A/N: Hi all!
I'm so sorry for not updating! I've been really busy, thank you all that have reviewed, please come back; please don't give up on me…lol!
Thank you all so much!
Jenna: Thanks so much for reviewing, I hope you'll like this chapter; I really appreciate your review!
BigG500: Thanks for your review, here's chapter 2, I hope you enjoy!
Nala17: Thanks for the luck (I needed it) I hope you'll come back and review!
Narfgirl: Here's chapter 2, thanks for your review, I love your story!
Pichooi: Thanks for your review, and you're right; Pumbaa does have hoofs not paws... thanks for pointing that out! I'll know for next time I may use that term…
Nightstorm7: I hope you'll come back and I hope you'll enjoy the chapter! Thanks for reviewing!
Lindsey: Thanks for your review, enjoy the chapter! Thank you so much!
Doppleganger: Hope you'll enjoy the chapter, thank you for reviewing!
Well all, for what you've been waiting for a long time… I'll try and update ASAP! Please RR and if you have thoughts or ideas, feel free to leave them in a review or email me!
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Chapter 2: Waking Up To a New Start
'The sun, the bright sun, it's to bright…'
Jenna lay under a tree in the jungle, the sunlight streaming through the branches above her. However, it was enough to make her open her eyes and take a look around. From where the young lioness lye, she could see the leaves above her, green grass, beautiful flowers, and most importantly see a slow flowing river. Blinking a few times, she carefully stood up, and patted over to the cool water. Bending her head, she lapped up the water until she was satisfied. Sitting down on the bank, her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten in a long time. Standing again, she began looking for something to eat. Jenna was not a very good hunter, so when she saw a small animal go bye, she decided to follow it.
'It looks like one of those rats.'
The lioness thought as she pounced, and scooped the animal in her mouth. Jenna tossed her head back and forth, trying to bite down on the creature.
"Hey Jenna, glad to see you're awake," Simba greeted as him and Pumbaa emerged.
"Mmmmmmhmmmm," Jenna said with her mouth full.
"Have you seen our friend Timon?"
Pumbaa asked as a head popped out of the lioness's mouth;
"GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
Timon screamed as his feet ran on Jenna's tongue;
"Ummm Jenna, could you please spit out our friend?"
Simba asked;
The lioness leaned forward and opened her mouth and watched as the meerkat jumped out and ran over towards Simba.
"I told you, I told you having her here was a bad idea, but did anyone listen?"
Timon began ranting as Jenna ran over to the river and began to drink water;
Raising her head, she turned around and faced the three friends, "I'm so sorry, I am so sorry, you looked like one of those rat things……"
"I'm not a rat! I am a meerkat, a meerkat!"
Timon screamed, "Thanks a lot Simba, next she'll try and eat Pumbaa!"
"Timon, calm down, it was an accident!"
Simba shouted at his friend, as Jenna lowered her head.
"Timon, I'm really sorry, it's just I haven't eaten anything in a while."
The stubborn Meerkat didn't say anything, only folded his arms and turned to walk away. Jenna sighed as she turned back to the riverbank.
"Simba, Timon is really upset, want me to talk to him?"
Pumbaa offered as the lion smiled, "yeah, just explain that she didn't mean to almost eat him."
Simba walked up to Jenna and sat by her, gazing into the crystal clear water.
"Simba, I am really sorry."
"It's ok, just glad we came in time," Simba said, and then he mentally slapped himself for saying such a stupid thing.
"It takes a little time for Timon to get used to new people," Simba continued, "when I first came here, they wouldn't let me sleep near them, cause Timon thought I was going to eat one of them."
"Oh, do you sleep near them now?"
Simba nodded, "Pumbaa let me after I had a bad dream, and I came here when I was a cub."
Simba studied Jenna's features as the sunlight played across them. She had soft brown eyes, and her ears had faint circle like markings going around them. Her fur was tan, and Simba's eyes fell on a stripe going down her right front leg.
"What are you looking at?"
Jenna questioned, "Do I have water on my face or something?"
Simba laughed, "no, it's just I've never seen a stripe like that before."
"A stripe like what?"
The young lioness followed Simba's gaze to where he stared at her leg.
"Oh," Jenna said, "my mom has one, and I guess I got the slightly rimmed ears from my dad."
"Oh," Simba said quietly as he raised his head, "do you have a pride, where are you from, why are you here?"
Simba inquired of the lioness, his questions coming out rushed as he spoke to her.
"I had a pride, it's far away from here, and I ran away."
The lion lowered his gaze, "sorry…"
Jenna sighed, "it's ok, I left about one month ago, and I was just traveling and I was so tired that I past out. I just happened to pass out around here."
