Transition Plan Chapter 56 -In His Majesty's Service Part 5

Continuing the dedication of this story to my wife, the mother of our children, who faced similar discipline challenges along life's way.

Author's note: While Jeanne decides whether to scream, run, or help the feral jungle boy she's just encountered, we're taking a break from that action to get back to our roots because I haven't forgotten my story is about Tarzan and Jane. But as you know this story is always about family, and they have a big family that is growing bigger in several ways. So we've taken this excursion about Tarzan and Jane's canon and OC offspring interpreted in a new way than the original ERB novels for you! And who they draw into their lives as well. Hope you are enjoying this. But knowing our two adult lovers have not been in several chapters (hey, everyone needs a tree grub and honeycomb break once and awhile!), here's a little encounter between Tarzan and Jane and yet another challenge for them as parents of a very active young boy and his little sister. Then we'll get back to my interpretation of Jack and Jeanne meeting for the first time as children, rather than teens in the ERB novels.

…

Jane stood absolutely motionless alone in a small clearing in the jungle a couple of miles from the Nigerian Council of Chiefs village with her eyes closed. She was almost meditative. She and Tarzan were alone, surrounded by only jungle noises. Femi offered to look after Lily, who was busy playing with Okpara. Those two were nearly inseparable whenever they got together. Jack was last seen with Ndidi. Jane stood with one arm draped over the top of her latest baby bump and the other cradling her unborn child underneath. With her past-bottom-length hair hanging completely straight down, she looked like a painting of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of fertility. She listened intently. Tarzan was honing his best stealthy arboreal and jungle floor movement skills in preparation for helping the French Special Forces with his talents when they arrived, most likely any day now, and Jane was testing him. They'd just gotten started.

A small branch snapped. She pointed an arm and a finger, "You're there – 27 feet up and to my left."

She pointed directly at him, even though she could not see him at all. He said nothing but continued his random stalking movements.

Four more times in the space of two minutes she pointed to exactly where he was every time and called him out – above her, behind her, on the ground in front of her, and to the right side. She had his location always within inches.

Tarzan was very frustrated and called out to her from the trees, "No fair, Jane. Your ears are tuned to me. Few humans have your skills. It's just like the kids say: 'you have ears in the back of your head'."

Jane giggled at his goof up and stood with her hands on her shapely, wide hips kidding him, "That's 'eyes', dear, not 'ears'."

Tarzan was a flustered, not only at his misuse of the phrase, but also his inability to repeat his old stalking habits, "Eyes… Ears… It doesn't matter, Jane. I can't make a single move without you finding me."

She tried to be encouraging, with a loving look at him from thirty feet away, "'Just keeping you safe, dear. We've both had too much of the good living at the castle as the Count and Countess," noting her few extra pounds in addition to her baby weight, "But dear, I have to be hard on you now. Who says the German troops will be any less trained or won't have their own expert tribal tracker? I won't shoot you. They will. I want you to come safely back to me, the children, and this new baby."

She patted her bump, and felt the baby kick her vigorously. She winced. Tarzan could see her exposed stomach move from his perch in the trees, and felt sorry for Jane. That obviously hurt. He noted that this child might be their strongest and most active yet.

"You're right," Tarzan sighed. He knew this was a deadly serious game, played 'for keeps' in time of war.

Jane closed her eyes and listened for the next observation exercise. He pursed his lips, narrowed his eyes, flexed every muscle in his body, breathed deeply, and concentrated even harder on his movements. He was one with the jungle in a way he had not matched since his twenties, thanks to his wife's inspiration. A full ten minutes elapsed with not a single call out or even a suspicious twitch from Jane. In one approach he was less than three feet from her and she never knew either by sound or smell. Very satisfied with the latest round of practice, he dropped from a branch noiselessly inches in front of her.

He said softly, "Boo…"

She jumped. Her eyes flew open, she clutched her face, and yelped, "Tarzan! Oh my goodness. You just now nearly made me pop our child."

She was still shaking with the surprise of his completely undetected entrance. He grinned, and steadied her shoulders. She continued to catch her breath, put her arms around him, smiled with that special eye twinkle, kissed him, and admitted, "That was very good… but we need to keep practicing. You have to get it just like that every time."

Embracing her, Tarzan started to lay Jane back on the grass and tenderly guided her astride him, "Speaking of getting it right every time, let's practice something else right now. We're alone. This will be special…"

She gave in to the intimate invitation, soothing his dreadlocks tenderly in between more kisses and settling herself on him, but teased, "I don't think we really need any practice doing this. I'm living proof three times now of the results of all our years of 'practicing'," patting her mid-term swell, "But all right, dear. You earned this. The kids are with friends or their parents, anyway."

