Maggie stepped out of the cellblock door into the courtyard and caught her breath at the change Beth had brought over the place in just a few short hours. She had commandeered every able bodied person to sweep the yard clean of debris and to move the metal benches away from the sides of the yard in order to form a makeshift aisle leading to a wooden pergola draped in greenery. Above their heads Beth had strung strands of wire across the yard and from that wire hung hundreds of tiny paper lanterns, each with a tiny candle inside.
She smiled as she met her escort at the door, a smart looking Carl dressed in a white shirt and string tie offered his arm to her and they started the slow walk down the makeshift aisle, the sound of a harmonica playing the wedding march made them falter slightly. Maggie looked to the side to see Merle Dixon stepping forward blowing out the melody on a pocket harmonica and Carl smiled over at her as they continued forward. Maggie breathed in deep as the scent of lilacs and roses permeated the sultry summer night air.
Beth stepped lightly in place behind Maggie with Carol bringing up the rear. As they fell into step, more than one eye was drawn to the figure in blue stepping elegantly behind the bride to be. Beth winked over her shoulder at the other bridesmaid and whispered; "See what I mean? Can't keep his eyes off you…"
"Sshh, I'm trying to concentrate!" Carol muttered back, focusing her attention on the pergola in front and not the man standing next to a very gobsmacked looking Glenn who had just turned around to get his first look at the bride.
"Maggie – you look…No, I have no words…" Glenn received Maggie's hand from Carl who stepped aside to take his place next to Daryl, who was also wearing a white shirt (without the sleeves ripped out) and a string tie. Hershel leant over the makeshift altar made out of a wooden stool to enfold the Glenn into a hug.
"Look after my little girl, Glenn." Hershel whispered into his ear, choking back the tears. He pulled back and said a little louder, "I'm still young enough to whip yer ass, if you mess around on my daughter."
"Yes, Hershel." Glenn laughed and squeezed Maggie's hand. Hershel then stepped back into the pergola picked up his worn leather bible from where it rested on the table.
"There's a passage from John 13:34; 'A new command I give you; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.' Now that passage is particularly important to Maggie and myself; I shared it with her when I married her stepmother and she quoted it back to me not a few days after she met Glenn." Hershel smiled over at his daughter who smiled tearfully back, remembering that she had used it when trying to persuade her father not to force Rick's group to leave the Greene farm. "I read it out to you tonight, not to detract from the wedding vows that Maggie and Glenn have chosen tonight; but to add to them. We have come together as a family; not as separated groups that happen to be sharing the same refuge but as a family; so I repeat again; 'Love one another…"
"As I have loved you, so you must love one another." The whole group murmured along with him, and many felt emotion clogging the back of their throat.
One person in particular, felt those words held particular meaning; that night especially. He had been planning something special for the bride and groom but there was another person he was also hoping to impress, and she was standing not ten feet away from him right now.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered in the sight of God to join together this man and this woman in the state of Holy Matrimony…" Hershel held Maggie and Glenn's hands in his own and nodded over to his daughter.
"Glenn, I promise to you that I will love you and cherish you for all the days that we have left on earth. I make a solemn vow that I will never let you down; even in death."
"Maggie, I promise to you that I will love you and cherish you for all the days…and nights…that we have left on earth. I make a solemn vow that I will never let you down; even in death." Glenn repeated his vows and there was a little snort from the man standing next to him at his little amendment to the vows they had written together. They slid their wedding bands on and Hershel cleared his throat and nodded over at Glenn.
"Son, you may know kiss your bride." As Glenn leant forward, Daryl tapped him on the shoulder; causing him to pause and look over.
"Don't forget, Short Round; ya have an audience, so keep it clean!" Everyone sniggered and Glenn blushed, remembering the last time that Daryl had caught him with his pants down; well unbuttoned and shirtless at least.
"Ladies and Gentlemen; it is my pleasure to introduce Mr and Mrs Glenn Rhee." Whistles and cheers followed Hershel's booming announcement and Merle struck up a quick paced rendition of the Wedding March again as Glenn whooped and whirled Maggie in the air. Beth clapped her hands for attention and called out.
"Everyone! If you'd like to head over to the Woodbury block; we have a bit of a feast set up and later there will be a surprise entertainer for y'all."
"Glenn, Maggie; I'd like to give you all of the luck in the world – I'd like to think that Lori's somewhere up there looking down and smiling at the two of you right now. You're both off watch and run duties for the next two days and I've arranged for a little honeymoon suite up in tower three." Rick leant over to kiss Maggie's cheek and slapped Glenn on the back.
