Title: Family to be Thankful For
Summary: Two years ago we met Lamb's family. Last year we saw the Marses and Lambs together for the holidays. This year their friends are joining in too. As well they should, they're invited to the wedding after all.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/ Characters: V/Lamb, Keith, Cliff, Wallace, Mac, Parker, Logan, Sacks, Inga and the OC's of Lamb Family fics of years past: Patty, Jack, Eric, Steve and Ana (as well as a few new ones for this year - if you don't recognize them, they're likely mine)
Spoilers: None
Word Count: 4884
Disclaimer: Veronica Mars is not owned by me, but by Rob Thomas. I'm simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.
A/N: Now I know a lot of you aren't going to be thrilled with this, but after three years with a fic that wasn't meant to have a follow-up anyway and now having less time to focus on these, I'm finally wrapping up the Lamb Family Holiday Series. That's not to say I won't bring Patty and the others back at other times, but I'd rather end this series this year while I feel I'm still a little ahead.
"Oh, no way, I've been stuck here looking over fraking napkins for the last four hours, making sure there aren't any typos. I know if Veronica sees one of these claiming she's marrying a guy named Dan we're all in for it, but you're not the only one who needs a break," Lamb protested from the spot he had been planted in for the whole afternoon. And why the hell were there so many anyway? There were only about twenty people invited, thirty at the most if some of the guests were bringing dates. Somehow, he knew his mother was to blame.
"Is that your way of saying the final preparations for your wedding to my daughter aren't important to you?" Keith asked him.
"I'm saying you're not the only one who needs a breather. Between the flowers that are giving me a headache that weren't even supposed to be delivered today, much less delivered here, Eric freaking out about the menu, Veronica, Ana and my mother running around so much I'm dizzy just from lookin' at 'em and Jack and Steve not even being here 'cause Jack seems to think all he's needed there for is his showoff singing, I could use the drive to the airport myself."
"You chose to be the groom," Keith grinned, unable to keep from enjoying Don's apparent freak out. Keith knew Don could have avoided it all if he hadn't proposed to Veronica. Being forced to endure so much time with his family and doing the more tedious tasks seemed to be a fitting punishment, Keith decided.
"What are you still doing here?" they both heard Veronica cry out even as they continued their now seemingly wordless debate. "Their flight is landing in a half an hour!"
Keith grinned as he looked over to Veronica. "I was just on my way when Don decided to volunteer, and I'm being nice enough to inform him that as the groom that he has more important things to focus on here."
"Look, I don't care who's going at this point. But somebody needed to be on their way an hour ago." Her joint maids of honor still needed to try their dresses on one last time to make sure they still fit and any last minute alterations could be made, and the guys still needed to have their tuxes picked up. She didn't have time for her father and her fiancée to be squabbling in her future mother-in-law's living room. Especially not when they did that enough back home on their own time.
"Rock, paper, scissors?" Lamb asked with a sigh. He was almost more desperate for this to be over than he was to be able to be the one to pick up their friends from the airport. Sure on any other day he might be willing to leave most of them there, but while most of his guest list was already in Texas, his best man wasn't and he wasn't about to trust his brothers or his local buddies from his past with the best man duties.
Keith nearly rolled his eyes, but agreed. And won.
"Good. Now that third grade's let out, take Patty's SUV since I'm still not sure who all is actually on the flight," Veronica told him. "And I still have a couple of errands I need to run myself so I need you to go now so I can get my rental out of the driveway."
Lamb just watched as Keith and his bride-to-be headed out of the house. Keith's words repeated in his mind and he hated that the older man was right. He had chosen to be the groom. But then he was a bit of a masochist, which could be why he had fallen for Veronica in the first place. At least he knew that by Thanksgiving the majority of the craziness would be over. Well, at least for everyone but Eric.
They all just had to survive the next couple of days first.
When he got to the airport, Keith was at least relieved that those who had flown in would know to find him at the baggage claim. The only ones he knew for sure would be there would be Veronica's joint maids of honor and Wallace, Cliff and Sacks. Veronica hadn't been sure if Logan would actually show up and he hoped Inga would be with them, but Lamb hadn't told him if she had confirmed it with him yet either.
While waiting at an airport was typically never that high on Keith's list of things he enjoyed, today he actually couldn't complain. He knew sooner or later the Neptune residents would appear and it also meant that he could relax. Yes, it was ironic that he was able to relax better at the busy Dallas/Ft. Worth airport, but compared to the craziness back at Casa de Lamb it was a wonder he wasn't trying to get a nap in. He was pretty sure he could too. At least this airport craziness wasn't involving his daughter's impending nuptials.
