A/N: New chapter, yippee!
Disclaimer: I don't-
"Ooh, can I say it?!"
"Sure Peaches."
"Grace doesn't own Ice Age!"
"Thanks Peaches."
Italics is a dream by the way.
All she could do at this point is run. Run and scream for help as her home was being consumed by fire and everything she knew and loved was quickly being destroyed. She needed to find help for her parents, her siblings, her family. She ignored the blinding pain in her face as she ran, knowing it wasn't important at the moment. But something, some kind of external force, made her slow to a stop and turn around.
There in the distance the young female molehog could see her family's burrow and the large area around it engulfed in flames. As she looked more closely with her one good eye, she saw something even more horrifying.
It was her parents, laying on the ground, dead.
Sapphire then woke up with tears streaming down her face. This seemed to be a pattern whenever she would have this dream. She would wake up in the middle of the night either sweating, crying, or screaming bloody murder. This dream is happening more frequently now more than ever, that was the fourth time that week. But something was strange. Normally she woke up sometime around four in the morning. There was a trace of light in the room, indicating it was morning.
She dried her tears and exited the room to find Becca sitting on a chair in the living room. Wasn't Zach going over to her place that day? Maybe she was wrong.
"Hey, Gem!" Becca greeted her cheerfully. "I heard you came home late last night. Tell me, how does it feel to live on the edge, to be a rebel?" She asked with mock seriousness.
Sapphire rolled her eyes,"It was an accident, okay? Please don't tell me you and Zach are going to give me crap about it today."
Becca smirked deviously, giving Sapphire the "You- don't- know- what- my- real- plans- are" look.
"Rebecca," Sapphire said cautiously, "Please don't look at me like that. You know it creeps me out."
"Oh, don't worry Gem. I'm only here to babysit Jack and Molly until John and Zach come back from foraging. Oh, and because I wanted to talk to you. They knew you could watch these guys by yourself but you're the reason why I offered."
Sapphire was curious, "Talk to me about what?"
"Oh just about stuff. We have some serious catching up to do. Zach told me you're happier than you have been in years in the last four days and have definitely come out of you're shell a whole ton. I want to know what changed you." She diverted her attention to Jack, standing on a table across the room, "Jackson get down from there, you'll fall off and die!" Jack promptly jumped back down to the ground.
"Well, if you have to know, I made a couple of friends a few days ago." Sapphire told her brother's girlfriend while pulling up her own chair.
Becca gasped, "You made friends? Oh my god, that's so freakin' awesome!"
"Yeah, I guess. They're really cool."
Becca gave her an imploring smile, "So tell me what they're like. I need and crave details."
Sapphire got prepared to talk about her friends extensively. When Becca wanted details, she meant lots of details, "Well one's named Peaches. She's a mammoth with reddish- brown fur, green eyes, and an outgoing, friendly personality. Her family is pretty weird, though. But weird in a good way. Her parents are mammoths, but her adoptive uncles, aunt and grandmother are sabers, possums, and sloths."
"Oh, I know them! They are the most miss- matched herd I've ever seen! They're so cool!" Becca exclaimed loudly.
"Yeah, they are cool. I met them yesterday. My other friend is Louis-"
"Ooh, a boy. This is interesting." Becca interrupted her.
Sapphire looked annoyed, "As I was saying, Louis is a molehog with brown eyes, brown hair on his head, and even darker brown fur on his body. He's the same height as Zach. He's shy, but still likes to have fun. He actually taught me how to swim a couple days ago. Well sort of, I can float on my back and that's about it."
"Oh, so he's tall. Brown hair, brown eyes, tall. Sounds like Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome to me. And I hear the shy guys tend to be more sensitive."
Sapphire sighed, "I guess so." She stared off into space, twirling a piece of blonde hair in her hand.
Becca giggled, "You like him, huh?"
Sapphire snapped back to reality, "What? No, I don't. He's just a friend, you are waaaaay off."
Becca burst out laughing, "You know what they say, Sapphire?"
"What?"
"Denial is the clincher! Once you deny you like someone, you just prove you like them!"
Sapphire sank in her seat, "I think he's cute. That doesn't mean I have a crush on him. You know how that is, right?"
"Yeah, I'm just teasing you." Becca sighed, "So what are you going to do today, since you can't go out and all?"
"Well, I don't know really. I guess I'll think of something. But can you do me a favor, Becca? As a friend?" Sapphire asked.
"Of course, Gem. Anything you ask!"
Sapphire shifted a little in her seat, "Could you go tell Louis or Peaches I can't hang out for the next three days? I don't want them to think I ditched them or anything."
