"It's the only one we've got." Those worded echoed in Mei Lings head as she set up one of the many tables in the mess hall for her new found friend, "and to think a few days ago I was stabbing him" Mei Ling thought as her mind just simply wondered about, thinking about the last few days and how much they have changed her life at this moment. "So you might as well enjoy it" Mei Ling thought trying to figure out what he meant by that sentence. She kinda hoped he wasn't hitting on her, or maybe he was a little cute… NO!...Mei Ling stopped herself. "Well his only about seven or eightish years older than me" Mei Ling thought as she let her mind wonder towards more impure thoughts, the thoughts than became more and more impure… A smile ran a crossed the perverted cats face.

"What are you doing?" Mei Ling's smile than went to a small scream as she jumped up and turned around to see none other than Tai Lung, Shirtless, and for some reason wet…Great. Mei Ling quickly set the rest of the plats down onto the wooden table and began to move back into the kitchen where the food was being cooked, ignoring the sexy shirtless snow leopard. After a few second of realizing what the kitty was doing Tai Lung decided to start his own conversation.

"I took a bath in that hot spring, which thanks for showing me by the way." Tai Lung said as he pulled up a chair and watched Mei Ling cook his meal. "So what are you making?" Tai Lung asked curiously eying Mei Ling's cookery. Mei Ling smiled and turned to answer the snow leopard, but in the process she knocked over a pot that was holding boiling water, Tai Lung with his near super human reflexes grabbed Mei Ling close and pulled her out of the way, pulling himself and her onto the table to avoid the splattering of scolding hot water. The two than landed on the table, Mei Ling was on top of Tai Lung. Mei Ling's legs where wrapped around his waist, her arms rested gently on his shoulders, her face was buried in his cheats. Mei Ling looked up at the snow leopard that looked up at her. Tai Lung's eye's however stopped when he found himself staring at the mountain cats small breast. It's not as if he could help himself the girl was wearing extremely loose fitting clothing's, and no coverings. He could almost see the whole package so to speak, and after a few seconds of ogling Mei Ling could tell what the leopard was glaring at, and the position they were in did not help it much. Him being shirtless and her not wearing any sort of bra with a loose shirt was not a good combination.

After realizing were her hips were Mei Ling blushed a fiery red, and proceeded to jump off the snow leopards pelvis, after a couple seconds of awkwardness Mei Ling decided to speak, "Um…So, Yeah thanks and what not." Mei Ling said in an embarrassed tone. Tai Lung was speechless at the girls figure and was unable to respond, maybe it was a small-breast fetish, at that instant Mei Ling stretched out as she tried to get the blood out of her red face. The lose shirt than tightened around her body revealing her curves, Tai Lungs jaw dropped, Yep it was a small breast fetish.

Mei Ling finished her stretching and proceeded to find a mob to soak up all the water that had spilt. Without saying a word the mountain cat processed to the broom closet and grabbed a mob, and after a few second of moving back and forth and squeezing the water into a nearby bucket everything was back to normal, or was it?

Mei Ling turned to the snow leopard, who was now sitting down in one of the chairs. "Tai Lung, I was wondering if you wanted to go get some breakfast." Tai Lung turned to the girl, asking him to go out to eat? This was a nice change in pace. "Sure." Tai Lung said trying to sound calm doing so but in fact he could not have been more nervous. Same with Mei Ling too, who was fidgeting with her fingers.

Mei Ling smiled and walked out the kitchen, "Let me go get dressed in something a little more appropriate." At that moment Tai Lung wanted to scream on the top of his lungs, NO!, he loved that outfit. Tai Lung than decided that he should also get dressed in something a little more formal.

Back in his and Mei Ling's room , the pair shifted through multiple sets of clothing before they decided on what to wear, Mei Ling went with her old child hood outfit, only with a hand full of differences, she ditched the gloves and trimmed the shirt up a few inches passed her abs, man it was cute, Tai Lung thought, Green with gold trims, looked expensive too. Tai Lung opted for a black traditional Tai Chi outfit. After a few minutes of staring the two agreed the other look nice and proceed to head out the academy.

