James wasn't going to be hers.

She'd found flowers, and put them in her hair, a lot to make sure, but when she went down to their nesting place, many other strange males were taking all the things away to the shore, making the place empty, different, and confusing.
Clayton and James were shouting at each other until Clayton left.

She ran into James, knocking a few flowers out of her hair. He'd been packing things. He had told her they were going back to their England, that he had to go back. He wanted to take her with him, and she was happy that he did, but she couldn't leave the troop for very long.

But it would've been nice to see his home...

"Go see England today, come home tomorrow!" she decided, smiling. Problem solved!

"Oh, no, well, you see, it...it'd be very difficult to come back...ever..." James told her sadly.

She frowned, 'ever' was a very long time, "Not come back...?"

"No, no, no," he held her shoulders gently, "I know it sounds bad, Tarzan, but you belong with us, with m—with people..."

She tried then, the courting, standing straight, nearly his height, placing her hand on his heart.

"James must stay with Tarzan." she told him, leaning in and up, breaking eye contact briefly to check and place her hand on her own heart. There.

He looked down at her, but instead of holding her he was backing away from her touch. Oh no...

"St-stay here...?" He stumbled back into a trunk, and it fell open with a crash, "Oh, my books—I can't, no, I-I can't stay." He was quickly trying to put the books back, "Tarzan, I mean, my Mum still needs me and—"

She leaned in again, maybe he just misunderstood, and touched him again, taking a flower from her hair, showing it to him.

"James, stay..." she repeated, hopefully putting the flower in the hand that was reaching for where she touched his heart.

"B-but I—" he stammered, not taking the flower, still almost backing away.

"Please." she said, offering the flower.

He looked down her, many strange expressions on his face, "T-Tarzan, I... I can't..."

He backed off and turned away from her, quickly walking away from her, his hand clenching at the back of his head, his hair, almost angrily.

James left her.

She stared, a few more flowers falling out of her own hair, still holding on to the one she'd offered him.

She quickly felt Clayton's presence at her shoulder, "Men at that age are so fickle with their actions," he sighed, "Wine, dear?"

She took the cup, but didn't drink. James left her.

"They just have so many trust issues, insecurities and the like," the Alpha-hunter continued, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Even if you weren't a savage he'd still be as dodgy as if you were dragging him to the altar. It's an unavoidable fact of life, madam."

"James is going." she muttered, placing the glass on a trunk.

"Yes, if only he'd gotten to see the gorillas." the large man shook his head, "He's so disappointed about it, despairing, really. Sorry, my girl.
Oh, well, I best get Mr. Porter's books to the ship, and then we'll all be underway quite shortly..."

She blinked.

"Clayton!" she said quickly, grabbing his sleeve, "If James sees gorillas, he stays?"

Clayton smiled down at her, "I do believe so! That's why he's here, isn't he?"

She thought it over, and nodded, "I'll show them."

Clayton's smile broadened, "Good girl!" and he went to go tell others to wait before going to the ship.

She ran back into the jungle, shedding the rest of the flowers, needing to hurry to take care of things for James.

"Nuh-uh, no way!" Terk snapped.

Tarzan shook her head, "Terk, c'mon, all you need to do is get Kerchak out of the way!"

"I'd be perfectly happy to get Kerchak out of the—" Tantor started, but Terk interrupted.

"Shut yer trunk and get me outta here!" Terk growled, moving them away from Tarzan, who went over them through the trees.

"Can ya believe her? Drops us like a newborn giraffe—kerPLOP!—then waltzes back in here and expects us t'—"

She landed in front of Terk on Tantor's back, pleading, "Terk, I'm asking you as a friend..."

She pouted hopefully at Terk, who reared back with reluctance scrawling on her face, "Gah, the face and th' eyes and—f-fine!"

Tarzan hugged the female gorilla, wrestling gratefully, "Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Terk grumbled, shoving her off, "But don't make me do anythin' embarrassing..."

"I'm gonna KILL HER!" Terk roared, as she stumbled around in Porter-Mum's dress.

The both of them were being chased by a ticked-off, territorial Kerchak.

Tantor's trunk was adorned with James' suit and vest, with brown weeds for a wig.

Fashion advice was argued over practicality versus aesthetics as they ran for their forseeable lives.

James was still acting strange around Tarzan, but was happy when she led him and some of the group to the nesting place.

"Mama?" Tarzan pleaded, as Kala was backing away, "Mama, please, it's okay, these are my friends..."

"You shouldn't have brought them here..." Kala muttered, but was coming back out.

Tarzan was happy when James recognized that Kala was beautiful.

"She's my mother..." she said, a bit proudly, as Kala looked James over.

"Y-your mother? I—oh..." James muttered, looking down at the she-ape in return.

Kala smiled a bit, "Not quite what I would've chosen for you in a mate," she told Tarzan, "But he'll be fine..."

Porter-Mum was already meeting more of the troop.

Tarzan smiled, as she was already teaching James how to speak, while he proved he was good with the troop children.

Yes, things would be fine...

Then Terk and Tantor stumbled in, along with Kerchak.

Oh, no.

James gaped, "M-Mum, is that your dress?! And-and is that my suit?!"

Terk waved nervously.

Kerchak was not pleased.