The town
"No! I ain't goin' in there!" Daryl said as he, Carl, Rick and Glenn stood in front of the clothing store and he crossed his arms over his chest.
"We need suits for the wedding," Glenn explained.
"I ain't wearin' a suit!"
"Daryl…," Rick said with a sigh.
Snorting a breath of air, Daryl followed them into the clothing store and they cautiously moved around the room. Rick checked behind the counter when he nodded and Daryl moved to the left and Glenn moved to the right.
The clothing store was clear of Walkers as they placed their weapons away and Glenn walked to one of the suit racks. He looked through the racks with pants and suit jackets until he found something he thought would fit him and he smiled. He folded the black pants and suit jacket over his right arm as he found a white shirt in his size and a dark tie. He noticed there were not shoes on the shelves as he sighed then he headed for the door. He went outside when he placed the clothes in the back of the SUV and he closed the door. He leaned against the SUV as he looked over at the bridal shop across the street and he resisted the urge to go see which wedding dress Maggie had picked.
Inside the clothing shop, Rick looked through the pants and suit jackets until he found his size, picked out a tie and a white shirt he thought would fit and he nodded his head. He folded the pants and suit jacket over his left arm and he smiled and he headed for Carl.
"Hey, Dad, will you help me find something to wear?" Carl asked.
"Sure," Rick said. He helped Carl find a pair of pants, a white shirt, a suit jacket and a dark tie and Carl held the clothes in his arms.
Looking to his left, Rick saw Daryl standing in front of the rack of pants when Rick walked to him and Daryl frowned.
"I hate suits. Reminds me of the times Merle an' I had to wear one when we went to court," Daryl grumbled.
"This is the first time you've mentioned Merle in months," Rick said.
"Been thinkin' about him. Sometimes, I just wanna get on my bike an' go look fer him. Thing is, I don't know where to start," Daryl said.
"Sorry we never did that."
"Ain't no big deal. I'm used to him bein' gone."
"Still hurts. Not knowing where he is."
Daryl wondered about the odd look in Rick's eyes when Rick looked at the rack of pants and he removed two pair of pants, holding them out to Daryl.
"Think these'll fit?" Rick asked. Daryl looked at the sizes when he shook his head then Daryl looked through the pants. He knew his size when he found three pair of pants and he folded the pants over his right arm. He found a suit jacket he liked and two white shirts, but he glared at Rick when Rick held out the dark tie.
"No," Daryl grumbled.
"Come on. You have to wear one," Rick explained. Sighing, Daryl took the tie and they headed for the exit. They walked outside when they walked to the SUV and they placed the clothes in the back of the SUV.
"Hey! Turn around!" Patricia called out after she left the bridal shop and they looked at her.
"Why?" Glenn asked.
"Just turn around!"
"I think it's so we don't see the wedding gowns Carol and Maggie picked out," Rick said.
"Oh."
Rick, Carl, Glenn and Daryl turned around while Patricia led Carol, Lori, Sophia and Maggie to the van and Carol and Maggie held onto the wedding gowns they picked out. Sophia was holding the flower girl dress she picked out and they placed the dresses in the van.
"Ok, you can turn around," Patricia said. They turned around as she got into the van and she closed the door. She started the engine then she put the van in gear and Carol waved to Daryl while the van headed down the street.
"Let's go," Rick said. They got in the SUV as Rick started the engine after they closed the doors and he put the SUV in gear. Daryl looked out the window while the SUV went down the street and he sighed.
The Greene Farm
The van and the SUV came to a stop near the front of the farmhouse when the doors opened and they got out of the van and the SUV.
"How did it go?" Lori asked, walking to Rick.
"Took a little talking to, but I got him to get a suit," Rick said and she looked at Carl. "I mean Daryl."
Lori softly laughed as Daryl headed for the van, but Carol held her hands out for him to stop.
"No peeking," Carol said.
"I ain't gonna peek," Daryl said as he leaned closer and she was surprised that he wanted to kiss her with everyone looking. She slid her arms around his waist as he kissed her and he ignored the giggles from Carl and Sophia. He moved back as he gave her a pleased look and she lightly tapped his chest with her fingers.
"Did you find anything?"
"Yeah," Daryl said with a sigh.
"Was it that bad?"
"I don't like suits."
"I bet you'll look very handsome," she said and he snorted a laugh.
"Wait until you see Mom's dress," Sophia said and Carol gave her warning look. "I wasn't gonna tell him what it looks like."
"Well, let's take everything inside," Patricia said.
Rick, Glenn, Daryl and Carl removed the clothes from the SUV when they went inside then Maggie, Sophia and Carol removed the gowns and Lori watched them go inside. Patricia walked closer when she saw the worried look on Lori's face and Patricia frowned.
