Alright. Here it is. This is the end. Writing this story has been a whirlwind of emotion and frustration and love, and I still can't believe how much I've grown as a writer because of it. I love these characters like they are my own, and they will forever be a part of my life.

So that's it, basically. I hope you enjoy, guys. Thank you for being the most amazing, supportive, perfect group of individuals I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. And fear not, this isn't the end of my writing, just this story. I told myself I wouldn't cry, but I'm such an emotional piece of shit that I'm practically sobbing. Anyway, I'll stop talking and let you read. Thank you again. Words cannot express my love for you.

I hope I did Beth justice.

There was no refugee camp. No safety in DC. The city was lost to the dead.

It hit the survivors again. The reality that this was the world now. They had believed that things would go back to the way they were before, but now all hope was lost. Again.

They got as close as they could, but they saw the crumbled buildings, the blackened roads. The armies, the leaders; they hadn't even tried to save it. There was no way they could make it through the city.

The group was devastated. They were scared and tired and hungry and now they were without a plan.

They found a gated community a good distance from the city. They cleared a house and stayed the night. No one talked, no one did much of anything, except make their beds and try to sleep. The next day they tried to figure out a plan.

They didn't have the heart to try for another city. If DC was lost, there was no hope left for any other city.

"This is a pretty secure place. We've got nowhere to go. Nowhere we can go," Glenn suggested.

"It isn't the best, but we'll make due with what we have," Rick grabbed Glenn's shoulder encouragingly.

Slowly the group began to nod in agreement. "We can take some of the wood from the houses and close off the gates, leave one open for runs," Carol offered.

"Clear out the houses, some surrounding areas for food and weapons," Maggie mentioned.

The group began buzzing about the plans. "...get our own rooms, real beds...plant some seeds in the garden...new clothes…"

They could start a new life here, just like at the prison.

They got to work. There were about ten houses on this street, between two cast iron gates well over 8 feet in height. They found all the tools they would need and more in the houses and started taking apart the smallest house. They took the floorboards, the doors, the furniture, anything they could use to barricade the gate. It would have to do until they could find a more permanent solution, like iron doors or a vehicle to put in front of it.

They worked hard and long until night began to fall. Carol, Tyreese, and Michonne had turned in early to plan a surprise for the group. When Rick called them in for the night, they all went to the first house to gather their supplies and claim houses. But the smell that wafted from the kitchen drew them in. What they saw made them all laugh out loud with happiness.

Tyreese was stirring what looked to be beef-well, squirrel-stew in a big pot, and Michonne was dividing up a few jars of beans and stale corn flakes onto plastic plates. Carol was in the dining room, where they had moved as many chairs as they could, and she was setting the table for what looked to be a survivor's feast.

They all sat down and looked around. This was the first formal place they had eaten since, well since the prison, and before that, the farm. There was enough food for big helpings, something they hadn't known in quite a long time.

Before the group could dig in, Beth and Maggie brought out a stack of empty plates. They set them down at the empty seat silently, an homage to all the people they had lost. Jim, Jacqui, Amy, Sophia, Otis, Dale, Jimmy, Patricia, Shane, T-Dog, Lori, Andrea, Hershel, Lizzie, Mika, Bob. There weren't enough plates to represent all of them, but the survivors understood. They sat in a moment of silence remembering them.

They knew that no matter how long time went on, they would never cease to love and remember the people they had lost. The hurt wouldn't stop; they had just learned to make room for it. Everyone that died, died a hero's death. And now they were free of this world, hopefully with their families and safe, and they would never know the hurt of this life again. It didn't matter if the world went back to normal tomorrow, these people had come into their lives for a reason. They were a family.

After dinner, they split up into houses. Rick, Carl, Judith, and Michonne took the first house and Daryl and Merle took the one across the street. Maggie, Glenn, Beth, and Carol moved into the one next to the brothers. Tyreese and Sasha took the final one. None of them felt particularly comfortable sleeping so far from the rest of the group, so they all chose the houses closest together, and closest to the front gate.

Beth flew upstairs with Maggie, and they jumped on the first bed they could find. "Called it!" Maggie yelled before Beth could say anything.

"Aw, come on!"

"Hey, I'm the one with a husband to sleep in a bed with! So I get the big bed!"