"So where do you wanna go?" Mei Ling asked in singsong voice, curious about what Tai Lung wanted to eat. Tai Lung did not know of any dining establishments around here, so he had no idea. "Whatever you're in the mood for, I really don't care much." Tai Lung said, even though he did care, he wanted some alcohol, it had been twenty years since hi s last drink and he needed something. Tai Lung looked down at the dirt road they were traveling on. He didn't know why, it was a basic dirt road, all the grass was barren tracks and footprints littered the ground from years of carts and other animals walking all over it, and a bench every mile or so.

Mei Ling noticed Tai Lung staring, "Here I know a great place." This caused Tai Lungs head shoot up in her direction. Well whats the place? Tai Lung thought as he waited for a response from the mountain cat. "It's a small little shack not too far from here, has great food and what not." Mei Ling said as she smiled at the leopard. "Sure, why not?" Tai lung responded as the girl look at a road sign to find out where the two where. The shack was down by a nearby freshwater river. Long prairie grass surrounded the small shack and it looked as if no one has cut the grass in years, but gave it a more peaceful look with the wild flowers sprouting up every few square feet. It was incredibly serine. Even the shack itself look decent. It was more of a medium sized house or maybe a really large shack but the light brown building had somewhat of a simplistic beauty to it. It was your standard log cabin, with log stacked upon each other and a roof made of straw to keep the heat in.

Mei Ling made her way up to the door and gave it a good knock, that's when they heard the sound of pots and pans hitting the ground, and the sound of those pans scrapping across a floor, and after a few second an old goose appeared in the doorway. Ling was an old goose who for arguments sakes should have been dead when Crane left the academy which was well over a decade ago. The goose carried a staff and was wrapped up in a grey rope. His eye sent went bad years ago so maybe Mei Ling was expecting the first words that came out of his mouth.

"Are you death?" Ling asked squinting his sagging eyes. Mei Ling looked to Tai Lung and laughed while pointing out the birds obvious eye problems. "His practically blind" Mei Ling said cutting the funny business. "Mei Ling is that you?" Ling asked hardly recognizing the voice, "His losing his hearing too."Mei Lin added, "Yes it's me Ling. How Fel Lin?" Mei Ling said asking about his son. "He moved out a few days ago, he wanted to tell you good bye where were you?" Ling asked as he walked back into his house pestering Mei Ling to come in along with him not noticing Tai Lung was walking in right with her. "I had something's I had to take care of back at the academy." Mei Ling said looking at Tai Lung, Who looked back and shrugged. "Ah have a seat." Ling said as Mei and Tai looked around for a place to sit.

It wasn't easy as Ling was a hoarder, everything he had gathered in his long, long life had acuminated in this single roomed house. Things that under no circumstances would he ever need, like a broken ladle, or a box of broken glass. Mei Ling sat down the only chair in the room while Tai Lung just decided on sitting on the floor next to her. "Would you like some tea?" Ling asked Mei Ling as he had the tea premade in a kettle all he had to do was grab cups, however Tai Lung responded. "Yes please". Ling jumped and dropped an inexpensive glass cup. "Who that you have with you Mei Ling?" the goose asked as the startled goose swept the glass into a nearby dust pan and put it into his glass box. "Oh, this is Tai Lung, you know the crazy one." Mei Ling said. Ling's eyes shoot wide open as he scrambled to a corner to hide from Tai Lung. The goose swung his staff wildly trying to hit the leopard who was on the other end of the room. Mei Ling let out a sign, "He not crazy anymore." Mei Ling paused to think about what she had just said, "Not as much at least, his under my care." Ling than stopped his madness, "What's stopping him from killing me?" asked the old man still not coming out of his corner. "Well first off there is me, I am a kung fu master after all." Mei Ling said admire ring herself "Second I stabbed him so he can't use his paralyzing attack." Ling than backed out of his corner, Tai Lung than looked at Mei Ling smiled, than gave another shrug. "Why are you here?" Ling asked now somewhat irritated. "Well we were hungry and were wondering if we could get some of the delicious orange chicken of yours." Mei Ling said getting to the point; she could tell he was getting a little angry, old people tend to do that.

After a few minutes of order taking Ling had the pair sit outside by the river. Tai Lung picked up a few rocks and began to skip them across the water while Mei Ling just sat and watched. It had been well over a week since Tai Lung has arrived and she went from want to kill him to practically fantasizing about him. Maybe all he needed was a friend, someone just to chat and hangout with. All those years cooped up in the Jade Palace she was positive Tai Lung never had much of a social life outside of kung fu, she figured this because she never had much of a social life earthier. Train, Eat, Sleep was pretty much all she ever did in life, and now that she had someone of which she could talk with her schedule seemed a bit more fun. Train, Play, Eat, Sleep was her new motto.

