Author's note at the end!
Warning! Spiciness ahead in this chapter!
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Walking Dead, only the OC's.
Epilogue
One Month Later
Jenna sighed and tilted her head back further, giving Daryl plenty of room for his lips to roam. He did not take the invitation for granted, leaving hot, open mouth kisses all along her neck. Her fingers dug into the bare skin of his back, her breath hitching when she felt his teeth nip at the juncture between her neck and shoulder, hips bucking upward instinctively. Daryl's hand immediately found its way to her thigh, fingers digging into her flesh as he pulled her tight against him, his hips grinding into hers in answer.
The more eagerly they moved against each other in bed, the more it squeaked, making her snicker against his lips as he raised his head to kiss her. It wasn't so funny anymore, however, when Daryl's hand slid up her side and cupped her breast through the t-shirt he had yet to take off of her, drawing a moan from her instead.
"Better be quiet," he warned, smirking in a smug way that only proved how much he loved the sounds she made.
"Kinda hard to when everything you do feels so damn good," Jenna said back breathlessly.
Daryl only smirked wider in response.
It wasn't often that they felt brave enough to fool around in the cell block, but they had both woken early and had been feeling frisky, so they had decided to take advantage of the privacy. It helped significantly that Chloe no longer shared the cell with them – she had grown so comfortable in the prison now that she had moved into her own cell next to Beth's two weeks ago. Still, they were in very close proximity of their friends and family, and with the way sound travelled within the concrete walls of the cell block, being as quiet as possible was of the utmost importance.
They kissed again, then Jenna pushed against his shoulder, urging him to lie on his back. She straddled him – thank God they had decided to saw off the top bunk bed and get rid of it, otherwise she would have hit her head – hips grinding into his, and he immediately moaned. Jenna leaned down to kiss him to muffle the sound, then pulled back to give him a cheeky smirk.
"Now who needs to be quiet?" she teased.
He didn't answer, merely grasped her by the hips and thrust up against her, the thin barriers of their underwear barely hindering the wonderful friction that created. Jenna sighed and pressed kisses to his neck and shoulders, hands sliding over his chest and stomach, delighting in the way his muscles clenched underneath her touch. When she felt his hands tugging at her shirt, she sat up so she could pull it off and toss it aside. She had never been more glad that she had stopped wearing bras when she slept – with nothing in his way, Daryl sat up and immediately locked his lips on a nipple, his other hand palming her other breast, making her head drop back as her fingers tightened on his back and hair.
His hand was suddenly between them, making her breath hitch. He had only just slipped it beneath her underwear when –
"Jenna!"
They separated far enough to look at each other in a daze, the unexpected interruption confusing them at first. Finally, she realized there were footsteps coming up the stairs, headed right for their cell.
"Jenna? You awake?" The privacy curtain they had put up over the bars of their cell shielded them from view, but she recognized the voice of Glenn easily.
"I'm gonna kill him," Daryl muttered only loud enough for her to hear, glaring at the door as if he thought he could make Glenn disappear into thin air if he just concentrated hard enough.
Jenna flashed a sympathetic smile. "I'm awake," she answered, turning her head to address Glenn without actually getting up. "What's up?"
"Hershel's lookin' for you. Said you two are supposed to work in the infirmary this morning?" Glenn said unsurely.
Jenna cursed, only remembering the shift she had volunteered for now that Glenn was reminding her. "Right, I forgot. Tell him I'll be down in a couple of minutes."
"You got it."
Glenn's feet retreated, and so did Daryl's hand. To say she was disappointed would have been a massive understatement. Her body was still on fire, and she wanted nothing more than to continue on and absolutely ravish Daryl. But she had promised Hershel she'd help out in the infirmary, and she didn't want to let him down.
"I'm sorry," she said, placing her hands on either side of Daryl's neck and pressing her forehead to his. "I forgot about my shift."
Daryl looked equally disappointed, but merely looped his arms around her and slid a hand over her back. "S'alright," he said, though he sounded the tiniest bit pitiful. "It's gonna be a busy day today anyway. Prob'ly should get some work done 'fore everything kicks off."
Jenna nodded, then leaned in to give him a lingering kiss. "We'll finish this later," she promised with a wink.
Daryl hugged her to his chest for a second, his nose brushing hers. "Goddamn right we are."
Jenna giggled, kissed him again, then got out of bed. She dressed for the day, very mindful of Daryl watching her every movement and doing her absolute best not to listen to the voice in her head that demanded she get back in bed with him and finish what they had started. Somehow, she managed to finished getting dressed, though Daryl had still not made any moves to get out of bed.
"You coming down for breakfast?" she asked curiously as she finished braiding her long hair.
"I need a minute or two," Daryl said with a pointed look at his boxers.
Jenna nodded in understanding, smiled, then leaned over him to give him one last kiss. "I'll make sure there's a plate waiting for you."
"Thanks. Now go, 'fore I don't let ya," he warned.
Jenna laughed, squeaking when Daryl swatted her bottom affectionately as soon as she turned around, and finally left their cell.
It was later than she had expected when she made her way downstairs, the sun shining brightly through the windows. Either she hadn't woken up as early as she had thought, or she and Daryl had been fooling around for longer than she had realized. Whichever the reason, everyone else was already awake, though not everyone had made it to breakfast yet. Jenna smiled in greeting at Michonne as they passed by each other, then called out a good morning to Carol and Andrea, who were fawning over Judith as they got her changed out of her pajamas.
"We're gonna be late," Hershel chided gently when she walked into the common area, where he was patiently waiting.
Jenna gave him a frown of apology. "Sorry, I forgot about the infirmary." Daryl often had that effect on her, his lips and hands making her forget most things when they were on her. "Did you have breakfast yet?"
"Just finished up," Hershel said. "Go grab a bite. I'll head to the infirmary and relieve Dr. Stevens."
Jenna nodded. "I'll eat quick," she promised.
Hershel nodded and turned to leave the block, but paused and grimaced. Jenna hesitated, watching as he leaned down to adjust the new prosthetic that they had – miraculously – been able to find while out on a run the week before. While the prosthetic made it a little easier for him to get around, it was still new and he was still having some difficulty adjusting to it.
"You okay?" Jenna asked worriedly.
Hershel nodded. "I'm fine. Just gettin' used to this thing, still."
Jenna eyed him with concern, unsure she wanted him to go off by himself if he was struggling with the prosthetic. "Want me to help you get to the infirmary?"
Hershel immediately waved her off. "You go eat. I'll be fine," he said with a reassuring smile.
Jenna nodded slowly. "Alright…but go slow, okay? If I find you laid out on the floor because you pushed yourself too hard, you're in for a very stern talking to," she warned.
Hershel smiled bigger and held up a hand. "I'll go slow. Scouts honor."
Satisfied, Jenna watched him go, making sure he did indeed take it easy. Once he was out of sight, she headed outside.
She left C-Block and went out to the courtyard, where everyone at the prison took most of their meals since the cafeteria wasn't quite in working order yet. She paused momentarily, soaking in the sunshine and breathing the fresh air, smiling as she surveyed the scene in front of her.
The prison had already come a long way, even in the span of just a few short weeks. All of the walkers had been cleared out, meaning that the entire prison, from the field to the library to the administrative building on the complete opposite side, was safe and free to inhabit. The gates had been repaired to keep unwanted things out, the fields had already been planted with all kinds of crops, and several tables had been moved in to the courtyard, making it look like a huge, outdoor picnic area.
The biggest change, however, was how many people were at the prison.
Following the end of the war and the death of the Governor, the prison had taken in every single resident of Woodbury. They had been alone and leaderless, stuck in a town that had been tainted by the murderous legacy of their former leader. Older men and women, families with young kids, people who just didn't have a lot of experience out in the real world because they'd been behind the walls of Woodbury for so long – they had all found themselves needing someone new to lead them, and Rick had stepped up to do it. Jenna still couldn't say she knew what exactly had motivated him to bring so many people under his wing, especially so considering how very against newcomers he had been for so long, but she was proud of him for turning over a new leaf and opening up their doors.
It hadn't been smooth sailing right from the get go. Some of the Woodbury citizens had been reluctant to leave at first, not wanting to abandon the cushy homes they had been living in for so long, and they had been understandably wary of Jenna and her friends. The Governor had told his people many lies about the prison, lies that the Woodbury people had believed without question – because what reason would they have not to believe the things their Governor told them?
Thankfully, with a lot of help from Andrea and the people that had survived the attack the Governor had unleashed on his own people, the Woodbury citizens had been convinced that Jenna and her friends were not a bunch of rabid, murderous barbarians. They were good, normal people, and if they were willing to trust them, they could offer the people of Woodbury a new home, safe behind the thick walls of the prison, where they could all work together to build a new, better life.
It had been awkward at first while everyone was getting to know one another, but Jenna had felt recently like that awkwardness was finally fading away. People seemed to be getting along better, working together better, making more of an effort to actually get to know each other, and everyone seemed much more comfortable with the new living arrangements. She had a feeling that as everyone continued to improve the prison together, things would only keep getting better.
Jenna finally made their way to the cooking station, where Tyreese was on breakfast duty. She eyed the big pot he was stirring, her brows raising appreciatively at the smell.
"That smells amazing," she said with a grin. "I had no idea you knew your way around the kitchen."
Tyreese smiled humbly, though there was pride in his eyes. "My mom, my grandmomma, and my aunts were all amazing cooks. I was bound to learn a thing or two," he explained, already filling a bowl. "Hope it tastes as good as it smells," he said, offering it to her with a kind smile.
"I'm sure it will," Jenna said. "Could I get one for Daryl, too?"
Tyreese nodded, filled another bowl, and handed it over. She turned, scanning the many people sitting around having breakfast, still a little awestruck by the fact that there were just so many people now. Finally, she spotted Sam, Chloe, and Sasha sitting at a table near the middle and she went to join them, smiling and greeting people as she went.
"Morning," Jenna said when she reached their table.
"Morning," they greeted back in unison.
Jenna plopped down next to Chloe and immediately wrapped an arm around her, kissing the top of her head. "How you doing this morning?"
"Pretty good," Chloe said with a smile, though she could not fully stifle the yawn that escaped her in the next moment. "Maybe a little tired still."
Jenna quirked a knowing brow. "Could that be because I heard you and Beth giggling away into the wee hours of the morning?"
Chloe, who had started to take a bite, froze with her spoon halfway to her mouth, then blushed, knowing she'd been caught. "We were hanging out in her room, and then we got to talking about today and we were so excited we couldn't sleep!" she excused. "We didn't mean to stay up so late!"
Jenna laughed and patted her back. "It's alright. I'm not mad. Honestly, I'm just glad you're finally doing things that normal kids get to do."
A month ago she hadn't known if Chloe would have a home, or if she would even live to see another day – now she was having sleepovers with her friends and staying up late to giggle about boys and girly things. It was the sort of life Jenna had always wanted for her, and was beyond thrilled she got to have now.
Chloe relaxed, smiled, then gave her a hopeful look. "About today…" she started carefully. "There's something I wanted to ask you."
Jenna immediately looked at Sam and Sasha, who smirked knowingly but said nothing. "And what's that?" she asked Chloe, already fairly sure she knew what the girl was going to say.
"Can I come on the run? Please, please, please!" she begged, pressing her hands together and giving Jenna her best puppy dog eyes. "I've never gotten to do anything like this before and I really want to pick out my own stuff! Please? Please?"