Becca put her hand to her chin in thought, "For the life of me, I can't remember where Peaches and her family live. But Louis, where have I heard that name before?" Becca thought for a few more moments, "Oh yeah, he's Jerry and Lisa's son! I know where they live, they're the only other molehogs on the island."
At that moment, Zach and John walked in with an assortment of worms, grubs, and fruit.
"Hey Babe, the little one's weren't too much trouble were they?" Zach kissed his girlfriend and turned to Sapphire, smiling comically, "Especially the delinquent."
"Oh, she was awful Zachary! Breaking things, threatening her little brother and sister. I was lucky to get out with my life!" Becca exclaimed sarcastically.
Sapphire rolled her eyes while Becca gave her a hug, "I'll make sure to deliver your message, okay?"
Sapphire nodded a thanks as Becca walked out the entrance. She certainly hoped she would get that message to Louis before he leaves his burrow.
Becca tunneled in the direction of Louis' burrow and stopped a few feet from the entrance. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called down into the entrance, "Hello? Anyone home? It's me, Rebecca!"
Lisa appeared in the entrance and hugged the younger molehog, "Hi Becca, it's so nice to see you. So what brings you here?"
"I'm a messenger today. I'm here to give your son a message from my boyfriend's sister." Becca declared.
"Oh, okay. Hold on, let me get him." She turned around and shouted back into the burrow, "Louis, honey someone's here for you!"
Louis appeared in the burrow entrance, his hair a mess on his head, "Who is it, Mom?" He inquired.
"Sapphire's brother's girlfriend is here to give you a message from her." She answered as she gestured to Becca. Louis looked at her, raised an eyebrow, and smoothed down his hair before exiting the burrow. Lisa gave them their privacy and descended back into her home.
"So what did she want to tell me? Why couldn't she tell me in person?" Louis asked.
"Gem wanted me to tell you that she isn't going to be able to hang out with you and Peaches for three days. She kind of got grounded for coming home late last night. And she couldn't tell you in person because she can't leave her burrow. And she sent me to tell you because she didn't want you and Peaches to think she ditched you."
Louis understood, he knows what it's like to come home late and get in trouble for it. But something confused him, "I get why she can't hang out. But, Gem?"
"Oh, that's just my nickname for her. She's named after a gemstone, so I call her Gem. Neat, huh?" Becca explained.
Louis nodded. Becca turned to leave, "Well that's my message. Tell Peaches what I told you. You'll see Sapphire in a few days. Bye!"
"Bye!"
Becca tunneled into the ground heading away from the burrow. Louis bid his parents goodbye and walked off in the direction of the pine tree clearing. He felt odd, though. He didn't know why he felt weird until he realized he wouldn't see one of his friends for three days. But he felt something else too. It wasn't like the disappointment one feels when they don't see their friend for awhile. It's the kind of sadness one would feel when they don't see their crush for awhile.
Wait, what was he thinking? He had a crush on Peaches and he only liked her, right? Sure she broke his heart a few months ago but that doesn't change the way he felt about her. But there was something about Sapphire that got his attention, something that drew him to her. Was it possible he liked her now too? In his mind he put Peaches and Sapphire next to each other, comparing their pros and cons. He found something odd, when comparing and contrasting the two women in his life, Louis found that Peaches was looking less appealing to him than she used to be and Sapphire was looking more astonishing to him now than when he met her.
He stood at the edge of the clearing to wait for Peaches and continued to think. He could now envision Sapphire clearly in his mind and fixated on one part of her. He focused on her eyes, their dark blue color and the way they gleam in the sunlight struck wonder into him. But what fascinated him more was the scar on her left eye. It's gray, furless nature contrasted greatly with the white fur on her face. It added a uniqueness to her that not many others have. But while she thought it made her ugly, Louis saw it differently.
He didn't really mind her scar. In fact, it actually added to her natural beauty.
A/N: Hmmmm... Louis' new crush maybe? And yes, only four days have past in the story. (Wow, seems longer, huh?) Like Sapphire's new nickname? Do you guys think it would be cool if Peaches and Louis use it too? So let's see, what else?
Oh, yeah! Reviewer shout outs!
IceAgingTitans- Reading my story's a privilege? Aww, how sweet. ^^ And about Louis telling Sapphire she's beautiful, it's like you seriously read my mind. I was so going to do that! (Spoiler? Nope, I think we all know where this story is going now.)
Lorithemolehog123- The last two chapters really set the ball rolling for the story. And I'm glad Louis' dad isn't my dad. I think I'd die!