A Week Later

It's going to be small. It's not going to be what she dreamed about...Eliza and Peggy aren't going to be there. But one thing is going to be right. It will be with the man she truly loves, a man of her dreams.

They had taken one of the simple dresses from the shop, the owner gave it to them for free after learning the full story. Hercules had added so much to it, it didn't look like the same dress, but it was beautiful.

He cinched the waist in more, and the made the bottom skirt poof out. He rimmed the waist around with crystals. On the top portion he had wrapped sheer fabric around it, adding flower designs. He added more stitching in various places, Angelica didn't know everything he did really. But she loved it more than anything.

*This was the closest dress I could find to match the description from 1800s*

She had invited some of the girls she knew from downtown. She met them because they were part of a group aiming to help elevate women's lives after the war. All of them came.

Currently, they're sitting around Angelica as they talked, putting make-up on her and doing her hair. The dress was on a mannequin in the side of the room. Someone opened the door and all of them looked that way.

Hercules stood at the door with a small box.

"He's alright girls." Angelica said, smiling. Herc walked in and over to them.

"This morning I realised we kinda forgot something." He said and handed her the box.

She opened it, a veil was inside. But it wasn't plain white. There was blue and pink designs through it, intersecting towards the end, moving together until the end.

"God damn it Herc you're going to make me cry and mess up my make-up before the wedding even starts." She said, her throat sounding tight as she looked down at the veil.

They laughed and he stayed there until they finished her hair and make-up. Then a few girls shooed him out despite her saying him staying was fine. They got her into the dress and put the veil on, covering her face.

"It's time." One of them whispered to her and Angelica smiled widely.

Angelica walked down the aisle, Hercules on her arm. He had taken the position since her father wasn't there. The "flower girl" was Lafayette. Angelica told him he didn't have to do that but he and Hercules insisted that he would.

Angelica stood in front of Alexander, smiling wider than she ever had. He reached forward, taking the veil that was in front of her face and flipping it backwards- then the doors flew open.

Eliza and Peggy ran in, Angelica almost fell to her knees right then and there.

They were here.

They ran forward to her and Angelica ran to meet them and they hugged, all of them sinking to their knees in a mix of tears and laughter.

"We got here as soon as we were able to. Father wouldn't let us." Peggy told her.

"Yeah, and sneaking out through the window is a lot harder than you made it seem." Eliza added.

Angelica laughed, "Maybe because you came in those big dresses- I always went out it small, slimmer ones."

"We wanted to be dressed for the occasion." Peggy explained.

"You certainly are. That dress is beautiful." Eliza said.

Angelica smiled, about to respond before Hercules walked up.

"That would be thanks to me. Now, are we going to put it to its purpose or not?"

They nodded, laughing, and got up. Angelica went and stood across from Alexander again, Eliza and Peggy lined up behind her. Pretty soon, it was time for vows.

"Angelica… I don't even know what to say. I've been trying to write this for two weeks and still, I don't know how to put everything I feel for you and how wonderful you are into words. You're beautiful and you have an even more beautiful mind. You're someone anyone can speak to. You have a way with words, not just writing but speaking, so eloquently. You're… angelic, an angel. I never thought I would get to be with a person like you, that someone like you could love a poor island boy. You took my breath away that night we met. From the moment I met you I wanted to know everything about you and to be there along the way. And now I get to do that. And I swear I will never do anything to hurt you. And I know if I mess up you'll either talk or slap some sense into me."

A few people laughed at the end.

"Alexander.. Well, I have to say we're in the same boat. I certainly have tried to think of what to say but every time I started to write something down I got distracted just thinking about how amazing you are. I felt so alive and free writing all those letters to you, and every time I got a new one my heart fluttered." She paused, glancing down, then at Herc, and back at Alex, "I never thought I'd get this. Get to be with someone I truly loved. I certainly never thought my childhood best friend would be the one to walk me down the aisle. But now that we're here, I can say that I wouldn't have it any other way. To get to be with someone as handsome, strong willed, intelligent, charming as you, and on top of that you actually listen to what I have to say- you're everything I dreamed of. When I was young I'd stare up at the stars dreaming of what my husband might be like- then on the winters ball I went out to the balcony and stared up at the stars thinking of you, only to have you come out after me and we talked even more. After that night I was hardly ever able to sleep, fantasizing at night about you. But now I don't have to fantasize. And let me just say, I'd take a poor island boy who loves me over a stuck up rich man any day."

The "I do"s were said, the rings were put on. Then they kissed, both some of the girls and boys hollered. When they broke away both were smiling widely.

Everything was perfect.

Angelica and Alexander were satisfied.