For many women, their wedding day is the pinnacle of their lives to that point. Zara had plotted every detail to ensure that outcome. She approached wedding planning with the same zeal and dedication that her former boss, Claire, demonstrated on the job. Zara regretted not asking Claire to be one of her bridesmaids. She initially thought the power dynamic between the two would make it awkward or cause Claire to balk at it entirely. As it was now almost six months since Claire left Isla Nublar, Zara missed her deeply and wished they'd had more opportunities to catch up during the wedding weekend. Claire and Owen had, at least, made the transatlantic journey to Buckinghamshire for the occasion.

Zara waited in her suite for Claire to pop by for quick, pre-ceremony visit. The bride was over-flowing with love and self-reflection. She smugly congratulated herself for playing the matchmaker so well. She predicted that Owen and Claire would come together eventually, but she knew it would take some encouragement. Owen was bollocks at treating a woman like a lady, not a sex object. Claire was bollocks at viewing men as anything other than a threat. It made Zara euphoric to witness how it all worked out. How perfectly they fit together. How quickly Owen opened Claire's heart.

It took more than gentle nudges, however. Zara was growing impatient on the day that she dropped her stealth tactics and blatantly scheduled Claire a lunch with him. She never felt guilty assisting Owen when he contacted her with specific questions, but she stopped short of sharing information that Claire might've considered a betrayal. She also told him to "sod off" when he asked her to be his designated driver to Nobu. Alec, thankfully, had more empathy. In his infinite wisdom, Alec convinced Zara that it was better than Claire being stood up. He gave Owen a ride but held his tongue on the board shorts. The bride and groom both had lines they wouldn't cross when it came to intervening in others' love lives. Zara wholeheartedly believed that Owen had been in love with Claire all along. She immediately recognized the way Owen looked at Claire. It was the same way Alec looked at her to make her feel all mushy inside. It took Claire time to see it for herself - her walls built up far too high for her to go to mush right away. Zara didn't tell Claire what she saw because she knew it would cause the closed-off woman to build those walls higher.

Her concerns for Claire's defenses were validated after sharing Marisa's Instagram post. A post that Owen himself asked Zara to bring to her boss' attention. He didn't want Claire to learn about it from anyone else, and he wanted her to know right away. Zara hesitated at first but was swayed by the anguish in his voice. He also pleaded. She told him it was the last favor. She wanted to pull her hair out over their subsequent stubbornness, even if their behavior wasn't wholly surprising. She resisted commiserating with Barry, who was known to wink and speak in code about the pair at times. He long-recognized Owen's affections, too.

Zara allowed herself a moment of melancholy for Barry. He was a good man. Although she didn't share Claire and Owen's interpretation of his demise - a murder made to look like an accident smacked of a cinematic twist rather than a real life event - Zara knew it was the catalyst to the pair's leaving the employ of Simon Masrani. Of course, they had been preparing for that eventuality. Claire suspected that the Indominus rex might be the death of Barry, based on his reports of its behavioral traits. She always told Zara that the best time to find a new job was while you had another one. Never wait until you're let go or need to resign. By the time they resigned - Claire uncomfortable with the board's ambitions for the park and Owen's pack slated for termination, his perspective on the raptor project no longer accepted by Hoskins - new positions awaited them in Boston.

A knock on the door thrust Zara out of her pensive state. She smiled broadly when Claire let herself in. It was quite the role reversal. They greeted each other with a warm but somewhat awkward hug, both trying not to muss Zara's makeup or ensemble.

"It's so good to see you," said Zara, stifling any tears lest her mascara run. "Thank you for coming."

"We wouldn't have missed it," Claire replied. "Besides, it's a much easier trip now compared to traveling from Costa Rica!"

"What do you think of the place?" Zara asked nervously. She still sought Claire's approval despite having taken over her Senior Assets Manager position.

"It's even better than in the movies. Definitely worth waiting for the open weekend." Zara had talked Claire's ear off about how Stoke Park figured prominently in some of her and Alec's favorite movies, including Layer Cake and Bridget Jones' Diary. It was the place Zara always fantasized about for her wedding. She honestly would've pushed for it regardless of Alec's opinion, but the fact that he wanted to re-enact the golf match from Goldfinger made her feel like the luckiest woman in the world - even if the estate's limited availability delayed their celebration. "You're glowing, Zara." This observation made her blush.

"So are you. You're still the fireplace for Owen's fire." Claire looked at her friend curiously. Zara laughed. "Alec and I came up with that analogy forever ago, but I never told you because I thought I might get sacked for it." Claire rolled her eyes.

"I would never have fired you."

