Lydia

Lydia had gone to get the horses together with Luca and Rocket from behind the large ski resort, leading the beasts carefully down the sloping road around the building. Caesar, Maurice and Bad Ape had stayed inside, packing up some things Lydia had picked out together with the strange chimp earlier that morning. He had been combing the place rather thoroughly through the years, the human woman had quickly realised, even if most of the items he had gathered could only be considered junk.

But the few rooms Lydia had been going through to double check for something useful had all been gapingly empty, so she didn't even bother to check further after that. Bad Ape had had a lot of time to pile everything up down by his cave, after all.

As they reached the stately-looking front gate of the abandoned resort, spotting the little girl already outside and admiring an early-blooming cherry tree, a mighty yawn was pulled from the adult woman.

"Tired, Lydia?" Rocket looked over at her in slight concern as they came to a stop and Luca went over to the little girl by the tree.

Lydia shrugged, fiddling with her horse's reins.

"I couldn't sleep most of the night. Had to take a walk to clear my mind." She replied easily, since Rocket knew her habit of taking random night-time strolls to calm down. It usually served to calm her down.

And a thorough rutting helped too.

The thought flashed through her mind unbidden, prompting the woman to pull at her coat collar to further conceal the now-purpling marks at the junction of her shoulder and neck.

Lydia could still feel the slight, pleasant ache between her thighs, and her legs had felt dangerously wobbly when she had first gotten up that morning. She liked to think she had hidden it well, though, as nobody had even stopped to ask her about it as they had all made their preparations to leave.

Or maybe it had just been due to the fact that they had all been so busy that they hadn't had the time to really take notice.

Either way, it had worked to Lydia's advantage.

"Alone?" The balding ape signed with a somewhat disapproving stare. Like a concerned parent who had just gotten to know that their child had wandered off alone without an adult for guidance.

At least that was what it felt like to Lydia, though she knew she was probably putting too much meaning behind the chimp's words. He was, after all, just a well-meaning friend.

"I didn't go far, Rocket. Don't worry." She swiftly sidestepped his question.

It wasn't exactly a lie, but also not the entire truth, and Lydia felt slightly guilty for being so evasive with Rocket.

And the look he shot her gave Lydia the impression that he knew very well that this was the case, yet he said nothing further on the matter as the pair got distracted by the interaction between Luca and the little girl over by the tree.

It was a heart-warming sight that temporarily had Lydia forget all about her little, nagging guilt as the large, burly gorilla carefully placed the delicate cherry flower by the girl's ear. The smile she offered in return was one of the most sincere and innocent the human woman had ever seen.

Then Caesar and Maurice appeared from behind the gate and Luca immediately straightened himself in the presence of the Ape King, gave a soft huff and trudged back over to the horses – where both Lydia and Rocket were sharing amused looks at the gorilla's little slip-up. He really was a big softie under all that tough-guy silverback exterior.

And then Bad Ape came into view beside Maurice, and Lydia barely managed to keep from chuckling at the small chimp's appearance just then. He wore a thick blue and green vest and a patterned winter hat made of wool and Lydia, not at all used to the apes around her wearing clothes – certainly not human clothes – found the sight strangely comical.

Come on, woman, he's practically hairless – of course he would need some clothing to keep warm! She chided herself in the back of her mind, though it didn't stop the smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

The optimistic thumbs-up the strange chimp offered Caesar served to break Lydia's resolve, however, and the laugh that had threatened to bubble up from within her gut now came forth with little to no restraint. She just couldn't help it – this ape was so unintentionally amusing and, if she was completely honest, provided a much-needed light-heartedness to their little group.

And though both Caesar and Maurice initially rolled their eyes discreetly at the strange ape's antics, the Ape King's gaze seemed to soften considerably once he turned to see Lydia's smiling face. She knew it had been a long time since she had laughed, truly laughed, and it surprised herself just as much as it seemed to do Caesar, whose smouldering, admiring eyes on her as they all finally mounted their horses almost had her reprimand the Ape King for being too obvious.

Seems like last night is all too fresh in his memory as well, Lydia thought once she finally was somewhat comfortably settled in her saddle and waiting for the others to do the same…

– and currently being very grateful for the fact that she didn't have to walk too much on this journey.…


Later that night the group once again found themselves around a crackling fire sharing stories both old and new.

