The Thriller – Shuffled TiPo's

A/N: This is based on BuddhaBooty's original song shuffle idea done a while back, though this time the music is shuffled in homage to one music artist in particular. On June 25, we lost one of our most important musical figures, one man who has changed the entire world with his talent and his voice.

Over five decades, Michael Jackson has been an inspiration for three generations, and will continue to be for the years ahead. God bless you Mike, and rest in peace.

Now, I realize that there are a ton of Tigress/Po fics out there on the forum, some that I myself have posted as well, but I love this pairing way too much to not write about them. So if you have a problem with a tiger and a panda sharing some common interests, then don't read it. 'Tis a simple request, no? There's that, and I wanted to take a short break from another TiPo fic I was commissioned to do in the meantime. YEEHAW!

So, please enjoy and leave a comment!

Smile – 1995

"No I didn't."

"Yes you did." Po gave her a smug, yet playful, smirk.

She rolled her eyes, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest. "Panda, do not start an argument with me…unless you forgot who you're talking to."

Tigress looked at him curiously as he approached the obstacle course; he began dangling one of his legs off the ledge, turning his head back at her for a split second. "Last chance Tigress. Admit it or I'll prove it, tenders or no tenders."

"Go ahead. It's your funeral."

He sighed and jumped onto the spinning dragons, and in just a few short moments, the panda effectively re-created his epic failure from his first time on the course just days ago. While she watched him from the sidelines, she didn't notice that the frown on her face slowly faded into the tiniest ghost of a smile.

Po finally noticed her facial expression as he fumbled through the wooden warriors…

"I knew it!"

…and proceeded to get his ass handed to him.

Beat It - 1982

Tigress fell flat against her bedroll, utterly spent.

Before today, she had never been so humiliated in all her life. Every stance, every new technique, everything she'd been taught…meant next to nothing now. She had lost the one and only chance she would ever have to prove her worth.

Her Master must have thought of her as a complete failure.

How could Oogway have chosen such a fat slob to take such a prestigious title? Tigress knew just as well as the rest of the surely Five did—that designation was rightfully hers. She heard Crane's voice from across the hall. No doubt that damned panda stumbled into the wrong room.

With as much decency as she could muster, Tigress stood from her bed and made for the door to tear it open, meeting a thoroughly frightened set of jade green eyes glowing in the dim moonlight. Good, you should be afraid.

"Master Tigress! Sorry for waking you…" the panda went on into a worry induced rant. She wanted nothing to do with it.

"You don't belong here." She said matter-of-factly.

"Right, of course. This is your room—"

"No." Tigress whispered darkly, "You don't belong at the Jade Palace. You are a disgrace to kung fu, and if you have any respect for who we are, and what we do, you will be gone by morning." She slammed the door in his face for effect.

The sooner he was gone, the better.

The Way You Make Me Feel – 1987

Sure, he had admittedly had a bit of a crush on her for as long as he could remember, but gods, seeing her in person…she was beautiful. Totally, and utterly drop dead stunning.

As each day flew by, Po found this somewhat newfound realization harder and harder to ignore.

It was safe to say that even though she wasn't any closer to him now than the day she called him a 'Master', he'd gladly hand her his heart, and go to the ends of the Earth to make her every wish come true.

If she would only give him a chance.

He watched her idly from the doorframe of the training hall as she meditated down in the courtyard. She looked so delicate, so peaceful…perhaps even, at least as far as he was concerned, perfect. And seeing how panicky he'd become whenever she was around him, how were his feelings not obvious to her, or to anyone else for that matter?

And yet, if she had any idea of the feelings he was harboring for her, she wouldn't hesitate to pummel him into a pile of dust.

It was no wonder that his legs turned to jelly when she looked up at him from her spot in the courtyard, smiling and gently beckoning him down to join her.

Say Say Say – 1983

"Panda, what the hell is your problem!?"

"It's you!" He yelled, getting in her face, "It's always you! You know what, just forget it; I don't even know why I bother trying…"

He turned around and walked away from her, towards his bedroom, where he hoped that she would respect his privacy, so he could at the very least cool off. But she wasn't through with him yet. She lunged forward and grabbed him by the shoulder, spinning him around.

