I'm back again! I've been waiting for this chapter since the start of the story, so I'm excited to get it written and uploaded! The title should say it all; fingers crossed you like it! I'll explain in the A/N at the end why I did some things the way I did, as it may seem random but trust me it's not. Almost everything in my stories happens for a reason, it's just no-one but me tends to understand the reason... actually I don't always understand the reason, but I'm sure there is one... oh well.

Hopefully you'll like this, there's more OC's in this chapter that I've had planned since before I wrote the first chapter of this, so I really hope you all like them! If not, I'm sorry. And please don't get mad about the time-skips, this is the last one, honest!

Please enjoy and please review! :D

One month later

Diego sank his teeth into the dead gazelle's neck, savouring the taste he had missed for so long. He'd started hunting again a few weeks back, but word spread fast that the one of the only known predators left on the island was hunting again, so he hadn't managed to catch a gazelle until now.

"Wow," commented a familiar voice from behind him "I've never seen a sabre eat like that before!"

"Shut up Mikayla," he replied in between bites, but he didn't mean it rudely. Since she'd stopped flirting with him, Diego had actually become friends with Mikayla, so he was only joking. She was okay company now; it took his mind off his lost love.

"Seriously dude, it's not gonna go anywhere! You don't have a time-limit or anything!"

"Hey, wouldn't you be this excited if it was the first time in three and a half months you were eating gazelle meat?"

"Huh, I guess that's a fair point," admitted Mikayla, sitting down beside him. He didn't care anymore, as he knew she wouldn't make a move. He pushed the gazelle closer to her in politeness, but she refused, which he was glad of. He hunted regularly now, but he was still incredibly skinny and hungry often, so he could easily and happily eat the whole animal on his own.

"You know what I really wish there was on this island?" Diego asked her. She shook her head.

"What?"

"Some yaks," answered Diego, causing Mikayla to burst out laughing "Really! Yak meat was practically my favourite meat when I was a kid, and I could seriously go for some right now!"

"Just eat your gazelle, greedy-guts!" snickered Mikayla, still unable to stop laughing. Diego nudged her playfully and she nudged him back, both smiling like idiots at the randomness of their conversation. But Diego did as he was told, falling completely silent and enjoying his meal. When he had finished, he licked his lips and his paws, before wiping his face, as he knew the herd didn't like it when he returned home with bits of his food in his fur. Mikayla knew this too, but it wasn't something she had to think about, as she was always grooming herself anyway. She still had a tiny hope that Diego would fall for her, but she'd rather spend time with him as a friend than not be with him at all.

Peaches, Meghan and Louis were hanging out at the Cove, just sitting around and chatting. Louis was, as usual, on top of Peaches' hair, but wasn't as silent as quiet as he used to be, because he'd grown very comfortable with the two mammoths recently. Spending three and a half months with each-other generally makes people happy in each-other's presence.

"So," sighed Peaches, after several moments of silence "Have either of you two heard about Ethan and Steffie?"

Meghan and Louis both shook their heads, as they hadn't heard the latest news about the alpha couple.

"What about them?" asked Meghan curiously. Peaches grinned happily.

"They had a huge arguement the other night! Rumours are they've broken up!"

"And why do you sound so excited about that?" Louis gave her a skeptical look, and even though she couldn't see it, Peaches knew it was there. She swatted at her molehog friend with her trunk playfully. He hid himself behind her hair, but Peaches kept trying to hit him, which ended with all three friends in stiches laughing, and Peaches' hair swinging loose around her face. Louis slid down the longest lock of her brown waves, and landed down on the soft sand. Meghan and Peaches both cheered at this, making Louis blush.

"Like a true gymnast!" chuckled Meghan, causing the little molehog to go bright red. Peaches laughed and scooped him up with her trunk, gently placing him on a smooth, mossy rock so he was more on eye-level for the two mammoths.

"Seriously though Louis, great jump!" she said with a smile, which made Louis's little heart melt with joy. He loved seeing Peaches smile, it always lifted his spirits.

"Thanks," he said quietly, slightly distracted by his feelings and a random memory of the happiness Diego and Shira once had together.

"Louis? Something wrong?" asked Peaches kindly, tilting his little head up with her trunk to see if he was crying. Luckily he wasn't.