"Whatever," Beth said playfully. She got up and searched for the other rooms. She took the teenager's room, and Carol took the guest room.

Beth waited until she thought everyone was asleep before creeping slowly down the stairs. She felt like she was 16 again, trying to sneak out without waking her mom late at night. She reached for the living room window and jumped when a beam of light shone on her.

She shielded her eyes from the flashlight, already knowing who was probably behind it.

"Are you going to see him?" Maggie asked, matter-of-factly.

Beth feigned ignorance. "See who?"

"Beth. You know who." Maggie converted the flashlight into a lantern and set it on the coffee table.

"Yes."

"Figured as much."

"Maggie, don't be mad. I know you don't like them, but I do. I love him," Beth said with purpose.

"I know. I've known for a while now."

Beth's eyes went wide.

"Honey, you never have been good at being discreet."

Beth looked away from her sister, a mixture of shame and annoyance.

Maggie continued. "I have my opinions of him, yes. And I still think what he did with the Governor was awful. But we've all done worse kind of things just to stay alive. And I don't even want to know what's going on with you and Daryl. But I can see how you feel about them. I trust your judgement, just like daddy did. You're a big girl." Maggie smiled at her briefly, then got serious. "But accident or not, if either of those brothers lay a hand on you again, they better know that they've got another thing comin'." She pulled Beth into a tight hug. "Go. Life's too short to not be happy."

Beth held on to Maggie for a minute longer. "I love you," she said into her sister's hair.

"I love you too, Bethy. Be careful. And be back before breakfast," Maggie teased. She turned and went back upstairs.

Beth went out the front door, no longer concerned with being heard. She debated whether or not to knock on the man's door or try the windows. The men weren't expecting her, at least she didn't think they were. So she decided to knock.

She laughed out loud quietly to herself as she realized how normal this was. She was actually knocking on the front door of someone's house for the first time since she couldn't remember how long. Obviously it was still dangerous to be outside at night, but the group had secured the place as tight as can be.

Daryl answered empty handed, which was strange for him. There was always a weapon in at least of them.

"Hey." He smiled and took her hand. He pulled her to him, and they kissed slowly, a warm fire spreading through Beth's body.

"Well hey to you, too."

Daryl nudged them toward the stairs, and then Beth was swept off her feet, literally.

She let out a cry of surprise as Daryl carried her up the stairs, down the hall, and to a closed door. He gave her a look that asked, Are you ready for this? He pushed the door open with his foot.

She saw candles lit all around the room, illuminating the king size bed. It smelled faintly of stale cologne and through the flickering light she could see a shape lying on the bed. Daryl walked in and sat her down on the bed. She could tell he was trying to be gentle, but the result was rather ungraceful.

"Here. Signed, sealed, and delivered, brother," Daryl said, his tone half-joking.

Merle moved on the bed and brought Beth's lips to his. Beth laughed as they kissed; this was so unlike the brothers. She didn't know what to think.

As she moved to sit up, she realized that there was something else on the bed. She picked up what looked like a weed.

"Yeah, uh, dandelions were the only shit we could find," Merle said, breaking the kiss.

Beth laughed and brought their faces back together. "I love them."

Daryl cleared his throat.

"Mmm, thank ya, little brother. Now get yer dumb ass over here."

Daryl knelt down on the bed beside Beth and put his hands on her hips, his shallow breath ghosting over the back of her neck. Beth looked at both of the men, who looked back at her with lustful but loving eyes.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked Merle.

Merle nodded wordlessly. This is what they needed, all of them.

"And you're sure, too?" She turned to Daryl.

"Never been more sure about somethin' in my life," he answered.

Beth brought one hand up into Daryl's hair, and she twisted the other into the front of Merle's shirt. She pull lightly on both of the men, and then they were on her. Daryl wrapped his arms around her waist and splayed his hands out wide under her shirt. Merle kissed her fiercely, pulling her back to him with his mechanical arm so that Daryl's hands were smashed between their bodies. Wet kisses were trailed from behind Beth's ear to her shoulder; Daryl's teeth nipped at her temptingly.

She sighed with happiness. It was the only way to describe how this felt. She was purely, completely happy.

Her hands found the hem of Merle's shirt, and she pulled it off, trailing her fingernails down his chest. Merle let out a slow moan at the touch. Daryl's shirt hit the floor, along with Beth's quickly after.

