Author's Note:

ANNOUNCEMENT! I have decided that from this date and onwards I am going to be posting every 2 weeks rather than every single week. This is due to the fact that I now have a job (which I didn't have before) and therefore, I simply don't have the same amount of time to dedicate to my writing as I did previously (though goodness knows I've tried these past few months). I don't want writing to become something stressful for me and also, I don't want to go back on length and quality to meet a weekly deadline. Therefore, chapter 71 will be posted on Friday 14th of June.
I hope you all understand why I had to make this decision and that you'll continue to follow and enjoy the story - I know I'll continue to write it! All the way to the very end! :)


Rocket

The old tunnels that Bad Ape had accidentally found two days ago had quickly sparked an idea in the minds of both Rocket and Maurice. One that revolved around getting the entire colony out of that damned place.

The writing on the walls down there was the first indicator that they were onto something once they had removed the sizable wall of debris that blocked their path into the tunnels themselves. Sick humans in a similar situation had clearly taken this very same route to freedom in the past – or at least they had tried to, Maurice quickly deduced.

Rocket had agreed, though he didn't want to think about the possibility that these past humans might have failed in their endeavour – he didn't want to extinguish this feeble flame of hope that they had managed to ignite with this discovery.

Now, they were through the rubble and down the corridor, with Maurice holding up the old flashlight to study the white, painted words on the wall.

"Ape-pocalypse now" they read. A grim-sounding pun, in Rocket's opinion, but probably quite fitting from the point of a sick human trying to escape something horrible.

"Wonder where we are." Maurice signed once the two of them had made their way to the end of the corridor, where it divided into two paths leading in opposite directions.

Rocket didn't get to answer the question before both apes heard faint sounds from above their heads and looked up to see a hollow point in the roof.

It was almost humorous how the two both lowered their gazes at the same time and, with a single nod at each other, agreed to investigate further. Without much preamble, Maurice stepped underneath the hollow area and leaned forward, letting Rocket climb onto his back for leverage. The balding ape did so with ease, though he was careful not to hurt his old friend as he stepped onto his back – Maurice may not be ancient by ape-standards, but neither was he a young, sprightly orangutan anymore.

It didn't take Rocket long to dig through the soil, which fell down to reveal a metal post and a gloomy, grey sky high above – it was getting dark rather quickly at this time of year.

Initially, because the dirt fell away so easily, Rocket feared that they might be discovered by a soldier walking over the area and possibly falling through – or simply spotting him as he peeked up. That would not only make the humans aware that an escape route existed but would certainly also result in both Rocket and Maurice being captured too, and the apes just couldn't afford that. Right now, they were the colony's only hope.

Luckily, though Rocket got a good look at the surface and realised they were inside the walls of the soldiers' base, none of the humans seemed to notice the top of the chimp's head poking up from the ground just a few yards away from where they stood.

And upon closer inspection, Rocket also discovered that while the soldiers did tread areas which were most certainly above the tunnels, the soil held firm.

As soon as Rocket's feet touched the floor again and he informed the elder orangutan of this, Maurice theorised that this was due to the frost having penetrated the upper layer of dirt just enough to carry the humans' weight, while the corridors beneath were somewhat shielded from the cold, making it easy for their small band to dig through to the surface – like how the water still flowed underneath the frozen surface of a lake.

Rocket wouldn't pretend he knew much about such things, and to him it didn't matter either way. As long as the tunnels would hold, the balding ape would be satisfied. Then they would be free to find the enclosure where the soldiers kept the apes, dig up and free everyone during night time, when they were all gathered, and the soldiers had the fewest guards around.

There was only one problem, though, and quite an important one at that…

How were they ever going to find out where exactly the apes' enclosure was in relation to the tunnels beneath? Especially when no one inside the walls knew of their plan…

And also, the adults and children were kept separately, meaning that they would have to locate both cages… From beneath the earth and with a very real risk of digging straight up in front of the boots of a soldier instead.

Rocket pursed his rough lips in thought as he examined the dilapidated tunnels around them, doing his best to keep his feet out of the cold, murky water trickling through the place. Where was that even coming from? – no matter.

