Shattered

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Clear

*Two Months Later*

        I sat on the couch unable to think straight. I wanted the group here, they're my family. "You ready?" "Yeah." I grabbed my gun and walked outside. I jumped in the truck with Andrews and his friend Lacey. He went out last week and discovered a bridal store a few miles down and insisted on a wedding dress. I fought with him over the subject for days until Daryl put his foot down. He said he wanted me to have the best wedding I could. I wasn't sure about that. "Have any of you seen my fiancé?" "Said he wanted to go out hunting." I nodded and Andrews went through the gate. I hung out the truck bed trying to pass the time. I didn't want to wear a wedding dress but as we got closer my girly side came out.

          "I'll keep watch." "You do that." Lacey took my hand and dragged me inside. She picked up a short dress but I wrinkled my nose. "Nothing that can show my prosthetic." "How about a mermaid dress?" "Can't run in that." I picked up a long dress with a corset and smiled. "Try it." I rolled my eyes and changed. She fastened the corset and I looked in the mirror. "Its beautiful." "Let's keep looking just in case." "You're the bride." I wanted to scream and pull my hair out hearing that. We're in an apocalypse and I had to get married like it was nothing. It felt selfish with Maggie at the prison unable to do this. I heard an engine get shut off and I pulled out my gun.

         "Grace?" I put my gun back and ran over to her. "I was just thinking about you." "Daryl told us you're getting married. Everyone wanted to come but we couldn't just abandon the prison." I smiled and we walked over to the dresses. "We're getting married the day before you if that's ok." "Of course." She grabbed my hand and looked at the ring.  "I cant believe he asked!"

        "Will you marry me?" I stood in shock looking down at him. I nodded trying not to burst into tears. "Of course I'll marry you." He picked me up in a hug and put me back down after a bit. I kissed him quickly and pulled away knowing people were looking at us. We got Dacey back home and tucked her in. Daryl walked back to the house with his arm draped around my shoulders. We walked in the house and I smashed my lips to his. I wrapped my legs around him and kicked the door shut.

        I couldn't believe it either. I tried on another dress after tossing the last one in the pile. I smiled and we all agreed this was the dress I was going to walk down the aisle in. Maggie walked out in a short dress with a sweetheart neckline. It was beautiful. We put our dresses in a bag and got dressed. "About time." "Oh shut it Andrews." Glenn smiled over at us and I put our dresses in the truck. I walked over and gave him a hug. "Can you believe we're all getting married?" "No not at all, Glenn." "And you and Daryl? I mean I never even knew you two had a thing." "Maggie and Rick knew. Daryl is a very private man. We should be getting back." I jumped in the back of Andrews truck and hit the side. "So how did you cut your hands?" "We've been tearing metal for an expansion. Some dumb fuck shot his gun and grazed my arm while I was breaking up a fight. Won't look too good in a wedding."

          She was quiet for a bit until she started laughing. "What Maggie?" "I think he likes you all bandaged up. Makes you look tough." I joined in with the laughter. She kind of had a point. It all made me think back to that night. The way he looked at me in the dress, with my hair softly curled, it drove me wild and he knew it. I was off smiling in my memories when we came to the town. Maggie looked around excited about everything. Andrews pulled up to the house and I went in to make sure Daryl wouldn't see the dress. He was in the living room cleaning him arrows. I jumped behind him and covered his eyes. "What are you doing?" "Andrews is carrying in my wedding dress." "Surprised you got one after the fuss you made." I rolled my eyes and blocked his view until Andrews walked downstairs. "Why didn't you tell me you went and got Maggie?" "Wouldn't be a surprise if I did." I smiled and put my head on his shoulder. "Daryl Dixon making surprises? Don't say its true." "Think you're funny?" "Ya I do."  I moved up to his lap and put my head in the curve of his neck. "I love you Grace." "I love you too Dixon." The door opened and I moved onto the couch in a flash. Maggie walked in with her bag smiling. "It's beautiful." I nodded and led her upstairs. "We have hot water but electricity is limited. We just use candles at night." She nodded and I grabbed an extra blanket out of the closet. "I'm right down the hall if you need anything." I left her to settle in with Glenn and went back downstairs. I sat on the kitchen counter and looked down at my ring. "Second thoughts?" "No. You?" He looked down at the ground and shrugged. "Daryl.." "I just feel like I'm not the man you need." "What kind of man do I need?"

