The inspiration for this one story in particular was a song performed by Chicago by the name 'Hard Habit To Break'.
A/N: Well, as promised in Part Seven, I ultimately decided to write a true final part to wrap everything up into a neat and tidy package. I'm sincerely grateful for all of the overwhelming support I have gotten throughout the story, the wonderful reviews, and those who sent me countless PM's to show their support (you know who you are, so thanks!) It's a bit longer than I anticipated, but there was so much to do...
So, as always: Read, Review, and most of all— ENJOY!
Hard Habit To Break
Epilogue
--
She could get used to this.. Just having the sun shining up in a pristine blue sky made her feel at one with Nature—if Nature came in the form of hanging the immense amount of laundry she had to the line outside. The gentlest breeze, carrying the scent of peonies, hit her nose, making the feline smile in appreciation of the incredible weather.
Although the annual spring cleanup wasn't something she particularly looked forward to, at least it was something to do. And that, she reckoned, was better than nothing. Taking a deep breath, she took a seat on the cool grass, and began rummaging through her effects. She found a blue silken vest that she hadn't worn in some time. It was wrinkled, and had a rather large stain on the front.
She sighed, "Must have been from that dinner last summer…" The feline made a quick mental note to never drink at formal functions ever again.
Taking a moment to mull it over, she couldn't help but notice a rather confused looking traveler on the road, confusedly mumbling to himself. Squinting just a bit, she noticed he was holding a large parchment in his wings, and a brown package tucked neatly under his robe.
The feline got to her feet, and called out to him, "Excuse me sir, are you lost?"
The man, a rather well-dressed goose, turned to her, an anxious smile breaking on his bill, "Why yes, as a matter of fact I am…could you help me? I'm looking for an eatery that is supposedly on this route, but I can't seem to find it on this map."
"Well, is it any place in particular?"
He nodded, and quickly plodded towards her. She took the map and studied it, noting the red line that had been drawn across the expanse of the paper. It had been traced all the way back towards the Wu Dan Mountain ranges, quite a considerable distance given the fact that he looked to be just a traveler. She had been in the region as a child to see a martial arts tournament with her parents. The journey had been a long one—just getting across the Devil's Mouth and the Thread of Hope were considerable feats of their own…
Her eyes glanced briefly at the circle that had been drawn at the upper left-hand corner of the map; the remote mountain village of Chetang had been underlined.
"Are you going to Chetang?" She asked.
Again, he nodded, "Yes, but I'm afraid that I might have taken the wrong road."
"No no, you're just fine. The village is just about ten or so miles up the road. Once you cross the river, it's right on the opposite side. You can't miss it. But just in case you do go too far, the towering plateaus are a sure sign that you need to turn around." She laughed, and handed him the map back, taking a seat back on the grass.
He smiled, "Thank you very much.. well, I should be on my way, but I do have one more question. Could you direct me to this address?" He pulled the package from under his robe, and handed her the slip of paper that had been tucked under the twine. Letting her blue eyes read the characters, her eyes suddenly went wide—it was her address.
"Y-Yes, this is my address. My home is just over there…" She took a sidelong glance at the package, "Is that for me then?"
"Well, I'm afraid I don't have a name to place on it, but I was told that this was the place to deliver it, if this is the correct place, of course…"
"Who?" She asked, pushing herself off the ground. The sudden sharpness in her tone of voice made the bird just the least bit nervous. "Who gave you instructions to deliver this?"
"Master Po, of the Jade Palace."
She cocked her head slightly, "Master Po? You mean, the Dragon Warrior? Why would someone like him deliver something here? I have never met the man…"
"I don't know exactly the circumstances surrounding your association with Master Po, miss, but rest assured, he gave me clear instruction to deliver this package to this address. I'm just the messenger." He handed her the package.
She looked at the brown bundle, and then at him. He just nodded. With a sigh, she pulled on the twine holding the paper together, and froze when it came loose…it was a tunic. A forest green tunic, with a lotus blossom embroidered on the sleeve…it was just like the one she had given to that stranger; the panda she had nursed back to health almost a year before. But it couldn't possibly be him—there was no way on Earth it could have been the Dragon Warrior that she had tended to…right? Countless images flashed through the feline's head about the whole exchange…how interesting the whole experience was—the panda didn't even strike her as a warrior-type figure. He was so delicate, so beaten up and weak when she had brought him in to her home, and yet, so striking at the same time…
Was it any wonder that he was the fabled Dragon Warrior? No.