"Are you ok? Should I get Hershel?"
"No," Lori said with a shake of her head. "I'm fine. I'm just worried about something."
"What are you worried about?"
Shane walked by as they watched him and Patricia felt a strong sense of danger coming from him.
"I see," Patricia said with a nod. They headed up the stairs and they went in the house. Lori saw Rick and Carl waiting for them as she walked closer and Rick tilted his head to one side.
"Are you ok?" Rick asked and she nodded.
"Now, Maggie, you, Sophia and Carol take the dresses upstairs," Patricia said then she looked at Rick, Glenn, Daryl and Carl. "You four…. Come with me."
"Why?" Daryl asked.
"I need to see what you bought in case I need to do some alterations."
She pointed to the hallway as they nodded and she led them down the hallway. Daryl noticed the room she led them to was the room where he recovered from his injuries and a phantom pain moved up his left side.
"Glenn, you go first," Patricia said. Rick, Carl and Daryl turned around to face the wall so Glenn could change his clothes and Patricia smiled. "You can look now."
Rick, Carl and Daryl turned around as they looked at Glenn and he wore the black pants, white shirt and the black suit jacket. Patricia walked around him as she scanned him with his eyes and she nodded. She checked the fit of the pants, shirt and suit jacket and Glenn felt a little embarrassed.
"Well, the pants and suit jacket fit, but I'm going to have to bring the shirt in a little," Patricia said. They watched her leave the room as Rick shrugged and Glenn sighed. She returned a few minutes later with a sewing basket and a small, wooden box when she nodded and she walked to Glenn. She started pinning the shirt when she stood back, nodded and Glenn removed the shirt. He handed the shirt to her as Rick, Carl and Daryl turned around to look at the wall and Glenn changed clothes. "Turn around."
Rick, Carl and Daryl turned to face her as she looked at Carl and she smiled.
"Ok, Honey, it's your turn."
"Do I have to?" Carl asked, looking at Rick.
"Yep," Rick said, pointing to the box. Carl frowned when he walked to the small, wooden box and Rick, Glenn and Daryl turned to look at the wall. Patricia helped Carl get dressed when she adjusted the suit jacket then she looked at Rick, Glenn and Daryl.
"Turn around," she said and they turned to look at Carl. He wore gray pants, a white shirt and a black suit jacket and Rick smiled.
"Looking good, Pal," he said and Carl rolled his eyes.
"Now…," Patricia said as she checked the pants, shirt and suit jacket. "The pants fit, but they need to be shortened. The shirt and suit jacket are fine."
She knelt down as she pinned the cuffs of the pants and Carl stood still. He watched her as she smiled up at him and he smiled back.
"All done," she said, slowly getting up.
"I can take these off now?" Carl asked.
"Yes."
After Carl has changed clothes, Rick tried on the clothes he picked and Patricia didn't' have to alter any of the clothes. She did notice how uneasy Daryl looked as he sighed and he looked at the floor. Daryl headed for the door when he left the room and he headed down the hallway. Patricia had followed him when he stopped in front of the screen door, turned and she walked to him.
"Daryl, it's ok. I know about your back," she told him and he sighed.
"Rick, Carl and Glenn don't," Daryl said.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Hunh?"
"You have to remember you spent a lot of time on your right side after you got hurt."
"I know."
"Which means anyone who came to visit you saw your back."
She was right.
"Why didn't anyone say anythin'?" Daryl asked.
"I don't know. Maybe they didn't want to bring it up because they knew it would upset you."
"Yeah," he said, nodding.
"Then move your ass and let's get this over with," she teased while she pointed to the hallway and he snorted a laugh. He walked back to the hallway as she followed him and she lightly nudged him. After he had tried on the three pair of pants, she found only one pair fit him, the shirt fit and the suit jacket only needed to be brought in a little bit.
"You look cool," Carl said with a smile. Daryl looked down at the clothes when he shrugged and Patricia adjusted the collar of the suit jacket.
"Alright. Go change," she said and Daryl nodded. After Daryl changed his clothes, Patricia watched them leave the room as she carefully picked up the clothes and the sewing kit and she followed them out of the room.
Two days later – the woods
Daryl walked by the trees as he headed to where the Cherokee Roses grew near the small pond and he knelt down. He examined the roses when he found the right ones and he removed the knife from the holder on his belt. He cut some of the roses from their stems, placed the roses in the baskets he had placed on the ground and he carefully arranged the roses so the petals would not be damaged.
Standing, he looked around for something Sophia could drop down the aisle. He found some wild flowers and daisies as he cut some of them from their stems and he placed the wild flowers and daisies in the other basket.
