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Fic: What Goes Down #7: Goodnight Sweetheart (Veronica Mars, Lamb/Veronica)
Title: Goodnight Sweetheart
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 2129
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veronica ends up in trouble at the Theta Beta Christmas party.
Notes: Seventh in the What Goes Down series. AU from episode 3:2 - My Big Fat Greek Rush Week; general spoilers up to episode 3:9 - Spit & Eggs. Some dialogue from episodes 3:7 - Of Vice And Men and 3:9 - Spit & Eggs.
Previously: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
"Where have you been staying these days?"
Veronica looked up. She had come into the office to collect her notes for Landry's class; Keith had come out as soon as he heard her, looking like he hadn't seen her in weeks instead of days.
"Just at the Theta Beta house," she said quickly, shoving the notes into her bag. She turned to leave.
"Veronica," Keith said, and she turned around. He was just looking at her, and Veronica sighed.
"How's your big case?" she asked him coldly.
"Veronica ..."
"I know about you and Harmony Chase," she told him.
Keith looked at her like he had been expecting it. "I think we need to talk about this," he said.
"What's there to talk about?" Veronica asked him. She shrugged. "It's your life."
"It is my life," Keith said, looking at her earnestly.
"And this is mine," she said.
"Veronica, would you just come home?" he asked.
"How could you do this?" she asked him, raising her voice. "After all we've been through? After everything we've seen?"
"This is ..." Keith shook his head. "It's different."
"Yeah," Veronica said, unconvinced. "Because it's not like every single person who comes through those doors says the same thing. 'This is different, this is something special.' God," she said, blinking back tears that weren't quite springing to her eyes. "How can you be so casual about this? You know how these things end. I'm surprised Vinnie Vanlowe hasn't walked in here with pictures of you."
Keith flinched, then, and Veronica smiled joylessly.
"You're just like all of them," she said, her voice flat. "You're just like Jake Kane."
"Veronica, it's not like that," Keith protested, his words ringing hollow in her ears.
"She's married!" she practically screamed at him. "She has a family." She stepped back as Keith moved towards her. "It's always like that," she said.
-
"I need more milk," Shania said, looking around the kitchen.
Veronica handed it to her. "Does this say ... cocoa?" she asked, squinting at the page in front of her.
Marjorie looked over. "Coconut," she corrected, smiling. "Shania's handwriting can be a little messy sometimes."
"What?" Shania asked, coming over. "That's perfectly legible," she protested.
"Yeah," Hallie said, flicking flour at her. "To you, maybe. I still remember when I put a tablespoon of salt in the cookies."
"You cannot seriously be blaming me for that!" Shania threw shredded coconut back at Hallie. "That was totally your fault."
"Was not!" Hallie argued. She threw more flour, which landed on Veronica and Marjorie.
In retaliation, Veronica helped Shania throw coconut at Hallie, and blinked as she was rewarded with a face full of sugar.
"I'll get it," she said when she heard the knock on the door, escaping the kitchen as the other girls started giggling. She opened the door, and stepped back as Lamb looked at her.
"Hi," she said, confused, as Lamb's eyes travelled over her flour-streaked clothes.
He smirked. "Having fun?" he asked her.
"We're baking," she said.
"I can see that." Lamb stepped forward.
"Are you here to see me?" Veronica asked.
"Actually, no," he said. "I came to talk to some of the Theta Betas, see if they -"
"You're here about the case."
Lamb looked at her. "Yes."
"You're investigating the Theta Betas." Accusatory, now.
"They're connected to this," he said. "They -"
"I can't believe you," Veronica interrupted him angrily, fixing him with a cold look. "They're not involved."
"You're sure of that."
"Yes."
Veronica expected him to argue with her, but instead he reached out, brushing her cheek. He licked him fingers as he drew them away. "Sweet," he said, his eyes locking on hers. "What are you doing later?"
Veronica's gaze didn't soften. "Why are you even here?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"I told you -"
"That's not what I meant."
