What Goes Down (Part 8): Amends
Title: Amends
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 1160
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veronica goes to the Sheriff's department on Christmas Eve.
Notes: Eighth in the What Goes Down series. AU from episode 3:2 - My Big Fat Greek Rush Week; spoilers for episode 3:9 - Spit & Eggs.
Previously: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
There were four empty jail cells on Saturday afternoon.
When Logan Echolls was brought in on charges of destroying county property, Lamb led him to Mercer's cell without a word.
-
"Hey."
The first thing Veronica saw when she woke up was her father, looking down at her. She smiled at him faintly.
"You've been out for a while," he said.
Veronica winced as memories of the previous night came flooding back. Mercer.
She wasn't aware that she'd spoken the name aloud until she saw Keith's expression change.
"They arrested him," he assured her, and she sank back into the couch.
"He was the rapist?"
Keith nodded. "He was. And you got him, honey."
Veronica managed a weak smile.
"They got his friend, too," Keith said, and Veronica looked up at him, confused.
"His friend?"
He nodded. "Moe Slater. Apparently he helped Mercer drug the girls."
Veronica frowned. Wallace's RA. "And Mercer gave him up?"
Keith's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "No honour among thieves and rapists."
He was looking at her concernedly, and Veronica tried to sit up. "I'm okay," she assured him, reading the question in his eyes.
"I'm glad," he said. "I didn't know what to think when Lamb showed up here holding you in his arms."
Veronica frowned. "Lamb?"
Keith nodded. "He brought you home." He looked at Veronica. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," she said.
They shared a moment's silence. Veronica looked down, trying to clear her thoughts.
"I broke things off with Harmony," Keith said after a while.
Veronica sat up a little. She didn't say anything.
"She has her issues to work out," he said, and looked at Veronica. "Her family."
Veronica nodded.
"Would you be okay with me seeing her again?" Keith asked. "Down the line, I mean."
Veronica shook her head. "I don't know," she said honestly.
Keith smiled, and pushed Veronica's hair back to kiss her on the forehead. "Okay," he said.
-
After Mac and Piz had left the apartment, Veronica sat across from Wallace on the couch.
"I'm sorry," he said.
Veronica frowned. "Sorry for what?" she asked.
Wallace shrugged. "For not being with you. For not saving you. For letting you go upstairs." He looked at her. "For letting Mercer get to you."
Veronica looked at him. "It wasn't your fault," she said, with all the feeling she could muster. "I told you to look out for other girls at the party, not for me."
Wallace nodded. "What was he even doing there?" he asked, and Veronica knew he wasn't talking about Mercer.
She shrugged. "He was investigating the rapes," she said, trying to keep her voice neutral. "He thought the Theta Betas were involved. He probably came to the party to check them out."
Wallace stood up. "I'm glad he was there," he said.
"Me, too," Veronica said after he left.
-
"Guess what I have."
Veronica looked up at her father as he entered the apartment, a piece of paper clutched in his hand. "A pony?" she guessed excitedly.
Keith smiled. "An invitation to the Sheriff's department Christmas party," he said. "I guess they're starting to warm up to me."
Veronica smiled.
"Do you want to go?" he asked her, and Veronica tried to read his expression. She nodded.
"Yes," she said.
Keith looked at her, and then nodded. In agreement or acquiescence, she couldn't tell.
"I might be there late," he warned her, and Veronica looked up. "If I make it at all."
Veronica frowned at him.
"I'm working on a case," he told her.
"On Christmas Eve?"
"Unfortunately." Keith looked at her, and held up his hands. "Don't worry, it's an actual case this time."
Veronica smiled, and they sat in silence for a moment. "Okay," she said after a while.
-
"Hey, Veronica." Sacks looked at her questioningly. "Are you here for the party?"
Veronica smiled. "I am." There was something about Sacks that seemed different, something she couldn't quite place. She tilted her head.
"Are you -" she asked, and Sacks blushed. Veronica reached out as if to touch his upper lip. "A fake moustache?" she asked, amused.
Sacks looked away, embarrassed. "I felt weird without it," he admitted quietly.
Veronica smiled. "Well, I think you look good, either way," she told him.
Sacks looked grateful, if still embarrassed.
