An overwhelming flash of lightning illuminated Meredith and Beckett's bedroom, jolting him awake with a start and making him almost bolt out of bed. The rolling rumble of thunder followed not long after, coming in waves and causing the thin glass of the windows to rattle. Heart racing in his chest and panting with fright, Beckett's eyes quickly scanned the dimly lit room they were in while his arms frantically searched for Meredith. He needn't have worried though as she was sound asleep by his side with a serene expression on her face. Heaving a long sigh of relief, Becket felt his body relax and his racing heart calmed. A cold shiver ran down his spine as images of his nightmare came flooding back in waves; he'd dreamt that he was waiting at his bar for Meredith to come back from a job, looking on down the hill expecting to see her familiar figure pop around the corner at any moment…but she never came back. Frantic and beside himself with worry, he was at a loss for what to do, until his brother Frankie came up the hill and told him Meredith was lost and in trouble in the marshlands of Appalachia and couldn't find her way back. In his dream he tried to ask for help from Foundation, but the settlement was empty, almost as if it was abandoned. Once again he found himself alone and helpless with a heavy weight of dread in the pit of his stomach. In his dream he'd sprinted off into the wilderness, searching desperately for her while facing waves and waves of enemies that kept trying to keep him from finding her. The inconsolable terror and despair he felt at the thought of never seeing her again was still raw in his mind as he curled up next to his beloved, wrapping his arms around her body and holding her close, burying his face in her hair and taking a deep breath of her scent. Fresh tears welled up in his eyes and a sob caught in his throat, surprising him.

"Beckett?" Meredith's groggy voice called out in the dark room.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" he whispered, quickly wiping the tears away from his face so she wouldn't notice he was upset.

"No…", she answered softly, turning around to face him with heavy eyelids, "That rolling thunder did though".

"Hmm…me too", he murmured, stroking the stray hairs off her face.

Meredith wiggled closer to him, burying her face under his jaw, her right arm weaving around his chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist. He held her tightly, feeling the warmth of her body against his and listened to her soft and steady breathing.

'It wasn't real, it was just a dream', he told himself, trying to quell his worry and fright. He'd never experienced such vivid and horrifying nightmares in his life; perhaps that was why he was having such a difficult time calming down. Taking a deep breath in, he pushed the awful images of the nightmare out of his mind and tried to think about nicer things. The longer he held Meredith and listened to her sleeping peacefully beside him, the easier it became to relax and ease back into sleep. He let his mind wander to happier memories of the time they'd first met, when he first noticed Meredith flirting with him and how the thought of her being interested in a guy like him made his heart flutter and gave him butterflies in his stomach. As he reminisced over the happier times he'd shared with her, his body began to relax and he gradually lulled himself to back to sleep, feeling content with Meredith safe and sound in his arms.

"It's a good thing that it's Beckett's day off today", Jen smiled at Meredith, sitting on the front porch as she was handed her a hot cup of sweet tea, "That man can sleep".

"That's kinda my fault", Meredith answered, grinning to herself, "Well…partly my fault".

"Oh", Jen raised an eyebrow and gave Meredith a knowing look, "Well, in that case… I won't comment any further".

Meredith chuckled and took a sip of her own tea before moving the topic away from her and Beckett, "How are things with you and Ward?"

A week had gone by since the Thanksgiving celebration party and Meredith hardly saw Jen since then, she was curious to know how things were going between the new couple.

"Things with Ward…", Jen pursed her lips, her gaze focused intently on the drink in her cup.

"Everything alright?" Meredith asked with concern.

"I…don't know", Jen's expression turned to perplexion, "I mean, we are seeing each other, but things have been a little…weird"

"How so?"

"Uh…", Jen scratched an imaginary itch on her forehead, "Well… I dunno how else to explain it, it feels like he's holding back a lot of the time when we're together. We've had a few moments were things got a bit…passionate, between us… only he would abruptly stop and pull away from me as if something were wrong".

"Did you ask him about it?" Meredith inquired hesitantly, paying attention to Jen's expressions.

