NEW YEAR'S BONUS CHAPTER!

Transition Plan Chapter 70: In His Majesty's Service Part 20

After several nights of reading the transcripts of the radiotelegraph chatter, Tarzan, and Armand and Philippe made the hard decision. They had practiced enough, despite Tarzan never yet cracking the five minute barrier. They knew they had to go. It was almost July.

For the first time, Admiral D'Arnot pulled rank. He shut down the day's military activities and dismissed both men.

He advised with a pleasant smile, "Gentlemen. We won't practice any more today. Go home to your families. Hug and kiss your children. Play with them. Eat your favorite meals with them, and make love to your wives. That is an order."

The old Admiral wouldn't take any contrary arguments.

"Thank you," they both said to the old mentor.

The two men walked silently together on the trail for awhile, but reflected as they went.

Armand doubted his judgment for the first time in his career, "Tarzan, I am sorry I asked you to do this. I have created a horrible squabble between you, your wife, and your son. And me with my daughter. It appears I am walking you into a death trap. Maybe there is another way."

Tarzan tried to help the Colonel, "You and I both know there isn't another way. I am honored to serve with you, Armand. One way or another we will destroy that station. If we are successful, dead or alive, we save thousands more of our countrymen."

"You are a true warrior, Count Clayton," the Frenchmen replied.

"Tarzan, my friend. Just Tarzan. I am only a simple Mangani and soldier now, protecting my territory and my family and following your orders. That's all."

Jane and Josephine were startled to have their men back at mid day. The look on their faces, and being home hours early, said it all. Their wives rushed to them, not holding back the tears in their desperate hugs. The families played children's' games together to exclusion of everything else, running and jumping and laughing and hugging and teasing each other, but as the evening approached, the adults became very somber. Jane and Josephine served their husbands their favorite foods.

In a moment alone with just Jane, Tarzan offered ironically, "Thank you Jane. This is delicious, but it feels like I'm eating a condemned man's last meal."

Jane comforted her husband, "It won't be, Tarzan. I know, I pray you'll come back to me and our babies."

They hugged like they would never let go of each other again. Their children looked at them sadly and he gathered them all into his arms. The scene at the Jacot's was the same.

Tarzan tried hard to lighten the mood, cheerfully smiling, "I know something that will make us all happy. A nighttime story."

He read several chapters from Kipling's "The Jungle Story" and acted them out. There was a lot of laughter.

Right next to them, the Jacot's were equally somber, with Jeanne just clinging to her father. Armand's arms were around both her and Josephine.

They could see the fun the Claytons were having. Or at least letting the distraction of doing a family activity they loved together brighten the coming gut-wrenching separation.

"Papa?" Jeanne asked, and Armand knew what she was asking. He always knew what his little girl wanted. Their connection often mystified Josephine.

"Yes, sweetheart, you can join him," he answered.

She sat right next to Jack and smiled. He put her arm around her and she snuggled closely, and pecked him on his lips lightly, forgetting, if not ignoring altogether, her father's rule.

Armand started to call out to separate them, but Josephine stopped him before he objected, "Armand. Don't. Let them. You're looking at the future."

Armand relented, "All right, Josephine. I guess this is the part of fatherhood that I just have to get used to Jack being in her life as much as me. I just thought it would be longer that she'd be only 'my little girl'."

"Welcome to my father's world years ago, Armand," Josephine said with a blush, recalling their own early beginnings.

"Yeah… hmm… I guess so," he gave her a tender kiss and a wry grin.

Changing the subject, Josephine suggested, "Maybe we should ask to join the Clayton's too."

Already wanting to include the family, Tarzan and Jane motioned for Armand and Josephine to join them.

The families gathered around Tarzan reading the book. Armand hugged his daughter and sat on the other side of Jack. Josephine snuggled next to him. Jeanne was very happy to have both men in her life hold her. Jack started to let go of Jeanne, but the Colonel said with a smile to the young man, "That's all right, Jack. It's a little chilly tonight; keep her warm. Here and on her mat. And after I'm gone. I know I have been strict but now you have my permission. You have to protect her now, but do not forget your pledge to honor her. Comprenez-vous, Viscount Clayton?"

Jack accepted that the Colonel had entrusted Jeanne to his protection in the jungle should the soldier never come back, "Oui, Colonel Jacot. Je comprends."

Josephine understood the request went far beyond just protection with Armand's serious glance at his wife. He had just given Jeanne away, should he never be able to say the words himself. The French woman struggled to fight back her emergent tears.

Jeanne got a melancholy look for her father, and responded, "Oh, Papa. Merci. It's only for awhile, and you'll be back soon. You're still mon pere."

She squeezed her father tightly, called him by a name not used since she was very little, "I love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, squirt," Armand grinned.

