Amanda's family collected her the next day, and as the girl had feared, her mother took one look at Caesar and hit the ceiling. She ordered Lewis, Amanda's big brother, to take his little sister out to the car. Then, after thanking him, and disregarding that he was technically her boss, the lady informed Will and Caroline that they would never have to bother watching her daughter again as she marched out the front door in a huff.

An utterly stunned Caesar could only stand by and watch helplessly as Amanda's embarrassed Father stammered out his apologies for his wife before he left to join his family.

Everyone could hear the fight begin before the car was started and drove away because Amanda was neither going quietly nor graciously, and it sounded as if her father and brother were taking her side.

"You're very welcome, Evelyn," an angry Will called after her. "It's obvious which parent Amanda takes after, her dad. Caesar, I'm sorry about all that. I really oughtta fire her," he grumbled.

"Now Will, take it easy," Warned his father.

"I was just kidding, Dad. She's my second best lab tech, I'm not gonna fire her. But still ..."

"Never mind, Caesar," Charles stood with his arm protectively around his bewildered grandson. "Amanda's Mom is, uh, a little high strung, but she'll calm down eventually. You'll see Amanda again, I promise you."

Caesar let out an irritated huff. Then, for some reason, he glared at Caroline. "Amanda's Mother. She thinks I hurt Amanda too?" the hurt and angry chimp signed before rushing back up to his room, leaving an utterly stunned will and Caroline behind him.

Caroline's eyes filled with sudden tears. "He's never going to forgive me, is he?" she moaned.

But all of Charles' sympathy was towards his simian grandson. "Nice going, kids," the old man muttered as he went upstairs after Caesar.

Charles was right, though it was a long time coming and a lot easier said than done. Amanda's mother was adamant. Her daughter was not going to get attached to another ape only to go through the pain of losing him again and that was final! She would not suffer another Koba in their lives. Amanda could not stand it, or so the lady claimed. But everyone including Amanda herself held the opinion it was her mother who could not stand it.

Fortunately, Caesar and Amanda were very determined children. And even better, they had more than willing cohorts in Charles, Will, and Caroline. Even Amanda's Father and brother got in on the act. So, while the two did not get to spend as much time together as they wanted at first, and not quite as out in the open as they may have wished, they did see a lot of one another. When he came to give Amanda her piano lessons, Charles would bring Caesar if he knew Amanda's mother was not at home. On her walks through the neighborhood, Amanda would naturally stop in to see Will and Charles and, of course, Caesar, always in her mother's absence.

It was out in Muir Woods where even Amanda's overprotective Mom did not seem to mind so much if they spent time together. At least, not after Amanda relayed the story of everything that happened when she first met Caesar, taking great pains to emphasize to her mother how the kind and friendly chimp had saved her from that group of bullies.

It took nearly a year before Amanda's mother softened noticeably towards Caesar. She never totally relented, though. She would not let Caesar spend the night at the house, for one thing. But she would let Amanda occasionally stay at Wills, and they did get to play in the yard and up in Amanda's room more and more often.

Will began going out for walks with Caesar and Amanda. Eventually, seeing that Amanda and Caesar were very confident together, he let them out on their own, with the one vow that they never leave one another's side. Eventually, he even obtained a guiding animal permit, just for the sake of making things at least appear to be legal.

Caesar and Amanda were young, and they did not care much about either paperwork or the legalities, however. They were just happy to be out and about without the caring but tiresome adults looking over their shoulders all the time.

And Caesar was very proud of how well he was able to guide Amanda. It was true that he did not care for the leash/harness, and Amanda hated having to ask him to wear it even more. But It was not an uncomfortable thing, and if it meant he got to spend more time with his friend, Caesar was more than happy to put up with it.

It became quite common for the neighbors to see the little girl and the chimpanzee out and about together. Most of them just assumed that Caesar was Amanda's new guide animal and thought nothing more of it, most but not all. Mr. Hunziger, who was the main reason Will wanted everything to be as legal-looking as possible, was the only neighbor who was not at all pleased or charmed by the site of Amanda and Caesar walking around so freely together, and he often grumbled aloud, wondering why mere guide dogs weren't good enough for little Princess Amanda, and why her parents let the little witch get so above herself? Weren't they worried about her getting hurt, letting her walk around like that with that dangerous animal? None of the other neighbors would join him in his descent, however, many of them telling him to his face to mind his own business and keep his big mouth shut, if he knew what was good for him. So, he mostly grumbled to himself and to his own family.

