It seemed that time flew by in an instant cause all of a sudden, the work was done and they could move in.

Abe got started on the master bedroom and ensuite within a few days, gutting the bathroom since they didn't want to keep a thing, and ripping out the carpet in the bedroom. Beth had shopped online and found everything that they needed, making sure that Daryl approved, and sent Abe with the shopping list to Atlanta.

They got as much stuff from Dale, who gave them the "family" discount, including paint so Beth could start on other rooms in the house that would be put off till later. She chose a light grey for their bedroom and a cream colour for the bathroom.

The kitchen was getting new countertops, and a new backsplash, which Abe was gonna do after the bedroom. The cupboards were in great shape and the doors just needed a new coat of paint and new hardware. Beth painted the large open space in an off white, and used splashes of blues and turquoise in the decor.

It seemed like all their spare time was spent getting this house ready for them to move in. But they were doing it together, so it was also creating these amazing memories for them. Beth would get dinner started when she got off work in the early afternoon, and bring it to the house for her and Daryl to enjoy while they were working.

It only took them about three weeks of daily work to get it in living condition. They were getting all their new furniture delivered that Wednesday so Daryl and Rick were gonna move all their belongings to the house while Beth finished putting up curtains and adding her little touches. Beth managed to rent her apartment to one of Rosita's old friends from Texas. He was doing research for an upcoming science book and would be living there for at least a year to gather his data. Eugene was a little odd, but he was quiet and wouldn't disturb Beth's business.

Merle was happy to see his brother go and he said he could manage living on his own and paying full rent. It would be nice to have an additional room incase one of his friends needed a place to crash for the night, rather than the couch.

Daryl and Rick had just brought in more boxes of Beth's kitchen equipment, and had headed back to the apartment to grab more. As Beth took out each piece and put it away in the cupboard, she couldn't help but smile as she finally felt this place coming together. A knock on the door, led her to the delivery men who came to set everything up. She told them the bedroom was upstairs and the living room and dining room were on the way. They got straight to work, and Beth continued to unpack.

Daryl and Rick showed up, bringing in more boxes. They took a breather for a moment as the movers kept bringing in more furniture.

"You boys getting hungry? We can order food from the diner," Beth suggested, sitting up on the counter.

"I'm starved!" Rick answered. Beth grabbed her cellphone to dial the memorized number. She looked to Rick.

"What do you feel like? Our treat."

"Burger and fries are good for me,' he replied. Beth nodded and put in an order with Jacqui for the three of them.

"I'll have to go into Atlanta tomorrow, get a whole bunch of groceries," Beth said, looking towards the empty cupboards. Daryl came up behind Beth and gave her a hug, kissing her cheek.

"We'll go together," he whispered into her ear. Beth smiled and wrapped her arms around his. Ever since their talk, they been trying to do things together and build up that bond again. Beth was perfectly fine going to Atlanta herself, but she knew that having Daryl with her would be a big help, not to mention, she loved spending as much time with him as possible these days.

"You boys rest, and make sure the delivery guys get everything squared away. I'll go pick up lunch." Beth said, grabbing her keys. She gave one last kiss to Daryl and headed out. She made sure to stop by her place to be sure they grabbed everything they were supposed to. There were only two boxes left which Beth was more than capable of grabbing herself. She loaded those into the back of the car, as well as a few leftover desserts from the bakery, and made her way to the diner.

Jacqui was at the front till, cashing some customers out when she noticed Beth. She smiled and waved her to the counter where she would meet her in a minute.

"How's moving day for you two?" Jacqui asked, as she came over to wait with Beth.

"Wonderful. I lucked out that my boyfriend is not a packrat."

"That is certainly lucky. You guys will be unpacked in no time."

"Yeah. As long as our room and the kitchen are organized, I'll be happy," Beth giggled. Jacqui let out a little laugh of her own.

"You two going to the town meetin' tomorrow?"