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me…"

"Dammit Tigress!" She slowly backed away, completely stunned by his reaction. Po never swore, not even if it was warranted. "What do you want me to say, huh!? That I'm wrong and you're right!? It's all a game with you, isn't it?"

"I…"

"NO!" He roared, "I tried to be nice, tried to shrug off the hell you put me through. And for what!?"

Tears cascaded down his cheeks as he stared at her, his entire body shaking like a leaf. Tigress said nothing, only because he was absolutely right. She had been so cold to him, so unforgiving and harsh, even after everything he had done for her. And for what indeed…some stupid grudge that didn't even matter?

She tried stopping him, but he pushed her away, swearing violently and storming through the doors of the training hall.

The Girl Is Mine - 1982

So there he was, outside her door with a bouquet of fresh peonies, stammering like a complete idiot. While truthfully, Tigress hadn't expected him to actually stoke some courage and ask her forthright, she was glad that he did. It saved her the trouble of doing it herself, especially now…since she found out that her position was being threatened by another woman.

He continued to spit out mindless drivel, as if he had lost his ability to speak; and while she'd never admit it out loud…she did think that he looked utterly adorable in his embarrassment.

"So…I mean, well—ah, what I was trying to ask you is that…um, gods, is it hot in here, or is it just me?"

She grinned and chuckled, "It's just you."

"Oh, okay," he cleared his throat, "Tigress, I've been meaning to ask you, uh—" Tigress cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"Po, I want you to shut up for just a minute so I can explain something to you…" The panda nodded, and she continued, "First, if you're not skilled at finding the words when asking a woman out on a date, it's usually good to practice your 'speech' beforehand. Second, don't get all emotional when she unmercifully shoots you down," his face dropped when she said this.

"And third…"

Oh. Merciful. Gods. She was rejecting him. Well…at least I gave it a shot—

She pecked his cheek, "I'd love to."

Butterflies – 2001

She stared off towards the horizon, watching the moon hung low in the sky, just barely touching the mountaintops.

Until the moment that she hugged her arms close to her chest did she realize that her entire body was shaking, but it didn't seem to faze her…at least, not at the moment. Something was wrong, something was very wrong, and she knew it. The things she thought now, the things that she felt; there was no way she could make any sense of it.

It was just one stupid kiss, one stupid vulnerable moment when she let her guard down.

So why then, as small and insignificant as it was, did it seem like so much more?

What did it mean?

Intensity. Adoration. Longing. Passion…as hard as she tried to find it, there were no adjectives to describe what she felt toward what it was they shared.

All she could ask herself was Why? How could she allow herself to be blinded by an emotion so feeble, so fleeting; something that could make her truly happy, but could also cause her inconceivable agony?

"Tigress…?"

She knew that voice—so calm and understanding.

But she still didn't know what to feel.

I'll Be There – 1970

What had he done?

Po sat curled up in the silky bed sheets where she'd been beside him just moments ago, staring at the closed door that she had walked through. She obviously needed some time alone, and he wasn't going to stand in her way. She seemed hurt, betrayed; left him without saying a word.

He felt terribly guilty about it, and yet…

She had followed him, hadn't she? He had left the Valley without so much as a goodbye, and she came after him. But he only left because he didn't feel like he was wanted.

She understood that.

And that was why she followed him, in the hopes of bringing him back.

That's when suddenly, all of the doubts flew from him. All of the insecurities, the guesswork. She was here. She wanted to be with him, and, as far as he could tell, she wanted to be with him forever.

Just then, by fate, or sheer dumb luck, the door creaked open, slowly, carefully, and she walked in…her eyes falling on him. She looked noticeably uncomfortable and dropped her eyes to the floor. He only smiled and gasped out, "Tigress, I'm sorry. I…I almost ruined everything…I'm so, so sorry."

She shook her head and smiled sadly, "I understand. It's just that—this is hard for me. It was…this is all so sudden."

He stretched his arms out, and she slowly came to him. "I'm willing to give it a shot if you are."

"I…I think I am too."

He held her, then, simply held her, until they both drifted off to sleep.

