Author's Note: I've had to postpone the posting of this chapter because life has been a bit hectic this past week and I've simply found myself unable to write as much as I wanted.
For the future, if any of you are interested, my posting schedule for this fic can be found on my profile and should I find myself unable to meet the deadline in the future, I will be updating the schedule at least one day prior so that you guys can know what's going on.
I hope this was all worth the extra wait, you guys!


Tinker

The sky was forebodingly grey as the clouds rolled over the valley, and Tinker had just finished up sorting another basket filled with mushrooms, roots, tubers and berries. It was her last one for the day, and she nodded with relief as a young male orangutan came over to helpfully move the now-sorted provisions to the hut reserved for food storage. The help was quite welcome, as Tinker's feet ached from her recent foraging expedition with the females.

Or rather, the females not out hunting. Ivy was partially in charge of that nowadays, as per Lydia's request and the young female had readily accepted the task with no small amount of pride. It had taken a long time for Lydia to decide, even though Ivy had been the obvious choice all along – she might be young, but she had had more practice with hunting than any of the females in the colony and had been personally trained by Lydia to boot. To Tinker it had been a no-brainer, though she could understand Lydia's reluctance to display favouritism towards her daughter-in-law. In the end though, it was always going to be Ivy, and nobody had even questioned once the decision had actually been made.

Besides, the female hunting parties were still considerably smaller than the males'. It was primarily the young, childless females and the older ones with adult children who took part in the hunting and scouting while those with young children often stayed behind to forage with Tinker – a much safer activity that allowed for them to bring said children along.

Tinker sat down on an old stump and stretched her long arms up above her head, her muscles aching from sitting in the same position for most of the early afternoon. An ominous-sounding, yet thoroughly pleasant pop sounded from somewhere in her back and she shivered as she let down her arms once more. She knew she would have to go check up on the newly established garden in the village, a project Tinker herself had suggested to start up again now that the apes' lives had become more or less stable once again. Back when she had first arrived all those years ago, it had been Lydia's idea to start up a garden to grow their own food as a supplement to the hunting and foraging, though she had quickly (and gladly) handed the responsibility over to Cornelia when the Ape Queen had showed her immense interest in the project. Nowadays it wasn't much different, with Tinker, Lake and, surprisingly, Ivy, overseeing the garden and Lydia only occasionally making an inquiry about how it was coming along. It didn't surprise Tinker, as she knew her human friend to be more of a hands-on sort of person. It wasn't that Lydia was impatient – no one who took it upon themselves to teach Bad Ape sign could be accused of that – but she was the kind of person who liked to have a continuous impact on the process.

Be it learning how to use a bow or how to sew, how to thatch the roof of a hut or tan a hide, Lydia wanted to be a part of it. to be active. To do – not just plant a seed, see to it once in a while and let the earth and sky do the rest of the job, hoping the outcome would be satisfactory.

At least that's how she put it herself anyway.

Tinker didn't mind, and she certainly didn't question it. She just enjoyed the quiet, simple task of pulling out weeds and caring for the tiny sprouts which had just started to pop up from the ground just a week ago. It was an unhurried and, so far, non-committal task since the apes' hunting and foraging was enough to feed them all for now. There was no pressure to produce a successful harvest and even if there had been, Tinker knew the process couldn't be rushed either way. Plants simply took the time they needed to grow.

Now, if she could only muster the energy to get off this stump and actually go check up on this growth, that would be great. But instead, she simply leaned an elbow onto her knee and rested her head in her palm as she observed the bustling life of the village all around her. It had been a long day, after all. A couple of moments longer here wouldn't hurt.

"Need a hand, Tinker?" Came a familiar, friendly voice from off to the chimp's right, and she turned to find Lydia standing there, staring down at her with a soft smile on her face and a hand extended for her to take.

Beside her was Storm, as per usual, tongue lolling out of her mouth and tail wagging as she too stared at Tinker in a curious manner.

Returning Lydia's smile, Tinker nodded kindly and grabbed the offered hand, letting Lydia pull her up with a grunt from her seat to stand in front of her.

