You all overwhelm me with your kindness. It's been about seven months since I posted this, and I still beam at every update with your kind words. Truly thank you!

I own nothing related to The Walking Dead. If I did I would make the cast accompany you to your High School Reunion and shame all those meanies from back in the day

She knew it was ridiculous to be nervous. She was not the first one in history to do this, but she couldn't help it.

As much as she tried, Beth Greene was still a good-two shoes who followed the rules. She even hated jay-walking 'cause she knew it was against the law, for crying out loud.

Yet there she was, nervously tapping her pencil on the counter, waiting for her appointment to walk in.

It was Tuesday afternoon. Patricia was always at a board meeting on those days which was why Beth had asked him to meet her at that time. Still, that knowledge didn't stop her from looking over her shoulders every few minutes, just in case.

She sighed at her own silliness and looked at the door, hoping he would get there soon so she could just get it all done and over with. Tara came out from the back and handed her a stack of request forms. She looked at Beth and laughed. She knew why Beth was nervous.

"Really, Beth?" She playfully swatted her shoulder before going back to her office. Beth rolled her eyes and continued tapping her pencil.

Finally after a few more minutes of waiting the library door opened and Carl walked in, looking out of place and nervous. Beth couldn't help but smile, her protective instincts kicking in, replacing the nerves that had been riddling her.

"Hey Carl. Glad you found the library okay." She smiled wider as he approached, recognizing the insecure stance all incoming freshman wore during their first weeks of school.

"Yeah it wasn't hard" he responded scanning the library, apparently looking anywhere that wasn't in her direction.

"My dad wanted me to thank you" he continued. "It's real nice that you're helping me out like this." He looked down as he took a piece of paper out of his pocket.

"It's my pleasure Carl. Plus, it's one of the benefits of working here" she took the paper from his hand.

In an attempt to provide further resources, as well as to lure perspective new students, the university implemented a lending library where students were able to check out textbooks from their classes rather than having to purchase them. The trouble was that professors only set aside a handful of books each semester making it a first-come first-serve deal for the students. Beth and Tara had developed the database that kept track of the books, inadvertently giving the library staff an advantage of adding whomever they wanted to the list.

Tara had only taken advantage twice, once for her sister and once for Amy. The worst offender by far had been Olga, so Beth figured adding Carl's name wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Olga was close to being a saint in Beth's eyes, so surely it wasn't too wrong of her to be doing it now.

Still, Beth couldn't help but feel a bit guilty.

Come on Bad Ass…

"These your classes?" She asked looking down at the list. He nodded, and Beth couldn't help but smile at the faint blush that hadn't left his face since he walked in.

"Okay, let's see which professors are participating in the lending library." Beth looked at the names and classes and immediately groaned as she crossed the first name. "Professor Kirkman is notorious for never participating in this program. I've also heard he can be a real jerk, so be prepared."

She continued to look at the names, cross referencing professors and UPC numbers as she typed away. After a few minutes she was able to get Carl's name on five out of the nine books he needed and was rewarded with a look of relief and appreciation from Carl, making any remnants of guilt she had been feeling completely dissolve. As Beth printed out the documents he would need, Carl took out his phone and called Michonne to tell her the good news. While he did that, Beth ran to the printer and back, wanting to make sure no one saw what she had just done.

"Okay, here you go" she handed him the small stack of papers, feeling slightly winded after her little sprint, but knowing it had been worth it.

"Thanks so much Beth, you're literally the coolest." He blushed again causing Beth to giggle as she swatted at him, telling him it was no trouble at all.

"Anything to help out a fellow alumnus" she gestured at the papers in his hand "all you gotta do now is take those papers to the campus bookstore. Go to the 'Student Services' kiosk and you are good to go."

He looked up from the papers and then back down. Something caught his attention and caused him to turn to his left. Beth followed his lead but found nothing there.

"Would you like me to go with you?" She asked once she realized how out of place he suddenly looked.

Carl shrugged, still looking away "If you want, I guess." He turned back and the blush returned full force. Beth gave him the courtesy of pretending not to notice.

