Athlete Girl here – I hope you're all enjoying the BEST holiday ever, Halloween! No guilt, no presents, no expectations, and hanging with the people that you WANT to be with. And you can be whoever or whatever you want for a whole day, totally my favorite day of the year!

I thought I'd try to put out a quick Halloween story. It's based on Chapter 4 (Secret) of this story, so read that first please. The idea for Meth's costumes comes from a story SOA Loving Mom wrote a while back, I'm just a little too lazy today to come up with my own idea and these fit the bill pretty well so I'm citing her.

And finally, a note to everyone who seems to be wringing their hands over Carol's confession from last week's episode – lots of you have been wanting her to become a badass. That has happened. Even if she's covering for someone, she's still a BADASS. Be happy for God's sake.

Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf

Laundry. Laundry was the perfect detail to work to avoid Merle Butthole Dixon. Beth could just quietly collect everyone's dirty clothes and sheets and hide back in the laundry room. The only people she came across were Carol and a few of the Woodbury women who helped scrub. She let them babble and gossip around her, fading into the background as usual, though lately she was fuming. I've never been so humiliated in my life. He let me say those….those….personal things while I thought he was still unconscious. I lay my heart out and he stomped all over it. Then he laughed, he laughed at me. Back at home the boys fought over dating me. But they were just boys and everyone here thinks I'm just a stupid little girl.

Her torture had continued after Merle healed and she was forced to see him at mealtimes. The first time he caught her eye he had burst out laughing, holding his side in pain and he laughed even harder when she flounced out of the room with tears in her eyes. Daryl had put a stop to that, growling at Merle to leave her alone. Days later she was collecting dirty plates and accidentally dropped a glass that shattered on the floor. "Shoot," she had muttered, crouching to pick up the bigger pieces. Merle had been leaving and he paused next to her for a few seconds. "Pretty sure I got summa that in my pants little girl," he chuckled softly as he walked by. Beth had looked up in shock, blushing and open-mouthed but he was already gone and no one else had heard him.

She looked at the pile of clean wet clothes through the tears that had gathered in her eyes. What was I thinking anyway? He wants a woman not a girl. She thought about the handful of Woodbury guys that had been pushing up on her lately. Jake, cute but too young. Noah, not cute and too creepy. Bob, never smiles and too old. She stopped for a moment to consider her thoughts. Jake was actually older than her by two or three years, but he acted like such a cocky immature jerk. He actually asked me if I could twerk for him. I thought Maggie was going to shoot him. And there was just something about Noah that set her off – he was always off by himself. And Bob was a nice man, probably in his 30s or 40s but he was so serious and old beyond his years.

She frowned at the pile of clothes. Merle was a cocky jerk too…..but he was usually right when it came down to it. Plus when he was being cocky he was usually pretty funny. And Merle was a loner kind of like Noah, the only one he ever hung out with was Daryl and even they fought a lot. And to be honest Merle was definitely older than Bob, he was one of the oldest men on the compound except for the truly elderly. But she could never consider Merle old because while he could be serious he was never grave like Bob tended to be. Merle was alive and vital and….well he was definitely all man. She thought back to what his chest and stomach had felt like under her hand, then she realized that she had been staring at that pile of clothes for a while.

"I'm going to get the dirty stuff from the perch," she called and left the other women to their gossip. Usually people left their dirty stuff in a pile by their cell door on the days they did laundry so picking things up was easy. She took a deep breath when she got to Merle's cell. No pile. She sighed and marveled at how neat the room was. Must be from the military she thought as she regarded his neatly made bed and folded clothes. She recognized one pile of clothes as being recently worn so she collected those then she looked at the bed. They hadn't washed sheets in a month and even though she didn't want to wreck his neat bed she knew the bedding needed cleaning. She put down her pile of clothes and deconstructed the bed, pulling off the fitted sheet and top sheet. She put those on top of the pile so that when she picked the pile up she could surreptitiously smell them on the way back to the laundry room.

She was pulling the pillowcase off the pillow when she saw the scrap of pink peeking out from below the mattress. She bent over and noticed that it was fabric. She pulled on it and it slid out, making her gasp. Panties! These are mine! And they're….oh my God they're dirty. Beth stood gaping at the pink fabric in her hand. Fury built up in her and she lifted the mattress to find three more pairs of her panties hidden underneath. All of them were unwashed and two of them had been missing since before Merle had been hurt. Beth was innocent but she had had an older brother and she had heard plenty of things in high school. Her face colored and she growled. He's been USING my panties for….and before I even told him…..oh gross!

