A/N: Hey! So, I never did get that Buck prompt, so I just came up with this little 'what if' one-shot on the fly. If you're a fan of A Wolf's Cry, you should like this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age or any of its content. OCs belong to me.

Bronwyn

"Everybody make it?" Diego asked as the herd gathered a safe distance away from the electrically charged forest. Keeva shook out her fur, trying to rid of the tingling sensation traversing her body while Sid counted everyone up. "Ah, shoot!" Sid complained, "I'm out of fingers." The she-wolf shook her head, peering around to get a head count. "Buck? Where's Buck?" Keeva asked, heart dropping a bit in her chest. Only to have the weasel himself speak up. "Do you here that?" He asked the mammals, "a baby!" Keeva's eyes widen at the look in her mate's eye, "Buck-"

"There's a baby in there!"

Buck shot off, back into the forest.

"Buck, wait! It's too dangerous!" Keeva had to agree with Crash, even if there was a baby involved. They'd barely made it out the first time and now that crazy weasel was going-

An explosion rocked the world around her, jarring her senses, and making her feel horribly unbalanced. She yelped in surprise as she tried to keep her footing while the tremors faded out.

"Look!" Keeva's eyes followed Eddie's pointing finger to something falling out of the sky. Rudy's tooth embedded itself into the ground just feet away from them. "Buck…?"

All of this was happening too fast, Keeva couldn't take it, and her friends weren't providing much assurance of his survival.

"He's gone," Ellie muttered in shock. "I can't believe it," Sid sounded teary, making Keeva teary as a result. No, no, no he couldn't be gone. He just couldn't! "Don't know how we'll go on without you, Buck. Granny actually sounded emotional, making the she-wolf's heart break all the more until… "Alright, let's go!" Keeva glared at the aging sloth through her bleary vision, but before she could snap, something else fell from the sky, screaming all the way down.

A log smashed into the ground, Diego reacting a hair faster than Keeva, swiped the log open, only to stumble back in shock. "Huh?"

Keeva moved forward to take the saber's place, breath catching at what she saw. Buck was laying there, alive and well, body curled protectively around something small and white. Cautious, Keeva leaned forward and nuzzled the weasel, "Buck?" He stirred, carefully lifting himself off of the small figure, and allowing Keeva a better look. Her breath hitched, eyes wide.

Dark eyes peered up at her from a moon pale face, and Keeva could do little more than gape at the fox kit. "Say hi everyone!" Buck said as he scooped the kit up into his arms, so everyone could see her. "Isn't she gorgeous?"

"Aw," Ellie crooned, "hi there!"

"She's so cute," Peaches added.

"How do you know it's a she?"

"Really Sid?" Keeva pulled her eyes away from the kit's to give the sloth a deadpanned expression. "Do we really need to have that conversation again?" A hand reached up and started scratching her behind the ear, and Keeva was unashamed of the stupid grin that crossed her muzzle, or of the sudden thumping of her back paw.

Man, Buck knew all the right spots.

The weasel smirked at his mate's lovesick expression, "we still have to name her, love."

"Hm?" Keeva blinked, her eyes falling back on the little kit. "Oh, right."

"Wait," Shira said, "you guys are just going to keep her?"

"Sure," Buck shrugged, "doesn't seem to have parents about, and someone needs to look after her."

"A wolf and a weasel raising a fox?" The tigress couldn't help but sound skeptic. "We don't have the luxuries you and Diego have, Shira," Keeva pointed out. "You can have your own cubs when you get good and ready. We can't." The tigress look sufficiently chastened.

"Oh! Oh! We'll help you name her!" Sid said eagerly. "I'm thinking Cloud, little Cloud."

"Not bad, Sid," Keeva praised, "we'll put it in the maybe pile." The sloth nodded and Keeva turned her attention back to her baby. The kit was small, about three years old, far too young to be away from her mother. She covered nose to tail tip in fluffy, snowy white fur, that greatly contrasted her shiny dark brown eyes.

"How about Luna?" Eddie asked

"Or Star?"

"Good suggestions boys," Buck amended, "but let's keep thinking."

"What about Ribar, Keeva?" Ellie suggested gently. The dark she-wolf smiled at the cinnamon she-wolf's memory. "There was time when I wouldn't have hesitated to give my daughter her name, El, but now that I'm looking at her, I want her to have a namesake of her own. Something unique, just for her."

"Pearl?" Shira suggested

"Ivory?" from Diego

Keeva shook her head. They were lovely names, all of them, but they just didn't fit the little bundle in Buck's arms.

"Um…how about Briar?" Manny suggested hesitantly. "Briar?" Keeva repeated, speaking to the kit, who turned her head to look at her. It was an odd little expression, laying somewhere between confusion and insult. Her new parents laughed. "Not quite, but we're definitely getting closer."

"Bronwyn," Keeva said suddenly, the kit looked at her again, smiling. She reached a tiny white paw and swatted her mother's nose. "I think she likes it!" Julian said happily. "Our little Bronwyn," Buck said smiling at his mate and baby. Keeva just laughed, a quiet, disbelieving laugh, and nuzzled him. Children were something she thought she'd never get to have after she chose Buck for a mate, and she was alright with that, it was a sacrifice she'd been willing to make to be with him. Now, she was staring into the eyes of a daughter. She was a mother now, and Buck was a father. They were a family.

"Um, guys, we need you back on planet Earth," Manny cut in, "While it's still here. Okay?" Just like that the daydream was over, and Keeva's eyes scanned the now purple sky. "Right you are, mammal, c'mon, love." Keeva pulled her attention back to the herd, falling in step with Buck.

They could get through this, she had to believe that.

"Who wants to save the world from a fiery asteroid?" Buck crooned at Bronwyn, who was swatting at him playfully. "You do! Yes, you do!"

Keeva smiled as the herd moved out again, heading for the crash site. Because if they could save a baby in the Ice Age, of course, they could keep the sky from falling. They were family, they could do anything.

A/N: So, that's that, I hope you guys liked it. I know I had fun writing it. Please R&R.