She turned to tell Tara she would be back in a few and walked around, leading Carl out the door towards the elevators. Carl thanked her again as they walked outside, telling her how much it meant to the family that she was helping him out.

"My parents do okay, but college is expensive" he said as they walked towards the bookstore.

"It really is, but it's still important, and I'm glad to help" she nudged him a little, causing him to give her a half smile.

They continued walking in silence, the sun beaming down on them still as intense as it had been all summer.

"So, how'd you like spending time with your mom?" Beth remembered he'd recently returned from his extended visit.

"It was nice. I like it when it's just my mom and I. And Judy. I don't get to see her as often as I'd like."

"Judy?"

"My baby sister. She's mostly with her dad" he turned to look at her "She's not, I mean, she has a different dad." He turned and looked ahead.

Judy? Nah, it couldn't be…

Beth didn't have time to finish her thought as a random bicyclist turned a corner and nearly ran into the two.

"You can ride bikes on campus?" Carl turned and watched the woman pedal away. Beth just smiled in response.

"College is gonna be so cool."

The bookstore was pretty empty when they got there, only a couple of students that Beth was able to see. No one was at the kiosk so she and Carl headed towards the front registers. There she found Amy laughing along with two very good looking men.

"Hey Amy" Beth said as she walked up towards them.

"Beth, what brings you here friend?"

She turned to Carl who seemed embarrassed and out of place. She felt bad for him for a second, realizing how strange the whole experience must be for him. Getting ready for college was quite the adventure regardless of the age.

"This is my friend Carl Grimes, and he's here to pick up some books" she placed a hand on his shoulder and returned his warm smile.

"Very nice to meet you Carl Grimes, I'm Amy." She shook his hand and gestured towards the two men standing nearby.

"This is Aaron and Eric; they're from the drama department."

"Nice to meet you both" Beth smiled as Amy walked around the counter towards Carl.

"It's lovely to meet you" the one Amy had identified as Eric responded.

"Come with me Mr. Grimes. Let's see how I can help you" Amy started to lead Carl away before she turned back to Beth "They're putting up posters for their show. You should take some over to the library."

Beth turned to both men who were whispering things to one another, quietly laughing at what the other was saying.

"So you gentleman are from the drama department?"

"Actually, that would be Eric here." Aaron responded.

Eric smiled "Yes, I do tend to have a flair for the dramatic."

Beth giggled as she made a move to look at the poster. "So what's this show Amy was talking about?" She picked up the large colorful poster.

"The Hazards of Love?" She read as she scanned the designs.

"It's what the drama department is producing this year." Eric said proudly, eager to talk more about it.

"Is this the show that's being built at the old theater?" Beth asked.

"That would be it" Aaron placed a hand on Eric's back.

"They usually do a Shakespearean production, but Aaron here managed to convince them to do something different." Eric turned and smiled at him.

"I'm in marketing" Aaron explained "it was a tough sale, trying to convince a group of directors who've been doing the same thing for over fifty years to try something new. But it worked."

"Well then, congratulations on that" Beth nodded in appreciation "trust me; I know what it's like working for someone who refuses to change with the times."

She continued to look at the poster, admiring all the beautiful designs.

"I've been lucky to catch sneak peeks of the show" she looked up at the men. "The surprise performance at the farmers market earlier this month was stunning."

Both Aaron and Eric grinned.

"That was Aaron's idea" Eric practically glowed as he said it.

"We went all around King County putting on small shows" Aaron continued "guerilla marketing at its finest."

She smiled and looked at the poster again "Well I'll definitely be there" she looked for the date "opening day, October 1st, I'll be there."

Eric rolled his eyes as she read the date "I pray to God we can open that night. One more set back and I'm cancelling the whole thing."

Aaron just chuckled as he shook his head. "It's been a challenge" he looked at Beth as he spoke.

"You say challenge, I say nightmare."

Beth giggled as Aaron sighed and looked at her apologetically.

"As of last week, we didn't even know if we'd have a proper stage" Eric continued as he took one of the posters and walked behind the register to put it up.

"What do you mean?" Beth turned and watched him work "I've been watching the set being built every day, it looks stunning." Both Eric and Aaron turned and looked at her.

