A/N – just a quick chapter of Lamb back in Neptune; more to come with interactions between Lamb and Anna (and of course Veronica/Lamb!)
"Good Morning, Sheriff," Inga greeted Don when he entered the department Monday morning, "Did you have a good weekend?"
"Yeah, Inga," Don stopped and replied instead of offering his usual brief 'it was fine, I need a coffee' remark. "It was the best weekend I've had in a long time."
Inga was a little shocked and couldn't help but wonder if his mood had anything to do with their impromptu visitors last week but decided not to press it. She'd known the sheriff long enough to know he'd share in his own time.
Minutes into his workday, Lamb cast aside the paperwork that accumulated over the weekend – he had more pressing matters to address. He powered on his computer and spent the next two hours researching backyard soccer equipment and calling local sporting goods stores.
"Sacks," Lamb emerged from his office close to lunchtime, having caught up on the paperwork that covered his desk, "You busy this afternoon?"
"I'm working until 7." Sacks was sure the sheriff knew his schedule – they'd been on the same twelve hour shift every Monday for the past 3 years.
"Can you stop by my place later? I'm working on a project and I need an extra set of hands." Lamb wasn't worried about leaving the station understaffed, there were plenty of veterans on duty and spring break was over so he didn't anticipate too many calls. "If there's an emergency, they'll call us in."
Later that afternoon Sacks had no idea what to expect when he pulled up in front of Lamb's house. Jerry and Don had been friends for over a decade and they'd gotten together plenty to watch games and grill burgers – usually with other deputies. The sight that greeted Sacks let him know immediately this was not one of those times.
The sheriff's driveway was stocked with crates, a soccer net, a pair of bikes and something that looked like a disassembled jungle gym.
As Sacks walked toward the garage he saw Lamb sitting on the ground behind his truck surrounded with PVC pipe and netting.
"What's going on Lamb?" Sacks asked tentatively.
"I might have gotten carried away at Sportsland." Lamb said, not looking up from his project. "I went for a soccer net and then saw the bikes and couldn't pick a size so I go two. Then I noticed the playground equipment and thought monkey bars and a jungle gym would be good to have."
That explanation did little for Sacks who, to his knowledge, was witnessing his boss set up some sort of in-home daycare. "Who plays soccer?"
"Anna." With his daughter's name on his lips, he looked up at Sacks. His deputy and long-time friend would be the first person he told about Anna being his daughter.
"Anna?" Sacks asked briefly confused and then realization set in, "Anna Mars? Veronica's kid? Why are you buying out the store for her? Unless you're planning to see her again. Because…"
"She's my daughter." Lamb finished, not wanting to watch Sacks try to put the pieces together any more.
Sacks' stunned silence lasted a bit more than was comfortable. "You want a beer?"
Sacks just nodded, ignoring the fact that it was 3:00 in the afternoon on a Monday and he was technically on duty for a few more hours.
After a few drags of beer, the questions rushed into Sacks' brain and right out of his mouth. "So you and Veronica?" He couldn't imagine Lamb and Veronica spending more than a minute together without biting each other's head off, much less enough time to conceive a child. Until Keith died he couldn't remember Veronica and Don having a conversation that didn't involve insults and threats of arrest.
"Just once." Lamb explained that he and Veronica weren't together for any period of time.
"After Keith?" Sacks was suddenly feeling a protectiveness of Veronica, maybe on behalf of her late father with the thought that Lamb could have taken advantage of her after his passing.
"No. Right before." Lamb clarified. "We pretended it never happened. Throughout the funeral and everything we were civil but nothing else." Lamb didn't know why he felt the need to clarify so much about his relationship, or lack thereof, with Veronica to Sacks.
Before Sacks had a chance to ask if he knew about Anna, Lamb continued, "I didn't hear from her after she left for DC. I knew she wanted to distance herself from what happened here and I had a feeling she wanted a fresh start. I found out about Anna when you did."
