Author's Note: This song though...so haunting and beautiful!

Theme Song: "Battlefield" - SVRCINA

My eyes widened and Tyrese, Victoria and Sasha were already running to Daryl who stopped in his tracks carrying her. His head was hung low and I could have sworn I saw Daryl sniffling. He looked away as he handed her body to Tyrese who gently laid her upon the ground, bending one knee and trembling.

"Couldn't get to 'er in time.." Daryl's voice broke off mid sentance and he took large steps away from the unfolding scene.

We started to walk towards them slowly, but Carol gasped and pulled Carl back towards her as the sight shocked everyone. Rick handed Judith to Carol gently. Tyrese's wails were the only thing that could be heard now in the silence of their victory. Not one, but two people had been lost. That wasn't really a victory, it was a defeat.

I felt my chest constrict and Daryl walked towards the far wall and slid down so that his face was buried in his hands. I followed Rick as he and Michonne hesitantly walked towards the group huddled around Lizzie's body. I wanted to go to Daryl, but I knew he was not one to fawned and pawed over.

Lizzie had a giant gaping wound in her neck and on her shoulder. I felt sick, but somehow kept it together. Rick looked at Tyrese and started to say something, anything, but Victoria snapped her head back towards us and then glared daggers at me, of all people. "It's your fault! Those people, they found us! I just know it. They probably unlocked our gates or tampered with them. It's your fault!"

That was when Daryl looked up from where he was and got up from against the wall. Rick shook his head silently before answering in my defense, "We don't know that. You can't go-" Tyrese now got up and started towards me, but Rick and Daryl stepped in front of me as a shield.

Tyrese stopped in his tracks. "I do know these gates were locked and then they were tampered with. And because of it..Lizzie is dead. T-Dog is dead..and someone is gonna' pay."

The situation was tense and I noticed Michonne had her hands on the hilt of one of her swords, readying herself for if things went south.

It was done though. The seed of doubt was planted into everyone's minds and everyone looked around now with leery and concerned expressions.

However, the thought of Daniel doing something like this wasn't exactly too far a stretch. He wasn't a fighting type of guy. He was calculating and did malicious things. At least that was what I had gathered from the small time I had been with Daniel.

I felt my face flush white and my stomach turn.

What if Daniel had found all of us?

Glenn stepped up with Rick and questioned, "Why do something now then, huh? I mean, who was on duty when this happened?"

Everyone quieted before Rick gave Tyrese an exasperated look as no one answered. Until Carol spoke up, "It's because there wasn't anyone on duty, right? It was Tyrese and Victoria's turn.." She trailed off and Rick craned his neck to Tyrese sideways. Oh, shit.

Rick took another step forward, "What the hell happened here?" His words were deathly soft, but even from behind Rick I could tell he was itching to knock Tyrese on his ass. I looked at Daryl, only seeing part of his face as I stood behind him. His fist twitched, just waiting to hit someone, anyone.

Tyrese looked panicked and guilty as charged, "Alright, Alright. We weren't up here when we should have been and everything happened so fast, but that don't change the fact that they were tampered with! I know it in my bones that it was those men and it's all her fault! None of this would have happened and they wouldn't have found us if ya' hadn't of brought her back."

I knew Tyrese was angry and the loss of Lizzie was something he was not going to get over soon, but his words both stung and scared me. What if..what IF Daniel had done something like this?

His fists were clenched and Rick didn't take the notion lightly. He stepped up to Tyrese, man to man, "You're hurtin', I get that. But you can't start blaming people. Not like this. No one saw what happened. "

They faced off for what felt like minutes, but it was only seconds. Tyrese stepped down and went back to Sasha and Victoria, who were crying over Lizzie's body.

"I'll do it. Just give me a minute." Sasha murmured as she took out her hunting knife and her body convulsed with sobs. Lizzie would come back any minute and I knew they wanted to take care of her before she did come back as something else.

Something terrifying.

I stood there numbly. My mind kept telling me something was off about the story, but I could not shake the feeling of dread at the mere mention of Daniel.

Michonne spoke up as Rick and Glenn fell back since Tyrese and the girls wanted time with Lizzie for a moment.

"I locked that gate, Rick." Her words were fiercely spoken and Rick nodded with complete trust in his eyes. We all trusted her.

He looked to me and placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it lightly as he noticed my body shaking. There was nothing to say, but his eyes told me I was not responsible.

However, the doubt was planted amongst the group and my body lip trembled. If this was Daniel's doing, what came next?

Daryl was hovering nearby, but as I looked to him I noticed he was staring down at Lizzie mutely. It broke my heart in pieces. I knew in that moment he was thinking of the girls he had lost before, Sophia and Beth. And Lizzie was just one more to add to the list.

