Hello everyone! Thanks for being so patient and here is the next chapter! I won't be able to post one next week as I will be in technical rehearsals for a show (I'm a Dresser so I do costume changes and all that) so it will be long hours again! Anyway thanks so much for the lovely comments and will try to post another chapter as soon as I can.

Thanks Miffygirl18 xx

Chapter 6: The Pygmalion Situation

A lone female gorilla was perched high up on a large branch above the jungle. It was Terk, absentmindedly munching on a banana as she observed the gorilla family down below and the world go by. She watched the older females and Tantor gossiping away whilst the babies tumbled around them. She saw her friends Mungo and Flint playing with some of the other young male gorillas, but she didn't feel like joining in, she didn't feel like doing much at all these days. Despite keeping up her casual bravado, she was finding Tarzan's absence hard.

She knew that this 'honeymoon' was an important part of the human mating ritual and that he and Jane would be back soon but she couldn't help feeling a little lonely with her cousin gone. It was not only her friend's absence that bugged her, she looked down to see Gobu being preened over and groomed by Coco, one of the other young, very pretty females.

Terk didn't understand what had gone wrong. They had got on like wildfire at the wedding party, Gobu liking all the same things as she did. He was laid-back, funny and kind as well as being rather good looking. After the wedding he often looked at her, nodded at her politely and said the odd hello. Now he was with Coco constantly, her always fluttering her eyelashes and chattering away to him incessantly. They seemed to her like a happy couple and she knew that she should be happy for him but inside she felt a strong burning annoyance and … jealousy. She was always one of the boys ever since she could remember, always wanting to wrestle or play in the mud rather than looking pretty. Despite her tomboyish nature she also wanted a mate like Tarzan had with Jane and have an infant or two.

"Maybe that's all he seems me as, one of the boys," Terk huffed to herself, chucking the empty banana skin to one side, "maybe that's what all the boys see me as and always will." She felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around but found to be no one there. Terk shrugged it off, thinking it was probably just a bird or the wind. Her shoulder was tapped again and when she turned round, there was still no one there. This happened two more times and Terk started to get thoroughly annoyed.

"Quit it!" she snapped, "Mungo! Flint! Stop it or I'll feed you to the wild dogs!"

But the tapping continued, getting faster and faster and from all the spinning around, trying and failing to catch the prankster Terk felt very dizzy. As she rapidly turned round she suddenly saw through her whirly vision Tarzan and Jane hanging from vines, grinning widely.

"Boo!" Tarzan yelled, catching his cousin completely off guard!

"Arghhhhh!" Terk screamed in shock, making her topple and fall off the branch, crash landing into Coco and Gobu!

"Watch it Terk!" Coco snapped as she pulled herself up. "Now I have to groom my hair all over again!"

"Are you alright Terk?" Gobu asked in a concerned tone as he helped her to her feet. As Terk dusted herself down, she saw the kind and friendly look in his eyes and she could not help but feel a little giddy at his gaze.

"Yeah never better," she tried to sound cool but accidentally emitted a girlish giggle, "how, how are you?"

"Great," Gobu gave her a friendly, cheeky smile, "It's nice to see you again Terk. You sure know how to knock a guy off his feet!"

"Soooo, Gobu I was wondering," Terk coughed as she plucked up some courage, "do you fancy… how's about we go to the watering hole and fling mud at the warthogs huh? Should be fun heehee."

"Well that sounds," Gobu started to reply but Coco interrupted, arms folded and with a sour look on her face.

"Positively dreadful!" she snorted in derision, "You have to excuse Terk darling, she has been hanging out with Tarzan and the boys for far too long. She is just a 'rough and tumble' girl, so unbecoming!" Coco shot Terk a smile that to an unobservant person would deem to be sweet, but it was far from sweet. Her eyes had a mean look to them and the smile was almost superior, smug in nature. Terk with anyone else would have retorted with one of her sarcastic quips. But with Coco's demeaning gaze she felt her confidence vanish and Terk wished that the ground would swallow her whole.

"Besides," Coco continued in a false sweet tone, "Gobu is taking me to the best termite mounds in the jungle for a slap up meal and then a romantic walk by the cascades aren't you honeybun?"

"I am?" Gobu replied, more than surprised.

"Yes," Coco replied through gritted teeth, "come along sweetie. See you around Terk." The way she said 'Terk' she spoke with a venomous undertone that made Terk wonder if she would rather spend the rest of time with a black mamba than another second with Coco!

"I'll see you around Terk," Gobu nodded to her almost forlornly before almost being dragged off by Coco. Terk watched them walk away, mostly Coco who walked with an arrogant air as if she owned the entire jungle. She had a highly feminine, almost tantalising sexual gait that was incredibly hard to ignore. "No wonder all the girls want to be her," Terk thought to herself, "and all the guys want her … Gobu wants her."

Her thoughts were interrupted by Tarzan jumping onto her, wanting to commence a friendly wrestling match.

