Someone's Watching Over Me

He doesn't know where he was, or how long he had been wandering in the thick woods of Georgia. But his feet hurt and his eyes burned, tears didn't flow anymore. The last time he felt like this was when he put Merle down and he hoped to whatever high power there was left that he would never feel that again. Blood still stained his vest and his hand still has that splinter in it from building her a coffin. He wasn't gonna let the wrap her up in some sheet and put her in the ground, she deserved so much better than that, hell she should have just walked away from the whole thing. Noah wanted to stay, Noah offered himself up and Beth?

Daryl finally collapsed to the ground, falling on his knees and hunching over till his forehead hit the ground. He cursed the world, cursed god, cursed the devil, cursed the hospital and cursed himself. He screamed until his voice was raw and sobbed tearless sobs. Someone as innocent and as pure natured as Beth, why her? Why did it have to be her?

He didn't know how long he sat there until he felt a dainty hand touch his shoulder, Daryl reeled back as fast as he could to get a look at whoever was behind him and when he did, his face paled and his throat went dry and fresh batch of tears fell from his eyes. He was going crazy, he was losing his mind, because standing right in front of him was Beth. Her long hair was clean and down past her shoulders, her smile radiant, but sad her skin glowed with a divine hue. For some odd reason, her scars still were there from the two he saw on her face after seeing her briefly at the hospital to the one on her wrist. She knelt down in front of him, her pure white dress getting dirty from the forest floor and extended her hand to wipe the tears that stained his cheeks. "Beth?" He whispered, his voice broken. She nodded her head and he broke down. "I- I'm sorry, god am I sorry- I shoulda…God damnit, Beth! Why did ya have to do that! If you didn't stab that crazy bitch, we woulda had you back, I woulda had you back." He swallowed. "You woulda been home."

He heard Beth sigh, he felt her hand caressing his cheek. "I know you're mad." Her voice was soft and gentle, it was something that he never thought he'd hear again. "I expected you to be mad, you need to get it all out, Daryl- so get it all out." She got quiet again and rubbed her thumb along his cheek. "But you can't let it control you." There was a crack in her voice and Daryl looked up to see that she was also crying. "But I need you to be strong, for the group- and for Maggie and Carl and Judith. You need to go back to them." Her lip wobbled and her voice broke. "I wanted nothing more but to go back with you, to see you again. I sometimes pictured you, storming through that hospital like you were Rambo. I wanted to go back to the funeral home with you and spend the rest of my life there with you and be happy." Her blue eyes met his and she smiled. "I'm with my daddy and Mama though- and Lori, T-Dog and even Merle." She gave a tearful laugh. "Yes, Merle is up here too, believe it or not. I was shocked too and me and him, we're gonna look out for you. You're gonna survive this world, Daryl Dixon, you just have to gather yourself again." Beth stood up and Daryl followed in suit, he didn't understand it. If this was all in his head or if it was real. But he couldn't help himself, Daryl wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, he felt her in his arms. Her warmth, her scent, her presences. She was here, she had to be here, this wasn't him hallucinating, this had to be real. "I'm gonna stay by your side, Daryl." She whispered in his ear. "I'm always gonna be here. What I need you to do know is make the right choice and go back to the group, live a happy life and when your time comes, I'll be right there waitin' for ya."

They stayed like this for what felt like hours until he decided to find the group again. "I'll remind them of you." He told her as they walked back. "I'll make sure Lil' Ass Kicker knows who took care of her, and- and I'll sing to her, just like you did. No one is gonna forget you, Beth, no one." And Beth could only smile at him as she handed him her necklace, the one she always wore. He looked down at the metal object in his hand and she smiled. "And I'll always be with you, Daryl."

And she was right, she never left him. He felt her warmth when a gentle summer breeze passed across him and heard her laugh whenever Judith giggled. Daryl heard her song in the birds when he was out hunting and smelled her scent when the leaves turned colors on the trees. He witnessed her beauty and purity in the fresh snow and the whole time, he felt her against him because of the small metal heart that rested on his chest.

When his time came, his was in his late fifties. Cancer, who knew? They were in a safe zone and he was on a bed surrounded by people who he could call his family. That was when he saw her again, sitting on the edge of his bed and holding his hand. Daryl Dixon left his body with a smile on his face and the group understood why, he was with Beth.

"I've been waiting for you." She says gently as they walked down a corridor of light. "And you kept you're promise."

Daryl chuckled. "Of course I did, I'm a man of my word."

They take one more last look at their family. Maggie and Glenn, Rick, Carl and Judith, Michonne, Carol, Tyreese and Sasha before opening the door at the end of the long hallway and stepping into a blinding light.

Daryl hears birds chirping and a dog barking.

Smells fresh grass.

Feels the lips pressed against his hand.

And when his eyes adjust he sees a white house on the top of a hill and they're surrounded by flowers rather than graves. They are at the funeral home and that stupid mutt is sitting on the porch waiting for them. Beth looks over at him and he leans in and kisses her. "C'mon," he says. "I wanna hear you sing."

Then, for the first time, Daryl is happy in their own personal part of heaven and he spends entirety with the only woman he ever loved.

Sigh, I just really needed to write something after tonight's episode to get the tears out. Hope you all like!