Xena watched as he friend offered her hand. The wild man took it, and
pulled
it to him. The former child of the streets had spent so much time with
proper English gentlemen that she expected him to kiss it, and was
startled
when he sniffed it instead. Then he ran his fingers tenderly over the
palm,
and Gabrielle giggled.
She smelled - different. Like the first of the warm season, when the
bright
flowers were blooming. And her hand was so small - and soft. He ran
his
finger over it, and she made a beautiful sound that reminded him of
birds
trilling in the woods. Yet it was like his - not as calloused as his,
but he
had always been teased by his fellows because he lacked the leathery
hide
they had on their palms. And she was without it also. He held his
hand up,
fingers spread, and after a moment, she pressed hers to his - her
fingers
barely reaching to his first knuckle. She smiled, shyly.
An idea was forming in the artist's mind. This was obviously a man -
he may
not act human, but he clearly was. He seemed to speak some odd
language. She
pointed to her palm. "Hand." He tilted his head quizzically, and she
took
his large fingers in hers. Pointing, she said, "Hand." She repeated
both
actions, and this time, he mimicked after her.
"Hand." His voice was deep, and seemed to surprise even him.
She reached out and touched his flowing chestnut locks. "Hair." She
took his
hand and began to move it towards her, but he pulled away, and she
waited,
anxiously. Reaching out a finger, he curled a blonde tendril that had
fallen
into her face around it.
"Hair?" He looked at her for approval, and she gave it, nodding and
smiling
widely.
Then she laid her palm on her chest, and said, "Gabrielle."
He repeated her actions, palm on his own chest, stating with
confidence,
"Gab-relle!" Xena guffawed and the artist scowled at her.
"No, no, no." She shook her head, and his face fell. Thinking for a
moment,
she circled her palm over her face, then using both hands to indicate
her
entire body with a sweeping motion. Then she placed her hand on her
chest
again, and said, "Me, Gabrielle." Pointing to his chest, she
said "You?"
He pouted in concentration, then smiled a little. Placing his hand on
his
chest, he announced, "Joxer!" She repeated his name, and he nodded in
confirmation. Then he turned and pointed to Xena, the question on his
face
that he had no words for yet.
Walking over to her closest friend, Gabrielle pointed and
explained, "Xena."
Joxer followed her, repeating dutifully. Having another idea, the
small girl
pulled the taller one to her with one arm around her shoulders. "Xena
friend." She released her bodyguard, looking at her for reaction
rather then
the wild man.
She let out a small scream when Joxer pulled her to his chest in a
crushing
hug and announced with joy, "Gabrielle friend." She stiffened for an
instant, and only Xena's uncontrolled mirth relaxed her. Still, the
combination of her friend's laughter and the blood pounding in her
ears as
she realized just how strong, how *masculine* this place was where
she had
found herself, kept her from hearing Drake O'Malley's voice when he
called,
promising to save her. But no one in the area could help but hear the
gunshot ring out.
~**~
Joxer turned around as he saw his baby sister, Raylan, fall from the
tree.
He turned and charged O'Malley, who was trying to get his gun to
work. Joxer
screamed in orangutan language at Drake. The dark-skinned man tried
his
best, but the gun was jammed. Joxer grabbed the firestick from him
and broke
it in two, throwing it to the ground. He knew that somehow the stick
had
caused Raylan to fall. He screamed again and then glared at Drake who
suddenly felt terrified. The wild man's dark eyes swirled and shone,
and
spoke of great pain coming. Joxer then grabbed Drake and held him in
a tight
squeeze. Xena jumped in front of him. "Let him go."
He stared at her, not comprehending. This creature had hurt his
sister. He
squeezed tighter.
"Please let him go."
He turned to see the woman he wanted to mate with, carrying his
sister. She
seemed to want something of him. He let go of Drake, who fell
unconscious on
the ground. He then walked up to Gabrielle and held out his hands.
Xena made
sure Drake was all right, then walked over to her friend and the
jungle man.
"Gabrielle, give me the young orangutan. I'll see if I can help her."
Gabrielle started to hand Raylan over to Xena, but Joxer grabbed her
from
Gabrielle and growled at both of them, showing his teeth in a
ferocious way.
Gabrielle grabbed his shoulder. "No, wait. Xena can help." She
pointed to
her friend. "Help. Xena help."
He stared at her, and then at his sister. Not knowing what to do, he
loped
away into the jungle.
"Wait," cried Gabrielle, "please let us help."
Xena put a hand on her friend. "He doesn't understand, Gabrielle. I'm
sorry."
Joxer ran into the jungle where he tumbled and fell, still managing
to hold
on to his sister. As he lay there, stunned by his fear and anger,
Chula
approached him. He looked up at her, tears in his eyes, something she
noted
that also made him different from the other animals.
