Fic: A Mars Thanksgiving ~ PG-13
Title: A Mars Thanksgiving
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Written for vmfic_gameon's Round 3 Thanksgiving challenge. Veronica's decided to host the feast this year. Of course not all who show up were invited...
Spoilers: If there are any, they’re vague at best
Word Count: 5202
Characters/Pairing: Ensemble, Veronica/Lamb, Wallace/OFC, Mac/Dick, Keith, Cliff
Disclaimer: Veronica Mars is not owned by me, but by Rob Thomas. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: I have to give a shoutout to my own personal Wallace here. He helped me some of this - mostly Wallace’s “scenes” (naturally). Mark my words: The day will come when I get him to watch VM lol. As for timeline: Let’s just say this takes place during/after an AU S3 ‘cause, well, I reject RT‘s reality.
~~
“Okay, Santa is riding down Times Square, you know what that means,” Keith beamed to his daughter on the sofa beside him.
“That everyone is only going to further their over marketing of Christmas and that store employees should make sure their health insurance is paid up tomorrow?” Veronica asked. It wasn’t like her to get swept up in the holiday craze, she wasn’t going to start now.
“Thanksgiving, Veronica. Turkey day. Turkey DAY!” Keith clapped his hands and smiled widely again. “Today we feast!”
“You remember that Wallace and his girlfriend are coming over for dinner too, right?”
“That’s why I got us a big one!” Keith replied as he headed into the kitchen.
Wallace’s mother was out of town, and since Wallace had been like family for the last two years as it was it made sense for him to spend the holiday with them. As for Michelle, well, Veronica didn’t really know her but if she was okay by Wallace she was okay by her.
There may be something to the whole ‘she’s not Jackie’ thing too, but whatever.
Still, she lugged herself off the sofa. It was Thanksgiving, one of her father’s favorite holidays and they had guests on the way. Dick and Mac were supposed to drop by too after they got done eating at her place, or before, it depended on how much food had lasted long enough to even be cooked with Dick around.
Of course it had occurred to Veronica that certain others would drop by too - Logan, maybe Cliff, but as she hadn’t heard anything about either she just decided to go on as though those who had R.S.V.P.’d would be it.
The first knock on the door came two hours later, Veronica was thankful she had already changed out of her pajamas and that the wafting turkey aroma was already filling the air even as the football game on filled her ears from where Keith was parked in the living room. Just how she had gotten roped into cooking the stuffing she wasn’t sure.
“I’ll get it!” Keith called out.
“Happy Turkey Day, Mr. Mars,” Wallace smiled with what looked to be a covered pie in one a hand and an attractive, dark-haired young woman to his right.
“Happy Turkey Day to you too, Wallace and guest,” he grinned.
“This is Michelle. Veronica said I could bring a date.”
“Right, come on in. Is that for us?” he inquired to the silver foil-covered object.
“Oh, yeah. Just don’t tell V.”
“Don’t tell V what?” Veronica called from the kitchen.
“Mmm! Mmm!” Wallace went on as he walked through the living room, attempting to deflect. “Now that’s what I call the sweet smell of Thanksgivin’!”
“Nice try,” Veronica grinned. Never let it be said that she would even let Wallace get one over on her.
“I’m suspecting it has nothing to do with this?” Keith asked as he set the plate down on the counter beside the fridge.
Wallace sighed as he walked over to the counter. “It’s not that I don’t trust ya, Veronica. ‘Cause you know I do. It’s just… I just remember that Snicker Doodle fire - I just wanted to be sure we’d have dessert tonight is all.”
If Veronica hadn’t been so insistent on making the perfect presentation for her guests tonight she likely would have flung something at her best friend’s head for that. But she didn’t feel like being responsible for any flying stains so she only took a deep breath and waited for the urge to pass.
“So, anyway, yeah, now you have pie.”
With that Veronica turned around to put said pie into the fridge when she realized something was a little off about it. “Wallace.”
“Yeah?” he turned back to her.
“You said you brought the pie.”
He knew he would hear about this - hence his attempt at a quickie getaway. Even if just to the other side of the room.
“This isn’t a pie. It’s cheesecake.”
“Told you she’d say that!” Michelle called.
“It’s a custard pie that’s called cake! Cheesecake is pie!” he insisted.
Veronica just shook her head and put the so-called pie into the fridge since the oven was still being taken up by the turkey and sweet potatoes.
The next two hours were about as much of a blur as the previous had been. Veronica had taken over a few more of the cooking duties, but as it was Thanksgiving she wasn’t about to try to do it all herself - not that she couldn’t have, she just knew that it was important to learn how to ask for others to help out a little more.
By now Keith had earned his next break by nearly finishing the stuffing, Veronica had persuaded Michelle to work on the cranberries while she had Wallace working on the pumpkin pie and had taken to working on the mashed potatoes herself.
So lost in her task, Veronica hadn’t even heard the knock on the door but instead heard her father call out to announce that Mac and Dick had arrived.
“You’re early!” Veronica called when she saw her friend walking towards the kitchen, a bag of plastic cups in hand.
“Dad burned the turkey sooner then expected,” Mac replied with a slight glare to Dick.
“Was it my fault it smelled like it was done?” Dick shot back.
“In attempting to shoo you away from the half-cooked food Dad managed to burn the most important thing, so yes, it is your fault. Completely.”
“Come on! Thanksgiving’s a time of thankfulness!” Wallace stated. “Just be thankful Dick didn’t cause your dad to burn your house down.”
Mac sighed. He was right. “Fine. Either way when I told my parents we had an invite to come here they thanked me and said they were taking my little brother out for Chinese.”
“So what can I help with?” Dick asked as he looked over the spread on the counters.
“How about you help me watch the game.” Keith told him.
Sensing it wasn’t a question, Dick just shrugged and sat down on the sofa. Getting out of doing any work on Thanksgiving? He could live with that.
“What about me?” Michelle asked. “Anything else I can do?”
Veronica had decided early on that she would give her father and friends the tasks that they preferred. Whatever was the favorite holiday food of theirs was what they got to cook.
By that reasoning, thus far, that put Michelle in charge of the gravy for the mashed potatoes and the green bean casserole, Wallace in charge of the pies - all three of them (because it apparently isn‘t Thanksgiving without lots of pie), Keith in charge of the turkey, Mac in charge of the sweet potato casserole and Veronica in charge of pretty much everything that was “else” including the semi-homemade apple cider.
“I’ll get it!” Veronica called when the next arrival came. With Keith back in the kitchen and Dick in front of the TV with the others back in the kitchen she was relieved to finally get away from the heat. Besides, it was probably Logan and if anyone could put him to work in the kitchen it would be her.
Then again it could have also been someone that hadn’t been invited and was therefore crashing.
