I didn't forget this story I swear. I got distracted by a bad man.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

The war was over the next year and Maggie's man was part of the invasion of Normandy, he was decorated as a hero and sent home to wait for her. Everyone went back to the states slowly, in trickling phases until everyone was reunited with their families and loved ones. Carol went back to Virginia, Maggie to Georgia to plan her wedding and Tara to New York City. Tara's fiance, another nurse named Alisha was back a month after she was and all was right with the world.

Daryl ran into Shane in Monterey before the war was over and they were assigned to Lakehurst Naval Air Station, in New Jersey for the duration of the war. They never saw combat again after their tour in the Philippines and spent the remainder of their tour guarding what was left of the Hindenburg and flying watch over Cape May and Long Beach Island.

After he went back to Georgia and one day bumped into Maggie and her man Glenn while they were in Atlanta shopping for their new home. He and Merle were coming out of the local diner after devouring two plates each of pancakes and bacon when he heard her calling to him from across the street.

"Its good to see you out of bed," Maggie said with a laugh as the four of them walked down the street after introductions were made, "Did you see Carol yet?" She asked with her usual enthusiasm.

Daryl was quiet and next to him Merle raised an eyebrow, "Who's Carol?"

Daryl shook his head, he had thought of nothing else, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. All that talking and flirting had been fun; he wanted to see her, but he feared she would send him away.

"She's this cute nurse that he needs to go see," Maggie answered for him, "They had a thing."

"A thing," Merle said as they all stopped at a crosswalk, looked both ways to avoid oncoming traffic and then continued on, "You don't say?"

"It's too late Maggie, I know it is," Daryl replied.

"No, no it's not, she ain't married yet," Maggie cried as she pushed him down the street.

"Married?" Merle followed behind Maggie, "We breaking up a wedding?"

"No!" Daryl exclaimed as he turned back to them as if they were crazy.

"We're breaking up a wedding!" Maggie exclaimed.

"Go get her man," Glenn said excitedly, "Go get your girl."

"I'll drive you, little brother!" Merle said and it was a done deal after that.

/

Ed was an absolute beast when she got home, demanding that she never leave again and that they marry immediately. Her parents and Ed were planning every minute of a wedding she had no interest in at all. She was happy to be home of course, but her heart was a million miles away and she didn't think she would ever get it back.

Daryl was still on her mind, his beautiful light hair and steel blue eyes came to her in her dreams almost every night. But that was all, she had been home for four months, she couldn't forget him and he had not contacted her.

She and her mother had gone for all her dress fittings and the hall was rented and paid for. Her flowing veil hung on the back of her bedroom door and she looked at it from her bed sometimes and felt anxiety growing within her chest.

He had not called and he had not come for her, she had known Daryl would forget her; it was good that she didn't get her hopes up too much. She and Ed would be married in two weeks time and she was talking herself into the idea daily. It would be OK, this was the way it was supposed to be.

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The sun was hot that day as she sat on the front porch of her parent's house, her house for only a few more weeks. She ran her hand through her sweaty hair and took a sip of cold iced tea and contemplated her future. Ed was on his way over and she needed to get inside and change out of these clothes and put on a dress. He didn't like to be kept waiting and he didn't like for her to wear shorts, even on the hottest of days.

"No wife of mine is going to flaunt herself all over town," He would say as if she was some kind of whore.

There was someone walking down the street towards her, she watched the man as he got closer and noticed he had on a bomber jacket and sunglasses. Something about him was familiar, but he was just a stranger it seemed from the distance.

Carol stood up from the stairs and shielded her eyes, it must be a trick, it couldn't be...but it was. Before she knew what she was doing she was running towards him. Ed was coming down the street in his car and called out the window as she ran past him.

"Hey, Carol, where you going?" He called to her then stopped and watch her run into another man's arms. The embrace he witnessed was one that belonged behind closed doors in his opinion. Carol leaped into the man's arms, wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him right there in the street.

They were together for the rest of their lives.

The End