(Thanks for reading and reviewing. An Amber Pen, that's an interesting thought on Maggie instead of Glenn. I hope both of them are fine. I hadn't considered that plot twist. I am very anxious that one of the Atlanta five are going to be killed off this season. I also am somewhat worried about that Cherokee Rose Easter egg. I want to be hopeful that it means something good for the pair, but my pessimistic side won't let me think that way. It has me worried that it is a bad omen. I swear, these two months waiting are going to give me anxiety, haha. Anyway, that has nothing to do with this story, but my friends and boyfriend don't get into this show as much as I do and I can't discuss my theories with them so I figured I'd rant about it on here. Oh, and I don't own the walking dead or any wedding vow I put in here.)
Carol was six months pregnant now and today was the day that she and Daryl were going to get married. They'd gone back and forth on a date. She didn't want to be about to pop when they got married and both wanted to get married before the baby came. They figured that they'd be so busy with two kids that it wouldn't leave much time to plan or have a wedding. They had decided not to have a huge wedding, just one with their closest friends and family. Carol was going to be walked down the aisle by Sophia, Lori was going to be her maid of honor, Tara a bridesmaid, Rick a groomsmen and Merle was Daryl's best man. Lori, Judith, Carl, Shane, Andrea, Maggie, Glenn, Dale, T-Dog, Abraham, Rosita, Oscar, Michonne, Tara, Herschel, and Beth were all there in attendance. Father Gabriel, the man who married Glenn and Maggie was officiating the ceremony. They had decided to get married in Rick's backyard, because that's really where their relationship began. It's where they first met and that house was where they first got to know each other.
"How you feeling?" Rick asked Daryl as he entered the apartment downstairs where his friend was getting ready.
"I'm nervous as hell." Daryl admitted. He was standing in front of a mirror fumbling with his tie in the room that used to be Carol's when she lived down here.
"Pre-wedding jitters?"
"I just don't wanna stand up in front of all those people. Daryl shrugged as he continued to struggle with the tie.
"Need some help with that?" Rick asked as he stepped towards his friend.
Daryl snatched the tie off and handed it to Rick. He bit his lower lip and sighed. "Stupid damn tie."
"It's okay to be nervous you know?" Rick told him. "Most everyone is, you saw Glenn on his wedding day."
Daryl nodded. "I just, I want this to be perfect for her, ya know?" "When I first started planning to ask her to marry me I'd figured we'd get married on our year…..if she wanted to…and I didn't think she'd be six months pregnant when we got married. I wanted her to have everything she didn't the last time she did this."
"Well, sometimes things happen that we don't plan on. Like me breaking down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and having to get some motorcycle riding stranger with a crossbow to fix my radiator hose."
"Hmmm."
"She loves you and I've never seen her happier. Marrying you today is what she considers perfect. It wouldn't matter where that happened or what day it happened or the circumstances. It's not exactly how you planned it, but it's just how it's supposed to be." Rick said as he finished tying the tie and gave his friend a slap on the back.
()()()
"You look beautiful." Lori said with a smile as Carol stepped out of Lori's bathroom wearing her wedding dress.
"I feel huge." Carol said as she placed a hand on her belly.
"You're not. You're gorgeous. Daryl Jr there is just making sure his presence is known too." Maggie said with a smile as she placed a hand on her friend's belly. "Oh my God!" "Did he just kick me?" She squealed.
Carol let out a laugh. "Yeah, I don't think he's feeling Daryl Jr as a name."
"Do you have a name yet?" Maggie asked.
She shook her head. "No. That would require us liking the same name."
"That's why we let Carl name Judith." Lori laughed.
"Sophia's into all these hipster names so far. I don't see Daryl going for any of those. Hopefully we will all three agree on a name soon."
"You could always let Merle pick." Andrea suggested with a smirk
That instantly earned a laugh from all the women in the room.
"So, are you nervous?" Lori asked her friend.
Carol cocked her head to the side and thought about it for a second. "Not really." She said. "With Ed, I had this feeling of dread. I just knew it wasn't right, but I went through with it anyway. I don't have that with Daryl. We ground each other, calm each other down. If I'm upset, he can calm me down and if he's upset I calm him down. We're good for each other. I trust him and I wanna spend the rest of my life with him. I thought I'd be more upset about getting married while I am pregnant, like it'd be a flashback or a bad omen, but it's not. I couldn't be happier to be having a child with him."