"Sorry, I just zoned out there," he sighed "Hey, do either of you ever wonder about, uhm..."

"Whether Shira's still, you know... out there?" Peaches couldn't bring herself to say the word 'alive'. Louis just nodded.

"Oh Louis, everyone does!" sighed Meghan, her eyes glossy with tears "It's just no-one ever talks about her anymore because they're too sad."

"Okay Meghan, please don't be offended by this, but you seem really shook up about Shira's... disappearence," Another word Peaches wouldn't let herself say was 'capture', because it sounded too permanent "I never really thought you were that close to her."

"...I wasn't," answered Meghan softly "But I wish I had been."

Peaches lay her trunk on her friend's shoulder, her green eyes glowing with kindness. Louis clambered up onto Meghan's head - which was a strange situation for both of them, as Louis had only ever rode on Peaches's head, and Meghan wasn't used to someone on her head - and snuggled into her fur, the way he would if Peaches was upset. Thankfully Meghan knew this, so wasn't freaked-out or anything. She knew that it was hard for a molehog to effectively hug a mammoth, but she'd seen him attempt to hug Peaches many, many times.

"Don't worry Meghan," whispered Peaches reassuringly "She'll come back. I'm sure of it."

"Me too," agreed Louis "She's beaten death once, she can do it again!"

"Huh?" asked Meghan, confused. Beating death?

"It was an accident that happened a while ago," explained Peaches "We really have to tell you that story sometime!"

A strange silence followed, which annoyed all three teenagers because it gave them too much time to think about what Gutt could be doing - or could have done - to Shira, so Louis broke it.

"Hey, who's up for planning a campfire party?" he asked randomly.

"Okay... that was random..." Peaches gave him that 'Dude, where did that come from?' look, and he was fairly sure Meghan was thinking the same thing.

"I dunno, I just thought it would be nice to have a little party by the campfire later this week. You know, to lift everyone's spirits and clear everyone's minds?"

Bothj mammoths agreed that it sounded like a lot of fun, and it would give them something to do, so they decided to ask Manny and Ellie whether it would be okay, and when they could have it.

"Hey Peach, Louis?" Meghan suddenly spoke up.

"Yeah, what's up?" Peaches smiled at her sweetly, as did Louis, who had returned to his spot on Peaches's head.

"I, uhm... have a confession to make," Meghan paused, as if afraid to finish her sentence.

"What is it, Meghan?" asked Louis gently. Meghan sighed.

"I always liked both of you, and I've always thought you were fun. You're both unique, and all the others are clones of Ethan or Steffie! But I was too, and I was horrible to you guys, but you let me hang out with you anyway. And I'm really, really glad that you did!" Meghan finished, relieved to have got that off her chest.

"C'mon now, Meg, we're not talking about anything un-cheerful right now!" said Peaches firmly "We're focusing on our campfire plans, okay?"

"But thanks," added Louis, speaking for both of them. Meghan blushed under her fur, glad she was finally close to her two favourite animals.

All the pirates had gone on a land raid, except for one, who was left to guard Shira. You think that one was Raz, right? Well, you're wrong.

"Ugh, it's not fair!" whined Squint for the thousandth time "The rest of the crew get to go on a land raid, and I'm stuck here babysitting big, fat, ugly old you!"

"You know what, Squint?!" snapped Shira, mood swings coming on and throwing away all control she had of her temper "I'm not exactly thrilled about this either!"

She had entered the last leg of her pregnancy, and honestly didn't want anyone other than Raz or Gupta around, just in case she went into labour. And she definitely didn't want SQUINT around! They always fought, and the fact that she lay on her side facing the wall at almost-all-times to hide her swollen stomach just gave him more material to tease her about.

"But I want to scare the life out of other mammals, and twirl swords around and around, and do a whole bunch of other cool stuff that happens on land raids but instead I'm stuck here. Why couldn't Raz have stayed behind to watch you? You don't even do anything!"

"I do more than you! All you do is sit and complain and blame Raz for being needed as an essential part of a land raid! You know they wouldn't have any way to carry their weapons if she wasn't around!" Shira defended her sister, furious "Squint sometimes you can be such an inconsiderate little-"

Shira was cut off by a sharp pain in her stomach, much stronger than any kick. She screamed in pain, wondering what was going on, before she realised. Of course, Squint didn't.

