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Fic: What Goes Down #16: All Bets Are In (Veronica Mars, Lamb/Veronica)
Title: All Bets Are In
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 1560
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veronica digs deeper into the case, and finds her way inside.
Notes: Sixteenth 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
"Hey there, stranger."
"Hey there yourself." Wallace smiled, and stepped aside to let Veronica into his room. When she turned, he was still staring at her, and she frowned.
"What?" she asked.
"So, what is it this time? Trailing bad guys? Gathering intel? You want me to dress up like a nerd again?"
Veronica smiled, and sat down on Wallace's bed. "None of the above," she said. "I just though I'd come by to see you."
Wallace looked sceptical, and she laughed. "Seriously. No favours. No undercover operations. No bad guys. I just wanted to wanted to hang out with my friend."
After a minute, Wallace smiled. "All right. I actually believe you." He sat down on the bed and looked at Veronica. "Don't you make a sucker out of me."
"A sucker? Wallace Fennel?" Veronica pretended to look shocked. "Never."
"So," Wallace said. "What's up with you, then?"
Veronica shrugged. "The usual. What about you? I heard you won your game last night."
Wallace was still looking at her seriously. "What?" she asked.
"Seriously," he said. "What's up with you?"
Veronica eyed him warily. "What's this about?"
"Logan came to see me the other day," Wallace said after a pause, and Veronica frowned.
"Logan came to see you?"
"Yeah. He said something about you moving on. He wanted to know who it was with."
Veronica sighed, and stood up. "I can't believe he did that. How is that even any of his business?"
Wallace shrugged. "He still cares about you."
"Yeah," Veronica said. "We're friends. That doesn't give him the right to go snooping around my private life."
"Yeah, well, we're friends, too," Wallace said. "And I didn't tell him anything, so you can relax."
Veronica looked at him sharply. "There's nothing to tell. I'm moving on. Period. There doesn't have to be a guy involved."
"Not even a local Sheriff?"
Veronica stared at Wallace, who returned it defiantly. She had used to think that she could tell Wallace anything. But this ... this, she wasn't so sure about.
"Well?"
Veronica sighed. "I don't know what's going on between me and Lamb," she admitted finally.
"But you're seeing him?"
She paused. "Yes. I'm seeing him."
She sat back down, and they stayed in silence for a while, until Wallace spoke again.
"Veronica," he said. "I'm still your best friend. I may not like the guy - actually, I pretty much hate him - but you can tell me stuff. Even stuff I don't approve of."
Veronica looked at him, and smiled faintly. "Thank you," she said.
Wallace shook his head. "This still doesn't mean I understand it," he said, and smiled. "But this better mean you can get me out of parking tickets now."
-
Veronica watched the players at her table carefully, trying not to look at the cards as she shuffled and dealt. She was a fair player - good, even - but Veronica knew that she needed to get better than good, and fast.
"New table?" Logan smirked as he sat down, waiting until Veronica had won the current hand before adding his chips to the table.
Veronica smiled at him. "I'm practising."
"Practising for what?"
-
"You need my help?" Vinnie asked incredulously, and looked around the office. "Is this, uh, a personal favour?"
Veronica wrinkled her nose. "Strictly business," she told him.
"What is it?"
She smiled. "Now, I'm just guessing here, but your cases - not always on the up-and-up?"
"Off the record?"
"Ever help out anybody who was maybe on the wrong side of the law?" Veronica asked him. "Do some things you maybe wouldn't be too happy if the Sheriff's department found out about?"
Vinnie sat up. "Wait a second. Are you blackmailing me? Because I've got copies of those pictures, you know."
Veronica shook her head. "Just a question."
"So, you mean, aside from your last boyfriend?"
"Aside from Duncan, yes."
Vinnie shrugged. "I might. The Fitzpatrick boys practically have me on retainer."
Veronica frowned at the sudden mention of the Fitzpatricks. "Do you know a guy called Sam Mercano?"
"It rings a bell. What do you want with Mercano?"
"I'm pretty sure he's involved in a case I'm working on. Gambling. I want to find out everything I can about him."
Vinnie looked mildly concerned. "Those guys are big time. You sure you're up to it?"
Veronica looked at him. "I'm up to it."
"Your call."
"So what can you tell me about them?"
