TWD: Not mine. If it was, the cast would come to all of your homes and recreate "Coda" in the way YOU want them to.

The fireworks display was magnificent, a shower of colors exploding every few seconds. The adults were mesmerized, while the kids shouted after every eruption. It went on for over an hour before the last set was released to the sky. By that point most of the kids were exhausted whereas the adults seemed to be re-energized. The walk back to the Grime's home was quieter with many of the children being held by their parents.

"I think it's time to take Michael home" Glenn said as they got back to the house. He was carrying a sleeping Michael across his chest.

"What was your first hint?" Beth smiled as she smoothed Muck's t-shirt back. She looked around and saw many of the adults going through the same motions of getting their things and heading out.

"Just give me a second to grab my stuff and say goodbye." She walked up the front yard and let herself in through the front door. As she stepped into the dining room she got an eyeful. Daryl and Abraham were in the middle of an arm wrestling match while Karen, Gareth, and Rosita cheered them on.

"Whoever loses has to drink whatever is left over from all those beer glasses left on the table" Rick explained to her as he approached her.

That was the most disgusting thing she'd ever heard and her face must have reflected that because Rick began to laugh at her expression.

"I don't understand men." She sighed and turned to Rick "Where's Michonne, I wanted to say goodbye to her before I leave."

"You leaving?" Daryl asked as he turned to look at her. That distraction was all Abe needed as he quickly pushed Daryl's arm down.

Both Rick and Beth groaned at the same moment, making it clear they had been rooting for the professor.

"You should stay Beth, we're setting up the beer pong table in the back." Rosita called out as she stood and made her way towards the back porch.

"Excuse me, we don't play beer pong here" Michonne interrupted as she came down the stairs, a baby monitor in her hand.

"We play sophisticated games because we are sophisticated people" she handed Rick the baby monitor and then turned to Beth. "We're playing Flip-Cup."

Beth wasn't much into alcohol-themed games, but that was one she actually enjoyed and for a second she was disappointed that she had to miss it.

Michonne nudged Rick a little before looking at her with a knowing grin

"We can drive you home if you'd like to stay" Rick offered.

"That's okay, I can take her home. I know where she lives" Daryl came up to them twisting his right arm, clearly sore from his loss.

"That settles it, Beth you're on my team" Michonne smiled as she headed outside to join the crowd.

Rick chuckled as he went to follow his wife "We don't get to spend time with friends like this very often" he said as explanation as he gestured towards Michonne.

Although Beth was excited to spend some more time with her friends, she wasn't exactly in the mood to continue drinking. She excused herself for a minute to tell Glenn about the change of plans, punching him in the arm when he insinuated something about her ride home. Once back inside, she made a bee line to Daryl.

"Daryl, I don't think I can drink anymore tonight" she said after finding him in the backyard. He lowered his eyes slightly and smiled. He handed her the bottle he was currently drinking from and encouraged her to take a sip.

"Its water" she said after she swallowed.

"I've got shit to do tomorrow" he said as he took it back "and I'm too old to be hung-over after a party."

He put his hand on the small of her back and led her to the large table. Whoever had organized the game had decided it would be men versus women, so Beth took a seat in between Lily and Haley, two of Michonne's friends. Daryl sat across from Beth, essentially making them compete against each other. He reached over and took the plastic cup in front of her and poured a bit of his "beer" into it. He winked as he gave it back to her, quickly filling up his own. Beth grinned as she looked down at the water. My hero she mouthed at him causing him to wink again.

Rick waited until everyone was ready, the crowd of adults laughing like idiots with excitement. He slammed his hand on the table, signaling the start of the game. Gareth and Rosita were first, and downed their drinks before placing their cups upside down and attempting to flip them back into place. After a few tries, both succeeded prompting Ty and Karen to take their turn. Everyone was laughing and cheering their side on. Within seconds, it was Abraham and his wife's turn to chug their drinks and flip their cups over. When it came time to Haley and another man Beth didn't know, she turned to Daryl and grinned knowing their turn would soon come. Haley and her partner finished as the same time and in unison Beth and Daryl grabbed their cups and chugged their waters. Both slammed the cups down at the same time and attempted to flip them. Beth flipped hers successfully on the first try and quickly looked up to see Daryl struggling with his. She ignored Lily's attempt next to her and kept staring at Daryl, laughing hysterically every time his cup fell over.