"Thank you, Lydia. I was just about to go to the garden. Do you want to come? Are you done with your other tasks?" Tinker signed

"I've been done for hours." She casually informed Tinker, stuffing her hands into her pants' pockets as she and Tinker started making their way through the village and towards the colony's garden, Storm hot at their heels. In the open space at the heart of the village, Maurice was hard at work teaching some young apes their letters, with little Nova playing the part of teacher's assistant. She had settled in well with the apes, taking to their lifestyle like a fish took to water. She helped teach the youngsters with Maurice, she was being taught how to fish by Orion and how to sew by Lydia. With her innocent, compassionate way of being, she helped calm Sparrow's more unruly patients over at the healer's hut and she was one of the very few people here who could make Bad Ape go quiet – which was a feat in itself.

But most of all, she made Maurice seem… happier. More content than he had ever been before. Maurice had never found a mate within the ape colony and as such, didn't have any children of his own, which both Cornelia and Tinker had agreed several times was a damn shame. He had always been good and patient with the young ones, and it had always been clear that he had a very nurturing nature. Even so, he had never seemed to crave the company of a female, nor have the wish for a child of his very own.

But, now that he had taken in Nova as his child, Maurice was practically glowing with paternal love, and everyone agreed that it really suited the orangutan. That this little human girl had really brought out the very best of him.

It is amazing what joy a child could bring to a person's life, Tinker thought with a small pang of sadness as memories of Ash flashed across her mind. Goodness, how she missed her son. If only he could have been here…

Not for the first time since that fateful night, Tinker cursed Koba into oblivion for what he did. For what he took away from her and Rocket. For how his actions still haunted the colony to this day.

But as quickly as the thought had invaded her mind, she had buried it once more before evidence of it could reach her face. Surely, Lydia would start to fret if she suspected something was even slightly wrong – which was rather sweet and endearing, but also exhausting and bothersome at times. Especially when there was nothing that could be done to fix the problem in the first place.

Besides, if rumors among the village's females were to be trusted, Lydia had her own stuff to deal with as of late…

Tinker shot the woman a sideways glance as they walked beside each other, Lydia making the occasional comment about anything from food stores to hunting parties that had been dispatched that day, and Tinker simply hummed in agreement most of the time, all the while discreetly eyeing her old friend.

She looked rather tired. Had done so for a long time, in fact, though it had gotten a bit better since they had settled here. Still, the fact remained, and that was despite her having actually let Ivy, Tinker and Lake help with some of the tasks she was supposed to see to as the mate of the Ape King. Leading the foraging expeditions was still Tinker's responsibility, and so was tending to the garden, while Ivy occasionally led the female hunting parties. Lake, meanwhile, often looked after Cornelius when it wasn't convenient for Lydia to do so, such as when she was out on a hunt.

And while it wasn't an unreasonable thing to do, it was rather unusual for someone who usually took so much responsibility upon herself.

In addition to that, Tinker could see as well as anyone else that Lydia had gained some weight, and that she had seemed rather off recently – uncomfortable, even.

"Where is Remus?" Tinker asked, making an attempt at actually engaging in their light conversation as they walked on.

Lydia waved her hand dismissively in the air, a smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, he's with Cornelius – as usual. I swear, that dog sticks to him just like Blaze used to stick to Orion. It's rather uncanny."

Tinker chuckled, also remembering how very connected Orion and Blaze had been to each other, though her mind still wasn't entirely focused on the conversation at hand.

They finally entered the Ape Village's garden, a combed piece of land, fenced off to discourage any animals from walking in and eating the apes' hard-earned produce. Several plants were already sticking up from the ground, though among them were also the occasional, disruptive weed which Tinker had every intention to remove. Several of the rows of fruits and vegetables also seemed to need some water, and so Tinker quickly fetched a wooden pail filled with water, which stood by the entrance to the garden, and got to work.

"Do you mind if I just stand back for today? I can barely tell the difference between a weed and a tomato plant anyway." Lydia said with an apologetic smile, already moving to stand against the fence with Storm at her side.

And looking none too comfortable as she tried to discreetly adjust the waistline of her pants while her hands still remained in her pockets.

Tinker shrugged. She didn't mind doing this job alone. It was peaceful, almost meditative in a way and besides, Lydia was right – the woman was just as likely to pull up a useful plant rather than a weed, so it was probably better for her to simply be there for the company rather than the work.

And so, their easy conversation went on for a while as Lydia inquired about the day's foraging. Tinker did her best to answer, she truly did, but was somehow distracted by the thought she had had just before they had arrived here and, in the end, it seemed that Lydia managed to pick up on it.

"Tinker," She said, head tilted and a half-amused smile playing on her lips. "What's on your mind? You look like there's something you're itching to talk about."

