A/N: Yeah… Things are coming. It still feels like I only just started this story though. Grr. Time goes way too fast! I just can't stop it!

You might want to know that I won't be updating the next week. Maybe I will get one chapter out to one of my stories, but my boyfriend is staying here, so I won't have much time to write. Sorry, but well… I also deserve some vacation.

More bad news; I have what's called a projectweek in school soon (a big assignment) and in the same time my play has premiere and will play he whole week… So I have to start my assignment like now to make it, which takes more of my writing time away. Sorry, but this assignment is just very important.

I do not own Kung Fu Panda.

Long Lost, Long Hidden
Behind The Tears

Tigress was home. At least that was what she felt.

Living with Kiew and Ruolan was now her life, and she was happy for it. Kiew was like a sister; they did everything together. Cooking, sewing, washing clothes…

They had stopped trying to make her remember. If she was happy here, then why try brining her back to something that might only involve death?

Only Weimin and Ning were still trying to bring back her memory. The doctor had taking Tigress in to numerous talks where a lot of questions had been asked. The tiger had answered as she could, but had not strained herself in a try to remember.

She had gotten different flashbacks, but none of them truly made sense. That was why she had decided to forget them again; why should she cause herself a headache?

No; the life she was living now was great.

The pandas had accepted her, and she was living in the village without any problems. She had gotten a new family; Ruolan was treating her as she was her daughter, and Kiew actually called her 'sister'. Her wound had healed and caused her no troubles.

Everything was perfect.

Or, that was until Weimin decided to speak with her. The leader's eyes had been so serious that Tigress felt the hair on her neck rising. But on the same time, the green eyes had been sad…

Was he going to kick her out?

Tigress feared so, and by catching Kiew's glance, she knew that her sister thought the same as her. But Tigress followed the elder panda into his house, taking a seat as he did too.

Weimin noticed how tense she looked and said, "Is something wrong, Tigress?"

"You are not going to send me away, are you?" she asked him quietly.

The panda widened his eyes. "Why should I do that?"

Tigress, not wanting to tell him what she had thought, just shrugged.

"You are welcome here, Tigress; I thought we had made that clear for you."

The tiger bowed her head. "My apologies, Weimin. I was just worried. The village is all I have now," she explained.

"I understand," he said slowly. "But we also have to think of the future."

Tigress found herself gulping. "Past is past, Weimin. With all respect; don't you think that staying here might be the best solution for me?"

The panda smiled gently to her. "I know how you are feeling. But…" He took in a deep breath, standing up. "Have you been told about my son?"

Remembering the talk she had had with Kiew weeks ago, Tigress nodded. "I am sorry," she muttered quietly.

Weimin sighed again. "It was all very long time ago… I haven't seen him since that day. I told her to take him and run while I fought the wolves off… When I finally could search for them, they were just gone. I never knew what happened to them."

Tigress stared at the ground, suddenly feeling sick. She could almost feel the panda's pain.

Weimin had turned his back to her. "I get what Ning calls 'visions'. If I am explaining it, then I would call it very strong emotions and thoughts. When I get them, they always turn out to be true." He took in another breath. "Some months ago, I just knew my son was alive."

Tigress widened her eyes. "He is?" He nodded and she then continued, "That's great, Weimin!" She then remembered something else Kiew had said. "But he has something to do with me, isn't that right?"

"Kiew told you?" the panda asked her and she nodded. "She is right. I-"

"I don't know anything about your son!" the tiger exclaimed. "I don't know anything at all! I am just trying to live… Where I am now."

Sighing, Weimin said, "Maybe one day you'll remember. And if that day comes, I would like if you come to me and tell it." He turned back to face her. "Is there anything you would like to know? I don't believe that Ruolan has told you everything about our story."

Tigress was quiet for a moment, thinking of what she should say. "What happened back then? You said something about wolves…"

"They came to kill," Weimin said slowly, reliving the moment. "But they were sent here. By an albino peacock."

Tigress could almost hear the bird's scream of anger in her ears, as she imagined it all. "Why?" she asked.

"He was afraid of us. Why, I do not now. But to feel safe, he decided that we should be gone. Many were killed. Few of us managed to escape and we have lived here since."

"Have you ever thought of going back to another village? Just to see what has happened?" the tiger asked him.

