Hi guys! I really hate updating later than I should, and I'm sorry :( I'm going on Spring Break soon so I'll have PLENTY of time to write :) I'll make up for lost time, promise. With this chapter, I wanted to flash forward in time, so now it's March instead of January (kinda goes with where we are now). So now I give you the next chapter :)

Chapter 21: The Tiger Bites Back

Two months. I haven't spoken to him in over two months. It was already March and I had barely said two words to him. We saw each other at Kimi's birthday party three weeks ago, but I barely noticed him. I accidentally bumped into him and we apologized, but then it became too uncomfortable for me. I haven't talked to him about New Year's Eve yet, and I would prefer not to.

The snow had finally melted, and there was no chance for another snowfall. The closest we got to snow was a little rain, but nothing heavy. I was glad to be moving on towards spring. It's my favorite season because everything starts to grow back and blossom. It was the season where everything starts fresh after a harsh winter.

The morning shift was always the worst. No one came in on a Friday morning to buy bread. No one came in on any morning to buy. After people were let out of work, normally they came, but the lunch rush was always the busiest.

"Alright Kimi, are you ready?" Osono entered the kitchen with a very excited Kimi behind her. Her first grade class was going on a field trip to the Koriko Zoo. She had been waiting for this trip for months. Osono never took her to zoo because she was too busy at work and planning parties for everyone. Then there was the chore of taking care of Kimi, and that was a full-time job for Osono. When she was a baby, however, I did my part in taking care of her. Osono would work in the bakery while I changed her diaper or put her to sleep. It was good practice for when I become a mother, if I ever became one.

"Totally!" Kimi shouted. She had a bag full of things she most likely didn't need for one day at the zoo. The bag looked as heavy as Ursula's when she came to town. I was beginning to see her come to town more often since she started dating Louis. She was really committed to this relationship; I figured that he would propose to her within the next month or two, maybe sooner.

Kimi carried her camera in one hand and her binoculars in the other, while the bag was resting on her tiny back. I couldn't believe she could carry that much weight. I walked over to them and lifted the bag off of her back. "Hey! What are you doing, Kiki?"

"Just looking," I said. I opened the bag and found pointless objects that were not needed for the trip. It was an afternoon at the zoo, not a week-long camping trip. "Kimi, why do you have a roll of toilet paper in here?" She looked down at her feet, guilty as charged.

"Kimi, you're going to the zoo!" Osono said, "They have bathrooms there."

"Yeah, but what if they run out of toilet paper?" She questioned us. We shook our heads in disappointment as Osono placed the toilet paper on the counter. I rummaged through the bag once more and found her toothbrush, a pillow, and many other futile objects. Osono and I gave her a "What the hell were you thinking" look.

"What if I got lost?" She complained, "I would need those things to sleep or to keep my teeth white!"She smiled big, showing off her pearly whites. She had one of the cleanest mouths I have ever seen, and the dentist thought so, too.

"Kimi, you need a camera to take pictures, money if you want to buy something, and a jacket if it starts to rain. Oh, and your teacher said you need to take notes on the animals you see there." Osono ran upstairs to fetch Kimi a pen and a notebook. Kimi stood there, giving me a disappointing look.

"What?" I said. She was angry that I took everything away. If I hadn't looked through the bag, she would have broken her back for sure.

"I need those things," Kimi complained. She obviously had never gone to the zoo. I used to go all the time with my mother when I was her age, and I don't recall bringing a pillow.

"No, you don't." I argued, "You'll hurt your back by bringing those things with you."

"I know how to get back at you," Kimi said with a smirk on her face. I gave her a quizzical look, wondering what was scheming inside her small, devious mind. Before I could question her, Osono returned with the things Kimi actually needed. "Mommy!" She started, acting all sweet and innocent. Osono thought of her as her little angel, but I knew her as a devious little girl. "Do you think it would be okay if…Kiki took me to the zoo instead of you?"

"What?" Osono and I both shouted. The condition from New Year's Eve. Kimi had a better memory than I did. I thought she had forgotten about it after that night, since she never asked for a ride. After a month or so, I had completely forgotten about the condition, but Kimi was waiting for the right moment to use it.

"Oh, I don't know, Kimi," Osono said to her. Kimi gave me "the look." First, it began with the slight trickle of tears, slowly forming in her eyes like little rain clouds. Then, when she knew I wouldn't back down, she gave me "the stare." In summary, if I didn't do what she asked, she was going to tell Osono about our ride to the party and have my broom taken away.

"Don't worry, Osono," I said with a big smile on my face, "I'll take good care of Kimi." I wish she could see how Kimi was blackmailing me, but then she would figure out why, and I couldn't risk that happening.

"Well, if it's okay with Kiki, then I guess it'll be fine with me, too." Kimi started jumping and clapping her hands. She reminded me of…me. I was always that content about everything.

