Chapter 11: Worries and Arguments
Sid felt nothing but dirt in his face as he got up, groaning from the pain from the fall out of the portal. He soon looked around to see Buck, Forrest and Tawk all back up and looking around the dark gloomy area.
"Where are we?" Sid asked.
"I have no idea, mate," said Buck.
"By the looks of it, we're stuck in a maze," Tawk said as he inspected the area around them.
"Do you think the others are around here somewhere?" Sid questioned the guys.
"I hope so," Buck answered.
Soon, Buck felt his son wrapping his small arms around his waist before the kit looked up and whimpered, "Are we doomed, Dad?"
"No buddy, no. We're going to be OK. You're safe with me here," Buck gently replied, comforting his son before hugging him.
"W-Where's Mom?" Forrest whimpered again.
"She's with the others, all safe and sound," Buck assured his son.
"I hope so," Forrest said.
"I need you to be brave for me. Can ya do that, lad?" Buck tenderly asked Forrest.
"I'll do my best for you and Mom," Forrest answered with a nod.
"That's my boy," Buck chuckled as he nuzzled his son in a fatherly way.
"Rest assured, dear grandson, your father and I will save the others together with your Uncle Sid. After all, your dad is going to be Chief soon and one day, so will you," Tawk happily said.
"Really?! You're going to be Chief, dad?!" Forrest excitingly asked.
Buck still wasn't sure about being the future Chief of the tribe, but he pulled a toothy grin and replied, "Aye, my boy."
"That is so awesome! So does that really mean I'll be Chief someday like you and Grandpa?!" Forrest exclaimed with joy.
"That's right, Forrest. With your father to teach you the ways of your tribe, you will be a great future Chief when you're older," Tawk happily laughed.
"Awesome!" Forrest cheered.
Sid soon noticed Buck looking a little uneasy from the side as he then approached him quietly and whispered, "Are you OK, Buck?"
"Wot? I mean, aye, of course I am," Buck chuckled.
Sid gave Buck a bit of a serious look with his paws on his hips before the one-eyed weasel sighed, "OK, I might have a bit of an issue."
"And what is that, Buck?" Sid asked.
Buck leaned over to Sid and whispered, "I don't think I really want to become the next Chief."
"Why not? Being a Chief sounds cool," Sid whispered back.
"Aye, but do you know how much responsibility that comes with being Chief? I feel like I'm sacrificing my adventurous life out in the Dinosaur World to be shut down in a throne cave for the rest of my life, doing things for the other weasels in the tribe that I might not have the ability to do. I understand that I am to become Chief someday, but...I didn't expect it to be so soon," Buck confessed.
"Have you even talked to Tawk or Flora about this?" Sid asked.
"Are ya kidding me, mate? If I do tell them, I'd fear I would really upset them and seem so...selfish," Buck sadly replied.
"Maybe if you can try to make the others understand your worries, they could help you or something," Sid suggested.
"Maybe...I-I don't know," Buck nervously sighed out.
"Go on, Buck. Just tell Tawk how you truly feel. He's your father- in-law. I'm sure he can be helpful for you," Sid encouraged his best friend.
"Well...Alright then," Buck exhaled out slowly.
Just as Buck was about to approach Tawk, Forrest rushed up to his father happily and asked with a wide smile, "Will you teach me how to be a Chief and a Dinosaur Hunter like you soon when I get older? Please, Dad?"
Buck looked at the smile and hopeful eyes of his child as well as the proud happiness of his father-in-law, and it made him not feel right to express his concerns otherwise he'd find himself to be selfish or break both his son and wife's hearts.
"Sure, lad," Buck answered with a nod and a grin to hide the guilt.
"You're the best, dad!" Forrest cheered as he hugged his father.
Sid watched on in concern, knowing Buck would still have issues with the whole thing. Soon, his thoughts were interrupted when Carrie called out, "Sorry to end the family conversation guys, but we must get a move on!"
They look up to see Carrie examining the maze in the cave from on top of a rock before Sid happily said:
"Carrie? I didn't realize you were with us"
"Sorry to disappoint you" Carrie shrugged.
"What? No, I'm actually glad you're OK" Sid explained.
"Oh OK then" Carrie nodded, ignoring the sloth as usual.
"Do you see a way out, Carrie?" Tawk asked the pink sloth.
"I can see a light over the far right, if we're lucky it could be the exit to this creepy place" Carrie responded.
"Then let's try to get to there as quickly and carefully as we can" Buck said.
"Right. Let's keep going," Tawk agreed.
"If we're lucky, the others won't be too far," Buck replied.
"So who's the pink sloth, Dad?" Forrest asked about Carrie.
"That's Carrie. She and your Uncle Sid...well...they know each other," Buck replied.
"So is she Uncle Sid's girlfriend?" Forrest asked which made Carrie laugh a bit.
"Sorry. Yeah we were, but that was an honest mistake I made in my life," the pink sloth answered.
"Are you always going to be a jerk to me all the time now?" Sid sighed.
"Well sorry but the last time we saw one another, you pretty much were a jerk for leaving me behind and kissing Sylvia in front of me," Carrie sighed as well.
