A/N: This is the final ending to this story. I am warning y'all that there are a few time jumps but a whole lot of fluff and Bethyl goodness.

Enjoy!

Little Sweet Cigars

Chapter 30

What Might Have Been

Part II

Beth-

That night, layin' there on the couch with Wyatt layin' on my chest, was the first time I had let myself actually relax in a long time.

Since he had opened the door, Carl hadn't let me out of his sight for more than a few seconds at a time and he insisted on doin' everythin'.

"Are you still pregnant?" Carl whispered so as to not wake up Wyatt or Judith.

I pursed my lips and shook my head. I wasn't surprised that he knew, I just wished I had had the chance to tell Daryl and the rest of our family before it as too late but maybe that would have been worse.

"No," I whispered.

"What happened?"

"It wasn't meant to be, Carl."

"Oh," he turned his head away to look down at Judith. "I heard Daryl tellin' dad about the baby after we left Atlanta but I don't think either of them have told anyone else."

I nodded and we drifted back into silence.

I kissed the top of Wyatt's head then closed my eyes and thought about the others returning.

Carol and Carl hadn't mentioned Daryl, whether he was alive or not, but I began to pray that if he were alive he wouldn't keep me from Wyatt and I prayed Rick wouldn't keep me from Judith, no matter how foolish and childish I had been in the past.

Alexandria hadn't felt like home or anything close to that but when he walked through the gate with his family, he figured it was close enough.

They approached Ricks house and sitting there on the porch was Carol and it was obvious she had been crying.

"Somethin' wrong with Judith?" Rick asked.

"Or Wyatt?" He added.

"No," she shook her head. "No, they're fine."

"Where are they?" Michonne asked.

Carol pursed her lips and stood up.

"They're inside with Carl," she held up her hands and moved to block Rick and Daryl from going inside. "Before you go in, we all need to talk. And by all, I mean me, the two of you, Michonne, Glenn and Maggie."

"Did somethin' happen while we were gone?" Glenn asked as Maggie squeezed his hand.

"Yes and no," Carol replied.

"Lets all get inside so we can talk," Rick suggested.

"No, we can do this out here or we can go somewhere else."

"You're startin' to scare me," Maggie said. "What happened?"

"Okay," Carol said. "Stay here and I'll go get Carl."

Back inside, Carol watched Carl rocking a sleeping Judith as he watched over Beth and Wyatt who were asleep themselves.

She made her way over to him as quietly as she could and knelt down beside the chair.

"Everyone is back and a little scared," she whispered. "I didn't tell them about Beth."

"I'm stayin' in here," Carl mumbled.

"You don't have to do that, Carl. She's not goin' anywhere and I'm sure once they find out she's here, they'll never leave her side."

He nodded, laid Judith down in the playpen and followed carol outside.

Everyone was seated, waiting for the news of someone's death.

"There's no easy way to say this so I'll just say it. Beth is alive and she's here."

Their mouths dropped open and tears formed in their eyes.

"Carol," Maggie whispered. "Please don't do this. Don't... just don't. Please."

The others were silent until Daryl jumped up and towards the door.

"She's asleep and so are Judy and Wyatt," Carl informed him.

He acted as though he hadn't heard a word the boy said as he threw the front door open and it slammed against the wall.

He paused for a moment when he saw the blond hair hanging off the couch and when neither of the babies cried, he took the few remaining steps inside the room and looked down at the sleeping woman.

Her head was turned towards the back of the couch with a few strands of hair falling over her face.

She was beautiful.

He wanted to stand there and watch her sleep but he could feel his legs shaking and before they completely gave out, he knelt down beside her.

He reached out and placed his left hand on Wyatt's back and with his right hand he brushed her hair out of her face and whispered her name.

"Beth," he whispered again.

Sometimes, when she was able to sleep like this, it felt so real. She could feel his touch, hear his voice and see him so clearly she almost forgot she was dreaming.

Those uses to be the only things she could remember.

For the longest time after she woke up, she would see him. She couldn't remember his name or how she knew him but she knew she had to find him, that he had to be out there somewhere.

And now was no different.

He rested his forehead against her arm as the others made their way into the room.

Wyatt whimpered in his sleep and when he started to squirm, Beth jerked her hand up to his back only for it to land on Daryl's.

She froze and slowly opened her eyes.

"Dar...Daryl?"

Carl rushed towards them to get Wyatt as Beth sat up and he placed him in the playpen alongside Judith.

Her eyes darted across his face, waiting for him to speak but he didn't. He reached out for her and pulled her close.

She closed her eyes and rested her chin on his shoulder as she felt his body shake. She realized he was crying when he turned his face and pressed it into her neck.

