Day 25: Wednesday

Po and Tigress were sparing again. Po caught Tigress in another hold. "You're not even trying," Po commented. Tigress smirked seductively.

"Maybe because I don't want to go away from you," She replied. Po smiled lovingly as she turned to face him in his embrace. She placed her hands around his neck as she smiled back at him. They slowly leaned closer and closer and-

"Tigress," Po called, "Are you up?" Tigress startled wake. She had dreamt up the whole thing. She huffed in disappointment and blushed.

"Yes, come in, Po," Tigress muttered in frustration.

"Sorry if I disturbed you," Po readily apologized as he entered.

"No, you're fine," Tigress replied. "So what's on the agenda today?"

"Well, I want to say nothing but today we are going to spy on Shifu," Po said with a wicked smile.

"Oh no," Tigress protested, "I know where this is going and I'm not going down that tunnel with you. Bye-bye." She brushed past Po and went down stairs. Po rushed after her.

"Come on, Tigress. You can't tell me that you are the least curious," Po said as they entered the kitchen; the shop wasn't open yet.

"Oh I'm curious. I just don't want to get in trouble. I am an obedient follower and student of my master," She said in a dignified way. Po looked at her with an unbelieving smirk.

"Bolshevik."

"Alright," Tigress interrupted. "I am curious too, but the problem is Shifu's going to see us." Po had forgotten about that part. He rubbed his chin as he thought of a way to get around Master Shifu's prying eye.

"Well, how did you catch him spying on you the first time," Po asked.

"I unintentionally snuck up on him and caught him in the act," Tigress explained.

"Hmm, maybe the answer will come in time to what in the world he's doing up there," Po said. Then a customer came into the building. "I'm sorry but we're not open yet."

"Po, Po, never deny a paying guest when she's hungry," Mr. Ping rushed to the front. Po rolled his eyes, but then he and Tigress recognized who it was.

"Jin," Po and Tigress declared, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see if Monkey was here, but I see he's not here yet," Jin said disappointed.

"To be honest, I haven't seen Monkey since yesterday. What's up," Po asked.

"Nothing really. I hope," She said ominously. Just then, Crane arrived with a bandaged up Monkey. Both his arms and legs were wrapped and so was his torso.

"What happened," Tigress asked.

"Ironically, he slipped on a banana peel," Crane grumbled. Everyone carried Monkey over to the chair. They were frantically asking him questions, but for some reason Crane wasn't as shocked and frantic as the others. Jin hugged him gingerly.

"Monkey, please speak to me," the fox pleaded.

"Jin, please...grant me one request," Monkey whispered to her.

"Anything, Monkey," She said.

"Please...Please realize that..."

"What? What?"

"That...You got pranked," Monkey said starting to laugh. Po and Tigress were confused as Crane rolled his eyes. Jin just looked at him with a shocked face as Monkey had a laughing fit. Jin slapped him across the face. Everyone was shocked at that. Monkey held his struck cheek as Jin spoke angrily to him.

"Don't ever do that again! I thought you were really hurt! I've...I've had enough of these jokes! We can never figure out if we are sincere or not. I was so worried that you were actually in pain! I...I love you too much to see you hurt." She left the room in a crying storm, leaving Po, Tigress, Monkey, and Crane surprised and still. Crane breathed and sighed.

"I told you it was a stupid idea," He muttered. Monkey ran out the shop looking for Jin, letting the bandages fly off. "Him and his pranks."

"Let up on him," Po replied. "This is what both of them use to do. It's their life. Or was their life. Now, if Monkey can't figure out a way to make it up to her, then we're going to have to find another fox."

"Po," Tigress said slightly angered at the joking manner in his voice.

"I'm sorry. But let's just hope Monkey can repair this relationship," Po sighed.

Monkey was looking all over the streets of the village for the fox. He asked everyone near and far. He finally went out of the town to look around. Right at the entry of the village was a lonely fox on her knees shaking from the crying. Monkey rubbed the back of his head nervously as he spoke. "Jin," He said in a whisper. Jin's eyes shot open and looked at him with rage in her eyes. Her mouth was firmly set, her lips pressed tightly together, and her eyebrows slanted downwards in a scowl as her brown eyes looked at him. Her eyes were red too, from all the crying.

"What do you want," Jin asked coldly.

"Your forgiveness," Monkey sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. You're right. These pranks need to stop. From now on, we never prank each other again." Monkey said taking her hands. Jin looked at him and smiled as she hugged him with her arms around his neck. A surprised Monkey slowly hugged back, wrapping his arms around her waist. As they pulled away, but not enough to break their embrace, Monkey's face was still pensive. Jin tilted her head silently asking what was wrong. "Did...did you mean what you said when we were in the shop? Do you really love me? Or was that just a prank," Monkey asked fearing the truth. Jin looked at him with an understanding look. These pranks had really gotten out of hand. They couldn't even tell their true feelings for each other without mistrust. Jin caressed his cheek and quickly kissed him.

Monkey was surprised, but he kissed back. As they broke apart, Jin smiled at Monkey's completely lost face. "What do you think," She asked. Monkey just kissed her again.

"I need you to do something for us, Crane," Po asked of the bird. While Monkey and Jin were together, Crane, Tigress, and Po were discussing in Tigress's room a plan to unveil what the Great Master was doing.

"What is that," Crane asked, surprised that BOTH of them wanted something of him.

"Could you figure out why Master Shifu is spying on us," Po asked. Crane eyed him suspiciously.

"And what makes you think I'll be able to do that," Crane doubtfully said.

"One, you have a relationship with one of the people who now lives there. Two, Master Shifu won't be expecting you. Three, he currently has an eye on us, but he can't keep track of all of us at the same time. Tigress and I will be doing something. I'll have the others take the masters on a tour of the ancient ruins. That will not only give you and Lu alone time, but it will give you a chance to have a one on one talk with him," Po explained.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Crane argued. "I would think Tigress would be a better candidate for that. I've...never been that close to Master Shifu."

"I've already tried talking to him," Tigress sighed from laying down in her bed. "He won't tell me anything. And you can imagine he won't tell Po anything."

"Which leaves you," Po said leaning on Tigress's dresser. Crane groaned.

"Fine," he muttered, "But I can't promise anything."

"That's good enough," Tigress said. "Now if you please...get out of my room." She said it in a playful tone. Both Crane and Po rolled their eyes and went down stairs with Tigress behind them.

"You know, this use to be my room," Po stated.

"Not now," Tigress said with a smirk. Crane began to exit the shop.

"Okay, tomorrow then. I'll pass the word on to the others," He said going out of the shop.

"So what do you have in mind for us to do tomorrow," Tigress asked Po innocently. Po very nervously rubbed the back of his head.

"I'll tell you about it tomorrow," Po said dismissively, getting back to work. This left Tigress very curious.

to be continued