Freddy fell backwards into the bushes as the elephant trumpeted in panic, and the young boy expected to feel the weight of the tiger pounce on him and its paws slashing at his face. However, bursting out of the jungle wilderness came a furious Rusty and Rover, barking ferociously and lunging themselves in attack at the tiger.

The dogs barked viciously as they wrestled with the tiger, the big cat roaring and growling nastily, bearing its razor fangs and walloping at the dogs with its powerful paws. But with two on one, the two Alsatians continued to fight the tiger, rolling around in the plants dangerously as Alex burst through the trees, tears streaming down her face as she grabbed Freddy and pulled him towards her, hugging him into her chest as they hid in the foliage.

It was like watching a wildlife attack as the dogs fought tooth and nail with this ferocious cat. After what seemed hours the tiger roared in a threatening manner as it was chased by the two raging Alsatians deep into the jungle.

"Rusty, Rover! Come back!" Freddy yelled, batting away from Alex.

Alex grabbed him back and forced him to look at her, anger visibly in her eyes.

"You stupid, stupid boy!" she cried, furious. "Don't you understand what could have happened to you? You could have been killed! How dare you run off on your own like that!"

Freddy looked down, ashamed. "I'm…I'm sorry, Alex…but…"

"But what?" Alex spat, wiping her eyes roughly.

Freddy looked over to the baby elephant who was teasing Rusty and Rover as they bounded back through the jungle. "Can I…can I keep the baby elephant?"

Alex looked on in exasperation as Freddy ran up to pat his dogs and the elephant.

"Look at him, he likes it!" Freddy grinned. "I'm going to call him…Harvey! Yeah. I like that name."

"Okay. Fine," Alex muttered, breathing deeply, "and Freddy, what happened to us this morning doesn't need to be mentioned to Gene and the others. They'll never let it go if they knew I lost a ten-year-old boy on a God damn beach."

----

"Come on Harvey, that's a good boy! Yeah, go Harvey!"

Alex suppressed a chuckle as she watched Harvey the elephant pull along thick planks of wood. All five of them were near the centre of the island in a reasonably open space surrounded by jungle trees, waterfalls, lagoons and the skies. They weren't far off from the beach, but since the tiger attack and the journey back to the ship five days ago, they had decided that they needed to craft a more sustainable shelter. Much to Alex's dismay, Gene, Ray and Chris had managed to build the basics of a treehouse over the five days and nights, using the young elephant, Freddy's two dogs and any other animals to help.

Alex watched in fascination as Gene took the wood and began to use the tools they had picked up from the ship to craft the floorboards to another section of their treehouse. The ropes and ladders from the ships could be seen all over these massive trees, connecting their little sanctuary. Some of the furniture had already been put in the trees and the rooms they had basically finished, and Ray and Chris were currently working on a staircase to connect one of the bedrooms.

"Wow, can this be my bed?" Freddy said excitedly, climbing up the ladder and onto one of the surfaces in the tree. They had set up a hammock from the ship's sails, swinging lightly off the branches of two sweeping trees.

"Hey, that was going ter be mine!" Chris protested.

"Oh sod off, Chris, you're so dozy you'd fall out the flippin' thing!" Gene shot back, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Would not, Guv."

"Shut up. Anyway, I was thinking Bollyknickers could 'ave that bed. If she gets scared, I'll jump in with 'er."

Alex snorted from her position on the ground. "In your dreams, Hunt."

"Oh I do hope so," Gene smirked, leaning over one of the few banisters in their treehouse, "you coming up, Bolls? Have a look at what we've done so far?"

Alex looked wary. "When it's finished. And safe."

"It is bloody safe. We're standing up 'ere, ain't we?"

Alex sighed. "I…I don't want to just yet. Thank you."

Gene jumped down from the low part of the tree and landed heavily on the ground a few meters away from Alex. "Now come on, Snottyknickers, show a bit o' willing."

"I will!" Alex defended herself. "Just not yet."

"Need the Gene Genie ter hold yer hand?" Gene smirked, waggling his eyebrows.

"I think I'll manage," Alex said sarcastically, "no, I just…FREDDY!"

Gene whipped around to see Freddy swinging madly on the hammock, threatening to be toppled off.

"RAYMONDO, WONDER CHRIS, STOP THAT MORON!" Gene thundered as he and Alex raced up the ladder to the tree.

"WEEEE!" Freddy laughed, but his grin was wiped off his face as he flew out of the hammock with a scream. Gene and Alex reached the top of the ladder and Freddy crashed into them forcefully, sending all three of them toppling to the floor dangerously close to the edge of the tree.

"Shit! Guv, Ma'am, you all right?" Ray panicked, rushing over to them.

Gene was lying on top of Alex with Freddy pinning them both to floor. Freddy jumped up, seemingly unhurt.

"That was wicked!" he cackled. "I wanna do it again!"

"Bolls, you okay?" Gene checked, still remaining on top of her.

"I will be!" Alex said furiously, pushing Gene off her. "Just get off me! Freddy! FREDDY! Come here!"

Freddy turned around at the tone of Alex's voice and walked sheepishly towards her as she grabbed his hand.

"Until you've got some sort of railings put up around this place, I don't want Freddy coming back up here!" Alex shouted at the three men as they stood with their heads down, as if they were being reprimanded by the headmistress. "And I can assure you, I won't be up here again either!"

With that, Alex shoved Freddy down the ladder and began to descend herself.

"Now come on, Bolly," Gene tried to sway her, "the lad was just bein' a twat. If he sorted himself out, there wouldn't be any real danger up here, woman!"

"Don't try and tell me what to do!" Alex barked sharply. "Get some railings and banisters and then maybe, just maybe I will think about staying up here!"

"Oh so you'd rather spend another few weeks or months on the ground?" Gene fought back. "Rather than safe up here?"

"Safe is not a word I normally associate with treehouses, Gene!" Alex snapped, reaching the bottom of the ladder. "So rethink your designs or I will not be joining you up there!"

"Ooh, joining me in bed, are we? I knew you'd come round."

"NOTlike that you…pigheaded, sex-crazed…bloody…man…"

"Oh shut up, you mouthy tart. Tell you what. Give us another few days, we'll get some railings and banisters and roofs and shit built, move in the ship's furniture, make it all pretty and girly for you and your little girly ways, then you come up and tell us how you feel."

Alex glared at him. "Whatever."

Gene raised his eyebrows as Alex stalked off with Freddy. Turning to Chris and Ray, he frowned in annoyance.

"Don't you think you two can talk to me like that," Gene growled.

"Never, Guv," Chris said quickly.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Ray nodded.

"Right," Gene said, clapping his hands together, "we've got something to prove to Little Miss Bollyknickers. Let's get going. Now mush!"