Notes:

The new chapter is finally here! Sorry it took so long, things got quite busy, but, looking at the way things are going with COVID-19 in England, I might have way more spare time again in lockdown (lol, fuck my life).
Also, thank you to any new followers, favourites, kudos and bookmarks. I honestly thought my story wouldn't get that much attention so it means a lot to me :)
WARNING: There's a ton of ANGST at the start of this chapter so naturally there will be a few trigger warnings. In Eve's flashback, there is a violent death by fire which may be distressing for some readers, especially with the wildfires in California and I hope that anyone involved is safe and that it will be resolved soon. It's totally fine if you skip this part as it just gives context to what happened to Eve's Mom and why Eve has greater empathy for apes than humans.

2016

Evie and Mom pause for a second, making sure if they both heard the sound. There's a heavy silence and then the laughter starts up again ever so faintly. Mom sits up, alert. She doesn't ask Evie if it's Amber or Danny – the laughter is too low and deep. Men. They have no neighbours and no one else is here for miles around. They are alone. So if they can hear them through the thick hush of the snow it means only one thing - they're outside the house.

The purr of a car engine trickles through a draft in the bedroom window and someone – a man – loudly shushes the men with him and they giggle.

Mom throws her stiff legs over the bed and goes to stand up but Evie stops her. "Let me look, Mom. It's probably just the hazmat people again." Evie doesn't believe that at all – she knows full well that the seven days aren't up yet. But she says it anyway as if she can fool Mom and herself.

Creeping up to the window, Evie slowly peels the curtain back, opening it up into a sliver. Harsh bright light beams into the window and Evie easily spots the shiny red truck parked on their driveway.

Silhouetted by the headlights are four figures. Evie squints and the three closest dark blobs sharpen into young men. None of them are dressed for the snow: they're all in t-shirts and jeans, their faces and arms red from the cold. She can't make out the fourth one. One of them stumbles on a patch of ice and the glass bottle in his hand winks in the light. The clear liquid inside it swishes about. Drunk. Evie's had enough experience to know that. They all stare intently at the door and suddenly Evie knows exactly what they're looking at - the cross.

In a flash, the fourth person looks right up at her. Though their face is still shadowed and strangely pointed, their eyes shine up at her, flickering eerily in the light. She then realises why she couldn't make them out the first time. They're wearing a plague mask. A medieval plague doctor's mask.

Terrified, she reels back from the window and the plague doctor howls with laughter. The other men's heads snap up and they jeer at her. "That's right!" one of them shouts. "It's time for your cleansing!"

Mom quickly staggers out of bed, panting from the effort. Yanking the curtain aside, she watches in horror as the men start unloading several plastic jugs from the back of the truck. One of them waves a jug up at them teasingly and they both see the bright red of the gas can.

"It's time to cleanse you plague-ridden fuckers!" the man yells, slurring his words. "They might think keeping you virus spreaders alive is the right thing to do but they're wrong! We are the chosen, the ones that must clean this unclean world. Just … just accept it. It'll be easier on you." He lights a match. "WE ARE THE BEGINNING AND THE END!"

Evie's vision pinholes and her ears ring. They're those terrorists. They're Alpha Omega. And they're going to burn them alive.

"Go!" Mom cries and shoves Evie towards the door. "Get Danny and Amber!"

Evie bolts across the staircase, crashing into Danny's door. The door bursts open, slamming into the wall, and Danny and Amber squint at Evie groggily.

"What –" Danny starts but Evie is already yanking him up by the arm.

"We've got to go, there's people here, they're gonna set fire to the house," Evie babbles breathlessly. Danny stares at her blankly and she shakes him, hard. "Danny, wake up! We gotta go! They're gonna burn the house down, the people outside are gonna set the house on fire!"

Danny blinks and he finally reacts, pulling Amber out of bed. Grabbing her by the hand, Evie drags her out of the room, Danny right behind them, Amber gaping at them in confusion. Explanations could wait.

"WE ARE THE BEGINNING AND THE END!" The men are still chanting it, screaming it.

Meeting them at the staircase, Mom waves them down the stairs, Dad's gun in hand. Breathless, Mom stumbles down the stairs, a heavy thud sounding with each step. She pitches towards the front door to open it, but smoke is already billowing through the cracks.

Evie's eyes sting from the smoke and she starts coughing, choking on the heat. Everyone is coughing, Mom more than ever. Mom gasps painfully in between coughs, desperate for air, and she hacks up a thick spatter of blood, gagging on it. She signs something to them, but Evie can't see through the smoke or her tears. Mom drags them towards her, signing right in front of their faces. Go to the front room. Open windows and go out that way. Put your shirts over your faces and mouths. Stay low. She demonstrates, shoving her t-shirt securely over her mouth and nose.

