Live Lucky

53

The small group was in a new place. Well, as knew as it could possibly get. It was their first stop in an attempt to gather more supplies, maybe another place to stay for a few days since there were a few shops surrounding them. Sonny looked down at Bucky and Lucky, who were sniffing the air, trying to detect any signs of walkers, her eyes rising to a building named Steinbeck's Surplus and More.

"I could use a change of clothes" she muttered

They all could, but Sonny's boots were beginning to see the end of their use, the small group walking over to the surplus, Dominik knocking on one of the windows in order to gain the attention of whatever was inside. Sonny put more of her weight on her uninjured leg, feeling the pain from her wound, especially since they had been walking for hours. Keep in mind that she was completely used to walking, but she received her very first serious wound when everything happened at the prison. In the beginning, Sonny would only ever get nicked when she was learning to throw knives, the occasional scratch from branches or blisters on her feet, but nothing as serious as a gunshot. At this point, getting shot or stabbed or even losing a limb was pretty much a rite of passage in this world. Daryl had accidentally stabbed himself in the side with one of his arrows, then was grazed by a bullet. Carl was shot, Aiden was stabbed and Denny had been grazed as well.

After a moment, they assumed there were no walkers inside, which caused them to cautiously walk inside, but waiting by the entrance as Bucky and Lucky sniffed the floor, just to make sure. From what Sonny could see, there were still clothes on some hangars, some shoes still in boxes, and if they were lucky, maybe they could find more ammunition. Even though they used silent weapons against walkers, it never hurt to have guns to protect themselves against humans or larger herds of the undead. Bucky let out a small woof, indicating that the building was clear, which allowed the small group to disperse around the building, but Sonny needed to sit down and she was pretty sure Jaxon could use some fresh air. Dominik found a fold-up chair, setting it down toward the middle of the Surplus where they would all camp out. He helped her sit down, which earned a small smile, silently thanking him as she pulled the wagon closer to her, silently lifting the lid and looking at her sleeping son.

"Board up the windows with anything we can find" Sonny instructed, looking toward the others "we shouldn't let any light out if walkers happen to arrive"

"You got it" Denny replied, giving her a small nod

"You're an eight, right?" Shawn asked, walking over to her with a few boxes

"Seven and a half, but an eight would be better" she answered, looking at her

Shawn handed her a size eight shoebox, causing Sonny to open it, looking at the boots inside that were untouched by dust. It was a smaller heel than her current ones, but they would be a lot better for running, setting the box on the floor as she untied her boots, kicking them off with a sigh.

∆

Dressed in cleaner and more comfortable clothes, the small group sat around a lantern, digging into their MREs. Jaxon sat in Sonny's lap as she fed him a soft food, since he had grown out of the bottle a few months ago, and oddly favored carrots for his vegetable, and strawberry and banana for his fruit. Whenever he wanted more, he would simply open his mouth until he was full, and when that happened, he would stay awake for a little while before falling to sleep. He now slept through the night, which was convenient for the small group, one less thing to worry about.

". . Ma . . . Mama"

The little voice caused everyone to look at Jaxon, a smile forming on Sonny's lips as he swung his legs,

"Did he just . .?" Denny asked, pointing to him

"Mama!" throwing his hands to his lap "mama mama mama"

"Oh, my God, you just said your first word!" Sonny said happily

She turned Jaxon around to face her, which caused him to place his small hands on her cheeks as he looked at her, smiling brightly at the sight of her,

"Mama" his hand slightly tapping her cheek

"Yes" Sonny smiled "yes, I am your mama"

The others smiled at the interaction between Sonny and Jaxon, their bond filling them with a sense of hope. Somehow, they will find their people. It may not be tomorrow, or even a week from now, but it'll happen, and they would be more than ready for it.

X

Denny, Shawn and Roy were sleeping, Dominik was sitting at the window sill, keeping watch, but Sonny couldn't sleep. Without having the security of the prison, she was lucky to get two or three hours of sleep, but somehow, she managed to function properly during the day. She sat up in her sleeping bag, leaning back against the wagon while looking at the small photographs she kept in her cap, Bucky and Lucky were sound asleep, the shepherd laying on his back while the pointer laid on his side. Her hand moved to the necklace, grasping the cool bronze, a low sigh emitting from her nose, her eyes scanning the picture of a sleeping Daryl. He looked a few years younger when he slept, no stress on his shoulders, it was just the two of them. Three, if you include Denny taking the picture, but Sonny wasn't about to get technical.

A small smile formed on her lips, turning slightly and hanging the cap on the corner of the wagon, slightly lifting her left foot off the floor as she scooted down on her sleeping bag. She had used her backpack as a pillow, one hand behind her head with her other hand on her stomach, looking up at the ceiling, wondering when sleep will consume her.