"Rick, I don't know what to say…"
"No need to say anything…go on in and enjoy yourselves. Me and Carl have got this shift covered; Michonne and Dave from Woodbury are gonna take over at ten; we'll head on in then and hopefully Daryl will have set aside a few beers for me."
"Beer? We have beer?" Maggie pulled Glenn away, and blew a kiss over in Rick's direction. "C'mon, Glenn didn't you hear the man, we have beer!" Carol stepped forward to place her arm on Rick's sleeve.
"Rick, I don't mind taking this shift if you want to head in now." Rick shifted on his feet and seemed to be looking at something over her shoulder.
"Ah…thanks Carol…" His eyes widened as he realised what Daryl was trying to indicate – it looked as if the other man was threatening bodily harm if he granted Carol's wish. "But we've got it covered, haven't we, Carl?"
"Sure, we'll be in at ten. Save me a dance, Carol?"
"Okay, sweetie. I'll add you to my dance card." Carol leant over to ruffle the boy's hair, which for once wasn't covered by the borrowed Stetson. Carl pulled away slightly, so Carol swooped down to press a noisy kiss against his cheek.
"Hey - do I get a dance too?" Rick called out and Carol chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Sure, Rick. I'll pencil you in, too." Carol waved over her shoulder and not sparing a glance at Daryl started to walk towards D block.
"What, no kiss? Unfair, Carol!" Carol simply waved over her shoulder and carried on walking, leaving Daryl gazing after her with a frown on his face.
"So, what's up with the miming action? I coulda been in there sinking a few beers by now…" Rick grumbled half-heartedly at Daryl, Carl just smirked; he knew what Daryl's plans were for later that evening, having been in at the beginning of the plans.
"Just wanted Carol to have a little fun this evening, that's all. You know she works too damned hard around here as it is – helping source and cook all the extra food for this shindig and taking care of everyone's little wants at the same time."
"Uh-huh, that all it as, bro? 'Cause ya seemed mighty put out that she didn't want to be in there, and I didn't see her offering you a dance later." Rick recalled the rather stilted way that Carol had been acting around Daryl for the last few weeks and the way that she had breezed past him just then without a smile or a nudge in his direction. The group enjoyed the banter and flirtation between the pair and it was always interesting to see the little ways that Carol could think up to make Daryl blush.
"I don't know what's gotten into her lately; she's changed around me and I don't know why."
"You still going ahead with the plan, though? Right, Daryl?" Carl bounced a little on the balls of his feet; and Daryl looked over with a worried frown.
"I don't know whether I should now."
"Aww, come on D! You have to! All that work we put in…Rose…" Carl caught the warning in Daryl's eye just in time, and stopped in his tracks. "I mean all that work we put in…didn't think you would just chicken out…"
"Watch it, squirt!" Daryl warned, narrowing his eyes at the younger boy.
"Rose? You mean, Rose Dalton – that little brunette over in D? You put Carol aside over that strumpet? Jeez, no wonder Carol's pissed at you, man!" Rick placed his hands on his hips and glared over at Daryl, who squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze and decided to come clean.
"No! It ain't like that! One, me and Carol ain't together like that anyway; and two…Carl was talking about Mrs. McLeod – Rosemary's been helping me…arrange the entertainment for Glenn and Maggie." Rick also picked up on Daryl's slight hesitation over what Mrs. McLeod was really helping him with, but didn't push the matter any further; he could see that Daryl was growing more and more agitated by the minute. Rick looked down at his son.
"So, you know about this 'special entertainment', Carl?"
"Sure, Dad. I'm part of it, I've been helping Daryl and Rose get everything set up for weeks now."
"Thank God; I thought you'd been sneaking off with one of the girls from Woodbury…" Rick sighed gratefully; having worked himself up into a state over where Carl had been disappearing to every night after dinner. "Look, it won't take the both of us tonight. Why don't you go ahead and help Daryl, and I'll take the shift myself. Go on, now; before I change my mind." Rick nudged Carl over in Daryl's direction and watched the pair of them slip off into the shadows of the block. He looked up into the twilight sky and sighed heavily.
"Hope you're happy, Lori. Didn't rant and rave like I said I was gonna. Turned out it was nothing to worry about after all. Take care, sweetheart and good night." Rick turned and made his way up to the guard tower, trying to tune out the sounds drifting up from the cell block below in order to spot anything happening beyond the fences. He propped his feet up on the railing and leant back against the wooden chair that they kept up there and focused his attention to the fence lines instead.