"Absolutely. I can't wait to see Phillip's face when Dale let's loose on him." After the council had approved the appeal, Phillip had to come back to the town with an explanation. He was already trying to smooth things over with the townspeople by sending out flyers talking about the great things it would do for the economy and for the community. But no one was buying what he was selling. They were angry and wanted him to answer some tough questions. Dale, being the passionate man he was, was more than willing to stand up for the town as their leader.

"He's been ready to fight him for a long time. Finally has a reason to," Jacqui added. T-Dogg rang the bell, letting Jacqui know the food was ready. She bagged up the meals and rang Beth up, wishing her luck with the rest of the day and that they would see each other tomorrow.

Beth made it back to see the delivery truck had left, and the boys, sitting at the table with bottles of water. She held up the bags to show them she brought sustenance.

Their conversation was minimal, as they were all starving. They needed to only grab a desk and table from the Grimes house that they were giving to Beth and Daryl for their office upstairs. This left Beth time to clean up the bedroom, so they would have a place to sleep that night and unpack any other boxes that were left.

Beth had made sure to wash all the new bedding she had for their bedroom, so that once their bed was delivered, she could dress it right away. The comforter was very manly with the blue plaid, which contrasted well with the brown headboard. All she wanted was a few accent pillows to have when the bed was made, which Daryl agreed to. They had a hope chest that Beth would be receiving from her father in the next few weeks, to hold their additional blankets and the pillows when they weren't in use.

Apart from their queen size bed, they had a nightstand on either side and a dresser. There was a closet in the room for shirts and her dresses, but they wanted a place for their regular clothes. She grabbed the box from downstairs marked bathroom and brought it to their ensuite.

Their shower was a masterpiece, Abe really outdoing himself. It was tiled on the three walls, and had a glass door and panel. It was plenty big for the two of them (they made sure) and had designated space for the shampoos and body wash. She unpacked all her stuff, putting them away in the bins under the sink. They went for a double sink, so they could each have their own side, but it was still tight so she would only take out what she needed, when she needed it.

To put their toothbrushes in their little cup made Beth smile, as it was another piece of the puzzle of them living together. Her birth control pills went in the medicine cabinet, along with his shaver. The condoms were put in the nightstand, for later use. She giggled knowing that they were both on the same page. All their time in the past three weeks was spent on the house so it didn't leave a lot of intimate time for the two of them. It had been a slow month for them, but that was why she wanted to have the bedroom all setup for them tonight. Because no matter what, she was getting laid.

Rick and Daryl came back and were lifting the small desk up the stairs. The room was empty except for a few file boxes and they just placed the two pieces in the room till Daryl and Beth finished it. It was the next room to be completed as they wanted to have a home office for their laptops and business papers.

After Rick left, with a big thanks from the two of them, Daryl wanted to grab a shower as the hard work had left him sweaty and probably smelly too. Beth agreed and let him go. She took the few minutes she had to close the blinds, light some candles, get out of her clothes, and put on her new silky robe. She was trying to figure out the best way to position herself, wondering if she should be lying on the bed or in the doorframe but thought, the direct approach was the best.

She went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her and sat on the counter between the two sinks with her legs crossed. She could see him through the steam of the shower and she couldn't help but bite her lip in anticipation.

He grabbed his towel and dried himself off before wrapping it around his waist and coming out. He knew Beth had snuck in here after and was slightly disappointed she didn't join him. That disappointment soon disappeared when he saw her sitting on the counter in a tiny piece of fabric you would call a robe. Knowing what she was up to, his excitement increased which only fueled him to take the few steps to stand in front of her.

His hands automatically went to her hips, and gently pushed the fabric up, showing off her lean legs. Hers toyed with the front of his towel as she seductively looked up to his eyes.

"Hope you're not too tired after all the work today," she spoke so softly. He smirked back at her.

