I can't believe I'm nearly done! :'( Enjoy. And I'm still working on drawing my OC's. It's tricky, but I'm getting there!

"Flora?!" Shira gasped when she saw Flora running away.

"What is she doing? She doesn't know what she's up against!" cried Peaches.

"Flora, come back!" Cash leaped up to follow his sister, but hissed in pain at his scratch.

"You guys stay here, I'll go after Flora!" Shira sprinted after her daughter, struggling to keep up with her.

"Not so strong are you mammoth?" hissed Soto as he wriggled out of Manny's grip and scratched the mammoth in his front left leg. Manny hissed in pain as he scratched his left, front leg.

"Manny!" cried out Ellie in concern. She supported Manny as she walked him back to the spot where Manny insisted that she stayed there for her own safety dispite her hesitance. Along with her was an unconscious Sid who was overwhelmed with the suspense of Soto and Diego's previous fight before Diego went to answer Flora's call for help, and a stubborn Granny who was restrained by the vine tied around her ankle, trying to get a go at Soto yelling, "Let me at him, let me at him!"

Crash and Eddie tried to "tame" Soto by using their tails as whips to no avail as Soto just swung his paw and battered the rodents that were irritating him away.

At excellent timing, Diego had jumped in front of Soto and picked their battle up right from where they left off.

"Welcome back Diego." scowled Soto. "How are those miserable little offspring of yours? You've got some thick heart trying to put your life out on the line for them right now. Foolish, foolish Diego."

Soto's insult of his children actually motivated Diego. At each malicious word, his scratches were powerful and his dodges were quicker. Finally, Diego was overpowering Soto and in his anger kicked him into a nearby ditch where Soto failed to get a grip on the edge.

"Never come back." Diego spat into the ditch.

"Are you okay Diego?" Ellie asked concerned.

"I'm fine thanks." replied Diego.

"Anything serious?" asked Manny carrying both the still limp Sid and the still stubborn Granny who was still complaining at how she gets treated like a baby and whining at how she could have taken Soto down herself.

"Come on, let's get back to the others." Diego lead the way with Manny, Ellie and the possums following.

...

"Flora, your father specifically told you to stay with us!" scolded Shira. Flora did not heed her mother, only picked up her pace.

"You get back here right now, don't you ignore your mother young lady!"

No reply, just running.

Shira growled at the fact that Flora was still ignoring the warning.

"FLORA!" Shira shrieked at Flora one last time. "Last warning to stop before I make you!"

The more Shira was yelling at Flora, the more Flora kept speeding up.

Shira was about to pounce on Flora to stop her from going the direction she was heading, but somebody else already did.

"Flora!" Sam jumped out unexpectedly and pinned her down while still trying to be gentle with her.

"Sam, let me go, I gotta help my dad!" Flora tried to break loose out of her friend's grip.

"Soto is way to powerful for you, I wouldn't take any chances!"

"But my dad-"

"He'll be fine honey." Shira assured Flora stroking her daughter's head with her paw. "He's strong, hot-headed and stops at nothing to protect us and himself."

"She's right Flora." Sam nodded in agreement with Shira. Flora calmed down when she saw the gleam of reassurance both in the eyes of her mother and her friend.

"Ahem." the trio turned around to see Diego giving them a questionable look. Considering that a boy was on top of their daughter and the mother wasn't doing anything about it, they had a lot of explaining to do with the context.

"Dad, I can explain-" Flora tried to keep calm hoping that her father wasn't going to go into a rage, but instead Diego said that they'll talk about it later. They went to pick up Peaches and the boys and went to find a place to sleep.

As the crickets chirped and the full moon rose in the midnight sky, everyone in the herd was fast asleep. Except for two certain somebodys.

Flora was anxiously awaiting her conversation with Diego ever since she got rescued. She was standing patiently outside waiting for him to come. When he did, she started talking.

"Dad I'm so sorry for everything. I'm sorry for lying to you and I'm sorry for all that I said to you. I don't hate you, I'll never say anything like that again." Flora started her apology.

"It's okay Flora, you have nothing to apologize for." Diego assured Flora. "I do."

"Huh?"

"You were getting so close with Sam back there that I was starting to worry about how you might not want to be around me anymore. I guess I went a little too far, restraining you and yelling at you like that. I was so scared that I would lose my little girl to a handsome boy. I'm sorry about that."

"Aw Daddy, no matter what happens I'll always be your little girl."

"Really?"

"I promise."

The two of them snuggled up to each other, agreeing to put all that happened behind them. When Diego brought up the fact at how if it weren't for Sam, they would still be looking for Flora.

"Sam went to you guys?" asked Flora. "When?"

"Early in the morning." replied Diego. He told her of the past event.

Diego nudged the rest of the herd awake, letting them know that it's time to look for Flora. Cash was the first to wake up. As he squinted his eyes from the fresh, golden sunlight, he caught a glimpse of a familiar, brown figure running to them.

"Sam?" he asked curiously.

"Where?" Sandy heard him as she was slowly starting to wake up, as was the rest of the herd.

"I know where Flora is!" were the first words that Sam had blurted out as soon as he came to a stop.

"Sam what's wrong?" asked Shira concerned. "Relax and tell us."

