A/N: I want to thank everyone who took this journey with me. I never thought I would find myself writing a Belle/Gaston pairing, but once I got started I couldn't stop. Thank you so much to all the people who have written me reviews and to everyone who's taken a look at this story. I especially want to thank PhantomsAngel1870, whose enthusiasm for this story was a wonderful surprise.

Chapter 20: His Little Wife

Gaston nervously pulled down the sleeve of his red waistcoat as he stood at the head of the church. He was broader than he had been in his teens and his old war uniform didn't fit the same way it had. He had offered to get a new suit made for the occasion. He wanted Belle to feel proud standing next to him on their wedding day, but she had insisted on the red coat. "You wooed me in that coat," she said. "I want to look back and picture you in it at our wedding." He still couldn't believe it was really happening. After all the false starts and all the setbacks, he and Belle were finally getting married.

Giselle had tried unsuccessfully to convince Belle to order her wedding dress while she was still in Marseille. Belle was adamant that her yellow dress from the ball would do. "What would I do with another fancy dress?" she argued. "It will only hang in my closet next to this one and I'll never wear either of them again." Then she said more softly, "Besides, I'm quite fond of this one. It's the nicest dress I've ever owned and I'll be proud to wear it on my wedding day. Who says a wedding dress has to be white anyway? It's only been in fashion since the English queen wore white at her wedding. I don't care one bit what they say in England. After all, this is France, and I'm going to wear whatever color suits me."

"An admirable display of patriotism," said Giselle, "But I still wish you'd let me buy you something. Shopping with you is such a bore."

"And you'll have to find a new pet to bore you after I'm gone."

"Nonsense! You were never a pet. You were more like the sister I never had."

"An embarrassingly ill-mannered sister who was never dressed appropriately."

"Exactly."

"But you and Francois will be there on the big day?"

"I'm not sure, my dear. My physician doesn't recommend travel in my condition."

"In your condition? Oh, Giselle! That's wonderful news! When are you due?"

"In about five months. I can hardly believe it myself. We've been married for over five years. I'd almost given up hope of children."

"You should never lose hope. I felt like my life was over when my father got sick and look at me now. I've never been so happy."

"Do you mean that, my dear? I love my brother, but he can be difficult to live with."

"So can I. I think we're well suited. I don't know why I didn't see it sooner."

"Well, maybe there's something there that wasn't there before."

"That's exactly what I think! I'm a different woman than I was when he first asked to court me. That was before my father deteriorated. I remember it like it just happened. I'd just had another run-in with some villagers over something or other. Villenueve isn't very progressively minded, you know. It's funny. I don't remember any of the particulars leading up to it, but I remember our conversation exactly. After he told everyone giving me trouble to go home, Gaston said, 'I was pretty great back there, wasn't I? It was like being back in command during the war.'

I remember rolling my eyes and thinking, here we go. 'That was twenty years ago, Gaston.'

'Sad, I know. Belle, I'm sure you think I have it all, but there's something I'm missing.'

'I can't imagine.'

'A wife. You're not really living until you see yourself reflected in someone else's eyes.'

'And you can see yourself in mine?'

'We're both fighters.'

'All I wanted was to help a child.'

'The only children you should concern yourself with are your own.'

'I'm not ready to have children.'

'Maybe you haven't met the right man.'

'It's a small village. I've met them all.'

'Maybe you should take a second look.'

'I have.'

'Maybe you should take a third look. Some of us have changed.'

'We could never make each other happy. No one can change that much.'

'Belle, do you know what happens to spinsters in our village after their fathers die? They beg for change in the street, like poor Agatha. This is our world. It doesn't get any better.'

And that's how our first conversation ended. After I realized what a wonderful man your brother really is, he threw those same words back in my face. I remember wishing I could bite my tongue off."

"Unbelievable!" said Giselle. "I can't believe he ever won you over after that kind of a beginning. What was he thinking?"

"He certainly had his work cut out for him after that, but he was right in a way. In hindsight, I think it was less about trying to frighten me into marrying him and more about trying to tell me what a cruel place the world could really be. He was trying to make me see that life isn't a fairytale and waiting around for a prince who would never come meant that I would end up alone."

"And now you feel like you've found your prince?"

"Now I feel like I'll be happier with a farmer."

"Good girl. It's better not to set your expectations too high."

Gaston cleared his throat nervously as the music began to play. He had a recurring nightmare where Belle stood him up at the altar and it was doing nothing to help his insomnia. If the circles under his eyes were a bit deeper from lack of sleep, the lines around his mouth and eyes were deeper, too, from smiling more. He had smiled and laughed more in the week since he and Belle announced their engagement than any other time he could remember. He didn't even mind spending time with Giselle. Usually he found a few hours in sister's company irksome, but she seemed to genuinely happy for him and Belle had so thoroughly won her over that even her company was pleasing.

Belle appeared at the back of the church and his heart stopped. She looked stunning in her yellow ballgown with her hair done halfway up on the back of her head. Her yellow gloves and necklace complimented the dress perfectly. He should have known that she wouldn't wear white. She was never one to follow fads. He half expected her to insist on getting married in her favorite blue frock. He hoped he didn't disappoint her in his red army uniform. Although there were times he missed the man he was twenty years ago, he knew that the man he was today could truly make her a good husband.

At the start of the music, Belle made her way down the aisle alone. With her father unable to give her away, she had decided that she would do the honors unaccompanied. She might have asked Pere Robert, but he was performing the ceremony and there was no one else she was really close to. She smiled as she passed Count Adam and Plumette in the pews. She didn't feel particularly close to them either, but she wanted them to be able to go somewhere together without having to hide their relationship. Plumette gave her a wide grin as she walked by and she knew that her true motives were appreciated. Belle felt her cheeks grow warm as she approached the front of the church. It was nice to see the familiar face of Pere Robert smiling down at her.

Belle wasn't the type of girl who'd been planning her wedding since she was a child. She hadn't thought about it at all until very recently and mostly at Giselle's prodding. Even as a little girl, she had figured she would be just as married regardless of what the ceremony looked like. She was happy with her choice and she couldn't help, but feel a sense of pride that Gaston couldn't seem to take his eyes off her as Pere Robert read the vows. Gaston even had the decency to try to put his army days behind him with a new waistcoat, but she had insisted on his red captain's uniform. The army was such a big part of who he was. She didn't want him to give up part of himself to be with her, just like he wasn't asking her to give up her past to be with him. She had felt a twinge of regret that Maurice wasn't there when she started walking down the aisle, but she didn't think she could bear it if he caused a scene. Most days she took her father's madness in stride. It was part of her reality, so her feelings about it had little consequence. On her wedding day, she allowed herself a little self-pity and a little denial. She needn't think about it today. It would keep until tomorrow. She took a deep steadying breath and reminded herself that even though he wasn't here, she would always be the inventor's daughter and from this day forward, she would be the farmer's wife, too.