"Yeah", Jen gave a curt nod, "He just…apologised and said he didn't want to move things too quickly". There was a disappointing tone in her voice.

"Maybe he just wants you two to get to know each other better before things become…serious", Meredith answered.

Jen exhaled in exasperation and shook her head, "I dunno. It makes me feel like he's not interested, y'know?".

"I know for a fact that that's not true", Meredith leaned forward, wanting to offer some words of comfort to her friend, "He's clearly into you Jen. Might be he's afraid of going too far, that you'll think less of him".

"That's impossible!" Jen chuckled in amusement, "He's the sweetest, most considerate person in Foundation. The things he's done to protect us all, and the way he is with me… he's such a gentleman".

Meredith shrugged, "Well, sounds to me like maybe you both need to sit down to some tea and talk things through. Being a couple isn't just about seeing each other every once in a while, sharing a kiss here and there; it's a lot of patience, hard work, and compromise – and most importantly, being honest with one another".

Jen shifted in her seat, looking somewhat uncomfortable, "You make it sound like it's a job".

"Well, it kinda is", Meredith smiled, "But it can be one of the most rewarding and satisfying, if both parties know what the other wants and expects".

"Ugh, this was supposed to be easy now!" Jen complained, making Meredith chuckle with amusement, "Like, I assumed that once a couple gets together, things move on naturally from there… the men know what to do".

"Oh you sweet child", Meredith answered with a wide grin, eliciting an amused eyeroll from Jen, "Nothing is that easy. As you described his behaviour with you, Ward is a gentleman. He is clearly waiting for you to make the first move".

"But… I thought that he would… you know, make the move himself", Jen answered, her cheeks flushing, "That's what everyone says. That we should let men make the move".

"Ha! If that were the case, there would be a lot of disappointed single women in the world", Meredith shook her head, "Listen, you want to take things further with Ward?"

Jen nodded eagerly.

"Then you're going to have to make the move", Meredith leaned back in her chair and enjoyed sipping on her tea, "You wanna get some honey, you gotta work for it".

"Meredith!" Jen exclaimed, her cheeks flushing bright red, but it only made Meredith chuckle even more, "You're incorrigible".

"Yes, I am".

The faint sound of chatter and laughter outside the house roused Beckett out of his sleep. Stretching in their big bed and rubbing the sleep out of his eyelids, Beckett awakened enough to notice that he was alone in the bed with the covers haphazardly covering his mostly naked body. He propped himself on one arm and listened to the chatter outside; once his drowsy mind realised it was Meredith and Jen having an animated chat on the porch, he relaxed back on the bed and smiled contentedly.

Though the nightmare he'd experienced sometime in the twilight hours of the morning still felt raw and fresh in his mind, he knew that Meredith was safe.

Taking his time getting out of bed, he also listened to the conversations Jen and Meredith were having outside; as he listened, he was surprised when the conversation of topic focused on Jen and Ward, more specifically that Jen was feeling frustrated with how things were progressing between the two of them. He knew he shouldn't be listening in on their private conversation, but his curiosity always got the better of him.

"Ward – a gentleman?" Beckett chuckled quietly to himself. Being an ex-raider, Beckett knew full well what kind of scenarios could possibly be playing out in Ward's mind to make him react that way; he himself had a similar reaction. It wasn't until Meredith brought down that wall between them that he felt he could express his hunger for her. Still, even though he knew Meredith loved him, he felt like he had to control that burning hunger within so as not to terrify her. Though Ward and Beckett were two different people, they were both once raiders, and Beckett knew how raiders thought when it came to these matters.

Donning his garments at a leisurely pace, Beckett checked the time on Meredith's pocket watch sitting on the bedside table and almost winced when he saw it was just gone half past 9 in the morning.

'Good thing it's your day off Beckett', he scolded himself before leisurely making his way downstairs to cook up a breakfast. By the time he'd reached the ground level, he noticed the chatter outside had died down and decided it would be impolite not to make his presence known. He opened the main door and saw Meredith sitting with Jen at the little white metal table on the porch.

