Chapter Ten: Family

As soon as Lamb got home, he stripped off his jacket, unbuttoned his uniform shirt, kicked off his shoes, dumped his keys, wallet, and phone on the coffee table, and plopped onto the couch face first. He was beyond tired. All day he had dealt with two nosy FBI agents. He was sure they were there just to bug him. Since they left, all Lamb wanted to do was curl up to Veronica on the couch and play with the boys. But Veronica had gone back to school and Keith was watching the boys. She had called on his way home and said she would be home soon…all four of them. For now, Lamb was alone in the dark house.

He was just about to drift off when he heard the front door being unlocked. He groaned and buried his face in the pillow.

"Honey, I'm home," Veronica called as she closed the door behind her.

He wasn't sure if he answered her or not, but when he opened his eyes slightly, he saw a smiling Veronica.

"Tired?" she asked.

He could barely manage a nod. She seemed to notice because she leaned down and kissed his forehead.

"Be right back."

He nodded again and watched her disappear with the boys. As much as Lamb wanted to see them, he was just too tired. He decided he'd kiss them good night when and if he made it upstairs. A few minutes later, Veronica reappeared.

"Long day?" she asked. She climbed over Lamb's stretched out body. He moved towards the edge slightly so she could stretch out beside him. She ran her hand up and down his back as he turned his head to look at her.

"You could say that," he replied. He leaned over and gave her a kiss.

Suddenly, she sat up. "Let me try something."

Lamb was too tired to protest. He laid silently as Veronica straddled his back. He didn't protest when she helped pull his shirt off.

"What's going on in that pretty head of yours?"

"You need to relax." Before Lamb could ask what she meant, she leaned forward and kneaded her hands in his back.

Ah, thought Lamb. A massage. I freaking love this woman.

"Have told you I love you?"

Before she could reply, the doorbell rang. They both sighed, and Lamb buried his face in the pillow. He felt Veronica pat his back.

"I got it," she said, knowing she really had no choice. She leaned down and kissed his back soundly. Afterwards, Lamb felt the couch shift slightly as she climbed over him and walked towards the door. He heard voices, and then the door closed. He almost called out to Veronica, but he heard multiple footsteps. He lifted his head, and, when he saw who it was, he jumped up. He grabbed his t-shirt and slipped it on.

"Hey Mom."

"Donnie!" Melissa Lamb cried, running forward to hug her youngest son. Veronica noticed her boyfriend's deer-in-the-headlights look as his mother embraced him. She stood behind the couch as she watched Lamb's brother Greg, sister Karen, brother-in-law Nathan, and sister-in-law Jessica tightly hugged him.

"Not that I'm glad to see you," Lamb said once he could breathe again, "but what are you doing here?"

"We wanted to see my grandsons!" Melissa replied curtly.

"We've seen the pictures," Karen told her big brother. "They were so cute!"

"We couldn't stay away," Jessica added, squeezing her sister-in-law's hand.

"I'm sorry," Veronica said, finally speaking up. They all looked at her. "They just fell asleep."

"Really?" Karen asked sadly.

Veronica picked up on this. "But, um, I guess you could stick your heads in. But please be quiet. If one wakes up, so do the other two. Then none of us will get any sleep."

"Y'all go ahead," Melissa said. "I'll be up in a minute."

The others nodded and followed Veronica upstairs. Lamb shoved his hands in his pockets as he looked at his mother, who was settling herself on the couch.

"I know what you're gonna ask," Lamb said before his mother could open her mouth.

"What am I going to ask?"

"When we're getting married."

"And?"

"We're not. Well, not yet anyway. I haven't even proposed to her."

"But you are. Soon, if I'm not mistaken."

"What?"

She held up his jacket. "I saw this on the way in here." She dug in the pocket, making him gulp. "I saw this."

He held his breath, hoping she'd pull something other than what he was thinking out of the pocket. But just his luck to see the woman pull out a small black box.

"Mom," Lamb cried, lunging forward to snag the box, but she already had it open. She gasped at the sparkling ring she saw inside. The band was silver and the diamond was huge.

