A/N : Reviews always so welcome, and thanx for all the feedback so far!

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 10 - Some Good Advice

"Hey" Veronica glanced up at the sound of a voice and a shadow that fell over the lunch table, "How're you holdin' up?" Logan asked with a kind smile as he sat down opposite the blonde who was strangely enjoying the school-supplied food.

"Okay, I guess" she said, as she swallowed her mouthful, "I don't think Duncan showed up at school today" she told him, with an almost guilty expression.

Of course, if he wasn't around it was most likely because of the news he received from her. Still, it had to be better that he and his family knew the truth, even if it was hard to deal with.

"I haven't seen him" Logan agreed, casting an eye over the surrounding area, checking out all the usual tables at which his old friend might've been sat, "but I think you and me are probably the last two people he'd want to see right now" he added, not spotting Duncan anywhere, and bringing his eyes back to a sad-looking Veronica.

He hated to see her suffering, hated knowing that in some ways it was all his fault. Of course she'd gone willing to bed with him the night that had resulted in her pregnancy, but that didn't make Logan feel any the less guilty for his part in all this. He loved Veronica with all his heart, he was overjoyed to be with her, and he would help her raise this child. Come hell or high water he would be at her side, but he still felt bad because there were things he couldn't do for her, couldn't save her from the comments and dirty looks she would get when people knew the truth, couldn't take away her morning sickness or the pains she would suffer.

Logan was so lost in his guilty thoughts that he didn't realise his buddy Dick was headed over to the lunch table til he was right there, and yelling loud enough to wake the dead.

"Dude!" he declared, slapping Logan in the back as he landed on the bench beside him with a little too much force, "Tell me it's not true!"

"What's up, Dick?" his friend asked, righting himself and rolling his eyes at the blond's behaviour.

Veronica at least seemed amused by the surfer's antics and that was something to be thankful for. Unfortunately, neither of them had any idea what was coming next.

"Madison got gossip, man" Dick explained, overly loud still, "She's telling everybody you knocked up, Ronnie" he explained, waving a hand in a vague gesture at Veronica, whose face was immediately ashen, her fork dropping onto her plate with a hollow clang as her eyes scanned the quad and she realised more than half the population of Neptune that were in view were currently staring at her - pointing, laughing, disapproving.

"Oh my God" she said as she scrambled up from her seat and bolted, tears in her eyes and no thought in her mind but running and hiding from all of this.

"Veronica!" Logan called behind her, and though she heard, she didn't stop, "Geez, Dick, you're just subtle like a brick, aren't you?" he said, sarcasm in every word as he faced the guy he thought was his friend - truth be told he was, he just had no idea what tact was.

"It's not true, right?" Dick checked, unable to believe anyone, especially his buddy Logan, would be so dumb as to knock up some other guys chick - even he wasn't that dumb!

"Yeah, it's true, okay?" Logan told him, hating that his idiot friend and the bitch he dated had made things ten times worse inside a few seconds.

Looking around the lunch area, the sight that met his eyes just made him angry. Veronica's retreating form disappear into the building, as her classmates either pointed and laughed at her pain, or whispered behind their hands about her ruined reputation. Seeing red, Logan clambered onto the table and addressed the whole crowd.

"Hey, you may as well all hear this!" he yelled to the masses, "Since you're going to eventually anyway. Veronica and me, we're having a baby" he said, arms spread wide as he amplified his announcement to all, "You got that, Neptune High?!" he asked them angrily, the students only response being stunned silence at this point, at least until the Principal appeared behind Logan.

"Mr Echolls, get down from that table this instant!" Mr Clemmons demanded and though he wasn't exactly in the mood for taking orders, Logan did as he was told for now, hopping down to land beside the Principal.

"Yeah, well, don't feel like you have to congratulate us or anything"

With the sounds of cruel laughter and nasty comments ringing in her ears, Veronica flew into the nearest bathroom and heaved her guts into the toilet. One of the biggest symptoms of her pregnancy seemed to be that almost everything made her want to vomit, and whilst this particular bout could be blamed on a combination of the food she'd eaten and the running that followed, it was most likely to be shock and fear.

She didn't know how the Neptune alumni at large had come to know her secret, though clearly Madison Sinclair, self-appointed gossip queen, was in the middle of it somewhere. Obviously, everyone would have found out about her present condition soon enough, but some warning that it was coming would've been nice, Veronica thought, as she got to her feet, flushed the toilet, and staggered out of the stall, feeling more then a little woozy. Bracing herself by the hand-basins, she failed to notice the door open and close behind her, until the new arrival spoke.

"Veronica?" said a kindly voice, but she really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now.

"Please, just leave me alone" the blonde urged the stranger, without even looking to see who was there.

