Title: Merry Christmas (I Do Want to Fight)
Summary: The Young and the Restless/VM crossover. This time Adam decides to go through with suing his brother. Only his attorney ends up being a certain Neptune public defender. Meanwhile Veronica's along for the ride. What happens when they both realize Adam's resemblance to Neptune's fallen sheriff?
Characters/Pairings: Veronica Mars, Cliff McCormack, mentions Lamb, Michael Baldwin, Adam Wilson, Sharon Abbott and assorted others. Adam/Sharon, mentions Adam/Heather and Adam/Rafe.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: All of VM, up to 12/09 of Y&R
Word Count: 4163
Disclaimer: The Young and the Restless nor Veronica Mars are owned by me, but by CBS and Rob Thomas. I'm simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: Takes place after a mostly canon S3 of VM. I mostly have canon Y&R to thank here - no one could believe that Adam could get a local attorney given his history with certain attorneys on the show. Then the question came "What if Cliff was his attorney?" This soon followed.
A/N 2: As for the bits about Lamb and Cliff being friends and strip club buddies - that came from MM so if you want to argue it - argue with him. Not me.
"How's my favorite spunky private investigator this afternoon?" Cliff smiled to Veronica as he strode into Mars Investigations.
"You can stop with the flattery, Cliff. My dad's not here," Veronica stated without so much as looking up from the file she was reading over.
"I know," he told her as he unbuttoned his suit jacket and moved to sit in the chair across from her desk. That's part of the reason I'm here. I need someone with your keen investigative eye for a case I'm working on. Only thing is, it's out of town."
That got her to look up. "How far out of town?"
"Wisconsin," he stated with a slight tilt of his head, already certain she would say no. Which was exactly why he was ready to remind her of just how many favors she owed him.
"Why do you need me for this? My dad usually goes after the bail jumpers and I've got a lot I have to do here." Least of which was continuing to instill the Christmas spirit within her father and friends. The apartments weren't going to decorate themselves and for some reason she was insistent on being full of joy this year.
"It's not a bail jumper. There's a case an old friend called me about. He can't take it because he just realized it's a conflict of interest for him and apparently he feels it necessary to punish this client so he asked me to take the case."
"And you agreed out of the goodness of your heart?" she smirked.
"I agreed because I know who the opposing counselor is. It's worth it to spend a couple days in Wisconsin, even in winter, to repay an old favor."
"Let me guess, to add insult to injury you want to parade me around as your trophy girlfriend?" It wouldn't be the first time he asked that of her, nor would it be the first time she would turn him down flat.
"As much of a bonus as that would be, no. You've got a way of gaining people's trust, people talk to you, V. And in this case, that could help me a lot. This client's got a rather shady past and from what I hear he provoked the fight for which he's suing."
Veronica could sense where this was going. "And you want me to talk to him, find out just how true his story is? Like I would for an insurance scam?"
"Exactly," he told her as he pointed to her. "Though you talking to the guy who hit him could be a help too. The guy who threw the punch is an executive at his daddy's company. The guy he hit is his younger, visually-impaired half-brother who, as I said, is rumored to have provoked his brother into hitting him. Supposedly it was work related but I have it on good authority that my soon-to-be client is screwing his brother's ex-wife and said ex-husband is less than pleased."
Veronica's eyes widened slightly. Sounds like quite the soap opera. "And there wasn't anyone local your friend could have called. Or that the guy suing could have called?"
Cliff almost laughed as he thought back to the story his friend Bruce had told him. "He's, rather literally, screwed over most of the attorneys in Genoa City from what I understand. His ex-fiancée is the ADA and there was apparently something between him and another attorney, I don't know, he didn't know more than that. Anyway, like I said, I can't wait to see the look on Baldwin's face when I walk into that courtroom, ready to defend someone I hear he detests."
"Wait a minute. Baldwin? As in Michael Baldwin?" Cliff had told her some of the stories. That explained everything. Good old fashioned courtroom revenge. Now there was the Cliff Veronica knew and tolerated.
"The one and only," Cliff sighed.
"So, for the record, you want me to make your would-be client isn't running a scam and that it really was work related and not a brotherly rivalry thing over the ex-wife-slash-girlfriend?"
