See Disclaimer in Prologue. Dreamworks owns the panda, the Furious Five, Tai Lung and any characters to recognize from the movie. I own Aunt Wu, Dalang, Mei Xing and Su Lin.


Chapter 3: I Have Faith in You


Just before dusk, the Furious Five met at the bottom of the stairs, awaiting their master. Po, Mantis and Viper were easily excited by the prospect of this new culinary experience. As far as Tigress could tell, Crane and Monkey were just grateful for a second night off in the same week. She was surprised that Shifu wanted to come along, but, she reasoned, he needed to leave the Jade Palace on occasion too.

The red panda eventually met them at the valley floor, gently clasping Oogway's—now his—staff. He kept up the stern façade with his students, though he'd gotten better at showing his feelings and affections for them. He waved them along, "Let's hurry. If we get there late, we might not get in at all."

"Never thought you'd get so excited about a restaurant, Master," Po said. Tigress looked to her master, wondering the same thing. The red panda shrugged it off,

"Even I appreciate a respite from constant training. Recreation is very important…"

The Furious Five all shared a dubious look amongst them. Who was this critter and what had he done with Master Shifu? The master they knew was a real slave driver and recreation was never a high priority. At least when they knew him. How he was when Tai Lung was still his student, well, the only ones who knew were Oogway and Tai Lung, and both were long gone.

Tigress paused outside a familiar moon gate and motioned to the others before stepping in. She looked at Po, who smiled to see a teeming crowd of patrons at his father's noodle shop. At least the new business down the street wasn't hurting Mr. Ping's business.

The goose was chopping green onions when he spotted his famous patrons. "Well, hello again! I'll be with you in just a second. You're a day early, I wasn't expecting you…"

Po had to interrupt the goose; Tigress noticed it was the goose's habit to speak fast and energetically. Most of the time she liked the bird's genuine and exuberant demeanor, but oftentimes, his energy was just downright draining.

"Dad, listen, we're not eating here tonight…"

"You're not?" he sounded hurt. Po looked uncomfortable, so Crane spoke for him,

"We're dragging him to that dim sum restaurant. He wanted to come visit, but master Shifu said we should try something new…"

"We'll be back tomorrow for sure," Po assured.

Tigress spoke, "But I'll be by later tonight for some tea. Yours is the best I've ever had."

That did the trick. The sad and downtrodden expression brightened instantly. "Of course you'll be back! You're my best customers, let me know if you want anything to go!"

"We will," Po said. "Listen, Dad, we gotta get going…"

"Sooner we get there, the sooner we get back here," Shifu said, sealing the deal. He winked at Po and turned to leave. The panda bid his father a good night and followed after the group.

When they were out of earshot, Mantis high-fived the panda, "Nice save, Po."

"You guys helped. Tigress, the tea thing was a stroke of genius!"

"Oh, I'm still going back. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it."

She missed Shifu's proud expression; had she seen it, she would have known how happy he was with the way she turned out. For the time being, however, it was still a mystery. That was an issue that would have to wait for another day.


"Will you look at this place? It's a zoo."

"Of course it is, Mantis, it's full of animals."

"You know what I meant."

The crowd outside Aunt Wu's Dim Sum and Then Some was huddled around the main entrance, many just there to breathe in the pungent and delicious aromas. Po sniffed and smiled, "Wow, whatever that is smells really good…"

"I'm surprised you can't tell what it is," Tigress teased.

"Too many different ingredients. Otherwise, I could tell you."

The crowd parted to allow the septet into the building; it turned out the majority of people crowding around the restaurant were just there to smell the fare and glance at the menu posted in the storefront window.

The lobby was small and cramped, but lit with red lanterns. A small creature sat on a tall stool at a tall table, writing names down and crossing them off on a ledger. An abacus was by her side and she slid the little beads across at a flurry. She glanced up, smiled warmly and set down her brush.

"Welcome! My goodness, this is a pleasant surprise! Imagine, the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior, in my restaurant!" She beamed, reaching for seven menus. "Follow me, please, a table just opened up.

