Author's Note: I'm so glad I got this chapter up so soon! I'm leaving for school next Friday, so hopefully I'll have the very last chapter up in the next couple of days. Yes folks, book 3 is coming to an end. In answer to the requests for a 4th book, that would be a sad no. I always planned on this being a trilogy. But never fear, I have some one-shot ideas. =) So this won't be the last you see of Maggie and Buck.

I would like to thank mwang once again for the contributions made. ;) Been a great help.

As I was writing the last chapter, I realized something. This story has had it's funny moments (from Book 1 and Book 2) but it has had a serious side to it as well. Ice Age 3 is a comedy. I know this. I felt bad that I've been dumping on the drama and I feel like I haven't offered a whole lot of the comedy to balance it out. =/ So, hopefully this chapter has some light, happy stuff to help. =)

I hope you have enjoyed our journey with Buck and Maggie! You know the regular disclaimers apply to this chapter as well. So without further adieu, I give you Chapter 10. =D

Chapter 10

Kid had led the left behind mammals to a cave when the downpour started. Dinos and mammals stood huddled in the large cave, waiting for some sign of Manny, Diego, Buck, and Maggie.

Ellie stood watch by the cave's entrance, clutching Peaches in a comforting hold as the young mammoth drifted off to sleep. Peaches didn't understand what was going on. She had asked, but no one really knew enough to explain or make up a story.

Sid looked from Kid, to Dive, and then to the possums. "When do you think they'll come back?" Kid whined mournfully. No one answered the sloth's question.

Peaches jumped in alarm as lightning split the sky but settled again when her mother's trunk curled tighter. Ellie stared into the darkness and wished the rain would ease up. As another bolt of light flashed, the female mammoth glimpsed two dark figures coming out of the tree line.

"They're back!" Ellie exclaimed upon recognizing her mate's familiar stride.

Crash and Eddie scrambled atop their sister's head and leaned forward. "Is Buck with them?"

"What about Maggie?" Sid asked, shuffling over to where the other mammals were huddled.

"Manny! Manny, over here!" Ellie shouted, waving her trunk so she could catch Manny's attention.

Kid stood up and ran out into the rain to retrieve the others. Once Manny stepped into the dry cave, he sneezed and shook as much water as he could from his fur. Ellie wrapped her trunk around her mate and gave him a hug.

"I was so worried." She told him before stepping back so she could search his face. "What happened?" Ellie looked down at Diego and spied the two battered weasels. "Buck! Maggie!"

Diego gently lowered himself to the ground so Buck could slide off. The saber let the knife drop harmlessly from his mouth and glared at the possums when they tried to pick it up. Buck held Maggie in his arms and looked around the cave for someplace to lay her. Kid nudged the weasel towards the maiasaura's mom and sister.

Forcing a smile, Buck nodded at the maiasaura family. "Thanks, mates." Kid and Girlie's mother patted a nest of leaves and stepped aside so Buck could place Maggie on it.

"Buck, what happened?" Ellie demanded worriedly. She hovered over the pair anxiously.

"It was Nick." Buck answered quietly as he stroked Maggie's damp fur.

"What's wrong with her?" Sid asked.

Buck seemed to shake himself from his melancholy. His jaw clenched and he stiffened. "Right, I need to clean her cuts. Get some of those berries that heal everythin'." Turning to look up at Ellie he asked, "Is Dive still 'ere?"

"Yeah." Ellie answered turning to point. The dactyl stood on a rock nearby, straining to get a glimpse of Maggie.

With a nod of his head, Buck turned his attention to the possums. "Crash, Eddie. I've got a job for you."

The twins saluted. "Yes, sir! What's our mission?"

"I need you to fly Dive back to my tree house. He'll know where ta go. Once ya get there, go get Maggie's medicine bag." Buck held up his paws to demonstrate how big it was. "It's about this long. Made of leaves. It'll have everythin' we need."

Manny frowned. "Hold on, you're sending them out in that storm? And why don't you go? You know where it is. And you know how to fly that thing. Or why don't you fly Maggie back?"

Buck scowled and shook his head. "Crash and Eddie flew with me last time so they know how it's done. An' Dive won't need their help too much." Glancing at the possums he added, "Don't let 'im dive into the fog on Razor Mountain. He should understand that there's no time for fun, but if he does try just smack the back of 'is head.

