Disclaimer:I don't own anything 'Ice Age' related other than my OCs, and this story.

Note: Thank you for your review NewEclipse, it's always nice to get more people interested. Don't worry, Buck won't die.

Whew, we're almost at the end of our story people, and I apologize to pachysam because I didn't get to use his ideas, only one. I'm really sorry, but I suddenly found another way to end my story. So maybe three more chapters or so, it depends if more ideas pop into my head.

Oh, what?! I wanted to read more of your story Locrian-Mode(I apologize for not reviewing on chapter two. I forgot, I was writing... lol. I have to read it again)! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter 'Campfire Stories' I was worried that people will sue me for turning Buck into an oldie, and it's funny how the Doktor reminds you of House, because now that I think about it, he is a bit like the lovable doctor House.

Whoa. I seemed to have created a lovable character... everyone loves Doktor! Thanks for the review, metacognitive.

Not Yet, Chapter Twelve

The cluster of animals waited as the weasel decided to take another break, coughing once, twice, trice. He scratched his head for moment, looking up at the starts with a lone eye, trying to remember where he left off.

"And then what happened?!" someone called from the audience, "Did Buck die?!"

"Ah ha!" the weasel's ears perked up, "Now I remember."

He continued...

After persuading Ellie and Peaches to stay with the Doktor, the men and Lois hurried off to find Buck. Passing through the jungle, Diego jogged towards a hilltop in pursuit of Manny and Lois.

"G-guys..." Sid called from the back, out of breath. Everyone ignored him.

"So what exactly is the Abyss?" Manny asked to a flying Lois.

"We used to call it the Plaits of Woe2, but that just sounded stupid, so we called it the Abyss. It being a bottomless pit, because if you looked through the cracks and holes, it's all black. That, and if you throw rocks down there, you don't here them hit the ground." Lois replied, "It doesn't matter right now!" she cried worriedly.

"But if it's an endless pit, Rudy should've fallen through already." Diego stated, still running.

Lois shook her head, "It's land, a huge surface of rock. Anyone can cross it unless they're as big as Rudy, but Rudy had always crossed it, and no one knows how it can hold up that big of a dinosaur."

Manny's ears perked up, "So he should've fallen through and died already, right?"

"Exactly."

Diego skidded to a stop, stopping the others. He panted, shaking his head to find an answer to his question, "But that's impossible--"

They winced at Sid's sudden shriek, and they looked up above as pterodactyls swooped down on them. The two opossums that had been on Manny's back screamed and 'died' at the sight of the flying creatures.

"Crash, Eddie, come with me!" Lois swooped past Manny, and without hesitation the twins obeyed after coming out of their act and jumped onto the passing flying fox bat.

"We're leaving them?!" cried Eddie. Lois shook her head, "We're just getting some ammo, hold on!"

She torpedoed pass branches while the pterodactyls that had been chasing them crashed into the body of the tree because they were to big to pass through after them. Crash spotted ammo nearby and snatched a good plenty for him and Eddie. They started firing at the pursuing pterodatcyls.

Manny and Diego used the venus flytraps as an advantage, and lured the clueless creatures into them, while Sid hid behind a few bushes here and there, frightened.

"Whoa, Manny!" Diego called out when a root of a flower coiled around his ankle. The mammoth came quickly and dropped a branch on the root, giving the tiger time to struggle out and run.

Lois flew back to the others after Crash and Eddie had helped her, she nodded towards the mammoth and tiger.

"Everyone okay?"

"Yeah, but we have to get Sid. He's hiding in the bushes." Diego said. Manny just rolled his eyes, "He should've just stayed with Ellie and that insane doctor." Crash and Eddie snickered.

A shriek of pterodactyls came from another direction, and Lois gestured for the group to quickly follow. Just as the flying creatures entered the rain forest, Lois and the others were huddled inside a small cave, trying to make little noise as possible. When the pterodactyls had gone, they crept out slowly, and back onto the trail one by one.

Diego was the last to exit the cave, and he stopped as pain shot through his body. He watched as the others disappeared down a path in search of Sid, and he clutched at his chest, panting. A fatigue it was, no more. It was something worse. He was...

Diego pushed himself forward, limping down the trail, and when he gained enough strength, he followed after the herd.

His hazel eyes were no longer the shinning oculars they used to be. They were dull, and tired, just like Diego. The pain was unbearable, the smildon could fall over at any moment, but not yet... he had to help, he had to save Buck.

Not yet.

Death can't take him... not yet.

Alas, we find out what is happening to Diego!