At least they had a plan now. That had to mean something. At least there was hope.

But as he continued to take in his surroundings, hope wasn't exactly the first thing that Rocket was struck by.

Though the structure was obviously artificial and human-made, this dark and wet place eerily reminded Rocket of the cave they had laid Luca to rest inside just a few days prior and if they weren't careful, these tunnels just might become their graves.

The four of them had been waiting for Lydia to either bring Caesar back or come home empty-handed, not wanting to pay their final respects to the gorilla before everyone was back and had the chance to do.

Only neither of them had ever come back – not the Ape King, nor the dark-haired woman.

It was only at dawn the next day that Rocket had discovered what had happened to their friends when he had spied on the soldiers' base through the binoculars.

Rocket looked down another tunnel now, adjacent to the one they were currently standing inside. It seemed vast to him, the darkness stretching into nothingness even when he pointed his flashlight straight down the corridor.

His thoughts continued to wander.

They had decided to at least give Luca a proper burial before figuring out what to do about the apes locked inside the soldiers' base. He deserved that much – not to be forgotten. To have his sacrifice honoured in some way.

The girl had cried again, and Bad Ape had sniffled and wiped his nose in the collar of his vest as Luca had lied there, placed on his back with his hands folded on top of his chest, still with that little flower behind his ear.

And as he had stood there, Rocket had realised that this was a scene he had witnessed before…

Memories of Roy's funeral over two years prior had made a lump appear in the balding ape's throat as he had stared at the Gorilla Guard Commander's lifeless, carefully-placed body inside the dark cave. He hadn't been surrounded by ceremonial floral decorations and there had been no light from the outside world shining through cracks in the cave roof to cast a comforting glow inside the gloomy space. Instead, Luca had been laid on a bedding of pine branches, and the only light to shine on him had been the cold, artificial gleam of the flashlights the group had scavenged – which would disappear once they left the gorilla behind.

And yet the similarities this rushed, improvised burial held to Roy's had made a tight knot appear in the balding chimp's gut and since then, he had been pondering on just how many of his friends he would have to lay to rest like this in the immediate future.

Would he be sending Caesar off in this manner as well? If the worst happened and he died at the hands of the soldiers, would Rocket even get the chance?

And what about Tinker? Would he have to leave her behind in a cold, dark cave in the middle of nowhere too, facing the rest of his years without her? All because he didn't find a solution in time to save her?

Rocket grinded his teeth together, willing away the thought and the ache in his chest that accompanied it. It was bad enough that he had had to leave her so soon after returning all those weeks ago, and that she was now locked in a cage, forced to toil away for most of the day. It would do him no good to also entertain thoughts about what would happen to her if their small band failed in their endeavour to free the colony.

It would only distract and cause him even more suffering – and Tinker wouldn't want that. She would want him to focus on something else – something positive.

Of course, that is easier said than done… Rocket mused inside his own mind as he examined the integrity of the roof as they walked.

They had made their way further down the left-hand tunnel now, Maurice's curious rumbling the only thing to fill out the silence. That is, until the sound of hard, urgent pants and desperate whispers of the word "friends!" suddenly echoed through the corridors from behind the two apes.

They both knew immediately that it was Bad Ape, his wispy-yet-penetrating voice unmistakable by now, as were the gasps of surprise as he stepped into the icy water on the floor, accompanied by faint splashes.

Maurice released a deep sigh, his posture slouching just a fraction as the strange ape came into view in the glare of the flashlight Rocket carried. The balding ape had never witnessed his orangutan friend be quite this exasperated by anyone else in all the years the two had known each other, but it was clear that Bad Ape was really beginning to test Maurice's never-ending patience.

In any other situation, Rocket would have found it amusing but right now, all he did was stare as the former hermit ape came up to them, gibbering and his arms flailing.

"Friends help! Little girl! She go! No come back!" The small chimp spoke with urgency, his eyes wide as he pointed in the direction he had come from.

A startled grunt left the aging orangutan, who suddenly seemed much more interested in what the strange chimp in front of them was trying to convey.

