Hello all my beauties! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and will like this one as well. I decided to torture myself by watching Coda for the first time since it aired. I don't know why I thought that was a good idea but it's making me want to write more to cheer myself up so at least there's a silver lining LOL! Xoxo

We walk non-stop until nightfall, only leaving the safety of the trees to read sign postings or to check out the shacks along the way. I need to try and find a more exact location on the map so no matter how much it irks me to leave the safety of the woods we have to look out for any clues as to where we are. The biggest help came only hours after the robocops had left and we came to an intersection, two roads and one set of train tracks. At this point we had been figured out that the cops were heading to Atlanta so I sent us in the direction as far from them as possible, without heading back to where we came from.

I'm not as disappointed as I usually would be once I realize we won't find shelter for the night. Don't think I could've spent the night behind locked doors after hearing Gorman and that other piece of shit talking about the funeral home. One of their traps. We should've seen it sooner and we are so damn lucky they didn't make it there before we left.

We go about setting up a camp like our first one out on the road together after the prison. It's all so similar yet so damn different. We talk as much as is safe and sit down right next to each other, Beth leaning her head on my shoulder when we're done eating. I can't justify starting a fire tonight so our meal consisted of canned fruit, dessert for dinner, how life should be goddamnit.

"You sleep first. We'll go back to our 4 hours shifts like before." I tell Beth.

"Alright but you have to wake me up, you need sleep too."

I just nod and give her a squeeze around the waist.

Just when I thought she was out for the count her voice breaks through the dead quiet of the night, barely a whisper, but this time it isn't only for the walkers' sake, it's from emotion as well.

"We keep coming across these, these...monsters but not our family." Beth's voice cracks on the last word she speaks.

"I know, it's shit. Doesn't mean we won't find them. We're on a new route now, it'll be different. And I meant what I said Beth I ain't ever gonna let nothin bad happen to you." I kiss the top of her head when I finish speaking.

Beth lets out a small laugh, not much happiness behind it. "Look at you, keeping me optimistic now."

"All you. You changed my mind, for the most part."

Our gazes lock before Beth gives me a chaste kiss, one I want to deepen so damn bad but I know I can't, and then she's snuggling into my side and moments later her breathing evens out.

I do wake Beth so I can take my turn sleeping, knowing I'll never hear the end of it if I don't. We set off early again and today I'm determined to find us somewhere to crash tonight, pushing my uneasiness away, knowing we're safe for now. We keep up the same plan as yesterday, stick to the trees and check out signs and crap we pass on the tracks. It's like we're on autopilot cause it takes us both a beat to realize this sign post is different from the rest. This is a map of all the tracks leading to a hub with a message "Those who arrive survive. Terminus."

"Holy shit. We heard this on the radio before we lost the car on the way to the veterinary school."

"On the radio?" Beth asks, seeming skeptical.

"Yeah, didn't mean nothin at the time and then everythin went to hell at the prison not longer after, but I remember now."

Beth is studying the signs intently, not saying a word.

"You wanna go?" I ask.

"It can't be up to me, that's not fair."

"I need to at least know what you think."

"I don't like it. The rhyming, the radio. I dunno, it gives me a weird feeling. Maybe if we see some scouts, like how you and Glenn would go out at the prison, I'll feel differently, but for now, no I don't want to go there." Beth has a strong opinion about Terminus but I know she wants to hear what I have to say too and I'm not worried that we wouldn't be able to compromise if needed.

I nod my head before voicing my own feelings. "I get it. Not sayin I want to go there either but we should at least keep it as a back up plan. Wouldn't just waltz in, we would check them out for a while if we decided we wanted to know more."

"I can handle that." Beth responds before heading back into the tree line.

There are signs for Terminus at regular intervals along the tracks now, they're as common as leaves to us at this point. Yet, we still check each one out, looking for clues and who knows what else. After several hours we see yet another posting ahead and this time there's a small shack next to it. Beth leads the way out of the forest while I scour our surroundings.

"Well they sure have enough si-" Beth stops mid sentence and step causing me to swing round, heart racing to make sure she's alright.

I don't need to ask why she's suddenly silent, her hands balled into fists at her side. Right there for the world to see, written in dark walker blood and guts is a message on the side of the small wooden building. "Glenn go to Terminus. Maggie."

