Chapter 4...

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The tips of her claws slowly sat on the bridge of her nose. "What are you doing?" She could only ask in this current space of time, as Po dragged a large basin big enough for her to sit in almost comfortably... only the Gods know where he could ever get it, but then he ran out to get a jug and smaller basin for hot water, a towel, and soaps, and then dragged over the dressing screen folded up in the corner of Tigress' room. Tigress sat and watched him throughout the whole time, already gathering what he was doing, but she wasn't expecting him to say he'd offer to help her wash.

"If you want... of course." He said, blushing a little as he set the screening around the large basin. "But this is just so you don't have to bump into anyone... and we both know one in particular."

As much as it made her want to do the same, she politely declined. "I maybe injured, but I can do it myself." She replied, as she tried to stand on her own. "But thank you."

"Okay, I'll sit here in case you need anything..." He parked himself behind the screen, and after she made double sure he was facing the way she was hoping, she then stripped, and washes herself slowly, with a towel around her bandages so it could catch the water instead. She eyed Po's silhouette like a hawk the whole time, freezing instantly when his head turned one way, and growled to make him laugh nervously, and look in the direction he was before, and Po just twiddled his thumbs to watch their movements to stop his eyes from wanting to wandering else where, calling out every once in a while if she needed anything. Each time he was usually answered with a no, but then she asked him to pass her the bottle on her dresser on the other side of the room, which he gladly did so. He used time quickly within hand, making double sure that it was the one she wanted. Slowly turning, the thing that caught his eye was her fur, that was much shinier when she let the water run through it... but moving her paw over it slowly, he could see the uneven patches of fur reveal her scars. The one that spiraled around...

"Did you get it?" She asked. He mumbled a semi-audible response, which she assumed was 'yeah', and she turned sharply, crossing her arms across her chest tightly, latching her paws together in almost a twisted prayer gesture, and watched him walking towards her using his free arm to shield his eyes. She smiled when she watched him trying to make his way towards her, while giving her privacy. He wobbled this way and that, and as much as it was amusing, she didn't want to see him hurt. "Getting warmer..." She said softly, chuckling as he froze, and shifted the rest of the way, until she reached out when he was close enough for her to get the bottle, a towel now sitting against her chest with the assistance of her arm, in case he took his arm away from his face. "There." She quickly turned around and began twist the lid off the bottle. "Now, I'm gonna need another towel... can you get me another one?"

"Sure." And she listened to his footsteps grow more and more soft, and her heart rate began to rest a little. Smiling at little at whatever was wondering inside her head, she peeled the soggy towel off her chest... noticing a small streak of blood on it. Biting the inside of her lip gently, she looked down, and noticed a small patch of her side, including the bandages, was covered in red. Sighing, she looked around, groaning a little when she remembered that the first aid kit away in her dresser...

"Everything alright Ti?" Po asked worriedly upon entering. "I got the towel."

"Thanks... and yes... but I need the first aid kit... to redress the bandage."

"Did it get wet?"

"Unfortunately... I was careless..." Tigress sighed. "... 'cos so did the stitches."

Po would've probably reacted really badly, but by the threatening glare Tigress had on her face, he tightened his paws around his mouth, while she ordered him to turn around after he passed her another tunic short enough for her to hide her modesty, as well as care to her leaking wound. He turned back around once she of dressed within minutes, and then watched almost sickly, as she wiped away the blood, to tidy and dry the stitches the best she could, and even taking out a needle and some thread to work on it herself, until she realized it life threatening. Through the time of cleaning and redressing the wound, she slowly looked up, not pausing once, thus multitasking. Her fur was still a little damp wet and shiny, but that wasn't important, and even when a cool breeze came through the window she opened after getting dressed, and she started shivering slightly. Po reached out for the spare blanket he brought with him in case she needed it, but his eyes never left the delicate work she was in, even if he didn't look the best. "You alright?" She asked slowly, after picking up the scissors and cutting off the end of the strip.

Swallowing slowly, he nodded. "mmhmm..." he said shakily. "Never better..."