Tai Ling picked up another rock and skipped it across the low current river, he was thinking about Mei Ling. In a matter of a week or so he went from wanting to go back to the Valley of Peace to kill Po, to wanting to stay at the Academy with Mei Ling and Fang. It was as if this place, this small town had some sort of calming effect on him. He enjoyed the tranquility, lack of training he had to do, and the idea that he had no more expectations of himself and could finally be at peace about losing the Dragon Scroll. Tai Lung looked at the mountain cat who was looking right back at him. The pair let out smiles at each other. Tai Lung laid down on the grassy bank and turned his head to Mei Ling. "Mei Ling." Tai Lung said trying to get the girls attention. Hm Mei Ling let out showing that she was listening. "What do you think of me?" Tai Lung asked in a serious tone. Mei Ling opened her eyes and turned to the snow leopard. "What do you mean?" Mei ling didn't understand the bases of the question. "I mean what I said what do you think of me as a person?" Tai Lung asked again. Mei Ling stopped and thought for a moment, "I think you're someone who's been hurt and needs someone to nurse you mentally I mean, sorry about the hand stabby thing." Mei Ling said smiling before getting right back to finishing her thought. "I think I am the one to do it. As you said before 'our life suck but it's the only ones we've got' or something along that line." Mei Ling let out another smile. "I wanna help you.". Tai Lung smiled "So does this mean we're friends?". Mei Ling nodded, "Yea, we're friends.".

After a quick and quite breakfast the two made their way back to the Academy. Mei Ling had to get Fang to a doctor's appointment and where ever Mei Ling goes Tai Lung has to follow. So the pair picked up the wolf child, and after a quick goodbye to Crane, Viper, and Shifu the trio made their way to the doctors appointment.

The three where in a waiting room awaiting a doctor to see young Fang who's coughing has gotten better over the last few days, no longer was he tired after a few minutes running or coughing out a lung. He was looking more and more healthy as day gone. " I hate the doctors." Tai Lung said trying to strike up a conversation with Mei Ling who was reading a newspaper, "Why because you're afraid of a prostate exam?" Mei Ling laughed, "You are getting a little old you know.". "I am only thirty eight." Tai Lung said felling good about his age. Mei Ling laughed again returning to her newspaper.

"Um… Fang." A nurse called out the boys name and the three made their way to the doctor's office. The office was a simple set up, a table with all the doctor's tool, another for the patient, and a few chairs for the family to sit in. After about thirty minutes of testing the pig doctor turned to Mei Ling with a shocked look on his face. "His getting better." The pig gave a few seconds to let the new sink in. "I don't know how but he is just recovering." Mei Ling let out a shirk of joy as she hugged the nearest person to her which happened to be Tai Lung, who blushed. Mei Ling noticed this and got up to hug Fang.

"We can set up another appointment for next week to check up on him, in the mean time keep doing whatever it is you are doing." The pig doctor nodded and let the pair be on their way. After getting back to her room Mei Ling hugged Fang again, the boy had to be sent back to the orphanage, "Promise me you'll be a good boy now." Fang nodded and grabbed his bag of cloths before heading back to the academy with Crane and Viper who offered to take him back.

It was only mid afternoon and her day was pretty much over, Mei Ling sighed as he fell backwards onto her bed. Tai Lung walked in shortly afterwards. "Tai Lung, Later tonight there is a carnival going on down in the town center." Mei Ling said raising her head up to look at the leopard. "You wanna go with me?" Mei Ling asked in a somewhat embarrassed tone. Tai Lung stood there dumbstruck, was she asking him out? "You mean like a date?" Tai Lung asked back. "Well, sure why not. " Mei Ling said trying to blow it off. Tai Lung nodded in agreement, "In the mean time I need a nap." Mei Ling nodded and the two both fell straight to sleep. Waiting for their date together later tonight.

End of chapter.

Sorry it took me so long to update, next chapter may or may not contain a lemon, but it will contain a lime or two with Viper and Crane. All in all I hope it does not seem like I am rushing Tai Lung and Mei Ling's relationship. They are dating as of right now.