Hello everyone! So sorry for the delay in posting a new chapter I have been so busy with work (I work in theatre) and we have been putting on a new show so working extremely long hours (9am-11pm) and then I caught the flu plus grieving on the Brexit vote lol so I haven't had chance to write. Anyway I hope you enjoy it and I will post another chapter without such a long gap!

Love Miffygirl18 :)

Chapter 5: Ghosts of the Past:

Early the next morning the newlyweds stirred, curled up together under the woollen blanket. Jane felt her husband's hardness pressing against her back and her lips formed a little dreamy smile. With her hand she sleepily guided him back inside her and Tarzan emitted a dozy groan of pleasure before slowly, tenderly making love to her.

They did this each morning of their honeymoon before spending the rest of the day doing fun-filled activities. They went on romantic walks, swung on vines, surfed branches and swam naked in the rivers or waterfalls. They also spent time teaching each other, Tarzan taught Jane how to tell when the fruits of the jungle were perfectly ripe and helped her make a rock knife. Archimedes had included a pack of playing cards in their honeymoon supplies and Jane taught how Tarzan to play Snap, Beggar my Neighbour and then her favourite Old Maid.

Tarzan quickly picked up the rules and they would play a couple of rounds in the evening before tumbling into their nest and make love into the night. The couple quickly become more adventurous in their couplings, trying different positions and techniques. Tarzan always made sure that his fingers or tongue touched and teased the little bud nestled inbetween his wife's legs, bordered by soft light brown hair. It was an absolute wonder to him at how this small thing could give his wife such pleasure, such exquisite ecstasy. He loved to pleasure only her, his desire always fully satisfied as well as feeling an overwhelming sense of pride as he watched her writhe and almost weep as she climaxed.

Jane thought that she had won the jackpot by finding and marrying Tarzan. Every time they made love she not only felt wholly satisfied but she felt completely free. Being with her husband, she learnt quickly that she could be honest and open with him about her sexual wants and needs. She soon had no qualms of telling him how fast, how deep or guiding his hands or mouth to where she wanted to be touched. Maybe it was him not having preconceived opinions and restrictions on female sexuality or the animal side of him that allowed her to tell him what she wanted. Tarzan was a willing pupil and she knew that she could never do this with any husband back in England. Also she felt lucky that her husband was completely unselfish in wanting to pleasure just her and she gladly returned the favour, which Tarzan unsurprisingly enjoyed immensely!

She did though, deep down wish that she had lost her virginity to him, completely regretting giving it to the man she did all that time ago. Memories flashed in her mind of that fateful night. The dingy hotel in the back streets of Bath, the false surnames scrawled in the hotel register and then her reluctance to be fully undressed. She remembered him hurriedly pulling up her lace nightdress, his weight heavy on her slim frame and the strong smell of port on his breath. She recalled the moment he entered her, almost having to force his manhood in as it was so tight. The pain she felt as her hymen broke was so sharp and so intense that she thought she was going to pass out, blood trickling onto the bedsheets.

It was all over in just a few moments, him satisfied and her stifling back tears of pain as well as regret and humiliation. "Maybe it's better that I am not a virgin with Tarzan," Jane thought to herself as they cuddled up together in their nest at night. "It might have scared him. Best not to think about it. It's all in the past now anyway."

On the final day of their honeymoon they decided to go to the beach, stopping by the old campsite to pick some buckets and trowels. They playfully swam and splashed in the salty sea before getting out and Jane showed Tarzan how to build sandcastles.

"Look it's now a fort!" she laughed as Tarzan made another castle. Tarzan smiled, he loved her laugh, so light and so merry. A wave came on shore and swept one of the castles away. Tarzan tried to stop the destruction but Jane put her hand on his arm.

"It's alright sweetheart," she soothed, "we built it too close to the water. We can easily build another one."

Tarzan relaxed and they moved further up the beach, safely away from the waves. Instead of making more sandcastles, he buried her in the sand and Jane advised him on how to sculpt the sand to make her body look like a mermaid.

"Do you like me as a mermaid?" she teased once Tarzan finished drawing the scales on the tail.

"Definitely!" his lips formed a cheeky grin, "Stunning! I would like meet to a real one someday."

"Oh darling, mermaids are mythical creatures."

"Mythical?"

"Made up," Jane explained, "not real. People hundreds, thousands of years created myths, stories and creatures like mermaids, centaurs and harpies to entertain others and these stories were passed on throughout the years. Sailors probably mistook real animals for mermaids like dolphins or seals."