Jenna looked at Sam and Sasha again, who were doing nothing to hide their smiles as they waited for her to answer. She then looked back to Chloe, who was still staring up at her with those big, pleading eyes, and sighed with defeat. "Alright," she said with a playful roll of her eyes. "I guess you can come."
"Yes!" Chloe said, immediately hugging Jenna tight around the middle. "Thank you, thank you! Oh, I'm so excited!" she explained, clapping her hands together.
Jenna laughed at her enthusiasm, but then pointed a stern finger at her. "Just make sure you get your chores done first. In fact, why don't you go talk to Carol and see if there's anything she needs help with before we go?"
"Okay!"
Chloe finished off her breakfast, then jumped up from the table and ran back toward C-Block, nearly bowling right into Daryl when he came walking outside to have breakfast. He jumped to the side, holding his hands up and looking at Chloe like she'd lost her marbles, then made his way over to their table.
"What's got the kid so excited?" Daryl asked as he sat in Chloe's vacated spot, nodding to Jenna in thanks when she passed him his breakfast.
"She's coming with us on the run," Jenna said.
"Didn't think you'd cave that fast," Daryl said with an amused snort.
"She talked to you about it?" Jenna questioned with a lift of her eyebrows.
Daryl shrugged and took a bite. "She asked me if she could come. Told her she had 'ta ask you," he explained.
Jenna laughed a little, then shook her head. "Hard to say no. You've seen her puppy dog eyes," she said with a shrug.
"You're a total push over, I hope you know that," Sam accused good-naturedly.
Jenna made a face at him. "Thank you, Captain Obvious." Sam chuckled again while Jenna took a few bites, then she gave Sasha a questioning look. "Are you coming with us, Sasha?"
Sasha seemed a little surprised by the question, her gaze flickering between Daryl and Sam as they both looked at her. "I…didn't know I was invited," she said unsurely.
Jenna smiled at the woman. "Of course you are. In fact, Maggie specifically told me that she hoped you'd tag along."
Sasha seemed a little flustered, her smile a bashful one. She looked at Sam, who smiled encouragingly and nodded. "Wow. Well, in that case, how can I refuse?" she said with a small smile.
Jenna nodded in approval. "Wonderful."
She finished up her breakfast after that, not wanting to dawdle anymore than she already had. "I've gotta run, Hershel will be expecting me," she said, swallowing the last of her food and standing up from her seat. "The plan is to head out around noon. Meet us here then?" she asked Sasha.
Sasha nodded. "I'll be there."
Jenna smiled. "Great. I'll see y'all later then." Before going, she leaned down to press a noisy smooch to Daryl's cheek, ignoring the way he immediately blushed at the public display of affection. "I love you," she told him. "And I love you," she added, reaching across the table to ruffle Sam's hair.
Sam immediately swatted her hand away, looking offended as he tried to fix his hair. "Is that necessary?" he asked with annoyance.
Jenna just laughed and went to carry her bowl back to Tyreese, paying him a very warm compliment on the food in the process. She turned and started back toward C-Block, but her pace slowed a little when she noticed Rick headed her way, carrying a pair of gardening gloves. He'd been spending a lot of time out in the field tending to the crops lately. It seemed to be his new passion project.
"Crop duty?" she asked with a friendly smile.
Rick smiled and shrugged. "I like it. It's relaxing," he said.
"Have fun then," she said, before continuing on.
She paused, however, when Rick called out to her. "Hey, Jenna?" She turned and gave him a curious look. "You wanna come help me out?" he asked, jerking a thumb in the direction of the fields. "There's somethin' I was hopin' to talk to you about."
"I would, but I'm actually working with Hershel this morning. I'm on my way there now," she said with a shrug. "Is it urgent?"
Rick smiled and immediately shook his head. "No, no. Not urgent. Go and do what you need to," he said, waving her off. "We can talk later."
Jenna nodded, but her eyes followed Rick curiously as he walked away. Finally, she just shrugged and shook it off, then went to meet up with Hershel.
The infirmary was brightly lit when Jenna walked inside. It was one of the first places within the prison that they had made sure to clean until it was spotless and get it in perfect working condition – as safe and quiet as everything had been as of late, they all still knew the dangers of the outside world would never truly go away. There would always be people who got hurt, or sick, or would need serious medical attention for something, so it had been their top priority to get the infirmary ready to go so that all of their many inhabitants had a place they could rely on when worst came to worst.
Dr. Stevens, the doctor from Woodbury, was already gone, and Hershel was already tending to a patient in a bed straight across from the door. Jenna stopped at the wash bucket by the door to clean and dry her hands, then went over to Hershel to see what was going on. There was a little girl of about seven years old lying in the bed, looking a little pale and hugging her teddy bear tight, while her worried looking mother sat at her bedside.
"Anything to report from last night?" Jenna asked.
"Mostly quiet. Miss Avery here came in early this morning after a bad bout of vomiting. Think she may have caught a little bug," he said, smiling warmly at the girl as he checked over her vitals. He looked at Jenna again, his smile dropping a little. "We've also got one more that came in last night. I haven't made it to him yet," he explained, shooting a brief, unreadable look toward someone behind Jenna.
Jenna followed his gaze toward a bed on the far side, then frowned when she saw that the patient occupying it was Merle.
Things with Merle were…strange, to say the least. After everything he had done, after nearly sacrificing himself twice to try to save them from the Governor, he had certainly earned himself a permanent place at the prison. He had – shockingly – been very well behaved for the past month, and had actually been doing a lot to help out around the prison…as much as a man with a broken arm, a healing gunshot wound, and only one hand with two missing fingers could help, anyway.
Though he was still around, and though he seemed like he really had turned over a new leaf, that didn't mean everyone was ready to completely forgive and forget. A lot of people from Woodbury still had their trepidations about Merle, so he had been steering clear of them for now and had been staying in C-Block with the original group, just in case anyone got any ideas about trying to do something to him when nobody was looking. As for their group, everyone was less hostile toward him, but there was those – like Glenn and Maggie and Sam – whom Jenna didn't think would ever fully accept him into the fold. They tolerated his presence though, and there hadn't been any incidents yet.
It wasn't perfect, but it worked.
Hershel was one of those who didn't interact with Merle if he didn't have to. He was a good Christian man who had been doing his best to forgive and forget, but she knew he still struggled with the things that had happened to Maggie and Glenn because of Merle's actions. Knowing he likely wouldn't want to attend to Merle if he didn't have to, Jenna patted Hershel's arm and gave him a slight smile.
"I'll take care of Merle," she said.
"Thank you," he said gratefully.
"And don't you worry, Avery," Jenna said to the girl. "You're in great hands with Dr. Greene here." When Avery managed a shy little smile, Jenna looked at her mother. "Anything I can get you, Cindy?"
Cindy, the mother, seemed pleasantly surprised that Jenna had remembered her name. Jenna had made it a point to learn the names of every person who had come from Woodbury, wanting to make sure that they all felt welcome and accepted. "I'm alright, Miss Matthews. Thank you."
Jenna nodded, then left Hershel to his business and went over to Merle's bedside. The elder Dixon had his eyes closed as he lay there, either asleep or close to it, but when he felt her presence nearby, he opened his eyes to look at her.
"My favorite ginger," he greeted with a charming grin.
"My least favorite Dixon," Jenna taunted back with a smirk.
Merle moved a hand to his chest, his expression one of mock hurt. "Damn, boss lady. Why you always gotta do me like that? I thought we were friends."
Jenna snorted and reached for the chart that Dr. Stevens had left by his bedside to read over the doctor's notes. The truth was that she didn't hate Merle the way she once had. In fact, there were times where he almost did feel like a friend. Almost.
"Friends or no, you don't stand a chance against Daryl. He'll always be my favorite Dixon," she told him with a smirk.
"That's fair," Merle conceded.
Jenna read the notes Dr. Stevens had left, then eyed the shoulder that had gotten shot the month before, where a large bandage concealed the healing wound from sight. "The shot got reinfected?" she asked disapprovingly. This was not the first time the wound had given him trouble – with how much he'd been overworking himself, it was taking longer than expected to heal. Jenna set the chart down and peeled back the bandage, cringing at the sight – and smell – of the wound. "We told you to keep it clean," she said, quirking a brow at him.
"Yeah, well, I was workin' in the cafeteria the other day, helpin' to clean out that god awful mess left behind in that fridge," he said with a sour expression. He was referring to the refrigerator that the former prisoners had used as a bathroom – cleaning it out had been an ongoing and very disgusting process. "Did my best not to get dirty, but, you know…kinda hard when you're dealin' with endless mounds of shit."
Jenna sighed and moved to grab some disinfectant and clean rags that had been left by his bedside. "You could just take it easy, you know," she suggested. "You're never gonna heal if you don't get some rest."
"I'll rest when I'm dead," Merle quipped back.
Jenna turned to give him a serious look. "You damn near did die, Merle. Twice," she reminded him, which made his lips clamp shut. "I know you think you've still got stuff to prove, but you don't. This prison is still standing because of you. We're alive because of you. If you ask me, you've earned the right to relax a little."
Merle seemed taken aback by her words, then gave her a smirk that lacked any of its usual snark. "Careful. Keep dollin' out compliments like that an' people might start 'ta think you actually like me."
Jenna didn't say anything, just gave him a bland look in return.
Merle chuckled a bit, then nodded. "I'll take it easy for a while. You have my word," he conceded, and he sounded like he meant it.
"Thank you," Jenna said with a nod.
She slipped on a pair of latex gloves and got to work cleaning and dressing his wound with a new bandage, not wanting it to get anymore infected than it already was. Merle was quiet and cooperative as she worked, but shot her a curious glance here or there.
"Today's the big day, huh?" he asked conversationally.
Jenna glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "Yep," she answered with a small smile.
The big day he was referring to, the reason for all the excitement around the block these past few days, was Maggie and Glenn's wedding day.
Before the war with Woodbury, Glenn had asked Maggie to marry him, and of course she had said yes. They had not planned to make a big deal out of it, they had not even wanted to have an actual wedding, since neither of them had thought it necessary. Beth, however, had made it her personal mission to convince them to have a ceremony, determined to make them see that a small, private wedding, with just the group in attendance and without any fanfare, would be a nice way for everyone to celebrate their love. Glenn and Maggie had eventually warmed to the idea and agreed to do it, much to everyone's delight.
Merle was the only one from C-Block who had not been invited, which came as a shock to absolutely no one, least of all Merle himself.
Merle hummed thoughtfully, his eyes turning forward. "Only ever been to one weddin' before," he mused aloud. "Buddy of mine from back in the day married his ol' lady after she got knocked up. The whole thing was Budweiser themed, right down to the cake and the weddin' dress. Ain't ever seen anything so white trash in my whole life," he said with a chuckle.
Jenna smiled at the picture he painted for her. "This one's not gonna be so fancy either," she said. After all, it wasn't as if they had access to beautiful wedding dresses or lavish wedding cakes. Not that Maggie or Glenn wanted any of that stuff anyway. "But I'm sure it's gonna be a lot of fun," she added with a nod.
Merle nodded, then raised his brows at her. "Will you give the happy couple my regards?"
Jenna looked at him, then smiled. "Sure."
