The Meaning of Love

Part 20

Daryl watches as Maggie drags Carol off somewhere in the house before suddenly frowning.

"What's wrong, Daryl?" Hershel asks, seeing Daryl frown.

"I don't have anything to wear. All my clothes are old and ratty," Daryl says. Inside he is screaming at himself for being so stupid and for ruining the special day.

"Come with me, Daryl," Hershel says, dragging him into the house. "Wait here." Daryl frowns as Hershel heads into the main bedroom for a second before pulling him into the room while saying the coast is clear.

"What are you up to, old man?" Daryl asks, not trusting the man fully yet.

"I am solving your problem of not having anything to wear," he says, pulling a black suit out of the closet.

"Hershel, I can't," Daryl says as he hands him the suit.

"Yes, you can. I have something else I can wear. Now let's go get some breakfast and start setting up." Halfway through breakfast, Carol and Maggie come back from wherever they had gone, and Daryl could tell Carol had cried, which instantly worried him. After half an hour of Carol assuring him that she was fine, he went to work with the other men and Andrea to set up everything while Lori, Maggie, and Carol left Beth to watch Carl and Sophia. It took until lunch, but Daryl was happy with what they had set up, which wasn't much but was enough. Carol didn't come down for lunch, but Daryl sees Maggie take up a tray with enough food for the three girls. Daryl is just getting done with lunch when he feels someone pulling on his arm. He looks down and sees Sophia beside him, crying.

"Sophia, baby, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Daryl asks, which draws Hershel from the kitchen to them.

"Mommy left me, didn't she?" Sophia sobs as he kneels in front of her.

"Of course not, baby. Why do you ask that?" Daryl says, pulling her against him.

"Mommy hasn't spent any time with me today, and Carl said it is because she left me," Sophia sobs against his shoulder. Daryl carefully wraps his arms around Sophia, picks her up, and storms outside to where Rick is getting Carl ready for the wedding. Rick looks up when he hears Sophia still sobbing.

"Is she ok? Did something happen?" Rick asks, rushing over to them.

"She will be fine as soon as I get her to her mom, but first you better ask your son what happened," Daryl growls, tightening his hold on Sophia.

"What do you mean? Carl, what does he mean?" Rick asks, rounding on his son.

"I have no idea, dad," Carl said, glaring at Daryl and Sophia when Rick isn't looking.

"Like hell, you don't," Daryl yells.

"Daryl, please, tell me what is going on," Rick says.

"I'll tell you in a second, Rick," Hershel says suddenly from behind Daryl. Daryl didn't even know he had followed him outside. "Daryl, take her into her mom. She is in the last room at the end of the hall downstairs, but don't just storm in there, knock." Daryl sends one last glare at Carl before storming away, knowing Hershel would take care of it. He walks straight to the room Hershel told him Carol would be in and knocks on the door.

"Who is it?" Maggie says from the other side of the door.

"It's Daryl. I know I cannot come in, but Sophia needs Carol now, so please someone get her from my arms," He says, rubbing soft circles on Sophia's back as she settles down some.

"What happened? Is she ok? Let go of me, Maggie. That is my daughter," Carol's voice sounds as does the sound of shuffling.

"I know she is, Carol, but let me hide this quick," Maggie says. After a minute, the door opens and Carol rushes out.

"What happened? Is she ok?" Carol asks, trying to get Sophia to let Daryl go, but she was refusing.

"We should go somewhere private first," Daryl says, looking over Carol at Maggie and Lori.

"You guys can use the room behind you," Maggie says. Daryl smiles thanks and pulls Carol into the room behind them.

"Is she ok?" Carol asks as Daryl sits on the bed with Sophia in his lap.

"She is not physically hurt, but Carl said something that upset her."

"What did he say?" Carol asks, sitting next to him and trying to get Sophia to look at her.

"He told her that you have not spent any time with her today because you are leaving her."

"Oh, Sophia, baby, you know that is not true. I would never leave you. Why don't you join me and we get ready? I need my flower girl to look beautiful." That finally got Sophia to look up.

"You promise?" Sophia asks softly.

"I promise," Carol says. "Thank you, Daryl."

"What for?" he asks as she kisses him on the cheek.

"For taking care of our daughter," Carol says, standing up and leaving with Sophia. Daryl watches as they walk into the other room and the door closes.

"Our daughter," he says as he slowly walks to the main bedroom where he left the suite to get ready. After he gets ready, he walks outside to find everyone else already sitting in the area for the wedding, except Rick, who is standing at the front, Carol, and Sophia, who is nowhere in sight. Daryl quickly walks up to Rick and stands where he is supposed to stand. After a bit, Sophia appears at the end of the aisle and walks slowly up to the front, dropping petals along the way, and when she gets halfway, Carol appears in a stunning white dress that fits her perfectly. Daryl meets her halfway and walks her the rest of the way to Rick.

"We are all gathered here in this time of hardship to join these two together for the rest of their lives. Does anyone object?" Rick says. When no one speaks, he continues. "Let's have the vales, which you have written for each other, and the rings. Daryl, you go first."

"Carol, I have always believed that I would forever be alone and never know happiness, but I am almost glad for this damn zombie apocalypse because it brought me to you. It brought me to my heart and my soul. I will always protect you no matter what. You have given me a daughter, which I will love for the rest of my life," he says, smiling at Sophia on the last part and slipping the ring onto Carol's finger.

"Carol," Rick says.

"Daryl, I have only ever known love to be shown by being smacked around and abused. You showed me that is not true and what real love is. I am grateful that the apocalypse got me away from my ex-husband, but I know that we had met without the apocalypse I would have left him in a heartbeat to be with you," Carol says, slipping a plain silver band onto his finger.

"I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Daryl Dixon. Daryl, you may kiss your bride," Rick says. Daryl didn't have to be told twice because he quickly pulls Carol into a passionate kiss, picks her up, and spins her around. "Guys, I think someone wants to get in on that." Daryl smiles as he picks up Sophia and holds his two girls, his whole world, close to him as everyone cheers and claps.