Ah, well, Tinker thought sheepishly, sucking in her lips as she pulled a particularly large weed from the soil. No point beating around the bush – wasn't that they saying?

"Well… there is something I've been meaning to ask you." She signed carefully as she sat back on her haunches, arms resting on her knees.

Lydia nodded for her to go on, and Tinker drew a slow inhale as she steeled herself for the conversation they were about to have. She didn't want to be dishonest with Lydia, and she hoped the woman wouldn't be too offended by her asking. To be honest, though she did like listening in on it, Tinker had never put much stock in gossip – but this one rumor…. Well, it was about her best friend, and when she put it all together, Tinker had just about convinced herself that it was, in fact, true.

Still, she wanted to hear it from Lydia herself.

"Lydia…. Are you…" Tinker began but paused halfway through the question. It was a rather sensitive subject, after all. A private one too, and Tinker knew very well that Lydia, for all her direct talk and no-nonsense approach to most matters, was actually a very private person.

But Tinker had to admit that all the signs did seem to add up, and besides, the two of them were best friends. The fact that Lydia might not feel comfortable sharing something like this with her bothered Tinker and so, she finally did what nobody else seemed willing to do and just asked – for better or for worse.

"Are you pregnant?"

Silence fell between the two as they simply resorted to stare at each other, Tinker remaining crouched on the ground among the growing produce while Lydia stood dead-still over by the fence.

"Come again?" The woman frowned at the question, as if she had somehow misheard it, nose wrinkled and an eyebrow raised, though Tinker knew she had heard her. Could see it on her expression, which was more akin to disbelief rather than confusion.

Coincidentally – and rather comically as well – Storm, who sat dutifully beside Lydia, briefly looked up at her as if to gauge the woman's mood, only to turn back to Tinker and tilt her head to the side, mirroring Lydia.

The sight of the two of them like that, the timing and the similarity between Lydia and her dogs which had never been starker than right now, would normally have made Tinker laugh.

But right now, as Lydia's eyes seemed to narrow in suspicion as Tinker failed to explain herself, all the female chimp could do was lift her hands from the soil and wave them defensively in front of her, as if to ward off Lydia's unspoken barrage of questions.

"I dismissed it as a silly rumour, but…" She hurried to explain. "You have gained weight recently. Handed out more responsibility to others too, and now… Well, you just seem so tired. And really uncomfortable."

Lydia, for a moment, seemed completely dumbstruck by Tinker's words, mouth agape and eyes wide as she continued to stare.

Then, when she finally regained her composure, Lydia closed her eyes, released an exasperated sigh and shook her head at Tinker, almost as if she was a lost cause or something.

"Okay, normally I'm not really concerned with dumb stuff like that but coming from you… I've gained weight? Ouch…" She spoke with no small hint of sarcasm, topped off with a raised, dark brow in Tinker's direction.

Ah, of course. Humour – Lydia's go to tactic to ease the tension. A tried and proven method, Tinker would agree, and it did help lighten the mood, the she ape would readily admit. What it didn't do was answer her question, though.

"So…" Tinker pressed on with narrowing eyes staring searchingly at Lydia. She already thought she knew the answer, though. "It's not true?"

The woman seemed almost offended by Tinker's continued inquiry.

"Of course, it's not. I'm not tired and uncomfortable because I'm pregnant, Tinker, I'm tired and uncomfortable because I'm having my period – Jeez, you've seen me like this a hundred times before. I'm currently the exact opposite of pregnant."

Tinker, still sceptical, regarded Lydia with a doubtful look before she shook her head at the woman.

"It can't just be that. You have been tired for longer. Much longer."

"I was malnourished, and we were travelling. Of course, I've been tired." Lydia shot back, now with her arms crossed over her chest. "That's probably also why you noticed I've gained weight. I suppose it has gone a lot faster after we settled down here. No more walking from dawn till dusk or skipping meals was bound to do the trick, I suppose."

Tinker shook her head once more.

"It's not just me who noticed, Lydia. Many of the females have been commenting on how you're not as thin anymore."

A long pause followed that sentence in which Lydia simply stared at Tinker with a blank expression. The only sound to be heard was the usual chatter of the Ape Village a few hundred yards away, the birds' chirping and Storm's soft grunts as she scratched the spot behind her ear with one of her hindlegs.

