Not to give too much away but..grab your tissues and get the party poppers out!!!! Well apart from that, thanks for the reviews and I have some serious thinking on whether to do a sequel to this. Happy, happy reading!

The days slowly turned into weeks till they turned into months. Shang got better despite falling seriously ill with fever. Mulan never left his side apart from when she went out onto the wall, Bei kept close by in case Shang needed him. Being restricted to bed for the first few weeks made Shang feel so frustrated and useless especially when seeing Mulan returning to him bleeding and worn with scars that will remain to her dying day.

He passed his time staring at the ceiling counting the numerous cracks till he knew the mud dried roof like the back of his own hand. He slept and dreamt dreams which would awaken him suddenly, drenched with sweat. Sometimes they were good concerning Mulan and sometimes bad. Very bad.

But mostly he passed his time praying for Mulan, prayers for her flagging strength, for when she was upset and when she had no hope.

He also prayed for his father and hoped he was happy in the afterlife. Prayers for his seriously sick mother who knew she hadn't got much longer in the world she so loved. He knew she wanted to die a happy woman after seeing her only son married. His thoughts returned yet again to Mulan. He cursed her name for haunting him so and the face that occupied his mind constantly.

He started walking with the aid of a walking stick that Bei carved, he was more happier to be moving around and meeting the occupants of the village he hadn't met.

They all knew Mulan and smiled at her name. They pressed gifts into his hands for her as well as him and Shang slowly learnt the Mongolian language. Before long he could speak like a true native and would tease Mulan with words he told her were rude. Mulan believed him which made him smile with the irony that rather calling her 'an ugly carthorse', he called her 'sweet lady'.

Knowing he still wasn't strong enough to take on Mulan's job on the wall much to his frustration, he reluctantly helped the women with their chores from providing water for the workers to preparing banquets for the troops.

He sat there at first humiliated at being reduced to doing a woman's job. Him, a general! But the women wouldn't let him feel sorry for himself. He often find himself peeling potatoes between two laughing, chatty women who would practise their flirting skills on him.

He realised he underestimated a woman's job, though it was dirty work it needed to be done. If it wasn't , then China would fall apart. It wasn't the armies that made China powerful, it was the women or bearing and nurturing the future citizens of the great country.

When the workers weren't on the wall, Mulan would join him in helping, it gave him moments where he could enjoy her presence. Mulan grew stronger and could deal with her job better but it didn't prevent her from being whipped continuously or having accidents that left her skin bruised and raw. Shang was always there to make sure she was ok.

Their relationship deepened, it wasn't sexual but intimate. They had to in order to survive. When Mulan witnessed a terrible accident that left forty men and small boys dead, Shang comforted her. In mornings she would awake to find Shang smiling as he finished plaiting her hair, a skill he learnt from the young girls he played with in the village.

At nights when it was cold and the soldiers have forgotten to give them food or firewood, Shang would provide warmth with his body and gave the little food he had to Mulan so she could work another day.

The women grew to love him and in their respect for him gave him a set of clothes similar to what their husbands wore. He treasured it and wore it everyday, from the breeches to the boots. He wore his hair loose like most hun men, making him look more handsome and his loose shirt made him look stronger. The women told Mulan she was lucky to have him. And she knew she was.

The usual humdrum day's routine was broken when a couple got married. The workers were home as the soldiers had that day off. The women managed to smuggle food and wine back from the camp kitchens.

Shang and Mulan watched the festivities take place, the groom would have a tattoo of a symbol his future wife chose which represented him. The men would rub dirt into his arm after piercing the skin, the final effect was beautiful. This groom had one of a horse on his shoulder. The bride would be bathed by the maidens of the village, Mulan helped as she admired the bride's blushing beauty as a wreath of flowers was placed on her head.

The ceremony was simple but to Shang and Mulan couldn't be more beautiful, the wedding being a symbol of hope in a place filled with death. They danced and drank that night, their troubles forgotten.

The following morning, Mulan awoke alone. Not seeing Shang of any of the men in the camp she didn't have to ask. He taken her place on the wall.

Shang found the work hard, he kept wondering how Mulan could have survived for so long. His muscles screamed as he put down another load of mortar. He already seen one man die that day but the others said more will do so. He felt his chest heave when he saw young boys heave bricks along on wooden sleighs for the older men to lay. He was tied already and he had the rest of the day to go.

Spying the women coming out from the village to provide water and food, he hurried faster to avoid the soldiers that paced up and down, cracking their whips when they see fit. His back was already cut.

"Break!" a soldier yelled, he lowered his tools and turned to face Mulan who watched him with curiosity.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'll survive." He wiped the sweat from his face and smiled at her frown, "I'm fine." Ok, if you say you are." She sighed.

