Maggie knocked on the door and Daryl swung the door open for her and Glenn. Maggie and Juliet were going out shopping for Maggie's wedding dress and Glen and Daryl were meeting Rick in town for a suit fitting. The wedding was in three months, and Glen had asked Herschel's permission to buy Maggie a ring just three weeks ago. He did it the old fashioned way, gaining the father's consent and the wedding was going to be on the family Farm.
It was sweet and traditional and the girls were all excited to be going out that day. Daryl was thinking about weddings and his own belief that marriage and true monogamy wasn't possible when he realized he hadn't been interested in anyone in a long time.
Glenn drove and as they approached the Green farm on their way out of town he was reminded of the night with Juliet when they stood at a crossroad in their friendship and he had chickened out.
Just passed the farm was the tree Juliet crashed into, on the worst night of his life, when at seventeen he realized that life without her would have no meaning for him. He didn't know what it was like to love another person at that age.
He had no frame of reference to know what was friendship and what was romance, not with her. He had to be careful, until he knew what real love was he wasn't taking a chance.
How do you even learn what love is when you don't feel safe with the people who are supposed to love you the most. His parents had damaged him and he didn't miss them at all. Merle and Juliet were all he needed.
Some nights he tossed and turned all night long knowing she was just across the hall. He loved living with her and he hated living with her. It had stirred up things that he wanted to leave alone forever. It made him want things he didn't know if he should have or could have.
Maybe one day he wouldn't be so afraid, but it wasn't this day and it didn't look like it was going to be any day soon. It wasn't that he didn't trust her with his heart, he trusted her above all others, but maybe it was too late, maybe he was permanently friend-zoned.
Maggie held the bottle of her father's wine up and smiled at Daryl. "Dad sent this to you." She said and he was immediately reminded of that night that he and Juliet had gotten trashed and said all those things to each other. He wasn't touching that bottle with a ten-foot pole. God only knew what would come out of his mouth this time.
He smiled and accepted the wine and said "Thank you" to Maggie and let them in the door. Juliet came down the stairs with Emily and handed her to Daryl, leaving a little kiss on the baby's head. She was growing like a weed and her hair was curly strawberry blonde, just like Juliet's. She was adorable, and the apple of everyone's eye.
"You sure this is ok." She said. "We can wait for Bella to get back."
"Aint my first rodeo, we'll be fine." Daryl replied. "Here's some wine for you and Mags later." He handed it to her and for a second his fingers brushed against hers and he knew she was thinking what he had been thinking. Neither one of them were big drinkers and likely the last time they drank together was at Maggie's grad party which was years ago.
They had been drinking Hershel's magic wine that made you tell the truth that night and he knew it was just wine, but he wasn't taking any chances.
She lifted her eyes to his as she took the bottle. "I love this wine, thanks Mags." She looked over at Maggie as she set it down on the table. "Let's have some tonight out on the deck when we get back."
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Daryl and Glenn to Emily with them to their appointment because having a baby while trying to try on wedding and bridesmaid dresses was not going to fly. Rick met them at the store and in about twenty minutes they had picked out three suits for them to wear.
Two hours later Maggie and Juliet were still trying on dresses and the guys just went back home to start dinner.
Men were not as complicated when it came to wedding attire, but of course Maggie was getting the last word on it all. But for now they had accomplished something at least.
Emily sat in a back pack apparatus on Daryl's back the entire time in the store. She waved at everyone and drank her bottle like she always did and once in a while she pulled his hair to make sure he was still there. She was getting too big for the sling now and most of the time he carried her like this now or sometimes took the stroller.
When they got home Bella was back from work and she took Emily and put her down for her nap. Soon Maggie and Juliet came back without dresses, but with many ideas. They all ate out on the back deck and sat and talked long into the night.
The baby monitor was on the table as they started to play cards and Juliet opened the bottle of wine. She grabbed glasses and poured four out, sitting them in front of each of them.