Are you fucking kidding me?

I quickly close the small gap between us, coming to Beth's side. I look at her face while I try to figure out what the hell to do or say. Even though her body language is emanating total anger, Beth's eyes are glassy with tears and they hold the same heartbroken look they did after Hershel died.

"Beth..." I start, not knowing what to say but needing her to know I'm right here for her. I take her hand in mine, hoping my touch will help more than my failed words. She's grips my hand right back.

"Don't Daryl. There's nothing to say."

"Yes there is. This is bullshit right here." I say pointing to the message.

Beth finally tears her gaze away from the words that have done so much damage to look at me. She looks surprised. "Thought you might try to find some reasoning in the wording."

"Yeah right. There's no good reasoning here. No ill will either. Truth is, there was no thought at all. That's the problem."

Beth just stares at me for a minute before wiping away the couple of tears that managed to escape. Then she gives me a small smile that doesn't reach her eyes and is off back into the forest.

We walk for a while in our usual silence. I don't want to push her but she's got to be feeling a million different things right now and I want her to feel comfortable telling me. Just as I'm about to nudge her Beth starts talking.

"I know it wasn't just you that looked at me like a dead girl. Most of the prison saw me that way, but I thought there were a few that didn't. Rick and Carol for sure, Glenn too. I never even thought about Maggie or my daddy either way, just assumed they had faith in me. Guess they're right about when you assume." Beth says shaking her head slightly.

"And I can't say for sure what I would do if we got separated. I know I would lose my damn mind and my only goal would be to find you. But I think I would hold onto enough of my sanity to remember there were other people I lost. Especially my own sister. Why couldn't she have just signed it from her to anyone that read it? None of us know who exactly survived, who could see that message, need that hope." Beth's breathing is starting to become a little erratic, stopping herself from crying no doubt.

I check our immediate surroundings and then pull her into my arms, holding her tight. Beth pushes her face into my chest, silently crying, her tears making my shirt damp. All the while I rest my head on top of hers and run my hands up and down her back until her crying turns into little hiccups.

"M'sorry Beth, so damn sorry. You're tough as all hell, deserved more credit than you ever got. Shoulda told you before, I never saw you as a dead girl. Just naive. But you changed my mind and proved me wrong after our first days alone together. There's nothin I can say to make this better, wish there was, I'd say it all. I'm here though, with you, for you, always."

Beth pulls back to look at my face before speaking. Her words bringing me to life more than ever.

"You are everything Daryl. Everything to me. Today didn't make me realize that, I've known for a while now. I just hadn't admitted it to myself let alone you. Didn't want to scare you off right away either." She smiles up at me.

I ain't ever been anyone's nothin before, let alone their everythin. It's a lotta pressure, I know that but instead of feeling overwhelmed it's as if a weight was taken from my shoulders, like I can breathe for the first time.

"You can't scare me away Beth, I'm yours, I'm all in. No one has ever meant as much to me as you do and no one ever will." I murmur against her lips.

Of all the times I've almost told her that I love her this is the one moment that I don't feel the need to. It's not the right time, not after what happened with Maggie, not after we've told each other how we feel with words for the first time since that night in the kitchen. But I can feel those three words on the tip of my tongue every time I speak to her and I know that they are going to be said soon, whether I mean them to or not.

After yet another short kiss (too damn short) we set back off on our hunt for shelter. I haven't given up hope yet, I was about to, but not long after starting to resign myself to yet another night of sleeping on the ground, I see it. A break in the tree line. It's an unnatural break, the diminishing sunlight coming through blindingly instead of subtly through the trees. I stop Beth and nod in that direction, turning us slightly so we can slowly make our way to check out what lies beyond the wooded area we're in.

We don't even need to leave the forest completely to see where the light is coming from, the reason why it's shining so brightly all of a sudden. For miles ahead the trees, bushes and other foliage have been plowed down flat to make room for some man made community. Maybe this is why the world went to hell in a handbasket, we were killing everything around us before the dead reanimated and started killing us.

They didn't get far with creating this place before the turn it seems. There's less than a dozen fully completed townhouses, shit all this nature ruined and they weren't even building full homes. More money than sense. What they did finish was a long road heading in the opposite direction that we've come from and a wrought iron fence that spans the whole damn compound and is taller than the structures inside.