"I haven't explained it yet," Zara grinned mischievously. Claire's eyebrows went up expectantly before the other woman elaborated, "Without you, Owen would burn himself out and take others down with him. Without him, you'd be cold and angular. Together, he burns eternally for you alone while you stay vibrant and filled." Claire started to tear up, but Zara could tell it was out of appreciation and not offense.

"It sounds like YOU'RE the one preparing a wedding reception toast," Claire sniffled.

"Can you blame me? Has he asked yet?" Claire was suspiciously quiet. "He has!" Claire nodded, and Zara's eyes went to Claire's left hand. She'd been keeping it covered but lifted her right hand to reveal naked fingers. "Where's your ring?"

"He has...both of our rings." Zara's eyes went wide.

"Come again?"

"We...uh...already got married." Zara's eyes threatened to pop out of her head.

"Are you pregnant?"

"No, no," Claire blushed then stammered, "It was just that...when he asked me, I wanted to do it right away. He didn't want to wait either. We went to the justice of the peace the next week." She looked around nervously, avoiding Zara's gaze. "Neither of us needed-"

"Some outrageously expensive, two years in-the-making, over-the-top spectacle?" Zara quirked a brow. She was teasing but got a kick out of making her former boss sweat. These were all descriptors Claire had used for her and Alec's nuptials. Zara knew a big wedding was not Claire or Owen's style. What they chose to do was right for them. "I'm not offended, in the least. I just can't believe you'd hide this from me."

"We also didn't want to take anything away from your special day."

"Good grief, Claire, don't worry about that at all! This makes my day better - I got you two together." She gleefully raised both arms above her head. "I'm the Oracle of Stoke Park! As soon as you get back to him, you put those rings on." Zara waggled a finger and chided her friend. "I deserve to see them."

"The bride always gets what she wants."

"Indeed." They both laughed. Zara frowned suddenly as she caught the time on Claire's watch, "My mum will be in here any second." Claire nodded before they embraced quickly. "Please give a toast," Zara whispered, in order to hold down her emotions. "I would've included you in the wedding party if I was truly an oracle."

"I know," Claire sighed happily. "I prepared a toast, regardless. You deserve that, too."

Whenever Zara caught a glance at Claire and Owen during the festivities, they were always in contact: holding hands, arm-in-arm, or wrapped around each other. They had also put on their rings. To see the pair served to intensify her own wedding day bliss. It was truly a fairy tale. As Claire tapped her glass for her toast, Owen kissed her cheek and whispered something in her ear that made her blush. Zara had thus far managed not to cry during the toasts but had a feeling the floodgates were about to open.

Claire stood and cleared her throat. She held a small scrap of paper but didn't seem to need it. She spoke with conviction, "Zara and Alec chose a fantasy setting for this glorious day, but the dream come true is not today. The dream come true is the marriage itself. The bond. A wedding is just an overt sign of it for the world to see. It's humbling and reassuring to realize that there have already been many signs. Some, even, that you missed and were recognized by someone else instead." Claire paused to smile at Zara and fight back tears. "Zara's special vision for people is why she's a brilliant friend, co-worker, and human being. I don't know Alec as well as I know her, but I have an inkling of the size of his heart." As Owen winked in their direction, Alec took Zara's hand under the table. "I owe them more than words can express. I will be eternally grateful." Claire was trembling slightly and placed her free hand on Owen's shoulder, likely to physically and metaphorically ground herself. "To be transformed by love is the greatest gift in the world. I wish you two all the strength and power that can be derived from that gift."

Claire lifted her glass as joyful tears streamed down her cheeks. Zara's face was a mirror. The bride finally let catharsis take control. She would always view Claire as a role model. To Zara, Claire had it all. Claire motivated her to be the best woman and partner she could be. Zara had watched Claire weather countless challenges, great and small, independently and with Owen at her side. Claire was consistently graceful, poised, and tenacious. Zara hoped to live up to Claire's legacy on personal and professional levels. She would take Claire's words - both those of encouragement uttered during her toast and those of warning expressed while still on Nublar - to heart.

When Zara pulled it together to mouth the words, "Thank you," in Claire's direction, it was a futile effort. Claire and Owen were kissing fervently. Unabashed and focused solely on each other. Zara giggled in delight. Alec followed her gaze then flashed her a lustful grin. She didn't need it, but the majesty of Stoke Park gave love an even more magical luster. Come what may, the future seemed bright.

Thanks to everyone who has supported this story. I can't believe that something I originally conceived as a oneshot expanded to twelve installments! Please leave a review, so I know what you think of how I rounded out this story. I wouldn't continue writing if not for the readers. All encouragement, large and small, keeps me motivated and inspired - you're miraculous! If you want to connect on Twitter, see my profile.