AN. So we're skipping ahead a little. Still firmly in baby Tien territory though. He's too cute as a baby :D

Chapter Three

Chiaotzu stood frozen in one spot, his face blank, his eyes fixed ahead. He seemed calm, but internally his mind was racing, anxiously flitting from one tactic to another. His opponent was sitting cross-legged across the square from him, their back turned and their hands resting comfortably on their knees.

Chiaotzu cast his mind out in front of him like a net, spreading so it filled the square, making a perfect circle around the sitting figure. He started to gently probe, trying to keep his mind quiet and his intrusion slow so that it wouldn't be felt.

He was a telepath. The art of casting his mind and infiltrating the thoughts of others came easily to him. Presented with an untrained mind he could usually sneak in easily, finding out secrets. In his early days at the Crane School that was what Shen had used him for, intel, not letting him show his face as it usually distracted the target. Since then he had been training to get into more guarded minds. Martial artists had intrinsically honed minds that were difficult to read unnoticed. And this martial artist was trained in telepathy.

He held his breath as the gentle tendrils of his mind touched the mind of the man sitting there. The first contact went unnoticed and, encouraged, he tried to probe deeper, to get below the superficial and into the subconscious level below. As he did the mind beneath his reacted, lashing out and roughly grabbing at those gentle points of his mind, travelling along the pathway of his own telepathic link towards him.

His face remained composed and his body remained still, but his mind recoiled violently, thrashing and desperately trying to get away from the energy that held it so tightly. He was unable to supress a burst of terror as his own thoughts were infiltrated with ease.

The figure across from him slowly got to his feet, placing his hands behind him. He turned and his dark sunglasses flashed in the bright sun. Chiaotzu could feel the disapproval in his gaze, burning his skin like an iron brand.

"Not good enough," Shen said, his voice cold.

"I…I'm sorry, Master. I went as slow as I could," Chiaotzu said.

"I could feel you manhandling my thoughts." Shen's lip twisted in a sneer. "You need the delicacy of a surgeon, not the force of a bulldozer."

Chiaotzu bowed his head in shame, not allowing the emotion to show on his face. "But, Master, I thought I was being gentle."

"Clearly not."

Chiaotzu fought down a flush, feeling just the tips of his ears heat up. As he was about to ask how he could do better, how he could be more delicate with his mind, a wail broke through the silence. Chiaotzu's stomach immediately twisted into a tight knot, his eyes widening as he looked at his master.

There was a long silence between them, Chiaotzu fighting his instinct to go to the crying child, Shen's face not revealing his reaction to this interruption of their training. Finally Shen said, "Go shut him up."

The young telepath turned and walked slowly from the ring, fighting the urge to hurry his footsteps, knowing that such an action would be seen as a sign of weakness. Friendships were not valued highly within the Crane School; there was the underlying teaching that it made one weak, that it diluted the fierce loyalty that his masters demanded.

Though he didn't know what they expected to happen. They gave him a baby, a helpless child who had no one who cared for him, to raise. It was inevitable that he was going to have some feelings of affection towards the boy.

As soon as he was inside and out of Shen's sight he sped up to a run, his small feet tapping on the hard stone floor as he headed towards the sounds of Tien's crying.

The boy had been with him for six months and was, approximately, a year old now. He could stand and travel along using the furniture, clinging tight to the bed as he bumbled back and forth.

"Chao!"

Chiaotzu opened the door the slightest fraction and slipped through the gap, closing it with a click behind him. Tien was lying on the floor next to the bed, his head propped up against the wall, his face screwed up as he wailed.

"Oh, Tien, what happened?" Chiaotzu asked, running over and lifting the small boy so he was sitting up away from the wall.

"Chao," Tien whimpered, his sobs lessening as soon as he heard Chiaotzu's voice. This was his name for Chiaotzu, the best he could articulate the complicated name.

"Hush, Tien," Chiaotzu said, sitting down on the floor next to the triclops and resting a hand on his shoulder. "Did you fall and hit your head?" Tien jerked his head in a nod, sniffling. "You're okay though, huh? Doesn't hurt too bad?"

Tien nodded again. Tears were still shining in his three eyes but he offered a tentative smile, one hand rubbing the back of his head.

"You've got to go slow, Tien-kun," Chiaotzu said. "You're still only little."

The boy smiled shyly up at him, a flush touching his cheeks. Chiaotzu tried to keep his face blank but was unable to stop a slight smile showing on his face. The telepath stood, then gestured to the boy, motioning with one hand.

"Come on, Tien, get up."

Tien blinked up at Chiaotzu, his apprehension showing clearly in his eyes. Chiaotzu smiled encouragingly, and Tien got uncertainly to his feet, clutching tight to the edge of the bed. Chiaotzu took a step away, looking pointedly at the baby. The small triclops looked at his hands for a moment then released his grip on the mattress. He wavered slightly on his feet, his balance uncertain, and looked at Chiaotzu with fear in his eyes.

"Ah, I see, you were trying to walk without support, is that right?"

Tien nodded his head, swaying dangerously as his centre of balance shifted.

"It's okay," the telepath said gently. "I'm here, I'll catch you if you fall."

He lifted one hand, palm out, in preparation of wrapping his power around the boy should his balance fail him.

"Chao," Tien said and took a tottering step forward. He almost overbalanced, his arms waving in the air, then took three more steps in quick succession. His hands reached forward and then his arms were around Chiaotzu's waist, his face split in a wide grin as he looked up.

Chiaotzu grinned back, his arms wrapping around and lifting the boy up. He laughed as he spun the triclops around. The sound was high and sweet, and he found he couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so freely.

"You did awesome, Tien!"

"Chaozu," Tien said, his voice proud, and Chiaotzu felt the warm spark of affection, of love, sink into him again, lighting up his face and spreading through his limbs.

"Good job, little brother," he whispered, and hugged Tien tighter as the triclops laughed in triumph.

AN. And so we have another chapter. Naww, I forgot how much fun it was writing these stories! It gives me the warm fuzzies :) Please leave a review, if you would like, it is hugely appreciated! And thank you to those who have already written reviews, you're v. awesome :D