"I'd like to personally see to your pleasure tonight," she said as she led them to a large table near the back. Shifu was right behind her, Tigress behind him, and she noticed him staring at the female red panda. The feline thought with a smirk, Could it be that Master Shifu is developing a liking for her already?

She had to admit that the hostess was attractive with her laugh lines and almost youthful energy. Nothing appeared to weigh on her shoulders, and she was so light on her feet, the feline had trouble hearing her footfalls.

Once everyone was seated at a nice round table, the hostess, Aunt Wu, brought a hot pot of tea to the table and set seven teacups around, gracefully pouring the hot beverage for all. Shifu still stared at her, but she didn't appear to notice.

Tigress finally leaned over to ask him, "Master? Is everything alright?"

He hushed her, and waited until Aunt Wu had walked away before whispering, "She looks familiar, but I can't quite place it."

"An old friend maybe?"

"No, no, I'd remember her if she were. I know I've never formally met her. But there's something…"

"Wow!" Mantis exclaimed. "Six dumplings for the price of four? That's a steal!"

Tigress rolled her eyes and glanced over the menu; she wrinkled her nose. Everything was either fried or drowning in soy sauce. Very fatty and potentially unhealthy. When Aunt Wu came back, the feline asked, "Is there anything on this menu that's not deep fried or covered in sauce?"

"Would you like me to get the chef for you?" Wu asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes, one that Tigress missed.

"Yes please, thank you."

"Jeez, Tigress," Viper whispered, "don't be such a tough customer."

"I'm not being a tough customer, I just…"

"I understand there's an unhappy customer at this table," said a male voice, interrupting her mid-sentence.

Tigress turned to retort to his rudeness and stopped.

Those rumors Viper had mentioned about the cook—chef—being cute…well, the master of tiger style was happy to find those rumors could be put to rest. He was more than just "cute"—he was unnaturally beautiful for a male. Everything from the gently sloping shoulders and long graceful neck denoted him as a lover, not a fighter, but that was thrown out the window when she saw the muscular shoulders and arms that he didn't bother to hide with his sleeveless shirt. It was the light in his eyes that drew her in and took her breath away. They were a hypnotizing shade of yellow green, and his smile—that smile!—made her knees feel weak.

"Ma'am?" he asked in his deep, smooth masculine voice. Ye Gods, he was something else…

Tigress shook herself out of it, "Sorry?"

"You said you had a question."

"Oh! Right! A question…" she ignored the stares from the rest of the table. "Do you do special orders?"

He smiled genuinely, "I sure do. What're you in the mood for? Wait, let me guess…" he cocked his head to the side and studied her a moment, then pursed his lips together. What was really only a few seconds felt like a blissful eternity to Tigress as his eyes locked with hers. It had been too long for her to realize that she was crushing big time.

"Okay, I got it," he said, snapping her out of it. "Nothing fried, and something not drowned in a sauce, right?"

She nodded, mystified.

"Thought so. You look like someone who enjoys a nice, clean palate. So…I'm proposing this: braised tofu dumplings with fresh ginger, and steamed vegetables with a side of red beans and rice, and something a little spicy on the side. Sound good?"

She nodded again, still staring at him, "Yes, it sounds great. Thank you."

He grinned, glad the crisis was averted, and gave her a mock salute, "Whatever the lady wants, the lady gets." As he turned to leave, Tigress stopped him, "Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I'm so sorry, what did you say your name was?"

He stared back at her, and by now, so was everyone in their immediate vicinity. "Uh, I didn't, and it's Dalang."

"Dalang…" she felt Viper nudge her arm and she snapped herself out of her reverie, forcing herself to be all business. "It was a pleasure to meet you."

That smile told her that he wasn't fooled. "Nice to meet you too, Master Tigress." With that, he disappeared into the back, and Tigress let out the breath she'd been holding. Wow, that was intense…

"Tigress?" Shifu asked. She snapped back to attention to see the entire table watching her closely. She stared back, feeling like she'd been caught in a trap. "Um, yes?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, Master. Yes, I'm perfectly alright."

"You were staring," Monkey said.