"And here I thought we'd be done with the hot air when the parade ended," Veronica snarked at the sight of the plain-clothes-wearing sheriff in her doorway.
"My dinner will be ready when?" Lamb grinned back.
"Since when do you trust anything that I'd serve you?"
"Eh, had a feeling you wouldn't poison your dad. So when do we eat?"
"We're eating at five. But if you hurry I'm sure you can still catch the early bird special at the Veil."
"Veronica?" Keith called from the kitchen. Exactly how he had gotten roped into making the cranberries, he wasn't sure. "Who's at the door? I thought everyone was here."
"Everyone who was invited is. Though if you want a second turkey I'm pretty sure I could have this one de-feathered and on the table in time."
"De-feathered?" Lamb almost laughed. "Not enough booze in the world, Mars."
She glared. "Why are you even here? You haven't been here since -"
"Yeah. So are you gonna let me in or do I get to eat out here?"
Veronica sighed and shoved the door open. She knew he wouldn't leave at least until he had been fed. And here she thought shoving Backup away from the food would be the most difficult part of her day.
“Lamb?” Keith asked as he watched the younger man strut through his living room.
“Keith,” he smirked. He could see a few other people looking at him, he had seen them around with Veronica enough to know they were her friends and classmates. The Fennell kid he remembered the best though he couldn’t place him.
“Honey, I know it’s in the spirit of the holiday to allow people into your home and show them your customs, even give them food. But do you not remember how it ended for the Native Americans?”
“I remember!” Wallace called out. “Lotsa white people screwed it up for my people!"
“Babe, you're not Native American,” Michelle reminded him.
" I'm one quarter Apache"
"You are not.”
Wallace nearly pouted. "Fine. But I'd be cool if I was.”
“You're fine as you are, just make sure you don't burn this,” the curvy brunette replied as she handed him the third casserole dish.
"Hey, that was one time. Okay? One time!"
“Twice, Wallace,” Veronica reminded him with a grin.
“Well as much as I’d love to argue about who’s what and how soon this place could burn down, my spidey sense is telling me there’s a game on,” Lamb stated as he brushed past both Marses and headed for the sofa.
“Careful, man, she just might put you to work,” Dick stated as he scooted over to allow the other man room on the sofa.
“No,” Veronica said quickly. “Those who burn things aren’t allowed in the kitchen.”
Lamb laughed. The girl really did have a good memory.
“I didn’t burn anything!” Dick protested.
“No, your attempted thievery nearly resulted in a grilled kitchen sandwich,” Mac shot back.
“Wait a minute! I’ve been accused by two of y’all for burning - how come I’m not allowed to sit and watch the game?” Wallace cried.
“Because you insisted on everyone getting their own pie,” Michelle replied.
“Look, the rules are simple. You want something specific, you make it yourself unless you’ve burned things before. Wallace is the only exception.” Veronica told them.
“You melt one frying pan and they never let you forget it,” Lamb sighed to Dick.
“I can’t believe I’m getting blamed for Mac’s dad burning their turkey. All I wanted was an appetizer. How was I supposed to know he was going to flip out over a few missing fried onion things on their green bean casserole?”
“If I were you I’d be thankful,” Keith stated as he returned to his chair. “Wasn’t there a fork incident that first Thanksgiving?” he asked Lamb.
He glanced over to Veronica who seemed to be fighting her way through the small kitchen and almost laughed at the memory. “Yeah.”
“What happened?” Dick asked.
“She assaulted an officer,” he smirked, still staring at Veronica.
“Whoa! Why?”
“I tried to help, she was convinced she could do it herself and I ended up getting stabbed in the hand with a fork.”
“You zigged when you should’ve zagged. Not my fault,” Veronica grinned, proving what Lamb already knew - she had heard every word.
“How much longer until it’s ready?” he called to her.
“A while. A long while. Days maybe. You should really start thinking about alternate dinner plans if you hope to eat tonight,” Veronica replied, mock helpfulness in her voice.
He glanced to his watch. It was a little after four. “So another hour at the most?”
“Looks like,” Michelle called as she tasted her gravy.
“Babe, we don’t talk to him,” Wallace whispered to his girlfriend.
“Why not? He is one of Veronica’s guests, right?”
“More like an interloper,” Veronica groaned as she moved around her friends to check the turkey and sweet potatoes in the oven.
“And the local sheriff,” Mac added.
“He’s cute,” Michelle commented as she looked back to him and Dick who were cheering over a touchdown.
“Can we please not make me throw up on Thanksgiving?” Veronica asked with a deep breath.
“Yeah, really, though I admit V has done worse in the past,” Wallace added to Michelle.
“Standing right here,” Veronica stated as she looked to him and pointed to herself.
“Which is how you know I’m right. Now, I’m going off to watch at least part of the game.”
Another touchdown and suddenly the air was thick with testosterone once more. Veronica needed air. This was too weird. Having this many people in her house, one of which nowhere near invited and yet having that specific one made it seem almost normal. Like it had been a few years before.
Three years he never missed a Thanksgiving with them. He could have visited his family but he didn’t. Not for Thanksgiving at least. Christmas, yes. Still, Veronica couldn’t help but stare for a moment. Lamb. Sheriff Don Lamb was back in her apartment and he wasn’t arresting her. That alone was a slight change of pace. Of course he was just there to get on her nerves but she refused to let him see he was getting to her. Best way to do that, she knew, was to lose herself in her memories outside - away from him.
“I need to cool off, get some air away from the oven. Think you guys can handle it without me a for a bit?” Veronica asked Mac and Michelle.
“Yeah. Are you okay?” Mac asked her.
“Yeah. I just - Hot stove, lots of people, I just need some air.”
Her exit didn’t go unnoticed by anyone, but it was only Lamb to stand to follow her out.
“Don?” Keith asked him.
“I need to make a call. Thanksgiving. Never know if there’s gonna be an arson at a Denny’s or something.”
“Wouldn’t Sacks have called you?” Keith asked, not liking the idea Lamb was holding something back.
“Not when I told him not to,” he replied as he quickly made his way out of the apartment. Veronica wasn’t the only one who needed air.
“I said I needed air, I don’t need a police escort for that,” Veronica stated when she saw Lamb step out onto the porch.
“Can’t be too careful given the trouble you tend to attract.”
“Why did you even come here, Lamb? You weren’t invited and you’ve made it pretty much known you don’t want anything to do with my dad or me, especially come the holidays, so -”
“I’m a big believer in no one spending Thanksgiving dinner alone.”
“Says the guy who could’ve gone home for the holidays.”
“Not when they’re in Texas and I have work tomorrow.”
“You could’ve begged off. So you were either being your unusual considerate self for those who have local family or had family flying in. Or you wanted to spend today with us.”