"And be sure to have a beer or two for me," he added, his expression taking on its usual mischievousness. "In fact, if you wanna sneak me a few while I'm in here…" he said, wagging his eyebrows
Jenna laughed and shook her head. "Fat chance," she said, knowing that alcohol would do nothing to help him with the healing process.
Merle just sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes. "Always the party pooper."
Jenna finished up with Merle, then ordered him to stay in bed until one of the actual doctors could come and evaluate him. Merle agreed and settled in without fuss, snacking away on a cereal bar that she gave him to hold him over.
With Merle taken care of, and with Hershel still preoccupied, Jenna went to take care of a few chores before eventually making her way over to a bed on the opposite side of the room. In that bed was the same patient that had been there since all of the Woodbury residents had come to the prison. He looked her way as she approached, and Jenna offered a friendly smile.
"How you doing today, Milton?" Jenna asked, placing a hand on the edge of his bed.
Milton offered a smile back. "Better every day."
That was always a good thing to hear, especially when it came to Milton. He had been in terrible shape after the Governor had attacked him, so badly injured that they'd seriously doubted he would even survive. Even after an emergency surgery and several blood transfusions, his health had been very touch and go those first few weeks. But with time and round the clock care, Milton had miraculously pulled through, and slowly but surely, he'd been getting better.
Milton was practically a hero to the Woodbury people now, which was evident by the flowers sitting all around his bedside and the stack of homemade get well soon cards he'd accumulated. To them, he was the brave man that had stood up to the Governor and tried to thwart his evil plans, the one who helped bring the Governor's evil deeds to light and spread the truth about who he had really been all this time. The people of Woodbury respected him in a way that they hadn't previously, and they weren't the only ones – he'd earned himself a good deal of respect amongst the original group, too, Jenna included.
She did the usual check up, checking his vitals, asking the same questions about how he was feeling and what, if any, pain was giving him trouble, then giving his body a quick inspection to check for any bed sores or abnormalities. She made note of a new bed sore on his back, then frowned when she pulled down the covers of his bed and saw how skinny his legs had gotten already, a clear sign of muscular atrophy after being bedridden for so long
"How are things with the prison coming along?" Milton asked, never one to complain as she poked and prodded and checked him over.
"Slowly but surely," she said with a nod. "The cafeteria's just about cleaned out. We should be able to start using it soon. After that, I think we're gonna try to get a water system put in place," she explained, her eyes focused on an old bed sore that seemed to be healing pretty well. "With all these people around now, we need a steady source of water."
Milton made a sound of understanding. "Is everyone settling in alright?"
Jenna smiled. "I think it's going pretty well. Everyone from Woodbury seems comfortable now."
Milton smiled a bit. "That's good." His eyes then turned to the window, and he let out a sigh that sounded almost longing. "I'll be glad when I can see more of the prison for myself," he said. "It gets mundane, looking at these same grey walls all the time."
Jenna frowned with sympathy. She knew it had to be hard, being stuck in a bed for weeks on end, not being able to smell fresh air or even feel the warmth of the sun. She looked at him for a moment, noting how wistfully he stared at the blue skies visible through the windows, then glanced at one of the old prison wheelchairs in the storage room nearby. She was struck with an idea, one she thought Milton would really enjoy.
Jenna turned back to Milton with a grin. "Why don't we go have a look around then?"
Milton's eyes widened with surprise. "What?"
Jenna shrugged. "We've got a wheelchair, and you've been stable for two weeks now. Why don't we get out of here and stretch our legs for a bit? You could use some fresh air."
Milton practically beamed at her. "That sounds marvelous."
Jenna smiled, patted his shoulder, then went to fetch the wheelchair. Hershel noticed as she wheeled the chair to Milton's bedside and paused in what he was doing, his lips pulling into a frown of uncertainty. "Jenna? What's goin' on?"
Jenna flashed him a smile. "I'm gonna take Milton out for some much needed fresh air. I think he's earned it."
Hershel looked a little unsure, but one glance at Milton's hopeful face made him sigh and nod with agreement. "Alright. But be careful. And don't be gone too long."
Jenna promised they'd be back within the hour, then began the slow and steady task of getting Milton out of bed and into the wheelchair. He was extremely unsteady on his feet, bracing the entirety of his weight on her as she helped him stand up, but Jenna had little problem handling it. She kept her grip on him tight, moving slowly and carefully as they walked the few inches needed to get to the chair. By the time he was sitting down, he was breathing hard and had broken a sweat.
"Not so bad, right?" Jenna said encouragingly, gently dabbing away the sweat on his temples with a towel.
Milton managed a weak smile. "Piece of cake."
Jenna laughed, made sure his feet were secure on the feet plates, and then covered his legs with a blanket. She moved to stand behind him, grabbing the handles. "Ready to go?"
Milton nodded eagerly and they left the infirmary behind. She wheeled him through the winding hallways and found one of the only wheelchair accessible exits to the courtyard, pushing the door open with her hip and pulling him outside. Milton squinted against the sun at first, the light harsh against his eyes after being inside for so long, but he adjusted to it soon enough. Jenna wheeled him across the courtyard, smiling wider each time someone came to enthusiastically greet them, everyone else looking just as happy to see Milton out and about.
"I had no idea you were a celebrity, Milton," Jenna teased good-naturedly. "Think I can get an autograph later?"
Milton blushed, unable to fully suppress a shy smile. "Very funny," he said back.
They paused by the open gate to the field and Jenna let him have a minute to soak in his surroundings. Milton breathed in the fresh air, his eyes falling closed again as wing ruffled his slightly overgrown hair. When he opened his eyes again, he looked around with a steadily growing smile.
"Its better than I expected," he said, eyeing the many crops already growing in the field.
"It's definitely something," Jenna said with great pride. She then grabbed the handles to his chair again. "Now for the grand tour," she announced. "How about we start with the crops?"
Milton just smiled up at her and nodded, eager to see the sights of his new home.
Just before noon, Jenna headed to the courtyard with Daryl and Chloe, laughing as Chloe skipped ahead of them and chattered nonstop in her excitement. They made their way to where the cars were parked, where everyone going on the run had already gathered. Sam, T-Dog, and Glenn were chatting away, the smile on Glenn's face so big that Jenna didn't think it would ever go away. Next to them, Maggie and Beth were talking animatedly with Sasha and Andrea – Beth said something that made Sasha and Andrea laugh, but had Maggie rolling her eyes good-naturedly and giving her little sister a gentle shove.
"Who's ready to party!" Jenna called out, making the others whoop and cheer. She smiled as she approached Maggie and pulled the bride-to-be in for a big hug, squeezing her tight. "You ready to go find yourself a wedding dress?" she asked, pulling back to brace her hands on Maggie's shoulders.
Maggie grinned and nodded. "Never thought I'd say this, but…let's go dress shoppin'!"
The guys and the girls began to say their goodbye's to one another, since they would be splitting up for this particular run. While they already had most of what they needed for the ceremony, they still needed booze for the after party and clothes for everyone to wear, since nobody had anything suitable for a post-apocalyptic wedding. So the guys were headed to a liquor store about fifteen minutes away from the prison, while the women were headed to a department store some people from Woodbury had told them about in the next town over to get a dress for Maggie, and nice clothes for everyone else.
The reason they were splitting up was so they could make a very modest attempt at giving Glenn and Maggie a bachelor and bachelorette party. It wasn't really a party per se, but the quality time would be nice, and something told her that the company would make the whole thing just as fun.
"You got your knife?" Daryl asked Jenna as they prepared to go their separate ways.
Jenna patted the knife on her hip. "Always."
"And extra ammo?"
"Yep."
"And a walkie?"
Jenna smiled, but gave him a look. His concern was sweet, albeit unnecessary. "This isn't my first rodeo, babe," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I know what I'm doing."
Daryl squinted at her. "I know, but this ain't all just fun an' games. There's still a lot of danger out there."
"And if anything happens, I've got some very badass women by my side to watch my back," she said. When he looked like he might lecture, she shut him up in the most effective way she knew how – by kissing him. "I'll be fine," she said, pulling back to give him a serious look. "We'll be in and out. No biggie."
Daryl finally nodded, then reluctantly let her head over to the Tucson that the rest of the ladies were waiting in. Jenna started to get into the backseat, but stopped in the doorway and turned to give him a cheeky grin. "You said you wanted a neon pink shirt for tonight, right?" she asked jokingly.
That finally broke Daryl out of his worry, making him roll his eyes instead. "Hilarious," he deadpanned.
Jenna just laughed, winked, and then hopped into the car to leave with the girls.
They blared music and sang all the way to the store, and it really was amazing how different this run felt compared to all the previous ones. Runs were usually so serious, with everyone so focused on strategizing or preparing for the worst that they wouldn't even listen to music or really even talk on the drive in. Now, as Jenna watched her friends sing and dance around to 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA, she felt like she had gone back in time to the normal world and was on a road trip with her girlfriends.
They reached the department store and parked close to the front door. There were a few walkers in the parking lot, and a few abandoned cars, but nothing that looked alarming. When they went inside, they took all the usual precautions – they paused inside the front door and made some noise to draw out any lurking chompers, waiting patiently to see if anything would happen. There were two walkers in the store, which were disposed of without any of them even getting a drop of blood on their clothes. They then split into pairs to do a quick sweep of the entire store, checking behind racks and behind the checkout counter, as well as searching a back employee room to make absolutely sure that there was nothing waiting to surprise them. Once satisfied that they had the store completely to themselves, the fun began.
"Were you ever a flower girl?" Chloe asked as she flicked through the racks of dresses for young girls.
Jenna shook her head. "Never was, actually."
Chloe paused, then looked at Jenna with uncertainty. "Do you think they'll be upset if I mess up?"
Jenna smiled at the hint of nervousness in Chloe's voice. The girl had been beside herself with excitement when Glenn and Maggie had asked her to be their flower girl, an honor she had accepted without hesitation. But as the day had drawn nearer, she'd started to get a little nervous about her upcoming duties.
Jenna patted her shoulder. "First of all, I don't think you're gonna mess up," she said reassuringly. "And even if you did, Glenn and Maggie adore you. I don't think it's possible for them to be upset with you."
Chloe brightened at that, the words making her smile with relief. She then turned back to the dresses with renewed excitement. "What color should I wear?" Chloe asked excitedly, her mood shifting on a dime. "I always liked pink. Oh! But I really like purple, too! Or should I do green?" she mused aloud rapidly.
Jenna laughed and ruffled her hair. "You'll look gorgeous no matter what you choose," she said confidently, before moving to look through a rack for herself.
She flicked through a few racks of clothes, chatting with Sasha briefly when they passed by each other and smiling to herself as she heard her friends' laughter echoing through the store. A flash of pale green caught her attention and Jenna pulled it off the rack. It was a casual dress with thin straps and a fitted waist, but flared at the hip and looked like it would hit just below her knee. Jenna loved it immediately and checked to make sure it was in her size. It was, so she threw it over her arm with a grin.
"Can you even believe this?" Andrea said as she appeared by Jenna's side, a big smile plastered on her face as she looked through the dresses. "If you had told me a month ago that we'd be here, getting ready to celebrate a wedding, I wouldn't have believed it." Andrea then snorted. "Hell, if you had told me a year ago that any of the things we've been through were gonna happen, I wouldn't have believed that either."
Jenna's brows lifted with surprise. "Has it really been a year?"
Andrea nodded. "Right about, yeah."
