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A Lamb/Veronica fic.

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Disclaimer: nope, I am not the one who owns Veronica Mars ... grr.

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A/N: Okay, so this takes place after our favorite Sheriff let Veronica and Duncan go in "Nobody Puts Baby In a Corner". Veronica and Duncan weren't dating, just working together. (I've never liked Duncan.)

Afterwards, Veronica goes to Lamb's apartment, and this is where the story kicks off.

Enjoy the story!

As always, please read and review, I live for feedback!

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Veronica and Duncan had each gone home after the Sheriff had let them go, but Veronica didn't stay there. At first she just wandered around Neptune, trying to figure out why Lamb would have let them go. Even if he did go into the closet and find the hidden door, he would have still arrested them for trespassing, illegal entry, and whatever else he could think of.

So, why didn't he?

This question was probably the reason she was standing in front of his door, after walking around in the pouring rain, now thoroughly soaked, and knocking for the second time.

Finally he answered the door, and his surprise was evident on his face.

"What the hell are you doing here, Mars?" he asked her, staring at her like a wet rat.

"Why, yes, Sheriff Lamb, I'd love to come in and dry off, thank you for offering."

He rolled his eyes, but opened the door further so she could walk inside.

She stood on the mat by the front door, shivering, waiting as he went into the bathroom for a towel.

She'd only been in his apartment once before ... the night of Lily's murder. Her father had been busy, her mother had been drunk, Duncan wasn't talking, and Logan hated her. Don Lamb had been her only friend that night, but it had been ... a big mistake seeing him that night. For both of them.

- "Veronica, what are you doing here?" he asked her, opening the door wider to let her in.

She sniffled. "I just didn't have anywhere else to go, and I needed ... I just need a hug," she admitted, falling into his arms.

He wrapped his arms around her, letting her sob into his chest, and they stayed like that for what felt like hours.

Finally, she sniffed a couple times, then pulled back, rubbing at a spot on his shirt with her hand.

"Sorry, I made your shirt wet," she said sheepishly.

He shook his head. "It's fine. Are you okay?"

She shook her head. No, not really. And I honestly don't know if I ever will be. Lily is ... was, my best friend, and now she's ..."

She didn't want to start crying again, so instead she moved to his couch, sitting down in the middle and bringing her knees up to her chest.

He sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, and she leaned into his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist, the other clutching the necklace Lily had given her.

"It's going to be okay," he said. "We're going to find out who did this to her, and we're going to put them away for life."

She sighed. "But it won't bring her back."

He shook his head. "No ... it won't. Veronica, I am so sorry."

She moved her head from his chest to his shoulder, looking up at him with sad eyes. "Me too."

They stayed like that for a minute or so, just looking into each other's eyes. Neither knew who made the first move, who started it, but the next thing Veronica knew, she was kissing Deputy Lamb.

She whimpered into his mouth, but deepened the kiss, bringing her hand up to run through his hair, leaving it sit on his neck.

She didn't know how long they'd been kissing, and then she opened her eyes briefly, and realized she was laid out on the couch, Lamb on top of her, kissing down her neck to the dip of her collar bone.

She pulled away, covering her face in her hands.

"Veronica, what's is it? Did I do something wrong?" he asked as she stood up.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this," she said, running out of his apartment, leaving him sitting on the couch, her lipstick smeared on his lips. -

Veronica snapped out of her trip down memory lane as Lamb came back from his bathroom, tossing a large towel to her.

She caught it, using it to wipe the water from her face and hair to cover her sudden blush at the sight of him.

He then went over to a room which she assumed was his bedroom and grabbed a shirt and a pair of boxers and threw them to her.

"And these are for ...?"

"You can't stay in your wet clothes, you'll get pnemonia. Change into those and I'll put your clothes into the dryer, should be done in about twenty minutes. Say what you need to say, then I'll take you home," he said monotone, motioning for her to go change.

She closed the door to the bathroom, stripping out of her wet clothes and into his slightly oversized boxers and long t-shirt after drying herself with the towel he'd given her.

Wow, I almost don't need to wear the boxers, she thought, then remembered who was in the next room, and decided to keep them on.

Yet another reason to always have clean underwear, she told herself, opening the door and exiting his very "bachelor" bathroom. The only thing more embarrassing than Sheriff Lamb drying my clothes, would be Sheriff Lamb washing and drying my clothes.

She handed him her clothes silently, not missing the once-over he gave her, and sat down on his couch, sitting Indian style while she waited.

