TWD The Crusade

25

Mason sits on a hill overlooking the burnt down estate and hears Alex.

"it's really gone?" Alex asks sounding upset and mason nods his head.

"yeah."

"will it ever hurt less?" Alex asks sounding upset and Mason shakes his head.

"you learn to live with it." Mason comforts the teen and looks out at his old home burnt down and leans back eyeing the walkers below them. Alex stares out quietly thinking of Sally. Mason remains quiet and Alex asks sounding interested.

"what were you like, before?"

"like every other young adult, I guess. I had a fiance, a college degree and just became a lawyer-" Maosnq quiets himself down and Alex asks.

"you were a lawyer?" 

"on a piece of paper, at least. life was just starting for, for us." He stops his words thinking of his old fiance and Alex asks.

"What happened to her?"

"don't worry about it." Mason plays with his hands rubbing them together and Alex looks on asking. 

"did you love her?"

"of course, I always will but people change. this world what it is now you can't always stay the same."

"But you don't have to lose yourself, mason." Alex leans forward and mason nods.

"that's what Miya use to say."

"you didn't believe her?" Alex stares down a warn out mason and watches mason rub his eyes as he yawns and looks up to the teenager.

"she had a young naivety to her. too hopeful, not realistic "

"What is wrong with having hope?" Alex asks sounding upset and mason glares to the kid.

"I taught you better Alex. too much hope is not a good thing. you know that."

Mason sighs and motions to the kid "it causes people to get reckless, get too soft, and then well you lose them." 

"did you lose her?"

"who?"

"your fiance?"

Mason stares forward quietly and Alex looks him over eyeing the frown form on mason's lips and changes subjects.

"there's an old tree. it was an apple tree in the woods it was in a nice clearing. I think sally would like it there-"

"sounds nice." mason nods his head agreeing and Alex asks.

"will you help me bury her?"

"of course." mason smirks to the teen and stares out at his home as he speaks.

"can you give me a few Alex? then we can take her there." Alex nods and goes to walk away but stops and turns back to mason.

"mace." mason glances up to Alex who smiles down to his father-like figure and whispers.

"it will be okay." Mason nods his head and smiles up at Alex.

"Yeah, kid, I know it will."

Alex walks away leaving mason sitting on the hill staring down the old burnt estate and he turns his head as he whispers.

"I'm sorry Miya." he nods his head and plays with the old watch on his wrist and keeps staring down his old home. he hears some footsteps that come to a stop behind him and hears Daryl's voice.

"you did the right thing with your help Alexandria is safe now-" Mason remains quiet hearing Daryl.

"Michonne agrees you can stay as long as you need-"

"I won't be going back there. Alex, he wants to go home."

"Home?" Daryl motions to the burnt down estate.

"I think it's gone-"

 'no back to his father.."

"his dad's alive?"

Mason shakes his head and comments.

"he needs closure and if we can find his father's body or get some type of closure. I think it's worth it for him."

"so you just gonna leave?" Daryl asks sounding unsure and mason nods his head.

"Yeah, for a bit I will be back."

"what about your people?"

mason motions around to the woods.

"they are survivors they don't need a leader. they will be okay."

Daryl walks away and mason walks in the direction Alex went stopping behind him. he watches Alex lean down kissing sally's forehead and hears him whispers.

"I always love you." Alex motions back.

"she wasn't my sister."

"she told me" mason nods to Alex and motions to him.

"it's time." he and Alex slowly lift sallys body and slowly move her in the direction of the tree. they lay her down and mason stares her over as he feels his hand shake. he hears Alex.

"its not your fault mason"

"your kids." mason nods to Alex and states outright.

"I should have protected you more-"

"we aren't kids we haven't been since day one" slowly they place sallys body into the whole and mason eyes her as she slowly disappears beneath the dirt. eh stops himself staring out at the dying grass around him and down at the dirt and hears Alex.

"mason..." Alex raches out placing his hand on mason's shoulder as he nods to him.

"don't blame yourself."

mason takes a deep breath and he hears Alex.

"sal..." slowly Alex takes out a small whistle from his pocket and motions down to the part.

"told you I would return it, right?" he lets out a small laugh, leans down a buries the whistle under the dirt. hs sits there next to the dirt and stares it down as mason comments.

"if you need to take time-"

"no, point." Alex takes a deep breath and stares down the dirt and mason comments.

"you loved her, Alex. it's okay to be upset-"

"I'm not. I'm pissed mason, I'm so pissed she knew better. she shouldn't of let her guard down never let your guard down." Alex drops his head into his knees as he asks.

"Why didn't she listen?"

"People make mistakes-"

"i made her weak, made her relax. she wasn't as an alert, I'm the reason she's dead." Alex stares at the dirt and mason sits down into the dirt next to him.

"you know that isn't true." mason states and stares overt he teenager he considered a son as he reaches out comforting the kid.

"Alex." Alex glances up and mason smirks to the boy reassuring him.

"it was sally's time. we can't really know when ours will be. shit happens, bad shit happens but Alex we keep moving forward we keep surviving because we are the future." mason nods to the kid and Alex comments.

"don't give me a speech..." Alex glares to mason and mason lowers his shoulders as he nods to the kid.

"I just want you to know you did everything you could. Alex, you're a strong kid, so was she it was just her time but it isn't yours." Alex feels mason hand on his shoulder and stares down into the dirt. he lifts his head staring down mason as he asks outright.

 "will you tell me your story?" mason turns his head and Alex states outright.

"the story before,  where you started?"

mason takes a deep breath.

"that story?" Alex nods his head to his father-like figure and asks.

"I wanna know about before?"

mason nods his head understanding and shifts his eyes.

"then i will tell you."