I've spent all afternoon putting this together. I figured Sunday is still The Walking Dead day. Reader Beware: This is a part that I've spent building up to. I hate spoilers more than the next person, but (out of fairness) I have to admit that there's definitely smut here...and it's all from Daryl's POV. I'm already working on what comes next. Thank you all for your input, kind words and support. You guys are so awesome :)

Enjoy!

It's a few days before we decide to head out again. Wouldn't have gotten too far with Rosita's busted leg. She's still a little slow, but we needa move on. Wouldn't wanna risk anymore attacks- from the dead or the livin'. All our shit's packed up. Rick gathers us together to go over our plans. He grabs the map we found outta the truck. Hope it gives us better luck than the people who had it before. He flattens it over the hood of a car. His voice is determined. He's put a lotta thought into this.

"Vogel State Park's not too far from here. Maybe a little over a day's travel. It's just north of these tracks. It's at the base of Blood Mountain, so we'll have protection from at least one side." Glenn clears his throat.

"I hate to be the downer, but we've been on a mountain before. The Bellwood Quarry? Back in Atlanta? That mountain didn't stop the walkers from attacking our camp." Glenn's right. It was a fuckin' massacre up there. A chill runs down my spine as I remember all the screamin'. Back then, none of those people meant anything to me. They were the group that I'd been stuck with since Merle's original plan of robbin' them fell through. Can't be too mad at him. How could he have known a cop was there, fully loaded? Shane was just the kinda guy that woulda gunned us both down before we'd finish a sentence. I think 'bout everybody that died that night. I didn't know any of them. I look 'round the group here an' realize I can't lose them, even Mullet. We're too close now. They're all my family.

I turn to the map again. Try to figure this out. I see the state park, the lake, the forest. It's all right there in front of us. There should be a campground there. I wouldn't really know. Ain't like I ever been on some lakeside family vacation. It almost looks too good to be true. But what Rick's sayin' makes sense. It's in the direction we're already headed. The forest there could be fulla wildlife. It's a chance worth takin'. If we get a bad feelin' we can take off. I point out what I figure we might find.

"Well, it's a state park, ain't it? Like somethin' for tourists? Maybe there'd be cabins or campers." I look back to Rick as he nods at me. We're on the same page here.

"That's what I was thinking, Daryl. It's part of the Chattahoochee National Forest. It's got wildlife, streams. There's gonna be shelter for us. In the center of all of it is Lake Trahlyta." The lake definitely sweetens the deal. I hear a gasp an' turn to my right. Maggie an' Sasha are visibly excited.

"Did you say a lake? As in fishing and bathing?" Sasha's smile is ear to ear. Makes sense. Fish would be fuckin' nice. An' we all could use a fuckin' wash up. Bob puts his arm 'round Sasha's shoulders.

"I'm sure some people would appreciate certain other people bathing." The girls laugh at him. Maggie winks at Glenn. This is the first time our group has had any real light of hope since the fall of our prison. Beth smiles up at me. My hand squeezes hers.

"If it's north of here, it'll put us closer to the Carolinas. Move further north through them and we end up in Virginia. Maryland and D.C. are just past there. This could work in our favor. But we can't stay there for too long. No more than a day or two." Abraham's the voice of reason, I guess. I just know I go where the group goes. We're all serious then. We know the mission at hand: Get Mullet to D.C.

So it's settled. We make our way north. The sun beats down on us as we trudge along. It's still early fall, so it ain't exactly cold yet. I look in front of me an' see Maggie an' Glenn holdin' hands. Sasha an' Bob, too. I've got Beth on my back, every now an' then she whispers things in my ear. Nothin' serious. Stupid stuff she sees along the way, how excited she is for the lake. Things like that. It hits me that we aren't really different from the other pairs. Abraham is even piggybackin' Rosita. It's a great feelin' to know you belong to somethin'.

We walk 'til dark. I set out an' bag us some game. Couple squirrels, rabbit. Not much, but it's enough. The fire's out after the meat's cooked through. The air gets colder. We take shifts sleepin' in the open, huddled together. Beth stays up with me as I take the first watch. The others are all out.

"How much further do you think we have to go?" Her question's innocent enough. Even if she hasn't been doin' much walkin'.

"Legs tired?" She laughs at me.