"She's being held captive by Soto and the rest of the pack. They captured her as soon as she ran away. I just overheard their plan this morning after Soto trusted me with guard duty."

"Guard duty?" asked Cash looking confused, but then he figured it out. "You're meaning to tell us that you helped our enemies kidnap my sister?" Cash was starting to show anger and betrayal in his eyes.

Sam gulped and slowly nodded, ready for the consequences he's going to get. The herd responded with displeased looks on their faces. Except for Diego. He was beyond furious. Sam and Flora being friends was one thing but for him to actually be in league with his old enemies? Diego jumped on Sam and wrestled him to the ground.

"Diego, have you lost your mind?!" shrieked Shira. "You're attacking a kid!"

"If you care about living, you better spill everything you know now!" spat Diego shoving Sam's face into the dirt.

"Flora is imprisoned in an underground cave." Sam began feeling the pressure of Diego's paw on his throat. "Like I said before, Soto entrusted me with guard duty now and thinks I'm hunting so he can't suspect me of betraying him. I have a plan to free Flora, but you're all going to have to trust me."

This just made Diego even more angrier.

"What idiot do you take me for?" he spat. "Do you really think that we would trust somebody who betrayed and lied to Flora? You're dreaming!"

"DIEGO!" Shira let out a brief yell and motioned him to talk to her. Diego went to do so but not before shooting Sam a death glare.

"What are you doing?" hissed Shira. "Don't you realize that now we can find Flora?"

"Shira, that kid manipulated our daughter and helped my old enemy capture her. Why should I trust him?"

"Maybe because it's similar to your situation with the baby?" suggested Manny.

Diego thought back to that event. He was replaying it. Only this time, he was Manny and Sam was him.

"Diego, please." pleaded Shira. "We have to trust Sam. It's our only chance of getting Flora back."

Although a bit reluctant, Diego nodded in agreement.

"So what do we do?" he asked Sam.

"We don't have a lot of time so listen closely." explained Sam. "I know my way around this place. There are even some spots that Soto doesn't know of. You guys follow me and stay hidden behind the shrubs. I'm going to break Flora out. Now I'm not sure if Soto will find out that we escaped, but if he does, at least we'll get him by surprise if he happens to follow us. He'll never know what hit him."

"How do we know you're not just doing this to lead Soto to us?" interrogated Diego hotly.

"Diego." said Shira as she shot him a look letting him know that we gotta trust Sam.

"Fine. But if I find one bit of evidence that you set us up..."

Shira cleared her throat.

"Follow me." instructed Sam. He lead the way to the place where the plan will take place. Diego was still reluctant. He will see for himself if Sam really was sincere in rescuing Flora.

"Sam planned the whole thing?" asked Flora. "I thought that him breaking me out was a last minute, not-so-thought-out escape plan.

"Yep." nodded Diego. Except for Soto and friends following, but at least they were prepared for it. "I'll admit I really thought that he was lying to us because it took him a little longer than I thought to get you out, but I see that he was being honest now."

"Speaking of Sam..." Flora brought up a new topic of discussion.

"What about him?" asked Diego. He guessed where Flora was going with this.

"Can he live with us?"

Diego was taken aback by that question. He was expecting her to ask if she can see him again which he will reply with "yes", but to live with the herd."

"I don't know honey."

"Please Daddy? He's got no where else to go. He's treated horribly in that pack. He's been forced into it against his will ever since he lost his family."

"He lost his family?"

"Please? Sam was so nice to me when I was imprisoned even thought I was so mean to him. He's a good guy."

Diego was deep in thought about it.

"Please Daddy?" pleaded Flora for the third time. "If you give him a chance you'll really like him."

"Okay, Sam can join us." Diego's answer earned a big "yes!" from Flora.

"And I've got something else I want to talk to you about." added on Diego. "Remember when I said I don't want you seeing Sam anymore? Well... forget I said that."

"You mean I can talk to him?" asked Flora.

"Bigger."

"Be friends with him?"

"Yes."

"Possibly date him?"

"I don't see why not."

"Marry him when the time comes?"

"Don't push it." but the father and daughter just laughed at how they were just playing with each other with the last two lines.

"Thanks Dad." smiled Flora. "I'm glad you're trusting me again."

"You're growing up sweetie, what other choice do I have?"

Flora giggled at the joke Diego made.

"It's getting late now Flora. Why don't you go to sleep?"

"Goodnight Dad." Flora curled up and shut her eyes.

"Goodnight honey."

About ten minutes later, Diego was waken up from his deep sleep by something fluffy underneath his chin. He looked down to see that it was Flora sleeping by him. Diego recalled how Flora would curl up near him at night every time she was scared. He thought that she outgrew it long ago, but considering how Flora missed her dad so much and vice versa, she wanted to do it again.

Doing his best not to wake Flora up, Diego nuzzled his nose in Flora's hair and once again whispered good night to her.

It sure was.

Aw, Diego and Flora made up! And Sam's gonna be living with the herd now! AND Flora finally gets to be friends with Sam. AND possibly date him. We're not sure about marriage though, lol. And Diego is finally starting to show a little trust in Sam after they rescued Flora. What's in store for our heroes next?