This is sort of a filler chapter. The next chapter will be much more interesting! :D

Beth was in very high spirits as she and Daryl got back on the road the next morning. She sang softly as they drove, the sweet sound of her voice filling the truck cab as the wind from the open windows tousled her hair. Her good mood had proven to be contagious, as Daryl found himself in good spirits as well. They were once again heading south, following their original plan to head to the Florida coast.

Before leaving the campground that morning, they had filled all of the trailer's water tanks, as well as the water jugs and bottles they had been using before they had come across the trailer. The supply of fresh water would last them at least a week, and much longer if they used natural water sources along the way for bathing. Daryl had also gone out right before sunrise on a hunt, and there were three fat rabbits already butchered and ready to be cooked for later meals. They were stashed in the trailer's small refrigerator, which was currently the only thing utilizing the solar-powered batteries to run.

Beth's bite wound had now completely scabbed over, and it looked to be healing very well. Her healing coupled with the conversation they'd had the night before had Daryl feeling better about the whole thing. Internally, he was still a little hesitant to completely accept that Beth was immune, but he had already started bringing down the walls he had put up to prepare himself for her death. He knew it was just a stupid self-defense mechanism, but what she had said the night before made sense. Attitude and beliefs did have an impact on one's health, and he was going to work hard not to dampen Beth's attitude.

As he glanced over to her now in the passenger seat next to him, singing quietly with a smile on her face, she was so bright and full of life that it almost seemed ludicrous that only days before, they had believed she would die. She looked over to him and caught his eye before flashing him one of her usual dazzling smiles. Daryl felt almost physically warmed by her smile, and it seemed impossible that the pure goodness that was Beth would ever fade away. The corners of his own mouth turned up into a smile as well as he turned his attention back to the road. He may have still been pretending just a little for her, but seeing her like this made it so easy that he was almost completely convinced that she would always be just fine.

The two of them drove in companionable silence for a while, Beth breaking the quiet every now and then to hum or sing softly. Daryl felt at ease for the first time in days, and he realized suddenly how exhausted he was. It wasn't as though he felt like he would nod off at the wheel, but he felt in his bones how trying the emotional rollercoaster the past few days had been. He found himself longing for their little cabin they'd had to leave behind, because all he wanted to do was hole up somewhere with Beth with their only real concern being what he would be able to hunt for dinner. He sighed and tried not to dwell on things he could not change, and instead tried to focus on the beautiful woman who was still alive and well next to him. No matter where they ended up, as long has he had her, he knew he would be okay.

"We'll need to pull over and stop pretty soon," Beth said suddenly.

"Why?"

"Because we're only about ten miles from the Florida border," she replied with a grin on her face.

"So?"

"So, you've never been out of the state of Georgia. That's about to change. We need to make a thing of it! Stand on one side of the state line and walk into Florida. It'll be more exciting than just driving over the border."

Daryl scoffed a little. "Don't gotta make a thing of it. Ain't a big deal."

"Oh yes it is," Beth shook her head. "And it's not just you who should be excited about this. We're crossing state lines for the first time since the world ended. After running around Georgia for so long, I'm looking at Florida like a new beginning. Maybe we can find the home we need there. A real home. You know?"

Daryl hummed in agreement, his eyes still on the road. He had to admit that it was somewhat exciting to leave Georgia, but at the same time, it wasn't that big of a deal to him. State lines were arbitrary borders that meant nothing in today's world. But still, Beth was right. They could use some hope for a new beginning.

"You sure you're ready to say goodbye to Georgia?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes and no. I'm ready for something new and different, but at the same time, I know we're leaving people behind in Georgia. But they've been gone so long that it doesn't hurt very much anymore. Almost feels like we never would have found them anyway, so it's time to move on."

Daryl nodded in understanding.

"Well, if Florida is a bust, we can always go back," he offered, but Beth shook her head.

"No. If Florida is a bust, we should go somewhere else. Alabama or Louisiana maybe. I love Georgia, and it will always be my home, but like I said, it's time to move on. We should create a life for ourselves somewhere new."

