SO ya here's the next chapter. enjoy

Ch2

We stood over the small grave that we made. It was now only me, Diego, Ellie and Manny. The rest of the herd went home a little while ago, and to be honest, I was somewhat glad it was just the four of us.

When we came outside Manny started to try and calm me down, which I really needed after my outburst. With my permission he asked if it would be alright if we could bury the cub, I said yes it was probably for the best anyways, at least then I wouldn't have to look at it any more.

So now it's just the four of us, two couples,one were parents trying to console the other that has just lost their only child.

"If it had to die, I wish it would have been still born..." I say to no one in particular.

"Whys that?" Ellie asks, looking at me from the side of Manny.

"Then we wouldn't have gotten attached to it..." I take a shaky breath. "Besides it wouldn't have felt anything."

"Shira, it died in it's sleep" says Diego, softly nudging me with his head. "It couldn't have felt a thing."

"How do you know that!?" A retort. "It could have been suffocating for all we know! Hell, it could have just died from being too cold!"

Diego gazes at me with what could only be tolerance. "Listen to me Shir, we couldn't do anything to about it. It was born to weak and too small. Even if it had lived for more then one night we couldn't be sure if it catch some illness or get attacked by something."

I try to steady my breathing to calm myself down. "I know... It's just...frustrating"

We stay there in silence a little longer. Ellie finally speaks up.

"You both know how sorry all of us are for your loss." She says to me and Diego, and we nod in response. "Stuff like this just shouldn't happen, but in the end I guess everything has to die. That's just how life works." She starts to walk away, before turning to us one more time. "Just remember," she says, giving a loving smile "we're always here for you guys, all of us." She then proceeds back to the herds clearing.

Now it's just Diego, me, and Manny left. Surprisingly Manny has barely talked this entire time, not since we left the cave. I guess he understand what we're going through. He finally speaks after some more silent moments.

"I know what it's like to lose a family." He says. He sounds so exhausted you'd think he was the one up all night grieving. "But at least the two of you still have each other..."

'He does have a good point' I think to myself

"When my first family died I was left alone." He says. "No mate, no child, no herd, no one. But being in a herd in times like this do help. As Ellie said, we're all here for you. Even the possum brothers, as hard as it is to believe."

He turns away from the grave to look at us. "Just remember it could be worse."

He then leaves, his big form heading back home. Out of all the words I heard today, those were the most uplifting. Not "sorry", not "we hope you two will be ok", it was "remember it could be worse".

He's right. I could still be on that stupid ship, or worse a rogue saber, all alone. Instead I have an amazing herd and an amazing mate to fallback on when times get rough.

"He's right you know." Diego says, looking at me with his hazel eyes that have a bit of their spark back in them. "It could be a lot worse, I couldn't have you with me, but I do. That just makes my life so much better." He gives me one of his signature smirks, and I feel like it's been an eternity since I've seen one.

I give him a soft kiss and then pull away, looking at him.

"Yeah," I say "at least we still have each other."

so i hope u guys liked this short story (ya i know this chapter is extremely short) so i will start the third and final installment soon.

P.S. what do u guys think the final installment will be about, i want to know