Hello, I Love You

(February 15th, open to Nuka & Dotty.)

He gave a groan.

He was like a teenager who had to deal with an annoying girlfriend. Not a lion who had children with a woman and then dropped her to the bottom of a hole. Should he apologize? He wasn't sure. He hadn't spent ANY time with Nia and Kuzimu and when he saw them the girls snorted and jeered at him. Much to Zira's delight. They were more like siblings now than his children.

And Dotty...now that she was out of the pit he felt he should apologize to her. Maybe. In the current moment he was scratching his back on a termite mound, rubbing the stone and spit into his itchy back. He was thinking...considering telling her that he was sorry. But truly it was her fault...wasn't it?

He shut his eyes and let out another grumble and groan. Life was so hard now. Why couldn't it go back to the way things were?

Dotty lay stretched out in the shade beneath the massive termite mounds. She had picked a spot with a clear view of Zira's den in hopes that maybe she would be granted some time with her daughters. What she hadn't expected was Nuka's arrival. At the sounds of falling paws she looked up and rapidly wished she hadn't.

"Oh...it's you." She had tried to keep her tone as emotionless as possible but instead it sounded cold. Where Nuka was concerned, there were too many emotions wrapped up in each other with so many layers that she didn't know how she felt about him.

She didn't love him...at least not how she had. The days of her wide-eyed hopeless romance had been brutally shattered by everything that had happened to them. She didn't hate him either, even though she thought she should. He had blamed her for Mauko's death even though it was Zira who was at fault and had sentenced her to the pit without once offering up a word of protest. Both had wounded her deeply and so she had avoided him. However, deep down, she still held out hope for the cub who had been her best friend. The Nuka she had loved.

"If you're looking for the girls, don't bother. They're with your mother as per usual."

He scrunched his nose up tightly.

"Well that's just rude," he hissed, "I haven't done anything to deserve that attitude...this week..." His ears folded back slightly as he approached the female closer. He lay down, more collapsing on the ground, folding his arms over each other. He frowned, turning towards the female who seemed unimpressed. He sort of missed the days when she would fawn over him. Sort of.

"I'm not looking for the girls," he barked, "I know where they are. Mother's warping them into her little soldiers. I would be...concerned." He gave a huffed, laying his head down and peering up at her.

"What're you doing?" He asked, his voice whining.

She didn't offer up complaint when he flopped down beside her. She supposed she could endure his company for a short while. It hadn't been that long ago when any chance of being alone with Nuka would have filled her wit glee. Those were happier days and they were behind her now. He hissed at her and she ignored him, choosing instead to focus her attention on Zira's den and her reason for being here.

Then Nuka mentioned Zira.

Dotty scowled at his words. She was concerned. She was more than just concerned, she was terrified of what Zira was filling their girls' heads with. How long would it be before she threw them into an actual battle? How long would it be before one or both of them didn't return?

"Waiting to see them. I'm their mother, I want to know what Zira's telling them...maybe there's a chance..." Maybe there's a chance to put things right before Zira corrupts them completely. She stopped herself there. She was being a fool yet again.

"What do you think Mother's telling them?"

He hiked his voice up, giving it the acidic tongue that his mother had. "You will be princesses, you will be huntresses, do not listen to your father and mother, blah blah blah." His ears dropped as he stared towards the girl. He pressed his chin against the dirt, a frown on his face. He felt...guilty...sort of. This wasn't entirely his fault.

"I'm...sorry?" He whistled. "I'm sorry...we can try and...um...keep our family together? I guess?" He rolled over and looked up at Dotty. "Dotty...we kind of have to...roll over. So to speak. We can't do anything. Nothing...so why try and fight?"

“Because they’re our children!” Dotty snapped, her lips pulling back in a snarl. Without thinking her paw swung out to slap Nuka across his muzzle. “You’d let Zira twist them into obedient soldiers that she can throw out to die for Scar? How could you even think that? I don’t think I need to remind you that it was Zira who murdered Mauko!”

She sprung to her paws, unable to stay stationary in her fury. How could Nuka care so little about their girls? He had wanted a son but Dotty had never believed that he loved their daughters any less than he had Mauko. Apparently she was mistaken in that belief. Could Nuka really sit back and allow Zira throw their girls into the fire and watch them burn.