After a few months of going around the neighborhood with Amanda, Caesar made a disturbing observation. He did not mention this to his friend for fear of frightening her, but the young chimp was so concerned that later that evening, when Charles went to lie down for a nap, Caesar went straight to Will. Caroline had not arrived back home yet.

"People watch Amanda," Caesar signed to Will. "Watch her in secret."

Will frowned. "What do you mean, people, Caesar. Do you mean men?"

Caesar shook his head. "Men and women both," he told Will.

"Do these people ever approach you and Amanda?" Will wanted to know.

"No."

"And it isn't normal curiosity?"

"No," Caesar signed again. "They hide in shadows. Don't want to be seen."

"Caesar, are you sure?"

The chimp nodded.

"Does Amanda know?" Will asked.

"Don't know. Haven't told her," Caesar replied.

Will was spooked, but he tried to hide it from Caesar. "I'll talk to Amanda's folk about it," he promised the young chimp.

Later that evening, Amanda and her parents arrived on Will's doorstep.

"Hi honey. Dad and Caesar are waiting for you in the backyard," Will told Amanda.

The girl said nothing, but she turned her blind eyes towards Will. They were far too knowing for one her age, but given her unusual talents, Will was not surprised. She went without a word however to the backyard to play with Caesar and Charles. Charles had been told what was up by Will and had promised to keep the kids occupied.

Will took Evelyn and Larry into this study, sat them both down, and offered them drinks.

"I don't want to alarm you guys," Will began. "But do you know there are people watching your daughter?"

Amanda's mom gasped, a nd gripped her husband's arm so tight that her knuckles began to turn white. Larry," she began. "They are back."

Amanda's normally calm, laid-back, and composed Father slammed his fist down on the table so hard that it jostled every glass on the table.

'Oh sorry, Will, he stammered, but Will brushed it off.

"You folks don't seem too surprised," he commented. They seemed terrified, furious, and bitterly resigned, but not at all surprised.

"We always knew it would happen eventually," Larry said quietly. "If it ever stopped at all, that is."

Evelyn burst into tears. "Why can't they leave us alone? Why can't they leave her alone? She's just a little girl!" Evelyn sobbed. "He warned us. The captain warned us. He was right. They will never leave her completely alone, will they, Larry."

Larry just shook his head, but his eyes held so much heart-break and despair that Will fought theurge to look away.

"I want to help. I don't suppose you would tell me what's up?" Will asked. 'I mean, Amanda is my Goddaughter, isn't she. And—"

"I'm sorry, Will," Amanda's parents said in perfect unison.

"We can't tell you, Will," Evelyn sniffed. "Partly because we don't know everything ourselves. Amanda won't tell us—"

"She doesn't remember," Larry began, but his wife cut him off. "She remembers enough. You know she does. She just won't tell us. She doesn't want to worry us."

"Lewis knows, I bet," Larry broke in.

"Yeah," Evelyn smiled through her tears as Will passed her a box of tissues. "Lew probably does know. Those two are especially close to be so far apart in ages. But, well, it's classified, Will. Even if we knew everything, we can't talk about it, even if we knew what to talk about, outside the immediate family."

"Classified?" Will's face mirrored concern and confusion in equal parts. "You don't mean, like militarily classified? Why do I feel like I've just fallen into an episode of the X-Files here?"

Again, Amanda's parents both nodded. They laughed at Will's bad attempt at a joke, but the laughter was completely hollow and for show.

"But it's not that psycho who tried to abduct her when she was barely six, though?" Will wanted to know. "The one who caused her to lose her first guide?"

Evelyn smiled for the first time since the conversation had taken its dark and sinister tone. "Didn't you know, Will?" Larry asked, surprised. "That bastard's dead. He died in prison after several of the prisoners attacked him."

"Funny how that happened," Evelyn commented lightly, but she was grinning a satisfied little grin. "He was supposed to be kept in solitary, but a paperwork error put him in with the general population, by mistake."

