A/N: So out of retirement simply because i have no other medium to write this story on. Thus i bring you this story - which will start about two years before Simba's Pride.

i blame seeing the (amazing) remake last night.

DISCLAIMER: i do not own anyone but Mark and other OCs. Everyone else belongs to Disney.

CHAPTER 1
You Said You Wanted Kids

Simba had two problems.

The first was explaining where he had been the last two weeks. And the second? The second was resting on his back. There hadn't been a human in the Pridelands. When speaking of "the beast, man" the lions generally chose to ignore their existence. With Simba, until a few weeks earlier, believing they were a myth. He'd learned just how wrong he was when a couple of them had gotten the best of him - on a journey beyond the Pridelands. And lord, where did he start?

The boy on his back wasn't even twelve - which he'd learned was young by human standards. But for the most part, he owed him his life. He'd been in some sort of trouble, being with those poachers. The ones Simba had narrowily escaped capture by. It was a little hard to grasp the details of what happened, but somehow he'd found himself in league with those poachers.

Simba wasn't sure he knew what he had gotten into. Because at some point during his night in that "camp" of theirs, the boy had snuck in to let him free. With the bravery he'd not imagined from one so young. Simba of course hadn't spoken a word to him. Or any of the humans. He knew full well better than to do that. But when he'd been discovered missing, and the boy had been too - he'd become the hunted. Or what he assumed was a "hunt". He didn't understand, or know what those blasting sticks were but they had terrified the boy.

The young king hadn't fully thought through the moment he'd lifted that boy onto his back, nor the moment he sprinted away. What would the Pride think? What would the humans think? What if the boy belonged to them? None of these questions had been answered yet. So far, they'd not even made it to Pride Rock, and if one were to ask him if he was nervous? Simba wouldn't even know how to word it.

That's why he'd stopped for the night - many hours after they'd evaded the poachers. Many hours away from the jungle lands of the savannah's that the humans knew. He'd hoped he'd think of a plan before the small boy stirred awake. But it wasn't more than another few hours before the sound of a cry nearly sent the lion tumbling down.

His first observation was how tiny he was.

The men he had met several nights before, or rather been poached by, were much taller than he. But the child was small, though still bigger than any cub. He was a height of what one might estimate as 5'2", with auburn hair, and these startled green eyes that nearly shook as much as his scrawny figure did when he caught sight of Simba. "Please! Don't eat me! I helped you!" came a high-pitched, terrified voice. "I helped you, remember! Then I got knocked out... Oh no, I was knocked out. How was I knocked out?"

The boy had started to gather his bearings, or at least, seemed to. But Simba watched him closely. The boy was still a human. And humans he'd always been taught were dangerous. Should he approach him? Or should he simply leave him be? After a moment - Simba made his decision, standing up. "Hey, hey, easy," he explained. "I didn't take you here to eat you."

What a mistake that was.

"You talk!" It was a high-pitched squeak again. Did all human kids talk like that? "Oh man, am I dead?"

Simba actually gave a small chuckle at that reaction. For the first time, he calmly approached him, clearing his throat. "Almost, those men seemed to be looking to hurt you anyway," Simba told him with as calm a voice as he could. "They weren't happy you let me go I think. Or maybe I'm reading this wrong. You were the first humans I've ever seen."

The boy moved a bit, somewhat easing his body language. Though no less stupefied. "And you're the first lion I've seen," he explained. "But I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to be talking right now. That's not even possible - you don't have vocal chords. My dad said..."

When the boy stopped short of speaking further about his dad, a frown crossed Simba's muzzle. What would make a boy do that? Unless... No, that didn't make sense. They had their own herds, or Prides, didn't they? "Was one of them your dad?" he asked as calmly as he could.

The boy's face told his story before he even spoke again to Simba. "They're the ones that killed him," he managed as slowly as he could. "M-My dad, he was a nature preserver. He worked with animals around here, helped them. Or at least he was right now; he did it all around the world!"

After a long moment, his voice tightened. "I don't know what I'm doing. I'm talking to a hallucination," he managed as tightly as he could. His voice trembling. "I'm losing my mind. I'm losing -."

