Book 3: Breaking the Ice
Me: Well, guys, I practically rushed this chapter. Please forgive me for doing that recently. Anyway, I had an awesome Christmas! Got Dance Central 2 and I'm sore all over. Partly because of the game, and partly because I slept on the floor last night. Ugh! So sore, but it was worth it -playing the game. Finally got my Christmas tree down, so maybe now I'll have enough space to dance.
Okay, so before I bore you, please try to enjoy this chapter. Like I said, I rushed it and now I hate myself. I'll live. I'm just trying to finish this fanfiction so that I can make a late Christmas special before the end of December. I might do it, but I'm determined to.
All right, Enjoy!
Chapter 22: Bringing Them Home
Roxanne woke up to meet the sun's bright glare through the ice ceiling. She swiftly turned away with an irritated and exhausted groan then sighed softly. Today was the last day of their quest to bring Chloe, Jason, Maryanne, Leah, Lars, and Rico back to whence they came. Her hazel eyes darted to the sleeping male whom she had kissed last night before going to sleep. To be truthful with herself, she was going to miss that seductive whacko.
The female thought to herself. Maybe Jason will ask us to go up there with them to sort things out with his family. Roxanne quietly crawled over to where Lars was. She thought about waking him with a punch in the stomach, but decided against it. Instead, she hovered over him, her face close to his. She stayed like this until Lars woke up to meet her gaze.
Lars began to feel someone's warm breath hitting his face. For the love of Pete, this better not be a prank. He forced his eyelids open to see Roxanne's smirking face very close to his. His eyes widened in surprise as he gasped. He was sure she was going to give him a rather impolite awakening, but he never thought she would do something like this.
He playfully pushed her off of him. "Don't scare me like that!" Roxanne fell on her back as she laughed at his startled expression. Lars raised an eyebrow. He wondered why she was in such a great mood this morning. He figured it had to do with last night. His ears soon twitched when he heard Roxanne snort while she laughed. That's when he began to laugh with her.
"Y-y-you should have s-s-s-seen the look on your f-face!" Roxanne cackled, tears glazing her eyes as her sides got sore.
A few minutes later, the two weasels stopped their laughing fits when they realized they woke everyone up. Chuckling apprehensively, Roxanne muttered an apology. Maryanne just huffed and turned to Rosalina. "Can we go now? I'm ready to get out of here and pretend it was all a dream." The cerulean-eyed female just rolled her eyes with a nod. Still no thank you from her after saving her life? She was unconscious though. I guess I can't really blame her for that, now can I?
Rosalina grabbed a leaf and stick to write a message to her foster family telling them that they would be coming home soon. Once she was finished, she let out a very loud whistle that always caught Roger's attention. She waited a while, but the flying dino still hadn't turned up.
Maryanne sneered, "Whoever you're trying to whistle at, I don't think they heard you. I guess you're not that good of a whistler."
Chloe and Roxanne glared at Maryanne, warning her to watch herself. Just because this is their last day down here doesn't give her the right to still disrespect my sister. Roxanne thought furiously until she felt Lars gently pushing her along, telling her they were ready to get going.
"Thank you for letting us stay with you last night, Momma. Take care!" Jenna smiled sweetly at the tyrannosaurus rex as she helped the three weasels down by letting them slide off her tail. Celine waved goodbye to Momma's children before turning to Buck.
She spoke, "I'm glad Remy found his parents. Maybe now, he'll have more time for his wing to heal." Her cute, gentle voice made Buck smile at her, showing that he agreed with her. The kit's green eyes went from the skies to her foster parents.
"Mom, when do you think our new additions to the family will arrive?" Celine asked Jenna with a hint of excitement. It was strange. The girl was acting as if all the scary things that had happened these past days didn't affect her. She was probably in a very good mood, which made Jenna happy.
Laughing tenderly, Jenna replied, "It'll be several weeks before they come, sweetheart." Celine nodded understandingly and continued to look at her surroundings.