"Ready, Kiki?" Kimi said, "We better get to the zoo soon. I want everyone to see me fly down on a witch's broom!" She ran to the backdoor pretending to fly on her own broomstick. While she could be totally malicious, there was the side of her that was kind and exciting.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I whispered. I grabbed my broomstick and headed for the backyard. Kimi was already out there, waiting for me. I noticed Jiji sitting on the windowsill to our bedroom. He needed to get out more often; he was such a lazy cat all he would do was sit in the room or visit Lilly and their children. He needed a day out and this was his day.

"Hey, Jiji!" I shouted. He stopped licking his paw and spotted me waving. "Hey! Come down! We're going out!" He ran down the steps that led away from the attic and met up with his. He still wasn't a big fan of Kimi, but he tolerated her enough to take one short ride.

"Where are we going?" He asked, "Another delivery?"

"Nope," I replied, "We're going to the zoo for a field trip." Jiji stared at me for a second, thinking I was making a joke. When he discovered that I was serious, he began bursting into laughter. I sighed at his remark, since it wasn't that kind. At least Kimi didn't suspect anything, and that was all I needed.

"He said he'll go," I told her. Jiji stopped laughing to see Kimi grab him. He didn't have enough time to escape, and he wouldn't from Kimi's clutches. He hissed at me, but I only ignored him. I didn't need to hear his complaints; he was still going whether he liked it or not.

I mounted the broom and readied myself. Osono waved good-bye as I slowly floated us into the air. I took a deep breath of the spring air. I had been trapped in the bakery most days and was just glad to get out. The birds were flying below us as we soared through the sky. The seagulls returned from their migration and they couldn't have been more beautiful. The clocktower was still the way I had always remembered, beautiful and momentous.

"Alright, Kiki, let's see how fast this thing can go!" Kimi shouted. I would have preferred a nice, peaceful ride to the zoo rather than a race to the finish line. Jiji knew it was a bad idea, too.

"Don't do it, Kiki," He warned me. I wanted to listen to Jiji without breaking Kiki's "requirements," but I couldn't think of any way. I just had to beg her.

"Can we just enjoy the scenery?" I asked her. She shook her head in reply. It was worth a shot to ask.

"No! We have to get there so everyone can see me flying!" She made it seem like she was the witch. I couldn't blame, though. Ever since I returned to Koriko, Kimi has been fascinated by my witchery. I sighed in defeat and told her to hang on tight. I wanted this to end just as much as she wanted it to start.

"Alright, let's go!" I shouted as we went from ten miles per hour to nearly seventy! That was probably the fastest I've ever gone. The buildings passed us by as we flew in-between them to reach our destination, which was still a ways off. The main square was long gone and we now entered the east side of Koriko. The zoo wasn't too far, so I slowed down my broomstick. The entrance was only a few yards away, so I lowered us closer to the ground. Many of Kimi's classmates were there with their moms or older siblings and the teacher was taking attendance.

"Whoa, look up there! It's Kimi!" One of her classmates shouted. All the kids, as well as the parents, stared at the two of us as we descended from the sky. Kimi was waving to her friends like she was a movie star being welcomed by millions of cameras and paparazzi.

"Is this why you dragged me here?" I whispered to her, still putting on a smile, "to make a good impression on your friends?"

"…Maybe…" She said. I was about to protest, but her friends had caught up to us. Kimi jumped off the broom when we were still very high up. Thankfully she was careful and didn't hurt herself too bad.

"Told you not to," Jiji said, rubbing it in. I pouted like I was Kimi's age. He always made fun of me, and it was getting on my nerves now more than ever.

"Kimi, that was awesome!" Yoshi, one of Kimi's best friends, said. Everyone was impressed by our entrance, except for the parents. They found my actions quite immature and reckless. I wasn't a teenager anymore; I knew what I was doing. Most of my older friends didn't understand that, especially Osono and Aimi.

"Alright class, settle down," said Mrs. Watanabe. She was, in fact, the wife of Dr. Eiko Watanabe, the doctor who cared for Tombo when he was in the hospital. When Tombo was sick, when he needed us to be there for him more than ever. I couldn't live without him; I still couldn't. I wanted to be with him more than ever. But he didn't know who I was, so what was the point…

"Kiki, come on!" Kimi shouted. I was lost in another daydream as the class continued to make their way into the zoo. I held onto my broomstick as I followed the group with Jiji close behind. Kimi was excited to see the animals, and she told me she wanted to see all of them. If I had listened, I would have heard Mrs. Watanabe tell us we could walk in groups, but the children must with an adult at all times. I felt respected being considered an adult. Everyone thought of me as this small, happy-go-lucky dimwit, but I was much more than that. I had very responsible duties to fulfill, and one of them was taking care of Kimi.

