Innocent

"They thought you were abusing her?!" Crane exclaimed.

"It's understandable. I would be suspicious as well. That and I didn't really hide my emotions well," Po pointed out.

"Okay, go on."

"So she calls Huai," Po continued.

"What?! No, no, no. Po hasn't touched me," Huai replied, "Literally," She said to herself in a matter of fact tone. "He just has a lot on his mind with the baby and all. You know how excited he is about Huanzhe."

"He didn't seem excited at all," Mom replied over the phone. "In fact, he seemed... hurt." Huai shrugged. "Are you sure everything is alright?"

"I'm positive, Mom," Huai smirked as she felt Wugu playfully slap her slightly exposed buns. "Everything is perfect."

"Okay. Just call me if anything is wrong," Mom said as she hung up the phone.

"What's up?" Wugu asked as he put his shirt on.

"Nothing. Mom had this bizarre idea that Po was hurting me or something," Huai carelessly waved off. "Said something about him asking weird questions."

"Huh. I wonder what's wrong?" Wugu said thoughtfully. "You don't... think that he knows about us."

"Wugu," Huai sighed, "Po is as clueless as they come. Even if he saw us, I don't think he know anything about it."

"You know, maybe you should just sleep with him one time. You know, so he's not as suspicious," Wugu suggested. Huai smirked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"All I want is your children to be in this womb. No one else's."

"Dang, Huai. You really have a dirty mind," Wugu laughed. Then they heard the door open. "Time for the show." He said, referring to the act they gave. They walked out to the living room where they didn't see Po. He was in the kitchen, looking into the medicine cabinet. They didn't know he found the sleeping medicine they would give him. "Po! How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," He muttered.

"Are you sure? You don't seem fine," Huai noted. Po turned around and put on the best fake smile he could.

"I'm just a little tired. I think I'll sleep on the couch tonight," Po sighed, tiredly.

"Well, if it makes you feel more comfortable, I can give you something to sleep better," Huai suggested. Po knew what she meant.

"No, I think I'm just going to sleep normally," Po yawned as he turned on the TV and laid down.

"Well, I got to go. See you Huai. See you, Po," Wugu waved. Po grunted with a smile and then went to sleep.

"What was your plan?" Crane asked. "What were you trying to learn?"

"I wanted to make sure that the baby was taken care of. Even though it wasn't mine. I also wanted to know why it was Wugu. It was just... mind boggling for me. Sure they weren't related in any kind of way, but still."

"And you stayed because?"

"I still loved her," Po sighed, "And I wanted to make sure that when I left, I wouldn't be hurt as badly. I also wanted to know if I could possibly redeem or fix this some way."

"You wanted her to fall back in love with you. If she loved you at all," Crane replied. "What ended up happening?"

"Well, one of them started caring about me," Po sighed. "I learned that Huai had planned the whole thing from the beginning. Not Wugu."

"Why was that important?"

Po was miserable, but he still held a face for his work at Ping's shop. Just as he was about to leave work, Wugu came in. "Hey, Po!"

"Hey, Wugu."

"What's up? You don't seem yourself. Actually, you haven't been yourself since last week," Wugu pointed out.

"I'm just... a little drained, I guess. A lot is going on," Po said.

"Yeah, Huai mentioned that she barely sees you anymore. You do overtime at work and in the morning you're gone. Are you sure you're fine?" Wugu asked. Po's eyes narrowed.

"Did Huai really tell you that? Or did you just notice?"

"What are you saying?"

"You and Huai are closer than any step-siblings on earth. If I see her, I see you. Which means YOU noticed. Huai would have texted me, called me, or something if she was worried about me," Po pointed out bluntly.

"Are you saying that Huai doesn't care about you," Wugu asked, shocked that Po would suggest it. She didn't but Po couldn't tell him that.

"I just notice things," He plainly said.

"What's wrong, Po? You're right that she didn't verbally say she was worried, but she isn't the clearest on her feelings sometimes."

"Yeah," Po sighed. Of course, Wugu would know that.

"I know, how about we go workout?"

"Sure, I was planning to anyways," Po sighed as he got his stuff.

"You go to the gym after work? I thought you would be tired."

"Mentally, yes. Come on, I'm young. I just have a lot going on my mind with the baby and stuff," Po sighed. "Come on, let's go." They left the shop and drove to the gym where a familiar face to Po flirtatiously waved to him.

"Hey Po," smirked the small female deer. Po rolled his eyes.

"Never losing the flare, are you Lin?"

"You know me."

"You've come here before?" Wugu asked, wondering how he knew the desk attendant so well.

"I work out at this gym," Po said, "I come during the night time."

"That's why I haven't seen you here in the morning," Wugu commented. Po changed into his sports clothing and waited for Wugu outside of the lockers. As the snow leopard came out, another familiar face came to Po.