"Come on man, you're killing us!" Gareth was standing and yelling at him.

"Shut the fuck up!" Daryl grunted as he leaned down to pick up his cup again.

"Hey Daryl, haven't you been single for a while?" Abraham was laughing from his seat. "I'd a figured you'd have a lot of practice flicking that wrist of yours by now."

Daryl ignored the wails of laughter and after a few more tries was able flip the cup over. He stood with both arms raised in victory, but it was too late as Michonne, like Beth, flipped her cup on the first try, sealing the women's victory. They all cheered and congratulated each other as Rick went over and high-fived his wife. After several more rounds, Beth felt Daryl kicking his foot gently against hers under the table.

"You ready to head out?" Daryl asked as he leaned over. Beth sighed and nodded, suddenly feeling a little sleepy. Even though she could feel her body start shutting down, this was the most fun she'd had in a very long time, and she was a little hesitant to let it go.

It probably took both Beth and Daryl a good half hour to actually leave. Rick was concerned about how much Daryl had to drink until he confessed that he'd been drinking water and fruit punch for the last few hours. Beth helped Michonne clean up some before she was practically pushed out the door. She made sure to say goodbye to everyone at the party, the least she could do since they all made her feel so welcomed and happy. With one final hug from Michonne, they were out the door and headed into the driveway and towards Daryl's truck. Once inside she leaned on the glass and closed her eyes for a second, reflecting back on her day.

These are the moments that keep me here with you/No matter how deep I've fallen, you always see me through...

She was brought back to the present with the slamming of Daryl's door. She slowly turned and smiled a shy smile that he reciprocated.

"Thanks for the ride"

"It's nothing" he mumbled as he pulled the truck out of the driveway. She leaned back against the glass and watched the night pass by; seeing flashes of light every few minutes indicating fireworks were still being lit across town. She turned to look at him and noticed he was biting his thumb. Maybe it was the little bit of alcohol that was still in her system, or maybe it was the comfort she now felt around him.

Regardless of what it was, she dared to ask him "What's on your mind?"

He didn't answer right away, almost as if he was debating what to say.

"Was wondering how tired you were."

Beth stared at him for a second. That was not at all what she was expecting.

"I'm pretty tired, but not exhausted. Why?"

He took a deep breath as they came to a stop sign. He kept the truck there for longer than necessary and then turned to her.

"We'll be driving by the college and I kind of wanted to check up on the greenhouse. That way I wouldn't have to worry about it tomorrow."

"Oh," Beth said as she looked over to the direction of the college.

"Never mind, I'll go tomorrow" he turned on the left hand signal that would lead towards Beth's apartment.

"No, that's okay." Beth sat up straighter, the exhaustion she lied about earlier leaving her entirely. "I'd love to see it."

"It's late."

"It's after one in the morning. Technically it's early." She smiled at the old joke. He looked at her with those familiar hooded eyes before nodding. He flipped up the turn signal and turned to the right, driving them to the college.

She had been expecting him to pull up to the parking lot, but instead Daryl took some backwards entrance that led him directly onto the campus. She supposed that made sense. It was the middle of the night, and it wasn't likely there would be many people walking around. As they drove through the campus, a light to their right caught both of their attention. He stopped in the middle of the walkway and Beth rolled down her window. They both heard the sounds of music coming from the direction of their theater.

"They must be practicing their play." He concluded and Beth nodded in agreement. She turned and looked at him, a huge grin on her face. He took one look at her and rolled his eyes, turning the truck towards the arena, following the sounds of the music. He pulled over a few feet away from the theater entrance and Beth quickly jumped out, looking towards Daryl and gesturing him to hurry. When he came within arms distance, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the arena. It wasn't necessary, both knew exactly where to go.

There were six students on the stage area, two of them with guitars and four behind them practicing an elaborate dance.

Beth slowed down as she took in the sight, swaying gently to the guitars. Daryl took the lead just then and brought them to their usual siting spot, gently pulling her down to sit next to him. The night had gotten cooler than typical for a summer night, and Beth felt the goose bumps on her arms as she leaned onto Daryl, feeling his warmth carry over to her. She closed her eyes and leaned on his shoulder as she felt his fingers entwined with hers, getting lost in the song.

