Hi guys! Sorry I had stopped updating this story for a while. I intended to write a few more chapters however life seemed to get in the way of that. Took a nice trip down to southern Georgia, so I had a chance to see the country down there. It was nice inspiration. For now I wrote a short epilogue to wrap this story up, but I'm not putting off the possibility of a sequel in the future :) Enjoy!

Daryl and Beth sat around the fire in the old crumbling farmhouse Beth had now called home. The flames crackled in front of them and cast shadows off the wall, seemingly only illuminating the space they occupied.

Moans and shuffling footsteps could be heard outside but it didn't penetrate the calm that existed between the pair of survivors. Beth lay her head back against the rotting wood and turned her attention towards Daryl.

"Do I see a smile on your face Daryl Dixon? What er you thinkin about?"

Daryl didn't turn his features into a scowl as he normally would, instead he turned to look at his blonde companion.

"Nothin really. Just thinkin."

"That doesn't make any kind of sense. You're not thinkin about nothin." Beth challenged Daryl.

"Doesn't have to make sense." Daryl retorted as he inched closer to Beth's side.

Beth let out a grunt and gave in to the redneck's logic. She felt her eyes becoming tired and rested her head on Daryl's shoulder. He didn't tense as she had expected but seemed to relax into her.

She tested her luck further and nestled into his side. She felt his strong arms reach around her and pull her in closer as if she had become his way to breath.

Beth was too tired now to even examine the situation so instead she closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment. The trials of the previous months faded away and were distinguished down to a whisper in the back of her mind. This new world they lived in was really the opposite of perfect by old world standards but no longer made Beth feel like an outsider. She hadn't gotten lost as the rest of her group evolved to take on the challenges that lay ahead of them.

Her weakness had melted away the longer she remained with Daryl. Not because she had learned how to survive or fight off a horde, or because she could track and travel the desolate landscape on her own. It was simple really. She had learned how to love. Not in the old southern, bible reading kind of way, but in the way when you look at someone else and see everything they are without a filter or an excuse. You accept the flaws and love the way they see right back trough you without making you feel vulnerable.

Beth had realized she found love right in the middle of the apocalypse. It put her mind at peace and allowed a smile to creep up to her lips.

Daryl reached over and brushed the hair out of her face. Beth still hadn't gotten use to these intimate gestures from him and looked into his eyes with a questioning look. Daryl met her gaze and softy kissed her on the lips. He held her there for a few seconds before looking back at her.

"Neva thought id have a home, that's all."