Rocket wasn't the smartest ape – almost everyone knew that much. That was why the troop went to Caesar or Maurice for answers instead of to him, the king's second: it was not just because of the other two's positions. Haley, however, respected the old bonobo more than most, maybe even more than she did Maurice, because, as soon as Caesar accepted and welcomed her, the "human female," to the village, Rocket did so unconditionally, unlike the others who simply followed commands and tolerated her. Of course, Cornelia and Maurice did the same, but Haley had the justified suspicion that they would have accepted her either way. Blue Eyes, Luca, Ash, and a few others do trust her now, but they only warmed up to her over time. Not only that, but it was Rocket, on his own, who decided to permit her outside the village and him who instructed her to shoot the bear near the entrance, which proved to the colony that she could become a hunter, unlike the other females. She regarded the ape as a strange uncle if nothing else and this consideration only grew each day, especially this day. Wise with the years he acceded Caesar, Rocket forced his pride and hatred aside and saved Carver, the human male who had shot his son. His retracted, skull-like nose remained furrowed with unattractive wrinkles that clearly said he partly regretted his decision, but still Haley felt proud of him – she was not that strong or loyal.

With a needlessly harsh and uncaring touch, Haley wrapped a bandage around Carver's scratched shin like Ellie instructed her to do, not blinking as the smeared blood on parts of his skin stained her fingertips. It might have been needless, she thought, but every time he flinched, she felt more satisfied, and by the looks Ellie was sending her, she knew the woman knew what she was doing. She still stood by the fact that she didn't want to help him at all, but she knew Ellie had to check on the others, so the choice to walk away wasn't tempting enough.

Before, it took close to an hour before Rocket and Ash found Carver underneath the rubble and, after another half an hour of getting him out of the warehouse, they all grouped next to the river to make sure everyone was unscathed or at least alive. Haley would never admit it out loud, but she thought it was pure luck that allowed them to survive, silently cursing Carver for having as much as he did. Yes, she really was nothing like Rocket. Drearily, she wondered, did Koba rub off on her a bit too much, but only to interrupt herself with the startling realization that she didn't want him to rub off on her – so why does she love him?

"Surprised you know how to do this much." Carver's scoff tore through Haley's thoughts, earning him a sideways look while she worked, though she was relieved that his burning glare finally spared the top of her head, "Thought you're just as disgustingly primitive as the apes."

Haley didn't flinch under his insults, nor did she show any reaction, but as she shifted her eyes back onto her hands and tied the ends of the bandage on his leg, she tied the knot with a purposeful, unsympathetic, and cruel tug that made him buck forward with a pained grunt before he scowled at her. "All done." She merely sang and stood, not paying enough attention to see Foster smirking her way, proud of her for getting back at Carver. Haley was almost excited to be able to join Malcolm and Caesar's undoubtedly stiff and boring conversation if it meant she didn't have to be around the ghastly man anymore. Nevertheless, before the chance arrived, a gentle and calming chuckle grabbed her attention, practically forcing her to turn around. Immediately, her lips broke into a gentle and soft smile that she thought she lost years ago – the sight of Cornelius standing on Alex's lap, discretely supported by the young man's hand, and of him innocently playing with Ellie's fingers made Haley's heart swell with warmth. The days where she slept in Maurice's arms and felt herself melt into the giant orangutan's caring embrace didn't compare with the feeling that overwhelmed her, slowly making her eyes creep up onto Caesar, who still stood by the horses while he watched the scene uneasily, as one would expect from a father. For a while, she wondered, did the same memory flash in his thoughts as the one in hers?

Haley thought back to the night she first spotted Caesar in her neighbor's dormer – so young, so small, the both of them – and remembered how curious he was about her hairless skin, flat face, and pointy nose when she walked into his home, never having seen a young human other than the ones he could see from behind a glass barrier, running pass his house. Of course, he was no longer an infant at the time, but in the sense of how much he knew about the outside world, he was. That was why she visited him every week after that, a strange crave born inside of her to show him more, tell him more, teach him more, and Will didn't seem to mind. 'Will' she remembered, her face saddening, but as if sensing her blackening heart, Caesar's eyes suddenly met hers – in only a second, her face lit up again. In one look, she knew he was thinking of the same memory as her, his own eyes glossing with a familiar anguish despite his usual frown. They just stared at each other for some time in a silent conversation, unaware of Malcolm looking between them curiously, looking almost bewildered by how they watched each other. But those moments of contentment that anyone prays for only lasts brief moments at a time, and like always, the train-wreck had to follow, almost like when Ray, a young orangutan, fought another ape for the last fruit after the colony had a blissful meal.

