Transition Plan Chapter 122: Cousins

Author's Notes: The next two drabbles fit together with an expanded story around a couple of deleted scenes from the original story about their games and a reunion with cousin Jana and her new mate Karnath. ERB Tarzan fans will recognize that canon name as the gorilla who succeeds Tarzan as leader of the Mangani.

…

Lloyd was very proud of Jack's perfect landing at the aerodrome on the outskirts of Lagos, near the British garrison's base. The touchdown was so smooth it was like they were floating. Jeanne gave her husband a big kiss.

Jeanne gushed, "I will never forget my first flight, Jack. It was incredible. You are a man of many talents, dear. I'd fly anywhere with you."

That made Jack feel really good, but he couldn't resist teasing his spouse.

"My pleasure sweetheart, but any landing you can walk away from is a good one," he snickered.

Her eyes got wide as saucers in shock, and jabbed him, "You, my dear Viscount, are incorrigible."

Lloyd just bit his lip. He'd just witnessed the latest dose of the daily entertainment of their banter. They were truly a cute couple.

As they climbed down from the DH4 and chocked the wheels, checked the bird for any damage or leaks, and covered the cockpits, Lloyd complimented Jack – despite his joke - on his flawless gentle landing and his piloting skills in the past weeks, "That was a good landing. You are still my best student, Jack."

Humbled, Jack retorted in true respect, "Only because I had the best instructor."

Jeanne hugged their family pilot and kissed him on his grimy cheek. It didn't take long to unload. Lloyd intended to drop them off and wait in Lagos until their two month'sabbatical' was complete, and then take them directly home to get ready for their move to the flat at the University. Lloyd had several friends in Lagos he could visit while he waited for their return from the jungle. One thirty-something war widow would be especially anxious to see him. He checked to make sure he had the ring in his pocket.

…

Jack and Jeanne couldn't wait to get back into the jungle. Just outside of the sign that marked the civilized perimeter of Lagos at the beginning of the trail to their treehouse, they shed all their garments and stuffed them into their backpacks. They stood and held hands for a moment and just smiled in admiration of each other. This wasn't simply about their physical attraction to each other, though that was always there. Their change of dress at the edge of the jungle was something truly special, representing their psychological and emotional return to simple Mangani ways. It was a symbolic shedding of their civilized skin to return to the wild that they preferred.

Tarzan and Jane had diligently taught that ability to all their children over the years. It was the fundamental reason why the family could interchangeably live in two worlds, along with a precious small handful of their extended family, spouses, and friends who could do the same. Or could be permitted to, in order to preserve the delicate balance between some members of humanity being trusted with the ultimate secret of the animal world: that most species were sentient and could communicate.

This was the very heart of being 'of the jungle', and its future stood hand-in-hand.

"We're back, Jeanne," Jack observed, switching effortlessly from English to Mangani, and he conveyed to his wife a far greater meaning than physically being back through their embrace in a brief 'connection' moment.

"Yes dear, we are," Jeanne responded in the tongue of the gorillas, sighed with happiness, completely internalizing what he felt, and reciprocated the feeling.

They enjoyed a brief kiss and embrace, but quickly headed out on the trail to the family treehouse to drop any vestige of civilization but their rings, her bracelet, and her glasses before disappearing into the woods. They also took their knives, crossbow, and slingshot for hunting and protection if it was needed. The jungle could still be dangerous. Not every animal was their friend. They promised Tarzan and Jane they'd check on the condition of the treehouse. It was completely empty, and in excellent shape. Kala and Archimedes were obviously in the jungle already, as the dwelling was completely secured. They did not dally, also wanting to be in the deep jungle with the Mangani. They'd sleep here a few days together on their return before going home, and hoped they could get Lily and Okpara to join them. The newlyweds would probably enjoy the time apart from Abassi's big family for awhile just to be with Jack and Jeanne.

Jack quickly let loose an ear-splitting jungle call to locate the Mangani. Two in particular.

He heard a faint reply, and nodded, understanding the message back. It sounded like his cousin Jana. Jeanne heard it too and perked up happily, "It's them! Do you know where they are?"

He announced confidently, "Absolutely, cherie. Near a place I always wanted to take you."

"Oh? How exciting! I don't suppose you are going to tell me yet, are you, dear?" she asked anxiously.

"And where would the fun be in that if I did?" Jack smirked.

"Goodness me, dear husband. You are the best tease ever, and I love you so much for that," she replied. They had their domestic squabbles like any couple, but life was mostly joyful with her favorite playmate. Her years of kidnapping were becoming more and more a distant memory.