She couldn't cry, she had already done that too many times before and she knew she probably would later but right now, despite her hope that he was there, she was in disbelief.

He was still in shock, even as he watched her holding Wyatt and feeding him while the others moved around them.

Wyatt held on tight to his Mama, screaming and crying and gripping her shirt in his little fists, whenever someone tried to take him from her.

Michonne grasped Ricks hand as she leaned against the counter next to him.

"Judith needs her too," she whispered.

"I know," he nodded. "But I want to make sure she's alright first."

"She is, Rick. She's back with us now."

"Yeah but we don't know what's happened to her. We all have questions..."

"And we'll probably never get answers to them unless she's ready. We've only been back a few hours and Daryl hasn't left her side for even a second and there has been no mention of what has happened, no mention of their baby. We need to trust that when or if she's ready, she'll talk to us."

Beth held Wyatt close as she and Daryl walked through the streets of Alexandria.

If he had his choice, he would lock the door to Ricks house and never let her outside. He would keep her and Wyatt and Judy safe inside a little bubble there. They could survive with him, Rick, Michonne and Carl taking care of them.

He had voiced that thought to Maggie as they both stood outside the bathroom door, waiting for Beth, earlier in the day and though they both liked that idea, they decided it wasn't something they could do.

He watched her crawl into bed and pull the covers up over her and Wyatt.

"What happened ta tha baby?" He mumbled as he leaned against the wall.

"We lost it," she whispered. "But we still have Wyatt."

"Yeah."

She sat up and motioned for him to come to her. He didn't join her in the bed, instead he walked around to her side and knelt down on the floor.

"I'm sorry I left ya there," he whispered.

"Don't be."

"If I had a known ya was still alive alive," he continued as though he hadn't heard her. "I never would a left ya there. I could a told ya I was sorry fer how I acted when I found out ya was pregnant an' fer accusin' ya a doin' shit."

He laid his head in her lap and cried, "I'm so fuckin' sorry, Beth."

She gently rubbed her hands through his hair and over his face as she let her tears fall.

"It's all my fault, Daryl. I'm the one who should be sorry and I am. I pushed you away, played games. I never should have done those things."

About four months after Beth had arrived in Alexandria, she was finally settling in and so was Daryl.

They shared a house with Rick, Michonne, Carl and Judith and everyone could see just how happy that made Beth.

She was able to care for Wyatt and Judy like a mother should and though he sometimes complained, she did the same for Carl.

They had become their own little family within that house.

Michonne smiled over at Beth who was lost in thought and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you, Beth, for trusting us enough to tell us what you have. I assume you've already told Daryl about the things that have happened to you."

"I have and he's the one who encouraged me to tell you and Rick. He says I should talk to Maggie as well but I'm not ready to do that."

"I'm sure that when you are ready, Maggie will be there for you."

Rick took a deep breath and looked at his watch and said, "It's time."

Beth nodded and reached for Wyatt.

"Let's get goin' before my sister sends a search party."

They walked a few blocks over from their house and Michonne took Wyatt from her then gave her a hug and kissed her cheek.

As Michonne walked away, Rick put his arm around Beth and pulled her into his side, placing a kiss on her forehead.

"It's not everyday I get to be the father of the Bride," he said with a smile. "I'm proud of you, Bethie, and I know Hershel would be too and I love you."

"I love you too, Rick and thank you for doin' this."

Rick took her hand and together they walked towards their family and friends.

Daryl was nervous when he had decided to ask her to marry him and maybe he was a little scared she would say no so when she said yes, of course he was beyond thrilled but more than that he was relieved that she wanted him.

There weren't many things left in this world that he could give her, a small ceremony in front of their family is all she had asked for and even though he thought a ceremony was too much, he was doing it for her.

When Rick placed Beth's hand in his, the nervousness he had felt disappeared.

This was right. This was everything he wanted.

They had agreed not to exchange rings, instead they went with something a little more personal.

They had each crafted a bracelet for the other out of black and white shoestrings. Beth had added a green one to Daryl's and he had added a yellow one to hers.

There were a few chuckles and a whole lot of smiles when he leaned in and kissed her before Father Gabriel had a chance to pronounce them husband and wife.

"Hey," Beth whispered when she noticed Daryl leaning against the door frame watching her.

He grinned and took the few steps towards her.

"Ya did good," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss her.

She smiled a tired smile and glanced down.

"No, we did good. I couldn't have done this without you, Daryl. And speakin' of that, what name have we decided on?"

He reached out and rubbed a finger over the baby's cheek and whispered, "Georgia."

A/N: This was the end! I hope y'all enjoyed it. Also, Let's all assume that Wyatt and Judy grow up to have a child together just as they did in the first ending I had posted.

Please, please review!