"Not at all," he replied before crashing his mouth on hers. Weeks of pent up sexual frustration finally bubbled over but instead of the frenzy that she was expecting, it was slower, more sensual. He pressed his mouth hard into hers, kissing her with fervor but keeping his touch soft and gentle as his fingers slid over her robe to get to the tie in the front.

The moment he untied the robe and pushed it off her shoulders, his towel was unwrapped and lay discarded on the floor of the bathroom. They continued to kiss, his mouth suddenly moving down her neck to her collarbone, placing wet open mouth kisses all over. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his torso, his hard member trapped right along her wet opening. If it wasn't for their need for condoms that month, he would have gladly just pushed himself into her right then and taken her on the counter of the bathroom.

"Where're the rubbers?" he spoke into the skin of her neck.

"Nightstand," she responded breathlessly, as his hands were grabbing at her sides, ready to hoist her up. She giggled as he grabbed her and brought them to their new bed. He laid her in the middle of the mattress carefully and went to grab a foil packet. While he tried to focus on that task, Beth's hands stroked along his shaft, feeling the vein that ran along the side to the head. With just a simple touch, precum leaked from the tip.

Once he grabbed a few and left the others on top of the table, he focused back on Beth who continued stroking him slowly from top to bottom. He placed one of his fingers at the top of her mound, and slid it down her slit, feeling just how wet and ready she was for him. She moaned when he started rubbing small circles along her clit, she was so close already from the anticipation alone.

He grabbed her hands away from his cock and ripped open the wrapper. He placed the lubricated disc over himself and positioned himself right over top of Beth. He kissed her slowly as he pushed his way inside, her feet flat on the mattress to get the best angle for the position. Missionary wasn't her favourite but he loved laying over top of her body, feeling the skin contact of her breasts along his chest. He could kiss her the best, and touch her the easiest so she was never going to complain.

He pressed down hard with each thrust, hitting her pubic bone to give her a jolt of pleasure. He could feel his body already start to tense and he cursed himself for not having more foreplay. He grabbed her knee and wrapped it around his hip, hoping to get that angle that pushed along the sensitive nerves inside of her. His breath was quickening, along with hers but he couldn't stop himself from the pleasure as he let go and emptied himself into the condom. His body tensed from the orgasm and he sighed into her neck as he came down. She giggled and rubbed his arm with her fingertips, knowing he felt bad already.

She kissed his face as his breathing regulated, still with him inside of her. She felt him slide out, the loss of warmth replaced immediately by the need throbbing inside of her. He knew she hadn't gotten off yet and he was more than willing to make up for that. He ripped the used condom off and threw it into an empty box laying near the bed. He kissed her stomach and made his way down, feasting on her drenched centre until she came, twice, for good measure.

Beth was glad that she and Daryl made it to the town meeting early. The whole town was coming that night and the seats filled up fast in the church. They met up with Rick and Lori, and they were sitting closer to the back, as everyone else had showed up even earlier than them. The few stragglers that came after were destined to stand in the back during the meeting.

Daryl had his arm over Beth's shoulder as Beth played with his fingers. They had spent the past twenty four hours cocooned in their new home and taking time to christen each room. Their bedroom got a lot of attention the previous night, along with their shower built for two. That morning was the kitchen and dining table and in the afternoon the couch and floor of their living room. They were happy to have their own place and even though she was loud before, it felt even better to scream out his name in the comfort of their own home, with no neighbours sharing a wall.

Milton was at the front, putting up his display boards which only caused Daryl to chuckle. He looked terrified up there, as he knew the people were mad and were going to be full of questions and concerns that night. Beth could only imagine the outrage that was going to hit when Phillip tried to defend his actions. She noticed Dale in the first seat in the front row. He had papers in his hand, ready to go over all the points of why this would be a good idea.

When it was time to start, Phillip Blake came out of the back and went straight up to the podium. He had that trademark smile on his face, hoping to win over the townspeople with his slippery charm. Too bad they were all smarter than that.

