Disclaimer-If you think I own them, then you obviously haven't been paying attention. I don't, and I don't claim too, I have about 10 dollars right now, so suing me wouldn't do much good, now would it?
Author Notes- Thanks Anya Bolton and ShadowSaber.
When We Get to the South
Chapter 8- Confessions of a Tiger (Manny's POV)
"Why did you help us if you knew this would happen?" Sid asks, looking at him curiously. Diego blinks rapidly a few times.
"I-" He falters, I assume its because he's unable to think of a reason.
"Were you even thinking when you did it?" I ask softly.
"Not really." Diego admits, "I just saw you needed help, and I could provide it."
"But you could have died." Sid pipes up.
"And Manny would have certainly died if I hadn't reacted. As would you and the baby." Diego replies softly. He lowers his eyes and stares into the blinding snow.
"You stood up against your pack Diego, and you did it for us and a kid you were suppose to capture in the first place." I say, watching the tiger intently. "Why the change of heart?" Diego heaves a sigh and shifts slightly, turning to face us a little better.
"I didn't stand up against my pack, I betrayed them." Diego intones softly, and Sid cringes slightly. "And I would do it again. I'm ready to pay for what I did."
"But why were you so intent on getting that baby to begin with?" Sid asks.
"It was a revenge thing. I was suppose to retrieve it for Soto." Diego shuddered slightly as the name rolled off his tongue.
"The baby's father killed most of our pack. Soto's family included." Diego says the last part very softly and I wince a little.
"And when I lost the baby and its mother over the falls, I was sent to find it again. Soto was the leader, I did as I was told."
"To a point." I reply, watching the Tiger intently, he was holding something back.
"To a point." He echoes. "I never completely agreed with him, but I did as I was told. Until recently."
"You stood up for something, and you did well." Sid praises, and I nod in agreement. It's a relief to hear him talk more openly with us, not like before when we had to pry things out of him. We fall silent again, and I yawn.
"What do you say we call it a night?" I question. Sid immediately agrees, falling asleep quickly. I watch Diego for a moment before speaking up.
"Now can I ask you a question?" He glances up at me and nods in resignation. "Sid told me back in the ice caves, when you saw the picture wall, there was something in your eyes......He didn't know what on earth it was, but he tried to explain it to me as if some of the ice melted." I don't have to finish the question, he already knows what the rest is going to be, I can tell.
"Your not the only one who lost family to the humans Manny." He says softly. My eyes widen at this new information and Diego turns his head away, obviously unwilling to discuss this any further.
"I'm sorry Diego." I say quietly.
"Good night Manny." His voice is dull and flat and I cringe.
"Good night Diego." I watch him for a good deal longer, he has a lot of secrets we'll never know, but he's opening up a little more with us. I'd brought up a touchy subject and I could tell, I could also identify, I got the same way when my family was brought up. Diego suddenly rolls his head to face me again and he looks at me for a moment.
"When we get to the south, If I make it there with you-"
"Diego...."
"If I make it there with you," Diego continues. "You have to promise me that you and Sid will go, you can't stay with me anymore."
"But-"
"Manny, you have to take Sid, and leave me." I shudder at the expression in his eyes. "Because I didn't almost lay my life down once, to have you killed later." Then he closes his eyes, once more effectively cutting off the conversation. All I can do is try to sleep and talk to him about it in the morning.
There Chapter 8 done.
Author Notes- Thanks Anya Bolton and ShadowSaber.
When We Get to the South
Chapter 8- Confessions of a Tiger (Manny's POV)
"Why did you help us if you knew this would happen?" Sid asks, looking at him curiously. Diego blinks rapidly a few times.
"I-" He falters, I assume its because he's unable to think of a reason.
"Were you even thinking when you did it?" I ask softly.
"Not really." Diego admits, "I just saw you needed help, and I could provide it."
"But you could have died." Sid pipes up.
"And Manny would have certainly died if I hadn't reacted. As would you and the baby." Diego replies softly. He lowers his eyes and stares into the blinding snow.
"You stood up against your pack Diego, and you did it for us and a kid you were suppose to capture in the first place." I say, watching the tiger intently. "Why the change of heart?" Diego heaves a sigh and shifts slightly, turning to face us a little better.
"I didn't stand up against my pack, I betrayed them." Diego intones softly, and Sid cringes slightly. "And I would do it again. I'm ready to pay for what I did."
"But why were you so intent on getting that baby to begin with?" Sid asks.
"It was a revenge thing. I was suppose to retrieve it for Soto." Diego shuddered slightly as the name rolled off his tongue.
"The baby's father killed most of our pack. Soto's family included." Diego says the last part very softly and I wince a little.
"And when I lost the baby and its mother over the falls, I was sent to find it again. Soto was the leader, I did as I was told."
"To a point." I reply, watching the Tiger intently, he was holding something back.
"To a point." He echoes. "I never completely agreed with him, but I did as I was told. Until recently."
"You stood up for something, and you did well." Sid praises, and I nod in agreement. It's a relief to hear him talk more openly with us, not like before when we had to pry things out of him. We fall silent again, and I yawn.
"What do you say we call it a night?" I question. Sid immediately agrees, falling asleep quickly. I watch Diego for a moment before speaking up.
"Now can I ask you a question?" He glances up at me and nods in resignation. "Sid told me back in the ice caves, when you saw the picture wall, there was something in your eyes......He didn't know what on earth it was, but he tried to explain it to me as if some of the ice melted." I don't have to finish the question, he already knows what the rest is going to be, I can tell.
"Your not the only one who lost family to the humans Manny." He says softly. My eyes widen at this new information and Diego turns his head away, obviously unwilling to discuss this any further.
"I'm sorry Diego." I say quietly.
"Good night Manny." His voice is dull and flat and I cringe.
"Good night Diego." I watch him for a good deal longer, he has a lot of secrets we'll never know, but he's opening up a little more with us. I'd brought up a touchy subject and I could tell, I could also identify, I got the same way when my family was brought up. Diego suddenly rolls his head to face me again and he looks at me for a moment.
"When we get to the south, If I make it there with you-"
"Diego...."
"If I make it there with you," Diego continues. "You have to promise me that you and Sid will go, you can't stay with me anymore."
"But-"
"Manny, you have to take Sid, and leave me." I shudder at the expression in his eyes. "Because I didn't almost lay my life down once, to have you killed later." Then he closes his eyes, once more effectively cutting off the conversation. All I can do is try to sleep and talk to him about it in the morning.
There Chapter 8 done.