Disclaimer: Still don't own ER…and I don't own anything pertaining to the songs that I have listed or referenced. So please don't sue me!
Author's note: Please review!
Earlier that day, Shane went to his old high school. It was a private prep school and three miles from the Space Needle. He sought out his old head master, and told him of his plans. Shane then wrote a check for the use of the gym for the night. After he paid, he went back to his car to get the supplies necessary. Inside the bag were Christmas lights, masking tape, paper cutouts of roses, balloons yet to be blown up, and lastly a portable stereo. Inside the stereo was a burned CD of all of Arianne's favorite songs.
All the students were gone, for it was the day before Thanksgiving, and the head master gave them the day off. The gym empty, and to Shane, a pure canvas to start with. He took the yards of Christmas lights, plugged them in and stated to form a path with them. The first string formed the right side of the path, and the second the other side. Using the third strand, he made a giant heart on the floor with it, thirty feet from dip to point. After that, he plugged the stereo in on the far side of the gym and placed it out of the way. Shane's next task was to blow up all the balloons of blue and purple, Arianne's favorite colors, and scatter them over the gym. Next to last, he undid the bleachers so that there were three rows to sit on. Before he went, he taped up the rose cut outs to the wall and stashed the bag for all the things he brought underneath the bleachers. As Shane walked out, he turned out the overhead lights. The effect he created was exactly what he hoped for.
~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~***~~~
The limo pulled up to the school's gym entrance and a bit past eight-thirty. The driver got out and opened the door for Shane and Arianne.
"Shane, what are we doing here? Weren't we supposed to go dancing?"
"Hey Beautiful, don't worry about it, I got it under control."
"Okay…"
"Wanna go inside? It's really cold out here."
"Yeah, I'm freezing."
Shane offered his arm to Arianne and together they entered the school.
"Close your eyes."
Arianne did as she was told to do, and he held the door for her she could sense something in the air. Shane then took her hand and let her down the hallway and into what seems to Arianne a dimly lighted room. Slowly he lead her though the path and into the big heart. Letting got of her hand; he got the little forest green velvet box out of his suit jacket's pocket.
"Open your eyes." Shane whispered from bended knee
Arianne couldn't believe her eyes, there was the love of her life, on his knee, with an open jewelry box.
"Shane…" she whispered
"Arianne, I love you more than you'll ever know. I can't promise you that it will be easy, and I can't promise you that we'll never face adversity together. I can promise you two things, and it's that I'll be here for you, and that I'll love you to the end of time. Arianne, will you be my wife?"
Arianne, tears brimming in her eyes, got down on her knees to put herself level with Shane.
"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!"
"Then I take it that you would want to wear this?" he said, taking out he ring that he bought
The ring's focal point was the one-karat heart shaped diamond set in the band of white gold. On each side of the diamond was a sapphire weighing one-fourth karat. Very gently he slipped the ring on to his fiancée's left ring finger. Arianne had tears falling down her cheeks by this point, little riverlettes forming on her cheeks. He then out his silk handkerchief and wiped away her happy tears. Then, taking her hand, he helped her up, and then he himself got up.
"Shane, what are all the lights and decorations and balloons for?"
"Well remember how you told me that you missed your senior prom because you had the flu?"
"Yeah."
"Well it might be over a decade late, but here it is."
"I cannot believe you." Arianne said, now laughing
"Well you'd better believe it." Shane said as he walked over to where he hid the stereo
Once he has messed with the knobs and buttons, the music came out for the speakers and into the gym. Shane walked back to his wife-to-be and saw her softly swaying to her favorite slow song, "To Where You Are" by Josh Groban. Taking her right hand in his, he put in between them, all the while his hand going to her waist, and her free hand to the base of his neck. She rested her head on his strong, sure shoulders and let herself go. She finally could forget about the world, for at that every moment, she was in her own little bubble. The bubble in which there were three things, Shane, herself, and their love. The next song that played was the faster "Like A Prayer" and they danced to that. Everything was how Arianne wished it would be. She was with the man, who she would marry, the one who she would wake up with every morning, the one that she had loved since that very first day.
" You know, the best headache I ever got was when I bumped into you." Arianne whispered
"Yeah, serendipity is something like that."
"So, how long have you had this planned?"
"Since I moved to Chicago."
"Ahh…and let me guess, I'm the last to know about it?"
"Well, your father knows, my parents know, and I think that Tess has an idea, but other than that…."
"So I'm low on the list of those who know about our engagement?"
"I wouldn't say low." Shane said dipping her
"Hey do you want to take a breather?"
"Yeah, sure."
"So, there is one thing about this I need to ask you."
"What's that, Beautiful?" Shane asked, tucking a lock of hair that fell out of Arianne's French braid, and tucking if behind her ear
"Is this going to be a long engagement?"
"Do you want it to be one?"
"Yeah, I mean I love you and I want to marry you, but I don't want to rush off and do it. I want to plan a wonderful wedding, find the perfect gown, the right flowers. I want it to be something that isn't rushed."
"Then it won't be, Arianne, it won't be. I want this wedding to be everything that you ever dreamed of."
It seemed like an eternity they sat there, enjoying each other's presence. They danced some more, but after three hours, the limo came to pick them up. Shane left up all the decorations, tomorrow he would come to get them, but right now he just wanted to with his fiancée.
The limo pulled up to Shane's house at midnight, and after the driver helped Arianne out, Shane gave him his tip. The front door was unlocked, and he thought that was odd, but really didn't give it that much thought. He held the door for Arianne as she entered the darkened room that was filled with warmth.
"Good night, Arianne." Shane said at the steps going up to the bedrooms, for Shane's bedroom was off the main floor
" 'Night, Love."