Hey guys DeltaSandman here. If you're reading this, then you've seen the mid season finale... I don't know how any of you guys feel but I'm devastated... Beth dying was both very shocking and tragic and I literally screamed "NO!" when I witnessed it and then when it was done I went down and punched my punching bag out of anger and sadness... You guys can make fun of me and call me a wuss and all that crap, but I'm kinda depressed right now... Good thing that Emily Kinney is alive and well though and to see her on the talking dead did gave me some closure. Anyways here you guys go.

Enjoy

The image just played in my head over and over again as I just sat there on the ground with my back up against the tree, and my entire body frozen and feeling numb, empty and hopeless. We were feeling confident that we were going to get all of our people out, get away from Atlanta, and move on far away from that place.

Only one person didn't make it and I was torn up inside.

She's dead because of me... I should've died with that bullet to my head on the hospital floor and she should've live! She should be with her sister, with Judith, Carl, Rick, and everyone else living a potentially good life!

Why her... Why Beth...?

I curved my fist into a ball and pounded the ground as hard as I could repeatedly.

WHY BETH?! WHY BETH?! THIS SOME SICK FUCKING JOKE?! THAT WHAT THE FUCK THIS IS?! WHY BETH?! WHY HER AND NOT ME?! WHY?!

I stopped smashing the soil when I felt a strong pain in my fist. I looked at it to see that it was covered in dirt followed by some small cuts. I know it was dangerous to leave it like that, but I didn't give a damn if I die now.

The image kept playing in my head like it was taunting me. I brought my hands to my hair pulling it as hard as I could and forced out all the tears I could muster.

A feeling of eternal sobbing passed by as I relaxed myself a little bit, but I wasn't any better, just more calm.

I gathered the limited energy I had in my body and slowly got to my feet and made my way back to the road not in a big rush.

As I approached the road, I can see Maggie sobbing violently at the loss of her little sister. Feeling an obligation to be with her and help her out some how, I made my way towards her and took a seat next to her pulling her into a hug that she embrace immediately. I said nothing to her and she continued to sob her eyes out.

I finally had the will to speak. "She's dead because of me... She took the bullet that was meant for me... Should've been me..." I confessed.

Maggie pulled herself out of my hug and looked at me with wide eyes. I didn't care she was angry and frankly I want her to be.

I looked down at the ground with tears in my eyes. "Just get it over with, Maggie... Yell if you want, scream as loud you can... I don't care.."

There was a brief moment of silence before Maggie spoke. "It wasn't your fault..." She croaked pulling me back into the hug weeping once again. "I just miss her so much!"

"I know..." I whispered almost inaudibly. "Miss her so much.."

"I can't do this.. I can't..." She wept between hiccups.

It was my turn to pull myself out of the hug and to make her feel better. "Yes you can." I told her firmly although my voice was a little shaky. "You've have Glenn, and Carl, and Rick, and Judith. And you need to stay strong for them. For Beth."

Maggie had her attention to me with her eyes all red and puffy. I continued to speak. "I know that's the last thing you want to hear right now, and I'm sorry I'm saying that. But you're not alone. Okay? We're here for you."

I kind of expected her to look at me all angry telling me to get the hell out of her sight, but instead she gave me a small smile and said, "Thank you."

I returned the smile and got up to my feet. "I'll give you some time alone."

"Be back soon!" She told me.

I gave her a simple nod and I walked back to my little spot and took a seat with my back up against the tree. I obviously felt the same as I felt before. I'm at the lowest point in my life right now, and I just wanted it to end. But as much as I wanted that, it's not what Beth would want. She would want me to push on, look out for the group and keep the rest of her family safe. Something I could not break. But I still wish I could just leave this hellish zombie apocalypse and be with her.

"I wish I could see you, baby... Be with you again..." I whispered.

Just then I heard some rustling and leaves crackling coming from right behind me. I turned to see that it was Daryl walking towards me a little wobbly and almost falling over a couple of times. I noticed there was two bottle in his hands making it confirmed that he somehow got a bottle and got drunk as hell. He took a gulp of the bottle in his left hand letting out a loud burp.

"Moonshine." He simply said surprisingly not slurring. "First drink she ever had." He started snickering. "Y'know wha- what she said when she took the first sip?"

"I'm just gonna make the assumption that it tasted awful." I answered looking away wanting to be left alone.

