Life in the wilderness away from the Pride Lands were difficult for Kiongozi and Fuli. There wasn't much to hunt and they were only two to help each other out. Fuli could defiantly feel that she hadn't the same strength as she used to. Even though she was exhausted she was determined to be the one who stood for the hunting, though Kion had offered his help in doing the work many times, but Fuli managed it somehow. She had caught up on two antelopes there were standing and grazing. She crept up on them and got ready to launch her attack, but her exhausted legs failed her. She stumbled and the antelopes quickly saw her and ran away. Fuli sighed and gave up catching another prey. She had to return empty handed to a disappointed lion.

"Got anything?" Kion asked, even though the answer was obvious. He was laying in the dirt looking all weakened

"No," she replied sadly. "My legs failed me, it's just so frustrating!" She hit the ground with her paw. Kion gave her a comforting smile.

"And it's not because you have done all the work every day?" Kion teased. "If this is going to work, Fuli, you will need to give me a chance as well. I maybe not be as fast as you, but you got to take a break sometimes," the lion added, pinching her chest.

"I know, Kion, it's just - I want to show that I actually deserves to be with you, by being a good girl and bring you food just like a lioness does," Fuli confessed.

"You don't have to be like a lioness, fool," Kion said comforting. "You're already exhausted. You need to relax," Kion added, hugging her. He noticed she looked embarrassed away. He knew that the cheetah didn't liked being called "weak" but she had to rest to gather strength. Then he decided to change subject that they both agreed in. "Look, I miss home too, Fuli. Even annoying Zuri and Tiifu," he said without thinking of how Fuli would interpretant his joke.

"Course," she sighed. She of course knew that she wasn't enough for the lion and needed other support from real lionesses. They would at least be able to grant him a family something she wasn't capable of and they were perfect bait because none of them had a mate and were madly horny for the lion.

"You rest now, fool. I'll be going out to see if I can catch something. Wish me luck," he teased.

"Good luck, fierce boy," she sighed as she saw the lion grinning at her and disappearing in the tall grass.

"How can you be so blind, fool," a voice said in Fuli's head. "He is not going to hunt. He is probably going out to find a proper girl."

"No, he would never," Fuli said to herself.

"That's what you think, dumb ass. You're letting yourself being fooled around again. He is letting you do the dirty work. He has no intention of hunting for food to you, he thinks you're weak because you can't be like the other lionesses and bring him food when he needs it. He is out there finding a real mate." The voice said.

"Stop!"

He has probably already established a new relationship without you even knowing," the voice continued. "And probably mating with the lucky one. Your fierce boy is ready to dump you whenever he wishes. Together he will start a family with the new one, and she will give birth to his cubs, something you will never be able to do."

"Shut up!" Fuli sobbed, but it was true. She had accepted to go with the lion knowing that it will be awhile before they could return to the Pride Lands, but Fuli was content with this until she realized that someone had to go hunting while the other rested. She felt lonely when it was her time to wait. She wanted to be more than just the two of them, and it wasn't the company of Kion's second mate who she would appreciate. No, she wanted to be the one to give birth to Kion's cubs, but how could she ever succeed with that? Yes, she had been foolish enough to be persuade by the hope that she might could have been pregnant, and the two of them did try it out, and after some weeks she had been suffering by symptoms of being much slower, but if they really had succeeded it must have been more obvious now. The only conclusion was that the embryo was dead inside of her and would never see the light. Fuli shed a tear and curled herself into a fur ball by the thought.

Evening felt over the savanna. Kion had returned, and had managed to catch two gazelles for dinner. Fuli was pleased to see his hunt was successful, but couldn't, pull the thought away that he might had been cheating on her, though it did not look like him to cheat on anyone. They ate their dinner, and afterwards Kion laid beside his her to fall asleep. Fuli on the other hand stayed still. The nasty thought of Kion cheating on her was still in her head, so she didn't feel like he deserved to feel her the same way she felt him. Instead she placed her head in the dirt to fall asleep, but the lion moved his large paw under her head, to have something soft to sleep on.

