So...there's really no excuse that's good enough to justify the wait I've put you guys through. I'm really sorry to everyone who's been reading this since I first posted, it's probably the slowest written fanfic on here. As promised, there's much more time with Scar and Molly together in this chapter, and a surprise! ;)

Chapter 6

Scar was getting agitated. It had been three whole days since they'd reached Rafiki's tree and the monkey still hadn't allowed them to leave. The human seemed more than fine and had even been climbing a tree that morning. Yet the monkey claimed she wasn't healthy enough to leave and spent the majority of his time up his tree. What he was doing up there that required so much time was beyond Scar.

Making her laughing noise that reminded him vaguely of his hyena followers, the human came up behind him, running her fingers into his mane. Closing his eyes as she scratched behind his ears, Scar didn't open them again until she said something in the language of humans. With hair bushed out on all sides of her head, she looked like a young, red-maned lion, and he chuckled as he sat on his haunches.

Bending her awkward legs to sit next to him, she said something again and pointed to the tree the monkey had retreated up again. Looking back to Scar, she turned and looked back out at the open grasslands.

Smiling, Scar said, "So you're tired of waiting around too, hmm?" Standing, Scar trotted to the trunk of Rafiki's tree and reared up on his hind legs. Digging his claws into the bark as high as he could, Scar took a deep breath and roared up into the leaves.

A panicked chattering answered him and Scar bellowed, "Rafiki? Get your miserable hide down here!"

"Fine, fine," the baboon tossed a few sticks at Scar for good measure as he clambered down the tree with a gourd, "Just let me give her this one last dose and you can go."

"And you won't try to stop me?" Scar raised an eyebrow as he moved aside for the monkey to reach the ground.

Shrugging, Rafiki moved to hand the girl the gourd without a word.

...

Sniffing at the drink inside the gourd, Molly found she didn't recognize its sweet scent. Happily tipping the gourd to her lips, she guzzled it down. It almost tasted like kool-aid. Smiling up at the baboon, Molly wondered at the intent gaze on his face.

"That was good," licking her lips, she tried to hand the empty gourd back to him, but it fell from her hand. Blinking, she tried to stop the fuzziness that was beginning to cloud her vision. Her tongue felt rough and dry and she was suddenly thirstier than she'd ever been in her life. A shooting headache split the side of her head open and she cried out.

The lion growled and Molly saw a dark blur rush to her side. Licking her face, he was the last thing she knew before painless darkness engulfed her.

...

Opening her eyes what felt like eons later, Molly saw the two animals sitting opposite her, staring like she was a ghost. It wouldn't have surprised Molly if she had been, it felt like the monkey had tried to kil her.

"What the hell did you give me?" she demanded, trying to push herself to a sitting position. The lion and baboon widened their eyes as she spoke. Exchanging a look, they annoyed Molly further as she gave up on trying to sit up and flipped over to lift herself up on her arms.

"Damn animals," she gritted her teeth and shook her head.

"It was a potion," the baboon said simply.

Freezing, Molly stared at the two of them, hard, "You just...no..."

Tilting his head, the lion said with an amused tone, "My feelings exactly, human."

"Wh-what's going? I'm hallucinating. That potion you gave me-" she pointed an accusing finger at the baboon, and screamed when she realized it was no longer a finger. A lion's paw was extended out towards the monkey, and Molly knew, deep down, that she wasn't dreaming.

...

Startled when she started screaming, Scar got to his feet and went to her, "It's alright human, it's only temporary."

Backing away from him, she stopped screaming, but now looked ready to bolt. Crouched low to the ground, hind leg muscles coiled and ready to spring into action. He could run her down, he just didn't want to have to.

"Look at me," he demanded, putting himself between her and the open grasslands, "I'm the lion that found you, protected you, even tried to feed you. Do you really think I want to hurt you now?"

Relaxing only the slightest, she looked from Scar to Rafiki (who gave her a rather sheepish smile) and back again, "Why turn me into a lioness?"

Narrowing his eyes, Scar turned his head back to Rafiki, "Ask the baboon."

Shrugging his shoulders, Rafiki explained, "Scar was adamant about keeping you with him, ignoring my warning that a human could not survive out here, living with a lion. So I gave you a new body. The potion will wear off in time."