There's a decent amount of walkers milling about but there's nowhere near as many as we dealt with at the fences at the prison and they can't get in or out here, you need working opposable thumbs to do that with these gates. Plus, they're all spread out here, most of them in the second half of the property that's essentially a building site. It's closed off with its own chicken wire fencing, full of gravel, bulldozers, metal rods, you name it. I need to mark exactly where this place is because down the line with more man power we could make this secure. For now though, when it's just the two of us, I decide we should go towards a block of 4 townhouses, sandwiched between two unfinished sets of homes.

"Beth, we'll head to main gate, there's a smaller one next to the guard box. Take out every walker we can on our way to the houses there." I say barely above a whisper as I point to where we'll be going.

After a quick nod from Beth we both unsheathe our knives and quietly head to the entrance, taking down the couple of walkers in our path. After a fight with the lock, the small gate opens easily. There's 8 walkers between us and the house so we spread out a bit take down 5 of them before they can react. We learnt a while ago that they almost hibernate if they don't feed or move a lot for long periods of time and luckily that seems to be the case here. Unfortunately, 2 of the last 3 rotting corpses head to Beth instead of me. She has no problem putting down the first one but it's so thin and rotted a piece of skull is stuck on her knife, hiding part of the blade. I run to her, stabbing my other knife into the walker that had been coming towards me on my way. I shove the last walker to the ground just as it was getting too close to Beth, before stabbing it through the eye repeatedly.

When I stand up Beth is right next to me, having gotten my extra knife back, handing it to me and I see her own is cleaned off and ready to fight once again.

It's a lot less exciting the rest of the way to the front of the townhouse, we only have to take down another 3 walkers before we're standing outside the door. I can tell they boarded this place up pretty well before the turn. I knock a couple times on the front door while it's still closed and moments later we hear the groans before bodies bang against the door. I hear at least 4 of them and put up so many fingers to tell Beth. It doesn't seem like the door is barricaded if they're pushing on it so I try to pick the lock and hear it click after a few tries.

I'm pretty sure the door will open once I turn the knob so I motion for Beth to take a few strides backwards. Once she's a safe distance away I turn the handle, feel it opening and take that as my cue to jog back myself.

No sense betting these days but if I had I would've won. There were 4 walkers that stumbled through the doorway. We both head towards them and kick the two in the front, Beth's two fall like dominos, while mine somehow twists it's leg and just collapses. I make quick work of the walker still on its feet before stomping my boot into the skull of the other. By the time I check on Beth she's already heading over to me, both her walkers taken care of. We drag them into the overgrown lawn of the connecting house cause leaving dead walkers outside the place you're staying is like hooking up a neon flashing arrow pointing to the damn door.

We make our way inside and I press Beth back against the door once it's shut and mouth for her to stay. I clear the ground floor easily. This place looks like it should. Dusty, smells of the dead and there's a mess of knocked over crap from them shuffling around. A lot more normal than the funeral home. What's even better is that the dining room is packed full of everything you could ever want at the end of the world. Camping gear, medical shit, lanterns, food, water, they even have toiletries and wine.

At first I was worried the people that had been living here were sick, maybe something like the virus at the prison since I couldn't see any bites on them. But when I walked into the living room I saw the coffee table filled with an assortment of empty bottles that once held some "fine pharmaceuticals" in the words of my brother, alongside half empty top shelf bottles of liquor. Suicide pack I'm guessing. Another fucking strange situation, why off yourself when you have a place like this filled to the brim with supplies? I ain't giving myself another headache trying figure this one out. We've covered our asses, no tracks leading here and sure as shit no one alive has been around recently so we're good.

"Clear down here. Goin upstairs now." I whisper to Beth on my way to the staircase.

"I'll wait at the top for you. I'm sure as hell not staying right here." She says and juts out her chin in defiance.

I nod my head knowing I won't change her mind. I love that she has my back, that she's so brave but the bigger part of me wants to protect her.

I breathe a sigh of relief when Beth sticks to her word and doesn't move from her spot on the landing. Takes no time clearing the 3 bedrooms and bathrooms. They're musty, dusty and a couple more dwarves but totally untouched, seems like they were living on the bottom level only.

"Alright we're good. I'm gonna board up the door, don't want that to be our escape route. Saw two bay windows on the bottom floor that will be better. Dining room is stock piled, you wanna start there?

