"I'll wait here, then."

Authors Note:
This is dedicated to all the Beth Greene or Bethyl fans out there.
I am STILL heartbroken over the death of our little song bird.
I wrote this to hopefully offer a sense of peace to the Bethyl community.
It will take me a while to finish my other stories, but eventually I will.
I also specifically dedicate this to Dixongurl. *hugs*

Disclaimer: I own nothing TWD.

"I finally get it now."

Bang.

For the briefest of moments the world stopped, even if it didn't know it. In that short and impossible moment in time, in a hospital corridor in Atlanta, those who witnessed the tragedy knew it. They felt it as the echo of the gunshot rippled through each of them individually. All breaths were stolen and those closest to the beautiful blonde now on the floor, felt their hearts shatter within their chests. As if a fuse had been lit, one man amongst them acted. Another gun was drawn and with the squeeze of a trigger, immediate justice was served. Justice that would never soothe the ache left by the sudden and unexpected death of Beth Greene.

But in the wake of such terrible isolated chaos and heartbreak, another stepped up to offer freedom to those who stood on the other side of the line that had been drawn with the blood of two women.

Then as the world began spinning again, it was darker. More lost than it had been before. Hope diminished even further as each tear fell down the stubbly cheeks of a sinner who'd prayed to lay eyes on the lost girl who'd found him in the dark of a moonshiners' shack.

As her body was gingerly picked up in the strong arms that had carried her before, effortlessly, Beth was truly gone. Limp. Dead weight. The song bird was gone.

She was just gone.

Beth's eyes opened and took in the tall swaying grass, tickling her fingertips at her side pleasantly. The smell of honey suckle curling around her, filling her with a sense of belonging. The sky above was blue and the clouds were sparse. The blonde young woman felt confused for a moment, remembering being in the white sterile enviroment of Grady Memorial. What had happened to her? Was she dreaming? This all felt so real, she thought, wrapping her hands around stalks of grass. She took a step, noting her bare feet on the soft earth below them. Her blue eyes turned down, seeing the white dress that clung to her body was familiar. She'd worn it to church the last Easter service she'd attended with her family...

"Welcome home, Bethy." She blinked and froze, feeling the tingling of tears prickle her eyes as she shut them tightly. Her heart was pounding in her chest, then she exhaled. Beth opened her mouth to suck in another breath but it strangled in her throat, causing a choked sob to escape her. A tender hand gently laid itself on her shoulder, and that's when she knew. This wasn't a dream. The hand radiated such a familiar sense of home that it could only belong to one person. As she turned around, the relief which replaced the months of heartache seemed to make everything worth while.

"Daddy?" She managed to speak, as her blue eyes met the blue of her father's. Hershel Greene stood there, on two feet she noticed, looking healthier than ever. His beard was gone, face smooth and shaven. His hair wasn't the stark white it had once been, but a deep faded auburn she barely remembered. He looked no older than maybe 45. But it was her Daddy, there was no doubting it as his hand tenderly touched her face and he pulled her into a tight embrace. Beth's knees gave out from the onslaught of emotions that were pouring through her all at once. Exhilaration, peace, joy, grief and regret... But he never let go, just helped her remain on her feet as he placed kisses to her forehead and hair. He murmured how much he'd missed her, how proud she made him.

Time seemed of no importance as they took several minutes to enjoy each other's embrace. The blonde young woman eventually calmed but the tears kept silently flowing down her cheeks. Hershel sensed his daughter's calm and gently pulled away, keeping his hands wrapped around her's. Silence passed between them as they both shared knowing looks.

"I'm dead?" She asked softly, feeling tears trailing themselves down her soft face. The older man nodded and offered her a warm smile, but his eyes shown his understanding.

"Yeah honey, but it's okay. You're home now, and safe." The relief in his voice warmed Beth, she could only imagine how worried he'd been about her...about Maggie too. Maggie. Beth suddenly looked around through the seemingly endless grass fields. It was only them.

"Is Maggie here, too?" Beth asked, unsure of what she wanted the answer to be. Hershel's smile dimmed and he took a deep breath, squeezing her hands tighter.

"No, Maggie's still alive. Glenn's with her, they found one another after the prison fell." Beth gave a simple nod and hung her head for a moment, saying a silent prayer that her sister and brother-in-law stayed safe until they were all together again. "She knows you're dead though, her and Glenn showed up at the hospital after..." Hershel sounded deeply sad, and Beth let go of one of his hands so she could wipe her face.

