ORDER (sequel to Trouble) [TWD]

four is a crowd

Sakiko hugged her knees to her chest, staring at the grave.

She hadn't said much of anything since everything went down. Instead, she and Ryan made a mental agreement to be there for Maggie and Hershel as much as they could. Glenn was struggling, too. But, he couldn't bear the weight of everything all alone. They agreed to help him without saying a word.

"Kiko," Maggie whispers, voice weak from all the crying she'd done.

"Mhm?" Sakiko hums, looking at her as if she was ready to give Maggie the world if she asked it.

"Do me a favor."

"Anything," Sakiko nods.

Another tear slips down Maggie's cheek as she reaches forward to place one hand on Beth's grave.

"Don't.." she tries, a crack in her voice making her hesitate, "Don't let the world tear you apart."

The 'you' in question was clear to Sakiko. Maggie meant Sakiko and Nanami.

Sakiko knew Maggie was grieving and just needed some resemblance of hope.

"It's not that easy for us," Sakiko sighs.

"It's never easy," Maggie shakes her head, closing her eyes, "Those weeks you.. You thought he was.."

Sakiko bows her head, remembering those feelings of grief all too well. She'd spent multiple sleepless nights outside, sleeping by the spot she thought was Nanami's grave. She'd had nightmare after nightmare- breakdown after breakdown. When she thought Nanami was dead, a piece of Sakiko went with him.

"I see it," Maggie breathes, "I don't.. I don't know how to move on from this one."

"It hasn't even been a day yet, Maggie. You have to give yourself time first."

Maggie's chin trembles as she tries to speak before a cry breaks from her throat. With a frown, Sakiko scoots closer to the okder woman and pulls her into a hug.

Affection wasn't Sakiko's strong suit. She might have hugged five people in her lifetime and even that felt like a lot.

But, something about Maggie just made her feel.. something. Was this that empathy that everyone told her she didn't have? Was Sakiko sympathetic for the first time in her life?

Either way, all she wanted to do was hold Maggie until the wounds were healed.

--

Nanami kept telling himself that things couldn't get worse.

But, God hated him and so they did.

The group decided to follow Beth's wishes and go to Noah's hometown. His camp could still be standing. His mother and brothers could still be there.

But, that meant travel.

The rides began with three vehicles. To save on gas, they fit as many people as possible in each vehicle.

Until there were only four left.

Sakiko gave Ryan a sad smile as she began walking to a different vehicle. Ryan sighed but could only watch as Glenn closed the door to their behind him.

Once to the truck that had been hotwired, Daryl glances to Sakiko and Nanami.

"Got everything?"

"Mm. Just get in the truck," Sakiko motions.

The words made Nanami's brain malfunction for a second as she sounded so much like Daryl that fateful day before Atlanta.

No one else really wanted to share a vehicle with Eugene. After all, he had manipulated a of them. He lied in the worst way possible. He gave them a complete false sense of hope just because he was afraid.