Saved

Epilogue

~ Ten Years, and Seven Months Later ~

Riley was staring down from her office at her community. It had blossomed over the past almost twelve years since they had moved in. The wall was now completely built, and those that didn't leave the community had not seen a walker since it was finished, nearly nine years ago. 

They had become completely self-sufficient since then, living entirely off of the food grown in the land behind the hospital, and the meat that Daryl, Dale and the other hunters caught each day. 

Their population had grown too, to almost two-hundred people. Some of this growth was due to the growth of the families that lived here, but most was because of the people that Daryl and Aaron brought back. 

Riley and Daryl had welcomed a son to their little family, ten years ago to the day. Their son, John, would be celebrating his tenth birthday today. He wouldn't be the only one, Maggie and Glenn's twins would be celebrating their birthday's as well. Those children, Beth, and Hershel, named after two dearly departed loved ones, would be turning five years old today. 

Carl and Enid would hopefully be attending, they had been busy recently with the birth of their daughter, Mary, named for Enid's mother who had died before Riley had met her. It had been a hectic decade, and Riley doubted it would ever change. 

She was still the lone captain of the community that had taken to being called "Mercy" for the name of the hospital, as Rick had never been able to overcome the pitfalls of his sickness, and when Lori had been killed by walkers, before the wall had been finished, he had taken his own life. Forcing Carl, who had been nineteen at the time, to watch over his six year old sister. 

That was also the same herd that took Hershel's life, as well as ten others that had been too far into the fields to make it back to safety before being overwhelmed by the flood of walkers. 

Since then, most of the couples in the community had decided it was 'now or never' and had married and had children. Including Abraham and Sasha, who after a complicated relationship with Rosita, finally admitted their feelings, and now, seven years later, they have a beautiful boy that Sasha named Tyreese, to honor her brother. 

Riley watched, joy written across her face as her children, with the help of her husband, set up the decorations for the party for Beth, Hershel, and John in the front lawn. When Daryl looked up to meet her eyes, she smiled down at him. It was a habit now, her watching what was going on down below, and him checking to make sure she was there. 

It was a circle that would never end. 

Death was a constant in this new world, not that it wasn't before. But now it was more tragic. You didn't make it to old age anymore, you died painfully, and the things that kill you take your life without remorse. Which is why Eugene still builds bullets, and why we still man the wall. 

It is why we never open the gate to strangers, and why we will never venture into Virginia. 

But it is also why we live every moment to its fullest. 

We expect death. We do not fear it. 

We fear the passage of time. We fear the possibility of wasted time. We fear losing our love. 

But for Riley and Daryl, they knew that they had already faced the most difficult moments of their lives, and they had lived through it. They had saved one another. So this extra time? This extra life that they get to live? It's just bonus time. Bonus life, bonus love, bonus joy. And they're not going to waste a single minute of it. 

Which is why, when Daryl waved for her to come down, she did. 

The End

A/N: Oh my Lord. I hope you all have enjoyed this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it! I love Riley and Daryl, if I could love someone the way they love each other I think my life would be perfect. But here's hoping! 

Anyway, I will miss these characters desperately, which is why you should totally hold out hope that I'll post bonus chapters at some point, but for now, I'm going to turn my attention to a new project. 

If you guys have a specific book that I have posted that you want me to focus on next, let me know! 

And if you are looking for something to read, check out my other books! 

I love you all, thank you for going on this journey with me ❤️