What Goes Down (Part 17): Busted
Title: Busted
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 1948
Rating: R
Summary: Veronica gets in over her head at Sam Mercano's private party.
Notes: Seventeenth in the What Goes Down series. AU from episode 3:2 - My Big Fat Greek Rush Week; almost entirely AU after episode 3:9 - Spit & Eggs.
Previously: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16
"Hey, Veronica."
Veronica turned. "Hey, Piz."
Piz looked around, slightly bemused. "So, this looks like fun ... what is it, exactly?"
"The Theta Beta summer wet 'n' wild barbeque," she told him, smiling.
"Ah," he said. "Yes. Obviously. I see you've got your barbeques, and your, uh, water slides." His eyes came to rest on the slide. "Your girls in bikinis."
"And," Veronica said, gesturing to the group beside them, "your ever-present drunk college guys." As if to emphasise her point, Chip Diller hollered loudly, and Piz laughed.
"So, Veronica ..." he began, and stopped as her attention shifted.
Veronica smiled at him distractedly. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" she asked. Moving past him, she ran up to Lamb, who grinned.
As Veronica reached him, Lamb put his arms around her waist and kissed her. Leaning into him, Veronica kissed him back, smiling as he pulled away.
"You came," she said. And then, as if realising what he was wearing for the first time, she frowned. "In uniform."
Lamb stepped back a little, his hands still on her waist. "I'm working," he said, "so I can't stay."
Veronica pouted, and he laughed. "I'll be back," he assured her.
"Okay," Veronica said, smiling as she kissed him quickly. "I'll see you later."
As Lamb walked away, she turned.
And bumped straight into Dick Casablancas.
Dick shook his head comically. "Did I just see you kissing the Sheriff?" he asked her.
Veronica bit her lip. This was not good.
"That's who you chose to get over Logan with?"
"I'm not getting over Logan with anyone," Veronica said. "I'm over Logan. And the last time I checked, my love life was none of your business."
Dick backed away, raising his hands. "Hey, you do whatever you want," he said. "Bang the Sheriff. What do I care?"
Veronica shook her head as he walked away. What did she care what Dick knew, she asked herself. She didn't bother to listen to the answer.
"Hey, Hallie," she said then, approaching one of the barbeques.
"Hey, Veronica!" Hallie said brightly. "Do you want something?"
Veronica smiled, and thanked Hallie as she handed Veronica a burger. She bit into it, trying to forget her brief altercation with Dick, and wandered away from the crowd into the Theta Beta house.
"Veronica, hi!"
Veronica looked up at Shania as she finished the last of her burger. "Hi."
"Come on, we're all getting changed," Shania said, pulling Veronica up the stairs. "You brought your bathing suit, right?"
Veronica smiled. "It's under my dress."
"Oh, good." Shania looked relieved.
Veronica unzipped her dress in Shania's room as the other girls got changed, laying it out on the bed. When Shania looked back at her, Veronica almost felt overdressed.
"Last one outside is a rotten egg!" Siobhann called, and Veronica ran downstairs with the others, letting out a shout as Kim, who was manning the water slide, soaked her with the hose.
Grabbing Veronica's hand again, Shania dove headfirst into the slide, pulling Veronica in after her. When Veronica finally got up, wet and thoroughly dishevelled, she pushed her hair back from her face and looked up to see Lamb smiling at her.
"You're back!" she said, throwing her arms around Lamb, trying to get him as wet as possible as she pressed against him. "And you changed."
Lamb kissed her, but when he pulled back, he was looking down at her seriously. "I need to talk to you," he said.
Veronica frowned. "Okay."
"Alone."
She nodded. "Let me just get my things."
When Veronica emerged from the Theta Beta house, dressed once more and carrying her bag, Lamb was waiting for her outside.
"My dad's probably home," she told him.
Lamb nodded. "Meet me at my place."
-
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
Lamb was leaning against his couch when she got there, the serious expression still on his face.
"I'm worried about you," he said, and Veronica rolled her eyes.
"I really wish people would stop saying that."
Lamb looked at her. "Well, maybe you should listen to them for once."
"God, you sound just like ..." Veronica trailed off.
"Like who? Your dad?"
Veronica shook her head. "No."
