~Three years later~

Clara rushed through the castle in her lightest clothes, she was on Eugene duty until it was time for the wedding and she had yet to see either he or Rapunzel. As she ran down the hall with the kitchen and as she passed the big door leading there, someone caught her arm and turned her around. Clara came face to face with James.

"James, now is not the time-" he quickly placed a finger to her lips to stop her.

"Clara, if you'd listen to me before starting, you would know I've got Eugene busy in the kitchen tasting different foods for later and that it should take him until noon when he has to get ready." James explained and Clara blushed. She didn't quite expect to be shushed.

"Why didn't you find me sooner?" She tried to hide her pink cheeks from him by starting to turn as if she were really mad.

He sighed, "I've had him since before you woke up, didn't anyone tell you?"

"No, I was supposed to be on Eugene duty." She pouted, it was going to be the longest day of her life. Clara needed the distraction that Eugene could provide.

"You're not really mad about not being told," James asserted "You're nervous about seeing your parents for the first time in ten years, and that's a reasonable response. But I want you to go and get ready to meet them at the dock." Eugene popped his head out the kitchen door.
"James, you're not going to believe what Frank did, I think he really messed up something?" Eugene says looking guilty of something.
"Oh no!" James runs back into the kitchen only to quickly pop back out "I'll see you later Clara."

"So," Eugene just stands there staring at the floor. Clara just watches him.
"Anxious?" She asks in return.
He thought on it a moment then answered "More worried about you," Clara blushed slightly at that. "I mean you get to see your parents for the first time in what is it ten years? And you're more worried about the wedding and keeping everyone else happy." He says to her.
"It's not my day Eugene, it's yours and Rapunzel's." Clara's eye drop.
"I want you to go wait at the dock for them," Eugene says after a moment of silence. "Clara you get the chance to see your parents again, that's something I can't let you miss." He took her gently by the shoulder turned her back the way she had come, and gave her a slight push "Now go on and we'll see you at the wedding." And as she looked back he waved her on. With a huff she stomped off back to her room to get dressed to go to the docks.

She changed into her bright purple silk maid of honor's dress and wore a cloak to keep as much of the salty air off the gown as possible. She waited for an hour, and by then it was time for her to help Rapunzel finish getting ready. "Can you please send for me as soon as the king and queen of Arendell arrive?" She asked the dock-man in charge of helping unload the boats for the wedding.

"Of course Princess Clara." He responded in a gruff voice.

"Thank you," She smiled and ran off. 'They have to be coming, they're going to take me home, we're all grown now." Clara mused to herself fearing the worst.

Clara watched as her Aunt placed the vale carefully on Rapunzel's head adjusting it so that it flowed perfectly over her. "Perfect" Aunt Primrose beamed, gushing over her beautiful daughter. Clara nodded in agreement. Rapunzel was radiant, as any bride should be. "It's time."

Clara was the third person down the aisle after the flower "girl", Pascal, and the ring bearer, Maximus. As Clara was walking she noticed the look on Eugene's face, it was a mix of hope, happiness and awe, something Clara never wanted to see him without. Her smile grew when his did. He wanted so badly to know how seeing her parents went but he couldn't ask her now, not until the wedding was over. Everyone turned to look at Rapunzel when the wedding march started. She really was a beautiful girl, 'anyone would have been lucky to marry her.' Clara thought with a growing smile. She even thought she'd heard Eugene express awe at Rapunzel's beauty.

The day had gone without fault, well except that the ship from Arendell had never arrived. Clara sat by the fire that night curled up with her tea, and though her eyes were drooping and she was ready for sleep, Clara refused to let herself be swallowed by the urge. If she fell asleep now, that would mean the day was over, and if the day were over that would mean no hope of having her family back. Maybe it was time to let that idea go all together, there never would be a time where she can go back to the way things were.
While she had been thinking, James had entered the room, tears staining his cheeks, not even from the sadness of death, but the sadness of what he had to tell Clara. "Oh, hello James," She smiled placing her cup and saucer on the table next to her. She nearly hopped off the couch excited that someone was there to keep her company. When she saw his face her smile faded and fear weighed her heart down. "What happened?" Her voice croaked.
He just looked at her, his eyes cold and sorrowful, "Clara I'm so sorry-"
"No," was all she could say because she knew what was coming and it couldn't be true.