Jenna blinked, a little dumbfounded. In a way, it felt like it had been far, far longer than just a year – the apocalypse had a funny way of skewing time like that. She thought about how much had happened, how much had changed so drastically, and it blew her away. A year ago, she had been in Houston, working as an x-ray tech, with her own place, her family still intact and her friends still alive, and happily dating Jon. Now, she was a completely different woman, living a completely different life, with a brand new family and a man she loved more than she had ever thought possible.
The life she had now was a far cry from her previous one, but she could confidently say she felt happier now than she ever had before. This was a life she wouldn't change for anything.
"It's been a hell of a year," Jenna commented. "A hard year. But I think it was all worth it. I mean, we're about to go to a wedding," she added with a laugh. "Never thought I'd go to one of those again."
Andrea laughed as she grabbed a few things from the rack, placing them neatly into a bag they had brought to transport clothes back to the prison. "Me neither." She then gave Jenna a curious look. "Have you ever wanted to get married?"
Jenna shrugged a shoulder. "I definitely wasn't the little girl who had every detail of her wedding planned or made her Barbies get married every weekend," she said with a smile. "But I think if it was the right person, then yeah."
Andrea gave her a sly smile. "And is Daryl that right person?"
The question made Jenna's heart skip a beat.
The possibility of marrying Daryl was something she had been thinking about lately, what with all the wedding planning going on and the future that now laid before them. But it wasn't something she was sure would happen. It had taken them months just to get together in the first place, and even then, it had still taken time – and a few near-death experiences – for Daryl to feel comfortable and secure in their relationship. He loved her, she knew that he did, and he definitely knew how she felt about him. But marriage was a big step, and they'd never even come close to talking about it. Jenna didn't even know if that was something that Daryl wanted, or was even remotely interested in.
That being said…the thought of being married to him was one that sent her heart aflutter and had her fighting back a big smile. Jenna already knew she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. He might not have been perfect, but she was ridiculously in love with him. He was the one for her, there was no doubt about that. To be married to one another would only further solidify that love.
But, again, she had no idea how Daryl felt about it, and she feared that bringing it up would only freak him out. That was the last thing she wanted, especially considering how great things had been between them.
"I think we're really good where we are right now," Jenna finally told Andrea with a smile. "Whether it happens or not, I'm happy."
Andrea nodded in understanding and gave her a soft smile. "Well, I'm happy that you're happy," she said sincerely. She then became distracted as she found a bright yellow sundress, which made her eyes widen immediately. "Oh, hello," she gushed, holding the dress up to see it better. "Yep, you're definitely coming back with me."
Andrea wandered off after that, and Jenna wandered around the store as she picked out shoes and various articles of clothing to take back to the prison for the others to choose from. When she made it to the men's shirts, she almost picked up a dark green button down for Daryl so that they would match, but then she changed her mind. Daryl didn't like dressing up to begin with – he'd probably be mortified if they matched. So she picked up a plain black button down instead, thinking he might prefer that one.
She could hear the rest of the girls chatting and laughing as they went around the store, but as Jenna eyed Daryl's shirt for the wedding, she found herself thinking about him, and the conversation she'd just had with Andrea.
Maybe, in the grand scheme of things, they didn't even need to be married. The commitment was there already – what difference would wearing some rings and saying some vows really make? She didn't necessarily need to be married to him when she knew they were likely always going to be together anyway.
But…if he ever did ask, well…Jenna knew exactly what her answer would be.
They wrapped up their shopping trip about an hour later and headed back to the prison. The guys had already returned, having brought back several wooden crates laden with every kind of alcohol one could imagine. They were setting up for the ceremony already, setting up chairs and tables, outdoor lights, and putting together a modest altar in a more secluded part of the courtyard, away from everything else. When the Tucson arrived and the girls piled out of the car, happy and giddy and completely unharmed, more than one face looked very relieved.
They stopped long enough to chat with the guys and snag a few bottles of champagne, then they left the men to finish with the set up and headed inside so they could start getting ready for the wedding. Nobody planned to wear any makeup – they didn't see the need, since nobody had ever seen each other with makeup on anyway – but in an attempt to make the day as special and fun for Maggie as possible, they surprised the bride to be with all the supplies for a mini spa day. They had grabbed face masks and body scrubs from a nearby store, as well as all the supplies for manicures and pedicures and lots of nail polish. When Maggie got a look at the 'spa' that had been set up in the shower rooms, she nearly cried she was so touched by the lengths they'd gone to for her big day.
Soon, there was music blaring from a boom box, the first bottle of champagne had been popped, and everyone was giggling and gossiping like teenagers as they got their spa day underway. Jenna took a few sips of champagne, but did not join in on the festivities just yet. Instead, she set her cup down and announced that she was going to go find Carol.
Carol had not come on the run with them, even though Maggie had practically begged her to. Carol had claimed that she wanted to stay back to help out with a few things around the prison and help tend to Judith, but that hadn't exactly been the truth. The real reason Carol had stayed behind was because there was another surprise in the works, this time for both Glenn and Maggie. Jenna checked over her shoulder to make sure nobody was following her and left the cell block, stepping into a hallway that had once been infested with walkers, and headed toward a specific room just a few hallways away.
Jenna looked around, then knocked on the door. "Carol? It's me," she said.
"Come in," Carol called back.
Jenna stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "How's it going?" she asked.
Carol offered a smile over her shoulder, though she seemed a little doubtful. "I just finished, but I'm not sure if it's as good as we hoped it would be."
The woman stepped aside, revealing the project she had been working on in secret while everyone had been out, and Jenna immediately smiled.
It was a cake, or, at least, as close to a real cake as they could get without having most of the normal ingredients. It was made of dozens of twinkies and several tubs of cake icing in the shades of white, blue, purple, and green, all of which had been accumulated in secret after many runs to every grocery store within a ten mile radius. Though it wasn't traditional by any means, Carol had definitely worked her magic. Before Jenna sat what looked like a professional three layer cake, all of the twinkies cut and stacked just perfectly and then covered up by icing so that they weren't even noticeable. Carol had even gone so far as to make little flower designs and had topped the whole thing off with a big, glittery heart stuck into the top, which the kids had made a few days prior.
It looked just as good, if not better, than the cakes Jenna had seen in stores prior to the world falling.
"Carol," Jenna breathed. "This is great!"
Carol blushed and waved her off, never one to accept compliments too well. "I did what I could. I don't know how good it'll taste, but at least it looks pretty."
Jenna just wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a side hug. "Trust me. It's perfect. Glenn and Maggie are gonna love it."
Carol finally seemed convinced and allowed herself both a big smile and a proud look.
"Will it hold up until tonight?" Jenna asked. "Should we try to find a way to keep it cool?"
Carol shook her head. "It'll be fine. It's just twinkies."
"True," Jenna said. Then she squeezed Carol one last time and let her go. "We should head back. Spa day is underway. Don't want Maggie getting suspicious if we're gone for too long."
Carol nodded, and they left together to go back to the block. Even before they reached the showers, they could hear tons of laughter and chatter, which made them share a huge smile. Carol stopped in her cell to change her shirt when she noticed some icing on her clothes, then they rejoined the rest of the ladies, who greeted them enthusiastically.
"Carol! Quick! Come have a glass before it's all gone," Maggie said, already filling up a plastic cup for the woman. Jenna quirked a brow when she noticed how much of the champagne was gone already – no wonder they'd been greeted so cheerfully.
"Thanks," Carol said, accepting the glass with a smile.
"You're welcome!" Maggie then sniffed curiously, her head tilting a little as she eyed Carol. "Weird. You kinda smell like a bakery," she commented.
Carol raised her brows and shrugged. "That is weird," she simply said, before wandering off to look at the different nail polishes.
Maggie seemed to think nothing more of it and simply shrugged it off.
Jenna went to grab her abandoned champagne, taking a long sip as she let her eyes roam around the room. Everyone was in high spirits as they talked and laughed and drank, and Jenna couldn't help but smile at how happy everyone was. She raised her cup to her lips again to take another drink, but paused when she noticed someone by the door.
Michonne was in the doorway, looking interested in what was going on, but not actually making any moves to join in. Jenna made her way over there, making Michonne stand straighter when she noticed Jenna coming.
Michonne was another one that was taking a little while to warm up. She and Andrea had resumed their friendship as normal, she seemed fairly comfortable in the prison, and she talked a lot more than she had a month ago, but that infamous guard she always kept up hadn't fully dropped yet. Jenna could tell the woman was still keeping most people at a distance, though whether it was because of habit or because she really was that reluctant to trust, she couldn't say for sure. Regardless, Michonne always helped out around the prison, volunteered for runs when it was needed, and never caused any problems. The woman just needed a little more time – time to get to know them better, and time to really feel comfortable with her new living situation.
"You wanna join in on the fun?" Jenna invited with a friendly smile.
Michonne pressed her lips together, her expression hesitant. "I don't wanna intrude."
"You wouldn't be," Jenna insisted. "In fact, I'm pretty sure there's a glass of champagne with your name on it," she said temptingly.
Michonne lifted a brow at that. "Champagne?" she echoed, her interest definitely piqued.
Jenna laughed and nodded, then motioned her inside. "Come on. They'll be happy you came."
Michonne hesitated for one last moment, then finally nodded and joined the party. As Jenna had suspected, everyone was delighted to see her, and within minutes she had champagne in her hand and her feet soaking in a bucket. Michonne seemed overwhelmed at first, but eventually began to relax and look more at ease than Jenna had ever seen.
The next few hours passed in a blur of laughter, champagne, nail polish fumes, and fun. It was the most normal thing Jenna had done in months, getting primped and having girl time with her friends, and by the time everyone broke away to get dressed, she was certain she had a smile permanently fixed on her face. Once everyone was in their outfit for the night, they returned to the shower room with Maggie to help her with the finishing touches.
The dress Maggie had picked out was simple, but gorgeous – a flowy, floor length cream colored dress with long, sheer sleeves that made her look like a bride straight out of the seventies. The front part of her hair had been twisted back away from her face and secured behind her ears, accentuating her pretty features, and she'd put on just a touch of lip balm to make her lips shine. The last thing she put on was a flower crown that Chloe had spent the last three days making for her, and once her ensemble was complete, everyone oohed and ahhed and began taking turns hugging her.
"You look so beautiful!" Beth gushed, hugging her sister tightly.
"You really do!" Jenna complimented, squeezing her next.
The showering of compliments and affection started to get to Maggie after a few hugs, and she began to sniffle and quickly fan her face. "Stop! Y'all are gonna make me cry before the weddin'!" she exclaimed with a watery laugh.
"Okay, okay! Let's all give Maggie some room to breathe!" Carol said, waving everyone off jokingly.
They heard male voices starting to echo through the block and realized the guys must have finished up outside. The excitement level raised considerably, though Jenna noticed that Maggie had begun to look just a touch nervous. They stayed in the shower room with Maggie, giving the guys a chance to get changed and making sure nobody – like Glenn – tried to sneak in and get a look at Maggie ahead of time. They finished off the last of the champagne, the alcohol making them extra chatty, until it was finally sundown and time to get the ceremony started.
"I'm gonna go get set up," Beth announced, since she was the one who would be singing while Maggie came down the aisle. "I'll see you out there!" she said, giving Maggie one final hug before hurrying off.
"I'll go check on the guys and see where they're at," Jenna volunteered, before turning to leave as well.