"Not much you'd want to know," Vinnie said. "Mercano's in charge. Young, but don't let that fool you. He means business, and he'll do anything he can to get ahead. An all-rounder. Gambling, drugs. Up and coming. Didn't step on too many toes on his way there, so he's got connections. I'd say he's probably your guy."
Veronica nodded. "Do you think you can get me in?"
He shrugged again. "I've got connections, too."
"To Mercano?"
"Among others. Yeah, I can probably get you in." He leaned forward. "You know how to deal cards?"
-
"Just a case I'm working on," Veronica told Logan, and he frowned.
"Veronica."
"What?"
Logan looked worried, and Veronica really wished he'd given that up when they broke up. "You're messing with some bad stuff here. I don't want you to get in over your head."
Veronica paused. She looked around the room, then drew Logan off into the corner.
"Heard from Kendall lately?" she asked him quietly.
"She ran off," Logan said, and Veronica shook her head.
"She didn't run off. She's dead, Logan. Cormac Fitzpatrick killed her."
Logan just stared at her. He kept his face steady, but his eyes were filled with something Veronica could only assume was grief.
"Do you think the Fitzpatricks are involved in this?" he asked finally.
Veronica shrugged. "I don't know. They might be. And if they are, I'm going to bring them down."
Logan nodded.
When he left, he didn't ask her again to stay away from the case.
-
"Hands!" Veronica glanced sharply at Vinnie as he reached a hand down from where it was resting on her shoulders to skim the edge of her top.
Vinnie just smiled. "Whoa, sugarpuss. Do you want this to be believable or not?"
Veronica held his gaze. "Just watch it," she warned him, and was rewarded with a not-so-reassuring smirk from Vinnie.
Veronica studied the building critically as they approached. It didn't look like the kind of place an illegal back room casino would be operating. It didn't look like much of anything, actually, which Veronica supposed was pretty much the point.
"Are you sure you're ready to go through with this?" Vinnie asked, and Veronica nodded.
"I'm ready."
If the outside of the building didn't look much like an illegal casino, the inside most definitely did. It reminded Veronica vaguely of Mercer's casino, but harder, sleazier. The room was dimly lit, tables packing the floor, and the air was thick with smoke.
She forced herself to smile as they entered.
"Vinnie!" A man approached them, smiling, and Veronica looked up at him. "You ready to give me all your money?"
Beside Veronica, Vinnie nudged her, and she assumed that the man was Mercano. He was cute, in a criminal sort of way.
Mercano was looking at her appraisingly. "Who's the babe?" he asked Vinnie.
"This is Veronica," Vinnie said, before Veronica could give a fake name. Her smile stayed firmly in place.
Mercano turned to Veronica. "You play?" he asked.
"A little."
He nodded as he left, and Vinnie drew Veronica over to one of the tables. "Want to play a round?" he asked her, putting a wad of bills town on the table. The money quickly disappeared, and Veronica nodded.
"Sure."
She lost the first hand, watching the dealer carefully, paying only minimal attention to her own cards. He was good, but not excellent, and by the fourth round, she was pretty sure she could read him.
Vinnie whistled beside her as she won that hand, and Veronica tipped him a wink. She won the four after that, too, easily handing Vinnie back his money, until he pulled her away.
"Easy, there," he said, trying not to look around nervously. "I don't want to get killed here."
"I thought you told me to play well."
"I told you to play good, not to fleece Mercano your first night here. Just ... dial it down a notch, would you?"
Veronica smiled, but she was careful not to go all in after that. Forty minutes in, she lost big, and she didn't think it would be difficult for anyone watching to see that she'd done so deliberately.
And hour and twenty minutes in, Vinnie walked out, shooting Veronica a quick glance as he left to confirm that she was okay.
An hour and twenty-seven minutes in, Mercano approached Veronica.
"So," he said, coming up to stand beside her. "You and Vinnie."
Veronica shook her head. "We're not together."
Mercano shrugged nonchalantly, but moved a little closer. "You looked pretty good out there," he told her. "You play often?"
"It's kind of a hobby." Veronica smiled.
He nodded, and leaned in close to Veronica, resting a hand on her waist. "I'm throwing a sort of private party next week," he said, and smiled. "If you're interested."
"I might be."
Mercano studied her. "You ever deal cards before?" he asked.
