**Daryl's POV**

I could tell she was close, and as much as it killed me, I wanted to make my little girl feel comfort in her final moments. "I promise, I'll do all of that, my love." I kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, angel. Sweet dreams." I whispered against her soft skin. Even in death, she was still my beautiful little princess. I felt her eyes flicker closed against me. My baby was gone. I pulled back to look at her face. Her eyes were closed. She looked so peaceful. However, this didn't stop the loud, angry, heart wrenching sob that pulled from my lips. I pulled her into my chest as I screamed. I couldn't control myself; I'd failed her. The person I had sworn to protect ever since I first held her in my arms, was gone, in my arms once again. "My baby! Oh god, why my little girl!" I yelled out, rocking her little, still, frame back and forth. "I'm sorry, darling. Oh god, I'm so, so sorry." My voice cracked as I wept over her. "Please, wake up, angel. Please, I need you. There ain't no me if there ain't no you. Please, baby." Of course, she didn't wake. She's always been my angel, but now... She really was an angel who just found her way home. I stayed with her for a few more moments, before a thought popped into my mind. I grabbed a small knife from my pocket, and flicked it open. I leaned her back so I could press the blade to her temple. "Daddy's sorry, my love. I'm so sorry." I pushed the blade in to penetrate her brain. She wouldn't want to be one of them. More sobs left my mouth as I pocketed the knife. I had to get us out of there. The detonator was still inside, a walker could step on it. I whispered to her, as I stood up. "Daddy's got you, baby. You're safe. I'm right here." I told her, as I began to quickly move us away from the building.

I had my right arm around her upper back, and my left under her knees as we moved. I made sure to hold her head close to my chest. I just wanted her to know that I wouldn't leave her. I'd never leave her again. That for a change, it was her leaving me. I made so many mistakes when it came to raising her... I wanted to fix it. We had so many plans for when Rick and Michonne got back. All of them now ruined without her.

The busses were in sight, but they were a far distance. I began walking when I was a safe distance from the building. I couldn't bring myself to run anymore. I wasn't tired, she wasn't heavy in my arms... But, I now had to show my other daughter, her sister's body. I had to show Ellie's mother, her daughter's body. I had to reveal Ellie's death to Rosita. Rick and Michonne only just reunited with her. Carl and her only just made up. Now, she's gone.

I heard the building explode behind me, I felt the wind hit my back... But, I didn't turn around. I didn't flinch. Nothing in me changed with the explosion. Holding my daughter the way I did when she was born, when Dale shot her, when I was visiting her farm house and I wanted to move her over in bed... I was now holding her dead body. Nobody should have to lose somebody like that. Especially a father who just got his little girl back.

I saw their silhouettes in the distance: Sophia, Rick, Carl, Carol, Rosita and Michonne. I wished I had died with her. How would I live on without Ellie? How could I show our family the news? How could I break to Maggie? She just lost Glenn.

They started running towards us, Sophia getting to us first. "What knocked her out?" Sophia asked. Over her dress she had put on the jacket Ellie had given her the day before. I stopped walking. I couldn't get the words out. Maybe if I didn't say them, it wouldn't be real. Sophia stopped her run, everyone else stopping a few feet behind her. Nobody had realised yet. Sophia slowly started walking closer to us, furrowing her eyebrows at Ellie's asleep face. It took her a moment, Ellie's blood not being obvious over her black dress... But, she spotted where I had to put the blade through her temple. Instantly, Sophia fell to her knees, letting out the most pained scream I'd ever heard. She couldn't get out a single word as her scream turned into loud sobs. I had one daughter in my arms, the other at my feet. Sophia was underneath Ellie, leaning onto my legs as her sobs came loud and hard. She couldn't speak. This was the worse than when Jacob died, worse than when Enid died... Ellie was the first girl to show her friendship. To show her the love of a sibling bond. Ellie was always there for her. I knew she felt alone after this.

At the same time:

Carol turned away from us, putting her hands on her knees. She had doubled over with cries. She couldn't even silence them by putting her hand over her mouth. She'd lost so many people, so many children. Now, Ellie? Our little girl? I'd never been able to relate to Carol after she lost Jacob or Jessie... And, I never wanted too. But, now I properly understood the screams and sobs that left the mouth of a broken mother, on all three separate occasions. Carol immediately accepted the reality, she had been here before.

"No, no, no." Rick shook his head, looking everywhere but me and our girl in my arms. He was running his hands frantically over his face, pulling at his hair. "No, god, no." He fell down onto his knees. He put his elbows on the end of his knees and buried his face in his palms. I watched as my brother's body shook violently with the sobs that wrecked him. "She's not dead. She's not dead, Rick. You're imagining things again. You're still in your cell, Ellie's safe at home. Ellie's safe."