As she left the shower room, it seemed like most of the guys were still getting ready. Glenn and Hershel were the only ones that were dressed, both wearing nice slacks and crisp button down shirts, and both looking very handsome indeed. Hershel was smiling warmly as the two talked, but Jenna could spy that same nervousness that had been on Maggie's face trying to work its way onto Glenn's.
"Wow," Jenna said as she approached. "Who are these two handsome devils?"
They both turned to look at her, both looking momentarily surprised by her appearance, before offering up big smiles. "You look wonderful, Jenna," Glenn complimented.
Jenna smiled and hugged him, planting a quick, sisterly kiss on his cheek. "I'm nothing compared to your fiancé," she said with a grin as she pulled away. "Prepare yourself, because Maggie is a knockout."
Glenn grinned even wider and glanced toward the shower room expectantly. "Is she ready?"
Jenna nodded. "Just waiting on you."
Glenn nodded and adjusted his shirt nervously. "Guess I should get out there then." He flashed a quick smile and patted Hershel on the shoulder before stepping away. "See you at the altar," he said, giving a quick salute before heading outside.
Once he was gone, Hershel lifted his brows questioningly. "Think I can go back an' see her?"
Jenna scoffed and placed a hand on his back to urge him in that direction. "You're the father of the bride. You can do whatever you want," she said matter-of-factly.
Hershel smiled and started off toward the shower room, where he was greeted by many happy and slightly drunk women a few moments later. Jenna resumed checking on the other guys, nodding to Rick as he finished the last buttons on his shirt, then at Carl, who grinned at her as he bounced a prettily dressed Judith in his arms. Jenna then started to go upstairs, but paused at the bottom step when she realized two people were coming down. When Sam and T-Dog saw her, both of them went wide eyed.
"Wow," Sam said as he reached her, grabbing her hand and making her do a twirl, the skirt of her dress swinging with her. "You almost look like the old Jen," he said. "There's just one thing that's different."
"What's that?" Jenna questioned, tilting her head.
Sam smirked. "You're prettier now."
Jenna beamed at the compliment. "You're one to talk," she said, motioning to her brother. "You look great."
He still had the beard, but he'd trimmed it that morning. The clothes he wore accentuated how muscular he was and he'd actually put effort into his hair, which made him look infinitely more handsome than he had when he'd let himself go full on wild man during his time alone. Jenna had a feeling he'd be getting some special attention from the ladies that night.
"And you," Jenna said, turning to T-Dog. Dressier clothes definitely suited him, drawing attention to how broad and built he was, and she couldn't help but whistle. "I had no idea you were a model."
T-Dog laughed and jutted his chin as he smoothed down his shirt. "I do clean up good, don't I?" he asked, which made Jenna and Sam laugh. T-Dog chuckled with them, then reached out to squeeze her shoulder. "You look beautiful," he complemented. "Daryl won't know what to do with himself."
The mention of Daryl made butterflies fill her stomach and she immediately looked upstairs, expecting to see him any moment.
"Speaking of your boyfriend, he could probably use some help," Sam said. "He's up there looking at his shirt like it might bite him."
Jenna laughed and nodded. "Alright. See you outside."
She headed up to the second floor, trying to hamper down the slight nervousness in her belly as she neared their cell and was able to see him. Daryl was indeed standing there, shirtless, staring at the shirt she'd gotten him as if it had done something to personally offend him. When he heard her coming, he glanced her way. Then he did a double take, and his eyes went very wide.
Jenna blushed under his gaze, suddenly very conscious of her own appearance. The dress she'd picked out was simple, but it clung to what little curve she had left and she knew it looked good with her skin and hair color. As for her hair, she hadn't done anything fancy, just styled it into a soft side braid to keep it out of the way. It was the most dressed up he'd ever seen her before, though, and that fact alone was making her antsy.
"What do you think?" she asked, holding her hands out at her sides and doing a little circle so he could see the whole ensemble.
"I…" Daryl seemed at a loss for words, though, his eyes raking over her repeatedly. "Damn."
Jenna grinned, his reaction bolstering her confidence. "Thank you," she said, stepping into the cell so she could kiss him. It was meant to be short, but he locked a hand around the back of her neck to keep her there longer. She smiled against his lips, perfectly content to stay right where she was, until he finally pulled back. "The wedding will start soon. You should get dressed."
He let her go and raked a hand through his hair, eyes turning back to the shirt. "That my only choice?"
"Would you hate it less if it didn't have sleeves?" she joked, knowing how much he loved his sleeveless shirts. Daryl just gave her a look as she picked up the shirt and offered it to him. "It's only one night," she said. "And if you play your cards right, it'll be on the floor before you know it," she added with a saucy wink.
Daryl made a sound low in his throat and looped an arm around her waist, pulling her up against his chest. "Keep talkin' like that an' we ain't makin' that wedding."
Jenna giggled, gave him a chaste kiss, and then wiggled her way out of his arms. "Get dressed. I'll meet you downstairs."
She left him in their cell, able to feel his eyes on her as she made her way back downstairs. Maggie and Hershel were nowhere to be seen, but the rest of the ladies were standing around chatting excitedly. Chloe, dressed in a pretty purple dress, her dark hair down and flowing around her shoulders, was holding a basket of flower petals in her hand. She bounced on her heels as she waited, looking nervous again.
Jenna went to place her hands on her shoulders, giving her a smile. "Remember what I told you earlier," she said to help ease her nerves. Chloe let out a breath and nodded, which made Jenna kiss her on the top of her head. "You're gonna be great," she said encouragingly. "And you look absolutely beautiful."
Chloe smiled widely, her nerves seeming to dissipate slightly. "Thanks."
Jenna hugged her tightly, then pulled away when Daryl came down the stairs. As soon as the other ladies saw him dressed up for the very first time, and looking devastatingly handsome, there was a round of 'wow's and several wolf whistles, which made him blush furiously. By the time he reached the bottom step, he looked like he wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole.
"Easy, ladies! You'll scare him away!" Jenna said jokingly, waving them all away. They dispersed, giggling, and Jenna shook her head. "Ignore them. They've been drinking," she said, moving to his side and looping her arm through his.
"I could use a drink myself," Daryl muttered, before spotting Chloe. His expression softened a little and he offered her a rare smile. "You look great, kid," he complimented.
"So do you," Chloe said back.
"Ahem."
The gentle clearing of a throat made them all turn to see Hershel poking his head out of the shower room. "I do believe the lovely bride is ready to get married," he announced with a grin.
Daryl had never been to a wedding before in his entire life. Some of his extended family had gotten married when he'd been younger, but his shithead of a father had been so awful that most of the family had written them off, so they hadn't been invited. He hadn't had many friends in his youth, either, at least none that had been serious enough to get married to anyway, so the opportunity had never come up. It hadn't been any sweat off his back – going to a wedding had never been something he'd ever really been interested in doing anyway.
This was different, though. This was Glenn and Maggie, two people he actually cared about, two people who definitely deserved to have something like this. And though he wouldn't say he was excited about the wedding the way everyone else was, he was happy for his friends, and he was happy to be apart of it.
He sat next to Jenna, watching as Glenn fidgeted at the little altar they'd put together, looking equal parts nervous and excited. Beth was sitting in a chair a few feet away from Glenn, strumming a nice song on a guitar, while everyone else had filled in the chairs that had been set up into two neat rows, whispering to each other excitedly as they waited for Maggie to come out. He shifted in his seat, his arm resting across the back of the one that Jenna sat in and his thumb tracing circles on her shoulder unconsciously, his eyes looking around curiously.
How were these things supposed to go? How long would they all have to wait before the actual ceremony started?
Daryl was wondering this to himself when Jenna looked at him, her eyes catching his. When she squeezed his knee and gave him a smile, he was certain his heart stopped for a second.
He'd always thought Jenna was beautiful, but there were no words that did her justice now. The dress she'd picked out seemed made for her, making her skin practically glow and making it hard to keep his eyes off her. There had been a few times where he'd been tempted to pinch himself, because he couldn't believe that a woman so damn gorgeous was actually with him. Jenna looked just as good in her usual outfits consisting of ratty jeans and faded t-shirts – she could wear a trash bag and she'd still look good. But if she decided that she wanted to start integrating dresses into her wardrobe?
Well, she certainly wouldn't be hearing any complaints from him.
Excitement passed through the small crowd, which finally made Daryl tear his eyes away from Jenna. Chloe had just come outside, leading Hershel and Maggie as they walked behind her at a much slower pace. Chloe came down the aisle first, tossing flower petals on the ground and smiling bashfully as all eyes turned to her. When she was finished, she took the seat next to Jenna, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair.
Beth switched up the song and began singing a rendition of "Can't Help Falling in Love with You" by Elvis Pressley as Maggie and Hershel finally reached the aisle and paused. While everyone stared at Maggie, Daryl took a second to look at Glenn again. The man was already fighting back some tears.
He tried to imagine how it must feel to be in Glenn's place. What was it like, standing up there and staring back at the woman you loved, knowing she was about to become your wife? Knowing that of everyone in the world, she had chosen to be with you for the rest of her life? That she loved you so much that she wanted to proclaim it in front of everyone that was most important in their lives?
Daryl found his eyes drawn to Jenna once again, who also had tears in her eyes as she looked at Maggie, his stomach flipping as an image of her in a wedding dress suddenly flashed through his mind.
He snapped out of it when everyone stood and quickly jumped out of his seat, wondering why they were standing in the first place. He didn't ask what was going on, just went with it and watched in silence as Hershel escorted Maggie down the aisle. Hershel passed Maggie to Glenn, the two of them shared a lovesick smile, and everyone sat down again.
Hershel officiated the ceremony, reading a few bible passages, rehashing Glenn and Maggie's relationship, and talking about the meaning of marriage, but Daryl only listened with half an ear. He knew he should have been paying attention, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from looking at Jenna every few minutes.
For a long time, marriage was something he'd never thought was in his future. It wasn't just because he never thought he'd find someone, but also because he'd been certain he never even wanted it. Seeing how shitty the marriage between his own parents had been, seeing how shitty most marriages seemed to be, had left him seriously questioning why anyone would even waste their time with something like that.
But a lot had changed since then. The woman sitting next to him had opened up a whole new world to him, teaching him that love could actually be a real and genuine thing, and not just the toxic shit-storms he'd witnessed growing up. That was the sort of love Glenn and Maggie had, the real deal love, the kind of love that had made Glenn practically giddy these last few days as he counted down to the moment that Maggie would become his wife. The old Daryl would have scoffed and thought Glenn an idiot for being such a sap about it. Old Daryl would have thought he was making a huge mistake by tying himself down and probably would have told him to run for the hills.
But now? Now that Daryl had Jenna in his life, now that he understood what it was to be loved and trusted, and to love and trust in return, he didn't think the idea of getting married was quite so crazy anymore.
Daryl snuck another look at Jenna.
He couldn't lie – the thought of being married to Jenna had been floating through his mind recently. He loved her, more than he'd ever thought possible, and he knew without having to think about it that he would never want to be with anyone but her.
Still, marriage was marriage. That was a big step for anyone to take, but for someone like him? Calling it a big step was a serious understatement. As comfortable as he had gotten in their relationship, the thought of getting married still made some of those old fears he'd moved past try to resurface again. It wasn't something that was off the table completely, but it was something he needed to be completely sure he was ready for before taking the plunge – and that it was something Jenna was ready for, too.