"Chula, I don't know what's wrong with Raylan. She seems so weak."
Chula looked at Joxer's sister. "I saw this once when I was a young
cub.
This is like what happened to my mother. She was weak; she told me to
leave,
that she had to go somewhere and I couldn't come. I never saw her
again."
Joxer looked darkly at his friend. "No, I won't lose her. I'm going
to go
back, maybe those strange animals can save her."
"Jox?"
"Yeah, Chula?"
"I think you *are* one of them. Good luck. I hope they can help her."
With that, Chula went away.
~**~
Joxer came out of the jungle and laid his sister in front of Xena.
Xena
understood, and slowly began to examine the young orangutan. She was
relieved to find only a small shoulder wound. The bullet had gone
straight
though. She dressed the wound, putting salve on it.
She turned to her friend. '"She will have to stay here for a while.
Do you
think he'll stay?"
Gabrielle looked at Joxer who was now crouched down staring at Xena
intently. "I don't think a herd of elephants is going to move him."
Xena smiled at him. "She'll be fine," she assured him.
Joxer just stared at her. She turned to Gabrielle.
"Gabrielle, tell him that she will be fine."
The young woman nodded her head. Taking Joxer's hands she smiled at
him.
"Joxer... " She stopped - how was she going to tell him?
"Fine. She fine." She jumped around to show him, but he still didn't
understand. Suddenly, he heard Raylan cry, and he pushed Xena aside
and bent
down to his sister. She was frightened.
"Joxie, I'm scared. I'm sorry I followed you. I just wanted to know
what you
and Keenan were doing."
He stroked her and said in a gentle voice, "Don't be afraid, Raylan.
You're
going to be fine." He then turned and copied both women when they had
smiled
at him. This took Gabrielle by surprise. 'Oh, my God,' she thought to
herself. 'He smiles just like Jett and Jace Mansfield.' As a matter
of fact
he looked a lot like them. He had to be Lord Malcolm Mansfield's long
lost
son.
~**~
The lost Mansfield baby had been her father's trump card in his
effort to
keep Gabrielle from making this trip. It seemed that Lord Malcolm had
come
here seeking cheap labor, and brought his family along. However, the
youngest son had been a sickly child, and was suffering from one
malady or
another, keeping him and his mother in England longer than the rest
of the
family. During their trip to join the others, they both mysteriously
disappeared, never to be seen again.
Gabrielle was intimately acquainted with both the Mansfield story and
Jett
Mansfield, as he had asked her father for permission to court the
young
heiress not many months before. If this trip to Borneo hadn't already
been
one of her fondest dreams, the intrusion of Jett upon her fiercely
independent life would have quickly made it so.
It wasn't that he was all bad - not really. He was good looking,
smart, and
well connected, and in fact, one of London's most popular eligible
young
men. He even grudgingly admired Gabrielle's independence. He and his
brother
Jace were sought after for every possible social occasion, and they
could
pick and choose among the dances and parties the High Society
offered. Jace,
however - he was there at every gathering, he dressed in all the
latest
fashions, he danced beautifully; yet no woman ever seemed to capture
his
attention. Jett, on the other hand, appeared to notice every girl
there, but
only as playthings. He seemed to feel he was too good for the
majority of
the London Social crowd. While many young men had tried to court
Gabrielle
in order to win her fortune, she felt that the only value her father's
estate held in Jett's eyes was the additional status it would confer.
He had
money enough of his own.
No, the real problem with Jett was his attitude. He enjoyed,
embraced, even
coveted all the things that Gabrielle found most distasteful about her
lifestyle. She hadn't felt truly alive until she had come to this lush
isolated island, where she was free from the constraints of behaving
as she
knew she should. He lived for the petty backstabbing, empty
trivialities and
mindless etiquette that Society thrived upon - she loathed them.
Jett had come to see her just before she left, in a vain attempt to
talk her
out of this trip. He brought up his long lost brother, about whom it
appeared he seldom thought, and cared even less. He tried to impress
upon
her how inappropriate such a trip would be for a single woman
traveling with
another female. What would people *think*? His every argument only
served to
further buoy her resolve. Then he had pulled her close, in a bold
move, one
quite out of character for him. "Be careful, my love," he had
whispered to
her. "Return quickly, and consent to be my wife." She had pulled away,
uncomfortable with his intimacy. But when this wild man - his
brother? - had
held her to his naked chest, her only discomfort had been with the
uncontrollable response her own body had made. Being held by him felt
like
the most right, the most natural thing on earth, otherwise.