"Come! Friends come see! Must help!" Bad Ape rambled on as he gestured for the two other apes to follow him, and Rocket only got to share a brief look with Maurice in the gleam of their flashlights before they both rushed after the smaller ape.

It was only then that Rocket realised how far he and Maurice had ventured into the tunnels. The way back took quite a bit longer than he would have thought to be the case, and that's considering the fact that Bad Ape, surprisingly, didn't take a wrong turn even once. Hadn't he already been so obviously distressed, that fact alone would have been enough to tell both Rocket and Maurice that something must indeed be terribly wrong.

By the time they were making their way up to the surface on the rickety ladder, Rocket's heart was beating so furiously that the chimp thought the organ would be liable to burst at any moment. He didn't think the elder orangutan was faring much better, given his deep, laboured heaves of breath as he too managed to haul himself onto his feet once more.

Bad Ape was already over by the boulder by the time the two other apes had turned to him, hooting frantically and telling them to hurry.

"She go in!" The ape spoke in distress, pointing towards the gate leading into the soldier's camp.

That's when the balding ape noticed Storm's anxious whining. She too was by the boulder, prowling back and forth but with her keen gaze set on the gate that Bad Ape was gesturing to.

And sure enough, just before she crossed the imposing entrance to the soldiers' base, the three apes noticed the girl, walking calmly forward while still swathed in her oversized parka.

Beside him, Rocket heard Maurice give a fearful hoot as he leaned forward over the boulder they all hid behind. The chimp looked over at his friend with a mixture of urgency and sympathy on his face – it was clear that the orangutan had grown extremely fond of the human child, as was evident by his protectiveness and the gentle, selfless care he provided for her. By now, she was almost like a daughter to him, and no doubt the prospect of her being discovered by the soldiers and most likely killed was frightening to Maurice.

And Rocket would readily admit that he liked the little girl too. She was a kind and pure spirit, trusting the apes from the start regardless of them not being her own kind, and feeling so strongly for them that she had openly wept when Luca had died just a few days prior.

And now, as they looked through the entrance to the compound from behind the boulder, the three apes saw how the girl offered their king food, water and comfort, helped on by the apes in the cage across from Caesar.

Storm continued to whimper anxiously, her ears flat against the back of her neck as she looked between the apes and the place the little human had gone, and Rocket patted the dog's head comfortingly. The poor creature had seemed lost and on edge ever since her master had been captured.

"She likes to keep the pack together." Lydia had often said about her canine companion, the words echoing through the dark chimp's mind as his green eyes returned to the scene inside the soldiers' base.

And suddenly an idea sparked inside Rocket's mind.

To keep the pack together… Of course! That's how they were going to contact the apes and tell them about their plan to escape! They would never be able to do that from out here, separated from the other apes - one of them would have to go in there! To re-join the "pack"!

And in doing so, they could also provide a distraction for the girl to escape unseen – but they would have to hurry!

Soldiers were coming now, and the metal beam the girl had hidden behind just now wouldn't keep her concealed forever.

"Humans will kill her!" Maurice signed, the words accompanied by deep, distressed huffs.

Looks like Rocket wouldn't get the chance to explain his idea or even the time to properly think it through – he'd just have to wing it, as Lydia often put it.

"I know what to do! Go!"

Goodness he hoped he was right.


Tinker

Unaware of her husband and old friend's discovery just outside the soldiers' walls, Tinker sat quietly inside the ape enclosure together with Lydia, whose hair she was painstakingly attempting to comb out with her fingers. Over the past few days, Lydia's customary braid had become more and more untidy, reaching the point where most of her hair had come loose. The woman hadn't seemed to care all that much, stating in what Tinker could only assume was a half-assed attempt at a joke that her haggard, grimy appearance might help deter the soldiers from getting handsy when dealing with her shackles.

Tinker thought it was a very distasteful joke and made it a point to convey that with her expression, nose wrinkled in distaste and mouth twisted in a frown.

Lydia had merely shrugged, choosing not to protest further as the she-ape had sat down behind her to tend to her hair.

