This is the second to last chapter. After this, there will be a short epilogue and then the story will conclude. Originally I had intended to make this story longer, but I honestly just don't enjoy writing this story anymore, so I'm ending it sooner than originally planned.
This chapter is longer than usual, and I included some smut at the end. I couldn't write the last real chapter of this story without smut! ;)
Enjoy!
Beth closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, allowing the smell of the ocean to completely fill her. She stood in the gentle surf, the water rushing up over her bare feet to her ankles, and the rhythmic sound of the waves was lulling her into an almost meditative state. She heard footsteps nearing her from behind and opened her eyes, turning to see her sister smiling at her as she approached.
"Crab traps are just over here," Maggie said, pointing down the beach a ways.
Beth nodded and waded out of the water. With her shoes in hand, she followed her sister toward what they had come out here to do, which was to check the group's homemade traps for blue crabs. The crabs were plentiful in this area, and they had become one of the group's major sources of protein. Maggie had volunteered to check the traps that morning, hoping to be able to snag a little alone time with her younger sister.
When Beth had awoken that morning, she had almost forgotten where she was. Her first thought had been that she and Daryl were still at the campground, but then the steady sound of the tide had reminded her, and the miracle of the lighthouse had come rushing back. It still felt a little surreal to her. Part of her wondered if she was just dreaming because it all seemed too good to be true. But it was reality, and Beth had never felt more thankful.
Beth watched as Maggie rolled up her pants and waded into the water a bit, reaching down and hoisting a small wooden trap out of the water. Beth grinned as she noticed the three blue crabs scrambling around inside the trap. Maggie hauled the trap back to the shore and sat down in the sand, motioning for Beth to do the same.
"We'll clean these and get them up to Rosita in a bit. She's making lunch today," Maggie said.
"I can't wait," Beth grinned. "Can't remember the last time I had crab."
"You'll get sick of it soon enough," Maggie teased. "We eat it at least once a day."
"With Daryl here, he'll be able to hunt down some other protein nearby," Beth mentioned. "I'd say we're pretty set to have a varied and balanced diet."
Maggie grinned. "Speaking of Daryl, I do believe you have some beans to spill."
Beth flushed and looked around to see if anyone was lurking nearby. She could hear a distant conversation taking place back by the garden on the other side of the fence, but for the most part, the girls were alone. She looked down the beach a ways and saw Rowena seated cross-legged on the sand, her hands poised motionless above her chest and her eyes closed.
"What's she doing?" Beth asked, distracted by the sight.
"Reiki," Maggie replied. "She does it at least once every day."
"Reiki? What's that?"
"The way Rowena explains it, it's like energy healing. She channels the energy. She says it helps with all sorts of things, and she claims it's how she and her family survived out here for so long with so little protection. Love energy, or something like that."
"So . . . it's like meditation?"
"Kind of. She performs it on herself and others, if they're willing. Having it done on you is nice. It's very relaxing, and you almost feel euphoric afterward. You should ask her about it. She's very into it."
Beth hummed in response and stared down the beach at Rowena. She still sat motionless, but she looked very much at peace. Beth glanced back at Maggie to see her eying her sister expectantly.
"Well?" she asked. "Now that you're done getting distracted, are you going to tell me how Daryl is in bed?"
Beth laughed and rolled her eyes, her cheeks already flushing. She shrugged.
"What do you want to know?"
Maggie grinned deviously as she reached into the trap to grab the first crab to gut and clean.
"I think I might know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway. Gentle or rough?"
Beth's cheeks grew even warmer and she raised her hands to cover them. But she loved that her sister was here making her feel embarrassed; the normalcy of it had been very strongly missed during their time apart.
"Both," she answered honestly, and Maggie arched her eyebrows in surprise. "Sometimes, he'll pull my hair and be totally dominant, and the look in his eyes is almost predatory," she said, feeling the familiar heat in the pit of her stomach as she pictured it. "But other times, it's slow and almost sweet the way he never breaks eye contact, and it really feels like making love."