The other strike that Jett Mansfield had against him was that Xena
hated
him - wildly, passionately, irrationally. It was obvious the feeling
was
mutual. And Gabrielle put a lot of stock in the instincts of her best
friend. She and Jett would snipe at each other behind the artist's
back
until Gabrielle felt ready to scream, sometimes. But Xena seemed more
than
willing to accept and even encourage this jungle man. Xena's opinion
was
important.
As her friend was going over this in her mind, Xena was watching the
scene
playing out with the small orangutan. The man was hovering over her,
cooing
and screeching quietly in what had to be her language. Soon after the
little
one had regained consciousness, he had called something into the
trees, and
a larger ape had appeared and began to approach. The man's tone and
actions
both indicated that he was sending the other away, perhaps on an
errand. The
one so sent appeared torn, motioning to the small ape as Joxer
scolded him.
Finally, he turned and disappeared into the dark jungle. Joxer then
returned
to the little one, speaking comforting sounds to her as she whimpered.
O'Malley had come to during this period, although he was clearly
keeping his
distance from the strange man. Xena could see in the dark man's
actions that
he regretted harming the little ape - he had probably only intended a
warning shot into the air. The guide sat on the far edge of the camp,
fiddling absently with the two parts of the gun, attempting vainly to
stick
them back into one functioning whole. She marveled at the strength in
this
wiry man who came from the trees - while that gun hadn't been the
very best
weapon that could be found, it had been a fairly solid piece of
equipment.
That he had rendered it useless with his bare hands was testimony to
both
his strength and the power of his anger over the incident. Drake
O'Malley
was lucky to still be alive.
She felt her best friend behind her. "He really cares about her,
doesn't
he?" Gabrielle murmured in wonder, watching the man and the small
ape. Just
then, two more orangutans burst from the trees, the larger one Xena
had seen
earlier, and another, the same size but built differently, probably a
female. The female was chattering anxiously at the man, who chattered
back
defensively, as did the small female. The new ape gathered the little
one in
her arms, appearing to lecture both the other apes and the man all at
the
same time. Their heads hung in shame, and the little one squealed
indignantly.
"What are you *doing* here with these strange creatures, Joxer? You
could
have endangered Keenan by coming here, even though you didn't know
Raylan
was following you. You could have endangered our whole family! What
if they
followed you back to our home?"
Joxer waved his arm at the two women, who stepped back instinctively.
"*They* didn't hurt her, Momma. They helped her after that one -" he
pointed
with anger at O'Malley, who cringed, "hurt her with the stick that
shoots
fire." He saw Sheera pull back her lips and grimace angrily. "Don't
worry,
Momma. I broke the stick." She relaxed.
Raylan, who was quickly recovering her strength once her fear had
subsided,
chimed in eagerly. "Look at them Momma! They have funny fur on just
the top
of their heads like Joxer does! And they're soft and smell pretty,
too.
Although they have different coats," she said, referring to the full
body
covering of the women's gowns.
Keenan hung back, silent. Somehow he felt responsible for all this,
and he
didn't want his mother to reach that conclusion as well.
Sheera looked for the first time at the creatures her son had found.
Realization struck her - these were like he was. They were the same
sort of
animal as Joxer. This was why he had never mated - he had been
looking for
one of these creatures. She turned slowly and sadly to her
eldest. "They are
like you, aren't they? Is this where you think you belong?"
Gabrielle watched in awed silence at the almost human interaction
between
the apes. "Do you think it's his family?" she whispered to Xena. Her
friend
nodded. The sadness in her heart that Lord Mansfield would never know
his
missing son was mixed with something else, a strange self-pity she
didn't
really recognize or acknowledge. Watching a while longer, though, she
realized that the female didn't act towards him as a lover to a
recalcitrant
mate, but rather a parent to a wayward child. And he responded in
kind -
defensive, but not in the way of two equals. Her heart lifted when she
whispered in realization, "She's his *mother*!" Then the little female
chattered something, and the older female gazed at Gabrielle and
Xena, and
she could *see* the heartbreak in the ape's eyes.
Gabrielle moved towards the group, hearing Xena strangle back a gasp.
She
laid her hand on Joxer's arm, and he looked down on her with soft
eyes. She
placed her hand on her chest, turning to look the female in the eyes.
"Gabrielle." She put her hand gently on the man's chest. "Joxer."
He nodded in understanding, pointing first to the male standing a bit
outside the group. "Keenan." The young ape's eyes were wary. Then
Joxer took
the tiny female from his mother's arms and cradled her lovingly,
stepping to
Gabrielle's side. "Raylan." The young woman reached out a finger and
Raylan
grasped it, chattering in delight. She held out her hands, and the
little
one climbed into her embrace, and tears filled her eyes as the small
ape
wrapped her arms around her neck. Taking her arm, the man guided
Gabrielle
to the older female. He struggled for a human way to say the
orangutan word
for "Mother," but it wasn't possible, so finally, he
offered, "Sheera." The
tenderness in his eyes offered the interpretation, and Gabrielle
offered the
human word.
