Determined to Endure: The 4th Installment in my Daryl Dixon Love Story

Chapter 2: Love All Around

Warning: Smut

"There they are!" I hear Glenn call over the crowd of people talking as Daryl and I walk into the house, "was wondering if you were coming?" Glenn throws out an old joke from what seems like simpler times.

"Shut up." Daryl punches him in the arm in passing and Glenn turns to Tara and Sasha to laugh.

Glenn opens his arms to give Daryl a hug and he obliges, with me following behind him, "congrats you two! Welcome to the club!"

"Thanks, Glenn." I return as Daryl, whose obviously uncomfortable getting hugs and handshakes from everyone in town.

Maggie chimes in, "you've missed like the whole thing!" She sort of pouts out her lower lip like she's sad. The drink in her hand signaling to me that she's just kidding and is enjoying herself.

"What'd you expect from Big D, huh?" Abraham saunters over and tries to joke, pulling Daryl into a side embrace. Although both men are large, Abraham has a height advantage over most men in town.

A few of the people in the crowd chuckle while both Daryl and I duck our heads in embarrassment, "knock it off, man." I hear Daryl mutter over to our tall, overly loud red headed friend.

"Come on everyone! Now that the newly weds are here, I'd like to give a toast." I hear Rick's voice call out, controlling the crowd and getting things calm. Everyone stares at him now, and Daryl wraps his arm around my back, pulling me close to him, "Sadie," he looks at me first "you started on this adventure with me, this new world was a challenge we unknowingly took on together. We both had our own past but we both had a future ahead of us that we weren't willing to give up on." I look down at my feet, knowing just how untrue that was for me in the beginning of this mess. He then looks to his friend, "Daryl, you've become a brother to me. You're a man I can always trust, a man with a heart of gold that you try to hide. We've had to make some tough decisions, but I always had you to be honest with me, brutally honest at times." Some of the others in the room chuckle, "I know I speak for most, if not all of us, when I say the love you two have for one another is visible, it's desirable, and sure, maybe sickening at times." More chuckles this time as he jokes. After it goes quiet again, he raises his glass towards us and everyone else follows suit, "so today we celebrate a marriage between two people. Two people who are the perfect fit for one another, one I know will last a lifetime. And I mean a lifetime in the past world and in this new world."

I fought off the tears well enough during his speech until the end. Daryl and I nod a few times in acceptance of everyone's claps and cheers. Once everyone starts to focus their attention elsewhere again, Rick makes his way over to us where I hug him first, "thank you!" I whisper into his ear.

"yeah, thanks dickhead." Daryl mumbles back to him while giving him a quick hug.

Rick chortles in response and takes a sip of his beer when he pulls away, "maybe one day Judith will have a little baby to play around with" he winks at us before quickly walking away.

"As if" I snort out at the same time that Daryl snorts, "yeah, right." We look at each other and laugh quietly before moving away from the middle of the room to try and sneak away some more one on one time.

Rick gives Daryl and I 2 weeks of "relaxed" duties so we can enjoy a sort of honeymoon behind the walls of Alexandria. We spend a night away from the town, eager to really be alone and let loose without worrying about others hearing us, "Daryl, where are we?" I ask, looking around at the old run down home.

"Somewhere private" He returns, his eyes glistening in the hues of the orange sunset.

I squint at him playfully, my mouth twitching into a grin I'm trying to hide, "we've got some privacy in Alexandria."