"Hey Beckett", Jen smiled and offered a little wave at him, "Hope we didn't wake you".

"'Mornin'", he nod and offered a friendly smile, "I figured it was about time I got myself outta bed. Anyone up for some breakfast?"

Both women shook their heads and thanked him for his offer before he excused himself to the kitchen. By the time he'd finished making his meal – scrambled eggs, a skillet grilled tato and some slivers of radstag meat – the women had finished their little catch-up and Jen waved them both goodbye.

"So, how's Jen doing?" Beckett asked as he moved to the dinner table in the back of the living room.

"She's doin' alright", Meredith answered, pouring herself another cup of sweet tea before taking a seat opposite him, "Sleep ok?"

Beckett hesitated for a second before answering, "Yeah… yeah, you?"

"That thunder early in the morning woke me up", she said, "But other than that, yeah. Slept pretty good".

"You uh… got any plans for today?" Beckett asked warily. With the details of his nightmare still fresh in his mind, he hoped that she didn't have to go run any errands away from Foundation.

"Nope, not really. Just have to finish some weapon repairs for the guards up at Foundation but they're an easy fix", she replied, eyeing him up, "Why? You got something in mind?"

Beckett finished his meal and pushed his plate to the side, swallowing the last mouthful of scrambled eggs and radstag before answering, "I dunno, was thinking we just stay home all day…maybe go up to Foundation later in the evening".

"Stay home all day?" Meredith raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Beckett to want to lounge around in the house all day; on his days off he would usually suggest going down to the lake for a swim, or going for a walk to White Springs to take pot shots at the feral ghouls before the automated robotic defences kicked in, "You sure? Sounds like you might get bored".

"Hmm", he grinned mischievously and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, "Not if we're both at home…naked".

Meredith couldn't help but chuckle at his suggestion, "Really? You're not tired after our little…you know…last night?"

"Babe, I could go all day and all night with you if you wanted to", he cocked his head slightly to the side and licked his lips as he devoured her with his eyes, making Meredith blush.

"Well, in that case…", she pushed back her chair as she stood up and sauntered over to his side, straddling him in his seat and wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "What do you say we make a start now?"

He let her run her fingers through his hair, savouring her touch with a sigh and leaned into her, softly pressing his lips to hers. With a gentle coax of his tongue he persuaded her to part her own lips, tasting the sweetness of the tea she had recently finished. His hands wandered to her buttocks, stretching his fingers so he could take hold of and squeeze as much of her plump derrière as he could, making Meredith moan in response. Suddenly an overwhelming urge to pick her up and set her onto the table, rip both their clothes off, pin her arms above her head and drive into her again and again drowned out any other thoughts in his head…

'Get a hold of yourself Beckett', he reprimanded himself, knowing that if he let his desires free it could turn unpleasant and hurt her. The concentration on his face must have been intense because Meredith pulled away and gazed at him in concern.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah…" he exhaled quickly, softening his expression instantly.

"You sure?" Meredith grew concerned, "Something on your mind?"

Beckett chuckled and moved his arms up around her waist, pulling her close to him, "I'm fine, really… I was just thinking…"

"Oh?" she raised her eyebrows, curious to know more, "About what?"

"How much I want you", he gazed deeply into her eyes, "How…overpowering that want feels sometimes".

A sultry grin spread on her soft lips, "Mmm, it did look intense".

"You have no idea", he chuckled and shook his head, part of him feeling self-conscious of the thoughts he was harbouring.

"Well, then maybe you could tell me about it?" she leaned into him, twisting her hips ever so lightly over his and arousing him even more. The thought of letting her know what he was imagining was tantalising, but he worried that she would disapprove and think less of him.

"I uh… I dunno", he hesitated, "I'm not sure you'd like it".

"Okay, now I have to know", she looked at him curiously, "Spit it out".

Beckett felt his body stiffen in anticipation of a negative reaction from her, "Well… Sometimes I just, I-I can't… I dunno", he tripped over his own words, trying to find a good way of phrasing his thoughts, "I get this…this overpowering urge to just… have you".