"Mother?" she unwrapped Raylan from her neck, cradled her like a tiny
baby
and rocked her to illustrate.
Joxer nodded eagerly. "Mother." The artist nodded solemnly and held
Raylan
out to Sheera, who took her with apparent gratitude.
Sheera placed Raylan on her back, where the little one clung
comfortably.
Reaching out, she pulled her eldest son closer, touching his hair
with love.
"I always knew you'd leave some day, like the others. I just never
knew
you'd find another like you to go with. Be careful, son. They seem
pleasant
enough, but any animal that can create a firestick that can put holes
in
others is not a kind and gentle species." She touched Joxer's face,
apparently trying to memorize it.
He gazed at her lovingly. "I know, Momma. All species have the good
and the
bad in them. But she's special, Momma. I saw how Jett acted when he
found
Murlee, and I feel that way about her. I promise I'll come back and
visit,
when I can." He pulled away, and called to his brother. "Keenan!"
The adolescent approached reluctantly, eyeing the humans with
suspicion.
"You're gonna stay with them aren't ya, Jox?" he asked, unhappily.
Joxer ruffled his fur. "I think I need to, squirt. Now you're in
charge of
taking care of Momma and Raylan. Think you can do that?" he looked
briefly
at the bright white bandage on his little sister's shoulder. "And do a
better job than I did?" he added, softly.
The young male toed the dirt. "Ya did pretty good. I'll try." He
turned and
escaped into the trees.
"I know where this is, I can come see Joxie. I won't let you go away."
Raylan was bouncing on her mother's back, the wound almost forgotten.
He
plucked her up and looked at her sternly.
"You will do what mother tells you to. We could have lost you today,
and I
would have never forgiven myself. Behave, little one." His expression
softened. "I love you." He handed her back to his mother, who turned
reluctantly and loped into the jungle. "Goodbye."
They disappeared without answering.
As he turned to face them, Xena realized that they had just assumed
responsibility for this wild creature. He spoke no English, outside
of a
handful of words. He had never worn shoes, had a haircut, or even
used a
water closet. Yet he had sent his family away, put his trust in them,
and
now they were stuck with him. She rolled her eyes.
"Look closely at him, Xena," Gabrielle said softly into her
ear. "Doesn't he
remind you of anyone?" The man saw Gabrielle smile at him, and he
smiled
back.
"Oh, by the saints and angels," Xena gasped. "Jett! 'E looks like that
bloody snob, Jett Mansfield!" If she had been the type of woman to
pass out,
Xena would have fainted dead away. She stared again at the jungle man.
'Bloody 'ell,' she thought to herself, 'that's all I need.' The
bodyguard
shook her head and walked away.
Drake was watching all of this. He feared the jungle man, but hated
him
more. That stupid creature left them without protection, and he
seemed to
have some hankering for Gabrielle. He stood up and approached the
wild man.
"You bloody savage! Look what you did." He held out the broken
gun. "Now
we've got no way to protect ourselves." He moved towards the artist.
Joxer growled at Drake and pulled Gabrielle tightly to him, to show
the dark
man that she was his. Xena moved in to protect her friend.
"No," whispered the young artist. "He's not hurting me." She then
turned to
Joxer. "Please let go."
He held her tighter. Gabrielle cried out in pain. Suddenly, Joxer let
go,
realizing that he *had* hurt her. He reached out and gently pulled on
her
hair, beginning to groom her.
"What is he doing?" asked Drake.
"I think he's looking for bugs," replied Xena.
"Bugs?" Gabrielle gasped, wide-eyed. "I don't have bugs! Although I
*do*
need a bath. That's a good idea. Drake, could you get me some water?"
requested the blonde woman, squirming slightly under Joxer's
fastidious
attention. The guide seemed gruesomely fascinated by the idea of the
monkey
man searching the artist's hair for bugs, and wasn't paying
attention. She
cleared her throat, and mimicked washing. "Water?"
Joxer stopped grooming Gabrielle. If he understood what he thought he
did,
she wanted to wash. She wanted water. He would take her there. He ran
into
the jungle.
"Great, the bloody savage is gone," said O'Malley with satisfaction.
Suddenly Gabrielle found herself being swept off the ground. She
looked up
to see that Joxer had her, and was hanging from a tree by a vine. He
was
smiling at her. The young artist was surprised to find she was not
afraid.