"Yeah I'll get some food ready, we need to eat."

I find Beth some time later with a nice spread laid out in the living room, the remains of their demise cleaned up, replaced by canned and bagged food covering the coffee table instead.

"Woulda cleaned that up."

"It's fine, I don't mind." I knew she wouldn't but still, after the farm I just don't like her having to deal with shit like that. "The stove is a gas one, I didn't try it yet but if there's gas left we could heat up some meals before we go. Saw a door to the garage too, looks huge from the window and also found a door most likely to a basement. Didn't check out either though, before you ask." Beth smiles at me, a teasing look in her eyes.

"Thanks baby, lets check the stove now, we deserve a warm dinner." I say as I reach for her hand and lead her to the kitchen with me.

It takes a couple tries but using a match I lite two burners and we have hot water and warm beans in no time.

"We'll sleep down here tonight, couch looks comfy enough."

"Anything is better than the ground." Beth replies.

We don't bother washing anything besides our hands and faces, both of us drained. I decide between the alarm Beth set up outside and the barricaded door we can fall asleep together tonight. I settle down on the couch (and damnit it's the softest thing I've ever laid on) and then Beth comes and lays in front of me, her back to my front. This doesn't last long and soon Beth is turning over, facing me, nuzzling her cheek against my chest and letting out a deep breath, all the tension leaving her body.

"I missed this." She murmurs against my heart.

"Me too baby, so damn much." I say into her hair before kissing her head.

We both pass out quickly and when I wake the sun is already high in the sky. I always war with myself between what I need and what I feel I should do. Obviously my body and mind needed the rest but I feel like an idiot for sleeping past dawn. One glance down at Beth in my arms, sleeping soundly shuts off my racing thoughts and has me pulling her closer for a while longer.

I fall right back into a routine, first I head outside and check a pretty wide perimeter, putting down some walkers as I go. Other than some of the dead coming closer to our shelter everything looks as it did before bed. I find the gas cylinders that lead to the stove inside, first I find out they're both full and secondly, from what I can see, the line doesn't look corroded. Perfect, cause the last thing we needed was the place to blow from a gas explosion. What a way to go when there's zombies everywhere. Beth is still asleep when I head back inside and since it's still early for most I busy myself with boiling more bottled water and getting some breakfast ready.

While I wait for everything to heat up or cook I scope out the garage. Beth was right, it's the size of a studio apartment. There's a car but I don't worry with that for now, we're not leaving today, and that road leads in the opposite direction from where we want to be which would cause us to waste time getting back on track. Definitely thoughts to go over later and with Beth. I grab a machete from a section of gardening supplies and find a locked case that has a glock and ammo inside. Found that out after I broke into it. I'm sure there's other shit in here to scavenge but right now I need food and to see my girl. Must be pretty whipped to miss her while she sleeps.

I lay out the oatmeal, canned fruit and coffee on the table before waking Beth.

"Mornin beautiful. You gonna join me for breakfast?" I ask, kneeling on the floor next to the couch, leaning over her to caress her face with my fingertips.

"Rather join you for something else but breakfast will have to do for now." Beth responds without moving an inch, her voice sleepy and sexy as hell.

"You're damn lucky I put your health and safety first or I'd take you right now." I growl, my hand leaving her face to run down her body, stopping at her breasts, applying pressure on her nipples before sliding down to her ass and giving her cheek a slap.

"Mmm or unlucky." She half moans.

I chuckle and kiss her forehead and then I sit down on the opposite side of the table before I give in, take her clothes off and make love to her. We need food and there's some other things to check out around here in the light of day. Plus, I'm sure she wants to wash up. I don't care but I know she likes to stay as clean as we can.

Beth huffs out a breath and then sit ups and stretches before sliding onto the ground on her side. We eat our meal in record time, the warm food still feels so foreign and damn delicious. I tell Beth about the gas tanks and my findings in the garage. We decide to go down to the basement after breakfast and see if its safe and has anything to offer us.

As soon as we make it to the basement we can tell there's no way a walker or human could get in down here. There's not one window or door leading from the outside. Good. Its alo stocked to the ceiling practically with the same supplies as the dining room, maybe even a greater assortment. At least something good is happening for us, besides being with each other.

"You alright going through some of this on your own? Need to check somethin outside."