"I owe Baldwin a loss. A big, painful one. Come on, V, give me a Christmas present I'll really love."
Veronica laughed as she agreed despite herself. It wasn't like she really had plans for the upcoming week as it was. They still had three until Christmas and funnily enough she had yet to receive any invites to any Christmas parties. Then again Logan didn't really throw his until just a few days before and Dick, well, she wasn't sure she would go to Dick's even if she was invited.
"You could've told me it'd be so fracking cold," Veronica all but chattered as she and Cliff made their way into the Genoa City Athletic Club the next morning, where apparently everyone visiting had to stay. She couldn't remember even having seen any signs for any other hotels or motels or anything. Restaurants seemed to be pretty sparse too. There was a nightclub called Indigo, a coffee house and the Genoa City Athletic Club which doubled as a hotel. That seemed to be it.
Welcome to the small town life, Veronica. Here's hoping we don't have to get used to it, she thought to herself as she walked with Cliff to check in.
"It's Wisconsin in December, one would think that a detective such as yourself would consider that was implied," Cliff told her with a soft sigh. She had been complaining ever since they got off the plane. The only thing that kept him from bantering with her was the hope of sticking it to Michael Baldwin.
"Can I help you?" the smiling man behind the desk asked.
"Yes, reservation for McCormack. Two rooms."
Small relief for Veronica in that. She had always known the smarmy attorney had a thing for her, she was relieved he was more interested in his plans for revenge than her.
"Ah, yes. Here you are."
"So how am I supposed to know this guy?" she asked quietly as she turned her back to the large, mahogany desk. "Follow the sound of breakage?" Cliff had said the man was visually-impaired, it stood to reason.
"He's not completely blind, Veronica. I'm going to be meeting him in a few hours. After that I'll call you and let you know. Though the smart money says to be on the look out for an early to mid-thirties white male dressed like a stockbroker with a black eye."
"And what am I supposed to do in the meantime? Just wait around here? What's there to do here anyway?"
"Want to get your picture taken with Santa?" he smirked as he glanced towards the back of the club to the line of children waiting to see the big man in red.
"Cliff." That was a no.
"I don't know, V. Talk to a couple people. Find out who knows Mr. Wilson. Maybe find out where you could casually run into him. And if you happen to run into Nicholas Newman, so much the better."
Feeling like she now had a plan of attack, Veronica wandered off once Cliff had given her her room key. She knew both men worked at Newman Enterprises but she knew she couldn't show up without some kind of actual business aside from interrogating the brothers.
First she waited up at the bar, claiming she was meeting someone. She tried to talk to the bartender bur apparently they were sworn to secrecy about their customers. That hadn't discouraged her, but it irritated her. Glancing around the vast room, she saw a number of people talking, none of which she recognized. Not that that was at all surprising, but she was only getting more antsy.
As usual she wanted to get in, get what she was there for and get back to Neptune.
Before long her restless energy had taken her out of the club when someone told her she might have better luck finding Nick at the coffee house halfway across town. Cliff had already left to set up shop in an empty office at the courthouse to meet with Adam so that had left her on her own.
Crimson Lights. A red light district in Genoa City? This place might have possibilities yet, Veronica thought to herself as she read the sign outside the coffee house. It looked smaller inside than the Java Hut but she was in the mood for coffee and was hoping to find Nick so she headed inside. At least it was warm, albeit over decorated and bright but it didn't seem so bad.
"What can I get you?" a petite brunette with a lilty British accent asked with a friendly smile.
"Uh, coffee, regular," she told her.
"I don't recall seeing you here before. Are you new in town?" Jana asked.
"Passing through, more or less."
"How are you liking your stay in Genoa City so far then?"
Veronica shrugged. It wasn't Neptune, that was for sure. "I've only been here for a few hours. A friend's in town for business and wanted me to tag along."
"Well that sounds exciting," Jana replied as she poured the coffee.
Exciting? Clearly it didn't take much to impress this woman. "I guess. Thanks," Veronica stated with a half-smile as she paid for her coffee.