"So, I guess I'm here to talk you out of building a playground on your own?" Sacks asked, appreciative of the information his boss had shared and eager to move on to a lighter topic.
"She's going to spend some time here with me." Lamb explained, "I thought it would be nice to set up something she liked." Then Lamb gestured to the soccer net and one of the bins containing balls and cones, "She's into soccer. And she starts gymnastics soon." He nodded to the bars that had yet to be assembled. He failed to mention she was also into swimming and that he'd looked into installing a pool in the yard but permit process was too backed up – plus it wasn't big enough for a decent pool.
"Where are you going to put all this?" Sacks asked, assuming the position as the voice of reason in this project.
"In the back I guess," Lamb said referring to his fenced-in back yard that was sizable, especially for the area but not large enough for all of the equipment he purchased, "I haven't really thought that far."
Sacks hadn't seen Lamb like this ever, the excitement exuding from his boss was a first. He'd never pegged Lamb for wanting kids, but from the little he'd seen Lamb was really looking forward to being a father.
Sacks started sorting through the instructions and hardware bag that accompanied the disassembled jungle gym. "Have you read through these?" Sacks asked Lamb after spending a few minutes reading the instructions. Lamb shook his head.
"The guy at the store said it would be fine for home use." Lamb got up to see what Sacks was looking at.
Sacks chuckled, "Maybe if you have a backhoe and cement mixer."
"Think we can rent one?" Lamb asked, only partially serious. The monkey bars were going back to the store.
"Let's start with the soccer net." Sacks suggested, putting off repacking the returns in Don's truck.
As they worked on the sports equipment in Lamb's backyard, Don told Sacks about his weekend. He understood now why other parents always talked about their kids; he couldn't blame them – he'd only known Anna a short time but he wanted nothing more than for his world to revolve around her.
"So Anna's going to be around?" Sacks gestured to the newly assembled soccer goal taking up a third of Don's yard.
"Yeah," Lamb also admired their finished project, "she's coming this weekend and hopefully once a month. I'll go there a couple of weekends a month too."
"And you and Veronica are getting along?" Sacks almost laughed at the thought of the Veronica he knew 10 years ago volunteering to spend a weekend with Lamb.
"Yeah, it's the effect Anna has on us – everything has been about her, even after she went to bed we talked about her or made plans for her." Lamb took a sip of his drink and continued, reflecting on the weekend he'd just spent in Sacramento. "Plus, she's not around to try and undercut me at every turn and I haven't arrested any of her friends in a decade."
The next morning Lamb decided to go into the office late, he had to return some equipment to the sporting goods store. Sacks was given the go-ahead to spread the news of Anna's paternity, Lamb knew his deputies speculated about it when she was first in town and he didn't want to make a big deal about it.
"Inga," Sacks approached the receptionist's desk and greeted Inga, glad to catch her alone "Good morning."
"Good morning, Deputy." Inga knew something was up, Sacks was sweatier than normal behind his mustache.
"Do you have everyone's wager from guessing who knocked up Veronica Mars." Inga shot Sacks a look that suggested he alter his language, "Sorry, the speculations about who Anna's dad is." Sacks started fumbling his words, not exactly sure how to share this news about his boss, "there wasn't a winner. Nobody guessed her dad. I'll have to give everyone their money back."
Inga smirked and moved to open her desk drawer, pulling out the neatly stacked bills and list of wagers, "What makes you say that?"
Inga pulled her own sealed speculation from the pile and handed it to the deputy, "Look," Sacks' perspiration was out of control "He doesn't want to make a big deal about it but it's" Sacks paused, glanced toward the sheriff's empty office and lowered his voice, "it's Don. Lamb is Anna Mars's dad"
Instead of reacting to the news, Inga simply pointed to her guess, now in Sack's hands and commented, "She has his eyes."
Sacks confirmed what Inga predicted over a week ago, not only did she accurately guess that Lamb was Anna's dad but she didn't mention her theory to anyone – and she won over a hundred dollars in the office pool.