Lily wanted to be part of the action so she left her mother's side and plopped down into Jeanne's lap, "Hi big sister! I want to help Jack protect you too."

Everyone got a good chuckle over that.

Jeanne put her arms around the little girl and kissed her cheek with a smile. Lily smiled and rubbed the kiss in, and put her tiny hands on top of Jeanne's. Jeanne hoped her own new sibling would be as loving and innocent as Lily.

Tarzan read for awhile, and it was very entertaining. Tarzan always did the sound effects perfectly. Jane just grinned. She was the first to know this. Jack knew the story of how his mother taught him to read English, and how the slide shows revealed to his father the life beyond the land of the Mangani. And he never stopped reading and learning afterward. Despite all the recent trouble, Jack loved his parents and how they came to be.

Tarzan stopped and asked, "Armand? You read Shere Khan's part. You have the authoritative voice for it."

Armand feigned indignation, "Oh really, Tarzan? You give me the bad guy's part?"

They all laughed. Despite the togetherness of both families, Jeanne and Josephine battled tears, seeing their spouses reading bed time stories to their family for perhaps the last time ever, having fun as friends and fathers, not warriors. The two men addressed each other on a first name basis, a fact not lost on the women. It would be a very long time before family story time happened again. If ever.

The Kipling story would never be the same for the Jacot's. For everyone else in the world, that story was wild fantasy. The Clayton's lived it every day.

Good night kisses from the fathers for their kids were tearful but sweet.

The two couples settled closely on their own sleeping mats but as expected, could not sleep. Lily slept quickly, but Jack and Jeanne tossed and turned on their mats, fretting, knowing their parents were worried too. They gave each other anxious looks. They had no idea how to console their parents.

Before Tarzan could suggest it himself, Jane sat up from her bed mat, looked Tarzan in the eye, rubbed his chest with her hand and let it wander and linger below his waist, and said in simple English, "Hugging is simply not a proper goodbye, Jonathon."

Her kisses and caresses came rapidly and urgently. Although they'd promised not to make love in front of the Jacot's and Abassi's extended family, they needed this union desperately. They knew no one was awake except the Colonel's family and Jack. Right now it just didn't matter to them.

Because Jane was large mid-term into her pregnancy, she sat astride her husband, and he sat up to hold her in his lap. She was not so big yet they couldn't. They urgently needed to be able to kiss each other.

Jane noted with great desire, "I wish I could be pregnant by you again tonight, Jonathon. I would carry our fourth child for you right now if only I could."

"It's all right, Jane. When I come back and help bring our next one into this world with my own hands, then we can make that child together."

Her long standing desire for a big family with her husband meant everything to Tarzan. They urgently and breathlessly joined.

The Jacot's were awake too. Armand tossed and turned, and the sight and sounds of the Clayton's foreplay had its effect on the pair. But before Armand could say anything, Josephine whispered into her husband's ear, "Armand. Look at the Clayton's. I don't care what our rules are. Soldier boy, you need me. I know Jeanne's still awake. If this is our last time together, then the final image Jeanne must see of the two of us is how we always are. Totally in love with each other."

Armand did not argue with her as she settled atop him, "I will never stop loving you, Jo."

Jack and Jeanne glanced at their parents embracing the same way in the dim light, knowing what it meant to them, then turned back to look at each other.

Jeanne reached out both arms to her boyfriend, "I'm cold, Jack, come over here and just hold me."

"Uhh…" Jack noted with concern, mindful of keeping their promises.

"Papa told you to. Remember?" she said softly, "It's all right now."

They settled gently into each other's embrace, and kissed goodnight, drawing upon the warmth from one another and the comfort of knowing their parents' love would sustain them. They quickly fell soundly asleep.

…

Morning inevitably arrived.

Tarzan was up early, and kissed his wife, and left her with important instructions, "Jane, we need to go. You must go home right away. Stay there. But be prepared if we fail. If the Germans threaten to burn the treehouse, flee. Don't defend it. It's just a place. It is not worth your lives."

Jane fretted terribly, "But the memories, Tarzan? They are all there. That is our special home. We had our honeymoon there, dear. It was your parents' home."

Tarzan understood but observed, "Do as the Mangani do, who have nothing. Keep the memories of our life in your heart. Escape into the woods and never come out until the war is over. Protect the family."

He looked at Jack and Jeanne, snuggled together as Armand permitted them, but still asleep. He hoped this was not the last time he'd see them like that.

He said with cracks in his voice, "Tell Jack and Jeanne on their wedding day that I give them my blessings."

Jane wouldn't accept that as his final request, as she said firmly, "Tarzan, you are coming back. You will give them your blessing personally."