She wouldn't lower herself to think about that; not again. She had moved on from that one stupid affair between them. That kiss meant nothing to her now. She was naïve, not to mention outright thoughtless, to ever even consider that to be something like love… it was all by chance. She was just caught up in the moment of it. After all, he did save her from that mugger…but then again, it could be a sign. Maybe this was a deliberate shot to find me. Maybe he did care about her that way. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the bird, an expectant look on her face. As much as she didn't want to pry, she just had to know—
"I feel foolish to ask, but, is Master Po…" she bit her lip, "seeing anyone?"
The goose simply stared blankly at her. He opened his bill to speak, but all that came out was a strangled, "Uh..."
She blushed and dropped her gaze to the ground, now utterly too embarrassed to look him in the eye. "I-I'm sorry, that was really stupid of me to say. I-I just thought that this was all just an attempt to find out if I was still interested—"
"No! No, well…technically, I mean, yes, he is seeing someone at the present moment—Master Tigress…at least I'm pretty certain he is, uh, anyway."
The hopeful look dropped from her face. "I see." Figures as much. The feline cradled the tunic close to her chest, and extended a paw out to him. "Well, thank you for the package, and I hope you find your way...?" She was looking for a name.
"Oh my, where are my manners…they call me Zeng." He took her paw and energetically shook it, eliciting a small chuckle from the white feline.
"I'm Jia; it was truly a pleasure."
"Of course.." He turned, and took a long glance at the road before them, "Well, I really must get going. Thank you, Miss Jia." The moment he began walking away, he heard her call out to him. Again, he turned to face the white tiger, a look of surprise on his face when she signaled him to wait for her.
"Yes?"
She fumbled through some of her old clothing, and snatched the stained blue vest from the pile. "I need to take this to be cleaned. I can accompany you, just to make sure you get there alright."
"Oh, it's no trouble, really, I can't possibly—"
"You can, and you will." She smiled, "If Master Po sent you all this way to deliver that package to me, then the least I can do is make sure his messenger gets to town safely…this stretch of road can be tough at times."
"The wait is fifteen minutes for the latest, sir."
Su Lang sighed wistfully as she shooed another two patrons off towards the waiting bench—the waiting bench! She still saw herself musing over the fact that despite her teahouse's rather obscure location in town, business had seen a sharp rise recently, and Su was finding the sheer numbers almost too much to cope with.
With a newfound sense of delight, she had since hired new hands to help in cooking, cleaning, and waiting on the seemingly endless stream of customers that seemed to grace her humble establishment. She prided herself in finding a rather hard-working, genuine young man, with a sensibility and love for cooking like she had never seen before…
"Xiao!" She shouted, catching the attention of the rather tall white tiger. The male feline, as cautiously as he could, weaved his way through the throngs of people to the front of the shop.
He bowed, "Yes, Ms. Lang?"
"Are the pantries adequately supplied?"
"Reasonably, yes. We should be able to fair well with the mid-afternoon crunch. Should I send the staff out for more provisions?"
She waved it off, "No, that'll be fine. Anything come in the post?"
He smirked, "Other than the usual bills and taxes from his most Excellency, there is a sealed scroll that came specifically addressed for you. I left it on your desk in the back."
"Did it say where it was from?"
The feline shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I didn't take the time to check and see where it was from. But, it was delivered separately from the other mail; a messenger brought it. He instructed me that it was for your eyes only."
Her eyes widened; for what purpose would a palace messenger need to deliver a parcel? And to a restaurant of all places…? Most letters that she had ever received—besides the occasional letter from her relatives—was nothing more than for mindless business affairs. Still, there was the small drop of hope that it could be a message from the Imperial City, concerning her husband's fate. She violently shook her head; any thoughts about that man would stop her dead in her tracks, even now, almost ten years later she was still unable to let go.
She needed to remain focused on her work, and nothing else…
With a thoughtful expression on her face, she wordlessly began to walk towards the back, but not before Xiao verbally shook her out of her daydream—
"Ms. Lang?"
She stopped, taking a deep breath before she turned around to face him, "Xiao, I'm putting you in charge of affairs for the time being. If you need me, I will be in my quarters."
With a gentle tug, Su pulled the wooden door to her office open; the desk was littered over with papers, and there, just as Xiao had said, was the scroll, sealed in an intricate porcelain case. She cautiously eyed the object as if it were a bomb, ready to explode upon the gentlest contact. As she sat down, she studied the red characters that lined the tube. She had seen this type of casing before. The typescript specifically read off its origins—it was from the Imperial City.
