lets out a shaky sigh, her fingers gripping the steering wheel.
God, what is she thinking?
Save for the night of her birthday, she's barely been away from her daughter for more than a couple of hours since the day she was born, and now she's willingly choosing to leave her with a nanny so she can return to work.
Resisting the urge to walk right back into the house again, she starts the car and reluctantly pulls out of the driveway.
Abi's gonna be fine, she tells herself. She's in good hands.
So why can't she relax and accept it?
With another sigh, she glances at the clock, then calls Logan through the car's Bluetooth connection.
"Hey, what's up?" he greets after two rings. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah," she says. "I think so. I just left Abi with Heather."
"Ah." His tone is knowing. "And now you're second-guessing that decision."
''I am," she admits. "Stupid, right?"
"No, it's not stupid."
"I mean," she continues. "In my head, I know she'll be safe with her, but I can't help it. She's my baby."
"I know," Logan agrees, and she can hear the smile in his voice. "But you're gonna get through it. Couple days back on the job and it'll be like you never left."
"Maybe..."
"It will," he assures her. "You'll be fine."
"Yeah, I know." Veronica agrees, smiling as she adds, "I'll see you later."
"Stay strong, tiny blonde one," are his parting words.
The line goes dead and she inhales slowly, squaring her shoulders as she drives. She can do this.
End October 2020 - Halloween
Six Months Old
It's been just over three weeks since Veronica went back to work, and so far, things have been working out well. It didn't take long for her to settle back into investigating, and just as Logan had predicted, it only took a few days for her to get over her initial hesitation about leaving Abigail with a nanny. Of course, it helps that Heather has been a god-send, which is something Logan is eternally grateful for, because, like Veronica, he wasn't a fan of hiring a complete stranger to care for his daughter.
On Halloween, he arrives home from the base at five-thirty to find Heather sitting on the living room floor with Abigail.
"Hey," he greets warmly, bending down to pet Pony as she bounds over to him, tail wagging excitedly. "Veronica not home?"
"Not yet," says Heather, getting up from the floor. "She called to say she was caught up in a new case and asked if I could stay with Abi until you got home."
"Why am I not surprised?" Logan grins. Only three weeks back on the job and she's already staying late. "Thanks for sticking around."
"No problem," she says. "Happy to do it."
Logan crosses the room and scoops Abi up from the floor, giving her a sloppy kiss on the cheek, then blowing a raspberry against her neck, smiling when she giggles. He turns to Heather, finding her watching him with a smile, then nods towards the kitchen.
"You want a coffee or something before you head out?"
"Sure."
They head into the kitchen, Pony following and curling up in her bed as Logan situates Abi in her baby walker. He starts up the coffee machine and he and Heather make small talk while he fixes the coffee. They're just sitting down to drink it when the doorbell rings, so Logan excuses himself to answer it.
"Dude!" Dick grins at him from the doorstep as he answers the door. He's dressed in an Al-Pacino-style gangster suit and has a six-pack of beer in one hand and a bag of candy in the other. "It's Halloween, man. Let's celebrate!"
"Dick." Logan greets flatly, as his friend steps past him and into the house. "You're early."
Dick gives him a once-over, raising an eyebrow. "Dude, you're not seriously going Trick-or-Treating as yourself, right? 'Cause that's some ego right there."
"I just got back from work," says Logan, looking down at his uniform. "Like I said, you're early. Besides, you're one to talk; why do you look like you've just stepped out of the Godfather?"
"'Cause that's what I am, baby. Abi's Godfather."
"Uh…" Logan frowns. "I wasn't aware we'd chosen any godparents yet."
"Figured I'd pre-empt the official announcement." Dick shoots him a grin. "I mean, it's gonna happen, right?"
Logan stares at his friend in bewilderment. "Yeah, well, I think Veronica might have something to say about that."
"Whatever." Dick shrugs, making his way down the hall and into the kitchen, leaving Logan to follow him.
He opens the fridge and stashes the beer inside, then dumps the candy on the counter, before finally noticing Heather standing there.
"Well, hey, there, beautiful." He turns on the charm, then shoots Logan a curious look. "Hey, does Veronica know you have a hot chick here?"
Heather just rolls her eyes and turns to pick up Abi, who has started fussing in her walker.
"Mind out of the gutter, dude," Logan responds with a shake of his head. "Heather's our nanny. And a good friend of mine."
"And what a fine nanny she is." Dick leers in appreciation.
At that, Heather turns, a look of distaste on her face. "Seriously, Dick… you're hitting on me? You really haven't changed, have you?"
"Huh?" Dick frowns, looking thoroughly confused. "Wait, we know each other?"
"Yes, we know each other. You were married to my sister, for God's sake."
"I was what?" Dick seems thoroughly shocked and Logan has to suppress a chuckle at his expression.
"You remember, right?" Heather prompts. "2007… you left me with Logan while you and Melinda went to Vegas… you got drunk, woke up married…got divorced a few days later… any of this ringing a bell?"
Dick frowns for a moment, before his eyes widen and his mouth drops open. "No shit… you're that Heather? But you're like, eleven."
"I was eleven. Then," Heather clarifies. "Now, I'm twenty-five."
"Right. Yeah. I see that." Dick nods, still seeming bewildered. "And you're friends with Logan?"
"We kept in touch over the years," Logan tells him. "Thought you knew that."
His friend shrugs. "Must've slipped my mind."
"Big surprise," mutters Heather, before turning to Logan. "She needs changing, I'm just gonna…"
She nods towards Abi's bedroom, but Logan shakes his head. "That's okay, I'll do it. You're off the clock now."
"I don't mind."
"Seriously," says Logan, holding his arms out for the baby. "You finish your coffee and head home."