Mimicking her, they run for the front room, getting some relief from the slightly cooler, thinner air. Danny reaches the window first and swipes the curtain aside. He is scrabbling frantically at the window handle when the plague doctor appears, their pointed nose and black bottomless eyes peering out from the other side of the glass. Danny falls back with a shout and Amber screams. The plague doctor taps a handgun on the glass and shakes their head mockingly.

Mom looks around the room urgently, trying to find a way out. Smoke starts pouring in from the hall and Evie is blinded again. Her head is spinning, and she wants to be sick. She can't see Mom, Danny or Amber. She's gonna die, she's gonna die, she's -

Without warning, she feels a tight grip on her arm pulling her back into the smoke. Dizzy and confused, Evie tries to yank herself out of the hold, away from the smoke but it doesn't relent, hauling her back into the hall. A hand pushes her down hard and she thinks she hears Mom ordering her to get down. Evie drops onto her hands and knees, numbly letting Mom push her along. Mom forces her back by the front door and Evie cringes from the scorching heat of the flames now engulfing the front of the house. She crawls across the carpet, sobbing and choking, her face and lungs burning.

Mom swipes at Evie's side, indicating to her to turn left into the corridor. Evie fumbles across the floor, going as fast as she can while still pressing her T-shirt onto her face. The heat recedes and the smoke thins a little, curling in the air. Turning back to Mom, she can see her dragging herself painstakingly across the carpet, hacking violently into her shirt. It is wet with blood. Mom motions for Evie to keep moving, pointing to the basement staircase. Evie might have questioned this before, but she doesn't now – she just goes. There's no time for thinking.

She shuffles round the corner, seeing Amber and Danny down below. Clawing her nails into the steps, she crawls down the stairs, straining to stop herself tumbling headfirst down the stairs while also keeping her head below the smoke. Her temples throbbing and her arms screaming with pain, she reaches the last step, sliding down it in exhaustion. Danny heaves her into the basement, going back for Mom. Wheezing from the effort, Danny pulls Mom down by her arms, gently dropping them before slamming the basement door shut.

It's dark in the basement; the only light pools in from the crack under the door. Already Evie can see a fine cloud of fumes rolling in.

Chest heaving, Mom lays down on the floor, her blood-splattered mouth wide open, hungry for air. Taking a few struggling breaths, Mom pushes herself up onto to her knees. Danny, she signs, coughing, open the safe and get your Dad's gun. There should be some money in there as well. Here. She pulls out a set of keys from her pocket and holds them out. Danny takes them and rushes to the safe.

She turns to Evie and Amber. There should be some of your Dad's old coats in here. Find yourselves some, you're going to need it. Amber nods and starts rifling through the piles of clothes they'd left down there. Evie, get some boots as well. It doesn't matter if they don't fit. Evie bundles through the shoes, flinging out random pairs of winter boots.

At Mom's insistence, Evie, Amber and Danny are soon fully kitted out in Dad's old winter wear. It doesn't fit Danny or Evie great. Amber's practically drowning in hers. Tucking the wads of money into his coat pockets, Danny clutches the gun firmly in his hand.

You see that window? Mom asks, jabbing her finger at the glass panel at the top of the wall. You're going to go through there. You're going stand on my shoulders so you can get at it. Lookout and wait for your sisters. As soon as you're all outside, run to the treeline and hide. Then go to Kate's house, okay? You know the way.

"Mom –" Evie says but Mom hushes her.

Danny, you go first. They shouldn't be waiting out there, they'll be by the front, but if they are you know what to do.

Danny nods solemnly and briskly follows Mom to the window. Awkwardly, with the help of a nearby cabinet, Danny steadies himself on Mom's shoulders and opens the window. A blast of cold air flies into the basement and Evie shivers despite the growing heat radiating from the basement door.

Danny clambers into the window, struggling to get purchase. Digging his hands into the snowy ground outside, Danny manages to pull himself out. A tense few seconds go by and Danny pokes his head back in, signalling the all-clear. Mom scoops up Amber, murmuring something right into her ear before lifting her into Danny's waiting arms. The ceiling above creaks ominously and there's a whoosh as something flares in the flames.

Mom turns to Evie, beckoning for Evie to go but she hesitates. Mom isn't wearing a coat or boots. "Mom," she says, looking into Mom's face searchingly, "you're coming with us, right?"

Mom stares at Evie and it's then that Evie understands that Mom will never leave here, that she can't possibly fit through that window and that she thinks she will slow them down. She sees the pain in Mom's eyes, the sacrifice, but she also sees the love.

Mom cups her face tenderly. "Of course sweetheart," she lies softly, "I'll be right behind you. Now go, Evelyn." She swiftly kisses Evie's forehead and pushes her to the window.