Their camp was located under a natural, rocky outcrop, not entirely unlike the one Lydia and Caesar had made their nightly escapes to back in Muir Wood Forest, only this one faced a dense stretch of pine forest rather than a river, and it was far smaller as well.

Still, the comparison made it feel somewhat homier to Lydia, who had soon found herself sitting beside the group's strange new member, doing her best to help answer his seemingly endless barrage of inquiries.

Bad Ape wanted to know more about where they had all come from and was obviously excited at the prospect of yet more apes like himself – more friends, as he put it. He also seemed very eager to learn at least rudimentary sign, but soon found that he struggled to properly memorise the movements, more often than not mixing them up completely.

Lydia couldn't tell if it was due to him being quite easily distracted or simply because he was too eager altogether.

Or maybe it had something to do with his advanced age. From what Lydia could tell, he was even older than Maurice who, at 27 years old, was currently one of the oldest apes in the colony.

But it did help when the little girl and Lydia scooted over to partake in the lesson, Lydia acting as verbal translator while the child helped keep the pace reasonable – even if she did know most common signs the apes used by now. She also helped Bad Ape by occasionally reaching over and gently direct his hands into the correct position whenever it wasn't exactly right, which Lydia found extremely adorable.

And, looking to her left, she noted how both Luca and Rocket stared at the scene with small smiles on their dark muzzles, while Caesar, sitting across from her, merely observed with his ever-keen gaze, his expression neutral.

Well, at least it isn't a sour frown or sneer, Lydia thought as the little impromptu lesson came to an end after about an hour, Maurice deciding that it was time for the girl to get some much-needed rest.

It was getting a bit late, and even Lydia had to admit that fatigue was beginning to get to her. She hadn't had much sleep last night – obviously – and following that up with a full day's ride through the mountains only added to her tiredness now.

In fact, the human woman was just about to call it a night herself when she felt a gentle nudge at her arm and turned to see Bad Ape stare at her with those large, innocent eyes of his.

"Thank you." He spoke softly, giving a tentative smile as he looked between Lydia and Maurice. "For help."

The woman shrugged easily.

"No problem at all. I have to admit though, it's been a long time since I had such an eager student." Lydia replied with a lopsided smile and a wink, which had the other apes huff in mild amusement at her antics. In truth, she had quickly gone back to her old habits of witty quips and banter with Bad Ape now a part of the group, even if he didn't always understand the underlying meaning of it all. He just went with the flow, which was part of the reason Lydia found him so easy to be around.

No ulterior motives or secret agendas from this chimp. No, only a burning desire to be part of a group again. To be able to have relations after such a long time alone.

Now, here is a simple ape, Lydia thought as her conversation with Rocket over a week prior crossed her mind.

In any case, Bad Ape nodded, looking somewhat sheepish, though she could tell that he recognised the teasing note in her voice for what it was.

"Get excited. I want to learn to speak with new friends." He reasoned, which instantly sparked a fondness in Lydia's heart.

"It'll come eventually. You just have to be a little patient."

Once again, he nodded, his gaze slowly turning to the little girl now lying across from the two of them, past the campfire and with Maurice's hairy arm safely draped over her small form.

"Sweet girl. Helpful. Very gentle." The old chimp mused, his eyes almost fond.

"She's a good kid, yeah." Lydia agreed softly, also directing her gaze towards the now-snoozing child with a smile on her face.

She soon realised her expression must have somehow seemed wistful to him, as he turned back to regard her with pursed lips and an expression that made it seem like he didn't know if he should even be asking her the question that was on his mind.

He did anyway.

"You have child?" Came his light voice, as gentle as can be as he stared up at her.

Lydia's eyes stayed on the girl for just a while longer as she thought of how to respond.

Then she inhaled deeply, fidgeting with the edge of her coat's sleeve as she looked to the other apes for guidance. Should she reveal something like that to this ape? Would he understand it? How her family came to be? Would he be appalled by it?

Something told Lydia he wouldn't be, though experience told her to be cautious. She didn't know this ape that well, after all.