"As for flying Maggie back," the male weasel shook his head and said, "outta the question. She's in no condition to fly in this weathah and you all would be stranded he'ah until I could come back and lead you outta the Dino World."

Peaches, who was on the outskirts of the group and couldn't see but could still hear, exclaimed, "I want to stay! Can we stay, Daddy?"

Manny glanced at his daughter and said, "No sweetie." Looking back at Buck he demanded, "But why can't you go and get the bag?"

"Because!" Buck shouted in frustration. "I'm not leavin' her! I can't! I won't! I -" He choked on his words and turned to stare at his unconscious mate. "I can't lose 'er. Not again."

Crash and Eddie swallowed simultaneously. "It's okay, guys." Eddie said.

"Yeah." Crash nodded. "We'll go get the medicine."

Ellie nodded before scooping her brothers up into a hug. "Be careful." The possums gave everyone a reassuring smile before bounding over to Dive. The mammals - except Buck - watched as possums and pterodactyl disappeared into the stormy night.

Diego was the first to turn back to the weasels. "Buck?" The one-eyed guide didn't turn his head but the saber knew the weasel was listening. "What did you mean lose her again?"

Taking a shaky breath, Buck said, "There was an accident. I got mad at 'er. She left and - and I didn't know where she was. I thought I'd lost her and it was all my fault."

"When was that?" Sid asked.

"Before we were mates." Buck answered.

Peaches pushed her way around her mom and stared at the weasels. "Is that Maggie? What's she doing here? What's wrong with her? Does Nick know Maggie's here? He'll be so happy to see her again!"

Ellie winced as Buck froze his paw clenching. "Sweetie, Nick did something very bad and he's not allowed to see Maggie anymore."

"He won't evah see Maggie again." Buck ground out.

Manny frowned as he looked from his daughter to Ellie. "What happened? Buck, do you know why Nick was after Maggie? What Nick did or whatever made her run away?"

Buck nodded his head once but glanced over his shoulder to give Ellie a pointed look. The female mammoth took the hint and nudged Manny. "Tell me when I get back." She then smiled down at Peaches and said, "Time for little girl's to go to bed."

"But I want to know what happened too!" The young mammoth protested.

"That's grown-up talk." Sid asserted as mother led daughter away.

Diego smirked at the sloth. "Then what are you still doing here?"

"Guys, focus." Manny monotoned. "Okay, Buck. What happened?"

Buck let his claws lace through Maggie's limp claws and held her paw gently. "Nick tried to force Maggie to be his mate. She fought back." He looked briefly up at the other mammals' horror stricken faces. "Maggie escaped."

Manny shook his head angrily. "I can't believe I let that creep stay in our herd!"

"Why didn't she come and tell us?" Diego wondered aloud.

Buck shrugged and sighed. "Would ya have believed her?"

Manny blinked several times and looked down at the ground. "Maybe. Yes. I don't know."

"Nick could be very persuasive." Sid pointed out sadly. "He could get animals to believe just about anything."

"This makes me wonder what else he's lied to us about." Diego growled as he scraped his claws against the cave's stone floor.

The group sat in silence until Ellie returned. Manny retold what Buck had shared with them and Ellie could only shake her head in shock.

Buck continued his vigil over his mate long after dinos and mammals had collapsed to rest for the night. He was tired. So very tired, but he couldn't sleep knowing that Maggie had yet to wake up.

"Do you know why she hasn't woken up yet?" The weasel turned to look up at the source of the question. Diego sat down beside Buck but kept his eyes focused on Maggie.

"Concussion, I'd wager." Buck answered, returning his blue eye to watching his mate's steady breathing.

"Any other injuries?" Diego pressed.

The male weasel nodded. "A deep cut in her left ankle, a scratch across her face. I'm just glad he didn't - didn't hurt her with my knife."

Diego glanced at the weasel sitting beside him. "I heard you say something earlier - about kits."

Buck's shoulders sagged more. "Nick said Maggie's pregnant."

The saber turned his head so he was looking at Buck straight on. "You didn't know?"

"If I'd known, she'd 'ave been safe in our tree house this entire time." Buck sighed. "Why didn't she tell me?"

"You'll have to ask her." Diego settled down so he was lying on his stomach. "How long until the twins get back?"

"By morning, hopefully." Buck yawned, his jaw popped.

Green eyes glared at Buck. "Get some sleep, weasel." Diego rolled his eyes at the stubborn shake of Buck's head. "I'll stay awake. You don't have to stay up all night to protect her from Nick. If anything happens, I'll wake you up. I promise."