"You're such a hopeless romantic," Maggie said, nudging her sister playfully. "So better than Zach?"
"Oh absolutely!" Beth exclaimed, and Maggie snickered. "Daryl was actually the first one to, um . . ."
"To what?"
"To give me an orgasm. Inside, I mean," Beth said in a whisper.
Maggie gasped and gave a small squeal. "Really? Oh, Bethy, I'm so happy for you!"
"Stop," Beth groaned, her cheeks feeling as though they were on fire from how much she was blushing.
"No, I mean it!" Maggie insisted. "Every woman deserves great sex. I'm so glad you've found it."
Beth nodded. "Me too. I just feel so comfortable with him, and every time feels like it's the best I've ever had. It's like he's opened up this whole new world for me."
"My baby sister is all grown up," Maggie teased.
Beth laughed and shrugged. "I guess so. Oh, and Maggie, you'll never guess where we went recently."
Maggie arched her eyebrows in response.
"A porn store. A real-life, dirty, gaudy porn store."
Maggie burst into laughter, and Beth couldn't help joining in.
"I wish I could have been there for that," Maggie said. "So, did you take anything?"
Beth bit her lip and nodded.
"Let's just say I've been introduced to the world of vibrators . . ."
Maggie squealed again and the two sisters lapsed into laughter once more. Beth couldn't believe this was happening, that she was sharing this with her one and only sister, and it was real. Her sides were beginning to hurt from laughing, but it was the best pain in the entire world.
After lunch, Beth spent a good majority of the afternoon in the garden with Maggie, Tara, and Anna. It was soothing to be able to work with the earth again, and tending to the garden reminded Beth of her father. Tara had proven to be very talkative and easygoing, and she was frequently cracking jokes. Anna was quiet, but always returned the smiles Beth gave her. Beth couldn't help wondering if Anna and Carl would have gotten along, had the rest of the group been here. Both had been forced to grow up quickly and harshly in this world, and both were also proof that the world couldn't completely ruin young people. Anna seemed remarkably well-adjusted, and from the few things she had said during their weeding session, she seemed to share the optimistic outlook Beth had on life.
Daryl had taken the truck up the road a few miles to go on a hunt, leaving the trailer parked in its place beside the building. He'd been gone since lunch, and although Beth was used to him leaving for short periods of time to hunt down their meals, she still couldn't help worrying a bit as time passed. She knew Daryl was more than capable of taking care of himself, but the lighthouse was still all so new and surreal, and being able to lock eyes with Daryl from across camp had thus far been Beth's safety blanket of sorts. Despite having her sister beside her, Beth still couldn't wait until Daryl returned.
After the three women had made decent progress weeding in the garden, they began to disperse. Anna made her way up onto the porch to do some reading, Tara sought out Rosita to play a game of cards, and Maggie had wandered off in search of Glenn. Beth stretched and scanned the yard, spotting Rowena hunched over a wash basin scrubbing some clothing on a washboard. Beth made her way toward the woman, who looked up and flashed her a friendly smile when she saw her approaching.
"Want some help with that?" Beth offered.
Rowena shook her head. "It's kind of you to offer, but I'm on my last shirt."
Beth nodded and hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to Rowena.
"I saw you earlier on the beach. Doing . . . uh, what's it called again? Maggie told me, but I can't remember."
"Reiki," Rowena replied with a soft smile. "I've been practicing for almost ten years now. I perform it on myself daily, and on others as they need it."
"So it's like healing, right? That's what Maggie said."
"Yes. Simply speaking, Reiki is spiritual healing energy. Every one of us has a life force energy, and sometimes that energy gets out of balance. Reiki channels that energy and balances it out. When you are balanced, your body is able to heal itself more quickly, your mind is clearer, and your emotions are more stable. In times like this, keeping your energy balanced is absolutely essential."
Beth nodded in understanding.
"I've always thought that your state of mind has a big impact on your health," she said. "My mother always believed that, too. I was actually just trying to explain that to Daryl a few days ago, after I got bit . . ." she trailed off, still a little unsure how Rowena felt about the bite. Her sister, Lily, seemed suspicious of it, but Rowena hadn't shown any distaste thus far.