But, it had been years since his involvement in the Invasion. There was absolutely no way in heaven that they had found him. Nervously reaching out, her hand withdrew a few times before she finally touched it. A lump formed in the rabbit's throat. As much of a relief it was for her to receive word from the capital about her husband…
What if it contained ill-fated news?
The situation surrounding her husband's destiny had plagued her; from the day she heard the proclamation that the Mongols had been driven back it had overwhelmed her. She had waited for weeks on bated breath for his much-anticipated return, but, weeks slowly turned to months…
And months had turned into years…and finally, almost a full decade later, here lay the answer she was looking for—the story of what had happened to her husband, the fortune of the only man she had ever loved, was written on that scroll.
She had to fully collect herself before she finally took the courage to open it. Cautiously, Su pulled the jade end-cap from the scroll, and painfully slowly tilted the canister, watching with watery eyes as the rolled parchment slipped out, landing with a soft thump on the desk in front of her. Without care, she hastily tore at the red wax seal, and unrolled the paper.
She was surprised to find a second bundle of papers neatly rolled up within the first parchment. With a dejected sigh, Su swiped them aside for the moment, more intently focused on the main letterhead, which simply read: 'Letter of Declaration'.
Her heart, and her hopes, were shattered.
Her husband, the man that had brought light to her life through seventeen wonderful years of marriage…was dead. Silently scanning the page, she read on, tears now coming unbidden to her eyes…
To the Wife of Honored First Captain Huang Fu:
It is with deep regret that I am writing to you today. It is my duty to inform you of the death of your husband, First Captain Huang Fu.
A casualty message has been received in this office which states that your husband died during the peak skirmish of the Devil's Gate, on the eve of summer's end September 1077. Medics transported your husband to the nearest medical pavilion to perform surgical treatment, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival. His body was transported here to Peking, where your husband has been given a proper burial upon the personal request of the Emperor.
I apologize for the lengthy separation between the receiving of this letter and the passing of your husband.
The sheer number of casualties in this ongoing war has left us all with a profound sense of humility, especially in the transfer of volumes of letters of declaration to the loved ones of our military. I also know that added distress is caused by failure to receive more information. Unfortunately, the report received did not contain any further details, but you may be assured that in the event additional information is received regarding First Captain Huang Fu's death, it will be promptly communicated to you.
Among the affects found of your husband, we have recovered several letters that had been kept with his personal belongings on the front lines. Your husband was the very symbol of our cause to keep the peace along the Great Wall, not only for the protection of our brave men in uniform, but also to the safety and security of the people of the Empire.
Su gently released the parchment from her grasp, refusing to read any more of the letter. Her husband was dead. Somehow she had always known; she didn't need a so-called 'letter of declaration' to tell her that…but, however insignificant this letter was, it was still the hardest thing she would ever have to take…
Xiao pulled a quill from his pocket, darting the tip of his tongue to wet the dried ink on the feathered writing implement. "Now, what'll you have?"
"Well, a cup of nice oolong tea would be wonderful, but I'm afraid I'm not here on my own leisure. I have come to deliver a message to a Miss Su Lang." The avian fumbled through his robes, swiftly making sure the parcel he was delivering was still in its proper place.
"Oh, right, of course.. A thousand pardons, sir. She's in the back. Shall I bring you to her?"
"Yes, that would be nice, thank you."
Xiao smiled, and put the quill back into his pocket. It was strange, and oddly familiar for some reason. Maybe it was a bout of déjà vu or something, but the white tiger could almost swear he had seen this messenger goose from somewhere. "Not to be rude or anything, but you seem familiar…might I ask as to where you are from?"
"Yes, I am the head messenger for the Jade Palace. Zeng is my name, it's nice to meet you." The bird extended his wing, hoping for a friendly shake. He was sadly disappointed when all he was met with was Xiao's quizzical gaze.
"Y-You mean, the Jade Palace, as in—the Valley of Peace Jade Palace?"
The bird nodded, noting the look of dread that seemed to flicker across the young tiger's features..but almost as quickly as it came, the look of fear had disappeared behind a façade of indifference.
"Um, excuse me, but are we going to—?" Zeng started, before getting cut off by a tiger paw as it grabbed hold of the bird's talons.
