Happy Valentine's Day!
Decided to upload the new stuff for the couples featured and not featured in He Returns. These are one-shots that lead up to the big reveal for all. It'll be tricky to time everything right. But I wanted to start with the favorite: Peaches & Nalek!
Peaches X Nalek
"It's been four months since Soto was stopped. We've been together since the day it happened. It's our anniversary. And I don't know what to get her!"
Crash and Trish snickered at the teen saber. Buck bit his lip to keep from laughing. Louis coughed as subtly as possible. Ethan rolled his eyes while the girls giggled. Shelly and Yoko grinned in amusement. Egbert and Eddie just laughed.
"I still can't believe you were moving around after only a month," Ethan bit harshly.
Nalek glared at the male mammoth. "Broken ribs nothing compared to what Soto put me through over the years. He trained me for his attack, even if I didn't know his whole plan."
"Did he know about the new members?" the mammoth asked.
"He didn't account for them until we came across the pirates," Nalek admitted. "They were a big help to him. I just wanted out after a while."
Ethan grunted. "Oscar didn't seem to car—"
"Don't talk about my father like that!" Nalek growled.
The others stared in shock at their saber friend. Nalek was always protective of his family, especially Hala. He didn't want to see her harmed ever again. He was a bit overprotective of Peaches though. She may be his girlfriend now, but he still cared about her safety. Ethan was that way during the battle, only realizing too late.
"I'm gonna go find Peaches," Nalek finally said. "Maybe I can subtly ask her."
"I'll go with ya Nal," Meghan said. "Maybe I can help."
Trish rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm heading out for a while with Shelly." The snake then slithered up the female dino's back and Shelly walked off.
Crash gawked at his almost girlfriend as she left. "So much for just hanging out today."
Eddie snickered at his brother and walked off with Louis and Yoko. "You're on your own bro!" he called over his shoulder.
Steffie got Buck and Crash to follow her for something while Egbert and Ethan were left with Katie. Egbert looked at Katie as if she were the most interesting thing in the world. She quickly became uncomfortable.
"Think I'll go for a walk," Katie said quickly, walking away.
Egbert became confused and looked at Ethan.
"Don't ask me bro," the mammoth said bitterly.
Peaches was at the cliff in the late afternoon, gazing out at the sea. She watched the rhythm of the moving waves, traced every detail of the golden sun's light on the clouds above, all while the wind gently swept her bangs and fur. She only thought about Nalek and how much she was really falling for him. Manny had fully accepted him after he heard what happened on the ship. He hadn't caved, but had just trusted him more.
"I wonder what he has planned tomorrow," she thought aloud.
"Maybe something good," a female voiced.
The young mammoth turned around to find Shira walking up beside her. Peaches smiled at seeing the saberess.
"Hey Auntie Shira. What're ya doing up here?"
"Same as you I'm sure," she answered. "Diego is taking the cubs out for a while so I get some time to myself."
Peaches giggled. "They're getting big. Can't wait til I can gossip with my nieces."
Shira chuckled. "I still want you to watch out for them. Who knows if Hala and Oscar might have cubs soon?"
"Nalek said he'd be excited about the idea," Peaches confessed. "He's even letting me help cub-sit when it does happen. I'd be just as willing too."
The saberess gazed out at the seas, thinking about her mate. "Well, if you need anything more, you know where I'll be."
"Thanks Auntie Shira," Peaches replied. "I better get to the falls. Everyone's supposed to meet up and I'm way late already."
With a laugh, Shira headed to the cave while Peaches moved as quickly as she could to the falls. The young mammoth was almost there when she nearly ran into Rudy's foot. The baryonyx stared down at the teen in confusion. She let out a nervous laugh.
"Sorry Rudy!" she called up to the tall dino. "Running kinda late."
He let out a questioning growl.
Peaches shrugged. "I guess I could get a ride."