"Shut up. I told you not to carry me. I just wanna jump in that water. Maggie's got a few bars of soap she'd taken from Terminus. I can't wait to have clean skin." I don't need to let my mind wander over her clean skin. Not while on watch.

"Jesus. Your sister really tore that place up for supplies, didn't she?" We had soap, water bottles, some clothes. She did a good job. Then Abraham had all that shit from the infirmary. Gauze an' bandages, ointments an' ibuprofen. Didn't think we'd need that shit so soon, but it shouldn't have surprised me. I wonder how much we went through with Rosita's injury alone.

Eventually Beth falls asleep leanin'' against me. I pick her up in my arms an' carry her to the others. I wake Michonne for her watch. She stretches her arms an' legs, looks from where I set Beth an' back to me.

"Go on, get over to your lady friend. I've got this. Least tell me you kept the seat warm." I smile at her. She's been a good friend to me for some time now. I appreciate her need to always wanna brighten the mood, even if all she does is tease me. It was refreshin' back at the prison. So many people were too intimidated by me to ever really approach me. She made it clear she wasn't scared of me. We bonded over bein' outsiders. Eventually we were inside the circle. We stayed close.

I make my way over to Beth an' lay next to her, pull her close to me. Before I close my eyes, I think 'bout what this could be for our group. Shelter, food an' water. I know we've been down this road before. False pretenses that lead us into deeper shit. I know there's nowhere in this world that's completely safe. Shit. I dunno how much I trust that D.C. is what we expect. Part of me thinks this new place's too good to be true. The other part's able to fall asleep at the idea that it'll be everything we need.

"It should be right through here. Look for any signs, Carl." Rick's voice is hoarse. We've been tryin' to ration water better 'til we could get to one of them streams. The sun's at the highest point in the sky- noon. We were right that it'd only take a day an' a half. Carl an' Michonne ran ahead to spot signs. After a minute, Carl runs back to us.

"The trail's right up there. We found a big sign, Dad." The sign tells us it's the state park. We follow the trail a little longer. It's shaded here, feels good to get outta the sun. Beth's on my back tellin' me 'bout the birds she sees when she suddenly slides off. I turn to see what's wrong with her.

"Oh my gosh. It's beautiful." I follow her eyes to the front. Everybody else had stopped, too. I see why. There it is. Mountain, cabins, lake. It is beautiful. I grab her hand an' we move forward. The mood's picked up. Glenn is laughin', he's so damn happy. We get to the waterside, there's a dock an' boat there. The boat's floor is a pool of water. There's a leak somewhere. Figures.

"Let's go check out those cabins, Rick. Clear 'em if we gotta." He nods to me. Fun an' games can wait 'til we know we're safe. The girls are knee deep in the water already, boots on the dock. Beth smiles up at me as they start splashin' at each other. Any other time I woulda thought they were a buncha idiots. But seein' her in that sparklin' water, sun shinin' down on her, makes me happy. Deep down I know we deserve one fuckin' day to be happy.

I'd never thought luck could be on our side. Ever. That changed when we scoped the cabins. We found some walkers, but not enough to concern us. They were put down easy. We took 'em out back an' burned the bodies. It was pretty nice here. On one side we had the mountain, lake on the other an' the rest was the forest. If we didn't have to go to D.C., I could almost see us livin' here.

We decide to share a cabin for the night. Better to stick the first night out together. They ain't little either. The one we picked out's closest to the water an' it's got five rooms an' a fireplace, deck out back. Glenn jokes 'bout how sad it is, this bein' his first vacation in years. I can't help but to laugh at that with everyone else. I ain't even bitter. Any other time I would've resented a place like this. I ain't ever been on no vacation to a lake, or anywhere. Merle an' I used to go swim at Yellow Jacket Creek, but even that didn't happen often. I see Beth smile at me outta the corner of my eye. She's the only one in the room that knows this is my first 'vacation'.

The woods here are exactly what I needed. Got us a big ass doe not even thirty yards from the campsite. This place is a fuckin' gold mine. Michonne an' Carl went out an' found the stream. Buckets of water sit on the bar at the cabin. Fresh, cold water. I find a fire pit out back an' get to work cookin' up our meat. Glenn an' Bob wanna fix up that boat to go out further an' fish. It's worth a shot. Beth tells me that the girls are goin' out to wash up. She's excited over soap an' water. I can't help but smile at her as she walks away. Rick sits next to me at the pit.