“Maybe I was looking forward to another one of your food fights,” he smirked.
“Oh! I started the food fights?! Right. Because I was the one who was in charge of the yams Mom loved? I was the one who threw the first marshmallow? Nice try, my memory’s better than that.”
“Then you remember the mashed potatoes that were never finished, because of you. Good.”
“Two words, Lamb: Whipped cream,” she smirked. He started it and she wouldn’t let him forget it.
Don laughed that time, remembering that it had seemed to take him a week to get all of it out of his clothes. It had been the first time he had been banned from the Mars kitchen but he still deemed it worth it.
“You wore it well though,” he smirked finally.
“What?” Had he actually complimented her fifteen-year-old self?
Stun and confusion. Lamb was finally seeing exactly what he was going for. With that his hands came up to either side of Veronica’s face and he moved in faster than she could realize what he was about to do or even react.
Her first instinct when she realized he was really kissing her - like he meant it no less! - was to shove him away. But somehow the wires crossed in her brain and instead of her hands moving to push him from her, they ended up moving behind him and to his shoulders.
“Well I suppose I can guess what you two are thankful for this year,” a deep voice spoke a long moment later.
Only then did Veronica and Don finally realize not only what they had in fact done but that they’d had a witness for at least some of it. They both also realized at the same moment how differently that “should have” gone. Instead there they stood, both looking to Cliff, slowly releasing one another.
“Better get back in before Dick tries to cook again,” Veronica said just a little too enthusiastically just before she ducked into the apartment before either of them could say anything else.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Cliff told Lamb, clearly amused.
Looking almost as uncomfortable as he felt at realizing he was trapped, he said, “You didn’t -”
Cliff lifted his hands, one of which gripping a bottle of apple cider, “I didn’t see anything.”
“How much is it gonna cost me?” Lamb asked with a sigh. He knew better than to trust Neptune’s favorite public defender, even if he was his friend.
“I’ll get back to you on that, I think I need to process what I didn’t see a little more,” he replied as he stepped up to the door.
Lamb blocked him slightly as he headed back inside, leaving Cliff to follow. “Look what I found.”
“Cliff!” Keith called out at the sight.
“Yeah, my ex’s current had the brilliant idea to fry the turkey. I stayed until the garage had completely burned down. All in all it’s been a good day,” he grinned.
Keith laughed.
“Dinner looks like it’s almost done!” Veronica called out from the kitchen. “Twenty more minutes, maybe.”
“Need any more help with anything?” Keith called back.
“Nope,” she answered as she walked with Mac and Michelle back into the living room. “I say just wait ten minutes, check on it and go from there.”
Over the course of the next half hour the food finished cooking, everyone piled into the kitchen, decimated the presentation by taking what they wanted and filed back out into the living room given the lack of a real dining set. It wasn’t as though Veronica and Keith needed one for the bulk of the year so it only seemed fitting to do it this way.
“Alright, now that everyone’s got their dinner and a seat, I think we should go around and say what we’re all thankful for,” Keith said as he looked around his living room at all of their guests.
Everyone agreed in various nods, groans and mutters.
“I’m thankful for pie!” Wallace called out.
“You can do better than that,” Michelle told him.
“Okay, okay, I’m thankful that I’ve finally been able to whip my team into shape and that we just might take home the title this year.”
“I’m thankful for every day that I have Wallace in my life and that we’re able to spend this wonderful holiday together,” Michelle smiled as she looked to him.
“Man!” Wallace cried out. “Can I do mine again?”
The others just laughed and shook their heads.
“I’m thankful for the benefits of secrets,” Cliff grinned to Lamb.
“I’m thankful I’m authorized to use deadly force,” Lamb shot back to his friend.
“Guys,” Keith cut in.
“Fine,” Lamb sighed. Glancing to Veronica, he added, “I’m thankful for welcome surprises.”
“I’ll second that one,” Veronica replied, trying to keep a straight face as she looked back at him.
“I’m thankful there’s one house I’m not being accused of trying to burn down!” Dick called out.
“I’m thankful my dad didn’t kill you,” Mac followed.
“Well then if no one has any toasts to make, I say: Dig in!” Keith followed.
“So, who here woke up today just knowing they’d be having Thanksgiving dinner with such lovely and colorful folks?” Veronica asked as she looked around the room at her friends.
“I knew I’d be seeing Cliff sooner or later,” Lamb replied with a mouthful of turkey.
“I’m a little surprised Logan isn’t here,” Mac commented cautiously.
“He’s somewhere else,” Veronica all but groaned. No way was she saying that name on Thanksgiving. Especially not with Lamb there.
“Yeah. Didn’t you hear?” Dick asked her just before he shoveled another forkful of stuffing into his mouth.
“No. But okay, I get it. I will admit though that I’m sure my parents will be impressed to hear that I’m having Thanksgiving dinner with both Cliff McCormack and Sheriff Lamb, without it being for professional reasons.”
“The day is young,” Lamb commented with a smirk in Veronica’s direction.
“You can keep the cuffs in your pocket, Lamb. You’ve got nothing on me this time.”
“No?” he asked with that perfectly arched brow. “I’m sure I could think of something.”
“Remind me to thank all of you for reminding me I’m the resident parent,” Keith cut in as he looked to currently most immature of the group: Cliff, Lamb, Dick and his own daughter.
“Anytime, Mr. Mars,” Wallace grinned.
“You’re the one who agreed to let me host this bountiful feast this year,” Veronica retorted.
“You invited me,” Cliff added to Keith.
“I knew you wouldn’t last an hour with your ex and I didn’t feel like getting a phone call from the Grand again.”
“It was three hours. The garage was on fire for the latter two though so she was a little busy,” he admitted.
“Well, I’ll say this for your Thanksgiving, Veronica,” Michelle told her with a laugh, “it’s sure been entertaining.”
“Definitely,” Dick laughed.
“See that, Veronica? Some people think I’m entertaining,” Lamb grinned.
“Making The Keystone Cops look good isn’t a compliment,” she smirked.
Cliff, Dick and Wallace all laughed at that one. Keith knew there was no point in trying to break it up now, this was their version of playing nice. Mac and Michelle just looked on at the verbal tennis match.
“You really want to say a thing like that when I’m armed?” he asked as he lifted his still half-full plate.
“Come on, man, it was funny, no need to shoot her,” Dick chimed.
“I didn’t mean my gun. You know what I’m talking about, Mars.”
“Exactly what do you mean, Don?” Keith asked.
He almost laughed at that paternal tone. “Well it’s not marshmallows or whipped cream, but I’m pretty sure we could recreate Year 2 anyway.”
“Try it and you’ll be the one cleaning it up,” Veronica told him.
“Without help,” Keith added.