Bella was underage and even though Daryl and Juliet and their guests all drank underage, Bella was not allowed even a sip. She didn't care, wine gave her a headache anyway.
An hour later, Juliet had two glasses and Daryl was hardly sipping his and he had gotten a glass of water to drink instead. Maggie and Glenn were going to spend the night because Glenn's face was red as a beet by this time and Daryl was teasing him mercilessly.
None of them were big drinkers but getting behind the wheel with even one drink was out of the question for them.
Juliet got up to go into the kitchen for snacks and she was gone for a few minutes. Maggie got up to go look for her but Daryl beat her to it. He found her in the kitchen staring at her phone and she was crying. He was at her side in a second and he had his arms around her even faster.
"What's the matter sweetheart?" He whispered to her as she let herself be totally taken into his arms, she fit perfectly, but they knew that already. He had hugged her before and sometimes if she was upset he called her sweetheart, but it wasn't something he was aware of.
"My Mom just sent me a text, about Bella's birthday." She started to say. "Asking if I was making the cake and she's sending her gifts UPS."
Daryl was rubbing her back by now and she was full on bawling now. He was getting worried that there was some kind of bad news coming. Juliet and Bella would not make it if something happened to their parents.
"Yeah, it's going to be here before we know it." He said. "But it's a good thing right? Our baby is growing up." He joked with her. "Is everything alright down in Florida?"
"She said." Juliet looked up at him. "That she's proud of me." Juliet said and dissolved into buckets of tears now.
"That all?" He said and she nodded her head. "Well, shit of course she's proud of you, we all are." He whispered to her. "You're doing a great job here."
"Are you really?" She asked. "Because that means so much to me Daryl, you don't even know."
He held her for a few minutes and continued rubbing his hand over her back until she relaxed.
"You always get a little emotional when you drink, you wanna go back outside, get some air?" He asked, leaning back on the kitchen counter.
She looked up at him with clear eyes and brought her face within inches of his face. He watched her eyes dart down towards his lips, he knew if he moved closer by even just an inch he would get to taste her lips again. She was throwing out signals and he wanted to, god damn he did.
But she had been drinking and he wasn't letting it happen like this. He stepped back and took her by the hand and led her back out onto the deck. They sat down and Daryl grabbed his glass of wine and downed it in one long gulp.
"Trying to get yaself sick." Maggie said as he put the glass back down on the table.
After a while they called it a night and Maggie and Glenn were settled in a guest room down stairs. Juliet and Daryl checked on Emily, who was sleeping. She grabbed ahold of his hand as they watched the baby sleep.
"I couldn't do this without you." She whispered in the darkness. "Thank you."
"You aint got to thank me." He said.
"Yes I do." She turned and kissed his cheek. "I love you, you know?" She said and walked out of the room, leaving him there with his thoughts, and wondering why every time they drank Hershel's truth wine he learned something new about her.
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Juliet woke up with a hangover and a start, the sun was shining in her window and it was way too bright. She flopped back on the pillows and listened to the baby monitor. She could hear Daryl singing to Emily, which was not new. He would sit in the rocking chair in the baby's room and sing or read to her when she woke up early in the morning.
She heard Bella coming up the stairs and knew she was bringing Daryl a bottle for Emily. They were both so sweet to let her sleep in this once.
Juliet pulled the blankets back over her and rolled towards the monitor.
She smiled to herself listening to him sing "My Girl" to Emily and thought about the night before. She knew she had told him and then left the room before he could answer her. Whatever she had thought she felt for Gareth was nothing like what she felt for this man.
I got so much honey the bees envy me, I got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees
She knew about his past and they had history together and sometimes she knew that they belonged together. It felt right, living with him and maybe someday sharing a bed. She knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't risk it with her unless he was completely sure she returned his feelings.
She did feel that way about him, now for sure and maybe all her life.
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Next chapter you all wont be mad at me anymore :)