Disclaimer: Don't own KFP.

A/N: Just a small oneshot/maybe short story I came up with. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Old Friends Reunited

It was a stormy, rainy day. Mist coated the window and snow fell in heaps outside.

In the small two story house, a middle-aged panda sat in front of a roaring fireplace, a cup of steaming tea in his paws.

It had been a long time since the Five had split up to teach in their own Palaces following the death of Master Shifu and Po's instatement as Grand Master of the Jade Palace. Po hadn't seen any of the Five since then. Though they'd departed on the best of terms, he still couldn't help the hole he sometimes felt in his heart for his friends.

Po himself had decided to take some time away from the bustle of the now largely occupied Jade Palace in favor of a time of reflection and meditation in a small house in the village of the Valley of Peace. If only Tigress could see me now, Po thought with a slight chuckle, Me actually getting some time in for introspection and meditation. Imagine that.

Po sighed. As much as he might have tried to deny himself such thoughts to spare him the pain of them, he couldn't help but reminisce about the 'good old days'. Him, Shifu, Mantis, Monkey, Crane, Viper, and Tigress, protecting China with their Kung Fu 'awesomeness'.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door, startling Po for a second. Setting his cup of tea down, he got up reluctantly and strode to the heavy wooden entry.

He cautiously opened the door and looked out.

"Tigress?" His eyes widened, he had not seen her for almost twelve years, ever since he was made the Grand Master of the Jade Palace.

She stood shivering, wrapped in a thick black coat, her fur shifting slightly in the breeze. Snow dusted her head and shoulders, and making her nose pink with the cold.

"Po."

Po's eyebrows furrowed, "What are you-" He broke off abruptly, shaking his head.

He stood aside, "Never mind. Please, come in," he politely put his hand on her back and waited her to pass him before shutting the door firmly.

"Let me take your coat." He said, taking a hold of a corner of the garment and assisting her in taking it off.

He showed her to the main room and went to the kitchen to fetch her a drink.

When he entered the room again, he found Tigress staring at one particular oil painting out of a couple others mounted on the wall above his mantelpiece.

"Who is this?" Tigress asked, gesturing at the picture where Po and a lynx stood in front of an orange sunset. His arms were encircled around her middle and her paws were resting on his. Her head was tilted back, resting on his shoulder and her amber eyes gazed dreamily at Po, who was looking out at the viewer. Both had extremely happy smiles stretched across their faces.

"That…" Po sighed, his eyes distant and reminiscent. His lips curled upward in a bitter smile.

"I shall tell you another time perhaps." He focused on her once again.

She was silent, but her eyes roved across the other portraits.

One of him and his father cooking in the noodle shop down in the valley, the scene framed by the celebration of the Winter Festival.

Another of a small aged red panda, standing in a small grotto. Although his face was serious, his eyes danced with life and kindness, with a wooden staff in his right paw.

The last was another large depiction of the Winter Festival, the red panda from before and the Dragon Warrior with the Furious Five all standing together smiling, enjoying time together.

Tigress, also, had eyes clouded with memory, she sighed. "Such a long time ago."

Po nodded.

She turned away and looked at him, "It has been a while, as well, since I have seen you."

"And I you."

Then he waved his hand towards the left, "Here. Have a seat," He said politely.

She accepted an armchair near to the fire, while Po rested himself into another, facing her.

Po was about to ask a question when another knock came, unlike Tigress' appearance, this one was loud and enthusiastic, as if there were several little child fists were knocking.

"Oh man," Po muttered quietly, "I forgot."

Po looked suddenly uncomfortable, "Tigress, I- "

Tigress held up a hand, "If I am intruding upon you, I will le- "

Po interrupted, "No, no, it's not that, it's just that…I have visitors."

"I have no objections, but I will not be in the way." She stood.

"No, it's fine, my visitors aren't picky at all who joins us."

He made his way over to the door when the knocking came furiously again.

He took a deep breath and opened the door.

A loud cry of "Master Po!" Came from the entrance. A crowd of speedy blurs came in, arms wrapping around his legs and Po was cuddled furiously, little children jostling each other to get close to him.

Po turned to see a bewildered Tigress standing tentatively behind him, eyebrow cocked, apparently she came to investigate the clamour.

A dozen furry and round faces from a few inches above his knees beamed at him, the little ones were wrapped warmly in thick coats, scarves around their necks, chubby paws pushed into fluffy mitts, small feet encased in snow boots and woolen hats covering their heads and ears. As usual the muttering broke out, "Master Po's sooo tall still, he's taller den my daddy, wayyyy talla." The little girls giggled and watched Po with admiring looks.

Po assisted them in taking off their numerous clothing, leaving them in woolen cardigans, and hanging everything up in a closet beside the door.

"What is this?" Tigress had kept quiet until now.

Po rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Every full moon, the children from the village come to my house and we…have some fun…"

When Tigress still did not speak, he continued, "It's a tradition now, I'll tell you the beginning later, it's a long story, and a funny one."

