I.

"Wh-where am I?" Kiara asked dreamily.

Kovu's earlier smile quickly vanished.

"You're…safe." his lips turned down. "In the Pride lands."

"What… the Pride Lands? No! Why did you bring me here? Who do you think you are?"

The lion stepped back, somewhat masked from the Pride Lander in the fire's orange halo.

"Uh! I think I'm the one that just saved your life."

"Look, I had everything under control." Kiara fired back.

"Not from where I'm standing."

"Then move downwind…"

Biding his time, Kovu bounded smoothly in front of her. Seeing the inexperienced female's irritation brought him an odd kind of subversive pleasure. They continued their familiar kid game for a few more seconds until Kiara turned away in complete disregard of him. Kovu went agape. "How can you be so ungrateful?" She walked. "Hey! What is your problem?"

"My problem?" the lioness flung over her shoulder.

"Yeah, you're problem." Kovu glanced over her head and saw that the fire was brimming the tall cliff of rock they had tumbled over. Once he caught Kiara's eye and realized what she intended to do he bolted forward, planning to intercede a final time. "Oh no ya don't!"

The lioness was nearly to the water's edge when Kovu plopped down like a rock.

"What are you doing!.?" He demanded in honest concern.

Something in her eyes changed and a smile edged at the corners of her mouth. "Kovu."

It had been a statement, not a question.

The lion smiled back.

"Kiara!" An agonizingly familiar voice called out.

'Oh no, not-,"

"Roar! Roar!" The booming sound was accompanied by a flash of fangs and claws.

Kovu responded with several guttural utterances of his own.

What was wrong with these spoiled Pride Landers anyway?

"Simba," his wife chastised the lion.

The younger male caught sight of her and smiled. 'Well,' he debated. 'Most Pride Landers.'

~.~

After a tumultuous time trying to convince everyone to let him stay, Kovu finally found his view a bit better then what he was used to in the giant termite mound. Green fields with a great abundance of life settled down for the night, African birds actually graced the orange and pink streaked sky while the noises of insects were plentiful. Kovu felt a strange feeling of peace roll over him as he started for Pride Rock's den; along with his accomplishments.

The smugness was cut short on his part when Simba skirted in front of him, growling.

Leery-eyed, the lion prowled into the soft darkness and out of sight.

"Mm." One of the younger lionesses eyed Kovu off on the side. "What'd you think girls?"

"I don't know." Another commented, disinterested.

"Think I could score myself an Outlander."

"Definitely Aisha, unless of course…"

"Don't even think about it."

The unwelcome sight of the only other male lion caught Kovu's attention as he stood with his back turned halfway toward the edge of Pride Rock, watching the stronger and weaker links in the Pride entering. He had been taught to always go for the strongest. To hunt was to take out weaker prey of course, but Zira had instilled in her son a need to do better then settle. And so Kovu was not going to settle… at least not after tomorrow. He met the eye of the young male lion stalling to watch him before baring his teeth at him. The big cat balked back and copied Kovu before lumbering off pitifully in retreat. Unsatisfied, Kovu walked off.

He was settled down on the cool, precarious edge when someone familiar approached.

"Um, hey…" Kiara smiled timidly. "Thanks for saving me today."

Kovu rose to his forearms, peering at her lowered face with pretend hurt.

"And?" he huffed.

"And… I'm sorry for the way I treated you back there."

"Huh," Kovu scoffed, unimpressed. "What kind of hunter are you anyways Princess?"

He somehow derived no amusement out of mocking her.

"You almost got yourself killed out there."

"What?" She said flatly.

The lion stood up, giving it another try. "You wouldn't last three days on your own."

Kiara measured him with her gaze. "Oh, and I suppose a Prince could teach me?"

He chuckled. "Yeah."

"Kiara!"

Kovu pressed down on his lips to keep from cracking up.

"Ooo… Daddy calls."

She called back into the distance before leaping in front of the lion.

"All right! Impress me." Her muzzle was inches from his own. "We start at dawn."

Kovu dipped his head down, loving her obliviousness. "I look forward to it."

And just like always, he would.

To be continued…

A/N: As I've said before, I do incorporate my own pieces and parts into the story. When I can't do this or I don't feel it's extremely vital to repeat what the movie already has done than I skip it. And yet I do try to stick as close to the actual dialogue/events that correlate with my own additions as I can. BTW, Simba and Kovu have fathered litters from all or most of the lionesses in their prides. That's what lions do. Just like Scar and Mufasa did this also.

End of 'that' story.

~ Lavenderpaw ~