AN: Everyone has been so great and so excited that I wanted to get this out to you. Tomorrow of course starts the work week and I've got quite a few things to get done this week, but I'll try to update often!
I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!
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"Calm down, Daryl," Hershel scolded as he was tying Daryl's tie…or rather as he was tying the tie that Daryl was borrowing from him for the wedding. Daryl didn't own a suit, but Hershel had some of his son's old suits at his house and figured one of them to be just about the right size for Daryl. He was right.
Hershel was at Daryl and Carol's house helping him get ready while Andrea and Michonne had taken Carol over to Michonne's house the night before insisting on enough tradition in this entirely nontraditional wedding that Daryl at least not see her before the wedding.
Daryl didn't know where Merle was or if his brother was going to show up for the wedding. He'd been told what time to be at the courthouse, but that was all Daryl could really do. Hershel had taken Miss Jo over on his way to the house to be with the women, so now it was just the two of them and Daryl was beginning to get nervous that they weren't going to make it to the courthouse on time.
"Ain't we gotta go soon?" Daryl asked, fidgeting with the tie after the old man finished with it. The suit was a little too big and the tie was a little too tight, and Daryl felt like he couldn't breathe.
"We've got plenty of time, Daryl," Hershel said. "You're not going to miss your own wedding. Not like I almost did."
Hershel chuckled.
"Alright, now the ladies have everything, so I think we're good to go. Do you have the rings?" Hershel asked.
Daryl shook his head.
"We ain't got none," Daryl said.
Hershel frowned.
"You're not exchanging rings?" Hershel asked.
Daryl felt his face burn hot. They didn't have rings. Carol had her parents old rings, or at least she had her mother's, but she'd worn them as her rings to marrying Ed…and for obvious reasons Daryl didn't wish to recycle those.
He didn't have any rings and even though he'd insisted on going to get some bands at least, Carol had said no and that it wasn't necessary. She'd said they'd be just as married without rings as they'd be married with them and they really had enough other expenses that it wasn't that big of a deal.
Daryl had complained about it to just about everyone. He knew that Merle had gotten an earful the day before. He'd complained to Michonne and Andrea about it. He knew they didn't actually need rings, and he knew the rings didn't really change anything, but he just sort of felt like it was pretty sad to be getting married without them.
"We just ain't got none," Daryl said. "Reckon we'll buy 'em later."
Hershel nodded. Then he smiled at Daryl and clapped him on the shoulder.
"It doesn't matter, Daryl," Hershel said. "The rings are just something outward to show everyone else that you're married. It doesn't change anything though…not about the love that's behind the act."
Daryl felt nauseous from his nerves and the ring problem did have him a little shook up. He nodded.
"People still gon' know we married though, ain't they?" Daryl asked.
Hershel smiled.
"You may have to tell them, but you'd have to do that for a while anyway. Let's go get you married, son. You can worry about the rest later," Hershel said.
Daryl nodded and walked into the bathroom taking one last look at the suit that he'd borrowed and hoping that it looked alright for getting married in.
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"Do you have some valium or something?" Andrea called through the house at Michonne. "I think I could wrap it in cheese and get it down her throat before she realizes what I'm doing."
"Stop it!" Carol barked at Andrea. "You would be upset too. Nothing fits! I don't have anything to wear to my own wedding!"
Michonne was wandering around the house trying to get the camera set up, make sure Tyreese and Jo were fine with getting the girl's dressed, getting herself ready, and trying to find something that Carol could wear. She had put all her maternity clothes in the attic that were nice enough and she was cursing herself. She went back to the closet and burrowed through it, coming out a few minutes later and making her way down the hall to the guest room where Andrea was already ready and everything about Carol was done except for the fact that none of the dresses would zip around the extra bit of belly she'd acquired.
"Try this one," MIchonne said, holding out the dress. It was a light yellow dress and not really appropriate for the season, but it was pretty. "The whole bodice is stretchy so it should accommodate our little Dixon."
Michonne watched as Andrea helped Carol get the dress on. Michonne smiled at her as soon as it was on.