They kissed as humans, but set out into the jungle together knuckle-walking as gorilla mates. At a clearing in the jungle a few kilometers distant, they met up with Jana and her mate. Their reunion was very emotional, with lots of excited hoots and grunts for each other, as well as welcoming gorilla embraces. It was just them. They heeded Jack's request in his jungle call to leave the troop for some couples' time together alone.

"I've missed you so much, cousin," Jana could barely speak. They'd only briefly seen each other at Jeanne and Jack's public mating, which was only a few weeks after she and Karnath were promised and mated as well. They barely had time to congratulate each other then. It had been a crazy time with so many reunions and new introductions for Jeanne with the entire animal world in the land of the Mangani.

"Me too, Jana. You ready for some fun?"

"More than ready, cousin!"

They took off immediately further into the jungle. As usual, their hoots and grunts and howls could not be distinguished between human and ape. So perfect were Jack and Jeanne's simian behaviors upon their return as Mangani mates from Dar es Salaam that the last time they were in the jungle for their mating, Archimedes thought he was studying a newly-discovered gorilla pair for quite some time before he realized it was his grandson and granddaughter-in-law.

…

Jeanne and Jack were truly enjoying their time with Mangani cousin Jana and her mate Karnath. They were in territory Jeanne had never been and it was awe-inspiring. They were near the big river valley near where the oilmen had been driven out, surrounded by jagged mountain peaks. The smell of the acres of wildflowers that now grew in the area the oilmen had nearly destroyed was pleasantly strong and fragrant.

Jeanne was nearly overwhelmed, and called him by his jungle name, "Korak, sweetheart. This… this is all so unbelievable. This is all yours?"

He grinned, "Well my dad and mom's, actually. But it's eventually ours, dear, not just mine. And the Mangani's."

"Ohmigosh… we are so blessed, Korak, so rich in ways money can't even measure," she exclaimed, feeling very small in the midst of God's creation that she and her husband would be trusted to keep. Plus the enormous Greystoke estate. That a poor daughter of a French soldier could rise to have all this and her Jack was nearly overwhelming.

"Exactly, dear," he gave her a soft smile and hug.

And that was Tarzan's legacy for them. Their parents Terk, Kirok, Tarzan and Jane knew the young Mangani cousins needed this extended quality time together. These four were the future of the troop. They were oldest and closest of the next generation of cousins, and the heirs to the leadership of the Mangani. It had been since her interrupted childhood that Jana, Jeanne and Jack were together as close friends just simply playing gorilla games. Karnath was a juvenile in the troop at that time, but was the offspring of another Mangani mated pair, and had no interest in Jana other than an occasional playmate. They still loved their games together which they engaged with the same vigor as when they were juveniles.

They played a lot of chase and tag games, running on all fours across the jungle, climbing trees and rocks, jumping, and frolicking together. Wrestling was particularly fun for Jeanne, especially with Jack. There was a lot of simple fun that brought them back together. They liked rolling and tumbling, and tried more advanced games like having the female mates ride on the male mates' back and shoulders. They played catch and 'keep away' with a coconut, and even a rudimentary form of soccer with a softer gourd. There was a lot of gorilla laughter in their own fashion which sounded a lot like huffing, but Jeanne couldn't hold back more than a few human giggles.

But eventually they were all worn out and the sun was getting low. The Mangani cousins groomed each other quite some time as they rested. It was very satisfying to all four, and they couldn't be closer, except through intimacy with their own mates, but none of them were ready for that. They were still too excited with just being together on their first day of activities.

When they had finished, Karnath asked, rubbing his huge belly, "Who's hungry?"

Everyone grunted a 'yes'.

Karnath explained, "The other day I found the best dead tree ever over by a creek. How do you humans say it? It's a 'cornucopia' of choices. "

All of them knuckle-walked leisurely to the massive dead tree, chattering non-stop all the way. As usual, there was little to tell the humans apart from the apes. Karnath was right. The huge decaying fallen tree nearly ten feet across and probably 150 feet long, although it had long since broken into sections as it rotted, and was alive with millions of the worms and bugs and other small creatures they loved to eat. They were all famished from their non-stop activities of the day and feasted. Other small species were feeding from the tree as well, but they scattered when the apes arrived.

As Jack knew well, Jeanne loved the little cream-filled kind of grubs, and she was delighted to be the first to find a huge population of them. The ape brethren all consumed as much as they wanted until Jack caught and fed her one that had tried to escape.

"That one almost got away, dear," he kidded as he popped it into her greedy mouth.

