IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ.

I am still very busy. This message concerns my previous story 'Comatose'. Some persons have mentioned to me that it seemed rushed and that I should make it a full story. I have considered this and have come up with some ideas for it. So, I'm letting you all know what I am going to make it a full story, but I need to finish up 'Perfect Match' before I do, or else I will never finish it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one.


Family

"Mommy? When is daddy coming back home?" A five year old tiger cub asked her mother, as she was putting her to bed. The cub was white with black stripes, black ears and black patches over her jade eyes.

"Soon sweetheart. Soon." Her mother replied. She was an orange tiger with fiery eyes. She was none other, than Master Tigress.

The cub yawned. "That's what you always say." She tiredly mumbled.

Tigress frowned at what her daughter said.

"I miss daddy." The cub sadly said, as she held on tightly to the stuffed panda her father had given her.

"I know, Ling-Ti." Tigress said, as she placed a kiss on the cub's forehead. "I miss him too. Now… get some sleep." She told her daughter as she placed the cover over her to keep warm from the cold night air.

Ling-Ti yawned again as she nuzzled her pillow to make herself more comfortable, while clutching tightly to her favourite toy.

"Good… night… mommy…" Ling-Ti managed to say, before sleep took over.

Tigress smiled at her daughter who was fast asleep. She gave her one last kiss on her head, and then made her way to leave her daughter's room. When she got to the door…

"Daddy… daddy… please… come… home…"

Tigress frowned as she heard her daughter calling out for her father in her sleep. She let out a heavy sigh then exited the room, and made her way to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom.

She sat at the foot of the tree and leaned back to rest upon it, then looked up to the sky. The frown had never left her face as she thought of her mate. It had been five months since he left to find a hidden village he was told housed the missing pandas, that were believe to be extinct after an attack on their original village. Tigress wanted to go along with him, but he – though he wanted her to come along – insisted that she stay, should the pandas become hostile at seeing another species; and a tiger at that. Tigress understood, and reluctantly let him go.

Seeing how long he'd been gone, Tigress regretted not following him. But one thing kept her back. The most important thing to both of them.

Their daughter.

Tigress knew if she followed, she'd have to bring her daughter as well. But she would never put her in harm's way.

She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, then looked back up to the night sky.

"Oh Po. You don't know how much Ling-Ti misses you." She paused. "How much… I miss you." She finished as she placed her right paw on her chest, over her heart.

That's right. Master Tigress' mate was none other, than Po; the Dragon Warrior, a panda. Their union did not come as a surprise to many, as they all saw the very close bond that the two shared. What did come as a surprise to all, including the couple themselves, was the conceivement of their child. No one believed that a panda and tiger could have a child, but it happened, and the couple couldn't have been happier.

Tigress soon left the peach tree and made her way back to their room to try to get some sleep.

The next day, Tigress and Ling-Ti made their way to the village to visit Mr Ping. When they got there, Tigress and Ling-Ti saw a rice paper wall blocking the entrance and a 'closed' sign stuck to the side of the entrance. This confused both tigers… well, tiger and panda-tiger.

"Mommy? Why is Grandpa Ping's shop closed?" The cub asked.

"I don't know sweetheart. But, Grandpa Ping did say that whether he is opened or closed, we are always welcomed." Tigress replied as they approached the shop's opening. She moved the rice paper wall aside for them to enter, and then closed it back once they were in. When she turned around, she froze at the sight before her.

Sitting at the table closest to the kitchen, occupied six occupants. They stopped what they were doing and turned towards the entrance to see who had entered. Among them were Mr. Ping, four giant pandas, two male two female, and a panda cub. Two of the pandas, one of the males and one of the females, seem to be much older than she was. Probably around Mr Ping's age. The other female seemed to be about her age, but a bit younger. And the last, but not least panda, was one she knew all too well and had not seen for five months. And was holding the panda cub in his arms. It was none other, than, Po.

Tigress felt a lump in her throat when she saw this, but composed herself to not jump to conclusions.

Ling-Ti's eyes widened and a big smile came across her face at the sight of the panda.

"DADDY!" She happily cried out, letting go of her mother's paw and ran over to the panda. Po smiled and handed the panda cub over to the young female panda, then scooped up the panda-tiger cub into his arms into an embrace.

"Hey princess!" Po exclaimed as he held his daughter.

"I missed you so much daddy!" Ling-Ti cried out, hugging her father around his neck as best she could.

"And I missed you, my little miracle." Po replied, nuzzling his head with his cub's.

Po looked over to Tigress who still stood frozen by the entrance. Po walked up to her.

"Po?" Tigress asked in disbelief, once he was face to face with her.

"Hey, Ti." Po softly replied.

Tigress' surprised expression suddenly changed to a scowl as she crossed her arms and glared at the panda before her.

"You're lucky you're carrying her, or else you'd be on the ground right now." Tigress told him sternly.

Po chuckled. "I missed you too, love." He said, placing a kiss on her cheek, causing Ling-Ti to giggle.

Tigress gave him one last stern look, and then sighed as her expression softened. She looked up at him with a gentle smile. She placed her left paw on his right cheek then leaned in and kissed him tenderly on the lips, which Po happily returned. Once they separated, Tigress nuzzled her head under Po's neck lovingly. Ling-Ti joined her mother in nuzzling her father's neck.

"We've really missed you, Po." Tigress told him.

"As have I." Po replied, embracing his mate and daughter.

Their moment was interrupted when they heard someone clear their throat to get the couple's attention. They turned around to see the occupants at the table smiling at them. Po chuckled as he lead Tigress and Ling-Ti over to them.

"So much for the surprise, eh son?" Mr. Ping stated.