Next: Part 17, Part 18
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing(s): Lamb/Veronica
Word Count: 1560
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Veronica digs deeper into the case, and finds her way inside.
Notes: Sixteenth 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
"Hey there, stranger."
"Hey there yourself." Wallace smiled, and stepped aside to let Veronica into his room. When she turned, he was still staring at her, and she frowned.
"What?" she asked.
"So, what is it this time? Trailing bad guys? Gathering intel? You want me to dress up like a nerd again?"
Veronica smiled, and sat down on Wallace's bed. "None of the above," she said. "I just though I'd come by to see you."
Wallace looked sceptical, and she laughed. "Seriously. No favours. No undercover operations. No bad guys. I just wanted to wanted to hang out with my friend."
After a minute, Wallace smiled. "All right. I actually believe you." He sat down on the bed and looked at Veronica. "Don't you make a sucker out of me."
"A sucker? Wallace Fennel?" Veronica pretended to look shocked. "Never."
"So," Wallace said. "What's up with you, then?"
Veronica shrugged. "The usual. What about you? I heard you won your game last night."
Wallace was still looking at her seriously. "What?" she asked.
"Seriously," he said. "What's up with you?"
Veronica eyed him warily. "What's this about?"
"Logan came to see me the other day," Wallace said after a pause, and Veronica frowned.
"Logan came to see you?"
"Yeah. He said something about you moving on. He wanted to know who it was with."
Veronica sighed, and stood up. "I can't believe he did that. How is that even any of his business?"
Wallace shrugged. "He still cares about you."
"Yeah," Veronica said. "We're friends. That doesn't give him the right to go snooping around my private life."
"Yeah, well, we're friends, too," Wallace said. "And I didn't tell him anything, so you can relax."
Veronica looked at him sharply. "There's nothing to tell. I'm moving on. Period. There doesn't have to be a guy involved."
"Not even a local Sheriff?"
Veronica stared at Wallace, who returned it defiantly. She had used to think that she could tell Wallace anything. But this ... this, she wasn't so sure about.
"Well?"
Veronica sighed. "I don't know what's going on between me and Lamb," she admitted finally.
"But you're seeing him?"
She paused. "Yes. I'm seeing him."
She sat back down, and they stayed in silence for a while, until Wallace spoke again.
"Veronica," he said. "I'm still your best friend. I may not like the guy - actually, I pretty much hate him - but you can tell me stuff. Even stuff I don't approve of."
Veronica looked at him, and smiled faintly. "Thank you," she said.
Wallace shook his head. "This still doesn't mean I understand it," he said, and smiled. "But this better mean you can get me out of parking tickets now."
-
Veronica watched the players at her table carefully, trying not to look at the cards as she shuffled and dealt. She was a fair player - good, even - but Veronica knew that she needed to get better than good, and fast.
"New table?" Logan smirked as he sat down, waiting until Veronica had won the current hand before adding his chips to the table.
Veronica smiled at him. "I'm practising."
"Practising for what?"
-
"You need my help?" Vinnie asked incredulously, and looked around the office. "Is this, uh, a personal favour?"
Veronica wrinkled her nose. "Strictly business," she told him.
"What is it?"
She smiled. "Now, I'm just guessing here, but your cases - not always on the up-and-up?"
"Off the record?"
"Ever help out anybody who was maybe on the wrong side of the law?" Veronica asked him. "Do some things you maybe wouldn't be too happy if the Sheriff's department found out about?"
Vinnie sat up. "Wait a second. Are you blackmailing me? Because I've got copies of those pictures, you know."
Veronica shook her head. "Just a question."
"So, you mean, aside from your last boyfriend?"
"Aside from Duncan, yes."
Vinnie shrugged. "I might. The Fitzpatrick boys practically have me on retainer."
Veronica frowned at the sudden mention of the Fitzpatricks. "Do you know a guy called Sam Mercano?"
"It rings a bell. What do you want with Mercano?"
"I'm pretty sure he's involved in a case I'm working on. Gambling. I want to find out everything I can about him."
Vinnie looked mildly concerned. "Those guys are big time. You sure you're up to it?"
Veronica looked at him. "I'm up to it."
"Your call."
"So what can you tell me about them?"
