Fic: Ghost of Christmas Past ~ PG-13
Title: Ghost of Christmas Past
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veronica’s come home for Christmas. Unfortunately, she’s made to take a detour into the sheriff’s department first.
Spoilers: None
Characters/Pairing: Veronica/Lamb, Vinnie, Cliff, mentions Keith
Word Count: 1859
Disclaimer: Veronica Mars is not owned by me, but by Rob Thomas. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: AU, post-series. Prompted by snoozin81
~~
To say Veronica hadn't much been in the Christmas mood this season would be putting it mildly. Her father and her friends had all tried their best. Wallace with his Christmas cookies. Her dad with his decorations and even putting on her favorite Christmas movies. And then of course there was Logan who oh so proudly displayed the fact he was wearing his Christmas novelty boxers again. Well, the band at least, she would have threatened him with the sheriff if he had pantsed himself right there at the Java Hut.
Still, something was missing.
The movies were on, the radio stations had all started their Christmas-only selections, the over-commercialization was going full speed ahead, there were even the infamous Christmas sandmen since Neptune didn't really get snow.
But still, something just wasn't right. Had she lost the spirit of Christmas?
And if she had, what might happen should it find her again?
Veronica had been back in Neptune for all of thirty-two minutes when she decided to stop off at the Grand to get something to eat first. No sense in coming hope for Christmas and starting to eat her father out of house and home within her second hour of being back in the state.
Only it was Christmas Eve and the Grand had apparently rented their bar for a private party. Or so it seemed with how many people seemed to have overtaken it. No matter, she decided, she wasn’t there to drink.
But ten minutes later some jerk just had to make his presence known. He just had to irritate her. And he just had to get her to use her taser when he wouldn’t take, “No I will not go up to your room where you will quite likely just end up vomiting all over my brand new suede boots,” for an answer.
Which was why twenty minutes later she was sitting in a holding cell, wondering exactly how hard her father would be laughing when her call to let him know she had made it back in one piece after all came from the sheriff’s department and included, “Oh, by the way, I could use some bail money.”
Oh, for the days of Sheriff Lamb. Yes. Lamb. A time like this could get her to miss him. Sure he would have his usual smirk and swagger and his always unsolicited comments, but at least he was fun to pester while she was made to wait before being released.
Instead, now, there was Vinnie. Or rather, Sheriff Van Lowe. Lamb had lost the last election and as far as Veronica knew he was still sulking about it and ranting that the whole thing had been rigged.
“Is the sheriff in?” Lamb sighed when he came in to give him a tip he had gotten earlier. Working in the private sector did have some perks; better hours, better pay (well, some jobs at least) and he didn’t have to wear a damn uniform anymore. But one major downside was that it still brought him right back here and face the reality that was Sheriff Vinnie instead of himself.
“Yeah, he’s just in there with Cliff right now. He doesn’t want to let our latest assault suspect go,” the deputy told him.
“What was it this time? In-laws?” He didn’t really care, but he was bored and had to pass the time somehow.
“No. Apparently the Grand was having this party. Guy didn’t like being told no so the girl tasered him. His buddies called us in and had us arrest her.”
The deputy was new, only maybe in his third week there, so Lamb guessed he hadn’t even seen this that often. And why would he? The girl he knew best for pulling something like that had moved to New York almost five years ago. But then he remembered it was Christmas Eve. And Veronica was a good daughter. The kind of good daughter who came home to see her father for the holidays.
Trying not to smile, he asked, “So what’s this menace look like? I might need to warn some people.”
“Small, five feet, I think. Blonde. Blue eyes -”
Lamb was already striding off to his old office. When he arrested Veronica it was fun. Keeping her incarcerated, in his station house, for as long as he legally could? Even better. When Vinnie did it, no, this was their game and if he had to blackmail the new sheriff to keep it that way then so be it.
Wait a minute. Was this what people meant when they talked about coming full circle? Maybe they really were more alike then he wanted to believe.
“Lamb?” Vinnie asked when he let himself into the office.
“Vinnie, Cliff,” he nodded. “I see you’re busy, so I’ll make this quick. You know Veronica, you know the jerk more than likely deserved it. So, let her get to Keith’s before ten or I’ll call him myself to let him know you want to keep her here tonight just so she can jingle your bells.”
Vinnie paled slightly. Since when did Lamb know who he had arrested when so soon? And how many times had he arrested Veronica himself? But threatening to tell Keith? That was on the scarier side.