Po nodded as he placed an extra chair at the table next to his so that Tigress could sit. Once they were seated, Tigress and Ling-Ti gave Po a confused look.

"I wanted to surprise you, but since you're already here, I'll introduce you." Po stated, still carrying his daughter in his arms.

Po first introduced the two elder pandas, as his biological parents. Then he introduced the young female panda as his younger sister, and the panda cub as his nephew; his sister's son.

Tigress was inwardly relieved to find out that the female panda was Po's sister, and the cub being her son.

Po then introduced his long lost family to his mate and cub.

"It's a pleasure to meet you dear." Po's mother told Tigress on behalf of the others.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." Tigress replied.

Po's mother nodded. "You know dear, when my son told us his mate was a tiger and that he had a cub with her, we couldn't believe it."

"Yes, it… came as a surprise to us too." Tigress replied, then looked over at her cub, who beamed at her mother. "She's our little miracle." She smiled then turned back to face the pandas.

"Shortly after I found the village and got reacquainted with my biological family, my father wanted me to get married right away, as they had already engaged me with someone shortly after I was born. The moment he said that I immediately told him about you and Ling-Ti." Po piped in. "And like my mother said, they didn't believe me. So they came back with me to see for themselves."

"And see, we did." Po's mother replied with a smile.

"I definitely wouldn't believe it till I saw with my own eyes." Po's sister piped in. "She is very cute."

Po's father kept quiet, observing the odd couple, particularly the cub, while the females communicated with them. Po picked up on his father's silence and turned his attention to him.

"Father?" Po asked, catching the elder panda's attention. "You've been… awfully quiet. Is… everything ok?"

Everyone looked to the elder panda. He closed his eyes and hummed in thought, then reopened them towards his son.

"May I have a better look at her?" Po's father asked.

Po nodded, telling his daughter that everything was alright then handed her over to his father. The elder male panda sat the cub in front of him on the table and observed her with a somewhat serious expression.

Ling-Ti looked up at the panda with a curious and confused look, which turned into a frightened one when she saw his expression.

"Daddy…" Ling-Ti whimpered, fear evident in her voice.

Tigress' protective motherly instincts instantly kicked in, but she held back when she felt Po's paw on her lap and the expression he gave her that said 'everything's ok'.

"It's ok sweetheart. He won't hurt you." Po reassured his daughter.

Ling-Ti was still scared, but she trusted her father.

Po's father examined every part of the cub. Her facial features, body figure, paws and tail. When he was done, he smiled and chuckled.

"I apologise if I scared you, young one." Po's father spoke to the cub with a deep, but gentle voice. The female pandas let out a sigh of relief. "And to you and your mate, son." He looked up at the couple who gave him a confused look.

"Although I had seen her, I was still in doubt. At first glance, one could see that she is a tiger, who just so happened to have panda markings, which would make one easily believe that she is a mix of panda and tiger. But I wanted to see passed her appearance and my findings have convinced me that she does indeed have panda blood in her." The elder panda explained.

"So what did you find?" Mr. Ping piped in; not liking what the elder panda was most likely accusing Tigress of.

"Apart from the black ears and eye markings," the panda began, "her paws… are of a panda. Her ears, both panda and tiger; not as round as a panda's and not as pointed as a tiger's. And her body; not as slim as a tiger and not as round as a panda." He explained.

This information surprised the couple. Apart from the cub's body, they never realized those subtle features of their daughter.

"Well… if her appearance didn't convince you, I'm sure her appetite sure would have." Mr. Ping told the old panda. And right on cue, the cub's stomach growled, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Grandpa Ping, I'm hungry." Ling-Ti whined.

Mr. Ping smiled at the cub and went into the kitchen. He came back with a Dragon Warrior sized dumpling. The pandas were surprise at what the goose had brought for the cub to eat, all wondering if she would really eat it all. Ling-Ti licked her lips and was about to dig into her dumpling, but stopped herself as she remembered her manners and asked if anyone wanted some. They all shook their head and told her to go ahead, and she immediately dug in. Within five minutes the dumpling was gone. The pandas stared, eyes wide at what they had just witnessed. Po, Tigress and Mr. Ping merely chuckled.

Ling-Ti sat in the middle of the table with a satisfied smile. She then let out a burp, which seemed a bit loud for her stature. She excused herself and apologised when she did. Her smile then turned into a small frown.

"I'm still hungry." She whined, causing everyone to burst out laughing.

"You can't get any more convinced than that, dear." Po's mother said to her husband, who agreed with her.

After that, they all got to know each other better. Ling-Ti got to know her panda cousin who was just a year younger than her and they hit it off quiet well, playing tag or hide and seek around the restaurant.

Po was happy that his biological family accepted Tigress and his daughter, and that they were all getting along. Even if they didn't, it wouldn't have changed anything between them. They were his family.

The one that gave birth to him, the one that raised him and the one he started a life with. They were all family…

…His family.


UPDATED: 12.04.2014

Hope you all enjoyed it. Please review. :3

Edit: Just to let you guys know, (based off a review) based on the idea of the story i come up with, i give Po and Tigress one or two children based on the idea. My stories in this oneshot series are in NO WAY related to each other. So well as i have them with 2 kids in the previous story, it wouldn't have worked out with what i came up with for this story. Remember guys, these are a series of oneshots that just POP into my head, not a chaptered story. If the stories are linked in any way, i will mention it before the actual story.

In one of my stories, I have them with 2 daughters. In another a son and daughter. And in this one, i gave them one child. There is always a black and white female tiger cub named Ling-Ti when they have 2 kids. When there is one child, its still Ling-Ti but she will be a mix of panda and tiger, but mostly resemble a tiger in appearance.

I hope this cleared things up for some of you.