He was gone longer than she thought was necessary, but finally he came back into the room, but stood by the opposite wall, leaning against it with his hands in his pockets.

"So, what brings you here on this fine evening, Miss Mars?" he asked her.

"I just ... I wanted to ask you a question," she said.

He gave her a hard, confused look. "You walked all the way over here in the pouring rain to ask me a question?"

"Well, no I was already out walking, but yes, basically," she admitted.

"Well, this ought to be good. Okay, I'm intrigued. What's the question?"

"Why didn't you take Duncan and me in? Why'd you let us go?" she asked.

He gave her a cold laugh that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You know, the ammount of times I've brought you in, you'd think you'd simply be grateful I didn't this time. But don't worry, I'll remember it for next time, you like being arrested."

"No, you're the one who enjoys arresting me, and I'm just curious as to why you suddenly had a change of heart?" she wondered, standing up.

"I didn't," he promised her, holding his ground, crossing his arms over his chest.

She forced herself to look away from his biceps.

"Why can't you just answer a simple question honestly?" she asked him, stopping in front of him. She never realized how tall he was before, but didn't let it intimidate her.

He looked down at her but didn't answer. She had no idea he was struggling with his own conflicting emotions.

"Did you find the room behind her closet?"

He met her eyes fiercely. "Yes."

"Did you call child services?"

Without blinking, he said, "Yes."

"Is that why you didn't arrest us?"

His lip twitched, and his eyes shut for a second before he answered. "No."

"Then why?" she wanted to know.

He shook his head. "Just let it go, Mars."

"I'm standing here in your underwear, Sheriff, I highly doubt this situation can get more awkward or embarrassing, so just fess up, would you?"

He clenched his jaw, and she was sure he was just going to ignore her, but then he leaned his head forward and whispered, "Maybe I just wish someone had busted my dad when I was a kid."

And it was like no time had passed, they were back in his apartment, but this time, he was the one needing comfort.

She brought her hand up to his cheek, but before she could get a word out, he'd spun her around so she was the one against the wall.

She felt two feet smaller than she really was, with him towering over her, and her breath hitched in her throat as he lowered his head to hers.

"I don't need your sympathy," he whispered in her ear, then turned and walked into the kitchen, leaving her leaning against the wall with shaky legs.

She took a few breaths, then followed him into the kitchen. "I can't pretend that I don't feel sorry about what happened, but I'm not here because I feel sorry fo you. I'm here because tonight you showed a little bit of the man you used to be ... and I miss him. I'm here because I believe that despite everything that's happened to you, you turned into a pretty decent guy, and you showed that tonight, and I guess now I say thank you."

He didn't respond, and she turned to go back into the living room, but he stopped her with a hand on her hip.

Facing him, she met his eyes, nodding once before his lips crashed to hers.

She draped her arms around his neck, pulling him down further as he wrapped his arms around her back, holding their bodies together.

I'm making out with the Sheriff! I'm making out with Sheriff Don Lamb ... aahh!

She smiled into her kisses as he walked them around the room, finally finding open counter space. He hoisted her onto the counter, breaking the kiss so they could take a breath, then began to kiss down her jaw to her throat, flicking his tongue out lightly, kissing and nibbling his way to her chin.

Holding the back of her head with his hand tangled in her hair, he brought their mouths together once more, their tongues working their way into each other's mouths, tasting each other, claiming each other.

Her hands made their way around his back, to his strong shoulders, then down to his sides. Breaking the kiss once more, she grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head.

Running her hands over the muscles covering his front, she leaned forward and trailed kisses across his chest, making her way back up to his mouth, and then the dryer buzzed.

They stopped, looking into each other's eyes, puffy lips, and it only took one look at how amazingly sexy she looked before Lamb started kissing her again. He had just slipped his hands inside the shirt she was wearing, tracing his fingers over her hips then her ribs when the door rang.

He broke the kiss again, hanging his head.

Veronica smiled. "You go get that, I'll go grab my clothes."

He nodded, kissing her once more on the lips before she hopped off the counter and went to find the dryer.

Rubbing his hands over his face, he heard another knock at the door and made his way there. "Hang on," he called out, now annoyed.

Checking out the peep-hole this time, his heart stopped momentarily.

Fuck. So ... I'm dead.

He opened the door slowly.

"Keith," he said. "What can I do for you?"

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Okay, end of chapter one. There's probably only going to be 3 or so chapters.

What did you think of this one?

Reviews are better than chocolate ... although in my case chocolate hurts my teeth, so I'm a little biased.

Until next time ...!