AN: so writer's block has been eating at me. Trying to get back in gear. This is the last chapter for this story. The first two parts were written before 5b so I tried to align them up somewhat. I hope you enjoy..it's a little fluffy angsty (the first two parts were dark) let me know what you think :)

Chapter 3

This had to end.

He was a patient in the clinic, his injuries far worse than hers. They'd been seperated almost immediately after her rescue, put in different vehicles, and raced back to the safe zone. Her eyes had held his as long as she could, his haunted, terrified eyes. She knew that look she'd seen it too many times, after Sophia, after Beth. He was taking on the guilt, the blame, like he had failed her in some ways. He was living his own nightmare.

He hadn't failed her, he'd been so strong...no one else could have held out so long. No one else would have survived. She understood that, their shared history connected them. It was as though everything in their lives, all the crap that life had thrown at them had been preparing them. For that moment. Preparing them to survive.

He hadn't failed her because he survived.

He couldn't see it that way though, she could read him so clearly. She'd almost smirked to herself when two days after their rescue she had wrenched herself from her bed to go to him and he'd refused to see her. Almost.

Her poor Pookie, he was so unsure of himself even now. They'd gone through their natural pattern after they'd arrived at the safe zone. Drifted apart, becoming entrenched in life and new responsibilities. She'd often felt like she was the moon orbiting around his earth. Sometimes she drifted farther away in her orbit but she was intrinsically tied to him, always drawn back in closer, always wanting to caress his face like waves drawn to the shore by the tide.

She'd told him she loved him, in that room. She'd been certain she was going to die and she would have done so, without hesitation if only just to save Judith.

He'd done that for her, and he didn't even know it. His acceptance without hesitation without even knowing her secrets, without knowing about Lizzie, had shown her the truth. He did know her, better than anyone else had her whole entire life. He didn't think she was going to hell, and she believed him.

Even in the box her fear hadn't been hell...it had been turning into a monster...being forever trapped. She'd known if she had managed to end things she would have been with Sophia. Ed didn't have that power over her anymore.

It was because of him, because he believed in her, she'd believed in herself.

When her act at the safe zone had been revealed she knew that most of the Alexandrians were not comfortable with her. She was an enigma to them because she was them. She was every one of the Alexandrians who were weak, but she'd changed. She'd gotten stronger she'd become someone she'd only dreamed she could be, she was a reminder to then of what they could be...she sensed it.

But she'd let a part of her soul get tarnished along the way. She wasn't going to do that anymore. Time to polish that tarnish away, time to live in the truth, time not to hold anything back.

She loved him and he loved her, she could no more stop herself from orbiting around him then he could stop himself from needing her to control his tides. They needed each other, and she wasn't running from it anymore.

His isolation had to end and she would end it. He'd spent enough time in guilt, she needed to show him that was over now.

She'd taken a job at the clinic when her ruse had been revealed. Learning from the nurses helping where she could. They hadn't judged her for anything but her ability to help, her kindness with patients. She'd made many friends, including a nurse named Kellie, they were about the same age.

She spent many night shifts confiding in Kellie, about her relationship or lack thereof with Daryl. It had been Kellie who she'd tearfully begged to let her see him for even a moment when he refused to see her. It had been Kellie who she talked to daily for two weeks learning everything she could about his status. Who she gave notes to every day to read to him, who hugged her when she cried.

It had been Kellie who finally decided enough was enough.

"Enough is enough...this has to end ...he is sinking, spiralling in his own negativity. He needs to you. He's the only patient in the clinic...come by tonight, I'll let you see him." Kellie had said this very morning, when she'd stopped by the house.

She stood on the back porch of the clinic taking a few cleansing deep breaths, staring up at the moon. This had to end. No more running, no more hiding, it was time.

She entered when Kellie came to the door. "I'm going to be out front in case you need me ...don't do anything I wouldn't do." Kellie said with a grin "and that isn't much" she called out with a chuckle as she went to the front of the clinic.

The moon was all the light she needed as she made her way to his room.

She could see him lying on his side facing away from her. Still recovering from broken ribs and god only knew what else.

She came around and sat in the chair next to him, her elbows resting on her knees her head resting in her palms and watched him.