Simba made his way toward the boy, and put a palm on his shoulder. Attempting to convince him he was very real, and that he was ok. "Easy, easy kid," he replied with a softness that reminded him of his own father. "It's OK, I'm real and you're alive. Just take it easy. You haven't had a lot of time to process this, have you?"

That's when the tears flowed. The lion couldn't really tell if they were tears of joy, or sorrow. But as the boy choked something out. "They took me a month ago. After my dad tried to stop them. God, my mom told him not to," he managed his voice cracking a little. "I've been trying to get away ever since. But every time I did they got me back. Then you came along... You're sure I'm not dreaming?"

Simba seated himself down a bit, motioning for the boy to do so as well. "Are you going to tell me how you're talking? Or where I am?" He asked - his voice a little meek. "Because I'm so confused right now. Even if you are a mirage."

Simba tilted his head - a little perplexed. Didn't all animals speak? This had been his first travel outside of his homeland. And probably would now be his last. But he hadn't actually had the chance to speak with other animals. And now? Now he could only wonder. "Everyone does in these parts," Simba finally managed. "I didn't think it was so strange. If anything I'm surprised you speak."

"These "parts"?"

Simba quietly remembered that the boy didn't know where he was. How could any human? After all, he would have been the first to journey into what was known as the Pridelands in his lifetime. Perhaps there was a reason, maybe he shouldn't have gone traveling. And yet, he had. For a purpose that was now... Well, pointless. "I'm not from the savannah that your kind visits," he explained as best he can. "I'm from a territory - a kingdom - called the Pridelands."

"The Pridelands?" The boy questioned with a furrow of his brow. "A kingdom? How hard did they hit my head?" And then, realization seemed to hit. "Oh no! No! We got to keep moving, they'll be here any time. They were in a jeep and-."

"You think that... Thing, they rode on was as fast as I am?" Simba asked calmly. "You've been unconscious for three days, kid. We're a long way from your kind. They can't find or hurt us now."

The boy held his breath like he didn't dare believe the words the king spoke. "... You mean I'm free?"

"You're free."

The boy stood to his feet again, and this time - Simba could feel the relief in the boy as he sobbed quietly. What had those men put him through? Had they tortured him? Hurt him? There was another long pause. "Where are we then? How far from civilization?" he asked - when Simba looked confused. "Other humans?"

Simba was honest. "A long way. And we still have a long way to go."

"'We'?"

Simba thought for a moment - was there a we? He could simply point the child in the right direction, hope he found other humans, good humans. But there was another side, his father in him, telling him he owed this boy. If it hadn't been for him, he'd be back in that cage - doing who knows what. After a moment he asked. "Your parents - you said they killed them for protecting some other animals?" the boy nodded glumly. "Do you have anyone waiting for you back with the humans?"

The boy was silent for a long moment before speaking again. "I'm a long way from home. I'm from America," Simba didn't know where that was, but knowing what "Africa" was could imagine it was another of the "continents" Zazu spoke of. "I don't have anyone looking for me. It was just them and me and now... If I go back I don't know what happens."

Simba stood at a crossroads now. The boy had no one waiting for him - and if he sent him back, what would he do? After a long moment, the king moved behind him, giving his back a little nudge forward. "Then there is most definitely a "we"," he explained. "I owe you my life, kid. There's only one way I can repay that."

"By not eating me?" He asked.

"By taking you home with me." Simba replied honestly.

The boy seemed confused as he began to walk - moved along gently by the lion's nudging. "Where your pride will eat me, right? That's what lion's have - I think."

Simba chuckled. "What's with you and the eating thing?" He asked. "I've heard human meat is way too tough."

The boy didn't seem convinced, but as Simba kept him moving, he was firm. The boy was two things: proof of what he'd gone to see for himself. If the beast, man was truly coming closer to the Pridelands. And second, something Nala had been bugging him on for some time now. Though he wasn't sure how she'd react. "I said it before: I owe you my life," he asserted. "You'll come and live with me. Though I'd let me do the talking. I'm already hearing the mixed feelings on this one."

Those green eyes looked at him, confusion and curiosity etched in them. "I don't even know your name."

"Simba," the great lion told him gently. "What's yours?"

