Book 2: Breaking the Ice Chapter 29
"Jen, where are you taking me, lass?" Buck asked as they started to approach a cave. Giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder, Jenna answered, "It's my home. It's not much, but it works." He nodded then followed the female into her cave.
"There aren't very exciting things in here, but you can go ahead and look around. Some of the things I have are the remaining memories of my mom and dad before they died. Be careful around them though. I don't want anything bad to happen to them." The she-weasel said softly.
Buck gave her a reassuring smile before walking over to them, along with Jenna. Buck looked at all the various things that were on a table-like platform and stared at them in wonder and interest. Then, something caught his eye. He saw a stone portrait of her parents. The father had his arm wrapped around the mother's waist and they were both smiling. The first weasel he looked at was the mother. She had long brunette hair, forest green eyes, and Jenna's skinny figure. Next, he looked at the father. He was an inch taller than the mother and had Jenna's eyes.
Jenna saw him staring at it and smiled, "Do you like it? Believe it or not, I was the one that made that portrait." Buck looked at her in shock. She made this? Wow! That's amazing! She actually captured their features very well. Her mother is beautiful, but not as beautiful as Jenna. Buck thought. Finding his words, the red-brown weasel smiled, "I didn't know you were artistic, lass. This is amazing!"
"Thanks. I was around six years old when I painted this." Jenna said, staring at the portrait. "Are you joking?" The male asked, very surprised by that fact. "No! It's true!" She laughed.
Suddenly, Buck saw something shimmer. Next to the portrait, was a necklace that had two rubies in the middle and two blue topazes that were on either side of the red gems. Jenna caught his gaze and explained, "This used to be my mother's necklace when she was married to my dad. He made it and gave it to her as an anniversary gift. She treasured it forever. It was the only remaining thing that I found after the sabers killed her. I found it lying on the ground and kept it to myself. I didn't want my dad to find out about my mother's death, but then somebody told him a few years later and he died from grief."
After a long silence, Buck asked, "Do you think that you can let me see wot you look like with your motha's necklace on?"
"Sure. Just be careful with it, though." Jenna said to her as the male got behind her and put the necklace around her neck. "Lift your hair up, please." Jenna did what she was told and smiled as soon as Buck got the necklace fastened and in place.
Buck turned Jenna around and looked at her image and the necklace. "Jen, it looks beautiful on you. With your dress being green, it makes it look even more beautiful, but no' as beautiful as you." He complimented the she-weasel, who blushed hard from his words.
"Charmer." Jenna giggled. "Wot! I am no'! I'm serious!" Buck argued, giving her a gentle, playful push.
The she-weasel returned it with a quiet laugh escaping her mouth. After another long silence, Jenna asked, "Um, Buck, you wanted to tell me something earlier?" Buck stared at her confused until he finally remembered what he had said before they reached Jenna's home. Sighing quietly, he held the she-weasel's paws in his before walking towards her stone bed and sitting down with her doing the same.
After a moment of silence, both weasels said each others' names and said in unison, "There's something I want to tell you." Blushing, Jenna offered Buck to go first. Buck smiled apologetically then he said seriously, "Wot I'm about ta' tell you is no' a joke." Jenna nodded then insisted, "Go on." Nodding, he grabbed Jenna's paws in his and looked at the she-weasel, nervous. That did not go unnoticed by the female.
"Are you okay?" Jenna asked worriedly. Clearing his throat, Buck replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that. This is going to be hard to say." He was beginning to make the she-weasel nervous. Shaking in anxiety, Jenna asked, "Did I do something? I didn't say anything that upset y-"
"Jenna, I love you!" Buck yelled out of the blue and very quickly.
The she-weasel could only gape and blush. Did he just say what I thought he said? Jenna thought happily. Blushing, she asked, "W-w-what?" Buck's stomach flip-flopped inside of him, but managed to stay calm. He repeated patiently, "I love you." Jenna placed a paw on her chest and sighed, "Oh, Buck." Beaming, she added. "I have something to tell you, too."
She whispered a message into Buck's ear. Buck's face turned from confused to happy and love-stricken. Once she leaned away from his ear, she gave him a soft smile and a quick peck on the cheek.
"Do you really feel that way, lass?" Buck asked, his heart swelling every second that went by. Jenna smiled wider and nuzzled under his chin affectionately. Finally, she replied, "Yes. I meant every word." The male smiled before nuzzling her back and then lifting her chin to send a passionate kiss to her lips five minutes later.
Before they got deeper into the kiss, the couple pulled away and smiled at each other. "I guess we better search for Ben, huh?" Jenna asked a little shakily after that magical moment. Buck sighed to himself then nodded his head. They got up from the bed and made their way out of the cave, holding each others' paws.
Meanwhile, from a very long distance from the herd, Ben was sitting in front of a shallow lake and staring at the water to see his distressed face. He didn't want to see his girls at the moment. He was too upset to see anyone right now. He still felt like this was too much.
"I'm such an idiot! I should've stopped her! Why didn't I? Because I let Roxanne's words get to me! I shouldn't have acted weak! This is all my fault!" Ben screamed before he began to sob hysterically.
"Ben, dear." A gentle, worried voice called out to him. The male turned his head and gasped at what stood before him. It was Clarissa and, with her, Roxanne. Roxanne was called, by her mother, to come with her.
They both stared at Ben sorrowfully. Ben finally lost his cool and screamed loudly at the sky then yelled, "Why did you scare me like you did last night, Roxanne? I wanted to know more about you, but you decide to attempt suicide so you wouldn't have to see me again! Now, everyone's miserable, including me! Why did you do this?"
"Ben, calm down!" Clarissa snapped.
This scene made Roxanne sob and stare at the male with guilt and sadness in her hazel eyes. She didn't mean to hurt anybody. Now, here she is, listening to how miserable her father was and every sob, scream, and yell Ben let out made her feel even more guilty inside and out.
Out of the blue, she screamed, "I did it because I've gone through so much hell. I couldn't take it anymore and decided to end my life, but it wasn't accomplished because Rosalina stopped me before I could even stab myself! Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Ben turned his head to see his daughter sobbing and hiccupping. That's why? I…..I didn't know. He thought sadly. He turned his head back to Clarissa and growled, "See what Tim has done to her? He's made her life a living hell."
"Ben, dear, I know, but there's so much more that's been hurting her and it led her to wanting to end her life." The ghost she-weasel sighed. Letting out a depressed sigh, Clarissa said to Ben, "I need to tell you something. It's about Roxanne and the reason why she did what she has done."
Ben gave Roxanne one last glance before following her mother through the snowy Ice Age. Now, Roxanne was all by herself, feeling a pang of anger and regret strike her. She screamed and fell onto her knees and started pounding the ground with her fists. "What have I done?" She asked herself angrily and continued to throw a tantrum. Twenty minutes have gone by and Roxanne had finally calmed down, but she was still mad at herself.
I wish I knew how to fix this, but I don't. I'm not happy with myself right now. I've hurt everybody and it's all my fault. Why did I try to do commit suicide? I was being a self-centered brat. That's why! Oh, I hope my sister, Buck, Jenna, and the herd are okay. They're probably not. Roxanne thought, feeling guilty and depressed inside and out.
Smiling to herself, she disappeared and waited for Clarissa to come back.
