Chapter 10: At Last

After the ceremony, they gathered in the gardens for the wedding breakfast.

Along with Carol's cake, tables were laid with freshly cooked fish they'd traded from Oceanside and salad donated from Hilltop.

It smelt delicious, but Daryl's stomach clenched tight and he felt unable to take a bite. It wasn't just the speech. He wanted to propose to Carol, but he just didn't know how.

And what if she said no? She'd been married before, and look how well that turned out. She might not wanna get hitched again. It could turn their relationship awkward. Ruin it all.

"Are you ok?" Carol gently touched his arm.

He swallowed. "Mhmm."

Their moment was interrupted by Rick tapping his glass, nodding at Daryl. It was time.

Shakily, he stood. He regretted cutting his hair, wanting to hide behind is bangs. Everyone was looking at him.

Just say something about when they met, Carol had told him, something funny. And then something sweet.

"When Rick first met Michonne, he didn't trust her," he began, his voice quiet, "but who would, when she turns up lookin' like the last samurai?" there was some laughter, "Carl loved her," he stumbled over that, "so how could he not love her too?"

There was silence, but not an awkward one. Most people had tears in their eyes. Daryl couldn't say any more. He looked at his girl.

She smiled, a wide, radiant smile, and led the clapping.

Carol watched as Rick and Michonne waltzed to the tune of scavenged records. Their first dance was to The Four Tops' I Can't Help Myself. They now began to sway along to Pistol Packin Mama. Rick appeared to be a surprisingly energetic dancer, matching his new wife in speed and fluidity.

She tried to push out all memories of her own wedding to Ed. She'd been young, twenty-one to be exact. Her Mom had convinced her to drop out of college and focus on being his wife. The Peletiers were notoriously wealthy, having made a lot of money in the oil business.

She'd been in her second year at Emory, reading Nursing. Her parents didn't have a lot of money. She'd had to work shifts at a local bar to support herself, which is where she'd met Ed. He'd been a regular client and was charming at first.

On their wedding night, he'd hit her for the first time. He'd drunk too much champagne. Her period had come early, and when Ed realized, he'd hit her out of disgust.

"Hey," Daryl had walked over to her, his voice soft and gentle. "Ya good?"

Carol forced a smile. She didn't want to sadden him.

"Just wishing Carl was here." She said, which wasn't entirely a lie, "And Sophia."

He sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him. They were silent, letting their bodies comfort each other.

The record changed. This time it was Etta James' At Last. The opening riff warmed Carol's heart. Her Pops loved that song. He used to play it often, on his own record player, swinging her round as he sung the words.

"Dance with me," she pulled Daryl up with her. He looked uncomfortable.

"Ain't no good." He mumbled.

"I don't care." she smiled, placing his hands around her waist.

They swayed together as Daryl tried not to stand on her feet. He'd never heard the song before, but he liked it. It made him feel warm inside.

Carol looked so happy. It was romantic. Very romantic.

He thought about asking her, then. He didn't have a ring yet, but did that matter? He could always get her one on the way back home. Plenty of lady walkers around.

But what would he say? Will ya marry me? Be mine? Let's get married? I want ya to be my wife?

While he mused, Daryl felt a tug on his arm. Rick and Michonne smiled at them. The good song had finished, and The Ink Spots' I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire began to play.

"Mind if we swap?" Rick smiled, "it's customary for the bride to dance with the best man…"

Before he could answer, Michonne swooped into his arms. Daryl stiffened, feeling awkward. Carol was the only woman he'd ever danced with, and she was his girl.

She seemed to sense as anxiety. "Relax, it's just a bit of fun," Michonne said, winking at him. "Carol won't mind."

He didn't respond, half relieved that he hadn't managed to propose. He'd probably say it all wrong, plus it was so noisy, she might not even hear.

"Daryl!" Michonne shouted, and he realized that he'd stopped moving. Shit. He quickly swayed, going to fast and accidentally kicking her leg. "Could you please concentrate?"

"Tryin," he mumbled. His palms were sweaty; he hoped she wouldn't moan about that too.

"What the hell are you worrying about?" she yapped, though her expression was soft.

Daryl paused, unsure of whether to tell her. Would she laugh? Would she say that Carol doesn't wanna marry him? She would know, they're friends, right?

He looked over at his girl, who was being swung around by Rick, laughing.

"I wanna marry Carol."

Michonne gasped, stopping her dancing suddenly, causing Daryl to almost trip over.

"Sorry… I didn't expect that."

"Why?"

"It took you forever to tell her you loved her!" she began to dance with him again, "when I first met you, it was so obvious, and even then you must have known her what, nine months before?" she shook her head, "I was surprised to hear you two weren't already married. That you weren't already together."

Daryl tried to swallow his anger. She was right. He should've told her. They wasted so much time. At the prison, when she'd asked him to screw around, he should've said yes. After she saved them at Terminus, when he'd hugged her, he should've kissed her. And when he found her at the Kingdom, he should've told her, then. I'll stay here, with ya. I love ya.

"Ain't wastin' any more time," he grunted.

Michonne smiled. "Good. So when are you planning on doing it? Not now, surely?"

"Wha's wrong with now?"

Michonne looked at him as if he'd just farted.

"It's my wedding, Daryl. No woman ever wants to be proposed to at someone else's wedding. It just isn't done."

Boy, was he glad he hadn't asked. "How's it done then?"

"Try and choose an appropriate time, at least. When the two of you are alone. And happy." She winked again, "and definitely not in the bedroom."

"Tha's the only time we're alone..."

"Well, go on a date. You do have dates, right?"

"How the hell we gonna find time to date? I've gotta do runs, and Carol teaches!" his voice was getting louder, he needed to calm down.

Michonne sighed. "Can't you take her on a run with you? Get Morgan to stay behind and teach the kids?"

"Spose." He tried to follow her movements. "Dunno what to say."

She rolled her eyes. "Just ask her to go on a run with you!"

"Nah, how to...propose."

"Oh. Right." She paused, thinking. "Rick and Carol seem to be enjoying themselves, so we'll probably get another song together. Why don't you pretend I'm her? Throw about some ideas, we'll see what sounds good?"

Nat King Cole's Orange Colored Sky began to play.

"'Kay. So…" he couldn't look at her, it felt so wrong. "Will ya marry me?"

"Wow. Straight to the point. One second you're killing walkers, and then you throw out that shocker?"

He looked at her, his eyes narrowed. God, he was useless.

"What the hell'd Rick say?"

"It was just after I'd finished finalizing the designs for the school. He was cooking me dinner, and said he had some plans he wanted me to look at," she paused, smiling, happiness radiating from her face, "I opened this piece of paper, and under a drawing of the church he'd written Our Wedding?"

Tears filled her eyes, "I couldn't help it, I just burst into tears, and then he told me that although we hadn't been together that long, he loved me, and though he always knew he wanted us to spend the rest of our lives together, Carl had wanted us to make it official."

She wiped her eyes. "How could I say no to that? You need to think of something like that, Daryl. Something meaningful."