Well, here it is! The final chapter. This is just a short epilogue to wrap things up.

Thank you all SO much for your support for this story. I can't even put into words how much it means to me. I hope you'll give my historical AUs a shot as well. :)

Epilogue

3 Months Later

Beth fastened a freshly washed shirt to the clothesline, the ocean breeze already toying with it and sending it flapping in the wind. She sat back down in front of the wash basin and grabbed another article of clothing to begin scrubbing against the wash board. Laundry may not have been Beth's favorite chore, as it often left the skin on her hands dry and cracked, but the monotonous task always gave her time to think while she worked.

She let her eyes wander around the camp now as she scrubbed, taking in the sight of the other group members doing various tasks and chores around the camp. Rosita was on watch at the top of the lighthouse, her vigilant eyes constantly scanning the horizon with her back to the ocean, even though the camp had thus far never had to deal with more than a few walkers at once, and no other living souls had yet to find their camp. Beth's ears picked up bits and pieces of the conversation among Anna, Tara, and Eugene in the garden, and she grinned as she realized they were discussing the ideal vampire (a discussion likely brought about by Beth's Anne Rice books that had been making their way around the camp). From what she could pick up from her distance across the yard, Anna was arguing in favor of the Twilight vampires, while Eugene was relentlessly picking apart the vampires' weaknesses. She could see Tara with her head hung low in laughter as the debate raged on, and Beth almost contemplated abandoning her current chore to go join in. But she just shook her head and continued gazing around camp, her hands busily scrubbing the pair of jeans she had in the wash basin in front of her.

Rowena and Lily were seated around the cook fire preparing lunch. The sisters were engaged in quiet conversation together, and it warmed Beth to see Lily throw her head back and laugh at something Rowena had said. Lily was often quiet and reserved, and seeing her laugh was a rare thing. It wasn't that Lily wasn't friendly or happy, for after she had overcome her suspicion of Beth's now-scarred wound, she had been quick to warm up to her, but it still took a lot to make the woman display the level of joy her free-spirited sister often did.

Beth's eyes wandered then up to the porch, where Glenn, Maggie, Abraham, and Geoff were engaged in the effort to fashion storm shutters out of sheet metal they had salvaged from a nearby town. According to Rowena, hurricane season in Florida would be starting in just a few short months, and the group had to be prepared should a storm come their way. The plan was to create strong metal shutters for all the building's windows that could be pulled across each window on a sliding bar of sorts, enabling them to board up their shelter at a moment's notice if need be. Without the convenience of Doppler radar, a storm could approach with little warning, and the sliding shutters would be essential for last-minute preparations.

Beth watched as Glenn put down his tools to stand and stretch. He wandered over to where Maggie was working and slipped his hands around her from behind, his hands immediately going to rest on his wife's stomach. Beth stifled a grin at the sight; Maggie had revealed to Beth just that morning that she was pregnant, but she and Glenn had yet to announce it to the rest of the group. They would make their announcement that night over dinner. Beth was absolutely ecstatic over the news. She knew there were risks to having a baby in this world, especially without a doctor at their camp, but she also knew that they would manage. They had plenty of time to research and prepare, and Beth felt that there was hardly a safer place to raise a child at the end of the world. The camp at the lighthouse felt even safer than the prison, and Beth absolutely could not wait to be an aunt.

The sound of Rosita's whistle from the lighthouse suddenly interrupted her thoughts, and Beth allowed herself to grin widely as Abraham jogged to the fence gate, pulling it open to allow Daryl back inside. He had his crossbow slung across his back and several dead rabbits tied to a rope that was slung over his shoulder. Beth's heart thumped a bit as she observed the sheen of sweat on his skin, his toned arms flexing just slightly as he gripped the strap of his crossbow. His icy blue eyes scanned the camp, clearly seeking Beth, and he immediately began walking toward her as soon as his eyes found her.

"Looks like you had a decent hunt today," Beth commented as Daryl approached. He nodded and sat down beside her, unsheathing his hunting knife to begin skinning and gutting his kills.

"Sorta," he grunted. "Lots of little ones."

Beth nodded and continued scrubbing, already feeling more at peace now that Daryl was sitting next to her. Even when he was only gone for a few hours, she found that she missed him, and she was always relieved when he returned. Daryl began working on the rabbits next to her, neither of them speaking, but Beth still couldn't help the smile that slowly spread across her face. Even though they had been at the lighthouse for three months, Beth still sometimes couldn't believe that it was real. If she closed her eyes, she could easily imagine that she was hanging laundry in the backyard of a suburban house, and that the sounds of the conversations around the camp were from neighbors' yards just over the perfect picket fence. But in all honesty, Beth didn't want to imagine such a life. She didn't need to. The life they had here at the lighthouse was just perfect the way it was, and Beth didn't want it any other way.

"What're you smilin' about?" Daryl asked suddenly, and she glanced at him and shrugged.

"Just happy," she said.

He nodded and studied her through the hair that always hung in his eyes, and a small smile began to find its way to his mouth as well.

"Me too," he said simply, and Beth's smile widened.

They had food, shelter, protection, and a soon-to-be growing family. And most importantly, they had each other, which had always been more than enough. They were alive, and they weren't just surviving. In fact, they weren't just living either. They were thriving.

Beth held Daryl's gaze for several long moments, blue eyes meeting blue and conveying a silent understanding that it seemed life couldn't get any better. It didn't matter that the world had ended, because Beth couldn't remember a time when she had ever been happier. And neither could Daryl.

The end! Thank you so much for reading! You are all amazing!