Aquilo - Silhouette.
If Dick Casablancas hadn't already been in hospital, Veronica had half a mind to put him there herself.
Mac had barely reacted after reading the summary Cliff had given her of Dicks intention to reduce their relationship to a surrogacy agreement. A glorified egg donation. His quick summary was no good substitute for consulting with an attorney to file a countersuit but there were additional mentions of him seeking child support if she didn't sign a waiver over any parental rights.
The whole thing made the conditions of Britney Spears conservatorship look like a 5 star luxury vacation by comparison, except there was threats to convict her of kidnapping and human trafficking if she didnt accept strict travel restrictions during the 'incubation period'.
Veronica frowned, catching herself spinning the engagement ring around her finger, surprised to discover how quickly reaching for the rose gold band had become a comforting gesture. No doubt the legal conditions would have been so much worse had the initial ultrasound shown the two amniotic sacs.
Twins, treated as nothing more than pawns and bargaining chip in the Dicks war against Mac when he thought she had been manipulating him to extort monies from his considerable trust fund.
According to Cliff, the rules around surrogacy were few because the US was the Wild West of reproductive medicine and poorly regulated but that it was unlikely the demands would withstand constitutional scrutiny but this was Neptune, and loopholes abound, and prosecutors and judges had broad discretion in these cases, and more than a few were open to bribes.
"The entire thing reads like a Planned Parenthood vs Danforth nightmare."Veronica told Logan who sat at the small table on the balcony digesting the information. His expression was unreadable as he glanced towards the closed door where their friend slept.
He'd returned with a small bag of Mac's things collected from Parker after he left to help Wallace and Piz to move Mac;s things from the dorms and used that patented Echoll's Charm to convince Gia to stay quiet about the latest twin development to buy time. The dark haired socialite had been less happy about her cellphone being held hostage so she couldn't post the internet breaking goss be she had agreed it best to let the mother-to-be spill the tea.
Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook... privacy was quickly becoming a Herculean task.
Logan's gentle treatment of Mac after driving her from the hospital with Wallace reminded her of the tender way Logan had treated the short brunette, offering up some of his clothes that night Cassidy Casablancas taken his own life when the truth came out.
Logan had stayed by her side.
It only occurred to her then, that in staying with her that night had almost cost Logan his friendship with his most loyal friend because while she lay in his arms... Dick had been sobering up in the Sheriff 's Department after identifying his younger brothers body.
It gave Veronica a deeper appreciation of the way that Logan had cared for both of them that night, how his strong arms had never wavered from holding her together, even when their phones started blowing up with reports of Aaron's Echolls death back at the Neptune Grand.
Mac had explained later that out of respect for the bus crash victims and for damage limitation, Dick had been alone at the small service when Cassidy had been cremated. Dick and Madison Sinclair been gone by the end of the week to spend the Summer with his mother in Italy.
Richard Casablancas Snr had fled the country after his ponzi scheme had been exposed and his ex-wife, Dick's mother lived with his step-father between their home in the Park Avenue and the several summer homes they frequented in Europe. The media circus surrounding conspiracy theories over what had really happened to Aaron Echolls, interviews with Sheriff Lamb and meetings between Trina, Logan and his fathers lawyers to organize the funeral had kept the couple very busy. Logan had tried to reach out but Dick avoided his calls and by the time Dick finally responded, it was a terse 'Go to Hell'.
Now it was Logan dodging his friends calls.
Nina had visited the penthouse from the front desk a while ago with a bunch of messages that Dick had been leaving since this afternoon when his former roommate had failed to show during visiting hours.
Mac had been pregnant for over 2 whole months.
How hard must it have been to keep this to herself? Why hadn't she said anything?
Like it or not, her life and Dicks were now intertwined permanently.
"You're sure Gia's not going to say anything?" Veronica asked as Logan looked at the small ultrasound Mac had left on the coffee table.
He nodded. "Took longer to convince Parker that kidnapping wasn't the most viable option but I dont think Gia is going to be a problem."
Veronica sat down beside Logan glancing down at Mac's phone which she had abandoned beside the files so she could get some sleep.
What exactly was Dick texting? Boundaries... no snooping... she sighed trying to control her impulse to examine the device.
"Theres a few from your Dad." he observed handing two of the message slips to her.
"I should call him back." Veronica replied taking the small pieces of paper. "We didnt exactly see eye to eye earlier."
Keith Mars categorically had refused to involve his daughter in the latest murder case of Caitlin Ford.
Neptune Highs criminal element had been one thing he informed her but San Quentin and potential Cartel links were quite another.
Her father wanted her to stay out of this one and concentrate on College. Especially since Professor Landry was returning tomorrow after having appointed Jeff Ratner as his new assistant.
She had found out that tidbit when ordering room service for Mac and his smug face delivered it.
The FBI internship application was just around the corner and she felt guilty even considering it after Mac's latest development.
Logan smoothed a few wayward strands of blonde hair behind her ear and cupped her face. Shyly her blue eyes met his and she blushed under the weight of his gaze.
Veronica had quipped to Logan once that he was neither blonde, nor hot... but truthfully he was so much more. Logan Echolls always had that quality that could make her falter, that charasmatic something which made her heart turn over and her thoughts stop like a record screech.
He was the other hand in hers. Without him, time would be an endless web with no meaning.
"All I care about is you."
His lips quirked a little when he realised they'd both chosen a similar coloured shirt.
"I still dont know how to even think about Dick," she confessed.
"Times like these we need a radio station and a Button." he quickly, smiling weakly when the familiar puzzles crease appeared on her forehead.
"If it involves a U2 song... I saw that episode, didnt work out too well and the weather was terrible." Veronica replied curling into his body.
"Shes asleep now?" he asked.
Veronica nodded. "Yeah.. time spent sleeping is good. I still cant believe she never told me about Dick until Weller. Anybody could have told her it was an enormously terrible idea."
At least asleep she could avoid the painful parts.
Dick had given her a drunken theory once about Passion and Power and how 09ers were both Targets and Trophies, how depending on which side of the privilege coin they chose would be the difference between doing the screwing and getting screwed.
Logan cleared his throat and it was then she got an uncomfortable inkling.
Of course he'd known..
Veronica had been caught up in the Odell investigation and the engagement, she had assumed that things between Mac and her boyfriends roommate were new, like on the cusp of becoming 'something'. Veronica had expected at least a few weeks of Dicks usual OTT antics before either Mac's fugue state receded or another pretty skirt revealed him for the horndog frat bro he always aspired to be.
Logan glanced down at the engagement ring on Veronica's soft fingers briefly, hoping that when this was all over, it would still be there with a matching wedding band.
He sighed regretfully. 'It wasn't my business.'