She held on to him as they swung though the air from vine to vine.
pulled
it to him. The former child of the streets had spent so much time with
proper English gentlemen that she expected him to kiss it, and was
startled
when he sniffed it instead. Then he ran his fingers tenderly over the
palm,
and Gabrielle giggled.
She smelled - different. Like the first of the warm season, when the
bright
flowers were blooming. And her hand was so small - and soft. He ran
his
finger over it, and she made a beautiful sound that reminded him of
birds
trilling in the woods. Yet it was like his - not as calloused as his,
but he
had always been teased by his fellows because he lacked the leathery
hide
they had on their palms. And she was without it also. He held his
hand up,
fingers spread, and after a moment, she pressed hers to his - her
fingers
barely reaching to his first knuckle. She smiled, shyly.
An idea was forming in the artist's mind. This was obviously a man -
he may
not act human, but he clearly was. He seemed to speak some odd
language. She
pointed to her palm. "Hand." He tilted his head quizzically, and she
took
his large fingers in hers. Pointing, she said, "Hand." She repeated
both
actions, and this time, he mimicked after her.
"Hand." His voice was deep, and seemed to surprise even him.
She reached out and touched his flowing chestnut locks. "Hair." She
took his
hand and began to move it towards her, but he pulled away, and she
waited,
anxiously. Reaching out a finger, he curled a blonde tendril that had
fallen
into her face around it.
"Hair?" He looked at her for approval, and she gave it, nodding and
smiling
widely.
Then she laid her palm on her chest, and said, "Gabrielle."
He repeated her actions, palm on his own chest, stating with
confidence,
"Gab-relle!" Xena guffawed and the artist scowled at her.
"No, no, no." She shook her head, and his face fell. Thinking for a
moment,
she circled her palm over her face, then using both hands to indicate
her
entire body with a sweeping motion. Then she placed her hand on her
chest
again, and said, "Me, Gabrielle." Pointing to his chest, she
said "You?"
He pouted in concentration, then smiled a little. Placing his hand on
his
chest, he announced, "Joxer!" She repeated his name, and he nodded in
confirmation. Then he turned and pointed to Xena, the question on his
face
that he had no words for yet.
Walking over to her closest friend, Gabrielle pointed and
explained, "Xena."
Joxer followed her, repeating dutifully. Having another idea, the
small girl
pulled the taller one to her with one arm around her shoulders. "Xena
friend." She released her bodyguard, looking at her for reaction
rather then
the wild man.
She let out a small scream when Joxer pulled her to his chest in a
crushing
hug and announced with joy, "Gabrielle friend." She stiffened for an
instant, and only Xena's uncontrolled mirth relaxed her. Still, the
combination of her friend's laughter and the blood pounding in her
ears as
she realized just how strong, how *masculine* this place was where
she had
found herself, kept her from hearing Drake O'Malley's voice when he
called,
promising to save her. But no one in the area could help but hear the
gunshot ring out.
~**~
Joxer turned around as he saw his baby sister, Raylan, fall from the
tree.
He turned and charged O'Malley, who was trying to get his gun to
work. Joxer
screamed in orangutan language at Drake. The dark-skinned man tried
his
best, but the gun was jammed. Joxer grabbed the firestick from him
and broke
it in two, throwing it to the ground. He knew that somehow the stick
had
caused Raylan to fall. He screamed again and then glared at Drake who
suddenly felt terrified. The wild man's dark eyes swirled and shone,
and
spoke of great pain coming. Joxer then grabbed Drake and held him in
a tight
squeeze. Xena jumped in front of him. "Let him go."
He stared at her, not comprehending. This creature had hurt his
sister. He
squeezed tighter.
"Please let him go."
He turned to see the woman he wanted to mate with, carrying his
sister. She
seemed to want something of him. He let go of Drake, who fell
unconscious on
the ground. He then walked up to Gabrielle and held out his hands.
Xena made
sure Drake was all right, then walked over to her friend and the
jungle man.
"Gabrielle, give me the young orangutan. I'll see if I can help her."
Gabrielle started to hand Raylan over to Xena, but Joxer grabbed her
from
Gabrielle and growled at both of them, showing his teeth in a
ferocious way.
Gabrielle grabbed his shoulder. "No, wait. Xena can help." She
pointed to
her friend. "Help. Xena help."
He stared at her, and then at his sister. Not knowing what to do, he
loped
away into the jungle.
"Wait," cried Gabrielle, "please let us help."
Xena put a hand on her friend. "He doesn't understand, Gabrielle. I'm
sorry."
Joxer ran into the jungle where he tumbled and fell, still managing
to hold
on to his sister. As he lay there, stunned by his fear and anger,
Chula
approached him. He looked up at her, tears in his eyes, something she
noted
that also made him different from the other animals.