"… Great…. Just great…" Lydia finally uttered as her arms dropped from where they had been crossed over her chest.

"Are all human females this concerned about their weight, or is it just you?" Tinker asked in part sarcasm, part actual curiosity. Lydia had never seemed vain to her.

The dark-haired woman shook her head at the inquiry, brow furrowing as she stared hard at the ground.

"It's not about my weight, Tinker. It's about gossip. I always hated that." She revealed and now, it was Tinker's turn to frown.

"Well, you're a human and Caesar's mate. You're already easy to pick out from the crowd as is. Put all of it together and add some odd behaviour and nosy ape females and it's no wonder there will be gossip." Tinker pointed out matter-of-factly as she used a wooden pail to water a row of sprouting vegetables. "I really don't understand is why it bothers you so much, Lydia. It's not like there wasn't any gossip about you and Roy."

The woman bit her lip at the mention of Roy and the rumours that had gone around about him and Lydia.

"Just because I've tried it before doesn't mean it doesn't still bother me. I guess it was easier to accept back when I was a new member of the colony, but… After all this time and everything that's happened, I honestly thought people would lose interest in what's going on with me." Lydia answered with a note of disappointment in her voice.

She inhaled sharply through her nose and moved to lean against the fence, doing her best to look nonchalant as she watched Tinker work on the garden. The she-ape chose not to comment on that for now.

"You're our queen. Of course they wouldn't lose interest. The colony centres around what you and Caesar get up to. Not only what decisions you make for us all."

Lydia winced slightly and shot Tinker a tired, disapproving look.

"Would you stop calling me that already?" She all but whined. "It's getting old."

"Doesn't make it untrue." Tinker pointed out, much to Lydia's chagrin.

The woman's shoulders seemed to slump in defeat, and she released an exasperated sigh, which prompted Storm to begin nudging her head against her thigh – probably in an attempt to appease her.

"Did I ever mention to you that humans consider it a really, really unwise thing to irk a woman who's on her period?" Lydia asked then, looking inquisitively at Tinker as she patted Storm's head.

It sounded like one of those rhetorical questions humans seemed so fond of asking, though Tinker answered anyway for the sake of friendly banter.

"You may have told me once or twice." She drawled, though she did in fact remember at least a handful of times throughout the years they had known each other that Lydia had informed her of this very fact. "You never told me why, however."

"We get incredibly cranky." Lydia offered simply, as if that alone was enough to concern Tinker. "You would be too if you were bleeding and having stomach cramps for about a week."

Yes, she probably would, Tinker agreed inside her own mind as she pulled a persistent weed from the soft soil. Luckily, if the virus that had made the apes smart and given them the ability to speak also made them more like humans in… other regards, Tinker could happily state that she hadn't experienced such changes yet. And she sincerely hoped she wouldn't, because from what she had garnered from both Lydia and Ellie, it clearly wasn't an easy ordeal.

Sometimes, somehow, Tinker really pitied humans.

"Well, for you, being cranky is nothing new." The female chimp shot back with a teasing smile and a wink to which Lydia let out a short chuckle before she winced once again.

This time Tinker could tell it was from pain rather than annoyance or embarrassment as Lydia's eyes squeezed shut and her hand flew to her lower abdomen. The female chimp got up and moved over to lay a hand on her friend's shoulder, now with a hint of concern pulling at her features. Lydia didn't seem to care that Tinker's fingers were dirtied with soil.

"Anything I can do to help?" She asked, nodding towards Lydia's stomach and the hand she had placed over it.

She shook her head, as Tinker should probably have expected.

"Nah, I'll manage. If it gets unbearable, I'll ask Sparrow if she's got something that could help."

The ape scoffed at her friend's words. The village healer probably did have something that would ease the pain, but it was most likely some herbs that Lydia would need to chew for a good, long while and that was something she had only ever been willing to try once, due to the taste. Of course, there was always the possibility that Caesar would manage to convince her if it got really bad, though Tinker still had her doubts.

And speaking of the Ape King…

"Don't you think you should talk with Caesar about this?" She asked with a raised brow. "Before the rumour reaches him on its own, I mean?"

"Yeah, I probably should…" Lydia agreed, though Tinker saw a flicker of doubt in her eyes that hadn't been there throughout the entirety of their conversation. "I mean, before he gets the wrong idea and gets his hopes up, right?"

And before there will be a new rift between you because of a silly misunderstanding… Tinker thought to herself, moving to pull another weed up from the rich soil.


