Chapter Six

[AN- Regarding the pairing storywise, I did say that I do intend for this story to end LoVe, but it isn't something I want to rush forward in to. At this point in their lives they do love one another, but it's been three years since canon, and they're at a point in life where they don't need to be together. It's not my ignoring them as a pair, and trust me, the story is being meticulously set up for them, it just might take a little bit. Try to follow all of the clues for now, Veronica will have a huge case to solve soon. I really do appreciate feedback and even ConCrit, I have adjusted Veronica a bit to take in the wedding differently and done a few things on Logan's part too.]

[Some days later.]

Parker's ultrasound had been scheduled for a Tuesday. Which gave Veronica a few days to lay in bed with her CD player on, listening to sad music while she read the short clipping over and over. The last time she had talked to Logan before he had eloped was when she had accused him of cheating on his new bride. And it stung a little, to think he may have done it as a sort of punishment to her. You were mean so I'm going to claim happily ever after with this other person.

Not that Veronica wanted happily ever after with him. The thought made her nearly cross her arms and scoff. Logan was not and had never been a happily ever after kind of guy and Veronica just felt sorry for any girl who thought he was. That was the ticket. Shake it off and get back into character, Veronica, this ultrasound lays out plans for the long run.

Tuesday she was up early, made breakfast for Keith to wake up to before she headed out to pick Parker up at her dorm and drive to the OBGYN Parker had made an appointment with. Veronica of course waited during the more intimate stuff, but was called in just as the technician was beginning.

"With the level of hCG in your urine sample, we should be able to do a trans-abdominal ultrasound, you're probably well into your second month, if not your third." Veronica sat by Parker's side as they started to swirl the transducer across her belly and both girls watched the screen with bated breath. The tech swirled and swirled and waited and clicked her manicured nails on a keyboard attached to the machine.

Nada. The round, blackness was empty.

"Uh, sorry, how deep in there do they tend to go?" Veronica asked quietly, looking from the screen to Parker's face. "Could the tests have been wrong?"

The tech shook her head. "Presence of hCG in urine at the levels we've found it can't be accidental, the lack of fetus in the uterus strongly points to an ectopic pregnancy." She started to move the high tech equipment further up Parker's abdomen, clicking on the keyboard some more before she stopped as the image they had waited for came up on the screen.

Parker made a noise of relief. "Oh thank God, I was so worried!" Her hand covered her mouth, eyes glassing up. "Oh, hi there!"

But Veronica knew what the tech knew, and she calmly took Parker's hand. "Parker, hey, listen, the baby…it's not where it's supposed to be, do you know what I mean? The baby didn't go to the uterus when you. . .when it…it's in the wrong place, Parker."

Parker looked at her, her face quickly awash in horror. "But it's. . .it's alive. I see it. Right there, mine and Logan's baby."

"The doctor will be in shortly." The tech said softly. "To discuss your options."

Parker looked panicked, and Veronica quickly took her hand. She wasn't the most stable person on the planet, sure, but she'd been her friend, and this was a terrible thing to have to go through. Despite her previous intentions, she was glad she didn't have to do it alone.

It only took a few minutes for the doctor to come in as they had been told, he was an older man, looked very sad as he walked in. He and Veronica shared quiet smiles. "Miss Lee? I'm Doctor Forder."

Parker wiped at her eyes. "They said the baby isn't in the right place. You can move it, right?"

"I'm afraid it isn't that simple, Miss Lee." He sat to start the ultrasound back up and look at where the baby was positioned. "Ectopic pregnancies have ended in deliveries by laparatomy but, generally, the majority don't. It seems your baby is positioned in one of your fallopian tubes, this is very common. If your pregnancy should not progress normally, the tube could burst and it could be very dangerous to your health."

Parker looked so deflated and Veronica hated that she felt so badly for her. "So what do I do?"

"You've got a couple of options. You can take a little pill and the fetus will stop growing and probably pass in a period or, surgery. It's good to try the pill before resorting to the surgery, just to be safe."

Parker didn't say anything in response. She nodded quietly, her hand clutching Veronica's as she signed the form to consent to the doctors giving her the abortion drug.

The next few days went on pretty much without incident. After about a week Parker returned to her normal class schedule, and Veronica didn't really have the heart to stalk her anymore. Shawn hadn't disagreed over the phone, so it was back to old business.

Despite his original plans, Logan and Tess returned to Neptune in early October, with plans to hopefully sneak back into Hawaii for the birth of their joyful addition. Veronica was so wrapped up in class that she always seemed to miss either or both of them to pass on her semi-heartfelt congrats, still unsure about Logan's innocence as far as Parker's pregnancy went. The marriage seemed like a hasty escape from what could be guilt, a good way to keep Tess away from any bad rumors.

Coming out of a two hour lecture on modern psychology and it's application towards teens, Veronica finally got her chance, spotting Logan nearby with a textbook, filling in answers to the homework he'd missed in Hawaii, a plain, shiny gold ring affixed to his ring finger. Watching him, he seemed serene. Calm and de-stressed, a little more golden than he had been when he had left California.