Lamb was staring down at her, and Veronica couldn't read the expression in his eyes. "I thought we were ..."
"Were what? Friends?" Veronica looked at him. "We're not friends," she said, her voice icy. "We're not anything."
She told herself she wasn't disappointed when he walked away.
-
"Hey there."
Wallace looked up as Veronica slid into the seat opposite him. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" he asked, looking at her in mock confusion, rolling her eyes. "You look an awful lot like this girl I used to go to high school with. I wonder what ever happened to her."
"Funny," Veronica said, picking a french fry off his plate. "Are you done? Got it out of your system yet?"
Wallace nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. So what's been going on with you?"
"Oh, you know." Veronica shrugged. "Classes, homework ... saving the world."
"So, the usual?"
Veronica laughed. "Same old, same old," she agreed. "What about you?"
Wallace smiled. "I got a B on my exam," he said, proudly brandishing a booklet. "I am now officially passing mechanical engineering."
"Congratulations." Veronica looked up, then, as Piz joined them, and stole another fry from Wallace's plate, ignoring his half-hearted cry of protest. "Hey, Piz," she said, and turned back to Wallace. "So. Friday night. Theta Beta pre-pre-Christmas party."
She smiled, and Wallace looked sceptical. "Pre-pre-Christmas party?"
"Come on. Come with me."
"Come with you where?" Mac and Parker joined them at the table, and Veronica looked at Parker almost apologetically.
"Um, a Theta Beta party," she said, less enthusiastically. Averting her gaze, she looked at Wallace again. "Come on. It's only, like, the seventeenth last big party of the semester."
Wallace looked at her. "Okay," he said finally. "Yeah, I'm in."
"Great." Veronica smiled at him. "Because I'm going to need your help."
Wallace rolled his eyes. "Of course you are," he said.
Veronica looked at him seriously. "All the Pi Sigs are going to be there."
"Everyone's going to be there," he said, and she nodded.
"Exactly. Which means the rapist probably will be, too." Veronica looked at Parker again. She wasn't smiling, but she didn't look angry, either.
"I'll pass," she told Veronica, who nodded.
"I won't let him strike again," she said.
-
"How did I let you talk me into this?"
Veronica smiled at Mac over the noise of music and conversation in the Theta Beta living room. "Because I'm very persuasive," she said simply, and waved to Wallace and Piz as she saw them come in.
"So what's the plan?" Piz asked as they approached.
"Keep an eye on all the girls you see," Veronica said. "Look out for anyone who looks like they've been drugged, or anyone who looks like they've been tampering with other people's drinks. If a girl looks like she's drunk or been drugged, don't let her go off alone. Get them a safe ride home cart; go with them if you have to." She looked at the others. "Got it?"
Piz looked eager, Mac nervous, and Wallace resigned. They nodded.
"Okay," she said. "Let's do this."
After they had split up, Veronica made her way to the kitchen, where she bumped into Hallie.
"Veronica!" Hallie said excitedly. "Do you want a drink?"
She held a cup out to Veronica, who eyed it warily. "Did you make this?" she asked.
"Yeah," Hallie said. After a moment, Veronica took the drink. She stayed by the kitchen as Hallie moved away, keeping an eye on the rest of the party. As she turned toward to stairs, her breath caught.
Veronica sat her drink down on the counter. "Will you watch this?" she asked Shania, who was chatting to another girl nearby.
Shania nodded. "Sure," she agreed.
Bracing herself, Veronica walked over to where Logan was chatting with Mercer.
"Hey, Veronica," Mercer said, and she gave him a tight smile.
"Hey," she said to Logan, and he turned to look at her.
"Hey," he said quietly.
Mercer looked at them for a moment, then backed off. "I'll give you two some room."
"So, how are ..." Veronica began as Mercer left, looking nervously at Logan.
"Good," Logan said, before she could finish. "How are you?"
"Good," Veronica said. "I'm good." She beat passed, and she laughed. "This is ..."