"Oh my god Donnie," she gasped. Her eyes flickered towards her son. "This ring is gorgeous."

"Mom," Lamb cried again, this time snatching the ring. He abruptly snapped the box closed and stuffed it in his pocket. "Veronica could come down here at any minute."

"Too late."

Lamb froze at the sound of Veronica's voice. Slowly, she came into his line of sight, leaving her spot by the stairs.

"Well," Melissa said, standing up, "I'm just gonna go upstairs and round up the gang. We'll be staying at a hotel for the weekend."

The couple stayed silent at Melissa slipped from the room.

"Well?" Veronica said.

"Well what?" Lamb was trying real hard to pretend to be the idiot she thought he was at times.

"I saw the ring. Aren't you gonna ask me?"

"Seriously?"

She put her hands on her hips. "I'm not getting any younger, Lamb."

Ooh last name, Lamb thought. She's serious. With a sigh, he said, "I was going to do this later. Much, much later." Despite his words, Lamb took her hand in his and got on one knee. He pulled the box out of his pocket and opened it. She gasped, throwing her hands over her mouth in shock.

"Veronica Mars-"

"Wait." Lamb groaned and hung his head. Of course only Veronica Mars would interrupt getting proposed to. "Did you talk to my dad? I mean, did he okay this?"

"Yes. I talked to him before I bought the ring. And before you ask, I talked to all your friends. Wallace, Logan, Parker, and Mac insisted on helping with the ring. Beware, if you say yes, Parker will have us married in a week's top."

Veronica smiled. "Okay, continue."

He grinned. "Veronica Mars, when I met you, you were thirteen. You were my boss's little trouble maker. And you slowly became my friend. After I almost died, you stayed by my side the whole time, making me into the man I am now. I know this cheesy, but believe me when I say I feel the need to say this. When I first saw you in a…none friend way, you hated me. When I first kissed you, I honestly expected you to taser me." They both giggled at the thought. "But through the years, you've been my best friend. I know at one point we were enemies, but I wish we hadn't been. I wish we had always been close, like we were when I first moved here and you had that huge crush on me. Veronica Mars, will you marry me?"

He had barely gotten the last word out when she cried, "Yes you idiot!" He smiled as he slid the ring on her finger. She didn't stop to admire it; she just jumped into his arms, kissing him passionately. They were vaguely aware of clapping. When they finally broke for air, a hand clapped Lamb on the shoulder.

"I knew it little brother," Greg said.

"Well it was his turn," Karen said stubbornly, hands on her hips.

Melissa took her oldest son and only daughter by the wrists. "Let's give the love birds some time alone."

"Please come by tomorrow," Veronica insisted. "My father's coming over for dinner and I'm sure he'll love to meet you." She smiled at her soon to be brother-and-sister-in-law. "All of you."

They smiled and hugged the newly engaged couple. Lamb wrapped his arms around Veronica from behind as soon as the Lamb family was closing the door.

"When'd you buy the ring?" Veronica asked, raising her hand up to inspect it. "It's gorgeous."

Lamb shrugged. "Not sure. A week or two ago, I guess."

She turned around in his arms, wrapping her arms around his waist. "You guess?"

"You know, I could always just take the ring back."

She defensively held her hand behind her back. "Over my dead body."

Lamb laughed and kissed her soundly.

Once the kiss was broken, Veronica whispered, "Boys are asleep. We should celebrate."

Lamb laughed and pulled her towards the stairs. After a few steps, Lamb lifted Veronica up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Neither broke the kiss as they stumbled up the stairs and into their bedroom.

Later that night, Lamb was holding Veronica tightly as she called Parker and Mac. He could hear the girls' squealing loudly through the speaker. He chuckled and buried his face in Veronica's hair. Veronica was describing the ring when a cry could be heard. They both sighed.

"I got it," Lamb muttered. He kissed her neck and got up, slipping into his boxers before headed out of the room.

"Bye…fiancée."