"Hey, come on" she said, as she walked over, putting a hand on Veronica's shoulder, who glanced up then to see the kind and smiling face of Meg Manning, "You look like you could use a friend"

"I wish it were that simple" Veronica sighed, washing her hands and face in the hopes of feeling even a little better, "Meg, I appreciate the thought, but you can't help me" she said tiredly, glancing at herself in the mirror and hating the sight that met her eyes.

"I can help more than you think, Veronica" Meg told her as she handed her some paper towels and looked on as she turned and sank to the floor, back against the sink unit, "I'm not saying I know what you're going through because I don't" Meg admitted, crouching down beside the mess that was Veronica, "but I do know that talking about problems can help" she said, though the other blonde looked unconvinced.

"Will talking make this go away?" she asked pointlessly, her hands at her middle under which her baby resided.

"All I'm saying is if you need a friend, you do still have some" Meg promised her, putting a hand to her shoulder in what she hope was a comforting way, "We're not all like Madison Sinclair... thank God" she smiled.

"I could just... rip out her hair and show it to her" Veronica said forcefully, complete with ripping-hair hand gesture that made Meg back off just a little.

"Okay..." she said, "Maybe you shouldn't do that" she advised, ever mindful of what she said in case her friends pregnancy mood suddenly took a swing at her, "Although, she couldn't look any worse bald" she tried for a joke and was glad to receive a chuckle, even a strained one.

"Thanks, Meg" Veronica said sincerely, as the two girls got up from the floor as one.

"It's okay" her friend assured her with a smile, "Y'know at least Logan is standing by you, that's more than most guys would do" she pointed out, knowing as everyone else did that life for the Echolls family had been far from great these past few months anyway.

Now this thrown on top, it must be almost as stressful for Logan and his mother as it was for poor Veronica and the Sheriff. Everybody had been through so much, losing people, and suffering. Whilst Meg was not one to condone either the cheating Veronica and Logan had done or the under-age pregnancy, she wouldn't stand by and see people suffer in silence. It wasn't up to Madison Sinclair or her friends to be the self-appointed judge and jury on those who dared to make a mistake. It wasn't as if they were all perfect, far from it in fact.

"Logan is great" Veronica smiled genuinely, "I don't know what I'd do without him" she said, realising then perhaps just how true it was.

Having both her friend and her father to lean on made things a little easier on her, easier than things might've been if her lies had been true, if Duncan had been the father of the baby she carried. Dealing with him, Jake, Celeste, it didn't bear thinking about, and Veronica knew she'd been such a fool to ever think her lie would be easier to deal with than the shocking truth.

"You'd still be fine, Veronica" Meg shook her head as she watched Veronica check herself in the mirror, fixing her face and hair, "You're so strong, it's just amazing to me. After Lilly, how you dealt with it all..."

"Yeah, I dealt really well" Veronica scoffed slightly at that, "Within months of my best friend dying, I cheat on her brother and get pregnant by her ex" she said, giving Meg a disbelieving look before taking another look in the mirror and thinking she looked and felt better, til she remembered what faced her beyond the door.

"She'd understand" Meg said kindly, "Of all people, Lilly would understand" she said definitely, as she and Veronica shared a look in the glass just as the bell rang signalling the end of lunch, "I have to go" Meg said quickly, glancing to the door and back, "Will you be okay?" she checked, not really wanting to leave her alone, but also not wanting to be late for class either for fear of the trouble she might find herself in.

"I'll be fine" Veronica said bravely, "thanks, Meg" she said with a final and forced smile as the other blonde left at last.

Alone in the bathroom, Veronica stared herself down in the mirror. She couldn't hide in here forever. Besides, Meg was right, not everybody was against her. She had Logan on her side, and apparentltly Meg too. This was only going to be as hard as she let it be, she decided. She could do strong, she was her father's daughter after all, at least that's what Veronica told herself as she pulled herself up to her full height, adjusted her bag on her shoulder, and headed for the door.

Stepping out into the hall, Veronica was pleased to notice that almost everybody else had already got to class, leaving the surrounding area almost complete empty. As brave as she'd convinced herself to be, she still allowed herself a relieved sigh as she scuttled from the bathroom, down towards her next class where Logan ought to be waiting.

Unfortunately, no sooner had Veronica rounded the corner she ran straight into a couple of guys she didn't really know and didn't care to as one grabbed at her. Their female friend, who Veronica wished she didn't know, was laughing and making comments she'd rather not have to deal with.

"Hey, Mars! Still throwing yourself at random guys, huh?" Wanda chuckled, as the blonde struggled to free herself from the grip of the other girl's friend.

