A.N Okay, it took me four years to wrap up this story. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I really cannot believe it's been four years. That's just wrong. I remember starting this chapter and I never got around to completing it. But here it is, the ending, finally.
Veronica gives the tall blond a hard glare, smacking his shoulder, "Stop staring at my boobs."
He throw his hands up, defensively and argues, "I can't help it; it's huge!"
Her blue eyes narrow onto him but the verbal smack down she has at the tip of her tongue is interrupted by a hard sneeze followed by a moan of pain.
Dick's eyes grow huge, panic setting in, he jumps up and starts yelling, "Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh. My. God. Logan! Veronica's going into labor!"
Eyes wide, Veronica tries to hush the boy before her, assuring him that she isn't actually going into labor. He takes several deep breaths to calm himself down and quizzed, "Are you sure? You look like you're going to explode." Her glare is hard on him and he stammers to an awkward stop as he tries to backtrack. "I mean, like you need more food," comes his pitchy attempt of redemption as he looks for an escape.
She continues in her silent glare until he's a stammering mess that's offering her food and backing away into the house. She leans back, satisfied and listens to Lilly and Meg chatter as her eyes drift close.
Her hands rest on her round heavy belly, slight smile on her lips and allows herself to relax with the warmth of the sun kissing over her skin.
In the midst of her relaxation, she feels her little munchkin kick. Her eyes fly open and whispers for Meg and Lilly to scoot over and feel their soon-to-be niece move about like they've been eagerly asking for.
Their eyes brighten, smiles dancing on their lips as they rush over. As gently as they can, they lay their hands over her bump and wait to feel the next kick.
They smile, softly cooing and baiting the baby for more. Veronica chuckles softly, amused with their antics, she knew the sensation was a fond experience however she was less fond of the kicking at this point, mostly because it made her want to pee a lot.
"How does it feel?" Meg asks, turning her attention away from Veronica's belly to her face.
"Definitely has the soccer-playing genes, this one," she pats her stomach for emphasis, chuckling along with her words.
"Uhm no. We're totally gonna make her a cheerleader," Lilly throws in, her ear now pressed against Veronica's bump with hopes to hear more movement.
Veronica arches an eyebrow, looking down at her best friend. "Do you want Logan to throw a fit?"
"As if Logan's gonna let her play soccer," Lilly snorts as though it were more ridiculous than her cheerleader suggestion. Abandoning her mission to listen in on any womb activity for the moment, Lilly raises to a straightened position and remarks, "He totally had wet dreams about you in your soccer uniform."
Meg lets out a sharp giggle, covering her mouth as she tries to stop while Lilly grins with a nod and an it's true as Veronica exclaims the heiress' name in embarrassed objection.
Hormones were a dangerous thing and Veronica has a lot of them. It's especially dangerous when the person she loves is hotter than a summer's day. She has a bit of a problem in keeping her hands to herself and he doesn't mind, actually eagerly encouraging it – most of the time.
She sneaks her foot along his leg, waggling her brows much like he does and melodically sang, "I just can't get you out of my head. Boy, your loving is all I think about."
Logan swallows thickly and gives her a pained look. "Veronica..."
She purses her lips, tilting her head and chirps, "Yes?"
He inhales a sharp breath. "Stop it."
She batters her lashes and innocently asks, "Stop what?"
A strangled breath escapes him as her fingers curls onto his thigh. "Your dad's gonna murder me."
She pouts, pointing out, "You already got me pregnant."
He lets out a hollow breath. "I don't think he sees it that way, bobcat."
She coaxingly says, "We can just say that Lilly wants us over for dinner."
A humorless chuckle escapes his throat, "You want me to lie to the guy who casually slips in death threats in the middle of our conversations?"
"He wants me to be happy Logan." She licks her glossy lips and whispers, "And you can make me very happy."
He closes his eyes for a moment, trying with all his might to not show her just how happy he could make her. Her dad was in the bathroom, he reminds himself time and time again.
He swallows, his eyelids fluttering open, immediately directed to her lips.
She bites on her lower lip and he so badly wants to be the one sucking on them. "You're killing me here," he agonizingly breaths out.
Her eyes stare deeply into his. "What do you think you've been doing to me?"
A long, intense moment passes between them before a hand came to rest on their shoulders. "Ready to go?" Keith chirps, effectively breaking their moment
Logan gulped down his glass of water while Veronica turned her attention to her father and asks, "Where are we going?"
Keith arches an eyebrow at his daughter. "Didn't your mother tell you? We're having dinner there tonight."
Veronica silently groans, her head dropping to Logan's shoulder and he presses a light kiss on her head.
"Hey, honey," Lianne smiles, welcoming her daughter with a warm hug.
