Greetings all, once again I have returned!!!! I have had a hard time getting inspiration, I pretty much have had the next chapter planned out for some time but I needed something in between. Thank you to all my new reviewers and the old faithfuls!! I can't believe I have nearly 20 reviews because I honestly only expected to have very few when I started to write this!!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except Kande and Makalo, all the rest belong to Disney!!!

Chapter 4

" Aren't we back yet?" yawned Timon while lying flat on Pumbaa's back looking at glimpses of the sunset through the canopy.

" Not quite yet Timon, but we should be back before sundown," answered a very tired Pumbaa.

"I'm sure it didn't take this long to get there," continued Timon and before he put on a whining voice and began pulling on Pumbaa's ears, adding "Can't you walk any faster!"

Timon had been going on like this for quite some time now, and at this point in the journey Pumbaa was exhausted and had just about had enough.

"Here's and idea," Pumbaa began while stopping to turn his face in Timon's direction, "How bout you get down and try carrying me the rest of the way!"

"Pumbaa, Pumbaa, Pumbaa, you know I have a bad back" replied Timon in a patronising kind of voice. "Plus there's the fact that you're about 100 Kilo's heavier than me" he added quickly in a low voice.

" Hey! I heard that!! Are you calling me fat?"

"Pumbaa it's a cold hard fact of life, learn to live with it"

"So you are calling me fat!!!"

"Come on buddy! You're a pig, it's a compliment."

"Really?"

"Sure, put it this way, lions are known for their manes, zebras for their stripes, meerkats for their superior intellect and finally, warthogs are known for their fat."

" Hmm I don't know it still doesn't sound like a very complimentary complement," pondered Pumbaa.

"Look, would you rather be known for your stink?" inquired Timon leaning over Pumbaa's head so Pumbaa received an upside-down view of his face.

" Hmm, not really, so I guess it was compliment…umm…thanks… I guess," he said with a very confused expression.

They were just about to move on again when suddenly a loud shout from the lower branches nearby tree was heard.

"LOOK OUT BELOW!!!!!"

Next thing they knew, two meerkat pups jumped off the tree and were falling straight towards them. The pups landed neatly on Pumbaa's back, but in doing so had caused Timon to fall off with a thud.

" Sorry Mr Timon," called Makalo, trying to sound convincing and failing miserably, through suppressed tears of laughter.

" Why you little..." growled Timon while dusting himself off, then stopping mid sentence noticing Pumbaa also trying suppress laughter.

Timon gave Pumbaa a very annoyed looking glare, that made Pumbaa immediately swallow and wipe the smirk off his face.

"You know pups," Timon said to the still giggling Makalo and Kande, " just because you're my mother's, cousins, stepsisters children does not mean I have to like you".

" That's ok Mr Timon," replied Kande, "we know you love us," and with that she blew him a little teasing kiss.

Timon just gave a tiny smile, shook his head and they all continued walking.

"Shouldn't you two be at home by now? Your mother might be starting to worry about you" Pumbaa while still walking.

" Yeah I guess so," began Kande, "But we thought we should tell you that you have a visitor."

"Were we expecting someone Timon?" asked Pumbaa.

"Not that I know of," replied Timon scratching his head. "Is it a lion?"

"No it's some kind bird. He's blue with a beak that kinda looks like a banana," said Makalo.

"And he's fat too," added Kande.

"Oh you mean old Banana beak!" exclaimed Timon.

"I wonder what he wants," said Pumbaa.

"Probably just some message from Simba," replied Timon.

"Maybe he just came to say Hello?"

"Pumbaa, this is Zazu we're talking about, he doesn't just come to say hello. Where is he? He normally just finds us himself."

"Oh he's with Ma," answered Kande, "he had an accident and doesn't look like he will be flying for a while."

"Poor, Zazu!" said Pumbaa. "Is he ok?"

"Yeah, I think he'll survive," reassured Makalo.

"Poor Ma!" exclaimed Timon, " Come on! Let's hurry back before Zazu bores her to death!"

After that they all picked up the pace a little. Makalo and Kande were dropped off at their home on the way. Their mother was standing outside looking a little worried and annoyed as they were normally back much earlier, but she was very grateful for Timon and Pumbaa for taking them home.

10 mins later

Ma had just finished collecting many different varieties of insects and placed them on a large flat rock only a short distance away from the home. On the rock also lay 5 half-coconut shells full of water from the river. There would be one shell each for her; Zazu and Timon but she always gave Pumbaa two because of his size. She had just placed the last shell on the rock when she saw Pumbaa coming towards her from the distance, when he came closer she also saw Timon walking beside him.

"Hey, sweetie, Hi Pumbaa," she waved.

"Hi Ma" shouted Timon returning the wave.

"Hello Miss Ma," Pumbaa called.

"You were gone longer than I thought you would, it's nearly nightfall. I gathered some extra bugs so we can make this a dinner. I know how hungry you guys get"

" Gee Thanks Miss Ma that's awfully kind of you," said Pumbaa happily looking at all the food.

