Oh, goodness... I kinda forgot about this fic.
sorry about that... finally here's the update.
enjoy...
Standing on a small stage set up in the gardens, Danielle stood with a microphone in hand; her eight sisters and brothers around her. In the crowd, their parents stood out from the rest. Abby in her gorgeous wedding gown, and Luka in his tux. One arm protectively around his new bride, while his other hand was clasped with hers. Tears already welled in Abby's eyes threatening to spill over, and no one had even began speaking.
Lifting a glass, Jasna tapped the side of a glass, hushing the large crowd.
"Well.. umm.. I guess I'll start by saying thank you to everyone for being here tonight... please join me in a toast to these two before me. I actually guess this really isn't a toast.. I'm actually not sure what to call it.. But.. umm.. yeahh.." Abby smiled, still holding back tears.. When did Danielle get so shy?
"I think I speak for everyone.." She paused slightly, looking around at her sisters and brothers. "When I say that... we don't think of you guys as replacements... Luka, you are probably the best thing that has happened to our family in a few years.. You basically saved this family in every way one can be saved.. You bettered life for us.. Before you, we were barely getting by.. and we were almost torn apart from our mother. We don't just appreciate you... for having enough.. money to provide for us.. money isn't the important thing.. It has helped us.. but it's not all we needed... Our mom needed love.. and joy.. and support.. More than we could give her.. and we all needed that father figure... and I can't think of anyone better for the job.. You have been there for us since day one.. and we're grateful to have you in our lives.. and honored to have you as our step-dad..." She paused, wiping her eyes.. "And I actually wrote this all out.. and it was so much better.. but uhh.. you can just read it at home if you want.."Looking out at him, she could see tears glistening in his eyes and smiled, whilst swallowing the small lump in her throat. "We love you Luka." Looking down, she passed the microphone to Jasna and stepped aside.
"Abby.. We look at you.. well for me, I see you as a mother and a friend.. someone I can confide in.. You came into our father's life and we immediately saw a change. Even, before you two officially went out on a date.. I remember the night you guys met.. He came home, and I could hear him whistling and came out into the foyer.. He didn't even hear me talking to him.. he was too side tracked.. and later I found he had been thinking of you that night. Along with you came five other children.. We were a little skeptical about this.. But that first meeting, I know, is a night we will never forget... Right then, I knew the relationship would last.. I didn't think it would result in another child of course.. but none of us expected that... I'm really not good at the whole speech thing.. but I guess what I'm trying to say is.. that we can't imagine life without you.. Like Danielle said, you also make our father happy.. you brought him what he needed.. love and joy and support.. you brought us the missing piece... His other half.. as well as ours.. We can't think of anyone else who could fill the spot of our mother.. we love you."
walking across the stage to a piano, Jasna set the microphone in it's holder and took Noa from Grace, sitting him on top of the piano. "As cheesy as this may be..." Danielle started. "We decided our gift to you.. would be in the form of your first dance.. since you guys didn't agree and pick a song.. we all looked through a bunch of songs.. and thought this one.. fit perfectly."
Luka knew exactly what song it was after the first few notes were played. Swiftly moving to the music with Abby he looked up at the stage watching Danielle move closer to the microphone.. Turning back to his bride as she began singing. "We were strangers starting out on a journey.. Never dreaming what we'd have to go through. Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing at the beginning with youuu..."
Both Abby and Luka's eyes flew to the stage as Grace began the next verse. "No one told me I was going to find you. Unexpected, what you did to my heart. When I lost hope, you were there to remind me...This is the start."
"It seems Richard blessed more than one of your girls with a beautiful voice." Smiling, she buried her face in his neck... listening to all of the kids start.. "Danielle did good work.." Luka starts. "My kids can't sing... either she taught them well.. or they're singing very quietly."
"And life is a road and I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end, I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you
We were strangers on a crazy adventure
Never dreaming how our dreams would come true
Now here we stand, unafraid of the future
At the beginning with you
And life is a road and I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end, I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you
Knew there was somebody somewhere
Like a light in the dark
Now I know that dreams will live on
I've been waiting so long
Nothing's gonna tear us apart
And life is a road and I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end, I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you
Life is a road and I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep going on
Starting out on a journey
Life is a road and I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
In the end, I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you"
Listening to their children sing this song, the same thoughts ran through Luka and Abby's heads.. All things in the past.. Things they had been through seperately.. Their meeting.. Their first dinner with everyone... Everything. All the good times.. All the bad times.. They even wondered about the things to come. They would face everything together for the rest of their lives.