Thanks for the reviews guys! Okay, like I said this chapter will be a little shorted, but I'm gonna post another one between now and next Sunday : )

Campfire Stories

Chapter Ten- Underhanded

"Uh- Manny, I believe that I was telling the story." Sid interjected.

"Well, I believe that you've been telling it for too long." Manny said, "Ellie, could you help me out here?" Manny turned to his mate.

"Yeah Ellie, what do you think?"

Ellie's olive eyes flickered over the campfire, "I think that…" She noticed Diego examining his claws, retracting them in and out. "That Diego hasn't had a turn in a while."

"Me," Diego asked, "ah. Oh yeah! Well –''

"Him? Ahh come on, Ellie, I'm better than he is." Sid whined.

Diego glared at the sloth, and smacked him hard in the back of his head.

"Ow! Ellie, Diego should loose his story telling privileges because of his violent behavior." Sid said, Diego rolled his glowing eyes.

"Hey Sid! I think you should shut up so we can actually hear the end of the story." Crash said, swinging from his tail on his Ellie's tusk.

"Yeah, I think that you should loose your story telling privileges because of your annoying behavior!" Eddie exclaimed across the fire, he too was swinging on Ellie's tusk.

"Well, I just don't think that Diego sets the scene as well as –''

"Shut… up." Diego said, giving the sloth a glare shaking his head.

"But-''

"SHUT UP!" The group yelled.

Sid slouched, "okay, tigey-wigey, I guess I'm out numbered. Go ahead."

Diego rolled his luminescent eyes, "okay. So, like Manny said, we walked for a little bit, but it got dark pretty quickly. So we decided to settle down for the night. And besides, I had to act tired and like I was gonna go to sleep soon for my plan to take effect."

Manny gave Diego a look, and Diego grinned to him.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Okay now." Sid said to the other two animals as they settled in for night. The sky was now a dark shade of indigo, almost fully dark. "The baby has been fed, so I'm going out for something." Sid announced.

"Why don't you just have some berries off of this bush?" Manny asked, swiping a few frosted berries off of the bush.

"They're half frozen." Sid complained. "I'm gonna find something else."

"Suit your self," Manny grumbled, he was holding the baby, who rubbed his eyes sleepily. Manny looked at Sid who was waddling away. 'That idiot. He's not gonna get anything, then he'll complain how hungry he is.' Manny thought in disgust. He turned to Diego.

Diego was just sitting on his haunches a little ways away. Manny scoffed, 'I don't trust that tiger as far as I could throw him. And believe me –I could throw him far.' After Manny popped two more berries in his mouth he scraped the kid up off of the frosted ground. The baby cooed in happiness as Manny's warm trunk wrapped around him.

"Yeah, don't get so used to it kid." Manny said, keeping a watchful eye on Diego. 'You're up to something. How stupid do you think I am?' Manny said in his head.

Meanwhile, Sid had wandered off on his own to find food.

"Now to find a meal befitting a conquering hero!" Sid announced, in a proud voice. He pushed past a stiff tree branch, which in turn ended up smacking Sid in the back of the head, and he fell to the ground.

"What-ho? A foe?" Sid said shocked at the tree, "c'mon, you wanna piece of me? Fetwo Hoooo Ya!" (again, sorry, not very good sound effects ) Sid punched his fist into the tree as hard as he could, in went into the little hole. Sid grabbed the first thing that he felt. He pulled out an acorn! "Spoils worthy of such a noble –'' The sloth couldn't even finish what he was saying. He popped the acorn into his mouth but was attacked before he could actually eat it.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Scrat, the crazed squirrel, tackled Sid, not willing to give up his worshiped nut. He fought the sloth as hard as he could and soon was reunited with his nut. Scrat left with the acorn tucked safely under his arm. He shook his big fist at the stunned sloth.

'Okay, now to commence my plan.' Diego thought to himself.

Manny approached the carnivore and sat down a few feet next to him, not too close. Not too far. He glanced at Diego who's eyes were a glowing emerald. "Nice eyes." Manny muttered, he knew that sabers' eyes glowed at night. But this close was really creeping him out.

"Thanks," Diego sneered sarcastically. 'Easy Diego. It's all gonna pay off soon. Just act… friendly.' Diego coached himself mentally. Diego faked a yawn, and then stretched. "Alright. Uh. I'm gonna go to sleep now. I'm pretty tired. Night." Diego said. He attempted to smile, but it came out more like a half smile. Oh well, an animal like Manny didn't deserve a full smile anyway.