“Should I go tell my client she’s free to go?” Cliff asked, looking between the younger men as they seemed to still be staring each other down.
“Yeah,” Vinnie relented with a sigh of his own. “I’ll have a deputy there soon.”
“Hey, Cliff,” Lamb called when he reached the door, “tell her she’s got the Ghost of Christmas Past to thank. Just don’t let her know it was me.”
“You’ll owe me,” he told him over his shoulder as he headed out.
“Whatever you say,” he chuckled to himself.
Not even an hour later Cliff was driving Veronica home and while she had wondered exactly how her favorite public defender had pulled this Christmas miracle off in such a timely manner, she had decided it was best not to ask right away.
“Oh, by the way, Cliff told her when she went to reach for the door handle as he stopped his car right in front of the apartment building, “The Ghost of Christmas Past wanted me to tell you that you have him to thank for getting you out of there tonight.”
Veronica laughed. “Well then tell the lovely Sheriff Van Lowe that it’s much appreciated.”
“Ghost of Christmas Past, Veronica, not Present,” he told her.
Past? she thought with a smirk. As in a past sheriff who rather enjoyed arresting me in the past? And who knows enough of Vinnie’s past and potentially present dirty deeds to get him to release me tonight? Well, well, it really must be Christmas.
“You know, Cliffy, you could be a dear and take me back to the Grand so I could get my car,” she replied finally.
Knowing better than to trust her, but also knowing better than to test her, Cliff did as she requested and couldn’t claim to be the least bit surprised when he saw in his rearview mirror that she was leaving the Grand’s lot in the opposite direction of her home. Instead she was turning towards the sheriff’s department. The only thing he knew he could do was keep his phone on just in case he got another call from her later informing him she had been arrested for the second time tonight.
Veronica had been back at the station for all of three minutes before she started scanning the room for Lamb. It had to be him. Her Ghost of Christmas Past. Who else could get her out of jail that fast and just with his word?
Sure enough he was just coming out of Vinnie’s office, laughing with him about something, just minutes later. She still couldn’t get used to the sight of him in civvies. Especially not when Vinnie was the one in uniform.
Lamb gave a scoff when he saw her, he couldn’t tell if Cliff had told her or if she had figured it out herself, but either way there she was and he was walking over to her in the hope of getting this little reunion over with.
“Did you miss me, Deputy? Or were you really just that jealous that someone else was getting to clap the handcuffs on me?” she asked as soon as he had walked up.
“And here I thought you’d be happy to spend Christmas Eve with Keith instead of here. Oh well, I‘m sure your cell isn‘t even cold yet. How about we go see?” he shot back.
“Ooh, touchy. No love for the girl who came all this way just to see her Ghost of Christmas Past?”
“I was tryin’ to keep Vinnie from embarrassing himself.”
“And you care about that since when?”
“It’s Christmas,” he shrugged. She didn’t need to know the cases he had helped Vinnie close over the last few years. Or the fact he still considered arresting her to be his job and his job alone. He hadn’t even let Sacks do it in the old days, that should have been telling enough.
“I guess then if you’re Christmas Past then Vinnie’s Christmas Present. What about Christmas Future? Cliff?”
“Guess that’s up to you. Figured it’d be whoever you’re working with now though.”
For Veronica, living in the past wasn’t an option, though living with her past wasn’t a choice either. She was forced to deal with the latter every day. Though she guessed now that could be a little more interesting. Dare she even say pleasurable? Either the sight of him in those jeans had muddled her brain or Lamb had gotten hot somewhere between the time she had left Neptune and tonight. His shirt, jeans and even his jacket were clinging to him in all the right ways and she really had no complaints about his five o’clock shadow either.
“So a girl could take that to mean that you’re her Get Out of the Holding Cell Free card? If a girl was looking for a Ghost of Christmas Future, maybe?”
“Who said it was free?” he asked her with his best jackass grin. “The way I hear it, you’re here through New Year’s. That should give you plenty of time to make this up to me.”
“Sucks for you, you’re not the sheriff anymore. Which means now you’re going to have to wine and dine me like all the rest before I even think about you slipping those lovely bracelets back on me. And my dad‘s expecting me any minute, so I guess you‘ll just have to wait.”
Lamb was still smiling even when she headed out of the station. She thought she was being cute, even with that little wave she gave him as she rounded the corner into the hall. But he knew he had her. The lines between past and future could be blurred so easily now that she was back in town. And he knew that by New Year’s she would be letting him prove it.
