AN-I wrote this for a prompt and its really really sad. I don't blame you at all if you skip this one.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Daryl always knew no one got a happy ending in life, especially not now. But this?

Even he had never considered this.

They had been searching in the woods again, Daryl blatantly ignoring everyone hinting that they should call off their endless hunt for Beth. He had just been about to suggest they turn back and try to find the funeral home again when a scream had rang out behind him.

Daryl knew in seconds who was the cause of it. He'd turned to the sound before anyone else could even blink, tearing through the undergrowth as her name tore loose from his throat. "BETH!"

She screamed again, wordlessly and louder, and the pain in it made him run faster. He had to get to her, had to find her. He would not let their reunion be foiled by some damn walkers. Daryl ran blindly through the woods, ignoring the sounds of his group running behind him, ignoring everything but the thought of her.

He stumbled into the clearing just in time to see the last walker go down and a small blonde girl pull a knife from its skull.

"Beth." where before her name had held only pain now it held nothing but hope. Daryl stepped further into the clearing as the girl stiffened before turning to face him.

"Daryl." he was so busy staring in wonder at her face that it took him a moment to realize her tears were not from joy and the large amount of blood on her shirt was new. She collapsed to her knees just as he rushed to her and Daryl only just managed to catch her before she hit the ground. Not that it mattered now.

What were a few more bruises when a chunk of her flesh had been bit off?

"No." he whispered as he lay Beth down carefully on the ground, pressing his hand firmly against the wound gushing out blood. "No no no no no no." he didn't notice he was still speaking, didn't realize it until Beth reached up to pull his hand from where her neck and shoulder met, twining their blood soaked fingers together.

"You're alive." she whispered, a smile spreading across her face as she looked up at him.

Daryl shook his head wildly, not even noticing his tears dripping onto her face. Only Beth Greene would smile in the face of her death.

"I always knew you made it out." she whispered, her hand clutching his as Daryl leaned down too press his forehead against hers. The sound of her ragged breathing caused more tears to fall, making tracks in the dirt on her cheeks.

"I was trying to find you." Daryl whispered, his voice raw as she coughed, her other hand reaching up to grip his arm. The breath of her laughter reached his ear and Daryl shook his head, unable to see the humor in this.

"You did find me." she whispered.

"Not like this!" Daryl protested as he pulled up enough to look down at her face. "You have to be okay Beth." he whispered, his voice a rough and ragged thing he had never heard before as he whispered. "I love you."

He had never said those words out loud to anyone in his whole life but as he stared down at Beth Greene Daryl knew he meant them. He loved her, loved her smile, loved her laugh, loved her unfailing ability to have hope and see the best in people. Too see the best in him.

She was smiling at him now, even as her blood stained the grass beneath her. Smiling as she looked up at him and whispered, "Oh." her mouth opened again as if she meant to say more but nothing else passed her lips as her hand slowly slid down from his arm.

Daryl didn't understand what happened at first but as he stared down into her unblinking eyes he realized the truth, she was gone.

An inhuman cry passed his lips as he sat up, wrapping his arms around her to pull him up with him. He knew what had to be done but he couldn't, not yet. Tears blinded him as he clung to her body, wishing with all his heart that he had found her just a few minutes earlier.

All he wanted in the world was to find Beth Greene, but not like this.

Never like this.