"Yeah, okay."
Heather hands Abi over to him, and he crosses the kitchen, turning back to them before he leaves.
"No killing each other while we're gone, okay?" Heather and Dick give matching, noncommittal shrugs.
With a sigh, he heads down the hall to Abi's room. "Come on, baby girl, let's get you ready for Halloween, shall we?"
She lets out a string of baby babble in response and Logan grins as he sets her down on the changing table and sets about getting her cleaned up. When she's clad in a fresh diaper, he reaches for the tiny Halloween costume he and Veronica picked out for her a few days ago. He gently folds her legs and arms into the costume and fastens it at the back, then pulls the hood over her head.
"You look so sweet in this," he tells her with a smile. "Mommy's gonna love it."
Satisfied with his handiwork, he carries her back towards the kitchen, stopping just outside, when he hears an argument taking place inside. He leans in to listen, but the front door opens and Veronica slips through, frowning when she spots Logan hovering outside the kitchen.
"What's going on?" she asks softly, coming to his side.
"Shh…" He brings a finger to his lips, nodding towards the kitchen. "I'm eavesdropping. Dick and Heather are arguing in there."
Veronica rolls her eyes, whispering, "Seriously? What are you, twelve?"
He just shakes his head and turns his attention back to the argument again.
"Hey, are you even listening?" Dick's irritated voice floats through to him.
"Yes," replies Heather. "It just takes me a while to process so much stupid all at once."
"Hey, I'm not stupid."
"Coulda fooled me."
"Geez, those two," Veronica mutters, before noticing Abi's outfit and giving a soft gasp. "Oh my God, she looks so cute!" She takes Abi from him and gives her a kiss. "My perfect little unicorn."
Inside the kitchen, the argument starts to escalate, and Logan decides it's time to intervene. Clearing his throat, he steps inside the kitchen, making his presence known.
"Okay, children. Break it up." He turns to Heather, giving her an apologetic smile. "Just ignore him, okay?"
"Don't worry, I will." Heather shoots Dick a glare, before returning Logan's smile and nodding as Veronica enters the kitchen as well. "Hey, Veronica. Oh, wow, look at you, Abigail! Don't you look precious?"
"Doesn't she?" Veronica grins down at the baby, bouncing her in her arms. "I've always loved unicorns, and now I have one of my very own."
"And here I thought ponies were your big obsession," teases Logan.
At the sound of her name, Pony's head shoots up from where she's been dozing and when she realises the kitchen is filled with people, she gets up and pads over to greet Dick, who crouches down to say hi.
"I like unicorns, too," responds Veronica, before turning her attention to Heather again. "Thanks for staying today, Heather. I hope this little one wasn't too much of a handful."
"It's no problem, Veronica. She was an angel," Heather says, finishing her coffee and placing the mug in the sink. "It's getting late, though. I'd better get going. I'll see you guys in the morning."
She picks up her jacket and bag from the table, narrowing her eyes at Dick as she moves past him, throwing out a sarcastic, "Nice to see you again, Dick."
"Likewise." Dick nods, seemingly unaffected by their recent argument.
She leaves the kitchen, heading for the door, and Logan follows her out.
"Sorry about him," he apologises on behalf of his friend. "He's not exactly tactful."
Heather shrugs. "I can handle guys like him no problem."
"I know you can," Logan replies with a smile as he opens the door for her. "Have a good Halloween."
"You, too, Logan."
Logan closes the door behind her and heads back to the kitchen, only to find Dick holding Abi and Veronica nowhere to be seen.
Seeing his confusion, Dick says, "She's gone to get changed."
"Ah, okay. I'd better do the same." Logan gestures toward Abi. "You mind watching her for a few minutes?"
"Sure, no problem, dude. Take your time."
"Thanks." Logan flashes a smile. Dick might be an idiot half the time, but he absolutely dotes on Abigail. "Won't be long. If Mac and Wallace show up, just let them in."
He heads down the hall and enters the bedroom to find Veronica rummaging around in their walk-in closet.
"Hey," he sidles up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist and kissing the side of her head. "Dick's looking after Abi so we can get ready."
"Okay." She nods, flicking through the clothes in the closet.
"So you already know what my Halloween costume is," he says. "Do I get to see yours?"
"Not until I'm wearing it," she responds with a smile. "You'll find out when you're done in the shower."
"Fine." He sighs. "But after all this secrecy, it better be good."
"Oh, I think you'll like it," she says airily, turning in his arms and kissing his lips before pushing at his chest. "Now get in that bathroom already so I can change."
He grins, giving her a cheeky salute. "Yes, ma'am."
Fifteen minutes later, he's back in the bedroom again, freshly-showered and dressed in his costume—a slick 1940's three-piece suit and fedora, reminiscent of a detective in a noir film—and staring at Veronica with a mixture of surprise and lust.
"Wow…"
"You like it?" She gives a twirl, showing off her costume.
She's dressed in a form-fitting white Navy-style jacket and pencil skirt combo, complete with gold trim and a matching hat, and on her feet are white heels.
"Oh, yeah…" is all he can manage, barely able to stop his jaw from dropping at the sight of her.
She grins and steps forward, running her hands up over his chest. Rising up on her toes, she brings her mouth close to his ear. "Just wait until you see what's underneath."
Logan swallows audibly. "Geez, Mars, you can't say stuff like that when we're about to go out in public… and definitely not when Dick is in the other room with our daughter."
She gives a breathy chuckle.
"Just giving you a hint of what's to come later." Taking a step back, she turns towards the bedroom door. "But right now, we have friends coming over and an evening of Trick-or-Treating ahead of us. So, let's get going."