"Not much you'd want to know," Vinnie said. "Mercano's in charge. Young, but don't let that fool you. He means business, and he'll do anything he can to get ahead. An all-rounder. Gambling, drugs. Up and coming. Didn't step on too many toes on his way there, so he's got connections. I'd say he's probably your guy."
Veronica nodded. "Do you think you can get me in?"
He shrugged again. "I've got connections, too."
"To Mercano?"
"Among others. Yeah, I can probably get you in." He leaned forward. "You know how to deal cards?"
-
"Just a case I'm working on," Veronica told Logan, and he frowned.
"Veronica."
"What?"
Logan looked worried, and Veronica really wished he'd given that up when they broke up. "You're messing with some bad stuff here. I don't want you to get in over your head."
Veronica paused. She looked around the room, then drew Logan off into the corner.
"Heard from Kendall lately?" she asked him quietly.
"She ran off," Logan said, and Veronica shook her head.
"She didn't run off. She's dead, Logan. Cormac Fitzpatrick killed her."
Logan just stared at her. He kept his face steady, but his eyes were filled with something Veronica could only assume was grief.
"Do you think the Fitzpatricks are involved in this?" he asked finally.
Veronica shrugged. "I don't know. They might be. And if they are, I'm going to bring them down."
Logan nodded.
When he left, he didn't ask her again to stay away from the case.
-
"Hands!" Veronica glanced sharply at Vinnie as he reached a hand down from where it was resting on her shoulders to skim the edge of her top.
Vinnie just smiled. "Whoa, sugarpuss. Do you want this to be believable or not?"
Veronica held his gaze. "Just watch it," she warned him, and was rewarded with a not-so-reassuring smirk from Vinnie.
Veronica studied the building critically as they approached. It didn't look like the kind of place an illegal back room casino would be operating. It didn't look like much of anything, actually, which Veronica supposed was pretty much the point.
"Are you sure you're ready to go through with this?" Vinnie asked, and Veronica nodded.
"I'm ready."
If the outside of the building didn't look much like an illegal casino, the inside most definitely did. It reminded Veronica vaguely of Mercer's casino, but harder, sleazier. The room was dimly lit, tables packing the floor, and the air was thick with smoke.
She forced herself to smile as they entered.
"Vinnie!" A man approached them, smiling, and Veronica looked up at him. "You ready to give me all your money?"
Beside Veronica, Vinnie nudged her, and she assumed that the man was Mercano. He was cute, in a criminal sort of way.
Mercano was looking at her appraisingly. "Who's the babe?" he asked Vinnie.
"This is Veronica," Vinnie said, before Veronica could give a fake name. Her smile stayed firmly in place.
Mercano turned to Veronica. "You play?" he asked.
"A little."
He nodded as he left, and Vinnie drew Veronica over to one of the tables. "Want to play a round?" he asked her, putting a wad of bills town on the table. The money quickly disappeared, and Veronica nodded.
"Sure."
She lost the first hand, watching the dealer carefully, paying only minimal attention to her own cards. He was good, but not excellent, and by the fourth round, she was pretty sure she could read him.
Vinnie whistled beside her as she won that hand, and Veronica tipped him a wink. She won the four after that, too, easily handing Vinnie back his money, until he pulled her away.
"Easy, there," he said, trying not to look around nervously. "I don't want to get killed here."
"I thought you told me to play well."
"I told you to play good, not to fleece Mercano your first night here. Just ... dial it down a notch, would you?"
Veronica smiled, but she was careful not to go all in after that. Forty minutes in, she lost big, and she didn't think it would be difficult for anyone watching to see that she'd done so deliberately.
And hour and twenty minutes in, Vinnie walked out, shooting Veronica a quick glance as he left to confirm that she was okay.
An hour and twenty-seven minutes in, Mercano approached Veronica.
"So," he said, coming up to stand beside her. "You and Vinnie."
Veronica shook her head. "We're not together."
Mercano shrugged nonchalantly, but moved a little closer. "You looked pretty good out there," he told her. "You play often?"
"It's kind of a hobby." Veronica smiled.
He nodded, and leaned in close to Veronica, resting a hand on her waist. "I'm throwing a sort of private party next week," he said, and smiled. "If you're interested."
"I might be."
Mercano studied her. "You ever deal cards before?" he asked.
Next: Part 17, Part 18