Her porcelain skin shone in the candlelight like nothing Merle had seen before. Her skin was hardened by this life, but it held the softest personality he had ever was perfect. Daryl took in her body in awe similar to Merle.

Beth turned to face Daryl and captured his mouth. She bit his lip and pulled, automatically making his erection rock hard. Merle caressed her chest through her bra. She was so turned on in this moment. Everything around her was heat and skin and the two men. She kissed and touched and moved with a passion she'd seldom felt in her life before now.

Daryl reached down to the girl's pants and rubbed his hand slowly over the spot between her legs. Merle let her breasts free at the same time that Daryl's hand slipped beneath the two layers keeping him from pleasuring her.

She moaned quietly as Merle put her nipple in his mouth. Beth's hand grabbed him through his jeans, rubbing him down roughly. His moan rumbled against her small breast, only serving to arouse her more.

Daryl's hand on her sex wouldn't let her think straight. His rough fingers stroked her vigorously. "Oh yes...yes…" Beth moaned as he picked up speed. "Fuck, oh my g-yeah...fuck." Beth writhed against Merle as Daryl's finger entered her and his thumb continued to rub her clit. She couldn't take it anymore. She was about to-

Daryl stopped seconds before Beth's climax. She whined and pulled his hand back down her pants.

The younger brother laughed. "Can't let you have all the fun, sweetheart," he teased.

"Oh, you wanna see fun?" Beth got up from the bed and ran to the other side of the room. She licked one finger as seductively as she could and trailed it down her body. She reached her warmth and rubbed herself roughly. The brother's realized what she was doing, and they got up and grabbed her hands before she could finish herself off. They pinned her to the wall. "Oh come on, really?" she protested.

"Hey, you started this. We're just playin' along," Merle said as innocently as he could.

They brought her back to the bed and kept her hands pinned above her head. Both men knelt on the bed next to her face and let go of her hands so that she could undress them. She took them both down to their underwear, then caught Daryl off guard and pushed him to the bed and straddled him.

She crawled up his chest with a devilish look in her traced her hands down his arms, then back up. Then she moved up his chest, her nails barely scraping the surface of his skin. She splayed her hands out lightly over his lower abdomen, inches from the tent in his pants.

Her wet tongue licked long lines up his thighs; heat spread through the man. He grabbed her hair, hoping to move her blessed mouth closer to his package. She pulled his hands away and pinned them at his side. It was obvious that he could break out, but he was having way too much fun right here.

She teased him with light kisses through his boxers as his erection pushed painfully to be set free. "Beth, please…" Daryl moaned incoherently.

Beth didn't have the slightest idea where this confidence was coming from. It was like someone else had crawled into her mind with her and suddenly she knew all the right things to do, every movement to make the men writhe under her touch.

The girl sat back up and watched Daryl sigh at the loss.

Merle held himself through his jeans, turned on by the way Beth was pleasuring his brother. He caught himself thinking he was glad she didn't go any further with Daryl first, before him. She was his first. But he pushed those thoughts from his mind. She wanted them both; he was still in shock as to why she wanted him at all, but he was never going to mess this shit up again. So he threw himself into her and what her body was doing to his erection.

"Lemme get some of that love, sugar," Merle drawled.

"Oh you'll get something," Beth pushed him down beside his brother. She wasn't gentle with Merle. Her nails dug into his chest, bound to leave red lines in the morning. She bit his neck fiercely and pressed her palm to his groin forcefully.

Merle groaned at the friction and thrust his hips into her hand. Beth reached into his boxers and set his member free. She grabbed Daryl's boxers as well and took him into her hand. She straddled one of each man's legs and stroked their cocks slowly. As their sounds of pleasure increased, Beth's speed adjusted accordingly. The man grew in size considerably.

She hadn't compared sizes, and truthfully, she didn't want to. That didn't matter. They were perfect to her, no matter what.

She took Merle into her mouth. She knew he needed her first. She bobbed her head up and down just like he liked it. The feeling of his dick hitting the back of her throat wasn't unpleasant, and when he grabbed and pushed her all the way down on his length, she performed with a newfound vigor. He let out a low moan and pulled her blonde hair free of the ponytail. The locks fell around her face lightly.

She shoved them out of her face and pulled off of him with a pop, giggling. "You're just tryin' to make this hard for me, huh?"