"I cannot take the chance. Maybe our village will be revealed and he will still be out there. If he finds out, then how many will we lose?"

"I can do it," Tigress suggested. "I can go to a village for you."

Weimin thought about it for a moment, but then shook his head. "What will you say if people ask? Besides if some people are still after you…"

"I understand," Tigress said, but then turned back to the subject. "But maybe Shen is long gone. Then you have all been free without even knowing it."

Weimin opened his mouth to answer, but then stopped. It seemed like he was stuck in some of his own thoughts.

"Weimin?" Tigress asked. "Is something wrong?"

"I didn't say his name," the panda whispered to her. "I never said 'Shen'."

"But… But you must have," Tigress protested. "How should I know it of not…?"

Realizing it, Weimin said, "Try and remember."

Tigress grabbed her head with her paws. No, she did not want to remember. She did not want to give herself a headache. She did not want to give herself troubles.

She enjoyed her life now.

Why make everything hard again?

"I can't," she said and stood up. Her eyes were burning as she thought of how pathetic she was behaving, but she just refused to do it. Pushing the thoughts away along with the weird pain in the back of her head, Tigress started to leave the room. "I am sorry, but I have to go."

"Tigress," Weimin said. "Maybe there is someone out there searching for you. Have you thought of that?"

"What if I am not a good person?" the tiger asked him. "What if I am evil? Maybe I worked for that peacock… It makes sense actually. That is why I was nearly killed. Because I don't deserve to live."

"Tigress…"

"What if that is the truth behind it all?" the tiger said. "I don't want that to happen. I don't want to know it."

Weimin's eyes became soft. "What if you are wrong?"

Sighing, Tigress said, "I got a new life here. That is good enough to me. I am sorry that I can't help you."

When she reached the doorway, she could not help but ask, "What was his name? Your son's?"

"Xiaobo," Weimin said gently. "Reminds me of that I have heard that Kiew is looking for a new name to you."

Tigress knew he was only saying that to change subject, but it was also true. "Yes, I better go home to see if she has found one. Thank you for the talk, Weimin."

She then left the room before the panda could say anymore.

Why was she such a bad friend? Weimin had saved her life and she did not even try to remember for him! She should kick her own butt to get what she deserved.

Stupid, scared, coward, stupid, idiot…

The words kept coming and Tigress embraced them all.

But she just did not want to remember.

That headache…

"Tigress!" Kiew yelled when she saw her. "I got it! I got it, I got it, I got it!"

"You got what?" Tigress asked. "Too much sugar?"

"No," the panda exclaimed happily. "Your name!"

"Oh…" Tigress had not thought that much of it, actually. But she and her sister had often talked about how her name did not fit in here. So Kiew had decided to go on a search for a new name to the tiger. "Then what is it?"

Taking in a deep breath, Kiew made a dramatic pause. Then she said, "Huian! It means 'kind peace'! It fits you perfectly!"

But when she saw the tiger's face, she understood that Tigress not exactly liked it.

"Uhm…" Kiew said, thinking about the other names. "What about 'Mingyu'? 'Bright jade'? Or 'Nuo'? 'Graceful'?"

"I don't think so, Kiew," Tigress sighed, entering the house.

"Then 'Jia'! 'Beautiful'! But I also like 'Chenguang'! 'Morning light'!"

"Or maybe we should just let her keep her name, Kiew," Ruolan said from the kitchen when she heard the conversation.

Sighing, Kiew said, "But 'Tigress' is just so…"

"Fitting?" Tigress said, holding out her arms as if she was showing that she truly was a tiger.

Wrinkling her nose, Kiew said, "But it's not exciting!"

"Names are names, Kiew."

"That's why they are important!" the panda said again.

Ruolan came closer. "I think we should call her 'Tigress'," she said sternly. "It's her name. And a piece of her past. Right, Tigress?"

But the tiger was busy with thinking about names. Just not for herself.

Xiaobo.

Xiaobo.

Had she heard the name before? She did not think so. But still, it was like it was tickling her brain.

Xiaobo.

Xiaobo.

Tigress tried turning the word around, looking for any help it could give her.

Xiaobo.

Xiaobo.

Xiaobo…

Po.

Tigress widened her eyes in surprise. Po, Po, Po. Po!

"Po?"

It was like a wave crashing down on her. Everything came back.

The loneliness she had felt as a cub in the orphanage.

