Chapter Three:

Ellie collapsed under a tree and covered her face with her trunk. This had to be a dream. A nightmare. They couldn't have come back. They did not just waltz back into life. They just…couldn't have. Images of beatings, shouting, slapping, black-outs flashed through her mind, as she shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around what had just happened.

A gentle touch against her face broke her out of her trance. She looked up to find Manny hovering over her, concern riddled all over his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Ellie shook her head slowly. "I don't know."

"Hey, what's going on?"

The couple turned to find Diego and Sid walking towards them.

"You alright?" he asked Ellie.

She slowly shook her head.

"Did you fall and hit your head?" Sid asked. "I did that onshe."

"More than once," Diego mumbled under his breath.

Ellie shook her head again. "No, it's not that."

"What's going on?" Crash and Eddie hooped down from the trees, one landing on each of Ellie's tusks.

"You okay, sis?" Eddie asked.

Ellie shook her head again.

"What's wrong?"

Ellie bit her lip. She looked up at Manny for help. He set his trunk on her shoulder.

"Want me to tell them?"

She shook her head, took in a deep breath, and began explaining. "My birth family came back."

Silence followed.

"You mean our mom didn't have you?" Eddie asked. "You're adopted!? Why didn't anyone tell us!?"

"I know!" Crash exclaimed. "I feel cheated."

"How could we have been so blind?"

"Back on topic," Diego cut in. "Is this good or bad?"

"Bad," Ellie continued explaining everything that she could remember about the abuse and how she ended up lost in the snow storm that night. She didn't look at anyone as she explained. She was afraid she'd break down if she did so. She just stared at the ground the squeezed her eyes shut after she'd finished. Waiting for a response.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Alright!" Diego shouted as he jumped to his feet. "Where are they?"

"Yeah!" Crash jumped onto Diego's back, Eddie close behind. "Let's get 'em!"

"We'll make them wish they'd never been born!" Eddie agreed.

"I'd like to see that," Manny muttered. "And we can't turn them away."

"Why not?" Crash demanded to know.

"They have children," Ellie answered. "They could die or…or end up like me if we did."

Diego pressed his mouth into a thin line behind his giant teeth. "I see," he nodded. "So what are we doing?"

"Letting them stay until after the storm," Ellie answered.

"And after that?"

She shrugged.

"After that they're leaving," Manny replied for her.

"You really think they'll listen to you?" Ellie asked.

"They won't have a choice."

"Oh…I sense a fight coming!" Sid cheered. "I'll get the weapons!"

"For who? Better not be you," Manny snorted. "The only thing you'll hurt is yourself."

So, are we going for kill or maim?" Diego asked. "'Cuz I'm good either way."

"Guys!" Ellie scolded.

"What?" Diego asked. "We'd let them start it."

"I don't want anyone to start it," Ellie cried. "I don't want a fight! I don't want trouble, I just…I just want them to go away!"

"They will," Manny assured her as he bent down to her level and slipped her trunk into his. "As soon as this storm's gone, they'll be out of here."

"How do you know?" Ellie asked. "There more of them than us, we can't make them go."

"Oh, contraire, madomoushille," Sid patted her tusk. "They may have numbers, but we have brains."

"Compared to who? A dinosaur?" Diego sniffed.

"Actually, there is evidence that dinosaurs may have been more intelligent then us."

"No, they were just smarter than you."

"That's what I just shaid."

"No its not."

"It'sh not."

"No."

"Wait, what'd you say?"

"Dinosaurs were smarter than you."

"That'sh what I shaid!"

"No, you shaid dinosaurs were smarter than us."

"That'sh what you shaid."

"No, it's not. I said they were smarter than you."

"Shame ash I shaid!"

"Guys!" Manny shouted. "Not helping!"

"Oh, right," Sid exclaimed. "What were we talking about again?"

Manny began to whirl around, but Diego stopped him.

"Nope, I got it," Diego whacked Sid over the head.

"Ouch! Hey!"

"Now that that's done," Diego continued. "Let's just try and focus on getting through this storm. Then we'll worry about getting rid of them."

"You really hit me hard that time," Sid whined as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Shut up, this isn't your pity party," Diego scolded.

"Then who'sh ish it?"

"No one's, we're dealing with an actual issue. Now shut up."

"What's the issue?"

"And, that's two," Diego whacked him on the head again.

"Ouch!"

"Sh!" Crash and Eddie hissed. "Someone's coming."

Everyone tensed up as they turned to where the possums were pointing. Ellie felt a shudder go through her body as she turned in fear. Both Many and Diego took up protective stances in front of her. Sid raced off for only a minute, then came back with a pile of sticks in his arms. Diego rolled his eyes at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Theshe are my weaponsh."

"How are those weapons?"

"I throw them at the other guy," Sid gave Diego a look of disgust. "Duh!"

"Great, except for one problem."

"What?"

"You can't throw."

Sid hung his head. "Oh…right."

"Shut up!" Manny hissed at them.

From out of the trees, the blue-eyed, middle-aged female mammoth from before stepped out. She jumped at the sight that met her, and took a step back.