She was right about one thing, though, Tinker thought as she pushed a more-or-less untangled lock of hair aside, moving on to the next. Lydia was beginning to look haggard. In addition to her hair slowly coming undone from the braid and her not doing anything about it, Lydia was also beginning to sport dark rims around her eyes, amplified by the bruise left on her cheekbone by Red a couple of days ago.

On top of that, Tinker had also noted how the daily labour and minimal amount of food was beginning to slowly transform her friend's appearance. Lydia had always looked healthy in the past, her body slender and strong and her clothes sitting snugly on her form… But now she was starting to look weathered and gaunt as her face thinned and fat as well as muscles slowly disappeared, making her clothes seem just too big now. She had also confessed to Tinker, when recounting her journey with Caesar, Rocket, Maurice and Luca, that food had become scarce once they had reached the mountains and none of them had been eating too well due to that fact.

It worried Tinker to no end, but when she mentioned it to Lydia, the woman waved it off and, perhaps in an attempt to dispel the female ape's concern, told her that she had had it much worse back when she had been on the road all by herself before she found Roy and Orion.

It wasn't that Tinker doubted what Lydia said was true, but the knowledge didn't exactly quell her anxiety and fear of seeing her best friend waste away in this horrible place. There was no telling how long they would be forced to continue to work and there was little doubt in Tinker's mind that Lydia wouldn't last long like this.

It was one of the many instances where it wasn't exactly an advantage for Lydia to be human, seeing as she was physically much frailer than the apes – even if she hadn't already been slightly malnourished upon her arrival, Tinker had little doubt that her friend would have ended up in this condition anyway. More than once, she and the other apes had had to try and camouflage the fact that they were helping the woman out with the heavy burdens they were all made to carry during the day but even then, Lydia still had a hard time keeping up with the work she was made to do.

But true to her stubborn, defiant nature, the human woman shouldered on anyway to the point that she was practically collapsing into the arms of whichever ape was going to keep her warm at any given night. Three nights ago, it had been Orion, yesterday it had been Ivy and Lake, and today it would be Tinker.

The human woman winced somewhat when one of Tinker's fingers snagged on a tangle but didn't voice her discomfort. Actually, she had been rather quiet ever since Red had come forth with the Colonel to pull Caesar down from his perch and throw him into the small cage right across from the adult apes' enclosure.

Right now, all she did was stare ahead, not even being discreet anymore as her eyes roved worriedly across the Ape King's bent and broken form inside his cage.

To anyone else it might seem like the worry one might show for a close friend in trouble…. But Tinker knew it was way more than that.

At least she was able to talk to Tinker about it if she wanted to – they had done so a few times in the past and though the she-ape knew that Lydia wouldn't discuss her relationship with her son, Tinker still thought it was a good thing that Orion knew too, now. The female chimp imagined that, even though it must have been a difficult conversation, that Lydia was relieved to not have to hide it from her son anymore and according to her friend, Orion had actually taken the news better than she had initially expected he would.

Sure, Lydia had told that the two of them had had a bit of an argument about it, but in the end, Orion had accepted his mother's choice and been very understanding about it after a while. Tinker honestly couldn't imagine Orion be angry with his mother in the first place – at least not for very long and especially not for something that made her happy.

He had always been a sweet child and now, he had grown up to be a fine young male as well. Indeed, Lydia had good reason to be proud of him.

Speaking of Orion, he was sitting over by Ivy, Shale and Juniper tonight, the latter looking rather exhausted and overall worse for wear as she sat practically slouched against her mate's flank. If Lydia wouldn't be the first to succumb to these conditions, then Tinker was certain Juniper would.

While she had never been prone to episodes of sickness, the she-ape was very easily stressed and quite the worrywart – which Tinker knew had all started with her first three pregnancies, which had all ended in miscarriages until she had managed to give birth to Ivy. Since then, Juniper had always been overly concerned for her daughter and had also developed a tendency to take life's hardships with a heavier heart than most.

Tinker had little doubt that this state of mind wasn't doing the female any favours in this horrible place and most likely contributed to her worsening condition.

