A/N: Yay for the reviewage - you guys rock! :-)
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 9 - Be Strong

Cell phones were wonderful things, Veronica decided as she sat alone in her car in the school parking lot. If not for her cell, she wouldn't have been able to get a message to Logan without anybody knowing about it. She wouldn't be able to be hidden out in her car, under a big blue tarp, waiting for the father of her unborn child to sneak in beside her when the coast was clear. When her life had become this big mass of lies and secrets, Veronica wasn't sure, but she was inordinately grateful for the invention of the cell phone to help her deal with them!

It had taken a while to figure things out at the Kane house, and a lot of convincing on Veronica's part to get her father to take her home so she could drive her own car into school. He did worry so much, and whilst Veronica was grateful for his concern rather than his wrath, he did occasionally make her a little claustrophobic. That particular line of thought made her smile at the irony of where she was sat right now - it didn't get much more enclosed than this, and the space was even more restricted when the door quickly opened and closed and Logan landed in the passenger seat of the LeBaron.

"I have a confession to make" he said almost immediately that his butt hit the seat, and Veronica covered her nerves admirably when she turned and responded to his comment.

"Really? I thought that was my line" she joked, though the humour didn't really carry in the serious moment.

"I told my Mom" he admitted, "about the baby, that I'm the father" he amended when he realised his mother knew of the pregnancy before, the vital information about him being involved in the creation of the child being the important missing information.

"How'd she take it?" Veronica asked cautiously, so glad her own father and Logan had been okay with this, shocked but okay, and ever mindful of the wrath she'd faced when the Kanes thought they would be the baby's grandparents.

"Pretty well, actually" Logan told her, something Veronica was so pleased to hear, she'd always like Lynn and it was great to know she was on their side in this too, "I guess between me, my Dad, and Trina, she's learnt to be pretty shock-proof" Logan considered with a smile, leaning back in the passenger seat, and looking sideways at Veronica, "How did it go at the Kanes?"

"Duncan was so hurt and angry" she sighed, recalling the yelling and door slamming that had ensued before she realised all she could do was give up and let go, "I expected it, just like I knew there was no going back" she said, eyes staring straight ahead at nothing for a moment before she glanced over at Logan again, "We're over now, for good"

"Veronica, you know how I feel about you" he said, reaching for her hand and holding it tight in his, "and I'm not going to pretend that I'm not glad you and Duncan are over" he admitted, "but I hate that you're hurting over this" he said, his compassion for her as well as love evident in his eyes.

"I'm okay, really" she said with a small smile, and tears glistening in her eyes that she had no control over, and couldn't even identify as happy, sad, or whatever, "Logan, me and Duncan, we were fighting so much" she told him, though he ought to already have known it since it was always him she turned to in a crisis, "Things started falling apart long before we lost Lilly and after..." she said, her voice breaking at the mention of her friend who she missed so much still, "It shouldn't've mattered how much we argued, the fact you and I ended up sleeping together only proves that I can't have loved Duncan like I thought I did" she said, sounding much more adult and sensible than she even knew she could, but what she said was completely true.

"And me?" he asked, knowing the moment the words left his lips that he should never have said it, "I'm sorry, it's not fair..." he began to apologise, but wasn't given the chance.

Veronica leaned across from her seat, reaching out a hand that pulled Logan's head closer til their lips met in a brief kiss that meant so much.

"You know I love you, Logan" she said a moment later when they parted, but stayed close together, "You've been like my best friend for so long" she smiled though it didn't quite reach her eye as she struggled to explain, "I just can't... I don't know exactly where we go from here" she admitted, retracting back out of his personal space, "Right now I have to concentrate on this baby I'm going to have to raise somehow" she said, her hands going to her belly that was barely any bigger than usual yet.

"And I'm gonna be here" Logan swore, daring to put his hand over hers, "I wanna be right by your side, no matter what" he promised, squeezing her fingers and happy to earn a smile from the girl beside him.

"I know, and you have no idea what that means to me" she said, genuinely moved by his words and actions.

So many guys would've run a mile when faced with the prospect of raising a baby, produced from a one night stand, but not Logan. He was one in a million to Veronica and if it were possible she loved him even more right now than ever before.

The ringing of the school bell in the distance broke the special moment between the young couple and they regretfully parted hands.

"We should go" Logan realised, "Don't want anyone getting suspicious"

"Its going to be fairly obvious soon what the deal is" Veronica pointed out, eyes dipping to her stomach and back, "but right now it's kind of good that nobody knows... nobody but us, our families, and the Kanes anyway" she sighed, as she moved to sneak out of the car.

