I got a prompt requesting that I write this fic in Rick and Hershel's POV as well. I also received one asking: "would you consider writing more about them? For instance how long they were together until they married? Did they do a church wedding or a small family gathering at the farm? When does she meet Merle that would be interesting, would it be before or after they marry? Would he approve of beth? would daryl care if he didn't? Children, how long until they appear and what insecurity will arise from them? I guess I'm saying is there any way, not all at once, when you have time, come back to this story and add anything you can possibly add to this story about them?" This request will start in the next chapter.
So, here ya go! Rick and Hershel's POV! Thanks for the reviews and for the requests, sorry this took so long!
Chapter Three – Rick and Hershel
Rick sighed. It was fifty-five minutes until Beth was supposed to marry Jimmy and Daryl was nowhere to be found in the small church. He still wasn't there. The sheriff looked at Hershel with disappointment in his eyes and the older man let out a heavy sigh himself.
"He can't honestly believe that Bethy doesn't want him here, can he?" the older man asked and Rick shrugged.
"He seems to think he is no good for her…" the sheriff replied and Hershel let out a dark chuckle.
"That boy…call him, talk sense into him."
"I've already called him six or seven times today to do so, he's not listening."
"Eighth time is the charm, right?" Glenn's voice cut in from behind the two men. Rick gave a small smile at the Korean's words and he nodded.
"I hope so," he replied before digging out his phone and calling Daryl for the eighth time that day. Glenn and Hershel stepped away to give the sheriff privacy.
"How does Maggie feel about the wedding?" Hershel asked his son-in-law, making the younger man sigh loudly.
"She realizes how rough the relationship with Jimmy is and she talks about how she wishes Daryl would man up and admit how he feels about Beth…but she can also see how in love Beth was with Jimmy and she wants to see that again. I don't understand it really; she's been tossing back and forth on talking to Beth about it. She knows how Daryl feels about her and she can see how they are, but she also sees those good days Beth and Jimmy has." Glenn sighed, making Hershel put his hand on the younger man's shoulder.
"Maggie wants Bethy to be happy and at the moment, Beth thinks that this wedding is the key to that, so Maggie isn't going to be the one to put the brakes on it. It needs to come from Daryl." The two men watched as Rick became frustrated and angry with the hunter he was talking to. Time ticked on, creeping closer and closer to the time the wedding was supposed to start. Hershel and Glenn began to brainstorm possible scenarios they could use to delay the wedding and as Rick's phone call continued, the two began to create mischief.
Hershel knocked over some of the decorations, making many of the groom's men have to come out of the changing room to help reset things. While they were out of the room, Glenn took the bride's wedding band from where it was laying on the table by the door, leading to a full search for the ring all over the church. People talked in hush tones while searching for it, afraid that Maggie or Beth would somehow hear from inside the changing room they were in. No one wanted to stress the bride or piss of her sister on this "special occasion."
Rick approached the two men as they "searched" for the missing ring and shook his head.
"He got pissed, hung up on me. I don't think he's coming…"
"We'll move slowly. He'll have one more chance," Hershel told them as he dug out his own phone and typed a message into it. Glenn and Rick looked over the older man's shoulder at his text.
The wedding is running late. I hope you're on your way. She deserves you. – H. Greene
Rick smiled and typed out a text on his own phone, a knowing smile on his face.
"That'll get him here. If he knows you see the fault in this…thing between Jimmy and Beth and that you want him to be the one she's marrying today instead of Jimmy, he'll come." Rick typed out his responding text and sent it.
I told you. Now stop staring at your phone, we can only stall for so long. – Rick
Hershel looked at the sheriff in surprise but his face quickly melted into a frown.
"Are you telling me that I could have told Daryl a year and a half ago that I thought Beth deserved him and that I wanted him as part of the family, and he would have done something to act on it?"
"We both know it wouldn't have worked that quickly with him. Apparently he figured out he loved her at October…"
"I was gonna tell that boy at our Thanksgiving Dinner that I was okay with him breaking Beth and Jimmy up and dating her but I felt that would have put too much discomfort on him and didn't." Hershel let out a frustrated sigh. "I should have done it. Another regret I now have."
"He'll come. I'm going to call my deputy and have him escort Daryl here. He's only got a few minutes left, he's going to be speeding to get here…" Rick walked off again and Hershel felt a smile lift his lips for the first time that day. The older man whistled a tune as he walked down to Beth's changing room and knocked on the door. The sight of his youngest daughter in her wedding dress brought tears to the older Greene's eyes and he felt a surge of pain and longing for Annette to be there.
"I wish your mother were here to see this…" He told Beth. He knew that Annette would have been able to talk Beth out of her relationship with Jimmy. Annette would have gotten Beth and Daryl together back in Thanksgiving. Hershel wished he could have had a small part of Annette's knowledge and personality so that he could have done those things himself but he didn't, so he hadn't. He had failed his wife again.
"She is, Daddy, she's watching us from above," his youngest daughter whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, his arms wrapping around her and returning the gesture. "I'm as ready as I can be…" she told him softly and Hershel fought to keep his smile at bay. He gave Maggie a brief kiss before letting her lead the way out to the chapel.
Beth and Hershel stood outside the chapel doors, waiting for the music to start. The Older Greene looked down at his daughter's feet as she sifted nervously and he caught sight of her boots peeking out from under the gown's hem.
"Are you wearing your boots with that dress?" he asked her, his smile creasing across his wrinkled face as she nodded with a small smile that quickly fell from her face. He knew of the fights she and Jimmy had had about her wanting to wear the boots with her dress. They had fought a lot about the wedding. She wanted it out at the farm, he had wanted it in the church. The father and daughter heard the music start up and they walked into the chapel. Hershel fought to keep his smile in place at the sight of Jimmy at the altar and he felt his concern for Daryl's absence grow.
He glanced briefly at Rick, who nodded with a bright smile on his face. Daryl was on his way. Hershel gave Beth to Jimmy with concern for his daughter in his eyes. She was zoned out. She was pale. Hershel had barely stepped back from the altar before the chapel doors flew open. His eyes met Daryl's panicked eyes for a brief second and he smiled and nodded, showing the younger man that he approved of this occurrence.
He watched from his spot as Beth ran to Daryl and the hunter confessed his love for the blonde Greene daughter.
"Bout damn time," Hershel heard from his other daughter, her husband, Rick, and many of Beth's friends who sat near where he stood. When Beth turned to face Jimmy again, Hershel felt a brief moment of panic. Was she really going to continue with the wedding despite Daryl's confession? The panic disappeared when Beth met his eyes briefly and smiled before turning back to Daryl and leaping into his arms.
"I know why this wedding felt so wrong, Daryl Dixon…It's because I love you." Tears formed in Hershel's eyes at Beth's words and he clapped when the two kissed. He ignored the stares from Jimmy and his family, the cursing and muttering from them as they stormed out of the chapel.
The only thing he cared about was the happiness he could see on his youngest daughter and Daryl's faces. Sure, he had helped pay for most of the wedding and that was money lost, but he could live with that.
He could also live with the fact that he would be helping pay for the next wedding for his youngest daughter. That wedding, he knew, would be the last he would have to pay for.