At least she had Shale to lean on – quite literally so. Tinker would readily admit that she envied Juniper for that, though she took heart from the fact that she knew Rocket was out there somewhere, probably doing his very best to plan an escape for the colony together with Maurice.

And at least she didn't have to watch her mate being at the receiving end of the cruel treatment Caesar was dealt. Tinker definitely did not envy Lydia for this, nor for being unable to do anything about it. Not even something as simple as signing loving words of comfort through the bars for fear of how the other apes might react to it.

Honestly, Tinker didn't know how Lydia dealt with either. Having the one she loved being tortured and having to be a silent spectator to boot.

"You know, Tinker…" The human woman suddenly spoke, her voice quiet and thoughtful but still managing to startle the she-ape out of her depressing thoughts.

The chimp hummed to indicate that she was listening, also realising just then that she had stopped carding her fingers through her friend's dark tresses and quickly returned to the task.

"I've realised I must be a terrible hypocrite…" Lydia spoke thoughtfully, but also with a sullen note to her voice that was extremely uncharacteristic for her.

Tinker's brow immediately furrowed at her friend's words and she scooted over to get a better look at the woman's face as she waited for Lydia to elaborate. She had completely stopped untangling her dark hair now in favour of listening to what her friend had to say. From the way Lydia spoke, it was something that weighed heavily on her mind and Tinker was almost done with grooming the woman's unruly mane anyway.

The few scattered droplets from before had now transformed into proper rainfall, drenching them as they sat there on the ground without shelter, but Lydia didn't seem to care much as she continued to speak.

"I've always told Orion that humans are in trouble now because they can't adapt. Because they want life to be the way it was before the disease. Because they refuse to face reality."

Tinker nodded, still not quite understanding where Lydia was going with this, but placing a comforting hand on the woman's knee nonetheless.

"But I've realised that I'm guilty of that too…" The human woman spoke then, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

If she didn't have Tinker's attention before, she sure did now. What was this supposed to mean? And where was it even coming from in the first place? Tinker certainly didn't see Lydia as a hypocrite – far from it, in fact. Lydia had always been very conscious of… what was the phrase she used? 'Not to preach what she didn't practice herself'? Yes, that sounded about right.

The she-ape leaned forward to inspect her friend's face more closely, as if her words were a riddle and the answer could be found in the expression she wore.

It didn't.

But luckily, Lydia wasn't done explaining.

"When the world that I grew up in crumbled, it wasn't just my lifestyle that changed… The rules of human society changed too. Suddenly, things like decency and community were thrown away, and I just couldn't live with that… I couldn't face that reality… So, I rejected it first chance I got. When there was nothing left tying me to humanity, I leapt at the opportunity to leave it behind… because I couldn't adapt. Because I couldn't adjust to the way things had turned out."

A heavy sigh left her then, her shoulders slumping as her gaze shifted to the ground. Lydia's brows were slightly furrowed and looked to be chewing at the inside of her cheek in thought, looking quite disappointed with herself.

"While everyone else struggled to regain what they had lost, I was stuck with an outdated mindset."

Tinker's frown from before deepened and, sensing Lydia was done pouring out her thoughts, the ape reached a hand forward and lightly smacked the back of her friend's head, which fell forward by a few inches from the unexpected impact.

"Ow…! What was that for?" Lydia whined half-heartedly as she rubbed the back of her head.

Tinker knew it hadn't actually hurt – or at least if it had, it was nothing compared to what Lydia had already endured and she was just being a petulant child right now. Either way, the chimp didn't feel too sorry about what she had done, knowing this was probably the only way to pull Lydia out of her miserable reverie and pay attention to what Tinker had to say.

"Lydia," The female chimp began, her movements soft and smooth as she signed, but her expression stern like a mother reprimanding a misbehaving child. "You are mistaken. You did not fail to adapt to the new reality. If that was the case, you would never have found a new family – one that shares the values that you continued to hold on to."

Tinker gestured broadly with her arm to the colony all around them to underline her words. Few of the other apes even took notice of the conversation the two of them were having, though Tinker noticed out of the corner of her eye that Orion, who now had a seemingly sleeping Ivy cradled in his arms, cast a look in their direction just then. Perhaps he had been listening in? No matter – right now, Tinker had to focus on making Lydia understand.