The sultry look in Meredith's eyes deepened and she seemed to be into what he was laying down, "Tell me about it".

"Like just now, while we were making out… I wanted to pick you up and pin you to the table, rip off your clothes and take you…hard".

Instead of getting the negative reaction he was expecting, Meredith seemed to be into it.

"Really? On this table?", she turned back to eye the furniture up, as if trying to determine something, "Hmm… Don't see why not".

"What?" Beckett asked.

"The table - don't see why it wouldn't be able to hold up to what you're suggesting", Meredith answered, making Beckett's ears and face flush, "And if it doesn't…well, I could always make us a new one".

"You… You're serious?" Beckett chuckled hesitantly, his eyes widened in surprise.

Meredith cocked an eyebrow at him and gave him a look that suggested she wasn't kidding.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because… I dunno, because I didn't think you'd be into…that kind of intimacy", Beckett answered.

"Listen, as long as it doesn't involve anything weird or messed up like an animal sacrifice or something, I'm down for it", she answered, surprising Beckett with her candour and how open she was to trying new ways of being intimate with him.

"You…you'd be into it?" he asked.

Meredith nodded affirmatively, "Yeah".

"Just to be clear, you'd be okay with me being a little…rough with you?", he added hesitantly.

"You should know by now that I like trying new things, especially with you", she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and grinned seductively, "Long as we both know what we're getting into and we know our limits, then it's good as far as I'm concerned".

"Well then… would you like a demonstration?" Beckett asked, feeling his heart racing in his chest and that familiar sensation of his senses being overwhelmed simmering close to the surface.

Meredith scanned around, her eyes looking to the windows to see if anyone happened to be coming nearby. When she was sure there would be no interruption, she gave Beckett a curt nod and he felt the raw desires that had been bubbling in his thoughts for months now finally unleashed…

Beckett was a strong man - that was a fact Meredith never doubted; but when he grabbed her by the small of her waist and with one fluid motion picking her up off of his lap and set her on the edge of the table with a light thud, it caught her a little off guard. She let out an small yelp of surprise, and felt something primal within her stir at the fierceness of his body language as he pressed himself to her, his tall body looming over her petite frame. She knew Beckett would never hurt her, but she was also very aware that he was a lot stronger than her; he could do whatever he wanted to her and that made Meredith's heart race in her chest.

The intensity of his stare made her want to look away, but as soon as he noticed her eyes straying from his dark gaze he reached out with his right hand and clasped his fingers firmly around her lower jaw, directing her attention back to him. Before she had a chance to say anything, he reached down and ripped her shirt clean off her body, tossing the tattered remains to the ground and examining her bare torso shivering slightly in the cool room. Her breath hitched when his eyes came back up to meet hers, the intensity softening somewhat when he saw her concern.

"I'm not gonna hurt you", he spoke in a low and reassuring tone and Meredith's body relaxed slightly at his promise. She allowed herself to let go, to let Beckett wash over her with an intense passion she'd not experienced before.

With his grip on her lower jaw softening, he ran the soft pad of his thumb over her plump lips, coaxing them open. For a brief moment he seemed to stand over her, savouring the sight of her before him, before his grip on her lower jaw tightened again and gently turned her head slightly to one side to expose the side of her neck. At this point Meredith had no idea what to expect anymore; her heart raced faster in her chest, breathing quickened to a light pant, but she also felt something stir inside her core. She wanted him more than anything, wanted to see and feel what he would do next, and the thought of being at his mercy both frightened and thrilled her.