"I'm sorry I left her alone Daddy, I didn't mean to. I didn't know." Though she was sure he knew all the events leading up to her death, Beth still felt the need to apologize. Hershel gave her another sad smile and squeezed her left hand.

"Don't you feel sorry for that Bethy, it was your time. God gave us free will and tough decisions to make. You knew if you didn't act, more people were going to be hurt. I am proud of you, and when the day comes for our family to be fully reunited...they will be proud too." His words made the sting of it all seem not so sharp. The pleasant breeze washed over them and Hershel offered his daughter his arm. "C'mon, let's go for a walk." Without hesitation she took her father's arm and walked by his side. Minutes passed as they went in silence, both thinking and Beth taking time to come to grips with where she was. As her brain worked over the details, her eyes started picking up familiar things about the land. First it was a well, then a creek...

"Are we back home?" Her voice asked shakily, her hands trembling on her father's strong arm. Hershel chuckled happily.

"Yes, we're back at the farm. Everyone's at the house waitin' for you, Shaun's been a mess he's been so excited." Beth's chest squeezed hard as she stopped and covered her mouth with her hand. More tears streamed down her face, they weren't going to stop for a long time. If everyone was here, that meant...

"Momma?" She asked, her wide eyes searched his from the blonde hair swirling in the breeze. Hershel nodded, eye's starting to water.

"She's in the kitchen makin' your favorite strawberry pie as we speak." Beth watched as his tears spilled over onto his face and he chuckled as he wiped them away. The happiness between them was palpable. Beth couldn't speak so she just followed her father as he tugged her forward patiently. "When I first got here, Annette and Clara were waiting for me. At first it was shocking to see both Maggie's mother and your mother standin' there, hand in hand, waiting for me. But here all is perfect. We are still us, but we know true peace. Heaven is much more than what we'll ever know, but it all boils down to love. When you find true love in life, it finds you again here in death. Love is the only thing greater than death." Beth sniffled as her father's words resonated deeply within her. From these words she took comfort. Eventually all those she loved will be here with her again. They walked on, silent again and in comfort. Soon enough that familiar gravel road came into view and she seen the wooden fence that seemed to still need a fresh coating of paint. A smile crossed her face as she walked on. But as more of the farm came into focus, it wasn't what she'd been quite expecting.

Parked in the tall green grass was the RV. There was a few tents pitched and the familiar face of a man she hadn't thought about in such a long time. The Hawaiian print button up gave him away, along with the fishing hat perched on top of his head. Dale. He was reading a book in a chair perched under the canopy off the side of the old RV. But like her father, he too seemed to have less age on him than he had when he'd died. The sound of Hershel's boots gave them away. Dale's dark eyes looked up and seen them, he smiled warmly and put the book down before standing to greet them. Beth couldn't help herself, she smiled and as if she'd known him for years, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace.

"Welcome home, kid. Nice to see you." He spoke softly, before they let go and he grinned at Hershel. "She got big!" He joked and Beth nodded, eyes skimming around.

"Thank you, Dale." She replied, watching him as he motioned towards the house.

"Everyone's been expecting you, kid. They're all inside waitin' on ya. I figured I'd come out here and keep an eye out." Hershel gave the other man a friendly pat on the arm and motioned towards the house.

"Well here we are, go on inside an' we'll be in here in just a minute." Hershel suggested to the other man, Dale just nodded and gave a friendly wave as he walked towards the house. Beth watched as he hopped up the steps and swung the creaking screen door open. Her ears picked up on the joyful sounds of people talking inside before the door shut once more. So badly she wanted to run up those same steps and fling herself into the welcoming arms of the family she'd spent the past few years missing desperately. But Hershel still had things to say she rationalized as he grasped her hand again and led them right, past the fence and towards a small collection of trees. Once they stopped, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Beth smiled to herself as she rested her head against his chest. "Upon coming home, I was also surprised to see the RV here with waiting members from Rick's group. People we'd lost along the way. Your mother told me that it had just started out as our family and Clara, but after a while they all had started showing up here. Dale, T-Dog, Lori..." He paused and let it sink in to his youngest child.

"Apparently this farm played a bigger role than I had thought. It had meant so much to these people. Hope. Sometime's they will leave, they'll go down the road to see their families and spend time with distant loved ones...but they often come back. For example, Dale and his wife are visiting us. They heard about you and wanted to be here for support. Most of our group came. Lori especially wanted to make sure to be here." Slowly it was starting to sink in, all starting to make a little more sense.