Beth threw the remainder of her underwear in the pile and stalked out of the cellblock, pink panties in hand. She was done being the victim and she wanted her pride back. She opened the door and squinted in the bright sunlight. Merle was with a group of men at the fence surveying the newest wave of walkers leaning against the fence. Glen was with him and he happened to turn around as Beth was approaching. "Wow," said Glen. "I don't think I've ever seen Beth really angry before but she looks like she wants to rip somebody's head off." A few of the guys turned to see Beth stalking towards them, her mouth set in a grim line and her ponytail bouncing on her shoulder. Merle's eyebrows shot up. "Gonna give somebody hell," he chuckled and a couple guys laughed with him.

Merle's eyebrows went higher when she stopped in front of him with her hands on her hips and said, "Merle Dixon!" He could see that she had something clutched in her hand. He gave her his five-star smile and even gave his hips a little swivel. "Hey there darlin'," he said genially. Beth's chest heaved as she tried to control herself. "You are an awful, dirty man!" she said. Merle rubbed his chin. "Ya just pickin' up on that?" he asked. Meanwhile the crowd watched with interest, this was the best entertainment they'd had in a long time.

Beth spoke through clenched teeth and dangled the pink panties in his face. "I don't EVEN want to know what disgusting things you've been doing with my panties in your cell but I want it to stop! Now!" Merle only blinked in response. "Man's gotta have a hobby sugar," he said. "Eeergh!" shrieked Beth, slapping him in the chest with her panty-covered fist. "Keep your hands….hand off of my panties Merle!" She wheeled around and stalked back into the cellblock, still pissed but proud of herself for finally standing up to him. Merle chuckled then looked at Glen who was glaring at him. "Static cling," said Merle. "Musta stuck to my pillercase."

TWDTWDTWD TWDTWDTWD TWDTWDTWD TWDTWDTWD TWDTWDTWD

Beth finished the last few stitches in the flickering lantern light in her cell. She broke the thread with her teeth and snapped the loose threads off of the piece of old curtain in her lap then she inspected her handiwork. It wasn't professional by any means but it was red and it would definitely pass for a hood and a cape. She had trimmed the inside of the hood with some white fabric scraps so it wasn't so stiff. The kids would love it and that's what was important. They were so excited for a Halloween party and they wanted Miss Beth to be in costume too. She had found an old broken basket and lined that with fabric and she planned to fill it with some candy that had come back from the last run. Little Red Riding Hood was going to stop by the party on her way to Grandma's house to hand out treats to the kids.

She frowned sadly when she thought of the kids. They needed a day of happiness and she hoped nothing happened to ruin it. Several of them were upset that they didn't have costumes so she and Carol had been fixing them up as best as they could as hobos, pirates and princesses. There were rumors that the adults might have their own party later and that brought a soft smile back to Beth's face. She'd love to see some of the stressed out people relax and have fun. Maybe Rick and Michonne would stop dancing around each other. She was pretty sure that Tyreese and Karen were together and even though they'd never announced anything the nightly moans coming out of Daryl's cell had verified that he and Carol were a thing.

And I don't care whether Merle comes or not, she thought. I'm over him. I'll just be single. Forever.

The party had been a success. Even the kids who had been traumatized by recent losses had participated, shyly taking the candy from Beth. Carol had dressed as a pirate, penciling in a mustache on her face and wearing an eye patch, and she and Beth led the kids in an hour's worth of games that had them all laughing and breathless. The Woodbury women made dinner during the party and after the dishes were cleaned and the kids put to bed several bottles of wine and a partial bottle of whiskey hit the table.

Beth got Judith settled into Rick's cell and giggled when she turned around and saw Michonne wearing Rick's officers hat and uniform shirt. "Think he'll be surprised? I got the shirt from the laundry and the hat from Carl," said Michonne with a sly grin. "I know he will be," said Beth. She and Michonne walked together to the kitchen and peeked in. Several guys were already passing the whiskey around including Merle, Daryl and Glen. Zach hung around them, trying to be part of the group but the whiskey bottle never seemed to get around to him.