"Chula, I don't know what's wrong with Raylan. She seems so weak."
Chula looked at Joxer's sister. "I saw this once when I was a young
cub.
This is like what happened to my mother. She was weak; she told me to
leave,
that she had to go somewhere and I couldn't come. I never saw her
again."
Joxer looked darkly at his friend. "No, I won't lose her. I'm going
to go
back, maybe those strange animals can save her."
"Jox?"
"Yeah, Chula?"
"I think you *are* one of them. Good luck. I hope they can help her."
With that, Chula went away.
~**~
Joxer came out of the jungle and laid his sister in front of Xena.
Xena
understood, and slowly began to examine the young orangutan. She was
relieved to find only a small shoulder wound. The bullet had gone
straight
though. She dressed the wound, putting salve on it.
She turned to her friend. '"She will have to stay here for a while.
Do you
think he'll stay?"
Gabrielle looked at Joxer who was now crouched down staring at Xena
intently. "I don't think a herd of elephants is going to move him."
Xena smiled at him. "She'll be fine," she assured him.
Joxer just stared at her. She turned to Gabrielle.
"Gabrielle, tell him that she will be fine."
The young woman nodded her head. Taking Joxer's hands she smiled at
him.
"Joxer... " She stopped - how was she going to tell him?
"Fine. She fine." She jumped around to show him, but he still didn't
understand. Suddenly, he heard Raylan cry, and he pushed Xena aside
and bent
down to his sister. She was frightened.
"Joxie, I'm scared. I'm sorry I followed you. I just wanted to know
what you
and Keenan were doing."
He stroked her and said in a gentle voice, "Don't be afraid, Raylan.
You're
going to be fine." He then turned and copied both women when they had
smiled
at him. This took Gabrielle by surprise. 'Oh, my God,' she thought to
herself. 'He smiles just like Jett and Jace Mansfield.' As a matter
of fact
he looked a lot like them. He had to be Lord Malcolm Mansfield's long
lost
son.
~**~
The lost Mansfield baby had been her father's trump card in his
effort to
keep Gabrielle from making this trip. It seemed that Lord Malcolm had
come
here seeking cheap labor, and brought his family along. However, the
youngest son had been a sickly child, and was suffering from one
malady or
another, keeping him and his mother in England longer than the rest
of the
family. During their trip to join the others, they both mysteriously
disappeared, never to be seen again.
Gabrielle was intimately acquainted with both the Mansfield story and
Jett
Mansfield, as he had asked her father for permission to court the
young
heiress not many months before. If this trip to Borneo hadn't already
been
one of her fondest dreams, the intrusion of Jett upon her fiercely
independent life would have quickly made it so.
It wasn't that he was all bad - not really. He was good looking,
smart, and
well connected, and in fact, one of London's most popular eligible
young
men. He even grudgingly admired Gabrielle's independence. He and his
brother
Jace were sought after for every possible social occasion, and they
could
pick and choose among the dances and parties the High Society
offered. Jace,
however - he was there at every gathering, he dressed in all the
latest
fashions, he danced beautifully; yet no woman ever seemed to capture
his
attention. Jett, on the other hand, appeared to notice every girl
there, but
only as playthings. He seemed to feel he was too good for the
majority of
the London Social crowd. While many young men had tried to court
Gabrielle
in order to win her fortune, she felt that the only value her father's
estate held in Jett's eyes was the additional status it would confer.
He had
money enough of his own.
No, the real problem with Jett was his attitude. He enjoyed,
embraced, even
coveted all the things that Gabrielle found most distasteful about her
lifestyle. She hadn't felt truly alive until she had come to this lush
isolated island, where she was free from the constraints of behaving
as she
knew she should. He lived for the petty backstabbing, empty
trivialities and
mindless etiquette that Society thrived upon - she loathed them.
Jett had come to see her just before she left, in a vain attempt to
talk her
out of this trip. He brought up his long lost brother, about whom it
appeared he seldom thought, and cared even less. He tried to impress
upon
her how inappropriate such a trip would be for a single woman
traveling with
another female. What would people *think*? His every argument only
served to
further buoy her resolve. Then he had pulled her close, in a bold
move, one
quite out of character for him. "Be careful, my love," he had
whispered to
her. "Return quickly, and consent to be my wife." She had pulled away,
uncomfortable with his intimacy. But when this wild man - his
brother? - had
held her to his naked chest, her only discomfort had been with the
uncontrollable response her own body had made. Being held by him felt
like
the most right, the most natural thing on earth, otherwise.