"It's a shame they're not real. It would be fun to meet one."

"I know," Jane smiled fondly, "Tell you what. I will tell you a story about mermaids in bed tonight. It's by a Danish man called Hans Christian Anderson, 'The Little Mermaid'."

"I'll look forward to that," Tarzan smiled and pecked her on the lips. They laid on the sand for a while, Jane still as a mermaid. She looked over at her husband soaking up the sun and then at the cloudless sky, the golden sand and endless blue sea. She never felt so happy, not only because she was beside the man she loved but also because of the nature around her. If she had married back home her honeymoon would probably be a visit to the seaside, or a cottage in the country, a visit to Paris would have been the height of absolute extravagance. She felt blessed that this was not just an exotic holiday but also her home for the rest of her days.

"Tarzan," she looked over to her husband, "I know it's the last day of our honeymoon today and we have to go back to the family tomorrow. But I do sort of wish it could be we could be together, just us for a little longer."

"I understand," Tarzan nodded sagely, "I feel the same. But don't worry, we will make sure, I'll make sure we will often have time alone together."

Jane smiled and unearthed her hand from the sand so that she take Tarzan's hand and give it an affectionate squeeze.

"Shall we go for a walk on the beach?" he suggested, "Get some dinner and then you can tell me that mermaid story."

"Sounds perfect," she beamed as Tarzan pulled her out of the sand. They walked along the coastline, hand in hand. Jane felt the warm sea breeze tickle her hair and the sun warm the back of her neck. She looked down at her necklace; the heart shaped rock nestled in her décolletage. She loved it and the fact it was completely different from a traditional gold wedding band. She was glad he didn't give her a ring. Rings represented to her false, empty promises, lies and heartbreak. The last one she had ended up in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

"Oh my goodness!" she gasped as she looked up and spotted something unusual on the horizon. "What on earth is that?" She pointed to it; a huge tree perched on a large rock out to sea, with what seemed to be a house nestled in the branches.

"That's the place Kala took me to not long ago," Tarzan replied, "it was where she found me, where my parents lived." Jane was gobsmacked, he had not mentioned this to her before and she became filled with a burning curiosity.

"Can we go there? I would like to see it."

Tarzan nodded and still holding her hand they walked towards the treehouse. As they crossed the rickety rope bridge, Jane's eyes drank in every detail of the treehouse. She took in the small boat-lift, the mast and the balcony made from the prow of what seemed like a ship. She couldn't help but be impressed by the ingenuity of the craftsmanship that created this home.

"It looks like your parents used bits of a ship, flotsam and jetsam to build this treehouse," she noted as they made their way up to the main house, "they must have been shipwrecked here." When they entered the house, Jane stared at the vines and plants, so entwined together that it looked as if the place was made of plants rather than wood. The late afternoon sun shone through the broken windowpanes and Jane carefully made her way in so that her bare feet would not be cut on any shards of glass.

"You said they were shipwrecked," Tarzan said as he watched his wife looking around, her hand stroking one of the weathered wooden walls.

"It seems to be the most plausible explanation," Jane replied thoughtfully, "they might have been travelling to somewhere else in Africa, or India or maybe Australia or even New Zealand. Who knows?" She immediately stopped walking as she heard a crunch under her foot. She looked down and saw a wooden photoframe laying face down on the floor. She knelt down and picked it up and she made a little gasp as she took in the people in the photograph.

"This is you," her voice was soft as she pointed to the baby, "and these are your parents." Tarzan nodded silently and Jane looked back at the photograph. "You were such a handsome baby, you must have been about 3, 4 months old there and you look so like them," she noted, "you have your father's jawline and stature. I know it's black and white but you definitely seem to have your mother's eyes." Tarzan crouched down beside her and looked at the photo. She was right, he did look like them.

"They look so handsome," Jane traced the photo with her delicate fingers, "they also look very kind and caring. I just can't believe how much you look like them, the resemblance is so uncanny. I would have loved to have met them. I hope that they would have liked me."

"They would have loved you," Tarzan put his hand on her shoulder, "do you think they would be proud of me Jane?"

"Of course they would!" Jane gently stroked her husband's cheek, "They would think that you're so brave and kind and loyal. They could not have wished for a better son." Tarzan smiled at Jane's reassuring words, she always knew what to say to quell his worries.