The End
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veronica’s come home for Christmas. Unfortunately, she’s made to take a detour into the sheriff’s department first.
Spoilers: None
Characters/Pairing: Veronica/Lamb, Vinnie, Cliff, mentions Keith
Word Count: 1859
Disclaimer: Veronica Mars is not owned by me, but by Rob Thomas. I’m simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: AU, post-series. Prompted by snoozin81
~~
To say Veronica hadn't much been in the Christmas mood this season would be putting it mildly. Her father and her friends had all tried their best. Wallace with his Christmas cookies. Her dad with his decorations and even putting on her favorite Christmas movies. And then of course there was Logan who oh so proudly displayed the fact he was wearing his Christmas novelty boxers again. Well, the band at least, she would have threatened him with the sheriff if he had pantsed himself right there at the Java Hut.
Still, something was missing.
The movies were on, the radio stations had all started their Christmas-only selections, the over-commercialization was going full speed ahead, there were even the infamous Christmas sandmen since Neptune didn't really get snow.
But still, something just wasn't right. Had she lost the spirit of Christmas?
And if she had, what might happen should it find her again?
Veronica had been back in Neptune for all of thirty-two minutes when she decided to stop off at the Grand to get something to eat first. No sense in coming hope for Christmas and starting to eat her father out of house and home within her second hour of being back in the state.
Only it was Christmas Eve and the Grand had apparently rented their bar for a private party. Or so it seemed with how many people seemed to have overtaken it. No matter, she decided, she wasn’t there to drink.
But ten minutes later some jerk just had to make his presence known. He just had to irritate her. And he just had to get her to use her taser when he wouldn’t take, “No I will not go up to your room where you will quite likely just end up vomiting all over my brand new suede boots,” for an answer.
Which was why twenty minutes later she was sitting in a holding cell, wondering exactly how hard her father would be laughing when her call to let him know she had made it back in one piece after all came from the sheriff’s department and included, “Oh, by the way, I could use some bail money.”
Oh, for the days of Sheriff Lamb. Yes. Lamb. A time like this could get her to miss him. Sure he would have his usual smirk and swagger and his always unsolicited comments, but at least he was fun to pester while she was made to wait before being released.
Instead, now, there was Vinnie. Or rather, Sheriff Van Lowe. Lamb had lost the last election and as far as Veronica knew he was still sulking about it and ranting that the whole thing had been rigged.
“Is the sheriff in?” Lamb sighed when he came in to give him a tip he had gotten earlier. Working in the private sector did have some perks; better hours, better pay (well, some jobs at least) and he didn’t have to wear a damn uniform anymore. But one major downside was that it still brought him right back here and face the reality that was Sheriff Vinnie instead of himself.
“Yeah, he’s just in there with Cliff right now. He doesn’t want to let our latest assault suspect go,” the deputy told him.
“What was it this time? In-laws?” He didn’t really care, but he was bored and had to pass the time somehow.
“No. Apparently the Grand was having this party. Guy didn’t like being told no so the girl tasered him. His buddies called us in and had us arrest her.”
The deputy was new, only maybe in his third week there, so Lamb guessed he hadn’t even seen this that often. And why would he? The girl he knew best for pulling something like that had moved to New York almost five years ago. But then he remembered it was Christmas Eve. And Veronica was a good daughter. The kind of good daughter who came home to see her father for the holidays.
Trying not to smile, he asked, “So what’s this menace look like? I might need to warn some people.”
“Small, five feet, I think. Blonde. Blue eyes -”
Lamb was already striding off to his old office. When he arrested Veronica it was fun. Keeping her incarcerated, in his station house, for as long as he legally could? Even better. When Vinnie did it, no, this was their game and if he had to blackmail the new sheriff to keep it that way then so be it.
Wait a minute. Was this what people meant when they talked about coming full circle? Maybe they really were more alike then he wanted to believe.
“Lamb?” Vinnie asked when he let himself into the office.
“Vinnie, Cliff,” he nodded. “I see you’re busy, so I’ll make this quick. You know Veronica, you know the jerk more than likely deserved it. So, let her get to Keith’s before ten or I’ll call him myself to let him know you want to keep her here tonight just so she can jingle your bells.”
Vinnie paled slightly. Since when did Lamb know who he had arrested when so soon? And how many times had he arrested Veronica himself? But threatening to tell Keith? That was on the scarier side.