"No I wasn't," she denied, suddenly finding her chopsticks very interesting. "I was simply…being polite. Yes! Maintaining eye contact is very important for first impressions."

"Uh-huh," Viper said, clearly not fooled either. The serpent sent the feline a furtive, conspiring wink, as if to say "I told you so!"

Shifu only poured himself more tea, though he was eyeing the sake at the next table. Tigress could only imagine him thinking how good some alcohol would be right now. Truth be told, she would've wanted it too. At least if she got drunk, her actions could be understood…

As if on cue, Aunt Wu returned to the table. "I'm so sorry dear, there seems to have been a mistake…" the female red panda took the tiger's cup from the table. "Seems we got your drink mixed up with sake. I'm so sorry."

Perfect, an outlet!

"Actually, its fine. I don't mind."

"Oh, good! Would you like more perhaps? Your cup is almost empty…"

Tigress looked across the table at Shifu, then said, "Yes, the entire bottle."

She wagered it would be a long night.


It had been a long night, Tai Lung had decided. It had been a long night, with nothing to do but stare at four walls, which was what he'd done for the past year. He had gotten back into the habit of doing stretches and light strength training; push ups, curl ups and sit ups, anything to take his mind off the boredom and to keep in some semblance of shape. Dalang had told him to take it easy, since his injuries made it difficult to get back into shape. The tiger was too easy on him, the leopard thought, and he decided to take matters into his own hands.

As he was performing a back bend, the door to his room opened, and he straightened.

He stopped.

He expected Aunt Wu or Dalang, but he had never seen this woman before. The woman, a snow leopard like himself, stopped dead, her amber-gold eyes wide. She knew him. She recognized him. And she was going to scream.

Only one thought crossed his mind:

Oh shit.

She dropped the linens she was carrying and opened her mouth to let out a scream, but was hushed when Dalang appeared out of nowhere and slammed his palm over her mouth.

"Mei! Mei, easy, easy, its okay, don't scream, whatever you do, don't scream…" he spoke softly. She still stared at Tai Lung, fear and now loathing in her eyes. Oh, she knew who he was alright, and the leopard was surprised to see that unlike the other villagers, she wasn't scared silly. She glowered at him, challenging him.

Either she was very brave or very stupid.

Dalang hissed, "I told you to listen to me! It was the second door on your left, okay? The second door! We told you never to open this door unless Auntie gave you permiss—OW!" He drew his hand back as she had bitten into it. She turned on him, snarling,

"You've been harboring a dangerous criminal? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Keep your voice down!" he said firmly.

"Why should I? Everyone needs to know he's here! He's a dangerous, demented felon!"

Dalang opened his mouth to protest, and Tai Lung felt his heart hammering in his chest. It was going to happen, this woman was going to get him discovered, and get him killed.

Then Aunt Wu appeared in the doorway, angrier than he had ever seen her. She walked right up to the female leopard, yanked her down sharply and slapped her hard across the cheek. The younger lady stared in shock at her boss, who whispered fiercely, "When I brought you here you were no better off than he is. If you scream, and alert the villagers, you're tightening the noose around your own neck."

That did it. The leopard female paled, then blushed with shame, nursing the smarting cheek.

Tai Lung glared at the red panda, incensed from the display of domestic violence, "That was uncalled for!"

"You don't know her," Aunt Wu told him fiercely, "She needed that rude awakening, or she would have doomed us all. Do you understand me?" She wasn't speaking to him anymore. Her attention had shifted back to the female.

The other leopard had her back turned to him and he saw her shoulders quaking, then straighten. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Good, now stand up. Dalang, get Su Lin, we might as well get this over with now that the cat's out of the bag. Mei Xing, stand up," she ordered. The female finally responded, standing slowly and silently, then turned to face the outlaw. Her eyes were downcast; she looked like she was fighting back tears of shame.

"Tai Lung, this is Mei Xing. She is one of the waitresses that work for me. She also has been living here a few months. A bit of a firebrand, but like Dalang…"

"Her heart is good," he finished. Wu was fond of saying that. Why did everyone have to have a good heart? At his voice, Mei Xing glanced up at him, her amber eyes boring into his. Her eyes were glistening, but still there was her unspoken challenge. Firebrand indeed.