“Now that Scar has his heir I’d be more concerned with the girls.” She growled “It’s only a matter of time before Scar sees them as a threat to his new son’s rule…and you as well.”

The birth of Scar’s sons had her on edge. He may not have done anything yet but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t targets painted on Nuka, the girls and her own heads. The more time her daughters spent with Zira the more convinced she became that Zira had a plan to rid herself of the last of Nuka’s cubs with her. Mauko was only the beginning.

"WHAT am I supposed to do about it?!" He shouted, rubbing his muzzle from the slap Dotty gave him. "Have you SEEN my mother? My father?! I might die regardless of those two little balls of white fluff my mother gave birth to if I try and fight back!"

His ears lifted slightly as he rolled over. His eyes narrowed. "Mother won't touch the girls," he said, shaking his head, "Or you. It's me I'd be worried about if I were you. Not that you would." He rose and walked dramatically away, ears lowered as he sat with his back to her. "You hate me. Nia hates me. Kuzimu really hates me. Maybe it'd be better if my Dad did take me out."

He lifted his lips in a disgusted snarl. "I'd be more concerned about...betrothal...eeeeyuck," he spat, "Mauko would have been a threat...the girls...they're mother's pawns now. The moment she curled up next to them, they were safe. From death anyway." He turned over his shoulder. "I wouldn't let them," he snarled, "But what the HELL are we supposed to do?"

“So you’d just stand aside and let them win?” Dotty questioned. Her fury grew with every protest out of his mouth. She would be willing to lay down her own life for her cubs and if she had the chance with Mauko then she would have. This was different though. This was them against Scar and Zira at their full might.

She didn’t know what solution she could offer. Nuka was right despite her wanting him to be wrong and him just to be saying things out of fear but Dotty knew that there was no way to win against Zira or Scar in a fight. Even if they did win, by some miracle, then the hyenas would be loosed and there was no hope of fighting off the whole clan. That avenue was hopeless. Still…an idea formed, one she had pondered many times before when she felt at her lowest and most unloved. Was there a possibility?

“We could run.” She said “We could run and take the girls with us. If we’re careful we can slip away before anyone notices and cover our tracks so they can’t follow us. We could go to Nottingham…or the jungle….or we could go and throw ourselves before Simba and hope he shows enough mercy for the girls that he doesn’t kill us. Anything would be better than here.”

“And…” She added before Nuka could walk away “I don’t hate you. I suppose that there’ll always be a part of me that loves you.”” Dotty admitted, her amber eyes downcast. She knew that she should. She knew that she had every reason to despise Nuka with the way events had unfolded…and yet…she couldn’t bring herself to. Not fully.

"Yes. Because I don't wanna die."

Maybe it sounded selfish but Nuka was tired of running. Tired of his life hanging in the balance because he decided to buck the system. Because he decided to defy his parents his son had ended up slaughtered. Because he was being punished Dotty had ended up at the bottom of a pit and his mother had ended up kidnapping a brainwashing the girls. It was all his fault because he'd tried. "Maybe it's time to give up, Dotty. Stop living in the future...because we don't have one."

“We could run.” He paused. “We could run and take the girls with us. If we’re careful we can slip away before anyone notices and cover our tracks so they can’t follow us. We could go to Nottingham…or the jungle….or we could go and throw ourselves before Simba and hope he shows enough mercy for the girls that he doesn’t kill us. Anything would be better than here.”

"Are you CRAZY?!" He looked over his shoulder. "Don't you KNOW that'll end with you me and the girls getting killed? I don't care if Mother's preoccupied with her new bundles of joy. We're cooked if she finds out we've slipped the coop." He turned away from her again. He couldn't...he couldn't bring himself to look at her after what he'd done.

She flinched when Nuka screamed but Dotty stood her ground. Was it a crazy plan? Undoubtedly but what choice did they have? Dotty too was tired but her priority was their cubs. She had to ensure their safety above her own and if she could save Nuka and herself in the process then that would be a bonus. She would do anything for Nia and Kuzimu.