"Get off me T!" she barked, pushing her cousin rather roughly away.

"Sorry Terk," Tarzan instantly stopped playing, confused. It was so unlike Terk to turn down a wrestling match with him. Maybe that prank of theirs went a little too far he thought.

"Are you alright Terk?" Jane asked concerned as she and Tantor joined them, "I hope you didn't have too nasty a fall. We're very sorry Terk."

"It's alright Jane," Terk replied, her ego feeling more bruised than her body. "How was your honeymoon?"

"It was …" Jane looked at Tarzan and made a mischievous grin, "rather pleasant! I saw you talking with Gobu. So how's it going with you two since the wedding? Tell us everything!"

"Yeah tell us everything!" Tarzan teased.

"Terk's got a boyfriend! Terk's got a boyfriend!" Tantor sang and Terk slapped his trunk.

"Keep your big trunk out of this buddy!" she snapped and started to storm off, thoroughly irritated by her friends' laughter and friendly teasing.

"Terk, come on!" Tarzan called after her, "We were only joking!"

"Well there's nothing to tell," Terk said, trying hard to keep her sadness hidden as she huffed off, "he's not interested… I'm just a 'rough and tumble' girl."

"Leave her be," Jane stopped Tarzan from following her, "let her cool down by herself. Shall we go and say hello to your mother?"

The next day Jane and her father were at the old campsite where Tarzan dropped them off in the morning and would collect them later after taking the gorillas to a new nesting place. Archimedes was fascinated by the tale of the old treehouse and how Tarzan's parents survived there after being shipwrecked. He was also mightily proud of how his daughter dealt with the remains of Tarzan's human parents. As well as checking on their things to see if they were damaged or destroyed by animals and weather, they were also seeing what materials and tools they had that they could use to repair the treehouse.

Jane was now more than glad that her father had over packed for their trip to Africa. She recalled at how she despaired at the ever-increasing inventory that her father insisted on taking despite the humongous shipping costs. Jane remembered with a smile at how she moaned at him that he was taking everything including the kitchen sink! Captain Gerald had left them everything that they had shipped which gave them a good food supply as well as furniture, clothes, books, cooking utensils as well as Archimedes' scientific equipment. There was a substantial toolbox, which they used to construct the campsite and plenty of wooden crates and boxes that they could use to rebuild the treehouse.

As she looked up from noting down in her sketchbook, she almost jumped as she saw Terk standing in front of her, watching her.

"Oh Terk! You startled me!"

"Oh sorry Jane, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course Terk, how can I help?"

"It's just, I was wondering," Terk tried to find the words as she absentmindedly opened a drawer on a dressing table, "on how you attracted Tarzan? I mean as well as being the only other female human he has seen, how did you get him to like you? What things did you do to get him to like you? What's this?" She pulled out a shiny object with a tuft of bristly hair on one end.

"It's a hairbrush," Jane explained and demonstrated to Terk, "I use it to keep my hair soft and untangled. Tarzan likes that a lot. He also likes me smelling nice so I use perfume too." She pulled out an atomiser from the dressing table and sprayed a little perfume for Terk to sniff.

"Bleurgh! I have smelt better hippos!" Terk coughed at the strongly rose and jasmine scented perfume.

"Terk why all the curiosity?"

"Well it's just-" Terk clamed up, embarrassed to say the words.

"Is this about you and Gobu?"

"There is no me and Gobu," Terk sighed sadly, "otherwise I wouldn't be here!"

"But you got on so well at the wedding party, I thought you two were a good match."

"Well he is with Coco now and I was wondering if there was something I could do to be... more like her," Terk sat on the ground and started to nibble at her toenails, "She's not a 'rough and tumble' girl, she is so girly which seems to be what Gobu likes. Do you think you can make more me, you know more ladylike? You're a lady after all Jane."

"Well," Jane mused, recalling her elocution classes, "I suppose apes and humans aren't too different. Alright Terk I will teach you how to be more feminine, a lady. But firstly ladies eat finger sandwiches not toenails!" Terk gave a sheepish grin and stop nibbling and Jane wondered if she was getting more than she bargained for!

After a few hours, Jane was starting to regret offering Terk elocution lessons. Unlike her husband who was a very fast learner, Terk struggled to pick up the ladylike manners she needed to impress Gobu. Jane took the things she learnt from elocution school and tried to adapt it for Terk. She made Terk balance a book on her head so that she could learn to walk gracefully, almost gliding. But the book always kept falling off her head, no matter how hard she tried. Archimedes tried to improve Terk's speech by getting her to recite phonetic exercises but they either got lost in translation to gorilla or Terk kept asking questions, like what were plains and where on earth was this Spain?

"Alright Terk," Jane sighed wearily, "let's try courting one more time!"

"Oh Jane!" Archimedes gasped, completely exhausted. "Must we go on! One more lady lesson is going to put me in traction!