Veronica looked up, then, and saw Lamb. Almost unconsciously, she stepped forward, and before she knew what was happening, his hands were on her waist, and he was kissing her.
It took Veronica a moment to react, but then she was kissing him back, pressing her mouth against his. She kissed him passionately, instinctively, tasting the scotch on his tongue, and she leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer.
"What was that?" she asked breathlessly, when they finally broke apart. Lamb pointed to a spot above her, and she looked up.
"Mistletoe," he whispered.
Veronica flushed, and looked around the room. All eyes were on them; Sacks looked like his jaw was about to fall off.
When she looked back up at Lamb, he was grinning down at her, and she smiled. "You're lucky my dad isn't here" she said quietly, intimately. "He'd kick your ass."
Lamb stepped back, and looked around the room nervously. Veronica laughed and shook her head, and when someone handed her a glass of egg nog, she took it without hesitation.
"Hi, Inga," she said, as the older woman passed her.
Inga stopped. "Veronica," she said. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Veronica said. "How are the puppies?"
"Not puppies any more." Inga smiled. "They're so big now, you should see."
Veronica nodded. As Inga walked away, she looked up. Lamb was staring at her from the other side of the room.
Lamb disengaged himself from one of the deputies and crossed the room, stopping close to her. "Want to dance?" he asked.
Veronica accepted his invitation silently, holding out her hand. He led her to the centre of the room, putting his arms around her waist as she leaned closer, pretending that no-one else was watching. She could smell his aftershave, and she relaxed into him as they danced.
"I really love this song," she said quietly, looking up at him.
Lamb smiled. "Me, too."
When the song was over, Veronica stepped back as Lamb's hands fell off her hips. Pausing for a moment, she leaned up to him and kissed him, her lips soft, almost chaste, against his.
When she drew back, he was looking at her.
"Thank you," she said softly.
-
The next morning, Veronica ran from the kitchen to open the door. "Merry Christmas!" she said, smiling.
Lamb looked down at her. "Nice hat."
Veronica stepped back. "You're not my dad," she said.
"Thank god," Lamb said, and brushed past her as he entered the apartment. She looked at him.
"What do you want?" she asked curiously.
Lamb looked at her. "I need your help on a case," he said.
Next: Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 1160
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veronica goes to the Sheriff's department on Christmas Eve.
Notes: Eighth in the What Goes Down series. AU from episode 3:2 - My Big Fat Greek Rush Week; spoilers for episode 3:9 - Spit & Eggs.
Previously: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7
There were four empty jail cells on Saturday afternoon.
When Logan Echolls was brought in on charges of destroying county property, Lamb led him to Mercer's cell without a word.
-
"Hey."
The first thing Veronica saw when she woke up was her father, looking down at her. She smiled at him faintly.
"You've been out for a while," he said.
Veronica winced as memories of the previous night came flooding back. Mercer.
She wasn't aware that she'd spoken the name aloud until she saw Keith's expression change.
"They arrested him," he assured her, and she sank back into the couch.
"He was the rapist?"
Keith nodded. "He was. And you got him, honey."
Veronica managed a weak smile.
"They got his friend, too," Keith said, and Veronica looked up at him, confused.
"His friend?"
He nodded. "Moe Slater. Apparently he helped Mercer drug the girls."
Veronica frowned. Wallace's RA. "And Mercer gave him up?"
Keith's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "No honour among thieves and rapists."
He was looking at her concernedly, and Veronica tried to sit up. "I'm okay," she assured him, reading the question in his eyes.
"I'm glad," he said. "I didn't know what to think when Lamb showed up here holding you in his arms."
Veronica frowned. "Lamb?"
Keith nodded. "He brought you home." He looked at Veronica. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," she said.
They shared a moment's silence. Veronica looked down, trying to clear her thoughts.
"I broke things off with Harmony," Keith said after a while.
Veronica sat up a little. She didn't say anything.
"She has her issues to work out," he said, and looked at Veronica. "Her family."
Veronica nodded.
"Would you be okay with me seeing her again?" Keith asked. "Down the line, I mean."
Veronica shook her head. "I don't know," she said honestly.
Keith smiled, and pushed Veronica's hair back to kiss her on the forehead. "Okay," he said.
-
After Mac and Piz had left the apartment, Veronica sat across from Wallace on the couch.
"I'm sorry," he said.