Jenna leaned over to her right, used her left mouth to cup the side of her mouth, then asked, "She must have slept well, don't you think?" Buck chuckled. It seems that everyone has woken up in a great mood. Buck thought they were just ready to get home and wait for the twins to return with their mates. If that was the case, he couldn't blame them.
"Yeah. It's good to see her all happy. I guess she's glad that you're with us again." Buck finally replied. Jenna nodded in agreement. She didn't think about that. The female's lips twisted into a little smile as she thought about returning to the cave and finally having the time for her to unwind.
After those past events over the last few days, she was glad they didn't have to worry about danger anymore. Well, not entirely since Rudy likes to attack them every now and then. Jenna liked the challenge though. She couldn't wait for the next time he would try to attack them because then she could show off her fighting skills before she got pregnant.
Blushing at the memory, the baby blue-eyed female forced herself out of her train of thought and talked to Celine about the girl becoming a big sister when the kits arrived. Without them knowing, Buck was listening to their chat. He and Jenna were nervous while their little foster daughter was looking forward to helping Jenna take care of the kits. He figured that was a good thing.
Even though Rosalina wasn't able to reach Roger, she kept the note she wrote for her family so that she could give it to him whenever she could get the pterodactyl's attention. Roxanne, Lars, and Chloe were chatting and laughing so much that Rosalina thought they were going to die from Lars's hilarious jokes. She soon found herself gazing at Jason, who was talking to his brother.
Maryanne seemed to have noticed her staring at her mate as she said, "Hey, Rosalisa, you might want to get your googly eyes off my mate-to-be."
"I-I was just l-l-looking around."
"Don't act all innocent. You think that I don't see how you look at him. You wished he wasn't marrying me, don't you? Well, tough kumquats. I know I may not be into him, but he's still my mate. So unless you're looking for trouble, I suggest you stop flirting with him."
"First of all, my name is Rosalina. Second, you hardly show any interest in him whatsoever, and he talks to me about how you treat the ferret sisters as well as him. Third, I do not flirt with him. We're just simply acting like good friends. Lastly, I am not afraid of you and all you're doing is wasting your time with your petty threats." Rosalina spat. Was this female seriously trying to start a conflict? If so, she chose the wrong time to start it. She had to lie about her being good friends with Jason because she didn't want to be pummeled by the blonde if she had told her about their secret kiss.
Jason saw Rosalina's desperate-for-help expression and stopped Maryanne from snapping at the blue-eyed female. "Maryanne, stop it." The female glared at him angrily before she smacked him across the face. Rosalina felt her blood boil at the sight. Her paws were in fists, her eyes like blue flames, and her urge to defend him escaped her.
"Hey! You have no right to treat this man the way you're treating him. No wonder he doesn't like you. You abuse him and act as if he's trash! How would it make you feel if he were to treat you the way you're treating him now? You wouldn't like it, would you? You're nothing but a bratty, stubborn, abusive, bully that preys on the ones that hasn't done a darn thing to you! You know what? How about I wipe off that better-than-you smirk off your pretty face?" Without thinking, Rosalina sent a punch to Maryanne's face.
Everyone gasped in shock. They couldn't believe what just happened. Rosalina stood up for Jason and told Maryanne straight, and now the two females were getting ready to attack each other. Rosalina grabbed the blonde's arm and threw her to the ground with no mercy. Maryanne was shielding her face and throwing back tiny slaps which was no match for Rosalina's harsh punches and kicks.
Leah held Chloe as she was trembling in fright while Rico rested a reassuring paw on Leah's shoulder. The ferret's redheaded sister was never fond of fights, but sometimes she got into them. Just watching them made Chloe react the way she was. Lars and Roxanne were wincing and flinching as they watched the brawl. Part of Roxanne wanted to cheer her twin on, but she knew it would be a bad idea to encourage her.
Jason was the most shocked out of the group. All he could do was blink. He couldn't believe Rosalina actually stood up for him. Of course, he knew she cared about him. He thought that when Rosalina saw the blonde strike him, her past must have came to her mind and triggered her to yell at Maryanne. He would have broken up the fight, but he was too stunned to even move. So, the weasels and ferrets could only watch the two females battle it out.