"Well, good riddance," Will muttered. "At least Amanda and the children of the world don't have to worry about him ever again."

It was not something he would normally say about the death of any man, but given what the particular man had done, and confessed to via his own vile, sick and twisted journals, it was not a man. Will considered that person to be little more than a demon in human form, and the world was a safer place without him.

"Well, isn't there anything I can do?" will asked helplessly.

"Not unless you've got a drug up your sleeve that will take away Amanda's psychic powers for good," Larry sounded sarcastic, but there was a faint gleam of desperate hope in his eyes.

Will shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. You know that has been my other side project, but so far, the results are worse than abysmal."

"His other side project?" Lary asked, turning to his wife with a deep frown. Evelyn only shrugged and cast her husband a 'we'll talk about this at home, dear' sort of stare.

Oops, maybe Larry didn't know, will told himself. He let it go. It was their business, not his.

"You're not going to keep Amanda away from Caesar now, are you Will?" Evelyn looked worried. Then, her eyes flashed in anger as both men gaped at her. "Alright, I know. You didn't expect that from me, I admit it. Happy now? I'm sorry I went ballistic when I first met Caesar. Seeing him brought back all the pain we all went through trying to keep Koba after … Well, never mind. I was wrong. But we'll understand, Will, if you'd rather not have Caesar-:"

"Don't be ridiculous." Will reached across the table and put his hand on Evelyn's. "Of course I'm not going to separate the kids. Honestly, Evelyn, do you think we could if we wanted to? But listen, if there's anything at all I can do, I want the two of you to come to me straight away."

Amanda's dad cleared his throat. "Will," Larry began. "That's … that's so kind of you. But you're involved enough, and—"

"I'm volunteering to get involved. There, does that make you feel better, Larry?" Will was adamant and not going to be swayed o this matter.

"There's no point in arguing with him, Hun," Evelyn chimed in giving her boss a wink. "Once he gets that look on his face and his mind set, you do not change it, no matter what."

"And as long as we're swapping secrets, Will," Evelyn put in. She fell silent and gazed at er boss for a long moment.

"Go on and ask, Evelyn. I know it's been on your mind since you met him," Will said softly.

"Well, about Caesar; he came from our labs, didn't he, Will. He's got the ALZ112 in him, doesn't he?"

Will nodded.

"But how can that be?" Evelyn protested. :"We weren't testing on baby chimps."

"No, but we were testing on a pregnant chimp and didn't know it," Wil confessed, his eyes downcast and his expression forlorn. He would go to his grave with that guilt.

"Now wait just a dog-gone minute, you two. How in the world could you not know you had a pregnant ape in the cages?" Larry protested, looking incredulous.

"It's tragic, but not all that uncommon, Larry," his wife explained. "They aren't like us. They carry very small, and their pregnancies aren't nearly as visually noticeable as our own. They will hide any symptoms, and if we don't run the right blood test, they will hide the pregnancy right until the end."

Will winced when Evelyn said that. He was remembering the end of Caesar's poor Mother, the chimp Franklin had lovingly nicknamed Bright-Eyes. He was remembering when a heart-broken and infuriated Franklin, pushed to his limit, put his foot down and refused to kill the baby, leaving the syringe and telling Will to do it himself. Will had adopted that baby, Charles had named him Caesar, and now Bright Eye's son, that Will loved and thought of as his own son; not even Caroline truly understood how he felt about Caesar, was getting bigger and smarter by the day.

"Well I'll be damned," Amanda's father murmured in awe. "And here was me thinking he was just like our Koba, well, maybe a little smarter, but not by much."

"I'm guessing Jacobs doesn't know about Caesar," Evelyn remarked.

"That's right. He still doesn't know," Will told her grimly.

"Hey, don't worry, Will," Amanda's mother reassured him. "I promise I won't tell anyone. I just pray to God you have better luck keeping Caesar than we did keeping Koba."

A/N:

Hello good patient readers. I welcome you all back to Caesar and Amanda's story. Thank you for reading, and I hope everyone enjoyed it even if it did drift just a tad into x-files-like land. 😀

Also, a big welcome aboard to any and all new readers who may stumble upon the story and decide to stick around.

There is still so much more to come. So hang in there, folks? As always, reviews/comments/Kudos very much appreciated.