"I kept on trying to tell you that it was a misunderstanding! I didn't kiss Sylvia! She kissed me! She was the one who clung herself onto me, and I was with the girls in that mud springs because I was asking them for advice on how to make up for accidentally leaving you behind!" Sid protested.
"I'm surprised you and Sylvia didn't even hook up together in the end, being slow on the uptake on most things in life," Carrie replied.
"You are so unbelievable," Sid sighed.
"Excuse me?" Carrie asked.
"OK so I was a jerk in the past for leaving you behind that night and maybe I was egotistical ever since we broke up, but I changed now. I mean, come on. This was all years and years ago. Please let it go! I felt bad for what I had done to you for many years. Can't you even at least give me a chance to make it up for you?" Sid pleaded, looking at Carrie miserably.
"...Alright, Sid. When you feel abandoned and betrayed by the people you cared about like I did those years ago, then I can let it go," Carrie scoffed loudly as she rolled her eyes.
"I was abandoned and betrayed by my family!" Sid cried out.
Silence soon filled the maze as Carrie looked on at Sid in confusion by that sudden outburst and by the look of Sid's eyes, Carrie couldn't be sure if Sid was making it up or if he was serious about what he blurted out to her.
"...What?" Carrie softly asked.
"My family hated me...Even when I was born, they always abandoned me...They always migrated without me... You have no idea what they did to me all those years that used to make my life a misery... Like one year...they got up early, and quickly tied up my hands and feet as well as gag me with a field mouse, and barricaded the cave door before covering their tracks, and they went through water so I'd lose their scent, and... and..." Sid explained before he shook his head and added, "Doesn't matter. You wouldn't even understand..."
Sid soon walked ahead of the group in silence as Carrie was dumbfounded before she turned to the weasels and asked, "Is he really serious?"
"Oh he is serious, young lady. I think it's about time you and I have a talk," Tawk firmly replied.
"Lad, I think we should..." Buck started before Tawk gave a stern look to slience the one-eyed weasel before he cleared his throat with, "As you were."
"Sit down, Carrie," Tawk instructed.
"Listen, you're not my father and-!" Carrie sighed impatiently.
"Sit-down!" Tawk strictly exclaimed and in a flash, Carrie sat on the ground.
Tawk looked back to a stunned Buck and Forrest as he chuckled, "I still got it."
"I never knew Grandpa would be scary like that," Forrest whispered to Buck.
"You have no idea," Buck whispered back.
"Listen, Carrie. I can understand how you feel being upset about what Sid did to you in the past and while he might have been a jerk or not ever since. Hell, I only met him ten years ago and he's not the sloth you told me he was," Tawk started.
"So, are you siding with him?" Carrie asked.
"I'm not siding with anyone. I'm just saying the Sid you knew before has changed over the last few years and while he isn't always the brightest tool in the cave and still clumsy, he's very kind and courageous for everyone he cares about. When you think about it, he's been trying to make it up to you, am I right?" Tawk replied.
"I guess, but it's hard to let go of the pain he caused me. Even though I do find it nice and a bit reassuring that he does feel guilty. It's just...I don't want to be hurt again," Carrie sadly sighed.
"So, does that give you the right to bully Sid because of it?" Tawk asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No, but...I just...He makes me so furious because of what he did. I just don't know if I could forgive him," Carrie replied.
"My dear, I was in your position as you are now years ago. My daughter was pregnant with my grandson, but she and Buck hid it from me for a long time until I found out. I was so furious with Buck for not even telling me that my own child was pregnant with my grandchild that I hated him for it and never wanted to do anything for him ever again after I trusted him to do the right thing for me," Tawk explained.
"You didn't tell grandpa about me being in Mom's belly?" Forrest asked his father in confusion.
"Things were complicated back then, mate," Buck whispered to his son.
"So, what's your point?" Carrie asked.
"My point is I hated Buck and disowned him for the time being, but soon I realized that I was hurting Buck and my daughter more than he harmed me. So we talked it through and we managed to let go of our hate and forget the past that hurt us. So yes, maybe Sid was a jerk or not, but the main thing is that he feels bad for what he did to you and he wants to make amends. You're not only rejecting him, but you're becoming the jerk he was," Tawk continued.
Carrie thought in silence as she turned to where Sid walked off before Tawk added, "Don't make the same mistake I almost did. I'm only asking you to try to get to know Sid again, and who knows? Maybe it'll be better this time and you two can finally move on from the past."
Carrie looked at Tawk who smiled encouragingly at the pink sloth before she walked off to where Sid was heading, leaving Buck and Forrest in confusion.
"So, wait. What does this mean now for the lass then?" Buck asked his father-in-law.
"If I'm not mistaken, I say she's well in thought on this," Tawk replied.
"Do you think Uncle Sid and that pink sloth will be friends again?" Forrest asked.
"Only time can tell, my little grand-cub," Tawk answered with hope before the trio followed the sloths ahead of the maze cave.
What happens next?
Stay tuned to find out!
ALSO PRETTY PLEASE GIVE CREDIT TO DUSK19, FOR NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT HIM