Before he even realized it, Maggie and Glenn had exchanged their vows and shared their first kiss as husband and wife, causing everyone to erupt in cheer. Both of them had huge smiles on their faces as they turned to face the small crowd and Hershel announced the new couple with pride, and everyone just cheered even louder. Maggie and Glenn were officially married.
The ceremony might have been done, but the night was only beginning. Everyone sat down for dinner at one long table, then after everyone had finished eating, somebody turned on some music and the real party began. Drinks started flowing and the table and chairs were moved out of the way to clear up space for dancing, and already the energy felt different. It was the first time the group had ever really cut loose and partied together, and it certainly looked like everyone intended to make the most of it. With the exception of Hershel and the kids, everyone had a drink in hand, and it wasn't long at all before people started dancing.
Daryl, having always been a wallflower, nursed a beer off to the side and was content to watch Jenna as she mingled with their friends. She hugged Glenn and Maggie, talking animatedly with them for a while, until T-Dog found her and lured her out onto the dancefloor as some hip-hop song from the nineties started playing. The two danced together for a few songs, laughing the whole time as they busted out their best dance moves. Daryl smirked into his beer, trying to decide if Jenna's dancing was impressive or absolutely ridiculous.
Eventually she stopped dancing with T-Dog when Sam came over to cut in. The song had changed to some country tune he recognized and the siblings started to do a Texas Two-Step all over the dance floor, their movements smooth and practiced as if they'd been dancing their whole lives. Sam led her this way and that, spinning and twirling her with expertise, their feet never faltering or losing the beat. Though a Texas girl, Jenna had never struck him as a country girl. But she knew the moves, and she knew them well, and that, he decided, was impressive.
"You gonna stand here by yourself all night?" a new voice asked, making him look over in surprise.
Carol was staring back at him with a knowing look. "I ain't much of a dancer," he said with a shrug.
"Well, you can't stand here alone all night," Carol argued with a smile, before holding out a hand. "Come on, lets go."
Daryl looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "You want me to dance with you?" he asked incredulously. "I'll prob'ly break your toes."
"I can handle it. Besides, it's rude to say no," Carol teased, before tilting her head. "You comin' or not?"
Daryl, feeling like he didn't have much of a choice, set his beer down and followed Carol to the dance floor. Another country song was on, and he wasn't really sure what to do, but he let Carol place his hands in the right spot and then just kind of followed her lead. Nobody seemed to be paying them much attention, too caught up in the fun they were having to notice his awkward dancing. Only one pair of eyes seemed to have noticed them.
Jenna was watching him dance with Carol, the warm adoration in her eyes making his heart skip again.
"You look very nice, by the way," Carol complimented as they danced.
Daryl flushed at the compliment. He'd never been good at receiving them. "You do, too," he said, and it was the truth. Carol looked very pretty in the blue dress she'd picked out.
His eyes found their way to Jenna again as they turned, who had switched dancing partners yet again and was now trying to teach Glenn how to Two-Step. The man seemed to be having a hard time getting on the beat, but he was trying his best.
Daryl was just glad he wasn't the only bad dancer.
"I don't know if I've said this recently, but…I'm really happy for you," Carol said, making him look back to her. "You and Jenna are really great together."
Daryl flashed a tiny smile. "She's an amazing woman," he said with a nod, proud to be able to call her his woman.
"And you're an amazing man," Carol made sure to add. "You're both lucky to have each other." She paused, her eyes turning elsewhere as her smile took on a sad note. "Not everybody gets so lucky."
Daryl looked at her, wondering if she was lonely or if she yearned for companionship with someone. She'd never really talked about it, and he'd never asked, but the look on her face hinted that maybe she wished she had someone to share her life with.
"You'll find someone," Daryl said. Carol was an attractive woman with a lot to offer – surely he wouldn't be the only one to notice that about her. "If that's what you want," he added. "Someone that treats ya right."
Carol just smiled. "Guess it's hard to say what'll happen in the future, but…the good thing is that we all have a future," she said optimistically. "There's plenty of time. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't…well, I'm pretty damn happy with the people I've already got."
Daryl looked around at their laughing friends, at the people who had become his family, and he couldn't help but feel the same way.
He danced with Carol for another song, but happily passed her to T-Dog when he came to cut in. Daryl happily returned to his beer and scanned the crowd for Jenna, spotting her quickly. She was dancing with Chloe, spinning the girl in rapid circles and making her giggle wildly. She finally stopped twirling her, steadied her by the shoulders, and then they began to dance some more, singing loudly to some girly song he'd never heard before.
He wasn't alone for long this time, having just finished the last of his beer when Sam appeared by his side.
"Can I tempt you?" the man asked, wiggling a short glass of whiskey in his direction.
Daryl looked at the amber liquid and smirked. "If you're gonna twist my arm," he said, taking the glass without hesitation.
Sam smirked, clinked his glass against Daryl's, and then took a drink. "Damn good wedding," he commented.
"Seems that way," Daryl said. "I ain't got much to compare it to. Never been to one before."
"I've been to my fair share," Sam said. "Too many, probably. Most of them didn't last. Got married for the wrong reasons, you know?" Daryl nodded in understanding. "Those two will be together for the rest of their lives," Sam said, looking to Glenn and Maggie, who had found their way back to each other and were looking at one another like nobody else existed.
"They deserve it. They're some'a the best people I've ever known," Daryl said.
"Agreed," Sam said.
Their conversation lulled for a couple minutes as they watched the party continue on. Carol, Daryl had noticed, was whispering with Jenna off to the side and looking a little conspiratorial. Carol then left, hurrying back to the block, and Jenna went to the drink station, where she poured herself another glass of wine and started chatting up Andrea, Sasha, Michonne, and Tyreese. Daryl glanced toward Sam, who was looking in the same direction, though Daryl doubted it was because that was where his sister was.
"How're things with Sasha?" he asked nonchalantly.
Sam blinked in surprise, then flushed a little. "They're, uh…fine."
Daryl resisted the urge to smirk. Sam was the kind of guy who talked a big talk and liked to pretend that he wasn't intimidated by much, but when it came to Sasha Williams, he clammed up real quick. Despite having lived in the same block for a month now, and despite the fact that everybody could see that they had a thing for each other, neither of them had made a move yet.
He wasn't sure what was holding them back, but he wasn't one to judge either. Jenna had practically had to beat him over the head for him to realize he was being a dumbass and finally go out with her.
"What about you and Jen?" Sam asked to quickly change the subject, as he usually did whenever someone brought up his relationship status.
"It's good," Daryl said with a nod.
"Good." Sam took a drink of whiskey. "You gonna marry her?"
Daryl nearly choked on his whiskey, the blunt question caught him so off guard. Sam just smirked at his reaction, his eyebrows cocked with amusement as he took another drink.
He was hesitant to answer, because he had a feeling anything he said to Sam would eventually get back to Jenna. He also didn't want to discuss it with Sam when he hadn't even spoken with Jenna about it. When it came to this, she was the first – the only – person who really needed to know his feelings on the matter.
Sam was still watching him and waiting for an answer. Daryl took another drink to stall. "I won't say no," he finally said, not wanting to delve too deeply into it, but also not wanting the man to think he was completely brushing it off.
Sam nodded, then gave him a small smile. "Well, just so you know, I meant it when I said you have my approval," he told him. "If marriage is what y'all want, you've got my blessing."
Daryl looked at him and inclined his head. "Good to know."
Sam patted him on the back, then walked away, leaving Daryl to stew in his own thoughts. He took another drink of whiskey, a feeling he couldn't quite name invading his gut, then stood a little straighter when he saw that Jenna was headed his way.
"Hey, handsome," she greeted with a wag of her eyebrows. "Come here often?"
She was tipsy, he could tell that in an instant. If her behavior hadn't given her away, the flush in her cheeks definitely would have. "How's the wine?" he asked, offering a smirk and acting as normal as possible.
"Delicious," Jenna said, sidling closer and wrapping her arms around his waist. His hand found its way to her back out of habit. "I know you've got the tough guy persona to maintain and everything, but it'd be a crying shame if we went this whole night without dancing together," she said, her smile never faltering. She raised her brows and tilted her head as a slow, romantic song started to play. "Think you can find it in you to dance with me?"
It didn't even cross his mind to say no. Daryl set his whiskey aside and took her hand, the both of them going to the dancefloor. Jenna immediately pressed close, one arm sliding around his neck and the other hand resting on his chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist, his hand coming up to cover the one on his chest, and began to sway with her, unable to tear his gaze away as she stared up at him.
"Havin' fun?" he asked quietly.
"Most fun I've had in a long, long time," Jenna answered. "There was a time I thought things like this wouldn't be possible. I'm just…" She sighed, looking a little emotional. "I'm happy we finally have a chance to live."
"Me too," he said back, his thumb rubbing circles over the top of her hand.
Jenna smiled, leaned up to give him a sweet kiss, and then laid her head on his shoulder as they continued to sway. Daryl leaned his head against hers, pulling her a fraction closer, all his previous nerves melting away just from her mere touch and presence. It was how it always was with her – no matter how bad of a mood he was in, no matter how stressed or anxious or overwhelmed he might get, she always brought him back, always made him feel right again. Because being with her had always felt right, had always – at the risk of sounding completely cliché – made him feel whole.
Daryl's eyes were drawn to her right hand as he felt something cool and smooth beneath his thumb. Her mother's wedding ring, the one she'd been wearing on her right ring finger since the chain had broken. He found himself imagining what it might be like if she were to wear that ring on the other hand, as a symbol to everyone else that she loved him, and that she would always be with him.
Daryl let out a slightly shaky breath as he realized he liked the thought.
Marriage was scary, he wouldn't deny that. But marriage to Jenna?
That didn't sound so scary at all.
Carol's cake was a huge hit, not just because it tasted good, but also because Glenn and Maggie were so excited when they saw it. Everyone stood around the happy couple, cheering and whistling as they both grabbed a knife and cut into their wedding cake. Maggie flashed a devilish smile before shoving a piece into Glenn's unsuspecting face, making him blink in shock and sending everyone into fits of laughter. Glenn retaliated by rubbing his face all over Maggie's, smearing her skin with the icing, until they shared a loving kiss and ordered everyone to dig in.
Jenna helped herself to a piece of cake, the mass amounts of sugar a shock to her body considering she never had sweets anymore, then went to get a much needed glass of water. It was there that Rick appeared by her side. He looked more relaxed than she could ever remember seeing him, holding a beer in one hand and wearing a smile that made him look years younger. It was good to see him so happy – she hardly even noticed the premature age lines and grey hairs that he permanently sported from all the stress they'd dealt with.
"Evenin', Deputy Do-Right," she greeted. "What brings you around these parts?"
"I do believe I'm the only one here who hasn't had the privilege of dancing with you," he said. He set down his beer and offered a hand. "Do me this honor?"
Jenna grinned and set down her water cup. "How could I possibly refuse?"
He led her to the dance floor, where they began to easily glide around to an old Loretta Lynn song.
"I've never seen the group so happy," Rick commented, looking around at everyone with a huge smile on his face.
"Me neither," Jenna said with a grin, her eyes drawn to Daryl as Chloe roped him into a dance not too far away. He looked as awkward with her as he had with Carol, but he was being a good sport about it. "We never really had a chance to just relax though. It's good to finally get a break from all the madness."