"Hey, hey, I think I see our ride!" Wallace called out as he and the others made their way towards the baggage claim. The plane had landed an hour ago, but the navigation from it hadn't been the smoothest. Had everyone and their brother chosen this weekend to fly in? Well, actually that would figure since it was the weekend before one of the biggest American family holidays.
"Anybody else feel like stopping for a beer first? Since we're off the hook for driving and all?" Cliff asked.
Logan's hand shot up behind him for effect. "I'm in."
"Oh, come on, we can get something at the hotel, some of us have got to get out of these better-for-a-plane-ride-than-walking shoes," Parker told them.
"I tried to warn you," Mac told her as she glanced to her friend's wedges.
"No one said the walk to the baggage claim would be so long. I was promised a shuttle," she all but pouted.
From behind them Inga tried not to chuckle even to herself. Cliff certainly seemed to be among his intellectual peers and she was still quite amused that they were all there for what she herself had been convinced was only a matter of time. Of course Sacks hadn't said much, but she could tell he was enjoying that Don had asked him to be his best man. Especially when they knew he had brothers and friends there that he was possibly closer to. If nothing else it certainly spoke volumes about his level of trust in him, even if Don hardly admitted it.
"Mr. Mars!" Logan called with a grin when they were close enough. "Miss me yet?"
Turning, Keith almost laughed at the sight of all of them together. "You know what, Logan, almost. Almost," he admitted. For one thing if Veronica had chosen him, which he had once feared, he wouldn't have to deal with Lamb's family or Texas. But it was too late for that now.
"Just almost? Alright then. I'm goin' home," he stated as he went to turn to head back only to feel Parker grab onto the side of his open over shirt and pull him back. He had been kidding, but he liked Parker's apparent forcefulness and sense that they were all in this together.
"I know what you're thinking," Cliff told him, "and yes, we did get a group rate. And I'm owed at least four beers for being the authority figure in charge of this group," he added as he pointed to Wallace, Logan, Mac and Parker.
"Okay, okay. We're on a pretty tight schedule," Keith replied. "So who ever is actually waiting for their bags needs to step up and get them. Everyone else, we're waiting over here. And ladies, Veronica knows you're on your way, and she will be waiting for you at the dress shop and will take you to your hotel from there. Gentlemen, aside from Sacks, I presume you have your suits or at least something decent in place of a suit with you. Sacks, your tux is waiting for you at the shop as well. Lamb, when he gets done with his current task, will be the one taking you by there to make sure everything's still good."
"Wow, listen to you so in charge," Cliff smiled. He was actually a little impressed. He pretty much expected to find Keith in a fetal position chanting that Veronica was still his little girl who would never marry anyone like Lamb. Maybe even trying to convince himself all of this was just a nightmare.
"Do you have luggage to claim?" Keith asked him.
"Nope, I'm good to go," he answered as he headed over to where Keith was standing, rolling his luggage behind him. Lowering his voice, he asked, "So how's it going?"
"I'm days away from having Don call me 'Dad' whether I like it or not. That's how it's going."
Cliff shook his head. "It could still be worse, right?"
Keith stared up at him. Could it? Really?
"Oh, I know there are worse people that V could've chosen to call you 'Dad' or 'Pops' or any other term of sarcastic endearment. In the meantime, like I told you that Christmas Eve when you called me wanting to go back home, you'll survive. Just be glad they're not moving in with you. Or, from what I'm hearing, spending their wedding night or first couple days as man and wife in the same house where you are temporarily residing."
Keith gave a sideways nod. That much was true. And he was thankful for that small favor.
"Let's get this party started! Whoo!" Parker shouted once it seemed everyone had their things. There were groomsmen she wanted to see and cocktails she wanted to enjoy. The sooner she could get to both the happier she knew she would be. As long as Lamb's friends were hot and single at least, which she chose to believe they were.
"Does that mean everybody's ready?" Keith asked, looking to the others. He really hoped there was only one overly energetic member of this group. He wasn't sure how much more he could take.
"Yep!" Wallace told him. "We are ready to roll! And I'm ready to meet this guy who thinks he can make better pies than my girlfriend's mama. It's time to make this an in-state pie duel on Thursday."
"We're leaving on Tuesday though," Mac reminded him. Some of them had their own families to get back to in time.
"In spirit! It'll be in-state in spirit! Because then I'll personally know who I'm up against!"
"Maybe you shouldn't piss off the guy who's catering Veronica's wedding," Parker told him.
"Or if he does, it sounds like the beginning of a promising food fight," Cliff grinned.