If things were different, maybe Evie would stay behind with Mom. Maybe she would try to persuade her to come with them or to find another way out. Maybe she would stay with her until the end. But she doesn't. Hearing the roar of the fire through the floorboards, breathing the searing smoke into her lungs, Evie feels the terror rip through her, and she lets herself believe that Mom will come with them. She leaves her.

Getting up on the cabinet, Evie climbs onto Mom's shoulders, gripping the windowsill. Amber watches anxiously from outside as Danny grasps Evie's hands, occasionally looking round for the men, their faces lit up by the blaze. Danny pulls her, just dragging her torso out when her hips catch on the window. Evie yelps. Her gut is pressing painfully against the windowpane and her hips refuse to go budge. Evie's breath quickens and she can feel the panic closing in. Whimpering with fear, Evie struggles against the window frame, her legs kicking wildly. Mom seizes hold of her legs, her nails biting into them, and pushes them. Danny pulls harder, digging his heels into the soggy ground.

Push. Pull. Push. Pull.

Suddenly, out of the snapping and hissing of the fire, a loud groan rises out of the house. Before she can even register what that means, there is an almighty crack and hot fiery embers shower down into the basement. Mom screams and staggers back, letting go of Evie's legs. Shrieking in agony, Evie pulls and twists, trying to escape the fire raining down on her. Her heels smash into the window and she dimly feels shattered glass slashing into her calves. Joining Danny, Amber tugs at her urgently, feet scrambling in the snow.

Then, impossibly, Evie feels Mom's hands on her, giving her one big, final push and Evie goes through the frame. Tugging her across the ground, away from the house, Danny turns her over, her legs pressing into the snow. Evie wails, her burnt and sliced up legs smarting from the sudden icy chill. The agonising sting makes everything go hazy and Evie distantly hears her home give one last sigh before collapsing in on itself.

"Mom!" Danny screams, rushing back to the window. He peers into the remains, fruitlessly searching for any sign of her. But she's gone – all that's left is smoke and fire. Crying out, Danny reluctantly wretches his head from the window, his hair singed.

Amber wails mournfully, tears streaming down her face, and Evie absentmindedly pats her on the shoulder, feeling herself float above the pain and the crying. Over the fire, she thinks she hears someone talking. In a daze, she looks to her right and sees one of the men lurching towards them, his yells barely audible. Abruptly, there's a big BANG and the man stumbles mid-step, a red flower blossoming on his shoulder.

Hit their centre of mass, Evie can hear Dad saying, it's your best shot. Don't go for a headshot if you don't know you can do it for sure. Go for the chest - that's where all the vital organs are.

The man crumples to his knees and she feels Danny wrench at her shoulder. "Go!" he screams, gun still pointed at the man. "Go!" Without waiting for an answer, he yanks her up and forces her into the woods. Evie grabs onto Amber and together they let him haul them to safety.

Evie's head lolls and she finds herself looking up at the sky. Snowflakes serenely tumble from the sky, glowing in the firelight. Evie smiles giddily, ridiculously happy that snow is still falling. As the pain and the screaming fades into the safe, quiet dark of the woods, Evie sticks her tongue out to collect the flakes. As they melt on her tongue, a bitter taste fills her mouth.

Oh, she thinks as she falls into the black. It's ash.

"Travis, I swear it's fine."

"Hmph."

"It's fine, I can walk in a straight line by myself you know."

"No … you can't."

"Yes I can!"

"Not what you did … last time."

"Seriously you're bringing that up! I slipped, that's all! I'm sure my legs are perfectly functional now."

Travis hovered anxiously around Eve as she made her way down the path, carefully trekking down the slope from the Shelter. Making sure her scarf was wrapped snuggly around her neck, Eve ran her hand down her ponytail, checking the tightness of the knot. She didn't like wearing the ponytail – it made the contrast between the grey blooming across the crown of her head and the faded red bleeding down the end of her ponytail way more obvious. She wasn't sure if she would have cared before - she'd never bothered to take that much care in her appearance, not because it made her 'different' or something stupid like that, but because she honestly didn't care enough to. She didn't really care that much now. It was only because it reminded her of what they had done to her. And she couldn't hide it.

Eve's skin crawled and she shuddered. Pulling down the sleeves of her jacket as far as they would go, she reflexively touched the pin in her hair. The itch in her skin receded. She felt better.

Travis and Sugriva walked closely either side of her, convinced that she was going to fall. Bad Ape, however, dutifully toddled along, cooing up to Sky and mumbling some song of his own creation to her. It always made Eve smile, seeing Bad Ape being so sweet to Sky. In truth, he was natural with this kid stuff and was so far the only one that could hold Sky without her freaking out. It was super helpful when Eve needed her hands free and Sky seemed to enjoy it. She always smiled and gurgled at his silly faces and voices.

Sky, perched on Eve's shoulder, was watching Bad Ape now, squeaking happily. Bad Ape stuck his tongue out at her and Sky copied him, eyes and tongue lolling. Eve laughed and planted a kiss on Sky's cheek.