"Just let go of me, or so help me God..." she said, both angry and upset by what was happening, considering lashing out but unsure that it would do any good right now.

"Hey!" another voice rang out down the hall somewhere behind them, "Why don't you let the lady go?" Eli Navarro told the two guys as they turned together and spotted him staring down at them, not at all happy about the sight that met his eyes, "Don't make me tell you twice, man!" he threatened as the two guys suddenly let go of Veronica and hurried off down the hall, Wanda trailing behind and flipping Weevil off as she went.

"Assholes!" Veronica muttered as the force of being flung away caused her to spill her books all over the floor.

She was a little surprised to notice as she crouched down to pick them up, that the same guy that had kind of saved her just now was also down there with her, helping to retrieve her fallen items.

"You alright?" the guy known as Weevil checked as he grabbed the last book and the two of them got back to their feet.

"Yes" Veronica snapped, immediately regretting her harsh tone, "thank you" she added gratefully, after all, she really didn't know this guy and he certainly owed her no favours.

As a general rule, the PCHers weren't treated too well by the 09ers, and for a long time Veronica had been counted in with the latter group. Not that she had ever gone out of her way to be mean to anyone, she just presumed she would've been tainted by association. The last person she expected to play knight in shining armour for her was the head of the biker gang!

"Just like Logan Echolls to land himself in trouble right when you need him, huh?" Weevil shook his head disappointedly when speaking of the rich boy he disliked so much.

"What do you mean?" Veronica asked with a frown, and Weevil explained.

"Clemmons dragged him in for his little speech at lunch" he told her, realising she must've run off before that part happened, "Gotta give the rich boy props, at least he's bein' a man and admitting what he did" he shrugged, "Not every guy that'd stand by a woman like that, y'know?" he said as the unlikely pair walked down the hall together.

"Wouldn't you?" Veronica asked curiously, wondering if the kind of honour that bound the gang together like brothers, would extend to any woman they got in trouble.

"We ain't talkin' about me" Weevil smirked at her question after all not many girls would dare ask him such a thing, very few would even want to talk to him at all, "'Sides, last girl I was with... well, y'know she wouldn't've wanted anybody's kid, least of all mine" he explained, as they arrived outside the door to the classroom Veronica knew she ought to be in, "Unless of course her need to piss off Mommy Dearest escalated like crazy" he said with a look.

Though amusement was on his lips, pain was in his eyes, Veronica noticed. Whoever he spoke of had hurt him, whether deliberately or not. This added with the way Weevil was speaking to her as if she ought to know the person he was talking about led Veronica to a shocking conclusion, that would also explain Weevil's severe dislike of Logan.

"Are you trying to tell me that...? You and Lilly?" she checked, looking adequately stunned at the prospect that the best friend she lost a while ago now had once been seeing not just Logan and Aaron Echolls, but also Eli Navarro too!

"I figured she would've told you" he said, a little surprised, "You two were always so close"

"Wow" was all Veronica could find to say as she shook her head to confirm she'd had no idea before this moment, "Is that why you, y'know, saved me?" she asked, for lack of a better term for what he'd done a few minutes ago when Wanda and those other guys had been messing with her.

"What, that?" he gestured back down the hall the way they'd come, "No, girl" he said with a definite shake of his head, "That was just... I don't like to see guys mess with girls like that. 'Sides, in your condition and all" he explained with a shrug, seemingly so far from the guy Veronica had always seen him as, rough and ready for a fight, not to be trusted or liked.

Underneath it all, she could see the softer side of the young man who had dated, maybe even loved, her best friend, who today had rescued her and been kind to her when she most needed a friend.

"You know you've just ruined your bad ass reputation with me, right?" she smiled as she warned him his nice side was showing a little too much as he turned to walk away.

"You can keep a secret, can't you, V?" he turned and called back to her, feeling bad when her face dropped back to a sad frown.

"Apparently not" she muttered, speaking of her very big secret that was apparently all over school now.

"I didn't mean..." Weevil said awkwardly, looking guilty for saying something that hurt her, but Veronica waved away his concern with her hand.

"I know, it's fine" she assured him with a brave smile, "Thanks again, Weevil" she said as he shrugged his shoulders in a 'it was nothing' kind of way and walked out of the door at the end of the hall.

Veronica knew it wasn't nothing, it was most definitely something. She needed people like Weevil and Meg and most of all Logan if she was ever going to get through this whole pregnancy thing and still attend school. More than that, she was going to need her own strength, both for herself and for the baby she carried. When it came right down to it, it was her and this kid against the world at large.

"C'mon, Junior" she said in the vague direction of where the child resided, "Time to face the masses" she declared, taking a deep breath and heading on into class.

To Be Continued...