Of course the sight that greeted her when she turned around in search of a free table nearly caused her to drop the hot liquid and mug which contained it to the floor. Excitement? No. Pure shock filled her.
All she could see was a tall and lean, dark-haired man in a dark suit he wore beneath his knee-length black wool coat - a stockbroker's coat some would call it - with a black left eye.
It wasn't that she was shocked that she had clearly found Adam Wilson. It was the fact he was identical to the sheriff she had believed to be dead for the last three years that had rendered her frozen in place for those seconds.
Not even thinking when she saw him talking to an older blonde woman, she walked right up to him. This couldn't be real.
"So you're really going through with the lawsuit?" Ashley asked Adam.
"Yeah, I'm meeting with my attorney soon. Nick has to know he can't get away with treating me as his errand boy forever. Victor put us both in charge -"
"Lamb?" Veronica managed to ask him, her eyes still scanning him for any - absolutely any - difference. Slightly shorter hair, okay. Beyond that, so far he could still be his long lost twin brother.
"What?" Adam nearly chuckled as he looked to the small blonde he could just make out the stunned expression of as she continued to stare up at him.
"I don't think we've met," Ashley smiled to Veronica. "Ashley Abbott," she stated as she held out her hand to her.
"Veronica Mars," she told her, only glancing to the older woman before looking back to Adam. "My dad said -" Who had Neptune buried? "What are you doing here? And why are you calling yourself Adam Wilson?"
It was Adam's turn to be stunned then. He had always called himself Adam Wilson, it had been his name since his step-father had adopted him. "That's my name. Unless you're wondering the story behind my not taking the Newman name. Anyway, guess you're new in town if you haven't been warned away from me already."
"Adam," Ashley sighed. She dealt with enough people slamming him, despite his smile she wasn't about to have her friend putting himself down.
"Adam Wilson. As in not Don Lamb? As in not the former sheriff of Balboa County in Neptune, California?" There was no look of recognition in those magnetic blues of his. Lamb never would have been able to disguise his irritation with her, especially at calling him out about his real identity. And here she thought she had been surprised to lose Lamb the first time.
Adam almost laughed. Sheriff? Never in a million years. "I think you have me mistaken for someone else."
"I guess so," she sighed as she stepped back. Veronica hadn't given Lamb much thought since he died. She had gone to his funeral, but that was about it. She hadn't even thought enough of him when he was alive to hate him so missing him in death had seemed a little pointless. But now? Now it was really hitting her. Part of her did miss him, the part of her that loved proving him wrong, snarking with him, getting on his last nerve. Now she had met a man that part of her wished was him.
"Well that was strange," Ashley commented as they watched Veronica all but collapse into a chair at a free table across the room.
"Could've been worse. Anyway, I've got to meet with my attorney," he replied as he left his now empty coffee mug on the counter.
"So should I expect you back at the ranch tonight or are you spending another night away?" she asked with a knowing smile.
Mildly embarrassed, Adam laughed. "I wouldn't wait up."
"Okay then. Good luck," Ashley smiled back to him. Clearly things were getting serious between him and Sharon and she couldn't be happier for them.
Watching him head out, Veronica reached for her phone. No reason Cliff should be as surprised as she was.
"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in," Michael Baldwin smirked at the sight of Cliff walking through the hall of the courthouse. "Come to lose another case to me?"
"Quite the opposite, Baldwin," he smirked back. "I hear your CEO client lost his already short temper and took it out on his visually-impaired employee. If I were you I'd be talking him into improving his public image."
A second later Cliff heard his cell phone ring but he wanted to ignore it. It had been too long since he had been able to prove to Michael who the better counselor was.
"You're not gonna get that?"
Cliff shook his head. "One case at a time. Speaking of, wasn't it just a few weeks ago that your client's company was also being investigated by the SCC? And then catching another blow thanks to his sister's well-publicized, scandalous affair? Sure sounds like you've been busy."
Michael had to fight to not laugh even sardonically. Of course Cliff would know about the latest news in Genoa City. Anything to use against him today. "And the fact you're able to be here at all just proves your docket was clear. That's, well, no I can't even pretend that's at all surprising. Now tell me, how many days at the strip clubs did you have to give up in order to afford the plane ticket out here?"
