A/N: So this fic hasn't really got much further to go, but I'm totally appreciating the reviewage from everybody - thanx :-)

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 13 - Live It Up

It was a month before Logan dare ask Veronica any more serious questions about their future together. It was a weight off both their minds to just let their relationship be what it was. They saw each other at school, hung out together at her house or his most evenings and weekends, and watched the time tick by on the way to the big day when their baby would be born. Ignoring the serious stuff didn't make it go away, indeed nothing was to be taken more seriously than Veronica's pregnancy, but everything ran as smoothly as it could, and with the support of Keith and Lynn, the young couple found they coped pretty well.

Veronica was grateful to Logan for standing by her in all this, but more than that she loved him like she never knew she could love anyone. This was different to what she'd felt with Duncan, and maybe that was just because they were having this child together, but Veronica didn't think so. As long as she'd known Logan, which was several years now, she'd always felt a connection with him. She hadn't thought about it too much until lately when she'd pretty much been forced to face it, always passing their friendship off as a product of his dating Lilly and her being with Duncan. It had always been more than that, even if it was only the two of them that knew it, and now it had become something wonderful - a loving relationship that they both hoped could survive the trials that life would doubtless continue to throw at them. Hell, if they could handle an unplanned pregnancy before they were even officially a couple, Veronica couldn't think there would be anything else worse than that for a while.

As for Logan, he was ecstatic to finally have Veronica as his girlfriend, and in spite of how awkward he knew it was going to be when the baby came, he could hardly wait for the big day. He hadn't planned to be a father at seventeen, if he'd even planned to be one at all, but the prospect of it filled him with delight. Perhaps it was just because he wanted to prove he would not be anything like his own Dad, Aaron, and would instead by the perfect role-model, the epitome of kind and loving father.

It helped that his Mom had faith in him, and that both she and Keith had agreed to stand by him and Veronica respectively. Hell, even some of their friends didn't completely toss them aside. Dick may not be the most tactful of people, but he swore never to leave his good buddy Logan out in the cold, no matter who he knocked up. Surprisingly, in the end he seemed to respect Logan for standing by Veronica, despite the fact he'd started out by saying he was a fool to do so. Then there was Meg, who had been the girl-friend Veronica needed when things got tough, and the most surprising knight in shining armour was perhaps Weevil. There was no love lost between the 09ers and the PCHers, and Logan had a particular dislike of Eli Navarro, not least because he'd suspected for a long time that Weevil was one of Lilly's many affairs during their relationship. Nevertheless, the moment he'd stood up for Veronica, Weevil became an unlikely ally of the pair who the rest of the school would happily turn their backs on, and Logan wasn't about to push away the few friends he and his girlfriend might hold onto.

"Hey" Logan greeted the girl in question with a smile as she exited her final class of the day, "How was your test?" he asked, the smile sliding from his lips when he realised her expression in no way mirrored his own.

"Not so bad" she admitted, before explaining her mood, "On a scale of one to ten, how embarrassing do you think it has to have to be escorted to the bathroom by a teacher because you're pregnant and can't wait till the end of the test to pee and yet you might get accused of cheating if you go alone?" she asked, a question at which Logan would've liked to have laughed, since it sounded absurd, but didn't because Veronica was obviously P.O.-ed.

"I'm guessing eleven?" he said, deciding to quickly change the subject before this blew up out of all proportion, as things were wont to do lately thanks to Veronica's 'pregnant lady hormones' as they'd been dubbed, "So, I was thinking, since my Mom is going out tonight, maybe you want to come over for dinner. I'm thinking of cooking"

"You? Cook?" Veronica checked, stopping abruptly in the hall, shock written on her features, "Don't you have like servants and stuff for that?" she asked, her serious expression cracking into a smirk because she just couldn't keep a straight face any longer.

"Well, once in a while I like to slum it, and live like the regular people" he joked, as he put his arm around her shoulders and they continued on down the hall, "Not that I think that you live in a slum just because you're regular, because you're not regular or irregular, you..."