"All right," Daryl agreed.

After a few more miles, Beth pointed to a sign up ahead. Now Leaving Georgia, the sign read. Daryl slowed down and pulled to a stop just before the sign. He could see the Welcome to Florida sign about a hundred feet up ahead. He glanced over to Beth, who grinned excitedly.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he shrugged, and the two of them quickly climbed out of the truck.

Daryl shouldered his crossbow, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any wandering ghouls, but the area seemed quiet. He felt Beth slip her hand into his as she stood next to him, and he gave her hand a squeeze. They simultaneously took a step forward and began walking in sync toward the Now Leaving Georgia sign.

"So what's this then?" Daryl asked as they passed the sign and began walking toward the Welcome to Florida sign. "We ain't in Georgia anymore, but we ain't in Florida yet either? So this is just no man's land?"

Beth giggled and nudged his side playfully. "Think of it as the line on the map that separates the two. We're walking on the border right now I guess."

Daryl grinned a little and began to walk faster. He wasn't sure why, but now he was suddenly anxious to reach the Florida sign. He still believed the boundaries to be arbitrary, but something that Beth had said about Florida being a new beginning had resonated with him. Beth matched his increased pace, and soon they were almost to the Florida sign. Daryl slowed down and came to a stop just before the sign.

"Well, this is it," he said with a shrug, the corners of his mouth tugging upward into a smile despite himself.

Beth beamed at him and squeezed his hand. "Ready when you are."

He took a purposeful step forward with Beth walking alongside him. In just a few paces, they were now officially in Florida.

"So? How does it feel to have finally left Georgia?" Beth asked him, still smiling widely.

Daryl shrugged. "Don't feel no different yet. But just wait till we get to the coast. I ain't been to the beach before neither. Not even in Georgia."

Beth's eyes lit up. "I can't wait to see your face when you put your toes in the sand for the first time!"

Daryl chuckled. He was more anxious to gaze out on the ocean. Water for as far as the eye could see, seemingly never-ending, and with walkers' inability to swim, no snarling dead in sight. It was a tranquility he couldn't wait to witness.

"Well, we should get back to the truck. Can't see my reaction to the beach if we don't get there first."

Beth nodded and turned around, her hand still in his as they walked back to the truck. Soon they were back on the road, driving over the border this time, and Daryl was even more anxious to get to their destination. However they had barely driven a few miles into Florida before Beth was suddenly asking him to stop again.

"What is it this time?" he asked impatiently.

"A welcome center just up ahead," Beth said. "Now that we're in Florida, we'll need new maps, especially if we have to keep driving down the coast until we find somewhere safe to stay. The welcome center will have them for sure."

He nodded. "Good idea."

Although Daryl wasn't fond of the idea of stopping, considering he was still on edge about such things since Beth's bite, she did have a point. Their map of Georgia would no longer be of use to them in Florida, and seeing that the state was completely unfamiliar territory for him, Daryl had no desire to be going in blind.

He pulled off the highway and into the parking lot of the welcome center. There were a few other cars in the parking lot, but they looked as though they had been long abandoned. Daryl killed the engine and grabbed his crossbow as Beth tugged her pink hammer free from her belt loop.

"You stay—"

"Right behind you," she finished for him, her eyes twinkling. "I got it."

"This ain't a game, Beth," Daryl growled in response, and Beth sighed lightly.

"I know, I know. Let's go."

She didn't wait for him to respond before jumping out of the truck, and Daryl hastily followed her. His large strides overtook hers and he gently moved her behind him with his arm as they reached the glass doors of the building. As usual, Daryl rapped loudly on the glass and waited. After a few moments, one snarling walker had pressed itself against the glass, but it appeared to be alone. Daryl nodded to Beth, who quickly tugged open the door, allowing Daryl to swiftly put down the walker with his crossbow. He tugged his arrow free and entered the building first with Beth on his heels.