"I eat lunch at the arena" she said as means of explanation.

"Well prepare to see it become something amazing now that we'll have a real taiga!"

Beth's puzzled expression made Eric laugh. "Sorry, flair for the dramatic, remember?"

He pointed to one of the pictures on the poster. "A taiga is a forest, like this one but less colorful."

"Eric was upset because he had wanted to use real trees and plants for the show but," Aaron looked at Eric before continuing "we had a bit of a hiccup."

"Apparently, someone from the science department didn't want to share their precious flowers with us." Eric finished as he stapled the poster to the wall.

Beth felt her stomach drop.

Well I wonder who they may be talking about.

She was about to say something, though not sure what, before Aaron beat her to it.

"But that 'someone' seemed to have changed their mind, because early this week we got a call saying we were welcomed to take the plants."

"Oh" Beth felt her face flush and a smile slowly crept its way across her face.

Daryl

Something about that revelation made her heart race, made her realize something she should have figured out a while ago.

"Well," she was suddenly feeling flustered "that was," she cleared her throat and put a hand on one of the bookshelves by her "that was really nice of that person." She looked up and smiled.

"It was" Eric came back around and joined the two. "They even suggested we use some of the orange blossoms for shrubbery. Shows what they know about a magical taiga."

Beth absolutely beamed. In the background, she heard Eric and Aaron continue talking, but she was too busy having an epiphany to pay attention.

The orange blossoms.

It was all she needed to know. She smiled as she turned her attention back to the poster and closed her eyes.

This is the way it's supposed to be.

She always knew. Deep down inside, she knew….

She was unconditionally and completely in love with Daryl.

After Beth had left the bookstore with Carl, she returned to the library and tried to get a head start on cataloging a large stack of outdated books. She was about to curse the heavens about her bad luck when Daryl had called her and asked if she wanted to have dinner at his house that evening.

Beth agreed to the dinner before he had a chance to finish asking her.

Daryl lived in a small three bedroom house on the outskirts of town. It sat next to a small canal that Beth had to drive across in order to get to. Once inside the property, it was hard to see the road, there being trees and brush and a large green picket fence that kept the house out of sight. It wasn't exactly in the country the way Meg and Susan's house was, but it was close. Just perfect for someone like him.

Once she shut off the engine to her truck, she felt her heart beating faster than was probably appropriate for the occasion. It's just dinner for crying out loud! She scolded herself, yet she couldn't help feeling what she felt.

Daryl was out his front door before she undid her seat belt, and she couldn't wipe that goofy smile off her face the second her eyes found his.

Pull yourself together Greene. She scolded herself again as she got out of the truck and walked towards him.

"Hi" he said, standing on his porch, both hands tucked away in his front pockets.

"Hi" she practically gasped as she made her way up the steps. She reached out for him at the same moment he pulled his hands out, and they wrapped their arms around each other. She felt him place a firm kiss on her cheek, the stubble on his chin creating a lovely friction against her skin.

"No," she pulled back from him a little "that won't do."

She half bounced on her toes and slid her hands up his neck as she pulled him forward, catching his lips with hers. She heard his soft chuckle right before their lips met, which caused her to press further into him, a motion that Daryl immediately reciprocated. They stood there, outside Daryl's home, for a few minutes longer engaging in the sweetest most romantic kiss Beth could ever imagine.

"We better get inside," Daryl breathed out as they reluctantly pulled apart "dinner will get cold if we keep this up."

"What's for dinner?" she asked as they walked through the door.

"Spaghetti."

"Well good, I happen to like cold spaghetti" she teased as she pecked his lips before hanging her purse on the coat rack by his front door.

He chuckled as he led her further into his home. She couldn't help but admire the house. His furniture looked worn, but well taken care of, big brown couches that looked perfect to sleep on. The wooden floors were bare besides a large beige area rug lying in front of a modest entertainment system. His television wasn't anything special either, not a plasma flat screen, but rather an older model right out of early 2000.

Beth made a mental note to ask him about his rumored love for reality television as she made her way towards a bookshelf to her right. There she saw several picture frames, and older picture immediately drawing her attention.

