Shane didn't know what he should have expected when finding Rick and the others again. He knew he wasn't going to be welcome with open arms, that he and Rick weren't going to be best friends again, or that most of them would even forgive him for the decisions he made back on that farm in the beginning, but it still didn't feel right. He was a ghost now, wasn't even the same man. He didn't know how to come back from the dead without an offering, or some kind of way to apologize for everything he did. He's still repenting for all of those sins and the more he repents the further from forgivness he feels.

He takes a deep breath, fingers wrapped around the doorknob in preperation to leave but he cant do it. Carol's words sting sharp in his chest, perforating a deep wound that feels like it's growing the longer he stands there. Finally, a heavy breathe of frustration is released and he's slamming his fist into door before rubbing the palm of his hand against a sweat covered forehead. He's hot and uncomfortable, mind racing with the events of a past he cant make up for, and the loss of those he loved so deeply was weighing on him. He wasn't there for most of their deaths, for Lori's, for Carl's......He never got to say goodbye to either of them. "What am I s'pose to do Carol? How am I s'pose to live with myself? I left them ..."

There's a pause as he turns to rest his back against the door, the palms of his hands covering the length of his face now, and he's trying to hold himself together but emotions run deep. "I know they wanted nothin' to do with me, I know I wasn't welcome in their life anymore and that's why I took off. I had to leave, I didn't know they'd......." The words catch in his throat and the man loses all composure he'd been holding on to and begins sliding down to the floor while hiding his sobs in the palms of his hands.

               it   is   never   easy   to   watch   someone   you   love   reach   their   breaking   point.      unfortunately   she   has   seen   it   many   times   with   different   people.      the   effect   on   her   was   no   different.      she   was   deeply   empathetic,   she   felt   for   people   in   ways   she   wished   she   didn’t.      running   away   had   been   her   way   of   trying   to   escape   it,   but   of   course   she   found   new   people,   she   found   shane.      it   seemed   that   no   matter   where   she   turned,   she   would   always   find   someone   that   slipped   beneath   the   surface   and   got   her   to   care   again.

               her   eyes   fill   with   tears,   watching   the   man   succumb   to   his   emotions,   watching   as   he   slides   to   the   floor   in   utter   defeat.      heart   breaks,   her   instinct   to   rush   to   him   and   hold   him,   but   she   knows   him.      he’s   a   time   bomb   waiting   to   explode,   and   if   she   smothers   him   with   her   comfort   it   could   create   the   opposite   effect   of   what   she   wants.      so   she   stays   where   she   is,   stood   above   him,   watching   his   shoulders   shake   as   years   of   guilt   begin   to   break   through   the   cracks.      a   tear   slides   down   her   cheek,   and   she   waits   another   beat   before   she   carefully   kneels   to   the   ground   in   front   of   him.      hands   are   placed   firmly   at   her   knees,   not   daring   to   reach   out   just   yet.

[  ....  ]            the  utter  silence  coming  from  the  outside  was  peaceful,  tranquil,  wanting.  the  chaos  that  was  thrusted  into  their  journey  had  been  draining  and  it  was  finally  freeing  to  feel  a  sense  of  relaxation  in  this  remote,  abandoned  cabin  with  @careol.  of  course,  he  was  still  burdened  with  the  consuming  concern  of  where  their  people  ended  up,  if  they  survived  after  the  attack,  if  ...  his  sister  was  still  alive  out  there,  somewhere.  but,  right  now,  there  wasn't  anything  he  could  do  but  wait  until  morning.  tyreese  was  enjoying  the  emptiness  of  the  outside  through  the  glass  of  the  stained  window  until  carol  had  spoken  with  a  soft,  careful  voice.  his  attention  was  turned  to  her,  eyes  noticing  the  way  her  delicate  fingers  fiddled  with  the  elastic  wrapped  around  her  wrist.  his  heart  fell  in  sadness  for  carol,  not  sure  exactly  what  to  say  in  this  instance,  but  he  wanted  to  be  there  for  her.  he  sighed  softly,  staying  by  the  window,  ❝  sophia,  right  ?  ❞  he  asked,  his  voice  matching  the  same  gentle  tone  she  carried.  ❝  what  was  she  like  ...  ?  ❞  he  asked,  genuinely  curious.