"I think yer the one makin' something hard", Merle retorted with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. "Plus, I think it's prettier down."

Daryl laughed out loud at Merle's answer, but agreed with his brother. "Yer the most beauuuutiful girl in the whole world." He mocked Merle, which elicited a laugh from both the boys. But his laugh turned to a moan when Beth's mouth assaulted Daryl's penis.

It felt so good that Darl didn't think he was going to last one minute. He was serious; he thought he was going to blow right then and there. But he got it under control, and Beth worked him over good. But then Beth's hands found his chest. Her nails ran down his abdomen in a way that made him crazy. He squeezed his eyes shut and shot his load into her mouth with a groan of ecstasy.

Daryl was embarrassed to have come so early. There was something about this fucking girl that made him lose his mind. And his self-control too apparently. He was breathing heavily as Beth sat up and wiped her mouth. She smiled down at him, and he couldn't tell if she was laughing at him or just smiling.

Merle, however, was pretty obvious about his opinion of his early arrival. "Little eager there, brother?" He joked.

"Shut up," Daryl said, only half angry.

"Hey, I didn't mind it one bit," Beth said, tracing a line down his arm.

While they shared a moment, Merle had other ideas. He pulled Beth back to him by the belt loops and pushed her under him. He shoved one of his fingers into Beth's mouth and she wet it, then he slid it into her hot pussy and curled it upward. She let out a breathy moan. Merle picked up speed.

Daryl licked long lines up and down Beth's abdomen, stopping just short of where Merle was satisfying the girl. Merle withdrew his finger slowly, and Daryl's mouth replaced it seamlessly. She squealed in surprise.

This time Daryl didn't stop. Beth dug her nails into Merle's shoulder, who had moved up to kiss her. Daryl's tongue was buried deep in her, twisting and turning, hitting her clit every few licks. Her heart was racing in the immensity of her first climax in at least two weeks.

She let out a long, loud moan as she came around Daryl's mouth. She laid back and took a deep breath in the aftershock of her orgasm.

She sat up between the two men. She looked at Merle, then Daryl. She loved them both so much. The two brothers had been through so much strife in their lives, and that was before the world ended. And after the world ended, obviously it didn't get much easier. But through all of it, they were still capable of love. Love for her. She touched both of their cheeks as they sat in front of her.

She decided in that moment that she needed to see them, all of them, completely exposed, and not just in the traditional sense of the word. Although as she turned to Merle, she almost lost her nerve. It seemed all of her confidence from before had flown out the window.

Slowly she reached for his arm. The metal contraption at his elbow was cold and foreboding. He had never taken it off in front of her; it was always taken off after she fell asleep and was back on before she woke up. And he had never taken it off when they had sex.

But now Beth cautiously unhooked the belt that held it on above his elbow. She pulled the belt free, and Merle's other hand grabbed hers. They didn't speak for a long minute, staring silently at each other. Slowly he let go of her hand and moved his amputated arm toward her. She caressed his cheek lightly before she slid the contraption off carefully. She didn't know what would hurt him. He looked away as Beth set the metal down and brought his arm up to her lips.

To say she wasn't a little disturbed would be a lie. But she would die before she let that show on her face. The arm stopped at the wrist and the sight there was not pretty. It hadn't healed right, and Beth was thankful for the low lighting in the room. She wasn't repulsed by the wound, she was repulsed that this is what the world could do to people.

Regardless, she kissed him from elbow to wrist slowly. She could feel his body shaking as she neared the end of his arm. She kissed the top of his wrist, right next to where it was cut off. He let out a shaky breath, and Beth could see there were tears in his eyes.

She kissed him again, this time on the mouth.

Merle never cried. He couldn't remember the last time a tear had actually fallen from his eye, but now he felt one slip down his cheek and fall on to the bed. He didn't like to look weak. He hated his hand, or lack thereof. He hated that it made him weak to even look at it. He should be strong enough to face that part of him.

But as he watched Beth kiss his arm, he couldn't help the emotions that came to him. Sadness, relief, confusion, fear. And so tears fell from his eyes as she kissed him.

Daryl watched this exchange intently. He had only seen his brother's handicap once before. He watched Beth kiss him and realized for the thousandth time how amazing she was. The love this young girl was capable of shocked him time and time again.

