Author's Note: Really sorry for the long delay between chapters. I was busy with work and travelling for most of May, and didn't really have any time to write. I know it's not my usual Tuesday posting day, but I'm going on vacation tomorrow and I wanted to get this up before I left :).

Early April 2021

Eleven-and-a-half months old (and nine-and-a-half weeks along)

Blinking sleep from her eyes, Veronica reaches for the freshly-brewed pot of coffee on the kitchen counter, before she remembers she has to control her caffeine intake during pregnancy, and pulls her hand back with a scowl. She opens the cupboard and pulls out a jar of instant decaf instead.

"Morning." Logan's voice behind her snaps her out of her thoughts as she spoons coffee granules into her mug and clicks the kettle on.

"Morning."

She keeps her gaze fixed on the kettle when he kisses her temple, but her eyes slide closed and she gives a sharp intake of breath when his chest brushes against her back, reaching around her for the coffee pot. He settles beside her, hip leaning against the counter as he pours his own caffeine-loaded coffee from the pot.

"Everything okay?"

"Sure." She can see his frown out of the corner of her eye, but she isn't in the mood to talk. The kettle clicks off and she busies herself with making her crappy coffee. Like it's even gonna help me wake up. "I'm fine."

"Veronica…"

"Dada!" Abi shouts for his attention from her high chair next to the table.

Logan gives Veronica a bemused look before turning his attention to their daughter.

"Good morning, baby girl," he coos, crossing the room. Veronica glances at him long enough to see him take a seat beside Abi's chair and reach out to tweak her toes. "You're hungry, aren't you? Mommy not fixed your breakfast yet?"

"Mommy's about to do it," mutters Veronica. "Just let her have her gross coffee first."

There's a sigh behind her, before Logan says again, "Veronica…"

"Leave it, Logan, okay?" she tells him. "I'm just tired."

Before he can take the conversation any further, she busies herself with opening the fridge and gathering up the ingredients she needs for scrambled eggs and bacon. She works in silence for a couple minutes, absently listening to Logan and Abi chattering to each other, before Logan clears his throat.

"So, where are we on Abi's birthday preparations?" he asks carefully, tone slightly cautious. "It is next weekend."

"I know." Veronica bites back a sigh as she stirs the eggs. "I think Dad's looking into hiring a space, though it's not like we have a ton of kids coming or anything. It'll pretty much only be Abi, plus Chaos and Sarah's kids if they can make it."

"An all-adults first birthday party? That's kind of sad." Logan's half-amused, half-sorrowful tone makes her turn to face him. He's staring at Abi in thought. "Maybe we should have signed her up to one of those baby playgroups… found her some friends of her own. There's a group on base; I could ask around."

"Maybe…" she murmurs absently while internally grimacing at the thought of having to make nice with other moms and their bratty kids.

Her scowl turns into a soft smile, however, when Abi wriggles in her seat and holds out her hands to her father pleadingly. Logan's lips twitch, his eyes flitting to Veronica for a moment, before he grins and gives in, lifting her up and into his lap. An image of him with two children in his lap springs to her mind, toddler Abi in one arm and a bundled-up newborn in the other. Her heart skips a beat before she clamps down on it and frowns, returning to the topic at hand.

"If Dad doesn't find anywhere though," she says, "we can just have a small party here."

Logan looks up at her then, concern in his eyes for a moment, before his expression clears and he nods. "Sure."

Two nights later finds Logan lying on his back in bed, hands splayed across his stomach, unable to sleep. Sending a quick glance in Veronica's direction—she's dead to the world, curled on her side with her back to him—he sighs heavily and turns his gaze to the ceiling. He needs to talk to her, he knows that. He needs to tell her how he's feeling. But it's not that simple. For a start, he doesn't even know how to broach the subject with her, especially since she's been prickly with him the last few days. He hopes her bad mood is just due to hormones and morning sickness and not something he's said or done.

The sound of whimpering penetrates the silence of the room, and Logan's head snaps to the baby monitor resting on the nightstand. Reaching for it, he slides the volume down just as Abi starts to cry, and frowns in concern as he slides from the bed. They've stopped her overnight feedings now, and she's been good at sleeping through the night lately, so something must be wrong for her to be awake and crying at this time of night. Padding out of the room, he heads down the hall towards her room. Slipping inside, he quickly pushes the door closed, and turns to find her standing up in her crib, fingers grasping the bars, her face screwed up and red as she cries.