"You left something behind that wasn't good for you and went to find something better, even if you didn't know what that was. You took matters into your own hands and didn't pass up a chance at happiness when you found it."

"Tinker…" Lydia mumbled in what seemed to be astonishment as she stared at the female chimp. The hand that had been rubbing the sport where the chimp had hit her head had now been lowered, stuck mid-air in front of Lydia's face as she stared at Tinker.

But the female ape wasn't done.

"Failure to accept and commit cruelty like these soldiers do is not a failure to adjust, Lydia. At least I don't think so – and if I am wrong, then I am glad you didn't adjust."

She patted the human woman's knee for good measure, coupling her words with a soft, encouraging smile. It probably looked rather pathetic due to the fact that by now, the rain had completely drenched her dark fur. Lydia fared no better in that regard, her deerskin coat now sporting large, wet patches, particularly on the shoulders, and her hair now looking almost as messy as it did before Tinker had begun sorting it out.

Nonetheless, after a short moment of the two just staring at each other, Lydia found it in herself to offer a small, lopsided smile, a fond look in her eyes as she regarded the female chimp. She reached over and placed a hand on Tinker's shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"Thanks Tinker."

The she-ape waved it off.

"Do not mention it. It's already miserable in here as it is – I do not need you to add to that by being gloomy like this." Tinker signed in what she hoped came across as a joking manner. "Besides, there is no point in talking about past problems now."

"Not much else to do in here, is there?" Lydia asked with a raised brow, almost as if challenging Tinker to come up with an alternative topic of conversation.

And Tinker had never been one to shirk away from a challenge.

"There could be." She insisted, a small, teasing smirk finding its way to her lips. "We could talk about fun times. Like the time you became flustered because I used your trick in the nest on Rocket? You remember that?"

After she had briefly checked on Orion, probably to make sure he wasn't aware of what they were talking about, Lydia rolled her eyes and Tinker's smile only broadened at this reaction. Of course, she would remember that!

"Please remind me how that qualifies as a fun time?" The human woman spoke, though there was still a glint of humour in her blue gaze. "I still remember the very serious conversation I had to have with Roy that evening because Rocket had approached him to thank me you for it. Good grief!"

"I never said it had to be funny for both of us, did I?" Tinker signed in reply, unable to keep in a gleeful chuckle at her friend's expense.

Lydia shook her head in amused exasperation.

"You're so bad sometimes, you know?" She said, though Tinker easily recognised that there was no bite behind the woman's words. It was all in good fun – and they desperately needed that right now.

Just then, something off to the side seemed to catch the human woman's eye, and she turned her head away with a suspicious expression, eyes narrowed, and brows knitted.

It soon transformed into a look of shock and slight horror, prompting Tinker to also turn her head to investigate what had her friend so startled.

"What the hell…!" She heard the woman beside her trail off under her breath, and Tinker had to admit that she didn't quite know what to say either as she saw exactly what made Lydia so riled up all of a sudden.

It was a human walking calmly along the compound, but it wasn't one of the usual soldiers keeping them prisoners… No, it was a child, a little girl in fact.

And judging by Lydia's reaction, Tinker deemed it safe to assume that this was the child Caesar's little group had picked up on their way here – the girl Lydia had spoken about. Maurice's little charge.

But what was she doing here, all alone and out in the open like this? This was no place for a child, and if the soldiers found her…

Tinker didn't want to finish that thought, already feeling a surge of compassion for the little girl who, from what Lydia had told of her, seemed like a kind, innocent creature, not at all like the horrid ones keeping the apes here. Where was Maurice and Rocket, if not with her? Tinker knew that neither of them would simply abandon a child, be they human or ape, nor would they ever intend to use one as bait as part of some grand plan to get the colony out…

But what had happened, then? Had something happened to Rocket and Maurice? Goodness, Tinker hoped with all her might that wasn't the case.

Soon, the other apes in their cage had also begun to notice the little intruder, staring in quiet wonder and concern as she walked quietly up to the Ape King's small cage.

