Day 3: Tuesday

If yesterday was weird, then today was wacky. Po got up early in the morning to tend to the shop. It would be one more day before Mr. Ping came back. It was also the day that Po had something special in mind for Lin. Lin's house was not very far from Po's, but the trip there was nerve wrecking every time. Would this be the day that he would say what he wanted? Or this day? So every time he went there, Lin always wondered why he was sweating.

The fox and the panda were very good friends, Po remembered that. He also remembered all the times they had together, especially when he was an early teen. One day, he and Lin were working in Mr. Ping's shop. She would help if she didn't have anything to do. However, on this day it was very...distant between the two. Lin was thinking about boys, and Po was wondering how to get her attention. So with their brains occupied, they didn't really talk that much until a certain person came into the shop. A snow leopard boy about the height of Po at this age, 5'10". He was well dressed, neat, and seemed to carry himself very well with his smirk. His smirk was a little crooked with the left side slightly higher than the other when he smiled. Po's glare would always surface when he came in. This was Lin's boyfriend.

"Hey Gu," Lin greeted with a kiss on his lips. Po's glare disappeared when Lin looked at him, "We're going to the show tonight. They're presenting Kung Fu dancing artists! You want to come Po?" Po's fake smile was enough to fool anyone. It was something that he would later regret as being...a liar.

"No, I'm good. You two have a good time," Po said faking happiness.

"Oh we will," Gu smiled crookedly as Lin's giggle filled the open-air room. They left into the night. Po's mind wandered as he continued to clean the tables. Lin and Po had been friends for as long as they could remember, but Po knew Lin always saw him as a brother, and that was a line Po didn't want to cross anytime soon. Lin would help Po with his homework and problems, and Po would help her with the boy troubles and many other things in return. It was, in Po's mind, taunting because she kept discussing other people she was interested in and not Po. All these things flooded Po's mind until he heard a cry and sobbing. He snapped out of his thinking to realize it was dark, and Lin had just come into the shop crying. Po caught her in his arms.

"What's the matter, Lin? What happened?" Po asked.

"He ditched me," Lin said weeping.

"What?" Po said still confused.

"Gu dumped me. He dumped me and went with another...filthy putz!" she said bitterly. Po lead her to the table and sat her down, still crying. "Why? Why do I have to attract the wrong guys? Guys are just idiotic stupid people!"

"'Ouch' said a guy," Po said a little insulted.

"I'm sorry Po. I didn't mean you. You've always helped me in these times. What should I do?" Lin questioned with pleading eyes. Po sighed and wondered what to say. Then it came. The moment of truth that would sprout from his mouth. Unfortunately, it wasn't what he expected.

"Have you ever thought that you might just be too...impatient?" Po asked. Lin was confused. Po wiped her tears from her red fox fur. "Lin, you're 14 and have a whole life ahead of you. You don't know all there is to know. Gu is the kind of person that uses people for his own pleasure."

"You knew?" Po looked away ashamed.

"I didn't want to tell you because I thought that you would think I was...being a jerk," Po spoke carefully. Lin hugged her panda brother.

"Oh Po, I'll never think of you like that. You're my best friend and I love you like a big brother," Lin replied. Though it would still put him in the 'relative zone', Po hugged back the fox that was his sister.

"My, how things have changed," Po said as he came out of his reminiscence. Kung Fu, Dragon Warrior training, and finding out your birth place can really take a person away. When he was chosen to be Dragon Warrior, he was taken out of his regular cycle. It had been two years since he last saw Lin, and she lived just two blocks. His thought process was interrupted when Tigress came down. "Did you sleep well?" Po asked. Tigress looked at the panda with a small tiredness in her eyes. "Apparently not. What's wrong?"

"I...couldn't sleep," Tigress said resisting a little. She didn't want to tell him that she had some disturbing thoughts last night. "Thanks for the breakfast. So what's the plan for today?"

"Well, I'm going to Lin's house," Po said. He thought he heard Tigress spit up something, but he looked to only see her staring at him. After the brief awkward staring, Tigress resumed to eating her breakfast that Po made.

"For what?" Tigress asked stuttering over her words a little. Po shrugged.

"Just to see her, you know. Maybe I'll tell her that I use to like her," Po replied shocking him and Tigress. That last part was really random, but Po spoke it nonetheless.

"Aaa" Tigress couldn't get her words out. She cleared her throat and continued, "That would be good. She deserves to know. I know that I would if someone were to like me." Po looked at Tigress with a bit of sadness in his eye.

"I guess you're right. It's not like it would destroy our friendship. Lin's too caring for something stupid like that," Po said, "By noon, I'll go over to her house." Tigress was speechless. She didn't know what to say.

By noon time, Po was already down the road to Lin's house. "Why did you want to come with me again?" Po asked Tigress. Tigress thought for a moment. It was really just an impulse that made her do it, so she didn't have a real reason.

"I just didn't want to be left alone bored at the shop," She replied simply. As they reached the house, something obvious was apparent. One: lots of people were in the house. Two: a celebration of some kind was going on. Po and Tigress entered the party to see animals all over the place. "I'll get you some food," Tigress said knowing he would be hungry. Po chuckled.

"You know me so well," Po smiled. Po looked through the crowd as Tigress got food. Finally, he saw Lin in a pretty white dress. Po then saw Lin holding the hand of another fox. A male fox. He was decorated in the a fancy...wedding suit. Po's brain made the connection as Lin spotted him. She squeezed and struggled through the crowd with her husband in hand and got to Po.

"Po!" she exclaimed wrapping her arms around his waist, "It's so good to see you again. Gen, this is my best friend, Po. Po, this is my husband, Gen." Po could see that Gen was nervous meeting new people because he was very awkward with his bowing.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Po. My wife has told me of the many times you've helped her," Gen thanked as Lin blushed a little, "I will struggle to do the same."

"Okay then. But you'll have to deal with her craziness as well," Po joked receiving a punch from an embarrassed Lin. Gen smiled.

"I will do my best," Gen bowed as he left them alone to tend to the other guests. While Lin's back was turned, Tigress came up to Po and whispered to him.

"I'm guessing that you already realize what type of party this is," She whispered sadly. Po sighed as he nodded. When Lin turned around to see Tigress, her face lit up.

"Oh, is this your wife too?" Po and Tigress looked at each other with confused faces. Why was everyone thinking that they were a couple recently?

"No, no, she's just my friend that will be staying with me for a while," Po recovered.

"Oh, well stay a while. Have some tea, have some cake, have anything except my husband," Lin joked as Po laughed again. My how things have changed.

As Tigress and Po returned to the shop late in the evening, Po was looking down at the ground for the majority of the time. Tigress was clueless about what to say, but she tried her best anyways. "I'm sorry that happened. I guess it must have been hard for you," She said trying to empathize, though she couldn't very clearly. Po took a big sigh.

"Not really. I mean, I knew that I was always a brother to her and telling her would have only complicated things," Po replied.

"So you're not upset?"

"I'm glad, actually, because she's happy and found the man she wanted. I guess it's like seeing your child grow up. I don't know. But I'm fine with it," Po said truly smiling. As they entered the shop, Po's mind thought a question. "Tigress, I know that we're just sparring partners and comrades, but what do you see me as?" Speechless again! Tigress couldn't say. Rather, she would not say.

"Um...I'm not really...comfortable with those types of questions," She answered honestly. Po shrugged. He guessed it was just as a partner. "I'm going to bed now," She said, "Good night." She rushed up the stairs.

"Good night," Po replied. Interesting what a question will escalate to.

to be continued