Love.
It had been nearly 4 months since the animals had arrived at Switchback Cove after defeating Gutt and the Pirates. Over the course of the 4 months Diego and Shira had been growing closer together, through playing, hunting and just general socializing. At night they even sunggled next to eachother. And because of all of this Diego finally admitted to himself what he had discovered when he was guarding Shira in the tree prison... He loved Shira. Diego, the Remorseless Assasin, was in love with the ex-pirate! Everything was quiet around him. He lay his head on his paws, closed his eyes, listened to the waves and thought about his feelings for Shira.
'Do I love her? She is so beautiful and despite her past she is really sweet and loving. She has built up walls over her life to protect herself from getting hurt but now I think she is starting to let me in; letting her walls come down revealing her true nature as a sweet, kind, loving Sabre who just wants peolpe to love her. Does she like me back? What if she doesn't and I make a fool of myself?
What if she doesn't like me back and then she leaves? I won't be able to survive without her. I have lived a solo-Sabre life for so long that now she's with me I can't imagine life without her. I AM IN LOVE!'
"I told you didn't I. That night on the ship I told you, that you loved her but you denied it!" Manny said as he came out of the trees and into the morning light. Diego realised had said aloud his whole monologue about feelings towards Shira instead of thinking them.
"H...how long have you been there?" Diego asked sheepishly "Long enough to know that I was right and that you really are a Softie." Manny said grinning "Are you going to tell her?" "I don't know, what if she doesn't feel the same? Things will get really awkward after that. But what if she leaves? I couldn't live without her now that I have her with me always!" Diego admitted. Manny had never seen Diego like this in all there years as a herd. He didn't realise Diego has a side of him that was so vunerable and lonely. He realised that a part of Diego didn't want to be alone anymore,
he wanted a family.
"I felt the same way with Ellie. Scared that if I said my ture feelings outloud that I'd scare her of.
We both know that Ellie didn't have the most... normal of up-bringings... so I was worried that if I told her I loved her, it'd freak her out and I'd loose her forever. But now look at me. I'm happy.
I've gone from the moody mammoth who wanted t be alone forever, to someone with a family, a herd, and with Ellie by my side... I haven't killed Sid yet." The pair chuckled at this. Then Diego's face went back to worry.
"I hear what your sayin Manny, but Shira... she's different to any Sabre I've ever met. She told me that I'm the only Sabre she's ever met, so if I tell her I love her... I may loose her for good and I can't accept that!" This was starting to freak Manny out a little. Diego barely shows emotion -apart from when Peaches was born- but now the Sabre was in front of him, sharing his worries and feeling. Something Manny never thought would happen.
"And if I do tell her, and she doesn't feel the same as I do. Then what? How can I react to that? Do I distance myself from her? I have never been in this sort of situation before. I always thought I'd remain the single one -along with Sid and possibly the possoums- but now here I am... In Love!" "You will only know if you do. And even if she doesn't feel the same, you two's bond is really strong,
go get her Tiger." Manny egged on his Sabre-Toothed friend. Something changed in Diego's face, he turned more determined and couragous. "Manny, your right. I gotta know," Diego began to run away from the Mammoth "Thanks Buddy!" He shouted back before disappearing. Manny sighed happily, things were falling into place. Everyone in the herd had someone. Even Sid -although it was a cranky old woman. Manny began to walk back to his herd's clearing.
When he arrived back he saw that Shira was not in her sleeping spot, and that Ellie was now awake.
"Where've you been so early?" Ellie asked kindly "Why are you awake so early?" Manny smirked "Sid was snoring... as usual. So what about you? Have you been with Diego because when I was waking up I saw him waking Shira up and the two of them walking away; he looked nervous."
"Yeah. I was with Diego. He is FINALLY going to tell Shira about his feelings for her!" Manny smiled.
"It's about time. Everyone can see he likes her." Ellie laughed at this.
"Yeah, he was really nervous in-case she doesn't feel the same and decides to leave the herd because of it. She wouldn't do that though... would she?"
"No, of course not! Shira likes Diego just as much as he likes her, she just wasn't going to tell him.
Sabres and their pride?!" The two laughed at the last bit and went and lay back in their sleeping spot.
The day went by uneventfully for the herd. Diego and Shira didn't return until the sky started to darken. They were walking really close and both had dreamy looks on their faces as they lay down next to eachother by the fire 'Lord Of Flame' had made earlier. Diego looked at Manny and mouthed 'Thanks'
then turned his attention back to Shira and started nuzzling her sweetly.
Everyone spent the night talking and enjoying time together. When night came everyone went to their sleeping spaces for the night. Diego and Shira slept curled up togehter on a rock at the front of the cave. Manny was with Ellie and Peaches. Crash and Eddie were hanging from Ellie's tusks. Granny was sprawled out on the floor next to her sleeping rock (She prefered it on the floor but wanted the rock there in-case Precious came to visit the herd). All through-out this the only noice was being made by Sid whilst he changed positions -ALOT- on his rock at the back of the herd's cave. The herd all slept peacefully. Manny was happy with the way things had turned out and wouldn't chamge his herd for anything... No matter how weird they were; or how annoying Sid was. Life was perfect.