"It doesn't feel good to get your butt kicked, does it?" Rosalina sneered as she picked Maryanne up then threw her down again. The blonde let out a cry once her body hit the ground. She shouted in pain each time Rosalina sent a punch or kick her way. Finally, Rosalina jerked Maryanne off the ground, forcing her to stand up, even though her legs were quivering.
She whimpered as Rosalina's claws pricked the skin underneath her fur. The cerulean-eyed female had her arm clutched tightly in her grasp. "If I see you hurt him or anyone else one more time, I'll finish you off. Understand?" With that, Rosalina shoved Maryanne harshly to the ground, leaving her whimpering and shaking.
Maryanne's breathing was ragged. She had just been defeated by her guide. Rosalina's words repeated in her head like a broken record. Her right paw slowly reached up to her arm then brought it back to her face. She gasped. Blood stained her fingers and tears began to burn Maryanne's eyes. Hiding her tears, the female turned her head away from the group and shook violently as she cried.
Rosalina looked at Jason with remorse and guilt written on her face. She didn't mean to snap like that, especially in front of the male. He walked towards her with no word spoken. The blue-eyed female's chest tightened with nervousness and more guilt. Was he going to hit her, yell at her, cuss at her? He did none of those things. Instead, he just shooed the others away, signaling them to go ahead of them.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" Rosalina quickly fell on her knees and chanted her apology. Jason still didn't say a word to her, but he lifted his paw to tell her to stop her panicking. She looked up with guilty tears streaming down her face. The male's green eyes softened as they stared into Rosalina's glassy blue ones. She really does mean it. He thought.
Finally, he spoke, "Don't apologize. I was waiting to see who would actually straighten her act, besides Roxanne. You stood up for me, Rosalina. Thank you. I know you're sorry that you didn't mean to get so violent, but Maryanne asked for it."
"Y-You're welcome, but I still don't feel right after that. It's just….I don't know what triggered me to start that fight. I don't know what came over me. It just happened. First, I felt my anger burn my face, and then everything else was a blur and…I just did it." Rosalina let her body relax as she slowly began to calm down. It was a relief that he wasn't mad at her, but seeing Maryanne on the ground, bleeding and crying, it didn't make her feel any better. She knew what she had to do.
Sighing, Rosalina got up and made her way over to Maryanne. She lightly touched her shoulder, feeling the blonde jolt at her touch. "It's okay. I won't hurt you. I just wanted to apologize for hurting you. I overreacted when I saw you hit Jason, and I shouldn't have snapped like that."
Maryanne's eyes widened. It all made sense now. Rosalina liked Jason more than she liked him. When she hit the male, Rosalina went nuts and defended him. She knew, now, that Rosalina and Jason were in love. She could tell. Her head lifted to meet Rosalina's face.
"No, I deserved it. All this time, I thought I was superior to others. My parents were gone for two weeks to meet Jason's family, so they took me to my aunts and uncles. They told me to their beliefs, and I believed them as well after they taught me how they treated others.
"Since then, I went from a sweetheart to a snobby spoiled brat. Thank you for knocking some sense into me. I guess this place and you twins taught me a lesson." Rosalina couldn't be any more shocked than she was right now. Maryanne was thanking her for beating her up? Is she kidding me or is she being serious? Rosalina stared at the blonde again to see nothing but sincerity in her eyes. So she is being serious.
Not knowing how to respond, the dark-haired female helped Maryanne get up and soon, she, Jason, and Maryanne were running to catch up with the others.
After what seemed like two or three hours, the group finally made it to the cave where they started this crazy adventure. "Well, this is where Roxanne and I stop." Rosalina stated almost sadly. She hated to see them go without admitting she loved Jason. Of course, Maryanne wouldn't like this, so she had to return home with no mate.
"It was fun while it lasted. Thank you for guiding us to where we started." Chloe didn't want to leave. She had grown fond of this place and Rosalina. She knew it was a dangerous place, but part of her wanted to stay. Of course, the twins wouldn't allow her to stay here unless she could convince them.