He looked out at the water of the small pond as his mind replayed being there with Carol and he smiled. Wiping his hands on his jeans, Daryl picked up the baskets when he walked toward the trees and he headed back to the farm.
The Greene Farm
Carol stood in front of the mirror while she looked at her reflection and she looked at the wedding dress she was wearing.
The wedding dress was a soft cream color with long sleeve which puffed at the shoulders. The skirt ended just below her knees and the dress hugged her curves. She had found a clean pair of white heels in her size and a small veil was pinned to her hair.
She though back to the blue dress she wore at the justice office where she and Ed got married and Ed wore a slightly tattered, black suit jacket, a blue shirt and gray pants which barely fit him. He didn't seem interested in the ceremony and he barely kissed her after they were pronounced man and wife.
"Whoa, Mom, you look awesome!" Sophia said with a grin.
Sophia was wearing a white, sleeveless dress with a soft rose sash around her waist, white ankle socks and white shoes. Beth had helped curl Sophia's hair and Sophia was thrilled when Carol allowed Beth to use some light pink lipstick on Sophia's lips and she had painted Sophia's fingernails a light pink.
"Thanks, Honey," Carol said.
"Dad is gonna…"
Sophia stopped as she gave her a hurt look and Carol walked closer.
"You can call Daryl "dad" if you want."
"Uh…"
"Sophia. Honey. He knows he's not really your dad. Your real dad was…"
"He was a monster," Sophia said with a nod.
The guilt Carol felt over what she suspected Ed was doing to Sophia and how weak she was about not stopping him moved through her and Sophia saw the tears in the corners of her mother's eyes. Carol took hold of her hands and they wrapped their fingers together.
"Yes, he was," Carol said.
"Well, anyway, Daryl is gonna flip when he sees you," Sophia said with a grin.
"He's going to flip when he sees you."
"Uh, Carol, it's time," Rick said as he appeared in the doorway and she looked at him. She had asked Rick to walk her down the aisle and she smiled sweetly at him. He walked in the room when she noticed the boutique of Cherokee Roses he had in his hands and he looked at the boutique. "Daryl picked them."
"Oh," she said, taking the boutique.
"And he picked these for you," he said, handing Sophia the basket of wild flowers and daisies.
"Thank you," Sophia said, taking the basket from him.
"How's Daryl doing?" Carol asked.
"He's fine, but we had to threaten to break his crossbow if he didn't take a shower," Rick teased and they laughed. They headed out of the room when Carol saw Maggie, Andrea and Hershel standing at the top of the stairs and Maggie nodded her head at her. Maggie was wearing a low-cut, snow-white wedding gown with long sleeves, a long skirt with a train and a lacey veil was on her head.
Maggie wanted to wear her mother's wedding dress, but her mother had taken the dress with her when she left Hershel.
Hershel was wearing a gray suit jacket, a white shirt, black pants, a black leather belt and black shoes and socks and he gave Carol a small smile.
Andrea, Lori, Beth and Patricia had gone to the ladies' clothing store and found some dresses and Patricia and Beth had done their hair.
"You look amazing," Carol said.
"You, too," Maggie said.
"Are Glenn and Daryl ready?" Hershel asked, looking at Rick.
"Yep," Rick said with a nod as he looked down the stairs. He didn't want to tell them Daryl didn't seem happy when he left him so Daryl could get dressed and Rick wondered if Daryl was changing his mind about getting married.
Downstairs, Daryl stood in front of the full-length mirror as he looked at his reflection and he frowned.
"Who died?" startled him as Daryl looked at Merle standing behind him in the mirror and Merle gave him a wide grin.
"You ain't here," Daryl said.
"Damn right, I'm not. If I was, we'd be gettin' the hell outta here."
"I ain't goin' nowhere."
"Why the hell are you doin' this? Marriage ain't fer us. It's nothin', but trouble."
"That ain't true.'
"It is true! Remember how miserable Mama was!? She hated bein' married!?"
"That's because she married an asshole."
"An' what about yer bride-to-be? You sure she's worth it?"
Daryl turned away from the mirror as he fiddled with the cuffs of the suit jacket and he snorted a breath of air.
"She is, but I ain't," Daryl said with a shake of his head.
"If that's how you feel, then get the hell outta here. Go on. Just climb out the window, get on my bike an' take off," Merle said. Daryl looked at the window as he walked to the window and he placed his hands on the glass.
"Daryl? Are you ok?" Patricia asked as she knocked on the door and she saw him standing in front of the window. "What are you doing?"
"Nothin'," he said.