"Awkward?" Logan finished, and she nodded.
"Yeah," she agreed. "Awkward."
His expression softened a little then, and he turned to face her fully. "Look, I know this is ... uncomfortable," he said, and paused. "But I like having you in my life."
Veronica sucked in a breath.
"So I thought, maybe we could try being ..."
"Friends?" Veronica supplied.
Logan smiled. "Yeah," he said. "Friends."
It took Veronica a long time to speak, but when she did, her voice didn't waver. "I'd like that."
Logan looked down at her for a moment, then glanced away, grinning. "Now, if you don't mind," he said, his voice playful, "I'm pretty sure there are some drunk sorority girls somewhere waiting for me to take advantage."
Veronica forced herself to smile.
Shania handed her her drink when she got back, and Veronica took it gratefully. Taking a sip, she looked around, and blinked as the room lurched. But as suddenly as it had come, the sensation faded again, and she took a larger sip, shaking her head.
As she sat the empty cup down on the counter, Veronica knew it had been a bad idea.
Not again. She shook her head, trying to force it to clear. When it didn't, she scanned the room, searching for a familiar face, but everything had faded into a sort of blur.
Upstairs, Veronica thought, as she stumbled across the living room. If she could just get up to her room, she could pass out, and just wait for this to go away. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other, holding onto the banister, and when she reached the top of the stairs, she pushed to door to her room open with a sigh.
She had just managed to crawl onto the bed when someone else entered the room.
"Mac?" she asked fuzzily, trying in vain to sit up. "Wallace?"
No.
I know you was Veronica's last coherent thought before losing consciousness.
-
He had a reason for being there, Lamb told himself as he entered the Theta Beta party. He wanted to catch the rapist. He suspected the Theta Betas. He suspected the Pi Sigs.
He was definitely not there to see Veronica Mars.
Still, when he got there, he couldn't help asking after her. He had to keep up appearances, after all.
"Have you seen Veronica?" he asked, grabbing one of the Theta Betas as they walked past. Hayley, maybe?
She shook her head. "Not for a while," she said, and walked away.
Shania came up to him then, smiling. "Hi, Don," she said.
"Hi, Shania." Lamb forced a smile. "Have you seen Veronica?"
Shania shrugged. "She was around earlier," she said. "I think she was talking to some guy."
"Who?" Lamb asked.
Shania scanned the room, then pointed. "Him," she said.
Logan Echolls. Lamb clenched his jaw. Now flanked by two girls, both blonde, neither Veronica. Lamb forced himself to look away.
And saw a young black man looking at him curiously. "What are you doing here?" the kid asked.
Lamb looked at him. "I know you," he said at last. "You're -"
"Wallace," the kid interrupted him.
From the Sac-N-Pac. Right.
"You're friends with Veronica," Lamb said uncertainly.
Wallace nodded. "Yeah."
"Seen her?"
"Not since I arrived. Why?" Wallace was looking at him suspiciously, and Lamb smiled. Just one more guy on the lookout for Veronica Mars.
And then he saw Mercer Hayes, and his smile faded. "No reason," he said distractedly, moving away.
He had seen Mercer go into one of the bedrooms upstairs; Lamb was sure of it. Resisting the urge to draw his gun in an effort to clear the room - except that his gun was on his bedside table where he'd left it, not at his hip like he was used to - he crossed the room infuriatingly slowly, pushing drunk college kids aside as he moved. He took the stairs two at a time, and paused only for a moment before opening the first door on his right.
The room was dark, and it took Lamb's eyes a moment to adjust. There were two people in the room, he saw eventually; one lying on the bed, and one standing beside it. Even in the dark, Lamb could recognise Veronica Mars' unconscious form.
The other figure - Mercer, Lamb knew, and he had arrested the guy already, had had him in a fucking jail cell and had let him go - overcame his surprise quickly. He rushed at Lamb, either to fight or to run, and Lamb tackled him as they went sprawling to the ground.