Next morning Fuli was out hunting again. She had convinced the lion that she was ready and not exhausted anymore. She tried very hard to forget about yesterday's thoughts, but the words were still in her mind. She didn't notice where she was going, until she heard someone crying. Her ears immediately got attracted by the new sound and followed the noise of the animal in distress. She had her body bend down in case she would be spotted by any unwanted predators. The noise became louder and Fuli came to a desolated place, but it wasn't completely desolated. Out on the field were a little cheetah cup curled together and cried. Fuli's eyes turned big. The cub seemed not to know that it was very stupid to cry while its mother was out hunting, especially for a defenseless cub. Fuli turned around and walked away until she stopped again. The cub was in danger if she continued to cry like that. There were no where to tell how long a cheetah hunt could take, and by the time the mother could be home the cheetah cub could be dead. "What am I doing?" She asked herself before turning around and headed back to the cub. She could at least watch over the cub until the mother returned. "Yes, by doing this you won't interact with the cub and might piss of the mother," she said to herself. But another problem was that Kion might begin to worry at the same time, and go looking for her. Fuli watched the cub from her hide in the long grass completely out of sight from the cub.

Hours passed by and the mother didn't seem to show up. If the mother didn't feed her soon, it would die of hunger. "Come on, where are you?" Fuli whispered.

"Who is there," the cub asked frightened.

Fuli was exposed. The cub had heard her. She could either run or confront the cub. She had to break her fright from interacting with the cub and face her. She sighed and walked out of her hide, towards the cub. The cub began to quiver in fear. She had some astonishing blue eyes.

"It's all right, I'm not here to hurt you, sweetie," Fuli assured. She could not believe she just used the word "sweetie". Who was she, it's mother or something? To Fuli's astonishment the cub ran towards her and nuzzled her body against Fuli's leg. Fuli had no idea how to act. Th cub of course wanted to be comforted but that was her mother's job not hers.

"Where is your mother?" she asked to cut to the chase.

"I don't know where my mommy is!" she cried.

"Isn't she out hunting?" Fuli asked out of curiosity.

"She left me on my own. She said I was strong enough to handle myself!" she whimpered.

Fuli laid herself down by the cub's side. "Did she just leave you all by yourself!" Fuli asked a bit puzzled. She couldn't believe what just came out of the cub's mouth. The cub was much younger than she was when she had to stand on her own paws. "For how long has she been away?"

"She left me yesterday," the cub sobbed. "I can't do this. I haven't even learned how to hunt."

Fuli face got filled with pity and anger. How could any mother leave their cub out in the wilderness all alone without learning how to defend themselves or hunt? She would die if she hadn't anyone to defend her or bring her food for that matter. Fuli had always envied Kion and Kiara for being a part of a loving family, but now Fuli had her chance to proof that she could also be a good and caring mother, but how could a cub that she didn't even know the name of get attached to her? Fuli looked down curiously at the cub that had curled herself into a fur ball into her fathom. Fuli gazed concerned out over the field. If this was true the cub would die unless she did something drastically. Fuli looked down on the cub, and then she gazed out over the field again. Then determined but nervous, she gave the cub a lick on the head and across the grey mane. She paused, but then continued her licking. She was official in the mode of transferring her smell over to the cub's so that she would be hers. The little cheetah cub began to purr by the gentle licks. She looked up at Fuli with a happy smile across her little face.

"What's your name, kiddo?" Fuli asked.

"My name is Tasha," she replied.

"Mine is Fuli," she replied.

"What are you?" the cub asked curiously and looked down and up the cheetah.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't got spots like my mother."

"Oh – eh, I'm a king cheetah," Fuli replied. "My spots look different than normal cheetah's."

Tasha continued to look at her curiously, with childish eyes.

"And are you-?" the cub asked.

"Am I what?"

"Fast?" Tasha asked. "Look just because I got dumped doesn't it mean I'm stupid."

"Oh, little one, you should know. I'm The Fastest," Fuli teased. "I know this is a bit too quick, Tasha, but would you like me to take care of you, because you seem to tell the truth. Your mom has been away for a long time and it doesn't look like she is coming back," Fuli said concerned.

"Y - you really want to be my new mom?" she asked.

"Hey kid, you don't seem to have any other cheetahs waiting in line to be your new mom," Fuli teased.

"I would love to," Tasha replied nuzzling her head against Fuli's chest. "Do you have any other cubs?"

Fuli took her jaw around the cub and swung her on to her back. "No, I don't. I can't have cubs with the one I'm together with," she replied.