"Yes, please Zeng, follow me…"
With a stiff nod, both avian and tiger weaved their way around the seemingly dozens of filled tables…
I sincerely regret that this message must bring so much sorrow into your home, and my deepest sympathy is with you in your mourning.
Her eyes flickered over to the rest of the papers that had come.
Letters from the front; every single one was yellowed with age. All of them were letters that she had never received from him. For the longest time, she had believed that he had never written to her.. with a heavy sigh, she snatched the bundle into her hands, and carefully ran her fingers over the aged parchment. Gently tugging at the twine bow, she unrolled the papers flat onto her desk, and read them, not even caring to notice the streams of tears rolling down her cheeks…
My Dearest Wife,
It has been a long time since I had an opportunity of writing to you, and I gladly avail myself of the present opportunity. I am not certain that I will have a chance of sending this, but I will write a few lines anyhow, and try and get it off to let you know that I am among the living. Every day I miss you, even as I sit down to write this now, I miss you deeply.
My memories of you keep me strong, and I will wait on bated breath until the day I see you again. I cannot speak of the horrors I have seen here, nor can I begin to explain just how much I yearn to be home, far from the cruelties I witness every day. Please, pray for me.
I love you.
She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand and pulled another letter from the bunch. She could barely even make it through the first letter…his words somehow gave her comfort, but also unimaginable grief. Su swallowed her pride and took several deep breaths, and let her eyes fall to the page—
…I am in hopes that I will get a whole package of letters from you in a few days. I never wanted to see you half as bad in all my life as I do now. I would give anything in the world to see you. I have no idea when I will have that pleasure. We can't get any news here; we don't know what is going on in the outside world.
The men will all write as soon as they get a chance to send them off.
I must close for fear I do not get to send my letter off. Write often…I will get them some time. I will write every chance, do not be uneasy when you do not get letters, for when we are scouting around as we have been, it is nearly impossible to write or to send them off if we did write.
How my heart yearns for you, which is so near and dear to me. Goodbye, my own sweet wife, for the present.
He never even saw it coming. She had read the date scrawled across the letterhead. It must have been his last, written just two days before he engaged the Mongols at Devil's Gate. Powerless to hold herself back, she buried her face in her hands.
"Ms. Lang?" She heard her name from the other side of the closed door; she already knew who it was.
Xiao called her name a second time. No response. With a strained sigh, he opened the door to her quarters, "Ms. Lang, someone is here to see you from—" His eyes flickered in distress. Su was slumped in her chair and hunched over her desk, openly crying. He bolted across the room and scooped the woman into his arms, completely ignoring the boundaries between employer and employee.
"Su? Su! What happened?! Please, tell me what's wrong—"
She managed to whisper her husband's name, "…Fu," before collapsing in hysterics, unable to control herself any longer. He just hugged her, forgetting what it was he had come to tell her in the first place. They stood in the discomfiting silence of the small room for what seemed like an eternity…
…until a jagged nervous cough jarred them both back to reality.
They turned, and Xiao's face burned with embarrassment. He let her down, and with a respectable bow, took to the door. "I-I'll uh… Ms. Lang, may I please take the afternoon off? I need to pick up some robes I dropped at the tailor this morning." He put a hopeful expression on his face.
She paid it no mind, "Yes, yes, that's fine…now, off you go."
He bowed again, leaving them both to their business.
"I-I apologize for my emotions sir, please, sit down." Su gestured an arm to a small comfortable chair just opposite her desk, watching the rather well-dressed messenger bird take his seat. She folded her arms neatly in her lap, "Now, may I help you with something?"
"Yes, yes of course.." Zeng pulled a scroll from his robe and set it in her hand, a small smile gracing his bill. "I'm terribly sorry to disturb you in your moment of grieving, miss, but I came to bring you a message from the Jade Palace…"
Xiao took a deep, cleansing breath as he walked ever-so slowly towards the tailor shop. It was a rather small establishment; not much more than an addition to a two story house. A line of stools sat beside a counter for customers waiting for service. As he got closer, a woman, a mountain cat, stepped out from the house.
He walked under the shade of the awning hanging above, and shook her hand. She grinned, "Ah, Xiao, such a pleasure to see you, as always. You're here to pick up your two robes, am I right?"
The tiger nodded, and leaned against the counter, "Yes Mrs. Cho, I am. Are they finished yet?"
"Am I detecting a bit of uncertainty in your voice?" They shared a laugh as she slipped behind the countertop and into the back room, "It'll be a few moments, but I'll have them out in a flash! Just relax and take a seat, you look exhausted!"
