Wedding Bells Will Be Ringing for a Bright Future

Wedding Bells Will Be Ringing for a Bright Future

Finally, the day that Hershel had been waiting for all his life or at least since he had been with Rhea Ripley that is. And though the world had completely gone crazy, and zombies were now taking over every place, Hershel did manage to find a preacher that was willing to get out and come to the house just to preform the wedding. It was only going to be him, Shaun, Maggie and Beth, and Rhea, but that was plenty for them. So as the preacher was on the road and head towards the farm, avoiding every zombie possible. Meanwhile, Hershel stood in the bedroom that he shared with Rhea, getting himself ready while Rhea was in Maggie's room getting herself ready for the biggest and happy day of their lives. Anyway, while he and Rhea were getting ready, Shaun, Maggie and Beth were downstairs finishing up the wedding cake and any last-minute food for the small reception that they had planned. But anyway, Hershel was in his and Rhea's room, looking at himself in the mirror. He could feel his stomach getting filled with butterflies.

He knew it had been a long time since he was married and though he lost one wife to death and the other one divorced him, but he swore he would make this one last. It was just then that Shaun came in and Hershel snapped out of his thoughts and back into reality. When Hershel turned to look at his son, they both smiled at each other in a quick father and son moment before Shaun told him that the preacher had just pulled in. Hershel nodded and said he would be down in a few minutes. As Shaun stood there watching his father trying to tie his tie, Shaun couldn't help but smile, as he went over to help his father tie his tie. Meanwhile, Beth let the preacher in and made sure he was comfortable, while Maggie went up to check on Rhea and made sure she didn't need any help. Maggie knocked on the door and then she slowly opened it. "Rhea, are you doing okay?" she asked as she was walking into her room without Rhea telling her to come in. "Do you need help with anything?" Maggie asked knowing that the time of the wedding was getting close. "Do you have everything, by which I mean something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue?" she asked Rhea with a huge smile on her face.

Re: Wedding Bells Will Be Ringing for a Bright Future

Rhea stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection like she was trying to fully process it.

A wedding dress.

In the middle of the end of the world.

A small, almost disbelieving laugh escaped her under her breath as she adjusted the fabric slightly, her fingers brushing over it like she needed to make sure it was real.

"Yeah..." she muttered softly to herself. "This is actually happenin'..."

The knock at the door pulled her out of it, and before she could answer, Maggie was already stepping in.

Rhea glanced over her shoulder, a faint smirk forming.

"You always this polite, or just today?" she teased lightly, though there was no bite in it.

At Maggie's questions, Rhea turned back toward the mirror, exhaling slowly.

"I think so," she said, her voice a little quieter now. "Dress is new... boots are definitely old," she added with a small grin, lifting the edge of her dress just enough to reveal them. "Borrowed..." she paused, reaching over to touch a small piece of jewelry sitting on the dresser. "Beth let me use one of hers."

She hesitated for a second before picking it up—a simple, delicate piece that contrasted her usual bold style.

"And blue..." she added, pulling a small ribbon from her wrist, tied loosely there. "Figured I'd keep that one close."

Maggie smiled warmly, stepping further into the room.

"You clean up pretty good," she said, her tone genuine.

Rhea huffed out a soft laugh, shaking her head.

"Don't get used to it."

But then her expression shifted.

She looked back at herself in the mirror again—really looked this time.

Her usual confidence was still there... but underneath it, something softer had taken its place.

Nerves.

Real ones.

"You ever think about how crazy this is?" Rhea asked quietly. "World's fallin' apart... people dyin'... and I'm up here gettin' ready to walk down an aisle."

Maggie stepped up beside her, her reflection joining Rhea's in the mirror.

"I think that's exactly why it matters," Maggie said gently. "You don't stop livin' just because everything else is falling apart."

Rhea let that sit for a moment.

Her jaw tightened just slightly before she nodded.

"...Yeah," she admitted. "Guess you're right."

She reached down, adjusting her dress one last time before taking a steadying breath.

"You think he's nervous?" she asked, a small smirk returning.

Maggie smiled. "Hershel? Absolutely."

That earned a real laugh from Rhea this time.

"Good," she said. "Wouldn't feel right if I was the only one."

There was a brief pause before Rhea's expression softened again.

"...He's worth it, right?" she asked, quieter now. Not uncertain—just wanting to hear it.

Maggie didn't hesitate.

"Yeah," she said simply. "He is."

Rhea nodded, her shoulders relaxing just a little.

"Alright then," she said, squaring herself. "Let's go get married before somethin' tries to eat the preacher."

Maggie laughed, shaking her head as she moved toward the door.

"Come on," she said. "They're waiting."

Rhea took one last look at herself in the mirror... then turned and followed.

Downstairs, Hershel was waiting.

