Logan swallowed heavily as Mac led him to Veronica's office - somewhat of a joke since it was so small he suspected it was a former closet - and quietly thanked the blue-haired girl. She was Veronica's partner and did all the heavy lifting when it came to the technical side of the business, which meant Veronica was often alone when she went out to surveil her targets. He had never approved of her choices in life, though right now he was extremely thankful she'd parlayed her incredible nosiness and insatiable curiosity into skills he could utilize. Mac paused at the threshold and scrutinized him.

"She's good at what she does, Echolls. You wouldn't have asked her to do this if you didn't believe that."

He snorted, faint amusement peeking through the heaviness of depression. "Doesn't mean I can't judge her anyway."

Mac rolled her eyes. "You two are incredible, you know that. And extremely hypocritical."

Logan wondered what Mac thought of their latest break - the longest in their friendship - but his courage failed him. He knew a lot of the current clime was his fault because he'd often gone over their last vicious fight and realized he'd taken a lot of his own frustrations about his relationship out on Veronica. Over the past week, he'd slowly realized he'd buried his suspicions for a long time and the night he "caught" Lilly stepping out on him wasn't the first time he'd wondered. It was easier to blame Veronica for speaking the truth than look at his relationship with clear eyes. Plus, he was ashamed to admit, he'd figured he didn't need to do anything because Veronica was the peacemaker of the two and he figured she would contact him first. Logan should've remembered how stubborn Veronica was, especially when she felt justified. He had other friends, of course, but none like her. It was a very lonely year despite the happy relationship he pretended he was in. Maybe because of it.

Mac sighed and seemed to read a few of his thoughts. "God you're pathetic - were you always or is this the result of being Marsless?" She didn't wait for an answer, but stepped outside towards her desk - a large ugly monstrosity of wood - and came back with a steaming cup of coffee. Logan stared at her and then the cup she made magically appeared. Mac grinned at his gobsmacked expression as she sipped her drink. He stood up and peered around the door to see a small coffeemaker sitting on a stand in the corner.

"That smells good," he pitifully commented, slowly blinking.

Mac held out her cup with a raised eyebrow. Mac - or Cynthia "if you call me that I will end your cyber existence" Mackenzie - was the polar opposite of Veronica, in that she was quiet, methodical, and not prone to flights of whimsy. That didn't preclude a wicked sense of humor, a certain cynicism, or the desire to goad those for her own amusement. Come to think of it, those were the precise reasons why she and Veronica got along so well. He knew this was a test and took the cup gratefully, making sure to turn the rim so he didn't drink from the same spot. She was a friend of a sort, but he would only do that with Veronica. After all, they'd shared so much over the years, what were a few germs between best friends? Mac smiled beatifically at him and shortly he held his own cup of steaming goodness and he drank deeply. He didn't know what wizardy she possessed, but he'd rarely ever had any coffee as good as Mac's; which was surprising given she used instant and disdained coffee beans like they were grown in secret Microsoft labs somewhere.

They exchanged a few more pleasantries before she took herself away to presumably make some third world dictator whimper with fear or whatever she did - he wasn't too keen on what she did exactly nor did he wish to - and he sat there drumming his fingers on his thighs so he wouldn't give away his nervousness. The opening of the front door, again another generous word for the hole in the wall space they rented, shattered his rambling inner monologue and he tensed with anticipation.

"Sorry I'm late, Mac. Got caught up with the Travers' case." He could practically hear her rolling her eyes, another thing she had in common with Mac. "You'd think the cliche nature of Mr. Travers' affair with his secretary wouldn't surprise his wife so much; she didn't believe me even when I laid out the evidence!"

"She paid you though, right?"

Logan could hear the delight in her voice. "She sure did. Paid me through the nose to keep my mouth shut while she decided how to handle the news."

"She's going to take him for everything he has."

"She's going to take him for everything he owns," Veronica agreed.

"You have a client waiting."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You didn't check your texts?"

"Uh, no," was the sheepish response. He heard the quick steps as Veronica crossed the room to her "office" and the exquisitely polite, "Good morning, sir. Thank you for choosing - oh hell, it's you."

Logan whirled around and stared at Veronica for the first time in year. She was dressed the same - short skirt, layered tee and tank top with her usual combat boots - but her hair was different. "It's so short!"

Veronica wrinkled her nose at him while her blue eyes took in his appearance. Logan was suddenly self-conscious about his tee shirt and plaid shorts, but he tried to hide it beneath a wide smile. The arched blond brow told him she saw through his facade and he slumped back against the lawn chair he sat in.