He sighed and sat down, watching people pass the stand and taking in the liveliness of the street. But he couldn't shake the feeling that someone's eyes were on him. He turned to his left, and noticed a white tigress sitting at the far-edge of the counter, quickly turning her head away. Feeling a smile tugging at his lips, he stood up, and moved a few seats over.
She turned to look at him. He was taken aback by her stunning cobalt blue eyes, but even more astonished that he had come across another white tiger in this village, in this shop, no less. He had never seen another white tiger like himself for quite some time, much less a tigress.
"Excuse me," he began, suddenly feeling a lump in his throat, "I hate to disturb you like this, but I couldn't help but notice you looking at me before…"
"Oh, I'm sorry.. Uh, it-it's a force of habit." She chuckled nervously.
Xiao smiled and nodded, and they both fell silent. Well, this is awkward. After about a minute or so, he cleared his throat to recapture her attention, "So, um, what're you here for? Just picking up some laundry, or…?"
"Oh, well no, I just came into town to get one of my vests cleaned. Had a bit of an unfortunate run-in with some strong wine and, well, the rest they say, is history." She laughed, one that he actually shared, "I've tried just about everything to get the stain out, but I just gave up after a while."
"Have you tried sodium?"
"What?"
"Sodium," he said with a sure nod, "I've heard that it does wonders for wine stains."
She put a finger to her chin, appearing to be deep in thought, "You know, I've never tried using it for laundry…but that makes perfect sense! Thanks for the tip. Where did you learn something like that?"
Xiao shrugged, "When you're as widely traveled as I am, you just sort of pick up these trivial things."
"Oh really.. you travel?" she asked, interest flickering in her voice. "You know, I'm a bit of a homebody myself…I've only really traveled as a child, when my parents were still alive…"
He nodded as she continued, leaning his head against his paw. As much as he fought it, he found her more and more captivating with each passing second.. not to mention that she had a body that could send any man to his knees—He violently shook his head, futilely trying to whisk away the darker thoughts in his head. Luckily he was saved the embarrassment of making a fool of himself when Mrs. Cho reappeared by the counter, his clothes in hand.
"Here you are, sir! All tailored and ready to be worn." She smiled as she leaned in close, whispering, "Am I disturbing you two?"
"No, not at all!" His voiced cracked, earning the laughter of the tiger sitting next to him. Blood rushed to his face hard.
"That's good to hear, Xiao. Now, miss," the mountain cat turned to Jia, "Yours should be done in about an hour. Looks like I need to run out for more sodium for that nasty stain of yours… In the meantime, why don't you take a nice walk? It'll be much better than sitting around in here. Xiao…" She nudged him in the shoulder, "I'm sure you know your way around. Maybe you could show her the sights, and keep her company, hmm?"
He slid an icy stare at her. She just nodded encouragingly and gave the male feline a wink, getting a rise out of the usually easygoing tiger. But he nevertheless conceded, and heaved out a heavy sigh, "Sure, I can do that."
Mrs. Cho grinned, "Then it's all settled. Don't forget though, one hour! I don't want to be up all night worried!"
Xiao sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. I knew that I should have done my own tailoring…
--
"I'm sorry about that. Mrs. Cho likes to play matchmaker sometimes." He apologized.
She didn't seem to mind it, though, and just smiled at him. He smiled back, but was unable to hold back a blush that had formed under his snow-white fur. Jia laughed at the pathetic sight, while he just sent her a look that read: What?
"You're face is so red right now!" She laughed, and playfully punched his arm. Xiao just muttered something under his breath and turned away from her, finding himself unable to keep eye contact. Jia just looked at him, and gently placed her paw on his shoulder, "Come on, it's okay," she cooed, "I can tell when a man is trying to coddle me. Just say it."
"I am not coddling you…for heaven's sake, I don't even know your name!"
"Jia. My name is Jia." The feline sighed, and dropped her paw to grab his hand. It was just enough to stop Xiao dead in his tracks.
"Please, please don't…" he pulled his hand away from hers, "I-I'm not really comfortable with all of this."
"What, was it something that I said, because I—"
"No," he cut her off, "It's just that, I've always been at the bad end of relationships. I don't need another one, not now…Jia, listen to me, I came here for the sole reason to get away from all of that. You are a beautiful woman, I'll admit, but I…" he trailed off.
"But you what?"