Jeanne decided that she really enjoyed Jack feeding the grubs to her like an English gentleman feeding his Lady expensive Belgian bonbons, and asked him feed her some more.

"That was sweet, Korak, may I have another?" she asked politely.

"May I serve you properly, sweetheart?" Jack asked like an attentive gentlemen. He draped an elephant plant frond over one forearm like a servant's towel, and served her the grubs on a makeshift gourd serving tray that he split open and carved out for her. His industriousness in his role-play tickled her fancy.

"Yes you may, dear sir," she said in a snooty tone with a dismissive gesture like a lady of leisure.

"Does the Lady find these delicacies to her approval?" he inquired after feeding her several more grubs fully in character as a head butler.

"Exquisite, if I do say so, Monsieur. It seems they taste better if you present them to me. Do continue," she noted in a mix of Mangani and French.

Jack and Jeanne laughed at what proper English gentry would really think of Lady Jeanne being hand-fed juicy grubs by the Viscount of Greystoke. Most women would have fainted at the sight of the stubby, white, slimy creatures.

They made it even more of a game. Jack backed up a bit from their eating area, and randomly tossed one the delicious creatures at her. She leaned over and snatched the grub in mid-air. And then another and another. It reminded them both of the entertaining night they went to a Japanese steak house in Dar es Salaam with their families and the table-side chef flung shrimp at them with his chop sticks to catch and eat. Only the shrimp didn't squirm.

"You're not even trying, Korak," she challenged him, ready for some new action, and got up on her haunches.

"Be careful what you ask for cherie," he warned, but he knew how nimble she was, especially in that crouch.

"Don't you worry about me. You throw them; I'll get them," she grinned.

Jack proceeded to toss grubs high into the air in all different directions. She leaped from the ground and various other perches and snapped every one of the grubs up in her mouth, never missing a one, no matter how complex Jack's throws. The other three were most impressed with an aggressive back flip as she caught one grub in between her teeth before gulping it down. They laughed at this fun game, and the humans' antics amused Jana and Karnath.

The grubs did not see any fun in this game at all for them, and wished they were 20 foot pythons to make the apes and humans their delectable meal.

After awhile, Jeanne and her friends were nearly full to bursting from consuming the delicious creatures, and Jeanne rested her head contentedly in Jack's lap with her eyes closed while he rubbed her belly, and then she encouraged Jack to soothe her more with a contented "mmmm". His hands played with the irresistible line of hair below her belly button, tickling her, eliciting a giggle, and then started to wander to places that were definitely not her stomach. It gave her a happy shiver. She was ready for him.

But the romantic mood was broken. Unexpectedly, Jeanne belched, and said, "Oops! Excuse me."

Jack quipped, "Not to worry, dear. I score that a '7'. Good tone and vibrato, but not long enough. And a little weak in volume, too."

"Ex-cuse me?" Jeanne asked indignantly. She realized Jack had a new twist on the belching and kissing game they played when they were 8. She hoped this version included lovemaking.

Karnath and Jana had no idea what was going on, but watched the two humans tease each other.

"Yeah. 7. That's my final answer," Jack announced with an air of smug superiority.

Jeanne sat up, feigned a hurt look, and poked Jack's chest hard, "I beg your pardon, dear husband. I'll show you a proper belch."

She reached down deep inside, tightened her belly, narrowed her eyes, threw her head back, and ripped a huge belch, "Braaaaapppp!"

No one could ever claim Viscountess Jeanne Clayton was a dainty woman.

She crossed her arms under her breasts and gave her husband an icy cold stare of 'top that!', and heard the echo of her belch roll across the valley. She giggled. Jana and Karnath were beside themselves in laughter, hooted and grunted excitedly to encourage whatever might happen next, and pounded their chests in amusement. This human game of body noises was exceedingly entertaining.

Jack was completely dazzled, not only by her incredible burp, but the way she had thrust her breasts at him intentionally to distract him, and stammered, "Wow, dear. Uhhh… 9 and a half."

Jeanne put her fists on her hips, and complained, "Just a 9.5? What more do you want out of me, jungle moron?"

Jana nearly lost her composure at Jeanne's name-calling, and corrected Jack, picking up on how the burp-scoring game was really played, "Sorry to disagree, cousin, but your dear mate's belch was clearly an 11 or 12."

Most Mangani understood numbers.

"But it's only a ten point scale," objected Jack.

Jana shot right back at him, "I say otherwise. It's the 'Mangani belch' scale. Especially for us girls. We're smaller, we have to work harder than you big blackbacks."

