11"Remember us." there was a slight pause in his voice and the child gripped his trunk, "We'll remember you."
Manny laid down, his trunk gently curled around the soft trunk of his beautiful wife. Her eyes were gently closed and her head was laying against his stomach.
Manny could hear from a ways away the quiet singing of his daughter, she was a teenager now, and this seemed to scare him even more than the day that Ellie had mentioned they were going to have a kid.
That had been an absolute scare for him, actually. More than he cared to admit.
He thought back to the days in the past, with his first wife and the child they both had. It had been so long ago, and he had let ago the pain that he had carried the day he had decided to return the human child to it's family. That being said, it didn't mean all of those bitter feelings, feelings of regret welling up inside of him, didn't return.
He still wished he had been able to save his child. He still wished his first wife had made it out safe.
He still felt guilt when thinking of them both. He had failed in his job as a father. He hadn't protected them, despite his natural instincts. Despite what nature had ingrained into his system- to fight for his mate and his offspring. He had failed, and with that had brought years of depression.
He shook these thoughts off now, though he could still recognize some of his first child in Peaches. As a baby she had some of the same tendencies that his first child had had. His first child often found it's trunk in it's mouth sucking it like the human child he had once cared for had sucked its thumb. Peaches often found her trunk lodged in her mouth as a baby.
Manny was not a man who often found himself dealing with complex emotions well. That was why he had almost lost Ellie, the current love of his life- this time he hoped who would stay with him until his own death- and how he had found himself walking into almost-extinction during the ice-age.
He guessed it was all luck, he had let go of bitterness he had been holding against the human race. Now all he felt was sympathy. While they fought each other, different races fighting for life, he knew that they struggled just the same as he did. Felt the same emotions. Hurt the same when a child was lost. That didn't decrease his caution for the race, infact if anything it only increased it, he knew what he was willing to do to make sure his family was safe- he knew that this species was just as willing to do the same.
Now he sat here, holding his wife's trunk and listening to his daughters singing lilting through the morning air, and he couldn't believe his luck.
His luck.
His second chance.
His miracle.
Whatever he wished to call it, it was all thanks to that moment, where he had found that young human child. He would have never found a family in Sid or Diago, or eventually Ellie and the twins, and he never would have had his angel Peaches singing for him in the morning.
He owed a lot to that human child.
He wondered, idly, how the human child was fairing now. How old would he be? He was unsure, twenty maybe? Had it been that long?
He gave a gentle smile to himself and thought, maybe he had been a different human. Gentle, kind, but he would understand if not. A family was all there was to fight for, and you would do anything for them. What if he himself had children? It was hard to survive without hunting for the humans. He understood, he simply wished he knew what had become of the young child he had protected.
He smiled as all of these thoughts drifted through his head, laid his head back down and allowed himself a few more minutes of slumber, the gentle voice of his daughter lulling him to sleep.
A/N: Usually when I write, it's really long, but I've already finished this three-part fic, and will update sometime next week. (I'm going to church camp, and won't be able to get to my computer for a while. So It may be sat. Of next week I guess)
This is just an idea I had, and didn't really see it in the other fic's. Really short. I think the other chapters are shorter than this, which is a bit embarrassing honestly. So. Please leave a comment. :) I very much enjoy review and support (and support and review) and I appreciate if you would tell me what you think. (I hope it's good)
Also, I have never made, produced, or really had anything to do with cartoons in my life other than watching them- though I think it would go without saying that I don't own Ice Age, it's sort of a requirement that I put it here. SO yeah. (If you do however own Ice Age and wish to give me right to it I would not object ;) )