Wedding of the Heart, a when calls the heart fanfic

Happy New Years, Hearties! A perfect story for a new year!

Carl: Grant Gustin.

~Wedding of the Heart~

November 3, 1916.

Seven months of engagement was long enough for a certain brunette. Every single day as the day became closer the brunette became more and more excited. Everything for the day was perfectly planned. Guest who were attending (which was most of Hope Valley as the most guest), the church, the reception at the saloon, the catered food that Rosemary insisted on serving from the place she loved the most and the wedding band that was made up of the locals who had played for the Hope Valley Christmas parade for several years.

Upstairs in her room with Abigail, Elizabeth and Rosemary, Clara sat in the chair as Elizabeth was touching up Clara's makeup while Rosemary styled Clara's hair and Abigail organized the jewelry and wedding pieces that Clara chose to wear. As much as Rosemary wanted to make Clara's hair an "in" style, Clara preferred nothing to insane. Just simple and elegant curls, light pascal color makeup.

"How do I look?"

"For the hundredth time Clara," Elizabeth laughed. "You look beautiful."

"Stunning and radiant." Rosemary added. "Carl and the third luckiest man in Hope Valley to marry a ravishing girl."

"Third luckiest?" Abigail questioned.

"First Lee, then Jack, now Carl."

"Oh, of course." Elizabeth said with a funny, easy tone. "That is the order."

"Exactly. Next to come should be that sweet girl from a few miles away. Penelope Sawyers. And I know just exactly who has their eyes on her." Rosemary smiled. "Now where is that adorable little girl of yours?"

Just before Clara could answer the sound of laughter from across the hall in the other bedroom erupted as well as the sound of a tail thumping on the ground. "Josephine," Clara called out. "Don't get dirty in your dress."

"Okay mommy."

"Can you come into my room for one minute?"

The nearly five year old walked into the room already dressed for the afternoon. A an ankle length cotton fabric pink ruffle dress with white tall socks and off-white colored shoes. Her hair was curled and she wore a daisy flower headband. Clara attempted to make her wear gloves, but Josephine didn't want to wear gloves.

"Oh Josephine you look so beautiful." Abigail said as she leveled down to Josephine's height. "Just as stunning as your mother."

"Thank you, Nana Abigail. Mommy made it." She shyly smiled. "Mommy? Can I go back to Walt now?"

"Yes honey."

Some short time later Clara stood in her room alone looking at the full length mirror. She was now in the wedding dress she had designed for herself. The Edwardian white dress was made of sheer cotton fabric, two ruffle layers on the bottom of the skirt and an embroidery eyelet lace on the top. Her sleeves were just at the bend of her elbow—where her arm and upper arm met. Following a common rule she's know for years. A small row of pink (and white) flowers on her headband attached to her veil, light blue lacing on the bottom of her skirt, the family engagement ring Carl used in his proposal and the new was the new add on stones to the necklace. Her mother's birthstone necklace (July's ruby) in the center with the two December turquoise stones for each child.

"Clara, are you ready?" Abigail called up the stairs.

Clara brushed down her skirt to smooth it out once more, adjust her hair and smiled. "Ready."

At the saloon everyone was sitting inside already. Outside in the cool weather Clara stood outside the door to the side, avoiding anyone from seeing her, while flower girl Josephine and ring bearer Oscar, the son of Carl's childhood friend, stood in the front of Clara and behind the flower girls (Elizabeth's students and some close family friends). She was keeping time with when she had to start walking but she honestly was thinking back to the past several months.

Nope, not months. Years.

She thought back to when she met Peter. She thought back to whenever she met him it was because he had always made an excuse to go to Hamilton. She thought back to their wedding day that happened and a few short hours later he was back to Coal Valley. She thought back to how a day or two after their wedding, Peter died. Next came her coming to the court to testify that the coal miners, mostly Noah and Peter, had told the coal company that the caves where the men worked were not safe. Then her going back to work and not speaking to Abigail for some time, then meeting with Abigail again, Bill Avery helping Clara out of a situation with her boss and then moving to Hope Valley with Abigail.

Months later she is kidnapped, held hostage for a few days, taken to England and meets Harry. She thought back to when she arrived at the church and was forced to marry that terrible man. Her spending days with him were peaceful at first until they arrived back at their home and he began to beat and hurt Clara. She thought to the moment when she learned she was pregnant with what she was assumed was one baby, but then having her two babies in December. George and Josephine. She thought back to when she learned her marriage was not true or legal and then moved to a sister's home with nuns. She thought back to her saving grace when Declan, Harry and his twin sister Fiona's father, sold his gold violin to get Clara to America. A step closer to home.