"Oh, Baldwin, still bitter because they made you pay double?"
Answer, Veronica mentally begged at the fifth ring. When his voicemail clicked on a moment later she sighed. "Cliff, it's me. I need you to call me when you get this. It's about Adam Wilson. And Lamb."
As much as Michael usually loved to verbally spar with Cliff, something occurred to him. "Wait a minute. Bruce… Didn't he oversee the Newman Tokyo deal a few months ago? Oh, don't tell me he called you to represent Adam Wilson."
"Guess Bruce knew you missed me," Cliff grinned.
"Don't worry, my aim's gotten better."
"Is that a threat, counselor?"
"Is what a threat?" a woman's slightly raspy voice cut in.
"Nothing," Cliff replied as he looked to the small blonde in the power suit. "I'm looking for room 323."
"End of the hall," Heather told him. "Michael, could I speak with you for a moment?"
"Of course. See you in court, McCormack."
"Looking forward to it," Cliff grinned before he headed off to wait for his client.
The knock on his temporary office door came within minutes and the same blonde that had interrupted him and Michael informed him that Adam was there.
"Send him in," Cliff told her.
"Go right in," Heather sighed as she held the door for her ex.
Adam only nodded to her before looking to his soon-to-be attorney. "Cliff McCormack?"
"That's me," he answered as he closed the case folder he had been looking over to seem busy. Only when he looked up did he have to blink a few times. He couldn't remember having had any alcohol while flying to Wisconsin. Not even a sip. He had wanted to be sober for this, to really enjoy sticking it to Michael, to remember every detail. But this - he had no other explanation for this. His friend was dead. But then there he seemingly was right in front of him.
"Don?" he finally asked, watching as the man carefully made his way to the chair across from him.
"You're the second person to call me that today," Adam chuckled. "I must have one of those faces. Almost makes me feel bad for the poor bastard if he's been accused of half the things I have been."
Cliff took a deep breath. This couldn't be Lamb. As much as part of him wanted him to be, he knew he couldn't be. Hell, he still blamed himself for Don being dead. If he hadn't been such a good attorney Batando wouldn't have been free to bash his skull in. Nearly shuddering at the mental image that conjured, Cliff looked over the notes Bruce had faxed him.
"So, what do you think?" Adam asked, interrupting his thoughts.
"I wouldn't worry, Mr. Wilson. You're going to win this case." Cliff had rarely been more certain of a win. Not only with Adam's disability and Nicholas Newman's hot temper being relatively known, but he felt he owed it to Neptune's fallen sheriff. Maybe this man wasn't him but he resembled him too much to be believed. He even sounded like him, though with less of that Texas drawl. Still, his friend was gone, but currently Cliff hardly felt his loyalty to him was.
"How'd it go?" Veronica asked when she saw Cliff walking up to her two hours later while she sat up at the bar of the athletic club. She needed something stronger than coffee to deal with today.
Taking the seat beside her with a heavy sigh, he answered, "I got your message. After my meeting."
"Wishing you'd answered, aren't you?" she smirked.
"He said I was the second one to call him Don today. When did you see him?"
"I was looking for Nick Newman and someone said that I might find him at this coffee house, so I went by there a little while after you left. He wasn't there but Adam was. I'm not crazy, right? He really, really looks like him doesn't he?"
"Somehow I doubt I'm the one you would want commenting on your mental state, but as far as Wilson's concerned, no you're not wrong."
"You didn't answer my question, Cliff. How'd it go? I mean, I know I kind of failed at finding Nick, but -"
"You're forgiven. He won. Adam, that is. And he got what he wanted. Partnership with his brother at Newman Enterprises."
"So you beat Baldwin," she half-smiled.
Cliff chuckled. "Yeah, I did. Should've seen the glare he gave me too. Newman wasn't impressed, but oh well. Adam deserved it."
"And not just because of the obvious?"
"What obvious would that be, V?"
"Batando? Lamb? Sort of doing for Adam what you couldn't do for Lamb?"
