Karin cradled the distraught young ape in her arms. Rocking gently back and forth, she sang a soft lullaby she used to use on her late daughter Lisa, when she was restless. She did not expect it to work, Lisa having been far younger than Mary, but she watched in amazement as Mary relaxed more and more, until the little ape girl gave a deep sigh. Karin waited until she was certain the child was sound asleep. Then, she eased the girl down onto the bed and carefully rose and crept noiselessly from the room, closing the door softly behind her.

"Men!" Karin muttered quietly under her breath as she came back down her hallway, her long black hair swinging behind her. "Either you can't get them to leave you alone without the use of force, or you don't want them to leave you alone, but couldn't get their damned attention if you doused yourself in honey and fruit juices."

"Hmm … what an interesting combination," Maurice murmured from where he sat on Karin's sofa. "Something you are considering trying yourself, perhaps?" He went on. "I know where you can find some honeycomb."

Karin blushed. She always seemed to forget how acute Ape hearing could be compared to humans.

"Oh, damn it Maurice, please don't' tease me tonight," Karin laughed wearily. "I'm dealing with major teenaged angst here."

she came around the sofa and flopped down on to it next to the orangutan, automatically leaning against him and slipping her hand in to his without even thinking about it.

"Now I know how to get you to sing for me, just bring along a child," Maurice said lovingly. "But is Mary alright?" he went on even as he gently squeezed Karin's hand, concern written large in his eyes.

"She's sleeping now. I told you she needed the woman's touch, but no, she isn't all right," Karin said bluntly. "That poor kid is very upset and confused and angry, and-

There was a brief pause, the Karin blurted out,

"And I don't blame her!" "I haven't met her yet, but what the hell is that Haley girl thinking, anyway. And, Koba! … I'm sorry, Maurice, I know he's a friend of yours, but I can't believe he would … that even Koba would … rape a human? And is Caesar gonna permit this? I REALLY can't believe him! I thought you said this Haley was a friend of his from his past with humans."

" I'm not sure it is that simple," Maurice replied sadly when Karin paused for breath. "If it were, of course Caesar would not permit it."

"" He didn't force himself on that girl, you mean? That's even worse!" Karin exclaimed, horrified. "Out of all the Apes in that village, Koba would not even be on my short list of mates to consider."

"You have a short list?" Maurice asked, now very interested. "And just who might be on this list, may I ask?

Karin Elizabeth 'Big Mouth" Evans strikes again! She thought, embarrassed again, and not noticing yet the teasing twinkle in Maurice's eyes as he gazed at her.

Karin cleared her throat nervously.

"I'm just thinking out loud. Humans do that a lot, you know. And aren't we supposed to be talking about Mary's problems," she said, trying to change the subject, and fast.

Maurice made a small sound deep in his throat. It sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. Karin leaned back a little and took a closer look up in to his face

"Oh, damn you, Maurice. You're teasing me again, aren't you," she cried, half-exasperated and half-affectionately.

The Orangutan laughed openly that time.

'Not at all," he protested. "I just wanted to make sure that, if you did have a list, that the occupant of such list was behaving himself properly."

Karin grinned up at him.

"Well, he's behaving himself a little too properly, I'm sad to say," she commented dryly.

"Anyway," Karin hastily went on, seeing a whole host of other questions or responses flickering in Maurice's eyes. "Mary feels confused and betrayed, like Koba's been lying to her all these years about humans."

"That I understand, but why is she so frightened? Surely she does not think that her Father would hurt her like that?"

"Oh, no," Karin agree with no hesitation. "No, of course not. That isn't what's frightened her so much. She's afraid her Father will eventually make her … submit to Stone's attentions. Well, I don't know if she honestly believes that. Hell, I don't live full time in that village and even I know Koba wants Mary to be with Blue Eyes above everyone else. She knows it too, but, I guess … trying to picture Koba with Haley like that, or trying not to picture him like that …"

Unaware that she was now visibly trembling, Karin took several deep breaths, trying desperately to steady herself. Mary's distress had brought back some not so nice memories from her own past.