Maryanne saw Rosalina's heartbroken expression. Now that she's changed, she thought she would ask the twins if they wanted to come to the Ice Age with them to meet her parents. "Hey, Rosalina, Roxanne, would you like to come with us to meet my parents. Only for a little while and then you two can go home. Oh, and I will not take no for an answer."
"Sis, we might see the herd if we go. Please, can we go? It's been forever!" Rosalina was bouncing up and down on her sister's shoulder like a naïve child.
Roxanne hummed as she thought about it. If they went, they would get things set out by Jason's parents. If they didn't, they would regret it. Well, Maryanne said she wouldn't take no for an answer. Having no choice, she said yes. Before they left, Roger finally appeared and flew down to where Rosalina was.
Chloe, Leah, and Maryanne hid behind the males as it landed on the earth in front of them. "Relax. He's friendly and a friend of my foster dad." Rosalina reassured them as she took the note to her foster parents out of nowhere and gave it to the pterodactyl.
"Take this to Buck and Jenna. You know where they live. Tell them Roxanne and I will be home very soon after we go up to the Ice Age for a visit." Roger nodded, showing Rosalina he understood then took off into the air.
Maryanne smiled. I guess he heard her after all. We were probably out of range for him to see us. Chloe saw her smile and grew confused. She was about to ask, but decided not to. "Let's go!" She smiled and with that, they all entered the cave.
"We're home!" Celine screamed. She made a mad dash towards the cave, making Buck and Jenna laugh. They still wondered why she was so hyper. She's been this way all morning. Not that they didn't like her acting this way, no not at all. It just entertained them. The kit was on the moss-covered couch with her eyes closed, taking in the serenity of the cave.
She seems to be calming down now. Jenna thought with a small giggle. The couple walked into the cave, sighing in relief as they stepped inside. They were finally home. No one would put their lives in danger anymore, now that they were safe and sound. Jenna gasped when Buck lifted her off the ground then placed her on her hammock.
"I hope you weren't trying to scare me into labor." She laughed softly.
"Scare ya' into labor? Hon, you're several weeks away from gettin' to that point." Buck chuckled with her. His paw rested on Jenna's stomach to feel a kick underneath it. Jenna smiled. She could tell he was both excited and nervous about the kits being delivered. She reassured him by gently resting her paw over Buck's.
"I was just kidding, but yeah, I'm not at that point quite yet. So, don't get too worried." Jenna pulled the male in a sweet, brief kiss until she heard Celine calling them. Not wanting Jenna to stress out about getting up, Buck told her to stay in her hammock and went to see what was wrong.
Celine was standing outside, pointing at the sky. Buck looked at her, confused. Then, he saw what she was pointing at. "Roger! Back so soon, mate?" He called to him. The pterodactyl flew down to them with a leaf clutched between his talons. Buck looked at his flying dinosaur friend for minute then took the leaf from him. It was a note.
Dear Buck, Jenna, and Celine,
After days of adventure and near death experiences, we're finally taking the group home. We'll be home very soon. So, don't give your hopes up. Tell Celine that Roxanne and I love her and miss her as well and tell Jenna that we can't wait to see what she has in store for us when we come back. We love you all very much. See you soon.
Love,
Rosalina
Buck smiled. His precious twin foster daughters were coming home soon. He was definitely showing this to Celine and Jenna. He read the note three more times then looked at Roger. He smiled, "Thanks pal. We'll be waiting fo' them." He waited for Roger to take off again before running inside the cave, telling Celine to come in his and Jenna's room to share the news.
"Oh, that's great!" Jenna said enthusiastically. Celine started screaming and crying happy tears. She was just as excited as they were, and it showed. Her little arms wrapped around Buck while she repeated that she couldn't believe it. The one-eyed weasel started chuckling and hugged her back. As hyper as Celine was, he knew she would probably react this way. This is going to be a great afternoon.