It was Blue Eyes' apish scream that finally bit through the calm air like a gorilla and made Haley jump in alarm as he blurred pass her. She had no time to process what had happened before the racking of a shotgun sent a chill down her spine, which forced routine to overtake her immediately. In swift and impossibly quick movements, she pulled the small armory from her back and aimed her bow and arrow Carver's way – she'd never admit it, but she was oddly grateful for the situation, because the need to shoot Carver has been eating at her for long enough that it physically hurt.

The barrel of Carver's weapon hurried moved from Blue Eyes to Haley just as Caesar halted from charging the human male to protect his son and gibbered in relief, Haley barely noticing his movement behind her focus. Only when Haley saw Cornelius climbing up his older brother's side in terror and hugging around his chest like armor, almost flattening completely, and only after shifting her eyes between them and the gun in front of her did she realize what had happened. The thought of Cornelius discovering Carver's secret was almost ironic to her in a way, given that no ape on the council thought to look, but her leer only deepened at the thought of him attacking the infant, her hand pulling more viciously on her bow's string until it left a faint squeak in the air under the strain. Reassuring her faintly, Haley watched Blue Eyes circle around her back and shuffle to behind his father, trying to get Cornelius out of danger, and watched Caesar as he walked over and ripped the shotgun from Carver's grasp.

It had taken some insisting from the other humans in Carver's group for him not to shoot Haley where she stood – where she threatened him by arrow's point – but he also knew all-too-well how good her aim was; he recalled how she nearly took Malcolm's foot off to stop them from reaching Ash on the day they discovered the apes and the apes discovered them.

"Said no guns." Caesar grunted out angrily, his breathing heavy with rage, before he aimed the ghastly thing at the humans – Haley knew he would never use it, given his hatred of it, but still she couldn't help but feel triumphant as he pointed it at each one of them and made them flinch back in fear. She took a moment to think how strange it looked in an ape's hand. Through it all, however, she kept her aim on Carver, as well as her murderous look, knowing his type of character well enough to know he was vengeful enough to try something. "Please, don't." She heard the others plead desperately behind her, but still she didn't move, knowing they were speaking to Caesar, not her – they clearly didn't know Carver's choice to bring a gun, so they probably didn't care at the moment what she did to him. That is, she hoped it was clear, or else her species was already starting to cloud her judgment.

"Human leave now!" Came the inevitable and deep bark from Caesar behind her, the sound even shaking her to the bone, and, in doing so, granted her permission to disappointingly back away from her target, reluctantly lowering her aim. But Carver just had to say the last word.

"You know, there were people who killed others at some point, claiming that apes and the virus was sent by God." He growled Haley to a stop, oblivious that Haley was there for it all, and ignored Foster's warning for him to shut up if he knew what was good for him, "Guess you're one of them, huh – choosing apes over your own kind? Got some delirious attachment or fascination with them or something?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Haley stated simply, her tone almost frighteningly calm, and glanced behind her to the apes as they mounted the horses, slipping her arrow into its place on her back in the meanwhile, "One of them is my mate – my husband – in fact." No surprise, every single human froze, though Carver's face instantly broke into disgust while the others still seemed to process her words. Unknowingly, Malcolm assumed something about her statement that was just funny in every sense of the word – he thought her mate was Caesar.

"You're joking." Carver gagged, his pale face scrunching up like he wanted to throw up, but he somehow knew she was serious, "That's… what the hell is wrong with you?" He ignored Haley's darkening gaze, "Got some disturbing fetish for animals?" He ignored her tightening fists as well, "Or maybe you're just deeply messed up from the virus—"

If only he could also ignore the sight of a bow suddenly blinding him with a slap. Haley wasn't sure if it was his insult to her friends, his insults to her relationship with Koba, or the fact that he knew nothing of any of it – nothing of the fact that Koba took advantage of her – but she suddenly backhanded him with the side of her wooden weapon with a furious growl, sending him stumbling until he tripped back over a stump and crashed into the river's pebbles, grabbing his cut and bleeding cheek in a stupor. "You're the reason I hate humans." She breathed down at him, her nose pulled up as if his scent even revolted her, before she glanced to the other humans who were looking to her in dismay, keeping watch of her while she eventually made her way back to the horses as well. The other apes didn't say a word, feeling a compulsion not to do so, and merely led the way back to the village, leaving the humans behind – though they were all surprised by Haley and Koba's peculiar relationship in the beginning, none of them seemed to understand Carver's reaction. Still, Caesar and Maurice exchanged their usual look – maybe it was time Maurice finally broke routine and spoke to her.


Just a quick thank you to Reader-chan for defending my story to Jedi Alex Colbent in the reviews (Sorry, Jedi Alex Colbent, I would've thanked her or him privately, but whoever this is, he or she doesn't have an account.). You're the sweetest thing and it warmed my heart so gosh-darn much! To everyone else who defended me offline, too: you're forever loved. ^^