Luna woofed at them impatiently, stopping further along the path. When she was sure she'd got everyone's attention, she whipped her head back sassily and trotted on, as always, following the scent of food.

It had been a few weeks since Eve had officially joined the village. For the time being, she'd mostly stayed put in the Shelter since she was deemed too ill to be moved just yet. Cornelia especially was determined to fatten her up and had massive platters of food delivered to her day and night. Eve had protested at first, feeling bad that so much food was being wasted on her, but Cornelia insisted. In a way, Cornelia reminded her of her grandmother – they both had that powerful and stubborn kindness you could never refuse:

Oh, thank you, that's very kind of you, but it's too much, I couldn't –

It's alright dear, it's for you.

But I can't –

Just take it.

But –

TAKE IT.

As Caesar ordered, all their guns had been taken and destroyed. Keen volunteers, Rocket and Koba had bashed them into smithereens with rocks, metal and bullets flying everywhere as Travis looked on sullenly. Trying to be helpful, Eve had offered to show them how to dismantle the guns properly and unload the bullets. Rocket had been quite keen to take Eve's help, interested in the mechanics of the gun and how it worked. However, Koba wasn't happy with that, signing something about not letting the human get its hands on the gun. Eve had to resist an eye roll (what did he think she was going to do, shoot them in the face and then take on the entire village by herself?) All the same, Rocket complied, though he was clearly annoyed.

Yet, there were several things that Eve had remained stubborn on. One, that she and the troop kept the rest of their weapons. Eve was particularly precious about her collection of scavenged knives. They were one of the only other things she knew how to fight with, excluding basic hand to hand combat, as she'd been 'generously' taught in her brief stint with the army. The council – especially Koba - had been reluctant to let her keep them until she'd pointed out that it was a matter of trust. "I know I'm asking you to trust in a stranger, a human at that, but it goes both ways. We need to be able to trust you too. We need to be able to protect ourselves," she'd argued.

Many council members were deeply offended by the suggestion that Eve or the troop might need to defend themselves from them and accused her of challenging Caesar. Fortunately, the ever-reliable Maurice calmed the situation. It is not unreasonable for the troop to have their own weapons, Maurice said. As Eve said, the troop do not yet know us. It would only be fair to allow the troop to have weapons so that they can feel secure in their new home. Furthermore, they may need their weapons to defend themselves against other humans or animals in the forest, and to hunt.

Eve was grateful for Maurice's intervention as most of the council and (more importantly) Caesar were placated by this.

Two was that they kept the medicine. Eve (with the help of Amber, Travis, Mama, Sugriva, and Danny at various times) had painstaking foraged the medication over the years, meticulously collecting and cataloguing creams, pills, remedies, and bandages for all types of illness. Amber had taken over the job full time when Eve was locked away, filching boxes of army issued medication from the lab whenever she could. They'd literally killed for their medicine stash.

Koba - who else? - staunchly argued that the medicine was definitely, definitely poison and that Eve intended to make apes sick with her 'human toxins'. Considerate to the lab ape's obvious and understandable fear of needles and 'potions', Eve explained that the medication would be beneficial to humans and apes and that it could treat and cure multiple illnesses. Making clear it that she would happy to share the medicine amongst the village, Eve offered to show the apes how to properly administer it on the sick, should they trust her enough.

The entire time, Caesar had kept that intense, searching gaze of his on Eve and she had been sure that he could see into her soul. After some deliberation, Eve suggested that the healers could be in possession of the medicine all the time and that only they could prescribe it, particularly in emergencies. Caesar agreed with this and held out his arm to Eve seal the deal. Thinking he was going for the submissive gesture, Eve had turned her palm up at Caesar, surprised when he gently gripped her arm instead. Staring at Caesar in confusion, he looked kindly at her. "Trust," he said quietly, a statement and a question.

Looking into Caesar's open, sincere face, Eve found that she truly believed him. Here he was, talking to her openly and honestly, not making her submit to him but freely offering his trust and in turn, asking her to do the same. She'd felt something then, something she wasn't used to feeling for a stranger: faith. Clasping Caesar's arm, she nodded at him. "Trust."

During the rest of her stay in the Shelter, Eve had come to know the healers pretty well. The chimpanzee woman she had scared the living crap out of when she'd first woken up turned out to be a very nice lady called Sparrow. She seemed to be the healer that all apes went to and was incredibly skilled at what she did. She'd understandably been very nervous around Eve at first, keeping her distance as if she'd expected Eve to leap up and bite her at any moment. She'd eventually come round though and was quite happy to talk to Eve, fussing over Sky. Eve had made sure to thank Sparrow for caring for her and practically saving her life. Sparrow had clucked at that, insisting she hadn't had much to do with Eve's miraculous recovery, even though Eve swore she saw her blush.