If it came to it, hitting Mercer Hayes would almost be worth losing his job.
Next: Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 2129
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veronica ends up in trouble at the Theta Beta Christmas party.
Notes: Seventh in the What Goes Down series. AU from episode 3:2 - My Big Fat Greek Rush Week; general spoilers up to episode 3:9 - Spit & Eggs. Some dialogue from episodes 3:7 - Of Vice And Men and 3:9 - Spit & Eggs.
Previously: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
"Where have you been staying these days?"
Veronica looked up. She had come into the office to collect her notes for Landry's class; Keith had come out as soon as he heard her, looking like he hadn't seen her in weeks instead of days.
"Just at the Theta Beta house," she said quickly, shoving the notes into her bag. She turned to leave.
"Veronica," Keith said, and she turned around. He was just looking at her, and Veronica sighed.
"How's your big case?" she asked him coldly.
"Veronica ..."
"I know about you and Harmony Chase," she told him.
Keith looked at her like he had been expecting it. "I think we need to talk about this," he said.
"What's there to talk about?" Veronica asked him. She shrugged. "It's your life."
"It is my life," Keith said, looking at her earnestly.
"And this is mine," she said.
"Veronica, would you just come home?" he asked.
"How could you do this?" she asked him, raising her voice. "After all we've been through? After everything we've seen?"
"This is ..." Keith shook his head. "It's different."
"Yeah," Veronica said, unconvinced. "Because it's not like every single person who comes through those doors says the same thing. 'This is different, this is something special.' God," she said, blinking back tears that weren't quite springing to her eyes. "How can you be so casual about this? You know how these things end. I'm surprised Vinnie Vanlowe hasn't walked in here with pictures of you."
Keith flinched, then, and Veronica smiled joylessly.
"You're just like all of them," she said, her voice flat. "You're just like Jake Kane."
"Veronica, it's not like that," Keith protested, his words ringing hollow in her ears.
"She's married!" she practically screamed at him. "She has a family." She stepped back as Keith moved towards her. "It's always like that," she said.
-
"I need more milk," Shania said, looking around the kitchen.
Veronica handed it to her. "Does this say ... cocoa?" she asked, squinting at the page in front of her.
Marjorie looked over. "Coconut," she corrected, smiling. "Shania's handwriting can be a little messy sometimes."
"What?" Shania asked, coming over. "That's perfectly legible," she protested.
"Yeah," Hallie said, flicking flour at her. "To you, maybe. I still remember when I put a tablespoon of salt in the cookies."
"You cannot seriously be blaming me for that!" Shania threw shredded coconut back at Hallie. "That was totally your fault."
"Was not!" Hallie argued. She threw more flour, which landed on Veronica and Marjorie.
In retaliation, Veronica helped Shania throw coconut at Hallie, and blinked as she was rewarded with a face full of sugar.
"I'll get it," she said when she heard the knock on the door, escaping the kitchen as the other girls started giggling. She opened the door, and stepped back as Lamb looked at her.
"Hi," she said, confused, as Lamb's eyes travelled over her flour-streaked clothes.
He smirked. "Having fun?" he asked her.
"We're baking," she said.
"I can see that." Lamb stepped forward.
"Are you here to see me?" Veronica asked.
"Actually, no," he said. "I came to talk to some of the Theta Betas, see if they -"
"You're here about the case."
Lamb looked at her. "Yes."
"You're investigating the Theta Betas." Accusatory, now.
"They're connected to this," he said. "They -"
"I can't believe you," Veronica interrupted him angrily, fixing him with a cold look. "They're not involved."
"You're sure of that."
"Yes."
Veronica expected him to argue with her, but instead he reached out, brushing her cheek. He licked him fingers as he drew them away. "Sweet," he said, his eyes locking on hers. "What are you doing later?"
Veronica's gaze didn't soften. "Why are you even here?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"I told you -"
"That's not what I meant."
Lamb was staring down at her, and Veronica couldn't read the expression in his eyes. "I thought we were ..."