"That looks good," Michonne said.
"You're just saying that," Carol said, shaking her head. "It all looks terrible! I'm fat and Daryl's not going to like any of them."
"Blow on her eyes, Andrea," Michonne said. "We don't have time to redo her make up. Carol…that dress looks good and you look beautiful and Daryl is going to think you're the most beautiful pregnant bride he's ever laid eyes on, but if we don't get this caravan moving soon then you're going to be an absent bride and Daryl's really going to freak out."
Carol sighed and turned to Andrea, interrupting the fact that Andrea was trying to thread baby's breath into her hair that she'd stolen out of one of the fake flower arrangements that had somehow ended up in the guest room at Michonne's house. Michonne didn't care for the arrangement, or remember where it had even come from, but she was thankful it was there since the baby's breath was a nice addition.
"What do you think?" Carol asked Andrea.
Andrea ran her ring finger under Carol's eye and blew gently at her face for what had probably been the hundredth time since they'd reapplied her make up for the second time.
"You look gorgeous," Andrea said. "I'd marry you myself but I'm pretty sure it's illegal in Georgia."
"OK, ladies," Michonne said. "Stand together and smile so I can make sure the camera's working."
Michonne snapped a picture of the two of them, and satisfied the camera was indeed ready to hold through this whole little event, set to work getting the whole of this part of the wedding party out the door and into her vehicle and Tyreese's vehicle to drive to the courthouse.
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Daryl was sweating buckets. Michonne and Tyreese were supposed to be driving Andrea, Carol, Miss Jo, and the girls over here and they weren't here yet. Hershel had told him to go around the side of the courthouse and smoke to calm his nerves and give them a chance to get inside when they got there, promising he'd come and get Daryl as soon as it was time for him to come in and get married.
Daryl didn't know why he was so nervous, but he was pretty damn sure he was about to die. He wasn't scared of getting married, actually…he knew he wanted to get married, and he knew he loved Carol…but he was scared that the whole damn thing was going to go wrong and somehow it wouldn't happen.
He paced back and forth beside the courthouse, just to the side of the pathetic, half-dead bushes that lined it. He hoped that Carol hadn't changed her mind. He didn't know what in the world they would do if that happened. What kind of protocol was there for that?
Daryl tugged at the tie again and started another lap in his pacing. He heard footsteps and turned around quickly, expecting to see Hershel approaching. It wasn't Hershel, though, it was Merle that came walking up.
Merle was walking up, his hands in his pockets. He was dressed nicer than Daryl had ever seen him dressed in black dress slacks and a dark blue button down dress shirt. He'd foregone the tie, but Daryl couldn't say he blamed him. He was being choked to death by his and wouldn't have worn it if it wasn't his wedding day.
When Daryl saw him, though, he hoped that he wasn't going to be a dick. Daryl was stressed enough about this whole damn thing that he was pretty sure he couldn't handle Merle's mouth right now.
"What'cha doin' pacin' 'round here Derlina?" Merle asked, walking up. "Damn baby ain't comin' yet is it? That's what the hell ya s'posed ta be wearin' ya shoes out for."
"Don't start, Merle, an' I'm serious," Daryl warned. "I ain't fuckin' dealin' with it today."
"Take it easy, lil' brothah," Merle said, chuckling. "Ole man told me ya was out here waitin' for ya blushin' bride ta show up, figured ole Merle come an' keep ya comp'ny."
Merle walked over and stood beside Daryl, rocking back and forth on his feet.
"Where'd ya get that outfit?" Daryl asked.
"Bought it," Merle said. "Ain't every damn day my lil' brothah gets married. Where'd ya get'cha fine get up?"
"Hershel's son," Daryl said, tugging again at the tie.
Merle sucked his teeth.
"Got a smoke for me?" Merle asked.
Daryl fished in his pants pocket and offered his brother a cigarette, taking another for himself and lighting it before offering Merle the lighter.
"Don't know where the hell they are," Daryl said.
Merle chuckled.