The dominoes that had fallen when Shifu came.

The Jade Palace that had opened its doors for her.

The Furious Five she had been a part of.

The panda that had landed in front of her, when she thought that she was the Dragon Warrior.

The defeat of Tai Lung which she had not been a part of, because she had not been strong enough.

The peacock killing her friend while she had been too slow.

The celebration when they found out that they were all alive and that Shen was defeated.

The snake that had tried biting her, while she had fought for her life.

The arrow that had hit her shoulder and then the river that had been pulling her down.

The panda, Po, screaming her name while stretching out his paw to try and reach her.

"Tigress? Are you alright?" Kiew asked, grabbing her paw to try and get contact with the tiger. "Tigress?!" she said again, panic in her voice.

Ruolan pushed her away, seeing how Kiew had started to shake over her whole body. "I'll take care of it," she promised quickly, then looked into the tiger's eyes. "Tigress, what is going on?"

"I remember," the tiger whispered. "I remember everything."

Now all three had widened eyes.

Kiew came slowly closer. "Then… What?"

"I am from the Jade Palace," Tigress said. "I am Master Tigress."

"A palace?" Kiew asked. "That's so cool!"

"Quiet, Kiew," Ruolan hissed, afraid that Tigress might forget again if too long time went. "What more, Tigress?"

"I was in orphanage. But then Shifu came…"

"Shifu?" Kiew asked.

Tigress nodded. "The one with the tail."

Kiew was just confused. "Which tail?"

"I know of him," Ruolan suddenly said. "The Jade Palace too."

But Tigress did not hear that, but instead continued her tale, "I came to the palace and trained… And the others came. Viper, Monkey, Mantis and Crane. Po first came later."

"Who is Po?"

"A panda. The Dragon Warrior." And then Tigress realized it. "He is Weimin's son."

"What?!"

"He doesn't know that, though. He grew up with a goose. Mr. Ping!" Tigress exclaimed, smiling as it all came back to her.

She was not evil! She was good! A Kung Fu Warrior protecting the valley.

"The Valley of Peace," the tiger said. "That was where I lived."

"Until…?" Kiew tried, listening carefully.

"We were fighting some bandits," Tigress said. "There was a snake… And a lot of others. I tried finding their leader, but they ambushed me. I was hit by an arrow and pushed into a river. Po jumped in it to try and save me, but… He just couldn't. Then I woke up here."

"So…" Kiew said slowly with a tiny voice. "You have a family?"

Tigress nodded. "I got to get back to see if they are alright."

"I'll get Weimin and Ning," Ruolan said walking towards the door. "They would like to hear about this."

Then there was only Tigress and Kiew back in the room. Tigress was staring at the table, trying to understand how she just could have forgotten it all.

Her friends…

Were they alright? The attack… What if they had been ambushed too?

Her breathing became quicker. And she had just wanted to stay here? How could she just have thought that?!

"So you are leaving?" Kiew asked her quietly.

Tigress looked up. "I have to… They are my family, Kiew."

"We are your family too!"

"I know. But they must be worried. Don't you understand that?"

"You can't just leave!" the panda nearly shouted. "Please, Tigress! Everybody here loves you! Me, Ning, Weimin, Mother, Donghai-"

"Do you want just to let them believe that I am dead?" Tigress asked her. "I can't do that to them, Kiew!"

Staring at her, Kiew said, "I thought you were going to stay here…"

"I thought that too, but now I remember everything. And that's good, Kiew! Don't you remember how we tried to make that happen?"

"Yes, but I never believed it would work," Kiew told her, tears starting to form in her eyes. "I wish it never did."

Tigress stared at back, ears flattened against her head.

Then Kiew understood what she had truly said. "It wasn't on that way, Tigress," she whispered. "I know this is great but…"

Tigress gave her a last glance, then turned around to leave the house. Kiew remained where she was.

So now she could leave this village. But Kiew…

Now she remembered her conversation with Weimin. The pandas could not leave the village because they were afraid of Shen.

But Shen was gone…

And they did not know.

"Weimin!"

A/N: And so she remembers. Yeah, hope you like it. Please, guys; don't forget to review.

Uhm… I have bad news to you all. Try and read my profile to find out. Sorry… But remember that none of my stories will be abandoned!

Hope you all had a great Christmas or whatever you celebrate.