Dislclaimer—practically all of these characters belong to Disney.  And the song "tonight" belongs to the awesomeness that is ace troubleshooter.  I love this song  (Kelly likes the lyrics but I dunno how big she is on the music…it's punk) so using it in this chapter is my way of paying homage to the band…so please don't sue us.  Thanks!

Chapter 14

Tonight

Starry, starry night

The silver beams the only light

Summer breeze, summer dreams

Float over me

            Candles cast their soft glow over the moonlight field, illuminating little details that the stars' faint shine could not quite reach.  Folding chairs were lined in rows, creating an aisle that otherwise would not exist.  A white wicker, baby's-breath encrusted arch stood front and center of the chairs.  On either of the side rested two photographs: one of Gerry and one of J's parents on their wedding day.  In front of each picture a white candle burned brightly, testament to the friends and family who's memory continued to live and inspire.

***

The stars frame her silhouette

Beauty stills away my breath

This moment will last forever

Forever, forever.

            At quarter to seven, guests began to appear and file into the field.  Fresh from the reception, their moods were jovial and anticipatory of the event at hand.  There was not one person in the crowd who had not been waiting for this evening for a long time.  Every former member of the Titans (exempting Gerry for obvious albeit sorrowful reasons) was present, many with dates.  Adrienne, Alan's sister and the girl that Alan and J had set up with Sunshine back at Senior Prom, was there with the California native (besides being part of the wedding as the sister of the groom).  The two had been seeing each other on and off since then, thought recently they had been getting quite close.  Mike was also in attendance, along with various other friends and family.  Finally, members of the wedding party began to trickle out of the house, where they had been getting ready.

***

There is no time but now

There is no where else but here

            J paced back and forth in Coach's living room, where she and Sheryl had been getting ready for the past half an hour.  "I'm going to trip, I just know it.  I'm gonna go down right in the middle of the entire thing.  I'll probably fall right into Alan, knock him over, knock the pastor over, we'll knock the arch over…" J wringed her hands.  "I tripped the time Alan and I first kissed, you know.  It's destined to happen again, in the very same field…" 

            Sheryl, who was maid of honor, placed her hands on J's shoulders and looked directly at her.  "J, calm down.  You will be fine; you will not trip.  We spent 3 days searching for the perfect shoes and dress that were not only not too fancy, but were also designed specifically to prevent any sort of tripping."

            J smiled gratefully at the younger woman and glanced down at her dress.  "Thank you.  I needed that."  She paused for a second, looking Sheryl over.  "You look beautiful."  Sheryl did.  She was clothed in the ice-blue gown of the bridesmaids.  It had sleeves, very short ones that cut off right over the tips of the shoulders.  It was a simple gown (J wouldn't have things any other way), flowing down to brush just past her ankles.  Sheryl's curly blond hair was loose and free, with flowers braided into it. 

            Sheryl grinned.  "Thanks.  But I've got nothing on  you." 

            J blushed and bit her lip.  "You're just saying that."

            Sheryl shot J a fake glare.  "I'm not and you know it."  She smiled at J, then sighed.  "Come on, stand back a little so I can get a better look at you."  J obliged, rolling her eyes.  She wasn't one for dressing up; she had refused to wear her dress to the reception.  Instead she had found nice pants a shirt to wear until then.  Consequently, Sheryl and the other bridesmaids had just finished putting the finishing touches on J.  J's hair was tightly pinned up and twisted in the back.  Curls in the front had been set free to float gracefully downwards and frame her face.  A wreath of laurel adorned the front of her head.  The straps of her dress were an inch or two long, and they flowed down the same length as the bridesmaids' dresses.  It seemed to stretch up and wrap around her waist. 

            The delicate material, however, was about to be mussed and possibly damaged if J did not stop nervously rubbing her hands on her gown.  Sheryl shook her head in exasperation, and began coaching J for the last 15 minutes before the ceremony.  "Alright, J, listen to me.  Deep, calming breath; deep, calming breath…"

***

Time has lost its grip tonight

Beautiful enchantment, I just might

Hold her, hold her close

Never let her go

            Sunshine was at the point of slamming his head against the door not only in frustration, but also to break it down.  Alan had locked himself in there half an hour ago.  As the best man, it was Sunshine's duty to make sure that Alan got outside in time, and the wedding was going to start in 10 minutes.  "Alan, come on!  Are you done yet?"