Michonne tried to comfort Rick and Carol, but she couldn't. Her head was bowed as tears fell from her eyes. They littered the ground. Little drops of pain as she tried not to cry too loudly. "Who did it?" She demanded to know, but nobody could respond. Her eyes flickered to the building that had been exploded, ultimately killing whoever shot my daughter. A couple walkers made their way up the mountain. I didn't even notice the fact she had her katana back until she was killing the two walkers. Even after they were dead, she brought the katana down on them again, and again, and again. The blood splashing all over her body.

Carl was still for a few moments. Staring at my girl's body with confusion. He shook his head. "Ellie's not... No, because... Because nothing can hurt her. She's come back from everything, there's no way that she's dead." Carl talked to himself, starting to hyperventilate as he fell to the ground. He took his tie off and threw it to the ground, unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt to gasp for air. He grasped at his chest, trying to breathe. He was struggling though. He could barely breathe through the choked sobs, much like Sophia by my feet.

As everyone else crumbled, Rosita walked over. She put her hand on Ellie's cheek. She whispered in a sweet tone. "You can wake up now, mi amor. I'm right here. I'm right here. Open your eyes for me, amor." Rosita begged, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth as she fought off tears. "Please, it can be me. Just wake up and I'll take your place. You're gonna live a long, happy, happy life because you deserve it. Just wake up, mi amor... Come on, God, just swap our places. Please." Her voice broke as the tears finally fell. She leaned her head onto Ellie's chest, trying to find her heart beat. She sobbed into her cousin's chest. The two girls had so many plans; what would happen to them now?

----------

Ellie had been wrapped in a blanket, laying on the bed in the RV. Myself, Rosita and Carol travelled with her. Everyone else went in the busses with the old folk. Except from when we got to the train tracks and managed to get rid of all of them to go to the Commonwealth. Chris went with them, he claimed he would handle it, because he knew we all needed to be together.

The RV was silent. I was driving, not haven spoken a word since I approached them. I couldn't even comfort my other daughter. Carol, Sophia and Michonne couldn't stop staring at my baby who was under the blanket. Rick, myself and Carl couldn't bring themselves to even glance at her again. All three of us hoping that none of it would be real if we didn't look at her. The girls hoping that if they looked at her for long enough, that she'd wake up.

She didn't.

We got to Alexandria after a week. The journey back a lot quicker as we'd cleared the roads on the way down. Everyone else got out as I parked the RV outside the gates. They headed in first while I slowly walked to the back of the RV to get her. I put my left arm under her knees, and my right under her back. "Come on, princess. It's time to take you home." I whispered to her as I slowly exited the RV.

People had gathered around, having spotted Rick and Michonne. However, they could tell by everyone's faces that this was not a happy occasion. I walked towards the gates with my daughter in my arms. I saw Finn, Ben and Mrs Tanner running towards us around the crowd of people that I barely knew. Most people were crying, I had been so oblivious that I didn't realise how much Ellie meant to everyone. I bet she didn't even know that herself.

"Who is it?" Ben demanded, denial written all over his face.

"Ben-" Sophia started.

"Best friend?" Ben squeaked out. He turned to his mother, hugging her tight as he cried into her shoulder. Her left arm was on her son's back while her right covered her mouth while her own tears flowed from her eyes. I could see Ben's body shaking as he clung onto his mother for support.

"It's..." Finn trailed off. "But... She said she'd come back." Was all Finn managed out. 

He looked to his older brother who quickly pulled him into a hug so that he could hide his face. "Come on, man." Charlie's voice was weaker than usual as he pulled Finn away. Him and Ellie weren't particularly close, but they had fought for their lives together once. However, that all seemed in vain now.

When Negan saw her, he punched the wall of Alexandria angrily before walking away. I'd seen him bring his hand up to wipe his face as he left the area.

"Mama!" RJ smiled brightly, running towards Michonne.

"Hi, baby." She said weakly, pulling him into a hug.

"Mama?" Rick repeated.

Before any more questions could be asked about the situation, RJ spoke, after looking around. "Where's Ellie? Teddys been telling me how much he misses her."

I noticed Hershel staring at the blanket covered girl in my arms. "Is auntie Ewie with my daddy?" He asked, his voice croaking as I watched Maggie running towards us. 

Rick looked down, only recently being told of Glenn's fate. Tears started slipping down my face again. Maggie stopped behind her son, staring at Ellie. She looked to Rick and Michonne, a shocked look on her face as she saw Rick... But, all of that was taken over by grief. Rick walked towards her and hugged her tightly. Maggie broke down in Rick's arms. I heard her sobs as she clung onto the man who had become a brother. 