"You and your mother are absolutely right," Rowena said. "A person's mindset has a lot of sway over physical wellbeing. You'd be surprised how powerful the human mind really is when it comes to affecting the physical world."
Beth nodded vigorously in agreement. "Until very recently, Daryl was skeptical that I wouldn't get sick. From the bite, I mean. But after a few days had passed and I still had no symptoms, I started believing that I wouldn't get sick. We found a library and I did a ton of research on infectious diseases and immunity, which only furthered that belief. It was hard trying to make him understand that his skepticism was actually harming me, that I needed him to be positive so that I could stay that way."
Rowena smiled, her eyes full of knowing. "You and I may be very similar creatures," she said. She glanced down at Beth's scabbed-over wound. "If you're willing, I could perform Reiki on you, to speed up your healing. And not only that; it really soothes the mind. I'm sure you are reeling from all that's happened in recent months, and it would be good for your mind and body to have some positive energy coursing through you."
"Yeah," Beth agreed. "I think that sounds nice."
Rowena smiled again and stood from the wash basin. She quickly hung her last article of clothing on the clothesline nearby and jerked her head toward the fence.
"Let's go out on the beach," she said. "Before the world went to shit, I used to listen to meditation music while I did Reiki. But now, the ocean is what I use to keep me grounded. And the sand and the waves will also be more relaxing for you."
"Okay," Beth nodded. She stood and followed Rowena to the pulley system at the back of the fence where they tugged open the fence and made their way out onto the beach. They walked down the beach until they were far enough away that the sounds of the camp wouldn't be distracting, but they would still be able to get back to camp quickly if need be.
"Just lie down on your back and get comfortable," Rowena said.
Beth did as she was told and watched as Rowena closed her eyes and held her hands out in front of her. Rowena traced several symbols in the air and turned to repeat the movements in each direction. She then placed her hands together in front of her chest and bowed her head as if in prayer. Beth settled herself into the sand to get more comfortable and smiled as Rowena lifted her head.
"What do I need to do?" Beth asked.
"Nothing," Rowena shrugged. "Just relax. You could even fall asleep if you wanted. There's no wrong way to receive Reiki."
Beth nodded and closed her eyes, feeling a little awkward. She felt Rowena's hands hovering above her face, and she tried to focus on the even sound of the tide washing ashore and the steadiness of her breathing. It was strange at first, but soon Beth found herself lulled into a near dreamlike state, and she hardly noticed whenever Rowena's hands would move to hover above a different location on her body. Beth allowed herself to daydream about happy memories, letting her mind take her wherever it pleased. The steady sound of the waves on the shore was the only thing keeping her tethered to reality, and she enjoyed the floating, dreamlike sensation she was experiencing. The troubles and horrors that existed just a few miles inland seemed to disappear, leaving Beth in a blissful state that felt as though it were in between consciousness and sleep. And Beth wasn't sure how long into the session it happened, but with a shuddering sigh, Beth felt herself closing a mental door on all the troubles she had experienced in recent months since the fall of the prison. Beth had always been good at focusing on the positive and looking to the future, but in that moment, it felt so good to just let go.
When Daryl entered the trailer that evening, Beth couldn't help the wide smile that instantly came to her face. She had been waiting for some alone time with him all day. As much as she loved spending time with the group, whether it be bonding with her sister and brother-in-law or getting to know the other group members, she had been anxiously awaiting the moment when it would be just her and Daryl again.
"Hey you," Beth greeted softly, putting down the book she had been reading by the small kitchen light in the trailer.
"Hey yourself," Daryl replied with a half-smile. "You been hidin' in here long? Couldn't find you after dinner."
Beth shrugged. "Just about half an hour. I was waiting for you."
"Yeah?" Daryl said with a side smile.
"Yeah. I feel like I've hardly seen you today. I'm glad I finally get you all to myself."