"Huh?" he asked, his head to one side.

"They're coming!" panted Shira, her voice shaky with panic. That actually scared Squint, he'd rarely heard Shira's voice betray whatever emotions she was feeling, unless it was anger of course.

"Who's coming?" he asked as brotherly as he could, clueless as ever.

"The cubs!"

"Woah, woah, woah, CUBS?!" Squint's ears shot up out of surprise "You're having cubs?!"

"Right now, as a matter of fact!" groaned Shira.

"B-but, none of us knew..."

"Raz and Gupta knew but the rest of you should have figured it out!" gasped Shira "Swollen stomach, throwing up, mood swings!"

"Wow. That was actually really obvious," commented Squint, before his mind returned to the task at hand "What should I do? Get the others?"

"NO! Gutt would kill my children!"

"Hmm, true..."

"Just get the straw, you idiot!"

Squint nodded and hurried over to the big heap of straw, while Shira struggled to stand up. He rushed back and forth, carrying straw from the pile and laying it down underneath Shira. He came across the seeds, but ignored them because they weren't a problem at the moment. Shira stood as long as she was able, giving Squint as much time as she could to get all the straw over to her, but that wasn't very long because her legs were weak. She lay on her side, panting quickly. Squint stood awkwardly beside her, not sure what to do.

"Uhm..."

"Don't stand there like a lemon, do something!"

"...Lemons don't stand..."

"Just do something!"

"Do what?!" demanded Squint. Shira rolled her eyes.

"You know nothing about childbirth do you?"

"...No, not really."

Shira groaned again and squeezed her eyes shut. She'd heard the story of when Ellie had Peaches enough times (tales of Dinotopia were even more common now that Buck was around permanently), so she tried to recall the bit where Diego was helping Ellie. Remembering the breathing pattern, she tried it herself, and found it helped a little.

"What are you doing?" asked Squint, pulling a face at her.

"Giving birth!" she growled angrily, gritting her teeth to stop herself from screaming. She could tell the first cub was on it's way, the pain was a lot stronger now. She felt instincts to push on the child, so she did, and soon enough the pain stopped for a moment and the cries of her first-born could be heard.

"I'll get it for you," offered Squint, but he didn't expect the cub to be coated in red "Eww! Gross! It's all... red!"

"Then use more of the straw to pick it up!" snapped Shira, having no patience with her older brother at that moment. Squint did as he was told, using lots and lots of straw to make sure he didn't touch it with his hands, but kept muttering how disgusting it was. Shira snatched her eldest cub off him, and quickly licked the child clean.

"Ew, double gross!" complained Squint. Shira rolled her eyes and ignored him; she knew what to do now. She was pleased to discover her eldest was a boy, and he had the same pelt and build as his father, but obviously a lot smaller. Shira hoped with a passion he had inherited his father's green eyes too. She set the cub beside her stomach to nurse, and groaned as another wave of pain washed over her.

"Aww, he's a cute little guy!" sighed Squint dreamily "What're ya gonna call him?"

"I think it's more important that his siblings are born than what his name is!" Shira retorted with an eye roll. She felt a strong contraction, and knew her next child was on the way. She pushed again, and it wasn't long before she heard the cries again.

"I'm on it," Squint picked up the straw again and retrieved the second child. Shira thanked him and licked her child clean. This one was a girl, with a pelt that matched neither of her parents, a pure blonde. Shira wondered what colour her eyes would be. She set the girl beside her brother and braced herself for more contractions.

"Girl," she spat out, knowing that Squint was curious. He nodded, and readied himself to get the next cub. Shira felt the pain return, but it was a lot stronger this time. She pushed on the child again, but she had to push hard and for a fairly long time before she heard the cries. She was scared something was wrong, but when Squint gave her the cub and she cleaned it off, she found out the child was just larger than the others. He was a boy, and had a pelt slightly darker than Diego's.