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' – 1983

Tigress yelped as she fell on her backside…Po was grinning toothily only a few feet away, obviously enjoying this newfound advantage over her just a bit too much. She growled and jumped to her feet, glaring at him. Damn him and his good cooking…

"Po…"

"Ah ah," he chided, "I told you that if you wanted a dumpling, you'd have to ask nicely."

He rattled the bowl in front of her face, those steaming, perfectly rounded delicacies taunting the tiger with their intoxicating bouquet. Instead of taking her usual defensive stance, she eyed the panda curiously, a small frown forming on her muzzle, "Fine…can I—"

"Oh please, Tigress. You can do better."

She gritted her teeth, "May I please have a dumpling?"

"Sure…" he held out the bowl to her, the arrogant grin on his face never faltering. When she reached out to grab one, a pair of chopsticks popped her in the nose, sending her reeling back a few feet.

"…But you're gonna have to do a lot better than that."

She rubbed her nose and looked at him with a furious expression. Tigress wasn't one to fool around like this, but when she recognized that tone in his voice and the look in his eyes, she knew exactly what he was trying to do—he was challenging her. Her eyes glimmered as she studied him, anticipating his next move. Watching. Waiting…

"Well? You want one or not?" he asked.

She smiled and leaned forward, "Why yes, Master, as a matter of fact I do…"

"Oh yeah?" He chuckled.

Her lips curled upward, just enough to bear her fangs, "Yes."

"Then come and get 'em."

Black Or White – 1991

She told him she loved him.

For the first time in his life, he should have been happy.

But he wasn't.

That night as he lay in bed, tossing, turning, unable to sleep, he thought about what he had, what they had. All the moments they shared, both the good and the bad ones, couldn't put his mind at ease. They had a wonderful friendship, and an undividable bond, but…

It didn't matter how much he cared about her, or how deep his affection ran.

He knew better. They weren't meant to be together. And although she never even hinted at the notion, he surmised, at least with some level of certainty, that she felt the same way. It could never work out between them.

They were just too different.

Whatever Happens – 1997

Tigress watched him from across the table. His head was bowed, absentmindedly picking his food with his chopsticks. And when he reached for his wine glass, the glass shook ever so slightly as he brought it up to his lips, slowly sipping it. Po looked up at her and smiled awkwardly.

He was dead nervous…and she found it endearing.

But then again, her choice of attire probably wasn't helping his anxiety, either.

Although at first she wasn't too keen on the idea, Viper finally coaxed her into wearing a dress to dinner; a gorgeous scarlet red bit with no back, low front, and a silk scarf to match. She looked good. Hell, she felt good. She was allowed to feel that way about herself, wasn't she? After all, it had been quite a while since she felt this way.

Of course, Po made her feel that way, didn't he?

Then she smiled at him, and he looked back down at his plate.

He shuffled his feet awkwardly and spared her a fleeting glance; his striking jaded eyes sparkled in the candlelight. "Tigress." Her name. A sign of acknowledgement, as always.

But it was the way he said it…

She wondered for a split second whether it was proper to call him Dragon Warrior or just Po. Somehow he knew what she was thinking, somehow. Because what she called him…well, it depended on the situation. For a few moments longer they sat in total silence, not knowing what to say, not knowing where their time together here would go.

And sure enough, there he was, still fidgeting in his seat, staring at his place setting. Well, this was certainly getting them nowhere.

Damn him and his nervous twitch! His food was not that interesting…

She took his hand on the table, stilling his rapidly tapping fingers. "Po. Relax. It's just me." She looked at him intently. He was obviously thinking of what to say. Either that, or working up the nerve to speak something on his mind…

"I know…" He swallowed hard and gripped her hand.

"That's why I asked you here tonight. To talk about you. About us."

Well, that does it for me, folks. I hope nobody murders me for taking a song from the Jackson 5; it popped up in my shuffle list, I swear! Besides, Michael was in the group, was he not? Anyway, thanks for reading and I sincerely hope you enjoyed this! Or if you didn't, don't hesitate to tell me why you hate the crap out of me…

And as a final note: Rest in peace, Mr. Jackson. I know you're Moonwalking up in Heaven.

Cheers :)