Xiao took a deep breath, and pressed his back up against a wall, slowly sliding down until he hit the ground, "I don't know if I can handle another." He confessed, "I relocated here from the Valley of Peace to start a new life; I was a tradesman, but someone there made me realize that there was more merit to following your true passions."
"Wait…you said you came from the Valley of Peace?" He nodded. "That's strange, because I was just with someone from that Valley."
His ears perked, "Who exactly?"
"I escorted a goose, some messenger from the Jade Palace. He brought me a package from someone I had met a while back."
"Unbelievable." Xiao muttered, making her look at him with a great deal of curiosity, "I just met the same guy; he's in the restaurant where I work, right up the street.. He had some sort of delivery for my employer, from the Jade Palace, just like you… Zeng, was it?"
She nodded, holding the same incredulous expression on her own face, "Do you know him?"
"Not directly," He admitted, "but I had seen him before when I was still living in the Valley. I've visited the Jade Palace more than once to know the man by association."
"Who's association?" She asked; her interest was now piqued.
"Master Tigress…we were, something of an item, for the shortest time. But, I decided it was best if I left when I found out what had happened between herself and the Dragon Warrior. It was a bit strange to see him all the way out here, because for all I know, Master Po was still in the Valley."
Jia sighed, and took a seat next to him, "No he wasn't. He hadn't been, not for a while…"
--
By the time she had finished, she was on the verge of crying. It was an immense relief to finally admit that someone, even if she barely knew the man. But what she hadn't realized until now was just how much it really had cut her…the image of seeing that panda running out on her, it hurt her deeply.
Jia didn't want him to see her like this, so weak and vulnerable…she thought for sure that he saw her as nothing more than a shameless flirt. Why shouldn't he? Especially after the way she was flirting with him before—it was borderline disgraceful. As much as she didn't want to look at him, her curiosity bested her, and she stole a glance at the male tiger..To her shock, he hugged her, and rubbed her back in a comforting way. She didn't pull away; she just hugged him back, quietly crying into his shoulder.
"Shh, it's okay…" Xiao assured, holding her close, "I've been there, trust me. You just need to let it go."
"I-I can't.." she whispered, "I loved him."
"But look at what came out of it; he's back in the Valley, home with the woman that he cared about…doesn't that count for something? Everything worked out alright in the end…"
"No it didn't. I'm still alone." She cried, burying her head into his chest.
Ah, there it was. He had expected it to come, such a powerful statement…he remembered a certain feline Kung Fu Master using the same adage. But she was wrong, wasn't she? All Tigress needed to do was be faithful; to persevere and never give up hope that the Dragon Warrior would return to her. And he did…Jia just needed the same guidance that Tigress had gotten.
He cupped his paw around her chin and lifted her face up. She looked up at him, and slowly became caught in his warm gaze. He smiled, "Jia…you will never be alone."
Su's gaze jumped from the scroll to Zeng, "…The Jade Palace?"
He nodded, "Yes, I've come to deliver this message to you, from the Dragon Warrior."
"The Dragon Warrior?" She fell silent; so, her ruminations were right—Po, the same panda that had come to her restaurant, the same panda that had bore his emotions out to her, was indeed the much-fabled Dragon Warrior…for a moment, she wore a smile, however small, on her lips. She was able to counsel the most feared warrior in China's history.
"I don't believe it." She said matter-of-factly, "He was here not three months ago…" With a small tug, she pulled the seal from the scroll and read it aloud, unable to keep her anticipation contained…
I've never been good at putting my feelings down on paper, but I do know exactly how I feel about what you've done for me.
It's all because of you that I'm even in the position I am now able to write this—here, in the comfort of my own bedroom, at home where I belong. I can't say how much I've missed being here, surrounded by the comfort and support of my friends and my father, but most importantly, being reunited with the woman I love.
And the best part of it is…you were right. You were right about me, about both of us. I feel that because of what you told me that day, my relationship with her is stronger and more complete than I could have ever imagined it to be. I was so thankful for what you had done that I had made a bit of a detour on my return trip, and put in a good word for you in Peking…I'm sorry to hear about what happened to your husband; from what I heard, he was an honest and brave man, and they were lucky to have him.
The words of comfort you gave me was everything I needed to make it back, and I felt that this was the least I could do for the trouble of scaring away all of your customers… Your kindness, and just the fact that you listened has been worth its weight in gold for me.
And for that, I will always be grateful.