"Yeah, of course." Beth smiles before pushing up on her tippy toes, kissing me, first on one cheek then the other and then quickly on every inch of my face, the last one landing on my lips. I think my heart might finally break free from my chest with the emotions she's got running through me. When she's done she pulls back, giggling now. I don't let her get far before I grab her, one hand cradling the back of her neck and my other arm wrapping around her waist, dipping her, making her laughs become louder and happier. It's the most beautiful fucking sound in the world and all I want is to make her laugh all.the.damn.time. And then I kiss her, my tongue finding hers for a moment before placing a soft kiss on her lips, standing us back up. "Be back soon angel." I say, my mouth still touching hers.

I hate leaving her, even for a little while. But while checking the area this morning, I might've seen something at the end of the small yard of this place, something that could be a total game changer. And I don't want to get Beth's hopes up until I know more. Once I've made sure I'm alone and safe I head over to the overgrowth and start wacking it away with my new machete. Doesn't take long before I've uncovered a real gold mine. A back up generator and two (again) full, yet smaller propane cylinders. Fuck yes! It may not work but I'm hopeful it will. The main switch was turned off and the gas lines disconnected. After making sure these lines are still safe I reattach them but leave it off. We don't need lights and noisy electronics turning on right now and drawing attention. I'll come back and flip the switch once we've unplugged everything and turned off the fuses.

Beth is back in the dining room humming a song when I head back inside.

"Don't wanna get your hopes up but I need your help." I tell her. I can handle my own disappointment no problem but it physically hurts to let her down.

"Whatever you need Daryl, just tell me what to do."

So I tell her about the generator, her face lights up immediately but only for a second before she reigns in her excitement. We set off unplugging everything except the fridge and then I turn off all the fuses, the box was in the garage which was good for easy access. Finally I go back to the generator and turn it on. We wait a few minutes and then Beth is in the kitchen, holding open the fridge door a crack.

"Alright gonna turn it on now." I call to her as quietly as I can before flipping the black switch labeled "kitchen".

"Yay!" I hear her before I see her, standing in front of an empty fridge that's lit up on the inside now and making noise, warming up.

"Thank you Daryl, you always go above and beyond." Beth says before throwing herself in my arms for a crushing hug.

"Anythin for you."

I turn the power off in the kitchen for now while we decide what to plug in and/or which fuses to turn on. The plumbing will be on now which is huge, so is having a stove but that doesn't need power. We choose to turn on power in the basement so we can use the water heater as needed as well as the washer and dryer since noise won't be an issue down there. Lastly, we decide on a pair of lamps we found that dim so they won't draw attention and will also help us to not use up our lanterns and candles.

We also agreed to sleep upstairs tonight so Beth changes the sheets with some in the dresser that aren't as dusty. While she's doing this and also finding us both toiletries and clean clothes I prepare another surprise for her, for later. Last night on our first search of the living room I found a CD player and tons of CDs in the cabinet underneath the TV. I'm hoping the music will make her happy, she's been singing a lot more recently and even played the piano at the funeral home. I plug it in and insert the first burnt CD with no songs written on it I find, trying to choose from the artists and albums I've heard of and some I hadn't was too much pressure. I play the first couple seconds of the first song quietly and it sounds good, normal. Let's just hope they weren't burning CDs with a mix of polka music on them. I make sure the volume is on zero before turning it back off, ready for after dinner.

Shortly after my preparations, we sit down for lunch. When we're finishing up, Beth asks me my favorite question I've ever been asked. "So is it safe enough for us shower when we're done here? Together."

Instead of answering Beth I stalk around to her and take her in my arms, carrying her all the way to the master bathroom. The glass shower stall in here is massive, almost ridiculously so but now that I get to have a shower companion it's looking perfect. Once Beth is back on her feet she turns the water on to warm up and then we start undressing one another slowly. Other than our fingers brushing against skin when removing a shirt or vest we don't touch, talk or kiss. It doesn't take long before we're both naked. I can't help myself, I have to soak in Beth's body. Starting with her blonde hair raking my gaze slowly down to her perfect face, slender neck, pert breasts, flat stomach, round hips, damp blonde curls between her thighs, long slender legs and ending at her cute feet.