"Logan" Veronica interrupted him, going so far as to put a finger to his lips to shut him up entirely, "Stop digging now" she told him with an amused smile, "It's fine, I know what you meant" she assured him, as she went up on her toes and kissed his lips, "And I'd love to come over for dinner" she added as they cleared the main doors and headed into the parking lot.

A few people still stared and pointed at the pregnant student of Neptune High who tended to stand out in a crowd with her regular-sized T-shirts pulled too tight over her protruding belly. It really didn't bother Veronica anymore, she'd gotten used it. Staring was usual when she was dating Duncan anyway, and moreso since she got with Logan. Okay, her pregnancy increased the amount of pointing at her and whispering about her, but so long as she had Logan by her side and a few friends looking out or her, she could deal.

It would be far weirder not to be at school at all, and though that day would come in time, Veronica didn't like to think about it. She'd actually made her peace with the pregnancy, even the labour part of things, and she understood and didn't mind too much the prospect of bringing up a baby instead of attending college. She just would have liked to have finished High School first, to attend her Prom and Graduation and all. Neptune High was hard, the people weren't all nice, far from it in fact, but it was a rite of passage to live through those four years of hell, to say you survived and made it out the other side with your diploma. Veronica wouldn't get that now and that was just one thing she regretted.

Logan was hoping he wouldn't have one more thing to add to his own personal list of regrets when tonight was through. There was more to this date at his place than just dinner, though he knew better than to start with the proposing again after Veronica's reaction last time. Marriage would be a step too far right now and he knew it, but perhaps there was a step in between they could make, a smaller leap that would be less painful if they didn't make the landing...

* * * * *

Keith hadn't taken much convincing to let Veronica go over to Logan's for dinner. It actually worked out pretty well since he would likely have to work late tonight, maybe even all night. He hated leaving her alone at any time, but in her current condition he was even less of a fan. She'd mentioned in passing that she could always stay over at the Echolls house if it would make him feel better, quickly adding that she didn't mean it the way it came out. Her father had told her that the thought never entered his head and though Veronica appreciated the sentiment she knew that was a lie. Keith would be a very strange father of a teen if he didn't assume his daughter staying over at her boyfriends house might lead to sex.

Of course, that wasn't what tonight was about. As far as Veronica knew it was just about dinner which Logan had decided to cook for himself for a change. She didn't know what his real plan was for the evening when she arrived and was stunned by the sight of a beautifully laid out dining table, complete with candles and flowers.

"Wow" she gasped, feeling emotional and teary at the sight of the romantic setting, "Logan, this is all beautiful, but you didn't have to go to so much trouble" she shook her head.

"Hey, you're worth it" he told her with a shrug like it was nothing, and no big deal.

The fact was, he'd spent days planning this and every moment since he'd arrived home from school preparing the food, the setting, and himself for this extra special evening.

Things started off smoothly enough, and Logan was particularly proud of how well his food had turned out. He admitted as they ate that he could really only cook a few things, and Veronica would get to eat most of them in the course of the meal. She laughed lightly at his honesty as they tucked into the starter and the main course, talking about generic topics like school and their friends.

By the time they got to dessert, Veronica was only too happy to accept a large chocolate fudge sundae, complete with a sparkler in the top, 'because its just classy' Logan told her with a grin. The only things that stopped the little blonde enjoying her delicious and explosive dessert was the fact that her boyfriend didn't seem quite as enamoured with his own ice-cream treat.

"Don't tell me you don't like your own food?" she checked, half way between joking and serious because she wasn't really sure which was best right now.

"No, I just..." Logan began, hating that he was so uncharacteristically lost for words.

Only Veronica could do this to him. Only she had the ability to strike him dumb with a look or similar. This wasn't her fault, of course, and he had words enough he'd planned to say to her, but they all seemed to have deserted him right when he needed them most.

"What is it, Logan?" she asked seriously now as she put down her spoon and stared across at him, "You're making me nervous now" she admitted, and Logan just hated himself for that.

Getting up from his seat he came to crouch by Veronica's chair and took both her hands in his.