"…Well, it was all worth it then." She sniffed, and wiped away a stray tear. "Thank you Zeng, thank you so much for bringing this letter to me…it means the world over that I was able to read this. You be absolutely sure to tell him to never let go of her; that what he has…is a gift."
Zeng smiled, and stood up from his seat, "I will. Give my best to your employee…"
"No."
"Come on, Po. Please," The tiger held out a spoon, a hopeful look on her face.
He crossed his arms stubbornly across his chest, "I am not tasting that. I'm sorry Tigress, I love you, but if I remember correctly, I wasn't so keen on your cooking. Besides, as long as my father is living here, he's the head chef." He gave her a curious look when she beckoned his father over.
"What are you doing?"
"Proving a point. Mr. Ping, could you please taste this?" She gave the aged bird the spoon.
Mr. Ping took the smallest sip, first simply standing with an unreadable expression, before he simply replied, "Add just a dash of salt, and ease up on the crushed curry. It might come off as a bit strong, especially for poor old Master Shifu…" He shared a smile with the tiger before turning to his son, "Po, you really shouldn't doubt my ability to teach someone to cook. Tigress has come a long way, maybe even exceeding your own skills. You should really try this, it's very good!"
"Okay, fine." The panda caved, and took the spoon. Tigress and Mr. Ping looked on bemused as Po took the most delicate sip…and watched his eyes widen in shock. "This…this is unbelievable. Tigress, you made this?"
With a wide smile, the feline enthusiastically nodded. "It's special medicinal soup. I made it just for you, because in all honesty, I liked you better when you had a little more 'bounce' in your step." She giggled when Po looked down at his stomach, or lack thereof. Just when he thought he had figured this girl out...
"First you humiliate me in the training hall, then you step all over my cooking skills…is there anything else?"
She pulled a wooden spoon from the counter and smacked him with it, "When your father leaves, you may find out."
He sighed and pulled the utensil out of her grasp, soon taking her side at the stove, choosing to rather help her cook than be beaten by eating implements. Together they stirred the soup in cadence, enjoying the peaceful silence of the room. They hadn't even noticed—or rather care to notice—that Po's father had long since slipped out of the kitchen, off to enjoy an out-of-the-blue mahjong match with Master Shifu. Po looked over at the feline and smiled. He had long since forgotten how enjoyable moments like this were…and it still amazed him how much she had changed; that she had mastered almost fifty new scrolls since he had left, and was readying herself to learn an entirely new style of fighting…
Then there were the simpler things, like learning how to cook, or taking up calligraphy; it had amazed him.
And yet, some things never changed. Maybe that's what he had treasured most about her. Because, in essence, she never really changed at all; she was still the same girl he remembered…just as sweet, and just as beautiful as ever. He laughed softly.
She looked at him, "What?"
He sighed, and dipped his finger into the soup to test the heat, "Nothing.. It's just that, I still can't believe I'm back…it's even a little overwhelming, you know?"
Tigress smiled, and pressed a gentle kiss to his check, "Maybe it is, but I'm glad you're here. I would have probably lost my mind if you hadn't. I mean, I guess you get used to someone being around, and just start taking them for granted…I know I did. I just want you to know that, no matter what happens between us, I…"
He held up a hand to stop her. She may have been mistaken, but by the twinkle in his eyes and the smile on his face, it looked as if he was going to cry; instead, he just sniffed, and pulled her into a tight hug. "I know you do…and that's why I couldn't stay away."
"…I don't know what I did to deserve you," she whispered.
He pulled away from her and grinned, "Are you kidding? I got the better part of this deal. Now come on Ti," he grabbed her hand, and pulled her towards the door, "We'll let that soup simmer for a little while…in the meantime, you wanna take a little walk?"
She smirked, "I'd rather not. Why don't you carry me?"
He scoffed, "You know that I haven't been lifting anything heavy the past few days…what if the stitches—" she placed a finger on his lips.
"If you don't, we're going to the training hall so we can work on getting your strength back, but if you do…" The feline gave him a sly grin, eliciting a sharp gasp from the panda when she drew her tongue up the side of his neck, "I'll let you take me wherever you wish."
She barely got enough time to finish that sentence by the time Po had picked her up in his arms, and with all the grace of a Kung-Fu Master, threw the kitchen door open, and marched with a stride back towards the bunkhouse—leaving her soup, and the kitchen, long forgotten…
--
By the time the soup had decidedly 'simmered for a while', everyone, save for a certain tiger and panda, had already amassed in the kitchen, carrying idle conversation amongst themselves. Mantis was arguing the finer points of calligraphy to his avian comrade, Monkey was engaged in a heated match of checkers with Viper…and then there was Mr. Ping, pulling various forms of acrobatics a man his age couldn't possibly possess, grabbing bowls from the cupboard.
