Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original Ice Age characters. They belong to Twentieth Century Fox. All lines in bold are either from any of the Ice Age movies, any of the Lion King movies, either Brother Bear movie, or from a song that will be specified at the beginning of the applying chapter.
Chapter 3
Diego's P.O.V.
I take Shira's advice and sit down.
"You can start," I say in a wary voice.
"This is hard to tell you, Diego."
"Try your best to explain. I won't judge how you tell me."
She takes a deep breath and takes a few seconds before starting. I can tell this conversation is going to take a lot of understanding on my part. Whatever happens in the next few minutes, I will remain supportive of Shira.
"Diego, I know you're one of the founding members of the herd."
"That I am," I grin at my accomplishment.
"I also know that you like to know what your herd thinks."
"Right again," I answer.
So far, this conversation doesn't seem so bad. I wonder why Shira's starting to tense up. I move closer to her and give her a reassuring look.
"Don't be nervous, Shira," I whisper in her ear.
"What would you think about the herd expanding?" she nervously asks.
"Does that mean Manny and Ellie are having another kid?" I question.
"No, Diego, it means…" she starts before I cut her off.
"I'm going to be a father!" I breathe.
"Are you happy, Diego?" she grins.
"No, I'm not, Shira."
Shira's face changes from sympathetic to angry.
"You're not?" she growls angrily.
"No, I'm overjoyed and thrilled! I'm going to be a father!" I shout.
The world comes rushing up to me suddenly, and my surroundings become black.
"Diego! Diego! Wake up!" Shira calls to me as she shakes my shoulder blade.
"What's wrong, Shira?" I groggily ask.
"What's wrong is that you passed out after I told you I'm pregnant."
"I still can't believe that we're going to have cubs! What does a guy like me want more in life than a family?"
"Well, you better believe it, Diego, because in about four months you're going to be a father," she teases.
I stay on my side for a minute thinking about my new life. I have a loving wife, and in about fifteen weeks I'll have cubs of my own.
"Shira, I'm super excited! The only problem is: I don't think I'll be able to wait four months for the little guys to get here!"
"If I knew you were going to be this excited, I would've told you closer to when we were expecting," Shira giggles.
I suddenly think of what being a father-to-be entails.
"Shira, are you hungry? I think I'm going to go hunting for you! Do you want deer, mice, or what else?" I ramble.
"Diego! Calm down, please. Yes, I could go for some food, but don't worry yourself gray-furred over it."
"Sorry, Shira, I guess I got a little carried away with my reaction."
"It's okay. Just don't tell anyone else, alright? I want to see if any of the herd notices," Shira responds.
As I stepped out of the cave, I instantly turned back around.
"I love you, Shira!" I call before I step out.
"I love you too, you big Softie!"
I head into the woods that are closer to the cave, and hope this spot will provide a large selection of prey. First, I catch something small for myself and then go on to hunt bigger game for Shira. The herd of deer is in my sight once more, and I flawlessly move downwind. When I take another step, the stampede starts. A cloud of confusion hovers over my head. My prey can never detect me when I move downwind. This is when I smell the trace of another saber. It isn't Shira, but the scent seems all too familiar from somewhere. This is when the attacker pounces.
Author's Note: Yeah! Shira and Diego are going to be parents! *Happy dance* Anyway, who do you think the mysterious attacker is? Continue reading to find out!