Summary:
The ceremony is finally here.
This is the last chapter folks. Thanks for reading.
Carol stood at the front door of the church. She looked around at her girlfriends who now and forever more would be her family. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. As soon as she felt ready, she nodded and Tara opened the doors. Carol, Sophia and Maggie stayed in the little entrance alcove away from view while Tara, Rosita, and Beth found their seats. She was getting really nervous about everybody looking at her.
Sophia seemed to sense what was going through her head. "Mama, you look fabulous! Everybody is going to practically die when they see you. Daddy is gonna bust somethin.'"
"Sophia!" As soon as she said that she realized that Sophia probably had no clue as to the sexual implications that statement had. Maggie just started laughing.
"What?" said Sophia.
"Nothing dear. Thank you. You look gorgeous yourself. Are you ready to be a legal Dixon?"
"Sure am. This Peletier name can kiss my as . . . "
"Sophia!"
"Well, she's sounding Dixon-esque already" quipped Maggie. "Let's go get you two married."
Just then, Carol heard the strings of a guitar being softly played followed by Beth's sweet voice. Singing an old love song that Carol thought was perfect. Sophia turned and started walking slowly down the aisle, dropping the pilfered petals along the way, stopping in front to get her bouquet. Carol thought she had never seen her little girl look so grown up; and certainly never this happy. Maggie followed behind Sophia, her red dress sashaying with her every movement. Then Beth stopped playing for a moment before resuming a softly strummed version of the Wedding March.
Carol put one foot in front of the other marveling at how calm she suddenly felt. Everybody in the church turned to look at her, and even with all those eyes starting at her, she only felt one – Daryl's baby blues were locked on her. He was transfixed in her every movement as she walked closer and closer to him. He never flinched. He never moved his eyes away. When she finally reached him, he turned and grabbed her hand within his own. It was then that she noticed the slight dampness in his eyes as he gazed longingly at her. There was not an inch of her that his sharp eyes did not drink in.
Daryl looked so handsome. Even though she thought he was truly the most gorgeous man alive anyway, the suit he was wearing just made him more so. When he had taken her hand, the future had started to flash before her eyes. Her and Daryl making their lives together. Her and Daryl with Sophia and any future children they may have. Her and Daryl growing old together God willing. Her and Daryl always in love.
The music stopped then, and Daryl and Carol turned slightly to face father Gabriel and Deanna who were both at the pulpit. Deanna spoke first.
"When these two survivors came to me and asked me to marry them, they didn't ask for any of this. They didn't ask for a real wedding, a celebration, or even an acknowledgment of their change in status. However in a true testament to the wonderful, kind people that they are, half of this town decided to give them their dream wedding. It is their love, their devotion to each other and their family that has inspired us all. Now, I will let Father Gabriel continue with the message and vows."
Gabriel cleared his throat. "I would be lying if I said that I expected to ever be standing in front of Daryl Dixon about to join him in matrimony. About the only thing I have ever known to be unyielding about Daryl is his strength, his bravery, and his absolute commitment to a family that was forged out of the Hell of this new world. I am humbled now as I see that Daryl loves Carol even more strongly, with bravery, and more total commitment as any other situation I have seen him fight for. Daryl and Carol have elected to write their own vows independently of each other. May God hear these words as they speak them for the first time. Daryl, you may recite your vows to Carol now."
"Carol. I ain't no good at fancy words. I have so much inside me that I want to tell you. Rick and Glenn wanted to help me but I wanted them only to be for you. You are my one true everything. You are my love that I never thought I deserved. You are my best friend. You are the mother of our daughter Sophia and any future children. Everybody talked about love when I was growing up. Can't say I ever heard it said to me. Can't say I ever felt it. But with you Carol, I hear it in your voice every time you talk to me. I feel it in your eyes every time you look at me. I vow today standing in front of our family and friends that I will live every day to the fullest and make you feel the same way. I love you Carol. I will fight for you. I would die for you. I would never let you turn. I am proud to be your husband and partner in all that this life has to give us still."
