𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙮 : ̗̀➛ 𝙙.𝙙

𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧?

Delilah sat on the church pew, it was deadly quiet. Nobody wanted to be the first one to speak up. Daryl hadn't come back yet, but she wasn't worried. She knew he was grieving on his own time. He felt like he failed Beth, like he had failed Del.

"Right now would be good to hear her singing."
Jake said softly. All eyes fell on him. Del ran her hand's gently through his hair as he sat at her feet.

"It would." Carl stared at his feet.

"She didn't die for nothing." Del spoke out-loud, realizing everyone was looking at her, "She wanted to protect Noah, to protect us. At least her death wasn't for nothing. It was a very Beth way to go out, caring about others."

Everyone bowed their heads. Del wiped the tears from her cheeks. Everyone eventually said their goodnights and found their spots to lay in, but she knew nobody was going to get a good night of sleep.

: ̗̀➛

She sat on the church steps, staring out at the trees. She needed a cigarette now more than ever. Beth would have loved her own.

Branches rustled but Del didn't flinch. Daryl emerged from the trees. He seemed defeated until he saw Del, coming to sit next to her. They stared at Beths dirt pile for awhile before speaking up.

"She wanted to be mother." A tear fell onto Dels lap. Daryl rested a hand on her leg. She saw burn marks on his hand.

"Did you do this?"

"Are ya mad?" they didn't look at each other.

"No. You did all you could. No matter what happened in that hospital, Beth would have died."

It went quiet again. The moon shined down on Beth under the dirt.

"I tried, Del. I tried..." He trailed off. She looked over at him. Tears flooded his eyes.

"I know you did, but Beth cared too much about others to let them go before herself."

He looked at her, a single tear stained his dirty face.

"She would have loved that we were havin' a baby."

"I know. Now we gotta raise the baby she would have. You did good, Daryl. You did real good."

Those words made him fall into the nap of her neck. Silent tears rolled down her shoulder. She caressed his head and his back as he cried, fighting back her own tears.

"Daryl?"

He said nothing back, just sniffled.

"I love you," she said gently.

: ̗̀➛

Daryls pov

He stared down at Del, happy that she had finally slept. He ran his fingers through her hair. He had noticed how much it had grown from her cut at the prison. How much she had grown from the prison. She was changing, growing, and he loved her through every phase, even though it terrified him. He carried the death of Beth so heavy. He cared for that girl like a sister.

"Want to go for a walk?" He felt Ricks hand on his shoulder.

: ̗̀➛

The twigs snapped under their feet. Daryl only stared at his feet, not even able to pay attention to their surroundings.

"Cold morning." Rick tried to start conversation.

"Hm."

He felt Rick staring at him.

"Don't give me a sorry ass look." Daryl glanced back at him.