I tried to get his attention, but he didn't look at me. He just walked past silently and towards the cellblock. He looked over his shoulder at Rick, completely avoiding me with dark eyes, "I'll get the shovel."

The anguish in his voice was apparent and I saw him retreat to a dark corner in his mind. It was useless to try and reach him in this moment.

Rick nodded grimly and Glenn and Maggie both looked sick. I realized that Daryl meant he'd get the shovel so he could start digging holes for the two they had lost. The group stood there for a brief moment before people ambled inside.

No one wanted to be around when Sasha made sure Lizzie wouldn't come back. Carol told Rick she would show him to T-Dog's body.

These people didn't deserve this and I looked to my bloodied sickles before sheathing them.

Glenn came to me and searched my eyes, but I too was unreachable. I was consumed by stunned disbelief. He hugged me tightly and then I felt Maggie's warm hand take my own and squeeze. It was a brief moment of consolement that I needed and they must have noticed.

We all went inside to clean up and prepare to bury the fallen.

Everything moved in slow motion and I just sat in my cell, staring at my hands. I couldn't imagine how Daryl felt having to carry her little body over to us. My heart also ached for Carl and Carol and what they had endured while T-Dog saved them. T-Dog was a hero. A true, genuine guy. And now he was gone.

A short time later, after Daryl had dug the holes, we shuffled out to pay respects. There wasn't much to say, but somehow Rick found the right things to say as everyone sniffled or stood by mutely. There was an inmense feeling of loss that lingered in the air.

Carol looked at me from across the way and I noticed her eyes were glistening. She was no doubt thinking about her little girl, Sophia. This hurt so many people. Even Carl was silent, bowing his head and not even looking up. Carl and Lizzie had been friends.

None of this was fair. It wasn't right.

A child and a good man. It was always the good or the innocent.

Once they were done, Tyrese left with Victoria and Sasha. He didn't even look my way. It was as if I did not exist.

In the moment, I stepped up towards Daryl and put a hand on his shoulder, but he wrenched away from me. A few others looked to us now as the scene unfolded, "Daryl-" I pleaded with him.

I wanted to console him, tell him something, anything. He whipped around on me like a cobra, which was faster than I had expected. He had me cowering, stumbling back on my feet in shock.

He was staring down at me and his eyes were void. Grief and loss had completely consumed him and the Daryl I knew was not there. It was clear during his time alone digging the holes he'd had time to stew on his feelings.

"This gonna' be on yer ass if we find out that freak came and messed with the gates." There was a collective gasp from Maggie and Carol as Daryl's words lingered in the air. He pointed at me for good measure. I shrank back more from his venom and I shook my head, at a loss for words. I was completely blind sided by his response.

Rick stepped up to him, "HEY!" His tone was a warning and I watched as he glared at Daryl, much like Glenn was now. Daryl's grief was plain as day, but he sure as hell didn't have the right to take it all out on me.

He started to walk away and I heard him mutter, "Can't take this shit.."

Glenn looked like he was about to speak up in defense for me, but I beat him to the punch. I tried one last time to reach Daryl in such a bad state.

"Daryl-" I didn't even have time to finish before he whipped around to me again, his eyes like daggers through my heart. This time he came stalking towards me in a way that pissed me off and upset all at the same time. As if I were the enemy.

"Stay tha' hell away from me. 'Fore you get me killed too."

His words hit me like an arrow straight to the chest. I stopped in my tracks and my breath hitched. Rick had already stepped in front of Daryl, holding his arm out to stop Daryl from getting any closer to me.

"That's enough!" Rick bellowed and it was no longer a warning, it was a command. Daryl lingered for a brief moment, watching me fall apart with cold blue eyes.

He had to squint in the sun to see me, but amid the tension and hateful words he averted his eyes to the ground. I heard Maggie sniffle behind me, clearly upset from all the bickering.

Daryl turned around on his heels and headed back towards the prison without another word. Carol retreated immediately to follow him, but I stood rooted to the spot I was in until my legs buckled. I landed on my knees with my face in my hands.

The full extent of what just happened hit me like a ton of bricks. My heart hurt so bad for everyone and I couldn't even think straight. The emotion poured over me like a tidal wave.

I felt the tears coming down my face as I thought about how T-Dog and Lizzie would never get to see the light of day ever again.

Author's note: Ahhh! I love and hate the gif above..shows the tension, but dislike because Daryl is being an ass to Vicki..LOL I always imagined when this happened Daryl would be an asshole and channel his grief and pain on others. He didn't get to Lizzie in time and he hates himself for it. Now, I know people keep wondering about Daniel and his men..did they do this? Or is this all a big misunderstanding? We will see. I promise you Daniel and his men do come into play at some point, but when or how I won't say. Just will have to stay tuned to find out!