A/N my apologies for the horribly late update (and short chapter). I've been a bit busy lately, and also a little depressed. You see, Tuesday (which I guess would be tomorrow) is my graduation from high school. I'm a very sentimental person and tend to be unhappy with the fact that my life seems to be passing me by so quickly. Many of my friends are hardly friends anymore. A lot of things are changing and I've found myself in the middle of it all.

There I go again…I 'm sorry, I don't want to sound whiny or anything. Anyway, with summer now here I'll be starting school a month later. I'll try to finish this story off soon and begin another. I hope this chapter will hold you for another week or so.

Thanks to SunRise19, Pichooi, and MorpheusDreamer for reviewing! as always, i really appreciate it!

x x x

The trip back to the oasis was turning out to be ridiculously slow. Slow, not necessarily due to obstacles, it was more like Hadiya trying to land a hit on Flinchy and knocking him to the ground. A lot. So many times, in fact, that eventually he just trotted along next to Pumbaa, hoping to give her time to cool down. It was well into evening when they reached the shelter of the leaves.

Pumbaa dropped flat onto his stomach as soon as he saw a suitable spot. Timon and Hadiya slid from his back as he grinned sheepishly. "It didn't look that far…didn't think I'd get so tired…"

"Well, I hate to say it buddy, but you could stand to lose a little-" Hadiya elbowed him and he shut his mouth. "So, what now?"

"Do you think we should let someone know that we're back?" Flinchy suggested, glancing around as if expecting someone of authority to appear. The other two shrugged.

"Well…"

"What?"

"I don't think it's really a good idea to go running around announcing our arrival." Hadiya said matter-of-factly. "You know, unless you want to get killed." Flinchy nodded, knowing that she was right, but Pumbaa started from where he was pushing his snout around a bit of mud, hoping for a bite.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"It's not important." Hadiya said.

"I should think if it involved death it would be terribly important…" Timon asked. Hadiya turned away, concentrating on Pumbaa's mud hole. "Flinchy?" he asked, turning to the other.

"We weren't really supposed to come back." Timon just looked at him blankly. "You know…Pazu? Ran us off? It would make sense for him to threaten us."

"Eh?"

"Pazu's going to kill them if he finds out they're here." Pumbaa offered, having grasped it somewhat better than his friend. Timon growled.

"If he even tries it, I'll-"

"You'll what? No offense, Timon, but you're not exactly a fighter." Flinchy snorted. Timon's growl turned into an arrogant glare.

"I can do it, if need be…"

"Yeah, sure."

"What, you want me to prove it?"

"Don't start that, guys." Hadiya turned back to them. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be careful about this." She glanced between the two, who were squinting irritably at one another. "Timon? Flinchy?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop acting like pups."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now, maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me like the best thing to do would be to wait here. Timon, Pazu isn't looking for you, so you can go find your uncle and mother to tell them we're all right. Pumbaa, if you would, stay here with us."

"You want me to walk around the entire oasis?"

"Yes, Timon. A little exercise won't kill you." Timon grunted at Flinchy's remark, but did nothing more as Hadiya was giving them both a stern look."

"Surely with Pumbaa here Pazu wouldn't even think of trying to get us. You don't mind, do you?" she smiled up at the warthog and he returned it, shaking his head. It was all settled, but Timon was still a little unsure. He glanced back at the cousins as he turned to leave them.

"You're sure about this? I mean, if something happens, I want to be here to see…" Hadiya rolled her eyes and shooed him away.

"Just get going."

"All right, all right." he stepped in among the leaves, lost almost instantly from sight. Hadiya and Flinchy both loosed a yawn, tired from their night on the run.

"That was a good idea, Hadiya." Pumbaa said, shifting as the two meerkats settled against his side. "He'd have never thought of that."

"Thanks, Pumbaa." She smiled, drifting into sleep. Pumbaa glanced around; making sure everything was all right before lowering his head. Sleep would be a welcome break.