Just then, Dalang returned, bringing a female panda in his wake. Tai Lung stared at them, then down at Wu. "Are there any more?"

Wu shook her head. "This is it. This is our family…your family. We protect each other, and love each other despite our faults. Dalang, Mei Xing, Su Lin," she nodded to the panda, "and myself, we are here to support you, protect you, and love you, just as you are."

Mei Xing let out a snort and ironic laugh before she could control the impulse. Aunt Wu glared, and the leopard stopped. Tai Lung raised an eyebrow; what was going on here?

Su Lin stepped forward, wringing her hands and looking a little nervous. "So…you're Tai Lung?"

"I am."

She smiled thinly, testing the waters to see if they were calm, or turbulent seas. "Well, it's good to finally meet you. Auntie didn't want me anywhere near you, but I wanted to help. Have you liked the food so far?" Her voice was surprisingly sweet, and she, unlike the panda he'd fought, was not very rotund at all. She was…what was the term? Ah yes, "pleasantly plump" and healthy. Not skinny like the female leopard standing stock still to his right.

"Ah, yes, its been very good…you cooked for me?" he asked curiously.

She nodded, looking to Dalang and Aunt Wu. "Yeah, but they didn't think it was safe for…well, I guess you know."

He nodded slowly. He knew what she meant. They all thought he was unstable. It was clear now, that's why he was there. That's why he was being kept prisoner here.

Aunt Wu cleared her throat. "We should be getting back to work…"

"May I stay here, Auntie?" Su Lin asked. "You and Dalang have done so much to help him, I want to do more. He won't hurt me, I'm sure."

Aunt Wu looked at Tai Lung, and for the first time he saw something he recognized, that parental instinct to protect her babies, even if it meant laying her own life on the line. He'd seen Shifu with that same expression, but that was a long time ago… All impressions he had of her until then melted away like frost in a spring thaw. Maybe she wasn't as hard as he thought…

"Leave the door open. And remember the half nelson Dalang taught you. If you need to, remember the pressure points to…"

"Thank you, Aunt. I'll be careful, promise," she said sweetly.

Mei Xing glanced at Tai Lung, and he returned her glare.

"I don't trust you," she said. She stepped up to him; she was a head shorter than he was, but he stepped back when she got in his face, hellfire burning in her eyes. "If you so much as misplace one hair on her, I will rip you apart."

She had one hell of a complex, he had to admit, but she also had a lot spirit. And a lot of mouth. She turned on her heel and marched out of the room, followed by Aunt Wu and Dalang, who sent Tai Lung a sympathetic look.

I live with it everyday. I am so sorry you had to see that.

He was too.

Su Lin smiled at the leopard and clapped her hands once. "So…are you hungry?"

What was it with pandas and food? His stomach growled and probably said a few four letter words to him, and quite audibly. "Ravenous."

She beamed, her eyes crinkling, revealing deep laugh lines. "Great! Let me whip something up. Do you have any favorites?"

"Surprise me."

And surprise him she did. When she returned, the tray was piled high with everything he could have imagined. Bowls of steaming rice, mixed with vegetables, beans, and pickles. A large bowl of soup with diced tofu and scallions and dumplings the size of his fist. It all looked good, and as soon as he popped the first bite into his mouth, he was hooked. He tore into it with relish, causing her some alarm.

"Slow down! You'll make yourself sick!"

"Don't care," he said between bites. "This is the best meal I've had in years!"

Su Lin smiled and sat back, waiting for tea to steep. "Just the same, I have some mint tea here. Dalang swears by ginger, but I've always liked mint better. Did you know it's a natural stomach relaxant? And tastes better than that spicy ginger too."

He only half listened as he tore through a whole roasted fish, scraping off the scales with his claws.

"Mind the bones, please."

"Mm-hmpfh," he mumbled, moving on to the soup. She smiled and sat across from him on the floor.

"I'm glad you like it. I've worried that you're not eating enough. Looks like I was right."