I had to walk away. Maggie's cries became louder and harsher as the reality set in. I saw Jerry and Nabila crying. Ezekiel, trying to mask his own grief as he ran to Carol. I saw Eugene running closer with Coco on his hip and Gabriel trailing behind. They both stopped when they realised the situation. Two grown men were quickly brought to tears as they looked away from me, trying not to make me feel worse.

I went to Ellie's favourite spot in Alexandria, setting her down. It was in the middle of a flower field, close to a beautiful tree where I'd seen her reading to RJ, Hershel and Coco in the past.

I'd refused to bury her in anything other than a coffin. I hoped this would buy me a few more days. As sick as this sounded, I just wanted to hold my daughter. Unfortunately, Mercer made it a priority and got me the best one. Beautiful birch wood, lined with white pillows inside. She'd be comfortable. Forever. I dug the hole, everyone offered to help, but I needed to do this alone.

When me and Rick put her in the coffin, I slowly leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto her cold cheek. I'd never felt her be so cold. That's saying a lot considering how much time we spent living out doors. "I'll see you again, one day, princess." I whispered to her. I made sure to fix her necklace that I'd given her for her tenth birthday. I held her teddy in my arms, and gave him a hug. I know it's stupid, but he still smelt like her. Beautiful, like home. I gently put him next to her side and looked up to Rick who was silently crying. I shrugged. "She can't sleep properly without him."

Rick nodded, responding gently. "I know."

I put my hand on the coffin, my eyes never leaving her peaceful face, as I closed it. Me and Rick lowered the coffin into the ground. We both grabbed our shovels, and started filling in the hole. I had to take a break when there was too much dirt to even see the coffin anymore. Rick just held me in his arms as I cried. He found out that he has another son today, but he was still here with me. Honouring Ellie.

I began talking without thinking. "I wish I never put that blade in her head."

"She wouldn't want to be a walker, Daryl." Rick reminded me.

"I know." I nodded. "But, at least then when I hold her, she'd hold me back."

We had a funeral that everyone attended. Mercer even stayed away from the Commonwealth to be there.

Sophia spoke first. "Without Ellie, I'd be dead. She saved me so many times. In so many different ways. She was the first person I told that I was gay. And, she let me know that it's okay. She made me feel like that being who I am is nothing be ashamed of. The day before... She was honest with me. She told me how much she loved me, and how much I meant to her. I told her that I had similar things to say... But, she told me to wait until we got back... Said it was too much emotional crap." Sophia laughed sadly as quiet chuckles travelled through the crowds. Sophia looked down to the freshly overturned dirt. "I was going to tell you thank you. You didn't just save my life from walkers, and exposure. You saved me from myself... I love you so much, Ellie. Every day I live, is for you."

Carl went next, to honour his sister. "Without Ellie, I'd be dead. The days before Ellie's... Ellie's death. Woah, I never thought I'd say those words. Truth be told, I thought she was immortal. Which is why, the days before her death.. I wasn't very nice to her. I wasn't the best brother. Although we made up, that'll be with me forever." He looked down to the grave. He let out an angry breath. "I'm sorry, Ron Weasley." 

Rosita, Michonne, Maggie and Rick couldn't bring themselves to speak about her yet. Especially in front of a crowd. I was never one to speak in front of crowds, I'd speak to Ellie everyday. Just the two of us. I knew that they'd visit her, and talk to her in their own time. I was okay with that. Everyone had tears, but so did Negan. He was crying over her death. This did bring a sense of anger after what he did to me and her... But, for Ellie? I let it go. It surprised me when RJ and Hershel went up, Hershel carrying Coco on his hip. RJ started speaking. "Without Ellie, we'd be dead."

Hershel continued. "One of the last things auntie Ewie ever did was hunt us down and save us. I don't remember saying thank you to her for that."

RJ took a deep breath. "Ellie was one of the nicest people. She... She went to Heaven because she was saving my papa and mama, and Carl, and uncle Daryl, and a whole lot of old people. She promised to come back, and I know that she hated braking her promise. Especially a pinkie promise." He looked down to where my baby was buried a few feet under. "I forgive you. Thank you for bringing my mama and papa home."

Hershel smiled. "I just thought everyone should know. If you ever think that Ellie was maybe mean, or sarcastic... She died thinking Santa is real. Ellie believed in magic. Sometimes she may have been mean to people, but deep down she was a big teddy bear who loved helping people... That's the reason she isn't here. Ellie Dixon is a hero."

Coco looked down to the grave, a sad look on the baby's face. "Where Ellie?"