"Were what? Friends?" Veronica looked at him. "We're not friends," she said, her voice icy. "We're not anything."
She told herself she wasn't disappointed when he walked away.
-
"Hey there."
Wallace looked up as Veronica slid into the seat opposite him. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" he asked, looking at her in mock confusion, rolling her eyes. "You look an awful lot like this girl I used to go to high school with. I wonder what ever happened to her."
"Funny," Veronica said, picking a french fry off his plate. "Are you done? Got it out of your system yet?"
Wallace nodded. "Pretty much, yeah. So what's been going on with you?"
"Oh, you know." Veronica shrugged. "Classes, homework ... saving the world."
"So, the usual?"
Veronica laughed. "Same old, same old," she agreed. "What about you?"
Wallace smiled. "I got a B on my exam," he said, proudly brandishing a booklet. "I am now officially passing mechanical engineering."
"Congratulations." Veronica looked up, then, as Piz joined them, and stole another fry from Wallace's plate, ignoring his half-hearted cry of protest. "Hey, Piz," she said, and turned back to Wallace. "So. Friday night. Theta Beta pre-pre-Christmas party."
She smiled, and Wallace looked sceptical. "Pre-pre-Christmas party?"
"Come on. Come with me."
"Come with you where?" Mac and Parker joined them at the table, and Veronica looked at Parker almost apologetically.
"Um, a Theta Beta party," she said, less enthusiastically. Averting her gaze, she looked at Wallace again. "Come on. It's only, like, the seventeenth last big party of the semester."
Wallace looked at her. "Okay," he said finally. "Yeah, I'm in."
"Great." Veronica smiled at him. "Because I'm going to need your help."
Wallace rolled his eyes. "Of course you are," he said.
Veronica looked at him seriously. "All the Pi Sigs are going to be there."
"Everyone's going to be there," he said, and she nodded.
"Exactly. Which means the rapist probably will be, too." Veronica looked at Parker again. She wasn't smiling, but she didn't look angry, either.
"I'll pass," she told Veronica, who nodded.
"I won't let him strike again," she said.
-
"How did I let you talk me into this?"
Veronica smiled at Mac over the noise of music and conversation in the Theta Beta living room. "Because I'm very persuasive," she said simply, and waved to Wallace and Piz as she saw them come in.
"So what's the plan?" Piz asked as they approached.
"Keep an eye on all the girls you see," Veronica said. "Look out for anyone who looks like they've been drugged, or anyone who looks like they've been tampering with other people's drinks. If a girl looks like she's drunk or been drugged, don't let her go off alone. Get them a safe ride home cart; go with them if you have to." She looked at the others. "Got it?"
Piz looked eager, Mac nervous, and Wallace resigned. They nodded.
"Okay," she said. "Let's do this."
After they had split up, Veronica made her way to the kitchen, where she bumped into Hallie.
"Veronica!" Hallie said excitedly. "Do you want a drink?"
She held a cup out to Veronica, who eyed it warily. "Did you make this?" she asked.
"Yeah," Hallie said. After a moment, Veronica took the drink. She stayed by the kitchen as Hallie moved away, keeping an eye on the rest of the party. As she turned toward to stairs, her breath caught.
Veronica sat her drink down on the counter. "Will you watch this?" she asked Shania, who was chatting to another girl nearby.
Shania nodded. "Sure," she agreed.
Bracing herself, Veronica walked over to where Logan was chatting with Mercer.
"Hey, Veronica," Mercer said, and she gave him a tight smile.
"Hey," she said to Logan, and he turned to look at her.
"Hey," he said quietly.
Mercer looked at them for a moment, then backed off. "I'll give you two some room."
"So, how are ..." Veronica began as Mercer left, looking nervously at Logan.
"Good," Logan said, before she could finish. "How are you?"
"Good," Veronica said. "I'm good." She beat passed, and she laughed. "This is ..."
"Awkward?" Logan finished, and she nodded.
