Whoo-hoo! Got another one out in a fairly timely manner! Enjoy!

Mulan found herself fighting a blush seeing the intensity in Shang's eyes as he gently helped her to her feet.

"Mulan...I…"

"MULAN!"

Mulan couldn't help but giggle slightly seeing the annoyance and frustration written across her Captain's face at the interruption as Po, Ling and Yao came running up to them.

"How did you…?"

"Where did you…?"

"Are you...?"

"That was a deliberate attempt on my life!" A familiar, high-pitched, nasally voice shouted above them all. The group of five turned to see Chi-fu stomping down the stairs towards them, clipboard firmly attached to his arm and his pretentious hat smoldering from a close encounter with a stray firework.

"Where is she? Now she's done it. What a mess!"

Mulan didn't know what to do. Yes, Chi-fu was annoying but he also represented the Emperor, which gave him full power over her life. Gentle hands guided her further away from the enraged man as Shang stepped forward to confront him. Then her view was blocked as her three friends moved in front of her, instinctively creating a protective barrier.

"Stand aside! That creatures not worth protecting!" Chi-fu yelled, making sure he had everyone's attention during his moment of righteous anger. But Shang was not about to let Chi-fu undermine Mulan and take her away from him again.

"She's a hero!"

Chi-fu snorted disdainfully at Shang's claim.

"She's a woman!" He explained as if Shang were the dense one, "She'll never be worth anything…!"

And that was when Shang finally reached the last of his patience with the stuck up, self centered prat. Making sure he had the rat's full and undivided attention Shang grabbed him by the collar of his ridiculously expensive robes.

Listen, you pompous…!"

"That. Is. Enough."

At the commanding tone Shang immediately released his hold, allowing Chi-fu to stumble away, and turned to give his ruler his full attention.

"Your Majesty, I can explain…"

The Emperor, who stood as tall and firm as the mountain he aspired to be, despite his age, held up one hand and Shang immediately ceased to speak. He knew an unspoken order when he saw one and recognized another as the Emperor lowered his hand with a sideways sweeping motion. Bowing his head in acquiesce and respect, Shang moved to his left. At his movement, Po, Ling and Yao followed suit.

Mulan heard Shang say, "Your Majesty, I can explain…" Only to cut himself short and she panicked. The Emperor was there, just beyond her friends and she was a woman, a woman who had infiltrated his army. She tried to think of something, anything she could do to make this situation better and her hands landed on her hair, the hair she had cut short and which was now most certainly a disaster. She frantically began finger combing it in an attempt to make a slightly better impression. Then her friends were bowing and moving to either side, revealing her to the Emperor for the very first time. The man was imposing and certainly carried himself with all the honor and dignity a royal was expected to portray, and he did not look pleased.

Remembering herself and the few manners her mother had managed to drill into her head, Mulan took a tiny step forward, folded her hands in front of her and bowed until she was bent in half and could no longer see the Emperor's stern disapproval through the curtain of her relatively straight hair.

"I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan." Hearing the Emperor say her full name, surprised Mulan enough to chance a small glance at him before closing her eyes, prepared to receive her punishment.

"You stole your father's armor. Ran away from home. Impersonated a soldier. Deceived your Commanding Officer. Dishonored the Chinese Army! Destroyed my palace AND…!" Mulan flinched slightly as the Emperor's voice rose in anger. She was unable to meet any of her friends' eyes, especially Shang's. Hearing all of her crimes listed against her, brought into perspective just how much trouble she was in.

"You have saved us all." The Emperor finished in a gentle voice. Shocked, Mulan met his gaze again only to find the stern mask gone, replaced with a small smile. Kindness and respect shone in the old man's eyes. If that wasn't enough, as everyone looked on, the Emperor bowed, actually bowed!, to her.

Mulan had no idea what to do and her amazed befuddlement only deepened when Chi-fu scurried to mimic the Emperor, throwing himself face first onto the ground in a full dogeza. After only a moment Shang led her friends into a bow and then a dogeza as well! All Mulan could do was stare in shock between the six surrounding her. Then a motion caught in the corner of her eye. Turning around she stared in wonder as every living being gathered in the courtyard bowed to her. It was breathtaking to watch as row after row of people first bowed, then knelt.

Mulan turned to the Emperor with half a mind to beg him to stop, only to find him standing upright once more. Mulan inclined her head in thanks for the honor he had shown her by publicly acknowledging her actions. But he wasn't done yet.

