Tyrese's funeral

She had lost Tyrese. She foolishly assumed that when her brother would return, it would be with a smile and confirmation that there was a community ready for the group to clear out and use. She had lost Bob, so it only made sense for the last person she loved to be taken too.

Father Gabriel was trusted well enough to say a prayer before her mutilated brother's body was laid to rest. Now it was her turn to throw dirt onto his corpse.

Daryl held the shovel out to her without looking her in the eyes, and for that, she was grateful because she surely was not looking like the stoic Sasha the group was accustomed to. She took the shovel and bent down to gather some dirt at the tip of it to throw it haphazardly into the hole. Michonne passed to give her silent condolences as did Maggie, Glenn, Carol, Carl, and Rick. They all left to give her time before Tyrese would be covered from the rest of the world for forever. All save Daryl left her alone.

Sitting down in the grass she dangled her feet over into the hole and in a trance she jumped down into it, landing with her legs spread over his body. Daryl cocked his head to the side and waited for her to finish what he could only assume her form of grief. As if to check whether her brother was actually dead, she pulled the sheet from over his face until it was folded at his hips. Seeing his severed arm made her jump back and fall onto his legs. She gave an involuntary squeak and tried scrambling out of the hole to no avail.

"No, no, no," she kept clawing at the roots in the Earth with tears running down her face until she felt hands grabbing for her from above. Looking up, she saw Daryl grabbing for her and he hoisted her up until she fell against him upon being pulled out from her brother's grave. He was still holding her as she trembled staring into space.

"I'm sorry." She brokenly whispered and a dry sob left from her depths. "I'm sorry mom, dad" another sob racked her body, "Tyrese, Bob." She could feel Daryl rocking back and forth, humming an unknown tune. "God, I'm so sorry." She said to no one in particular this time. "What have I done?"

He looked down at her still crying into his shoulder and he used his index finger to wipe at her tears. "You didn't do nothin'," His gruff voice interrupted her, "this messed up world did. Ain't nobody's fault but dem walkers."

She stopped crying as if she realized whose arms she was in and tried puling away, buy he wasn't having any of it. "I need to go." She grunted but he kept his hold on her. "Let me go Daryl."

"Naw Sasha, I ain't finna do that."

"Why? Why won't you leave me be?" She beat against his chest and yelled.

"Cuz I ain't finna let you go."

She stopped her struggling and looked up to see his profile. He was biting his lip and squinting up at trees that surrounded them. He noticed she stopped moving and looked down at her and their eyes met.

"Why?" She whispered as her eyes watered.

"Cuz," he looked away and the tips of his ears turned a familiar shade of red, "you ain't got nobody else ta hold on to."

Moments passed as she played with blades of grass and he never removed his arm that held her close to him.

"Daryl," The wind blew and she gave an involuntary shudder which cause him to pull her closer to him.

"Hmm?"

Moving up his side, she pressed a kiss to the underside of his sharp jawline, "Thank you."