"That's wonderful." Beth finally said after a moment of silence. Hershel chuckled and squeezed her.

"Indeed it is. God has been good to us. We might not fully understand why our lives on Earth were so terrible at times, but God has always been there. We kept faith in him as he kept faith in us. This is our reward, this is his gift." Beth's eye's blurred and she wiped at them, silently thanking God for allowing her to see her loved one's again. She'd have eternity to be grateful with those who meant the most to her.

"So we can travel to visit others?" She asked, truly curious with this idea of Heaven. Hershel nodded and started pulling her towards the house. Above them the sun was sinking lower in the sky as it took on hues of beautiful oranges and pinks.

"Yes Bethy, but there will be plenty of time for that later. The whole family is waitin' for us inside..." The older man gave her a toothy grin as he took her hand and they excitedly made their way to the front porch of the ranch house. Inside the sounds of her family laughing and having a good old time warmed the blonde down to her bones. Hershel waited for her to walk up, and when Beth's hand grasped the screen door...all noises inside stopped as she heard her mother shh'ing everyone. The 18 year old's throat tightened and fresh tears welled as she swung it open.

The group gathered around one another, some holding hands and others just hanging their heads, defeated and exhausted. In the middle of the group stood Maggie, face dirty and streaked with tears. Her husband Glenn held her tightly as Father Gabriel led a prayer for the young woman who'd met her death seemingly way too soon. In spite of his limp and aching foot, the pastor stood tall as he dug deep to honor the girl whom he'd never had the honor to meet.

"Heavenly Father, we come together today to ask that you welcome Beth Greene into your Heavenly domain. We also pray that you give strength to those left behind here, those who grieve and mourn the loss of a truly pure soul." He paused and turned to face the lilth body wrapped in a white bed sheets. Rope held it together, and beneath the rope was many wildflowers various members of the group had tucked into them. The group slowly separated and surrounded the body. It was so quiet except for the sounds of the occasional bird and the choked sobs and sniffles from the group. Loudest ones belonging to Maggie. "We hope she dwells with you, at peace and with those whom have proceeded her into the eternal home which you have prepared for us. We pray her voice join's those of the angel's who sing your praises, and her wings carry her to heights she would have never known here on Earth." Another pause, another muffled sob.

"We pray that those lives which she touched so delicately never forget the lesson's she'd taught us. Lessons of friendship, and how despite the world seems to ugly and cruel, beauty and kindness can still be found. That we are not to always see the bad in everything, that within every darkness there is a light. But for some remaining here, she was the light. Please Lord, be with those who miss her. Be with those who are struggling to hold onto her light. Be in our hearts and allow your love and her memory to keep her light burning fiercely within all of our hearts." Father Gabriel paused and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, hearing the broken cries of a sister and her husband. He heard the sad sniffling of Rick and his son, Carl. He heard the comforting sound of Carol's whisper's as she reminded Daryl that Beth was in a better place...this group was truly broken by the loss of the young woman. His heart broke for them, broke for himself having never met her. She'd had faith, real faith. That was evident with how the group was taking her loss.

"As we lay Bethany Ann Greene to rest, let us not dwell on the pain of her loss. Let us celebrate her life and honor her by living the way she did. Let us walk in her footsteps and raise our voices high when the times get hard. Let us love without question, and not be afraid to sacrifice when it's needed." Father Gabriel's throat tightened as he squeezed his eyes tighter, feeling the warm sting of tears. "Amen." Amen's from the group sounded back in hushed manners as he wiped again at the sweat on his face. They were going to lay the girl to rest beside a large willow tree that they'd found in an overgrown hay field. Maggie had said it reminded her of the field's from her childhood home. Father Gabriel searched each of the red faces, all eyes wet and rimmed with puffiness. He cleared his throat and motioned to Rick, signaling the next action to begin.

Slowly, the group lined up and one by one, they took one last time to pay their respects to Beth. With help from Glenn and Sasha, Maggie kneeled down behind her sister as the members kneeled down to say a final farewell. As Abraham and Rosita gave their sincerest condolences and kind words, Tara came up beside Father Gabriel and took out a piece of paper. With shaky hands she unfolded it and stared at the tear stained ink scribbled on the yellowed paper. It had been a request made of her she'd not had the heart to deny Glenn. She'd never heard the song before, but he'd taught her the timing and melody as well as he could. She cleared her throat and shakily began singing the tune.

