Chapter 22

Back home, in the Valley...

Shang and Jasmine made their way through the markets, paw-in-paw, almost mute. The atmosphere was a lively buzz around them, but Shang's mind in a swarm of its own. Jasmine could sense her husbands' state through the tight grip he had her paw in as they strolled.

"Darling?" Her voice carried out a soft tune. Shang turned to her blankly. "Must you do that? It's getting a little discomforting..."

"Hmm?" He looked at their paws. "Oh!" He let go for a few seconds, let her flex the pained digits, before they linked again in a softer hold. "Sorry..." Jasmine smiled and replied it was okay, before gazing deeper, beyond his eyes, almost like she was trying to get to his soul. "What is it?"

"Nothing... can't I not just look at you without saying anything?" She giggled softly, before she wrapped her arms around the arm of the paw she was twisted around. Pushing closer to him, Jasmine sighed while her head landed on her shoulder. "You're tense my love..."

"I know..." Shang's head drooped. "I'll be like this until Po and the others return... at least by then they can sort out the... issue up in the Palace?"

Jasmine began to nod understandably, but then stopped, and frowned at him softly. "Shang, I understand your anxiety towards Tigress and the baby... but try and work with... him?" Her husband blinked rapidly like she was going mad. "I know it sounds insane... and I know you're trying for the sake of everyone... like everyone... but he is trying his best not to be a burden." Her heart hung heavy as she spoke, knowing this may anger him. The news of Tigress shook her, and she wept by the feline's beside when she had her first turn in caring for her, saying the same things Sapphire said; that the baby was gonna be fine, and so was she.

"I..." The slightly vexed look he gave her made her stomach turn, among other things, but in an area as crowded as the markets, they didn't have to privacy to speak openly. "I will try..." Jasmine's hold tightened around his arm, which he stiffened up. "Tigress said the same to me... but what he had done before is clouding the chances."

Hearing of what Tai Lung did made Jasmine almost frightened of the leopard, but upon their first encounter that morning in the kitchen, he was quite the gentleman; Offering her tea and breakfast to be served, sacrificing his chair, a bowl of fruit, a penny for her thoughts on simpler things like the weather... how could a so called monster be so well educated in chivalry?

Before they could say anymore about it, a call from the air caught their attention. "Shang Sun!" It was a messenger; a white goose swooping down, and landing gracefully on the ground. "A message for you." Shang took it, thanked him, and waited for him to leave. He scrutinized the lettering along the case...

"It's from Mei Long." He stated uneasily.

Jasmine shook his shoulder. "Open it! It must be from about the Bao Gu records!"

Shang collected the saliva in his mouth as he jammed the case into his pocket. "We need to get the stuff first... we'll open it after."

In the Jade Palace...

"Mama?"

"Are you awake?"

The world came back from the depths of her thoughts, and her eyes tiredly switched to the two fluttering glows that warmed her heart without any efforts.

"Don't go in there!" Pleaded a softer voice. "She could be asleep!"

Tigress exhaled softly. "I'm wide awake Zhan sir." Hearing a awkward 'oh' as the boys dumped their bags, the panda opened the door slowly. "Hello," she said softly, extending one arm to them. Without hesitation, they ran, and filled them empty space, bombarding her with much needed hugs.

"Careful!" Li cried, holding his head in his paws in terror. The boys, cautiously, slowed down nearing the bed.

"How was school?" Tigress continued.

"It was OK," Tigro yawned loudly, stretching out his arms. Lotus passed her a scroll, and Tigress' heart was suddenly in her throat. Immediately assuming it was from Po, she opened it quickly... but to some disappoint, it wasn't from him. What made her smile was the content; Get well soon, Crime-stopping Mom... and baby! Underneath the words was what she assumed was her; a orange and black shape fighting off... something. That orange shape also seemed to have swallowed a whole peach.

"We did it in Crafts," Tigro explained, as both he and Lotus climbed up on either side of her, and nestled up close. Placing the scroll on her lap, she wrapped both arms around each cub, and pulled them so close they were all cheek to cheek.

