Ok, well, I thought that it's time once again to update with yet another chapter! Ok, well… I do not have much to say… except for this area is dying… please post and update so it does not! Either way, here's the next chapter…. Oh and by the way, if you have a Manny stuffy I DO suggest hugging it while reading this… and no flaming if you cry! And… also… There is a small smidgen of…. Ehhh… spirituality here… praying to be exact so no flaming about that either!

Disclaimer: I don't own Ice Age… or Ice Age 2 blah blah blah….. But I DO own Millie, Manny's old mate… ha ha ha!

NOTE: This chap takes place about 6 months, (Or half a year for you do-do heads… lol) after Ellie and Manny become mates.

A new family chapter 4: Sick Manny

Ellie quietly walked into the cave, holding many different healing plants in her trunk. Manny had unfortunately caught a deadly virus that could kill him, Ellie, who for some reason was immune to it, was making herself his nurse. She felt her eyes cloud over with tears when she saw him. He was really weak and was lying down on his side, asleep with his trunk sprawled out in front of him; she had never seen him this helpless before. Her face had one of sorrow as she sat down next to him.

"I'm here, Manny" She said softly as she gently stroked his trunk with hers. It pained her to see him in such misery, this was such a contrast to the Manny she was used to, the one that would chase her around in the field or lock his trunk with hers, nuzzle her and kiss her. Tears went down her cheeks as she kissed the middle of his forehead. She loved him SO much; the last thing she wanted was for him to die. She felt something on her trunk; she turned around and smiled as she noticed that he had wrapped his trunk around hers in a gentle attempt to show affection. She wrapped hers tightly around his. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Ellie" He said in his new raspy-weak voice. Ellie started to cry again.

"Don't talk sweetie, you'll lose your voice." She said as she gave him a gentle nuzzle. He looked at her sadly and nodded as he tightened his trunk around hers. Ellie could tell that he wanted to get better; he missed spending time with her like he usually did. Manny looked at her pleadingly and she smiled then snuggled up close to him.

"I just want you to get better baby, I'm not forcing you to solicitate yourself, and I want you to get better, so we can spend time together like we usually do." Ellie said as she gently unlocked her trunk with Manny's, causing him to look at her sadly. She picked up one of the healing plants and he gently took it from her and ate it. She smiled as she stroked his back with her trunk and kissed his cheek.

"I love you." She told him softly. He smiled at her as if to say 'me too.' It was storming outside and Manny and Ellie's 'family' were in the cave as well, but knowing that it was possible he could die, allowed the two mates of 6 months to spend time together. Manny and Ellie fell asleep in each other's clutches, trunks locked snuggled up together. Ellie woke up in the middle of the night to see that Manny was having a hard time breathing she then started to cry as she realized that chances were slim that he would make it until the morning. She looked up at the sky and started to pray….

"Please… if anyone can hear me up there… I need your help. My husband, the creature I love more than anything else in this world is going to die. Please, please, please let him live, let him stay here! I-I don't know what I would do without him." Ellie prayed as she choked on her words and continued to cry. "I love him so much, so so much, and… I-if he died… I'd probably die too, of broken heart. I know that you have done so much for me… but I'm just asking for this one favor… Please… If anyone up there can hear me… Millie… girl, I-I know you loved him, a-and he loved you too but please….. Let him stay! I know you miss him… I understand but… I- I love him so much and…. If you take him… I… I'd… It'd be the end of the world for me. Please! If ANYONE up there can hear me… Let my Manny live… let him stay here with me… please… please…" She then broke down crying…. Looking hopelessly at the stars. After a while she cried herself to sleep, her trunk wrapped around Manny in a gentle hug, hoping that it would somehow keep him there with her.

The next morning, Ellie woke up, terrified at what she would find. She found that it was sunny out then turned to Manny to find that he was still asleep, but still not sounding healthy, she smiled at him with love in her eyes as she kissed his cheek then stroked his face with her trunk. She then sadly stood up and started to walk out of the cave, knowing that she would not be able to see her mate in such pain for much longer. She heard a noise come from inside the cave.

"Ellie," Manny called his voice no longer raspy. "Where are you going?" Ellie turned around slowly and beamed as she saw that he was better.

"MANNY!" She cried happily as she ran to him "You're better!" She cried as she finally reached him and he locked his trunk with hers and immediately started to nuzzle her and kiss her all over her tear stained face. After about 5 minutes of nuzzling, kissing, and trunk locking Ellie pulled back, still keeping her trunk locked with his, and looked at him curiously. "How'd you get better so fast?" She asked. Manny beamed.

"Well, last night… while I was asleep, believe it or not I had a dream about Millie, she was talking to me about how It wasn't my time to die and how I was needed here and all that….. Then, after that dream, I felt a whole lot better! Pretty crazy huh?" He said. Ellie giggled.

"Yeah, it's crazy all right." She then wrapped her trunk around Manny's neck, giving him a gentle hug, him doing the same to her. She let her head rest on his shoulder as she looked up at the sky, "Thank You Millie" She whispered softly as she gave Manny a kiss on the ear, she then looked up in the sky and noticed that a cloud had taken the shape of Millie's face and it winked, Ellie winked back. Happy to be with her husband and happy that he was ok.

YAY! Everything is ok! Well for now I decided to do something new, I am going to put up a quote from a song from something…. Yeah….

"We must be lonely side by side; it's the perfect way to hide." - King Arthur in the song "I'm All Alone" from the play "Spamalot"

Next time on A New Family: HOORAY! FINALLY we are getting to the GOOD part of this story! Ellie gets some good news and can't wait to tell Manny… what IS the good news, What is Manny's reaction going to be, Why am I so excited about it and WHY am I asking so many questions? Stop by next chapter to find out!