"And here I am, softer than a shower

And here I am to garner you with flowers"

"It's beautiful" she whispered against his shoulder. She felt him nod against her as she opened her eyes, still focusing on the musicians. It was intimate, almost as if they were playing a song just for them, how else could anyone explain the perfection of this moment.

"And take my hand and cradle it in your hand

And take my hand, to feel the pull the quicksand

I lay you down, In clover bed
The stars a roof, above our heads"

"I think we should come see the show when it opens" She suggested, proud of her boldness, but even more proud of knowing she'd be okay if he said no.

"Was thinking the same thing" he responded, still watching them perform. She smiled and gently moved away from him, standing and pulling him with her, their hand still connected.

"Well then, let's leave now so we don't get further spoiled." He nodded down at her and she gently pulled him on, leading them both back to his truck. Once there, he opened the door for her and watched her get in. As she got comfortable she looked up at him and found him staring at her. She kept her eyes on him for a moment before looking down at her hand, the one that had been holding on to his for so long. He closed the door and made his way to the driver's side as she willed her heart to slow down.

The look he had given her was haunting, one he'd never given her before. It was different then when she caught him staring at her at the party earlier. It was different than the one from Carol's birthday. It was even different than the one so long ago after her and Shane had broken up.

For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt nervous around him. It all came rushing back to her…the longing, the need, the desire she'd try to push away so many times. There was something else, something new, something she couldn't identify, and that was where her nervousness came from. Was it possible that he was feeling it too?

She was so busy trying to figure it all out that she hadn't realized they had gotten to the greenhouse until he turned off the engine. She let him walk up to the entrance and waited until he unlocked the door before she stepped out of the truck, almost as if she knew that he also needed a moment to process. She closed the truck door behind her and slowly walked up to him, watching him tense up for a second before turning to her and smiling. He stepped aside and let her go in front of him. She took a few steps in before the lights turned on.

"Oh." She said simply, disappointment obvious in her tone. Daryl laughed and she was happy to see his shoulders relax.

"This is utilities entrance, all the floras are on the other side." He went into another room and gestured her to follow him. The room was filled with pipes and hoses running all over the walls and floor, with knobs and computers placed throughout the room. She wondered how the computers worked in there considering it was so humid. She watched him go through various controllers, twisting some and passing by others, checking the valves that ran across the white pipes, and undoing a few hoses that had knotted together. He stopped at one of the computers and clicked on the keyboard before nodding to himself and shutting it off. After doing the same thing to another computer, he came up to her and smiled.

"You ready?"

She was not ready, she realized, as she walked around the giant greenhouse she had heard so much about. It was absolutely stunning, nothing like she had imagined. It was roughly the size of a football field, but somehow, once inside, it appeared to be smaller. The plants were lined along either side, separated by a pathway made of stone that was wide enough for two people to walk on side by side. On the ground, small wooden posts lined the path meant as protection to keep the flora from being trampled on. The plants, flowers, and trees were lined in a form of a maze, forming left and ride turns every few feet, though leading in a single direction. Beth noticed all the signs posted prohibiting people from touching any of the plants or stepping off the pathway.

The greenhouse was divided into sections depending on what type of atmosphere helped the flora grow, each separated by double glass doors. One section of the greenhouse was cool and dry, while another was hot and humid. They were currently in the "Georgia" section, where the weather inside reflected the weather outside, harboring plants that were native to the state as well as every day plants that could be found anywhere. People from the community weren't allowed inside unless a member of the greenhouse committee was with them, though students had more privileges and could visit as they please. The strict rules were to keep the integrity of the building as a resource for educational purposes and student growth.

Beth learned all of this as she followed Daryl throughout the greenhouse. He was patient with her, answering all her questions about the plants and flowers in each section, not once giving her a hard time when she tried unsuccessfully to read out loud the scientific names for the plants. It wasn't until Beth let out a loud yawn that he stopped and shook his head at her, chuckling quietly at her discomfort. He kept asking if she was tired, and she kept denying it. It appeared she couldn't hide it anymore. He stepped behind one of the flower bushes, ignoring her taunts that he was breaking the rules, and came out with two orange buckets. He placed them upside down next to each other and gestured for her to sit as he sat on his own. They were shoulder to shoulder facing the flowers each facing a different direction.

