"At the end"
After so much pain, so much rage, so much separation... their family was complete again. Daryl looked at them: Michonne and Rick, Maggie and Glenn, Judith, Carl, the new baby rhee... and her. After so many months separated, they have her again. And they have this new place "The Kingdom". And she rules it. Like the queen warrior she is. He was so proud of her, he was so proud of his girl. Yeah, Carol Peletier is his girl, she has always been his girl. And he would tell her soon.
They were all in the party of the Kingdom, celebrating the death of Negan and the rest of the saviors. They were celebrating too what a good leader was Carol. And they were celebrating the union of Hiltop, Alexandria and the Kingdom with the name of "The Safe World".
Some guy was talking about the importance of the union of people etc and he couldn't look away from her. She was stunning. She was dressed in a blue dress and she looked fantastic. He knew she has suffered a lot these past months, not only emotional.. but physical too. A gunshot in her leg has left her with a constant injury in the leg, she couldn't run properly, she couldn't walk properly and he knew she has trouble sleeping because of that... but he could help her. This time he would be there to help her and this time she was allowing it. In fact, almost everyone thought they were together. That was one of the reasons why Tobin, that tall guy , has stayed in Alexandria.
The night passed quickly, and then Rick decided to give an speech. He decided that Carol should be the leader of "The Safe World" and of course, everyone agree with it. People were congratulating her but he wanted to be alone with her to tell her how proud he was of her.
At midnight, he saw her disappearing and he followed her. He saw her taking off her shoes ( she couldn't wear heels because of her injury but she was perfect anyway) and she sits on the stairs of the big building. He went to her and sit besides her.
- Hey- she said
- Hey- he said while looking at her leg, he could see the scar in her leg and without thinking he started to caress her leg. Trying to make disappear her pain. He didn't know if he was helping her pain, but she sighed until she put her head in his shoulder. He could be intoxicated just with the arome of her hair.
- I didn't think you notice it.. you know the pain- she said
- I know you- he said while he keep caressin her leg - does it help?
- More than you think, pookie
- Stopp- he said although he loves it.
- I have missed you. So much. Some days I thought...- she stopped and then she kept talking- I thought I would never see you again...
- I thought that too- he said, he never knew what to say to her. But it didn't matter, she always knew what he was thinking.
- Did you hate me?- she asked him.
Well, she was wrong if she thought that. He looked at her trying to express his thought with his eyes but she didn't look at him.
- Do you really believe that? - he asked her while caressing her leg more softly.- Are you so stupid to think that? or it is the medication for the leg?
- Stopeed- she laughed at him
- Not seriously, how the hell I'm going to hate you woman?- he asked her while she lift her head from his shoulder. She put her forehead against his forehead. They looked at each other. And he realised it was the right moment.- You know it, right?
- What?- she asked him with that fucking playful smile.
- Oh shit, you are going to make me say it - he sighed embarrased
- Me too- she says looking at him and then his lips- Darling, I'm not going to do all the work here.
He laughed, she was so .. Carol. And then he kissed her with so much love and passion... he left them both breathless.
- Are you telling me why we waited so much time to do this?- he said while kissing her neck.
- Oh, you're a little difficult sometimes pookie- she said moaning as he started to move his hand up her leg. He couldn't stop touching her, kissing her. She was a drug.
-OH SHIT! I'm sorry, I'm sorry
Fuck. Glenn. They saw how he ran to the other direction and they looked at each other.
- I think everyone will know it- she said laughing
- Not if I shoot him- he said but they heard a lot of shouts and laughs from the building and they knew it. Everybody already knew it.
- Well, pookie, I think you are trapped with me- she said
- I fucking love you baby- he said while kissing her.
...
At the end, they were together. Maybe it was their destiny, maybe it was coincidence. But everyone knew that Daryl and Carol were made to each other. They belong together. Forever and ever.
And Glenn Rhee would tell his grandsons about that day in which he knew they would end up together, the day he came back to the prison with knew it then and when he caught them in that stairs, thirty years ago... he couldn't wait to tell everybody.