"Thanks for gettin' that deer, Daryl. Who knows when we'll be able to fish. Eugene found a broken line on the water's edge. He figures he can find a hook and stick and cast out when it's all fixed up." There's humor in his voice. Least I'm not the only one who thinks the guy's a joke.

"Jesus. What'd we do without Mullet Macgyver?" He laughs an' helps me turn the meat over. I let out a heavy sigh.

"This place's everything we needed for weeks, now. I can't believe there ain't more walkers than what we found." He smiles at me, puttin' his hand on my shoulder as he gets up.

"Sometimes, even we can catch a break." He walks back to the cabin. I can't fight the little hope that's bubblin' in my chest. If I was a prayin' man I'd ask for things to stay this way. We all eat at the bar, cups an' plates were dusty but that beats the alternative. Beth catches my eye when I've finished an' motions to the door. I lick my fingers clean an' take another gulp of water before I head over to her.

"Come down to the water with me." She holds her hand out to me an' I take it in mine. We get down to the end of the dock an' sit on the edge, feet hangin' over. Sun ain't so high now, probably after four. Beth lays back on the warm wood, hair spread out 'round her. Her eyes are closed, but she still talks to me.

"What'd Rick say this lake was called?"

"Lake Trahlyta." She giggles.

"What a funny name." Mostly, I wanna impress her. It ain't often that I get the chance.

"Do you know the legend behind the name?" She sits up now, eyes wide starin' at me. She shakes her head.

"It's named after a Cherokee princess who lived in the northern mountains of Georgia. One day, the Mountain Medicine Man told her to travel to a spring. He said she had to drink the water an' she'd become more beautiful with every sip. So she did. They say she stumbled on the Fountain of Youth. An' all the people learned of her beauty." I have her full attention. She's pulled up her legs an' wrapped her arms 'round them. Her head rested on her knees.

"There was a Cherokee warrior, Wahsega, who had tried to court her before but she had turned him down. When he learned where she was, he found her an' took her away with him. No matter how much she begged to be set free, he wouldn't let her go. Everyday she got weaker, sadder, longin' for her mountain home. She was dyin'. Trahlyta begged to be buried in her mountains that she loved. Accordin' to legend, she was buried there. As her last dyin' wish, she asked that people would place stones on her grave when they passed by. They would be as young an' happy as she had been there. Anything they wished for would be theirs."

"Daryl, that's beautiful. Sad, but beautiful. Is her grave 'round here?"

"Naw. Cedar Mountains." She looks out at the water, thinkin'.

"I'd wish for us to find somewhere peaceful to stay. Somewhere we could really call home. What would you wish for?" I already know the answer to that question. I already have the one thing I could've ever wished for on any stone, shootin' star or clover. She's right at my side. But I don't wanna sound like an idiot. So I say the next thing that means the most to me. My voice is just over a whisper, like I'm afraid to jinx it.

"That nobody else I care 'bout dies."

She moves so she's right next to me, her head rests on my shoulder. I pull her closer, my cheek sets on the top of her hair. I know I shouldn't push my luck. I got the most important thing I could ever need right here. I still can't believe I even have this.

We sat there for a while, just holdin' each other. The sun was startin' to fall behind the tree line. I shake her arm, motion for us to head back inside. Everyone's havin' a good time. Maggie found two bottles of whiskey under the bar, an' it's obvious that shit's already been passed 'round. I notice Bob hasn't touched any, an' I can't help but respect him for that. I know we should all be more cautious, but I feel like we fuckin' deserve this. 'Sides, Bob can chaperone. I grab one of the bottles from Maggie's hand an' chug it back. It burns all the way down but, fuck, it feels good.

Carl's passed out on one of the couches. So it's just us adults at the bar. Maggie tries to stop Beth from drinkin', but I hand her the bottle anyway. She swigs it back like a champ an' I'm damn proud of her. Her face says it all, an' I can't help but laugh at her with the others.

"Ew! An' I thought moonshine tasted awful." Maggie perks up. Beth still hadn't told her sister 'bout our booze run. She left that bit outta our story.

"How would you know 'bout what moonshine tastes like, Beth?" She looks at me, nervous. I shrug.