()()()
Merle and Tara walked down the aisle together and as he joined his brother at the altar he couldn't help but notice how fidgety he was and that he was chewing at his bottom lip. "You ain't thinking bout taking off are ya?" He whispered.
"Hell no." Daryl countered.
Father Gabriel raised his eyebrows at the men and gave them a disapproving look.
"Sorry." Daryl mumbled and the looked over at Merle and scowled. As he was turning his head back to the people seated out in front of him, he heard the music start to play. Suddenly Carol appeared and was being brought down the aisle by Sophia. He froze in place. He was taken away by how beautiful she looked in her dress. He watched her intently and her eyes met his. A smile played at the edge of her lips as she walked down to meet him. He couldn't help but smile too as he looked at the two girls he loved most in the world.
"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" Father Gabriel asked once Sophia and Carol reached the altar.
"I do." Sophia said proudly
Carol looked at her daughter and smiled and walked up to join Daryl at the altar. Sophia followed and stood behind her mother. Daryl reached out and grabbed one of her hands in his and placed another on her belly. A small tear slid down her cheek and she let out a nervous laugh.
"You may all be seated." Father Gabriel said. "Friends, we have joined here today to share with Carol and Daryl in an important moment in their lives. Today these two will be joined in matrimony. This union is not to be entered into lightly, instead reverently, passionately, lovingly, and solemnly. Into this, these two have come to be joined. The ceremony of marriage in which you have come to be united is one of the first and oldest in the world, first celebrated in the beginning in the presence of God himself. Marriage is a gift in which we give ourselves totally to one another. The blending of two hearts, the union of two lives into one. This marriage must stand by the strength and power of the faith and love you have in one another and also in the love you have for your children as well. Since you two are already holding hands," He chuckled, "I now ask that you share your vows with all of us here today.
Daryl took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "Carol, I believe in you, the person you will grow to be and the couple we will be together. Today, I take you as my wife and I promise to acknowledge your strengths and faults as you do mine. I promise to always be faithful and supportive, and to always make our family's love and happiness my top priority. I'll be yours for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, in failure and triumph. I'll always walk beside you, whatever our lives may bring. You and our kids are my life, today and always." He managed to get the entire thing out, although his voice was soft and low and his hands were shaking the entire time.
Carol was smiling while tears of happiness trailed down her face. She took a breath and moved her shoulder up to wipe her eyes, all the while making sure their hands stayed intertwined. "Daryl, you're my best friend, my confidant, my lover, my partner. You're the father of our unborn son and by choice you're a father my daughter, one she never had. With you I have found comfort, joy and peace from the chaos of the outside world. Today, I marry the man of my dreams and we start the first day of the rest of our life. I promise to hold you forever in my heart, to love you, to be faithful to you, to be your partner and to always be your best friend.
"At this time, Daryl and Carol will place rings upon each other's fingers as a symbol of their love and bond everlasting.
Daryl turned to look at Merle expected the ring. Merle patted his pockets repeatedly and looked freaked out for a minute. Daryl's face fell and then Merle smirked and pulled out the ring and placed it in his little brothers hand. "Just messing with ya." Merle said.
Daryl took the ring and gave his brother a slight smirk and shook his head. "I, Daryl Dixon, give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment to you." He said as he carefully placed the ring on her finer. After the ring was there his blue eyes met hers.
Lori turned to Carol with tears in her eyes and handed her his ring. "I, Carol Peletier, give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment to you." She said as she placed the ring upon his finger. She locked her eyes back on his and they smiled at one another.
"At this time, Daryl, Carol and Sophia are going to come up and light these candles, which symbolize the joining of them into a family. Daryl came up and lit the candle on the right and Carol lit the one on the left. Sophia came up and joined them and as a family they lit the candle in the middle.
"Now, by the power vested in my by the state of Georgia, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Daryl grabbed her and pulled her into him. One hand was placed carefully around her lower back the other cupped the back of her head. He kissed her tenderly, but passionately, not caring that all of their friends and family were watching. When he broke apart the kiss, he rested his forehead on hers. "I love ya." He said.
"I love you too." She said as she nuzzled against him.
"Ladies and gentleman, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Dixon." Father Gabriel stated.
