Kevin sat at the head table, watching Jana dance with AJ on the dance floor. Her hair had been styled and curled earlier to be loose and simply frame her face, but now, after being outside in the ocean breeze and greeting guests, some strands were beginning to uncurl, creating a wispy, natural look. She'd kicked off her shoes, so now the ivory dress practically touched the floor. It was backless but the hem of the waist in front was high to hide what little belly she had. All he could see looking at her was that she was happy.

"So, she really doesn't have a clue?" Leslie asked when he met up with her last week on Long Island. Jana had to get back to work in LA few days after the baby shower, and Kevin went to Long Island to go to the Belmont Stakes. In reality, Belmont was just another excuse he'd come up with to further plan his surprise.

"Not that I know of," he answered with a smile, already starting to feel nervous. "At least, she hasn't let on if she does."

"And her parents aren't going to squeal?" she questioned.

"I'm a bit concerned about her ma, seeing as she's the one that told Jan about the baby shower. That was supposed to be a surprise too, but I think I've convinced them to stay quiet. I think I even got her father to come."

"That's a feat!"

"No shit!" Kevin laughed. "It's rare for someone make my palms sweat, but, man, he intimidates me! I think I'm winning him over, though. We actually had a few good talks this last time."

"You know, Kevin, there aren't many people out there that can surprise someone with their own wedding," Leslie teased. "Sure she'll say 'I do' once she gets there?"

He'd hoped.

"I never knew you were this much of a romantic, Kevy-Kev," Em said, sitting in the chair next to him.

"I have my moments," he answered proudly, turning to look at her briefly before looking back to Jana and AJ. "Doesn't she look amazing?"

"She does," Em agreed. "She looks every bit of a blushing bride…and she handled it all really well. I just want to know how you came up with this whole scheme…"

Seeing her standing at the other end of the aisle, taking in everything around her, tears in her eyes, he saw something change. He'd pulled it off; managed to surprise her after three weeks of furious planning. Plane tickets and hotel reservations, the banquet room at Shutters on the Beach, a band, a caterer, Justice of the Peace…and finalizing his divorce yesterday afternoon. It had made his own head spin; he hadn't been able to imagine what might go through Jana's head when she stood in front of him with everything in place. But now he could see it clearly.

They managed to get through their vows without bursting into sobs, although neither of them had dry eyes. No one else seemed to either, when he finally broke his gaze from Jana and they headed back down the aisle as Mr. And Mrs. Richardson.

He sat back in his seat and sipping his champagne. 'I don't want you to say anything'…had lingered in his head for a month. "It took some doing," he finished, watching as AJ dipped her carefully and kissed her on the cheek.

~

"You really had no clue?" AJ asked, swinging Jana out before pulling her back against him as they danced.

"Not a one," she answered. As he swung her around, she could see Kevin sitting with Em at her table, keeping his eyes on each step Jana took. He'd taken off the black bow tie, and cummerbund, and unbuttoned the first few buttons of the shirt, and rolled up his sleeves slightly. Somehow, he'd managed to make his hair look normal from the mohekan cut, and even from across the room, she could see the admiration in his expression as he watched her. "I feel pretty stupid thinking it was Rachel and Nick…but he didn't tell me he was speeding up the divorce. I didn't think this would be possible for another four months, at the least."

"Yeah, well, he can be pretty darn determined when he wants to be. And he's been pretty darned determined about keepin' hold of you." She bowed her head slightly and smiled. "What-what-what?" AJ teased, lifting her chin and winking at her. "You're not gonna tell me you're surprised by that!"

She tilted her head and grinned. "I guess I shouldn't be."

"Well, even if you are, we knew something was happening. Know how? When we sang 'More Than That' on the tour - that first day you started with us. All of us could look over to him when you were on stage and we knew exactly where you were dancing because he concentrated on every move you made. Let me tell you, he got quite a bit of ribbing from us. Even without sneaking on his bus, or trying to sneak out of his hotel room…which, really, you didn't do that great of a job of, for the record, we knew something was going on."

"Well, we did try to behave and hide it in the beginning."

"You failed. Miserably," he teased with a laugh. "But really, all we had to do was look at him when you were around and we all knew. And take from me, all of us are really happy about this. We like havin' you around, baby. And you most definitely have twisted him around a few times. There aren't many people that manage that."

"Is twisting him around a good thing?"

"Hell, yeah! We do it just for the hell of it." He grinned impishly. "You do it because you exist, and he's just crazy about you."