Letting out a low rumble in his throat, Beckett leaned forward and began caressing the side of her neck with his lips, trailing soft kisses down from her lower jaw to her collarbone. Meredith closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the sensation, feeling her nipples stand erect. She felt him firmly press his free hand on her waist, slowly and seductively going up her torso to find her pert right breast. His fingers wrapped around the soft skin, squeezing until it became just a little uncomfortable and her body twitched in response. Immediately she felt his grip ease to a much more pleasant pressure while his thumb and index fingers slid to her hard nipple and rubbed it apologetically. The sensation was so pleasing she felt the familiar warmth building between her legs. Exhaling with delight, her head relaxed back slightly, allowing Beckett to bury his face in the crook of her neck, taking in a deep breath of her scent before the hand that was on her breast moved down to her jeans to expertly undo the fastenings. With a couple of wilful tugs he got her loose jeans and underwear down to her knees, and with another swift movement pulled them off her completely. Meredith grinned in amusement before Beckett placed a hand on her chest and directed her to lay on her back. Once in position and still feeling unsure of what was to come, she felt him move down between her legs and hitch her legs up over his shoulders. The surface of the table was cold, giving her skin goosebumps and making her body shiver lightly every so often, though her attention was quickly distracted by a warmth between her legs as Beckett proceeded to use his tongue to satisfy her. Licking his way to her pleasure, Meredith writhed and moaned in response to his movements. Apart from the intensity at the start, Meredith thought their intimate love making was going as it normally does, though that could change at any moment. Beckett insisted that Meredith always cum first before he made any move to come inside her, which was something that she was not about to question; but it made her wonder what would happen after. Would he be as sweet and soft as he normally was, or was she about to see the full intensity of his passion come out?

A low rumbling moan, almost like a growl, brought Meredith back to reality and she noticed that the anticipation of what was awaiting her was distracting her thoughts away from the present and making her take longer to cum. Luckily Beckett knew exactly what to do to move things along. Using his middle finger, he began making small circular motions at her opening while his tongue worked hard stroking her clit in tantalising circles just the way she liked. Her breath hitched and she grabbed the corners of the table, feeling her knuckles go yellow with her tight grip on the rough and thick wood. With a slow movement she felt his middle finger penetrate her in an unfluctuating twisting motion. She felt her insides burn hot and her walls flutter around his finger. Chest heaving with every breath, Meredith succumbed to the wonderful sensations that he was unleashing on her body until she felt herself reach the precipice and an explosion released within her. A sharp inhale and she was there, her back arched as the waves of bliss pulsated through her body, feeling like she lost control and every part of her being saturated with a lust and desire that could only be quelled one way.

With her mind still swimming with the aftereffects of her climax, Meredith peered through heavy lidded eyes and saw Beckett appear in her line of sight again, pressing his body against hers. The corners of his lips turned up in a mischievous grin, Beckett planted his lips hard onto hers and Meredith could feel him moving closer between her legs. She heard the zip of his jeans being undone and then the familiar pressure of his groin against hers. She didn't resist, just lay there panting and recovering from her climax that made her sex pulsate with satisfaction and crave him even more.

Satisfied with making Meredith cum with such a crescendo, Beckett quickly picked up Meredith's legs and hitching them over his shoulders, he grabbed hold of her hips and pulled her to him. There was only one thought that was in his mind, one urgent need that he had to fulfil – and that was to feel himself inside her, to feel her warmth, her heartbeat within.

With one hand he guided his member to her opening, relishing the sensation of her wet and warm lips ready for him. Her body gave inadvertent twitches as he stroked his head over the length of her sex before pressing his head between the curtains of her lips, feeling for her opening.

He grunted when he felt her flesh give way and his head enter her, her walls pulsating around him as if she were pulling him deeper inside. Running his hand hungrily up her torso, he wrapped his fingers around her lower jaw and directed her attention to him. Only when her blue eyes connected with his did he push forward as deep as he could go, eliciting a pleasing whimper from his lover. Once he was fully sheathed, he calmed himself enough to make sure she was still up for what was about to come.

"Mere… are you sure?" he asked her one more time, wanting to make certain that she hadn't changed her mind about what she was getting into.

"Yes", she sighed, looking up at him with hungry and pleading eyes, "I'm yours".

