A/N: Big thanx to all my fab reviewers! :) Now for a girly chat...

(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 21

It occurred to Mac as she slipped out from under Dick's arm and out of the bed, that maybe when they had this baby she was going to be doing the night feeds. He seemed to be able to sleep through a lot, not just her leaving him alone, but the thunder outside that had easily woken her. She would've stayed put, buried her head under the covers, and tried to ignore the storm, but the moment her eyes opened she knew she needed a drink of water and she was never going to be able to sleep again tonight if she didn't get one.

The clock said just past two a.m. as she grabbed up Dick's T-shirt from the floor and pulled it on. It covered everything vital, down just past her underwear, so if Logan happened to spot her it wouldn't be the end of the world. It really hadn't occurred to her that she might run across anyone else on her way to the fridge, and so it was hardly surprising that she was startled by another female presence.

"Geez, Veronica" she laughed after she was done gasping with shock, "Lurk much?"

"I'm sorry, Mac" she apologised though she couldn't help but be a little amused.

Not only had her friends expression been priceless when she startled her, it was also completely crazy that they were both stood here together, dressed in nothing but their underwear and a T-shirt belonging to the man they were sleeping with.

"Wow, this is..." began Mac when she realised the very same thing.

"Awkward? Weird?" Veronica supplied as they hovered in the middle of the suite's main room together.

"No, I was gonna go with 'something we would have sworn could never happen as little as six months ago'" she said eventually, making them both laugh once again.

It was a strange situation when they looked back. Neither of them had particularly liked Dick at any point in the their High School days and he barely improved in college. It was only very recently he had become the sweet person Mac had fallen so fast for. At the same time, Veronica's relationship with Logan had been more bad than good in the past year, and she had completely given up on him when she left for the FBI internship, committing herself to Piz, it seemed. Apparently that wasn't all as definite as it had once appeared since her boyfriend was dumped just a couple of days ago and already she was back in bed with her ex.

"You wanna judge me, I know you do" the blonde sighed as she pushed her hair out of her face, "And I wouldn't blame you, Mac, seriously..."

"Hey" her friend interrupted, "How is it my place to judge anybody?" she asked seriously, "Hello!" she raised her hand, "Pregnant by Dick Casablancas on the first date, that was not even a date. I am hardly in a place where I can judge you for getting back together with your ex"

"Yeah but two days after breaking up with Piz?" she winced at her own behaviour, "Not my finest hour"

"Veronica" her friend sighed, "Y'know, you were never really with Piz, not in a serious way. I know you liked him and he really liked you but... was your heart ever really in it?"

There was no way Veronica could lie right now. Mac was completely right. Not that it excused the way she behaved, if anything it made it worse because saying this was true was admitting that she had kind of used her latest ex. Still, Veronica couldn't deny it, it was what she had done, and it made her feel a little better about Logan at least. She had always loved him, deep down in her heart. If she were really truly honest, it was him from the start, before she even began things with Duncan. Though nothing ever happened when they were so young, not even a suggestion of a date or a kiss, she always felt something for Logan and she believed he knew it too and felt the same. They were destined and epic and all those things he'd said a couple of years ago at Alterna-Prom. Veronica wondered at this point why she had failed to believe in that for so long.

"I guess a part of me always new that it'd be me and Logan or flying solo for the rest of my life" she made a gesture with her hand like an airplane and Mac smiled, "It's crazy... He drives me crazy" she amended, "but I can't be without him, I just... I can't"

"Yeah, I'm starting to understand that feeling" her friend nodded, looking towards the bedroom she had been headed back to before, "Do you think I'm crazy?" she asked then.

"Crazy?" Veronica echoed, "No" she confirmed with a shake of her head, "Brave and daring? Absolutely!" she added as she gestured for Mac to follow her and they rounded the couch to sit down together, pulling the throw over their legs to keep warm, "I know this whole pregnancy thing was not exactly a choice you made but you and Dick, you're really making it work, and that's amazing. You made a human being out of, well... I'm sorry but a jerk" she said, mindful of how bad that might sound to anyone who hadn't known the blond before.

Veronica was pretty sure Mac would get where she was coming from and not take offence. They had known each other a long time now, and trusted that each other understood where they were coming from, even when they said things that didn't come out so well. There were no tears or tantrums, it was all good.

"I can't believe how much Dick has changed" Mac shook her head and smiled, "I mean, he's still him, mostly. All the good parts are there but he's just less... I don't know how to describe it" she laughed lightly as she thought about it, "There's this sweet side not many people get to see, and he really cares about the baby... and me, I think" she went on, fingers lacing and unlacing in her lap, "Y'know he said he wants to move in with me"

"That's great, Mac" Veronica enthused, looking at least mostly genuine, "He should be supportive and I'm really pleased for you that things are working out, honestly"

She was trying to be a friend and Mac knew it. Of course, she also knew that the cynical PI couldn't quite believe in Dick the way she did herself. That was okay and completely understandable given the way he was before with both of them, as well as everybody else they knew. Given time, Veronica and the world would see that Dick wasn't all bad or completely thoughtless. He'd had it tough too, despite being from one of the richer families in Neptune. His home was still broken, his life turned upside down just about as many times as Mac or Veronica could count in their own. He needed to be loved, to be wanted and needed in a way that Mac and this baby could provide for him. Together, they could be a family, albeit one that started in an unconventional way. There was a distinct possibility that this could all work out happily and just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes.