The other strike that Jett Mansfield had against him was that Xena
hated
him - wildly, passionately, irrationally. It was obvious the feeling
was
mutual. And Gabrielle put a lot of stock in the instincts of her best
friend. She and Jett would snipe at each other behind the artist's
back
until Gabrielle felt ready to scream, sometimes. But Xena seemed more
than
willing to accept and even encourage this jungle man. Xena's opinion
was
important.
As her friend was going over this in her mind, Xena was watching the
scene
playing out with the small orangutan. The man was hovering over her,
cooing
and screeching quietly in what had to be her language. Soon after the
little
one had regained consciousness, he had called something into the
trees, and
a larger ape had appeared and began to approach. The man's tone and
actions
both indicated that he was sending the other away, perhaps on an
errand. The
one so sent appeared torn, motioning to the small ape as Joxer
scolded him.
Finally, he turned and disappeared into the dark jungle. Joxer then
returned
to the little one, speaking comforting sounds to her as she whimpered.
O'Malley had come to during this period, although he was clearly
keeping his
distance from the strange man. Xena could see in the dark man's
actions that
he regretted harming the little ape - he had probably only intended a
warning shot into the air. The guide sat on the far edge of the camp,
fiddling absently with the two parts of the gun, attempting vainly to
stick
them back into one functioning whole. She marveled at the strength in
this
wiry man who came from the trees - while that gun hadn't been the
very best
weapon that could be found, it had been a fairly solid piece of
equipment.
That he had rendered it useless with his bare hands was testimony to
both
his strength and the power of his anger over the incident. Drake
O'Malley
was lucky to still be alive.
She felt her best friend behind her. "He really cares about her,
doesn't
he?" Gabrielle murmured in wonder, watching the man and the small
ape. Just
then, two more orangutans burst from the trees, the larger one Xena
had seen
earlier, and another, the same size but built differently, probably a
female. The female was chattering anxiously at the man, who chattered
back
defensively, as did the small female. The new ape gathered the little
one in
her arms, appearing to lecture both the other apes and the man all at
the
same time. Their heads hung in shame, and the little one squealed
indignantly.
"What are you *doing* here with these strange creatures, Joxer? You
could
have endangered Keenan by coming here, even though you didn't know
Raylan
was following you. You could have endangered our whole family! What
if they
followed you back to our home?"
Joxer waved his arm at the two women, who stepped back instinctively.
"*They* didn't hurt her, Momma. They helped her after that one -" he
pointed
with anger at O'Malley, who cringed, "hurt her with the stick that
shoots
fire." He saw Sheera pull back her lips and grimace angrily. "Don't
worry,
Momma. I broke the stick." She relaxed.
Raylan, who was quickly recovering her strength once her fear had
subsided,
chimed in eagerly. "Look at them Momma! They have funny fur on just
the top
of their heads like Joxer does! And they're soft and smell pretty,
too.
Although they have different coats," she said, referring to the full
body
covering of the women's gowns.
Keenan hung back, silent. Somehow he felt responsible for all this,
and he
didn't want his mother to reach that conclusion as well.
Sheera looked for the first time at the creatures her son had found.
Realization struck her - these were like he was. They were the same
sort of
animal as Joxer. This was why he had never mated - he had been
looking for
one of these creatures. She turned slowly and sadly to her
eldest. "They are
like you, aren't they? Is this where you think you belong?"
Gabrielle watched in awed silence at the almost human interaction
between
the apes. "Do you think it's his family?" she whispered to Xena. Her
friend
nodded. The sadness in her heart that Lord Mansfield would never know
his
missing son was mixed with something else, a strange self-pity she
didn't
really recognize or acknowledge. Watching a while longer, though, she
realized that the female didn't act towards him as a lover to a
recalcitrant
mate, but rather a parent to a wayward child. And he responded in
kind -
defensive, but not in the way of two equals. Her heart lifted when she
whispered in realization, "She's his *mother*!" Then the little female
chattered something, and the older female gazed at Gabrielle and
Xena, and
she could *see* the heartbreak in the ape's eyes.
Gabrielle moved towards the group, hearing Xena strangle back a gasp.
She
laid her hand on Joxer's arm, and he looked down on her with soft
eyes. She
placed her hand on her chest, turning to look the female in the eyes.
"Gabrielle." She put her hand gently on the man's chest. "Joxer."
He nodded in understanding, pointing first to the male standing a bit
outside the group. "Keenan." The young ape's eyes were wary. Then
Joxer took
the tiny female from his mother's arms and cradled her lovingly,
stepping to
Gabrielle's side. "Raylan." The young woman reached out a finger and
Raylan
grasped it, chattering in delight. She held out her hands, and the
little
one climbed into her embrace, and tears filled her eyes as the small
ape
wrapped her arms around her neck. Taking her arm, the man guided
Gabrielle
to the older female. He struggled for a human way to say the
orangutan word
for "Mother," but it wasn't possible, so finally, he
offered, "Sheera." The
tenderness in his eyes offered the interpretation, and Gabrielle
offered the
human word.