"It's hard on a daughter to live with that sort of thing, that's all," she finished in a small voice. "I know how Mary feels."

Maurice's eyes were questioning. Karin just nodded.

"Yes, Maurice, by 'attentions' I mean exactly what you think I mean. Sexual attentions," she answered, deliberately again focusing on the part of his questions that directly involved Mary.

The orangutan drew in a deep breath, and Karin braced herself.

"but—but Mary … she is just a child!" Maurice's deep voice was slowly building in outrage, his throat pouches beginning to swell ominously.

"Hey, keep it down, Maurice," Karin tried to sooth, reaching out her other hand to gently touch his throat. "If you don't want to wake that child up, get a grip on your outrage, my Love.""

She gently stroked his throat pouches until it began to deflate.

"She says he hasn't bothered her since she bit him and drew blood," Karin told Maurice. "She says he hasn't even been able to look at her since then. But, well, it's been my experience, Maurice, that once a man has got his sights set like that, he doesn't stop until he gets what he's after. And Mary is so little for her age, and not quite as strong as the other Apes, is she? If he takes it in to his head to try again—"

"Well, she won't have to worry about Stone," Maurice promised. "That is one thing I can fix for her, at least. I'll deal with that when I get home tomorrow."

Karin eyed him warily.

"What will Caesar?" Karin began, but Maurice shook his head.

"I don't think I'll bother her Father or Caesar with this, yet. Her Other Uncles and I can deal with this little matter quite well, I am certain. Plenty of time to bring her Father or Caesar in to it later."

Karin gaped at him in astonishment. By other Uncles, she knew Maurice meant Luca, Rocket and himself. She knew better than anyone that Luca, or King Kong as she usually called him to tease him, was normally a big teddy bear of a gorilla. But she also knew that when he wanted to be, he could be as scary as King Kong and as hard and unyielding as steal. Rocket was usually kind of quiet, but everyone told her about how he used to be the Alpha Male years ago before he met Caesar, and she suspected he was still just as tough as the others. And, Maurice … well, no one knew more about Maurice's protective instincts better than Karin, herself. What she was not sure of was exactly what Maurice had in mind.

Stone is in for a bad time tomorrow, Karin thought. She did not feel all that sorry for him, though.

"hmm, maybe I will go back with you, too," she said, looking thoughtful and grinning a little. "I don't want to miss this. And I know you want me to meet this Haley person … though maybe now is not a good time."

For some reason, Maurice had taken it in to his head that Karin and Haley both might like some female human company, and had been gently pressing for her to come to the village to meet the young lady for some time now. Karin wondered if he were also pressing Haley on that issue or if she was the only one.

Maurice gave a low chuckle.

"bloodthirsty little female, aren't you," he accused her, teasing. "Well, there won't be any bloodshed … unless Stone decides to be difficult and ignore my most sage advice," Maurice added.

"Oh, no!" Karin groaned softly. She slowly raised her eyes to her ceiling.

Maurice drew her closer, giving her a gentle comforting squeeze.

"If all I had in mind was Spilling Stone's blood, I would simply tell her Father and let him deal with the matter, himself. I'm not sure even Caesar could or would stop him." the big orangutan said, trying to sound his most assuring."

"Just make sure Rocket and King Kong, especially him, know that before you get started," Karin reminded him. "Remember that whatever your big lugs decide to do that it's little Mary who's the one who has to live with your actions afterwards,"

I understand," Maurice rumbled sadly. "um, well, I only partly understand. What is a big lug and why do you think I am one of them?

Karin laughed.

"Just a human expression, Maurice," she explained. "It means, well, a great big strong lovable guy … um, lovable male."

The big orangutan looked a little embarrassed by the description. Karin gazed up at him tenderly. She reached up and slowly traced a cheek flap with one finger.