"... Mark. Mark Davis."

As they trudged further into the jungle - Simba made sure to note that in his head.

"He's back! The king has returned!"

There was a commotion almost immediately. It took another four days to reach Pride Rock, but the sight of home was a great relief. He was even thankful to hear Zazu's blabbering the moment he'd reached the foot of it for a change. Steadfast and always searching even in the night. He was also the first to notice Simba's passenger, who had fallen asleep against his mane yet again. "Your majesty! I've been worried sick! What is that on your -?" Zazu stopped - his eyes widened as he looked at his king calmly. "Simba, I must insist -."

Simba shook his head. "It's a long story," he explained as shortly as he could. "The short version is that I owe him my life. So I'd rather you not scare him."

"Me, scare him?" Zazu asked. "Sire, that is a man cub! They are among the most dangerous species on the planet."

Simba's look only made him back away a little. His exhausted sigh seemed to echo, but he still took a deep breath. Before he could reply however, another voice spoke out. "Oh thank God! Simba!" In almost an instant, Simba came close to being pounced by Nala. Who only stopped to nuzzle him as soon as she saw the "thing" on his back. "Where on Earth have you been!? We were sending search parties looking!"

Simba shook his head before rubbing against hers gently. "I know, I know. I ran into some trouble."

"When don't you?" Nala teased gently.

Simba's eyes turned to the sleeping bundle. Mark hadn't stirred in the commotion, exhausted, probably too much so to really gather any of the voices he was hearing. "I um... Brought back a little bit of a souvenir this time too," Nala's curious eyes peered at his back. And Simba decided it was best to make this situation as lighthearted as he could. "Heh, you know how you said you wanted kids?"

His mate stared at Mark, then at him, confusion in her eyes. "Simba, what is that?" She questioned.

"A human," Simba replied. "A human that saved my life."

Nala shook her head. "You brought a human? Here!?"

Before she could go further, Simba was calm to explain things. Or, the shortest version of events that he could at this point. The entire time, Zazu looked perplexed, while Nala's expression was that of intrigue. "He's probably exhausted," Nala finally replied when Simba had finished his story. "Who would think it - poachers near the Pridelands. You're sure they didn't follow?"

"Positive," Simba reaffirmed. "But I couldn't just leave him there either. He's just a kid, if they found him again who knew what they'd do..."

"Humans are only barbaric to animals," Zazu cautioned his king, clearing his throat a bit. "And I'm sorry, did you just imply you're planning to keep it?"

"It's a he, Zazu," Simba noted as he shifted Mark slightly on his back. "And what more can I give a human? If he were an animal - he'd be given something for his bravery..."

"But he's a human!" Zazu replied in disbelief. "The pride will not like this."

Simba looked to Nala quietly - in hopes that she would have something to say about this. "When I said I wanted kids, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind," She looked at the sleeping boy quietly. But after a long moment, a smile played on her lips. "But I suppose we have never been the typical couple."

That was Nala, no matter how many stupid or unusual acts he did she'd always be behind him. Or at least, he'd always hoped. "We can talk to the pride tomorrow," Simba told them honestly. "It was a long trip and I'm exhausted. Zazu - make sure we're not disturbed for the night. I don't want anyone finding him before I can explain things."

Zazu gave him a passive look. Still deeply incredulous of this whole situation. But still, Simba was the king, a king who this child had saved. So, even with his own prejudices, the hornbill was grateful to him and he'd begrudgingly accept the arrangement. "I'll see to it that you have space, your majesty," he explained politely. "But I implore you to consider other options. He may be kind and cute now. But they grow up, just as we do..."

Simba considered Zazu's words. For a moment, questioning his own judgement. But once his moment had passed, he followed Nala toward home. Time would tell if Zazu was right, a long time. But for now, Simba would keep to his word - and only hoped the pride could accept his decision.

A/N: Woo, this is my first chapter I've written in years, I really hope this was any good. Please, feel free to throw concrit my way if it isn't! I do promise to give a bit more backstory on Mark next chapter where its set in his perspective! Simply wanted Chapter One to belong more to the canons - who I feel are usually not given a ton of time in these types of fics.