Your Song (Shawn Mendes)

Chapter 28 ~ Week 4

"My most memorable year is 2017. No question." Maria said without hesitation. "It's not only the year I got to travel the world, performing for thousands and doing what I love." Pictures of her on stage during the tour were shown before coming back to her. "It was the year I met and started dating Shawn." Pictures and videos of her and Shawn were played between interviews.

Rachel and Nicole sat in their living room and smiled. "It was almost immediate. The day she left on the tour, you could see in her face she was already falling for Shawn." Rachel explained. "She just lit up when he came to the door."

"It was obvious in the music." Nicole interjected. "The way they fell so easily in tune with each other was amazing to watch. Especially after everything she's been through."

Alan smiled. "Even when I was just following their story and didn't know Maria, you could just see how they fit together. They are a perfect duet in human form. And that's what I want to show in our waltz this week."

"I picked Your Song by Elton John because Shawn and I consider it... our song." Maria explained. "It just felt wrong to do this dance and not use this song."

It cut to footage of Alan backstage. He put a finger to his lips before it showed him and Maria in their opening spots for the number. A grand piano was set up behind them and while Maria was distracted, Shawn quietly came on stage and sat at the piano. He winked at the camera before starting to play the song. Maria had taken only one or two steps before Shawn started singing.

She gasped and turned around while he and Alan laughed at her shocked reaction. "You absolute dork!" She shouted. She came up and cupped his cheeks before wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." He said into her hair and kissed the crown of her head.

The video package ended to applause which only grew when they saw it was, in fact, Shawn at the piano on stage to perform the song. The spotlight shown on Maria who sat on a bench on the stage below him, smiling up at the man she loved. She wore a plain black off the shoulder long sleeve waltz dress decorated with silver jewels on the sleeves and a black ribbon around her waist. 

Shawn began to play the intro as Alan came to sit next to Maria with his back to Shawn. 

It's a little bit funny, this feeling inside
I'm not one of those who can easily hide
I don't have much money but boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where we both could live

Maria and Alan started mirroring each other in simple moves. When Maria stretched her arm, Alan stood and took it to spin her on the bench so she faced the audience. He took both her hands and stood her up, leading her to the front of the stage where he stepped behind her.

If I was a sculptor but then again no
Or a man who makes potions in a traveling show
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one's for you

Alan wrapped an arm around Maria's waist. They did a few waltz steps in this position before he took her hand to twirl her. He reached behind and untied the ribbon, letting the black skirt fall to the floor, showing the white skirt decorated with music notes and staff underneath as Shawn sang the last line. The slowly put their arms in the waltz position as Shawn belted out the chorus,

And you can tell everybody this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done

They flowed into a near perfect waltz, twirling and spinning around the stage gracefully to Shawn's vocals and piano.

I hope you don't mind
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world

Alan and Maria performed a specialized dip to the final line of the song. The audience applauded and Alan brought her back up into a hug. When he released her, she ran up the steps to Shawn. She cupped his face in her hands and pressed his lips to hers. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she wrapped one around his waist as she led them to the judges' table, taking Alan's hand in hers along the way.

"I think we all want that song to be ours if that dance comes with it." Tom commented, earning a chuckle from the audience. "How was that for you, Shawn?" He held the mic to the superstar.

"You know the only regret I have is that I didn't get to watch the dance because I was singing." Shawn responded. Maria smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "But I know it was graceful, beautiful, and incredible, all in black and white." He looked down lovingly at Maria. "It pretty much encompassed the very reason I fell in love with her."

The audience awwed as he kissed her forehead. Tom smirked. "Well Alan, what was it like being the third wheel this week?"

The audience and Alan chuckled. "I'm happy to be the third wheel if it's to them." He looked to the couple and smiled. "They have an incredible story and I'm glad they trusted me to tell it." He raised Maria's hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Well let's hear what the judges have to say about their story. Bruno?" Tom gestured to the judge in question. They received all good comments from each of the judges with only the slight note of her posture from Len. Maria squeezed Alan's hand tightly when it came to getting their scores. 

Carrie Ann Inaba. "9!" A cheer burst from Alan and Maria as that was the first nine of the season.

Len Goodman. "8!"

Bruno Tonioli. "9!"

Maria reluctantly left Shawn's grasp to hug Alan on their amazing score. "Not just one but two nines including the first one of the season!" Tom cheered. Maria turned to Shawn to kiss him once again in thanks for not just performing with them, but everything he had done for her.