Gathering herself together, Veronica approached. It took about twenty steps to be close enough to chat with him, Logan noticed her approaching after fifteen, and smiled with annoyance as he shut his book over the loose leaf he had been writing on. "Now if you're here to accuse me of fathering your love child too, I'll have to direct you to the hotline that I set up. It's an automated system, just submit your claim to the machine and hope it gets your facts right."

Veronica smiled wryly. "I'll call after class, I don't need my phone being taken away," She leaned against the wall, holding her books to her chest. "Been to any good weddings lately?"

"As a matter of fact, I went to one about two weeks ago. It was nice, very small. I just can't figure out why I have this ball and chain attached now?" Wiggled his hand, string at it as if an imaginary chain were jingling when he did.

Veronica sighed. "So, bygones?"

Logan leaned into the wall as well, his gaze on her face as he tried to read whatever was on her mind. "I saw Parker at the party and I took her to the Grand to get her a room so she wouldn't end up getting hurt on campus." His voice grew quieter and he looked around. "I shouldn't have been driving either, but I was all gentleman-ly. I went to put her to bed…I guess I passed out doing so, cuz I woke up in the room a few hours later but I went right up to my room to cuddle up with Tess."

Veronica watched him, a question ringing in her eyes. He sighed. "If anything happened in those hours, I was not conscious to partake, and I wouldn't have wanted to, but I woke up with my pants on so my best guess is if Parker had wanted me for her own nefarious reasons, she was too liquored up to pull it off too."

He looked up past her and his face lifted in a smile. Logan stepped from the little nook they'd been speaking in, as Veronica tried to get a grip on what he had said. When she felt like she had, she looked over to see him, as he bent to kiss Tess' forehead. Veronica watched, remembering times forgotten long ago from when he'd come to see her the summer she worked at Java the Hut, and she sighed, managed a smile as she walked over.

Logan looked at her as she did and he smiled down at Tess. "So Veronica was just asking what kind of wedding gift she should pick up, but she seems to think you'd really be opposed to the pierced strippers."

Veronica shot him a glare, and Tess answered. "Not opposed, if at least one of was male and a certain appendage were the pieced culprit."

And both girls laughed as Logan pinkened, pinching Tess' upper arm playfully. "She's a hoot, I'll have to avoid piercing parlors whenever she gets me shit faced from now on."

"I'll get you in one, just wait," Tess looked at Veronica with a smile as Logan crossed the hall to get a drink from the fountain. "Thanks for supporting him..us. I get that this has to suck."

Veronica shook her head. "I'm just amazed he took the dive, but I'm happy for you guys, you're already well loved around here."

As Logan wiped his mouth and started to walk back over, Tess dug a little sheet from her bag. "I'm throwing a completely occasion free party on Friday. The not so pregnant of you will have wine and we'll all eat chocolate and enjoy men-free hours while Dick throws Logan's belated bachelor party. I'd love to have you there, bring some friends."

Veronica didn't know what it was about Logan's love interest and inviting her to their parties, but without Logan there, and as lot of reinforcement, she considered the idea. Maybe even this would be really good for Parker too. "I might actually do that, thanks, Tess."

"Ah, I see we're all playing nice. I like that very much," Logan slung his arm around Tess' shoulders. "See you around,V. Thanks for the congrats."

They walked off before Veronica could really answer, and she watched, uttering a meek 'welcome' before turning off to get Mac and Parker to agree to go to the party with her and save her ass.

"Dad, c'mon!"

"What do you want me to say, huh? I don't have room for all of this in the house, her old room and the basement are full and you have all this unused space here in the office. You're going to have to stuck it up."

Henry shoved past Shawn with a pile of wedding gifts from friends and family and random locals who had read that Tess was from Santa Barbara and Shawn sighed in defeat, plopping into his chair with his arms crossed over his chest. "This SUCKS. It's a pile of girliness in my man-cave!"

"Tough luck, it's your sister's happiness over your manliness." Henry set the pile in a corner, turned to him with a tired sigh. "So what's the verdict on the Lee girl?"

"Veronica said she ended up having to abort, ectoplasm pregnancy or something like that," He shrugged. "The reign of terror seems to have ended, I'd rather not out the possible affair to Tess, she's all delicate and wobbly."

"Last thing she'll need is to end up in early labor," Henry agreed with a nod. "Well, I really hope for his sake that he behaved. Or else I'll be driving to Neptune with my shotgun. What's Gus up to?"

"Jerk Chicken run, whaaaat?" Shawn stood and walked to tap a box with his foot. Bent to pick it up and shake it, listened inside.

"Well, tell him I said hello and Shawn," His son looked at him innocently. "Don't go opening your sister's stuff, her girlfriends might have sent her a mechanical husband."

Shawn all but dropped the box to the ground, running into the bathroom to wash his hands. The water from the sink drowning out the sound of his iPhone in the next room.

A voicemail was left.

"Mr. Spencer, this is Norman Mallard from West Coast Labs, I have those DNA results you needed rushed, give me a ring back in the next 24 hours, 555-0112. Thanks."