When Theo is two years old, the Reaper catches up with me.

It's an accident. We had gone to a small town and split up to loot buildings. Maggie chose to stay back with the kids. I wanted to handle a building on my own, so Elliot promised to keep watch outside.

I don't remember exactly how it happens, but one second I'm searching for diapers and the next, I get blown off my feet. My ears are ringing and my skin feels like it's on fire. Elliot gets to me first and I can see his lips moving, but no sound reaches my ears.

I can't respond. I feel like I'm already too far away. Rick appears next. He really needs to shave again, I note as he leans over me. The sun is too bright behind his head and I squint, a few tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Rick..." I whisper.

I try to read his lips. "Yes? What is it?"

"Theo...take—" I cough and focus on breathing. Is my voice loud? I can hardly hear it.

I can catch bits of what he says. "Like...he's my own," he promises.

I smile weakly, and my dulling brown eyes look to the sky. I shut my eyes, my head pounding as a few more tears arrive. My ears pop and the ringing comes back enough for me to hear the others calling. Elliot stands and rushes away. I want to reach for him, to ask him to stay, but he's gone.

"Hope..."

Is that Rick? I look back at him and force myself to speak again. "My head...hurts..."

Rick nods, his expression crumpling. "Yeah...just...just rest. Nothing is gonna hurt you..."

I cough again. My vision splits and goes hazy, but I swear, there's another person at my side, so achingly familiar that it almost hurts more than my burns, more than the wound in my head oozing blood down my cheek.

"I'm 'ere. Come on, angel. Time to go."

I take one last long breath, feeling my body go limp and cold as the world around me dims, fading and fading until all there is is blackness.

A light breaks and I feel someone lift me up. My eyes open and I'm in the arms of my redneck again, all my pain melted away like winter snow. I feel his hands in mine, his lips on my lips, his eyes gazing into mine again. He's clean, healthy, full of whatever new life he's been living.

"I missed you, Hope," he whispers.

I wrap my arms around him, shutting my eyes as I rest my head on his shoulder. "I missed you too."

I look back to see that the others have gathered around a burnt figure with matted brown hair. My stomach churns and I look away. He holds his hand out to me, a slight pity mixed with knowing in his gaze, and I wonder who came to pick him up when he died. Maybe it was Beth, maybe it was Merle.

I take Daryl's hand, his rough skin just the same as I remember it. Together, we leave my old life behind, never to be separated again.