This is the last chapter, posting exactly a year since I posted the first chapter which is an awesome coincidence. Thanks to everyone who has read, faved, and reviewed. I appreciate all of it. Hopefully the ending will suffice! I'd love to hear some last reviews and/or if you want to chat about it or ask any questions then you can message me on my tumblr (tchamblers). It'd be nice to hear your final thoughts on it either way :) Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty Six

Her mind was so scattered with haunting thoughts that she wasn't sure she heard it at first but then the heavy breath was accompanied by a cough, throat choking on the newly found air and Maggie's head turned around abruptly.

"Tara? Oh my god, oh - oh my god."

She was next to her now, one hand around her waist and the other resting against her left cheek, her thumb stroking her soft skin instinctively.

"I can't believe it. You're okay."

"Of course, I'm okay," she coughed a little and then laughter escaped her lips only to be struck with the pain in her ribs, "Not sure about my ribs though - OUCH."

When Tara looked around she could see the whole group smiling back at her, tears in their eyes and unbelieving of the scene playing out in front of them. Her head started to spin and she wondered whether she was dreaming.

"Why is everyone staring?" she asked.

"You nearly -" she stopped a moment and swallowed the lump in her throat that was now small enough to push down, "We almost lost you for a moment there."

"I'm not going anywhere," Tara replied softly, holding onto Maggie's hand and their eyes lingering in a gaze for a while.

Rick looked around at the others and nodded, a simple sign to give them a moment or two of privacy. Everyone seemed to understand and walked away from the reunited couple, their hearts feeling a little heavier with love and a sigh of relief leaving their lungs.

The words spoken to Rick had laid heavily upon his shoulders. He couldn't help but blame himself for it all. The man was right and it didn't matter how crazy he was, everyone felt it now. He would have shot him square in the face if it wasn't for the others, if it wasn't for the captivating speech he was aiming his way. While the others walked away with feelings of peace he only felt pulled stronger to the ground; stuck in a place he didn't want to be. They'd won, Tara and Maggie were safe, but it didn't sit right with him. Something was off and the madman had got away, he couldn't turn himself away from that.

"You saved my life." Maggie said as she gently stroked Tara's cheek.

"Pretty badass of me, huh?" Tara laughed, raising her eyebrows a little as Maggie nodded her head, letting out a breath of laughter.

"I love you. I shouldn't have kept that from you. I shouldn't have been scared about it, but I'm not now. I had so much time to think whilst I was locked up in that room. I didn't want - I didn't want another day to go by without you knowing how much you mean to me."

"I love you, too, Maggie. But I think you already knew that." she smiled playfully as she looked at her in awe, "I never want another day of this. We're never gonna be away from each other again."

Maggie pursed her lips together to try and stop her tears. Her stomach was lunging back and forth just from being close to Tara again. Seeing her breathing, talking, watching the way her eyes blinked slowly as she looked at her.

"There's never gonna be another day that we're away from each other. I'll make sure of it. Jus' try not to make a habit outta riskin' your life for me."

Tara wiped a falling tear from Maggie's eyes and felt her own eyes fill with tears as the reality that she almost died hit her. But it wasn't just that, she couldn't believe she had almost lost Maggie. She'd give her life a thousand times over if it meant saving hers. That realisation left a smile on Tara's face, her eye's full of warmth, the way she was looking at Maggie like she was the last beautiful thing left on earth.

"What? Why are you smiling so much?" Maggie grinned, allowing a smile as her grief passed over.

"I just realised something," she replied smugly, like she had a huge secret.

Maggie tilted her head, a little confused by Tara's happiness considering she almost died five minutes ago.

"Before all this... at the start, when I met you, I had no one left. I had nothing to hold onto, nothing to fight for," she gently carressed Maggie's hand, her fingers nestled under and into her palm, "Now I have something to fight for. I'd die for you, and if you have somebody to die for then that's enough to keep living, to keep me wanting to be alive. I always want to be around to have your back."

Maggie kissed her hard on the lips, allowing very little chance for her to say much more. She pulled her in close as if she didn't want any space left between them, they'd spent too long apart. She didn't want to forget this feeling, she didn't want to ever leave this moment.

Tara's lips were warm now; warm and loved. They allowed themselves the luxury of finding comfort in each other without guilt, without shame. They'd both spent so long feeling guilty that now it didn't make sense for it, it didn't make sense to waste anymore time. And as Maggie's lips slowly pulled away from Tara's, they fell into a warm embrace, arms tightly wrapped around each other, reluctant to let each other go.