"Oh, my," she gasped. "Um…hi…?"

"She one of them?" Diego asked.

"Yeah, but hang on a sec," Manny answered as he took a few steps towards the older woman. "Yes?"

"You…" she hung her head shyly, almost afraid. "You're Eliza's mate, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Can I…talk to her?"

Manny stared at her for a moment as he pondered this. She still didn't seem to be a threat to him. Still, he didn't want to take too many chances. He looked behind him to find Ellie watching the two of them with timid curiosity. He could see she wasn't as afraid of this one as she was the others.

"Please?" the older woman asked again in a voice that was little more than a whisper.

"That's up to her," Manny answered before turning and motioning for Ellie to come to him. She slowly approached his side, hiding slightly behind him as she sized the woman up.

The older woman's eyes lit up again at the sight of her, a small smile playing on her lips.

"She wants to talk to you," Manny explained.

Ellie nodded. "Okay."

She stepped closer to the older woman, and Manny, feeling that for the moment she was safe, took a few steps back.

The older woman just stared at her, tears welling in her eyes as she slowly reached out a touched her face.

"You're my mother, aren't you?" Ellie asked after a few moments of silence.

The older woman nodded a smile playing on her lips.

Ellie didn't return the smile, she just stood there, unsure of what to do or say. This was her mom, the only one she really had no memory of. Still, though, she felt guilty. Guilty that as this woman shed tears over her and stared at her like she was some lost treasure, she felt…

…nothing. Nothing except for a small ounce of bitter curiosity.

Her mother wiped a tear off her own face. "You're so grown up," she cried. "And so…beautiful!"

Ellie gave a small smile of thanks at the comment, but still didn't know what to say.

"What's wrong?" her mother asked, suddenly concerned. "You're not…afraid of me, are you?"

Ellie shook her head. "No…not you."

"Then what's wrong?"

Ellie hesitated for a while. Should she ask? It was kind of a…rude question to ask. But she had to know. And after so long, didn't she have a right to know.

"Why didn't you stop them?"

"What?" her mother looked confused.

"That night they left me to die in that storm," Ellie explained. "Why didn't you stop them?"

Her mother hung her head, a look of shame crossing her face. "Oh…I…"

"Ouch!" Diego rocked uncomfortable from where he and the other three guys watched, still under the tree.

"…I couldn't…" she finally answered.

"Why not?" Ellie asked.

"I…if I'd…They wouldn't…I just couldn't. They wouldn't let me. I couldn't."

Ellie hung her head. That was no answer, but it was probably the best she'd ever get.

"Rowena!"

Ellie jumped at the familiar, booming voice, and began to back away. Her mother also tensed at the voice, a terrified look overtaking her face. Manny walked up to Ellie's side, and set his trunk in front of her as Asher came plowing through the woods. He stopped at the sight, an unreadable look on his face.

"Oh," was all he said, the he turned to his mate. "Rowena, what are you doing?"

"I just…wanted to talk to her…" Rowena answered in a hushed, shaky voice.

Asher looked up at Ellie, then glanced at Manny, before answering his mate. "I don't mind that, just tell me where you're going."

Rowena nodded timidly.

"Now, go on. I need to talk to our daughter alone."

Rowena nodded again, giving Ellie a sad, sorrowful glance as she started off. Seeing his protective stance, she gave Manny another thankful smile, before taking off. Asher waited a few moments, staring at the younger couple for a while, before finally letting out an annoyed sigh, and saying:

"I said I needed to talk to her alone."

"Oh, I heard you. I'm just ignoring you," Manny answered.

"Well, isn't that rude?" Asher snapped. "I'm not going to hurt her, don't worry. I just want to have a little chat."

"I'm not sure that's what she wants," Manny replied.

"Not what she wants, or not what you want?"

Manny turned to Ellie and gave her a look that asked, "do you?"

Ellie began to pull Manny away, and gave Asher a small glance. "Give us a minute," she asked him as she and Manny began to slip off.

"Of course," Asher agreed.

They walked back to the tree where the rest of the herd was waiting.

"What's he say? What's he say?" Crash begged to know.

"I don't know, he wants to talk to me alone," Ellie answered.

"You don't have to do that," Manny told her. "I'm not going to let you do that. After all this guy's done to you in the past? Uh-uh."

"I know, I know, but…"

A silence fell as Ellie tried to find words for what was going on in her head.

"But what?" Manny asked after a few minutes.

"I want answers," Ellie replied. "I want to know why. And I want him to know that…That I'm not afraid of him."

"But you are," Sid said.

"I know I am, but I don't want him to know that."

"But he does."

"I know, I just. I want him to know that just because I'm sacred of him…no, that's not…I don't…I want him…I don't what I want," she finally admitted. "But I need to talk to him. I don't know why, I just do."

"Fair enough, but I'm not leaving you alone with him," Manny stated.

"I don't want you to. Just…stay close enough you can see us, but far enough away that you can't hear us. Maybe that will be good enough for him."

