A/N: Here is the next chapter you all have patiently waited for. Love ya all! Enjoy!

Chapter Thirty: Kovu's Story

''Kovu!'' Kiara exclaimed, pouncing him.

''Oof!'' he said as he fell backward.

''I knew you'd come back! I just knew it! Where've you been all this time?'' Kiara said, laughing joyfully.

''Whoa, whoa. We'll talk if you let me breath for a sec,'' Kovu said, chuckling exhilaration bursting inside him.

''Oh-sorry,'' Kiara apologized as she backed up off of his body. He sat up and faced the young, enthusiastic lioness. He couldn't believe how much he missed looking into those eyes….

''So tell me what happened; how'd you make it out of the river?'' Kiara inquired.

''It's sort of a long story,'' Kovu said.

''That's okay, I'm listening,'' Kiara urged.

Kovu smiled; no one had ever wanted to converse with him before. Kiara was different, like his friend. So he began, starting from the day he had fallen into the river. He told her of how even though he was injured and near to passing out, he swam with great difficulty toward the shore far from the Pridelands, then fell unconscious. Kiara's eyes grew wide in shock at this.

He continued on, explaining how two days later he awakened, but not alone, and not in the same environment. He described the landscape he was in, the green grass, the tall, wide tree…

''Rafiki's tree!'' Kiara exclaimed knowingly. ''Rafiki is the one who found you and took care of you, wasn't he?''

''Yeah, he was…you know him?'' Kovu said, questioningly.

''Yeah, he's a friend of the family. He's known my dad for the longest time,'' Kiara said. ''So then he summoned my dad, then you guys talked, right?''

''Exactly.''

''I'm just so glad you're back,'' Kiara said affectionately. She rubbed the top of her head beneath his chin and whispered, ''I missed you so much.''

''Likewise,'' Kovu said, nuzzling her back.

Now Kiara knew where Simba had been that day. Her father had always seemed to find a way to surprise her; but this had to be the biggest one yet. She was ecstatic to know that Simba had made peace with Kovu and allowed him to come back and see her.

But then…what next? Where would Kovu go afterwards? Would he be able to come back to visit her as much as he pleased?

''Kovu?''

''Yeah?''

''Where are you going?''

''What do you mean?''

''I mean, where will you stay?''

Kovu was silent as he thought for a moment. ''I'd like to stay here, with you, but I dunno what your dad'll think,'' he said.

''Kiara,'' came Simba's voice from behind them, ''Time to go inside now. I'd like to speak with Kovu.''

Kiara looked at Kovu, smiling, her eyes saying, this is your chance!

She turned and left the two to converse privately, full of happiness like she'd never felt before. Now that Kovu was back, she felt complete.

A/N: There you go! Now in the next chapter, Simba's gonna beat the heck out of Kovu of letting Zira cubnap his daughter and then kick him out the Pridelands! MWUAAHAHA! How about that for a perfect ending?? Don't forget to review, my little peeps!