Just as Rick had predicted there was beer, wine, whiskey and other assorted alcoholic beverages on offer in the Woodbury block, Daryl and Rick had been raiding liquor stores for the past month in order to have enough on hand for the wedding. Michonne and Carol had been in charge of the food; working from detailed lists provided by Beth. Carol had worked wonders with a few pre-packaged cake mixes and a box of ready mixed frosting to prepare a pretty decent wedding cake that took centre stage at the tables running the length of the entertainment room in the cell block. Everyone had pitched in to shift tables and chairs; even the women from the block had offered to take a turn in the laundry rooms to try and scrub the velvet curtains hiding the large projection screen at the rear of the room. Those curtains now served as table cloths hiding metal coated plastic tables weighed down with the abundance of food.

The alcohol was flowing freely as someone set up a battery operated CD player at the end of the room and people started to dance around the makeshift dance floor. Spirits were high, and it was almost as if they were at a real wedding reception if you could ignore the bars on the doors and the bare concrete walls.

Carol and Michonne were sharing a small table at the back of the room, when Michonne nudged Carol's shoulder and pointed out just how many stares the other woman was on the receiving end of.

"Oh, Michonne. How do you know they aren't staring at you?" Carol shrugged it off, she didn't want to attract anyone's attention and certainly had no intention of returning any of the stares and smiles.

"Well, now if it ain't the prettiest two ladies in this whole joint? Care to dance?" Merle's husky voice came from behind them as he hitched his leg onto one of the spare chairs. "I must say, ya clean up pretty good, little mouse. Didja see the way ma 'lil bro couldn't take his eyes off ya?"

"Really? Now, isn't that interesting Carol?" Michonne nudged Carol's arm again chuckling in amusement, and laughed even harder when Carol huffed in annoyance.

"Oh ho! Is that the way the wind blows? Trouble in paradise, no wonder Daryl's been such a dick this week; ain't hardly seen him, I thought he'd finally made a move and was bunked in with you, guess not…"

"He certainly has not been 'bunking in' with me, Merle Dixon!" Carol leant forward, eyes sparkling with fury and jabbed Merle in the chest with her index finger. "And I'll thank you to keep your observations to yourself in future! I'm going to get a drink, preferably a large one!" Carol stormed off, skirt whirling up to give a flash of her legs, and more than one set of appreciative eyes followed her to the drinks table, Merle included.

"Now that is one fine looking woman when she's all riled up like that! Cain't believe ma brother's been dumb enough to pass that one over."

"So maybe, you'd like to give us a helping hand tonight? We want to make Daryl see exactly what he's been missing out on all this time; and maybe he'll realise what an idiot he's been for throwing her over for one of those." Michonne leant forward to draw Merle into their little escapade and nodded over at the group of giggling girls that made up Daryl's new fan club.

"My Nubian Queen, it would be my pleasure. Ain't gonna be no trouble at all to flirt a little and steal a dance or two, yup no trouble at all. Maybe Carol might even change her mind about who the best Dixon boy is around here after all." Merle winked over and clinked his beer bottle in a toast. Carol came wandering back over to the table clutching a bottle of Tequila and three shot glasses.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier, Merle. It's not your fault that Daryl's an ass. Buy you a drink?"

"Sure, sweet thing. How many of those have you had already?" Merle accepted a glass and allowed Carol to fill it to the brim. She poured a glass for Michonne and set the bottle down a little unsteadily.

"Not nearly enough." Carol poured herself another glass and raised it in a toast. "Here's to the end of the world; and the fact that we can still throw a damned good party!"

"Here, here!" Merle chinked his glass against Carol's and then Michonne's before they tossed back the shots.

"No lime or salt, I'm afraid. But still, candy is dandy…"

"But liquor is quicker!" Merle finished with a flourish and poured another round. "Don't look now, but Daryl's just walked in and he don't look too happy with me sitting here with you."

"Pfft! Drink up, Merle and we'll try to ignore him." Carol clinked his glass, splashing a little of the Tequila over her hand, she licked it off and smacked her lips together. The younger Dixon watching her every moment from across the room; hating the way she looked so comfortable and at ease with his brother. He looked around at a tap on the shoulder.

"Well, are we gonna do this thing or not? I ain't getting' any younger you know." Mrs. McLeod tapped her foot impatiently and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I guess so, we'll start with the one we prepared for Maggie and see how things go from there. Yo, Carl? You ready, boy?" Daryl raised his voice slightly and called over to where Carl was sitting sipping a soda next to Beth and keeping an eye on his sister at the same time. Carl raised a thumb and Daryl slipped off behind the makeshift stage area. Beth nodded over to Tyreese who thumbed the switch on the CD player, sending the room into silence. Beth climbed the few steps up to the stage area and raised her hand for attention.

"Hey y'all. I hope you're having a good time tonight?"

"Yeah!" Called back Maggie, from where she and Glenn were sitting wrapped around each other at the back of the room.

"Now, Steve and Mike from Woodbury - would you please stand up and give everyone a wave, guys?" Steve and Mike stood up, albeit a little unsteady from the copious amounts of beer they had consumed and waved happily around the room. "Thanks, guys. Now; y'all probably haven't even noticed but I just wanted to thank the guys for all the hard work they've put into getting the generators running tonight so that we could have the lights on in here tonight…" Everyone looked around the room and gasped; the lighting was so subtle in the room that everyone had assumed Beth had hooked up battery lanterns but now they all realised that the lighting came from cinema style wall lights dotted around the room. A round of applause rang out and Beth held out a hand to settle everyone down again. "Now that electricity has meant that we are able to offer Glenn and Maggie a very special gift tonight. Glenn, Maggie would you please stand up and take to the floor?"