"I would love to know what their names are," she added, "they're dressed well to do in this picture, so maybe they were reasonably well off. Let's have a look around for some clues. We might find something that tells us their names, your real name." Tarzan was surprised at the idea of having a different name. He knew that his name was not a common human name but the thought of having another name before his gorilla mother found him was intriguing to say the least.

The newlyweds went to different sides of the house, looking for any clues of his parents' or his identity. Tarzan found amongst the mass of plants a silver hand mirror, the glass all speckled and a broken painted china pot. Jane rifled through some boxes and found some papers but all of them were so disintegrated or destroyed from damp and rain for the any writing to be eligible. It seemed that they were having no luck. As Tarzan looked through another box, Jane emitted a short, sharp scream from out of nowhere!

"Jane!" he cried as he ran over to her and she buried her face in his chest. "What is it?" he asked her as he felt her trembling.

"Bones," she finally said after pulling herself together, "human bones." She lifted up a curtain of plants and vines to reveal two skeletons lying face down on the floor. "They must be your… parents." Her voice was quiet as she took in the sad sight of the pile of old weathered bones. Tarzan looked around and saw ingrained into the wooden floor deep scratches, old almost brown blood stained paw prints and human handprints.

"Leopards," his voice was low and tense, "there were leopards here."

"One must have killed your parents," Jane nodded sadly as she picked up a bullet shell, "they were shipwrecked here, built this house to survive in until someone rescued them and then a leopard killed them, whilst they probably tried to save you. Then Kala found you and the rest is history." Jane looked at the bones and felt a tear or two come to her eyes. She felt terrible that they met such a grisly fate and wished they could have been saved even though it was pointless wishing it.

"We need to bury the bones," she sniffed up her tears and her face quickly became calm and resolute, "their bodies need to put to rest, to find peace. It is the very least we can do for them." Tarzan nodded and helped her pick up the bones with an old sheet. He didn't understand the reason for a burial but if that was what humans did with their dead then he felt duty bound to fulfil those customs, especially for his wife. At the bottom of the tree in a secluded spot, they dug a grave and placed the bones in it with great care. Jane found a flower and placed in the grave before reciting the burial committal as they gently put the earth back over the bones.

"In sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, we commend to Almighty God Tarzan's mother and father, and we commit their bodies to the ground. Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust. The Lord bless them and keep them, the Lord make their faces to shine upon him and be gracious unto him, the Lord lift up their countenance upon him and give them peace. Amen."

Even though she was not a god-fearing woman, her childhood and education was spent learning science, evolution and the Enlightenment from both her father and mother but she still felt it was right thing to do given the circumstances. Once the grave was filled, Jane knelt before it and placed her hand on the damp earth.

"Thank you," she whispered, "for having your son, you could not have had a better son. Thank you for saving him so that I could find him. I promise you both that I will love him and look after for as long as I live and breathe." She felt Tarzan place his hand on her shoulder in affection and admiration at her heartfelt words. Jane stood up and took a deep breath, Tarzan watched in wonder as she sang a hymn, her voice clear and sweet and words so stirring.

"Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)

That sav'd a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears reliev'd;

How precious did that grace appear

The hour I first believ'd!

Thro' many dangers, toils, and snares,

I have already come;

'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis'd good to me,

His word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be

As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease;

I shall possess, within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, who call'd me here below,

Will be forever mine."

"Jane, that was beautiful," Tarzan said when she had finished, "what is that song called?"

"Amazing Grace, I thought it would be an appropriate song for your parents… shall we go back to the nest?"

"Yes, let's go home." As they walked away, Tarzan put his arm around his wife's waist and although he had never met his human parents he knew that they loved him and Jane and that they would have been proud of the man he had become.

"We should come back here soon," Jane said, "fix up the place. Make it a home from home. Not to live in permanently but we can stay there often and we can put our things from old campsite there. I would like to make a proper home for us one day for our children to stay and play in."

"Do you think you have a baby in there?" Tarzan placed his hand on his beloved wife's stomach, "After all that lovemaking we must have made a baby my love."

"I'm sure we have darling," Jane smiled fondly, "we will just have to wait and see. So what do you think of fixing the treehouse?"

"I love the idea. Your father and I can fix it together. I can't wait for us to stay there. Our very own home from home." Jane smiled, pleased that her husband agreed with her. As they walked back into the jungle, Jane was glad that they visited the treehouse. Not only did it help her and her husband face the ghosts of the past but would also help them build a bright and happy future.