"Come on boys think", Scott barked at his brothers. "Dad and Penny are getting married today and we haven't found a good present yet!"
"Scott relax", Virgil tried to calm his only older brother off as they walked down the streets of London where the wedding were going to happen. "We'll figure something out."
"Yeah", Gordon said. "I mean look at dad." The second youngest Tracy nodded forward to where there father was walking looking uncharacteristically nervous. "He's the one that should be nervous."
"I know that", Scott said. "But what kind of sons would we be if we didn't got him a present."
"What do you suggest Johnny", Alan asked. "You haven't… Johnny?" He'd turned around to face the older blonde to realize that he wasn't there.
"Now where did he go", Virgil asked looking around.
"There he is", Gordon said and pointed to the brother walking beside their father scribbling furiously in a pad. "Can someone explain why he's doing that?"
"Because dad wants him to take notes of everything he says", Scott said. "For the wedding."
"I don't know about you guys", Gordon said. "But I don't think that's what he's doing."
"What do you mean", Virgil asked.
"Look at that evil smirk of his!"
The other three tried to catch a glimpse of John's face and they saw a somewhat evil smirk on his lips.
"Am I dreaming or is Starboy plotting something", Alan said rubbing his eyes.
"Whatever he's doing he's totally absorbed in it", Virgil said as they saw their father walk into a store, which John walked past and instead he walked down a stair towards the river bank. "John!"
The brothers ran and Scott managed to grab John's shoulders when he was about to walk off the dock.
"Damn it Johnny what the hell are you doing?" Scott asked angrilly.
"Huh what where", John asked looking up from his scribbling. He saw that he was at the edge of a dock. "Oh how did I end up here?"
"You walked you space-outing-moron!"
"Space-outing-moron, geez Scott, that's the longest word I've ever heard left your mouth."
"Just shut up and get back here", Scott growled as he let go of his brother who turned around and walked with him towards the others.
"What are you doing with that pad Johnny", Gordon asked and tried to snatch it, but with no success. John held it over his head, out of reach for all of his brothers.
"Secret", he said with that evil smirk again.
"Aw come on Johnny tell us."
"Nope."
"Pretty please?"
"No."
"What will it take me to get to know?"
"You'll know tomorrow. Oh right I nearly forgot!" He fished out his phone. "I need to call a few calls. Virge come with me please." The middle Tracy grabbed the artistic Tracy's arm and pulled away with him.
"So Virg gets to know and we don't", Alan whined. "That's not fair!"
"I need his help Alan", John called. "Oh and don't worry about the wedding gift, it's all been taken care of!"
"What did you buy", Scott called.
"You'll see! And Scott don't worry about your best-man speech. I got that covered too!"
"B-best-man speech…" Scott paled but got no answer since John and Virgil were long gone.
The next day at the wedding dinner everyone was happy and Scott was nervous. John had slipped him a note just minutes before that he said was Scott's speech. Scott watched John and Virgil whisper something and then look at him nodding towards their dad. Meaning that they wanted him to make the speech now. Scott used his knife to hit the glass and everyone turned to him as he rose, but he noticed John and Virgil slip behind the curtains that blocked the band while the guests were eating.
"Hello everyone", Scott said shakily. "I um… I'm not much of a speaker… when it's not to rant on my brothers." Some laughter was heard. "Uh well I'm a… I'm…" He folded up the note and read:
Read exactly what's written after this and then get the squirts on the stage. You're doing great!/John
"Uh", Scott said. "Well Lady Penelope… Penny. You have… for a long time now been a part of our lives and me, my brothers and I are really happy to see you and dad get married. You are a remarkable woman, smart, kind, fair, stern and absolutely not a china doll that some might think just to look at you. I know that you did…" he stared at the note and cursed John mentally. "Wipe the floor with me during that sparring match in karate", everyone laughed. "But I must say it was a pleasure and an honor to lose to someone like you. We are very happy to have you as our new stepmom and… Well… There couldn't be anyone on this planet that is better for dad." Penny smiled brightly at him and Jeff looked pride.
"Dad", Scott went on. "After mum passed away you sacrificed a lot to raise me and my brothers, which one that was hardest to straighten out is a tuff choice. I mean just look at what I did in my… teenage years." *John is dead meat!* "And well all of us did as teenagers. But somehow you managed to straighten us out and partly made us what we are today and who we are today. I know that Alan is thankful for all the support and help you have given him through his life. Gordon can't thank you or bless you enough for helping him through his accident. John wants you to know that without you he would not have been here", Jeff felt tears sting at his eyes. "Virgil says thank you for all that you've done and for not giving up on him when he wanted to when his artistic talents were a bit… rocky. And of course dad I would like to say thank you for… for being the greatest father in the world, for being there for me when things were rough and for always being there when me or any of my brothers need you the most. Thanks dad and Penny welcome to the Tracy family." Everyone applauded.
"But we're not done yet", Scott went on. "You see dad me and the guys have a little wedding gift for you and Penny." Scott grabbed Alan and Gordon's shoulder. "Just give us a few minutes to get it together." He pulled the younger ones with him behind the curtain and the guest, Jeff, Penny and Grandma watched them amused.