He was so peaceful, she watched his face. She wouldn't wake him if she had to wait all night, she knew better than anyone how difficult it was to sleep with broken ribs.

His eyes fluttered open a short while later. His gaze caught hers and held it. There was no surprise in finding her there, it was like he'd expected it. Like he knew she would come. The earth and the moon, both felt the others pull.

"What are you doing?" His voice was a whisper, the eerie silence of the night made it feel like a dream, the moonlight chasing all the nightmares away in her mind.

"Keeping an eye on you" she whispered back with a smile through her tears.

His face contorted in such a mask of pain, he closed his eyes as though he was willing it away. Willing it better. He opened his eyes and stared at her yet again. All of the emotion he felt there to be seen all the love. She realized with a start large tears were dripping down his face, silently.

"Don't cry" she whispered placing a kiss to his forehead.

"I'm sorry" he said on a hiccup.

"You saved me Daryl...you didn't even know it. No one else could have held on as long as you did, no one else would have done that for me" she whispered wiping his tears away. "Do you remember...in Atlanta, when I wasn't sure if I was going to heaven?" She asked

He nodded slowly reaching out to squeeze her hand. "That's bullshit...I don't care what happened with Lizzie...that ain't you.." He said forcefully.

She smiled yet again her thumb brushing along his cheek. Her own personal warrior forever guarding her spirit never guarding his own.

"When I was in that box...I wasn't scared to die. I knew I would go to heaven. I know now I'm not going to hell. You did that for me, you made me see..." She trailed off as she paused searching for the words

"You're every bit as good as them" he whispered.

She lowered her head and brushed her lips over his. He let out a slight groan or whimper at that slightest pressure. It was as though he wanted more. But was holding himself back. He pulled back pressing his forehead to hers.

"It was my fault...that they buried you.." He said gruffly his voice filled with shame "They were going to put you in a crawl space when you passed out...it was so small, I knew how scared you would be..."

"So you told them not too and they realized I was claustrophobic.." She finished with a smile.

"You know?" He asked

"Of course I know, I figured it was something like that and well Rick told me." She said "Don't be mad..he wanted me to understand why you wouldn't see me. I already did"

She smiled as she trailed her fingertips down his exposed arm and he shivered in it's wake. "No more guilt, for either of us. Someone told me once we get to start over."

"Sounds like an asshole" he muttered with a grin.

"No" she said brushing her lips against his "The best man I know...the love of my life" she finished on a whisper.

He stared at her for several momentS, his eyes intense as she threaded her fingers through his hair "I thought...I thought I must have hallucinated you telling me that, or dreamed it"

"It wasn't a dream...I needed you to know, in case it was the end..I love you..you chased away all my nightmares." She whispered.

He was silent for so long she began to wonder if he was okay but smiled in relief when he spoke, his voice cracking, barely a whisper. "I love you too"

He slid back in the bed and motioned her up. She toed off her shoes and lay down facing him. He grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers, his other hand stroking her hair as they watched each other's face as they drifted of to sleep.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxx

Rick went into the clinic in apprehension. Worried about Carol and the note she'd left "gone to see Daryl". He sighed, hoping whatever had happened hadn't been too bad. A nurse was sitting on the front desk flipping through an old magazine humming a tune under her breath. A friend of Carol's he couldn't remember her name.

"Hey Officer Handsome" the nurse said with a chuckle. "You must be looking for Carol...come on...I got something to show you." She hoped off the counter, the only sound the soft squeak if her rubber souled shoes. He noticed she had a knife in a sheath at her waist.

She lead him back towards Daryl's room. Turning before entering to place a finger to her lips and shush him. Her footsteps became light he wasn't even hearing her shoes squeak as she walked into the room and around the bed motioning for him to follow.

The sight almost brought him to tears. They were clinging to one another in sleep. Carol's head was tucked under Daryl's chin. The palm of one of her hands resting over his heart. Daryl had banded his arms around her and was holding her as though he never wanted to let her go.

It was their faces that got to him, they were so peaceful, calm. Daryl Dixon was sleeping with a smile on his face.

He looked at the nurse in shock "How?" He whispered.

"I have my ways" she said with a grin as she motioned him to the door. Turning back towards the sleeping couple she whispered one last thing before softly clicking the door.

"Sweet dreams"