Jack turned to his mate for support. She shrugged indifferently. There wasn't any, as Jeanne agreed, "Whatever ma cousine Jana says is fine with me."

Both females had Jack completely baffled now. He looked at Karnath, who wasn't touching this battle of the sexes, "No way, cousin. I'm staying out of this. You dug your own hole, Korak!"

Jane confirmed with conviction, "Like dearest Jana said. 11."

Jack grinned, rolled his eyes, and cracked his knuckles backwards, thoroughly committed to besting his spouse in the next round, "Well all right then. Two can play at this game."

Karnath corrected, finally deciding to come to his cousin-in-law's aid, seeing the fun ahead, "No Jack. Four can. Boys against girls."

"Deal!" squealed both females in delight.

Pretty soon they were all belching and scoring and arguing about the scores given and received. And hurling a lot of silly insults at each other. Which was the entire point of the game. This went on for some time, with a lot of laughter and snide comments.

Jeanne laughed so hard after one round that she farted.

Everyone stopped and became totally silent, and looked at each other accusingly. But it was obvious who ripped one. Jeanne went absolute red-faced in embarrassment. Grubs really caused bad gas. It was their only revenge on any animal who would consume them.

Jack stifled a guffaw, and shook his head as he said, "Nope. We're not going there. Not on your life, Jeanne, sweetheart."

"Tomorrow's game, then, dear?" she begged in a sing-song trill and batted her pretty eyelashes at him.

"Abso-lutely," Jack chuckled, and Jana and Karnath instantly concurred with the idea of playing a round of competitive flatulence.

No one was really sure who won the belching game, but it sure had been a delightful time. Every jungle creature around them wondered what on earth was going on with 'those crazy apes'.

…

It was nearly dark, so the males found a suitable place for the four of them to spend the night, and created one single nest to hold the four of them, another simple sign of them being close family. The actually chose a soft, sheltered spot underneath a rock outcropping, as it felt like rain was imminent.

"This has been such a wonderful day, cousins, just the four of us. Please say it's not over soon?" fretted Jana as they all snuggled against each other for comfort and affection.

Jack noted, "We can stay two full moon cycles, so we'll have a good long time together."

"That's great, cousin."

Jack cautioned, "But it might be over 26 cycles before we get back again. We plan to go year round to at our school to finish in three years like we promised our parents and ourselves."

That really upset Jana, "26 cycles? Good grief, cousin. We'll all miss you terribly. Especially your grandmother. It seems you're gone to the civilized world too much, Korak. You were already gone 30 cycles when you went to save Jeanne and 13 more when you went to those human cities. Don't you like being with us Mangani?"

Jack was saddened by the upset he caused his cousin, "I know it's a long time, Jana. I'm sorry. If it wasn't absolutely necessary we wouldn't be gone that long. I love you and my place is here as much as the civilized world. We have to get smarter for the times we have to live in our human world, so that is why we go to 'the school'. And you know our long trip to the faraway lands of other humans and the jungle were to right the wrongs and do all the things young mates have to do in the human world to be part of it."

Jana just shook her head in dismay, "We know, but it doesn't make it any easier. I'm sure glad I'm not human. Mother Terk and Father Kirok already taught me everything I need to be Mangani. And a mate."

"Truer words were never spoken," added Karnath, embracing Jana more solidly. He was a lot bigger than her, approaching his father-in-law Kirok's size. Almost as big as Kerchak had been.

Jana soothed him with a gentle grooming motion, emphasizing her devotion to her mate, "I never want to leave this jungle. Everything I want is right here."

Karnath knew he was her 'everything'. The ape pair nuzzled each other.

Jeanne smiled at her affectionate cousins-in-law, saw where this was going, and finally spoke, "That's what makes it special for us. When we're gone, we always miss you, and look forward to the time when we can be back here. Who knows, Jana? We hope we'll bring our first baby to the troop the next time we come. A new Mangani cousin."

This pleased Jana and she responded, "That would be great. By then we'll have offspring too. So it's really good we're all together now, like old times. Before we're mommies and daddies like our own parents."

Jack responded enthusiastically, "Something tells me we'll find a way to have fun as mommies and daddies."

Jana agreed, "And teach the new cousins to have fun too!"

It would be hard to dispute that, and it made them all hoot. The three original childhood playmates always found ways to have fun in just about any situation. For a moment they just savored all being together and the mood became a little serious. This time together almost didn't happen. Jana put her paw softly on Jeanne's arm.

"Jeanne, dear friend. I… we…. we all missed you so. We're so thankful Korak brought you home and you're mates. We all knew that would happen the first time you two met. Please tell us. What was it like being forced to live a way you never wanted to?"