"John what the hell", Scott hissed at the blonde.
"Nice speech Scott", John said rigging up a microphone by the drums and by the piano. "Wrote it yourself?"
"You know very well I didn't! And what is all this?"
"We're gonna play a song for dad and Penny", Virgil explained and handed Scott the bass. "You'll play bass, Gordon guitar", John handed the one to Gordon. "Alan on the drums, me on piano and Johnny singing."
"We can't just play right now", Alan exclaimed.
"Of course we can", John said. "Remember that song we wrote and played all the time when we oldies were still teenagers?"
"You mean 'the woman song'", Scott asked. "The one with didn't know if to give to mum or grandma?"
"Exactly. Now I got the lyrics, you just play."
"But John-"
"Ladies and gentlemen", John said into the microphone and Scott, Alan and Gordon hurried to take their places. "This is for Penny and Jeff." Grandma pulled the curtain aside as Gordon started to play. When Alan joined in on the drums John started to sing:
Cigars in the summertime under the sky by the light, On the plane step up with both my feet, Cause Penny and me like to roll the windows down, Staring at a million city lights, Cause Penny and me like to roll the windows down, Penny likes to get away, Singin' along to feeling alright, yeah, A, J&V: Cause Penny and me like to roll the windows down, Penny and me tonight,
I can feel her read my mind,
I can see it in her eyes,
Under the moon as it plays,
Like music every line,
There's a rug with bleeding dye under the fan in the room,
Where the passion's burning high,
By the chair with the leopard skin under the light,
It's always Penny and me tonight (Sayin' OhOh), - Jeff blushed recognizing his own words of describing Penny over the past few days. That was what John really had been scribbling in that notebook.
Riding in seat number 3 on a flight to NYC,
Got my bean in a coffee cup next to my seat,
Catch the view and another good book to read,
Sitting at home on the friendly sky's,
Missin' her eyes,
It's always Penny and me tonight,
Turn the radio up, and push the pedal to the ground,
And Penny and me like to gaze at starry sky's,
Close our eyes, pretend to fly,
It's always Penny and me tonight, (Singing OhOh NoNoNo)
But still Penny and I are all alone beneath the sky,
Feel the wind brushing slowly by,
If I could soar I would try, to take these wings and fly,
Away to where the leaves turn red,
But no matter where I am instead,
Singin' along to feelin' alright, (MmMm)
or makin' it by in the pink moonlight,
It's always Penny and me tonight,
Turn the radio up, push the pedal to the ground,
And Penny and me like to gaze at starry skies,
Close our eyes, pretend to fly, (Singing OhOh)
Close our eyes pretend to fly,
It's always Penny and me tonight,
And drown her pain, in lemonade,
And Penny Dreams Of Rainy Days,
And Nights Up Late By The Fireplace
And aimless conversations bout' the better days,
makin' it by in the pink moonlight,
It's always Penny and me tonight,
Turn the radio up, push the pedal to the ground,
And Penny and me like to gaze at starry skies,
close our eyes pretend to fly,(Sing OhOh)
close our eyes pretend to fly,
It's always Penny and me tonight,(Sing OhOh)
Penny and me tonight,
Penny and me tonight.(yeah)
J
The song faded away and the boys got many applauds and their father and stepmother got up to hug them.
"Thank you so much boys", Penny said. "That was wonderful."
"It was all Scott's idea", John said.
"Was not", Scott said. "It was all you!"
"No you said: 'Geez Johnny you should write down dad says about Penny.'"
"I also said it could be turn into a book", Scott pointed out.
"Yeah but red over there said: 'Or why not a song?'"
"But-" Gordon objected but Jeff just laughed.
"That was the best present ever and the best speech", he said. "Well my wife would you like to return to the table?"
"Yes my husband", Penny said and took his offered arms. "And John."
"Yes?" the blonde asked.
"I think you are the ones who was easiest to straighten out and it wasn't hard to know who really wrote that speech."
"I know, good job Alan."
"Huh what?" Alan asked confused and John and Virgil just walked away. John smirked and looked back at him over his shoulder.
"What", he asked. "You think I wrote that? No way, you know how bad I am with words."
Virgil just laughed and led him outside to take some air.
"So how did you come up with that speech Alan", Gordon asked.
"I didn't!"
"But if John claims he didn't wrote it, you say you don't, I know I didn't and Scott didn't do it. Who did? Virgil?"
"No", Scott said and looked after John and Virgil. "It was John alright. You know him. He hates to take credit." Scott smiled fondly as Virgil ruffled John's hair. "For anything he does."
"Huh?"
"You think dad said all that?"
Alan and Gordon looked after John and Virgil again and shook their heads. Good old John, you could always count on him to be a few steps ahead, he would never admit it of course but he would always be ahead of them and something told them he would marry first. Alan and Gordon had noticed him slip a ring off of his finger a few times, a ring they hadn't ever seen before.
Don't own song it was on one of my CDs that I hadn't listened to in a while. It's by Hanson and is called Penny and me tonight and I just thought of Jeff and Penny getting married and the boys singing this.