You're My Ugly Pineapple

Chapter eighteen

(Since the gestation of English weasels is around 5 weeks, Sky's miscarriage/stillbirth was around the 4th week of her pregnancy)

Ellie and I sat next to a campfire, it was the dead of night and everyone else had gone to sleep. After talking about everything under the sun, we finally got to the topic that she'd been dying to know about.

"So, why are you up here in the first place?" Ellie asked, picking an apple up from the platter of fruit between the two of us.

"Well, Buck and I tried for a baby a little while ago, and I fell pregnant," I started, fiddling with a pair of sticks. "But, in my last trimester, we were attacked by some dinosaurs during the earthquakes. The stress, plus the injuries I'd acquired..." I trailed off, staring into the fire as I tried not to cry. 

"Oh Sky, I'm so sorry," Ellie pulled me closer to her and hugged me, stroking the top of my head with her trunk. "You can stay with us as long as you need, hun. How's Buck holding up?"

"He's blaming himself, he thinks that it's all his fault because he couldn't protect me. It's really taken a toll on him, he hasn't eaten for days..." Ellie sat in stunned silence, as I stared into the crackling fire. 

"Maybe you guys just weren't ready? The universe works in strange ways, Sky. Maybe it knew that you two just weren't ready for a commitment like that."

"Maybe..."

Silence fell between the two of of us, and my paw instinctively fell to my abdomen where the absent baby bump spiked a tear, running down my cheek and into Ellie's fur. 

We sat in silence for a few minutes, crickets chirping in the distance and the crackling of the fire being the only thing that broke the silence. Ellie pet my head softly, absent minded. 

"Don't worry Sky, you can always try again in the future. From one mom to another, it'll all work out."

"I mean, I'm not technically a mum just yet, Ellie. But thank you."

That morning, I broke the news to the rest of the pack. Crash and Eddie wrestled me into a hug, both of them crying over the loss of possible play mates. Sid stayed rather silent, for Sid, before pulling me to the side.

"My granny told me to give you this, for the next time you try," Sid handed me a patchwork blanket made of sewn together animal pelts. I held it as far away from me as possible, looking up at Sid in confusion.

"What's it for?"

"It's made out of all her former husbands, she calls it the baby maker."

I made a face and placed it over the rock I had been sitting on, thanking him weakly as I thought of the idea of Buck and I 'making babies' under a blanket made of an old sloths...partners.

Manny and Diego floated along the edge of the crowd gathered around me, unsure of how to act, especially Diego. Pregnancy and children was a bit of a touchy subject, especially since Shira and himself were starting to think about the possibility of cubs of their own. Manny, being Manny, just figured that the others would help Sky out considering he didn't know nearly a thing about pregnancy in general, let alone a weasel pregnancy.

Ellie, Peaches, Shira and Granny ended up taking Sky down to the mud baths, the little 'Gugibles' chittering around us as they cut up cucumbers and refilled our coconut drinks, all of us laughing and talking. Something I hadn't experienced since moving back down to the Lost World, a proper girls day out.

"So, Sky, what's different down in the Dino world? I haven't been there, well, since I was born," Peaches asked, giggling as the Gugibles painted her hooves.

"Well, dangerous for one. We don't go a day without somethin trying to kill us. But at this point I'm kinda used to that. We've had to uproot, since the earthquakes pretty much destroyed our old den, so Buck's probably picking out a new spot for us. Apart from that, not much has changed."

"Well, make sure Buck chooses somewhere that has room to grow. You'll thank me later," Ellie winked, nodding towards Peaches.

"Oh yeah, you only have to deal with one kid. When I have kits, they'll be popping out by the dozen, literally," I joked, nudging Ellie playfully. "Six kits, all with different needs, wants, ideas. Maybe having kits this early was a bad idea, maybe losing them wasn't such a bad thing."

"Well, it's depressing when you put it that way but you've got the spirit," Ellie smiled, patting the top of my head again. I smiled up at her and looked over at Shira, who seemed slightly lost and disconnected from the conversation.

"So, Shira, what's your story? Diego is a rough and tumble cat and I wanna know how a big ol' meanie like him can snag a cutie like you," I teased, picking up a beetle that had been scittering past and throwing it into my mouth.

"Um, well, I was originally first mate on a pirate ship under control of the infamous Captain Gut, an unfeeling ape that stole from whoever he wanted for his own survival out on a ice float, tailored into a ship. After Manny managed to capsize us, him and the rest of his herd captured me. Of course, I wasn't going to say anything until Diego, well, he changed my mind."

"Aww, a buccaneer and an outcast, kind of reminds me of Buck and I."

"Speaking of which, Sky, when were you going to go back to Buck? He's probably worried sick about you," Ellie added, grabbing Granny by the head to stop her from attempting to eat one of the Gugibles.

"I was thinking I might go back tomorrow morning. Its been nice up here, but my place in this world is down there, with Buck."

Saying that, I felt a twinge in my chest. Living up here, as much as it was a big part of my life and I missed it, where I really belonged was with Buck. I hoped that he knew that too.