Of course the part of Lamb’s brain that had him seeing Veronica’s body lined with whipped cream in his bed made him smile at the idea of getting to clean her up himself. Choosing to live, he kept quiet that time.
“Well now that that’s done, when can I have pie?” Wallace asked.
Veronica sighed. “By that do you mean the apple, pecan, pumpkin or your cheesecake?”
“Cheesecake?” Mac asked.
“It’s pie!” Wallace insisted.
“Whatever. You know where it is,” Veronica told him as she made “shoo-shoo“ hand movements for him to go into the kitchen himself.
“You want a slice, babe?” he asked Michelle as he stood.
“My name’s not ‘babe’ but I’ll take two,” Dick smiled. “Pumpkin for me.”
“Do I look like your waiter? Forget that. You’ve got legs. ‘Chelle?”
“Pumpkin,” she nodded, though she had yet to completely finish her main course.
“Done,” he told her as he headed into the kitchen.
“I want more turkey,” Dick stated as he stood.
“Pecan pie for me,” Cliff stated as he followed.
“So I have to get my own?” Mac called to Dick.
“I’ll get you taken care of,” he winked back to her.
After another long line of seconds and thirds of turkey and the various sides and pies and yet more deflections from the traded barbs and snark, the celebration finally began to wind down as the tryptophan kicked in.
“Any volunteers to clean the kitchen?” Keith asked to the layabouts in his living room.
“I think that’s our cue to go!” Dick replied as he looked to Mac beside him.
“Sorry,” Mac told him and Veronica as she walked with Dick towards the front of the apartment. “Later, Veronica.”
“See ya,” she waved.
“Yeah, me too,” Cliff told them. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got at least one client who couldn’t keep themselves out of trouble for one holiday.”
“Sure you don’t want to take that one with you?” Keith asked as he pointed to his former deputy.
Lamb grinned up like the petulant child he often acted like. “Always a pleasure to be a guest in your home, Keith.”
“Uninvited guest,” he muttered.
“I can help,” Wallace sighed as he stood.
“What do you say, Veronica? Trust me to do the dishes?” Lamb asked her.
“Implying I trust you with anything? Really?” she asked him.
Glancing to Keith, thankful he was still saying his goodbyes to Cliff as he headed out so he wasn’t in earshot, Don moved closer to Veronica and brought his voice down to just above a whisper as he said, “I can think of two things you trust me with.”
“I hadn’t eaten all day, bad judgment calls are made every day by people who are starved and the scent of a feast is wafting through the air.”
Smirking, he added, “So I shouldn’t grab that can of Redi-Whip in the fridge and expect you at my place tonight?”
She scoffed. How desperate did he think she was?! “Not a chance.”
“I’ll get the dishes,” Lamb called out to Keith as he watched Veronica’s expression change from defiance to disbelief as he stood.
“Is there a reason Lamb is suddenly not avoiding responsibility?” Keith quietly asked Veronica as he watched him begin to stack the dishwasher while Wallace covered and put away the leftovers.
“No idea,” she replied, wishing she could hear the conversation in the kitchen that had Wallace laughing with the same guy he had known earlier in the day he wasn’t even supposed to converse with.
“I really only thought this happened on TV,” Michelle stated from the sofa.
“Hmm?” Veronica asked her.
“Guys offering to clean. I mean, sure Wallace helps out when he comes over to my parents’ place but I don’t know, this just seems kinda -”
“All things involving Lamb are ‘kinda,’” Veronica told her with a slight sigh. Damn it. Now she needed more air, but the memory of how that had worked out for her last time stopped her.
“Why didn’t you throw him out then? Why tell him he could stay?”
“Funny thing about him having the ability to arrest me for no reason. I keep him from turkey, I get put in handcuffs. Not as fun as it sounds.”
"Daphne,” Wallace said as he walked back up to Veronica.
“Shaggy,” Veronica grinned back at her bestie.
“Me an my girl are headin’ out. I've got another mystery to solve... Or, rather, I will.”
"Babe!” Michelle half-cried. She wanted to stay!
"I wanna get you back before I get yelled at. Besides, there’s a sheriff who owes me a favor. Speaking of, V. you and Freddy try not to tear each other apart.”
Veronica laughed. Lamb as Fred? At least it gave her a distraction from the other images that came to her mind when she thought of him now.
“And you're welcome for the pies!" he called back from the doorway a moment later as he and Michelle headed out.
“One was cheesecake!"
"It so was not! Pie dammit!. PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEE!"
Veronica only shook her head as the door closed. Four down, two more to go.
“Alright!” Lamb called out as he rounded the counter. “Dishes are stacked, the game’s off, so it’s time for me to see if the department survived Thanksgiving without me.”
“Going so soon?” Veronica asked sardonically.
“Oh, don’t you cry, Mars, I’ll be back some day,” he smirked.
“Have a good night, Don,” Keith sighed.
“You too and thank you both for another lovely Thanksgiving. It was certainly memorable,” he replied, only half-sarcastically.
“And then there were two,” Keith said after Lamb finally left.
“And everything’s been cleaned or on its way to being cleaned and or put away. All in all, not on the side of terrible this Thanksgiving.”
“No it wasn’t,” he agreed with a smile. They had really pulled it off and without any fights or bloodshed. That alone was something to be proud of - not to mention be thankful for.
After such a long and eventful day, Veronica should have known she would have a restless night ahead of her. Okay, maybe she couldn’t get one event of the day out of her head, what of it? No one surprised her… Except for him. Today. And Cliff of all people knew about it.
Deciding a just-before-midnight snack was in order, Veronica padded into the kitchen and tried to think of what would be satisfying yet wouldn’t be too heavy to eat before bed.
Something sweet. Perfect. A slice of pie, some sugar would ensure sweet dreams. Of course there was a problem in reaching for that which would make said slice of pie even sweeter and better.
It was gone. As in not there. She hoped it was because Dick and or Wallace had finished the can off with all of the pie they had eaten today. She would look in the trash and find the empty can there.
She wasn’t so lucky. Gone. The Redi-Whip was in fact gone. As much as she wanted it to be a mystery, there was only one suspect.
“Looking for something?” Lamb smirked when he saw Veronica at his door less than an hour later.
“Theft is a crime, Sheriff.”
He leaned against his doorframe and smiled. “Is it now? Oops.” He wanted to laugh, despite her words and simmering fury she was there. After midnight. At his place. Alone. Just like he knew she would be.
“Give it back now and no one gets hurt.”
“How about you come and get it?”
Veronica knew what would happen if she followed him inside. She knew exactly what he had planned. And it involved her wearing whipped cream and nothing but.
The only problem for her was that kiss had clearly done more damage to her brain than she had imagined because within seconds she was willingly walking into his apartment.