Logan immediately crosses the room and lifts her into his arms, holding her close to his chest and stroking the back of her head soothingly.

"Hey, sweetheart, it's okay," he murmurs, rocking her gently. "What's wrong, huh? Did you have a bad dream?"

She buries her head in his shoulder, her chest hitching as the tears continue to fall. "Mama?"

"Mama's sleeping, baby girl," Logan says regretfully. "You'll have to put up with me instead."

"Mama!" she repeats more forcefully.

"Sorry, sweetheart, no can do," Logan tells her, as he checks her diaper, finding it damp. "Let's get you changed, okay?"

He carries her over to the changing table, and murmurs soothing words as he cleans her up and changes her diaper. By the time he's done, her cries have quieted to soft whimpers, and her eyes are starting to close again.

"That's it," he tells her encouragingly, lifting her up and crossing back to the crib. "Go back to sleep now, okay?"

Settling her back down in her bed, her eyes finally closing completely, Logan rests his hands on the top of the crib and gazes down at her with a soft smile. There's a tug of emotion in his chest and he presses his lips together to keep himself in check as he leans in and strokes Abi's cheek with the back of his finger. She's everything to him. She and Veronica are the best things to have ever happened to him; he can't imagine ever living without them.

So why is he hesitating over his future? Why can't he just break the ties with the Navy and move on, with them?

He wants to stay here, in Neptune, with his family; of course he does, that's not even a question. He wants to be around to see Abi grow and develop, to raise her and the new baby with Veronica, to spend every day with them. But, he also wants to continue serving in the Navy; he wants to fly his jet, fight the good fight, serve his country. He wants to get that promotion to Lieutenant Commander next year, and maybe reach Commander in a few years… or perhaps even Captain someday.

Both his family and his career are so important to him. He certainly can't survive without the former—the thought of ever losing Veronica and Abi is unbearable—but he can't live without the Navy either. It's part of him now, just like Veronica is, and he's in the prime of his career. He's not ready to give it all up and leave it behind just yet.

"What am I gonna do, baby girl?" he whispers, smoothing a hand over Abi's soft, blonde curls. "Huh? Can you help Daddy decide what to do? Because I sure don't have a clue."

"Logan?"

He stiffens, his gaze flying to the door to see Veronica easing it open, looking confused. She enters the room and tiptoes over to him.

"What are you doing in here?" she asks in a whisper, her arms sliding around his waist.

"Couldn't sleep." He shrugs, gazing down at the sleeping baby again. "Abi was up, so I figured we'd hang out for a bit."

He closes his eyes as her lips press against his bare shoulder. Her breath skims across his skin as she says, "Come back to bed?"

He gives a soft sigh. "I'm not tired, Veronica. Can't sleep, remember?"

"Who said anything about sleeping?" she murmurs suggestively, her hand flattening against his stomach before sliding southwards.

Logan's eyes pop open and his hands grip the top of the crib as she cups him through his boxers, her palm rubbing against his cock. His stomach muscles contract as heat rushes to his groin.

"Shit, Veronica," he manages, the words coming out with a hiss.

"Come back to bed," she repeats, voice soft and seductive. "I'm sure we can find a way to tire you out."

Without waiting for an answer, she steps back and slips her hand into his, tugging him towards the door. Logan follows, though his heart is still heavy, as she leads him back to their bedroom. Slipping under the covers, they meet in the middle, lying on their sides facing each other. Logan smiles softly at Veronica, before reaching out to slide his fingers along her temple, then across her cheek, mimicking the caress he gave Abi just a few minutes ago.

Leaning forward so their noses are touching, he whispers, "I love you."

She smiles, her expression soft. "Love you, too."

They make love gently and quietly, as if neither of them wants to spoil the soft calm between them. But for Logan, it's almost more affecting than if they were caught up in the throes of fiery passion… because it brings home exactly how sacred their relationship is, how important Veronica is to him. How much he needs her and can't live without her.

"Good afternoon, Veronica," Dr. Williams greets Veronica with a smile as she enters the examination room for her prenatal appointment late Friday afternoon. "Take a seat."

"Afternoon, Dr. Williams," she says with a nod, sinking down into one of the chairs in front of the desk.

"Your husband not joining us today?"

"He's on his way," Veronica informs her. "He got held up in San Diego."

It's just typical that the one afternoon she has free, and that Heather is able to stay late to watch Abi, is the one afternoon that Logan ends up getting delayed at the base.