Caesar

The Ape King entered his treetop hut to find Lydia lying on her back in their softly padded nest, though she didn't look the least bit relaxed. Above her closed eyelids, a slight crease could be seen, indicating irritation. On her abdomen, one of her hands rested carefully against her bare skin, seeing as she had pulled up her shirt slightly and untied her pants – probably to not feel constricted by them.

Caesar quickly deduced what was wrong and regarded her with a look of compassion. It wasn't all that hard to figure out what the problem was, actually – Lydia had been uncomfortable for the last couple of days now due to her monthly bleeding, and this morning had been especially bad.

Having stopped in the doorway at the sight, he now stepped fully into their shared living space and let the animal hide making out their front door swing back into place behind him. He then made his way over to the small fire pit that had been built into the floor of the main room of their hut and stoked the dying embers within it before throwing a new log of wood onto them. Perhaps he could salvage it and revive the flame.

It didn't take long before his eyes drifted towards Lydia again, however.

"It's still bad?" He asked in his deep, gravelly voice and Lydia, without turning her head towards him or even opening her eyes, stuck her arm in the air and offered him a thumbs-up.

The Ape King light-heartedly rolled his eyes at his mate before he proceeded to once again stoke the embers in the firepit with a stick, resuming his attempt at stirring them back to life.

"It's not as bad as it was earlier today, but it's still not quite good. On a scale from one to ten, I'd probably give it about…. Six or seven." Lydia's voice came after some time, even if she still hadn't opened her eyes to look at him. The crease between her brow had disappeared as soon as he had begun speaking, however.

With a grunt, Caesar rose from his crouched position by the firepit, having finally managed to make the flame take hold of the new, fresh log of wood, and walked over to sit down beside her in the nest. Before she could protest, he gently nudged her hand aside to rub her lower stomach in an attempt to ease the discomfort.

At this move, she finally opened her eyes and looked up at him, a grateful look on her face as she let both of her hands move up to rest against her ribcage instead.

"That is better. This morning I remember you saying it was 'a solid nine'." Caesar attempted to joke and to his relief, Lydia did manage to crack a smile at that.

Well, as long as she hadn't lost her sense of humour, Caesar knew her pain wasn't too serious. This morning he had been just about to make Lydia go to Sparrow for herbs because of the way she had curled up inside the nest, taking way longer than usual to get up and looking absolutely miserable once she actually did manage it. It was only because of the fact that she had been able to make a joke out of her level of discomfort that Caesar had decided against dragging her to the healer.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Lydia chuckled softly, only for her expression to grow apologetic just a second later. "Sorry if I'm being a bit moody recently because of this, though. I really don't mean to be…"

She averted her eyes with a look of slight guilt on her face, but Caesar was having none of that now.

"I haven't noticed any changes." He informed her bluntly, the small, teasing smile he intentionally let play across his lips the only indication that he was, in fact, still joking.

Lydia caught on to this immediately, of course, and reached over to playfully swat his arm with her hand as her chuckle turned into a short, outright laugh.

"Why, you impossible ape!" She admonished, shaking her head at him, and Caesar couldn't help but give a huff of amusement as well.

Yeah, it wasn't too serious if she could still laugh and joke around. His mate would be just fine, just like every other time this happened.

As their laughter died down, the two of them settled into a comfortable silence as Caesar continued to gently rub her abdomen. Over in the firepit, the flames had finally caught the fresh log of wood and had now turned into a bright, crackling fire which cast a warm, flickering light across the hut's interior.

It was a peaceful and intimate setting, with the two of them being caught up in their own trains of thought as Caesar's rough palm smoothened over the skin of Lydia's lower stomach.

"I had a little… chat with Tinker today." Lydia suddenly informed him, followed by a fond, yet somewhat exasperated sigh. It was easy to see something about that conversation had irked her, though not enough to actually make Lydia truly frustrated with the female chimp. Probably, it was just some friendly teasing.

Caesar smiled down at his mate.

"Did she call you 'queen' again?" He inquired with a great deal of mirth, knowing how uncomfortable it made Lydia when Tinker did that.

The apes, while seeing Lydia as a figure of authority and having done so for a long time due to her position on the Royal Ape Council as well as for her hunting expertise, hadn't taken to using the title of queen for her. This suited Lydia just fine, Caesar knew, as Lydia thought herself undeserving of the title and didn't want to completely take Cornelia's place. It was a talk she had had not only with Tinker, but with Caesar as well and while he, much like Tinker, thought that Lydia deserved the title, he also appreciated the respect Lydia held on the matter in regard to his deceased wife.