Lydia had risen into a kneeling position, resting one arm on her bent leg and looking more alert than she had in days as her blue eyes zeroed-in on the girl in the much-too-large jacket.

Because she stood with her back facing the colony, Tinker couldn't tell what she was doing, nor what she pulled from her pocket and threw into Caesar's cage, nor the chimp's reaction to seeing the child there. But what she could tell, and quite easily so, was that the girl was here to help.

Which was confirmed when she fetched Caesar a bucket of water and offered its contents to the Ape King, who readily drank through the bars, unconcerned with the way the child stroked the crown of his head. It wasn't in the kind of stroke a master might offer their pet, as Lydia did with her dogs – well dog, at this point – but a gesture one might offer a close friend or a child as a way to comfort them. Tinker's heart ached with fondness at the thought.

The female chimp moved forward then, up to the very bars of their prison, followed by several others as she signed for the girl to come over. She had no idea how well this little human understood signing but nonetheless, the girl walked over to them and instantly understood what she needed to do once Tinker scooped up a handful of grain and held it in cupped hands in front of her.

Lydia came over as well but didn't say a word as her eyes met the girl's through the bars. The look in the adult's eyes was concerned and thankful all at once as Tinker poured the grain into the child's waiting hands, and Lydia helpfully pointed to Caesar, signing the word "hungry".

The smaller human's expression was tender but serious, and she nodded at the woman in understanding, the large hood over her head bouncing with the action. Then she turned back to the Ape King, kneeling before him to offer the food he so desperately needed to stay alive. It wasn't much – what had filled out two of the child's small hands fit into one of the male chimp's large palms – but was better than nothing at all.

And once he had received the precious grain, Caesar's gaze drifted slowly from the girl to Tinker and all the other apes, the king and the little human looking on in wonder as the colony, one member after the other, raised their arms over their heads, fists side by side.

"Apes Together Strong" – the signature sign of their unity. Of their loyalty to Caesar.

And once Caesar's eyes strayed towards Lydia, Tinker saw her human friend give a single nod, eyes bright and her back straight, as she also raised her fists above her head in quiet salute.

The way Caesar's eyes looked just then as he stared at them all, the way his eyes seemed to spark once more, and determination overtook his features, only for him to look back up at the girl in quiet gratitude.

It ignited a small flame of hope inside Tinker's chest that she hadn't felt for weeks now, and as she looked at the apes around her, she knew it wasn't just her who felt this. Even Lydia, despite her fatigue and the fact that she was getting soaked from the rain, looked almost invigorated now.

But as was so often the case in these days, hope was quickly replaced with fear once male human voices could be heard and everyone realised that the Colonel was coming with some of his men, probably out on his nightly inspection round.

The girl was quick to hide at Caesar's behest, but no matter how small she was, Tinker knew that the soldiers would find her eventually. The she-ape shared a distressed look with Lydia, who sat beside her looking just as concerned, if not more so, by the prospect of this kind child getting killed.

This little human had helped them. There had to be something they could do. Something which would distract the soldiers and let her slip out unseen – but what!?

But before Tinker could even attempt to think of an answer to that question, someone else seemed to have come up with that something.

That someone being her mate who, to Tinker's immense surprise, came strutting into the compound, releasing a series of loud hoots almost as if to announce his arrival – which was probably exactly what he was doing.

She knew what he was trying to achieve the moment she spotted him, but Tinker still felt how fear and anger gripped her heart as Red began to relentlessly beat Rocket. Sure, her mate had been the one to pounce rather than come along quietly, and she knew it was something Rocket had done deliberately to create a diversion, but that didn't mean she had to agree with it. These soldiers and traitor apes… they were capable of doing anything to him that they saw fit – even kill him.

Which was exactly what Tinker thought was going to happen when the Colonel pulled his pistol out and aimed at the two scuffling apes on the muddy ground and fired.

Tinker drew in a sharp breath and felt Lydia's hand reach out and grab hers the moment the shot sounded through the compound, the loud bang reverberating against the metal beams and walls of smooth stone. The female chimp squeezed the human woman's hand tightly, staring wide eyed at the scene through the bars of their prison.