Maggie had on tall boots and long earrings with a scarf around her head to be a gypsy girl and after a few glasses of wine she pulled Glen to the side to give him a special gypsy lap dance. That's when Hershel decided to go to bed. Everyone laughed when Rick came in from watch dressed as a prisoner and gawking in surprise when he saw Michonne dressed as him. Michonne approached him smoothly and said, "Don't fight me or I'll have to use the cuffs." Rick cocked his head and looked her up and down then laughed, "I don't plan on resisting." They were seen having a couple glasses of wine but they mysteriously disappeared about an hour into the party.

Daryl sauntered over to stand by Carol, his hair standing in all directions and his eyes bright with alcohol. Carol looked up to him smiling then did a double take. "Oh my God Daryl, you're bleeding," she said as she spied red dripping from the corner of his mouth and down the side of his chin. He smiled to reveal a cheap pair of dime store vampire fangs and she laughed covering her mouth, her eyes dancing. "Ketchup," he said, unable to keep the smile off of his face. Before long they were in a dark corner of the kitchen and Daryl was trying his fangs out on Carol's neck as she giggled in mock horror. They were gone not long after Rick and Michonne.

Beth played cards and homemade Pictionary with a number of people including Jake and Noah. The boys tried to pressure her to play Truth or Dare but she knew that could only lead to trouble. There were several pairs of eyes on her that night but the only ones she felt were Merle's. He was standing off away from the tables with a bunch of men who were sharing a couple battered cigars and knocking off the whiskey bottle. She could hear him telling his tales of derring-do from across the room and the few glances she hazarded had tugged at her heart. He was wearing a pair of button fly jeans and a black button down shirt and was freshly shaved. His arms moved animatedly as he pantomimed one violent act or another. She pressed her lips together and concentrated on her cards, trying to drive him from her mind. She realized that Jake had been talking to her.

"Hmm?" she asked. "Sorry, I'm just a little tired." Jake looked at her from across the table and leaned forward, taking her hand in his. "I said how about we go back to my cell and play a game in there?" Beth looked at him, temporarily frozen in surprise then shook her head and pulled her hand from his. "I'm sorry Jake, I'm just not interested," she said with an awkward smile. "But I'm happy to keep playing here." Jake wasn't ready to quit yet though. He stood up and gave Beth a confident smile then swaggered around the table and sat next to her. "C'mon Beth, it's the end of the world. You and I might have to repopulate the earth. We should get to know each other sooner rather than later, don't you think? Don't be such a tease."

Beth's jaw dropped at his arrogance. "Oh!" she said indignantly as Jake suddenly jerked up out of the chair. She looked up to see Merle holding a dangling Jake by the back of the shirt. "Boys had a little too much ta drink," Merle announced. "Time ta go sleep it off." Jake protested. "But I haven't had any…." Then he yelped as Merle cuffed him in the ribs. "Need me to escort ya or can ya get there on ya own boy?" Merle growled. "I've got it," said Jake. He glared back at Merle as he went through the door to D block. "Asshole," he muttered and Merle laughed.

With that the party cleared out and Beth began to straighten out the cards, her jaw tightening as she realized that Merle was still behind her. She put the rubber band around the cards and stood up, turning to look at him. He was reclined against a table, his arms crossed, and he was watching her intently. "Don't ferget ya basket," he said quietly. She gave him a one-sided smile and reached under the table to retrieve the basket that was almost devoid of candy. She turned to him and said, "Good night Merle" and he stood up. "I'm walkin' ya to ya cell," he replied.

They didn't speak as they made their way to her cell. As she walked through the doorway she turned to him. "Thank you Merle," she said. He leaned against the doorframe, his eyes not leaving hers. She had looked so goddamned pure and innocent in that red getup tonight, he wanted to rip her clothes off and defile her in every way imaginable. He had damage control to do first though.

"Ya gonna give me some candy?" he asked. She looked up at him, her blond hair spilling out of the hood and her blue eyes luminous in her heart shape face. She nodded and opened the basket, pulling out a Jolly Rancher. She walked up to him and held it up. He took it from her and put it in his front pocket. He pulled the front of her hood, drawing her to him. "Cain't blame a man for wantin' a little somethin' sweet," he said softly, his eyelids drooping over his darkening eyes. She could smell whiskey and cigar smoke on him.

