Just Survive (Complete)

Chapter 17

They stayed in Angel's Landing from October until late March. Jenny started crawling around, even clapping. She started babbling, stringing syllables together.

Ashley put Jenny in her crib, loving the sound of her squeals. Then she heard Jenny babble.
"Maaaaaa........maaaaaa..."

Ashley stopped in her tracks. Jenny had called her 'mama'. She was glad Colby had softened enough to let her bring Jenny along when they continued their journey in a few weeks. They knew that it would be dangerous, but the baby had grown on them. She was such a sweet baby, and Colby had been trying so hard to take care of her.
Ashley had gotten very attached, so much so that she'd even taken to sleeping in the same room as Jenny. She would always wake up in the middle of the night with a start, looking frantically around her. She wasn't used to sleeping in a safe environment, even though they had been living in the settlement for months. Colby would put his arms around her, knowing that something had changed between them. Ashley couldn't help but imagine her and Colby becoming a couple, even a family. He seemed to think the same thing.

Colby sat studying the map to Jackson. It would take a few months at least. The park his family visited was about halfway; it would be a long shot, but he didn't want to pass up the chance that his mom, sister, or brother were still alive. They hadn't seen each other in years, and he wanted to see if they were ok.
He didn't understand why he wanted to find his family so badly. It was like his instincts, they kept telling him that he needed to go there.

Ashley had found a diary that had belonged to Jenny's mother, one of the few belongings they had saved when they had to travel on foot. She was able to find Jenny's birthday; February 23rd. They celebrated it as best they could, getting Jenny a gift they could carry with them. They settled on a quilt. Jenny slept with it every night. Colby had really gotten attached to Jenny, as much as he tried to deny it.
As they prepared for departure, they noticed how Jenny was getting heavier and had grown a lot since they rescued her. All the good food they were eating had helped.

"There's another settlement three days from here, remember? We'll travel there, restock our supplies, and figure out the best route " Colby commented as he and Ashley cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast. Jenny was napping upstairs.
"Yeah. We should leave tomorrow morning."
*****
"Is there anything else you need to pack or grab?" Colby asked as she finished packing. It was still cold out, and they knew they'd have to deal with unpredictable weather.

"Got everything!" she replied. They got all new weapons and ammo, plus the supplies they'd need for Jenny.

"Well, let's head out then; get as far as we can until dark," Ashley said, checking one last time in the mirror.
"Alright, come here." She opened her arms, and Colby wrapped his arms around her. "Let's get moving."
"Yeah. Let's do this." Ashley nodded, wrapping herself tighter in his embrace. Ashley put Jenny in her sling, feeling her squirm slightly. Jenny's eyes locked onto hers. There was a twinkle in those innocent blue eyes, one Ashley recognized and loved.

"It's okay, baby. We'll keep you safe." Ashley whispered, placing a kiss on top of her head.
When they finally left Angel's Landing, they headed south to begin with. Colby was in charge of the map and navigation; he knew these lands well. As soon as the sun dipped below the horizon, it would be pitch black. They had left the sanctuary to go into the unknown.