Lydia scoffed, tapping her index finger against the back of her other hand where they rested on her ribs.

"Well, yeah she did that too, actually, but…" She trailed off, suddenly all serious-looking, which immediately caught Caesar's attention as he sensed the change of mood in the room. "She asked me if I was pregnant…. Said that there'd been some rumours among the females that I was – she also said I've been putting on weight, can you believe it? Honestly, she even seemed to have convinced herself about it."

Even with Lydia's attempt to ease the newfound tension by taking on a more joking tone, Caesar froze at the word "pregnant" all the same. His entire posture stiffened, and his hand momentarily ceased its soothing, circular movements across Lydia's abdomen.

Now, he knew that, given her condition right now, Lydia most definitely wasn't pregnant, but… Caesar would be lying by saying he hadn't entertained the thought more than once. Especially after their relationship had been revealed to the colony. Hell, even before that the thought had struck him on occasion, though back then the excitement he had felt by the idea had been tarnished by the concerns of what would happen once the colony found out about it as well.

Because if an ape and a human being together romantically was taboo, an ape and a human having a child would be even more so, Caesar had known. He was well aware of the fact that the colony's acceptance of their relationship was largely due to Lydia having proven her loyalty to the apes for so many years – though especially so back in the Colonel's base, when she had had the chance to ensure her own survival by casting the apes aside and had chosen suffering and starvation over that option. Also, Caesar supposed that it had helped that, after the avalanche, everyone had been so relieved at having actually survived that the Ape King's taboo relationship hadn't mattered as much as it would have otherwise.

"Caesar?" Lydia's voice echoed within his mind, pulling him out of his quiet reverie. "Is everything alright?"

At first, he didn't reply. Didn't even look her in the eye as his mind raced on, processing the information. It didn't surprise him at all that there had been rumours, especially among the colony's females – that was quite a normal occurrence, and something even Cornelia had had to deal with back when she and Caesar had begun their relationship. Besides, he could see why some might make the connotation, what with Lydia clearly having been more tired since their escape from the soldiers, but also more relaxed and willing to let others help or even completely take over her tasks at times.

And she had put on weight, but having basically been raised by humans, Caesar was also privy to the fact that you should never actually mention this or agree when others pointed it out about a human woman – not even if it was the woman herself who said it. Besides, she looked way healthier now compared to the way she had looked while they had been travelling, and it wasn't like she was even remotely close to being fat anyway.

So no, he most definitely wasn't going to mention that.

"Do you think it could happen?" He asked suddenly, trying not to sound too hopeful.

Unbiddenly, and not for the first time, the Ape King found himself imagining what it would be like. Lydia and him having a child together. The swell of her belly as their child grew was in particular a stirring thought to him as he continued to trace her soft, flat midriff with his hand.

When trying to imagine what such a child would look like, however, Caesar's mind drew a blank. Perhaps a long-limbed, less hairy chimp of sorts? With a pointier nose and a flatter face? Or maybe it'd be the opposite?

Before Caesar could dwell on this further, Lydia spoke up once more.

"I think it's still far too early for that… Despite our similarities, humans and apes are probably still too far removed from each other for it to be possible – otherwise it would've happened to me a long time ago, I'm sure." She reasoned while staring up at the hut's ceiling with a contemplative expression on her face.

Caesar nodded thoughtfully. Yes, if such a thing had indeed been possible, she and Roy would probably have had a child of their own a long time ago… Maybe even more than one?

Still, Caesar had thought that, given who he was – what he was – it might have been different with him. That him having been born like this might have meant something in this regard.

"Perhaps, given time, it will be possible someday… But I don't think it'll be in our lifetime." Lydia concluded, still with that contemplative look on her face that he couldn't quite read.

"Does it bother you?" He asked tentatively, studying her features intently for any sign of dishonesty in her reply. "That we can't have a child? That you will never experience it?"

Caesar knew he had to voice the question carefully. He didn't want this to come across the way those words he had said to her on the first night on their journey had – insinuating that the children she did have were never truly hers.

"Not really, no." She answered, thankfully not taking offense by his wording. Then, her eyes connected with his, concern clear in their depths as she spoke again. "Does it bother you?"