The End
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Written for vmfic_gameon's Round 3 Thanksgiving challenge. Veronica's decided to host the feast this year. Of course not all who show up were invited...
Spoilers: If there are any, they’re vague at best
Word Count: 5202
Characters/Pairing: Ensemble, Veronica/Lamb, Wallace/OFC, Mac/Dick, Keith, Cliff
Disclaimer: Veronica Mars is not owned by me, but by Rob Thomas. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: I have to give a shoutout to my own personal Wallace here. He helped me some of this - mostly Wallace’s “scenes” (naturally). Mark my words: The day will come when I get him to watch VM lol. As for timeline: Let’s just say this takes place during/after an AU S3 ‘cause, well, I reject RT‘s reality.
~~
“Okay, Santa is riding down Times Square, you know what that means,” Keith beamed to his daughter on the sofa beside him.
“That everyone is only going to further their over marketing of Christmas and that store employees should make sure their health insurance is paid up tomorrow?” Veronica asked. It wasn’t like her to get swept up in the holiday craze, she wasn’t going to start now.
“Thanksgiving, Veronica. Turkey day. Turkey DAY!” Keith clapped his hands and smiled widely again. “Today we feast!”
“You remember that Wallace and his girlfriend are coming over for dinner too, right?”
“That’s why I got us a big one!” Keith replied as he headed into the kitchen.
Wallace’s mother was out of town, and since Wallace had been like family for the last two years as it was it made sense for him to spend the holiday with them. As for Michelle, well, Veronica didn’t really know her but if she was okay by Wallace she was okay by her.
There may be something to the whole ‘she’s not Jackie’ thing too, but whatever.
Still, she lugged herself off the sofa. It was Thanksgiving, one of her father’s favorite holidays and they had guests on the way. Dick and Mac were supposed to drop by too after they got done eating at her place, or before, it depended on how much food had lasted long enough to even be cooked with Dick around.
Of course it had occurred to Veronica that certain others would drop by too - Logan, maybe Cliff, but as she hadn’t heard anything about either she just decided to go on as though those who had R.S.V.P.’d would be it.
The first knock on the door came two hours later, Veronica was thankful she had already changed out of her pajamas and that the wafting turkey aroma was already filling the air even as the football game on filled her ears from where Keith was parked in the living room. Just how she had gotten roped into cooking the stuffing she wasn’t sure.
“I’ll get it!” Keith called out.
“Happy Turkey Day, Mr. Mars,” Wallace smiled with what looked to be a covered pie in one a hand and an attractive, dark-haired young woman to his right.
“Happy Turkey Day to you too, Wallace and guest,” he grinned.
“This is Michelle. Veronica said I could bring a date.”
“Right, come on in. Is that for us?” he inquired to the silver foil-covered object.
“Oh, yeah. Just don’t tell V.”
“Don’t tell V what?” Veronica called from the kitchen.
“Mmm! Mmm!” Wallace went on as he walked through the living room, attempting to deflect. “Now that’s what I call the sweet smell of Thanksgivin’!”
“Nice try,” Veronica grinned. Never let it be said that she would even let Wallace get one over on her.
“I’m suspecting it has nothing to do with this?” Keith asked as he set the plate down on the counter beside the fridge.
Wallace sighed as he walked over to the counter. “It’s not that I don’t trust ya, Veronica. ‘Cause you know I do. It’s just… I just remember that Snicker Doodle fire - I just wanted to be sure we’d have dessert tonight is all.”
If Veronica hadn’t been so insistent on making the perfect presentation for her guests tonight she likely would have flung something at her best friend’s head for that. But she didn’t feel like being responsible for any flying stains so she only took a deep breath and waited for the urge to pass.
“So, anyway, yeah, now you have pie.”
With that Veronica turned around to put said pie into the fridge when she realized something was a little off about it. “Wallace.”
“Yeah?” he turned back to her.
“You said you brought the pie.”
He knew he would hear about this - hence his attempt at a quickie getaway. Even if just to the other side of the room.
“This isn’t a pie. It’s cheesecake.”
“Told you she’d say that!” Michelle called.
“It’s a custard pie that’s called cake! Cheesecake is pie!” he insisted.
Veronica just shook her head and put the so-called pie into the fridge since the oven was still being taken up by the turkey and sweet potatoes.
The next two hours were about as much of a blur as the previous had been. Veronica had taken over a few more of the cooking duties, but as it was Thanksgiving she wasn’t about to try to do it all herself - not that she couldn’t have, she just knew that it was important to learn how to ask for others to help out a little more.
By now Keith had earned his next break by nearly finishing the stuffing, Veronica had persuaded Michelle to work on the cranberries while she had Wallace working on the pumpkin pie and had taken to working on the mashed potatoes herself.
So lost in her task, Veronica hadn’t even heard the knock on the door but instead heard her father call out to announce that Mac and Dick had arrived.
“You’re early!” Veronica called when she saw her friend walking towards the kitchen, a bag of plastic cups in hand.
“Dad burned the turkey sooner then expected,” Mac replied with a slight glare to Dick.
“Was it my fault it smelled like it was done?” Dick shot back.
“In attempting to shoo you away from the half-cooked food Dad managed to burn the most important thing, so yes, it is your fault. Completely.”
“Come on! Thanksgiving’s a time of thankfulness!” Wallace stated. “Just be thankful Dick didn’t cause your dad to burn your house down.”
Mac sighed. He was right. “Fine. Either way when I told my parents we had an invite to come here they thanked me and said they were taking my little brother out for Chinese.”
“So what can I help with?” Dick asked as he looked over the spread on the counters.
“How about you help me watch the game.” Keith told him.
Sensing it wasn’t a question, Dick just shrugged and sat down on the sofa. Getting out of doing any work on Thanksgiving? He could live with that.
“What about me?” Michelle asked. “Anything else I can do?”
Veronica had decided early on that she would give her father and friends the tasks that they preferred. Whatever was the favorite holiday food of theirs was what they got to cook.
By that reasoning, thus far, that put Michelle in charge of the gravy for the mashed potatoes and the green bean casserole, Wallace in charge of the pies - all three of them (because it apparently isn‘t Thanksgiving without lots of pie), Keith in charge of the turkey, Mac in charge of the sweet potato casserole and Veronica in charge of pretty much everything that was “else” including the semi-homemade apple cider.
“I’ll get it!” Veronica called when the next arrival came. With Keith back in the kitchen and Dick in front of the TV with the others back in the kitchen she was relieved to finally get away from the heat. Besides, it was probably Logan and if anyone could put him to work in the kitchen it would be her.
Then again it could have also been someone that hadn’t been invited and was therefore crashing.
