*a bit of an odd one this. It's like 3 one-shots in 1. The first part is Zhou's thoughts and feelings when Mulan comes home. The second part is Shang's thoughts and feelings about the subtle change in his partner, and the 3rd is them talking about it*

*side note: mostly takes place after Mulan 2. She's struggling more than we see*

The thoughts of a father. *set just before they transport the princesses*

Fa Zhou quietly observed his daughter's adjustment back to civilian life. She was a very different person, and one might say for the better. Zhou would say the opposite. Mulan came back for a month, and during that time, began a whirlwind romance with Chen Li's son. Zhou thought the young man was a delight to have around. He was polite, articulate, respectful, strong and he treated his daughter like a queen. Shang approached Zhou on a quiet evening and asked for his blessing to take Mulan's hand in marriage. Zhou, of course, had said yes. It didn't matter what Zhou or any of his family thought of the young Li son. All that mattered was Mulan: and if she liked him, that was enough for Zhou.

But before he could properly talk with his soon-to-be son-in-law, Shang was called away by the emperor. It was during that week that he decided to observe his daughter.

She'd come back from the war a very different person from what she was before she left. Ironically, Zhou thought with a chuckle, Mulan was more feminine. She glided across the Fa family home, poured tea perfectly, helped her mother cook the dinner, swept up the leaves in the garden, tended to the animals, ventured into the town, and practised her martial arts.

She was far more disciplined as well. She would speak respectfully to any guest in the house, and... well... turn into a typical Chinese housewife.

Zhou hated it.

He missed the spunk his daughter had, the fire in her eyes.

As was predicted, she had many suitors at her door. Zhou turned them all away, of course. If they weren't interested in her before, then they didn't deserve her now. Zhou would often sit under the blossom tree at dusk and dawn. More often than not, she would be in the fields, training. Zhou knew she didn't suspect, but he knew she was wounded in her time in the army. There was a gaping hole in his armour, which wasn't there before she took it, for one thing. The second? Her need for more hanfu. Li, his beautiful wife, didn't suspect a thing. It was only when Zhou found one discarded he knew she was still bleeding from her wound.

When Li Shang finally came back, she seemed to brighten for a while. Especially when he proposed to her under the blossom tree. Zhou watched fondly as the young couple rolled down the small hill, giggling and laughing.

Quiet observations. *set during the transport of the princesses *
(also, they get attacked by bandits before the original scene in the film, making it twice they were caught by bandits)

Shang was never surprised to see Mulan sparring against a tree. He knew it was almost her way of coping. He also knew that was her letting him know she was struggling with something. Ever since they'd been summoned by the emperor to get the princesses to Qui Gong, she'd be a nervous wreck. "What if we encounter some huns?" She'd asked on the way back to the Fa estate. "Then we'll fight them," He smiled. "Don't worry, even if we encounter them, it won't be many. We can take them,"

Shang was usually on watch with Ling while the other 3 rested. On a swap over of him to Yao, Shang heard grunting and the swinging of a sword. He immediately unsheathed his own and stalked around the camp. He sighed in disappointment when he caught Mulan swinging at a tree, swearing and crying softly. She'd had another nightmare... the bandit attack earlier in the day hadn't helped matters. Granted, there had only been 3, but (even Shang had to admit) the biggest held a small resemblance to Shan-Yu.

Knowing if he went over, it'd just make her deny everything and feel embarrassed, Shang watched in silence. She sliced and jabbed and cried. It took all his might to not go over and comfort her. She eventually fell asleep at the base of the tree, leaving angry sword marks in the innocent tree in her wake. Shang walked over as quietly as he could, scooped her up, and took her to their tent. He almost hated himself for letting her get like this... if only he'd been the one to fire the cannon...

The conversations of a Fiance. *set after they get back*

Zhou sat under the blossom tree, Shang next to him. "Sir... forgive me if I'm out of line... but have you noticed a change in Mulan? She seems different... quieter," He said. Zhou watched as Mulan swept up some leaves with swiftness. "Yes... she has changed," he paused and listened as she mumbled to herself. "For better or worse... that I don't know,"

Shang and Mulan arrived a few days ago, apparently married by the golden dragon of unity. He knew instantly that they both bear more wounds... maybe not so much physical, but wounds. Shang had a broken wrist and twisted ankle, and Mulan had rope burns over her hands.

Zhou watched his daughter clean the garden, not making eye contact with anybody. Whenever Li, his beautiful wife, would turn in her direction, Mulan would scamper off away.

"My dear boy... may I ask you something?" Zhou asked Shang. "Anything, sir." Zhou nodded but didn't look away from his daughter. "What happened... while you were both away?" Zhou didn't miss the way his son-in-law's shoulders tightened and a strange look come about his face. "I am simply asking as she has changed... you both have, and I just wish to try and know why." Zhou knew playing innocent and guilty was dirty play, but he had to know.

Shang sighed and rubbed his face roughly. "It is a long story," He began. Zhou turned to face the 19-year-old. "We were tasked with transporting the 3 princesses to Qui Gong, for an arranged marriage. On the way, our carriage crashed into the river. We lost... everything really. Most of our food, our sleeping things... our first aid kits. Everything," He paused and Zhou followed his gaze to his daughter. "I thought I lost her then... she couldn't seem to get afloat quick enough," He sighed and dropped his gaze to the small pond. "We acquired another carriage in the next village and were finally making good time... but got caught by a few bandits. We fought them off, but one of them... he looked like Shan-Yu,"

Zhou frowned. He had once seen the all-powerful Shan-Yu in battle. Knowing Mulan almost lost her life to him, she was bound to have some kind of reaction to that. "She was... for lack of better words, a bit of a mess after that. She wouldn't sleep, she'd take all the night watches, she'd stay at the back of the carriage..." Zhou turned his gaze back to Shang, whose eyes had begun to glisten. "We then came to a well-known bandit place. We had no choice, we had to go through. If we went around, it would have tripled our time, and that wasn't an option."

"We were swarmed again. One took Princess Mei. Mulan went after him while I helped my soldiers fend off the other 4. I thought she'd be ok..." He inhaled shakily. "She managed to fight him off long enough for Mei to escape and I rushed to help but he cut the ropes that held the bridge."

"We dropped. Mulan held onto the rope and myself as we dangled over a chasm." Zhou nodded slowly. That would explain the burns on her hands. "I... I forced her to let me go so she would live," He chuckled darkly. "I would assume thinking you'd just lost your fiance would have an effect on you,"

Zhou frowned deeply, "Yes... I would be lost without my Li," He agreed. Shang hummed but winced as he shifted on the seat. "She's not really been the same since," He finished. As if she knew, Mulan turned around with a glare. Zhou smiled softly. She began to make her way over and sat on her husband's lap. As if by default, Shang's arms wrapped around her waist, holding her tight.

Zhou watched fondly. Li used to like doing that back in the early days of their marriage. "Should I be concerned that my husband and father are chattering quietly?" She asked accusingly. Zhou chuckled softly. "No, my dear. Shang was recalling me with the tales of Ping," He raised his eyebrows.

Mulan turned to glare at Shang, who in turn, glared at Zhou. The latter chuckled and suppressed a groan as he stood up. "What have you been saying you brute?" She hissed and gently punched his chest. Zhou smiled as he walked off.

Maybe she wasn't 100% her old self, but Zhou knew with the deepest confidence, that Shang would bring her back from... wherever she'd gone.