"Yeah he's right," Terk sighed in frustration, "I am no closer to being a lady than the Professor is to being an ape! Let's just call it a day!"

"I will hear no such thing!" Jane retorted, "Now let's try something a little more basic… right, hmm, yes! Show me how you groom the fleas from your mate."

"Oh that's easy!" Terk smiled, now this was something she was good at. She grabbed Archimedes by the ankle and shook him vigorously!

"Oh my! Oh my goodness!" Archimedes yelped as Terk shook him very hard, the small bugs falling off his clothes. Terk dropped him and started to munch the critters of the ground with great gusto!

"Terk! No! No no no!" Jane cried in despair, "A lady picks and nibbles! Picks and nibbles!"

"But that takes too long!" Terk retorted, "I prefer fast food."

"Do you want to be a lady or not!" Jane snapped back and Terk begrudgingly picked the bugs off Archimedes gently and ate them slowly and with much more grace.

"That's better," Jane said pleased with the progress, "now extend the pinkie."

"This is so stupid," Terk sighed, "none of this feels natural to me."

"Exactly!" Jane smiled, "Everything about being a lady is unnatural and uncomfortable!"

"By Jove! I think Terk's got it!" Archimedes cried in happiness as well as sheer relief. Terk beamed, maybe getting Gobu was not going to be so hard after all!

Later that evening when all the family were relaxing in their new nests, whispers started and heads turned as a female gorilla glided towards Gobu with perfectly coiffed hair styled with a large pink bow, smelling strongly of flowers.

"Pardon me Mr Gobu, but may I request a moment of your time to converse?"

"What?" Gobu was completely nonplussed, "Terk why are you acting so weird?"

'"My oh my it's Terkina now," Terk replied sweetly, batting her eyelashes, "I wanted to tell you that if you are ever lonely at the treetop then give me a call."

"Terk why are you acting so strange? You're like a leopard hiding its spots."

"I'm acting strange!" Terk yelled, throwing the bow off in frustration, "I thought this is what you wanted! Pretty, ladylike gorillas like Coco not a 'rough and tumble' girl! I have scraped all the mud out my hair and feet for nothing! I tried to be like her to impress you, to get you to like me! Well forget it! So long buddy!" As she turned to storm off Gobu grabbed her hand.

"No Terk wait! I do like you, a lot! I like 'rough and tumble' girls, they are my favourite."

"What!" Terk was incredulous, "You prefer 'rough and tumble' girls! Then why on earth are you with Coco? She's has a hissy fit if she gets one speck of dirt in her hair!"

"I'm not with her," Gobu explained, "well she started talking to me and now she just won't leave me alone! I have tried to tell her many times that I don't see her in that way, but I didn't know how to, I didn't want to hurt her." Terk's heart softened and felt herself fall for Gobu even more.

"So you really like me?"

"Really, really like you," Gobu replied with a soft, tender smile, "Terk… will you be my mate, like Jane is to Tarzan?"

"Yes, yes Gobu." Terk felt herself sigh with happiness as Gobu went to nuzzle her cheek when they were interrupted by a very angry Coco!

"Gobu! How could you! How could you cheat on me! And with that ugly, skanky poor excuse for a female!"

"Coco please let me explain -" Gobu started but Coco was having none of it!

"No I'll explain the facts to you buddy!" Coco raged, "I am the best looking female in this whole damn stupid troop, no the whole jungle! I am actually doing you a favour by going out with you! Get the picture! It's me or that mangy Terk, take your pick!"

Gobu looked at Terk and turned back to Coco. "Terk," he said with a grin on his face.

"Excuse me!" Coco was incredulous at his choice!

"T-E-R-K, Terk. Get the picture!" Gobu replied. Coco let out a long, loud, high-pitched frustrated scream before storming off into the jungle!

"Wow! That sure told her that you're not interested!" Terk quipped after the showdown.

"Yeah, I should have done it ages ago!" Gobu took Terk's hand and gave it a squeeze before nuzzling her cheek.

"Sooo shall we go and throw mud at the warthogs now?" Terk asked, her heart beating fast with excitement and nerves as she saw Gobu's eyes begin to fill with desire, solely focused on her.

"I was thinking we could do some 'rough and tumbling' of a different kind," he replied cheekily.

"Gobu!" Terk retorted in mock shock, "I may like doing boys' stuff but when it comes to mating I am a lady at heart!"

Gobu laughed and squeezed her hand. "Whatever you want Terk. If you are not ready then I will wait. So do you fancy having a slap up meal at the finest termite mounds in the jungle?"

"Sure!" Terk beamed, "As long as you're the one getting them out!" Gobu laughed again and linked arms with his new mate. As they walked off, on their first date together Terk realised that she had learnt a very important lesson. It was important not to change yourself to make someone love you, they should love you for being you and she knew that Gobu liked her for herself and all of her 'rough and tumble' ways!