"Holy shit" whispered Rick to Michonne. "I never thought I would hear something that beautiful come out of Daryl's mouth."
"Put a cork in it Grimes. Carol's up."
"Daryl. Before the turn, I spent my left surrounded by words. They were my escape from all the awfulness that Sophia and I were living in. I used to read about love and thought it was just a word – that it never really existed. It was a scam that would never touch our lives. You started out as my protector, then my friend. You took me away from the life I had and showed me that true, real love really actually exists. No tricks. Real love. I know I am loved by everything you say or do. I know I am loved by your words – fancy or not. Sophia and I are so lucky to have found you and your love for us. I vow today standing in front of all of my new family which you brought me into, to love you without hesitation, in every situation, in life and in death. You will teach me to fight so I also can fight for you and our family. I love you Daryl. I am proud to be your wife and partner in all that this life has to give us still."
They quickly exchanged rings and smiled at the new feeling on their hands.
"Under the eyes of God . . . " said Gabriel.
"And under authority of the Alexandria Safe Zone" said Deanna.
"We both pronounce you husband and wife. Daryl, you may now kiss your bride." they said together.
Carol and Daryl met in the middle and shared the most passionate kiss that they had yet.
Thunderous applause erupted from all the attendees, but they were showing no sign of ending the kiss any time soon.
Finally Glenn poked Daryl. "Gotta keep it clean dude!"
Abraham suddenly bellowed "Time to party apocalypse style!"
Sophia sat on the back steps of the church alone. She sat and thought about all that was happening. All the changes. She knew she was happy. She knew her mom and Daryl who she fully embraced as her true dad were happy. But she could not help other thoughts, doubts from creeping in. Once they did, she started to feel some of the sadness and fear that was her former life start to creep in. She tried to force it down, but that just forced her to come up with more questions in her mind. She had been sitting there for quite a while when a voice came from behind her.
"You ok?" Carl said walking up behind her to sit down.
"Yeah. Just thinking."
"One of the best things I was ever told since the turn is not to over think things. If you do that, you will never stop worrying. So spill and get past it." he offered with a small smile.
"It's just that here I am. I used to be Sophia Peletier. Today I am about to be as officially adopted by Daryl as this world can get. Now I am going to be Sophia Dixon. I want to be a Dixon. I feel like I already am a Dixon. I am already Daryl's daughter, legal or not. But like it or not, Ed had to be dead to make it happen. So am I wrong for being so incredibly happy that he is dead? So happy that I have a real dad now? He did such awful things, and he was never a dad to me. He was my abuser. He was my mom's abuser. That's it."
Carl thought a minute and said slowly "Sometimes dads do awful things. I think what matters is WHY they did them. Ed did awful things just to please himself. But in this world? If your dad does awful things to keep you alive? That means everything. Did I ever tell you about the claimers?"
"Just to mention it was a bad situation. You never said details."
"Well, the claimers were like Ed. They took what they wanted and hurt people to get it. They wanted to hurt me like Ed hurt you. Then they were going to hurt Michonne. But my dad killed them before they could. He did more than kill them. He ripped one of their throats out with his teeth to save us. That is the kind of dad he is. He had to do awful things to keep us alive. I will never fault him for that."
"You shouldn't. But Daryl . . . . "
"He would do the same for you and your mom. That makes him good. That makes him a real dad. He would die for you, kill for you, and worse."
"Worse?"
"Trust me. In this world, what we have seen? There is worse."
She thought about that for several minutes before nodding. She was ready to do the same for him. Guess that made her a Dixon more than anything legal.
"Soph?" Daryl had come up behind them and was standing there looking at her with a smile.
"Yeah daddy?"
"Deanna is ready to see the three of us if you are ready."
"Adoption time?" she asked with a smile.
"Yeah. Unless you've changed your mind about it."
"Never. Let's go make me a Dixon."
Carl stayed on the steps watching as Sophia led Daryl back into the church in search of Deanna.
"You already are." He whispered this a little too late for Sophia and Daryl to hear. But it didn't matter. He knew they already knew.