Ashley ran into Gallo on her way to the tower. He scooped her up in a bear hug and carried her to Ariana's playpen a couple feet away. Ashley had attempted to sneak past. Ariana loved building sandcastles and fishing. "What are you doing!?" Ashley was beating on Gallo's back. "Ariana needs to spend quality time with her aunt. She misses you; I miss you; I feel like we never talk and we never hangout anymore. Where have you been?" Gallo dropped Ashley in the playpen on her behind. Ashley felt bad because Gallo was right. She was distant and they were like three peas in a pod. Everything changed when they arrived. Gallo and Ellie hit it off and soon after Ellie got pregnant. Ariana climbed into Ashley's lap holding a little red bucket. Her dirty blonde hair was covered in sand, she was in the most adorable polka dot bathing suit. "Auntie Ash loves you, yes she does." Ashley bounced Ariana up and down, Ariana smiled and giggled. "I needed space, I mean I feel like we're all in different places. You have a real family now; Kelly is going through whatever Kelly's going through and I'm a teenager. Don't take my behavior personally because I don't know what I'm feeling right now. We aren't traveling alone anymore, we only had each other off of the island." Gallo joined her in the playpen. "Kelly, you, Ariana and Ellie are my real family. You have different places in my heart. I only added Ellie and Ariana to the list of people I care about but I will never not value you and Kelly's friendship. We wouldn't be here without each other. When I was sick I was worried you guys would leave me behind. I had nightmares I was going to wake up and realize you guys were gone. You and Kelly were always there for me, tending to me, comforting me. You healed me and for that Ashley, I owe you and Kelly my life."
"In this world you owe nobody anything… I'm like every other person who managed to survive in this world. I will die, I don't know when or where but I know nobody will be able to prevent the inevitable. All I ask for is to have something to be thankful for when I die. Right now everything in my life is bittersweet. I'm searching for that happiness that has no catch. I don't think I'll ever find it, not in this world. Not if you don't have a time machine. Even you and Kelly I love you guys and I appreciate you guys but I have nightmares of losing you and Kelly. In the back of my mind I know what we have and the harsh reality is our family's temporary."
In the watchtower waiting on Makayla Ashley dozed off. A gut-wrenching scream came from the west side of the island. The birds flew away, her heart was racing, she ran down the stairs and in that direction. She was dazed, her body ached from yesterday's events. Everyone was gathered around Makayla's lifeless body on the beach. Kim and Kevin clutched Makayla, sobbing. Her body was gray, covered in seaweed and her dark brown eyes were lifeless. Kelly and Jay were soaked. Ashley could normally put the pieces together. 'No,no,no,no,no.' Kim said repeatedly. Ashley walked away, she wandered to the other side of the island and collapsed. She felt the sand shift beneath her and the warmth of a body. She hardly heard Kelly's voice over the waves. "What happened to Makayla isn't your fault. I don't want you blaming yourself." Ashley shook her head, Kelly was wrong. Ashley was a part of the reason why what happened, happened. "Makayla is our fault, all of us, the whole group, WE KILLED HER. We made her believe there was something worth seeing off this island. We sheltered her, she asked every day to go out, to learn how to do this, do that. The way Makayla was raised made Makayla the walking dead. And I know you and me had nothing to do with that choice but Kelly, I could've taught her how to ride a jet ski. Makayla died being a rebellious teenager. Do you hear me? I've seen people die in a lot of different ways and no death will ever hurt me like Makayla's death. We collectively dug her grave out of love." Kelly didn't respond; he laid there and stared at the sky because Ashley was right.
Kelly was on the beach weaving a palm fan when he heard a loud 'BOOM' and splash. He looked up and saw the jet ski smoking out in the water. He ran down the dock and dove in the water. Jay flew out of the tree line and followed Kelly. Kelly thought Ashley was in the water, turns out Makayla was. He and Jay searched till they found her body drifting off with the current. They brought Makayla to the beach where Kelly attempted CPR. Kelly knew she was dead before he started. Makayla wasn't responding, he didn't stop, he couldn't give up. He only stopped when Jay physically pulled him away. Kelly saved people, why couldn't he save her? Makayla was just a kid, like Ashley he didn't know what he'd do without Ashley. He couldn't let Kim and Kevin feel that pain, but Makayla was dead. "Kelly, I can't save anyone can I? We can all die at any time, any place doing anything. I have no control over that. What would I do without you? Gallo? Jay?" Every piece of the puzzle just fit together, and it was the ugliest picture Ashley had ever seen.
Ashley and Kelly stayed there till the moon was high in the sky. Gallo retrieved them for Makayla's water burial. Kelly, Ashley, Gallo, Ellie and their baby stood off to the side watching Kevin and Kim light Makayla's flower covered body on fire and let the current take her away. That night Ashley and Voight broke off from the group walking back home. "You and I never had that conversation. I just wanted to tell you that I went to the mall for comics. I was approached, I shot first and I meant every bullet after that. I might've escalated the situation, I don't know. All I know is people who heat up a rode and stick it on their necks to show off some symbol they rep typically aren't rational people. I know I'm a kid and I don't know much but I suggest we deal with them before the scholars." Voight chewed on the inside of his mouth and walked away. Ashley climbed into her treehouse later that night and screamed into her pillow till she fell asleep.
Makayla was sitting up in bed drawing Ashley. Ashley grabbed the sketch book and threw it. "Hey!" Ashley didn't even have to explain herself Makayla knew Ashley hated to be drawn. "I was almost done." Ashley wrestled Makayla onto her back and pulled the covers on top of them. Ashley kissed Makayla's neck but Ashley could tell Makayla wasn't into it. "What's wrong?" Ashley asked. "Why haven't you asked me to marry you?" Marriage? Makayla was a child, they were children. Ashley found a wedding ring in the back pocket of an infected man a couple weeks ago. She was going to give the ring to Gallo to propose to Ellie. "Kim and Kevin would never allow us to get married so young Makayla. I know you love me and one day I'll get down on both knees and beg you to marry me because Makayla you're the kind of person who has options."
Ashley woke up and the empty space in bed broke her heart all over again. That morning she went to the dock to talk to Kelly. All the boats were gone. She proceeded to kick in Voight's door; he was cuddling in a hammock with Miller. "YOU LET THEM LEAVE!? YOU LET THEM GO AFTER THE SCHOLARS DIDN'T YOU?! FOR WHAT? AND YOU HAD THEM TAKE THE BOATS SO I CAN'T GO AFTER THEM!" Voight started explaining and Ashley stormed out of there. They had to leave last night that's why Voight didn't say anything when they had their conversation. His mind was already made up, they already had a plan. Ashley walked right into the water and swam to the mainland. Her fingers were turning blue, she was losing circulation, she'd swam for hours. She dragged herself out of the water onto the beach. Her entire body was numb and tingly.