Keith sighed. That crazed caterer, while also soon to be part of his and Veronica's extended family, was one of the last people he wanted to think about right then. Why hadn't anyone thought to send Eric on a vacation for Thanksgiving instead of having him cook and often have a meltdown of his own? But then he remembered how he pouted the Christmas before when Patty had taken over the cooking duties. Maybe he enjoyed his yearly meltdowns...
Instead Keith just told him, "Well I'm afraid that will have to wait until it's safe to walk into the Lamb house, which could be a year from now. Also, I wouldn't suggest a food fight for anyone who wishes to return home in one piece."
"The car's safe, at least, right?" Mac asked when she realized those at the front of the sort of line were slowing down as they reached a black SUV.
"Yes. Very," he assured them. And once he opened the trunk, he stepped aside to let the others fill it with their luggage, which certainly seemed more than plentiful for some of them. He couldn't help but worry in some cases. How some of them might get along with Lamb's family, or even Lamb's friends whenever they were choosing to show up, if they were planning to show up at the house or hotel. From what he had heard most of them were still living in Texas, but that didn't necessarily mean they were in the same city.
"Any word on the sheriff's bachelor party plans?" Logan asked Cliff with a glance to Sacks, who everyone at this point knew to be Lamb's best man when they had taken their seats.
"Knock yourself out," Cliff told him as he handed Logan a copy of the order pamphlet he had been keeping in his breast pocket. He knew Sacks would have taken Lamb's threats seriously, someone had to make sure his favorite wingman had a night to remember before his wedding.
"For the record, if Veronica finds out about it, I won't be taking the fall," Sacks stated, having known himself that Cliff would go behind his back like that.
"Oh, she knows you'd never set anything like this up. You're safe," Cliff told him.
"And with any luck Veronica won't be in any position to judge or complain. We've got a rockin' night planned for her too," Parker grinned to Mac.
Again, Keith kept quiet as he began to pull out of the parking space. He still wasn't sure which was worse. The mental image of his daughter surrounded by male strippers or the fact that she was days from marrying Don Lamb. What he wouldn't have given for a double scotch right then.
"You went with a cop, didn't you?" Mac asked her.
"Of course! She's marrying one.," Parker laughed.
"Exactly. Should've gone with a fireman. Somebody she doesn't already see strip everyday," Logan told them.
"I don't get this," Wallace piped up. "Girls always call us sexist pigs and whatever else when it comes to bachelor parties and strippers, but you girls are just as bad."
"What can we say? We learned from you," Parker grinned.
"Don't worry, Keith, I'll be sure to keep an eye on the girls while you're chaperoning the boys," Inga told him from the passenger seat.
Finally a sigh of relief escaped him. He knew he had been thankful to see her for a reason. He hadn't even thought of that! "Thank you, Inga, sincerely."
It was nearly an hour later before they reached their first destination, the bridal shop. Keith pulled into the spot next to Veronica's Saturn.
"That's it? We're here?" Mac asked.
"Looks like it. And it looks like Veronica's here too. So, I shall see you ladies tomorrow night for the rehearsal dinner," he told them.
"Alrighty then. Thanks, Mr. Mars," Parker told him as she bounded out of the SUV first.
"What about our luggage?" Mac asked him.
"Of course," he answered as he popped the trunk. "Once Veronica sees you're here you can just move them to her car."
"Thank you for the ride, Keith," Inga smiled to him as she went to get out of the SUV herself.
"You're all very welcome," he smiled. He waited until they were inside before backing out of the space and taking the guys to the hotel. He hoped after that he could revisit his plans for a nap, even if he had to bunk with Cliff in order to get it. Maybe Patty would believe they hit traffic on the way to the hotel... Maybe.
"I was starting to wonder when you'd get here!" Veronica called when she saw Mac, Parker and Inga walk in. "Let's get this wedding party started!" And here she had been told mainlining coffee for the last three days would be bad for her. So far it was the only reason she was still capable of standing. Of course the promise that she could collapse after Sunday night and sleep until Thursday helped, and thanks to all of the activities she had assigned Lamb she had a feeling he wouldn't be in a position to complain about that sleep schedule.
Speaking of, for once he was relieved to hear his cell phone when he saw that the text was from Sacks. At least now he finally had an actual reason to get out of the house, even if a tuxedo shop was hardly his first thought for a destination of choice. Unless they had suddenly begun serving alcohol, at least. Which, in his mind, should have been mandatory.
But to his relief the next few hours actually went pretty smoothly. The tuxes were ready, everything still fit and the texts he was getting from Veronica didn't seem to be anything about disasters on her end.