"Mother?" she unwrapped Raylan from her neck, cradled her like a tiny
baby
and rocked her to illustrate.
Joxer nodded eagerly. "Mother." The artist nodded solemnly and held
Raylan
out to Sheera, who took her with apparent gratitude.
Sheera placed Raylan on her back, where the little one clung
comfortably.
Reaching out, she pulled her eldest son closer, touching his hair
with love.
"I always knew you'd leave some day, like the others. I just never
knew
you'd find another like you to go with. Be careful, son. They seem
pleasant
enough, but any animal that can create a firestick that can put holes
in
others is not a kind and gentle species." She touched Joxer's face,
apparently trying to memorize it.
He gazed at her lovingly. "I know, Momma. All species have the good
and the
bad in them. But she's special, Momma. I saw how Jett acted when he
found
Murlee, and I feel that way about her. I promise I'll come back and
visit,
when I can." He pulled away, and called to his brother. "Keenan!"
The adolescent approached reluctantly, eyeing the humans with
suspicion.
"You're gonna stay with them aren't ya, Jox?" he asked, unhappily.
Joxer ruffled his fur. "I think I need to, squirt. Now you're in
charge of
taking care of Momma and Raylan. Think you can do that?" he looked
briefly
at the bright white bandage on his little sister's shoulder. "And do a
better job than I did?" he added, softly.
The young male toed the dirt. "Ya did pretty good. I'll try." He
turned and
escaped into the trees.
"I know where this is, I can come see Joxie. I won't let you go away."
Raylan was bouncing on her mother's back, the wound almost forgotten.
He
plucked her up and looked at her sternly.
"You will do what mother tells you to. We could have lost you today,
and I
would have never forgiven myself. Behave, little one." His expression
softened. "I love you." He handed her back to his mother, who turned
reluctantly and loped into the jungle. "Goodbye."
They disappeared without answering.
As he turned to face them, Xena realized that they had just assumed
responsibility for this wild creature. He spoke no English, outside
of a
handful of words. He had never worn shoes, had a haircut, or even
used a
water closet. Yet he had sent his family away, put his trust in them,
and
now they were stuck with him. She rolled her eyes.
"Look closely at him, Xena," Gabrielle said softly into her
ear. "Doesn't he
remind you of anyone?" The man saw Gabrielle smile at him, and he
smiled
back.
"Oh, by the saints and angels," Xena gasped. "Jett! 'E looks like that
bloody snob, Jett Mansfield!" If she had been the type of woman to
pass out,
Xena would have fainted dead away. She stared again at the jungle man.
'Bloody 'ell,' she thought to herself, 'that's all I need.' The
bodyguard
shook her head and walked away.
Drake was watching all of this. He feared the jungle man, but hated
him
more. That stupid creature left them without protection, and he
seemed to
have some hankering for Gabrielle. He stood up and approached the
wild man.
"You bloody savage! Look what you did." He held out the broken
gun. "Now
we've got no way to protect ourselves." He moved towards the artist.
Joxer growled at Drake and pulled Gabrielle tightly to him, to show
the dark
man that she was his. Xena moved in to protect her friend.
"No," whispered the young artist. "He's not hurting me." She then
turned to
Joxer. "Please let go."
He held her tighter. Gabrielle cried out in pain. Suddenly, Joxer let
go,
realizing that he *had* hurt her. He reached out and gently pulled on
her
hair, beginning to groom her.
"What is he doing?" asked Drake.
"I think he's looking for bugs," replied Xena.
"Bugs?" Gabrielle gasped, wide-eyed. "I don't have bugs! Although I
*do*
need a bath. That's a good idea. Drake, could you get me some water?"
requested the blonde woman, squirming slightly under Joxer's
fastidious
attention. The guide seemed gruesomely fascinated by the idea of the
monkey
man searching the artist's hair for bugs, and wasn't paying
attention. She
cleared her throat, and mimicked washing. "Water?"
Joxer stopped grooming Gabrielle. If he understood what he thought he
did,
she wanted to wash. She wanted water. He would take her there. He ran
into
the jungle.
"Great, the bloody savage is gone," said O'Malley with satisfaction.
Suddenly Gabrielle found herself being swept off the ground. She
looked up
to see that Joxer had her, and was hanging from a tree by a vine. He
was
smiling at her. The young artist was surprised to find she was not
afraid.
She held on to him as they swung though the air from vine to vine.