Tarzan ignored her wishful thought, and gave her that look, "Promise me, Jane."

She sighed, and choked through her tears, "Yes, Tarzan. All right. I promise…"

A similar goodbye was happening right next to them between Josephine and Armand. The men dressed, and saw the Special Forces approach their longhouse, ready for the long trek.

D'Arnot entered the longhouse, and stated, "You have to go, gentlemen. 'Shore leave' is over. It's time."

Tarzan asked his merchant marine Captain, "Protect the people here Philippe. Other than the Mangani, they are all we have here."

"My sailors and the garrison are a powerful force, Count Clayton. The Germans will have to slay every one of us before we will yield to them and permit harm to the Nigerians."

Tarzan knew every word of his most trusted mentor and merchant marine chief was true, and that the old mariner would be the last man standing in a fight to the death.

The women clung to their husbands, knowing their departure was imminent, and sobbed terribly in their husbands' arms. Jeanne was crying in her father's arms and Lily was wailing. Jack stood aloof for a moment but rushed to his father in a broken voice, "I know we have had differences, Father, but… I still love you."

Jack subsequently lost control, breaking down, despite every effort of Tarzan to comfort him.

"We… we must go now," Tarzan said in heavy, emotional words to his son, "Take care of the family while I am gone."

The two fathers and husbands took off into the woods with the French Special Forces team. They could not look back.

When they could be seen no more, Jane drew herself into her most confident pose, and said with a real sense of urgency, "Josephine and children. We're going to a safer place now. We are a danger to the natives by being here. We are very visible as French and English Nationals. This is not the Nigerians' fight. The Germans will need no excuse to attack these innocents if we stay here."

Josephine quickly agreed, "But Jane. Where are we going? There is only deep jungle out there. The Germans may kill the natives anyway. This is an English colony, after all."

Jane quickly responded, "That is why the garrison will be hidden with the warriors in the woods. Tarzan taught them stealth. The Germans won't know what hit them. Josephine, we have to go back to our Mangani home. We can defend ourselves and will be the last defense from the west of village from there. They will hear any attack on us and can prepare."

Josephine fretted, "And if we lose?"

"As long as we are alive and free, we can flee into the jungle with the animals. They will never track us. In the days to come, Jack I will show you and Jeanne how."

"But, Jane, your home is the jungle. It's all just trees and vines and creeks and ponds, Jane. You are a remarkable woman and you can live anywhere with your family. I know Jeanne has learned everything about how to survive in the jungle from Jack. I am afraid that I am not so good at that."

Jane reassured her French friend, "That is why we have another place for us when we need it, and we need to go to it now. Do you trust me, Josephine?"

She nodded, "I do, Jane. Now more than ever."

The two women hugged as best as their baby bumps and large bosoms would permit, and laughed. Jane turned toward the open jungle, drew a huge breath and gave her jungle call. Jeanne took Jack's hand as he strained to hear the response.

The trumpeting of three elephants could be heard in the distance.

Seeing the look of anxiety on Josephine's face Jack stated, "That's our ride home, Josephine. It's Tantor, Habika, and their son Enyi, our elephant friends. They will take us all to safety."

Jane was about to gather their things when she heard another jungle call. It was Tarzan's call, in response to Jane's call to Tantor for a ride. Its meaning was a simple: 'I love you and will see you soon'.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she broke down and collapsed to her knees, her body wracked in heaving sobs. Jack and Lily gathered around and hugged their mother to comfort her, fighting more tears themselves. Jeanne and Josephine felt helpless, not knowing why Jane fell apart at her husband's call, and just put hand on Jack's shoulder to support him.

Jack said in French so the Jacot's would understand, "That wasn't 'good bye' Mother. It was 'a bientot'. We will see Father again, Mother. I know it."

"I do too, big bruver. You're always right," added Lily cheerfully, to help her mother recover.

Jane was still overwhelmed by emotion and couldn't make the words come out of her mouth, but nodded and tried to smile bravely for her children.

And then Jack thought with true determination, "We will see Father again. I vow it."

…

Authors Notes: There is so much story to get through, and I realized that while I am on vacation this week that the prior chapter would be the last one for 2014. That's not fair to all of you. I hope their tearful departure touched you. If you are like my wife and I and have nothing to do on New Year's Eve, then you can curl up with my story.

If you hadn't figured out by now, my latest tale "In His Majesty's Service" is about more than one Clayton family member's service to England in World War I. And to the Guest Reviewer who was asking about Bambi and Thumper in the Greystoke Forest. Yep. You found it! Look for all sorts of Disney references (literary "Easter Eggs") throughout this story. Even the obvious ones – the adaptation of Kipling's "Jungle Book" that the Clayton's regard as amusing fiction in their very real world of living in the jungle.