"And here I thought we'd be done with the hot air when the parade ended," Veronica snarked at the sight of the plain-clothes-wearing sheriff in her doorway.
"My dinner will be ready when?" Lamb grinned back.
"Since when do you trust anything that I'd serve you?"
"Eh, had a feeling you wouldn't poison your dad. So when do we eat?"
"We're eating at five. But if you hurry I'm sure you can still catch the early bird special at the Veil."
"Veronica?" Keith called from the kitchen. Exactly how he had gotten roped into making the cranberries, he wasn't sure. "Who's at the door? I thought everyone was here."
"Everyone who was invited is. Though if you want a second turkey I'm pretty sure I could have this one de-feathered and on the table in time."
"De-feathered?" Lamb almost laughed. "Not enough booze in the world, Mars."
She glared. "Why are you even here? You haven't been here since -"
"Yeah. So are you gonna let me in or do I get to eat out here?"
Veronica sighed and shoved the door open. She knew he wouldn't leave at least until he had been fed. And here she thought shoving Backup away from the food would be the most difficult part of her day.
“Lamb?” Keith asked as he watched the younger man strut through his living room.
“Keith,” he smirked. He could see a few other people looking at him, he had seen them around with Veronica enough to know they were her friends and classmates. The Fennell kid he remembered the best though he couldn’t place him.
“Honey, I know it’s in the spirit of the holiday to allow people into your home and show them your customs, even give them food. But do you not remember how it ended for the Native Americans?”
“I remember!” Wallace called out. “Lotsa white people screwed it up for my people!"
“Babe, you're not Native American,” Michelle reminded him.
" I'm one quarter Apache"
"You are not.”
Wallace nearly pouted. "Fine. But I'd be cool if I was.”
“You're fine as you are, just make sure you don't burn this,” the curvy brunette replied as she handed him the third casserole dish.
"Hey, that was one time. Okay? One time!"
“Twice, Wallace,” Veronica reminded him with a grin.
“Well as much as I’d love to argue about who’s what and how soon this place could burn down, my spidey sense is telling me there’s a game on,” Lamb stated as he brushed past both Marses and headed for the sofa.
“Careful, man, she just might put you to work,” Dick stated as he scooted over to allow the other man room on the sofa.
“No,” Veronica said quickly. “Those who burn things aren’t allowed in the kitchen.”
Lamb laughed. The girl really did have a good memory.
“I didn’t burn anything!” Dick protested.
“No, your attempted thievery nearly resulted in a grilled kitchen sandwich,” Mac shot back.
“Wait a minute! I’ve been accused by two of y’all for burning - how come I’m not allowed to sit and watch the game?” Wallace cried.
“Because you insisted on everyone getting their own pie,” Michelle replied.
“Look, the rules are simple. You want something specific, you make it yourself unless you’ve burned things before. Wallace is the only exception.” Veronica told them.
“You melt one frying pan and they never let you forget it,” Lamb sighed to Dick.
“I can’t believe I’m getting blamed for Mac’s dad burning their turkey. All I wanted was an appetizer. How was I supposed to know he was going to flip out over a few missing fried onion things on their green bean casserole?”
“If I were you I’d be thankful,” Keith stated as he returned to his chair. “Wasn’t there a fork incident that first Thanksgiving?” he asked Lamb.
He glanced over to Veronica who seemed to be fighting her way through the small kitchen and almost laughed at the memory. “Yeah.”
“What happened?” Dick asked.
“She assaulted an officer,” he smirked, still staring at Veronica.
“Whoa! Why?”
“I tried to help, she was convinced she could do it herself and I ended up getting stabbed in the hand with a fork.”
“You zigged when you should’ve zagged. Not my fault,” Veronica grinned, proving what Lamb already knew - she had heard every word.
“How much longer until it’s ready?” he called to her.
“A while. A long while. Days maybe. You should really start thinking about alternate dinner plans if you hope to eat tonight,” Veronica replied, mock helpfulness in her voice.
He glanced to his watch. It was a little after four. “So another hour at the most?”
“Looks like,” Michelle called as she tasted her gravy.
“Babe, we don’t talk to him,” Wallace whispered to his girlfriend.
“Why not? He is one of Veronica’s guests, right?”
“More like an interloper,” Veronica groaned as she moved around her friends to check the turkey and sweet potatoes in the oven.
“And the local sheriff,” Mac added.
“He’s cute,” Michelle commented as she looked back to him and Dick who were cheering over a touchdown.
“Can we please not make me throw up on Thanksgiving?” Veronica asked with a deep breath.
“Yeah, really, though I admit V has done worse in the past,” Wallace added to Michelle.
“Standing right here,” Veronica stated as she looked to him and pointed to herself.
“Which is how you know I’m right. Now, I’m going off to watch at least part of the game.”
Another touchdown and suddenly the air was thick with testosterone once more. Veronica needed air. This was too weird. Having this many people in her house, one of which nowhere near invited and yet having that specific one made it seem almost normal. Like it had been a few years before.
Three years he never missed a Thanksgiving with them. He could have visited his family but he didn’t. Not for Thanksgiving at least. Christmas, yes. Still, Veronica couldn’t help but stare for a moment. Lamb. Sheriff Don Lamb was back in her apartment and he wasn’t arresting her. That alone was a slight change of pace. Of course he was just there to get on her nerves but she refused to let him see he was getting to her. Best way to do that, she knew, was to lose herself in her memories outside - away from him.
“I need to cool off, get some air away from the oven. Think you guys can handle it without me a for a bit?” Veronica asked Mac and Michelle.
“Yeah. Are you okay?” Mac asked her.
“Yeah. I just - Hot stove, lots of people, I just need some air.”
Her exit didn’t go unnoticed by anyone, but it was only Lamb to stand to follow her out.
“Don?” Keith asked him.
“I need to make a call. Thanksgiving. Never know if there’s gonna be an arson at a Denny’s or something.”
“Wouldn’t Sacks have called you?” Keith asked, not liking the idea Lamb was holding something back.
“Not when I told him not to,” he replied as he quickly made his way out of the apartment. Veronica wasn’t the only one who needed air.
“I said I needed air, I don’t need a police escort for that,” Veronica stated when she saw Lamb step out onto the porch.
“Can’t be too careful given the trouble you tend to attract.”
“Why did you even come here, Lamb? You weren’t invited and you’ve made it pretty much known you don’t want anything to do with my dad or me, especially come the holidays, so -”
“I’m a big believer in no one spending Thanksgiving dinner alone.”
“Says the guy who could’ve gone home for the holidays.”
“Not when they’re in Texas and I have work tomorrow.”
“You could’ve begged off. So you were either being your unusual considerate self for those who have local family or had family flying in. Or you wanted to spend today with us.”
