"THEY DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE GONNA MAKE IT."

"The doctor said you had internal injuries. Broken ribs, collapsed lungs. They were gonna let you go."

Marcella stared at the young blonde, a small smile on her face, "Haven't we learned by now? I don't go down easy."

"You got nine lives. Like a cat." Beth grinned,

Marcie's eyes strayed towards the stitched cuts that were on Beth's face, then to the cast over her wrist, "What happened?"

She shrugged, "These people aren't as good as they make themselves out to be."

"Daryl knows where we are." Marcie reassured her, "They're coming for us. Noah, Daryl, all of them." She reached for Beth's uninjured hand and squeezed it, "I promise." She continued to stare a the girl, not really believing that she was right in front of her, "I really owe ya one, Beth."

"Nah, I was just helping my family."

Beth went to go attend to the hospital's leader, Dawn, while Marcie continued to rest. She was still really shaken up by her dream, or coma, whatever it was.

What mattered is that she woke up. Without a bite, with a chance. She needed to get back to Daryl, to apologise and let him know that she loved him, too.

Because she never got the chance to say it back.

The blonde came back only hours later, and she seemed shaken up,

"How do you move on?" Beth asked, not looking at her, "From killing people?"

Marcie stared at her for a moment, just thinking. She remembered her first kill, the man she shot back by the farm when the group went to get Hershel.

She remembered him begging. Crying out for mercy.

She remembered the Governor. Stabbing him through the chest and watching him bleed out.

Then there were the people who were following the Governor. There was Terminus. 

Marcie had always killed out of defence. She never murdered anyone just because she could.

It was always for survival.

"You have to." Marcie whispered, playing with the edges of her gown, "If you don't, it'll eat you up from the inside out." She moved her gaze to Beth, "Sometimes you have to kill... in order to survive. But, I've never killed just to kill. I think at that point, I'd be too far gone to be human."

Beth nodded, "Yeah. Yeah, I think I get it."

There was a knock on the door and a man in a doctor's coat, "Get changed."

"Why?" Marcie asked, sitting farther up with a wince, 

"There's going to be a trade."

Beth and Marcie shared a look. Was Daryl finally here for them?

Was it time to go home?

Marcie was given her clothes that she arrived in. Beth helped her change into her jeans and t-shirt before wrapping her in Daryl's jacket. The blonde helped Marcie into the wheelchair, since she was still weak from her accident, before going to get changed out of her scrubs.

The doctor came back for them and Beth stood behind Marcie, wheeling her down the hallway.

A group dressed in police uniforms stood in a dark corridor, their guns at the ready. Marcie had been in similar situations before. It was possible that this could end in bloodshed.

Couldn't they just have a happy ending for once?

Marcie reached for Beth's hand as she spotted Rick behind the set of doors.

Dawn ordered everyone to holster their weapons and the doors opened. Marcie's heart beat faster at the sight of Daryl. He was okay, and so was Carol and Noah.

This was their chance. For everyone to reunite.

She smiled at Rick, who gave her a nod. They didn't abandon them, they came for them.

Rick always came for her.

The cops in front of Marcie stepped aside, and Beth began to wheel her forward to reveal themselves to the group.

Two cops walked from Rick's side, over to theirs, "They haven't been harmed." Rick informed them,

"Where's Lamson?" Dawn questioned him,

"Rotters got him." One of the hostages answered, 

"We saw it go down." The other continued,

"Oh." Dawn nodded in acceptance, "I'm sorry to hear that. He was one of the good guys." There was a quick moment of silence, "One of yours for one of mine."

"All right." Rick nodded to Daryl, who pushed the male hostage forward, 

"Move."

They stopped in the middle, waiting for the exchange. Marcie's hand was forced away from Beth's as one of the group members took the wheelchair away from her,

Once they met, Daryl was quick to grab the handles of the wheelchair and the exchange was made. Marcie looked up at the hunter, hoping he could see how thankful she was.

Thankful that he didn't leave her behind. That they came back for her and Beth.

He gave her comforting nod, one of his hands squeezing her shoulder gently.

Her gaze then moved to Rick's, who gave her a small smile.

It was so close to being over.

Dawn grabbed Beth and they approached the middle again to make the final exchange. Rick walked past Daryl and Marcie with the female cop. Beth went to Rick, who wrapped an arm around her and gave her gentle kiss to the top of her head,

"Glad we could work things out." Dawn stated,

"Yeah." Rick mumbled, turning his back them,

Marcie smiled as Beth reached them. They were all together again.

"Now I just need Noah." Her smile fell as everyone stopped, "And then you can leave."

They all turned back around to face Dawn, "That wasn't part of the deal." Rick stated as he approached her, 

"Noah was my ward. Beth took his place and I'm losing her, so I need him back." She explained to him,

"Ma'am, please, it's not-"

"Shut up!" Dawn interrupted, "My officers put their lives on the line to find him. One of them died."

Daryl stepped forward, pushing Noah back to let him know they weren't gonna let him go back to Dawn, 

He did escape for a reason,

"Nah, he ain't stayin'." Daryl growled, stepping up next to Rick.

"He's one of mine. You have no claim on him." Dawn stated,

"The boy wants to go home, so you have no claim on him." Rick tried to reason with her,

Dawn shook her head, "Well, then we don't have a deal."

Marcie's happiness began to face. She knew it was about to go south, and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

"The deal is done."

Noah walked towards Rick, "It's okay. I got to do it." He held out his gun that Rick gave to him,

"It's not okay." Beth whispered,

"It's settled." Dawn stated as Noah began to approach her,

"Wait!" Beth rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Noah, 

"It's okay." Noah gave her a comforting smile, 

"I knew you'd be back." Dawn whispered to the boy,

Beth separated herself from Noah and approached the woman in the uniform. Marcie held her side in pain and grunted as she lifted herself from the chair, and Michonne reached out to steady her,

"I get it now."

Marcie gasped, pain spreading through her torso as Beth stabbed Dawn, but then a gunshot went off.

Blood splattered from the back of Beth head and her body crumpled to the ground.

There it was. 

They could never get a happy ending.

Tears fell down Marcie's face as reality hit her. Beth was dead. They went through all of that for nothing.

Michonne and Carol helped Marcie to keep standing as Daryl ripped his gun from his waistband, quickly aiming and pulling the trigger.

Dawn's body was the next to hit the ground.

Guns were raised and Michonne pulled Marcie back, trying to keep her out of the fight. She wasn't strong enough, mentally or physically, for a battle.

"No! Hold your fire!" One of the cops ordered, "It's over. It was just about her. Stand down."

They all lowered their guns.

Marcie felt like she couldn't breathe. She watched as Carol approached the hunter, forcing him to lower his arm.

Daryl wasn't one to cry openly. Neither was Rick.

But Beth had meant so much.

And now she was bleeding on the linoleum.

They all stared at the young girl's body on the group between the groups,

"You can stay." They offered, "We're surviving here. It's better than out there."

They couldn't. Not with the ghosts that now lived here.