Almost three years since I've written a WCTH story. I've always had the sequel in mind, I just never got around to writing it.

I've also made a few changes. I wanted Clara and Carl to be together as a couple, but my Classe heart was pulling me in their direction too. So I've kept Clara and Carl as best friends in this story.

Sticking with the TV show characters. So yes that means Fiona, Nathan, Ally, Lucas, Kevin are in this.

Late March, 1929.

Changes.

Life for Clara was nothing she had expected. The past fourteen years that she's been in Hope Valley, since her kidnapping, have had it's ups and its down for her. Mostly ups have come in her direction. Maybe the worlds way of asking for forgiveness for letting her be kidnapped? But that also meant that the good brought out the bad, too.

Goods parts.

Hope Valley had been able to open a library for the children, mostly, and adults to use to read all sort of novels written by so many authors all over the world. The man who had helped Elizabeth open it, Lucas, was also the owner of the saloon. He had a music piano that played on it's own and the music from it was catchy. Clara had worked there for a while as a waitress to bring in extra money on the side.

Her main job was at the dress shop where she worked with Dottie and Rosemary. It was fun and it always made her happy to create or fix something. Whether it was a simple outfit or something for a special occasion.

Hope Valley had also brought in telephone system years ago. It was from this that Clara met one of her best friends, Fiona. Originally Fiona was to stay just to help make sure the telephone worked, but she ended up staying full time. She even helped Florence with learning to be an operator which made Florence excited.

Opening her heart wise, Clara's heart opened to love again.

Clara and Carl had courted for sometime but there wasn't anything romantic there for them. Maybe it was just the shock they had experience on the ship that made them see life could be taken at any second. But best friends they remained.

She and Jesse had always remained friends. His relationship with the girl he had courted November of Clara's missing ended after a year.

In early 1919 they began courting again.

Jesse became very fatherly to Josephine. He wasn't sure at first if Josephine would like him courting with her mother, but Josephine didn't mind it at all. She was glad her mommy was very happy with Jesse. He had taken her fishing and build a dollhouse for her with extra wood that Lee did not end up using for anything. One of Josephine's favorite things to do was sports or anything active, so Jesse taught Josephine to play baseball and, more often, would run races with her.

So far she could out beat Jesse...and a few of the older boys.

It lasted until early 1920. Then Jesse proposed to Clara. She accepted, then together they asked Josephine if Jesse could marry Clara. Josephine wholeheartedly accepted the marriage.

Now the bad thing that have happened.

Abigail's mother had become very ill, two years after Clara had come back from New York, in 1919. She was a little conflicted with moving back to her hometown where her mother lived to help care for her. She wasn't sure how long she would be until she would be back. Clara stepped up to the plate; she quit her waitress job at the saloon to work back at the cafe and assist Bill with cooking and serving meals. Abigail had done so so much for Clara that Clara owed it to her and this was her way of helping her out. She'd miss Cody. She loved helping him with his math homework the most. Something about numbers made Clara happy.

Abigail left. There was a temporary mayor, another woman, that Hope Vally loved having. But Abigail made her return at some point after the passing of her mother, in July of 1920. She was still the same but Cody was a little older and way taller than Clara had last seen him.

But the worst of it all was what had happened in 1917. The worst of all. Clara had lived the worst in 1915. She thought she would never, ever experience that again.

Jack had died. He was with several other recruits going through a mountain. A landslide came down all of a sudden. Jack pushed two of his men out of the way to save them; ultimately ending his life.

Of course Elizabeth was soul-shattered about his death when she learned it late one night after leaving a party with Abigail. Everything that they've been through for years together and the last full year they had been trying to have a baby again, after years of not being able to get pregnant. It was heartbreaking.

Elizabeth found out a month later that she was two months pregnant with her and Jack's first child. There was an expression for that. Happiness in the a storm? A hint of light in the thunder? Bittersweet? Whatever the expression was it had fit Elizabeth right there and then.

Christmas 1917, Jack Thornton was born. Little Jack as he was commonly called.

For Clara his passing hurt just as much for Elizabeth. Jack had saved Clara from New York, when she was at rock bottom of her life. Her physical, emotional, spiritual and mental state (Seriously? Leaving her baby alone in a shack with a dog to go out for food!?). His bringing her home was something she was always going to love and remember him for. Always.

In the fourteen years of her being here since her kidnapping, everything was an up and a down for Clara. Things changed for the better, things changed for the worst. But Clara was home with the people she loved and the family she loved, who loved her back just as much.

Nothing or no one could ever take that from her.