“What would you suggest then?” Dotty shot back, prodding Nuka for another solution “You said it yourself! We have no future here. The girls have no futures here except to be used as cannon fodder or bargaining chips. Vitani ran and made it, Kovu ran and made it, why can’t we do the same? If we run then we’ll have a target painted on us, yes, but we could make it. We could go anywhere! Anywhere Scar wouldn’t think to search. The girls could be free to make their own way. Isn’t that the most important thing: the girls? You’re smart enough to see we don’t have many other options.”

Padding to Nuka’s side, Dotty added quietly “We could start over. We could give Nia and Kuzimu the lives we never had.” She hoped he would see sense. Unless they did something then their days were numbered.

"Vitani ran and made it, Kovu ran and made it..."

"THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT! Mother beat the shit out of Vitani and have you SEEN Kovu? He's probably dead or worse!" His ears pinned back tightly. He placed his paw on his face. All of a sudden emotions started flowing. His body ached.

"I'm just...tired...Dotty...I'm just tired..." He sniffled. "This is no place to be a family..." He shook his head. "And if you run, without me, how am I supposed to sleep knowing at any moment mother could return with your corpse? No, I...I can't have you leave, Dotty. I'd be safer if we just keep quiet. You keep hunting with Mother, watch the cubs, I can try and help father." He shuddered, hating the thought.

"The risk isn't worth the reward, Dotty. It's just not..."

Dotty slipped her head under Nuka’s chin, trying to comfort him as much as she could. He was right. It had always been a dream more than an actual plan and she’d known that from the first time she conceived it. Still, she had hoped that maybe they would get a second chance if they did run.

“I’m sorry.” She said softly “I just…I couldn’t think of another way out.”

She couldn’t leave Nuka here alone. She couldn’t leave without him even if it would be better for her to do it. If she took the girls and ran, she didn’t want to imagine how it would feel if the hyenas brought her and the girls’ corpses back. She couldn’t do that to him. They’d both suffered enough losses in their lives. Nuka already had to see Mauko’s broken body, three more on top would break him and nothing would ever make him whole again. Maybe he didn’t care all that much for her but the girls would definitely crush him.

Maybe they’d get their chance some other time. Dotty hoped for that.

"It's not your fault," Nuka huffed, "It's mine."

He lay on the ground at Dotty's feet. All of a sudden emotions started flowing over his skinny, pale form. He sniffled, ears folding back softly. "I'm sorry, Dotty. I broke everything." He choked back a sob but large visible tears were rolling down his soft muzzle.

"I used you," he muttered, "I abused you. And just as I was falling for you for real I blamed you for Mauko's death and that...that wasn't fair..." He rubbed his paw over his head. "Mother's got us under her grip. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." His ears flowed back, sticking his nose under his arms.

"I should just...throw myself off of a cliff. Save you and the girls a whole lot of headache."

"It's not--" But Nuka cut her off before she could finish, rambling on. She listened to him patiently, letting him release all of his pent up emotions. She was sure that if he were in a better state of mind that he would never have this moment of weakness in front of her. Dotty was grateful that he trusted her enough that he revealled his doubts and pain to her.

He was falling for me...before Mauko...he had feelings for me... The revelation made Dotty's already broken heart break just a little bit more. If Mauko hadn't died, if Zira hadn't swooped in to runi everything, could she and Nuka have been happy together? Now they'd never know. She didn't blame him for the way he'd acted, grief often made people act in thoughtless ways. Dotty had forgiven him for that at least.

"I should just...throw myself off of a cliff. Save you and the girls a whole lot of headache."

"No." Dotty told him firmly, forcing his head up so her amber eyes met his crimson "Don't you dare! Don't you even consider it! Don't give up on yourself. You've always been worth more than your mother or Scar ever gave you credit for."

You've always been worth more to me, Dotty thought

His ears lowered as he wiped the tears from his maw. He sniffed as looked up at the girl who'd worshiped him since she was a cub. Maybe worship was an over statement. But still. What did she even see in him? He sighed and rose his head slightly. "I just want what we had back," he murmured, "Our family...Mauko, the girls, our castle." His voice took a whine, a childish, teenage quip before he started up again.

"I would have let you be the queen," he whimpered, "I would have let you stay in the castle. Play chess with me and Mauko. If I hadn't been so stupid."

With a little bit of an infuriated snarl, he smacked a nearby termite mound. He let out another choke of a sob. "I'm sorry," he huffed, "I'm sorry...I just...can't..."