"Of all the money e'er I had,
I spent it in good company.
And all the harm I've ever done,
Alas! It was to none but me.
And all I've done for want of wit,
To mem'ry now I can't recall..."

As the line shortened and they began gathering behind the last surviving Greene, Tara watched through tears as they held onto one another. The last two left was Carol and Daryl. Carol went first, gently leaning down to kiss the forehead of the dead woman from over top the sheets. She reached to Maggie and gripped her hand, leaning forward to kiss her head and touch her face as the brunette nodded and wiped at her tears.

"So fill to me the parting glass,
Goodnight and joy be with you all.
Oh all the comrades e'er I had,
They're sorry for my going away.
And all the sweethearts e'er I had..
Would wish me one day to stay..."

Tara had to catch her breath and give a look to Glenn, who nodded to her in support to keep going. She wiped at her eyes and sniffled, having to take a moment to merely hum. The last person waiting to see Beth was Daryl. He stood there, bangs over his face and stone tight grip on his crossbow. His breathing was labored as she seen the tremble in his arms. Slowly, he sank to his knees and just seemed to stare at the body in front of him. Though his eyes couldn't be seen...the tears pouring down his cheeks could. The grip on his crossbow loosened and it fell with a dull thud on the ground. The group seemed to quiet as they watched the man known for his rough attitude and emotional withdrawn nature break into a million pieces. The hunter's shoulder's slumped and his left hand reached out to touch the top of Beth's head. For a second he let it rest there before he bent over and buried his face into the spot which would be the crook of her neck. Daryl let out a cry that could only be compared to that of a wounded animal.

Tara had to cover her mouth to keep the sob inside her as she watched Maggie nod repeatedly before reaching for him. Daryl resisted at first, before letting her embrace him awkwardly. Her arm circled his neck and he gripped her dirty shirt tightly, both leaning on one another and sharing the pain of losing someone they'd loved. Glenn tenderly rubbed Maggie's back as her and Daryl whispered back and forth between them, occasionally nodding and going silent. Rick stood by close behind with Carol, tears running down their cheeks as they watched him mourn over someone he was just fully realizing he loved. Not the familial love they all shared, but love that had been struck down in it's earliest days. Beth Greene would have been good for Daryl Dixon, she could have saved him. When Maggie pulled away from Daryl, he used his arm to wipe at his face hastily. The man reached inside his vest and pulled out a couple of pieces of paper that had been rolled and tied together with a strip of his shirt. Between the paper and material was a lone beautiful white feather.

With shaky hands he pushed back the sheets and left it inside, smoothing the sheets back over. He drew a shaky breath and kissed her face, right over her lips before quickly standing and stalking off. Daryl even left his crossbow behind. Tara tried to get the rest of the words to come out for her song, but she just couldn't find the strength to. So she just stood there and watched the hunter disappear into the woods and Carol stare at his crossbow.

The air of night was cool and perfect as Beth made her way out of the front door to her home. She called after her, telling her family she'd be back in a while. They probably understood that after all the happy tears and hours of catching up, the young woman needed time to reflect. Her feet were still bare as she wound her way through the gravel and past the tree line. Above her was the large full moon and stars she'd never seen before. They were much brighter and closer, it was breath taking. Quietly she hummed to herself as she ducked through a fence and found herself in the front field, going down a path that hadn't been walked down seemingly in a long time. She knew where she was going deep down, but found herself slightly surprised when she arrived.

There was a pup tent, a small blackened fire pit and a log that had seen it's share of sitting. It was messy but she recognized the method in the madness. Her heart grew heavier as she gathered up some of the logs that were laid aside, but never used. She found an old Zippo lighter a few feet away from the tent and began stoking up a small fire. Before long the flames were high enough and Beth Greene wrapped her arms around herself. She'd never been to this place when they were on the farm, but she'd seen him head this way countless times in the evening. This had been Daryl's camp. The memory of the man was bittersweet. She'd only gotten to see his face for a few seconds before she'd died. It had been such a tense situation she hadn't had the time to hug him and tell him it wasn't his fault. Aside from leaving Maggie behind, that was her biggest regret. Beth never got to tell him how much he'd meant to her, how thankful she was he'd made her strong.