"Oh wow, would a strong-looking little boy!" cooed Squint, coming closer to the cub. The child didn't like this, even though it was blind and deaf it could smell Squint, and started scratching at the rabbit with his claws "Woah! Stranger danger, stranger danger, stranger danger!" repeated Squint, talking fast and slurring his words together a little.

"Hey, that last one sounded like 'Ranger Danger'" pointed out Shira, giggling despite her pain. The next contraction came faster than she expected, and she pushed hard on the cub. The cries came just as fast as the pain had, and soon Shira was licking clean the child. It was another boy, and had Shira's grey pelt, but with orange stripes shaped like lightning on his paws and legs. Shira set him beside his brother's and sister, wondering how many more cubs there were.

"I still think we should at least nickname them," muttered Squint sulkily. Shira ignored him, as she could feel the pain coming back and knew she had another cub coming soon. She was right, and pushed on the little child. Squint brought it to her, and she licked it clean. This one was a another girl, and had the same fur as her father and eldest brother. Shira hoped her eyes were a different colour though, because otherwise it would be hard to tell her and her brother apart before they could talk. She set the child beside her siblings and braced herself for more pain.

She didn't feel the strong pain for a little while, but when she did it didn't last for long. Squint brought the cub up to her, and she assumed it must be a girl because it was so small. It was actually a boy, with a pelt as white as snow, no markings at all. Shira feared she would lose him in the real snow when he could walk, but his pelt would be great camoflauge for hunting. She had only just set him down by his siblings when she felt the next pain.

"Seriously?!" she complained to no-one in particular. The last cub was even easier, and she heard the cries much faster than she'd have expected. When Squint handed her the cub, Shira discovered it was another very little one. She licked it clean, and discovered it was a girl, and that she had the same pelt as her mother. She knew that was the last cub, as there was no more pains in her stomach, and she was glad of it, too. She now had seven cubs, she didn't need anymore! They nursed hungrily, and their sharp teeth annoyed Shira.

"So, is that all of 'em?" asked Squint, reaching out to stroke the oldest girl. The third-born, the one who attacked Squint earlier, was lying next to her, and attempted to growl at the rabbit. "Stranger danger," muttered Squint miserably. Shira smiled.

"Something tells me that one's gonna be great friends with Crash and Eddie," she commented, watching the seven little fluffballs. Squint nodded.

"Once again, nicknames would be helpful!"

"Okay, fine!" Shira finally gave in "What nicknames-" She put extra emphasis on the fact that Squint wasn't naming her children "-do you suggest?"

"Hmm... well, that one that already hates me, didn't you say it sounded like 'Ranger Danger' earlier?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, how about that?"

Shira looked down at the cub, who was squashed between his slightly older sister and his slightly younger brother. She decided that 'Ranger Danger' actually suited him quite well. She nodded silently, then looked at the others. Her eyes focused on the fourth-born, the boy with grey fur and orange stripes on his paws and legs.

"Lightning?" she suggested, tapping him on the head.

"Why're you asking me? They're your kids!" pointed out Squint. He stroked the eldest cub, the boy who looked like Diego "Hey, how about Diego Jr.?"

"Okay," agreed Shira, because that suited the small cub "Now, what should we do about-"

She was cut off by the sound of the pirates returning. She could hear Raz hurrying down, with the bone-swords clinking together in her pouch. Squint jumped in front of Shira and the cubs protectively. The purple kangaroo hopped into the cell, not expecting Shira to be surrounded with straw or for Squint to weild his knife, apparantly protecting his younger sister.

"Hey guys, whas up?" she asked hesitantly.

"They're born Raz!" exclaimed Shira, patting her children on the head, earning several small mewls of annoyance.

"Wha?!" Raz's eyes widened in surprise and amazement "Are ya serious?!"

Shira nodded and signalled for Raz to come forward, which she eagerly did, after emptying her pouch of all weapons of course. The kangaroo crouched down beside Shira and her cubs, smiling down at the seven little fluffballs.

"Cute, aren't they?" Shira met her sister's eyes. Raz nodded.

"Sure are. You an' tigah make a good couple."

"Really? Well, thanks," Shira smiled at Raz and Squint, who both nodded. The three animals watched the cubs for a little bit, until Squint sighed.

"I should be getting back to the upper deck."