"Listen, Veronica, I know I know I asked for your help on this case, but I want you to drop it, okay? I can handle it."
Veronica looked at him for a long moment. She stepped forward, placing her hands on Lamb's chest. "I'm fine," she said, and kissed him.
When Lamb looked like he was going to speak, Veronica kissed him again, longer this time, and he kissed her back.
He ran his hands through her hair as she put her arms around his neck, tasting chlorine on her tongue and cinnamon and coffee on Lamb's. One of them moaned, and Veronica wasn't sure who; moving closer to press into him, she gasped as Lamb lowered his mouth to her neck, tilting her head back as she pushed him backwards, and they went tumbling over onto the couch together.
Veronica drew in a breath as Lamb reached up to cup her breast, feeling him hard beneath her. She tangled her hands in his hair, wriggling on top of him, and felt Lamb bite back a gasp against her throat.
She didn't object this time when he reached his hand down to her bikini bottoms, teasing his fingers gently underneath them, and almost forgot to breathe when he pulled them off her in one fluid motion. She sat up as Lamb looked at her, his eyes darkened with lust.
As he lifted her in his arms, Veronica laughed, reaching up to put her hands around his shoulders. "Where are we going?" she asked him as he stood.
Lamb looked down as he carried her. "Bedroom," he said. "Now."
-
Veronica tried - unsuccessfully - to keep her mind on the game as she dealt, barely registering the cards in front of her. Every time she let her mind wander, she could still feel Lamb's hands on her, his mouth hot and insistent against hers, could remember the way he had cried out as she ...
Veronica shook her head as she lost another hand. Not, she reflected, that it really mattered.
Whatever the purpose of Sam Mercano's private party, it wasn't gambling.
There was some gambling going on, sure; Veronica's was one of a few sparsely populated tables scattered around the room. But it seemed to her like more of a distraction than anything else. Mercano, and the few men Veronica guessed were connected with him, were sitting at the centre of the room, barely looking at the tables. If Mercano was trying to hide something, she thought, he wasn't doing a very good job of it; every few minutes he glanced up toward the door, and Veronica wondered, if not very hard, who he was waiting for.
When he finally came over to her table, ostensibly to see how she was doing - which was not very well - Veronica thought it was probably time for her to leave.
As Mercano ran his hand across her lower back, she turned. "If you don't need me any more ..." she began, and he smiled.
"Oh," he said quietly, "I need you."
He stayed at her side after that, his hands never quite leaving her, and Veronica suppressed a shudder. She had got herself into this, she knew. The thought wasn't much comfort.
"Hey!" she cried as Mercano grabbed her suddenly, his hands tight around her waist. Then he turned her around to face the door, and Veronica knew that her troubles had barely begun.
From the open doorway, Liam Fitzpatrick leered at her.
Mercano dragged Veronica over to Liam, releasing his grip on her as Liam grabbed her roughly by the hair. He looked down at her, his face only inches from hers, and smiled coldly.
"Well, what do we have here?" he asked. "If it isn't Veronica Mars."
Veronica restrained herself - barely - from spitting in his face. Instead, she kicked him, her foot connecting sharply with his shin, and he grabbed her by the arm as she turned to run.
"Now, now," he chided her. "Is that any way to treat an old friend?"
He leaned down until Veronica could feel his breath, hot on her cheek. "Your daddy has something of mine," he snarled. "And now, I have something of his."
"Are we cool?" Mercano's voice interrupted Liam, and he looked up.
"Yeah," he said. "We're cool. Danny!"
At the edge of her vision, Veronica could see a figure moving forward, and she couldn't quite make out the hushed whispers that followed.
Liam leaned down, and pulled Veronica tight against him. She squirmed in his grip, and he laughed. "Down, girl," he said. "We'll have plenty of time for that later."
Veronica's breath was coming quickly, now, and she tried not to panic. Considering the circumstances, it was difficult.
Liam barely seemed to register her struggles as he yanked her roughly towards the door. His grip seemed to tighten every time she moved, and Veronica considered - and quickly discarded - the idea of calling out for help.
When the door banged open in front of them, Liam froze. Barely two feet away from them, Lamb stood, his gun drawn.
Behind him, four deputies stood in similar positions. And so did Veronica's father.