"Yeah so this keeps happening" she said shakily as she fought the urge to cry and failed miserably, "Honestly, it's only because I'm happy"

Veronica reached out to her friend to give her a hug. She understood that pregnancy caused people to be emotional, though she could quite happily burst into tears herself. Things were changing a lot lately, but for the better it seemed, in the long term at least. Mac was finding happiness in her awkward situation with Dick, whilst Veronica herself was back with Logan at last. Sure, letting sex over-take the serious talk they needed to have maybe wasn't the brightest of moves, but they still had time for that, all the time in the world, hopefully.

"Oh my!" Dick's comment from the bedroom door caught both girls attention, "A little girl on girl action, huh?" he winked as Mac and Veronica both peered at him, still hugging each other in their relative states of undress.

"They started the show without me?" said Logan from the other door then, looking sleep-rumpled and cute as ever to his girlfriend, "That's just not fair"

"Why do we put up with these two, Q?" Veronica asked her friend with a smile and an eye-roll as they parted finally.

"I don't know, Bond" she joked right back, "I think there's a four letter word that keeps rearing its ugly head"

"Hey, no four-letter words in front of Dick" said Logan as he came to stand behind Veronica, kissing the top of her head before she tilted it back to look up at him, "He's too young and fragile for that kinda thing"

His friend flipped him off as he came over to Mac and sat on the arm of the couch by her.

"You okay, babe?" he checked, not least because it looked as if she'd been crying or something, and that was never cool.

"Yeah, I was just thirsty and then we got to talking" she explained, as she leaned into him, "Did the storm finally wake you?" she checked.

"Nah, me and Logan could sleep through, like, World War 3" he told her, as if it were something to be proud of.

"Yeah, that's gonna be real useful when you have a baby that cries in the night" Veronica teased, though apparently Dick either wasn't listening or didn't get it.

"It's useful if you're the guy" Logan pointed out as he reached for Veronica's hand and encouraged her off the couch, "I finally got you back where I wanted you. How did you manage to escape?" he asked, in semi-seriousness as he all but dragged her back to the bedroom.

She went willingly, of course, but turned back just before the door. She almost thought better of speaking when she realised Mac and Dick were kissing and fast heading into Make-Out County, but this was important.

"Hey, Mac" she called to her friend, as Logan sighed in annoyance at the interruption, "I'm going to the airport tomorrow to pick up Wallace since Alicia has to work. You wanna come with?" she offered.

"Sure, yeah" her friend smiled widely at the thought, just as soon as Dick let up on kissing her for two seconds, "I miss Wallace"

"We should all go" Dick spoke up then, surprising everyone and even causing Logan to reappear from the bedroom looking intrigued.

"Not that I have anything against Wallace, he's a good guy, etc., etc." he said with a pointed look at Veronica, "but why are we all going now?"

"Dude, mini road trip!" the blond enthused, "Like you need a bigger reason than that"

Nobody argued, but honestly they still didn't understand. The fact was Wallace and Logan got along, sometimes, when Logan wasn't beating up Piz or making Veronica cry, but in all the years the group of friends has known each other, not one amongst them could recall Wallace and Dick even having a conversation!

"So, that's going to be interesting" said Veronica as she and Logan climbed back into his bed and he slipped an arm around her shoulders, "Wallace has a lot of big news coming his way"

Logan couldn't help but wonder if his girlfriend was just thinking of Mac and Dick and their baby at this point. It was probably best not to ask, but then it was not often that he ever did what was good for him...

"You think he'll be happy we're back together?" he asked, not even looking at the girl whose head was resting on his chest right now.

"Probably not" she sighed, "And I can't blame him, I mean, he keeps on helping me pick up the pieces when this thing goes wrong... and Piz is his friend too. Neither of us are going to popular for that one"

"You didn't love him, Veronica" he reminded her, "That's not your fault"

"I know" she nodded, shifting so she could look up at him then, "but he was safe and simple. I guess on some level I knew I wasn't risking anything by being with him, because I didn't really feel that way about him" she explained, "It was okay because if it all fell apart, it wouldn't hurt like it did when things went wrong with you"

"I am so sorry, Veronica" he told her again, maybe the fifth time tonight or more, they'd lost count somewhere as they both apologised for all that had gone wrong between them, "I want this to work. I need you in my life. I love you so much"

"I know" she told him, reaching up to pull his head down to her and kissing his lips, "I love you too. Apparently, I can't stop even when I think I should" she giggled.

All humour was gone a second later as the passion re-ignited between them.

"I missed you so much" she told him, as his lips trailed across her skin, "I didn't want to, but I did"

The way he kissed her proved he felt the same, as they made love again to the rhythm of the storm that still raged outside. Logan and Veronica were oblivious to anything but each other and their latest reunion. This time they were going to stay together, they just had to.

To Be Continued...