Warmth

It was all I could feel. His embrace was so incredibly warm. I just wanted to loose myself. Actually, I did. It was the first time in many years that I had felt emotions from contact. I didn't know what to believe anymore, everything was hazy

But so warm…

He hugged me after it was all over, I can feel his furry arms surrounding my small form. My eyes are open, but I cannot see. I'm blinded but how great this feels, just a moment of warmth, just one moment.

Please just let this last

I want it

I need it

I've needed this ever since I was a child, nothing can quite explain how. Hmm, I believe that I feel… safe. It's a concept that is lost to some. I am a protector, it is my duty to keep the people safe from anything that could possibly harm them. I've trained all my life in order to keep those weaker than myself safe. My skills have always led me to believe that I could not be challenged by anyone. No one could defeat me, but I was lying. I could easily be defeated by large groups, or even greater masters than I. Lying to myself has always been a major component of my being, but not now. Now all I can feel are warm arms wrapped around me. All I can feel is that peace every person feels when all is done, and no harm could possibly reach them. I do not need to be protected, but this feeling of safety wasn't purely from physical harm. If only for a moment, I felt as if no names, no emotional scars, no patronizing looks in the mirror, could harm me. This is something I longed for all my life, I didn't know this is what love felt like. It's absolutely amazing.

He let go, but I still couldn't move. It was a strange sight I'm sure. The great Master Tigress incapacitated due to a Po hug. Yet, I didn't really care at that point. I thought he had died, I couldn't even begin to imagine the pain I had felt. Those moments without him were the most painful in my life. I hated him for that. I had finally let him into my heart, he had me in the palm of his hand. Even now I don't think he knows how much I really gave him when we embraced in the prison. It was terrifying, but also therapeutic.

"It's not true, the Hardcore can feel."

Those words still ring in my mind, I still can't believe I said them. I wanted to connect with him emotionally but not that much, that quickly. It was supposed to be a slow process, I would gradually do it over an expanded time period. I was scared I guess, it's easy to see now, scared that he would crush me with his carelessness. The worst part is that he did. When he died, I lost everything. I felt my heart ripped out of my body and thrown out of the building along with Po after the cannon hit him. I couldn't even breathe, the pain was too great. But when he came back, when he came to me after I had taken the blast for him, he held my hand. It was the first time in over 10 years that I felt anything in my paw. That's when I knew that he was really back. That's when I realized that I could never live without him again.

A/N: alright, a short one this time. I decided to continue this little thing since it doesn't let me sleep. All the little things that Tigress does in reaction to Po is just too interesting to leave alone. Throughout the whole movie I was left wondering, "Why did Tigress look like this?" "Why is she smiling?" "Why did she reach out?" things like that. Even though it's short I think this little chapter makes a really good point. Thanks to all my reviewers who inspired me to write another chapter. I just wonder if I'm portraying Tigress correctly. As most of you might guess, I am a male writing the inner monologues of a female. There are many possible complication and I would appreciate it if you girls helped me out a bit here. Writing Tigress the warrior is easy, writing Tigress the woman is completely different. Thank You.