This is my very first fanfic.

Please note: I don't own any Ice Age Characters, they are owned by Blue Sky Studios.

Chapter 1: Love Troubles and Hot Springs

It was a nice sunny day afternoon; Sid was just sitting quietly by the pond minding his own business. But it wasn't the first time he's been doing that, the others in the herd was worried about his strange behavior. It's been quiet for some time in the valley. Sid hasn't spoken for a few days or so.

"Hey, are you all right bud?" Diego asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah…" Sid said once more going back into silence.

Diego just sat there for five minutes waiting for a response from him. But still there was no answer from the sloth.

"Okay… well I'll see you around then..." Diego said still with a concerned look.

"Kay..." Sid said then sighs with melancholy.

Diego was walking over the group who was about go on their morning routine.

"Uh, guys... I think there's something wrong with, Sid." He said while looking back at his friend.

"What's wrong with him?" Manny asked.

"I don't know... but you guys know that he's been quiet for almost a week now right?" Diego said.

"I know that it's been quiet in this valley for sometime... TOO quiet..." He said in a suspicious tone.

"Maybe he's just sick... or tired." The twins said.

"I don't know, maybe, should I go speak with him? I mean, he hasn't said anything all morning." Ellie asked concerned about Sid.

"Relax, I'm sure when he comes over he'll just speak to us and everything will be back to normal." Manny said with confidence in his voice.

The group sees Sid as he walks past the herd without saying anything. This leaves them much more concerned to see their friend's odd behavior.

"O...kay... guess I was wrong about him having to speak with us..." Manny said with an uneasy feeling.

"Something is definitely wrong with him, no 'good morning' or something? What happened to the cheerful happy-go-lucky sloth we knew? The worried shemoth asked.

"I don't know..." Manny replied followed up with a sigh.

Later that morning, Sid was resting on a tree wondering about one thing that's on his mind: love. He has never experienced love before, but he did recall meeting a few females of his species: Sylvia; whom he rejected before, but he knew that should've had the chance to have her as a mate but he blew it anyway; Jennifer and Rachel were the two sloths he met when him and his friends was about return the baby and things didn't work out with them either since they found out that he was using the baby to get them to mate with him; and the final sloth was Rose whom he saw when he was running his swim camp (poorly), but did try to impress her and he got rejected.

Coming back to reality, Sid heard some talking and laughter and it was a couple of molehog he sees walking holding hands. There were another couple of animals walking holding hands and another and another. After seeing that, he couldn't take it anymore! He was distraught about not having girlfriend because there are no other sloths within the valley.

"Why me?" He cried.

"Why do I have to be the only single sloth in valley?" He cried out once more in distress.

"*sigh* Crying out like that isn't going to help my depression, maybe I'll just go to the hot springs to get things off my mind." He said.

After saying that, Sid goes off to the springs to heal his spirits.

"Ahhh, this feels nice I can feel my depression going away real smoothly and not to mention…" Sid was suddenly cutoff from multiple voices hear that's coming towards him and it was his herd.

"Oh, no I can't let them see me like this in my depressed state, I gotta hide." He said while thinking of a hiding place.

"Maybe I'll just... *gasp*" He held his breath dove underwater in order to prevent from being seen.

"Huh?" Diego said as he heard a splash.

"What's wrong, Diego?" The bull mammoth asked.

"Oh nothing I thought a splash nearby." He replied.

"It's probably a fish maybe." Ellie said.

"Since when do fish swim in hot springs?" Manny asked.

"Hey, a girl's gotta imagine things right?" She replied.

"Uh... right." He replied in bewilderment.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Crash said.

"Oh no you don't, you're the one who's gonna be a rotten egg." Eddie said.

The two brother possum brothers were dashing neck and neck to the springs. Both of them jumped in at the same and it was a tie.

"I won!" Both of them said at the same time.

"No, I did!; No you didn't I did" The twins said once more as they start brawling.

"Hey you two knock it off!" Manny shouted at the duo.

"Wheee!" Peaches said as she jumps on her uncles immediately stopping the fight.

"Well at least Peaches was here to stop it." Diego said.

"What's that's supposed to mean?" Manny said accusing the saber.