"Okay, but we need to nickname the other kids first!" said Shira quickly. Raz raised an eyebrow skeptically at her two siblings, her facial expression asking the question "Nicknames?"

"I thought we should nickname the kids so that we can tell 'em apart," explained Squint, pointing at the cubs as he said their nicknames "He's Lightning, that's Ranger Danger-" he met Raz's look of confusion "-long story."

"Anyway," Shira smiled at her brother and sister "This little guy is Diego Jr."

She patted her eldest cub on the head happily. Raz smiled.

"So, they've been named now?" she asked casually, but Shira shook her head.

"No, no, they've only been nicknamed. I wouldn't name them without Sof- I mean, Diego," Shira corrected herself, not wanting her family to know her little nickname for Diego "And we only got around to nicknaming those three."

"Hmm... how 'bout Tiny for tha' lil' girl?" suggested Raz, stroking the youngest child. Shira nodded and grinned at Raz, knowing the kangaroo's habit of calling people 'Tiny'. Now that the cubs were full, Shira moved Lightning, Ranger Danger, Diego Jr. and Tiny away so that they could focus on the three that hadn't been nicknamed yet.

"What about Ghost for the little boy?" Squint asked, to which both girls nodded. Shira lifted the snow-white cub and nuzzled him happily, before placing him down next to Tiny.

"Alright, so that's five out of seven nicknamed," she smiled at the two little girls that remained curled against her stomach. The second-born hugged her younger sister, who snuggled into her fur lovingly.

"Kinda reminds me of us two when we were kids, Sheila," Raz grinned at her younger sister. Shira's azure eyes lit up suddenly, like they always did when she had a good idea.

"So how about we nickname them Razzy and Shi-Shi then?" she suggested, to which Raz's own eyes lit up.

"Alrigh', which one's which?"

"Well, you always comforted me when we were little, so I think the older one should be Razzy," Shira nuzzled the two small cubs, while Raz nodded.

"An' this lil' one's Shi-Shi?" Raz played with the cub's ears, while she growled, although it sounded more like a purr. Shira smiled and nodded, bringing her other cubs closer to her again.

"Okay, well as much as I love this touching moment, I honestly need to get back above deck," sighed Squint "Want me to get the others to come down tonight to see 'em?"

"Yeah, good idea," Shira smiled at her brother "See ya tonight?"

"Sure thing," Squint grinned "I couldn't stay away from them for long anyway!"

As soon as he said that, Ranger Danger made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded like a younger, cuter version of "Uggh!", to which Raz and Shira both laughed.

"I don't think Ranger Danger's happy about that!" giggled Shira, stroking the cub's head. Squint shook his head slowly.

"He never has liked me, even since birth!"

"Aww, Ah guess i' must've been beautiful ta see the miracle of life takin' place, eh Squint?" sighed Raz dreamily, but Squint looked at her as if she was insane.

"Are you kidding?! It was disgusting! Soo gross! I'll never live to unsee that! Ugh!" Squint stalked out of the cell "Now, if you ladies will excuse me, I'm gonna go puke over the side of the boat!"

Both females laughed as Squint walked away, but just before he left Shira shouted after him.

"Hey Squint!"

He turned around to face her "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

The two smiled at each-other for a moment, then Squint ran back above deck. Raz sat herself down beside Shira, laying one arm over her and her cubs. Shira smiled up at her big sister, then smiled down at her young cubs. Because she wasn't used to the cub's nursing, and giving birth had obviously had it's effect on her, Shira was incredibly tired, and fell asleep shortly after her seven cubs. Raz grinned down at them, proud of her sister for finding a mate and having such sweet little cubs. Raz just hoped that one day she'd find her own family.

So, what didja think? Cute? Dumb? Random? Anything else? Please review and tell me what you think, or I won't know how to improve it.

I'd just like to make it clear that THESE ARE NOT THE CUBS ACTUAL NAMES! THEY'RE JUST NICKNAMES! Just wanted to make that extremely clear so that none of you guys get confused or anything. And anyway, I didn't believe Shira actually would name them without Diego, so I had to come up with nicknames for them so that you guys can tell them apart when the characters are talking about them :)

Anyways, hope you liked, thanks for reading/following/favouriting and please review! :D