"What is this, a cult?" Daryl asked, looking at the set up.

Alexandria was holding its first group wedding. Apparently, several people had expressed the wish to get married, and since they would never have enough food to entertain a bunch of different receptions for as many weddings, it had been decided that there would be one big ceremony where each couple would be wedded, and then, a common reception.

"You're just pissed off you never mentioned to Carol that you were not against the idea of marrying her," Michonne laughed, punching him in the ribs.

"Watcha talking about?" Daryl asked, doing that thing where he wasn't blushing but if he could he would be crimson red.

"Come on. You can pretend with the guys but not with me, or the other girls of our clan on this matter."

"What...?"

"We have noticed that you and Carol have been sharing a room. We know that you wait till nobody is around and then you slip in her room like no big deal, and then you slip out in the morning, before the others get up, like no big deal again. Except it is a big deal, otherwise you wouldn't be waiting for us to be away when you did it."

He didn't say anything, which was very much the same as him trying to deny it adamantly using way too many words and too many arguments for anybody to not see the truth he would have tried to hide with protests.

"I saw your crossbow in Carol's room when you had that day off, and I needed to borrow shampoo. None of you were in the room, but the bed was unmade the way it gets when two people sleep in it. Maggie told me condoms seem to be disappearing from the stash, not that she's counting them or anything. She just was worried Rick may have been too late in giving Carl the talk. Rosita and Tara saw you exit Carol's room, and Carol apparently kissed you goodbye in nothing but a sheet. Hell, we've started referring to Carol's room as the lovebirds' room, because you can pretend all you want, we can see it. Sasha says the last time she went on a run with you, you were smelling like Carol's shampoo."

"What is it, the fucking inquisition?" Daryl asked, flushed, and annoyed, but more obviously just caught off guard.

"I never asked a question," Michonne said. "I'm just stating facts."

"Nobody asked you to!" Daryl exclaimed, before going away.

Michonne felt bad, for all of five seconds. She had spoken the truth. Hell, she even had more proofs up her sleeves but she had kept them to herself in order to not embarrass him too much. According to Tara, Daryl made noises during sex. Tara had changed bedroom the night after she had made that discovery but still, she could tell. There were more proofs, and Michonne hoped Daryl wouldn't take it out on Carol. The two of them were so private, she hadn't been surprised they had never made a big announcement about them deciding to share a bed.

Though Michonne did wonder how none of the guys had seen it happen. Maybe it was true what they said, about woman's instinct and all? There had been so many clues to pick up on.

And there was also the fact that Carol had been completely chill when Michonne had tried talking to her about her bedfellow. She hadn't said that Michonne was right, but she had given her that look, which said "good job", and more. Carol conveyed more in her demeanor than she sometimes did with words, unless she was trying to scare a grown man shitless.

Michonne was surprised to see that Rick had appeared next to her. He was watching the couples arriving to the ceremony point. All of them were wearing their best suits and dresses, and quite frankly, Michonne found it a bit disturbing that when warned about the impending zombie contagion, some of the survivors had decided to grab wedding dresses which had to be family heirlooms in their baggage. That would have been the last thing she would have packed. Then again, it was not like she had received an engraved invitation to the Apocalypse.

"What is this," Rick said, "a cult?"

"Déjà vu." Michonne said, with a smile.

"I'm not criticizing, I'm just... Wait what?"

Michonne had seen it too. Amongst the would be grooms and brides, a new couple had made their arrival and were clashing with the rest of the participants. Carol was still wearing her apron and Daryl was just dressed as he always was. Yet, they took their places in the ranks, sharing some secretive smile.

Daryl looked at Michonne who slapped Rick on the thigh.

"Get everybody here ASAP! We have a wedding to celebrate!"

She jumped off the porch where she had been sitting, and went to gather their troops. Rick just stared.

Maybe, when the next group wedding happened... Michonne shook her head. It was too early to even think about that. She told Tara about Daryl and Carol being part of the cult wedding, and the news spread like wildfire.

Carol removed her apron and tossed it to Michonne who in turn gave her a very poor bouquet the girls had put together in the few minutes before. If they were going to do this, they would do this right.

Deanna almost had a heart attack when she saw them all arrive, in dirty or just average clothes, but that was who they were.

The leader married each couple at a time, and none got a bigger cheer than Carol and Daryl. He kissed his new wife, and the women clapped in their clan, while the men were talking amongst themselves "did you see that coming?" "No, did you?"

Michonne and Maggie shared a smile then went to congratulate the newlyweds.

"So..." Maggie said.

"Yeah," Carol answered, with glee in her eyes.

"Yeah." Daryl echoed.

Then he grabbed her and kissed her again.

When they let go, he looked at Michonne and repeated:

"Yeah."

"A man of so many words, be still my heart," Michonne joked.

"Are you sure you're not related to Shakespeare or Milton perhaps?" Maggie joked along.

They went back to their group, happily. Carol and Daryl held hands and didn't say anything.

"When did that happen?" Abraham asked.

"Oh. My. God." Rosita exploded. "It's been happening for so long, you should get your eyes checked."

"Or your ears," Tara said.

It was all in good fun though, and a cult-like wedding it may have started to be, but the moment two of their own had joined, the moment it had just become true and romantic and more. Michonne laughed with Maggie, sipping bad champagne, imagining how Daryl had convinced Carol to marry him. Maybe she would learn that truth one day.