"You stay together with one? I thought cheetahs didn't stay together. You should find another one, if you want cubs," Tasha cheekily replied.

"My boyfriend is not one I want to leave. I want to be with him even if he wants another," Fuli sighed.

"I believe he must be an excellent cheetah, if you want to be with him," Tasha said happily.

Fuli laughed and began to walk away. "He is not exactly a cheetah," she pridefully said.

000

Kion awaited Fuli's homecoming with distress. Fuli had been away for a very long time now. What if anything had happened to her? What if she was hurt? After all she was pregnant and needed to take care. He stopped going in circles when he saw movement in the grass and in the next second the cheetah came out of the tall grass with a satisfied smile across her face. Kion sighed in relief. Her girl had managed to come home safely though without anything to eat.

"Fuli? I have been worrying sick. Where did you go?" he asked concerned.

"I'm sorry, Kion," she sighed. "It's just - I found someone who needed to be taken care of."

"Who?" Kion asked perplexed.

Fuli smiled pridefully at him and turned her head and reached for something on her back. When she turned her head back again she had a cub hanging from her mouth, giving him a nervous smile. Kion's face went pale. Fuli had brought a cub home. Fuli's face looked exited but then turned worried. She had just given Kion a cub. It was what he wanted, right? But why did he then look so shocked. Fuli carefully placed the cub on the ground. "what's wrong, Kion," Fuli asked nervously.

"Fuli? Where did you find her? I really don't hope you stole her," Kion asked worried.

Fuli gave him a confused look and sat her bum in the ground. How could Kion accuse her for something like that? He knew that she wouldn't do anything desperate. She had just found a cub that they could raise together. Why wasn't he happy?

"I thought You wanted a cub, Kion?" Fuli asked embarrassed.

"I do, but you are already pregnant, Fuli. There is no need to find other cubs," Kion said. "You didn't steal her, right?"

Fuli looked sheepishly away. A tear came down her cheek.

Fool? What's wrong?" Kion asked concerned. He got over to the cheetah and pulled her in for a comforting hug.

Fuli sighed. "Kion, if I really were pregnant, it would at least have been visible by now. It's sometime ago that you discovered it, but I fear by now that – that," Fuli couldn't say the last word and instead broke into tears. "Oh Kion, I think the embryo is dead. I'm never going to be able to grant you a family," she cried.

Kion stroked a paw across the cheetah's back. "how can you be sure, Fuli?" Kion asked a little hurt.

"It's just something I know," she sobbed. "I should never have been so stupid to try and keep up the hope."

"I'm sorry, Fuli. Would you like me to listen to your belly and see if it's true?" he asked.

"No," Fuli sobbed. "I don't want the truth already. I had really hope that I could be the one, but it seems like you have to seek other females for that part."

"What are you taking about?" he asked concerned.

"It's just my stupid head that tells me your main goal is not looking for prey when you're out hunting, but lionesses to start a family with," Fuli confessed.

"Never cheat on you, babe," Kion said and kissed the cheetah on her forehead. He stroked his paw against her cheek and down her back mane. Fuli broke into tears again and snuggled her body into Kion warm chest. How foolish she had been. Kion would never do such things to her, she knew that. Kion stroked his paw up and down the cheetah's body, and Fuli began to purr by the gentle strokes.

"Now that's a sound I haven't heard you make in a long time," Kion teased.

Fuli looked up into Kion's eyes. Tears were still trickling down her cheeks. "I haven't had much to be happy about in a long time," she sobbed. "I know it's selfish, but I had just hoped for more out here with you. Without the patrols and troublemakers, there really isn't much to do."

"We got each other, sweetie, more I don't need," Kion said and nuzzled his head into Fuli's face. "You just wait and see with the cub."

Tasha watched the happy couple and faced that she would never be a part of their little family. No one wanted an orphan. Tasha began to walk away with her head bend down.

"Now where do you think you're going, young lady?" Kion asked. Kion pulled his jaw around Tasha's neck and placed her in Fuli's fathom. Kion gave her a loving lick, indicating that he, too, had accepted the little cub into their small family.

"So, what can I call you, little one?" Kion asked.

"T - Tasha," she answered nervously.

Fuli gave Tasha a lick and snuggled her close into her body.

"Well, welcome to our family, Tasha," Kion said while he looked pridefully at his new family.