Buck turned to look at the saber. Diego was shocked by the overwhelming defeat and hopelessness that lingered in Buck's eye. With a heavy sigh, Buck nodded. The weasel crawled into the nest with Maggie and wrapped his arms gently around her. He hoped she knew he was there. He hoped she knew that the nightmare was over. Buck hoped and hoped until his eye slid shut from utter exhaustion.

"We got it! We got the bag!" The ecstatic shouts of the possum brothers caused Buck to jerk awake and look frantically for his knife.

Crash stumbled over his feet with Eddie close behind him holding the bag aloft. "Here ya go!" The brothers chorused before handing the bag to the weasel.

Ellie walked over and asked, "Were you guys safe?"

Crash nodded. "Yeah. The rain stopped as soon as we crossed Razor Mountain. Dive wasn't as nervous then."

"He was super nervous with all that lightning." Eddie added then snickered. "So was Crash."

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Guys! No arguing around the unconscious weasel!" Manny cut the argument short.

Ellie watched as Buck pulled berries and leaves out of the bag. "That stuff will help, Maggie?"

Buck nodded tersely. "Aye."

Glancing nervously at Maggie, Ellie asked, "None of that will - have any harmful side-effects should Maggie - hypothetically speaking of course! Should Maggie be pregnant?"

Buck paused what he was doing to look up at the female mammoth. "You knew?"

Ellie blinked in surprise. "Wait, you know?"

Lifting his paws in the air in frustration, Buck rolled his eye. "I found out from Nick! How'd you know? Did Maggie tell you?"

"I figured out on my own." Ellie answered cautiously. "Maggie told me not to tell because she didn't want you making her stay behind."

Buck looked like he was going to start shouting but he only sucked in a breath, held it, and then released it in a drawn out sigh. He bent his head over the supplies and muttered, "She's right. I woulda made her stay behind. An' she prolly knows now that she woulda been safah is she 'ad stayed behind. I don't know whether I'm gonna yell at 'er when she wakes up or hug her."

"Well let's concentrate on getting her to wake up." Diego suggested. "Is there anything you need us to do? To help?"

"A coconut." Buck stated. "And my knife."

Sid volunteered to get the coconut while Diego went in search of a replacement handle for Buck's knife. Buck rubbed the medicinal leaves against Maggie's cuts and made a paste-like substance from nuts, berries, and the leaves to coat the cuts with before bandaging them.

Buck mashed berries into juice in the coconut Sid brought back and coaxed Maggie to drink. Satisfied that she had consumed an adequate amount of berry juice for the time being, Buck drank some of the juice then fell asleep again beside his mate.

The rain stopped late that morning and the dinos that had hid in the cave migrated out into the sunshine. The maiasaura family left briefly to get food but returned to see how Maggie was fairing. The mammals and the maiasauras took turns watching over the sleeping weasels but Diego refused to leave Buck and Maggie for any stretch of time.

"Diego, you have to eat!" Ellie coaxed.

"Eat what? I'm not chasing down a dinosaur." The saber grumbled irritably.

"Maybe you can catch fish." Sid suggested cheerfully.

Diego shook his head. "I told Buck I'd wake him if anything changed. I'm not leaving until Maggie wakes up."

Ellie opened her mouth to protest again but everyone froze when they heard a quiet moan. All eyes focused on Maggie and watched as her closed eyes squeezed together and her face contorted into a wince of pain.

Diego leapt up from the floor and nudged Buck to wakefulness. "Buck! I think she's coming to!"

The one-eyed weasel sat upright abruptly and turned to his mate. "Maggie? Maggie can ya hear me?"

She groaned a little louder and lifted a paw to rub her eyes. "Buck? I had a really weird dream."

Buck smiled sadly and chuckled. Relief shown on his face. "Sorry, love, but that was real."

Maggie opened one eye to look at her mate in puzzlement. "You mean I really did kiss a walnut?"

"Wait, what?" Sid looked up at Manny, who shrugged. The possums fell back on the floor laughing.

"No." Buck drew the word out before laughing a little bit. His expression became serious before he said, "I was talking about Nick, Mags."

She opened both eyes then winced and closed them again. "That would explain why my head hurts. I ran into something when I was running." Maggie's voice fell at the end of her sentence. Not caring for the searing pain that shot through her head, Maggie's eyes snapped open and she stared in panic up at Buck. "The kits! The kits! Tell me they're okay! He - what did he do?"

