Feigning offense, Derek fails to keep up the facade at her comment when instead his expression shifts into amused incredulity and the laugh that bubbles up out of him matches the look on his face. "Oh that's how it is? You only like this me when I can carry you around, huh? I'll remember that, Beth," he jokes.

But her whispered tones and the chaste kiss she follows them with melt away his playful facade. Beth is quite literally Derek's whole world now, but he wouldn't have it any other way. Everything about her makes him want to keep fighting and keep surviving when the world around him is all but insisting that the living should roll over and let it win.

Derek pushes himself back up as she gets to her feet and he lets his bag drop to the ground. He's not going to be able to put it on if he's going to be carrying Beth, after all. She'll have to pick it up after he's got her settled on his back. "You ready? I'm feeling good about today. I think we're going to find a place to stay. I don't know why, I just...have a really good feeling about today."