            In the bathroom, Alan sat on the floor.  His head turned upwards at Sunshine's voice, but soon lowered again.  Did all grooms have second thoughts before their wedding the way he did?  Not second thoughts about Jules, no, never about her.  She was perfect; there was nothing Alan wanted more than to spend the rest of his life with her.  He was worried about himself.  Would he make a good husband?  Would he…would he turn into his father?  Not Coach, but his biological father, Fred Bosley.

            Bosley…there was a name he hadn't even thought about in a long time.  It was not going to be uttered tonight; Jules was going from McConnell to Yoast.  Alan had never even mused about this until now.  Was it possible for him to turn into Fred?  Surely his father had thought that he loved his mother and any of their future children on their wedding day.  Was this all just pre-wedding jitters, or did this mean something more?

            Alan's head turned upwards again at more knocking on the door.  "Five minutes till show time, Alan, we have to get a move on!"  Sighing, Alan put his hands on his knees and pushed himself into a standing position.  Taking a deep breath, Alan emerged from the bathroom to face a very relieved Sunshine.  "Great,  you're out.  If I had shown up without the groom, J would have drawn and quartered me.  You ready?"

            Wordlessly, Alan nodded.  Sunshine made a motion to turn around and head out, then he doubled back and looked Alan straight in the eyes.  "I know what's bothering you, and you're nothing like him.  You never will be; you're a completely different person."  Sunshine shrugged, then grinned.  "Besides, worse comes to worse and you do go wacko, J can take you no problem."  Alan had to smile.  Catching the smile, Sunshine's grin broadened.  "So you're good now?"  Nod from Alan.  "Good.  Let's roll."

***

The tenderness in her eyes

Her hair is drenched with silver moonlight

Half-spoken thoughts, forget-me-nots

She's the jewel I've sought

(she's the jewel I've sought)

            Alan's heart pounded as the flower girl, J's young second cousin Jessica, made her way up the aisle.  Jessica was adorable on her little cool blue dress complemented by her flashing green eyes and fiery orange hair.  Her chubby hands reached into the woven woodchip basket and seized a fistful of mixed yellow, white, pink and red rose petals, and flung them mercilessly in front of her.  Despite his anxiety, Alan couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.  His laughter soon faded when the music (one of J's friends from college managed to get a piano out into the field, of all wonders) began. 

            At the mouth of the field J stood, clutching Coach's arm with hers.  Right as it was time for them to begin walking, she leaned in and whispered, "don't let me trip." 

            Coach laughed quietly.  "You'll be fine, J, don't worry.  You and Alan, and the rest of us too, we've waited too long for this moment for you to trip now."  J nodded, inhaled then exhaled, and put one foot in front of the other.  The simple task of walking followed.  J's heart thudded faster and faster within her chest until she became close enough to lock eyes properly with Alan.  Suddenly the chore of walking disappeared and all tension melted away.

***

There is no time but now

There is no where else but here

When all else is cold

The warmth of holding her near

            Alan could not remember what it felt like to be uneasy.  Hadn't it been only five seconds ago that his palms had been warm and moist, his heart thumping fast and heavy?  But now…now he was more relaxed than he'd ever been before.  Everything around him was a haze with Jules as the shining center.

            She positively glowed; she radiated joy.  Coach patted J's arm, then released her to go stand beside Sunshine.  J paused only long enough to beam at Alan, never taking her eyes from his, then moved to stand across from him.  He returned her luminous smile and reached through the distance between them to hold her hands.  They vaguely heard the pastor begin the ceremony.  They barely noticed at all what was going on around them until it was time.

***

Tonight the stars in her eyes

Outshine the stars in the skies

Tonight love is in her eyes

I'll hold, hold her close tonight

            The clearest part of the entire service that enchanted night was the,

            "Alan Thomas, do you take this woman…"  and the,

            "Julianna Renée, do you take this man…"

            The most beautiful, perfect and simple words, the words that seemed more right and good than anything else that had ever come out of their mouths were those two, almost clichéd sets of "I do's."  A few moments later, it was all over.  Life, however, had just begun.