In the end, it was Maurice and Caesar's nods of their heads that tipped the scales, and she turned back to the old chimp with renewed resolve.

"Yeah. I do." She answered softly, biting her lip in yet another moment of hesitation. Then, she turned to grab her old, weathered backpack. "Uhm, here, I can show you."

She rummaged through it for a time, Bad Ape cocking his head to the side in open curiosity as she did so. Truthfully, even as she fished the old picture frame out, Lydia wasn't entirely sure she should show him – it wasn't only Orion inside that frame, after all – but then again…

He hadn't been hostile towards her or the little girl at all, which in itself had surprised Lydia – what with the experience he must have had with humans in the past. No, he had accepted them almost as readily as he had the apes and, in fact, seemed rather interested in Lydia as a person after having spoken with her throughout the day's ride.

She was, after all, the only one besides Caesar who spoke out loud well enough to be able to have a conversation with him.

"This one right here, in the smaller picture." She pointed at the tiny chimp inside the frame, who sat snuggly on her lap at the very centre of the photograph. "His name is Orion."

The strange ape scooted closer, carefully grabbing the other side of the frame to get a better look and giving a soft hoot of curiosity once his large, green eyes landed on the image.

"Ape son?" Bad Ape's tone was perplexed and surprised all at once. "And so small…"

Relieved at his reaction, Lydia waved her hand somewhat dismissively, giving a small, reassuring smile to the elderly hermit chimp.

"It's an old picture. He's a grown ape by now." She said with just a hint of pride in her voice – she just could help it, being a mother and all. Besides, she would never have left the colony like she had if Orion had been this age now, no matter how much she had wanted to make sure Caesar came back alive.

But then, Lydia's thoughts turned to Cornelius and a slight pang of guilt hit her. He wasn't much older than Orion was in the picture she had in this very frame and she had left him.

Then again, Cornelius had something that Orion never really did.

"He's looking after his adopted little brother while we're away." She spoke fondly, to which Bad Ape nodded in what seemed to be understanding.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lydia didn't miss the semi-startled glance from Caesar, which held warmth, but also a tentative warning for her not to reveal too much. She understood, of course. It would be hard to explain to Bad Ape how Lydia had also adopted Cornelius, but that she wasn't raising him together with Caesar.

It would also be a blatant lie to say that they weren't together as well, and that was a line Lydia wasn't prepared to cross – lying in front of her closest friends… Like she had almost done to Rocket that very morning. Neither she, nor Caesar might have told them about the development their relationship had undergone, but it was a whole lot different to straight up deny that it had happened at all.

But Bad Ape didn't seem too concerned with that at the moment, choosing instead to point at Roy's image next, eyes ever-large and curious.

"Who is this?"

His tone was so innocently curious to the point that it reminded Lydia of a child. There was no hint of judgement or scepticism on his wrinkled face at all, and yet the woman still hesitated for a brief second, not sure how to properly explain it to the strange chimp.

How do you even being to explain an interspecies relationship brought on by circumstance like that? How do you even begin to put the nature of such a relationship into words?

But she would have to, Lydia realised. It was part of who they were, both of them, that they had had this together. To deny it, cover it up or explain it away was not an option – it would be an insult to Roy's memory, both as Lydia's mate and Orion's father.

Lydia would never – could never – do such a thing.

The apes around her seemed to eye each other as well, their expressions cautious.

"His name was Roy. We raised Orion together." Lydia spoke the words at last, balancing on the edge between sounding tender and matter-of-factly.

"Human and ape? Together?" Bad Ape questioned with no small amount of wonder in his voice. "Like… couple?"

It was the first time she had heard an ape use that term, which caught Lydia a bit off-guard at first. Caesar had always referred to Cornelia as his wife, having picked up the word during his childhood spent with humans. Every other ape she had ever met spoke of their 'mate', and it was only on rare occasions that apes closest to Caesar used the terms wife and husband.

Perhaps it shouldn't shock her that Bad Ape, having 'listened to humans', would have picked up on some things, just like Caesar had.

Once the initial surprise had passed, Lydia bit her lip at the question.