Master Shifu was just about ready to plant himself at the head of the table, until—"Master Shifu!"—right, until a familiar male voice rang through the red panda's sensitive ears.
"Ah, Zeng…how nice of you to join us." He pulled up a chair and smiled, "Come, have a seat."
The messenger quickly dusted off his robes, giving the Grand Master a short bow, "Thank you Master Shifu, but I'm afraid I'll pass; I came looking for Master Po…"
"I'm sorry Zeng, but I haven't seen the Dragon Warrior since this morning. Why don't you check his quarters," Again, the bird bowed, and began waddling towards the door, before Master Shifu called out to him again. "And when you do find him, make sure he and Master Tigress find their way down here for dinner, hmm?"
"Yes, of course."
Po awoke with a soft gasp in his room, his eyes groggily scanning across the ceiling.
He quickly sat up, finally noticing the striped arm that was draped over the warm blanket he was wrapped in.. he looked over, following her arm over to the rest of her body; her eyes remained closed…and she was gently snoring in her sleep, very much against her code of being a notoriously light sleeper.
Like an angel…
As much as he didn't want to, he gently rubbed her arm, rousing the tiger from her slumber, "Tigress, you awake?"
"Mm?" Tigress slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. She quickly became more alert when she noticed the troubled look etched into his face. Her ears perked, and she propped herself up on one arm, holding the blanket against her chest. "Po, what's the matter? You look terrible."
The panda looked back down, blushing furiously and clenching his fist against the blanket…especially when he realized that he was missing his slacks. "Uh well, we fell asleep..and uh, I think that, that…Did we—?" He stuttered; he felt as if his heart was ready to burst from his chest.
"Yes, actually we did," she smiled a little, and wrapped her arms around him, "I think you were trying to show me how sorry you were for leaving…and I have to say, apology accepted." The feline purred and burrowed back into the warmth of the blanket, lightly pulling him down so they could be face to face. "So, do you think the soup is done yet?"
"My guess is that it's been done for a while…but even if we're in no position to find out, you know we should at least see them for dinner."
Tigress closed her eyes and nuzzled his cheek, "No, not yet." She muttered.
"Wow…Master Tigress doesn't want to get out of bed. Now I think I've heard and seen it all."
"Please Po, dinner can wait." He let out a sharp gasp when her lips touched his neck.
"N-no, we really shouldn't keep them waiting…"
She giggled naughtily, "I think we should."
"And face Shifu's wrath? That's something I don't want to have to deal with," he reasoned, "Besides, it's not like I'm going anywhere, right—" Po stopped, his ears quickly turning towards the door. He heard footfall, and by the sound of it, this person was in a hurry. Shit. Without any subtlety or grace, he grabbed Tigress and shoved his lips against hers, figuring that if they were as good as dead anyway, why not enjoy it…
But, he was sorely mistaken when the door flew open, and standing in the doorway was, "Zeng?"
"Oh, there you are Master Po, I…" The goose stopped himself at the sight, and quickly dropped his eyes to the floor. "Oh, I-I'm terribly sorry, I didn't realize that you were in the middle of something…s-should I just come back later, or, or should I—" he was interrupted by a paw clamping his beak shut. He looked back up, breathing an internal sigh of relief; Po had found his shorts.
"Zeng, you have no idea how happy I am to see you." He took his paw away, "So, did everything go well?"
The messenger goose smiled, "Yes, I delivered the package and the scroll just as you instructed. Oh, and I do have something to give to you as well," he fumbled through his robes for a moment, before pulling out a small slip of paper, "It was from Su Lang; she just wanted to tell you that she appreciated the letter." Po took the note, briefly scanning it before delicately folding it back up, placing it on his nightstand.
"Thank you Zeng, this was the closure I was looking for…" He smiled and took Tigress' hand, and they left the room together, shutting the door quietly behind them.
…love is like a habit, easy to take for granted, but hard to break.
End.
A/N: And the curtain closes…Thanks once again my faithful readers, because as I said before, this is all possible because of your never-ending support. To those I am currently beta-reading for: I sincerely apologize for the wait; I am working on your stories, so please don't hate me!
Until next time…Cheers :)