Rick nodded in agreement. "I don't think I remember what it feels like to take a break," he said, his eyes contemplative as they turned elsewhere.
"I don't think any of us do," Jenna said.
Rick went quiet for a few moments, before he cleared his throat and looked at her again. "You know, I've been talkin' with Hershel a lot," he started. "He's been worried about me. Doesn't think I've really taken time 'ta work through all the things that've happened."
Jenna frowned at him, her brows furrowing a little. "Are you still having a hard time? You know, with what happened to Lori?" she asked unsurely.
He had seemed better – no more strange outbursts, no more wandering around outside the prison talking to thin air, nothing to cause alarm. Then again, she had been busy and distracted. Maybe she just hadn't been paying close enough attention.
"I'm…better," Rick answered with a reassuring nod. "But I do think he's right," he added. "I think there's still some stuff I haven't really dealt with. Things that I need to take some time to…sort through."
Jenna nodded understandingly. "We get so caught up in everything, we forget we need to take care of ourselves too. Not just physically, but mentally."
Rick nodded slowly, then gave her a serious look. "That's why I'm gonna step down, Jenna."
Jenna's eyebrows shot upward. "From what?" she asked stupidly.
"Leadin'," he clarified.
Her eyes went very wide and her heart skipped a beat. "Seriously?"
They had stopped dancing by now, so Rick led her off the dance floor so they could talk more privately. "I think I need it," he told her once they were away from prying ears. "After all that's gone on…I need a break. Not just for me, but for my family, too. At least for a little while."
This must have been what he had wanted to talk about earlier, when he'd asked her to join him on crop duty. Jenna nodded slowly, still trying to process what it all meant, her brows pinching together. "So if you're stepping down – "
"Then that means you're up, Matthews," Rick said, giving her a small smile. "Think you can handle it?"
Jenna let out a heavy exhale. She had known this would be a possibility at some point, but she had not expected it would happen until much, much further into the future. Rick deciding to relinquish his power was completely unexpected, and now that this huge responsibility was upon her when she least expected it, she didn't know what to say.
"I…" Jenna huffed out a laugh. "I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
Rick shrugged. "This is kinda what you signed up for," he reminded her.
Jenna nodded, then shook her head as the reality of the situation began to sink in. She would be in charge. She would be the one making all the tough decisions. The lives of everyone at the prison would now be in her hands.
"Wow. This is…this is a lot to take in."
"I know I caught you off guard, and I'm sorry for that," Rick said with apology on his face. "But I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think I truly needed it…and I wouldn't be doin' it if I didn't believe the prison would be in very good hands with you," he added meaningfully.
Jenna managed a smile back, despite her lingering surprise. "I'm flattered you have so much faith in me," she said.
"Just returnin' the favor," he said with a smile.
Jenna nodded, then glanced around at the prison that she and so many other people called home, trying not to feel overwhelmed by the weight of responsibility that Rick had just dumped on her. "When is this happening?"
"This is gonna be a big change for you….for everyone," Rick said. "Why don't we wait 'til the end of the week to make the announcement? Give you some time to wrap your head around everything."
Jenna was mighty relieved to hear that. At least, if nothing else, having a few more days to come to terms with her new role might make it seem slightly less intimidating. "That sounds good." She then gave a jittery laugh and shook her head. "I've got some real big boots to fill here." After all, Rick had guided them through so much – how would she ever live up to him?
"You'll be great. I know it," Rick said, patting her shoulder, which just made her nod quietly. He then raised his brows and gave her a knowing look. "Wanna get a drink? You look like you could use one."
"Absolutely," Jenna agreed immediately. Alcohol sounded great.
Rick laughed and they went to the bar, where he helped himself to another beer and where Jenna poured herself a hearty glass of wine. They did not talk about the upcoming exchange of power any more, and Jenna was happy to push it out of her mind for now. This was still a night for celebration, and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin all the fun she'd been having by fretting about what was to come and overthinking every little detail. So after they finished their drinks, she and Rick went back out onto the dance floor to dance some more, smiling and laughing and pretending as though they hadn't discussed anything in the first place.
Night fell and the hours continued to pass by, but the party was nowhere close to dying down, despite most of the group being well intoxicated. Jenna, more than a little tipsy but mostly just high on the energy of the night, found her way back to Daryl, who was talking with Glenn and T-Dog as they all helped themselves to more cake. Daryl had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to the elbow and undone an extra button, looking more casual than he had earlier. There was no stopping herself from giving him an appreciative once over before she crept up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"How many pieces of cake is that?" she asked curiously.
"Third," Daryl admitted, before shooting her a look when she snickered. "Don't judge me," he said defensively. "I ain't had cake in years."
She laughed into his shoulder, watching as Glenn excused himself to go find Maggie and T-Dog went off to throw away his plate. Now alone with Daryl, with his warm body so close to hers and with the alcohol dropping most of her inhibitions, she couldn't help but think back to the morning and how they still had an interruption to make up for.
Jenna turned her head, letting her lips skim his neck, smirking when she instantly felt goosebumps under her lips. "You know, that cell block is awfully empty right now," she said, pressing her breasts against his back and letting her hand slide over his chest. "Seems a shame not to take advantage, doesn't it?"
Daryl looked at her over his shoulder, saw the glint in her eyes, and immediately set his cake down. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the party, making her stifle a giggle as she practically had to jog to keep up with him. She had no idea if anyone saw them leaving and didn't dare look behind her to check – hopefully if anyone did see them sneaking away, they would know why and know better than to come to the block any time soon.
They reached C-Block quickly, where Daryl hastily pulled open the heavy door to the common area and tugged her inside. As soon as the door slid shut behind them, he pounced.
His lips were on hers, hungry and uninhibited, walking her backwards until her back connected with the door and she was squashed against his body. Jenna moaned and slid a hand into his hair, eagerly returning his kiss. His hands were on her rear, pulling her flush against him, one hand sliding down to her knee to pull her leg up around his waist. Jenna sucked in a deep breath when he tore his lips from hers to kiss his way down her neck, his lips travelling all the way down to the small amount of cleavage her dress provided.
Jenna pushed him away gently, giving him a heated smile as their eyes met, then grabbed his hand and led him down the stairs. He didn't let her get far, his arms wrapping around her from behind and his lips finding her exposed neck, where he nibbled and sucked at her skin. Jenna stumbled under his attention, her eyes sliding closed. Suddenly they bumped into one of the tables in the common area. She braced one hand on the table, the other finding its way to his neck to anchor herself to him, moaning as Daryl's hands slid up to cup her breasts, his lips never leaving her skin.
Jenna gasped as he nudged her legs further apart with his knee and his hand snaked under her dress, his fingers slipping beneath the fabric of her underwear to touch her. Her head fell back against his shoulder and she moaned long and low, her nails biting into the skin of his neck as he stroked her just the way she liked, one hand still on her breast and his lips undoubtedly leaving a mark on her neck. It was risky, doing this in such an open setting, but she couldn't find the words to say that they should move on to their room. His touch felt too good and the pleasure was too great. She could only lean into him, trying to stay upright as his fingers worked their magic and her thighs began to quake.
He sent her over the edge swiftly, her cry of pleasure echoing off the walls. Daryl did not relent until she pushed his hand away, too sensitive for him to keep at it. He held her to him, his forehead on her temple as she caught her breath, his touches sweet and gentle now as he caressed her hips and waited for her to come back down to earth.
When Jenna could think again, when she could finally open her eyes, she looked at where they were and let out a breathy laugh. "I'll never look at this table the same way."
Daryl laughed in her ear, then turned her in his arms. He brushed a stray hair from her face and leaned in to kiss her. Slowly at first, but growing in intensity, until those embers of desire that had dulled to a simmer began to grow back into a full blown fire.
They finally made their way back to their room, where Daryl closed the door and hastily hung up the privacy curtain. Jenna kissed him as soon as he turned and they made quick work of undressing each other, only parting so they could pull off clothes and drop them to the floor without care. They kissed all the way to the bed, hands boldly exploring each other's bare skin. As soon as Daryl's legs hit the mattress, Jenna pushed him down and onto his back, smiling wickedly as she climbed on top of him and resumed their positions from earlier that day.
Jenna's lips sought out his again and she pressed as close as she could, overcome by the need to touch and taste his skin. She pulled her lips from his to trail kisses down to his chest, kissing a scar and his tattoo, before she gave him a cheeky smirk as she laved her tongue over his nipple. He was watching her with anticipation, his jaw tightening as her lips trailed further south, until she could settle between his legs and wrap a hand around him. He breathed hard, eyes locked on her, then dropped his head back with a long groan as she took him in her mouth.
She could tell that he held himself back, his hips flexing against the urge to thrust forward. He was always surprisingly gentlemanly in moments like this, doing his best not to push her too far or cause her any discomfort. Jenna hummed against him as she pleasured him, smoothing her hands over his quivering thighs, relishing in the sounds he made and very aware that he was watching her as his fingers dug into her braided hair, mussing it up. Jenna looked up at him, her eyes finding his dark and hooded and clouded over with desire. She hollowed her cheeks, increasing the pressure, and he cursed under his breath, his eyes falling shut as his breaths became more ragged.
She would have continued on, but Daryl suddenly pushed her away. He sat up and pulled her back into his lap, lips hungrily devouring hers. His hand was already fumbling around on the small end table they had put in the cell, knocking things over in his blind search for a condom. He found one and pulled away long enough to open the package and get it on. Jenna went to him again as his hands found her hips, her own hands finding purchase on his strong shoulders. She kissed him once more, then they both groaned as she lowered herself onto him.
They moved together in perfect synch, her hips rolling against his and his hands helping her keep the pace. Jenna pressed her forehead to his, their eyes locking, before she began to move a little faster, chasing that moment of ecstasy that she knew would come. Daryl's hands were everywhere – on her back, sliding up her thighs, caressing her breasts – and his lips were kissing every inch of skin he could reach. The touches and kisses only spurned her on, making her tighten around him and move with more purpose, desperate for that release now.
He flipped them over without warning, taking charge, and Jenna's moans turned to cries of pleasure as he pulled a leg up high on his waist and thrust deeply within her. Her nails dug into his back and she raised her hips to meet his, a white hot feeling beginning to form at the base of her spine. She was close, so close.
His fingers found her center, moving in time with his thrusts, and she was done for. Jenna tensed and cried out his name, tumbling over the edge. Daryl cursed, his hips and fingers never ceasing as she rode out her pleasure. Finally he tumbled with her, pushing impossibly deep, groaning into her neck as he dropped his head and his entire body shuddered.
They lay there for a few minutes, too boneless to move, but finally Daryl rolled off of her and laid on his back. Jenna turned into his side, throwing an arm around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Talk about a perfect ending to a perfect day," Jenna said once her heartrate had returned to normal, a soft smile pulling at her lips.
"Perfect, huh?" Daryl asked, his fingers lazily tracing patterns over her back.
Jenna lifted her head to prop her head up on his chest, tucking her hands beneath her chin. "Our friends got married, we got to celebrate with all the people we love, we had cake, and we had amazing sex? That sounds pretty damn perfect to me," she said matter-of-factly.
Daryl smirked, his hand running down the length of her spine. "When ya put it that way, it does sound pretty good."
"What did you think of the wedding?" she asked curiously, knowing he'd never gone to one before.
