I heard Belle scream as she dove in front of me, the sound of gunfire ringing in my ears. Before I could push her out of harm's way, she fell into a heap at my feet and I crashed to the ground beside her, pulling her lifeless body into my arms. "No no no no no no…." I sobbed as I held her to my chest. The bullet had gone right through the center of her forehead. The forehead I had hoped to kiss for the rest of my fucking life.

I heard Daryl cry out from beside me as Arat, Simon, Sherry, Dwight, Mrs. Potts and Chip all looked on in horror and despair. They were all fucking screaming and crying, their voices swimming around me but I couldn't hear them. All I could hear was the deafening sound of silence as the light in my world went out.

Finally I looked up just in time to see Spencer's shocked face form a hard line and he began to raise his gun to me.

Another shot rang out, except this time, Spencer fell to the ground, the gun falling away from his hand. The woman who I realized was the widow, Maggie, held the gun out in front of her. She tapped Spencer lightly with her foot to make sure he was dead before she turned her gun on me. Tears streamed down both of our faces as she locked eyes with me. I held Belle tighter in my arms. I was ready to fucking go. I deserved it. Belle was dead because of me. Death would be an easier punishment than life without her.

To my surprise Maggie clicked the safety back into place and shoved the gun back into her waistband.

"Why?" I weeped. "Kill me. Please fucking kill me. I fucking deserve it."

"That may be true," her voice was soft but wrought with emotion. "But it's not what she would have wanted."

"But what about what I did to you?" I cried, my eyes pleading with her to just fucking kill me. "What I did to Abraham and to Glenn?"

She flinched at the sound of his name as she looked down at me cradling the woman I loved, the woman we all loved, in my arms. "You'll suffer enough."

Three Months Later

I miss her so fucking much it hurts.

We buried Belle at sunrise the next morning. I buried her with my copy of Romeo and Juliet and my heart. Because I wouldn't need either of those things anymore. Rick, Daryl, and Mrs. Potts eulogized her so beautifully. I wanted to say something too, but I couldn't find the fucking words. Because how do you describe someone who changed your life? How do you fucking describe someone who was as perfect as she was? There weren't enough fucking words in the english dictionary sweet enough to describe Belle and what she did for me.

Life at the Sanctuary carried on slowly. Though there was a dark cloud that loomed over us with Belle gone, there had been a few rays of sunshine peaking through. Alexandria, Hilltop and the Sanctuary signed a treaty. We decided to start working together, pooling our resources.

I stepped down as leader of the Saviors and Arat took my place. After Belle died, Daryl decided not to go back to Alexandria right away. He stayed to make sure the transition after the treaty went smoothly. He had become kind of a right hand man to Arat and I could be fucking wrong, but I think he may even have a thing for her. They'd be good for each other.

Sherry and Dwight got back together, where they belonged. Sherry is expecting a baby. It's still early but Dr Carson is watching her and we're going to make sure a healthy fucking baby is born. Simon went back to Alexandria with Rick, Michonne and Maggie to help them come up with a better security system to protect the community. I hear he's met a girl there so he may be staying. I just hope he's happy. Because he fuckin' deserves that.

Mrs. Potts still cries every day. We both do. Chip misses Belle like crazy. I've gone out to her grave on more than one occasion to find little Chip talking to her. Sometimes he leaves cookies or flowers or little trinkets on her grave while he tells her all about what's happening at the Sanctuary and the new friends he's made.

Now, I stand at her grave, like I have every day, sometimes for hours. It's the only place in this Sanctuary where I feel even a little peace. Funny how I created The Sanctuary, a place full of steal, of fences and weapons to protect me, to keep all of the pain out, but I never felt safe. Then she came along. She made her way into my heart and I let my guard down. And that's where I finally found a home again. She was my sanctuary.

I hear footsteps crunching in the snow as Daryl comes to stand beside me. I think he's been out here almost as much as I have. Some days we stand side by side in silence, both remembering the girl we loved so damn much. I'm still not sure if he likes me or if he merely tolerates me for her. But I respect him. Sometimes he'll tell me a story about her from their time together and for a fucking moment in time, she's alive again. But mostly, we stand together quietly, united by her.

But today, I can't quiet the anguish in my heart. I wipe at the dampness on my face with the sleeves of my leather jacket. This fucking jacket has absorbed a lot of tears these days.

"You know what kills me?" I finally choke out, a sob caught in my throat. "I never told her. That girl changed my whole goddamn world. And I never got to tell her I…..."

"Love her?" Daryl places a comforting hand on my shoulder. "She knows. She already knows."

THE END

Friends,

Thank you so much for sticking with me and this story to the very end. I'm sorry it took me so long to complete it for you. Though I've known exactly how this story would end from the very beginning, it was still a sad one to write. Though I'm a fan of love stories, I often prefer love stories with endings that can aren't necessarily happy. I think there is beauty to be found in heartbreak. But more than that, I think there's beauty in us finding love at all. In diving in and living for it, because not all endings are happy. Some beginnings can be really tough too. But those middles? We should all be so lucky to live there forever. 3

I hope it was worth the wait. I appreciate y'all sticking with me. Now it's time for me to work on my original WIP. If you find this story and would like to receive updates on my writing projects, send me a message. I have no plans of removing this story and will continue to check in from time to time.

xo

mel