Buck wrapped his arms around Maggie and held her tight, waiting for her to calm down. "It's okay, Margaret. I - I don't know if our kits are okay."

Maggie clung to him as her head swam. "You knew?" she asked in a small voice.

"I found out when Nick told me." Buck answered, trying to keep the hurt tone out of his voice.

"I'm sorry." Maggie murmured. "I didn't tell you I didn't want Nick to know. I didn't want to stay behind because I knew he'd come after you or come back and get me while I was alone or -"

"What happened, happened." Ellie comforted the weasels. "There's no use speculating what could have or should have happened."

Maggie looked up at Ellie. The she-weasel forced herself not to throw up. Her concussion was not helping her at all. "Ellie, how do we know the kits are all right?"

Ellie looked over at Manny helplessly before looking back at Maggie. "Well, I did talk to a lot of mothers while I was pregnant with Peaches - so I have some ideas." Buck let Maggie lay back down but held her paw tight in his. The female mammoth hesitated a while longer as she tried to gather her thoughts. "First of all, did Nick hurt you in the abdomen?"

Maggie shook her head slowly. "I didn't let him get close enough."

"All right. It doesn't look like you've started bleeding - but if you start to bleed and cramp that might be a sign that you've lost some." Ellie's expression sagged in worry. "Or all of them."

Buck exhaled the breath he had been holding. "So I guess all we can do is wait."

Maggie looked up at him and forced a smile onto her face. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. How would you like to be a dad?"

Ellie observed the silent conversation then turned to start nudging her family and friends out. When Sid began to protest, Manny dragged the sloth out of the cave. "Give them some privacy."

~4 weeks later~

The mammals stayed only for a week so Ellie could make sure that Maggie was going to be all right. Maggie's concussion hadn't allowed her to get up so she stayed behind with Kid, Girlie, and their mother while a reluctant Buck led the mammals back the way they had come and showed them how to get out of the Dino World.

Buck flew back to the Nesting Grounds on Clyde and insisted that they stay in the cave until Maggie was fit for travel. Maggie's headaches abated after four weeks and weasels planned on making the return trip home in a few days' time.

"Buck?" Maggie handed back the empty coconut and tried to clear the taste of berries from her mouth. She waited until her mate's eye was focused on her. "I - I need to check on someone before we leave."

He quirked his eyebrow up in confusion but nodded. "I can bring them he'ah if ya need me to, Mags."

She shook her head and said, "No. You can't bring her here."

"Why not?" Buck sat back and folded his arms across his chest.

Maggie bit her lip and wondered how she was going to handle his question. "Well, she - she's kind of a recluse."

"An' why do ya need to see her?" Buck wasn't buying her story.

"Because she was the dino I told you got stabbed with that poisonous thorn Nick had." Maggie answered. "Buck, she just got over the illness! And she's so young. I promised I'd take care of her, Buck! It's all my fault she got hurt."

Buck sighed and waved his paws to stem the flood of words. "A'right, Mags. A'right. I'll take you to her before we leave."

"No!" Maggie said a bit to forcefully. Her ears flattened against her skull and she looked away. "I mean - she trusts me, Buck. It wouldn't be a good idea if you came along."

Eye narrowing, Buck studied his wife. Slowly, he said, "I'll take ya halfway then."

Figuring that was the best she would get, Maggie glanced over at him and smiled. "Thank you."

The next morning, Maggie was stuffing supplies into her bag. Buck popped his head into the cave and called to her. "Ya ready yet, Mags?"

"Yup!" She smiled back at him as she stood up and slung the bag's strap over her shoulder.

Buck waited for her. When she was beside him, he looped his arm around her shoulders and led her towards Clyde and Dive. "Yer riding with me. Dive's going to lead us to where he usually drops ya off - like ya said."

Maggie nodded and wished her insides would stop churning. "Okay. I'll try to be quick."

"No need ta rush, Mags." Buck helped her up onto Clyde's back before he swung himself up behind her. As they launched into the air, Maggie turned in Buck's arms so she could wave down at the maiasauras.

The trip was shorter than Buck expected, but he didn't say anything as Maggie hopped to the ground. He looked around the area and wondered who lived near the stream. Buck scowled as he recalled crossing the stream in his frantic search for Maggie and Nick.