"You're fuckin beautiful Beth, perfect." I tell her as I close the small gap between us, our hands reaching for the other's face before my mouth claims hers in a slow, sensual kiss.

She pulls away and leads us into the shower. There's even a small bench in here, oh how the other half lived. We both groan when the almost hot water hits our overused muscles. Beth reaches for the shampoo but I take it from her hands and pour some into my palm waiting for her to turn around. Once her back is to me I lather her hair in the sweet smelling shampoo and massage her scalp until she's sighing with pleasure. I do this twice making sure I get out all the dirt and grime from our days of traveling. Next, I run the conditioner through her now clean locks and use a comb she brought with us to remove any knots or tangles. This takes some time seeing as her hair has grown but when I'm done it's all worth it to see her huge smile at having clean and soft hair.

Beth is pushing me towards the bench before I can grab the cloth and body wash to clean her with and then she's repeating what I just did for her on my much shorter hair. I'm making guttural noises as her fingers massage and rub my scalp over and over. My cock has been at attention since Beth asked me to shower with her but now it's leaking with the need to be inside of her. No point of washing anything else right now.

As soon as I've finished rinsing my hair I reach for Beth and pull her against my chest with a thud, dropping my lips to her own, my tongue invading her mouth and licking my way to hers. Beth pushes me backward until my back is flat against the glass. Her mouth leaves mine as she starts kissing her way across my cheek, over my jaw and as she's making her way lower she starts talking, her lips brushing against my skin each time and every few words are punctuated with a kiss.

"I love the noise you make when I kiss you here." Beth says before kissing that spot beneath my ear, causing me to make the growl/moan she's talking about. Then she's kissing down my neck, pulling skin between her teeth on her way. "Your chest is so muscular and solid, I feel safe when I'm right here." Now she's leaving wet, open mouthed kisses all over my chest and then she's dragging her lips back up to my shoulders. "You carry the weight of the world on these broad shoulders, they're sturdy enough to do that but also soft enough to be one of my favorite places to sleep." Beth is now running her tongue along one shoulder and across my collar bone to show the attention to the other. I'm already panting from her affections. "And your arms, they're so strong and keep me safe and these biceps are hot as hell." Beth then kisses up and down one arm while her hand massages the other. Next, she's pulling my hand to her mouth, looking at me as she speaks this time. "Your hands, they make me feel so good and hold my face so gently, like I'll break. But they're also beyond powerful and can help protect us." Beth then runs the hand that was on my arm down to intertwine our fingers while she kisses each finger and then the palm of my other hand. I swear I almost came right then, but she wasn't done torturing and loving on me. Beth is on her knees before I register she's moved, running her hands up and down my legs. "These legs have gone on so many runs, saved so many people. Even carried me when I couldn't walk." She murmurs before kissing both of my thighs, making my cock twitch. "You're the beautiful one Daryl." This is the last thing she has to say before sucking the head of my length into her wet mouth.

I was so wrapped up in her words and kisses it takes me by surprise and I have to throw a hand against the wall of the shower to steady myself. "Fuck Beth." She has my cock deep in her throat now and simply moans around me and I already feel my balls tightening. Beth pulls her mouth away to start licking my balls and then drags her tongue up my entire length before grasping what can't fit in her mouth in her hand instead and then she's back to bobbing her head up and down. I keep my eyes on her, watching her suck me off, moaning the entire time, my hand in her hair. I hit the back of her throat and that's it. "Shit! I'm gonna cum baby." I warn her even though I'm pretty sure Beth won't pull away. I'm right, a few seconds later she keeps me in her hot little mouth as I shout her name, shooting long streams of cum down her throat. Beth keeps sucking me softly and licks me clean before I can pull her to her feet.

"Goddamnit Beth, that mouth will be the death of me." I tell her before turning us around, pinning her to the wall this time and kissing her slow and deep. Before I return the favor I have to ask. "You meant all those things you said?" It comes out as a whisper, my forehead against hers.

Beth pulls back to look right into my eyes, bringing a hand to cradle my cheek. "Of course I did Daryl. Please don't doubt how I feel about you. I meant what I said earlier too, you're my everythin." Her face is so sincere even my shit self esteem can't second guess her words.