"There, that's it!" she cried, triumphant. "That's the big lug expression right there!"

"Now which one of us is teasing?" Maurice cooed sweetly at her, leaning in to her touch.

"I never tease, my darling orangutan," she told him solemnly. "I only give back as good as I get, is all, no more, and certainly no less."

Maurice rumbled low and deep in his throat as he gently lifted Karin from the sofa and held her close. She reached up to him, putting her arms around him. As they virtually drowned themselves in one another's eyes. Maurice bent his head over Karin's, his muzzle brushing her cheek.

And then came a quick loud flurry of knocks at the front door.

"Shit," Karin swore softly, her frustration and irritation plain on her face. "I'll give you a guess who that is, and his name starts with a big angry K."

Reluctantly, she pulled herself away from Maurice's embrace and started to get up, but he held her back easily with one hand.

"No, I will see to this," the big orangutan told her firmly.

"Well, then do it quick before he wakes up Mary," was Karin surprising response as Koba continued his assault on her door. She usually didn't respond well when Maurice's tone even hinted at a command, not that it happened all that much. But if he wanted to handle an angry Koba, she was more than willing to let him.

With a quick touch of his muzzle to her cheek, Maurice rose, went to the door, but only opened the peephole towards the top.

"Yes, Koba, what is it?" he asked mildly.

Karin could not hear all of Koba's responses, but Maurice came back to her with a sigh.

"He wants to see Mary. Wil you allow him in?" he asked her. This was her nest after all, not his, and her decision.

"Normally, my answer would be either hell no or over my dead body," Karin told him plainly. "but, well, we do have his daughter in here, and I'd be flat damned if someone would have my little girl in their house and tell me I couldn't come in to see her."

Maurice nodded. But when the orangutan let in the angry Bonobo, Karin gasped. She could not help it. Koba was a literal mess. Seeing him like that brought back the memories of her so-called Uncle Dan, after her brothers had caught him that last time in Karin's bedroom.

Did Haley do that to him? She wondered. Then, Well, if he did rape her, it is the least of what he deserves to get!

"Where is Mary?" Koba asked Karin, his tone surprisingly flat.

"Down that hallway, first door on our left," Karin told him.

"And Koba?" she added as the Bonobo turned to follow her directions. He looked back at her. "She was very upset. I just got her off to sleep. Please let her stay that way?"

With a noncommittal huff, the Bonobo disappeared down her hallway, and they heard him entering the room where Mary now slept a second later.

"You think he'll take her out with him?" Karin fretted.

Maurice just shrugged.

A short time later, Koba returned to the front room, alone. He stopped and stood looking at Karin and Maurice for a long time.

"Thank you," Koba growled out, and it took a second before Karin realized he was actually speaking directly to her, not at her through Maurice.

"I love Mary too, Koba," Karin said softly. "She is welcome in my house anytime."

The scarred ape then turned his attention to Maurice.

"She sleeps. You will bring her home with you later?" he asked, sounding suddenly dead tired and almost defeated.

Maurice nodded.

Koba gestured in thanks to Maurice, then without another word, he walked out the front door.

Following right behind him, Maurice went over immediately and re-engaged all of Karin's locks.

"He actually said thank you … to me?" Karin was still flabbergasted. "What's wrong with him?"

"Maybe he is actually getting to really like and trust you," Maurice suggested.

She and Maurice looked at one another for a long moment before both shaking their heads simultaneously in denial of that statement.

Karin sighed.

"Are you expecting anyone else tonight?" she asked, trying not to sound too complaining.

Maurice sat back down, and put his arms around her, drawing her close.

"I was not expecting the ones who turned up," Maurice told her with a gentle smile as they tried to settle back down and get back to where they had started.

A/N:

Hi folks,

I almost forgot to update this fic. But here it is. Someone's gonna get it when Maurice gets home! 😀

Thanks to anyone still reading this fic, and big huge hugs and welcome to any new readers.