Not that she had wanted to, but part of Veronica had been expecting the worst. Between her luck, her friends and how many things could go wrong while preparing for a wedding, it was impossible for her mind to not imagine every possible disaster. But thankfully things were going well so far with her as well. However the next sort of check box in her mind was the rehearsal dinner for the following night while her friends seemed more concerned with her Bachelorette party which she didn't even want.
At least the following night Veronica and Lamb found themselves comforted in the knowledge that all they had to do was show up at the rehearsal dinner. It was at Eric's restaurant, which he had closed for the night just for all of them, so getting there would be easy enough too.
"Wow," Veronica said as they climbed out of the rental car, seeing all of the cars in the lot. "How many people has your mother invited?"
"It'll be around twenty, maybe a little more," he nodded as they stepped up to the sidewalk near the outdoor patio. "You know, it's easy for girls, you're all planning your weddings from the time you're five. Meanwhile us guys end up having to call people we haven't seen since third grade."
"Oh, no. Tell me you didn't," she nearly whined.
"No, not guys from the third grade. But you can expect some of my old Texas deputy buddies."
"Are we talking frat boys? Because there's a reason I didn't invite Dick."
"More or less. But I've made them swear that they'll be on their best behavior because I know you'll kill them if they're not and I would really hate to have to arrest my bride. A conjugal visit is not how I envisioned my wedding night. Though, with us, it might stand to reason..."
"Hey, don't even think it. But you're in charge of them. They get out of hand and they're gone."
"Can the same go for my brothers?" he grinned.
"Only if you know your mother won't kill you for it. I'd like to be a wife for a while before I become a widow."
Lamb chucked, but added, "Alright, one more thing before we go in, I will warn you there are sure to be a few people in there who don't exactly remember me at my best. So, just try to keep that in mind if anything surprising is mentioned."
"People who don't remember you at your best?" Veronica smirked. "Like me? Or my dad? Or Cliff? Or Logan? I think you're in the clear with that tonight. Can we go in now or is there something else you feel the need to warn me about?"
"Aside from my brothers?" he chuckled.
She laughed. "Yes. Because if I know Parker, she just might end up climbing one of your deputy buddies if she's made to wait much longer for that bachelorette party that's supposedly for me."
"So I'm off the hook for the bachelor party Cliff's arranged?" He had been afraid to bring it up, but he knew Cliff would make it happen one way or another.
"As long as there's no one night stands and you're not hungover tomorrow. Or pass out during the ceremony or reception, and no one, and I mean no one, shows up with a black eye or any other visible bruises or new tattoos or anything of the like."
"Then I will say that the same goes for you. And I won't be happy if I get a call saying I have to pick you or your friends up at your bachelorette party."
"Deal," she nodded. And with that they decided they would let the wait end for their friends and family and headed inside.
Over the course of the next hour, the food was eaten, the wine and champagne drunk and stories traded, mostly from the friends of Lamb's Veronica had only just met that night. Finally, when it was time for the toasts from the bride and groom.
Veronica, up first, kept it simple by saying, "I just really want to thank you all for being here. I know some of you think I've lost my mind and I know some of you are glad I possibly did." There were a few chuckles there, but Veronica went on, "But it's been a great, even if initially unexpected and hectic ride. And I'm glad that you're all here to see the next phase of it."
"I guess that's my cue," Lamb said when the small applause rang out and Veronica sat. "Well, I'd like to thank you all too. But I would especially like to thank my mother," he stated as he turned to Patty. "And you, too, Keith."
Keith was confused and glanced to Patty, but didn't interrupt even though he was a little anxious as to where Lamb could be going with this.
"What some of you didn't know was that Thanksgiving, two years ago, was sort of our first date in a sense. Certainly the first time Veronica had met my family and that we even had a dinner together that wasn't spent at a desk at the sheriff's department. For that, Keith, I thank you for having been out of town that night and not having been the one to go after that guy who jumped bail. And, Mom, for believing that Veronica still liked me enough to put up with me for that night."
Patty was surprised, they had seemed so comfortable with each other that night. But she still smiled at the fact it seemed she had been the one to give them that final push that they needed to finally admit their feelings for one another.
Their friends and Keith however weren't surprised in the least. They had all seen for themselves how different they had been once they'd come back from Texas after that Thanksgiving.
"You know, nothing against your chosen best man, but I still cannot believe you didn't have one of us as your best man. We were like brothers!" Cory all but whined as he came up and put an arm around Lamb's shoulders.
"Yeah. I mean we should've been next in line since you nixed your real bros," Billy added.