"Ya gettin' hitched," Merle said. "First damn time a' many I reckon that woman's gonna keep ya waitin'. Keep ya pants on…ain't damn time for this shit ta start just yet."
Merle dug around in his shirt pocket, still rocking on his feet.
"Got'cha a lil' weddin' present," Merle said. Daryl stopped the nervous pacing he was doing to the side of his brother and looked at him. Merle wasn't one to give presents. Daryl wasn't sure he'd ever really gotten a present from his brother in his whole life.
Merle held his hand out and Daryl timidly stuck his out wondering what the hell he was about to have dropped into his palm. He was shocked, though, when Merle opened his hand and dropped two gold bands into Daryl's sweaty, upward facing palm.
Daryl looked at the rings and made a face at Merle.
"Where the hell'd ya get these?" Daryl asked.
Merle chuckled.
"Where the fuck ya think I got 'em Derlina? Bought the fuckin' things," Merle said.
Daryl crinkled his face up at his brother.
"Why would ya do that?" Daryl asked. He was in total shock at the moment. He'd even forgotten they were still waiting on Carol to get there.
Merle shook his head.
"Ya welcome, by the way," Merle said. "Ya was losin' ya shit 'bout not havin' no damn rings yesterday...an' I figured if ya hell bent an' determined ta make that lil' Mouse ya damn wife an' do right by that kid…well, ya oughta do this shit right."
Daryl blinked at his brother.
"Thank ya," he said. Daryl figured it was probably one of the only times in his life that he'd ever told Merle thank you for anything. He could have gone on about how he didn't even know what to think about it or even how to express how happy he was to have rings for the wedding, but he knew that the thank you would be about all that Merle would accept before he got uncomfortable and threatened to end the entire interaction.
Merle clapped him on the shoulder. That was the only response he gave.
"Prob'ly ain't the right sizes," Merle said. "Got 'em big sos ya could get 'em cut down so they right."
Daryl nodded and Merle squeezed his shoulder hard enough to almost make his knees bend a little.
"Don't go gettin' fuckin' prissy on my ass," Merle said. "Take ya fuckin' present an' marry ya fuckin' Mouse…but I don't want ta hear not one more damn thing about it."
Daryl nodded.
A few minutes later, Hershel came around the side of the building and told Daryl that it was time to go inside. Everyone else was in there and they were waiting on him. Daryl nodded and took a deep breath. He dropped the cigarette he held between his fingers on the ground and closed the rings tight in his hand. He led the way inside the courthouse with Merle and Hershel following close behind him.
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When Carol had married Ed, it had been a big church service. It had been planned long in advance and every single about it was supposed to be perfect. She'd remembered stressing about it long in advance and going through the motions of wedding showers and luncheons and all the things that her mother thought was necessary to have a beautiful wedding.
So many people had come to her wedding and her reception that Carol hadn't known all of them. She hadn't even had a chance to greet half of them at the reception. She'd had a beautiful dress, a perfect cake, her mother's rings, and the whole church and the reception hall were bathed in flowers.
And her Daddy had walked her down the aisle, arm in arm with her, right up to the preacher and he'd proudly given her away and kissed her on the cheek.
The wedding was a storybook wedding and it had been beautiful. Everything had been planned according to the age old law…or at least the belief that we'd picked up somewhere along the way…that a perfect wedding would make for a happy and perfect marriage.
Carol wasn't sure she believed that now, though.
In the small courtroom they'd set it up as much like a wedding party as they could. Daryl waited up front with Merle by his side as his best man. Andrea waited close by to be, what one might call, Carol's maid of honor, though the light yellow summer dress that she was wearing didn't have a train…and she didn't have a veil…so there was nothing for Andrea to arrange and no flowers for her to hold.
Tyreese and Miss Jo sat in the benches, each holding one of Michonne's girls and attempting to keep them calm during the process, and Hershel had looped his arm in Carol's and walked her down the center aisle of the little courtroom while Michonne took pictures of everything.