"Oh, just somethin' I heard. People always say how bad it tastes, don't they? I figure it can't taste worst than this whiskey." I blame it on the liquor an' Maggie's glazed over eyes, but she seems to accept that as a good enough answer.

I have a good buzz, I don't wanna go further than that. Beth didn't drink more than that first one. Everybody else is gettin' lit. Bob an' I are just teasin' Glenn for how red his face is when I feel a small hand grip my bicep. I turn to see her starin' up at me. She tugs on my arm, nods her head towards the door. I check to make sure no one's lookin' an' let her lead me outside.

We're back down by the water. She's kickin' off her boots. I have no clue what she wants, so I just look 'round us. The sun's completely gone, the moon's reflection shines brightly on the lake's surface. The stars are perfectly visible. It's fuckin' gorgeous out here. Her voice breaks my thoughts.

"I've never gone swimmin' under the moonlight before." My eyes shift from the sky an' lock on her as she slides off her jeans, pulls her shirt over her head. She's standin' in front of me in her bra an' underwear. I can't find my voice, but I swallow hard at the sight of her. Her pale skin is flawless from head to toe. I never realized how long her legs were, how small her waist was. What little dark fabric she's standin' in is a contrast to the snowy skin. I can't help but rake my eyes over her. She turns on the spot an' runs through the water, swimmin' as she gets in chest deep. She stands there starin' back at me. It reminds me of somethin'.

I think back to when I was a kid, an' Merle would read to me on nights we were home alone. Just books he'd take home from school. He loved to read, always said it was his one escape from the world 'round him. My favorite stories had been 'bout pirates. I loved the hunt for gold, treasure maps, sea monsters, mermaids.

Mermaids.

Merle told me they'd lure in sailors with their beauty an' pull 'em in the water to drown when they got too close. I look at her there an' I can imagine her as a deadly beauty. The risk is worth it. I drop my own clothes next to her pile, down to my boxers. Her voice sounds like a melody when she calls out to me.

"Come swim with me, Daryl."

I step into the water an' wade out to where she is. It feels great out here. We actually have fun. She pushes me under the surface. When I come back up, I shake off like a wet dog, sprayin' water all over her. She's gigglin' an' splashin' me back. I could've never dreamt we'd be here like this. She swims a little further out, still able to stand. I smile over at her. Her eyes are dancin' an' her lips pull up to one side.

"I've never gone skinny dippin' before." The smile's wiped clean off my face when I see her lift her hand outta the water, bra an' underwear clenched in her fist. She laughs again as she throws them an' they land in front of me. I look back up to see her swimmin' towards me. When she gets to me I can only make out the lines of her body under the water. She moves in closer, her hands grip my shoulders. I close my eyes as she lifts high enough in the water to have her mouth reach mine. She kisses me gently, slowly. Her arms find their natural place 'round my neck, one hand runs through my wet hair. I pull her to me, my body reacts to her naked flesh against my skin. I let out a sharp breath when her bare chest is crushed to mine. My hands grab at her hips, diggin' into her. She gasps into my mouth as my fingers rake up her sides. Her tongue teases mine, she tastes like whiskey. A low growl rises from deep down in me, breakin' through my lips.

I know that we'll never have a moment like this again. It's what I was waitin' for an' I can't waste one minute. This needs to be perfect. I speak against her mouth.

"What do you want, baby?" I can't believe I used that stupid word. It honestly just slipped out. Fuckin' whiskey. But, right now, I guess it feels good. She had said it's a name she liked. I can kick myself later for bein' an idiot. I feel her smile on my lips.

"You."

I pull off my boxers an' toss them over my shoulder, never breakin' contact with her. My hands move down her thighs, hookin' at her knees. I pull her up to me, she's light as air under the water, an' she wraps her legs 'round my waist. Somethin' awakens in me, but I push it down. I have to control myself. She pulls away slightly, hooded eyes gazin' at me. She bites her bottom lip. I reach up to her face, my thumb tugs it away from her teeth.

"Don't be afraid. All you gotta say is stop." She nods. I know she trusts me. My lips find hers again. Under the water, my hands pull at her thighs to get her to open them. I make my voice as gentle as I can, despite the animal clawin' away inside of me.

"Spread your legs a little wider." She does as she's told, no hesitation. My arm reaches under her an' pulls her closer to me. I move myself so I'm right where I need to be. I fight back the urges I feel an' look into her eyes.