Re: Wedding Bells Will Be Ringing for a Bright Future

Hershel had just finished getting ready and was already downstairs waiting for Rhea. And even though the preacher wasn't there yet, Hershel couldn't help but pace back and forth in a nervous fashion. Shaun couldn't help but chuckle as he watched his father nervously pacing. That's when Shaun walked over and pour them both a drink, which help calm him down, though Shaun could still see nervousness in his father's eyes, despite that Hershel had been through this twice before. Anyway, the preacher finally showed up and soon, the preacher, Hershel and Shaun all took their places. And when everything was ready to go, Shaun went over and turned on the tape player to the song "A Thousand Years" By Christina Perri, which was also a signal for Beth and Maggie to start walking down the aisle before the wedding march began to play. It was Beth who first heard the music playing and turned to look at Maggie and Rhea. "It sounds like they are starting," Beth told Rhea and Maggie as she picked up both hers and Maggie's bouquet, which she handed Maggie's hers as she went on. "We will see you down there," Beth said with happy smile on her face. "And don't worry, I'm sure that papa is just as nervous as you are," she added as Maggie went over to the door, which was now open so that Maggie and Beth could walk down the aisle before Rhea came down. Both Beth and Maggie gave Rhea once last smile as Maggie then closed the door behind them. Soon, both Maggie and Beth were slowly walking down the hall and finally down the stairs until they were standing in their places as everybody was listening to the rest of the song before playing the wedding march and before Rhea came down and officially became part of the family. Though both Beth and Maggie knew that Rhea was extremely nervous, they also knew just how much she loved their father.

Meanwhile, Rhea turned back to the mirror as she continued to stare at herself in a white wedding dress that she knew she would never wear. She could her the song continuing to play as she reached over and finally grabbed her bouquet, as well as her something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. Rhea then went to the door and opened it and stepped out into the hall. Rhea could still feel the butterflies gathering in her stomach as she inched her way to the stairs. She stood at the top of the stairs as the song was completely wrapping up and when it was done, Shaun began to switch tapes. And once the tapes were switched, Shaun hit play and soon the wedding march began to play, which was Rhea's single to start down the stairs and down the aisle to her future. And as Rhea started to walk down the stairs and came into view of Hershel, the smile on his face grew into an even bigger smile as he watched his Mami coming down the aisle. And although Hershel could see how beautiful she looked but he also could tell that she was very uncomfortable too. And the last thing he wanted for his wedding day was his bride to be uncomfortable. So, after Rhea finally came down to the living room off the steps, Hershel told Shaun to go stop the tape, which Shaun looked at him wildly, but Hershel said he knew what he was doing. Then Hershel went over to Rhea and smiled as he took her hands into his. "Listen, my Gothic Mami," Hershel said as he looked her. "I love the idea of you in a wedding dress, but I hate the thought of you being uncomfortable in something you really don't like wearing," he said and then went on before Rhea could say anything or even object to his idea. "Anyway," he started and then went on. "Why don't you go back upstairs and put on something you like, whether it be one of your wrestling outfits or something else that's gothic," he said. "And when you are done dressing up in your beautiful gothic outfit, then you can text one of the kids and they will put on your theme song for you walk down the aisle," he added and then paused for a minute. "Better?" he asked her and then went silence so she could speak to him.

Re: Wedding Bells Will Be Ringing for a Bright Future

Rhea stood there with his hands still holding hers, the sound of the music fading into something distant as the idea sank in.

For a moment, she didn't move at all.

Her throat tightened—not from nerves this time, but from something softer. Something warmer. Something that made it hard to speak without her voice shaking.

"You..." she started, then stopped, letting out a small breath like she was trying to reset her thoughts. Her eyes flicked down briefly, then back up to him.

"You were really about to let me stand there and suffer in that dress just for the moment, huh?" she said, but there was no real bite in it. If anything, it sounded a little amused... a little relieved.

Her fingers squeezed his lightly, like she needed to make sure he was actually real in front of her.

"I thought I had to do it the 'proper' way," she admitted quieter, glancing toward the stairs like she could still hear the echo of the music in her head. "I thought... that's what you were supposed to do."

Then she looked back at him again, and the tension in her shoulders eased just a fraction.

But what really gave her away was the tiny smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"You really don't care about the dress?" she asked, almost like she needed confirmation that she wasn't imagining this kind of choice being allowed.

Her gaze softened fully now, the guardedness slipping away.

"...I don't hate the idea of walking down to your song instead," she added after a beat, quieter this time, like she was testing the feeling. "Something that actually feels like me."

Rhea exhaled slowly, then gave a small nod—more to herself than anyone else.

"Yeah," she said finally, firmer now. "Better."

Her thumb brushed over his knuckles as she leaned in just slightly.

"And if I change upstairs," she added, a hint of her usual edge returning, "you're not allowed to change your mind while I'm gone. Because I will absolutely come back down here ready to haunt you."