He slammed his fist against a tree before wiping the sweat from his forehead, the sun was already high and the temperature was rising, but he didn't care, he didn't care about anything anymore, except the shovel in his hand and the blisters that were forming on his palms, he had been digging since before dawn, making sure the grave would be deep enough, not wanting anything digging up the body he was about to lay to rest.
He looked down momentarily, noticing the blood on his arm, he sighed softly, realizing it wasn't walker blood, it was human, it was her blood, Beth….his Beth, he could hardly bring himself to even think her name, let alone speak it. Just the thought of her flooded his mind with memories, images, feelings; she had been the kindest woman he had ever known. If there could be perfection in human form, she was it, she was his guardian angel.
Daryl laid the shovel on the ground next to the grave and turned, looking down at the body of his beloved angel, even in death, she was beautiful. He shrugged off his leather vest and draped it over her chest before lifting her one final time into his arms. He gently kissed her lips for the first and last time before gently laying her body in the grave. He pulled himself from the grave and knelt beside it, staring intently at Beth's body.
He jumped slightly as a hand came to rest lightly on his shoulder, he glanced up to find Beth's older sister Maggie standing behind him clutching a fist full of wild flowers, Beth's favorites. He nodded slowly and watched as Maggie leaned forward and laid the flowers next to her sister's body.
"She loved you, ya know" Maggie said, staring off into nowhere.
"Yeah, I know" Daryl said softly, barely loud enough for Maggie to hear him.
Daryl's mind drifted to the night he and Beth spent drinking moonshine in the cabin they had found, the way she smiled at him, even when she was drunk beyond anything he had ever seen. Her words were what haunted him then, and still now, she had looked at him, the look in her eyes more serious than he had ever seen, 'you're gonna miss me so bad when I'm gone Daryl Dixon'
He hadn't thought much of it then, he figured he'd be able to protect her, keep her safe, love her, but he had been wrong, so horribly wrong. She had been taken from him, ripped away from the only thing she had known since they left the safety of the prison.
He was brought back to reality by Maggie's soft voice. He shook his head quickly, trying to clear his mind before looking up at the girl, who in that moment, reminded him so much of Beth. Maggie extended her hand, holding out Beth's diary.
"The last page, its for you, she'd want you to have it" Maggie said, handing him the leather bound book before walking away.
Daryl tucked the book safely into his back pocket and picked up the shovel, he looked down one final time at his innocent angel, too perfect for this fucked up world. He wiped the tears from his eyes that threatened to fall and began shoveling dirt into the grave, onto his beloved.
"Goodbye Beth….I'll never forget you…..I'll love you always" he said, sighing once more.
He finished his task and set to building a small wooden cross to mark her resting place. Once finished, he placed the cross in the ground at the head of her grave, taking his knife and carving her name into the wood. He wished he could do more for her, something fitting, but this was all he had, and he knew she would love it no matter what.
He pulled the diary from his pocked and sat down, his back resting against a tree, thankful for the shade and relief from the temperature which he figured was nearly 100 degrees by now. He flipped to the final page of her diary, and there written in her handwriting was a poem. He didn't care who saw him cry this time, all that mattered were the words on this page, he could almost hear her soft voice reciting it out loud, just for him.
My beloved Daryl,
A kiss is just a kiss
til you find the one you love
A hug is just a hug
til you find the one you're thinking of
a dream is just a dream
til it comes true
and love was just a word
til the day I met you...
~Love Always, Bethany Greene