"Do you like it?" Li asked. "I think its a fine piece of work."

Tigress nodded. "It's beautiful, we'll put it somewhere safe..." Her throat gave out a soft hum as she glanced out the window, placing the art on the bedside table.

"How are you feeling today, Mama?" Tigro's little voice swam around her ears, causing her to let go of them. Both twins pulled away far enough to gaze up at her curiously. "Feeling any better?"

Tigress smiled at him, and held her sons delicate face with one paw, while the other was planted on Lotus' shoulder once they were sitting up properly. "Of course, I'm progressing everyday. It's nothing to worry about, Dad will be home soon with my medicine and everything will be OK."

Lotus grinned. "That's good! It's not like you to be in bed all day. You must be tired of just sitting here doing nothing."

Tigress and Li laughed; the three main men in her life knew her like a favorite chronicle, or recipe. "That's true..." She paused. The baby made a little bit of movement, but whatever way it shifted, didn't agree with the rest of her body. Her abdomen twisted slightly, and she became very light headed... making her peer at Zeng, who stood right by the door.

"Are you alright Master Tigress?" He inquired slowly.

"Could one of you get Tai Lung? Or Shang?" She asked.

"Right away."

Tigro latched onto her paw immediately as the goose made his move out the door. "What's wrong?" Li asked.

"Nothing... I just need something to eat... and the boys need to get ready for training..." Tigress rubbed the side of her head, eyes closed.

"They'll be sorted out."

"Not yet!" Tigro and Lotus cried.

Upon opening her eyes, she noticed her sons' faces droop to a look a sadness. Tilting her head to the side, she cracked a little smile as she patted their paws. "What's wrong? Why the long faces?"

"We never get to see you." Tigro's eyes fell to the ground.

"It's like no one wants us to see you." Lotus rubbed his eyes stiffly, before turning away from her.

"Tigro... Lotus..." Using a little bit of strength, she pulled both of them up far enough until their heads were nestled under her neck, trapped in her firm hold. How could she deny it?

When they came to see her, she was sleeping, whether by will or by the medicines that were being pumped into her, and when she was awake they were at school or training... and she couldn't help by agree. Stuck in the same room for who knows how long... the track of time was lost staring at the four blank walls all day, seeing the same faces, not being able to go out to the fresh air... or tell them what could happen.

The thoughts of not seeing her children grow has been hanging on the back of her mind, which evened out the sudden hope that Woo made her realize. "Nothing makes my day more than seeing you coming home from school, excited and eager to tell me how your lessons went. Of course they want you to see me... it's just... they don't want you getting upset."

"About what?"

Tigress exhaled uneasily when their questioning stare bore into her, making Tigress' head turn slowly, looking out the window again. The charm Woo gave her hung from the window sill, as she felt now wasn't the time to wear it... and the words Woo said hung over her like a rain cloud, the words echoing around her ears. "When someone gets sick, sometimes they act... funny." Li spoke for her, nodding at her like he understood where she was going.

"What's funny about being sick?" Lotus questioned in confusion, only noticing the charm too.

Tigress chuckled. "OK maybe that wasn't the best word to describe it... remember when you both had the River Fever?"

"Yea."

"Well you weren't yourselves that day... you were very, very sick. Although we knew you were going to be okay, it start upsetting for me and your dad to see you the way you were. You had no energy, remember?"

They were about three or four at the time, but it was hard for any parent to watch their child cry out for them through the migraines and sneezes; their limp, motionless figures in a 24 hour game of musical statues; weak, and barely eating.

"Yea..."

"That's like me... I could... act in a way that isn't me, and it could scare you." Both brothers looked at one another, before nodding in agreement. Lotus rubbed his face into the crook of her mother's neck, his face burrowing out to face the light between while still attached.

"We just worry mama..." He whispered.

"I know... but worrying isn't your job, okay? We want you to be the complete opposite! You just be the same happy, motivated boys... my carefree cubs, alright?"