"Chi-fu."

Chest puffed out in pride, Chi-fu stepped forward, clipboard at the ready, "Your Excellency?"

"See to it that this woman be made a member of my Council."

Chi-fu mumbled as he wrote to ensure he inscribed every word exactly. "Made a member of your...WHAT?! But...but… there are no Council positions open, your majesty." Chi-fu informed them with his back turned but Mulan could just picture the smug little expression on his face having thwarted the Emperor's attempt to reward her further.

"Very well." The Emperor didn't even hesitate before turning to Mulan and addressing her directly, jerking a thumb in Chi-fu's direction as he spoke, "You can have his job."

"M-my…!" Chi-fu couldn't even finish his sentence before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed dramatically in a dead faint at the prospect of losing his job to a woman. The Emperor watched his Counselor's behavior with bemusement, seemingly unable to understand the man's tendency to react ridiculously to all circumstances.

"With all due respect, your Excellency," Mulan started, drawing the Emperor's attention back to her, "I think I've been away from home long enough."

"Then, take this." The Emperor commanded, leaving no room for argument as he slipped his crest over his head and draped it over her's. "So your family will know what you have done for me."

"And this." he continued as Mulan examined the crest with reverence. He held out Shan Yu's sword until she took it with both hands. "So the world will know what you have done for China."

Overcome with joy, Mulan couldn't contain herself any further and flung her arms around the man who had just given her everything she could ever have hoped for.

"Uh...is she allowed to do that?" Yao asked quietly as the four of them watched Mulan throw her arms around the Emperor in a big hug. Shang could only shrug in response. He didn't know and, to be honest, he didn't really care. The Emperor had accepted Mulan, she would live and that was all that mattered to Shang. He felt as though his heart was about to explode with happiness!

Then she was turning to them, a huge smile across her face. Ling, Yao and Po moved to meet her but Shang found himself holding back, suddenly nervous. It suddenly occurred to him that the last time the two of them were face to face he had kissed her. What if she thought the worst of him because of it? What if she didn't like it? What if she didn't feel the same about him? These uncertainties were still swirling through his mind when he suddenly found her standing directly in front of him, staring up at him with the big, dark, trusting eyes he had come to love so much. Suddenly he didn't know what to do with his hands. Should he hug her like her friends? Should he kiss her again? He could see expectation in her eyes but...expectation of what?

"Uh...you…"

She moved a little closer as he spoke and in a complete panic Shang said and did the first safe things that came to his mind. He opted to pat her shoulder like he would any other soldier and blurted,

"You fight good."

Instantly he saw the disappointment in her eyes, she tried to cover it by giving him her thanks, but he saw it and it cut him to the quick. He had screwed up, yet again. She walked past him and headed to Khan.

"Ahem."

Shang turned and found the Emperor standing next to him.

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all."

"Sir?" Shang asked, thoroughly confused but trying to be polite. That's when the Emperor turned to him with a look that could only be described as exasperated and said with all the bluntness of a hammer, "You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty."

Shang felt as though the Emperor had hit him over the head with aforesaid hammer. He turned back to see Mulan mount Khan, having gotten herself situated and said her final goodbyes. Without thinking, Shang ran up to her before she could spur the horse forward.

"Shang?" She asked, clearly startled by his abrupt approach.

"Mulan...I"

She watched him expectantly. He looked away to gather his thoughts.

"I...will…."

"Yes?"

Reacting to the impatience in her voice, he reached out and wrapped his hand around her slender ankle, an intimate move that drew a small gasp from her. He took a calming breath and looked up until he met her eyes directly.

"Will you allow me to escort you home?"

Hey Guys! So what did y'all think? I know I didn't stray far from the movie but I was really thinking about it and it's like, okay, so Mulan just found out Shang knew about her and their first kiss was kind of in a spur of the moment, we could die, sort of situation. So suddenly they find themselves without a time limit, no pressure, no secrets and both pretty innocent when it comes to love and the opposite gender. I put myself in their shoes and thought that I'd feel pretty darn awkward myself so I tried to ramp up the awkwardness but! The Emperor (love that guy by the way) is like what the heck are you two doing? You're in love, duh! And that opens up the door to a fun filled future! ) So just wanted to explain my thought process to those who were really hoping for a slightly different outcome but don't worry! I'm not done with these two yet! No way!