On the other hand, Tinker (Rocket's wife as Eve had learnt) was still quite guarded around her. While she would talk to Eve and ask her about her progress, she was cold and clipped, never getting overly personal. While it would be easy to assume that Tinker was fearful of her purely because she was a human, Eve suspected it was more to do with the fact that she was stealing away Cornelia's attention.

Thanks to Cornelia's forced feeding, Eve had gained quite a lot of weight. She didn't look so skeletal anymore: her ribs weren't sticking out and her face had filled out somewhat, a healthy flush lighting her features. Whilst the hollows under her eyes had faded, the green in them remained. No one else in the village seemed to have noticed them and Eve decided to keep it that way. It wasn't that Eve was deliberately keeping the eyes a secret; it was more that she ignored them entirely, conveniently forgetting about them until she was abruptly reminded of them when she looked at something shiny. They didn't necessarily scare her anymore – it was more that they reminded her of all the things that been had been taken from her, right down to the colour of her eyes. Otherwise, Eve didn't think much of them – it wasn't exactly the worst thing that the Flu could have done to her right?

Day by day, Eve got stronger, regaining control over her body. It had irritated her to lay still all day, every day and she took any opportunity to get up and stretch her limbs whenever the healers weren't around. She wasn't going to be running laps anytime soon, but she could certainly walk again.

But today, Eve had put her foot down. She was going outside, and nobody was going to stop her. She couldn't hide in the Shelter forever, as Travis begged to differ; the apes were going to have to see her sometime. Besides, it wasn't like being in the Shelter had stopped them from snooping on her. Blue Eyes and Ash were proof of that.

She and Sky had been dozing in the Shelter (mostly out of boredom) with Luna curled up at their side. Travis and Sugriva were out, helping with the hunt, while Bad Ape had gone gathering with Cornelia and the other women. Bad Ape had been quite pleased with that as he liked Cornelia and was no good at hunting. He was more likely to get himself killed than to catch something. Travis wasn't eager to leave Eve but even he was desperate for something to do. Sugriva, nonetheless, was excited - he admired Luca and the gorilla guard and was keen to prove his skills. As the others in the troop had gone off to help as well, Eve had watched jealously from her dark little prison as they trampled off into the great outdoors.

Half-asleep, Eve had become aware that she was being stared at. It was like a tiny itch in her brain and she could physically feel their gaze on her eyelids. Opening her eyes into slits, she could make out two small blurry chimpanzees gaping at her from across the room. From their nervous shuffling and hushed mumbling, Eve knew that they weren't supposed to be there.

It's got a big nose, doesn't it? one of them signed to the other. It's weird – like a bird beak.

The other chimp grunted in agreement. He paused and peered at her. Is it a girl?

"What do you mean, am I girl?" Eve said aloud, indignant.

The reaction was immediate – the two chimps shrieked in fear and Eve jumped despite herself. The one with the darker, fuller hair fell onto his ass, scrambling back onto his feet and hid behind the other. The chimp with the lighter and thinner fur shoved the other away huffily, his hands flying frantically.

Don't hide behind me Blue Eyes! the chimp signed. You're the one who said that the human would be asleep!

It usually is! the one called Blue Eyes insisted, eyeing Eve fearfully. That's what mother said!

"The human does have a name," Eve said dryly.

The two chimps squawked again. The human knows what we're saying! Blue Eyes said, unnerved.

Yes, I can, Eve signed deliberately. You don't need to scream at me by the way. I'm not that scary.

How you know sign? Blue Eyes said accusingly. Humans don't know sign. They talk.

Humans do know sign. Sure, humans talk but some of us sign as well so that we can communicate with people that can't talk or hear. I mean, where do you think your Dad got it from?

Blue Eyes seemed to think about this for a few seconds before widening his eyes and stabbing a finger at her. How do you know who my father is?

Eve had to stifle a laugh. He'd be accusing her of witchcraft next. He told me about you. You're Blue Eyes, right? That's what your friend there called you, but I don't know their name.

I'm Ash! the other chimp said enthusiastically, earning him a dirty look from Blue Eyes.

That's a nice name. I'm Eve. Evelyn, technically, but everyone calls me Eve. Easier to say. And yes, I am a girl.

I know, Blue Eyes said, a little sulkily. His gaze fell on Sky. Lifting her head sleepily, Sky squinted at the two boys before turning her head away shyly when she saw that they were strangers.

The baby has blue eyes like me! Blue Eyes said, awestruck.

As he said it, Eve noticed the clear blue of the boy's eyes as opposed to Ash's more typical green eyes. Well, that should have been obvious, Eve thought, inwardly rolling her eyes. As she'd learnt, apes tended to be very literal – in their names, their language. Eve remembered when she'd asked what Star's baby's name was and having to stop herself from laughing when Star had replied that it was Grape. When asked why she'd named him Grape, Star had given Eve a weird look like it was obvious and explained that it was her favourite fruit and that it matched the green in her baby's eyes. Simple as that.

