The Herd's Growing Family (Ice Age)

Possum Enough for This Family

Ellie looks down sadly. "You too".

She walks away to join the other mammoths. The rest of the group looks at Manny, who seems rather sad about not being able to confess his feelings.

Crash pounded his chest with his fist and pointed two fingers at Sid, Diego, Avery, and Redwood before scurrying off to join Ellie, followed by Eddie. Manny looks down at his reflection in a puddle sadly.

Sid walks over to him. "Manny, you've come a long way since we met and I'II take full credit for that, but you need to let go of the past so you can have a future".

Avery then joins in. "He's right. And if you're with Ellie, you can have love and a family again".

Manny takes their words into consideration and smiles.

"Go after her". Diego encourages.

"It's okay". Redwood puts a hand on Manny's tusk. "We'II always be here for you".

"I'll keep in touch". Manny says.

Diego tries to not let the moment get too emotional. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're a good friend. Point made. Now, go on, scat".

Manny smiles and walks off after Ellie, leaving the other smiling warmly at him.

"Our Manny's growing up". Sid states, making Redwood tear up a bit.

"Ellie! Ellie!"

Ellie hears Manny and walks out of the herd to look for him. "Manny!"

Manny suddenly appears, hanging onto a tree branch, upside down in front of Ellie. "Ellie, I don't want us to be together because we have to. I want us to be together because we want to. And I wanna be with you, Ellie".

Ellie starts to beam with happiness.

"So, what do you say?" Manny waits for her response.

"Oh, Manny, I thought you were going to let..." Then the branch comes loose and Manny falls to the ground, getting covered in branches and leaves, much to Ellie's amusement. "You're possum enough for me".

Manny gets up and he and Ellie smile as they nuzzle their faces and wrap their trunks together. The other mammoths trumpet with joy at this union.

Crash and Eddie then started sobbing and Crash blows his nose on Eddie's tail.

Meanwhile, Sid, Diego, Avery, and Redwood watch from the distance.

Sid then turns to his friends. "Well, it's just you guys and me now. Three bachelors and a kid knocking about in the wild. Whoo-hoo".

"Fine. But I'm not gonna carry you. I still have my pride, you know". Diego tells the sloth.

"Oh, come on, buddy. For old time's sake?" Sid begs.

Suddenly, Manny picks up Sid with his trunk. "I'll carry him".

Diego, Avery, and Redwood look back to see Manny, Ellie, Crash, and Eddie behind them as Manny put Sid on his back.

"But your herd's leaving". Avery gestures to the other mammoths.

"We are now". Manny says, referring to their herd.

"Well, looks like you wanted to stay with us after all". Avery smiles.

"Oh thank goodness", Redwood says, feeling relieved. "I'm not good with goodbyes and I probably would've started crying within a half mile".

The others shook their heads but still smiled. Eddie then yelled "Shotgun!" before he slid down Ellie's trunk and landed on Diego's back, while Crash did the same thing but instead landed on Redwood's shoulder.

Finally, Avery caught a ride on one of Ellie's tusks and the herd started to leave.

"Manny, who do you like better? Me or Diego?" Sid asked.

"Diego. Not even close". Manny answered.

"Ha, ha! Told ya". Diego said smugly.

"What about me and Redwood?" Avery then asked.

"Redwood. She's more polite". Manny told the weasel.

"Yay! Me and Diego are the favorites!" Redwood cheered, almost proving Manny's statement wrong.

"Manny, you can't choose between your kids". Ellie told him.

"Sid's not my kid. Not even my dog. If I had a dog and my dog had a kid and the dog's kid had a pet, that would be Sid". Manny explains to Ellie.

"But what does that make me?" Avery questions him.

"You would be the cat", Manny says.

"Can I have a dog, Manny?" Sid asks him as if he was his parent.

"No".

"Ellie, can I have a dog?"

"Of course you can, sweetie". Ellie responds kindly.

"Ellie, you need to be consistent with him". Avery tells her.

"What does consistent mean?" Redwood questions.

The conversation continued as the herd heads off yet again. With Ellie, Crash, and Eddie joining them for whatever comes next, Redwood knew that the herd has now gotten a bit bigger and happier.

END CHAPTER
_______________________________________
A/N: Two chapters in two days? What kind of witchery is this?... Just kidding, it's just me losing two nights of sleep because of my insomnia... *sigh*... life is hard.

Anyway, please comment and tell me what you think of the chapter.