Sure, Caesar, Maurice, Rocket and Luca all knew the extent of her and Roy's relationship pretty well by now, but it had always been something… unspoken. Something private. To confirm it openly like this in front of them all, and to someone she barely knew as well seemed… Transboundary at best.

And yet, at Bad Ape's curious stare, its innocence so piercing, the human woman found herself softly nodding in confirmation.

"Yes… We were." She answered, to which the small chimp's mouth opened in an amazed o-shape. "I know it's… strange."

Those words were an afterthought, spoken in an attempt to somehow justify her relationship even before the ape in front of her had had a chance to condemn it. She had subconsciously prepared herself for it, after all.

Only that was not what happened once the small chimp got a brief moment to digest the information.

"Strange… yes, very strange… But good strange." Bad Ape spoke, surprising not only Lydia, but also the other apes present, who all regarded the old chimp now with brows furrowed in confusion.

The woman tilted her head at the ape in front of her. Now that was a new one for sure.

"Good strange?" She questioned, disbelief clear in her voice.

Lydia knew this chimp was… odd in his ways, to put it mildly, but she had honestly thought that even he would be appalled by the idea of an ape and a human being a couple.

And she wasn't the only one to have thought this.

"How so?" Caesar asked suddenly from across the small campfire, his gaze intense as he regarded Bad Ape for an answer, looking somewhat ominous.

Obviously, he would be just as curious about this as Lydia was…

The little hermit chimp seemingly didn't take too much notice of the Ape King's piercing look. Instead he focused on choosing his words very carefully as he scratched his chin, his expression turning uncharacteristically thoughtful.

"Human and ape fight. Always fight. Hurt and kill. No good… Not for ape. Not for human… But if can be together, love and raise child… That's good." He spoke quite simply, yet his explanation struck a chord within Lydia. "If all ape and human did that, then everything better."

She was quite dumbstruck at the deep insight the odd chimp showed with those words. Truthfully, though he seemed to be a kind soul, Lydia hadn't thought him to be too bright.

Evidently, neither had Maurice, who chittered from deep within his throat at the small chimp's words, nodding in approval after sharing a meaningful look with Caesar.

The Ape King himself took in Bad Ape's words with what appeared to be an indifferent look, merely nodding silent agreement at the chimp's statement. And yet Lydia knew it had stirred something in him – could tell by the hopeful flicker in his green-and-golden eyes.

Hope that he and Lydia could perhaps find that same sort of acceptance, not only from Bad Ape, but from the colony as well once they would return.

It was a hope that Lydia very much shared, though she wasn't going to divulge that little piece of information anytime soon.

"Yeah…" The human woman replied softly instead, thoughtfully rubbing her thumb against the picture frame in her grasp. "I suppose that's true…"

Bad Ape nodded for the umpteenth time that evening, that soft smile back on his aging face.

"You miss them? Sons?" He asked gently, though his voice was so shrill in its quality that his near-whisper carried as easily across the short distance between them as if he had spoken normally.

Lydia took a moment to stare fondly down at the picture in her hands before answering, finding herself wishing that she had one of Cornelius too. Goodness knows she missed him, the nights of him sneaking into her nest to sleep with his cheek pressed to her sternum seeming like ages ago already.

And with Orion it was just as bad. She had barely had him back again for a full 24 hours before they had separated once more…

It hurt just to think about it, really, as Lydia's stomach churned with worry for the apes she had come to see as her children.

She released a longing sigh as she nodded, pursing her lips in an effort to keep her emotions in check.

She felt more than saw Caesar's sympathetic gaze and took comfort in the fact that while he couldn't reach out to hold her close, Lydia knew that he wanted to, and that made it all just a little bit easier.

But it was Bad Ape's next words, as sincere as anything anyone had ever said to Lydia, that truly managed to warm her heart on this cold winter's night.

"They very lucky apes." The aging hermit chimp spoke, reaching over to pat the hand holding on to the old picture frame. Despite his readiness to accept Lydia and the girl, it was the first time he had dared touch the woman physically, which only served to heavily underline his words.

And all Lydia could do in return, though they seemed so inadequate in that moment, was to offer two little words to show her gratitude.

"Thank you."

It would seem like this ape wasn't as simple as Lydia had first thought.