For a moment, the Ape King said nothing, searching his heart and weighing his words carefully. He didn't want it to come out wrong – but he also didn't want to lie.

"In a way… Yes, it does…" Caesar admitted truthfully, heavy brow furrowed as he pursed his lips. "You are my mate. Us having a child would be…"

He paused his sentence, narrowing his eyes at nothing in particular as he discarded word after word that he deemed unfit for describing it.

"Natural?" Lydia provided helpfully, to which Caesar nodded his head.

"Yes, natural." He agreed slowly, as if tasting the word.

Well, it was natural. It was the way most relationships progressed, regardless of species. A male and a female meet, become mates and, eventually, build a home and have children together. It had been like that with him and Cornelia, with Rocket and Tinker – even Bad Ape had had a mate and child once upon a time. And Lydia and Roy as well, though the order in which they had achieved it had been a bit skewed compared to most other couples.

"Caesar," Lydia spoke his name in a sigh, moving to sit up in their nest and face him. "Life doesn't have to revolve around having children. It certainly never did for me – it just sort of happened along the way."

He slowly nodded, taking his time to consider her words. He could kind of see where she was coming from with this. While Lydia had always been a loving mother to both Orion and Cornelius, she wasn't exactly the typical picture of a maternal figure. While he knew she had been very young at the time when she had taken on the role as Orion's mother and that people's idea of what they wanted in life often changed over time, he also knew her to be the kind of person who just went with the flow and took on whatever life had to give her – or throw at her, rather. But she was a self-made female first and foremost made the best of what she had. Be it alienation from her own kind or the task of motherhood thrust on her due to tragic events – Lydia made the best of what she was dealt in life and rarely bemoaned what she would never get to have – only what she had lost or failed to do.

And yet…

"I got to experience it and I feel you deserve to as well… It's something I should be able to give you… But it seems I can't." Caesar lamented, feeling a strange pang of disappointment in himself.

Because this wasn't just about them never having a child of their own. To have their relationship strengthened by such a powerful experience that the Ape King knew it to be. It was also about him thinking it unfair that he had had this in his life while Lydia had not. It was a gift he wished to grant her and somehow, knowing that he most likely couldn't made him feel just a tiny bit contrite.

Lydia, however, and perhaps unsurprisingly, didn't seem to see it that way at all.

"A child isn't something you give. It's something you create together." She corrected him in a gentle, understanding voice as she caressed his cheek with the tips of her slender fingers. "You're no less of a male for not being able to get me pregnant, and I'm no less of a female for not ever giving birth to a child of my own."

Pushing his cheek fully against her hand, Caesar was comforted just as much by her warm touch as he was by her words. She was right, of course, and though a small, rather unfamiliar feeling of inadequacy still dwelled inside him, Caesar was relieved that Lydia didn't seem to carry any resentment of the fact that her lot in life would forever be that of an adoptive mother and not a biological one.

"You know…" Lydia said softly then, and Caesar immediately took notice of how her teeth dug into the soft swell of her bottom lip. "A long, long time ago, back before we came to the colony… Roy said something similar… About having children."

Had she not experienced the same kind of loss, she might have expected Caesar to freeze up again or be somehow annoyed or hurt by the fact that she had brought up her first mate during such an intimate talk, but all the Ape King did was nod at her words. While still a sore subject for both, it wasn't unusual for them to talk about their previous partners from time to time, both knowing that the other meant nothing by it in regard to their current relationship. It was no secret that Caesar missed Cornelia dearly, just as Lydia missed Roy and sometimes, either one of them just needed to talk about it.

Besides, Caesar could easily imagine Roy wishing for the same thing as he himself did. Ape or human, having a child with the person you love wasn't an unreasonable thing to wish for.

"And what did you say to him?" The Ape King asked, even if he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

"Just about the same thing I'm telling you now." She responded, pulling her hand away from his cheek and moving it down to take hold of his larger one, which was still lying against her aching abdomen. "We've already got two wonderful kids. Now, I know you've never been a father to Orion, and I know that I'm not his or Cornelius' mother by blood, but that doesn't make our family any less real or our bonds any less genuine."

Her blue eyes looked damp to Caesar, or maybe it was just a trick of the light as the flames danced a few feet away from them, but her words, once again, struck him right in the core of his heart like her arrows did an unsuspecting deer – only for Caesar, much unlike the deer, this was a good feeling. One of understanding and compassion and love for the woman who sat before him. A woman he, after so many years of friendship, hurt and reconciliation, felt that he could open up to completely – which was a feeling he had only had one other time in his entire life.