"This is where I got the flowers for Carol" he said as he gestured behind him. She turned her head and saw the familiar color of zinnia.

"In memory of an absent friend" she remembered Daryl's words from a week ago. She turned back and saw the large set of orange blossoms right in front of them. She hovered her hand over the delicate white flowers smiling to herself before turning to Daryl.

"We grow them here before planting them around campus. Make sure they start out strong." She nodded and turned back to them, feeling herself grow red when she remembered a long time ago when he had shared his orange with her. In her mind, oranges were their official fruit.

"Does the orange blossom have any meanings?" She asked.

He looked down for a second before turning back to the orange blossom.

"Uh, yeah, but I –" he started biting his thumb again. "I can't remember what it is."

She turned back to the flower when she became aware of how close they were too each other, practically face to face. Looking at the shrub, she admired its simple beauty, soft white petals lying in a bed of green. She turned to look at Daryl and felt her heart skip a beat.

There it was, the look in his eyes that was literally taking her breath away. The look that she had wanted to see from him since the first moment they met. The look she selfishly wanted from him every time after.

She took a deep breath she knew she needed, and let it out slowly, not once looking away. She wasn't going to look away anymore. They were past this.

"We should probably head out." He said, voice almost horse but warm on her skin.

"Okay" she whispered back. When neither of them moved Beth knew this was how it was supposed to be.

She turned her upper body towards him, slowly, and placed her hands on his chest. She took another slow breath and leaned further towards him, almost resting her forehead on his but not quite. She looked down and focused on his shirt, the white lettering a contrast over the black. Daryl's breath was slow and even, and she felt every beat of his heart, signs that made her stronger, proof they were in the present.

These are the moments that keep me here with you/No matter how deep I've fallen, you always see me through/You tell me I'm your tether, I ground you here with me/Together we're an anchor, a safety in the sea.

She closed her eyes as the poem continued to sing in her head, a reminder of life that always soothed her. A poem that always came to her when experiencing a moment of pure bliss.

She squeezed her eyes tighter and leaned further so that their foreheads were finally touching. She opened her eyes, still focused downward. A second later she felt his arms rise as he placed his hands on her cheeks, cradling her face. She looked up to meet his eyes, and he closed his. Daryl leaned in and used his lips to touch hers, pressing gently or without haste. His lips felt soft on her own, and neither moved, frozen in place. After a few seconds he pulled back just a bit and did it again, as if testing to see if she was real. When he pulled back once more, she placed her hands on top of his and followed him forward, taking the lead this time. When their lips met the final time, they both gave in and Beth felt Daryl's lips moving against hers.

At first the kiss was chaste, almost shy. Within moments both grew more confident, and the kiss intensified as if they'd been lovers for years. Beth's hands moved forward and tangled in his hair, as Daryl's slid down her lower back, pushing her slightly forward. Their heads tilted in opposite directions, further deepening the kiss and Beth felt no embarrassment when she moaned in pleasure at the change. With Daryl's encouraging hands, Beth came off her bucket and managed to crawl on top of him, neither breaking contact. With her new position, straddling his lap, their height difference was switched, making them change the angle of their kiss, something that thrilled Beth beyond words.

Beth heard a humming in the background, sure it was the butterflies that were soaring in euphoria. She was too enraptured with Daryl to care. When the sound got louder, Daryl pulled back suddenly, mumbling a curse word before standing in a flash, and pulled Beth with him. Almost immediately the sprinklers went off underneath the plants, soaking Daryl and Beth from the waist down.

Beth still had her arms around Daryl's neck and was thankful for his arms around her waist, because she was laughing so hard she didn't think she'd be able to stand on her own. As she regained her composure she looked up at him and gave him a goofy smile. He leaned down and tightened his arms around her and she melted into his embrace.

A/N: you can thank my awesome spirit animal, Penelope Pants for this chapter. Her encouraging words of "I want it now!" make me want to be a better writer for you all!

By the way, I feel like the luckiest girl at the ball with all the reviews you leave for me...especially you frequent reviewers. I consider you my friends, is that weird?

Song Credit: "The Hazards of Love (2): Wager All" -The Decemberists