The shot had narrowly missed Rocket and both he and Red stopped dead in their tracks to stare back at the Colonel, shocked and waiting for him to decide Rocket's fate as the rain kept pouring from the sky.

It seemed to take forever for him to step forward and ask Rocket if there were others outside the compound, and when her mate didn't answer but merely stared at the human male with a strange mixture of apprehension and defiance in his eyes, Tinker almost thought the Colonel would shoot again – and hit her mate for sure this time.

Instead, he merely told his men to sweep the area and for Red to throw Rocket into the pen.

The relief the female chimp felt at this verdict was short-lived, however, as Red knocked Rocket to the ground and gracelessly dragged him through the mud together with another traitor, only to continue to beat her mate a second time once they got him inside the enclosure.

Tinker wanted to pounce just then, shaking with fury and showing the barest hint of her formidable canines in a display of protectiveness. She would rip Red apart for treating her beloved like that, if not for the fact that she knew Rocket wouldn't want her to step in – it could mean her life if she did. And Lydia's hand around her own also helped quite a lot, grounding Tinker while also letting her know that her friend was just as furious at what was happening in front of them. The tight squeeze of her grip told Tinker as much without her even having to look.

Once Red was done and had left the pen, the gate closing with a loud clang behind him, Tinker was the first to rush over to her mate to see if he was alright, though she didn't let go of Lydia's hand in the process, dragging the woman along instead.

She didn't protest, though, seemingly just as eager to check up on Rocket as she knelt beside him with a worried look on her face.

Tinker didn't see it. Just as Lydia had only had eyes for Caesar before the little girl had appeared, the female chimp now only had eyes for Rocket.

She crouched beside him as he lied on the ground, tenderly stroking his shoulder and hooting comfortingly, to which he responded by propping himself up onto his elbow, staring into her eyes in both surprise and relief.

Neither of them said anything as Rocket reached a hand behind Tinker's head, pulling her down to press their foreheads against each other. The she-ape released a noise that was a mixture between a sob and a gasp, a quite undignified sound in her opinion, which made her all the more grateful for the way the raindrops hitting the muddy ground managed to mostly drown it out.

Rocket heard it, of course, and pulled back to brush a tender thumb across Tinker's cheek, making her almost choke up.

He was panting hard as he got up, using the bars for leverage as well as the supporting hand Tinker placed on his upper arm as he stared over at Caesar, who was still inside his little cage.

"Feeling better?" He signed, and Tinker almost rolled her eyes in exasperation at her mate. He had just been beaten within an inch of his life and threatened with a gun by the Colonel himself, and he was asking if Caesar was okay?

Of course, Tinker knew that the Ape King was suffering, if only in a different way, but he had at least just gotten food and drink and hadn't been fighting with a big silverback.

But that was just how their friendship was, the she-ape knew. And she was pretty sure she would've done the same for Lydia, had the two of them traded roles with their respective mates.

From her spot behind Rocket, still holding on to his arm, as well as Lydia's hand, Tinker watched as the Ape King nodded his head in confirmation to the inquiry. There seemed to be something different in his eyes now. The barest flicker of something very familiar and something the Ape King had been missing for quite some time now – his will to fight. His determination – and not to end someone's life, but to save others. His apes.

"Good. Then we can talk about escaping."

That tiny spark of hope from before returned inside Tinker's chest at her mate's signed words, though she was also more than a little shocked to learn that Rocket actually seemed to have a plan for how they could all get out of here. She had thought he had come here on a whim to save the girl but by the look on his face, it seemed like the incident had merely coincided with a plan he had developed beforehand.

Lydia, contrary to Tinker, didn't seem even a little bit surprised. The she-ape turned her head to share a look with the human woman. No, she was calm and collected, briefly winking at Tinker by her side before her gaze once again landed on Rocket, her expression one of respect and approval as he raised his fists side by side above his head at Caesar.

"Apes Together Strong!"

Yes, Tinker thought, pride and love warming her from inside, even in this frigid rain, as she stared at her mate, happy to be with him once more.

Together, they were strong.

And they would escape!