           "Not me." I pulled him over to me almost angry. "You are the only man I need or would ever want Daryl. I love you more than anything and I should've told you that from day one. If you don't want this to happen just tell me and we can call it off." He shook his head and looked up at me. "I want this." He pulled me into a rough kiss and pulled me closer to him. His lips traced my jaw and went down my neck. I moaned softly and he threw off my tank top. He took me upstairs and we had to pause against a wall before making it to our room. For the first time I was self conscious about the scars on my stomach as his lips brushed against them. Some were from my childhood and some were from a few months ago. They all looked terribly ugly in this moment. "I'm sorry it's ugly.." I turned my head away from him tears threatening to fall. He grabbed my chin and turned me towards him. "There ain't anything ugly about you Grace." A small smile fell on my lips. 

         Daryl laid on me, both of us were covered in sweat but didn't care. He moved onto his elbows and looked at me. "You're mine Grace about time I said it." "Let's not get too mushy now." I ran my hands softly across the scratches on his back. "I'll be more careful next time." "Nah.. It doesn't hurt." He rolled over leaving me on top of him. I started to lightly kiss his chest before he pulled me up to meet his lips. His rough hands went across my soft pale skin. This is the life we deserve, to be with the one we love at any moment of any day. I ran my hands through his hair damp in some places from the sweat dripping from his forehead. He kissed me again before getting up and going to the shower. I smiled as he walked away. I went to the hall bathroom and took a quick shower. I got dressed and went downstairs. Maggie and Glenn were sitting on the couch reading. I walked outside and saw Andrews. "Just who I wanted to see." "What do you need?" "The guys wanted to clear out the area within the fence." "I'll be right there." I walked back inside and opened the closet. I grabbed another gun and started walking towards the door. "Where are you going?" "To clear out the walkers. Come if you want." Daryl was waiting for me outside. I smiled and walked with him to the back gate. "What made you change your mind to come?" "Just bored." I nodded and opened the gate. I cussed under my breath when I saw a hole. Daryl came after me and I went around as many walkers as I could. I plunged my knife into a walker's head and shoved it back out the metal barrier. I held it shut ignoring it cutting back into my hands and yelled for one of the men. They rushed over and helped me close it. "Go around the perimeter and make sure we don't have any leaks." He nodded and I kneeled down to keep my gun balanced. I started shooting at the walkers only pausing to reload when needed. I shot two walkers wrestling down Daryl. He got back up and reloaded his crossbow. I was fixed on him until I heard a scream. I turned and saw another hole. Never leave a project until it's finished. I ran over and slammed into it cutting off some limbs of the walkers in the process of shutting it. Maggie hurried over and held it shut while I closed it. I looked back quickly over my shoulder and saw us pretty much surrounded. "Do you have a plan?" "Not really.. Scratch that." I looked over and saw the window of a house. Ten walkers in our way, five each. "The window." I got in front of her and started to shoot at the walkers. I cleared a path and jumped through the window just as they surrounded me. Maggie landed next to me and pulled a piece of glass out of her leg. I looked around but couldn't find anything to tie around it. I took off my shirt and tied it around her. I went back to the window and started shooting at the walkers. "Grace!" I looked over and saw them breaking through the door. I grabbed Maggie and helped her up. I carried her to the back door and kicked it open. "I need to get you out of here." I got her to the gate and helped her through. I was grabbed from behind and pulled back by the force. I screamed when all I heard were groans. I kicked back walker after walker and reached for my knife. I plunged my knife into the closest one just as it came close to biting me. I screamed for Daryl praying he would hear me. An arrow went through a walker giving me the chance to get up. I was almost through the gate when a walker bit me. I cussed under my breath and fell to my knees clutching my bleeding hand.