A/N: Here is the next chapter! Please let me know what you think. (Some phrases are taken from the song)

Chapter 2

Once again, Daryl is watching Annette Green cry. It was two weeks after Beth's high school graduation and they are taking off, ditching this small town and heading west. Merle, Daryl's brother, just finished his all his obligations to the state of Georgia and is chomping at the bit to get as far away as he can. They are going with him. At first he wasn't sure this was a good idea but Merle always had a way of talking Daryl into anything. He is the only family, only blood, Daryl has left besides Beth. He couldn't let Merle leave without him. Who the hell knows what would happen to the dumbass if he did.

So here he is, sitting on his motorcycle, watching Beth give her momma and daddy hugs and kisses, while making promises to phone them whenever they stop. They didn't have a destination in mind, other than just heading west. Daryl figures they'll settle when they find what they are looking for, whatever that may be. He had already loaded her bags into the back of Merle's truck and now they are only waiting on the goodbyes.

He looks over to Beth and notices that her eyes are dry. That's probably because she is so sure of taking off with him. When he presented the idea of leaving, Daryl expected reluctance at best, and a huge blowout at worst. He had been ready to beg her to go with him. He didn't want to face having to choose between her and Merle. He didn't have any idea how that would go. The fact that it would even be a possibility that he might not chose Merle, spoke volumes about his feelings for Beth. However, he didn't have to worry, Beth didn't hesitate to say yes. She told him that while she loved her parents, siblings, and church, Daryl was her family now. She'd follow him anywhere. In that moment he felt torn between guilt that felt like a punch to gut and a slow burn of happiness. Happy for her easy acceptance and complete love for him and guilt that he was taking her away from here for his own selfish needs. He didn't know how he'd ever be good enough her. But he'd sure try his damn hardest.

Daryl was torn from his thoughts when he felt Beth climb on behind him. She put her arms around his waist and slid her beloved bible into the inside pocket of his leather vest. Daryl smirked, knowing how she would be holding tight onto him when they rode but still be able to feel that bible. Always clutching to both her damnation and her salvation at the same time.

"You ready girl?" Daryl yelled over the roar of the engine as he pulled out onto the long gravel drive heading towards the highway. Only Beth's exhilarated laugh answered him, which he felt more than heard, even over the vibrations of his bike. He couldn't help but smile back at her over his shoulder. This was going to be one hell of a ride.

They spent the next few weeks slowly making their way west. Sometimes they slept in cheap motels but mostly they found places to camp along the way. It's the way Daryl preferred it. It was his first time out of Georgia and if there was anything he wanted to do, it was spend time in new forests. They ate a lot of fast food and at cheap diners. They were tired but Daryl loved being on the open road with his girl on the back of his bike. Right now they were at truck stop in Tucson, Arizona. Beth was on the payphone to her momma while Merle was filling up.

It had been an easy going trip so far. Merle and Beth got on surprisingly well considering Merle's first reaction on hearing about Beth and how he wouldn't leave without her. Daryl remembered it clearly.

"What the hell you mean gotta girl little bro?" Merle asked in disbelief.

'I mean exactly what I said. I got a girl now. And I ain't leaving without her. So we gotta wait." Daryl was calm as he replied back.

'What the hell we waiting for Darylina? Why can't she come now? Don't tell me she's married."

Daryl sighed. He knew this next part wasn't going to go over well. He figured he might end up having to punch his brother before this conversation ended.

"We gotta wait...well because…," Daryl struggled to say.

"Spit it out man. Don't wanna listen to your dumbass stutter all day," Merle retorted with irritation.

"She graduates in a couple weeks. There's no way she can go before then." Daryl knew he was leaving out the important part; that it was high school she was graduating from.

"No fucking way little bro. You got yourself a college girl? What smart girl would ever go for a dumbass redneck like you?" Disbelief colored his tone.

Daryl felt a stab of guilt once again for being with a girl so young. Not even Merle it seemed, could imagine Daryl was with a high school girl, even if was eighteen now.

"She ain't in college…" he let his words trail off so Merle would get the picture without him saying the words.

"You don't mean...you aint telling me you're fucking some jailbait are you? Cuz even you wouldn't be that fucking stupid Daryl." For once Merle was serious.

"It ain't fucking like that. First off she's 18 now. Second I ain't just fucking her. I told you, she's my girl. She's it for me." Daryl said firmly. "Don't be calling her jailbait either. Especially to her face."

"No. No fucking way Darylina. We ain't bringing no little girl with us. I ain't a fucking babysitter. She ain't coming!"

Daryl didn't say anything for a moment and instead he just shook his head.

"Look your my blood, but it's a deal breaker. Either she comes or I don't go with you either."

It didn't Merle long after that to see that Daryl wasn't going to change his mind. It didn't matter how many pervert comments he threw Daryl's way. It took even less time for him grow attached to Beth; calling her Angel and telling her how he was the better Dixon brother if she got tired of Daryl's shit. Nobody could resist the charm of Beth Greene. Like with Daryl, she refused to take Merle's shit but yet treated him with more respect and kindness then he'd probably ever had gotten in his life. And since then everything between the three of them went smoothly.

And with amazing grace they finally made the California line.