"How long?" her voice sounded strained, on the verge of snapping.

"A phase of the moon."

"A month?" the girl gripped her new claws into the dirt and whipped her head back to Scar, her eyes focusing in on his, as if she could anchor herself to him better than she could the ground.

"We don't know that word," Scar explained, "but if it means the moon completes a circle of change, then yes, a month." He shifted uncomfortably under her stare. He hadn't expected the monkey to bring up his urge to keep the girl, and wasn't prepared to deal with any questions she might have about it.

After a moment, she blinked and let out a long breath. Easing into a sitting position as best as she seemed able to, she returned her gaze to his eyes, or at least one in particular, "Scar is it?"

Inclining his head, Scar relaxed his muscles, but he stayed watchful in case she tried to run. It would be far too dangerous if she got away and was out on her own. She was a brand new lioness without a pride. Unattached to any male. It was written in her smell, something he hadn't recognized when she was human. If he could sniff it out, so could any other male within miles. This was going to complicate things... Damn you monkey, he thought.

"My name is Molly," the girl offered. She still looked petrified, but at least now she had stopped trembling and was speaking with them. "I uh," she glanced at Rafiki again, who introduced himself, "I'm really thirsty," she admitted.

Nodding, Scar turned, "I'll take you to the nearest watering hole. I assume she can drink anything I can, Rafiki?"

"She is a lioness until the potion wears off," he said plainly, "I assume the two of you won't be back until then?"

Already moving away, Scar called over his shoulder, "Goodbye Rafiki. Unfortunately I owe you a great debt. Use it wisely."

...

Watching her paws move awkwardly as she attempted to get used to her own body's walking pattern, Molly didn't notice the dark lion slow to walk beside her. Feeling his gaze on her, she finally glanced up to meet his green eyes. Faltering over a rock, Molly would have blushed if she could.

"Is it hard for you to walk?" Scar asked.

"Just on all fours."

"But Rafiki and the others like him can switch between the two ways of walking. Do you only walk on your hind legs?"

He seemed terribly amused and Molly felt even more embarrassed, Nodding, she explained, "Some people think we used to walk the way Rafiki does, but we...changed."

"Your people can change animals to humans the way Rafiki turned you into a lioness?" His eyes were wide with wonder.

Shaking her head, Molly laughed a little, "Not yet, but can't say no one's trying. We changed over a long period. Slowly learned how to walk upright."

"Could you teach me?"

Swallowing, Molly tried to find the words. Of course lions didn't understand evolution, it was just life to them. "I don't...I don't have the power to do that Scar. I'm sorry," she raised her hand to pet his mane as she had gotten into the habit of doing, and lowered it awkwardly when she remembered it was a paw. How did lions comfort each other? Standing in silence, she watched those intent green eyes absorb what she had said. He didn't react, just started walking to the watering hole again.

...

A few gazelle were on the other side of the water when Scar slid from the grass along the bank. Heads lifting in alarm, they only relaxed a little as he bent his head to drink. Once Molly appeared behind him, they bolted.

Chuckling as the girl lowered her head, Scar watched them flee, "We make quite a commotion around watering holes."

Busy trying to teach herself how to lap up water with her tongue, Molly gave no answer save a long-suffering look up at him.

Winking, Scar sat back on his haunches, "Don't worry, Molly, I didn't know how to drink water on my first day as a lion either."

Laughing, she coughed a little and tried again, finally getting it. Drinking her fill, she followed Scar to the shade under an outcropping of rock to the right. Stretching out on the cool sand, Scar smiled as she tried to figure out the positioning of her tail as she sat.

"Rafiki said you wanted to keep me with you," she said, still staring out at the watering hole.

"I do."

"Why?"

"Do you want to leave?"

She turned quickly, and he knew the answer was 'no' before she opened her mouth, "Of course not. You don't know how often I dreamed of being turned into an animal. Being a lion, being here is..." she trailed off and pawed at a stone at her feet, "I wouldn't want to go."

Standing, Scar went to sit next to her. He didn't know what to say. He was never very good at talking to others. Instead, he leaned in and gently rubbed his head against hers. Surprised when she tucked her head under his chin and purred, Scar sighed, What am I doing?