"Veronica..." he began, only to have her interrupt, right when he'd just figured out what to say.

"Logan, please, don't" she said with a shake of her head and tears in her eyes, "We talked about this, I can't marry you"

"That's not what I want to ask" he told her, with a smile, "Veronica, I know the marriage proposal was a dumb idea. We're not ready for that yet, and you're right, when we take that step it should be for us, not just because we feel we have to for the baby" he said, making her smile with his use of the word 'when' instead of 'if'.

"So what are you doing?" she asked, a little nervous as he remained on his knees at her side.

"I had a better idea, a different one" he admitted, "And I had a whole speech planned this time but suddenly it's gone, I don't know how" he admitted with a random hand gesture and accompanying eye-roll, "So, I'm just going to say it any way it'll work" he said as he met Veronica's eyes once again, "You know I love you, and I know you love me" he said, confident in that at least right now, "We're going to raise this baby together, and it just seems like the obvious thing to do so... Veronica, do you want to move in with me?" he asked finally spitting it out and steeling himself for any answer that came.

"Here?" she asked simply and Logan shook his head

"No, not here" he admitted, "I was thinking, you moving here or me moving into yours, that's not ideal for anybody, so I thought, how about I get us a place in the middle?" he said, getting to his feet and hurrying away then back again with papers in his hands.

Veronica's mind was reeling as she looked at the pamphlets Logan had handed her, details of apartments to rent or buy, big fancy places on a new development that seemed to be situated almost exactly half way between Logan's 09er residence and her own house she shared with her Dad.

"I think somebody is trying to inject a middle class into Neptune" Logan admitted with a smirk, "And I figure maybe we could, I don't know, start the trend?" he said, looking a little nervous, until Veronica glanced up at him with a smile on her lips and apparently happy tears in her eyes.

"Logan, it's a beautiful idea" she told him, laving him unsure as to what her deciding really was.

"An idea you want to say yes to or...?" he began, only to have her interrupt all over again.

"Yes" she said, as tears tumbled down her cheeks, "I mean, I'd have to talk to my Dad and your Mom would have to agree but... yes" she grinned up at him, "I'd love for us to live together here" she said, smilng at the pictures in her hand.

A moment later, she lost her grip on the pages as Logan had her up from the chair and in his arms, kissing her deeply. He was so thrilled that she saw things his way. She'd been right about the marriage thing, he'd had to agree with that, but moving in together seemed so obvious, especially in a place close enough to both his mother and her father. It meant they could be alone together with their baby when they wanted to be, and yet get quick access to the grandparents when they were needed. It could be so good, Logan thought, and was so pleased to have Veronica agree.

He kissed her til her knees went weak and she leant on him for support as she fought to get her breath back. God, he couldn't know what he did to her when he kissed her like that. Right now, Veronica was just so happy and, to be honest, so turned on. Logan was just so perfect in her eyes. He loved her, he wanted to take care of her and their baby, and he seemed willing to do just whatever she wanted. That being true, she dared to ask one more favour, unsure where her boldness came from but going with it whilst it remained.

"Y'know I told my Dad I might stay over here tonight" she said, practically in whisper, her body pressed up against his as much as it could be in her present state, "He's probably going to be out all night, and he doesn't like me to be alone"

"When you say stay over...?" Logan checked, ever mindful of Veronica's condition, and not wanting to do anything right now to upset her.

Her lips on his, her fingers travelling south, these simple things made her meaning very clear to Logan. It was months now since their first and only time that had resulted in Veronica's pregnancy. At least an encore performance couldn't cause anymore problems of that kind, but he was worried still.

"Veronica" he breathed, when they parted briefly for air, "Are you sure about this?" he checked, looking her right in the eyes, "I mean, is it okay, with the baby and...?" he asked, clearly genuinely concerned.

"It's okay" she assured him with a smile, "The baby will be fine, and I'm fine, I just... I want to be with you tonight" she said, her meaning very clear to him.

Logan would deny her nothing that would make her happy, least of all this, as he took a hold of her hand and led her to his bedroom.

To Be Continued...