"Kiki, you keep falling behind!" Kimi shouted. She was at the elephant exhibit with Hamano and Yoshi. I ran towards her. I had to stop the distractions. I had to focus on keeping Kimi safe. That was my number one priority.

"Kiki, are you okay?" Jiji asked. He was now walking next to me on the cold pavement. We made our way to the elephant's exhibit and my first sight was Kimi getting too close for comfort. She was hanging on the bars trying to get a better view.

"Kimi!" I shouted. I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down. I couldn't let anything happen to her. Osono trusted me to watch her daughter on this field trip, I was not about to let her down. "Don't scare me like that! You could have gotten hurt!"

"Don't act like Mommy!" Kimi shouted, "I brought you on the field trip because I thought you were cool." At that moment, Kimi and her friends walked away to another exhibit. How could she say something like that to me? Was I turning into an overprotective mom? She wasn't even my daughter and I treated her like she was.

"Kiki, don't worry," Jiji comforted me, "She's a kid. She'll apologize, or at least forget she ever said anything." I nodded in agreement, but I still was in shock that she thought that of me.

"Hey, you hungry?" I asked Jiji. He meowed, giving me the sign that he was indeed. Hamano and Yoshi's mothers told me they would watch her until I came back. We went to the food court and I bought us a pretzel. I couldn't stop thinking about what Kimi said to me. Was I really acting like an overprotective mother?

I took a bite of my pretzel and changed the subject to Tombo. He seemed to have planted himself into my mind and decided not to leave, because no matter how angry I was at him, he would always be there. I examined my surroundings when in the distance, I saw a slender man walking past us. His blonde hair indicated that it was who I thought it was, but to my dismay, it wasn't anyone I had seen before. I sat back and sighed. First Kimi shunning me and now I was seeing Tombo everywhere I went.

Jiji took a bite of the pretzel and noticed my depressing look. No matter how many times we fought, he would always be my best friend. Jiji would always have my back. He knew something was "Kiki, you can tell me what's wrong, you know that."

I sighed at his response. "I know, Jiji, I just…I can't stop thinking about him." We both knew who "him" was. He was the only one I had on my mind. I didn't want to distract myself any more than I already had. I also didn't want the other adults to think I was being a bad guardian for Kimi, so I packed up the rest of the pretzel and we were on our way.

The zoo was larger than the one I had gone to as a child. There were so many species it was hard to imagine so many existed. I spotted Kimi's group in the African Mammals section. They were next to panda exhibit when Jiji and I returned.

"Um, hi Kimi," I said. She gave me an apologetic look, indicating how sorry she was for speaking the way she did to me. She opened her arms for me to embrace and I gladly accepted. At least she was sorry.

"I didn't mean what I said, Kiki," Kimi said, departing from the embrace, "I was angry that you wouldn't let me do what I wanted, and I'm really. Friends again?" I nodded in response, right before I gave her my own terms.

"On one condition." I began, "When I think something is unsafe, you have to listen to me. Okay?" Kimi nodded in response without a second thought. I smiled at her obedience and we left to another exhibit. I was just glad that things were settled between us.

For the longest time, Kimi and her friends wanted to stay in the African Mammals section, mainly because the lions fascinated them the most. However, Kimi's favorite was the giraffe because of how long their necks were. She wanted to get closer, but I warned her not, reminding her of our agreement.

Everything was perfectly fine for the most part. Kimi wasn't climbing on any more cages and there wasn't a single cloud in the sky. It was a perfect day for the zoo. Mrs. Watanabe couldn't pick a better day for a class field trip. I, however, began to feel like I was having delusions.

As we left the Marine Life section, I could have sworn that Tombo was at the gift shop. When the man turned around, it was someone I had never seen before. Was it because I hadn't seen in so long that I was seeing him everywhere? Or was it just me wishing he was there, looking for me? Either way, my mind was playing tricks on me worse than it ever has.

"Are you seeing him again?" Jiji asked as we walked along the path, following Kimi and her friends. Hamano and Yoshi's mothers were walking behind Jiji and me, boasting about their husbands' successes or how wonderful their children were. I didn't want to be a part of it. I liked to talk to Jiji about the things that troubled me.

"Is that weird?" I asked him, "Is it weird that I'm seeing Tombo everywhere?" Kimi and her friends took a break and were resting on a picnic table with the moms. I sat down next to a tree nearby so I can keep an eye on Kimi while still continue my conversation with Jiji.

"You miss him. I was exactly like that when we left Koriko to go home." Jiji said, "Everywhere I turned I thought I saw Lilly, but it wouldn't be her. Once it was a rabbit; then I knew I was going crazy." I sighed at his last comment, thinking that would happen to me.

"Don't worry, Kiki, you're not going to see a rabbit and think that it's Tombo," Jiji said trying to cheer me up. It worked for the most part, but I was still wondering how far my imagination would go. I didn't want to chase an impractical dream. "Maybe you should talk to him again."