He was surrounded. All of his former deputy buddies and even Eric were present for this one. "Hey, I needed my best man to be someone who, even if because he's mostly paid to, has my back. Not someone who," he pointedly looked to Eric, "once sold me for quarter. And not," he turned his attention to Cory, "the one who bought me for that quarter so I would do his neighborhood chores for the summer."
"Best. Summer. Ever," Cory stated as he clinked his beer with Eric's.
"I rest my case," Lamb told them.
"So wait a minute, I have to buy you to make all this official?" Veronica asked him as she had come to investigate their little gathering. Looking back to Eric and Cory, she asked, "Either of you have change for a dime?"
The guys laughed, some even chorusing in various exclamations of, "Oooh!"
"Thank you, future wife, thank you," Lamb groaned.
When the rehearsal dinner wrapped up and the bachelor and bachelorette parties also over within a matter of hours, the big day had finally arrived.
Even right up to the moments before Veronica was set to walk down the aisle her father, Wallace and Cliff were giving the bride and groom their choice words of wisdom. Really, it all sounded a lot more like trying to get them to second guess all of this. The fact Keith had revealed to Veronica that he was even wearing his Father of the Bride Gun Club shirt under his tux didn't make it any better.
Neither of them were surprised, but they had promised everyone a party. Best way to get there was to make their way to that alter, recite come vows and soon the only words left to say were, "I do" which were being said with a smile from both Veronica and Lamb.
"So, how was the party?" Veronica smirked as she and her groom shared their first dance as man and wife.
"You want to talk about that now?" Of course she did, why was he even asking?
"Billy's been pouting like a six-year-old all day. Either he's jealous or the stripper liked you more."
"Not exactly. She definitely liked him, but that was the problem. It was all fun and games until Billy realized he used to baby-sit said stripper."
"What?" Veronica laughed.
"Oh, yeah. Creeped him out when she proved that crush she used to have on him never apparently faded. He spent the rest of the night in the next room finishing our beers and asking where he went wrong. Then she got depressed and left. It just went downhill from there."
"I thought having a stripper with a crush on someone was like a top ten male fantasy, so long as the someone was them."
Lamb shrugged. "It usually is. Guess it's just not the same when he still remembers her being twelve. If he'd brought a coat I guarantee he would've had it on her as fast as humanly possible. Which reminds me, now that we're married, you're never going undercover as a stripper again."
"Oh, you think you own me now, do you?"
Lamb grinned. "In case you haven't noticed, I've pretty much owned that cute little ass of yours since the day you walked it into what's now my office to check out your Daddy's new deputy."
It was then Lamb felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Since the day it and everything attached to it turned eighteen, of course, Mr. Mars, sir," Lamb added, knowing the only person it could be behind him. Of course Veronica now laughing quite obviously at him was also a sure sign. Oh, being Keith's son-in-law was going to be torture. Too late now, he knew.
"That's what I thought," Keith told him. "Mind if I cut in?"
"Not as long as I get her back," he told him, still half unsure if Keith was about to throw Veronica over his shoulder and take her back to Neptune. Just because they had come a long way in the last three years didn't mean he couldn't still tell that was exactly what he had in mind.
"You realize it's customary to be nice to new members of your family, yes?" Veronica asked as Keith took her hand.
"I've been very nice to Patty," he grinned, seeming ever so proud of himself.
"How about the future father of your potential grandchildren?"
"Veronica, my precious baby girl, can you possibly wait until you've been married for longer than an hour to bring up that subject?"
Veronica laughed. It was worth it just for that reaction.
As the hours passed it was also nice to see their friends beginning to bond a bit, Veronica laughing when she saw Wallace and Eric talking, knowing it had to be about their pie recopies and plans for Thanksgiving.
"So how long do you think they're guessing our marriage is gonna last?" Lamb asked as he came up from behind Veronica with another glass of champagne when they were back in their hotel suite.
"You think they're betting against us already?" she asked as she took the glass.
"What else do the guests do at weddings? Besides, they think they know us well enough to take those bets."
"Well then I guess we're just going to have to prove them wrong. Again. Darn," Veronica smirked up at him.
When Thursday came it was almost amazing to walk back into Patty's house, a little more relaxed and even a bit rested for the first time in months. With the craziness of the wedding behind them, now all they had to focus on was the parade, the food and their time together as an actual, albeit somewhat dysfunctional family.
And like the first family Thanksgiving they had all shared, even if Veronica and Lamb hadn't been family yet, still the day ended on many familiar notes. Jack and Steve's obsession with the game, Eric threatening to stab the guests with forks if they attempted to snack while he cooked, Veronica and Lamb texting her friends from her phone on the sofa, Keith and Patty still The greatest being that they all most certainly had quite the now joined family to be thankful for.
The End