"Fine with me." Manny grumbled. Then something caught Manny completely off guard. Diego sat down like he was going to sleep, but before he closed his freaky eyes; he looked directly at the baby. Then the tiger closed his eyes. 'Yeah, you're up to something Diego. Don't think that I don't notice.' Manny said mentally. He stared at the tiger, getting an eerie vibe. Manny turned to watch the baby for a few minutes.

The baby looked up at Manny, happily gurgling. He found a small rock and grabbed it. He was playing some kind of game; Manny was just not sure what it was that he was doing. He smiled a little. The baby right now, just playing with everyday objects almost made him think of his own… 'STOP!' Manny yelled in his head. He sighed. The feeling of losing his son was never going to go away, would it? He shook his head, in attempt of getting rid of the memories.

'Perhaps… I miscalculated my time a little.' Diego groaned in his mind. It only had been a few minutes, but fake sleeping was really boring.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"You were faking it?" Manny said to Diego, in sudden realization.

Diego nodded, "you're surprised?"

"Well… no. I knew that you were up to something, but… I don't know. It really looked like you were sleeping." Manny shrugged.

"Manny, he is the master at fake sleeping, sneaking… anything." Diego bragged, receiving Ellie's giggle.

"You were bad." Sid scolded the tiger.

"Yeah… but just wait. What I tell you next will shock you."

~*~*~*~*~

The round baby yawned, he cooed once Manny lifted him in his trunk once again.

"Bedtime… squirt." Manny murmured to the baby. He laid down and got settled on the ground –a safe distance from the carnivore. He glanced at the tiger. The tiger appeared to be asleep, but something wasn't quite right.

Sid waddled back to camp, rubbing his butt in pain.

"Oh the triumphant return." Manny grumbled sarcastically to Sid.

"Wha- Oh! That," Sid laughed nervously, "I'm… so full." Sid lied, patting his stomach. "How 'bout a good night kiss for your big buddy Sid?" Sid said in a sing song-y voice.

"Shh. He's asleep." Manny muttered, motioning downward to the sleeping baby cuddled up with his warm trunk.

"I was talking to you." Sid murmured receiving a disgusted look from Manny. "Fine, I'll tuck myself in." Sid grumbled, dusting the rock off with his one claw. He drew in a big yawn. "Mmmmm. Alright, good night." The sloth said while yawning, he positioned himself on top of the rock.

Silence until…

Sid yawned again, fairly loudly while turning over on the rock. "Na, na na!" Sid mustered, kicking his one foot in the air a few times. Once again the sloth turned around, making various noises. "Awh!" He yawned, "ahhh, ahhh-''

"WILL YOU STOP IT?" Manny yelled a little quieter than he would have, if he weren't concerned about waking up the baby. Sid was so surprised, that he bounded off of the rock and onto his butt.

"Alright, alright." The sloth said, taken aback, "just trying to relax." He curled up on the rock, his thumb in his mouth, and with in seconds, Sid was snoring.

"Oy." Manny moaned. Yesterday, he had Sid on him, just when he thought things couldn't get worse, they now had the baby to look after. And not to mention a blood thirsty carnivore traveling with them… that he actually needed. But there was no way that Manny could trust him. He eyed Diego, suspiciously. But the tiger's slow even breathing assured him that things would be alright for now.

Diego had sensed the silence, he could even feel Manny when he stared at Diego. Diego waited, for a moment longer. And when he heard Manny's even breathing. His glowing green eyes flashed open. 'Yes!' Diego thought to himself. Everything was perfect.

Diego crept silently up to the sleeping Mammoth and most importantly the baby.

~*~*~*~*~

"Woa! Wait a minute!" Manny stopped the story. "You mean, you actually woke up and tried to take the baby? But I could swear that you were sleeping!" Manny looked at Diego in complete disbelief.

Diego sheepishly grinned, "uhh smart move not to trust me." Diego smiled slightly.

Sid's mouth was hanging open. "I'm never gonna look at you the same way again!"

"Wait! So did he actually get away with the baby then?" Ellie asked, completely absorbed in the story. Crash and Eddie's eyes were now wide with astonishment as well.