She handed him a cup of water which he gulped down. He gratefully accepted the bread she gave him, eating it as Mulan pulled out something from under her top. She walked behind him as he sat down and tied his hair back which was damp with sweat and gritty with dirt. She quickly checked his wounds from the whip and the scar which was still healing and wrapped bandages around his knuckles, a thing she discovered would save the skin on his hands.

"I'll check your back when you return." Mulan said, rising to her feet, "Take it easy."

She kissed his forehead as he smiled. Turning to resume her journey back to camp with the rest of the women, she stopped and turned around when Shang called out her name. She watched him walk up to her and without any clues, he bent his head down and kissed her hungrily with all the passion he restrained and the love he knew existed from the very first moment he found out that Ping was a woman.

"Oi!" a soldier yelled , a hum in the air warned Shang to pull away and put his arm out. The whip snapped round his wrist as he gritted his teeth and yanked it from the soldier's hand. He threw it back at the surprised soldier who in turn ran down the wall to his comrades.

Shang turned to see Mulan looking up at him with a dazed expression, her hands touching her bright red cheeks.

"I'm...err...sorry" he stammered.

In one movement, Mulan flung her arms round his neck and kissed him passionately. All their emotions, feelings and desires was all consumed in this kiss. Their lips grinding as they clung to each other. Nothing mattered now, they had each other. They reluctantly broke away, realising the danger they put themselves in. Shang let Mulan go. "Hurry!"

"What about.." Mulan started as she planted a small kiss on Shang's chin. He groaned and captured her lips again.

"Please. When I return, we'll talk." He said against her lips, she nodded and reluctantly slipped away. Turning her back on him, she ran back to the camp.

Shang hastily hurried back to work, he didn't want to cause anymore trouble than he did.

"What's up with Mulan?" One girl asked her friend as they peeled carrots. Mulan was staring idiotically into space as she aimlessly stirred the dough.

"There's nothing wrong..see that look? It means there's a man !" another woman grinned.

"I saw them kiss!" an old woman spoke up.

"Who?" the women gibbered excitedly.

"Shang.", the women smiled and cooed over the prospect of two new lovers in the village.

"Let me try something." The old woman stepped forward, she walked up to Mulan and asked, "What's the weather like today?"

"Oh..it's beautiful..sunny..radiant." Mulan sighed.

"Its to do with a certain man yes?"

Mulan blushed, "I don't know.."

"Well he here's and I think he's looking for you." The old woman pointed to the door and smiled when she saw the panic in Mulan's face as she fussed over her appearance. "You look fine, go to him."

Mulan sighed and stepped out the door, sure enough Shang was in the courtyard talking to Bei who in turn was looking around.

She blushed as Shang saw her and smiled, he patted Bei on the shoulder and walked up to her. "How's your back?" she asked, blushing a deeper red under his admiring stare.

"It's much better now I've seen you." Shang smiled.

"Come, let me attend to it." She said, breaking away, she needed to regain some control over herself.

"That won't be the only thing you'll attend to." Shang smiled under his breath.

They walked into the hut where Mulan could inspect his wounds. She saw more whip marks and asked how he got them.

"From kissing you." Was his reply.

"You mean they whipped you for that?" Mulan exclaimed as she gently washed the cuts.

"It was worth it." He smiled and turned to face to her. She started to attend to his raw hands, knowing that Shang was watching her. His eyes followed every movement she made , a smile flickered on his lips as she would curse under her breath at the state of his injuries. She was beautiful, from how her hair spilled down her back to her great big eyes and a smile that made his stomach flip. He loved her so, this wonderful, remarkable woman and he said the very thought that plagued him for a long time. "Mulan? would you marry me?"

Mulan stopped and looked up at him in surprise.

"Er.." Shang blushed, "You're so brilliant and wonderful. I've been meaning to ask you but the emperor said not to do so till the war is over. He gave us his blessing." Still Mulan didn't say anything, her face a frozen mask of shock so Shang continued.

"I want you to be my wife as I love you Mulan. I don't know if we'll ever be free from here and I don't care as long as you're here. As we cant marry under the Chinese law here, at least let us marry under the hun law in the eyes of our friends." He looked at her, she was listening. He licked his lips and continued. "Honour no longer ties me to what's wrong and right. You are all I need..so...would you do me that honour?"

Mulan nodded, Shang grinned as he pulled her into a great hug. Mulan found herself crying with happiness as Shang wiped them away. Never would she dreamt of marrying a man she loved who was a general so admired by the emperor and the country. The matchmaker failed her job and her family.. "Wait, what about my family?" Mulan asked.

"We'll marry again in China." Shang smiled. She kissed him with all the love she didn't know she had. She love him and nothing could stop them.

Well what do you think?hehe...i got more up me sleeve!