“Should I go tell my client she’s free to go?” Cliff asked, looking between the younger men as they seemed to still be staring each other down.
“Yeah,” Vinnie relented with a sigh of his own. “I’ll have a deputy there soon.”
“Hey, Cliff,” Lamb called when he reached the door, “tell her she’s got the Ghost of Christmas Past to thank. Just don’t let her know it was me.”
“You’ll owe me,” he told him over his shoulder as he headed out.
“Whatever you say,” he chuckled to himself.
Not even an hour later Cliff was driving Veronica home and while she had wondered exactly how her favorite public defender had pulled this Christmas miracle off in such a timely manner, she had decided it was best not to ask right away.
“Oh, by the way, Cliff told her when she went to reach for the door handle as he stopped his car right in front of the apartment building, “The Ghost of Christmas Past wanted me to tell you that you have him to thank for getting you out of there tonight.”
Veronica laughed. “Well then tell the lovely Sheriff Van Lowe that it’s much appreciated.”
“Ghost of Christmas Past, Veronica, not Present,” he told her.
Past? she thought with a smirk. As in a past sheriff who rather enjoyed arresting me in the past? And who knows enough of Vinnie’s past and potentially present dirty deeds to get him to release me tonight? Well, well, it really must be Christmas.
“You know, Cliffy, you could be a dear and take me back to the Grand so I could get my car,” she replied finally.
Knowing better than to trust her, but also knowing better than to test her, Cliff did as she requested and couldn’t claim to be the least bit surprised when he saw in his rearview mirror that she was leaving the Grand’s lot in the opposite direction of her home. Instead she was turning towards the sheriff’s department. The only thing he knew he could do was keep his phone on just in case he got another call from her later informing him she had been arrested for the second time tonight.
Veronica had been back at the station for all of three minutes before she started scanning the room for Lamb. It had to be him. Her Ghost of Christmas Past. Who else could get her out of jail that fast and just with his word?
Sure enough he was just coming out of Vinnie’s office, laughing with him about something, just minutes later. She still couldn’t get used to the sight of him in civvies. Especially not when Vinnie was the one in uniform.
Lamb gave a scoff when he saw her, he couldn’t tell if Cliff had told her or if she had figured it out herself, but either way there she was and he was walking over to her in the hope of getting this little reunion over with.
“Did you miss me, Deputy? Or were you really just that jealous that someone else was getting to clap the handcuffs on me?” she asked as soon as he had walked up.
“And here I thought you’d be happy to spend Christmas Eve with Keith instead of here. Oh well, I‘m sure your cell isn‘t even cold yet. How about we go see?” he shot back.
“Ooh, touchy. No love for the girl who came all this way just to see her Ghost of Christmas Past?”
“I was tryin’ to keep Vinnie from embarrassing himself.”
“And you care about that since when?”
“It’s Christmas,” he shrugged. She didn’t need to know the cases he had helped Vinnie close over the last few years. Or the fact he still considered arresting her to be his job and his job alone. He hadn’t even let Sacks do it in the old days, that should have been telling enough.
“I guess then if you’re Christmas Past then Vinnie’s Christmas Present. What about Christmas Future? Cliff?”
“Guess that’s up to you. Figured it’d be whoever you’re working with now though.”
For Veronica, living in the past wasn’t an option, though living with her past wasn’t a choice either. She was forced to deal with the latter every day. Though she guessed now that could be a little more interesting. Dare she even say pleasurable? Either the sight of him in those jeans had muddled her brain or Lamb had gotten hot somewhere between the time she had left Neptune and tonight. His shirt, jeans and even his jacket were clinging to him in all the right ways and she really had no complaints about his five o’clock shadow either.
“So a girl could take that to mean that you’re her Get Out of the Holding Cell Free card? If a girl was looking for a Ghost of Christmas Future, maybe?”
“Who said it was free?” he asked her with his best jackass grin. “The way I hear it, you’re here through New Year’s. That should give you plenty of time to make this up to me.”
“Sucks for you, you’re not the sheriff anymore. Which means now you’re going to have to wine and dine me like all the rest before I even think about you slipping those lovely bracelets back on me. And my dad‘s expecting me any minute, so I guess you‘ll just have to wait.”
Lamb was still smiling even when she headed out of the station. She thought she was being cute, even with that little wave she gave him as she rounded the corner into the hall. But he knew he had her. The lines between past and future could be blurred so easily now that she was back in town. And he knew that by New Year’s she would be letting him prove it.
The End