Chapter 3: Some painful decisions.

Chelbell2016:

Hope you enjoy.

Katelyn's POV:

Jill and I get up the next morning.

I take a long time in the bathroom. I cannot stop thinking about this reserve that the man has talked about. What if this is the best place for our big friend. I wonder if this is the kind of place he should have been in in the first place. When his mother was killed and the other gorilla's abandoned him. This might have been the best way to save him.

But I also know that I will not let Joe go alone. If he goes then so do I. I think Jill would as well. He promised that it is not a cage and I wonder if we can trust him.

I go out to the table where Jill is already sat.

"Oh hey," she says when she spots me. "Can't sleep either."

I shake my head and sit down next to her.

"You know if there is one thing I remember about our mum," I say and she turns to look at me. "Is the promise we made to her. To protect each other."

"And to protect Joe," she finishes nodding her head.

I nod. "I can't help but feel that this might be the way to do it."

For a few minutes we are sat in silence. We are both thinking about what our mother would of done if this was her choice. I think that she would agree that this is for the best.

I notice that there is a poachers net on the table and I turn to my sister while picking it up.

"What is this?" I ask her.

"I found it in the forest this morning," she says and then she looks outside. "And here come the criminals they belong to now."

We both grab the net and race outside. The truck nearly hits us.

One of the poachers sitting in the car stands up as his truck stops.

"Stupid girls!" The man says. "Just what do you think you are doing?"

We hold the net up and Jill begins to speak. "I found this in the forest this morning. I thought you'd like it back."

We throw it over them and then Jill slaps the car hood as she yells. "Poaching's illegal get off this mountain."

Kweli suddenly comes running out and pulls me out of the way as the man gets in Jill's face.

"I need to speak to you two," he says trying to get Jill away from the men. "JILL! KATELYN!"

He yelled at me as I would not leave right now.

She gets in the guys face. "Murderer."

"Yeah," the man says clearly not affected by her words.

Jill takes my hand and pulls me along as we head to our mothers office to talk to Kweli. I have a feeling that this is not going to e a nice conversation between the three of us. Kweli hates it when Jill goes at the poachers. Especially when she takes me along.

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We arrive and Kweli shoves a photo of our mother in front of us.

"Your mother slept in this bed. She worked at this desk," he says to us. "She died in this jungle. Do you plan to do everything like her you two?"

Jill has tears in her eyes.

"Our mother would have been proud of what we did today," Jill informs him. "

"Proud? Of this foolishness out there?" Kweli demands from her. "Proud of you risking your life?"

I decide to step in and speak to Kweli for the first time in twelve years. "She risked hers. Why shouldn't we risk ours?"

Kweli jumped as he hears my voice. He is clearly shocked but under the shock and anger I can see the happiness.

"Kweli, were just trying to keep a promise here," Jill says but she also looks happy. "We promised to protect Joe. We will do everything it takes to stop those poachers."

"You cannot stop them," Kweli points out. "Even she could not stop them. The other gorilla's, they have moved south to safer grounds. Joe stays behind."

"Because they won't accept him," I say and once more Kweli jumps. "Joe needs us."

Kweli sighs before stepping to our side. "The danger here is building for the three of you. I feel it, and so do you two. I know what the American is offering you two. Consider it. That's all I ask."

Jill picks up the photo of our mother and I place my hand on her shoulder.

"I think that it is time to talk to this American," I say to her and she glances back at me. "If were going to do this I want to set a few conditions for Joe's safety."

She seems to think about it for a few seconds. "I don't know whether we should Katelyn. I mean this is our home and our haven't finished vet training and I have other things that I do here. How can I know that this is the right decision for Joe and all of us."

I look straight at her and answer honestly. "What is your heart telling you to do?"

She smiles as she glances into my eyes. "My heart is telling me to do what you want me to do and go and find the American."

I smile back. "Then let's go."

She gets up and takes my hand. "Since when did you become so talkative?"

My smile drops a little. "Since my voice needed to be heard recently. With Joe I always felt that talking was a good thing. With you it was OK when it was just us. Anyone else it just didn't feel right. But things change and if were to do the right thing then I need to also be a voice of reason."

She nods and we head for the exit to find the American.

I just hope that we are doing the right thing here for Joe. Because if not then where will he go.

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We see the American stood near his car watching Poachers. We go to watch them as well.

Then Jill talks to him. "leaving?"

"Yeah," he agrees and I turn to look at him. "I'm heading up into the mountains. See if I can throw some of those dirt bags off of Joe's trail."

I share a look with Jill. Not many people would be willing to do that for Joe.

"Think it'll work?" Jill asks still staring at the poachers.

"Not for long," he says as he starts to get into his car. "I'm just trying to buy you some time. I suggest you get Joe as deep into that jungle as you can. As fast as you can."

Jill glances at me and I nod. So she turns back to the american.

"Okay," she says.

He doesn't look at her as he replies. "Okay what?"

"Okay we'll go with you," she says and I nod.

He finally looks at us. "We?"

"Me, Joe and Katelyn," she says indicating who we are. "We'll go with you to that place of yours in California."

"You two sure about this?" He asks glancing from her to me.

I sigh. "No were absolutely not sure about this. But we'll do this on one condition."

"Name it," he says and I nod to Jill.

"Were in charge of Joe," she says to him making sure that he understands that.

"Done," he says.

"Done?" She repeats.

"Done," he says again.

"Just like that?" I ask folding my arms across my chest.

"Just-" he stops as he realises what he is doing. "You two aren't very trusting are you?"

"No were not," Jill says and I nod my head.

"It must be tough for you then," he says. "Trying to measure me up. Trying to decide if I'm full of it or-"

"Or just a fool," I snap.

"Do you ever say anything nice?" He asks me and I feel like I want to hit him right now. "I guess we'll just have to figure it out as we go along. Look what do you want me to say? You two will be in charge of Joe, okay?"

Both Jill and I look down as he says this.

"Come on," he says holding his hand out to us. "We'll shake on it."

We both glance at his hand and then at him.

"We don't shake," Jill says. "Thats not how we make pacts around here."

"All right, how do you make pacts around here?" He asks.

I smirk and motion for Jill to be quiet. Time to have a little fun now.

"You have to endure a bite from a Makiki spider," I tell him and I can feel that Jill is fighting to keep them smirk off of her face.

"A what?" He asks me sounding nervous.

"You'll have a high fever, hallucinations, you'll say things lots of things," I tell him. "I'll hear whats in your heart. Then, if your intentions prove true, then we have a pact."

Before mum died apparently I played jokes. This is that side of me now.

"Spider bite and hallucinations?" He says and swallows quickly.

"That's right," Jill agrees but I can tell that she is still trying to hide her laugh.

"The you'll trust me to take you two and California with me?" He questions.

"Absolutely," I swear to him. "Well? what do you say?"

He smirks now. "I say thats the biggest load of crap I've ever heard in my entire life."

We smirk back at him and Jill talks. "Maybe you're not a fool after all."

All three of us turn as we hear gunfire. Looks like the poachers are heading out again. I turn back to the other two worried.

"Get your things together fast," the American says. "Were getting out of here as soon as we can.

Jill and I go racing to fetch Joe. He follows us as we are on our way back through the woods. We stop and turn to Joe.

"We don't know what else to do Joe," Jill says and she glances at me.

"We just want you to be safe," I continue as I stroke his shoulder.

Joe sighs and the three of us turn to take one last look at the place we call home.

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Chelbell2016:

I know short chapter sorry.