As Shang walked back to the dress shop, he went over in his mind what he wanted to say.

He knew Mulan was angry that he wouldn't allow her to join the mission to rescue the emperor. Hopefully, she wouldn't stay angry long. The mountain doctor had told him that strenuous movement would further damage the already torn muscles .

The doctor had also explained the long term effects of her injury to Shang, but not to Mulan. The first time he had stitched her up, she had been mostly unconscious. The second time, she was shaken from being discovered and almost being raped.

If the torn muscles didn't heal properly, childbearing would be difficult and he also suspected the tip of the sword had sliced her womb. Laboring could cause the muscles to tear again and the associated blood loss could kill her. There was a chance she may never be able to even conceive a child. Her womb could also rupture during labor no matter how well the rest of her injury had healed.

He had asked Shang if she was betrothed to anyone, since it was necessary for her to heal completely, for a couple years, before she should even attempt to have children. He had answered the doctor's question with a no, but did tell him he was sweet on her and may tell her so if they both survived the war.

"If you truly care about her, you'll wait the full two years. She has to take it easy right now. As her commanding officer, I expect you'll enforce that."

"Yes, sir."

At the dress shop, he found her still stewing but willing to listen to him. As they rode to the palace, he relayed to her what the doctor had told him about her injury.

"I failed miserably at the Matchmaker's so I don't think anyone will have me. Then I joined the army the next day. I doubt I need to worry about not being able to have a baby."

Shang looked at her, suddenly tongue-tied. She looked up from Kahn and said "What?"

He finally found his voice. "Well, I'm glad to know I don't have any competition, then."

Now it was Mulan's turn to be tongue-tied.

"I think I'm falling in love with you, Mulan."

"What?"

"I'm falling in love with you."

"I think I'm falling in love with you, too."

"After everything happened on the mountain, I realized it that same night when I was worried you might not make it. I promised myself that if we both survived this war, that I would tell you how I felt. The war is over now. Shan Yu and all the Huns are dead. So I told you."

"I think I fell in love with you the first or second day of training. Definitely by the third. I love you, too, Shang."

"We'll have to wait to get married. You shouldn't become with child for a couple years, according to the mountain doctor. The tip of Shan Yu's sword hit your womb. You might never have a child, or if you do, everything could rupture and you could die."

Mulan stared quietly at him. Why would he still choose to marry her when she may not be able to give him a son? Or when she may die in childbirth?

Seeing her silence and serious face, Shang answered her thoughts.

"I want to marry you because I love you. If we never have any children, that's something I can live with. What I want is to spend every day with you for the rest of our lives."

"The first morning, the doctor said no strenuous activity or sparring for six moons. I'll lose my skills."

"I'll help you get 'em back", said Shang, taking her hand.

That night, there was a large city-wide celebration. Because it wasn't common knowledge that there was a female in the army, Mulan became Ping for one more night.

After the celebration, a messenger summoned Shang to the emperor's council room. He tried not to let his nervousness show, as he knew this was about Chi Fu.

"Now, Captain, I would like you to explain what happened to my royal advisor. He is nowhere to be seen."

Shang took a deep breath. He knew this would happen. It crossed his mind to stick with his original story, the one he told the men. That after the Huns had started firing arrows at them, Chi Fu had ran away, with no sign of him since. But something in the emperor's expression made him think he would not be court-martialed for taking the advisor's life.

He told the emperor the truth. How Mulan had triggered the avalanche with their last cannon, with Shan Yu just mere feet from her and buried most of the Huns. How she was deeply slashed by Shan Yu's sword, but still saved Shang's life when the avalanche started to pull him under. How the doctor told him and Chi Fu of her gender and how Chi Fu had nearly raped her in front of everyone, after telling the rest of the army to have their way with her. How he would always be proud of his men for not doing so and backing away from her. How, when Chi Fu had thrown her onto her back and started to undo his robe, he had ran Mulan's sword through his chest.

The emperor was quiet for several minutes. "Captain, you did the right thing. A true military leader fights, not only against the enemy, but for his soldiers."

"Yes, sir."

"You are aware of the penalty for a woman joining the army, are you not?"

"Yes, sir. I had just grabbed her sword to carry it out when Chi Fu grabbed her by the arm and threw her at my men and told them to rape her. But, I don't think I could have killed her. Sir, she is my bravest soldier. She didn't even think twice about running up closer to where the Huns were charging us and firing the cannon at the mountain."

