This chapter is a little short, but hopefully the next one will make up for it. Finally, we get the wedding chapter. :) I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Chapter Twenty-One

Getting through Thursday without Daryl had been incredibly hard. Carol didn't know how much she liked being in Daryl's presence until he wasn't there. She wondered how anxious he was at not being able to see her. She was actually surprised that he hadn't called or tried to visit her. Daryl was taking the whole wedding superstition thing very seriously, and Carol was impressed. Back before her wedding to Ed, she had friends that had kept Ed away from seeing her for twenty-four hours, but that night, as she was getting ready for bed, he had knocked on her apartment door. At the time, she had thought it romantic, but now she had to wonder if it had really caused all the bad luck in her marriage.

All day, Carol kept her phone in her pocket. Since getting away from Ed, she had stashed the device out of sight, but now it was almost glued to her hand. The number of messages she had started and deleted had quickly climbed through out the day. It wasn't against the rules to text your groom-to-be, right? Carol didn't want to risk it, though. She wanted this marriage to work. Not just for her, but for Daryl, as well. She made him happy, and with the life he had growing up, Carol knew that he deserved to be happy. She was just surprised that he would be happy with her.

To pass the time, which seemed to be going by very slowly, Carol baked a cake that would be for when they returned from their 'wedding'. Just because they were going to the courthouse for a ceremony that would only last a few moments, didn't mean they couldn't have cake...and some champagne. The day before, she had bought a few bottles. She remembered the disgusting stuff at her first wedding. Ed had picked it out, and it had been incredibly dry. Carol had to choke it down every time a toast was made.

I hate this. Come over, Carol typed for the tenth time that day and quickly erased it all. For the hundred times she told herself that she didn't love Daryl, yet, this behavior of her was quickly showing the opposite. What if she really was in love with him? Her heart beat fast at the thought. She had never felt like this with Ed, and she thought for sure that she had been in love with him the beginning.

Groaning, she covered her face with her hands. She was so confused.

Just then, her phone rang loudly, startling her. Glancing at the number, a wide smile broke out across her face. She answered it quickly. "Why, Mr. Dixon, I think this may be breaking the twenty-four hour rule," she teased, knowing full well she had been ready to break the rules just a few seconds earlier.

"Fuck those rules. I miss you," his voice sounded unbelievable soft and her heart beat even faster, if that possible.

"It hasn't even been a full day, yet." She hopped on the counter and settled there.

"So?"

"You do know that some time, down the road, there will be days where we'll actually want to get away from one another for a day?" Carol hoped that those days wouldn't happen for a long time...or ever. But in a relationship, it was almost inevitable.

"I don't believe it." He chuckled. "You may want to get away from me, but after tomorrow, you're stuck with me." Even though his tone was light and teasing, Carol tensed. Those were the words Ed use to sneer at after a beating...and for a while she had believed him.

"Carol?" Daryl's voice sound concerned, almost a little panicked. "You okay? Did I say something to upset you?" Even over the phone, he could tell how she was feeling.

"N-No. I just-No, you didn't upset me. Promise."

"You'd let me know if I did, right?"

Tears misted in her eyes. "Of course. I-I won't keep things from my soon-to-be husband."

"Good." He said. "Cuz I ain't goin' to be like Ed. I ain't goin' to ever hurt you, and if I do, I want you to be upfront with me. Got it?"

"Yeah," she smiled through her tears. "I got it." She sniffled. "And Daryl? You'll never be like him. He's a monster, and you're the very opposite. You're an angel."

"No, sweetheart." The endearment sounded so good coming from his mouth. "You're the angel. My angel."

Carol was a nervous wreck. For the thousandth time in just the past few minutes, she wiped her sweaty palms on the simple white dress she wore. In just a few minutes, she would be Carol Dixon.

Daryl reached to grab one of her hands and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "Relax, sweetheart. It's goin' to be all right." Just the sound of his soft voice eased her nerves a little.

Trying not to focus on the clock, which was dangerously close to announcing when their appointment with the minister would start, she turned to Daryl and looked him over, once more. He wasn't wearing a suit, and frankly, she hadn't thought he would. Instead he words a dark blue long sleeve dress shirt, which matched his eyes, and a pair of black slacks that fit him nicely. Walking into the courthouse behind Daryl had shown Carol how nicely they really did fit.

"I know. I'm just..." She paused.

"Nervous? Excited?" He supplied, grinning.

"A little of both. How about you?"

"Excited. Surpised. Never thought I would be gettin' married." His gaze shifted to his shoes. "Just thought it would be me and Merle for the rest of our lives, you know? Never thought I'd take a tumble down a ravine and fall in love with an angel." He smiled shyly and squeezed her hand.

At the moment, a door opened and a tall, friendly looking man stepped out. When he saw them, he smiled warmly. "The future Mr. and Mrs. Dixon?"

"Yeah?" Daryl stood to his feet with Carol gripping his hand tightly, now. His face had a gone a dark shade of red. This was it.

"It's time." He motioned for them to follow him down the hallway.

There was no turning back, now.

Carol gripped Daryl's hand tightly. She was ready.

The ceremony was short and Daryl had never taken his eyes from her face. It was all so surreal. She couldn't believe that she was getting married a second time, and to this incredible sweet, kind and handsome man. Daryl was who she should have married the first time. Her life would have been so very different than it was now.

After the 'I do's, they walked out of the courthouse hand and hand. "Ready to go home, Mrs. Dixon?"

God, she was a Dixon now.

Carol Dixon. It sounded so right.

Thanks for reading!