"Here we are!" Rosalina said cheerfully. Roxanne, Lars, Leah, and Jason smiled. It was great to be back, even though it was always cold. Chloe led the others to where Maryanne's parents lived. Luckily, they didn't have to trudge through the deep snow. They walked through the village, and as they did, others turned in their direction when they saw Rosalina and Roxanne.
Trying not to feel intimidated, they continued on without looking at the mammal's shocked faces and ignoring the quiet murmurs that could be heard. They walked through the village for a while until they saw some familiar faces.
Roxanne gasped when she saw how grown Peaches has gotten. The herd didn't know of their presence until Jason wolf whistled at them. They all turned around and gasped when they saw Rosalina and Roxanne with them.
"Oh, my gosh! Rosalina! Roxanne! It's been a while!" Ellie rushed over to the two females who were running towards her to give her a hug. Chloe, Leah, Lars, Jason, and Maryanne all came over to greet the herd members excitedly.
"Peaches, look at you! You've grown since we last saw you!" Rosalina smiled at the girl. She had Manny's topknot and Ellie's eyes and fur. She could tell she was an energetic little girl.
"Rosalina, Roxanne! I almost forgot about you two. It's been so long!" Peaches hugged the twins tightly with her trunk, nearly making them lose their breaths. Well, she has certainly gotten stronger and she can talk clearly. Rosalina thought as she released them. Manny greeted them with a smile in which they returned.
"Maryanne…" The blonde turned around to see her and Jason's parents running over to them. She squealed like a pig in a slaughter house when she saw her mother. She soon found herself in her mom's tight embrace with her father joining it.
Jason's mother gazed at her son then at Rosalina. She took two paces back in shock, her paw on her chest. "C-Clarissa, is that you?" The ebony-haired female shook her head with a laugh. It always made her laugh when people mistook her for her and Roxanne's mom because of how much she looked and acted like her.
She chuckled, "No, but Roxanne and I are her daughters."
"Oh, sweetheart, everyone loved your mother. You look exactly like her, too. I'm Jason's mother, Willow." Willow shook the twins' paws and gave them a welcoming hug. Jason's mom seems very nice. I wonder what his dad will think of me. Rosalina soon felt a little scared, but was determined not to show it.
She could hear Maryanne's mother talking about their plans about her marrying Jason. That's when Maryanne grabbed the female's arm and dragged her over to where her mother was. "Mom, I would like to reconsider this. After my long adventure to get back home with the help of her and her sister, I realized Rosalina was in love with Jason. She likes him more than I do. When she saw me strike Jason, she went off on me and told me straight.
"Well, after that, she got me on the ground real quick. It made me realize that I'm not superior to anyone and never will be. I should have never listened to my aunts and uncles. On our first night down there, I heard her say she and her sister were on a mate quest. So, I want Rosalina to be with Jason instead of me because I never showed any interest in him, and plus she deserves him, not me. Not after being rude and cruel to him." Maryanne finished her speech to her mother and took a breath.
Her brown eyes searched for approval in her mother's. Finally, her mom asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Besides, I'll find someone someday, mother." Maryanne's mother nodded slightly. She looked at Rosalina and whispered a thank you for bringing Maryanne home. While her daughter was gone, all she could do was grieve, panic, and stay up all night. She was glad her daughter, Chloe, and Leah were back.
"Well, since Maryanne canceled the wedding, how about we look at Clarissa's girls." Jason's father started asking Rosalina and Roxanne questions while keeping his intimidating stare just to frighten them. Willow and Jason watched nervously as the male continued asking his questions to the twins. Would they approve? I'm keeping my word about going back with Rosalina if he doesn't like her. Jason thought.
"Well, Jason, Rosalina seems to be an interesting female. She has a huge imagination, talking about her and her sister living in a dinosaur-infested world with a foster family waiting for them to return. She looks a lot like Clarissa, which was probably why some mammals were staring at you two. Yes, I saw that. Anyway, moving on. She does have a great personality, very fragile, she seems. Looks can always be deceiving, though. Jason, are you sure you want to be with her?"