"You're right." Caesar spoke deeply as he turned his gaze briefly down towards their joined hands. To this day, it still baffled him how dainty and even fragile her bare, pale hand looked while enclosed within his larger, rougher one. "I just hope that… You won't be disappointed later because of it. That you will regret it."

It was quiet between them for a while, the only sound to be heard being that of a distant clap of thunder that signalled an oncoming storm. Caesar knew that meant Cornelius would come home soon, as would every other ape child in the village in order to escape the rain. It wasn't the thunder or the expectation of his son's arrival at their hut which eventually pulled Caesar's attention back to his mate's face, but instead Lydia's low, warm chuckle that suddenly filled the air between them.

"Well, that wouldn't do me much good anyway, now would it?" She lightly joked, and Caesar managed to crack a small smile in return. Well, she did also have a point there, even if they both knew that just because you realised your regrets wouldn't do you any good, it didn't mean you wouldn't still have them. That they wouldn't stay with you.

But the Ape King sensed that was a talk for another time.

"Besides," She continued, now in a bit more serious, though still light tone. "I'd only be disappointed about it if you are… And more so because I wouldn't be able to make you feel complete rather than because of us not having a child."

He immediately shook his head at that, not at all liking this way of thinking on her part. Them having a child wouldn't be the thing that would make him feel complete – honestly, he already felt that by being with her. By seeing the colony that he had worked so hard to keep safe prosper in its new home. To get to see his son grow up. Those were what made him complete.

"I'm not disappointed, Lydia. Just hopeful." Caesar informed her and squeezed her hand as he caught her gaze. "But just like you, I'm happy with what I have."

The look she regarded him with just then was a mixture of immense fondness and relief, and Caesar realised that she had expected him to tell her that he was still bothered – at least a bit – by the fact that they would probably never have a child together. Now, as he sat here in front of her, he realised that she had projected that initial disappointment onto herself and that she probably thought herself inadequate because she couldn't give him that one thing he seemed to want – just like he had felt moments before.

But it wasn't like that at all, and Caesar was quick to make that fact known by offering her a sincere, loving smile, preferring, as ever, actions over words to show how he felt.

"Come here." He said and, as he so often did, laid a long arm around her shoulder and pulled her close before she could even comply with his request.

And as was her custom, Lydia didn't protest one bit, accepting his embrace as she pressed herself against his chest, her cheek resting against his shoulder and her nose against the side of his neck.

Another long silence prevailed, this one more comfortable than the last as the Ape King directed his gaze towards the opening that lead to their hut's balcony. Outside, lightning lit up the sky in the far distance, the flashes briefly revealing the shape of the ominous-looking clouds that were otherwise obscured by the darkness of late evening. Hopefully, Lake would be over with Cornelius soon, seeing as she had volunteered to look after him and the other ape children for the evening. She still very much cared for the young Ape Prince and was a close friend of the Royal Ape Family. As such, she often took looked after Cornelius and occasionally came over for a short visit, something which both Caesar and Lydia enjoyed. She may not be Blue Eyes' mate anymore, but it still felt like she was part of the family.

He didn't know how long the two of them sat like this – it could've been minutes, or it could've been hours, really. He was so lost in this tranquil moment with Lydia and the almost soothing rumble of the thunder that he almost missed the content purr-like sound that his mate emitted all of a sudden.

"I've missed this…" She spoke softly, reaching up and carding her fingers through the thick, greying beard on his jaw. "I've missed you…"

"I have been with you this whole time." He reminded her, confusion suddenly marring his features.

"You have… But not really." She tried to explain, her voice low and tired-sounding, as if she had been just about to fall asleep in his embrace. "Ever since we first set out… And even a while after we escaped, you were there physically but… It wasn't really you behind those eyes. Not until now, after we came here."

He nodded, pursing his lips as he brushed them against the top of her head.

"I've got the real Caesar back now… My Caesar." Lydia finished softly as she let her hand trail down to rest over his heart.

The Ape King closed his eyes and squeezed her to his chest, deciding then and there, as the skies opened outside their hut and the rain began its steady drumming against its roof, that what they could or couldn't have didn't matter one bit.

Because honestly, what he had right here was more than enough.