Just then I heard Daryl cackling like crazy. "Yeah! Yeah tha- that's what she said! The look on her face oh my god!" He pointed his hand with the bottle at me like he was pointing a finger at someone. "Aww man... you shoulda been there, man! We got drunk as hell, played a game and..." He cut himself off.

I was getting irritated. "Daryl I'm not in the mood for this okay?" I told him my voice trembling a little.

He raised up a bottle. "C'mon man. Hava drink. Wanna see yer reaction to it."

I shook my head. "I'll pass." I began to walk past him but then he grab a hold of me really hard and slammed me into a tree with his humorous happy expression replaced with burning hatred and rage. "I said hava drink you piece'a shit!"

He opened up the bottle and forcefully stuffed it into my mouth. I felt a disgusting taste inside my mouth, and I was spitting it out as much as a can.

"STOP!" I muffled loudly. But Daryl was not stopping, which made me pull out my pistol and I hit him hard to the side of his head causing him to let me go.

Before I could react, Daryl charged at me shouting and swung a bottle at my head. For a brief second, everything went white before my vision returned to see that I was on the ground. A second later I felt an excruciating pain go through my chest causing me to yell in pain. A hand came to my mouth.

"Shh shh. Be quiet!" I heard Daryl speak. "Yer gonna draw walkers over here." His hand left my mouth and brought it to my throat squeezing it as hard as it can. "You shoulda died in that fuckin' hospital!" I struggled to cough as the life was starting to get sucked out of me.

Just then a butt of a rifle was slammed into Daryl's head causing him to fall over and lay unconscious on the ground. I saw Maggie lower her rifle and rushed towards me and holding me close. She looked down at my chest and she looked terrified. "RICK! SOMEBODY HELP PLEASE!" She turned her attention back to me. "Okay, Casey just keep looking at me, okay? Shh... Shh.. Just look at me."

Everything started going white all of a sudden. I can see Maggie screaming for help, but I couldn't hear her, which meant one thing: This is it. My times up. Two years into the apocalypse and it was game over for me.

Everything went pure white and then for a second I could hear someone calling my name but I couldn't make out who is was. But every second that passed, was one second closer to letting me hear the voice better.

Suddenly everything went black and I could hear the voice clearly. "Casey! Baby, wake up! Wake up!"

It was Beth's! Impossible! It can't be!

My eyes were wide open and I shot up looking at my surroundings breathing heavily and with sweat coming down my skin. I was back in the prison cell on a bed and Beth was right by my side.

"What the hell..?" Was all I could manage.

She pulled me into a tight embrace petting my hair, clinging on to me. I start sobbing violently all over again. "Shhh... It's okay, baby. I got you. You're safe."

"Is this real? Is it...?"

She shushed me softly once again. "Yes, baby. This is real. I promise. It's really me. I'm right here." She gave me a couple of light pecks on the cheek.

"Am I dead..?"

She shook her head. "No, Casey you're not dead. You're fine. Shhh.."

I looked at her face to see that there was no cuts or bruises on her face, her arm had no cast. But I still couldn't believe it. This could all be some sort of big trick my mind was playing on me.

"This can't be real... It can't be.."

"Close your eyes, Casey." She murmured.

I didn't know where she was going with this but I closed them wide shut. "Keep them close." She ordered. I could still feel her hugging me.

"Open them, baby."

I was afraid that I opened them, she would be gone, and I would wake up back in that forrest with Maggie or anyone else trying to keep me alive as best they can. But I opened them up again to see that I was still in the cell and Beth was still here making me have huge relief and happiness flowing through me.

"You're okay!" I whimpered hugging her even tighter. "You're alive!"

Beth shushed me again giving me a soft kiss on the forehead holding it for a couple of seconds before gently pushing me down onto the bed pressing herself up against me swinging a leg over me. "Get some rest, baby. I'll be right here." Giving me a few more pecks resting her head on my chest.

Beth was okay, and she was alive. I knew she was going to talk to me later on in the morning, and it was going to be painful trying to tell her when I dreamt, but I was extremely grateful.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much for being alive.

Okay I got this out of the way. Intially this was supposed to be a way Casey's way trying to cope with her death, but me being somewhat not accepting of this had to change this. I was also planning to make this its own fanfic, but I figured I needed to get a chapter up and this seemed juicy enough so I figured why not?

I hope that this chapter was good enough.

Anyways thanks guys

DeltaSandman out..