“Maybe I was looking forward to another one of your food fights,” he smirked.
“Oh! I started the food fights?! Right. Because I was the one who was in charge of the yams Mom loved? I was the one who threw the first marshmallow? Nice try, my memory’s better than that.”
“Then you remember the mashed potatoes that were never finished, because of you. Good.”
“Two words, Lamb: Whipped cream,” she smirked. He started it and she wouldn’t let him forget it.
Don laughed that time, remembering that it had seemed to take him a week to get all of it out of his clothes. It had been the first time he had been banned from the Mars kitchen but he still deemed it worth it.
“You wore it well though,” he smirked finally.
“What?” Had he actually complimented her fifteen-year-old self?
Stun and confusion. Lamb was finally seeing exactly what he was going for. With that his hands came up to either side of Veronica’s face and he moved in faster than she could realize what he was about to do or even react.
Her first instinct when she realized he was really kissing her - like he meant it no less! - was to shove him away. But somehow the wires crossed in her brain and instead of her hands moving to push him from her, they ended up moving behind him and to his shoulders.
“Well I suppose I can guess what you two are thankful for this year,” a deep voice spoke a long moment later.
Only then did Veronica and Don finally realize not only what they had in fact done but that they’d had a witness for at least some of it. They both also realized at the same moment how differently that “should have” gone. Instead there they stood, both looking to Cliff, slowly releasing one another.
“Better get back in before Dick tries to cook again,” Veronica said just a little too enthusiastically just before she ducked into the apartment before either of them could say anything else.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Cliff told Lamb, clearly amused.
Looking almost as uncomfortable as he felt at realizing he was trapped, he said, “You didn’t -”
Cliff lifted his hands, one of which gripping a bottle of apple cider, “I didn’t see anything.”
“How much is it gonna cost me?” Lamb asked with a sigh. He knew better than to trust Neptune’s favorite public defender, even if he was his friend.
“I’ll get back to you on that, I think I need to process what I didn’t see a little more,” he replied as he stepped up to the door.
Lamb blocked him slightly as he headed back inside, leaving Cliff to follow. “Look what I found.”
“Cliff!” Keith called out at the sight.
“Yeah, my ex’s current had the brilliant idea to fry the turkey. I stayed until the garage had completely burned down. All in all it’s been a good day,” he grinned.
Keith laughed.
“Dinner looks like it’s almost done!” Veronica called out from the kitchen. “Twenty more minutes, maybe.”
“Need any more help with anything?” Keith called back.
“Nope,” she answered as she walked with Mac and Michelle back into the living room. “I say just wait ten minutes, check on it and go from there.”
Over the course of the next half hour the food finished cooking, everyone piled into the kitchen, decimated the presentation by taking what they wanted and filed back out into the living room given the lack of a real dining set. It wasn’t as though Veronica and Keith needed one for the bulk of the year so it only seemed fitting to do it this way.
“Alright, now that everyone’s got their dinner and a seat, I think we should go around and say what we’re all thankful for,” Keith said as he looked around his living room at all of their guests.
Everyone agreed in various nods, groans and mutters.
“I’m thankful for pie!” Wallace called out.
“You can do better than that,” Michelle told him.
“Okay, okay, I’m thankful that I’ve finally been able to whip my team into shape and that we just might take home the title this year.”
“I’m thankful for every day that I have Wallace in my life and that we’re able to spend this wonderful holiday together,” Michelle smiled as she looked to him.
“Man!” Wallace cried out. “Can I do mine again?”
The others just laughed and shook their heads.
“I’m thankful for the benefits of secrets,” Cliff grinned to Lamb.
“I’m thankful I’m authorized to use deadly force,” Lamb shot back to his friend.
“Guys,” Keith cut in.
“Fine,” Lamb sighed. Glancing to Veronica, he added, “I’m thankful for welcome surprises.”
“I’ll second that one,” Veronica replied, trying to keep a straight face as she looked back at him.
“I’m thankful there’s one house I’m not being accused of trying to burn down!” Dick called out.
“I’m thankful my dad didn’t kill you,” Mac followed.
“Well then if no one has any toasts to make, I say: Dig in!” Keith followed.
“So, who here woke up today just knowing they’d be having Thanksgiving dinner with such lovely and colorful folks?” Veronica asked as she looked around the room at her friends.
“I knew I’d be seeing Cliff sooner or later,” Lamb replied with a mouthful of turkey.
“I’m a little surprised Logan isn’t here,” Mac commented cautiously.
“He’s somewhere else,” Veronica all but groaned. No way was she saying that name on Thanksgiving. Especially not with Lamb there.
“Yeah. Didn’t you hear?” Dick asked her just before he shoveled another forkful of stuffing into his mouth.
“No. But okay, I get it. I will admit though that I’m sure my parents will be impressed to hear that I’m having Thanksgiving dinner with both Cliff McCormack and Sheriff Lamb, without it being for professional reasons.”
“The day is young,” Lamb commented with a smirk in Veronica’s direction.
“You can keep the cuffs in your pocket, Lamb. You’ve got nothing on me this time.”
“No?” he asked with that perfectly arched brow. “I’m sure I could think of something.”
“Remind me to thank all of you for reminding me I’m the resident parent,” Keith cut in as he looked to currently most immature of the group: Cliff, Lamb, Dick and his own daughter.
“Anytime, Mr. Mars,” Wallace grinned.
“You’re the one who agreed to let me host this bountiful feast this year,” Veronica retorted.
“You invited me,” Cliff added to Keith.
“I knew you wouldn’t last an hour with your ex and I didn’t feel like getting a phone call from the Grand again.”
“It was three hours. The garage was on fire for the latter two though so she was a little busy,” he admitted.
“Well, I’ll say this for your Thanksgiving, Veronica,” Michelle told her with a laugh, “it’s sure been entertaining.”
“Definitely,” Dick laughed.
“See that, Veronica? Some people think I’m entertaining,” Lamb grinned.
“Making The Keystone Cops look good isn’t a compliment,” she smirked.
Cliff, Dick and Wallace all laughed at that one. Keith knew there was no point in trying to break it up now, this was their version of playing nice. Mac and Michelle just looked on at the verbal tennis match.
“You really want to say a thing like that when I’m armed?” he asked as he lifted his still half-full plate.
“Come on, man, it was funny, no need to shoot her,” Dick chimed.
“I didn’t mean my gun. You know what I’m talking about, Mars.”
“Exactly what do you mean, Don?” Keith asked.
He almost laughed at that paternal tone. “Well it’s not marshmallows or whipped cream, but I’m pretty sure we could recreate Year 2 anyway.”
“Try it and you’ll be the one cleaning it up,” Veronica told him.
“Without help,” Keith added.
