𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗕𝗜𝗔- rick grimes

TWENTY EIGHT

TWENTY EIGHT

EVEN AS THE NIGHT BECAME DAY, Aria never fell asleep. She sat in the car for awhile as she softly ran her fingers through Greyson's hair, soothing him to a sound sleep. It was much need for the teen, she knew that as soon as she saw his prominent eye bags and the solemn look written on his features. So as they sat in the trunk of the car, the same one that sat in the middle of the road from that crazed night, she let him drift off to sleep as her mind clouded with dread. Something she became so used to, it was secondhand nature by now.

The soft sounds of Grey's almost peaceful sleep, kept her in tune with the world around her. The way just behind them in the backseat, Michonne sat with a sleeping Carl and in the front seats River and Logan occupied. The two brothers denied the padded seating at first, offering it up to those they thought needed it much more than they did but when Aria calmly told them it was okay they simply obliged and fell into a soft slumber as well.

She heard off and on of Daryl and Rick's conversation as that sat against the side of the car, but she didn't feel the need to butt into the mix. She heard when Daryl mentioned Beth's name, the way his voice filled with disparity as he talked about they way she was just gone. Aria knew she had to tell the group about Beth one way or another, especially Greyson, but she couldn't get the right words out to describe what had happened. Almost as if, deep down she didn't want to even accept the fate that doomed over the blonde just yet.

If she admitted it to anyone else, than it would mean it was all too real.

"Aria keeps blamin' herself for what happened to Beth. But Beth— she's just gone." Daryl's words rang out into the crisp morning air, words that cut Aria deep like a knife because she knew it was true. Daryl knew she still was deeming the disappearance her fault and he also knew no matter how many times anyone told her differently she still would blame herself deep down.

Especially when Grey started to stir, his eyes fluttering open with a deep frown etched on his tired face, Aria couldn't help but to feel like she was the one about to cause a whole lot of pain. The woman knew Greyson must've heard Daryl's words, he kept his eyes closed until he couldn't no more. He wanted answers and he knew his mother, the one who's gentle hand stopped her soothing pattern in his hair, could somewhat help him understand better.

"Beth's gone?" Grey asked, his frown still evident as he sat up in the trunk next to Aria. His eye brow's furrowed in confusion and disappointment as his eyes trailed over his mother's face. He could see the guilt written all over, it etched into the lines of her face.

Aria's eyes darted away, "I'm sorry, Grey."

"Why are you sorry?" Greyson questioned, still confused on why she kept her guilt ridden features. "Mom, what happened?"

The woman closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she tried to collect her train of thought. Her blue-grey eyes focused back onto the teenage boy next to her. "It's my fault she's gone. I should've stayed with her and this would've never happened."

"Is— is she dead?" His voice faltered, cracking as he thought about what could've happened. Aria watched as his eyes turned teary, making it even harder to get her words out as she watched the boy's face turn into a world of worry.

She shook her head vigorously, indicating that for as much as she knew Beth was still alive. "No, no she's still alive. Someone took her. Like Daryl said, she's just gone."