Lotus and Tigro simultaneously pulled away from her, looking offended. Tigress tried to think over what she said that could've upset them, but was cut off guard but their classic pouting of lips; a tactic they learnt from their father, and the focused eyes, to make sure you were paying attention to them... something they brushed off of her. "We're not cubs!" They retorted.

Tigress raised an eyebrow, trying to stifle her laughter. "Well, what are you then?"

"Men!"

She didn't have the chance to bite down on her lips; letting out that joyful sound that Po taught her to use more often, while managing to keep a... somewhat, serious tone in her voice. "Excuse me, whether you like it or not, your my cubs!" They starting laughing with her, cradling their stomachs, and on the floor. They were still going as Li stood up and placed a paw on her shoulder, unnoticed by Tigro and Lotus. Tigress looked up at him briefly, and he smiled at the her to praise, knowing that she was the happiest she's been since Po, Monkey and Viper left...

Then something changed. The lower half of Tigress' body suddenly stiffened, and her paws wrapped around her head, her face crumbling with the pain. Before the boys could stop the eager pain in their stomachs and question the situation, Tai Lung came in before Li could cry out.

Everything was going in slowly motion;

As Li scooped the boys up, and pulled them out of the room, calling out for help, Tai Lung fell to Tigress' beside, collecting her in her arms, and she rocked back and forth, her body slowly grinding to a halt. He shouted at her when whispering her name in fear didn't bring her around to normality.

"Tigress? Sweetheart, look at me!" His buffy arms processed to shake her, in hopes it would help in a brief moment his brain switched off, but seeing what he was doing through what seemed like the eyes of another, he pulled away from her in shock, watching her hit the pillow, her muscles tightening in every part of her body once more. Her eyes closed with the same intensity as the pains echoing through the rest of her body. His ears flattened, and he hissed almost painfully when she started crying out in pain.

Sapphire and Mantis came running in. "What the hell is going on in here?" Mantis shouted, before seeing Tigress' form. "Oh no..." He scuttled across the floor, and leapt up, as Sapphire stood scarcely still, paws twisted around her mouth. The insect yelled at Tai Lung to step away, and he did so, head in paws, before he turned to her. His eyes, the body langauge... dragged her accusations through the mud before she could even get them out of her mouth and tear him apart. They said it all... he didn't do anything... he wouldn't...

Before any damage was done, Mantis' pincers crossed paths with exposed areas of her board like neck, and like magic, her whole body began to loosen, the sounds decreased into painful inhales, and her eyes shut open, catching Sapphire's attention. "Sh..." Mantis whispered, abruptly hugging her shoulder once her paw found its way to her stomach.

"The baby..." She said shakily when Shifu, Crane, Woo, Jun and Lok came running, almost sick and pale. There was noises outside the room; Li and Mr. Ping were consoling Tigro and Lotus, who were on the verge of sobbing. "The boys-"

"Is gonna be fine... just take a deep breath..." Shifu and Woo moved in closer, and gathered a rag and cold water as Sapphire held her mouth shut in hopes any sounds were denied access to the open air around her. Her eyes fell to the ground when the heavy feeling in her stomach suddenly lifted, and she staggered... knowing someone was going to catch her, and at this point, she didn't care who.

Feeling his arms close around her, she twisted around and buried her face into his chest, feeling an abnormal sense of security in the hold of someone who bared a dirty past. Tai Lung was a little surprised to see her hold onto him like a frightened child, but consoled her with the occassional hush as her paws twisted around her faces against his chest. He glanced at the others: but no one said anything about it; they all seemed to meet Tigress' gaze all the one time.

Through her heavy pants, small ounces of waters trinkled around the tiger's eyes as they closed. The last saw was Woo staring down at her intently as Shifu pressed the soaked rag on her forehead. "Just rest..." he urged.

And that she did; the last thing her mind flashed before her whole world went back was one sentence.

I must keep the faith.

Apologies for the wait guys! Adulting (work, school, social life, assignments) have been getting in the way!

Please review and stay tuned for the next chapter!
CIAO!