A/N: Hey, so I was really just dissatisfied with the previous version of this, so I rewrote it. I hope you guys enjoy this bersion as much as you did the last.

Warning: There's a fight, nothing graphic, but it's there. And someone says a dirty word. Carry on!

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age. I do own my OCs.

I'll Keep Watch

It was a pleasant day in Dinotopia, warm with patchy sunshine. Buck and Keeva took full advantage. The she-wolf slipped out of her den and met up with Buck at the nearby stream, like they did most every day. Artfully, she dodged a splash, and the two shared a laugh, all while coming up with a game plan for the day.

Which, as it turned out, happened to be a game. A race rather. Keeva needed to check on the nesting grounds, according to Buck, Rudy had trampled through it the day previous. She needed to see that all mothers and babies were safe, and help them move if need be.

The challange? Who could get there faster. The prize? One large mango for Buck, who knew the fruits grew on trees, but wanted to see her try and get one anyway (that's an argument for another day). And for Keeva? Fish. She loved fish, but wasn't the best fisher. Not like Buck who had nets and a knife to aid him.

They set off, Keeva keeping to the ground, and Buck scurrying up the nearrest tree to use the vines and tree branches to his advantage.

Keeva was a shadow on the ground, slipping seamlessly and silently through the brush at a quick pace. Buck moved with all the speed and swiftness of a snake as he swung vine to vine, darting acrossthe available limbs, before launching himself back into open air.

It was half a day's journey to the nesting grounds, and so they both allowed themselves to be lost in thier race. So lost that neither of them, not even Keeva who could smell a storm hours before it hit, noticed the weather go south.

Thunder rumbled overhead, not lost on Keeva's ears, but no skin off her nose either. She pressed on. Only after leaping over a fallen tree and looking up to check Buck's progress did she notice the weasel's absence. Her heart jolted and she spun around to look for him.

He was a few trees back, looking entranced and...a little traumatized.

"Buck?" She questioned curiously. "You freeze up there?" No response. She frowned pensively, but before she could see anything more, thunder rumbled again. Buck flinched. That was all the answer Keeva needed. She turned her eyes and most to the sky. The air was heavy with rain, and the clouds looked angry and dark. It was going to be a bad one.

"I don' like thunder storms," Buck admitted suddenly. "He always shows up during thunder storms." Keeva didn't have to ask who he meant. Rudy. Of course.

Then it hit her. Buck has lost his eye to Rudy during a violent storm. No wonder he looked so anxious, so guarded.

Keeva made up her mind.

"Why don't we head back to my place?" She smiled, "we can wait out the storm there." It would be the most ideal. Keeva's den was underground, she'd dug it out herself against the base of a very large rock structure. She'd even made sure the ground was elevated enough to avoid flooding. They'd be safe.

Buck didn't seem to hear her, too busy surveying the landscaped around them. Time for a little tough love, Keeva really didn't want to be out in the rain either. More because she didn't want to smell like a wet dog, but Buck was worrying her. She'd never seen him this way. She didn't want him out in this.

"Buck," her tone was hard, "let's go." Her sharpness seemed to snap him out of it, she wasn't usually snappish. He scurried down the tree. "On my back, come on." Her heart was thumping for some reason. "Now." He obeyed, climbing onto her back and gripping the loose fur of her neck. "Hold on," she told him, "I'm taking us home."

The she-wolf took off at a sprint, wasting no time. She did not like to see Buck this way. The weasel was not known for his timidness, nor was he cautious by nature. That was more her area. So this sudden role reversal had her a little freaked out. Not that she was going to let him in on that little detail, he clearly had enough to worry about without adding the concern of her ability to get them to safety.

The wind stirred and the rain started to drizzle. Keeva grimaced, pushing herself just a little faster. She didn't like this, she didn't know if there was s cause to be hyper aware, or if it was just Buck's anxiety affecting her too.

Suddenly, through the mist and the rain, Keeva caught movement, and her heart completely stopped.

Rudy.

"Buck-"

"I saw," he cut her off, "be ready, lass. We may been for a fight."

Keeva was launched into the race of her life. For her life, and for Buck's.

"Not on my watch."

And over the rain, over the thunder, Rudy roared. It was the most terrifying sound in the world, shaking the wolf to her very core, vibrating in her bones.

"I'll hold him off," Buck spoke up suddenly. "You keep runnin'."

"Buck," she growled, "if you leave me now, I'll kill you myself!"

"Keeva-"

"No! We're almost there. Hold on."

She splashed through the stream as vibrations shook the earth. Heavy, hurried footsteps headed their way. They'd been spotted.

Her heart was going to burst. Her legs were going to fall off. She was going to collapse and die from over exertion, but she was going to get Buck to safety first. It took all she had to leap over a protruding tree root that was in her path.