"Clara, please listen to me," He begged softly, Clara shook her head and backed away from James.

"You're lying!" She yelled and ran past him. She ran past everyone she saw, everyone that greeted her, all the way to the harbor where they were supposed to arrive. She sat and waited, for what she didn't know, but she would wait until they arrived and saw her.
"Clara," James's voice drifted to her after an hour of sitting. "Please come back to the palace." He begged.
"No, they're coming" She replied much like a stubborn child. Then he did the last thing she expected, James sat next to her, took her hand, and brought her head to his shoulder. "They-" She stopped tears falling, "James I'm- I'm never going to see them again." She sobbed into his chest. He just held her, rubbing circles in her back.

By the next afternoon arrangements were made for Clara to return to Arendell and she packed all her things. It took her hours to do so mainly because she looked through all of her belongings, sorting what she actually wanted to bring with her. Then she happened upon something in the bottom of her chest, something she hadn't seen in five years at least. It was a book tied together with hair ribbons, on the cover was written "My Adventures with Clara and Elsa By Anna age 5". Gingerly she flipped through the book, inside were drawings that showed Clara, Anna, and Elsa playing in the snow, or running around the castle and making up stories about the different knick knacks around their home. The last page had a note written, "No matter how far you go, we will always love you. Mama and Papa." It was something she had never seen, and it made her stomach turn. She quickly shut the book and buried it in her luggage.

James walked her to the docks, as well as helped her load her luggage on. They were silent during this whole time. Something hung in the air, whether it was the unsaid goodbye, or the fact that they may never see one another again. James noted that Clara now wore her hair twisted into an intricate bun, instead of the usual slightly pulled back style. He didn't like that she needed to wear her hair this way. He wanted to say something but thought it would be better not to push her.

Then it was time, Rapunzel and Eugene came to wish her a found farewell. Rapunzel squeezed Clara into a hug, Eugene gave her a longer hug than either Rapunzel or James thought he would and stood back as she and James said their goodbye. Clara grabbed him into a hug, the tightest she'd ever given. Letting him go now was too much, 'he could come with me, there's always room in the Kitchen.' She bargained, but knew that it couldn't happen.
"Come with me." She whispered still in the comfortable hug.
"You know I can't" He sighed, tightening the hug further. "I need to stay here, my life is here."
"All aboard!" The familiar words called, this would be the second time leaving her home. "All aboard!" The bells clanged and it broke Clara's heart to have James let her go. With her head hanging low she walked onto the ship. She turns to face her family one last time. Rapunzel and Eugene stood close together, holding one another as man and wife should in such a time of tragedy. But James was nowhere to be found, 'he's gone.' A gasp escaped her throat, even though a lump had formed there, and as she was going to give up hope that she would be able to see James ever again,
"I lied." Came his voice from behind. "My life is anywhere you go." Clara stayed facing the shore. "Aren't you going to say something?" He questions waiting hopefully for an answer.
"You're such an ass!" She exclaims turning on her heel to face him. Clara walks right up to him and gets in his face. "You had me thinking you left, just so you could make some kind of gesture saying that…" She stops mid sentence realizing what he meant to do. "Oh…" She blushed. "But that was still dumb of you." She chides not knowing what else to say.
"Well it's dumb of you to wear your hair like that." He replies in much the same tone.

"No, this is how I'm supposed to wear it, this is how a princess wears their hair!" She asserted. "James this is how I was taught to wear it." Clara softened, he just looked at the hurt in her eyes.
"Okay," He nodded "If that's what you want then it's fine with me." She smiled for the first time since she'd heard about her parents, and James's smile grew. The ship left the dock and the two were on their way to Arendell.