𝙴𝙿𝙸𝚂𝙾𝙳𝙴 𝙵𝙸𝙵𝚃𝚈-𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁 - 𝚆𝙴'𝚁𝙴 𝙸𝙽
Daryl and Madelyn got up and approached the Father who was having something to eat. "Father?" Madelyn said, making him look up. "Daryl and I were wondering, would you marry us?"
"Really?" Gabriel asked.
"We think it's time." Madelyn said as Daryl nodded. "We wanna be together forever, stick together through everything."
"It's been a long time since I last married a couple. I'd be honoured." Gabriel said, making Madelyn smile wide as well as Daryl.
"So, let's tell the others." Madelyn said. Daryl and Madelyn turned to face the group that were still eating and talking to each other.
"Hey, everyone!" Daryl called out, making everyone stop and look at the two. "Everyone sit down and watch 'cos we're getting married."
"What?" Rosita asked.
"Daryl and I wanna get married. So we're doing it and we'd love for all for you to be here." Madelyn said, making everyone smile.
"We'd love to." Michonne smiled as everyone else agreed.
"Hey, can I walk you down the aisle?" Glenn asked.
"Now, I am certain Madelyn was gonna ask me to do that." Rick said with baby Judith on his lap.
"I'd love for both of you to walk me down. You're both like brothers to me." Madelyn smiled.
"Let's do this then." Abraham said.
Everyone went and sat down. Daryl was stood at the front with Gabriel as Rick and Glenn walked Madelyn down the aisle. It had been so long since everyone was able to sit and just enjoy a special moment like this. It felt nice. Madelyn had a huge smile on her face as she got closer to Daryl. She looked beautiful in his eyes. He didn't at all care that Madelyn wasn't wearing a white dress and veil or that he wasn't in a suit. Everything right now was perfect. Madelyn was perfect.
As Madelyn walked down the aisle, she gazed at Daryl and just felt her love for him grow, more than she thought it could. She could imagine going through everything with him. She could imagine having a family with him. Once Madelyn was at the front with Daryl, Rick and Glenn went to sit down.
"We are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Anyone who objects to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace." Gabriel said and Daryl gave everyone the death glare, daring them to say something. Everyone chuckled but said nothing. "This is not the beginning of a new relationship but an acknowledgement of the next chapter in their lives together. Daryl, do you have anything you want to say to Madelyn?"
Daryl smiled and took Madelyn's hands in his. "I just can't believe this is happening. After the world went to shit, I was nothing, a nobody, just another man wasting his life away. I thought that I ain't ever gonna have a life with anyone. That I'd die alone. But then the world ended and I met you. Although it may not have seemed like it but I found you stunning. You were kind to me, you loved me for me. When I was teaching you to use your crossbow back at the farm and you walked away when you said a walker was coming, that was when I knew I had fallen in love with you. I knew I was gonna marry you without even knowing if you felt the same way. Sometimes, I still wonder how I managed to win a woman like you over. I want to love and protect you for the rest of my life because I really love you, Madelyn."
Madelyn wiped her tears as she looked at Daryl. He was such an amazing person. She knew she would be very happy with him. "When we first met, I was convinced that you hated me. When I called you out for making fun out of Dale's hat." Madelyn said, making everyone laugh.
"Yeah, I remember that." Rick said.
"I have to admit, you made quite the impression but I saw something that I knew was special. You've saved my life countless times now and for that, I'll forever be grateful. You made me feel safe enough to open up to you about everything. After everything that happened, I didn't think I'd be happy but you made me feel like me again. You gave my life a new meaning. I'll always love you, Daryl. I'll love you for giving me hope, for giving me a chance. I want to promise you that I will never abandon you because I love you." Madelyn said. Daryl smiled and kissed Madelyn's nose.
After exchanging rings and saying their 'I do's, Madelyn and Daryl were officially married and kissed for the first time as husband and wife. Everyone cheered and clapped for the newly wedded couple before Abraham stood up with a wine glass.
"I'd like to propose a toast." Abraham said. "I look around this room and I see survivors. Each and every one of you has earned that title. To the survivors."
"To the survivors." Everyone cheered.
"And to Daryl and Madelyn." Abraham said.
"To Daryl and Madelyn." Everyone cheered. "Cheers."
"I just wanna ask, do you want to wake up in the morning, fight the undead pricks, forage for food, go to sleep at night with two eyes open, rinse and repeat?" Abraham asked the group. "Because you can do that. I mean, you got the strength. You got the skill. The thing is, for you people, for what you can do, that's just surrender. Now, we get Eugene to Washington and he will make the dead die and the living will have this world again. That is not a bad takeaway from a little road trip. Eugene, what's in DC?"
"Infrastructure constructed to withstand pandemics even of this fubar magnitude." Eugene said. "That means food, fuel, refuge. Restart."
"However this plays out, however long it takes for the reset button to kick in, you can be safe there. Safer than you've been since this whole thing started. Come with us. Save the world for that little one." Abraham said, referring to Judith. "Save it for yourselves. For Glenn and Maggie's future children or Daryl and Madelyn's future children."
Madelyn felt Daryl squeeze her hand as Abraham said that last sentence. She smiled a little and kissed his hand before leaning her head on his shoulder. "Save it for the people who don't got nothing left to do except survive." Abraham said.
Rick chuckled before looking at Judith who was cooing. "What was that?" Rick asked Judith. "I think she knows what I'm about to say. She's in. If she's in, I'm in."
"Well, if Rick's in, that mean's we're all in." Madelyn said.
"Yeah." Tyreese said before everyone started clapping.
Maybe there was hope after all.