The welcome center was quite small, and it didn't take long to make sure the rest of the building was clear. Beth went to the display of maps and began grabbing several of them, while Daryl went over to the small supply of food that was still on the shelves. He grabbed the few bags of stale chips and crackers that remained before making his way back over to Beth, who had her hands full of maps and tourism guides.

"Let's go," he grunted quietly, and she nodded.

The pair exited the building and were soon back in the truck. As Daryl started up the engine and got back on the highway, Beth began flipping through the maps and tourist guides. After several minutes, she gave an excited gasp.

"Look at this!" she exclaimed, holding up a page of one of the tourist guides.

Daryl glanced over to it and saw a picture of a small lighthouse.

"St. Mark's Lighthouse," Beth read from the guide. "It was built in 1831 and has weathered over 100 historic storms. It used to be open for tours back before the dead started walking and all."

"Yeah, so?"

"So, think about it. A lighthouse would be the perfect watchtower. And it's on the coast. So the sea would be to our backs, leaving just three sides that would need to be defended. Most lighthouses have some kind of keeper's house or something on the grounds, or since this one used to be open for tours, I bet it has a gift shop of sorts. We could use that structure as our shelter, maybe build a fence around it to protect against walkers, and use the lighthouse as a watchtower."

Daryl hummed in thought. "That's all true, but how do you know someone else hasn't already done that?"

Beth shrugged. "We don't know. But it can't hurt to look and find out. And this guide has lots of Florida lighthouses listed, so if this one doesn't work out, we can try the others. This one is the closest to where we are though. About 40 miles away."

Daryl nodded. "Okay. We'll check it out. But we gotta be careful about it. Don't wanna walk into an ambush or somethin'."

"Yes, absolutely," Beth agreed. She pulled out a map to route them to their new destination, and Daryl could practically feel the excitement buzzing off of her.

"I really hope this works out," she said. "It looks like it's surrounded by lots of national forests and parks, which means good hunting grounds for you and less civilization to worry about. And there's lots of rivers and small lakes nearby for fresh water."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Beth," Daryl cautioned. "We ain't even seen it yet. Could be already taken by people we don't wanna get involved with."

"What are we going to do if there are people there?" she asked.

"Go somewhere else," Daryl replied as if it were obvious.

"But what if they're good people? Maybe we could make things work with them?"

Daryl sighed. "We wouldn't have a way to know if they're good people if we're just looking from afar. And I ain't willin' to get close enough to watch and see. Besides, you really wanna try explainin' that bite wound on your shoulder to a bunch of strangers?"

Beth frowned. She hadn't thought about that.

"Well, I'm obviously not sick . . ." she trailed off, feeling unsure.

"Yeah, but someone who don't know you might not be convinced. What if someone tries to put you down 'cause they think you're a liability to others?"

Beth was quiet, knowing Daryl had a point. There was no telling how other people would react to the bite. Maybe they would hail her as a miracle, or maybe they would perceive her as a threat. There was no way to tell how people might react. If they believed that she could still turn and then hurt or infect others in their group, they might turn her away, or they might try to kill her.

"Maybe I could hide it until it heals?" she wondered aloud, fidgeting with her shirt to see if she could position it so that it covered the wound.

"Not unless you got a turtleneck sweater," Daryl shook his head. "And even after it heals, you'll probably have a nasty scar. I don't think you can hide it."

Beth sighed and nodded, most of her excitement now suddenly drained out of her. Daryl reached over and took her hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze. He hadn't meant to be such a killjoy.

"We'll go check it out," he said. "We'll be careful. And we'll play it by ear."

Beth nodded in agreement and turned her attention to the window. Daryl wished he hadn't killed her mood, but what he'd said was the truth. It had taken him several days to accept that Beth wasn't going to turn, and strangers would have no reason to trust them. He just hoped that the lighthouse would be vacant so that he and Beth wouldn't have to worry about such things. Instead of worrying, he focused on the mental image of Beth standing on a beach with her bare toes in the sand, the surf surging up around her ankles and the sea breeze toying with her blonde hair as her bright blue eyes found his. The image brought a smile to his face, and he couldn't wait to make it a reality.

Thank you for reading and please review! :)