That time he avoided her questions. "Adam's a Harvard graduate, Nick barely finished high school. Adam was a high-powered stockbroker who knows the way of the business world. Going purely based on experience, references, knowledge and education, Adam should be the one running the company, not his brother. He deserved to be more than his brother's glorified gopher and so now I've helped to get him that. Whether he's fraternizing with his brother's ex or not is irrelevant. Now Newman gets to figure that out."
A brief flash of movement towards the entrance of the club caught Veronica's attention. Watching Adam walk in with a slim, blonde woman didn't do anything to improve her mood. They were both smiling and the woman seemed to be congratulating him. The fact she apparently realized they were standing under mistletoe and directed his attention to it a moment later didn't help matters.
Catching her lost in her daze, Cliff followed her gaze. "V? You okay?"
She shook her head and looked back to him. "Yeah. Just speak of the devil. He just walked in with someone. It's really kind of creepy. Part of me wants to go over there and just get right back into it, but he's not him. It just - We're leaving tomorrow, right? And we never have to talk about this again?"
"I think we're better off if we don't," he agreed. He had managed to keep his guilt pretty decently buried until today. Now, like Veronica, he just wanted to get drunk. And not even at the Veil. Half the lap dances he had gotten when he had gone there with Lamb had been thanks to the younger man. Either by paying with money he had skimmed or just by being there and looking like he did. It wasn't exactly a secret half the girls had an interest in him and wanted to impress him. Some days Cliff really missed the bastard.
"So are you ever going to tell me what happened between you and Michael Baldwin?" she asked finally, needing a change of subject.
"I think you're still a little young for that story," Cliff answered with a slight smirk.
"Come on, I could use the distraction and you know you'd love to have me help rub it in with him."
Cliff almost laughed as he thought back to it, now that he could laugh about it. "You really want to know?"
"Yeah. It's not every day you willingly fly to a place like Wisconsin for revenge."
"Okay," he caved. "A friend of mine got arrested here a couple years back. Baldwin trumped up what had been a simple run stop sign to a reckless endangerment charge."
"That's all?"
"Did I mention this friend was female? Who called me to defend her? And who just might have been employed at a certain venue I'm a rather frequent customer?"
Veronica almost burst out laughing. "The stripper who dumped you! That was Baldwin's fault!"
Cliff groaned at the humor Veronica was finding in this. "And that is why I will happily take any case against him here and why all of my lawyer friends know about it. Beating him in court is some of the best payback I can get legally."
"Well look who's here," Michael called out when a smile as he and his wife walked into the club.
"You're about to so owe me," Veronica quietly told Cliff.
"So I take you came by to gloat?" he asked as he and the slender redhead beside him walked up to where they were seated.
"Honey -" Lauren tried.
"No, no, Cliff and I are old friends. Aren't we, Cliff?" Michael grinned.
Veronica jumped in before Cliff could reply. "Y'know, Mr. Baldwin, I've heard a lot about you," she smiled to him. "Actually I have you to thank for my meeting my Cliffy."
By then Cliff was stunned by that sugary sweet voice of hers and the fact she was coiling her arms around his bicep. And had there been a claim of ownership in that last sentence?
"Your - ?" Michael almost laughed. Cliff's taste in women certainly hadn't changed apparently. Small, blonde, half his age…
"That's right," Cliff replied, finally seeing the angle Veronica was working. "After what happened with Stacee, Veronica here helped pick up the pieces. What do you say, Baldwin, think you'd be free to come to the wedding?" he grinned. He always knew he liked working with Veronica for a reason.
"Michael, you promised. Our anniversary?" Lauren reminded him.
He sighed. This wasn't over. "Guess I'll see you next time you're in town, Cliff."
"Looking forward to it," he smiled.
"Think they bought it?" Veronica asked as she took her arms back and instantly regained her own personality.
"Hard to say, maybe we should sell it a little harder when they get done eating."
"Nice try, I'm going to my room. Have fun rubbing in your victory, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, V," he told her, feeling only slightly defeated.
The next day they were finally on their way back to Neptune, hopeful to put the past two days out of their minds. Being called out of town for a case and beating an old foe was one thing. Being reminded of the dim bulb they never knew they would miss until he was gone was quite another.
The End