A/N: Flashbacks are in itallics. Also, its come to my attention there's another story where Duncan dies going on over at veronicamarsfic now by a much better author...I seriously doubt there are any other similarities, but if there are it's pure coincidence because I haven't read any of it, and there's no reason any credible writer have to copy me. So read on! And please review! I feel a little like I should be throwing in my hat, but if you feel like that, please don't tell me! Just don't review! My overall week has sucked, and the lovely reviews of last week certainly cheered me up.

Disclaimer: I am sorry to disillusion anyone who assumed the lack of a disclaimer in the 1st chapter meant I owned this show. I am also sorry to have to tell all 0 of you, there is no Santa Clause. I own nothing! Please don't sue!

The next day, everything seemed normal. Veronica felt no need to tell Lilly that Yolanda had apparently passed out drunk, and Logan had leant her some of his clothes to wear when she woke up during the night. She loved her best-friend, but she could overreact sometimes, and Veronica knew Logan would never cheat on Lilly, or lie to her. So the day started off relatively bland. Lilly made a spectacle of making out with Logan in the hallways and got taken to the principle's office. Duncan held her hand and walked her to all of her classes. Logan generally acted like a smartass, Lilly acted like his Queen.

In retrospect, it was also the day Lilly started her affair with Eli, so maybe the day's not so normal or so bland after all. But it's not like she knew that then.

A week later is the day she remembers as the day her world turned upside down. It's the day she caught Yolanda's friends discussing her apparent pregnancy scare in the girl's bathroom.

It's the day she heard Logan was almost a father.

Besides a quick "what do you mean-" which was quickly followed by sereral loud swallows and a slightly panicked look on her usually composed Mars face, Veronica has mostly been silent during the the past three minutes following his confession, and in the small part of Logan's brain that hasn't yet realized his life as he has ever known it is over, Logan is starting to freak out. If there has been one constant in his life, it's Veronica's ability to put things in perspective for him. Whether she means to or not.

Take, for example, the fact that she has always been the poorest 09er in their crowd. Or the only one with a betting chance of making it to the pearly gates when she dies. Or more recently, the most hot-headed and bitter 09er.

No matter the case, Veronica has always been someone he can rely on to make him feel better about the world. Either by being worse off than him financially and socially, or by being better off family and personality-wise, she generally makes him feel happy. Which is a pretty crappy thing to say about himself, come to think of it...feeling good he's got more money and better diggs than a friend of his. But then he never said he was a good guy like-

well let's just say a good guy.

Except when he turns his head to offer emotinal support, or a shoulder to cry on, or just some selling point to make her stop being so goddamned eerily quiet (like a doll, he thinks. Or a dead guy.), she isn't there. At all.

And then that tiny seedling of ratinal alarm over a friend's repression of emotions turns into all out irrational panic over a friend's disapearence following another friend's death, because oh my god, WHAT IF SHE DIES TOO????

And while it isn't logical (he has eyes- he's entirly aware the place is crawling with policemen including her own overprotective sherriff father) he can't ignore that panic swelling in his chest.

Veronica cornered Logan outside school while he was rushing to his car.

He looked like a caged animal.

"Logan," she growled. "Why is Yolanda's period late?"

Logan blinked. He looked taken aback and really, really pale suddenly.

"Don't fucking joke about that Veronica."

Seeing the look of fear on his face, Veronica felt a shiver of satisfaction race up her spine. "Who's joking?" she said and then started walking away.

"Veronica wait!" he yelled, but she didn't listen. She was too busy walking towards Lilly.

The next morning though, he was the one to corner her this time around.

"You fucking bitch!" He screamed loud eough for all the kids nearby waiting for the school bell to signal the beginning of their day, to hear. "You knew she had taken a pregnancy test! You knew it had come back negative, and you knew she'd taken a morning after pill!"

Actually she hadn't known the details, but she didn't bother to deny any of it. Afterall, she was no expert, but wasn't one week a little early to try a pregnancy test?

"You lied to me about not having cheated! I can't believe you'd do something like that Logan, but at least you should have had the balls to own up to it!"

"I did own up to it! By not denying it, I did!"

"You told me you loved her! You told me-"

Logan laughed, but it didn't sound humorous.

"And you thought that meant I hadn't cheated??? People cheat on the ones they love all the time, when they weren't as rip roaringly drunk as I'd been, and when they don't have girlfriends who lie and make up stories so they don't have to see their boyfriends! How can you be so fucking naive?"

The bell rang and Logan stormed off.

Veronica saw Lilly rocking back and forth and felt tears prick her eyes. She had blood all over her.

"Lil?"

She was mumbling something. Veronica was sure of it. Leaning closer Veronica figured out what it was.

"I told him something bad would happen if he talked to me. I told him something bad would happen if he talked to me. I told him something bad would happen to me if he talked to me..." over and over and over again.

Veronica felt a shiver go up her spine. Lilly was looking where she and Logan had just been. And Logan wasn't there anymore.