A/N: SO something sparked in me and I will be stretching this out a little further than I thought. The way it looks, there may be a sequel. Especially if Annette Greene's "prophecy" does come true. Let's see how it goes.

The slick silver edge of the knife never met the golden waves of her head as his grip on all that hair fell and he leaned forward. Ragged sobs stuck in his throat and mirrored droplets refused to fall from his eyes. He scooted back and hunched over. Daryl Dixon was a shell of a man.

Beth Greene has ripped him open and exposed every piece of his lonely soul and breathed fire into it. Now her light faded and so too the fire in him was barely even an ember.

-Anywhere, I would've followed you-

The weeks they fought together will forever be with him. She was dead now, but her presence with him was alive in his heart forever. He would never let that go. He would never let her go.

Those fucking words echoed in his mind over and over as he remembered the night his heart ripped open for her, and only her. The late spring night rang out around the couple at the moonshine shack."You'll be the last man standing, Daryl Dixon." Her smile was bright, even with a sad edge to it. She always knew her days were counting down. This world was not meant for a girl like her, but she survived and she made it this far.

It was in those moments that she made a promise to herself that she would fight for him and make sure that he lived. The world needed more good men like Daryl Dixon. As far as she was concerned, he was the best man there is. He would be the one that would see the world to a better future. She wanted to see that future.

So she told herself she would continue to make it until she couldn't anymore. That time wasn't now all those weeks ago in the moonshine shack.That time wouldn't be until a day passed into two, then three. Three days meant a week, a week turned into a month and a month faded with the seasons. Here they were, now at the end of summer.

-Say something, I'm giving up on you-

She would scold him for having no more faith, no hope. How can one have hope when it lie dead in front of them? The groans were getting louder and yet he took no notice of it as the blade fell the ground at his knees, from his loosened grip.

He would follow her and go to the place she was, wherever she was. If her soul was trapped in her dead body he would stay in his. If she were released he would will his soul to follow wherever hers had gone and pray to every god and hers too that he went with her. He had no hope that a rotten man like him would be allowed to enter the Gates of Heaven, to be with an angel like her. But, he would try his damndest.

-And I will swallow my pride-

His throat was thick as he focused on the two knives, both exquisite with ivory handles, two of set. One had been his and the other Merle's, now it was hers. It used to be hers. He never hesitated giving it to her. "I'm so sorry I never told you, baby girl. It was you, who'd changed my mind. There are good people in this world. You are the best of them."

-You're the one that I love-

Her words would not reach them as she shed the tears he couldn't. "I love you Daryl. You are better than anything. Better than me. So strong. Mine. After this, I am never letting you go."

Nothing came out but groans and Daryl finally cried.

-And I'm saying goodbye-

His hand reached for the fallen blade. It was through the tears that he couldn't see her jaw move and form incomplete words. The only things he heard was the rushing of his own ears. Those tears pooling in his eyes fell down his cheeks.

"Beth."

-Say something, I'm giving up on you-

Everything in him felt cold and numb. He thought onto the scratches on her back. He wasn't fast enough to get to the walker before it got to her.

-And I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you-

"This is all my fault, baby girl. If I hadn't pushed for us to reach the silo, this never would've happened. I knew you were tired. I knew you were hurting. Your daddy. Maggie's signs. Your ankle."

-And anywhere, I would have followed you-

Her fingers were moving faster. A sense of urgency pushed her on. This wasn't supposed to happen. Her time is not now. She is fighting. Why can't he see that? She will survive this. Her back arched up from the couch, moving the sheet down to her hips. Just a minor spasm. "Daryl."

Finally a complete word left her lips, nothing more than whisper. The fucking sheet was blocking her face still. It needed to be gone. Her shoulder twitched. Her legs were twitching too. Her body was twitching and dancing. She needed to move. She tried again. This time it was louder. 'Daryl."

Her body fell back down to the couch.

-Oh-oh-oh-oh say something, I'm giving up on you-

The groans from her body were getting louder. For one second he had a stray thought of whether she would feel as brittle and cold as the rest of the walkers. He sat up straight, still refusing to see her. He would wait until she moved. His grip tightened up on the knife until his knuckles were white and a muscle spasm in his arm. And he groaned.

Covering up the next sounds to fill the room. "Daryl."

-Say something, I'm giving up on you-

Her knees jerked the tiniest amount, she couldn't see it but she felt it. And she was frantic. She felt trapped and suffocated. Nothing was working and her eyes were open, seeing the white sheet and the darker edges of the wooden ceiling as the day faded away. Her head was turning back and forth and finally! Victory! The sheet started to move down on her face. She felt the cooler night air brush over her forehead. Her fingers tried to get a good grip to pull it down. No cooperation. There was no time for her body to start this. It needed to listen to her and her mind!

Grip. The Damn. Sheet!

Nothing.

There was a real groan this time. Feral and mean as she grit her teeth. She was not giving up. She could feel her own heart breaking as she heard the floor creaking with Daryl's body shift and a heat grew closer to her body. Daryl. The nerves in her neck were on fire and she tried to move her head.

She wanted to hold him to her and never let him go again. She would never put him through this kinda pain again. She would fight for him, him and no one else. She wanted to tell him that.

That desperation spurred her on. Even as she felt his grip in her hair once again. Even as she fire in her body faded away at his touch and she could move. Her frantic hands gripped the sheet. Her body was hers, he was hers.

-Say something-

"Daryl!"

This time she was heard. This time, his heart was spared. This time, he would dare to hope. One last time.

This time she stayed. This time she fought. This time she won.

Final Notes:

So I was sitting at work and got really bored and something felt right to come back and explore this story. I love the way it turned out. I kept bouncing everywhere with it. Writing bits and pieces. If you noticed the first two chapters had small pieces of 'Say Something' by Christina Aguilera in it and this story had the rest. Now I will be working on a sequel for this story, but I need a song. Suggestions from you guys would be cool.

Oh I also have a tumblr if anyone wants to stalk me on that. Look for me under: breathoffreshaire

I really do hope you all liked this. Until Next Time, Ja ne!