Maggie looked over at her sister and raised her eyebrows but pulled Glenn up to walk over to the middle of the room. "Ladies, Gentlemen – I am proud to present Rosemary McLeod and the Redneck's!" Beth stepped aside and two men from Woodbury rolled an upright piano on stage, followed by another carrying an old fashioned microphone. Rosemary McLeod stepped out on stage and walked over to the microphone, Beth coming to stand at her right. To everyone's amazement Carl and Daryl followed her out, Carl taking a seat at the piano and Daryl stood just to Rosemary's left side and put a fiddle to his chin. He nodded to Carl and the gentle melody started.

'How do I get through one night without you? If I had to live without you?

What kind of life would that be?'

Rosemary's still powerful voice started to sing, with Beth providing the harmonies and Daryl's soft accompaniment. It took a little while for Maggie and Glenn to realise what was happening and then with tears rolling down her face she stepped into Glenn's waiting arms and they started to sway gently to their first dance as man and wife.

"She remembered…this was the song I said I always wanted to hear at my wedding." Maggie sobbed into Glenn's shoulder and he gently reached up to wipe away her tears and cradled her against him even tighter.

'How do I live without you? I want to know?

How do I breathe without you, if you ever go?

How do I ever, ever survive?'

"I'm not going anywhere, Maggie. I love you." Glenn whispered into her hair.

"I love you, too." Maggie whispered back and then laughed as Glenn bent her backwards in an exaggerated dip. Rosemary and Beth finished the song to a huge round of applause and then beckoned Daryl and Carl over to accept their share. Daryl fidgeted with the bow of his fiddle and Carl coloured at the attention, and then they resumed their places waiting for Daryl to continue. He tapped his foot and started to play the introduction and after a while Carl picked up the beat. Rosemary stepped aside and Beth took the lead;

'The Devil went down to Georgia. He was looking for a soul to steal.

He was in a bind, 'cause he was way behind. He was looking to make a deal…'

Merle jumped to his feet and clapped along with the music, hollering over the stamping feet.

"Play that fiddle, boy!"

"And with our special guest, Hershel Greene!" Rosemary made the announcement to hoots from Michonne and Merle who stomped their feet in appreciation. Hershel walked out on stage carrying another fiddle, and had changed his clothes so that he matched Carl and Daryl.

'I guess you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too…' Hershel leant into the microphone and his singing voice was naturally suited to that particular song; sounding very much like Charlie Daniels himself.

"Go Dad!" Maggie and Glenn hollered out, and Hershel winked over in their direction and continued to sing:

'And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you

Now you play a pretty good fiddle boy, but to give the Devil his due

I'll bet a fiddle of gold against your soul, 'cause I think I'm better than you'

Hershel stepped aside as Daryl leant into the microphone and picked up the lead;

'The boy said My name's Johnny, and it might be a sin

But I'll take your bet; and you're gonna regret

'Cause I'm the best that's ever been.'

There were hoots and hollers all around the room once Daryl finished his part and he stepped back as Beth took the lead again. Once she had finished, Hershel stepped forward again and drew his bow across the strings to play the Devil's solo. He finished to a round of thunderous applause just as Rick

"Sshh…Daryl's up next!" Merle slapped Rick's shoulder in an effort to make him hush and pay attention and the other man's mouth fell open as Daryl stepped up to the mic again.

'Well, you're pretty good ol' son,

But sit down in that chair right there

And let me show you how it's done'

With the first draw of his bow the room erupted into cheers and hoots. "I can't believe he can play like that!" Rick gaped at the sight of the redneck playing for all he was worth; sweat dripping off his brow. His eyes widened even further at the sight of Carl pounding away at the piano.

"Lori couldn't even get him to practise his scales…He quit after a couple of years, I never even knew he could play like that." Rick cupped a hand around his mouth and hooted over at his son. "Go, Carl!"

"Daryl picked up the fiddle one day when we were stayin' with our Ma's folks up in the mountains. After one week, he could play like that." Merle nodded over to where Daryl was playing furiously on stage. "C'mon, boy! Ya can play faster than that!" Merle yelled out and Daryl nodded slightly and winked over. His bow moved faster and faster across the strings until you could hardly see through the blur of his hand. Merle hooted and leant down to grab Carol by the hand. "C'mon Carol, ya said yer used ta dance; show them how it's done!" She laughed and tried to resist but ended up stomping along with the rest as Daryl drew the last few notes out of the fiddle and stepped up to the microphone to drawl out his last few lines.

'Devil, just come on back if you ever wanna try again,
I done told you once—you son of a bitch—I'm the best that's ever been'

As Beth and Rosemary stepped in to sing the chorus, Daryl stepped back to wipe the sweat off his brow. He glanced over at the dance floor, and smirked as he saw Merle trying his moves on Carol and she swiftly stepped aside. He glanced over at Hershel and nodded as both men picked up their bows to play the final chorus along with the ladies. Rick cut in on Merle and swept Carol away into the large crowd forming at the front of the stage. Hershel and Daryl made a final flourish and finished the song to a round of stomping feet and thunderous applause.

"Okay guys, the bands gonna take a little break now but they'll be back for a few more songs in a short while." Beth spoke into the microphone, and there were groans of disappointment. "I hope that was disappointment 'cause we're taking a break…."

"Yes!"

"That's what I thought, don't forget Daryl's crossbow is never too far away!" Beth quipped, and everyone chuckled. "Let's hear it for Rosemary McLeod and her Redneck's - with special guest Hershel Greene!"