HOME IS WHERE THE HEARD IS

SUMMARY

When the crew runs upon a Saber Tooth Tigress that's only 16, trouble starts to brew. Her name is Crystal; she is looking for the killer of her late father. But when her father turns out to have a certain old connection with the original three, Diego and Sid must convince her that sometimes family comes in a different, unexpecting way.

CHAPTER 1- A BRAND NEW KIND OF ACQUAINTANCE "And the sloth and slothette lived happily ever after." Sid exclaimed as the almost asleep kids looked on. "That was the most stupidest story ever!" Johnny yelled. "HEY! I worked all night on that!" "And it still sucked." Maria replied. All the kids laughed. Sid frowned and walked up to Manny. "I don't get why I can't ever get respect around here." He said. Manny looked at him. "Well, it did suck." Manny replied. Sid crossed his arms and put his head high and left. "Oh come on Sid!" He did not answer and kept walking. Sid kept walking 'till he got to an isolated forest type place. The ice had been melting more then usual, but he didn't think anything of it. If they made it through the first flood, he was sure they could make it through another. Sid sat on a rock and thought. Then, he spoke aloud to himself, "Maybe they were right, maybe I'm just not good with kids." He thought about Pinky and the three little dino's he had mainly took care of, for a day. "Nah! I'm great with kids! Just not, those kids." He thought some more then shook his head. "Man, it's hard to think! I'm too lazy to do all this! Besides, this thinking makes my head hurt." He yawned. "Well, I suppose I should get back, they probably need me to make supper with Elli again, like every other day." Yes, Sid did make supper with Elli, hmm, almost like a…MOMMY! So, he started to head back, but he wasn't alone. He heard a rustle. He looked around but nothing was there. He started picking up pace. Another rustle, still nothing, more pace, this was a fast walk. Another, now a jog. Another loud rustle, he started to run. Sid ran and ran until he heard a growl. He heard something jump out of the bushes and felt breath on his neck. He turned slowly around and screamed.

Back with the others, you could hear Sid's scream from a distance. They perked their ears up. Diego looked at Manny.

"Was that-" He wasn't able to finish before Manny took off. "Hey! Wait up!" Sid started backing away when he realized what the creature was.

"Hey, you're a Saber Tooth Tiger like Diego!" The tiger didn't care. "Um, nice Tigey, you don't want to hurt me. I-I-uh, smell bad, and taste horrible too! You wanna know what I've been through? I could have some disease that won't be discovered for years, it won't have a cure. Gag, gag! I think I already have it! Oh no!" It still got closer and growled. "Uh-Manny! Manny! I could really use some help!" No answer. "Um-how about a song? Every one loves songs! Hush little tiger don't you cry, momma's gona buy you a lullaby?" Still growled. "You know, there was this one time I got something up my butt, shoo you don't wanna know how hard it was to get it out! And I-" That's when the tiger jumped at him and he started to scream. Suddenly, an elephant sound was heard as Manny butted the tiger away. "Manny! My hero!"

"You know Sid, I keep having to continually save you from getting eaten day by day." Manny replied.

"What can I say, I am just irresistible!"

"Or they're desperate and you're really easy."

"Hey, are you gona save me or harass me?" Manny rolled his eyes as the tiger got up and growled.

"Wait a minute, that's a-" It jumped at Manny but this time Diego got it. And that's when Diego realized she was his kind. His eye's got big.

"Hey, you're a-"

"Yes, yes, we have all established I'm a Saber Tooth Tiger, Geez, you all act so surprised!" She said. "I like to put it as Tigress myself though." Their jaws were dropped. "What?"

"Well, we just haven't seen any more of you all in a long time." Diego replied.

"Huh, and I thought I was the only one who wondered that!"

"What do you mean?" Sid was still shocked that they completely forgot that she was trying to kill him.

"Uh, guys aren't you forgetting that she tried to kill me! For her dinner!" He exclaimed.

"Shut up and move out the way Sid, Geez." Diego replied. Sid was astonished and just pouted. "As you were."

"Yeah, sorry about that, I have to eat too ya know? Anyhow-" Sid was just baffled. "Sure we're not extinct, and we're not the last ones, but around here we're going down. All those humans killing our kind for our fur. It isn't right. But since it's getting warmer they're not killing us as much." Diego was surprised. "There was a whole lot of us in a group, but, something happened." She was quiet then. "We got off to a bad start, my name's Crystal, yours are?"

"I'm Diego, this is Manny the Mammoth, and Sid the Sloth." Sid looked away.

"Sorry Sid, can you forgive me?" Sid turned around angry, then smiled.

"Eh, I'm too lazy to hold a grudge!" He replied.

"So, where are the others?" Manny asked. Crystal was quiet. "Don't you have a family you belong to? You don't look that old."

"Um, well, no." They were quiet. "All my family is dead."

"Oh."

"No friends?" Sid asked.

"I'm not the friend making type."

"No kidding, going off and trying to eat everything you see." Manny hit him then saying shut-up Sid. "Ow!"

"May I ask-"

"How'd they die?" She said interrupting Diego. He was quiet. "Well, I guess I do owe you that, since I tried to eat your friend over here." Sid was surprised. "He seems nice." Her stomach growled. "But first, can I have something to eat? I'm starving over here!" They agreed and led her away.