Yes, Eve said. It's because she's albino.

Albino? Ash said, his face scrunched in confusion.

It's a condition where the skin and hair are lighter than usual, Eve explained. It can make the skin and hair turn white. Sometimes the eyes will turn red or blue.

Blue Eyes perked up. Like Winter?

It was Eve's turn to be confused. You mean like the weather or –

No, Blue Eyes impatiently. Winter the gorilla. He has blue eyes and white hair too.

Oh. Probably.

Ash peered at Sky curiously. Where's her mother?

Eve hesitated. Her mother is gone. I take care of her now.

Why?

Because I love her, and I want her to be okay.

Blue Eyes looked sceptical. But why?

Because I'm not a monster? Eve said, exasperated.

But you're human. Humans don't care for apes. Koba says humans are dangerous and that they hate apes.

Yeah. That's true for a lot of humans. Eve paused. But I'm a fun human.

Seeing their quizzical looks, Eve sighed. Look, humans can be dangerous and yes, they've done bad things to apes before. But I don't. I've lived with apes for a long time. They're my family.

As she spoke, the two boys edged closer to her, hanging on her every word. It was kind of cute. She was happy to see that they weren't so afraid of her anymore.

What – Ash started but was cut off by a thump and the sound of loud, rasping breathing outside. They froze. Eve might have not been in the village for long but even she knew who that was.

Slapping the fur flaps away, Koba stomped into the room, crackling with fury. Blue Eyes and Ash scampered away from Eve, cowering in the corner. As soon as he saw the two boys, he growled furiously. "What – Koba – tell you – about going near – human!" he roared.

Sorry Uncle Koba, Ash pleaded. We just wanted to see –

"Human – dangerous! Get out!"

Without hesitation, they scurried away like the devil was nipping at their heels, which he probably would be as soon as he left here. Koba stared Eve down, his eye full of pure loathing. His whole body was trembling, and Eve knew that he was resisting the urge to tear her apart, piece by piece. He hated her.

Her throat dried up, Eve numbly stared back at him. Slowly, she went to reach for the blade underneath her blanket, but he turned away, huffing in disgust.

As he was about to go, Eve, at last, spoke up. "I'm sorry," she said, guilty that Blue Eyes and Ash were in trouble because of her. "It's my fault. They were just curious."

Koba turned his head slightly, throwing her a piercing stare. Without another word, Koba stalked out. Waiting until she was sure he had gone, Eve laid down, wondering how close she was to dying.

Shaking off the memory, Eve followed Luna into the courtyard. There weren't many apes around – it was only the afternoon and there were still jobs that needed doing. The apes that were there gawked at her and Sky. Whether it was because Sky had a human for a mother or the fact that she was albino, Eve wasn't sure (probably both). Sky squirmed in discomfort and Eve briefly questioned whether this had been a good idea. Screw it, she thought and, tucking Sky into the crook of her arm, she strode across the courtyard, head held up high.

Eve quickly found Luna plopped next to the fire where several apes were preparing dinner, spit roasting a deer. The apes cringed away as Luna stared at them beseechingly, and Eve ran up to them apologetically, scooting Luna out of the way. Luna whined sadly. Most of the apes in the village were afraid of anything wolflike and Eve constantly had to make sure that she was close enough to pull Luna away in case she jumped up on the wrong ape.

There was a soft rumble and Eve turned to see Maurice looking down at her from the stone platform. Happy to see a friendly face, Eve smiled.

"Oh, hello friend!" Bad Ape said happily, scurrying up behind Eve. Sugriva murmured in greeting and even Travis nodded at him. Everyone in the troop liked Maurice – he was undoubtedly one of the kindest and understanding apes in the whole village. According to the others, he had spoken for them when they first ran into Caesar's apes and had persuaded them to take Eve in. Eve had wanted to thank him for a long time now but there hadn't been a good opportunity to do it yet.

Maurice beckoned them up and they climbed up onto the platform. Maurice was evidently in the middle of one of his classes as a large group of ape children were sprawled out in front of him. They all had a piece of slate and were attempting to draw numbers onto them. As she approached, the children stirred, turning to stare at Eve and Sky unabashedly. Eve smirked – unlike most of the adults, the kids looked at her with wonder and curiosity as opposed to fear or disgust.

Hi, Eve signed to the kids, giving them a little wave. Although most of them didn't seem used to waving, some of them copied her, waggling their hands excitedly, making Eve laugh.