I was not imagining that place! It's real! Might as well let him believe what he believes. It'd be better that way. Better that than to make him think I'm insane. Rosalina looked at Jason, who was nodding his head and talking to his father. Roxanne looked at Lars for a split second then looked at her twin. She was…trembling. What was she afraid of? Was it Jason and Rico's father or the father-and-son conversation between the dark male and Jason?
Finally, their conversation ended and the boys' father turned to the blue-eyed female. "Congratulations, Rose. We accept you as family. Roxanne, since Lars's parents kicked him out, we took him in and raised him well. After hearing everything my son told me about you, you can be Lars's mate. Just don't hurt him too much. Where are my manners? The name's Shadow."
Rosalina couldn't believe it. They actually allowed Jason and Lars to be with them. She didn't know how to react, so she just calmly hugged Willow and Shadow, saying thank you with Roxanne doing the same. The twins turned to Maryanne's mother, Stella, and nodded.
"Thank you, Maryanne. Though you didn't have to do that, I still thank you. Good luck." Rosalina went over to hug Maryanne. The blonde's eyes grew wide in surprise, but soon returned it timidly. She could feel her snobby personality rapidly fading away and returning to the way it was before. Once her and her family returned home, she was going to tell her long story to her parents about what happened while she was gone.
"Hey, twins, Chloe's got something to ask you." Rosalina and Roxanne turned around to see the herd still near them and Diego walking towards them with Chloe on his back. The ferret carefully slid off the saber's back, her salmon feet gently touching the glittery white snow. How was she going to ask them without stuttering? She was nervous they were going to say no, but she decided to give it a try.
She asked nervously, "I-I-I…is it all right if I tag along with you in that dinosaur world? You don't have to. It's just that that world grew on me after saving Maryanne in that lake with tentacles and saving her again in the canyon. I can't help but feel as if part of me belongs there. Never have I felt so alive and…free. I just don't belong up here. So, can I?"
Roxanne and Rosalina exchanged glances, waiting for the other to say something. The two females began to whisper in each other's ears. Leah stared at her sister, her violet eyes full of surprise and disbelief. She wanted to stay in a world full of danger without her aid? Usually, she could care less of Chloe's wishes, but this one got her concerned.
She was Leah's little sister. She was afraid she might get hurt or killed, but after seeing her courageous stunts, she knew she could take care of herself. Chloe was braver than the purple-eyed ferret. If she could defend herself and fight, then Chloe could endure the dangers that await her every day in the world beneath the ice. Okay, then, if that's what my sister wants, I accept that. I'll miss her though. Leah nodded in approval of her sister returning to Rosalina and Roxanne's world.
At last, the twins finished their quiet conversation and turned to Chloe. Rosalina spoke, "All right, Chloe, we talked about it and we have good news. You can come with us. Since we've seen positive signs of you surviving in our world during our journey, we thought why not. We've got to get down there quick because it's starting to get dark. Say goodbye to everyone first, and then we'll go."
Chloe fist pumped the air and whispered, "Yes!" She followed the girls' orders, hugging and saying her farewells to everyone. While she was hugging Crash and Eddie, she overheard Rico telling her older sister that she could be Rico's mate. He must have asked Shadow while she was waiting for Rosalina and Roxanne to respond. My sister's got a mate. Their father isn't as bad as I thought after all. He's cool and very nice.
Me: Okay, crappy sped-up chapter, I know, but I don't feel like dividing this chapter into two. I don't know about you, but do you guys think I thought 'too gruesome' when I mentioned Maryanne screaming like a pig in a slaughter house? I do. However, I'm just not going to do anything to it. It's Christmas Break, so I'm too lazy to change it. lol
*turns to TV to see Perry the Platypus making a strange croak-like noise* 0-0 *turns to reviewers* Uuuhhh, okay. That was awkward. I think I'll change the channel as soon as I finish saying this...I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and you have a happy New Year. Until next time, peace out, home dawgs! *hits chest twice then does a peace sign*
Sweethalo90 :D