Their activity was not nearly as quiet as the stalking exercise. Being able to be joined completely alone in the jungle was rare, so this was a real treat, and they vigorously enjoyed each other's bodies while being careful with the swell of their baby. As they finished, utterly exhausted, she lay beside him, with their unborn child gently against him and her arm draped over his chest. He drew her close. After a short rest they agreed return to the stalking practice. It was still early in the day.

Unexpectedly, Noni glided out of the trees and perched on a stump next to them, with a sense of urgency, "Sorry to interrupt you, friends. You look beautiful together. But there is something you need to know."

Jane sat up anxiously, but kept holding Tarzan's hand, "Noni? What is it?"

The cape parrot explained, "Icheoku talked to Jack several hours ago. He's in the jungle at the edge of the territory of the Nigerian humans. He's at the pass. Jack told my son that he was waiting for some new humans like you to arrive. I was just there and he didn't see me, and he has no idea that Naima is watching him to keep him safe."

Naima swore to a lifetime of protection of the first son of Tarzan two years ago, when as a much younger boy, Jack risked his own life to swoop down from the trees on a flimsy vine to save her latest litter of three small kits from being crushed by a stampeding herd of wild boar that had been spooked by a hunting jaguar. Naima and her mate had taken a rare break to be affectionate, and momentarily took their eyes off their offspring.

Tarzan's face drew up in a scowl, "I specifically told him not go to alone. He's still not really ready for the deep jungle."

Jane lamented, "Oh dear…"

Tarzan stood up and looked for a vine, "Should I go get him?"

Jane shook her head in dismay, "No, he'll be all right this close to home, especially with Naima nearby, but that boy needs a good talking to when he gets here with the soldiers. I just may tan his hide myself."

Despite ten years together in civilization, some English colloquial phrases still escaped Tarzan's understanding. He gave his wife his classic cocked head puzzled look, "But Jane, his hide is already tan."

She laughed, and pecked him on his cheek, "My poor, literal ape man. I meant he might just get a spanking for disobeying us. He's not too old for that yet!"

He chuckled, "I'll never stop learning from you, dear," but then he worried, "I'm just worried Jack will be so excited to meet them that he'll forget to be modest when he greets them. If Philippe hasn't told them how primitive life is here for us and the Nigerians, they're in for a real surprise."

Noting their own state, Jane stated, "Despite how many times we reminded him what to do when they get here. Which reminds me. We better go back and get dressed properly as the Count and Countess to formally meet the Colonel, Philippe, the soldiers and surviving sailors. They could be here today it seems. Jack has a sense about those things."

Tarzan sighed, "He does have a talent neither of us have," and then he grinned, "But Jane. You know no dress in the world can outshine your natural beauty, dear."

She blushed, "You're sweet, and it's fine around all our jungle friends, but I am sure you don't want the Frenchmen being able to stare at me the way you do, Tarzan."

"No I guess not. I want you all to myself," he winked. She kissed his cheek happily.

Realizing Noni was still there, who was feeling a little awkward with their talk of how to discipline Jack and their human pillow talk, Jane dismissed her avian friend, treating her with a nice juicy beetle in appreciation, "Thank you Noni, for your warning."

Finishing her reward, which displeased the beetle immensely to become someone's jungle snack, Noni said with a humorous tone, "I will keep watching, Jane. At least as long as I can fly. All your yummy treats when we visit are making me heavier!"

Tarzan and Jane chuckled at the improbable thought of an overweight parrot, as Noni flew off above them.

Jane watched Noni fly off, sighed, took her husband's hand in hers gently, and observed, "All our friends here are amazing, Tarzan. I'm one lucky girl."

Without hesitation, Tarzan replied, "Well, all our friends think you are pretty amazing too, Jane. I grew up here. I'm just one of them. You chose to become one of us. You accepted and learned it all. That's even more special to them, considering how all the other outlander humans act."

"I suppose so…" she reflected, and kissed him.

Jane hopped into Tarzan's eager arms, snuggled deeply into his embrace, letting her baby bump protrude directly up toward Tarzan's face. They both knew it would be bigger still in the next few months. He leaned down to caress and kiss her belly a moment, exchanged a loving look with his glowing wife, and he grabbed a vine to take them back to the Nigerian village.

Apparently their developing baby was excited to swing in the trees too, as the child was very active in her womb all the way back, eliciting several happy gasps and belly clutches from Jane and a knowing grin from Tarzan. They both loved when she was pregnant, and had all but forgotten the trouble of the first time. They'd never had any problems conceiving subsequently when they decided the time was right for the next one. Each new child was a delightful surprise, and a blessing as they grew, even during the times when the children seemed to go out of their way to vex their parents.