We just stare at each other for a moment and then I bring our mouths back together. I teasingly trail the fingers of one hand from its place on her neck, down to her chest, breasts, rolling and pulling her nipples on the way, skimming the skin of her belly almost feeling the roundness that our child will cause one day, and then I finally rub my thumb over her swollen clit. Beth pulls her mouth away, head leaning back against the glass as her breaths come out in pants and moans. I plunge 2 fingers inside of her pussy, never stopping the assault on her little nub. Beth is quivering and my name is continuously falling from her lips.

"We're safe here baby, wanna hear you, wanna hear how good I make you feel." I breathe into the skin of her neck where my mouth has been kissing and marking her.

That's enough to have Beth's heat gripping my fingers, her juices running down her thighs and my hand as she moans my name long and loud. I wanted to make love to her but after the things Beth said to me and then the amazing head we've both gotten this is going to be rough and over too fast. Good thing I can have her whenever I want because that huge bed in the next room is going to be used thoroughly while we're here.

When Beth is breathing normally again I press the entire length of my body against her and tangle my tongue with hers once again, letting us taste each other. Moments later I'm achingly hard and kiss my way to her neck before turning Beth around. I press her top half against the shower wall making her moan at the feel of the cool glass against her sensitive chest. I grip both of my hands onto her hips and Beth has already got her ass up in the air for me.

I drag the head of my cock along her slit, lubing myself with her juices before guiding my tip to her entrance and pushing balls deep with one hard thrust of my hips.

"Oh god yes!"

"Fuck baby, so damn tight."

And then I start moving, really moving. Pounding deep inside of her with every thrust. I keep one hand on her hip as the other kneads and sometimes slaps her ass. Every time my palm connects with her round cheek I feel Beth's pussy grip my cock harder. The sounds of our wet skin slapping together, the animalistic growls I can't control and Beth's moans and screams of my name when I hit her spot are enough to have me at the edge. I force my hand between us to rub her clit. I can feel she's almost there, pussy spasming, back arched as she meets my thrusts.

"Wanna here you scream my name when you cum baby." I demand on a hard slam of my cock. And that's all Beth needs. She delivers, screaming my name loud and long as her pussy clamps down on my length over and over. One more deep thrust and I'm shouting her name, pulling out to cum all over her ass. The sight has me moaning all over again.

I press my body against hers, holding each other up as we slow our heart rates and breathing. Then I start kissing her back and shoulders before turning Beth around and holding her in my arms while we share a slow kiss.

"Missed that too. A whole fuckin lot." I tell her.

Beth giggles before responding. "Me too, missed you being inside of me."

Fuck, as usual her words set me on fire and have me groaning and dropping my head to her shoulder. "Let's wash up before I make us dirter."

We take our time shaving and scrubbing until we're both cleaner than we have been in years. After getting dressed we take advantage of the remaining hours of daylight to keep walking the property and taking down walkers as we go. We make good progress, I even think we can stay here a couple more days. I bring up the topic of the car in the garage to Beth over dinner letting her know my thoughts. She's in agreement that for now, it's not helpful to us unfortunately but, as with Terminus, we'll keep an open mind until we head out.

When we're finished eating and cleaned up I suggest we head to the office on the bottom floor. We checked it out this morning and even though there wasn't anything of use, there was a giant bookshelf that spanned the entire length of the wall it sat against. Beth's face light up the second she laid eyes on it and I made sure to be the one to bring her back here. I want to keep proving to her that I care, that I pay attention and that I can do all the boyfriend things. Still fuckin hate that word, it's an insult and falls flat compared to what I want to be to her and what she is to me. I'll have to get over it, for now at least.

"It's like a mini library." Beth says as she runs her fingers over the spines of some books. "I'll just grab one for tonight, and come back tomorrow in the daytime to really have a look. Maybe try and squeeze a couple in my pack."

"Or mine. We'll find the room." I tell her, causing Beth to flash me a bright smile.

We make our way back to the living room and I tell Beth so start reading by the the light of our new lamp, the other one is in the bedroom, while I check things out for the night. As always she protests, wanting to help but at times, like now, when it should be easy and quiet I would rather her stay put cause we both know it's not always that way and I'll need her help before we know it.

And to no real surprise everything is as it should be outside. I take a longer walk and do an even more, if possible, thorough look around us. Of course to keep us safe but maybe I'm stalling a bit. I plan on playing the music for Beth after this and it's got my stomach flip flopping.

