Note: I do not own the characters of ice age, just Natalie, Damien, and the four unnamed sabers. Enjoy :)

Chapter 10:

"Diego…" Natalie whispered, Damien growling darkly beneath her.

"What do you want?" Damien hissed, his large canines bared.

"I want you to let Natalie go."

"Ha! She's mine. You can't make me give her up."

"Then I'll have to make you."

"You and what army?"

"I don't need an army to beat you and your friends."

"We'll just see about that," Damien said, a smirk painting his face as his four pack mates pounced toward Diego.

The first jumped and landed on his back, trying to find purchase on his shoulder blade. Diego yelped and reared up, slamming the saber into the tree behind him. The tree, along with Diego's force and weight, knocked the saber off. It lay at the bottom of the tree, a dazed expression on his face. Diego glanced momentarily at the amber colored female.

Diego turned to look at the second saber, a golden, well built male, and a growl ripped from his throat. The offending saber pounced forward, claws ready. The saber's arm, outstretched, glided almost effortlessly across Diego's cheek. Blood seeped to the surface of the cut and Diego pawed it, looking at the red liquid. He glared daggers at the snide saber and ran toward him. Both sabers stood on their back feet, fighting for a strike at the others' throat or face. Diego swerved the two so that he was on top of the enemy. He bit at random, hoping for a solid area to grasp. The saber clawed at him, barely doing any damage from the position he was in. Diego swatted one good, solid blow at his head, knocking him out cold. Diego jumped off of him, pumped up for the next challenger.

A tan male stepped forward, his teeth bared. He lunged for Diego's hindquarters, earning a good smack in the face with Diego's tail. The saber brushed his face, unaware of Diego, closing in on his side. Diego pounced silently on the other saber's left flank. The saber groaned in pain, coming down pathetically quickly.

Diego, now panting, turned to face the last of the four, an orange female with blazing green eyes.

"Bring it." He spat, a harsh look directed at the female.

"With pleasure." She hissed, her voice cold, menacing.

The female ran top speed at Diego, knocking him on his haunches for a moment. Diego stood up quickly and turned around to face her, a smile plastered across her face. He lunged at her, but she darted to the side and dodged him effortlessly. He chased her for a moment before cutting the opposite direction. He jumped, landed sideways on the tree and pushed off, landing square on the female's back. She grunted as he came down on her. She struggled for a moment and Diego jumped slightly, and the female lay still in exhaustion. Diego looked at the four sabers, pants coming quick and fast in and out of his lungs, sweat coating his body.

Diego turned to look at Natalie and Damien, ready to finish this. Natalie had been dropped from Damien's back and lay whimpering on the ground. Diego looked her up and down, taking in the cuts that scattered her body. At the sight of how they had hurt her, an emotion Diego didn't recognize flitted through him.

How DARE they do that to her? He thought, he breathing increasing even more so. She looked at him, worried, scared. He looked into her eyes, a pool of blue sapphire and at the moment, so much pain and fear. Diego inhaled, disgusted with the sabers that had hurt his Natalie.

But she's not mine…. He thought wistfully. Damien chuckled causing Diego to look up at him.

"Poor, poor Diego. Thought you could save our little Natalie. Ha, well little news flash for you buddy, you ain't taken her anywhere."

"Neither are you. She's going nowhere she doesn't want to go."

"She's going home with me, even if I have to kill her first."

"You're not going to kill her, or hurt another hair on her, you understand me?" Diego threatened, his voice shaking with exhaustion and anger. Damien laughed and reached an extended claw back, drawing it slowly across Natalie's back.

"AHHH!" Natalie yelped, Damien's claw leaving behind a red line of blood along her back.

"Stop! NOW!" Diego pleaded, Natalie's scream hurting her more than anything ever had.

"Ah-ha," Damien said, stopping his cutting line. "I know everything now."

"What do you mean?" Diego asked, refusing to sit even in his tiredness.

"I've watched you in this short amount of time and now I'm certain of one thing. Why you followed us, why you fought, the WAY you fought, and why we're having this conversation now, it all points to one conclusion." Damien told him, taking steps toward Diego all the while.

"And…?" Diego questioned, keeping a close eye on the saber.

"You love her."

Diego's eyes widened. He'd never heard the words said aloud and they sounded…. Right. Maybe he did. Maybe that's why he looked at her the way he did, wanted to be with her, save her. Diego stared Damien down, his glare sharp as knives.

"Your point?" He asked, not understanding what the saber meant.

"Diego?" He heard Natalie ask. He would answer all of her questions later. Right now, he had to save her from the horror between them.

"I cannot allow such a thing, especially when she shares the feeling. The feeling will get in the way of what I intend to use her for."

"Don't touch her!" Diego threatened again. And did he say 'shares the feeling'? She couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't! And yet he wanted her too so bad. He looked at the ground slightly, lost in thought for a moment.

"Oh I plan to touch her, more than you ever will get the chance to think about." Damien said, laughing. Diego cocked his head to the side. Damien purred in expectance. "Let's finish this."

Diego was tired.

Damien was closing in.

And this fight was about to end.

Ta-Da!!! What do you think?? R&R!