"You sure 'bout this? You can change your mind. It's okay." That clawin' thing deep down is tearin' away at me, it can't believe I'd give her the choice. I just need to control myself a little longer. She gives me a nervous smile. Her lips touch my ear.

"I love you, Daryl. Please don't stop."

It's all I need to hear. It's insanely painful, even with the water over us, but I slowly push inside of her. She cries out an' I hold her to me. But I keep pushing' in. I notice her eyes are clenched tight, her teeth sinkin' into her lip. When I'm fully in, I hold her to me. My fingers brush away the tears on her cheek.

"It's okay, baby. Open your eyes. Look at me." She opens them an' the look she gives me breaks my heart. She's still cryin'.

"Am I hurtin' you?" She shakes her head.

"Just keep goin'. I'm okay. It's just a lot of pressure." I slowly pull outta her, she winces before I push back in. That's all I do for a few minutes to get her used to the feelin'. It's drivin' me fuckin' crazy, but I fight it. After one slow pull, she moans lightly in my ear. I feel her hips move under the water, she's tryin' to grind against me.

"Tell me what to do, Beth." Her voice is silky, the word wraps 'round me.

"Move."

I pick up the pace. We're kissin' again but we've stopped speakin'. The only sounds are the light splashin' of the water an' the noises we make. She pants in my ear an' asks me to go faster. This is what the animal inside of me was waitin' for. I can't help it when I start to get rougher. When my fingers grip her skin a little too hard, when I bite down on her lip. I'm anything but gentle as I move faster, push harder.

I completely lose myself in her. I forget everything we've seen, everything we've lost. I don't fuckin' care 'bout walkers or murderers, prisons or funeral homes. All I care 'bout is her. She cries out again an' again. This is what we've both needed for so long.

I feel her body tense up, I know she's almost there. Her nails dig into my chest an' the breath hisses between my teeth. She whimpers in my ear. Any minute now, she's gonna come apart. My breaths are labored. I feel her thighs tighten 'round me. She cries out again, then breathes out my name. I feel her body tremblin' against me as she crashes down from her high. I feel everything inside of me tighten an' I pull out just in time, she flinches. My forehead is pressed to hers, my body jerks under the water as everything inside me shatters. I'm glad that I saved somethin' like this for her, even if I never knew who I'd been savin' it for. Relieved that this is so much more than anything I've ever had, an' it was with the only woman I've ever loved. We stay like that for a few minutes. She kisses me again. I let out a heavy sigh. My body's fuckin' spent. I laugh at her.

"Jesus, girl. You're gonna ruin me." She smiles sweetly, completely unaware that she'll be my undoin'.

"I'm glad you made me wait, that was perfect. Beautiful. Thank you, Daryl."

Her words hit me in the chest. I'm so fuckin' happy that it meant so much to her, too. I lift her offa me, set her back down in the water. I grab her hand in mine an' we wade back to the grass. We get dressed quietly, wet clothes in our hands, an' head back to the cabin. Everybody's sleepin' now. She locks the door behind us an' I lead her to the room we picked out. We strip outta our clothes an' I toss her a shirt from my bag. I put on my only other pair of boxers. My shirt's too big on her, but she looks fuckin' gorgeous in it. I shouldn't expect any less. I realize I'm starin' at her.

She climbs into the bed an' reaches for me. I drop on the mattress next to her an' wrap the blanket over us. I pull her against me, her back to my chest. My fingers run through her wet hair. When she speaks, it's sweet an' quiet.

"If I close my eyes, I can imagine this is our home, Daryl. An' everything's back to the way it used to be. We're safe an' tucked away in our warm little bed. There's nothin' dangerous outside of these walls. An' we'll live happily ever after together, right here." I let out a sigh when I think 'bout what she's sayin'. I could imagine all of that an' then some. I lean over an' kiss her cheek.

"I love you, Beth. Get some sleep." She's quiet now. An' I think she's already out. I lay my head down an' feel her fingers tangle in mine.

"I love you, too, Daryl."

I close my eyes, but I fight off sleep as long's I can. Today was a good day. Tonight was perfect. There's no way good days an' perfect nights can last. I dread whatever will come next for us. Rick had said that even our group can have a break sometimes, I just wonder how long that break can be. Sleep wins over me an' I slip into the darkness.