"It was fine," he answered with a nod, which could be considered high praise from a guy like him. "Not sure who had more fun – Glenn an' Maggie, or you," he then said, giving her a smirk.
Jenna laughed and rubbed her face. She felt more sober now, but she knew she'd still be hungover come tomorrow. "I probably had too much fun," she said. "No regrets, though."
Daryl nodded, and for a few moments their conversation lulled. Then he asked her something she wasn't expecting. "Everything good with Rick?" Jenna's brows shot upward, the question surprising her. "I saw y'all talkin'," Daryl explained. "Looked serious."
She hadn't realized he'd noticed, but, then again, this was Daryl. He always noticed everything. "Yeah, everything's okay," she said, nodding slowly. She had done a good job of not thinking about the conversation they'd had, but now that Daryl had brought it up, she saw no point in not telling him. "He's stepping down as leader, though."
Daryl's brows raised in surprise. "Why?"
Jenna shrugged. "Mental health break," she said simply.
Daryl nodded slowly, but was still eyeing her closely. "So then that means…"
Jenna gave him a nervous smile. "I'm getting called up to the big leagues."
"That scare you?" Daryl asked, clearly sensing her trepidation.
"Of course it does," Jenna said, seeing no point lying about it. "Being in charge…that's a big responsibility."
Daryl nodded in understanding. "It is…but you can handle it. I know you can," he said encouragingly. "And you ain't gonna be alone while you're doin' it, neither. I've got your back, you know that. And I know there's a lot of other people that'd help you out in a heartbeat if you needed it."
Jenna nodded, smiling at him gratefully. "Yeah."
Then her brows furrowed together, because his words had made an idea come to mind.
Up until Rick had appointed her his second-in-command, he had mostly taken on the leadership role by himself. Sure, he had listened to what she or Hershel or Daryl had had to say about certain things here or there, but when it came to decision making, his word had been law. He had, for all intents and purposes, been a dictator, and it had taken meeting the Governor and realizing how much he didn't want to be like that awful man to snap him out of it.
Jenna knew right away that she wouldn't want to do things the way he had. There were eighty people at the prison now – the thought of trying to make decisions for each and every one of them all by herself sounded ridiculous. She couldn't do that. She wouldn't do that. If this was going to be done right, if this was going to be done fairly, she would need help from other people. People who could help make the tough decisions, people to keep her in line, people to make sure everything ran smoothly.
"You know what? I don't have to do it alone," Jenna said, perking up as her mind raced with ideas. "I can still be in charge, but I can also pick people to help me run things. You know, to bounce ideas off of, vote on major decisions, and just keep me in check if need be. Like how the president had chiefs of staff and stuff," she rambled with a nod. "I'll make a committee or something. Appoint people from our group and from Woodbury, so that everyone knows I'm keeping everyone's best interest in mind." Jenna smiled, almost feeling excited now. "It could work, right?" she asked, raising her brows hopefully.
Daryl smiled a bit and nodded. "Sounds good to me," he said.
Jenna smiled wider and let out a sigh of relief, feeling better about the change already. She then lifted a hand to Daryl's face to push his hair back. "You'll be on the committee?" she asked, though she doubted he would say no.
"Yeah," he agreed. "Just don't ask me to be your second," he added.
Jenna hadn't thought she would need to pick a second-in-command – wouldn't Rick just take back over if something happened, or if things didn't work out? Then again, if he didn't want to be in charge again, somebody would have to take over for her if she wasn't around to do the job.
"Well, somebody has to be my second-in-command. Why not you?" she asked with a smirk.
Daryl scoffed. "I ain't a leader."
Jenna snorted. "I can think of a lot of people who would disagree with you on that."
"Don't matter what people think. It ain't a job I'm cut out for," he insisted.
Jenna sighed and shrugged a shoulder. "I won't force you, if you don't wanna do it," she said. "Probably wouldn't look good anyway if I chose my boyfriend as my second. Might look like I'm playing favorites," she mused aloud. A face came to mind then, making her smile. "Maybe I'll ask Andrea," she said with a slow nod. "She's smart, people trust her, and after everything she did to stop the war, it's pretty clear she's got everyone's best interest in mind." The more she thought about it, the better it sounded. "Andrea would be a good pick."
"Agreed," Daryl said approvingly.
Jenna smiled, then shifted onto her side so she could prop her head up on her hand. The fingers of her other hand traced patterns on Daryl's chest, drawing little absentminded doodles. "Speaking of Andrea," she said, happy to change the subject as her mind began to wander. "Earlier today she pointed out to me that it's already been a year since the world fell. Crazy, huh?"
"Time flies, even in the apocalypse," Daryl agreed.
Jenna hummed in agreement. "So much has changed in the past year," she said, her eyes following the path of her finger on his skin. "Every now and again, I find myself thinking about everything I've lost. Friends, family, normalcy. It's…sad," she admitted. "But then I remember everything I've gained, and…I can't help but feel anything else but gratitude." Her eyes turned back to Daryl's, his gaze watching her unwaveringly. "We're still here, you know? Despite everything, despite all the bad shit that we've gone through, we're alive. And now we've finally got a real shot at making a good life. Its more than I could have ever hoped for," she said with a small smile.
Daryl rested a hand over the one she had on his chest, his fingers tightening around hers. His thumb traced her knuckles, occasionally brushing over the gold band she always wore. "If you could do it all over again, would you do anything different?" he asked curiously.
Jenna thought about it, then shook her head. "Everything I did, every choice I made, led me to where I am now. If I did something different, I might not have found Chloe. I might not have found Sam. I might not have found you. There are people I miss, people I wish were here. Like Dale and Lori and…" She had to pause to gulp past the lump of emotion forming in her throat. "And my mom," she managed out. She quickly put on a smile though, her fingers brushing over his cheek lovingly. "But I'd go through it all again, a thousand times over, if it meant I'd end up right here with you."
There was something in his eyes as he smiled at her, something she couldn't quite name, something that made her heart skip a beat. He looked down to the hand he was holding, his thumb rubbing over the band on her finger again. "Think your mom would'a liked me?" he asked.
Jenna smirked. "Once she got used to your attitude?" she joked, which made him huff out a laugh. "Honestly, my mom would've been sold the second she realized how much we love each other," she said, this time more seriously. "All she ever wanted was for me to be happy. And you, Daryl Dixon, make me happier than anyone else on the planet."
Daryl wrapped a hand into her hair as she leaned in to give him a slow, sweet kiss. When they parted, that same look she couldn't name was back in his eyes.
"You're right about things changin' so much since the world fell," he said, with a nod. "Before…I didn't have a purpose, or friends, or anything really. My life was just…nothin'. A lot of people lost everything when the walkers came, but me? I feel like I've only gained," he admitted. "I got a family, people that care, a good place to live." He fingers brushed over the side of her face. "I got you. For the first time in my life, I'm happy. And a lot of that is 'cause of you."
Jenna smiled at his sweet words, even though she was a little surprised by them. He wasn't usually so open with his feelings – he wasn't usually so sentimental.
Daryl sat up a little, leaning on an elbow so that they were face to face. When he cleared his throat, she detected a hint of nervousness. "I…I been thinkin' a lot. 'Bout the future, 'bout us. Whenever I think of what's to come, you're always there by my side. I can't picture my life without you in it. Don't even wanna try," he told her.
Jenna felt a swell of affection, her heart thudding at the sweet confession. "I feel the exact same way," she told him. "You're it for me, Daryl. You're stuck with me now," she said with a grin.
Daryl gave a small smile. "That don't sound bad at all."
Then cleared his throat, his eyes turning down to her right hand again. Wordlessly, he took hold of the golden band on her right ring finger and slipped it off. He held it for a moment, staring at it as though it held the answers to all of life's burning questions. Then he met her eyes briefly, before grabbing her left hand and slowly sliding it onto her left ring finger.
Jenna's breath hitched in her throat.
Was he doing what she thought he was doing? Did this mean what she thought it meant?
She stared down at the ring on her finger, heart thudding in her chest. "I…I've never had anyone put a ring on that finger," she said, her voice wobbling a little as her eyes searched his face intently.
Daryl's expression was very nervous. "I ain't ever put a ring on anyone's finger," he admitted. He stared at her for a second, chewing the inside of his cheek. "What if…" He had to pause to take a breath. "What if the ring stayed on that finger?"
Butterflies were erupting in Jenna's stomach, flapping about so rapidly that she was surprised they hadn't burst out of her yet. "I think a lot of people would think we were married," she said breathlessly.
Daryl smiled a bit. "Yeah."
"Is that what you want?" she asked.
"Is that somethin' you want?" Daryl countered, as if he needed to hear her say it first.
Jenna's eyes were prickling with the threat of tears. "I do," she said honestly.
"I…I do, too." Daryl reached up to touch her face, swiping at a tear that had escaped. She noticed that his hand was actually shaking a little. "Not sure I'm much of a wedding kinda guy…" he said, almost with apology.
"I don't need one," Jenna said with a quick shake of her head. "That's not important to me. Us being together is all that matters."
Daryl's hand tightened on hers. "That's all I want, too. I just want you. I'm all in, Jenna. For the rest of our lives."
Jenna sniffled and nodded vehemently. "I am too. For the rest of our lives."
Daryl gave her probably the biggest smile she'd ever seen from him, then they both leaned in at the same time to seal the promise with a long kiss.
What already felt like a perfect day had just gotten all the more sweeter, and as Jenna became swept away in passion with Daryl again, she couldn't imagine life being any better. She had a safe home to live in, she had her family, she had amazing friends, and she had the most amazing man that she could have ever asked for. Things would change soon when she took over the helm for Rick, and she wasn't naïve enough to think that the troubles of the outside world would never find them…but for now, life was good.
No.
Life was great.
The End
Wow. I just…wow.
This is such a bittersweet moment for me. Though this website will tell you I've been working on this story since 2013, the truth is that I probably actually started it in 2011. That's over a decade of my life dedicated to Jenna and Daryl. I'm so, so, so sad to say goodbye to them, but also so, so, so happy that I could give them this happy ending.
I want to take this moment to express my deep gratitude and appreciation to everyone who has followed along on this very long – and sometimes very rough – journey with me. To know that some of you love this story just as much as I do, to know that some of you have literally been there since the beginning and followed this story for all these years, is absolutely incredible. This story wouldn't have made it to this point without you! For all the times I wanted to quit, for all the times I wanted to give up, I kept pushing forward because I didn't want to let you guys down. I sincerely hope that this ending did the story justice, and I hope that you will continue to come back to read The Crossroads over the coming years – I know I will!
I also know there are some of you who wish I would continue on, and there's a small part of me that desperately wants to, but I truly think this is the best place to leave it. Will I say it's never gonna happen? No. Never say never, you know? But I will say that the chances are slim, especially considering the fact that my life is about to take a big turn of its own.
Guess there's no better time to announce it than now, right?
I'm having another baby!
With baby number two coming next year, I fear my time to write will dwindle even more than it already has, which is why I'm so relieved I could get this story done. I just had to. I refused to let Jenna and Daryl's story go incomplete.
So this story might be done, but it's one I'll carry with me for a while, and I hope that some of you do, too. Thank you again for reading about Jenna and Daryl's journey. If you ever want to come back to them, know that they'll always be right here waiting for you!
Goodbye, and happy reading!
- Carrot Top