"Ya smell sweet," he rasped, moving the cape back away from her shoulders. He tugged at the cape and she pushed it off, laying it and the basket down on the bed and turning back to him. Her mouth was slightly open. He stared at it and lowered his head, barely brushing her lips with his. She felt a warm rush in her core and all the way into her toes. He tilted his head and slowly pushed her hair away from her neck with his nose. He breathed deeply, fuck she smells like strawberries. He let his lips graze the tender skin on her neck and she moaned. One little moan and she's got me all but undone he thought. Merle huffed against the side of her neck and pushed his hardness into her. She looked up, shocked, into his eyes.

"I know how ya smell," he said. "I know how ya taste." She knew he was talking about what he had done with her panties and instead of disgusting her she found herself incredibly turned on She rose on her toes and he crushed her in a kiss and they both fought to breathe as their tongues battled. She clutched at him, consumed and time ceased to exist. She didn't need anything else but this and she had no idea how long they kissed and explored each other. Time came to her in snapshots. His arms were around her and her legs were shaking. Her pants were around her ankles and his shirt was off and her fingers were pulling at his belt. She was leaning on him and melting into his hard contours and she just needed to feel him. The skin on her neck was rubbed raw from his beard and she arched into it, her back sinking into the mattress. He suckled her breasts and her hands weaved into his hair. She thrashed and called his name. "The fuck you do to me little girl?" he growled into the flesh of her belly, looming over the top of her in her bunk.

He had lost almost every semblance of control and she was shaking as he parted her legs and buried himself in her sex. Fuck yes, that's her taste. He attacked her burying his tongue deep and she yelped in surprise. Slow the fuck down, ya gotta take control a this he thought. He knew it was her first time and they were going way too fast. She was out of her mind and he needed to bring her back. Back to him. He slowed his tongue and lightened his touch. He realized that his fingers were digging into the flesh of her hip and he relaxed, stroking her skin.

He pulled back. "Gonna make ya feel good baby. Ya lay back." Beth slowly relaxed and her breathing slowed. Her hands came down to his forearms questioningly. "Good girl," he said. "Ya touch whatever feels good, help me along." Beth had masturbated before but she had never been touched by another person. Her heart hammered as she listened to the soft smacking sounds that Merle's mouth was making against her most private of places. He softly tongued her hard little nub and she almost screamed with the pleasure of it. He slowly inserted his finger, stopping whenever she stiffened then pressing on until he reached the top of her.

He moved the tip of his finger gently as he moved his warm soft tongue lovingly against her. She was dripping wet and her muscles were pulling his finger into her tightness. Gonna be so tight on my cock. Fuck. Concentrate on her clit, not your dick. He patiently moved, waiting for her to find his rhythm. Her hips began to move with him and he felt her vaginal muscles pulse. "That's it baby," he said against her. "Pinch your nipples." Beth complied and closed her eyes. She felt a twinge of pleasure and pushed into it with her hips, moaning his name. He fought to keep his movements slow and let her move against him, listening to her breathing. He glanced up to see her pinching the prettiest set of nipples he'd ever seen and his dick throbbed painfully. One thrust and he could be in that tightness. He stilled his thoughts and concentrated on her.

Beth felt her eyes roll back and her breathing shallow, and her body tensed under him. He fought to keep his pace slow as she began to shatter. She felt her legs beginning to shake and suddenly the universe was exploding in her pussy, the fireworks bright against her eyelids and juice gushing over his finger. Her moans escalated and he replaced his tongue with his finger so he could cover her mouth with his. She was bucking under him and her legs twisted in the sheets. Merle lined up and felt himself at the entrance to heaven and pushed, meeting resistance. "Fuck," he swore, pushing himself off of her to pump his cock a few times until he spattered her stomach.

He was covered in sweat and panting rapidly. It had taken everything to pull off of her. He looked down at her. Beth was sweaty and her skin glowed in the soft moonlight. He propped himself on his right arm as he looked at her gentle hands smoothing over her pert breasts and down her tight belly into the triangle of soft blonde curls. Her eyes were closed and her lips were softly pursed. It was as if she were feeling her body for the first time. Feeling what it could do in response to a man's touch. She opened her eyes lazily to search his and her hand moved to his face. His head dropped as he leaned into her touch.

Later when she thought about that night she couldn't recall the sequence of events or what exactly they had done together. What she remembered in clear detail was the look in Merle's eyes as they connected with hers after he claimed her. Those were eyes that she woke up to every morning afterward, the eyes she turned to for strength and hope in times of trouble, and the only eyes she ever needed to feel whole.

I hope you enjoyed! AG