"Wait here, okay?" Maggie told him, making Buck look down at her. She smiled reassuringly up at him before darting across the shallow stream. The she-weasel hurried along, hoping that Luna and Rudy were home.

Breaking through the foliage, Maggie walked quickly into the baryonyx's cave. "Rudy? Luna?" she walked into the gloom of the cave and felt her heart sink. They weren't here.

Ears perking up, Maggie rushed back out of the cave. "The pond! I bet that's where they went." She retraced the path that Rudy had led her on. As she exited the trees and found the breath-taking scene, she smiled at the sight before her.

Rudy was resting by the water's edge and watching Luna as she swung on from a willow's tree branch. The young baryonyx noticed Maggie before the elder. Luna released her grip on the tree and ran toward Maggie, roaring with joy.

Maggie laughed and opened her arms wide in greeting. She hugged Luna. "I was so worried about you!" Stepping back again, Maggie's critical gaze swept over Luna's side. "How have you been doing? Is it all healed now?"

Rudy thumped the ground once with his tail and bent his head so he could rub his muzzle against Luna's. Maggie smiled up at the albino dino and said, "Thank you. For coming to our rescue." Rudy glared at her. With a shrug, the female weasel laughed. "Buck told me! He was just as shocked as I was when I found out." In a quieter voice she asked, "So is - is Nick dead."

Rudy licked his teeth and grinned, showing off his pointed teeth. Maggie looked away and sighed. "Well, I'm glad that's over." Rudy leaned down again and poked Maggie in the chest with his muzzle.

"Maggie!" She turned to stare in gaping shock at Buck as he ran towards her.

Maggie pushed Luna behind her and stood between Buck, Luna, and Rudy. "Buck! Buck, listen to me. He wasn't going to hurt me."

Buck gripped the handle of his knife and glared up at Rudy. "What's he doin' he'ah. I thought you were helpin' a dino."

"I am, Buck." Maggie shifted her stance so her mate could see Luna. She glanced apologetically up at Rudy. "I'm helping his daughter, Luna."

Buck's glare faltered. "Daughter?"

"I couldn't tell you because I promised not to." Maggie continued explaining. "Rudy thought you might use Luna to get to him. So I promised not to tell you."

Returning his focus on Rudy, Buck growled. "An' what about us, Maggie? He won't make any promises."

Sighing in frustration, Maggie frowned. "Yes. He did, Buck."

"How do we know he'll keep it?" Buck demanded.

"He came to our rescue, didn't he?" Maggie retorted. "Now return the favor, and lower that knife!"

Buck looked from Rudy, to Maggie, and then back at Rudy. "I still don't trust him."

"I don't care." Maggie stepped back so she could rest her paw on Luna's head. "But as long as I'm friends with Luna, then you're going to have to ignore you grudge while I'm with Luna. You guys can fight it out to your heart's content without dragging Luna or our kits into it. Got that?"

The two males continued to have a glaring match but Maggie seemed to be mollified. "Good. Now, I'm going to check Luna over. Then we can leave."

Later that evening, Maggie was watching fish cook over the fire. She looked around in contentment at the tree house and smiled. She was glad to be home.

"Dinner ready yet, Mags?" Buck's arms wrapped around her from behind, his paws resting on her stomach.

"It will be soon." She promised, leaning back against him.

Buck pressed a kiss to her neck. "You're impressive, Mags."

Maggie tilted her head back so the back of her head rested against Buck's shoulder. "How so?"

He chuckled and said, "Cause ya managed to get me an' Rudy to stand down for a few minutes."

Maggie's lips twitched into a smile. "Do you think you guys will call a permanent cease fire?"

Buck shook his head. "Too much history there, Maggie. No, we'll always be enemies."

"More like friends who are enemies." Maggie giggled.

He rolled his eye and reached for a fish. "Hush, mate, before I decide to throw your fish back into the river."

Slapping his shoulder she teased, "And deny your kits a healthy meal?"

Buck smirked. "Oh, I could nevah deny them anythin'. Their mother on the other hand -"

Turning quickly and tackling him, Maggie tried in vain to hide her smile and look stern. "Finish that sentence, Buckminster, and you'll be sleeping with the dactyls tonight."

"I'd like to see you try, Margaret." Buck trapped her with his arms, before sitting up. "Now, behave and I'll let ya have some fish."

Author's note: The epilogue/Chapter 11 will be up soon!

Please review. =)