Manny nodded. "Okay."

"The rest of you should probably go," she said to the others.

"Aw, but I don't wanna," Sid whined.

"Come on," Diego grabbed him by the tail in his mouth and dragged him off, Crash and Eddie riding on his back. Once they were gone, Ellie turned back to Manny.

"Stay close?"

"You got it."

Ellie walked back towards Asher, leaving him at the tree, where he could still keep an eye on them.

"So," she said when she reached him, mustering all her strength to not show how afraid she was. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Um, isn't he going to leave?" Asher motioned towards Manny.

"No," Ellie answered. "He doesn't trust you, and neither do I. But he has agreed not to come any closer. Unless you give him a reason to."

"I see," Asher's eyes narrowed, unimpressed. "I'm guessing this is the best I'm going to get?"

"Yup."

He sighed. "Very well then."

"Why'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Leave me to die."

"Still hung up on that, are you?" Asher sighed. "Well, let me start with, I didn't leave you to die. What happened to you was an accident."

"An accident?"

"Yes, you see, we didn't know a storm was coming. What was supposed to happen was that you were going to learn to keep up and keep moving. Not stopping so often and slowing the group down, even if it meant you lagged behind a little bit, which you did. We were working on your endurance, not your speed. Then out of nowhere that storm hit and we lost you."

Ellie wasn't impressed. "So you still forced me to walk until I was exhausted and let me fall behind."

"Yes, it was to teach you a lesson-"

"On endurance?"

"Yes-"

"I was a toddler!"

"You had to learn at some point."

"You honestly didn't think that there was a chance a snow storm could have hit?"

"Well, of course there was a chance, there's always a chance, but we had to take it."

"Had to take it? My life was at stake!"

"We raised all our children the same, you were the only one we lost."

"And that didn't make you stop and think your methods might have been a little messed up?"

"It was only one time out of a dozens," Asher shrugged. "Our odds of success are still high."

Ellie winced slightly at that last comment. She hung her head and nodded sadly. "So that's it. I'm just on in a dozen."

Asher narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "Still thin skinned, I see. Well, I suppose he wants you to stay that way." He gestured to Manny.

"What are you talking about?" Ellie asked.

"Well, let's see. He wouldn't let you speak when we first met, he rushed you away before we could talk to you, your mother shows up and he's two steps behind you, and you had to consult him before you could talk to me. Seems a bit possessive to me."

Ellie shook her head. "No, he is not possessive over me. He's protective."

"Is that what he calls it?" Asher sniffed.

"You beat me to the point of unconsciousness when I was a tiny child at least once-"

Asher turned to her with a look of shock on his face.

"Oh, thought I'd forgotten about that?" Ellie asked. "Well I didn't. And that wasn't the only time you abused me. So, yeah, he doesn't want me alone with you because what's to stop you from doing it again?"

"So, you're too weak to fend for yourself, is that what he's telling you?"

"No!" Ellie shouted.

"Well, he doesn't trust you enough to hold you own to leave you alone, does he?"

"It's…" Ellie hesitated as she tried to come up with a comeback. "…it's not me he doesn't trust."

"Is it not?"

Ellie narrowed her eyes at Asher. "You trying to make me think you care? Is that what this is?"

"I do care about you, Eliza-"

"Ellie!"

"Whatever, look," Asher took a step towards her. Her immediate reaction was to cower back, but she stood still, trying to look brave. "I don't know what he's planted in your mind, but I didn't beat you. I disciplined you, yes, but never abused you. He, however, won't even let us have a conversation alone."

"Because he wants to protect me."

"Protect you, or control you?"

Ellie narrowed her eyes at him.

"Tell me, Eliza, Ellie, whatever your name is. You've been with this man for a little more than a year. I had you for three. In that time, what has he done for you that I, as your father couldn't? Feed you? Provide shelter for you? Protect you? I did all those things for you, and I let you go out and explore and talk to others, which he clearly wont'-"

"He will when you're not around."

"I'm not sure I believe that, and you shouldn't either. Now tell me, what has he done that I haven't or couldn't?"

"Well, let's see, you left me to die in a snow storm-"

"I didn't-"

"He dove headlong into a flood to save my life," Ellie cut him off before he could finish. "And he didn't tell me anything about what happened between us. I told him what happened. He never put ideas into my mind."

"Are you su-"

"Positive."

Asher narrowed his eyes at her.

"Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?" Ellie asked when he didn't say anything.

Asher just stared at her.

"Alright, I'll be going now," she turned to walk off.

"You might be in denial now," Asher called as she left. "But I'll make you see things my way soon."

"No you won't," Ellie answered. "I'm not a little girl anymore. I can think and fight for myself."

"Can you?" Asher challenged, and Ellie was taken back. Was that a threat? Asher smiled evilly at her frightened response and walked off. Ellie watched him go, finally allowing herself to tremble. What did he want? What was his game?

She felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" Manny asked.

"I think so," Ellie responded.

"What did he want?"

Ellie shook her head. "To make me think you're the abuser instead of him."

"Why?"

"I don't know."