Lamb's eyes narrowed when he saw her, and Veronica felt herself being pulled backwards as Liam backed away. Behind her, she could hear shouts and scrambling as she guessed that Sam Mercano and company were preparing to make a break for it.
"Sacks! Ramirez! Sampson! Davis!" At Lamb's shouts, the deputies ran forward.
"Veronica!" That was her father's voice, and Veronica watched as Lamb turned to him.
"Keith, go with them."
Keith hesitated.
"Keith!" Lamb looked at him insistently. "I've got her. Go!"
After a minute, her father ran forward, sparing Veronica a pained glance as he passed.
Only then did she feel the switchblade against her neck.
"Liam." Lamb's voice was lower now, and he moved forward slowly. "Let her go."
Liam leaned down until his face was pressed against Veronica's cheek. "I don't think so."
Veronica cried out as the blade bit into her flesh, and Lamb stopped moving.
They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity. Lamb's eyes never left Veronica.
Then he fired.
Veronica cried out again as a sharp pain bit through her shoulder, and Liam stumbled back, releasing his grip on her. She would have fallen if Lamb hadn't been there to catch her.
She wanted nothing more than to stay like that, held tightly in his arms, but a second later he was gone, and Veronica turned to see him shoving Liam against one of the poker tables.
Lamb drew his handcuffs, pulling Liam's arms tightly behind his back, and shoved him once again for good measure as the cuffs slid into place.
Just when Veronica could feel her legs threaten to give way beneath her, Lamb was in front of her again, gathering her gently in his arms. He pushed her hair back from her forehead and kissed her, and for a moment, Veronica almost forgot that anything else existed.
And then it all came rushing back as a fresh bolt of pain lanced through her shoulder.
"Veronica? Are you okay?" Lamb asked, pulling back as she cried out.
"You shot me," Veronica said weakly, and sank back into his arms. He held her as if he'd never let her go, and in that moment, Veronica wished he wouldn't.
"I saved you," Lamb corrected, his voice barely a whisper.
Veronica looked up at him, and smiled. "Yeah," she said. "You saved me."
Next: Part 18
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 1948
Rating: R
Summary: Veronica gets in over her head at Sam Mercano's private party.
Notes: Seventeenth in the What Goes Down series. AU from episode 3:2 - My Big Fat Greek Rush Week; almost entirely AU after episode 3:9 - Spit & Eggs.
Previously: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16
"Hey, Veronica."
Veronica turned. "Hey, Piz."
Piz looked around, slightly bemused. "So, this looks like fun ... what is it, exactly?"
"The Theta Beta summer wet 'n' wild barbeque," she told him, smiling.
"Ah," he said. "Yes. Obviously. I see you've got your barbeques, and your, uh, water slides." His eyes came to rest on the slide. "Your girls in bikinis."
"And," Veronica said, gesturing to the group beside them, "your ever-present drunk college guys." As if to emphasise her point, Chip Diller hollered loudly, and Piz laughed.
"So, Veronica ..." he began, and stopped as her attention shifted.
Veronica smiled at him distractedly. "I'll talk to you later, okay?" she asked. Moving past him, she ran up to Lamb, who grinned.
As Veronica reached him, Lamb put his arms around her waist and kissed her. Leaning into him, Veronica kissed him back, smiling as he pulled away.
"You came," she said. And then, as if realising what he was wearing for the first time, she frowned. "In uniform."
Lamb stepped back a little, his hands still on her waist. "I'm working," he said, "so I can't stay."
Veronica pouted, and he laughed. "I'll be back," he assured her.
"Okay," Veronica said, smiling as she kissed him quickly. "I'll see you later."
As Lamb walked away, she turned.
And bumped straight into Dick Casablancas.
Dick shook his head comically. "Did I just see you kissing the Sheriff?" he asked her.
Veronica bit her lip. This was not good.
"That's who you chose to get over Logan with?"
"I'm not getting over Logan with anyone," Veronica said. "I'm over Logan. And the last time I checked, my love life was none of your business."
Dick backed away, raising his hands. "Hey, you do whatever you want," he said. "Bang the Sheriff. What do I care?"
Veronica shook her head as he walked away. What did she care what Dick knew, she asked herself. She didn't bother to listen to the answer.