"What? I'm just saying she just stopped the fight between those two nuisances." Diego replied.

"Oh, yeah... well you we're right the possums being nuisances." Manny said with a slight smile on his face.

"Oh, will two you stop it!" Ellie said scolding the two.

"Sorry." Manny and Diego said apologetically.

"Argh! Peaches watch where you land!" Crash and Eddie said to their niece.

"*giggling* Sorry uncles." Peaches said.

Meanwhile after holding his breath for a long time, Sid poked his head out of the water to see the herd here at the hot springs.

"Hmm, maybe I should hide a little bit longer..." After saying that, he hid underwater once more.

"Hey you guys sure you don't want get out yet!" Manny said.

"Nope."; "We're good."; "It's fun!" The three said.

"Maybe, I should give it try, besides I don't think I've been in a hot spring before." He said in his thoughts as he enters the spring.

"Hey this feels nice." Manny said all calm.

"Uh... are you feeling alright, Manny?" Diego said all concerned.

"Oh yeah I'm fine... Hey, Ellie you should try this." He said to his mate.

"Sure thing." Ellie said as she enters the water.

"Hey this does feel nice... Oh, Diego you should try this." She said.

"No thanks, I don't think I should try swimming besides I'm fine on land where it's dr- ahhh!" Diego's statement was cut off as Ellie yanks him into the water.

"What the heck did you do that for?" Diego asked angrily soaking wet in the spring.

"Oh calm down at least you know this spring is nice." Ellie said calming down the angry saber.

"Well... it does feel comfortable, but please don't do that again..." He warned her.

"Fine, don't be so pushy and huh? Ellie said as she felt something soft underwater.

"What's wrong" Diego asked.

"Um, I think I squished something..." She replied.

"*gasp* *cough* That something you squished was me. *cough*" Sid said as he catches his breath.

"Sid? What were you doing underwater?" Ellie asked.

"Oh, I was just holding my breath for a long time underwater." He replied.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Diego asked.

"Well, no I don't think so." He replied back.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Diego asked once more.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine why are you asking so many questions?" Sid said a little annoyed.

"Oh come on Sid, you haven't spoken for almost a week, so can you tell us what's wrong?" Diego asked about his friend's strange behavior.

"Um, I... uh... uhh..." Sid said as he tries to think of an excuse.

"Sid... are you feeling ill?" Ellie said as she puts her trunk on his forehead.

"I'm not sick Ellie." Sid replied as he gently removed Ellie's trunk from his head.

"Really you guys, I'm fine." He said.

"Yeah, but how come you never talk to us anymore?" Diego asked once more.

"Oh that... I just like being silent... sometimes..." He replied.

"Oh, OK we just wanted to know." Diego said as he swims away from the two.

"Hey um, Sid are you... what in the?" Ellie said as she saw Sid looking sadly at a couple walking by.

"Ohhh, I see the problem now." She said after finally realizing something wrong with her friend.

"What?" He said.

"Oh, nothing." Ellie said with a smile on her face.

"What was Ellie smiling about? Maybe, did she found out about my... nah, she couldn't have... could she?" Sid still pondered about what was she smiling about.

After some time in the water, the herd decides to head back as the sun starts to set. In the valley, Sid was staring at the horizon and its beautiful orange sky.

"The horizon looks beautiful and it has a nice romantic setting." Sid said as he stares drowsily at the sunset.

"It really is beautiful and romantic." said the familiar female voice.

"Aah! Whoo, you startled me, Ellie!" He said still trembling.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sid, I didn't mean it." She apologized.

"It's OK, heh heh... *sigh*." He said sadly.

"Mmmm, looks like it's time to head back let's go." She said as she notices the sun going and it’s getting dark.

"Yeah, let's go back." He said.

Sid and Ellie returns back to valley while Ellie is still looking at the forlorn expression Sid's face. She wishes she could help him, but nows not the time. Sid walks back to his cave and Ellie walk's back to the herd however; she wonders how she can help Sid's single problem.

"<i>I know he must have a hard time being alone, but for me I had the same problem too... Maybe later tonight I'll go have a chat with him.</i>" Ellie thought as she returns to the cave.

<b>Please review.</b>