"After I yelled at him the way I did?" I questioned, "He probably wants to stay as far away from me as possible." I looked at how happy Kimi and her friends were. They were playing with their food and feeding the birds with their crumbs. It was nice to see them all enjoying the time they have with each other. I couldn't help but think that one of them would get in a fight with Kimi, resulting in the same situation I'm in with Tombo.

"No he doesn't," Jiji assured me, "You know he loves you."

"To what extent? He doesn't love me the way I love him." I burrowed my face and hid from Jiji. I was done talking about Tombo. He was changing my feelings every moment I thought about him. One minute I would think I was completely in love with him, and then the next I wished I never had feelings for him.

"Kiki!" I looked up and saw Kimi running towards her. "Kiki, we're going to see the tigers! Are you coming?"

I gave her a nice smile and said, "Yeah, I'm coming." I gave her my hand and she helped me up. Kimi ran back to her friends, pulling me along with her. Hamano and Yoshi took Kimi to see the Bengal Tiger exhibit. I found a nice, comfortable bench to sit on close enough to watch the kids while at the same time moping about my failed romance.

"Kiki! Look at the tiger! It's huge!" Kimi shouted. I barely looked up at her as I twiddled my fingers together. What did I do wrong? Was it because I wasn't around for the past six years? I would have save him, maybe, if I was there. If I had thought more about why I had to return then maybe-

"Kiki!" Hamano came running towards me, shouting my name. I looked up to her and all I saw was a petrified Hamano, two adults running to the tiger cages and a terrified Yoshi with them…but no Kimi.

"Kimi?" I whispered.

"She fell in the cage! We told her not to climb on the bars but she did it anyways!" I threw my broomstick on the ground and ran to the cage. I looked down and saw Kimi lying on the ground in the Bengal Tiger's cage. Jiji jumped on the bars and we both stared at what was my worst nightmare. Kimi had dirt all over her body, and it looked like she could barely stand up.

"I'm going down there," I told Jiji.

"What?" He shouted, "Are you crazy? You'll get yourself killed!"

"If I don't Kimi will!" I stared him down and forced him to let me make my decision. I stood on the bars and balanced myself. She just sat there completely helpless. I tried thinking of a plan to land safely, but the bars were too slippery and I fell in.

"Ah!" I shouted as I descended to the ground. I waved my arm to the ground and air blew out, landing me safely on the ground below next to Kimi.

"Kiki," Kimi whispered, "I can't get up."

"I'm going to get you out of here, Kimi," I assured her. I was not going to let Osono down. She trusted me with her daughter, and I had to show her she could trust me. I had to save Kimi.

"Kiki," Kimi whispered. She pointed away from us to a deadly creature moving towards us. The Bengal Tiger had noticed us in the cage, and was starting to move in.

"Don't worry, Kimi, I won't let him hurt you." I wasn't lying. I wouldn't let him touch her. I would risk my own life if Kimi could get out safely. I checked her arms and legs, slightly pressing areas where she might be hurt.

"Ow!" She shrieked. Her left arm was broken, that was for sure. She must have landed on it and the force of her body crushed it. Kimi needed a doctor, and we needed to get out of there as fast as we could.

"Your friends went to get some help, Kimi, everything's is fine." In fact, everything was not fine. I couldn't tell her that the tiger was coming closer to us. He was moving slowly, but his intentions were to get to us before we got out. I didn't know what to do. I was never in a situation where an animal was out for my life. However, Kimi was number one priority. I had to put her safety before mine.

I stood up and steadily walked closer to the Bengal Tiger. He bent down and swayed his tail back and forth. There was a broken branch on the ground next to my foot. If I moved, he would jump. If I stood where I was, he would wait for the right moment. I did the only sensible thing I could think of at the moment: I moved.

His claws came out and slashed the branch that I grabbed. His weight was crushing me, but I had the branch, and that was what saved me. His claws slashed my arm and I was in serious pain. The blood poured down my arm, but I didn't give up. I wouldn't give up on Kimi.

"Kimi!" I heard a shout coming from above. I couldn't see the person's face, but they let down a rope, telling Kimi to grab it. They hadn't seen me underneath the tiger, and Kimi couldn't grab the rope without falling. Her arm was too weak to hold on, and I was in no place to get to her. I was trapped under the tiger, and he was not letting down.

Kiki's in a bit of jam, don't you think? The title's a little straightforward, I know. And again, I'm truly sorry for not updating sooner. I've had a lot going on, but I'm working on this; don't think I've given up. I can't wait to show you all what I have planned. Thanks for all my readers and to my reviewers! You all keep me writing and I love hearing what you all think. Until next time (which hopefully will be soon).

Anabelle ;)