Daryl took a step closer and leaned against the side of the booth seat opposite Beth at the table.
"So now that you've got me to yourself, what do you plan to do with me?" he asked in a teasing tone.
Beth grinned and leaned over to pull down the shade on the kitchen window, also quickly scanning the other windows in the trailer to make sure their shades were down. She stood from the table and looked up at Daryl with a mischievous smile.
"I think you'll figure that out pretty quickly," she said.
Daryl gave her a playful smirk, which Beth returned. She took a step closer to him, their chests now touching, and leaned up to press her lips to his. It felt like it had been far too long since she had kissed him, even though it had really only been since that morning. Daryl was like her drug, and Beth was totally and helplessly addicted to him.
Daryl kissed her deeply, indicating that perhaps he too had gone too long without his lips on hers. Beth framed his face with her hands and intensified the kiss. Daryl's tongue slid against hers and she couldn't help the small moan that escaped her. She began backing him toward the small twin bed, and the pair of them nearly stumbled over each other when the backs of Daryl's knees hit the mattress. He fell onto it, taking Beth with him, and she straddled him, instinctively grinding her lower body against his. The groan Daryl emitted only increased the urgency Beth felt in her need to have him, and she began quickly removing his vest and shirt. He copied her actions, and soon their clothing had been flung to the floor, giving Beth the skin-on-skin contact she had been craving all day long.
Daryl's hands moved between them in an effort to line himself up with Beth's already wet entrance, but she seized his hands and pressed them back down on the bed. Daryl growled in frustration.
"Not this game again," he groaned, and Beth giggled a bit, knowing how hard it was for him to surrender control to her.
She leaned down and began peppering his neck with short, open-mouthed kisses, trailing her way down his chest. She scooted backward and continued her journey down his abdomen until she hovered over his cock, which twitched in anticipation. She grinned and bent down to give him one slow, long lick from base to tip, stopping momentarily to pull the head into her mouth through her lips and sucking him briefly before sliding her mouth down his shaft and taking as much of him as she could in her mouth. Daryl groaned aloud and Beth relished the sound as she slowly bobbed her head over his length a few times before withdrawing and sitting up.
"What're you doin'?" Daryl asked hoarsely as he noticed Beth reaching into the drawer where they had stashed the vibrators.
"I want to try something," she said, and Daryl shook his head and sat up a little.
"You are not touchin' me with that thing."
Beth laughed. "Relax. I won't touch you with it directly. But I think you'll enjoy it."
"You're makin' me worried," Daryl said uneasily, and Beth laughed again.
"Just trust me. I want to try a little something Maggie told me about. It's nothing weird, I promise."
Daryl eyed her warily, but sank back down on the bed, his eyes darting between Beth's gaze and the vibrator she held in her hand. Beth felt a rush of excitement as she turned the toy on and set it to a pulsating pattern. Trying new things was always exciting for her, but being able to make Daryl feel good was even more exciting.
Beth knelt closer to Daryl's still-erect cock and gave the tip a few teasing sucks before she pressed the vibrator to the top of her throat, keeping it tucked firmly into the spot where her neck met her chin. She grasped Daryl's cock in her free hand and slowly returned her mouth to the head. Daryl drew in a sharp breath as her mouth enveloped him, and she glanced up and watched his face, eager to gauge his reaction. She swirled her tongue around the head a few times before slowly taking more of him into her mouth, keeping the vibrator firmly in place at her throat.
"Oh, fuck," Daryl groaned, and Beth had to fight the urge to grin around him. She began slowly bobbing her head, running her tongue along the underside of his cock each time she brought her head back up. Daryl's hands fisted into the blankets and his eyes screwed shut, and Beth felt proud that she was able to give him such pleasure. She brought her mouth back up to the head and moved the vibrator to rest firmly against the side of her cheek while she swirled her tongue around his tip and gave it several firm sucks, earning more groans of pleasure from Daryl. Beth moved the toy back to its place at her throat as she took his shaft in her mouth again, and soon Daryl's breathing became heavy and labored.