"Ma," said Timon suddenly remembering what Makalo and Kande had told them.

" The ran into the gruesome twosome on the way here, and they told us that old banana beak's come round to see us?"

"Timon that's not a very nice thing to call your guest!" replied Ma. " Yes Zazu is here, he says he has an important message for you".

"So where is he?"

"He's resting at my place, why don't you go and bring him out, he'll be joining us for dinner tonight."

"But Ma..."

"No buts about it Mister, he's our guest and will be treated as such."

"Ok I'll go and get him," and with that he walked towards the Ma's tree stump and went inside.

When we got in, he found Zazu in the guest nest, fast asleep. Timon was a bit shocked by his condition, and did feel a little sorry for him, even though they had never been what one would call friends. After a little consideration, Timon walked up to the sleeping bird and whispered " Zazu."

To this he got no response so he tried again, this time a little louder.

"Psst Banana Beak"

Still no response.

"HEY WAKE UP!!" Timon finally yelled.

Zazu woke up with a jolt leaping a few inches into the air. His head was ringing from the shout. When he saw Timon he just glared, and folded wings together (well as much as he could with the sling on anyway).

" Well, I must say that was a rather rude awakening!" stated Zazu.

" Well it was kinda a last resort. Sorry," said Timon; although it was obvious he wasn't as sorry as he was making out to be.

"I should think so!" huffed Zazu; his feathers still a little ruffled.

"Anyway, Ma says you'll be joining us for dinner, so you better get up now if you want some grub."

Timon helped Zazu out of the nest and lead him to the flat rock were Ma and Pumbaa were appearing to be in an enthralling conversation about the weather.

"Oh your up!" said Ma offering him a spot to sit by her.

Soon everyone was seated, Ma and Zazu were at one side of the rock and Timon and Pumbaa on the other side. For a while there was just silence, until Ma finally instructed everyone to just "dig in". Then much to Zazu's disgust, Timon and Pumbaa started to eat at a speed that seemed to be about 100 grub a minute. Ma actually looked a little embarrassed.

"Psst company eating rules," whispered Ma across the table.

Then Timon slowed down and started to just pick up one bug at a time and chewing at a normal rate, Pumbaa attempted to pick up one at a time too which was very difficult considering he didn't have opposable thumbs.

" So Zazu," began Timon after taking a sip out of his coconut, "What was it exactly that you came here to tell us?"

"Oh yes," said Zazu after he had finished chewing, "His Royal Highness…"

"You mean Simba?" butted in Pumbaa.

"Yes," continued Zazu a little peeved about being interrupted. "Anyway as I was saying, His royal…um Simba, wishes to inform you that the Queen..."

"You mean Nala?" Pumbaa interrupted again.

"YES!" exclaimed Zazu a little louder than he had intended. Then he took a deep breath to continue in a calm voice. " As I was saying… Her Royal…Nala is due to give birth in 14 suns, 13 if you don't count today. The couple have invited you two to attend the presentation, which is due to take place shortly after the new royal cub or cubs are born."

"Oh isn't that nice, she's nearly due, how is the darling?" asked Ma.

" She's doing fine," said Zazu in a much softer tone than he had used on Timon and Pumbaa.

"That's Great!" said Pumbaa

"Yeah," said Timon, "Let's head up there tomorrow!"

"Oh no you don't," said Ma firmly, "Your not leaving until Zazu feels better, he still needs to recover and if he still can't fly in a few days, you two are going to have to take him to Pride rock."

"That's very kind of you madam, but I assure you I can manage," explained Zazu.

"Oh don't be ridicules," said Ma, playfully shaking Zazu's shoulders, " and don't call me madam, I told you my name, so you could use it."

"Really Ma, he said he'd be fine. I'm sure he knows wether or not he can..." began Timon

"Timon, don't you start too," interrupted Ma, "Really I just don't understand you men sometimes. No you two will wait until Zazu feels better and that's final!"

After some time and small talk the dinner was over. Pumbaa had offered that Zazu come and stay with them for the night but Ma insisted that he stayed with her. Timon didn't know quite why but he didn't like this arrangement. It just seemed to him that Zazu was being too nice to Ma, and she although know for fussing over people, had seemed to be for some reason giving him extra special treatment.

"Thank you, Maha," said Zazu after Ma helped him to his feet and put her arm around him to support him on the way back to the stump.

Timon and Pumbaa also started to head home.

'Maha! He called her Maha!! Zazu never calls anyone by their first name after just meeting, and even sometimes long afterwards. Couldn't he have just kept calling her madam or just Ma? Why did he call her Maha? The only one who ever called her Maha was, well Dad. What gives him the right to call her by her first name?" Timon pondered this for most of the trip home. He knew he was being silly, so he felt no need to discuss it with Pumbaa, although for some reason it did bother him.

There you have it, a bit longer than I expected, but that probably because of all the dialogue. Sorry for taking so long to update, hope you liked this chapter. Next chapter will be based back at pride rock.