"Okay." The doctor nods in understanding. "Well, we can wait until he gets here before we do the ultrasound."

"Great."

Dr. Williams links her fingers together, leaning forward on the desk with a kind expression on her face. "Before we get to the routine tests, though, how are you doing, Veronica? I know this pregnancy has come as a surprise to you. How are you dealing with the adjustment?"

Uncomfortable, Veronica looks down at her hands for a moment, before sighing. "Honestly? Not that well."

"How so?"

"I just—I guess I'm having trouble… accepting it, you know? That I'm having another baby," she says softly. "I mean… I didn't ask for this; I didn't plan to be pregnant right now. I didn't even think it was possible. But now it's actually happening and it feels like—"

She stops abruptly, feeling guilty about voicing what's running through her mind right now.

"It feels like what, Veronica?" asks the doctor gently. "Anything you say in here is confidential, and judgement-free."

Veronica purses her lips for a moment, considering how best to phrase what she's feeling.

"I just… I can't connect with it, Doctor. I mean, I know I'm pregnant; I have all the symptoms: morning sickness, sore boobs, crazy hormones, but it doesn't feel real to me." She looks down guiltily. "It almost feels like there's this, I don't know, this, like, alien being invading my body without my consent. But that's an awful thing to think, right? God, I'm a horrible person."

Dr. Williams shakes her head, her expression becoming sympathetic. "You're not a horrible person, Veronica. Far from it. Look, how you're feeling right now, you're not alone. In fact, it's more common than you'd think."

"Really?" She blinks in surprise.

"Yes, really. It's perfectly understandable that an unexpected pregnancy could make you feel this way, especially when you didn't think you could have any more kids."

"I guess," she murmurs. "I just feel guilty, you know? We went through so much to conceive Abi, and back then, the thought of not being able to have children was devastating. And now, it feels like we've been offered this amazing gift... so, how can I not want it? Don't get me wrong, it's not like I don't want another kid someday. I just don't know if I can have one now."

"Look, Veronica, I don't have all the answers here, but I can tell you that you have nothing to feel guilty about. Nothing at all. How you feel is how you feel; it's not right or wrong, it just is," Dr. Williams tells her plainly. "But there is support out there if you need it, if you'd like?"

Veronica nods slowly. "Okay. Thank you."

"Here." Dr. Williams hands her some pamphlets and a list of numbers. "Have a look at these, see what you think. There's a lot of helpful information and contact details for various organisations in there."

"Thanks." Veronica quickly slips them into her purse.

"And look, you're still only ten weeks along," the doctor adds. "You do still have options."

Veronica nods again, the doctor's words ringing in her mind. Options. She has options.

There's no need to ask what one of those options is, but is it something she could even consider doing? And what about Logan, how would he feel if she told him she didn't want to have his baby anymore? He's been over the moon about the pregnancy since they found out; breaking that news to him would be crushing.

But what about you, Veronica? a small voice in the back of her mind pipes up. What do you want?

Fuck if I know, she responds silently. I have no idea what to do.

She's saved from having to reply to the doctor by a knock on the door, Logan popping his head around the door when Dr. Williams calls for him to come in.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologises quickly, slipping into the room and taking a seat beside Veronica. "Traffic was a bitch. Did I miss anything?"

"No." Veronica gives him a small smile. "We were waiting for you."

She glances at Dr. Williams, but the woman just straightens in her chair and smiles, their previous conversation forgotten for the moment.

"Now that we're all here," the doctor says, "shall we take a look at your baby?"

"Sure."

While Dr. Williams is getting the ultrasound ready, Veronica slides onto the examination table and lifts her shirt, revealing the very slight roundness of her stomach. As Logan comes to sit next to her and slips his hand in hers, she catches the doctor's eye briefly. Dr. Williams just smiles encouragingly and gives a slight nod, before asking if she's ready, then squeezing the cold gel onto her skin.

"Okay, here we are," she says, moving the ultrasound wand over Veronica's stomach until she finds the right place. "There's the head, see? And right there is an arm, and oh, a leg too."

"Veronica, would you look at that?" murmurs Logan beside her, voice filled with awe as his fingers link with hers.

Veronica swallows as she stares at the fuzzy images on the screen. That's her baby growing in her belly. It has a head, and tiny arms and legs, and she's…she's not feeling anything.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

"Would you like to listen to the heartbeat?"