Rudy roared again and she could swear she felt his breath on her back, but she didn't dare turn to look. To slow now would be costly, but Keeva didn't have much left in her.

Finally, her den came into sight. She dove into it, collapsing in to the cool earth and allowing Buck to slide off her back. Buck eyed her, the expression on his face was an odd mix of fury and grudging respect. And of course, worry.

Outside, Rudy roared his fury.

"Crazy dog," Buck muttered in the dying sound of the angry dino. "What were you thinkin'?"

"Don't," she panted, "don't you dare yell at me, until I've got the breath to yell back."

"Are you alright?" He asked after a moment. "Yeah," her breathing was much more controlled now. "Haven't had a run like that in a long time." She sat up a little, mindful of the low ceiling. "And you?" She inquired, "are you alright?"

"A lot better now that we're out of that storm." He sounded fine, and he looked fine too, but the way his body tensed when thunder rolled outside told her all she needed to know.

Keeva had been afraid of storms once too.

Wanting to keep his guy pride in tact, she didn't call him out on his fear, but she did want to let him know that she understood. So, she made herself comfortable and let her eyes drift to the raging tempest.

"You know," she began a little hesitantly, "I got lost in a storm once. When I was a pup."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Buck snorted, but curiosity compelled him to ask. "What happened?"

"It was winter," Keeva said, "but not cold enough to snow. Sage and I had been out exploring most of the day, Mom told us to be back by dusk. Only, things got a little complicated..."

Eight year old Keeva sniffed as a droplet of water smacked her nose, cold and unwelcome. Carefully releasing Sage's paw, she looked up at the sky. Through the foliage, she saw the grey and swollen clouds.

"Sage, I think a storm's rolling in-oof!" Keeva barely got the words out, before her pale sister rolled her over on her back. "Really?" Sage paused her assault and tested the air, "smells like it." Sage agreed.

"I think we should go home," Keeva said as she sat up. "What?" Sage huffed, "you're seriously going to let a little rain push us out?"

"C'mon Sage, you know I don't like storms. Please, can we just go?"

"Alright," Sage rolled her eyes, "c'mon."

"Thank you," Keeva breathed as both girls shook the debris from their fur and started to make their way back. Sage stopped short after a few paces, sniffing the air. "What's wrong?" Keeva asked, shivering as thunder rolled over head. "We've got company."

Keeva followed Sage's narrowed gaze to the thicket as Aura emerged from the brush. Silver fur glowing in the dark of the afternoon. She was flanked by her best friend, a tawny female, who's name might have been Tara, but Keeva couldn't remember. And an ebony male, Kygo, who's name she would never forget.

"If it isn't the little parasite," Aura crooned, cold eyes locked on Keeva's. The shadowy female stepped back, and tucked herself closer to Sage's side. "A little far from home, aren't you?"

Lightning flashed.

"Leave her alone, Aura," Sage snapped, further shielding her sister's body with her own. Pretty eyes snapped to her, and Aura's lip curled up in a snarl. "And Sage, the Omega lover. Tell me, is it tiring having to protect her all the time?" Aura stepped closer to the off-white female, smiling. "Don't you ever just want to, I don't know, lead her off into the woods, and leave her there?" Her smile turned into a cruel smirk. "You know she's too stupid to find her way back. No one would fault you," she paused to laugh. "In fact, they may even give you an award."

"She's my sister, you bitch," Sage flashed her teeth at the Alpha, "I would never hurt her." Green eyes narrowed coldly, "and neither will you."

"It's not me you have to worry about," Aura giggled.

It happened so fast, neither sister had seen it coming. Sage's attention too focused on Aura, and Keeva too focused on her sister. Kygo and Tara had slunk around to the girls' unprotected flanks. Tara suddenly pounced on Sage's back, earning a surprised and pained help as the pale female was forced to the ground in a submission. Scruff held in Tara's strong jaws.

Sage!" Keeva was unable to aid her sister as Kygo grabbed her by her tail and slung her body several feet away. She landed roughly on her side, groaning, and trying to find her feet again. Kygo was on her again in seconds.

"Quite unfortunate," Aura tsked, standing over Sage. "Were she worth claiming, she would've been guarding your flank, she would've protected you, but instead, she cowered at your side, and now look at the two of you." Sage watched in wide eyed horror as her sister was forced onto her back, and pinned at the threat bg the black wolf's mighty paw.

"Sage!"

Rain fell in torrents, soaking every wolf present in a matter of seconds.

"You see, Sage," Aura went on, like she couldn't hear the pup's cries. "I like you. You've got a lot of potential, but this little parasite is tarnishing that, she's making you weak, Sage. So, Kygo here is going to do what you can't."

"No!"