"That's my ma' and pop" Daryl approached her from behind as they looked at the worn out picture in the simple wooden frame.

"You look just like your mom" she whispered back. She heard him grunt as she turned to look at them.

"They live nearby?"

He shook his head. "Ma' died when I was little. Fire." He pointed to his father "My old man died a few years ago. Hepatitis of the liver."

"That's terrible." Beth sighed.

"That's life." He gently squeezed her shoulder before going to the kitchen, leaving Beth to look at the other pictures.

"Is this you!?" She practically squealed when he came back with a couple of waters. He leaned in at the picture of two boys grinning widely next to a lake.

"Yeah, me and my brother Merle back before either of us realized what little sense we had."

"What's he like?" She turned around to face him.

He shrugged. "Merle's Merle. Just wait 'till you meet him and you'll know what I mean." He gently put his hand on her back and led her to the kitchen.

There were never any awkward silences. No lulls in conversation, no forced dialogue. Just genuine appreciation and enjoyment of each other's company. That was probably one of the perks of being friends with him before they were anything else.

These are the moments that keep me here with you…

As their dinner was coming to an end, Beth made a comment about a large abstract painting hanging on the wall by the dinner table.

"Carol and I saw it at an estate sale" he said. "I thought it was hideous, like a dog sat on paint and wiped its ass all over the place." He picked at his spaghetti as Beth threw her head back and laughed hysterically.

"Next thing I know, Carol's purchasing the damn thing and nailing it to my wall."

Beth put a napkin to her mouth as she continued to laugh.

"Oh god," she hiccuped "That's the best story ever. God bless Carol!" She wiped the tears that were now forming in her eyes from laughing so hard. Daryl took that as a sign she was finished with dinner and stood to take her plate.

"Damn woman, never knew when to quit." She didn't miss the melancholy in his tone, so she took his hand as he reached for her dish, holding it tight for a second.

"I'll put these in the sink. Why don't you wait for me in the living room?"

She simply nodded and gave his hand a quick squeeze before getting up.

…no matter how deep I've fallen, you always see me through.

Just as she had expected, the couch was incredibly comfortable.

"I feel like I'm going to sink into it!" Beth giggled as her feet dangled a few inches from the floor.

"You probably will," he said as he sat next to her, further sinking her between the cushions "frail thing like you will likely get gobbled up by my big bad couch."

She rolled her eyes and took the bottle of cola he offered.

"You know, I'm stronger than you think" She said as she took a gulp.

"I don't doubt that for a second" he stared at her, causing Beth to turn away and blush, taking another drink.

"Careful Daryl. When you say things like that, it's gonna make me think you like me." She turned back, glint in her eyes that had nothing to do with the beer she had earlier with dinner.

"Yeah, we can't have you thinking that now, can we?" He leaned in and kissed her, something she'd wanted him to do all evening. She felt the familiar pull of longing as she kissed him back, feeling the wonderful friction their lips were creating. He pulled back and leaned his forehead on hers, both taking deep breaths as they continued to enjoy each other's presence.

After a few beats, he pressed a quick kiss to her nose and stood "I almost forgot about the cheesecake Meg made that I've been keeping in the freezer."

"How can you forget something like that Daryl?" She scolded. "Homemade cheesecakes are not something you cast aside and forget."

He grinned and started heading back towards the kitchen. "Tell you what," he pointed towards the entertainment center "pick out a movie while I bring it back, and maybe you can think about forgiving me."

"We'll see" she said as she attempted to gracefully move up from the couch towards the movies. She got down on her knees and opened the small door Daryl had gestured towards and began scanning the titles. As she reached for one that didn't look too terrible, a yellow book sitting on top of them caught her eye.

She gasped quietly, realizing what it was before she actually picked it up.

It was Carol's book. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The book Beth had mended almost a year earlier that she had last seen at Carol's mother's home.

Beth leaned back on her knees as she ran her hands over the small book. A flash of emotions and memories rushed her, causing her to close her eyes and compose herself.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Breathe.

Once opened again, she looked down at the book and turned it over in her hands. She had done a good job, if she did say so herself. The spine was still intact, and the cover was flawless.