She stopped short when Logan spoke again.

"You don't think Duncan would tell anyone, do you?" he asked and it took just a moments thought before Veronica answered him.

"No" she shook her head, "he's hurt but I can't believe he'd be so petty or cruel" she said definitely, looking over at Logan with an expression more hopeful than definite.

"Me either" he agreed, though in all honesty there was doubt in the back of his mind.

Duncan wasn't exactly petty, but Logan couldn't imagine what his friend was going through right now. He might well be relieved to realise he wasn't a father, but finding out his girlfriend and best friend had cheated on him, that had to hurt like hell. Logan only hoped he and Veronica were right on this, and that their secret would not get out until they were ready, for her sake more than his own.

"Okay, Veronica" the teacher sighed, "Off to the library" she sent the blonde on her way as she took another look at the note she'd just been handed and shook her head.

Something wasn't right, and Ms Kaplinksky had a feeling she knew what it was too, though she hardly dare believe it of the Sherriff's daughter. Some mystery illness that stopped Veronica from joining in with gym class, it seemed unlikely given how healthy the blonde had always been. The only other explanation she could come up with though seemed as ridiculous as the reason given, if not more so, and so Ms Kaplinksy put it out of her head, filed the short letter away, and told the girls left in the locker room to get their asses into gear already.

As Veronica slipped out the door, careful not to attract too much attention, she was unfortunate enough to be spotted by two girls she would certainly rather ignore her. Though Madison Sinclair and Carrie Bishop used to be in Veronica's own circle of friends, it was more mutual associations that bound them together than any sisterly bond. The little blonde was always considered to be different, not quite in with the in crowd, in spite of the fact she was dating Duncan Kane and best friends with his sister Lilly, the veritable prince and princess of the 09ers. It didn't suit some of the rich and popular kids to have a 'lower being' hanging around, and they were only too pleased to not have her around so much lately.

"You know why she doesn't play, right?" Madison asked her friend, as she pulled her top over her head and emerged with a near-evil smirk on her lips.

"I don't know, some medical thing?" Carrie shrugged, not really seeing what else could be the issue.

"She's pregnant" Madison whispered, though there was little point to lowering her voice.

After all, Miss Sinclair was nothing if not a gossiping bitch, and it was obvious the news she had just revealed would be all over school before the day was done.

"Oh my God!" gasped another girl to her left, "Veronica Mars? Pregnant?" Susan Knight looked stunned to hear it, as her hand momentarily covered her mouth, "Isn't she dating Duncan Kane?" she checked, sure they were still an item, and yet realising they'd barely been seen together lately, not since Lilly, if truth me told.

"Not anymore" Madison told the two girls cheerfully, delighting in others pain and troubles as she was want to do, "It's not his baby" she said, earning a pair of audible gasps for her trouble, "I heard she cheated..." she continued, pausing for dramatic effect as she tied her shoe and then dropped the bombshell, "with Logan Echolls"

"No way!" Susan could hardly believe it.

"How'd you hear?" Carrie wanted to know.

"Apparently some cleaning lady at the Kane house overheard" Madison waved her hand in a vague jesture, clearly finding to distasteful to even mention those people that worked in the 09er houses as servants to the rich and famous, "She told all of her little friends, and one of them works for Shelley's family" she explained with a sly smile, "She got it out of the pool boy, Antonio, during that hot make out session she's been telling everyone about!" she enthused, loving being in the thick of all the gossip as usual.

It clearly didn't occur to either girl receiving this information that they regularly shared their own secrets with Ms Sinclair. One day, when they least expected it, their friend could just as easily turn on them as she was turning on Veronica right now. Still, they were so swept up in the intrigue and soap-opera of other people's lives, that didn't register in their heads right now, and probably never would til it was too late.

"So, yeah, it seems Veronica has been a bad, bad girl" Madison told the two of them, with a shake of her head and faux-disappointment drawn on her features, "And, I don't know about you girls..." she continued, adjusting her soccer uniform, "but I think the school population has a right to know about her, if she's going to go sleeping around and all" she said with a grin that neither of her friends missed.

Before the day was out the whole of Neptune High and beyond would hear the story of Veronica's pregnancy, and her betrayal of Duncan with his best friend. The tale would take on a life of its own, become bigger and more sordid than it ever had a right to be, and all because Madison Sinclair decided it was her mission to make others suffer for her own amusement.

To Be Continued...