"Yes, of course," Logan says immediately, and Dr. Williams looks to Veronica with a questioning glance.

Veronica nods in agreement, not trusting her voice right now. The doctor adjusts the ultrasound, presses a switch, and the room is suddenly filled with the fast whoosh-whooshing of a fetal heartbeat. Logan sucks in a breath, his fingers squeezing hers as he exhales a low 'wow', but Veronica's gaze is fixed on the ultrasound screen, the sound of her baby's heartbeat rushing in her ears.

She feels torn. On the one hand she wants to be happy—she wants to feel the same excitement about this baby that she felt when she was pregnant with Abi—but something's holding her back. Something's telling her it's too soon, that she's not going to be able to cope with another baby right now, that this isn't how things are supposed to be.

"I'm just going to take some measurements of the baby," says Dr. Williams, when they've finished listening to the heartbeat. "And there are a just a couple of tests we need to do while you're here."

They spend another thirty minutes in the doctor's office, and by the time they leave, Veronica is feeling drained. In fact, she's glad she and Logan came in separate cars because the drive home will give her some breathing space and time to think.

She takes the long way home, and by the time she arrives back at the beach house, Logan has already sent Heather home and is sitting on the couch, Abi nestled in his lap as he reads her a story. She smiles at the sight of them together, Abi pointing at the pictures in the wooden book, pressing her hands against the pages as she babbles away, but inside she feels even more conflicted than before.

Can she really see herself raising two kids while still being able to keep her career? Can she live with herself if she decides not to have this baby? What if this pregnancy is her only chance to have another child—shouldn't she be embracing the opportunity now, cherishing it, and not considering the alternative?

Logan glances up, noticing her, and smiles widely. "Hey."

"Hey," she responds, crossing the room and sinking down onto the couch beside him, tucking herself under his outstretched arm.

"Get lost on the way home?" he teases, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

She shrugs, running her hand over Abi's head. "Just felt like taking the scenic route."

Logan's silent for a moment, before he asks softly, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Veronica forces a smile. "But don't stop reading on my account; I wanna hear this story, too."

Later, when he's put Abi down to sleep and Veronica's taking a shower, Logan heads into the kitchen and starts clearing away the dinner plates, stacking them into the dishwasher. When he's done, he moves into the living room to tidy up the toys still scattered across the floor. He's in the process of retrieving two missing stacking blocks from under the couch when he accidentally knocks Veronica's purse off the cushions, its contents spilling out onto the floor.

"Shit."

He starts gathering up her things and shoving them back into the purse, but stops when his hand closes around a pile of hospital pamphlets. Curious, he smooths them out, and then frowns, his stomach dropping, blood rushing from his face, when he sees what's written on them.

"What the fuck?"

His fingers tightening around the papers, he stands, and, clenching his jaw, marches down the hall to their bedroom.

"Veronica!" He enters the room, closing the door behind him with a little more force than necessary. "Veronica!"

"What?" She pokes her head around the bathroom door, looking confused. "And keep your voice down; you'll wake Abi."

She disappears into the bathroom again, so Logan strides across the room, looming in the en-suite doorway as he holds the pamphlets up, fist closed around them.

"What the hell are these?"

She looks up at his harsh tone, looking taken aback for a moment before her eyes widen as she realises what he's holding.

"Where did you find those?" She avoids the question.

"I accidentally knocked your purse over just now and they fell out," he says through gritted teeth. "Care to explain?"

She sucks in a deep breath, looking like she's been caught red-handed. "Logan, I—"

"You what, huh?" he spits out. "You can explain? Well, go on, then. I'm extremely interested to know why the fuck you have leaflets about abortion in your purse!"

"Logan, please, just calm down for a minute and listen."

"Calm down? Are you crazy?!" he exclaims. "I just found out my wife wants to abort our child, a child I thought we both wanted."

"You don't understand," she tries again. "It's not what—"

"Not what I think?" he cuts in again. "Seriously? You're gonna pull that one?"

"Logan!" she shouts suddenly, anger clear in her voice. "Will you just shut the fuck up and let me explain?"

He snaps his mouth shut, before giving a huff and muttering, "This better be good."

"Can we go sit down?" She starts for the bedroom, looking back at him beseechingly. "Please?"

Logan stares at her for a moment, nostrils flaring slightly before he gives a reluctant nod. "Fine."

He follows Veronica back into the bedroom, but when she slides onto the bed, propping herself up against the headboard, he declines to join her. Instead he takes a seat on the edge of the mattress, waiting impatiently for her to speak.