"Looks like it's something," she said as she walked closer and he didn't move away after she placed her right hand on his left shoulder. "Are you having second thoughts."
"No. Just old ones."
"Old ones?"
"Never mind," he said with a shake of his head.
"Does it have to do with your past?"
Patricia had wondered about Daryl's past. She knew from the scars on his back that someone had been abusing him. Hurting him. But she also knew it wasn't her right to push him into telling her about what happened.
"Maybe," Daryl said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Now you listen to me. Whatever demons you have, you can't let them rule over you. It's hard. Believe me. It's really hard. But the one thing I know is this. You and Carol are meant for each other. The love I see in her eyes… In your eyes… That's real. And there is no one on this Earth who should tell you otherwise. If they do, you should just tell them to fuck off."
Daryl had never heard Patricia swear before. She gave him a pleased look as he softly laughed then he nodded.
"Alright. Let's have a look at you," she said. He moved back as she walked around him and she lightly adjusted the suit jacket, smoothed down the lapels, checked his pants, straightened the tie then she looked down. "Uh…"
"What?" he asked, looking down at his work boots.
"I guess they'll have to do," she said, smiling.
"Do I have to wear the tie?"
"Yes, you do. Now, go sit down and let me fix this rat's nest you call hair."
Daryl gave her an angry look as he went to sit down and Patricia went to get the brush which was on the dresser. He sat still as she started brushing his hair and he rolled his eyes. She finished brushing his hair when she stood back then nodded.
"Well, don't you look handsome," she said, placing the brush back on the dresser. He watched her leave the room when he stood, walked to the mirror and he looked at his reflection. He heard Merle laughing as he glanced at Merle standing behind him and a low growl filled Daryl's throat.
"Oh, don't you look precious!" Merle teased while still laughing.
"Shut up," Daryl grumbled.
"Why didn't you climb outta the damn window while you still had a chance?"
"I told you. I don't wanna."
"You're gonna fuck it up."
"No, I ain't."
"Yeah, you are. Just like you fucked up bein' with any woman I hooked you up with."
"That's the thing. You hooked me up with 'em instead of lettin' me find a woman who'd love me fer who I am. What I am."
"Some of 'em were good girls."
"Yeah. Right. The last one you tried to hook me up with was the one who gave you the clap."
Daryl noticed the proud look on Merle's face as Daryl sighed and he shook his head.
"So, are you gonna climb out that window or are you gonna do somethin' which will ruin not only yer life, but hers an' that little girl?" Merle asked.
"Fuck off," Daryl said and Merle vanished after flipping him off.
Daryl looked at his reflection when he removed the tie and he placed the tie on the dresser. He unbuttoned the first two buttons of the shirt, moved his fingers through his hair, shook his head and he looked in the mirror. Nodding, he left the room when he headed down the hallway and he entered the living room.
The dining room chairs were set up in two rows as the others watched him walk to Glenn and Otis had to stop Patricia from getting up and fixing Daryl's hair.
Beth was playing the piano as the music filled the air and she sweetly smiled at him.
"Is he wearing his work boots?" T-Dog whispered to Dale.
"Looks like," Dale whispered.
"Knew I forgot something when I sent Rick out on that last run," Lori said. She ignored the glares Shane was giving her and he crossed his arms over his chest.
"When do we eat? I'm hungry," Jimmy grumbled.
"I told you to eat before the wedding," Patricia whispered and he sank down in the chair.
"Leave him alone," Otis whispered, smiling.
Daryl stood next to Glenn as they looked at each other and Glenn looked down at Daryl's feet.
"You're wearing your work boots," Glenn whispered.
"So?" Daryl asked.
"Maggie made me go with her to find these," he whispered and Daryl looked at the hard leather black shoes Glenn was wearing. "My toes are numb."
"Take 'em off."
"Only if you take off your work boots," Glenn whispered with a grin. Daryl looked at the boots then at him and they quickly removed the shoes and boots. Again, Otis had to stop Patricia from standing up and she softly laughed, rolling her eyes.
"Do you have the rings?" Glenn asked.
"Do you?" Daryl asked.
"Yeah," he whispered, reaching into the pocket of the suit jacket and he removed the ring box. Daryl removed the ring box from the pocket of the suit jacket when he opened the ring box and he looked at the wedding rings. He also looked at the smaller ring. They put the ring boxes back in the pockets of the suit jackets while Glenn looked toward the dining room and he smiled.
"What's so funny?" Daryl asked.
"Just thinking about the cake."
"What cake?"
"Carol, Andrea and Maggie found some usable food stuff to make a wedding cake after they broke into the bakery," Glenn whispered as Beth started playing the wedding march and Daryl and Glenn looked toward the stairs.