"Hey mom," she offers a small smile and returns the hug even though she'd rather not.
"Logan. Keith." Lianne nods at the duo with an uneasy smile.
Veronica lets out a breath. Well, this isn't awkward at all.
Logan's eyes widens when he spots a familiar face already seated in the lounge. "Mom?"
It's been awhile since her mother and father have actually been in the same room longer than five minutes. Veronica wonders how her parents felt being apart but still in each others lives. She appreciates that they tried so hard for her yet the undeniable tug at her heart every time she realized that they weren't together still weighed heavily.
It's the small things that somehow managed to make her feel an overwhelming sense of loss in the middle of the night.
Veronica's somewhat aware of her father and Lynn chattering with Logan's embarrassed interjected comments but her eyes lingers around the home that her mother had made for herself and she wonders if her mother is happier now compared to two months ago.
It's the sound of her name that brings her out of her thoughts, her gaze shifts from the picture frame of her and her mother onto Lynn.
"Honey, are you okay?" Her father asks, concerned eyes and an encouraging smile.
Her head bobs in response. "Just anxiously awaiting some of mom's lasagna. Gotta tell ya, this kid loves to eat."
Everyone chuckles heartily and Veronica feels slightly better. "Got it from her mamma, I see," Lynn light-heartily adds in with a wink.
Veronica laughs, "I hope she appreciates the fact that I gave her good taste in food, if it were up to Logan, all she'd eat is kale and steamed chicken."
"Ah yes because a healthy lifestyle is such a curse," he chirps smarmily.
"So you get it now!" Veronica returns, clapping her hands with her over-enthused response.
Lynn smiles appreciative of the bantering pair with Keith chiming in his own remarks and Lianne hurrying everyone to the table, declaring dinner ready.
It had taken its toll when Aaron died, a part of her saddened that the person she once loved was gone and another part of her that finally felt relieved of her burdens.
There's a message engraved on a lighter that her father had given to her long ago that read "free at last" and it's now that she's actually starting to feel the true meaning of that message.
It's completely unorthodox, she knows well enough, to allow your teenage son to become a father. There's much to consider, she knew all too well.
(They'd gone over a long list of pros and cons and Lynn had taken it upon herself to make financial arrangements for the baby and Veronica - which she hopes Veronica isn't too mad about when Lynn gets around to actually telling the mother-to-be.)
Lynn can undoubtedly say that she never found it in her heart to feel regret for the baby blooming within her hopefully would-be-daughter-in-law. She knows that they are still too young to be married yet but she's seen the love her son feels for Veronica Mars and she's proud, happy and completely ready to be there for them through it all.
She has demons of her own that she's still facing off, slowly but surely she's getting somewhere and being surrounded by family is something that she desperately needs.
She looks at Veronica and is unburdened with all the worries of Logan's future, she sees the love and adoration behind the blonde's blue eyes. She can now easily dismiss all the 'what if's' that used to haunt her when she thought of Logan's lifestyle and future.
She's surprised at how mature he's become and how paternal he has already become. There's an incredibly selfish part within Lynn that is immensely relieved that the girl her son knocked up is Veronica Mars.
It's well past midnight when Veronica's sprawled in her mother's lounge, re-watching Scary Movie and munching on popcorn.
She can't sleep, she doesn't want to lay in bed and let her mind be consumed with questions she doesn't have answers to and Logan wasn't responding to any of her texts. She figured television was the next best thing.
She's about half hour in when her phone buzzes sporadically.
Can you open your window, please?
Her heart hammers against her chest as she throws the blanket off her. She peaks outside and breaks out in a smile when she sees him leaning against his jackass yellow X-terra.
She messages him to come through the front door, telling him that her mother was sound asleep and the sound of the television would filter any noises he made.
"Logan? What are you doing here?" She whispers, letting him in and closes the door as quietly as possible.
He shrugs, soft smile on his face and whispers, "I missed you."
She melts a little inside at the way his voice sounds, at the way he's looking at her and at the words itself.
She lets out a soft sigh, taking him in with her eyes for a second before wrapping her arms around him. She'd missed him too.
He presses a kiss to her head and his eyes are drawn to the television screen, "Are you watching Scary Movie?"
She chuckles against his brown jacket. "I had nothing better to do."
"Ah, the curses of the bored and lonely. I'm here to rescue you."
She peaks up at him, tilting her head slightly and asks, "You are?"
He hums, touching her nose with his and asks against her lips, "Wanna sneak out for a bit?"
She presses her lips against his, shaking her head slightly, she lightly whispers, "Logan Echolls, you're so gonna get me grounded."
He chuckles, forehead resting on hers. "We could always go up to your room instead."