Rudy lowered his head and the teen climbed onto his snout toward his head. He had given her rides around the island before, getting used to the feel in case they ever visited the Dino World and needed a quick way to get around. Peaches even felt comfortable riding on his head. It gave her a better view of her home. And she did love the crazy life off the ground, considering she already slept like a opossum and swung in the trees like a monkey.
"There's the falls!" she exclaimed.
Rudy responded with a deep, calm growl and lowered his head to let her off at the riverbank.
"Thanks Rudy," she said gratefully.
The baryonyx smiled. But before he left, he watched Egbert chase a hyrax around, and then headed off.
"Wonder what that was about," Peaches thought aloud. With a shrug, she turned to find only Ethan there. "Where's everyone else?"
"They left a while ago," Ethan said sourly. "Left me with Bert over there."
Peaches frowned. "He's my cousin. Anyway, Egbert doesn't have anything to do with this. I was looking for Nalek so I could talk to him."
"Left with Meghan." His tone was very bitter.
Peaches arched a brow. "What's up with you?"
"Oh so now I matter to you?"
"I didn't say anything l—"
"Sure sounds like it."
"What's your problem?"
"Why do you care?"
"Because you're my friend!"
"Didn't sound like I was four months ago!"
"That's what this is about? Me yelling at you because I was worried for my boyfriend? You really are pathetic. Why are you so mad about that? The fight had just ended and Nalek was badly hurt. I was mad at Soto for what he did. Just let it go, will ya?"
Ethan couldn't look her in the eye. He just turned away from facing her. "I cared."
Peaches was taken aback. "What?"
"I cared. About you. I didn't want—couldn't stand to see you hurt."
She was speechless. Egbert had disappeared during the arguing, neither noticing. Ethan hung his head, tusks nearly touching the ground.
"I wish I could say the same," she finally replied. "But I know you'll find someone else someday. You'll care about her even more than you cared about me."
He knew she tried to comfort him, but he didn't want it. At least not now. After she received no response, Peaches decided to find Nalek. She didn't want to bother her friend any longer. Ethan knew she walked away, not even needing to look to know.
Ellie watched as her daughter walked in silence into the clearing, her head low. Peaches stayed quiet even as she saw her mother.
"Alright, spit it out," Ellie chided. "What happened?"
Peaches sighed. "Ethan."
"Not clear enough."
"He said he…cared…about me."
Ellie's breath caught in her throat. "But you and Nalek are a thing, aren't you?"
"Yes. Ethan just chose a bad time to tell me."
Ellie wrapped her daughter in a trunk-hug, holding her close. "At least he told you."
"But it's confusing me."
"I hope not," Manny said as he walked up. "No boy is going to start confusing my daughter and her feelings."
"Dad, calm down. Ethan just told the truth," Peaches explained. "Sides, I need to see Nalek. I wanna talk to him about tomorrow. It'll get my mind offa what Ethan said."
Ellie smiled and hugged her daughter. "As long as you're happy sweetie."
Manny was skeptical. "Any problems and you come to us. Got it?"
"Yes Dad." Peaches headed off to find her boyfriend, not getting too far before she heard Nalek talking to Meghan. She could barely make out where they were saying.
"Is that a good idea?" Nalek asked.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Meghan replied. "Peaches would never see it coming."
"I don't know. I don't like keeping anything secret from her anyway."
"But she'll know tomorrow anyway."
"True."
"Then what's the problem?"
Nalek sighed. "Her dad." Peaches' breath caught in her throat.
"Right. Forgot about that." Meghan sighed in despair. Then her eyes lit up. "What if you told Peaches the truth?"
The saber gave her a strange look. "She's going to know tomorrow anyway. Plus, I want it to be a surprise. I know she'll love it."
Peaches blinked. "Love what? The fact that you might be cheating on me?" she whispered to herself.
"Besides," Nalek continued. "I love her more than anything. Peaches will understand completely. I know it."
Peaches couldn't understand what she was hearing.