She let out a shaky breath and buried her hands in her face, allowing herself to shed tears for the man she hoped would be okay. She also hoped he would never forget about her, and that he'd try to see the good in folks. Her silent prayer filled her heart as she released it to those who listened to them. She hoped she had given him a reason to keep faith.

Hours drug by as she sat there, adding wood to the fire and thinking about her time with Daryl and those still on Earth. The sky above would occasionally draw her attention as a shooting star would make a small smile cross her lips. As the sun lightened the sky, she stood and began heading back to the farm house, the Zippo left on the log. She'd made up her mind to go back every night, even if only for a while, to keep the hunter close to her. When she cleared the treeline, the figure of her father greeted her from the porch. She gave him a small smile as she joined him, leaning against the bannister. He sipped a cup of coffee, eyes trained on the direction that she came from.

"He misses you." He offered her, the words comforting and yet torturing her at the same time. Beth licked her lips and let out a deep breath, knowing if anyone knew her thoughts it would be her father.

"I miss him too, Daddy. So much." Her voice was soft, but her eyes did not water. The time for tears was over, she'd hold on to the time she'd had with Daryl. It would be enough until they were together again. Hershel set his cup on the bannister of the house and pulled her in again, arm snuggly around her shoulders.

"In time you will be able to keep an occasional eye on those left behind. Sometimes it's a blessing and other time's it brings great heartache. They buried you and it was a beautiful service, and when you're ready to see it you will. He's grieving. I never thought I'd say it, but I am happy that Daryl loves you." The words were almost a salty balm to an open wound Beth felt in her heart. It soothed but stung.

"I just hate that he's been left alone yet again, Daddy. I feel like I abandoned him." The hunter had already lost everything, she never wanted to leave him but somehow she always knew he'd out live her.

"Don't you worry over it. He's strong and he'll make it. God has a plan for that stubborn man, just like he did for you." Hershel kissed her forehead and picked up his cup once more. He then reached into his overall's and pulled out a bundle of rolled up paper. Beth's brows furrowed as she accepted it from him. He gave her a parting smile before heading back into the house, the creak of the screen door behind her signaling she was alone. The young woman turned it over seeing it was tied with a strip of material, dark worn in black. Behind the knot was a perfect white feather. Not a spec of dirt or grime to be found. She recognized it from seeing similar ones prior. It was a dove feather.

Carefully she pulled the feather out and slid material down, unrolling the paper. It was two sheets of music, the left edges jagged as if they'd been ripped out of a music book. As she read the music and the lyrics in a cold black print, she felt her chest squeeze. It was a song she'd heard years prior, one she'd never sang aloud or haven't thought about since before the world ended. It was a song called 'Very Nervous and Love'. As she shook and turned the page, towards the bottom of the next was scribbled a short message.

I miss you so bad.
I'm sorry.
I love you.

Beth felt tears sting her eyes and she re-read the words a hundred times before the creak of the door sounded out again, and she quickly wiped her cheeks. Her blue eyes looked up to see her brother, Shaun. His reflected a small bit of her sadness as he pulled her in for a tight hug. He still smelled like he always had, Beth thought.

"You really like this guy, huh?" He asked her, trying to lighten the mood. It paid off as Beth snorted and playfully shoved at his chest. Her older brother grinned and ruffled her hair, motioning towards the feather. "Is that a dove feather?" Beth nodded and held it up, letting him gently run his finger over it before giving her an approving nod.

"I think so, yeah." She answered, carefully rolling the paper back up and sliding the material back on, then tucking the feather back in.

"Ya know, Dove's mate for life. So your redneck must really like you a lot to use a Dove feather..." The information he gave her just made the ache in her heart worse, but she smiled and took a deep breath. Daryl wasn't very expressive, but he had moments where he let his true emotions shine. Mostly it was anger, but she seen the softer moments too. She missed him so much. Shaun was waiting for a response from her for a long minute before Beth said anything else.

"You'll like him." Her eyes met her brother's and Shaun grinned and sighed, pulling her in for another hug.

"I already do." It was simple but it meant the world to the youngest of the Greene's. After a kiss to the top of her head, Shaun left her as he hopped down the steps. She watched him get a few yards away before he stopped and turned to face her. The early morning sun was shining off his messy hair and his masculine face. "He's a tough guy Beth, might take 'em a while..." She knew what he meant, so she leaned against the bannister and shrugged. Her smile was knowing as she held up the roll of paper and shook it gently.

"I'll wait here, then."