Jeanne was startled by the candid question, but the innocent and gentle Mangani really didn't understand how humans could be so cruel to each other, and they had seen far too much of it directed at the Clayton family. Jeanne braced herself to reply in a way Jana could understand the terror of her experience.

"It was a lot like when John Clayton nearly put the family in cages and shipped them in a boat to the zoo all the rest of their lives. Only I did get shipped to the zoo," she blurted out, with a trickle of tears.

That put a shiver through all of them. Jack took Jeanne's hand. It was about all she had the strength to say. Jana and Karnath knew the story from Tarzan and Jane and Terk. It was forever etched in Mangani family history.

Jana saw Jeanne's distress, immediately knew it was the wrong thing to ask, and apologized, "I… I'm sorry Jeanne. Sorry I made you feel bad. I don't know why I asked that."

"No, Jana. It's fine. You needed to ask and I needed to tell you. I'm different. And always will be a little different because… because of what happened. But I'm all right now. Jack saved me in time while I was still mostly 'me' inside. He got me to be normal again. Maybe I can say more… another time."

Jana was very sensitive to upsetting Jeanne more, "OK… but only if you feel like it."

The hurt disappeared and her smile returned for her gorilla cousin. Jack could sense it.

Jeanne appeared normal again, "But enough of the bad stuff for now. We came here to have fun and forget all that."

"Got that right, cousin!" Jana encouraged.

It was bed time and the couples curled up together in the well prepared soft nest. Jana tested the impressive sponginess. The girls knew they would be very comfortable in their mates' arms tonight.

"You boys went all out tonight," Jana teased.

"Well nothing is too good for the prettiest animals in the jungle," Jack used his familiar line.

"We resemble that remark, Korak," winked his cousin, bumping her mate. Jana had true desire in her eyes for Karnath.

Jeanne looked into her husband's eyes adoringly. It would be a perfect night. Her body language telegraphed her need for Jack. From their nested snuggling position, they all began by grooming each other, but soon the special attention of the female mates to their males led to something that was quickly 'couples only'.

The Mangani had long since learned from Tarzan and Jane that sex was as much an expression of love between mates as for procreation, another thing that set the Mangani apart from other apes and primates in general, especially when coupling 'the people way' as Terk had so aptly described years before, which Jana and Karnath much preferred. Both pairs finished mating together about the same time, and while still clinging to their own mates afterwards, they all softly grunted at each other, to show how close and comfortable they were as cousins to enjoy intimacy next to each other. It was another thing they learned from the Clayton humans: lingering was a wonderful thing.

Jeanne tightened her post-intimacy embrace with her husband while snuggled with her Mangani cousins. Sleep came fast to the foursome now all curled up together like any small gorilla family unit, and a gentle cooling rain fell on the outcropping which shielded them all night. Mists swirled and surrounded them.

…

Awakened by daylight filtering through the morning fog, the foursome stretched, nuzzled and kissed their mates, yawned, got up and each mate scratched the other mate in places English gentry would not think of doing, and Jeanne observed, "Day Two. What are we going to do today, cousins? Surely there are a lot of things in this part of the jungle to do."

Picking up on her excitement, Jana noted, "Well yes, Jeanne. You're right. There's lots of other things too. Have you ever done branch surfing?"

"Branch –whatting?" the human girl asked, truly puzzled.

Jana turned to Jack in disbelief, "No way? You've never shown her branch surfing, Korak?"

"What are you all talking about?" Jeanne asked and was annoyed she was being sort of ignored.

Korak explained, "Sorry Jeanne, dear. Branch surfing. It's like skiing barefooted on branches and vines covered in moss in the trees. My dad invented it. And no I haven't, Jana. The jungles to the east really didn't have the right kind of growth. It would have been mostly 'branch-tripping' and 'branch-stubbing-our-toes'."

They laughed, but Jeanne was insistent.

"Show me, Korak," she asked.

He climbed up into the tangle of woods right next to them, fortunately in an area pretty thick in moss-covered branches. He went everywhere overhead and around them, zooming to and fro.

Jeanne giggled in delight over what she saw, with her normal reaction to fun things to do that she really liked - jumping up and down with her hands clasped against her breasts and giggling in excitement.

Effortlessly he used a vine to drop to the ground right in front of his wife, to a lot of satisfied hoots from Jana and Karnath with Jeanne joining in.

"Way to go Korak! That was awesome," shouted Karnath.

Jeanne looked her man directly in the eye, and put her hands on his shoulders firmly, and requested, "Teach me, Korak, dear."