"I would like to thank everybody for coming tonight. This is probably the best turn out we ever had in this community," he beamed towards the crowd. Lori let out a snort and Beth muffled her face in Daryl arm to stifle her giggle.

"We have a lot to cover tonight and I wanna make sure ya'll get home to your families sooner rather than later."

"How bout we start with the land deal you made with Wal-Mart?!" Dale piped up from the front row. A cheer of yes came from the rest of the crowd.

"Well…" the mayor started, clearly taken back by the outburst. He looked to Milton who interjected.

"We have the rest of the agenda to get to first," he squirmed from his seat beside Phillip.

"I think for once, you can rip up the agenda and deal with the real issue here. We aren't happy with this plan of yours and you need to explain yourself properly," Dale spoke with conviction and confidence. Phillip licked his lips and looked to the crowd, who were all anxious to hear his reasoning.

"Well Mr. Horvath, I've explained this before. This town needs to catch up with the times and a company like Wal-Mart could really help boost this town's economy-" Phillip began before Dale stood up from his chair.

"At what cost?" Dale turned to the inhabitants of Woodbury. "We're known for our small town feel and unique shops. People flock here in herds all year round and we the businesses are doing just fine. We support each other and we support the farmers around here. What do you think is gonna happen when a big corporation comes here and starts taking our business? We already have everything here that they sell."

"There is nothing wrong with a healthy competition," Phillip added, trying to gain back some pride.

"It's not competition if it forces our businesses to close. We have clothing shops, we have a butcher shop and a bakery. We have a florist and jeweler and local farmers who sell their own crops. When we have someone who comes in with lower prices, we the business owners are the ones who suffer. It's not a competition, because we will lose." Mumblings were heard around the room as people agreed with Dale.

"At the end of the day, it is my land and I can sell it to whoever I want to," Phillip bellowed, revealing his anger at being undermined by these people.

"You mind explaining how that happened mayor? Cause last I saw, that land was for the town's use, not personal." Rick piped up from the back.

"I'm a businessman myself, you all know that I run a realty company, and when an opportunity arises - "

"You made that opportunity present itself, didn't you?" Andrea yelled from the back of the room. Beth looked back to see her leaning on the wall with her arms crossed. It was a little shocking to see Phillip's own employee talking back to him.

"I don't think we need to discuss my business deals."

"We do when it concerns the whole town," Dale yelled. "In fact, I think we need to question your entire dealings as our mayor and maybe if it's time for a new one." Phillip eyed him with dark eyes. "All those in favor of a mayoral election, say aye."

The room collected in a unanimous vote.

"All those opposed?" Dale eyed Phillip down, waiting for him to speak up.

"Guess we're having an election," Phillip spoke as he banged his gavel. "Meeting adjourned." Phillip quickly left the podium, with Milton hot on his heels. The room erupted into conversation, wondering who would run against Blake.

Daryl and Beth got up, with Lori and Rick following behind them.

"Gotta say, that was the last thing I expected to happen," Lori said as they made their way outside.

"Kinda glad it is. Blake's been in charge too long. Need someone new." Daryl added.

"Certainly going to be an interesting few weeks," Beth said. With the rest of the people coming out, they made their way to Rick's van.

"You guys need a ride back?"

"Nah, we walked over, we'll walk back," Beth said. They said goodnight and parted ways, their conversations filled with what had just transpired during the meeting.

This weekend was crazy for me so I apologize to everyone who reviewed, I never got a chance to send you a sneak peek for this chapter, and when I realized I forgot, it was too late. So I promise that I'll send an extra long one for the next chapter, that help? LOL

Thanks again to everyone for the lovely reviews and messages. I'm glad we're all friends again. No more Bethyl drama, I promise. Just cuteness! Although, as you can see, the mayor drama is heating back up again.

Thanks to Brandy and Carla for all your editing and helpfulness.

I'm close to hitting 700 reviews (are you kidding me?) I would be ecstatic to hit that with this chapter! I'll have to go buy some more Mike's Hard Lemonade to celebrate!