Beckett straightened his back and tightened his grip on her hips to keep her in place as he pulled out slowly before quickly driving his tingling cock back inside her, forcing more of himself into her and at the same time feeling his erection grow. He wasn't going to hurt her, he'd never liked it when he saw the others abuse the women; but there was a need inside him, animalistic in nature, that burned for her…to have her raw, to satiate the anguish he longed for her. In truth, even when he was with her, inside her, he wanted more; it never felt like enough, but this was one way to ease that need.

He felt his blood rush through his body like a turbulent river, propelled by his racing heartbeat to his skin and groin as his body strained with the effort of keeping a fast and steady pace. The table creaked with every movement, an outcry to its abuse, but Meredith encouraged him to continue with her loud moans and gasps that escaped her delicious lips, dispersed every once in a while with a guttural groan or exhale from him. Reaching his fever pitch, Beckett leaned into her pressing some of his weight on her mons and lower stomach to help balance him while his hips carried on their fast paced and hard thrusting. He let go of her hips and wrapped his arms around her body, holding her tightly to him. He was a machine, muscles rippling with every movement he made; the veins in his arms, neck and around his mons full of precious blood budding up on his skin. Just as he felt he was reaching the tipping point he slowed to a stop and hovered over Meredith, eyes shut tight and chest heaving with every breath as he concentrated hard on not releasing his load just yet.

"You alright?" he heard her voice call to him and the familiar touch of her hands and fingertips trailing soothing patterns on his shoulders and through his hair.

"Yeah", he exhaled, giving a nod of additional affirmation, "Don't want to cum yet".

"Oh", there was a mix of relief and disappointment in her voice, enough to make him want to open his eyes again.

"You doing alright?"

Meredith smiled with satisfaction and craned her head up to kiss him, giving his lips a quick lick that made his cock throb before she relaxed back onto the table, "More than alright. That felt so good".

He exhaled a chuckle and rested his head on her chest in relief, "Well then, I'll carry on… soon as I calm myself down a little".

Beads of sweat peppered his skin as he gave himself a few moments of respite. He soon carried on with a similar feverish pace, stopping every once in a while to stop himself from releasing too quickly so he could savour her. He felt her move slightly below him, angling her hips in different ways until she found her sweet spot; soon as she did he immediately saw a change in her. It was as if the wild need he was experiencing had spread to her; like the flip of a switch, the sweet and gentleness in her eyes was replaced with a hunger and a loud whine escaped her throat as he thrust into her. Her insides tightened and rippled around his erect member, pulling him further inside her.

'Fuck!' he thought as he realised if he didn't take a pause now he would be done for.

"Don't stop", she commanded, nails digging into his upper arms as she wrapped her legs around his hips. By the intense look on her face she was close too. It was an order he couldn't refuse.

With a final effort Beckett drove into her again and again, the base of his cock stroking her clit. Beckett shouted as he felt a roar of divine pleasure release from within himself and Meredith squirmed underneath not long after as her legs tighten around his waist and her hips bucked. When he looked down he could see the same waves of delight that were coursing within him being shared by her; she'd cum a second time.

The urge had been begging to be released was quelled…for now.

"See?" Meredith sighed, "Didn't have to worry about me not liking this".

Beckett grinned and sighed, shifting his weight to his elbows as he came up to press his lips to hers.

"Now that I know you like it, I won't hold back in the future", he added teasingly, making Meredith chuckle. She wiggled from under him and picked up his shirt, pulling it over her head and let the loose material hang over her body like a dress that just skimmed over her intimate area and barely covered her attractive derriere. If he wasn't so spent, the mere sight of her in his shirt would have sent him into a frenzy.

"How the hell'd I get so lucky to have you, huh?" he asked out loud with a sheepish grin on his face, walking up to her and pulling her to him. She rose up to her tiptoes and embraced her lips with his, softly and tenderly before giving his lower lip a light and playful nip.

"I seem to recall it took a bit of enticing and encouragement from me", she answered and Beckett couldn't help but chuckle at her response. She wasn't wrong; if Meredith hadn't persuaded him to stay those months ago, who knows where he could have ended up now. One thing was certain if he chose the alternative – he would have regretted not taking her up on her offer for the rest of his life.