"He'd better be! He just married me!"

He paused for a moment, looking at her with a sincere smile. "Jana…he's crazy about you."

"You're going to make me cry," she said quietly, being wrapped into AJ's embrace, as they started moving across the dance floor again.

"So long as they're happy tears," he said gently as he dipped her, and kissed her cheek.

~

Kevin took hold of Jana's hand and looked around quickly before slipping out onto the patio and heading back towards the beach. The horizon was sapphire and violet in its final stages of sunset, and the music from inside faded into the sound of the waves. She rested her head against his arm, looking out to the water as he wrapped his arm around her. "So, I did okay?"

She lifted her head to look at him. "This has been amazing…" She stopped speaking, trying to find words as she shook her head slowly, "…this has been the happiest day of my entire existence."

He could just make out her smile in the shadow and he stepped in front of her, placing his hands on her hips. "Now let me show you the shape of my heart…" He sung in a whisper, swaying back and forth in the breeze. She dropped her forehead against his chest and inhaled deeply. Of the entire day, this was the moment he wanted to capture in his memory. Kissing the top of her head, he swayed in the silence, until she lifted her head to look at him and he kissed her gently, his thumbs wiping the tears from her eyes. "When we're alone," he chuckled lightly, "we're both gonna have a good cry, aren't we?"

"I just can't believe you did all this."

He held his hands up, palm to palm with hers and slowly folded his fingers. "I just ran out of things to say."

~

"So," Brian said with a smile standing on the band platform with a microphone, "now that we've found the newly weds, we dragged them back inside to sing this to the best of our abilities considering the time we had to prepare." He cleared his throat and made a face at Kevin. "Now, y'all may not know this about our Kev, but he's a real sentimental sort. And the story behind this choice goes like this. We caught a show by a friend of ours and when they sang this, Kevin leaned over in the middle of it and told me he missed Jana. And, by the time the song was over, there were tears in his eyes. It only seemed fitting that we sing this for them now. And, the words of wisdom we have to offer them are very simple: keep holding hands through the good and bad times, and you'll definitely make it." He looked over to Jana, smiling at him as Howie, AJ and Nick stood up to stand around the microphone.

Brian queued the band with a nod, and looked over to the head table at Jana and Kevin before singing. "Run, running all the time…Running to the future…With you right by my side…"

He stepped back, letting Howie step forward to the microphone. "Me, I'm the one you chose…
Out of all the people…You wanted me the most …"

As Howie stepped back, Nick stepped forward, looking to the piece of napkin in his hand before singing. "And I'm so sorry that I've fallen…Help me up, let's keep on running…Don't let me fall out of love…"

Nick glanced to Brian, taking a slight step back, letting AJ, Brian and Howie lean forward, and they all harmonized "Running, running as fast as we can…Do you think we'll make it? - Do you think we'll make it? - We're running, keep holding my hand…So we don't get separated…"

"Be, be the one I need," AJ crooned softly, motioning for Rachel to come up. "Be the one I trust most." He waved more frantically at her, stretching his hand out to her. "Don't stop inspiring me …"

Rachel came to join the boys in the front, and AJ stepped aside to place her between himself and Nick. She lifted Nick's wrist, looking into his palm at the words written on the napkin. "Sometimes it's hard to keep on running," she started singing with Nick harmonizing with her. "We work so much to keep it going…Don't make me want to give up …"

Brian moved forward and smiled to Rachel as Nick stepped back. "Running, running as fast as we can …"

AJ rested his arm around Rachel's waist, pulling her against him, taking his turn to sing with her. "I really hope we make it."

"Do you think we'll make it…" Rachel echoed. "We're running, keep holding my hand…So we don't get separated," she finished as Howie sang with her before they all joined in on the rest of the verse. "Running as fast as we can…I really hope we make it…"

"Do you think we'll make it?" Brian sang, echoing Rachel's previous verse.

"We're running, keep holding my hand…So we don't get separated…The future...Running, running as fast as we can…Do you think we'll make it…"

This time the verse was taken by AJ, nodding broadly to Jana as she looked on. "Do you think we'll make it?"

"We're running, keep holding my hand…" Nick sang, reaching over to take Rachel's hand.

Rachel joined in, "so we don't get separated."

"Running as fast as we can," Howie came in, "I really hope we make it."

"Do you think we'll make it?" Brian and AJ both harmonized.