Clara thought back to the ship she was a passenger on. Her happiness to once again return to Hope Valley and even more so to learn that those letters she had sent that seemed to be ignored by Abigail were actually just thrown away since they were not telegrams, a form on instant emergency messages. The messenger about the messages and her first real friend on the ship was none other than Carl Elmer.

The man she was to marry today. His compassion and determination to do what was best for others first, himself second, and his humor. She loved how respectful Carl was towards Abigail and Josephine. She adored that Carl was the first to volunteer for almost anything that was humiliation such as dressing as Santa for Christmas and a leprechaun for St. Patrick's day. Carl was terrified of bunnies (he never stated why) and Clara had no clue how true it was until their first Easter in Hope Valley when Rosemary had Lee dress as the Easter Bunny and Carl ran like hell to the next city. Literally. He didn't return until the following morning when he bashfully explained his fear of rabbits.

"I was attack by a heard of them as a boy! A sworn of bunnies all over me!"

"A small group of bunnies, Carl?" Clara laughed.

"It's not funny, Miss Clara."

She'd never let that down. She also loved how right before he proposed he had asked Abigail to marry Clara. Abigail was like a mother to Clara so it only seemed fair, in Carl's opinion, to ask Abigail first before asking Clara.

The wedding march soon began. One by one the bridesmaids and ring bearer and flower girl made their way down the aisle to the music. The man standing next to her that would walk down with her was none other than the man who brought her home.

"Ready?"

"Ready Jack."

Shortly after when the bridal music Clara, arm linked with Jack, felt her feet begin moving and her heart beating louder than any drum in the world could ever create. She walked through the second set of doors and onto the main floor.

The saloon was decorated with flowers and streamers that Elizabeth's students had created in art class, chairs and tables set to the side for later but covered in red fabric with handmade vases and paintings done by the flower girl and a few of Clara's friends from Hamilton and Hope Valley. From the corners of her eyes she saw her old friends from Hamilton and her Irish friends; Harry, Fiona and Declan (who had saved up to visit for the week of the wedding), and her Hope Valley friends as well.

Up front at the alter was her husband to be. He had the happiest grin Clara has only seen a few times knowing him. Their first meeting on the ship, in the water after the sinking and finding one another, their survival all together, when he found Clara at the shelter, Clara's return to Hope Valley, his proposal to Clara, Josephine calling him 'daddy' and finally now. And more to come in their years.

She joined him at the alter. Both blushed mad insane and eyeballing one another. Frank stood before the two. "We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony (insert longer quote about their joining together in marriage). Carl, take hands with Clara and repeat after me. I, Carl Ulysses Randolph Samuel Elmer"

Clara handed her flowers to Elizabeth. Carl took both hands and held both of Clara's hands "I Carl Ulysses Randolph Samuel Elmer."

"Take you Clara Helen Stanton."

"Take you, Clara Helen Stanton."

"To have and to hold."

"In sickness and in health."

"In sickness and health."

"To honor, love and obey."

"Until death do us apart."

"Make the vow by placing the ring on Clara's finger."

Carl held back a laugh, but released a few snickers. "Make the vow by placing the ring on Clara's finger," He repeated as he slid the gold band on her finger then sealed it with a kiss.

Clara happy sighed at him while she heard the snickers of a few wedding guest (specifically Harry O'Malley, Lee and her two friends Brandon and Simon from Hamilton), due to Carl literally repeating the last part Frank had said.

Frank then turned to Clara. . "Clara, take hands with Carl and repeat after me. I, Clara Helen Stanton,"

"I, Clara Helen Stanton."

"Take you, Carl Ulysses Randolph Samuel Elmer."

"Take you, Carl Ulysses Randolph Samuel Elmer"

"To have and to hold."

"In sickness and in health."

"In sickness and health."

"To honor, love and obey."

"Until death do us apart."

"Make the vow by placing the ring on Carl's finger."

Clara slid the gold band onto Carl's finger. She grin like a madwoman in love.

"By the powers invest in me, I now pronounced you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Carl lifted Clara's veil and placed it behind her. He cupped her cheek and together the two of them sealed their marriage with a long, romantic kiss. Everyone cheered and clapped around them. The moment the two of them parted away Josephine hugged each of their legs. Laughing Clara picked her up and the trio turned to their friends.

Finally married to someone she loves, besides her first love and husband Peter, and finally happy for Josephine to have a dad in her life. But more importantly Clara was truly happy for the first time in several years.