Coda: Alternate Ending

Alternate Ending

I open my mouth to say something to Daryl when Sasha speaks.

"We are so happy to have you back." She smiles widely and squeezes my shoulder.

"I am so happy to be back," I reply, my voice shaking as I try to fight the tears.

I look back to Daryl one more time before we step outside. In the light I can finally see his face again, his eyes. They shimmer in the sun. He smiles at me and looks like he wants to say something but can't find the words. Every fiber in my body longs to just jump into his arms. My stomach flutters and my fingers, interlocked with his, tingle to the tips.

He squeezes my hand tighter. He begins to speak, "Beth, I - "

"Beth!" my name is screamed from another mouth far ahead of me.

I look and see Maggie running toward me. "Maggie!" I scream back and bolt for her.

We meet somewhere in the middle of the parking lot and crash into each other so hard it nearly knocks the wind out of me. Her arms wrap around me and mine around her; we hold and squeeze one another till it hurts. But it's a good pain. Her body shakes and rattles against mine as she sobs. She pulls away to grab my face and kiss my cheek.

She cries and pushes my hair out of my eyes. "I love you so much! Thank God..."

"I love you too," I cry as she pulls me back against her.

"Are you okay?" she asks frantically. "Are you hurt?"

I shake my head and laugh because that's all I want to do right now. "I'm okay."

Maggie smiles and kisses my face again. I make my way around hugging Glenn, Michonne, Carl, and I even get to hold baby Judith. She's grown so much. I see a few other people I haven't seen before, but right now I am so happy I hug every one of them anyway. Even after I've collected myself and stopped the tears, my body still shakes from the exhilaration of it all. We all make our way to the giant firetruck parked out front. Only a few of us can fit so the rest of them take a stray cop car they found earlier and follow behind us. Maggie grabs my hand and leads me over to the truck. It's hectic and everyone is talking and hugging and disappearing into different cars. Just before I'm helped up into the truck I see Daryl standing a ways off to my right, staring. He looks almost anxious but he nods at me before I get in. I sit in the truck with Maggie's arm around me as we drive out of Atlanta. Glenn explains that they have been staying in a church a few miles out of town and that's where we're headed now.

The sky grows darker as we drive, the decaying city vanishing into the night behind us. My heart still races and I lean my head against my sisters shoulder. All I can do is smile and close my eyes. My mind trails to thoughts of Daryl once again. His face is the last thing in my head before I fall asleep.

Maggie softly wakes me when we arrive at the church. It's completely dark now but from the sound of crickets filling my ears I decide we're somewhere near the woods. I quickly sit up and my head spins. I groan and hold my forehead. Suddenly, I feel dizzy and can't remember the last thing I ate.

"Beth, are you alright?" Glenn asks.

I nod. "I'm just tired..." I say quietly.

"Let me," I hear him say from the open door on my right. Glenn and Maggie exit the truck to make room for Daryl to step in. He stands in front of me, just a dark figure with a familiar voice. He bends down and slides one arm around my back and the other under my legs. I'm carefully lifted from my seat and held closely against his chest. "I got you," he says softly.

I slide my arms around his neck and burrow my face against him. The leather from his vest feels cold but soft against my cheek. The memories of him carrying me around the empty morgue we were staying in before all of this surface my thoughts. While he carries me into the church, my fingers trace the back of his neck and slide somewhere into his hair.