After a few more minutes I head to the door and take a deep breath before walking inside and securing us in for the night. I then make my way to the entrance of the living room, leaning against the wall and resting down my crossbow. Beth turns to look at me from where's she curled up, reading on the couch.

"All good. We're locked up for the night." I tell her. Beth just smiles and thanks me before turning her attention back to her book. And I just watch her for a few moments, her beautiful face concentrating on the story in her hands, emotions flickering across her features as she takes in the words.

After a while I grow a pair and stride over to the TV to crouch down, open the cabinet and press play on the CD player. Once I've adjusted the volume to a barely audible level I walk over to the couch, leaning on the arm and wait. Beth followed my movements when I left the doorway but went back to reading when I reached the TV stand. It doesn't take long though before her eyes seek me out once again, her hands closing and setting down her book a moment before she's on her feet, walking towards me.

"What...how?" Beth tries to ask something of me as she pads across the room, settling between my thighs when she finally reaches me.

"Found it before, wanted to surprise you. Hope it's okay." I say before dropping my chin. Beth ain't having none of that as she holds both sides of my face until my gaze meets hers.

"It's perfect and the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me." She tells me, another huge smile on her face, before giving me a soft kiss.

I couldn't tell you anything about the first song that played, except it sounded nice. The second one I'd heard before, and apparently so had Beth cause then next thing I know she's dancing around the room. At first she's laughing and her moves are exaggerated, silly and damn awful. But they make me laugh and that seemed to be her goal cause as soon as I did she switched it up and started to move to the rhythm playing. And holy shit Beth can dance. The song is somewhat upbeat, a woman singing about summer and sadness, and Beth now has her arms are above her head, eyes closed as she moves her hips and sometimes her whole body around in a circle. She keeps this up for the entire song and all I can do is stare, totally bewitched by her.

The next song is a slow and familiar as well. I loved music, all types, before the turn but never had the money or time for an iPod or nothin. So if I'd heard a song that means it played on the radio and must've been pretty popular. Beth heads back over to me and extends her hand, looking for mine. She doesn't need to say anything for me to know what she wants. To dance. If it had been anyone else I would've been half way out the room, mumbling "I don't dance." But this is Beth, so instead my hand is in hers and I'm on my feet following her to the middle of the room.

Her arms go around my neck as mine find her waist. "Ain't never danced with anyone before." I tell her and she squeezes me tighter.

"I was obsessed with this song when it came out. It's a little cheesy but I still like it, the words are beautiful."

We're barely moving, just swaying a bit. And Beth is right, it's a little corny but when I really hear the words I like it right away.

I've loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more.

We stay wrapped up in each other's arms for the rest of the song and when the next one is just as slow I'm happy to keep holding her like this. At some point a song plays that you can't really sway to and Beth pulls away to dance again, singing along to every word, her voice more beautiful than the artist's. I am sure she could tell by the way my feet forgot I how to move that I am no do dancer, even on my own, so she doesn't push me to join her. She's also a very smart little devil that I'm pretty damn sure it is starting to tease me. But ever since she moved those few steps away to move along to the music, it's as if my feet have actually grown roots and planted themselves into the floor. I haven't moved a muscle and all I can do is watch her, fuckin mesmerized.

Suddenly my body is moving before my brain can tell it to or even register that it has. Then I'm standing right in front of her, wrapping one arm around her waist to pull her against me, my other going into her hair so I can see every inch of her beautiful face and look straight into her eyes.

"I love you." Finally the words are out in the open between us. But my heart is still racing waiting for her reaction. I don't need her to say them back right away, as long as they made her happy and she can accept my admission.

Beth freezes and just stares at me for a beat, a look of shock on her face.

"You do?" The question comes out as barely a whisper.

I nod my answer. "Been in love with you for a while now." I steady myself with a deep breath. "Don't expect you to say-"

Beth throws her arms around my neck and squeezes tight, cutting me off mid sentence.

"I love you Daryl, so much." Beth pulls back, tears in her eyes and a smile on her lips. "I've never been in love before, not until you."

I feel tears burning the back of my own eyes and it's as if someone has their hand around my heart. I can't hold back any longer, I crash my mouth to hers, my hands gripping her thighs as Beth jumps up and wraps her legs around my waist. And then I'm taking the stairs two at a time to the bedroom.