"Yeah," Simba said, not knowing what else to say.
"Ummm, Simba?"
Jenna inquired;
"What?"
"What do you eat around here? I'm really hungry, do you have zebras or buffalo, or…"
"We don't eat that stuff around here, although sometimes I wish we would, for something different."
Jenna raised an eyebrow, "then… what do you eat?"
"Follow me."
Simba said as he stood up and began to walk away from the confused lioness. After a moment's hesitation, Jenna stood up and started to follow him. They walked for a while in silence, before Simba had stopped in front of a log. Jenna watched as Simba sat down in front of it and began to push it with his front paws.
"Need help?"
Jenna offered, as the lion shook his head and the log had been lifted.
Jenna looked down and gasped at what she saw, and then looked back up at Simba.
"Bugs, you eat bugs?"
"Yep," Simba answered, popping one into his mouth for affect, "tastes like chicken."
"Ewww gross," Jenna commented, looking at the squirming insects.
"Hakuna Matata," Simba smiled.
"What?"
"Hakuna Matata, it means no worries."
"That's impossible, you can't have a worry free life," Jenna stated.
"Hakuna Matata Jenna, it means no worries for the rest of your days, it's a problem free philosophy, Hakuna Matata," Simba sung, jumping over the log and picking up more bugs on the other side.
"It's how we live around here," Simba said.
"Oh, so there's no worries, responsibilities, rules, obligations…"
"Nope, none of that."
"Wow," Jenna breathed, "that sounds so cool!"
"So, care for some bugs?"
He held up a leaf to her, where he had gathered some worms and other bugs onto it.
"Oh well, Hakuna Matata," Jenna replied as she took a worm off the leaf and put it in her mouth. Simba laughed as she made a disgusted face;
"I'll have to get used to it."
Jenna commented as she swallowed, and took the leaf of other bugs and began to slowly eat them. The two lions sat and talked, well it was Simba that was doing most of the talking, telling Jenna the story of how they had found her and about Timon and Pumbaa.
"Well, I guess we better get back, Timon and Pumbaa might be wondering where we are," Jenna stated as she looked up at the sun.
"Yeah," Simba agreed as the two lions started there Journey back.
……………….
"So what, she ate a few bugs," Timon argued in front of Simba, while Pumbaa and Jenna were out getting bugs for Timon and Simba. Plus, Jenna had told Simba she wanted to get to know Timon and Pumbaa, and since Pumbaa was willing to talk to her, that's who she was with now.
"Timon, she has nowhere to go."
Simba explained to the meerkat that was not giving in, "she's not going to ruin our Hakuna Matata, if anything she'll add to it."
Timon sighed, "Fine, I guess she can stay."
Simba patted Timon on the head, "Thanks."
"We're back," Jenna yelled from a slight distance away.
"Are you back with Pumbaa?"
Timon shouted back to her;
The lioness didn't answer as the two of them came running up to Timon and Simba.
"Dig in," Pumbaa said as Timon, Pumbaa, and Simba began eating. Jenna stepped off to the side, sighing as she laid on the ground. She watched the three friends eat, and wondered if she could really become apart of this Hakuna Matata lifestyle.
Soon, night was upon them as the bright stars came out in the sky, and Pumbaa, Timon, and Simba laid under a tree in order to go to sleep. Not far off, Jenna lay by herself in the cool night air. The young lioness yawned and rolled onto her other side.
"It's your turn to say it," Pumbaa remarked as Jenna picked up her ears in interest.
"Goodnight," Timon began.
"Sleep tight," Pumbaa replied.
However, there was nothing but silence coming from Simba;
"Simba?"
The lion sighed before speaking, "I'm going to sleep next to Jenna tonight."
"That's not how it goes… you're supposed to say…"
Timon's voice trailed off as Simba stood up and walked over to Jenna, lying down next to her. The lioness cracked open one eye to look at him, "what is it?"
"I just want to keep you company."
Jenna sat up and looked down at Simba, touched by his act. However, she didn't want to come between him and his friends.
"Simba," she started, "I don't want to come between you and your friends. Go over there and stay with them."
"Jenna," Simba countered, "its ok, they understand."
"No, Simba," Jenna said, "just go."
"No," Simba said, still laying by her.
Jenna sighed as she laid down again, "Thanks."
The lion didn't answer as he closed his eyes, laying his ears against his head. However, the lioness was not so lucky; she was overcome by guilt, thinking that she was already causing a rift between Simba and Timon and Pumbaa.
'I'll make this right.'
Jenna carefully stood up, having a thought in mind of what to do. It wasn't too late in the evening, and she ran off with her task in mind.
0-0-0-0-0-End Of Chapter 2.