"PANDA!" Shouted a small voice. Po looked down and saw a familiar bug with a tiny towel around his neck. The bug hopped onto his shoulder. "How have you been Hulk?"

"I've been better. How are you, Mantis?" Po smiled.

"Great! Great. Girlfriend and I are loving the couple dream," Mantis sighed excitedly.

"Well, don't let your feelings get away from you. They'll make you do something you wish you didn't," Po warned. "Trust me I know."

"How are Huai and the kid doing?" Mantis asked.

"They're fine. Thanks for asking. Are my regular stuff ready?"

"All for you, Hulk," Mantis smiled, hopping off of Po's shoulder. As the panda went to the weight set, Wugu was curious.

"Excuse me, what did you call Po?"

"Oh, Hulk? He's one of the strongest people here. Just underneath that plush fur is 300lbs of pure muscle," Mantis replied.

"Po?" Wugu said bewildered. The snow leopard watched as Po went to the bench press. He laid down and started lifting the 500-pound bar over his chest. "Whoa."

"Yes, sir. That panda can lift his own weight with ease, is the fastest runner, and has surprisingly great stamina," Mantis explained.

"How?"

"Yes, how?" Crane said amazed.

"I'm part grizzly remember? That combined with my panda half, I have a lot of strength in me," Po explained.

"Okay, go on."

"And that's how," Mantis explained. Wugu watched as Po then started to lift heavy weights. Weights that Wugu couldn't lift.

"This is going to be interesting," Wugu said. After their two-hour workout, Po and Wugu hit the showers. Po was still sensitive to the fact of people seeing him naked so he showered by himself. Wugu respected him for that. "I would think that being with Huai would boost your confidence a bit, though."

"Yeah," Po breathed out harshly.

"Po, you alright?" Wugu asked as the panda turned the shower off and wrapped his towel around him.

"Let me ask you something, Wugu. How close are you to Huai?"

"Very close. You've seen that for yourself," Wugu said, "Why?"

"So you would know if she was doing anything behind my back?" Po asked. Wugu's eyes widened.

"You think that she's cheating on you?" Wugu accused, pretending to be upset. He was really trying to throw off suspicion.

"No, but it wouldn't matter," Po simply replied. That surprised and confused the snow leopard.

"Wait, why do you say it wouldn't matter?"

"Because I would still love her. No matter who she slept with," Po answered truthfully.

"Oh," Wugu simply said. "But don't you think that if she cheated that you would hate her?" Po laughed a bit.

"I've never been hateful. Frustrated, confused, panicky. Yeah, I've been that, but never spiteful. I just can't bring myself to hate someone," Po sighed. Then Wugu took a risk.

"What if... she cheated before Huanzhe was born. That would mean that he's... technically not yours," Wugu hypothesized. Po shrugged.

"My father was adopted and his parents said that every child deserved a mom and a dad figure. Even if he wasn't mine, I would still be there," Po replied. Wugu was silent. They finished up washing and went to the front of the door where Lin was patiently waiting.

"Po, you and I haven't talked in a while," The deer smiled seductively. "Why is that?"

"Because you want me to leave my wife and be with you," Po smiled bluntly.

"Po!" Lin shouted, embarrassed that he was so open out it.

"Oh, you didn't want that to get out?" Po asked with a smirk. Lin huffed.

"You know, I can tell for a fact that you're not happy in your marriage. Every time you come here, you're sad and only a little happy when you go out. I promise you I can love you more than your wife can," Lin exclaimed. Wugu would have reacted but it was Po's reply that made him silent.

"You're probably right. But I love Huai, and it wouldn't be right for me to try and force my love to you when I don't," Po answered calmly. "You don't deserve that."

"What about you? You're suffering!" Lin argued. Po smiled.

"The Master has said that suffering will only last a while. I just have to make sure I don't prolong it," Po replied. Lin huffed in frustration. "See you later, Lin."

"See you later," Lin muttered. As Wugu and Po walked to the car, Po noticed Wugu's silence.

"You okay?"

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"I mean, she was down talking YOUR sister," Po replied.

"Yeah, it was... your reaction that got me thinking," Wugu slowly said as he finally got into the car. Wugu stopped Po from turning on the car. "Po, are you suffering in this relationship? I... I don't want you to suffer." Po smiled.

"Wugu."

"Huh?"

"Your name. It means innocent. And I think you truly fulfill your name," Po replied.

"That doesn't answer my question," Wugu said. Po patted him on the shoulder.

"You're right, Wugu. Working out did help me," He smiled greatly. He knew now that Wugu at least cared about him and was a truly good-hearted person.

Even though he was sleeping with his step-sister.

Now Po needed to see if Huai cared about him.

To Be Continued...