Veronica frowned. "Sorry for what?" she asked.
Wallace shrugged. "For not being with you. For not saving you. For letting you go upstairs." He looked at her. "For letting Mercer get to you."
Veronica looked at him. "It wasn't your fault," she said, with all the feeling she could muster. "I told you to look out for other girls at the party, not for me."
Wallace nodded. "What was he even doing there?" he asked, and Veronica knew he wasn't talking about Mercer.
She shrugged. "He was investigating the rapes," she said, trying to keep her voice neutral. "He thought the Theta Betas were involved. He probably came to the party to check them out."
Wallace stood up. "I'm glad he was there," he said.
"Me, too," Veronica said after he left.
-
"Guess what I have."
Veronica looked up at her father as he entered the apartment, a piece of paper clutched in his hand. "A pony?" she guessed excitedly.
Keith smiled. "An invitation to the Sheriff's department Christmas party," he said. "I guess they're starting to warm up to me."
Veronica smiled.
"Do you want to go?" he asked her, and Veronica tried to read his expression. She nodded.
"Yes," she said.
Keith looked at her, and then nodded. In agreement or acquiescence, she couldn't tell.
"I might be there late," he warned her, and Veronica looked up. "If I make it at all."
Veronica frowned at him.
"I'm working on a case," he told her.
"On Christmas Eve?"
"Unfortunately." Keith looked at her, and held up his hands. "Don't worry, it's an actual case this time."
Veronica smiled, and they sat in silence for a moment. "Okay," she said after a while.
-
"Hey, Veronica." Sacks looked at her questioningly. "Are you here for the party?"
Veronica smiled. "I am." There was something about Sacks that seemed different, something she couldn't quite place. She tilted her head.
"Are you -" she asked, and Sacks blushed. Veronica reached out as if to touch his upper lip. "A fake moustache?" she asked, amused.
Sacks looked away, embarrassed. "I felt weird without it," he admitted quietly.
Veronica smiled. "Well, I think you look good, either way," she told him.
Sacks looked grateful, if still embarrassed.
Veronica looked up, then, and saw Lamb. Almost unconsciously, she stepped forward, and before she knew what was happening, his hands were on her waist, and he was kissing her.
It took Veronica a moment to react, but then she was kissing him back, pressing her mouth against his. She kissed him passionately, instinctively, tasting the scotch on his tongue, and she leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer.
"What was that?" she asked breathlessly, when they finally broke apart. Lamb pointed to a spot above her, and she looked up.
"Mistletoe," he whispered.
Veronica flushed, and looked around the room. All eyes were on them; Sacks looked like his jaw was about to fall off.
When she looked back up at Lamb, he was grinning down at her, and she smiled. "You're lucky my dad isn't here" she said quietly, intimately. "He'd kick your ass."
Lamb stepped back, and looked around the room nervously. Veronica laughed and shook her head, and when someone handed her a glass of egg nog, she took it without hesitation.
"Hi, Inga," she said, as the older woman passed her.
Inga stopped. "Veronica," she said. "How are you?"
"I'm good," Veronica said. "How are the puppies?"
"Not puppies any more." Inga smiled. "They're so big now, you should see."
Veronica nodded. As Inga walked away, she looked up. Lamb was staring at her from the other side of the room.
Lamb disengaged himself from one of the deputies and crossed the room, stopping close to her. "Want to dance?" he asked.
Veronica accepted his invitation silently, holding out her hand. He led her to the centre of the room, putting his arms around her waist as she leaned closer, pretending that no-one else was watching. She could smell his aftershave, and she relaxed into him as they danced.
"I really love this song," she said quietly, looking up at him.
Lamb smiled. "Me, too."
When the song was over, Veronica stepped back as Lamb's hands fell off her hips. Pausing for a moment, she leaned up to him and kissed him, her lips soft, almost chaste, against his.
When she drew back, he was looking at her.
"Thank you," she said softly.
-
The next morning, Veronica ran from the kitchen to open the door. "Merry Christmas!" she said, smiling.
Lamb looked down at her. "Nice hat."
Veronica stepped back. "You're not my dad," she said.
"Thank god," Lamb said, and brushed past her as he entered the apartment. She looked at him.
"What do you want?" she asked curiously.
Lamb looked at her. "I need your help on a case," he said.
Next: Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18