He drained the soup bowl and sat back, resting his back against the bed. He sighed in satisfaction. He hadn't eaten that well since before Chor-Ghom. This panda was an excellent cook…

"A few more meals like that, and I'll need to add notches to my belt," he chuckled.

She nodded, "I'll be careful not to let that happen. I know how you kung fu artists like to keep in shape."

He looked at her through half-lidded eyes, the full meal making him sleepy. He felt compelled to ask, "You knew I was here the whole time?"

Su Lin cast her big brown eyes down to the floor, fingering the hem of her green dress; he assumed the identical dresses were part of the uniform. The female leopard, what was her name? Mei Xing, that's right, she was dressed differently. She wore trousers beneath her knee-length hem, and a deep blue bodice secured around her waist with a brown sash. Su Lin was dressed the same way, though her colors were…more like spring, brighter, lighter, like fresh green grass and spring rain. Mei Xing's darker color choices reminded him more of frigid winter.

Fits her personality, he thought.

"I did, I helped treat your wounds," she said. "I'd heard of the Wu Xi finger hold, but I had no idea it could…" she stopped herself, paling.

He needed to know. "How bad was it?"

She looked back at him, her brown eyes wide and brimming with tears. He wished she wouldn't, he wasn't worth her tears. "It was horrible," she whispered, shaking her head. "Just horrible…I had nightmares for weeks. I'm still amazed that you're alive."

He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "Dalang said he found me on top of a mountain. How did I get there?"

The panda shook her head. "We don't know. Aunt Wu has theories, but I think the one that makes the most sense…well, I apologize in advance, but you're…a bit stubborn. Well, okay, very stubborn. My guess is that you felt you had something to live for, and you weren't going to give up for anything."

You felt you had something to live for. Did he though?

"I don't think I do, not anymore. Look at me, I'm pushing forty and what do I have to show for my life? If I died tomorrow and met the gods at the gates to the underworld, think of all I'd have to answer to."

"Maybe the gods decided to give you a second chance?" she offered.

"If I were a god, I wouldn't give me a second chance."

"You've had a lot of time to think about this, haven't you?"

He nodded.

She sighed, then reached behind her for something. "I have something for you."

She uncovered a book, bound in green silk with embroidered bamboo branches on the cover. He took it slowly, his fingers, callused from years of training, traced over the cover. He gingerly flipped it open to the flyleaf and found it blank. He flipped a few more pages, and they were all blank. To the back cover, they were all blank.

"What is this?"

"It's a journal. I bound it myself. It's a hobby I picked up, bookmaking. It's very therapeutic. But, so is writing. I like to write poetry."

"I'm not writing poetry," he scoffed. "Do I look like a poet?"

"You never know until you try," she smiled hopefully. "I like you, Tai Lung, despite appearances. You're probably wondering why, but look at it this way. I like to believe the best in people. I believe everyone deserves a second chance, and that when it comes right down to it, people are going to do the right thing."

She handed him an ink set, and some pieces of pressed charcoal. She looked at him, "Everything happens for a reason. Things go wrong so that you can appreciate them when they're right, and people change so that we know to change too, and that we can change for the better."

He looked down at the journal in his hands and set it on the bed. "So what am I supposed to write?"

"Anything, really. Your thoughts, your feelings, memories…whatever makes you happy. Here's the trick," she whispered conspiringly. "When you write an entry, don't reread it right away. Wait a few months, then reread it. You'll see how much you've changed."

"I won't change."

"That's not true."

"How do you know?"

Her answer was simple and hopeful, but it hit him in a way he wasn't expecting.

"Because I have faith in you."

She left him with that concept, taking the dirty dishes downstairs to the kitchen; she came back with an extra blanket, telling him it would be chillier than usual that evening. He only nodded dumbly, extinguishing the candle by his bed and climbing in under the covers. He wasn't tired, far from it. His mind just wouldn't shut off. He'd gone from fearing discovery and death to being blown away by five simple words: "I have faith in you."


I want to personally thank everyone who reviewed! You all are so sweet, and your words have brought me a lot of confidence. Thank you!