"We're running, running, keep holding my hand…So we don't get separated…" As they held the note, harmonizing with one another, AJ lifted Rachel's hand up over their heads, and she stepped back, dropping out of the harmony. They continued to shift notes until they broke into the tail end of another familiar song.

"I promise you from the bottom of my heart/I will love you till death do us part…I promise you as a lover and a friend/I will love you like I'll never love again/With everything I am…"

Once they finished singing, the boys stepped off the platform to hug both Kevin and Jana to the applause. Jana smiled widely, unable to stop shaking her head. "I swear, y'all are intent to see just how waterproof this mascara really is!" she teased, wiping beneath her eyes. "I'm emotional enough as is!"

~

Kevin looked up, recognizing the 40's style jazz of 'Beyond the Sea' to see Tom leading Jana out onto the dance floor. He was reminded immediately the greatest dance teams - Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers - as they started gliding gracefully across the floor. Neither of them missed a step as they continued to look at one other. This was something more special than just a typical 'father-daughter' dance. Each step was timed perfectly as they circled the dance floor with ease. As they danced past him, he could see the tears brimming both of their eyes in spite of the wide smiles, and when he saw Mary dab her eyes, he knew there was story.

He made his way over and wrapped his arm around Mary, unable to look away from Jana and Tom. "So, what's the story?" he asked with his own grin.

"He used dance around the living room and carry her to this song and she'd pretend to dance, and just laugh and laugh. When she was older, Tom taught Jana the basics when she was about six." Mary wiped her eyes again with a smile. "The night of her prom, right before she moved to New York, she put this song on and danced with him." She leaned against Kevin and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"They look fabulous together," he said, feeling himself choke up. This, right before him, was Tom's acceptance of their marriage. Beyond meeting her as she walked down the aisle earlier, this was his way of saying he loved her.

~

There he is. Perfect body, gorgeous face, dorky hair cut…beautiful heart and soul and he's your husband, Jana. That man, right there…gave you a wedding. One that was probably better than any dream you've ever had about it when you sat and day dreamed in your social studies class. Nicole was supposed to be a bridesmaid, and Stacy was supposed to be your maid of honor. Did you really miss either of them?

Well, okay, Stacy. I missed Stacy.

Other than that? How much more perfectly could he have planned it? He didn't miss a single thing…and you didn't have to do a thing. He did it all for you…for you. Because he wanted to marry you. Because he wanted to make it more special by surprising you. Isn't that what he said? You wanted something…proof…and the only proof he could think of was marriage.

A smile spread across her face involuntarily. Marriage…you married Kevin!

"Okay," Kevin snickered, turning from hanging up his tuxedo jacket in the closet, "what's that grin about? Did you find another Mickey?" He watched her with his own smile as he folded the sleeves of his shirt up a bit further. He should feel exhausted. A long ride from Shutters to the Disneyland Hotel was not what he had planned, but he'd left the details up to Brian and this was what Brian had planned. Since walking into the B Tower, he and Jana had been laughing at all the abstract hidden Mickey Mouse's everywhere - in the carpeting, in the wallpaper…

"Nope, no new hidden rodents." She lifted her shoulders up and closed her eyes happily. "It's my wedding night. Aren't I supposed to smile and be happy?"

"Just checkin'," he said, stretching his hand out to her from the foot of the bed.

"What?"

He wiggled his outstretched fingers and passed her a smile. "Come on." She scooted off the bed, taking his hand and he walked across the room towards the sliding glass doors and opened them, looking out over the railing. There was no real balcony, but there was enough space to take a single step. "It's beautiful out there."

"Did you arrange for the weather as well?"

"No detail over looked, darlin'," he laughed, turning to the nearby table and poured two glasses of sparkling cider, handing one of them to her. "To a life of good surprises and happy tears," he said, clinking his glass with hers before taking a sip.

She sipped from her glass and turned to look out over the darkened city sprawling in front of them. His fingers smoothed the loose strands of hair off her cheek before he leaned down to kiss her cheek warmly before she turned to accept another kiss, deep and passionate. He'd placed his glass down on the table in the kiss and placed his hands on her hips before pulling back slightly. "I don't think I've ever seen you more beautiful."

"Psst, Kev?" she giggled. "You don't have to flatter me anymore. You did good today. You're gettin' lucky."

He put his finger over her lips and looked down to her seriously. "Shhh," he whispered before kissing her again deeply. "I have never seen you more beautiful, and I'm sayin' that because it's the truth. I love seeing that sparkle in your eyes when you're happy." He tapped her cheek lightly with his fingertip. "And I like that I was able to put it there today."