"Hey, Hallie," she said then, approaching one of the barbeques.
"Hey, Veronica!" Hallie said brightly. "Do you want something?"
Veronica smiled, and thanked Hallie as she handed Veronica a burger. She bit into it, trying to forget her brief altercation with Dick, and wandered away from the crowd into the Theta Beta house.
"Veronica, hi!"
Veronica looked up at Shania as she finished the last of her burger. "Hi."
"Come on, we're all getting changed," Shania said, pulling Veronica up the stairs. "You brought your bathing suit, right?"
Veronica smiled. "It's under my dress."
"Oh, good." Shania looked relieved.
Veronica unzipped her dress in Shania's room as the other girls got changed, laying it out on the bed. When Shania looked back at her, Veronica almost felt overdressed.
"Last one outside is a rotten egg!" Siobhann called, and Veronica ran downstairs with the others, letting out a shout as Kim, who was manning the water slide, soaked her with the hose.
Grabbing Veronica's hand again, Shania dove headfirst into the slide, pulling Veronica in after her. When Veronica finally got up, wet and thoroughly dishevelled, she pushed her hair back from her face and looked up to see Lamb smiling at her.
"You're back!" she said, throwing her arms around Lamb, trying to get him as wet as possible as she pressed against him. "And you changed."
Lamb kissed her, but when he pulled back, he was looking down at her seriously. "I need to talk to you," he said.
Veronica frowned. "Okay."
"Alone."
She nodded. "Let me just get my things."
When Veronica emerged from the Theta Beta house, dressed once more and carrying her bag, Lamb was waiting for her outside.
"My dad's probably home," she told him.
Lamb nodded. "Meet me at my place."
-
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
Lamb was leaning against his couch when she got there, the serious expression still on his face.
"I'm worried about you," he said, and Veronica rolled her eyes.
"I really wish people would stop saying that."
Lamb looked at her. "Well, maybe you should listen to them for once."
"God, you sound just like ..." Veronica trailed off.
"Like who? Your dad?"
Veronica shook her head. "No."
"Listen, Veronica, I know I know I asked for your help on this case, but I want you to drop it, okay? I can handle it."
Veronica looked at him for a long moment. She stepped forward, placing her hands on Lamb's chest. "I'm fine," she said, and kissed him.
When Lamb looked like he was going to speak, Veronica kissed him again, longer this time, and he kissed her back.
He ran his hands through her hair as she put her arms around his neck, tasting chlorine on her tongue and cinnamon and coffee on Lamb's. One of them moaned, and Veronica wasn't sure who; moving closer to press into him, she gasped as Lamb lowered his mouth to her neck, tilting her head back as she pushed him backwards, and they went tumbling over onto the couch together.
Veronica drew in a breath as Lamb reached up to cup her breast, feeling him hard beneath her. She tangled her hands in his hair, wriggling on top of him, and felt Lamb bite back a gasp against her throat.
She didn't object this time when he reached his hand down to her bikini bottoms, teasing his fingers gently underneath them, and almost forgot to breathe when he pulled them off her in one fluid motion. She sat up as Lamb looked at her, his eyes darkened with lust.
As he lifted her in his arms, Veronica laughed, reaching up to put her hands around his shoulders. "Where are we going?" she asked him as he stood.
Lamb looked down as he carried her. "Bedroom," he said. "Now."
-
Veronica tried - unsuccessfully - to keep her mind on the game as she dealt, barely registering the cards in front of her. Every time she let her mind wander, she could still feel Lamb's hands on her, his mouth hot and insistent against hers, could remember the way he had cried out as she ...
Veronica shook her head as she lost another hand. Not, she reflected, that it really mattered.
Whatever the purpose of Sam Mercano's private party, it wasn't gambling.
There was some gambling going on, sure; Veronica's was one of a few sparsely populated tables scattered around the room. But it seemed to her like more of a distraction than anything else. Mercano, and the few men Veronica guessed were connected with him, were sitting at the centre of the room, barely looking at the tables. If Mercano was trying to hide something, she thought, he wasn't doing a very good job of it; every few minutes he glanced up toward the door, and Veronica wondered, if not very hard, who he was waiting for.