"Beth—" he cried out seconds before Beth felt the telltale tightening that signified his imminent release. She switched off the vibrator and swallowed everything he had. When she was finished, she glanced up at him triumphantly and watched him catch his breath.
"What the—where did you—Maggie taught you that?" Daryl spluttered, and Beth laughed.
"Yup. When she found out about the vibrators, she couldn't resist giving me advice."
"Your sister is a dirty whore," Daryl panted in a teasing tone. "And thank god for that."
Beth didn't have time to react before Daryl sat up quickly and grabbed her by the waist, flipping her onto her back and pinning her there with his hips. Her heart rate immediately sped up and she throbbed between her legs at the sight of him hovering over her, his pupils blown wide and his expression indicating that she was in for it. He reached for the discarded vibrator and sat up to scoot down the bed.
"And now it's your turn," he growled lowly, spreading her legs by her knees and pressing them to the bed to expose her fully to him.
Daryl switched on the vibrator and immediately pressed it firmly against Beth's clit, and she bucked her hips a bit as soon as the vibrations touched her. Daryl kept the toy firmly in place and began to slowly rotate it around her sensitive bud. Beth was already extremely aroused, and she knew it wouldn't take long for her to climax. She leaned her head back against the bed and closed her eyes, biting her lip in an attempt to not make too much noise.
Her attempt to stay quiet didn't last long however. Soon she felt two of Daryl's fingers being thrust inside her, and she cried out from surprise and pleasure. He kept the vibrator pressed against her clit as he fucked her with his fingers, curling them toward her stomach with each stroke and making her wetter than she thought possible. She then felt the tickle of his long hair as he knelt down between her legs, and his tongue delivered a slow, steady swipe over the length of her slit. Daryl placed her legs over his shoulders and wasted no time in thrusting his tongue inside her, the vibrator still circling her sensitive clit. Beth moaned loudly and quickly grabbed a nearby pillow to try to muffle the sounds of her pleasure as Daryl fucked her with his tongue. He scraped his teeth along her labia and lightly tugged on them, which, in combination with the vibrations, was enough to send her to her peak. Dizziness overcame her as her body shook from the intensity of the orgasm, her cries of pleasure swallowed by the pillow she held over her mouth. Daryl turned off the vibrator and pressed his tongue firmly against her as she rode out her climax. As the waves of pleasure subsided, Beth's ears were ringing, and she tossed the pillow aside to stare down at her lover incredulously.
Daryl grinned up at her and climbed back up on the bed, settling himself between Beth's still-spread legs. He was hard again, and Beth hadn't even recovered from her orgasm when he drove himself deep inside her. Beth cried out, the pillow discarded, and bit into his shoulder as he began thrusting into her hard and fast. She gave herself over to the delicious combination of pain and pleasure she was feeling from his ruthless, deep thrusts, completely disregarding how thin the walls of the trailer were. She felt almost euphoric, high from the pleasure he was giving her, and she never wanted it to end.
Beth felt herself growing closer to orgasm with each snap of Daryl's hips, and it seemed like almost no time at all before she was falling over the precipice of her climax, her muscles clenching around him and her nails digging into his back. Daryl followed soon after and just barely managed to pull out before spilling himself on her stomach. Both of them panted for breath, only now becoming aware of how loud they had likely been, but neither of them really caring. Daryl fell onto the bed next to Beth, and despite how warm and sweaty they had become, he reached a hand around her waist and tugged her against him.
"I love you so fucking much," he murmured hoarsely.
"I love you too," Beth replied softly, and she honestly felt that there was no truer statement in the world.
Side note: If anyone is curious about Reiki, feel free to message me with questions! Reiki literally changed my life. I'm a level II practitioner, and I couldn't recommend Reiki enough.
Also, for those of you who aren't aware, I have published "Bombs Away" (my WWII-era Bethyl AU that I mentioned a few chapters ago). I'll be posting chapter 4 of that story today. Now that this story is almost complete, I can't wait to be able to devote all my writing energy to my two historical AUs! :)