Sat next to Maurice were Kali, Jambo, Bear, Yolanda, Olive, Star, Grape, Kopral, Lily, Autumn, Gaia, Harley, Rama and Eshu. Huddled around him, they were all concentrating on Maurice, watching his hands carefully. Careful not to tread on any adorable ape kiddies, Eve skirted around the class, keeping a firm hand on Luna in case she rushed at them happily.

Hello Maurice, Eve signed. I hope we're not disturbing you.

Not at all, Maurice said kindly. I thought that while the children were practising their numbers, we could go through sign language together.

From early on, Maurice had offered to teach the troop sign language as well as how to read and write. Coupled with the fact that most of them had been raised in a zoo or lab, Eve had only been able to teach them so much in the little time they'd had together before the escape. Only Sugriva was wholly fluent in sign language and that was only because of Mama and Amber. Bad Ape didn't really understand sign language either, but he'd been too shy to leave the Shelter to attend classes. Travis could understand sign but preferred to speak as he was more accustomed to it.

"How's the lessons coming along?"Eve asked them out loud.

Good, Yolanda signed, grinning at her. It was true – they had done well for just a few weeks, with Yolanda, Jambo and Autumn making the most progress.

"Great," Eve beamed. "I knew you'd be fine." Seeing Bear reaching out to her, trying to get her attention, she leaned over and ruffled his head. "Especially with this little genius." They laughed as Bear nodded confidently in assent and for a second a look of bemusement flashed in Maurice's eyes, but it disappeared as soon as it came.

Eve caught Bad Ape staring in fascination at the class. "Why don't you join them Ape? It'll be good to learn some sign." He shot her a nervous look. "I promise, it'll be fine. We'll be sitting just over there," she said, pointing to a ledge a few metres away, "so we can get out of everyone's way.

"That's if Maurice doesn't mind," she added.

That is alright, Maurice said. I would happy to teach Bad Ape. He smiled at Sky. And your young one too, when she is of age.

Bad Ape shuffled his feet anxiously and Eve smiled at him encouragingly. Hesitantly, he went and sat next to Yolanda, half hiding behind her.

Moving away, Eve went to sit down when she noticed the large writing etched the rock face. Now that she was up close, she could read the words, formed into three distinct sentences.

Ape not kill ape

Apes together strong

Knowledge is power

"Ape not kill ape," Travis said softly and the two shared a grim look. Sugriva glanced at the law before wincing and turning away.

A lonely breeze whistled through the mountain and Eve shivered, though it wasn't necessarily anything to do with the chill. Sugriva signed to Eve and Travis, keeping the movements small and discreet. Do you think it was right? What we did?

Eve flinched and there was a loaded pause. It was necessary, Eve said finally, feeling all emotion draining out of her. Self-defence. We had no choice. It's in the past now. No point thinking about it now.

Sugriva looked at her sadly, clearly disappointed in her. She had gotten used to seeing that look over the past couple of months. Travis, however, agreed. He peered up at the Laws again.

"Ape not kill ape," Travis said again. He frowned. "Why not 'Ape not kill'?"

There was another pause and Eve sighed. "You know why."

"Do I?" Travis replied insolently.

"Because of humans," Eve said, cutting straight to the point. "Because they might need to kill humans. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Yes. Because I … wonder … what that mean … for you?"

Oh.

Eve avoided Travis' gaze. "I'm sure it only applies in self-defence," she mumbled, not wanting to admit he had a point. She spied some symbols on the wall and felt a renewed burst of energy. She pointed at them. "You see. That shows what humans tried to do to them when they escaped. They tried everything they could to kill them. I mean, they firebombed them for God's sake!" Realising her voice had gotten louder, Eve lowered her tone. "They have a right to defend themselves too you know."

Travis grunted. "Human … ape too. If they say … not kill ape … shouldn't kill … human either."

"Like we haven't killed humans?" Eve snapped without thinking. A sudden rush of adrenaline flooded her body and she took a shaky breath, willing herself to calm. Sky shifted on her shoulder, playing with Eve's hair, and Eve felt ashamed that they were talking about something like this in front of her. "I don't think they know humans are technically apes anyhow," Eve murmured, trying to end the conversation.

"Humans … are apes?" said a childish, halting voice behind them.

Startled, Eve whirled round to see a young, snowy-haired gorilla peeping shyly up at them. Like Sky, his skin was a bright, baby pink and his eyes were light blue. Winter.

"Yes," Eve said tentatively, wondering just how much he had heard.

How? Winter asked, his eyes lit up with interest.

"Well, we all belong to the same family. Humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, orangutans, gibbons – we're all apes because we don't have tails, making us different to species like monkeys." The only reason Eve knew this was because she had poured over many books about apes to find out what primates like Sugriva and Travis should eat. She'd enjoyed those fleeting quiet moments where she could read by herself and she'd liked showing Mama, Big Poppa and Sugriva pictures of other gorillas in their natural habitat. It had saddened her too that she had to tell them what their lives in the wild would have been like – they should have known that for themselves. She'd tried showing Travis too, but he'd never been much interested, saying he'd seen it all before on TV.