When he finally came over to her table, ostensibly to see how she was doing - which was not very well - Veronica thought it was probably time for her to leave.
As Mercano ran his hand across her lower back, she turned. "If you don't need me any more ..." she began, and he smiled.
"Oh," he said quietly, "I need you."
He stayed at her side after that, his hands never quite leaving her, and Veronica suppressed a shudder. She had got herself into this, she knew. The thought wasn't much comfort.
"Hey!" she cried as Mercano grabbed her suddenly, his hands tight around her waist. Then he turned her around to face the door, and Veronica knew that her troubles had barely begun.
From the open doorway, Liam Fitzpatrick leered at her.
Mercano dragged Veronica over to Liam, releasing his grip on her as Liam grabbed her roughly by the hair. He looked down at her, his face only inches from hers, and smiled coldly.
"Well, what do we have here?" he asked. "If it isn't Veronica Mars."
Veronica restrained herself - barely - from spitting in his face. Instead, she kicked him, her foot connecting sharply with his shin, and he grabbed her by the arm as she turned to run.
"Now, now," he chided her. "Is that any way to treat an old friend?"
He leaned down until Veronica could feel his breath, hot on her cheek. "Your daddy has something of mine," he snarled. "And now, I have something of his."
"Are we cool?" Mercano's voice interrupted Liam, and he looked up.
"Yeah," he said. "We're cool. Danny!"
At the edge of her vision, Veronica could see a figure moving forward, and she couldn't quite make out the hushed whispers that followed.
Liam leaned down, and pulled Veronica tight against him. She squirmed in his grip, and he laughed. "Down, girl," he said. "We'll have plenty of time for that later."
Veronica's breath was coming quickly, now, and she tried not to panic. Considering the circumstances, it was difficult.
Liam barely seemed to register her struggles as he yanked her roughly towards the door. His grip seemed to tighten every time she moved, and Veronica considered - and quickly discarded - the idea of calling out for help.
When the door banged open in front of them, Liam froze. Barely two feet away from them, Lamb stood, his gun drawn.
Behind him, four deputies stood in similar positions. And so did Veronica's father.
Lamb's eyes narrowed when he saw her, and Veronica felt herself being pulled backwards as Liam backed away. Behind her, she could hear shouts and scrambling as she guessed that Sam Mercano and company were preparing to make a break for it.
"Sacks! Ramirez! Sampson! Davis!" At Lamb's shouts, the deputies ran forward.
"Veronica!" That was her father's voice, and Veronica watched as Lamb turned to him.
"Keith, go with them."
Keith hesitated.
"Keith!" Lamb looked at him insistently. "I've got her. Go!"
After a minute, her father ran forward, sparing Veronica a pained glance as he passed.
Only then did she feel the switchblade against her neck.
"Liam." Lamb's voice was lower now, and he moved forward slowly. "Let her go."
Liam leaned down until his face was pressed against Veronica's cheek. "I don't think so."
Veronica cried out as the blade bit into her flesh, and Lamb stopped moving.
They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity. Lamb's eyes never left Veronica.
Then he fired.
Veronica cried out again as a sharp pain bit through her shoulder, and Liam stumbled back, releasing his grip on her. She would have fallen if Lamb hadn't been there to catch her.
She wanted nothing more than to stay like that, held tightly in his arms, but a second later he was gone, and Veronica turned to see him shoving Liam against one of the poker tables.
Lamb drew his handcuffs, pulling Liam's arms tightly behind his back, and shoved him once again for good measure as the cuffs slid into place.
Just when Veronica could feel her legs threaten to give way beneath her, Lamb was in front of her again, gathering her gently in his arms. He pushed her hair back from her forehead and kissed her, and for a moment, Veronica almost forgot that anything else existed.
And then it all came rushing back as a fresh bolt of pain lanced through her shoulder.
"Veronica? Are you okay?" Lamb asked, pulling back as she cried out.
"You shot me," Veronica said weakly, and sank back into his arms. He held her as if he'd never let her go, and in that moment, Veronica wished he wouldn't.
"I saved you," Lamb corrected, his voice barely a whisper.
Veronica looked up at him, and smiled. "Yeah," she said. "You saved me."
Next: Part 18