"Mmmm," she hums, comfortable in his embrace. She wouldn't mind just standing in his arms the entire night. "Both such viable options to get me in trouble," she tsks, drawing back with her hands firmly attached to his shirt. She looks him in the eyes and says, "You're lucky I love you."
"I really am," he earnestly replies, tucking her a little closer to him.
She smiles into the cool air as she's safely tucked into Logan's chest, his arms keeping her nice and warm as they watch the waves crash to the shore at 2AM. She feels content, despite the odds stacked against them, she feels like they can make it. She knows they can.
His icy nose nuzzles against her neck and sends shivers through her. He chuckles, pressing a light kiss to the spot. "Hot chocolate, m'lady?"
"Please and thank you," she smiles, moving aside a bit to let him pour them both a cup before settling back into him.
Sometimes, when she watches him and her life feels surreal. Being with him, falling in love with him, having a future with him.
She remembers back when she first met him, they were so different. She'd never imagined - well, maybe she did imagine that in some what if world where they liked each other and were brave enough to admit it - but in this world she didn't think it was possible for her to be in a mutual loving relationship with Logan Echolls.
She inches forward and a little bit higher, pecking his mouth slightly. He's surprised - pleasantly so - and smiles. He leans down and gives her a soft kiss back.
"I love you," she whispers against his lips, forehead to forehead with the taste of hot chocolate on their tongues. "I love you so much."
He wants to question what's brought on this burst of affection, instead he revels in the absolute joy that floods through his veins at the sound of those words. It never fails to bring warmth to his heart when she says those words to him.
He kisses her again, deeper and seconds longer. "I love you, Veronica. So much."
She lets out a shaky sigh of a breath, her nose pressed into his and she lets go.
She still has many doubtful thoughts about their future, particularly when she's alone in the dark and sleep evades her. But when she's with him, she's calm and clear minded. There's no doubts that everything is going to be okay.
Veronica doesn't particularly think of herself as an artsy type. She's a thinker. She's good at admiring art. She's good at giving her opinions on art. Making art? It's not on the head of her resume.
But the Total Eclipse of the Heart is rounding the corner and she's in the committee and she needs to get things done.
It sucks.
She doesn't even want to go to the dance this year.
She's in the middle of drawing a cupid's arrows when she felt Logan's lips peck her cheek and settle beside her.
"What's this?"
"Mmmm," she hums. "It's babygirl's first drawing from the womb," she quips, trying to draw relatively decent lines.
His mouth curls into a half grin, amused. "She's a real Piccaso that one. Wanna give my baby girl a break? I've got lunch," he persuades.
She grins widely, eyeing the bag as Logan separated the food. "You don't have to ask me twice."
"So, total eclipse of the heart," he muses, he's wondered what the protocol was here. Did he have to ask? Or was it assumed that they'd go together? "What were you thinking we'd go as?"
"I'm not going," she easily replies, absent-mindedly digging into her food.
His brows furrow. "Because I didn't ask? I knew I shouldn't have assumed -"
"No, no," she interrupts him, mouth half stuffed and dismissive. "I'm not going at all."
"Why?"
"Because," she feels herself become exhausted before she could even begin with her reasons. "All that's gonna happen is that my feet is gonna hurt, my head will ache, I'll feel fat with those size zeroes around me. I'm bound to scratch one of those catty girls' eyes out. So it's best if I stay in and watch South Park. Or maybe Carrie. You know, emphasis why school dances is more like a horror movie than not."
"You're not fat, Veronica. You're pregnant. And no one's gonna say anything."
She sighs, she knows that no matter what he said, no matter how valid his reasoning would be, she knew that she wouldn't go.
"You want me to be happy, right?" She asks as casual as can be, fully knowing the answer to be a definitive yes.
"You know that's all I want," his voice soft and reassuring; she's touched at the genuinely despite her casualness of the question.
"Going there isn't going to make me happy," she'd already decided. "If you want to go, then by all means," she doesn't intend for it to sound so harsh but she doesn't want to stop him from going to the dance either. It's a high school experience that she doesn't want him to miss even though there's a part of her that selfishly doesn't want him to go at all.
"I'm not going to go if you're not there," he readily answers. "You don't wanna go then fine. I just don't want you to miss out on anything."
"Ah yes, I guess I might miss mocking the 80s hair do but that's what cameras are for, right?" She jokes, lightly smiling and he grins ever so slightly.
She ignores the part of her that feels a sense of longing to be a normal teenager and just dance with her boyfriend for one night. She's accepted that there's things that she can't do since she's become pregnant but she can't deny that a part of her wishes she could.
