I finally got this chapter up! Thank you for being patient, I appreciate it. This is the last chapter of the story, sadly, but I hope you enjoy! :)

Reviews are always loved and welcome!

Chapter 8: Fates Game

Tess's P.O.V

I slowly opened my eyes and groaned at the harsh summer rays that filtered through the den. As my senses started to become more alert I felt four little furry masses bumping into my stomach. I smiled and looked behind me at what I knew I would see, my four little cubs were bumping into my belly, hungry for their morning feeding. I quickly flopped over to lay on my stomach so I could feed my hungry cubs and as I looked through the light outside the cave I could see Alec coming back with breakfast.

Regular P.O.V.

"Morning sleepy head" Alec said putting down the mornings kill nuzzling into Tess's shoulder. "Morning" the female said still slightly groggy. "Maybe we can take the cubs to a secluded area I found while hunting, it's got a pond!" Alec said grinning. Deon stopped suckling and looked at Tess with his hazel eyes bright with excitement. "Mom, can we go pleeeaasseee!" The little male asked with the rest of his siblings joining in on the word please.

"Fine, but finish breakfast first, you want to become big and strong like you dad right?" Tess asked already knowing the answer. Deon just nodded and went back to suckling. After both the adults and cubs were done eating the family made their way over to the pond.

"I wonder how deep the water is, I'll race you to the other end Mae!" Deon exclaimed on their walk. "You numskull, Deon you don't even know how to swim!" Mae explained rolling her ocean blue eyes. "Neither do you!" The male retorted, "Ya, but at least I don't want to go swimming in it, ever heard of a thing called drowning!" Mae exclaimed rolling her eyes again "Mom!" Deon wined.

Tess shook her head, "Mae stop patronizing your brother", Tess said looking at her daughter, "and Deon, you will all stay at the edge of the pond, no deeper." "But mom-", "no buts Deon, listen to your mother", Alec said giving his son a stern look.

As the family made their way to the pond Tess heard a rustling in the bushes nearby and a spot of orange fur. The female growled, warning the mammal nearby, to not come any closer. Alec looked over at her mate and quickly realised the problem, he ushered the cubs behind him as he too started to growl at the intruder. But when the mammal lifted its head from the shrubbery, Tess gasped her eyes going wide in shock, she couldn't believe it.

Not even two feet away stood the male that she had been searching for, for weeks, the male she had saved, and had almost cost her her life. It was Diego, staring at her with the same shocked expression.

"Tess!" Diego exclaimed shocked, taking a step closer, as if not believing what he saw. Alec quickly made his way in front of his mate, "don't come any closer!" "Alec, this is Diego" Tess said and realization slowly started to seep its way into the saber's brown eyes. "Diego", the female said turning to him, "this is Alec, my mate."

"Sorry about that, so you're the famous Diego, I've heard so much about?" Alec asked, warming up to Diego. Diego, gave him a small smile but locked eyes with Tess again not truly believing that she was actually in front of him. "Tess, I never thought I would see you again, how did you..I mean what-" "Alec found me in a bad condition, and nursed me back to health, I've been with him ever since."

"Mommy", Mae said coming out from behind her father, "Who is this?" At Mae's words Tess remembered her cubs still hiding behind their father, "You all can come out now its fine" Tess said turning back to Diego, "This is a friend and also...your uncle Diego." "Uncle!" they all screamed at the same time running to Diego with smiles plastered on their faces.

"Actually all of the herd is down by the lake nearby, if you want to come see them, I bet Ellie will be so relieved to see you again Tess!" Diego exclaimed, with five little fur balls dancing around his legs. "We were actually on our way the lake!" Tess said smiling at the thought of seeing the herd again.

"Diego!" Said a female voice from behind them, "what are you doing I was starting to-". A female saber with a grey coat and startling blue eyes stopped as she took in the sight in front of her. "Shira, this is Tess the saber I was telling you about, they are going to come with us to the lake." "Oh, it's so great to finally meet you, Diego has told me so much about you!" At that Diego blushed and turned around guiding us to the lake.

When we finally got their the rest of the herd gasped at the sight of their long lost friend, quickly coming to surround her. "Tess!" Ellie said, "It's so great to finally see you again!" Ellie rapped her trunk around Tess and gave her a bone crushing hug. " .Breathe!" "Oh, sorry!" the female said in apology letting her go, then immediately spotting the cubs.

"And who are these lovely cubs!" "There Alec's and mine", Tess explained and Alec came forward at the mention of his name. "Oh! What a handsome saber he is!" Ellie said giggling, "But what would your cubs think if you came with me to see your cousin Peaches!" The female mammoth looked to Tess for conformation, who nodded her head.

With that the herd went with Ellie and the cubs leaving Tess and Diego behind. "So what have you been up to since the last I saw you?" Diego asked looking at Tess' blue eyes. The female smiled, relieved, even after the past 8 months there was no awkwardness between them. "Alec is a rouge saber like me, he had no pack so we stayed together," Tess explained thinking back to the first time she met Alec. "Our friendship slowly grew and by the end of two months we were mated, then we had our four cubs."

"I see that you have a mate of your own, any cubs yet?" Tess asked in a teasing tone earning a flustered and red faced Diego. "You haven't changed a bit," The female said chuckling, "still just as easily embarrassed." Diego frowned at Tess, but brushed off her comment and changed the subject, "I thought you were dead," He said with sadness present in his green eyes. "But I had hope that you were still alive, out there somewhere, I guess it was fate that we met up again." Tess smiled, "I guess it was."

"Would you ever become part of the heard again, I mean the rest of us all agreed that if we ever found you we would welcome you with open arms." Diego asked not looking Tess in the eyes. "Of course I would join the herd again Diego, were family, and family always stays together. Anyways I had brought up the suggestion of Alec becoming a part of the heard a few times and he was fine with it."

The two sabers were quiet for a long moment, just listening to wind blow through the trees and the laughter of children in the distance. Tess finally broke the silence, lifting her front paw up she looked at Diego, "friends?" The female asked and there was not even a moment of hesitation before Diego took her paw and shook it "Friends" He said, smiling at the female.

"Well we should get back to the rest of the herd, there are probably wondering where we are." Diego explained looking off into the direction that the other mammals had gone. Tess nodded, "Ya, I don't want Deon getting into too much trouble." Tess agreed earning a chuckle out of Diego.

The pair made their way to the rest of the herd finally all back together again. Tess had always dreamed of seeing the herd again, they were like family to her, even if they had only known each other for a few weeks, there bond was strong. Tess smiled as she walked with Diego, wondering what other adventures awaited the herd in the near future, whatever it was, good or bad, she would be happy to experience it with her family.