She waited for him to meet her eyes, and her brows knitted together at the pace of the snail. "You sure?" She reached out to him, and he held onto her paw with his free one, and sat with her on the bed.

"Yeah." He smiled reassuringly, and wrapped the blanket around her. "But I should be asking you that..."

She laughed softly. "I'm fine... it's just a wound..." the small smile on her face began to fade into a slightly unruffled facade. "One that will leave something behind... like the rest..."

"Ti..." Po said her pet name with a slight chuckle. "Your missing a lesson. Something that's not in scrolls... but from common sense." She wrapped the blanket tighter around her, watching him stand, and inhale deeply. "I have scars... all from the past, and not just physical." She raised a brow in question, while trying to make sense of it, until he extended his wrist close enough to for her to notice a small splotch of pink, covered carelessly by his black fur. "Most of mine don't have big plots behind them... but they have small stories... this one was a lesson learned." He chuckled. "I burnt myself cooking noodles for the first time on my own... as a teenager." After she gave him a small smile, he showed her other ones; like the one on his head from his first day in the Jade Palace after getting bashed by a swinging club, and one on his finger where he cut himself, accidental/on purpose when he was distracted whilst chopping vegetables... then he shared his darker ones. "I have a wound from the battle with Shen... and probably gotten even worse if it wasn't for you." She watched him drop to one knee, holding onto her paw. "He left a emotional scar too... he massacred every other panda... my biological parents... leaving me the only panda in the world..." She saw a tear rolled down his cheek, and reached out to wipe it away, but his other paw slowly reached up, and held her paw in place. "But as much as it hurts... they made me who I am today." His eyes sparkled as they met hers again. "Tigress, these dark times could have killed you, and still can if you allow them define who you really are... these are lessons and trials you went through. Name them. Go on."

"Alright." She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Swinging club incident."

"Learning a lesson about focus and safety." He replied with a smile as he let go of her paw, that peeled away from his face.

"Whip scars-"

"Serving hard times in life, with your head held high!"

"And battling Shen..."

Po smiled, but his cheeks were going a little red. "Showing yourself as a true hero... getting in the way of a deadly weapon... for the sake of her friend... whom... cares about her... very much." Without warning, he stood, and slowly kissed her on her forehead, and adds to his sentence, as he got to her eye level, and gently held her face close to his with his paws, whispering: "These scars prove that what tried to kill you failed. It shows you the real strength people need to notice..." There was a long pause, before he cleared his throat, and gave his good night wishes, and slowly backed out of the room.

"Goodnight..." She whispered back.

Two weeks later...

"Glad to feel back in the routine Master," Monkey spoke firstly that morning, on behalf of Po, Viper, Crane, and Mantis.

"Yes..." Shifu looked around the silent hall, where the swinging clubs swayed without the rattling sound it used to greet them with.

"But we are missing Tigress..." Viper pointed out. "... is the two weeks of rest done?"

Crane shrugged. "Should be." His wings opened and closed slowly at his sides, instead of being plastered against his body. "She's never really left her room... but Po has been bring her food." They all eyed Po. "Always... every meal." Po just smiled nervously, but then the doors opened, and someone came walking down the stairs slowly, and in rhythm with their breathing... It was Tigress, wearing a blue tunic, that stopped close to the end of her ribs, patterned with black lotus' with a silver trim. All her old scars were visible, but her newest outshone them all in the mornings light. They smile at her, while Shifu exchanged bows with her.

"I been needing to apologize Tigress." He said. "For acting the immature fool... but I wanted to give you rest."

Tigress looked up at Po slowly, whom merely winked at her. Smiling back at him before looking down at Shifu, she replied. "You are forgiven Master... now," her eyes returned to the rest. "Who's up for some sparring?"

And there you go XD

Hope you liked the ending guys! I wanted to get this done today, so I hope it doesn't seem as rushed as I feel it is.

Please leave a review! And Reaching Out will be updated asap! Just with school and everything, it's been difficult to update quicker!

Ciao!

P.S- hope everyone who has seen kfp 3 enjoyed it! I've been told it's amazing!