Finally, she stirred, her face broke into a smile, albeit a small one, she was still nervous and reserved, conceivably disorientated from her surroundings.

"Are you going to build a giant snowhut for us and a campfire in it for us this time, Master Po?" A young boy asked, eyes wide and filled with laughter.

"Or show us Kung Fu!" A girl screamed, throwing her arms high into the air.

Po smiled and picked up a girl and a boy into each of his arms, leading them all into the large room.

He pointed to Tigress, "Children, I would like to introduce you to Master Tigress, she's an awesome Kung Fu Master too!"

The girls stared with large eyes while the boys chattered excitedly when the term Master was mentioned.

Then a barrage of questions came all at once, fired quickly at the unsuspecting Tigress.

"You're a Master?" A girl asked, "Can you teach us Kung Fu?"

Tigress cleared her throat, "I-"… but was interrupted.

"Are you really bodaciously awesome at Kung Fu like Master Po always says?" A boy asked with a glowing face.

The addressed looked down at him, "Well-"

"Can I be a Master?" Asked the youngest looking one in the lot.

"Of course, you ca-"

Another, older girl, "What do you-"

She was interrupted by Po, "Children, let's not pester Master Tigress with our questions, who wants a cup of hot chocolate?"

A loud cheering came up and hands waved in the air.

Po herded them into the kitchen and seated them at the crowded kitchen table in the middle.

Tigress lingered, watching Po interact with the village younglings, looking at him, her eyes softened and she let a fond smile grace her lips. She could not help thinking that he would be a wonderful father one day.

After countless eruptions of laughter and a wild food fight, everyone had their drink and left the food-covered kitchen.

They settled comfortably by the fire, children surrounded Po, sitting in his lap and leaning on him.

"Wadda we do now, Master Po?" Said a small bunny girl.

"What do you want to do? I haven't planned anything for tonight, my apologies." Po asked, looking around.

"Tell us a story, master!"

There was a chorus of assent.

Po looked thoughtful for a while.

"Once, in a village, secluded and isolated from the rest of China, where people lived in harmony and peace, there was a teenaged panda. He always idolized the great Masters of Kung Fu and wished he might become one himself. Then one day, when he climbed up the stairs to just go and see a Tournament, well, that's what he thought in the beginning anyway. That was the beginning, the beginning of everything…"

Po launched into a narrative of his own life, lost in the world of the past. His listeners were attentive and fascinated, they leaned forward, seeming to absorb each of his words as he continued to speak, even Tigress looked interested.

It was a long time until he finally reached the end, "…and so, it was then, they decided to go their own ways, the mantis, the tigress, the crane, the viper, the monkey, and the panda."

He looked around, seeming to have been brought out of his reverie at the end of the story. Some of the smaller ones were asleep on each other or in tangles of limbs on the warm floor.

An older girl asked him, eyes still interested and inquiring, "Are those people still alive today?"

Po answered, "Yes, it was a real story, all are alive, and I have met them."

Eyes widened.

"So what happened to them now, master?" Asked a childishly high voice from his right.

"Well, sweet Abigail, the masters each went their separate ways, finding their own palaces to teach Kung Fu to any who would wish to learn. And the panda…well, the panda…" He faltered again.

"Rebuilt the Jade Palace, to protect the innocent and weak." Tigress filled in for him kindly.

A little girl perched on an arm of a chair asked with a curious voice, "Did the others find happiness in romance as well?"

Po's face seemed to darken a bit before brushing it off with a smile and saying, "I wouldn't know about that, I'm sorry."

"Master Po, did you eva git married?" Came another question.

Tigress' head tilted upwards a bit.

Po sighed, "Yes, I was once…but that was a long time ago, a different and long story we will save for another time."

The children groaned and protested, but accepted in the end.

As quiet descended over the small gathering, the young ones began dropping to sleep one by one. Po carefully stood up and arranged some on the large, fluffy white rug in front of the cheerily and comfortably warming fire, some on the many mats and pillows scattered around. He took some warm blankets from the storage and lovingly covered each sleeping child.

Finally, he straightened and stretched, his back popping with faint clicks.

He turned, and found Tigress off in sleep. He smiled, amused.

Approaching her, he left her as she was in her thick inner coat over her tunic and soft breeches, arranged her into a more comfortable looking position on the overly large settee she had fallen asleep on that was more than large enough for her, and covered her also, in a blanket.

He took all their cups into the kitchen, cleaned up the food-ridden war zone, stoked the fire to keep it going long into the night and yawned before walking back over to Tigress' sleeping form.

"I've really missed you, Tigress," Po whispered, kissing her forehead tentatively before blowing out the candles and heading off to his bed.

Not really sure if I'll extend this somewhat-oneshot into some sort of short story or not. I just really liked the idea of Po and Tigress meeting one another again after being separated for many years and ran with it. :) I definitely have some ideas as to what's been going on in Po and Tigress' lives over the past decade or so that could possibly mix into a short story.

I hope you enjoyed it. If you want to read more, let me know by reviewing!