"Are you in love with her?" The emperor looked at him curiously.

"Yes, sir, I am. And she is in love with me. But, because of her injury, childbearing will be difficult until and unless she heals. The mountain doctor said if the torn muscles don't heal properly, they could rupture during childbirth and cause her to bleed to death. The sword hit her womb and she may never fully recover from that. She needs to wait two years before having any children. So we cannot marry yet."

"And because you love her, you'll wait."

"Yes, I will."

The next two years passed quickly. Mulan remained at her family home. After 12 moons, 6 longer than the mountain doctor had specified, they began working on rebuilding Mulan's fighting skills. Twice, she bested Shang.

After the two years was up, they were married and Mulan became pregnant a couple months later. But it was hard for both of them to be excited, knowing Mulan may not survive the delivery.

They decided to make the most of every day they did have, spending every waking minute together when Shang wasn't attending to his military duties.

They lived at Mulan's parents' home, because Shang had no other surviving family since his father's death. The emotional support of close family was something they desperately needed. Every day, Mulan made sure to tell her family and Shang how much she loved them.

Six weeks too soon, Mulan's water broke. The moment they'd been dreading was here. Every hour that passed brought more anxiety, as both her and Shang clung to each other and hoped the old injury wouldn't break open. Mulan could have only hours left to live.

The contractions seemed to last forever. Finally, the midwife told her she could start pushing. After a few pushes, Mulan began having severe pain on her left side. It kept getting worse. Immediately, the midwife told her to stop.

Suddenly, Mulan began bleeding and then losing consciousness. Shang held onto her hands, begging her not to leave him. The baby was already in Mulan's birth canal, so the midwife grabbed the baby out with both hands. Thankfully, the baby was pink and alive and cried loudly.

After cutting the cord, she wrapped up the baby girl and handed her to Shang. Next, she began massaging Mulan's abdomen. Fa Li, who had been silently watching until now, rushed to where her daughter lay dying.

Together, they made a concoction of herbs, and sat her up. Tipping her head down to protect her airway, they poured it down her throat. Then repeated it twice more. After the third time, the bleeding slowed. They continued massaging her belly while Shang held the newborn, with tears streaming down his cheeks. While the baby cried for her mother, he begged Mulan not to die.

The bleeding finally stopped and the placenta delivered, but Mulan was still unconscious and white as a ghost. Shang, the midwife and Fa Li stayed by her side. The baby was held to her chest whenever she needed to feed. Every few hours, another herbal brew was poured down her throat. Three days of this passed. But they all refused to give up.

Once, the midwife had left the room very briefly to give Fa Zhou and Grandma Fa an update. It didn't look good. The baby was fine, but Mulan had not regained consciousness yet. Fa Zhou had already been in the temple most of that time, praying, so that's where he remained.

Four days passed. Then nearly five, with Mulan still critical. Shang, the midwife and Fa Li kept vigil by her side, giving her herbal brews and holding the baby to her chest.

Shang begged the ancestors to take him instead. As he was holding their daughter close to his chest and weeping, he heard a faint "Shang..."

He turned around to see her eyes open, and passed the baby over to Fa Li.

"Shang..."

"It's ok, Mulan. You're gonna be ok."

"Why am I so weak? Is the baby ok?"

She was too weak to hold her, but Shang held the infant up to her so she could see their daughter was ok.

"You started bleeding and then you lost consciousness. You were out for almost 5 days. We thought we were losing you."

"Was it because of that battle wound?"

"Yes, the midwife thinks so."

"But I, I mean we, did everything we were supposed to. This wasn't supposed to happen." She started to cry.

"Shhh... You must stay calm and rested.

That sword had torn into your womb. The mountain doctor had said there was a chance this could happen with childbirth, no matter what we did right. Waiting to have a child like we did just lessened the risk of it."

It took days, but Mulan finally pinked up and regained her strength and was able to start caring for herself and their daughter. This was to be their only child, for neither of them was willing to risk her life again to expand the family.

Mulan and Shang still cherished every day they had together. Every day, Mulan told all her family she loved them. She was thankful for each day she got to watch her daughter grow, and thankful for each day she got to spend surrounded by those she loves most.