"I said I would call you with the results."

"It's been a week, Ronnie and you haven't sent me so much as a text."

She sighed and seated herself behind the twin of Mac's monstrosity. The faux leather chair creaked alarmingly as she sat back and stared at him over her steepled fingers. It was very Mr. Burns of her really, and Logan was suddenly overwhelmed with happiness at seeing her familiar pose.

"Logan."

"Ronnie."

They fell into silence and Logan took the opportunity to see the changes of the past year apart. She looked tired and a little careworn - not unexpected since she'd probably spent the last few nights tailing Travers - but overall healthy and pink-cheeked. He was used to a sloppy bun, but the choppy chin-length hair suited her pixish face and he found he actually liked it, which was unexpected since he was usually attracted to girls with long hair. He loved wrapping it around his wrist -

Whoa. Wait. What? He wasn't attracted to Veronica. They weren't - he wasn't - no. They never did the "will-they-won't-they" dance once they hit puberty because it was hard to like like someone you've seen through every phase of life. It was one of the few things he and Lilly fought about when they first started dating: his intimate relationship with Veronica. She'd always accused his best friend of being in love with him and trying to steal him away, as if him spending time with anyone else who wasn't her meant she would lose him. He'd always found it comforting how jealous Lilly could get, though in hindsight (and a lot of therapy) showed how much of a problem it really was.

"Okay, fine, you win! I've done some preliminary work so far and I've surveiled her a few hours a day so I could be sure of her routine."

"I could've told you where she goes -" he trailed off at Veronica's sardonic expression. Okay, maybe he didn't actually know what Lilly did every day since he had no knowledge of her affair until he read it on her phone.

"She sure likes to shop," Veronica said with little inflection in her voice.

"Just because she likes to wear more than five outfits year doesn't make her a shopaholic," Logan snapped, goaded by her placid expression. One of the many things Veronica had thrown in his face was how she thought Lilly was a gold-digger. When they were seniors in college, Lilly's father went to prison on embezzlement and fraud charges and all the family's money went to paying back investors, his legal team, and settling civil suits. Lilly went from 09er luxury to 02er reality, and Logan enjoyed being able to take care of her in the manner she grew up in.

"Logan, she spent twelve hundred dollars on a purse! That's ludicrous! Who spends that kind of money on one item?"

"Rich people?"

"Your wealth, not hers."

Logan sighed at the familiar refrain and bit his lip to quell his instinctive response. Veronica was from a solidly middle class family with two parents who worked hard for their livelihood, so she didn't understand the idea of an idle life resplendent with all the perks of being obscenely rich. His mother, the daughter and granddaughter of two Texas oil barons, married an up and coming Hollywood star; because they were legally wed in California and married more than ten years, when they divorced she received half of Aaron's assets, which went to the tune of two-hundred fifty million dollars. Of course his father wasn't worth what he used to command - even men eventually felt the sting of age in Hollywood - but Lynn had gotten out when the getting was good and walked away laughing. Logan didn't have to work for the rest of his life if he so wished because he was his mother's sole heir, and she was her family's sole heir, so twelve hundred for a purse was as little to him as change found in a cup holder was for others.

"It's about her, not you, dumbass."

Veronica flicked a piece of hair from her face and settled into her seat, an unfamiliar expression setting her lips into a grim line. Logan wasn't used to not being able to read her like a book and he didn't like it.

"She went to the Planned Parenthood on Mercer Street," she began gently. "It seemed odd for her since she's been seeing Dr. Goodman since high school."

If it were anyone but Veronica Logan would consider her a stalker to know Lilly's habits, but he knew she knew because she always investigated those in his life. It started out as an amusing hobby and soon mutated into an obsession - at least he always thought so, or did until this whole mess with Lilly began. He felt a little uncomfortable with the realization he'd set a hound on his girlfriend, even if it was out of self-preservation.

"Did you find out why?" It would be a violation of the HIPPAA Oath if she did except this was Veronica and medical personnel had no defenses against her wiles, man or woman.

"That would be illegal, Logan, and we run a respectable business we do."

"Can it, Ronnie. What did you find out?"

"Nothing yet."

"Why not?"

Veronica hesitated and twitched a little, a tell she never could hide, and Logan raised a brow in mockery of her earlier expression.

"I ran out of time and had another case -"

"Bullshit. What. Did. You. Find. Out?"

"She's pregnant, Logan. The only question is - who's the father?"