She couldn't move anymore. Not with that piercing pain inside her taking control of her body. Every breath was more painful than the last one, her lungs were on fire, her heart throbbing in the ears.

She couldn't move. She had no idea where the others were. How many members of her family were dead or alive, safe or injured. But it didn't really matter now, there was nothing she could possibly do for any of them. It was over for her, she was aware of that. And it was ok.

She couldn't move. But she could see him. All she could do was keep looking at him. All she needed to be strong for what was next for her was to keep looking at him, staring at him like he was a lifeline. She was happy and proud.

He was screaming her name, trying to get closer. She could hear his voice cracking, a lump in his throat… Was he crying? Was he crying for her? No, it couldn't be. Her stupid mind was messing around with her. Daryl Dixon didn't cry. Daryl Dixon was strong. Daryl Dixon could chew everything this shitty world had to throw at him and spit it back. Even her dying for him. She smiled.

No accidents, no recklessness, no thoughtless actions. She knew exactly what she was doing when she exposed her covered position and was awarded with a bullet in her chest.

She had seen that soldier from Woodbury spoting him, aiming at him while he was taking out the walkers that self-proclaimed Governor had released at them and was completely ignorant of the threat. She didn't have a clear view to shoot the soldier from behind her barricade. Panic and despair instantly rushed through her veins, nothing but a knot left of her stomach; there was no time to lose, she might have been too late already. With a guttural, unearthly sound escaping her lips, she jumped up, now competely exposed and unprotected, steadied her rifle and took one shot, sending the bullet right between the eyes of the man. Less than a moment later, she was flying backwards, stumbling on her feet, falling hard on the ground, feeling nothing but dizziness and a sharp pain in her chest.

Oh, yes, she hadn't reacted carelessly, spontaneously. It was not a case of doing something now, thinking about it later. In that split second before exposing herself, she had made a perfectly conscious choice. She had chosen to save him at any cost, even if that meant signing her own death sentence. That is how important he was to her, how absolutely indispensable his presence in this world was to her. And she was happy now. She was happy to have explored her feelings for him in such depths. To eventually know that between him and her, her choice would have always been him.

It was gonna be ok now. She was the resilient type, she could face the fact that she was dying, she could overcome the tragedy and the agony of that. She chuckled bitterly at the irony. She regretted a lot of things in her life. So many things… That monster husband of hers she tolerated for far too many years. If she hadn't, If she had been stronger in the past, her precious little angel might still be alive… She blinked to shove the thought away. There was no room for regrets, remorses meant nothing, she would meet Sophia again any moment now and they would never be apart again.

Besides, this last year had given her so many things she didn't regret. Things she would never regret. That man, no more than twenty feet across her who was still calling her name. And the rest of the group. She loved each one of them in a very special way. She didn't regret that. She didn't regret learning how to fight and fend for herself, she didn't regret becoming a valuable member of this family, she didn't regret dying protecting them, protecting him. Hell, if the sole purpose of her life was to die saving him, it was a life worth living, an honorable life she was blessed with.

She could still hear him yelling at her, hear the desperation in his voice, but she couldn't find the courage to answer him. If only she could talk to him for one last time, tell him that it wasn't his fault, tell him that he had to be strong and keep going for the group, tell him that she was so proud, so very proud of the man he was, her man of honour, tell him that he had helped her become a better person, that he had saved her in every possible way, tell him that he had given her a reason to live, tell him that she wouldn't change a moment spent with him for anything in the world, tell him that she and Sophia would be waiting for him but he could take all the time of the world before coming to them, tell him how happy, how lucky she was for having protected his life with her own, for being the first to die because if it had been him instead of her, she'd never be able to keep going…

He was sprinting towards her now, her heart skipping a beat as she watched him running through a rain of bullets. She was getting upset, almost angry. What was he thinking, damn it? He could get himself killed. In seconds he was there, scooping her in a firm embrace, tugging her closer to him. Her anger immediately forgotten, faded away, replaced by sheer hapiness. Oh God, she was so happy, what had she ever done to deserve dying in his arms, to deserve leaving her last breath lost in his beautiful eyes?

But something was off.

"No, no, no, no… Please, no…", his voice husky and pleading, his arms tightening around her limp body, holding her, rocking her back and forth, his eyes full of grief and sorrow, digging holes in her fading grey gaze. "No, no, no…"

No, this wasn't right. He was crying, sobbing, tears flowing down his cheeks wetting her neck, his face a twisted mask of pain and terror, his whole body shaking. The strong man he usually was, the rock she would always lean against had disappeared, a helpless child in his place. She didn't want him to cry. He shouldn't shed any tears for her, she was happy, god dammit! Happy that he got to live, happy that, for once, she was the reason he was still breathing, happy… no, grateful for the chance to spend her last moments with him. She had to fix this, she had to show him…

"Ssshh… I'm happy, Daryl", she whispered softly and watched him freezing, looking at her incredulously.

She could barely recognise her own hand wiping his tears away, she had no idea how she was able to move it, she couldn't even feel it, just watched her fingers tenderly caressing his rough skin like they belonged to someone else. Hell, was there anything she couldn't do for him? The thought made her smile grow brighter, spreading across her face, reaching her eyes.

He could see her now, the serenity all over her delicate features. He was calming down slowly, distracted and confused by her smile, struggling to give her one back.

"I never… You don't...", he was forever fighting with unspoken words.

"Ssshhh… I know", she interrupted him gently. Of course she knew. Everyone one did. She could let him know now.

She kept smiling at him, nevet leting her eyes wander away from his. And then he managed to surprise her again, this man always managed to surprise her. He was holding her gaze. All this months they had spent together he had never been able to look at her for more than a couple of seconds and now he kept his eyes locked with hers.

He swallowed hard forcing his self composure back. Her hand fell but he grabbed it, kissing the back of her palm desperately, as if he could somehow keep her alive like this, but a faint, crooked smile was forming across his lips. The one that had only ever existed to be seen by her. She was happy.

It wouldn't take long now, she knew. Her body was numb, her head light. He was the only thing that kept her still alive, his fingers entwined with hers, soaked with her blood, his thumb stroking her cheek, his other arm squeezing her against his warm body, his eyes… his smile… She wished from the bottom of her soul she didn't have to leave him. He was beautiful, inside and outside, magnificent in every possible way. He was her knight in his armour of dirt and sweat. He was the love of her life.

"I love you…"

"Carol…", he choked.