"Most days, Kev," she said, her voice getting stuck in her throat. "It may not seem like it, but…most days."

"Good thing, seein' as we're married now."

"We're married, Kev!" She couldn't help but giggle saying it. "We're legal and everything! Well, we still have to consummate for it to be official, don't we?"

He lowered his kiss to her jaw, followed by small, tender kisses on her neck and throat. I'm not sure," he answered with a light laugh. "Does it matter if the bride's already knocked up?"

"Come to think of it, are we allowed to be here if I'm already knocked up? Isn't that against the Disney Code or something? Are people allowed to have sex at Disney?"

Kevin lifted his head. "I don't think so, but we may have found a loophole or something," he said with a nod. "The Disney Alarm would be going off if we were impure or something…I think."

"Hey, you worked for them. Don't you remember the Moral Codes?"

He bit his lower lip slightly, and looked down to her with deep, penetrating eyes. "Does it look like I adapted to any moral code, Mrs. Richardson?"

"That's Mrs. Williams-Richardson to you," she teased.

~

Jana looked towards the door sleepily as Kevin lifted his head and looked around in confusion. That had definitely been a knock on the door. "Room service?" she asked as Kevin got up and pulled on a robe to answer it.

He peered through the peephole and immediately groaned, shaking his head. "Hell no! Oh, hell no!" he started whining loudly as the knock became a pounding.

"What is it?" Jana asked, but Kevin opened the door a crack, repeating 'oh, no!' Within seconds the door was pushed open and the room slowly starting to fill with people wearing Mickey Mouse ears, singing the theme song to the Mickey Mouse Club, led by Mickey Mouse himself.

"M-I-C…" the group chanted.

"See? And you thought we'd leave you alone!" AJ chimed.

"K-E-Y…"

"Why? Because he insisted on making yesterday a surprise and wouldn't allow time for a bachelor party."

"M-O-U-S-E…"

"Rhymes with spouse!"

"Donald Duck!" Brian said in his Donald Duck voice.

"Rhymes with…." AJ started before Sarah clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Forever, ever…ever, ever…" They all stopped singing, looking at Kevin and Jana and among each other.

"Well, it's forever, isn't it?" AJ said, bursting into laughter.

"All right, what the hell?" Kevin laughed, heading to sit behind Jana on the mattress, as Mickey Mouse covered his ears animatedly and leaned side to side. He easily wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him, leaning back on the headboard. "We're supposed to be having a honeymoon." This caused Mickey to clap silently and jump up and down.

"Consider this a new form of chivaree," Brian said, jumping on the bed, joined by Nick and AJ. "We're kidnapping you both!"

"Hell, no!" Kevin protested again, much to Mickey Mouse's displeasure as he covered his ears again. AJ placed Mickey Mouse ears with a top hat on it. "Oh, no!"

"Oh, yes!" Leslie came around to the side of the bed and placed Minnie Mouse ears with a veil on Jana's head. "And you're wearing them all day!"

"We have breakfast," Rachel said, lifting a picnic basket up to the foot of the bed. "And tickets for Disney. You're being kidnapped."

"We have…hang on," Kevin started, eyeing Brian. "You didn't make the reservations like I asked you to, did you?"

"Oh, I made them," Brian said, dropping down to sit on the mattress. "Just not for what you told me to make them for." He grinned broadly and fell back to lie in Jana's lap and look up at them. "Mickey Mouse requested you two to stay and be his guest in the Magic Kingdom. I couldn't deny Mickey Mouse!"

Jana looked back to Kevin with a laugh. "I don't like your friends very much." Mickey wagged a finger at her and shook his head with a hand on his hip. Jana giggled, looking over. "Sorry, dude. It's my honeymoon though."

"Excuse me?" Leslie said, lifting a hand. "Your friends are downstairs in the dining room having breakfast with Goofy in Mickey Mouse ears."

Kevin stuck a finger in Jana's face and burst into a loud laugh. "Ha!"

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Absolute Beginners - Disclaimer | Email Coriander

Read the companion story: Birds in Your Garden
by Coridander

Oreos for Breakfast (Nick Fanfic)
by The Pumpkin Coach & Paperbag Princess

Goin' On For Years (Kevin & AJ)
by Coriander

c. 2002 by Coriander
Some content not suitable for children. You have been warned.