Of course the part of Lamb’s brain that had him seeing Veronica’s body lined with whipped cream in his bed made him smile at the idea of getting to clean her up himself. Choosing to live, he kept quiet that time.
“Well now that that’s done, when can I have pie?” Wallace asked.
Veronica sighed. “By that do you mean the apple, pecan, pumpkin or your cheesecake?”
“Cheesecake?” Mac asked.
“It’s pie!” Wallace insisted.
“Whatever. You know where it is,” Veronica told him as she made “shoo-shoo“ hand movements for him to go into the kitchen himself.
“You want a slice, babe?” he asked Michelle as he stood.
“My name’s not ‘babe’ but I’ll take two,” Dick smiled. “Pumpkin for me.”
“Do I look like your waiter? Forget that. You’ve got legs. ‘Chelle?”
“Pumpkin,” she nodded, though she had yet to completely finish her main course.
“Done,” he told her as he headed into the kitchen.
“I want more turkey,” Dick stated as he stood.
“Pecan pie for me,” Cliff stated as he followed.
“So I have to get my own?” Mac called to Dick.
“I’ll get you taken care of,” he winked back to her.
After another long line of seconds and thirds of turkey and the various sides and pies and yet more deflections from the traded barbs and snark, the celebration finally began to wind down as the tryptophan kicked in.
“Any volunteers to clean the kitchen?” Keith asked to the layabouts in his living room.
“I think that’s our cue to go!” Dick replied as he looked to Mac beside him.
“Sorry,” Mac told him and Veronica as she walked with Dick towards the front of the apartment. “Later, Veronica.”
“See ya,” she waved.
“Yeah, me too,” Cliff told them. “I’m pretty sure I’ve got at least one client who couldn’t keep themselves out of trouble for one holiday.”
“Sure you don’t want to take that one with you?” Keith asked as he pointed to his former deputy.
Lamb grinned up like the petulant child he often acted like. “Always a pleasure to be a guest in your home, Keith.”
“Uninvited guest,” he muttered.
“I can help,” Wallace sighed as he stood.
“What do you say, Veronica? Trust me to do the dishes?” Lamb asked her.
“Implying I trust you with anything? Really?” she asked him.
Glancing to Keith, thankful he was still saying his goodbyes to Cliff as he headed out so he wasn’t in earshot, Don moved closer to Veronica and brought his voice down to just above a whisper as he said, “I can think of two things you trust me with.”
“I hadn’t eaten all day, bad judgment calls are made every day by people who are starved and the scent of a feast is wafting through the air.”
Smirking, he added, “So I shouldn’t grab that can of Redi-Whip in the fridge and expect you at my place tonight?”
She scoffed. How desperate did he think she was?! “Not a chance.”
“I’ll get the dishes,” Lamb called out to Keith as he watched Veronica’s expression change from defiance to disbelief as he stood.
“Is there a reason Lamb is suddenly not avoiding responsibility?” Keith quietly asked Veronica as he watched him begin to stack the dishwasher while Wallace covered and put away the leftovers.
“No idea,” she replied, wishing she could hear the conversation in the kitchen that had Wallace laughing with the same guy he had known earlier in the day he wasn’t even supposed to converse with.
“I really only thought this happened on TV,” Michelle stated from the sofa.
“Hmm?” Veronica asked her.
“Guys offering to clean. I mean, sure Wallace helps out when he comes over to my parents’ place but I don’t know, this just seems kinda -”
“All things involving Lamb are ‘kinda,’” Veronica told her with a slight sigh. Damn it. Now she needed more air, but the memory of how that had worked out for her last time stopped her.
“Why didn’t you throw him out then? Why tell him he could stay?”
“Funny thing about him having the ability to arrest me for no reason. I keep him from turkey, I get put in handcuffs. Not as fun as it sounds.”
"Daphne,” Wallace said as he walked back up to Veronica.
“Shaggy,” Veronica grinned back at her bestie.
“Me an my girl are headin’ out. I've got another mystery to solve... Or, rather, I will.”
"Babe!” Michelle half-cried. She wanted to stay!
"I wanna get you back before I get yelled at. Besides, there’s a sheriff who owes me a favor. Speaking of, V. you and Freddy try not to tear each other apart.”
Veronica laughed. Lamb as Fred? At least it gave her a distraction from the other images that came to her mind when she thought of him now.
“And you're welcome for the pies!" he called back from the doorway a moment later as he and Michelle headed out.
“One was cheesecake!"
"It so was not! Pie dammit!. PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEE!"
Veronica only shook her head as the door closed. Four down, two more to go.
“Alright!” Lamb called out as he rounded the counter. “Dishes are stacked, the game’s off, so it’s time for me to see if the department survived Thanksgiving without me.”
“Going so soon?” Veronica asked sardonically.
“Oh, don’t you cry, Mars, I’ll be back some day,” he smirked.
“Have a good night, Don,” Keith sighed.
“You too and thank you both for another lovely Thanksgiving. It was certainly memorable,” he replied, only half-sarcastically.
“And then there were two,” Keith said after Lamb finally left.
“And everything’s been cleaned or on its way to being cleaned and or put away. All in all, not on the side of terrible this Thanksgiving.”
“No it wasn’t,” he agreed with a smile. They had really pulled it off and without any fights or bloodshed. That alone was something to be proud of - not to mention be thankful for.
After such a long and eventful day, Veronica should have known she would have a restless night ahead of her. Okay, maybe she couldn’t get one event of the day out of her head, what of it? No one surprised her… Except for him. Today. And Cliff of all people knew about it.
Deciding a just-before-midnight snack was in order, Veronica padded into the kitchen and tried to think of what would be satisfying yet wouldn’t be too heavy to eat before bed.
Something sweet. Perfect. A slice of pie, some sugar would ensure sweet dreams. Of course there was a problem in reaching for that which would make said slice of pie even sweeter and better.
It was gone. As in not there. She hoped it was because Dick and or Wallace had finished the can off with all of the pie they had eaten today. She would look in the trash and find the empty can there.
She wasn’t so lucky. Gone. The Redi-Whip was in fact gone. As much as she wanted it to be a mystery, there was only one suspect.
“Looking for something?” Lamb smirked when he saw Veronica at his door less than an hour later.
“Theft is a crime, Sheriff.”
He leaned against his doorframe and smiled. “Is it now? Oops.” He wanted to laugh, despite her words and simmering fury she was there. After midnight. At his place. Alone. Just like he knew she would be.
“Give it back now and no one gets hurt.”
“How about you come and get it?”
Veronica knew what would happen if she followed him inside. She knew exactly what he had planned. And it involved her wearing whipped cream and nothing but.
The only problem for her was that kiss had clearly done more damage to her brain than she had imagined because within seconds she was willingly walking into his apartment.
The End