"I really don't know, now." Manny said, "Diego?"

"Well, he tried to make a break for it with the baby. But something interrupted my plans…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Closer… Diego made his way to his prize when… his ears picked up a noise! Thinking that it was the mammoth waking up Diego, quickly retracted his claws. But he realized that nothing was happening. He glanced in the direction where he heard the noise. He could swear that he heard something. He glanced at the snoring sloth. It must have been him.

Diego advanced, making a second attempt to swipe the baby when… another rustling of leaves. And the sound of a few twigs snapping now. Diego shot a hard glare over his shoulder. What ever that was… it was going to pay. And besides, Diego had not eaten since last night! He crouched low, you interrupt his hunt… you pay the price.

Diego growled low, he jumped high into the air over the other side of the hill. He landed hard on… Zeke? With his claw half way in the air –prepared to strike. "What the?" Diego looked down at his crazy brother.

"Go ahead, slice me. It'll be the last thing you ever do!'' Zeke sneered at Diego who was still perched on him.

'Well I WAS doing my job until you interrupted me!' Diego growled in his head. He restrained himself. "I'm working here you waste of fur!" Diego hissed at Zeke, until another voice caught his attention.

"Frustrated, Diego?" Oscar's egotistical voice made his ears perk up. "Tracking down the helpless infant too difficult for you?"

Diego dug his claws into the ground, "what are you two doing here?"

"Soto's getting tired of waiting," Oscar glared at Diego.

"Yeah, yeah," Zeke added in, with a huff. "He said, 'come back with the baby… or don't come back at all!'" He yelled.

Those words actually hit Diego pretty hard, but his face remained impassive. "Well I have a message for Soto, tell him… I'm bringing the baby." Diego thought as hard as he could. How could he make up his mistakes to Soto? Soto would accept the baby, but Diego made him wait. 'What can I possibly do to make it up to… I've got it!' A prehistoric light bulb in Diego's head, "and tell him I'm bringing… a mammoth!"

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Woah, woah, woah, woah! Stop!" Manny interrupted, glaring at Diego who didn't make complete eye contact. "You planned it?" Manny asked astounded. "Right there, then? Just like that?" Manny asked

Diego's green eyes met Manny's. "Okay, yeah. Like I said, it was mainly because I didn't want Soto to… you know." Diego said awkwardly fumbling over words. "You know that I'm sorry," Diego smiled at Manny slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry. It's just you never told me that part." Manny said.

Diego shrugged, "well, I'm trying to."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"A mammoth?" Zeke exclaimed in a crazed voice.

"Mammoths never travel alone!" Oscar hissed at Zeke.

'Oh yeah, smart ass?' Diego said in his mind. He walked up to the peak of the hill, Oscar and Zeke followed, "well this one does. And I'm leading him to half peak!"

Zeke's lips trebled, his legs became loose. "Mmm! Look at all that meat! Let's get him!" Zeke growled out of weak will power. He was about to pounce on the mammoth.

Diego fiercely intercepted, "not yet!" He sneered, "we'll need the whole pack to bring this mammoth down, get everyone ready…" Diego commanded. He realized that Zeke and Oscar could only stare at the sleeping mammoth on the ground. "NOW!" Diego snapped!

Zeke suddenly ran away, in fast attempt to deliver the news to Soto.

Oscar was not as quick to react. He and Diego held hard glares at each other. Snarling in their minds. Oscar finally walked away, slowly. Diego glared at the retreating figure, then he looked back to the herbivores, he was too tired to plot anymore tonight. It might be hard to lead the mammoth directly to half peak… but he could do it. He yawned, quietly padding over to where the mammoth and sloth were sleeping, and laid down for the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wow, Diego, I never realized that you'd do that." Ellie said shocked.

"Yeah!" Eddie exclaimed.

"I'll never look at you the same way again!" Crash admitted.

Diego shrugged, ''well, it's what I had to do.''

"But you planned to ambush us… just that night?" Sid asked Diego.

"Yeah, but I didn't know you guys that well then. But once… stuff happened then… well I don't want to spoil it." Diego said, looking at Crash and Eddie.

"Well, now that I've heard about this… I need to know how you all became friends!" Ellie exclaimed, excitedly.

Okay, so that wasn't as short as I thought it would be. And it's a day late , but I still hope you all like it! Thanks for reading, please review! : )