"Okay, let's hear it," he demands, his voice tight, anger barely controlled

She just gives him a pointed look, eyebrow raised. "Only if you calm down and act rationally."

He scowls for a moment, before giving another nod, finally letting the tension fall from his shoulders.

"Thank you." She exhales slowly. "Dr. Williams gave me those this afternoon, before you arrived."

"Why the hell—?"

"Hey, no interrupting," she cuts him off sternly. "I'm talking now."

Defeated, he relents, even though a multitude of questions are running through his mind.

"Look, I know you've noticed I haven't been myself lately," she continues. "If I'm honest, I've been having a hard time adjusting to being pregnant again."

She stops for a long moment, and Logan takes that as his cue to ask softly, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we didn't plan for this, Logan," she says. "I didn't expect or want to be pregnant again right now… neither of us even thought it could happen. And Abi isn't even a year old yet; it's just all happening so quickly."

Logan feels like he's been punched in the stomach, his voice coming out strangled as he says, "Wait, you're saying you don't want another baby?"

"I'm not saying that," she tells him, looking pained. "It's just that… I didn't ask for this, you know? It wasn't my choice."

"But it's… it's a gift right?" he sputters, feeling lost, his anger turning to confusion. "That's what you said before; because you're pregnant when it shouldn't be possible."

"I know I did, but that was when I'd just found out. I was still in shock."

"So, what are you saying, exactly?"

She looks at him seriously for a moment before speaking again.

"I'm having trouble… connecting… with this baby, Logan. With the fact that there's another piece of you and me growing in here." Her hand moves to her stomach. "This afternoon, at the ultrasound, you were completely enthralled, and I was just… I was looking at that screen and hearing the heartbeat, and I felt nothing. No excitement, no protectiveness… nothing. It was like it was happening to someone else."

Logan inhales sharply, unsure how to digest what she's saying. "Veronica…"

"I don't want to feel like this, Logan," she admits, her voice cracking. "I want to enjoy this experience, I want to want this baby, but I just…I don't. It feels like my body's being used without my consent."

"You're saying you want to… get rid of our baby?" Logan murmurs, feeling shell-shocked.

"No, I mean… I don't know, Logan," she says helplessly. "But being pregnant right now; it's not the right time. I'm not ready."

"So, you told Dr. Williams this, and she just, what, told you to get an abortion?" Logan scowls.

"No. Of course not." She shakes her head vehemently. "She just pointed out that there are options and she gave me some information to read through and think about." She nods to the pamphlets still in his hand. "But I don't know what to do, Logan. I mean, what if this is it, our only chance? What if it's now or never?"

"Veronica…" Logan sighs, his mind reeling with all of this new information.

"What am I supposed to do, Logan?" She looks up at him, tears glistening in her eyes, and his heart goes out to her.

He licks his lips, then presses them together. What is she supposed to do? How am I supposed to answer that?

"Look," he says eventually, releasing the leaflets and discarding them on the bed. "I'm not going to pretend I know how you feel, because there's no way I can, but if you'll let me, I can tell you how I feel."

"Okay." She nods in agreement.

"Look, you're an amazing mom, Veronica, and you can do this. I've said this before, but you are the strongest person I've ever met, and I know you can handle this." He pauses, taking a breath. "But I also know that's not what you need to hear right now, because deep down, you know all of that too."

"Logan—" she starts, but he presses a finger to her lips, shaking his head.

"No interrupting, okay? Let me say this." When she relaxes, he continues. "Look, it's no secret how I feel about this baby. I want nothing more than to have another child with you. But I also need you to be happy. And if this baby isn't going to make you happy, then—"

"Wait, no," she says suddenly, placing her hand over his mouth to stop him. "Don't finish that sentence."

"Why not?" he says from beneath her hand, his voice muffled.

"Because you're supposed to be telling me all the reasons why I need to have this baby, not telling me it's okay to… you know, do something about it."

"Huh?" Logan frowns in confusion, as his fingers wrap around her wrist and gently remove her hand from his mouth. "I don't understand. I thought…"

"Yeah, I know," is all she says, heaving a sigh and looking down at her hands in her lap.

"Veronica…" Logan reaches over and takes her hands in his, forcing her look up at him. "I get that this is hard for you. You already have enough on your plate, with Abi still being so young, and you going back to work. I can understand where you're coming from."