"Rooonniieee, lookie what I have," Dick waggles his brows as he jiggles a small blue bowl in front of Veronica.
She glances up at him, warily and peeks into the offered bowl. "A bowl of cashews, just what you wanted, right?" he asks, staring at her brightly like a puppy that successfully retrieved the tennis ball.
Veronica can't help but stare suspiciously before accepting the bowl, her eyes darting from it to him and back again. "You're way too eager to please. What do you want?"
"Just for you to see how nice I can be," he grins like he's achieved something. "And if you wanted to, I don't know, tell people about my nice gesture -"
She sighs, tiredly. "If this is about Logan going shopping with me instead of going surfing with you -"
"Wait, Logan ditched me for shopping?" He draws back, deeply offended.
"Oh bother," Veronica sighs once again, indulging herself to some cashews.
Dick shakes his head, trying to refocus on his original thought process. "What I'm trying to say is if you had to rate me, remember the cashews."
"If I had to rate you?" She stares at him for a long confusing second. "Please tell me you're not running for student body president."
"Why would I do that when we've already got Duncan to do all the work?" Dick asks, staring at her with equal confusion.
"Dick, what exactly do you want?"
"Exactly what I said."
She's leaning against her locker when he gives her a deep kiss, she opens her eyes after a moment passes. Licking her lips, breathing out, she remarks, "If you're gonna kiss me like that I think we might need to go into a janitor's closet or somewhere more secluded."
He grins, leaning against the locker next to her with his side, fingers curling and uncurling strands of her hair. "That can be arranged," he whispers, pecking her nose.
Her eyes flicker behind him, she sees Dick leaning against a locker, talking to her friend Mac. Her brows furrow as she watches them. "So, Dick's been acting weird."
He kisses her cheek, then neck and asks, "Weird, how?"
"I don't know, he's being nice," she shrugs, unsure of how to actually explain it. "But in a weird way."
"Probably because of the baby," he shrugs it off. "He's gunning for godfather."
"That's not happening," she rejects, wide eyed at the though. But she looks on at her friends and she wonders if it's at all possible that Dick's asking Mac to the dance.
It's the day of the Total Eclipse of the Heart dance and there's a part of her that wants to see her work come to fruition but a bigger part of her knows the dance is bound to make her miserable.
She's got plans with Logan; a movie line up, popcorn and some major cuddle-age. She hopes she feels up to more than cuddling – it's hard to plan her schedules when her hormones are all out of whack.
She had a set of plans that is until she walked into Logan's pool house and flipped the switch on to find a glittery banner exclaiming Total Eclipse of the Heart with balloons and flowers. More importantly, there's food lined up on the counter and her friends are gathered around her with dopey grins on their faces as she tries to hold back her tears.
She's so taken in by what they've done for her, she chokes up and Logan's striding toward her, soft smile and open arms for her to cuddle into. She welcomes his embrace and he drops a kiss on her forehead. "Happy total eclipse of the heart," he whispers.
She lets out a sound that's stuck between being a chuckle and a sob. "You did this for me?"
"Well, we figured, if you didn't want to go to the dance, we'd bring the dance to you," he whispers and she feels her heart swell.
"But you guys are gonna miss the dance," she says to her friends. She's so happy that they're here, that they've gathered and done this for her but she doesn't want them to miss a high school experience because of her.
"We're at the dance we want to be at," Meg smiles, assuring, her hand interlocked with Duncan's as he nods his agreement.
"Who cares about a stupid eighties party anyway?" Lilly remarks, gliding her way to Veronica. "I can dress up anytime I want to babe," she winks and Veronica chuckles. "Now, can I have this dance?" Lilly asks, though she doesn't wait for an answer as she tugs the mother to be away.
Veronica sees Weevil in the corner, he's adjusting the lights and in an instance it's dark with spotted colors illuminating the room. She laughs as Lilly spins her and she notices on the opposite corner that Dick is the one that pressed play on the music. He's grinning, asking Mac to dance – there's a part of her that feels triumph for being right about Dick asking Mac out and another part of her that needs to tell Mac every little detail about Dick so she can make informed decisions.
At some point, she's twirled into Logan's waiting arms and she smiles. Her heart is full and she whispers words of love to him as they dance to corny love songs. He's a giddy mess for her and she loves him all the more for it.
A/N this was supposed to end when she gives birth and we see the baby but it's been four years and I still couldn't really write it the way I wanted so I thought, here's not such a bad place to end. Even though there were a lot more future scenes I had planned, I'm just happy there's an ending to this now. BTW the baby is a girl and I was going to name her after my sister's baby; Amelia Taylor. Thank you to everyone who has read this, fave'd and reviewed. And here's to everyone who's come back to read the ending after four years x_x