She turned the book over again, and ran her fingers through the pages, fanning them lightly to make sure the binding was still strong. As the pages turned over, a note slipped out and fell onto Beth's lap. Still in a daze, Beth read the words before she had a chance to stop herself.

Daryl,

Just remember…strength isn't always determined by the weight you can hold in your hands,

but rather the love you can hold in your heart.

-Meg

Beth's hand shook a little as she put the note back between the pages. She placed the book back on its original spot and stood to return to the couch. Daryl's cursing from the kitchen brought her back to reality, and Beth quickly turned back to the shelf and grabbed a random movie before sitting back down.

"Having trouble in there?" She called out, praying her voice sounded normal.

"Nah, It's just too frozen, can't really cut into it yet." He walked back in and sat next to her. "Guess I should have remembered to take it out earlier. What you choose for us?" He took the movie from her hand, Beth's mind still on the book.

"This really what you want to see?"

She turned and looked at the movie in his hands.

"Oh, um, yeah."

"Dawn of the Dead? I thought you didn't like scary movies?"

She finally turned her attention to Daryl, giving him the same gaze he had given her many times before. The crease on his forehead disappeared and he stared back with the familiar intensity she had come to crave.

Before she had an opportunity to process what she was doing, Beth felt herself moving towards him and pressing her lips hard on his. She felt his arms move to her back as she went to straddle him, trapping his lower body with her own. He pushed her further onto him until she had no choice but to rest her arms behind his head, enveloping him in every way possible.

She didn't allow herself to think, but rather let her senses guide her as she felt every inch of him on her.

She wasn't sure how long they remained like that, but eventually Daryl broke their kiss for a second and rolled them over so that Beth was underneath him on the couch, still sitting upright, with her ankles linked behind his back. As Beth groaned at the change, Daryl slipped his tongue between her lips, further deepening the kiss, causing her to arch into him.

There was a moment of clarity where Beth became aware of the position they were in. She was wrapped around Daryl like a vine, whereas he was kneeling on the floor in front of her, his upper body pressed against hers. Not wanting to break apart from him for a second, she pushed forward until she felt the edge of the couch underneath her. She slowly lowered herself to the floor with him, guiding them to lay down side by side, still entangled in one another.

Missing the earlier contact, Beth hooked her leg over his and ran her fingers through his hair. She could have sworn she felt his body hum in response as his hand ran up and down her leg before ending on her bottom, pressing her further against him.

She pushed him gently again so that he was on his back with her on top. Her breathing become ragged as his hands moved gracefully up her sides before he cradled her face.

Their kiss had begun to slow down before Beth ended it. As she pulled back, she leaned her cheek on one of the hands that continued to hold her. They opened their eyes at the same moment and stared at one another, both sets of lips red and swollen, small grins mirroring each other.

He sat up, Beth still straddling him, so that they were inches apart from one another. He reached forward and pushed her hair back behind her ear, pulling gently on her lobe before bringing his hand to rest on shoulder.

"Tell me Beth," he whispered as he scanned her face.

"What in the hell have you gone and done to me?"

She shrugged and smiled something wicked.

"That's the least of your worries, Daryl"

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

"You should be worrying about what I'm going to do to you."

She was a woman in love.

She was now a force to be reckoned with.

A/N: Get yer heads out of the gutter…it's not sexy time for our Bethyl yet. They're simply enjoying being a couple right now. And sorry, but because I'm kind of a prude, you'll have to wait a little bit (but not that long) for it to happen. But yes, there will be adult-sexy-business-time for them in this story :)

Oh, someone is going to make a return in the next chapter! Before you freak out, remember that I think you are the most beautiful readers in the world! Really beautiful! The heavens above sing in honor of your good looks!

Special thanks to my Spirit Animal PennyPants for helping me decorate Daryl's house, and the shout out to the art piece hanging on his wall. And did you like all the happy happy in this chapter? That was for my dear awesome friend GoshBirdie (aka Allthebethylfeels). We're both still hurting about that horrible four letter C-word (Coda) so this chapter was my attempt to make her (and all of us) smile.