"Yeah," she agreed. "Awkward."
His expression softened a little then, and he turned to face her fully. "Look, I know this is ... uncomfortable," he said, and paused. "But I like having you in my life."
Veronica sucked in a breath.
"So I thought, maybe we could try being ..."
"Friends?" Veronica supplied.
Logan smiled. "Yeah," he said. "Friends."
It took Veronica a long time to speak, but when she did, her voice didn't waver. "I'd like that."
Logan looked down at her for a moment, then glanced away, grinning. "Now, if you don't mind," he said, his voice playful, "I'm pretty sure there are some drunk sorority girls somewhere waiting for me to take advantage."
Veronica forced herself to smile.
Shania handed her her drink when she got back, and Veronica took it gratefully. Taking a sip, she looked around, and blinked as the room lurched. But as suddenly as it had come, the sensation faded again, and she took a larger sip, shaking her head.
As she sat the empty cup down on the counter, Veronica knew it had been a bad idea.
Not again. She shook her head, trying to force it to clear. When it didn't, she scanned the room, searching for a familiar face, but everything had faded into a sort of blur.
Upstairs, Veronica thought, as she stumbled across the living room. If she could just get up to her room, she could pass out, and just wait for this to go away. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other, holding onto the banister, and when she reached the top of the stairs, she pushed to door to her room open with a sigh.
She had just managed to crawl onto the bed when someone else entered the room.
"Mac?" she asked fuzzily, trying in vain to sit up. "Wallace?"
No.
I know you was Veronica's last coherent thought before losing consciousness.
-
He had a reason for being there, Lamb told himself as he entered the Theta Beta party. He wanted to catch the rapist. He suspected the Theta Betas. He suspected the Pi Sigs.
He was definitely not there to see Veronica Mars.
Still, when he got there, he couldn't help asking after her. He had to keep up appearances, after all.
"Have you seen Veronica?" he asked, grabbing one of the Theta Betas as they walked past. Hayley, maybe?
She shook her head. "Not for a while," she said, and walked away.
Shania came up to him then, smiling. "Hi, Don," she said.
"Hi, Shania." Lamb forced a smile. "Have you seen Veronica?"
Shania shrugged. "She was around earlier," she said. "I think she was talking to some guy."
"Who?" Lamb asked.
Shania scanned the room, then pointed. "Him," she said.
Logan Echolls. Lamb clenched his jaw. Now flanked by two girls, both blonde, neither Veronica. Lamb forced himself to look away.
And saw a young black man looking at him curiously. "What are you doing here?" the kid asked.
Lamb looked at him. "I know you," he said at last. "You're -"
"Wallace," the kid interrupted him.
From the Sac-N-Pac. Right.
"You're friends with Veronica," Lamb said uncertainly.
Wallace nodded. "Yeah."
"Seen her?"
"Not since I arrived. Why?" Wallace was looking at him suspiciously, and Lamb smiled. Just one more guy on the lookout for Veronica Mars.
And then he saw Mercer Hayes, and his smile faded. "No reason," he said distractedly, moving away.
He had seen Mercer go into one of the bedrooms upstairs; Lamb was sure of it. Resisting the urge to draw his gun in an effort to clear the room - except that his gun was on his bedside table where he'd left it, not at his hip like he was used to - he crossed the room infuriatingly slowly, pushing drunk college kids aside as he moved. He took the stairs two at a time, and paused only for a moment before opening the first door on his right.
The room was dark, and it took Lamb's eyes a moment to adjust. There were two people in the room, he saw eventually; one lying on the bed, and one standing beside it. Even in the dark, Lamb could recognise Veronica Mars' unconscious form.
The other figure - Mercer, Lamb knew, and he had arrested the guy already, had had him in a fucking jail cell and had let him go - overcame his surprise quickly. He rushed at Lamb, either to fight or to run, and Lamb tackled him as they went sprawling to the ground.
If it came to it, hitting Mercer Hayes would almost be worth losing his job.
Next: Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18