And Carol was nearly crying by the time that Hershel leaned over, kissing her cheek and whispering to her that she was beautiful before holding out her hand and offering it to Daryl who was looking at her like he'd never seen her before instead of like he'd seen her the night before when Andrea had kidnapped her in her pajamas and hauled her to Michonne's house.
The Justice of the Peace was an old man that Carol knew by name and by face, and she knew he'd known her parents, but she didn't know him well. Still, he seemed pleased to do the marriage for them and carefully and clearly recited the wedding speech out for everyone that was listening.
Carol tried not to cry as Daryl recited the vows, glancing nervously at the Justice of the Peace when he spoke and then back at Carol. He looked like he could barely breathe and Carol wondered if he was nervous or as overcome as she was.
And then when it was her turn to recite the vows, she did the best she could to keep her voice from breaking until she'd finished.
When the Justice asked about the rings, Carol began to admit that they didn't have any, but Daryl interrupted her and handed her the ring that she was to place on his finger. She held it in her hand and looked at him, confused, unsure as to where they'd come from since they'd agreed not to buy rings when they had bills that needed to be paid and, after all, a baby on the way.
Daryl just shook his head at her slightly and smiled at her and they'd exchanged rings. Finally, when the Justice pronounced them man and wife, Carol could hardly believe her ears. She stepped toward Daryl, leaning into him, and closed her eyes for the first official kiss as everyone around them clapped and cheered.
And Carol turned, looping her arm through Daryl's to be wrapped up in the hugs and congratulations of her friends.
At that moment, she thought the makeshift wedding they'd thrown together in just a couple of days was…by far…the most beautiful wedding that she could ever imagine.
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Daryl was shaking so bad that he was glad he hadn't driven to the courthouse. It was done now and he was married and he felt incredible about it. He loved Carol and seeing her up there, dressed in a soft yellow dress, her eyes filled with tears but her face smiling the way it was…it was more than he could handle. Now that he was coming down off of all of it, he knew his mind wouldn't have been the greatest to drive home.
So Hershel was driving them home with Carol in his truck between them, and Daryl sat beside her, holding hands with her the whole way home, their friends following along behind them for a quick "reception" at the house that would consist of a cake that Hershel had brought in that Miss Jo had baked and lemonade that Andrea had made the night before.
Daryl didn't know if the wedding was right…he wasn't sure if they'd actually done it the way they were supposed to do it, but he thought it had been a good wedding and he was a happier man in this moment than he'd ever been before.
He could bring himself to say anything, though, so he'd just ridden quietly in the truck, Carol's head leaned on his shoulder, and her hand wrapped in his.
When they got to the house, Hershel made them stay in the truck until he told them they could get out. They sat there in silence, neither really knowing what to say or how to say it, while everyone got out of their vehicles and piled around.
Finally Hershel signaled to them that they could get out and Daryl climbed out of the truck and helped Carol down before shutting the truck door and taking her hand.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Hershel said, smiling. "I give to you Mr. and Mrs. Daryl Dixon."
Their friends applauded them for the second time and Daryl felt his face burn hot. He could hear Lincoln howling from the side yard and he assumed that someone had let him out to applaud them in his own way.
"Come on Daryl," Tyreese called. He was standing at the door, holding it open. "Carry that lady across the threshold and let's get on with the party."
Daryl turned to Carol and she smiled at him, putting her arm around his shoulder.
"Lift with ya knees!" Daryl heard Merle call at him. He chuckled and felt his face go warm again. He wasn't used to having so many people looking at him all at once.
"Don't hurt yourself," she whispered, leaning into him.
He pecked her lips quickly before reaching down and scooping her up.
"Light as a feather, woman," he said.
As he stepped across the threshold of the house, having to be careful to turn and ease Carol through so that nothing got banged in the doorframe, everyone clapped again, having followed him up to the carport, and he sat Carol on her feet. She leaned in and he met her, kissing her.
"I love you," she whispered when she pulled away.
"I love ya too," Daryl said, pressing his forehead against hers and lingering for just a second before they had to turn their attention to the crowd that was flooding into the kitchen to celebrate the fact that they were officially starting their lives, as Andrea put it, as an old married couple.