"Yes." Aura said gleefully, lightning illuminating the color in her eyes.

Keeva gasped as Buck's hand touched her shoulder lightly. Her eyes snapped open, not realizing that she'd closed them, or that she was close to hyperventilating. "You don't have to tell me, lass."He said gently, but Keeva shook her head, she had to tell him, needed to tell him. "No, I'm alright. You deserve to hear this." Buck didn't refute her, but kept his hand at her shoulder. Outwardly calm, as a means to soothe his quaking friend, but inwardly he seethed. He did not understand the ways of wolves. Alpha? Omega? They were all wolves, he just didn't understand how one wolf could be so cruel to another by excuse of rank.

"Kygo led me on a chase," Keeva said very quietly. He meant to lose me, then weaken me, so that I could not get back home. Tara and Aura held Sage down, so she couldn't come after me." She took a deep breath. "After a while, I was able to lose Kygo in the confusion of the storm, and hunkered down in an abandoned fox hole..."

Keeva sobbed into her paws as the wind howled and shook the trees, lightning danced about in the sky, making the pup feel too exposed in the brief flashes of light.

"Sage!" She hiccuped, "Sage!" Each cry of her sister's name was whipped back into her face by the wind. She sniffles and curled tightly in on herself, trying to look as small as possible. "Sage!"

Her sister did not come. Keeva was left lost and alone all through the night, kept wide awake until the wee hours of dawn as she remained vigilant for her pale sister and her dark assailant.

"There she is!" A young voice yelped, jarring the female from her light sleep. Two fellow pups were on her in an instant, scaring her out of her wits as yelped in terror and backed away. Upon closer inspection, she realized she was among friends. Yule, a little wet, but no worse for wear, stood over her, smiling. Just over her shoulder was her sister, wide eyed and concerned.

"Sage!" Keeva yipped, lunging at the female and tackling her in a hug. "I was so worried!"

"Me too!" Sage leaned up to nuzzle deep into her sister's neck, sobbing with quiet relief. She was so sure Kygo had-

"What am I, chopped liver?" Yule scoffed. "I helped look for you too, where's my hug?"

"Keeva?" Ribar came through the trees, followed closely by Xena. "Oh, Keeva!"

"Ribar!" Keeva barked, "Mom!" She barreled into the both of them, accepting nuzzles and kisses from both the cinnamon, and the brown females. "We were so worried about you!" Ribar gushed as she nudged her for any injuries. "Are you alright?" Xena asked, eying her daughter with critical green eyes.

"I'm fine," Keeva said, dodging Ribar's muzzle. "Honest. I just want to go home."

And so they did. They passed Aura and her friends when they reentered camp. The looks on their faces were priceless when they saw Keeva alive and well.

That night, despite the safety of the den, and her family, Keeva couldn't sleep. Watchful and wary, should Kygo come to finish her off.

"Keen...?" Sage mumbled, "why are you up?"

"I can't sleep," Keeva whispered urgently, refusing to look away from the den's entrance to meet her sister's eyes. "He might be out there."

"Who?" Sage asked as she stepped carefully around their sleeping mother, and settled at her sister's side. "Kygo," one word full of terror.

"He won't get you," Sage said, " he can't in here."

"Yes, he can," Keeva said severely, "everyone's asleep."

"Then," Sage hesitated, head tipping softly to the side. "Then, l'll keep watch." She said decisively.

"You will?" Keeva asked, "all night?"

"All night."

"And she did," Keeva finished, "she watched over me all night long. She was still awake at dawn, when I woke up." Keeva smiled fondly, Buck, now resting comfortably against Keeva's side, smiled too. Keeva only ever spoke fondly of Sage, and Buck was glad to know that someone that kind and brave was there to look out for Keeva when he couldn't. "It's getting late," Keeva observed looking outside. The storm had let up considerably, nothing left, but a steady downpur. "You should stay here tonight," Keeva suggested, "you know, in case it picks back up."

"Alright," Buck agreed, stretching. "You get some shut eye, I'll keep watch."

"No, you won't," Keeva rebuked, "I've got this. You get some sleep."

"You're sure?" Buck didn't think her incapable, just the opposite, but he would never ask her to lose sleep needlessly. "I'm sure," Keeva rolled her eyes. "Even the procters need protecting sometimes. "I'll keep watch."

Buck shrugged, plopping back into her side, earning a surprised "oomf!" from the she-wolf. "Wake me if anything happens."

"I will."

Minutes later, Buck was sleeping soundly, and Keeva returned her gaze outside, keeping watch all throuh the night.

A/N: Aww! Buck/Keeva fluff and sisterly fluff. I just love Sage, she really is an awesome sister. So, I know, this is a lot different than the previous version, but I just love this so much more, and I hope you guys do too.

See you next time!