Winter made a face. But humans don't look like apes, he said suspiciously. You have no hair on your body and have a huge nose.

Jeez, what is it about my nose? Eve thought, automatically bringing up a self-conscious hand to her nose. I thought I was done with these jokes when high school ended forever! She knew he was just being innocent though, so she let it slide. "Are you sure? What other animal do you see that stands up on two legs? Or has an opposable thumb?" She waggled her thumb around and Winter giggled. "See? We both have fingernails instead of claws too! And we have fingerprints." She held out the pad of her thumb to Winter to demonstrate and he grabbed it, comparing it to his own.

Eve laughed. "Careful, I need that," she teased, pulling her thumb back.

Winter gave her a small smile and then gasped, eyes widened in fascination. Sky, who'd been hiding in Eve's shoulder as usual, was raptly watching Winter over her shoulder. Interested, Sky unfurled herself, reaching a long arm to touch Winter's face.

She's like me! Winter said, entranced.

Seeing Winter's and Sky's inquisitiveness in each other, Eve knelt, bringing herself to Winter's level. "Would you like to see her?" she asked softly, and Winter nodded fervently, sticking out his arms for her. "I'm going to have to keep a hold of her as she doesn't like being held by strangers," she warned, "so she's going to have to stay in my arms."

Winter wavered but as Eve held out Sky to him, he forgot his fear and he delicately went to stroke Sky's head. Sky sat up, striving to get a closer look at Winter without leaving Eve's arms. As Winter drew his hand away, Sky caught it and started nibbling on Winter's fingers. Winter squealed and they all laughed.

Same skin, Winter said, enthralled. Same hair! Same eyes! How?

"It's a condition called albinism. It makes your skin, eyes and hair paler than they would normally be, that's all."

Winter peeked at the class and to Eve's surprise, they were all watching them. Oh, Eve thought. Not as a private moment as I thought it was.

The others say that it makes a freak, Winter signed sadly, hiding his hands from the class. That it makes me weird.

Eve's teeth ground together. "Not at all," Eve said quietly. "If anything, it makes you unique. It would be boring if everything and everyone looked the same, wouldn't it? So why be normal and boring?"

Winter appeared to physically swell at the praise though his eyes were still unsure. Eve smiled at him encouragingly. "You're not different," Eve said, "you're unique. Remember that."

A warm, furry body brushed past Eve's cheek and a paw began petting at her leg impatiently. Luna whined in Eve's ear and Winter jumped back, frightened. "It's okay Winter!" Eve assured him. "She's just getting jealous of all the snuggles over here." She tucked Sky back into her arm and patted Luna's head. "You sweet fluffy brat," she said fondly.

Winter took a few tentative steps toward Luna, tensed to run. Luna padded up to him, sniffing at his face. Winter trembled and he looked like he was going to run when Luna flopped lazily onto her back, legs akimbo, exposing her belly.

Eve snorted. "She wants you to pet her."

Gradually, Winter stretched out his hand and lightly poked at Luna's belly. Luna side-eyed Winter expectantly and he giggled, mumbling how she was so fluffy and rubbed her belly.

Other apes were crowding them now, not all of them children. A young male chimp with a shock of white hair politely asked Eve if he could pet her wolf. "Of course you can pet my dog," she chuckled, "just be gentle." And she watched with amusement as apes young and old fussed over the cute doggie, patiently waiting their turn to give her pets.

Maurice ambled towards them, amused. It seems your dog has stolen my class.

Sorry, Eve said sheepishly but he brushed it off good-naturedly.

I heard what you said, about humans being apes too, Maurice said as he sat down next to her, beckoning Travis and Sugriva to sit too. Is this true?

Yes, Eve said. I'm not exactly an expert but I've read it up in books.

Maurice's eyes brightened. Interesting. Do you have these books with you?

No, sorry, I don't. We lost them back when we got … taken. We scavenged some children's books and some other stuff on our journey but that's all.

Maurice looked disappointed but then his eyes lit up again. But you know these things? You remember this knowledge?

Sure … Eve said, not sure what he was getting at. Bits and pieces at most, but yeah. Why?

Maurice looked at the children and then looked at Eve. I may have an idea.

Notes:

Poor Eve :( But hey, at least Eve's making friends with Maurice and the kids!
Just as an additional note, Eve's hair being grey isn't all that significant to the story, it's just something I read where people who have been really sick with a virus/disease can get grey hair afterwards and I thought it would emphasise how horrible the Flu was for Eve.
Also (as I have been asked before) there is a good possibility that I will pair Eve off with another character but if I do, it will be slow-burn and I probably won't be writing any sexual stuff, unless that's what the people really want lol.
Stay safe everyone and please review :)