"You can?"

"Yes, I can." He nods, giving her a small smile. "But, you need to ask yourself: what happens if you do make that decision? Can you live with it? Can you handle the consequences? Would you be able to deal with the fact that you didn't keep it, if you found out you couldn't get pregnant again?"

Veronica looks away, closing her eyes as she appears to consider that. After a few moments of steady inhales and exhales, she turns to look at him again.

"Honestly? I don't think I would," she admits softly.

"I'm not sure I could, either," he agrees, lifting her hands to his lips and gently kissing her knuckles.

"I guess that makes my decision, then," she says. "I'm having this baby."

"Yes, I guess it does," he replies, internally breathing a huge sigh of relief.

Despite what he just said, the idea of her making that decision… he can't bear to think about it.

"I'm just gonna have to get past this… issue I'm having." She gives a sigh. "God, I thought this—having another baby—would be something we discussed and planned for, you know? Something we put thought and preparation into. I thought it'd be something we'd have to make happen because it wouldn't on its own. It wasn't supposed to come out of nowhere like this."

"I know," he agrees. "And you're right, it really isn't ideal timing right now."

"No, it's not," she acknowledges. "But you know, after October, you'll be around more to help as well. You'll be here all the time, no more deployments."

Shit. Logan freezes, eyes wide, though he schools his features as quickly as he can. It's too late though, she's seen his reaction.

"What?" she asks, eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?"

"About, um… that," he starts awkwardly. "There's something I need to tell you. I've been putting it off, but—"

"Logan, what is it?" She looks alarmed.

He takes a moment to steel himself for what he needs to say, before forging ahead.

"I know I said I'd figure it out, the whole not re-enlisting thing, but the truth is…" He stops, swallows, tries again. "The truth is, leaving the Navy now… I don't think I can do it."

"What?" She looks a little shocked. "Why not? But you said—"

"I know what I said." He nods. "And at the time, I meant it, but I'm just not ready to give it up. This is my career, Veronica. It's this huge part of me, and I don't know what I'd do without it."

Veronica frowns, straightening as she opens her mouth to protest, but then she snaps it shut and gives a relenting sigh.

"I know." At his questioning look, she elaborates, "We've had this discussion before, remember? Before we knew about the baby. We decided you were gonna re-enlist, because it was the best thing for you."

"Yeah, we did." He nods. "But like you said, that was before. What am I gonna do now, Veronica? I need to be here, with you, and Abi, and the baby… but I also need the Navy in my life. I just don't see how I can make it work."

Veronica extracts her hand from his and leans forward, reaching out to run her thumb across his cheek.

"Is this why you've been so quiet lately? You've been dealing with this on your own?" At his despondent nod, she shakes her head in sympathy. "Logan, you should have said something."

He can't help but give a small, wry smile. "Isn't that exactly what you've been doing? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Touché," she acknowledges with a similar smile, before she turns back to the topic at hand. "So, what are our options here? I mean, if you re-enlist, what kind of deployment timeline are we looking at? Would you have to leave right away, or could you stay stateside for a while first?"

"I don't know." He shakes his head helplessly.

"You haven't even asked?" She looks incredulous and he gives a sheepish shrug. "Logan, why not?"

"I've always just gone where they've told me to," he admits. "I never thought to question it."

"You?" Her expression turns sceptical. "Logan 'Mouth' Echolls didn't question his authority figures when he was given orders? What has happened to you?"

He shoots her a glare, but she doesn't look phased. In fact, her expression turns serious.

"You need to talk to your CO, Logan," she says reasonably. "See if there are any other options available to you."

"I know. I will."

"Good." She gives a tired smile, before sinking back against the pillows. "So, our shit's all out in the open now. Went pretty well, don't you think?"

Logan nods. "I was expecting yelling and shouting, maybe being relegated to the couch for the night."

"Me, too."

"I'm glad to see we're mature enough to talk about these things calmly and rationally."

She raises a disbelieving eyebrow. "You call stomping into the bathroom and angrily waving hospital leaflets in my face calm and rational?"

He winces. "Yeah, sorry about that. I overreacted."

"Ya think?" They share a smile, before Veronica pats the mattress beside her in invitation. "Get over here. You're too far away."

He complies, rounding the end of the bed and joining her against the pillows. Lifting his arm, he pulls her to his side for a hug, and she curls up beside him.

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he murmurs, "Everything's gonna be okay. We'll get through this, I promise."