He was so deep in thought that he jumped when Beth put her hand on his cheek. Her hand trailed from his cheek to his neck to his shoulders. She gave him a brave look, then her hands moved beyond his shoulders, inching toward the tattoos, and subsequent scars, on his back. He didn't protest, didn't move.

He was scared, but not of rejection. He was scared of letting himself be cracked and opened up for her to see. He didn't want her to see that part of him, that dark past.

Her hands found the first scar, a thick diagonal line over his right shoulder blade. On his left shoulder blade, Beth felt a jagged "X." Along the middle of his back were light, thin scars too.

Her heart broke for him. She held his chin so he was looking straight at her.

He was stronger than his past; the same went for Merle. These men were strong and passionate and hers.

She kissed Daryl fiercely and pushed him back on to the bed. She pulled Merle down to her and he kissed her neck while Daryl kissed her lips. She could feel both men's erections on her, coming back with a fierce need.

Merle entered her wetness first with a growl. He pushed all the way in and pulled out again, setting an easy rhythm.

Daryl entered her already pulsating cunt as Merle thrusted into her. Beth whimpered at the size of the two men inside her, but Merle's lips on her back and Daryl's teeth biting her earlobe overruled the pain. She grew accustomed to the size gradually and was soon moaning into the pillow.

She felt so good around the brothers' members that both knew they really weren't going to last long. Merle's grunts fell into Beth's fair hair, and she leaned up with one arm around his neck and they kissed harshly. He put his bare amputated arm around her and brought her body flush with his, pounding into her harder with every thrust.

Daryl was losing his grip on the girl so he grabbed her ass and moved her hips up and down on his dick. She was being pushed and pulled in so many different directions. She was so turned on that she thought she was going to explode. Her moans were louder than ever before, partly because there was no danger of being heard this time.

"Oh fuck, yes! God!" Beth couldn't form a coherent thought as her climax built again inside of her. The men could feel themselves building as well. They thrusted hard into her pussy, throwing Beth over the edge. She clung to Daryl's chest as the force of her orgasm worked its way through her body. Merle, having reached the point of no return, pulled out of her first and Daryl followed suit.

Beth was thrown onto her back on the bed. The men splattered her with their seed. Loud moans fell from their slack-jawed mouths.

Beth cleaned her chest off with two fingers, keeping the brothers' gazes the whole time. She brought the fingers up to her mouth and flicked her tongue out to taste their cum mingled together.

She loved this feeling. The feeling that she could entrance these men, who were so much older than her in age and experience. She could command their attention, make them forget that the rest of the world existed. Not in a controlling way, but in a way that helped them forget all the bad shit in life.

Merle tore his eyes from her and grabbed the towel from beside the bed. He cleaned himself off, then gave the towel to Daryl nonchalantly. Daryl cleaned up and picked up his boxers from the other side of the room, throwing Merle's to him like it was the most normal thing in the world.

They laid down on either side of Beth. She hadn't bothered to find her clothes; the bed was too comfy, and even if she wanted to move, she was pretty sure she wouldn't be walking normal after that experience. Not for a good few hours, at the earliest.

Daryl laid on his side and ran the soft back of his hand down her cheek. They kissed lightly, and Merle brought his amputated arm behind Beth's head. She turned to kiss him, too. Merle brought her body flush with his, and Beth pulled Daryl closer to her on the other side.

She couldn't help but feel like they were one giant pretzel. But she would rather be a pretzel than have to be away from these men ever again. Her body was buzzing with the high of sex, and her mind was buzzing with the high of happiness.

"Merle. I love you, Merle. I love you more than words can express. You're a big-headed, ignorant-" Merle's face fell.

"Hilarious, strong, loving man. And I love you like I've never loved anyone before this, like love wasn't even an idea until I met you." She caressed his cheek as he relaxed back into her body.

"I love you, too, angel," he said with smile.

"And I realized that maybe I could love more than one person." She turned to Daryl. "And yes, you're rash and you're hot-tempered, but you're also caring and determined. I love you as if I would die without it. Without you." She smiled at him.

"I love you, too," Daryl said, the same small smile as Merle spreading across his face.

"I love you two like there wasn't life before I met you. This a new start. Now, in a world like this? You have to forget the past. There was no life before this. You are my family, my love, my life now."

You gotta stay who you are, not who you were.

R.I.P. Beth and Merle