Hey everyone! Here is another chapter to make up for the delay! Enjoy and please review love Miffygirl18 xxx

Chapter 10 – An Untimely Arrival:

"Good morning Jane," Tarzan smiled as he watched his wife's eyelids blink against the early morning sunlight creeping through the canopy of the tree sheltering their nest.

"Good morning Tarzan my dear," Jane beamed as she saw his love filled eyes, his hand placed gently on the small curve of her belly.

"Ooo he's awake," Tarzan said tenderly, "he kicks hard in there."

"I know, I am the one feeling it," she teased him as she hauled herself up, "it's like having the Captain of the English League in my belly!"

Jane groaned as she rubbed the small of her back, which was mighty sore. She was finding it more and more difficult to get comfortable in their nest nowadays and several times during the night she experienced agonising cramps and spasms. Tarzan, forever patient and attentive would happily get up at whatever hour and massage her clenched toes and rub her back.

Tarzan sat against the tree trunk so that Jane could sit in front of him and lean back against his chest. "You will have to teach me football so I can teach our son," he chuckled as he massaged Jane's shoulders, slowly working away at releasing her tensed up muscles.

"Not until after he is born!" Jane laughed as she patted her belly, "I will soon not be able to see my feet let alone play a football match! Besides, I do not even know what the offside rule is!" Tarzan was puzzled, not sure what Jane meant by 'offside rule.' But when she laughed he realised that she was making a joke and laughed too.

Then they were quiet, silently watching the sunrise together and the jungle slowly coming to life for another day. Jane looked down at her belly and a troubling thought crossed her mind. What if the baby was not a boy? Most men she knew from her life back in England solely wanted sons, heirs to their fortunes and titles. They saw girls as a disappointment, a burden that they would have to bear until they were married off. "Tarzan would not feel the same way, would he?" she thought as the baby moved inside her but she just could not get rid of that nagging thought in her mind.

"What if it's not a boy?" Jane found herself blurting out before she could stop herself, "It might be a girl." Tarzan didn't respond and continued to rub her shoulders. "Tarzan…" Jane hesitated as she turned to face him, "would you be disappointed if we have a daughter?" Tarzan took this in, his brow furrowed in thought. Quickly to Jane's relief he smiled.

"Jane of course not," he said softly, "I don't mind if we have a son or daughter, I would love him or her with all my heart. After all how could I not with you as their mother." All of Jane's fears melted away like the sun burning away the morning dew off the leaves.

"Oh Tarzan," she sighed happily, "I love you."

"I love you too Jane," he replied before leaning in to share a long and tender kiss.

"Ah good morning Tarzan!" Archimedes called out as he approached their nest, "Are you all set?"

"Yes Professor," Tarzan replied as he and Jane pulled themselves up. Tarzan and Archimedes were nearly finished on renovating the tree house and the men planned to get it ready in time for Jane to have her 'lying in' period as well as for allowing her to recover before returning to the jungle.

"Will you be alright Jane?" Tarzan asked a little worryingly. As each day passed he felt more and more reluctant to leave his pregnant wife. The pregnancy was taking its toll on her and she looked rather pale and weary.

"I'll be fine Tarzan. I think I will go and bathe in the river. That will surely help my back and I might just sketch the elephants."

Tarzan couldn't help but be amazed at how well his wife adapted to jungle life. It made him all the more determined to get the treehouse finished in time for her and his unborn child.

"We'll be back before sunset Janey-Jane!" Archimedes said eagerly. "Don't you worry we'll have the place tip top in no time! Buckingham Palace will be a hovel compared to our treetop castle!"

Jane and Tarzan could not help but laugh at Archimedes' over the top enthusiasm! "I'll see you tonight Jane," Tarzan said after Archimedes strode off into the jungle, "I'll make sure that the Professor doesn't hit his thumb with the hammer again!"

"Let's hope not as I am running out of bandages!" Jane giggled. Tarzan held up his open hand and Jane placed hers against it. They did this every morning but Jane still felt the strong shivers of desire as if it was the first time. Tarzan pecked her on thr lips before running off to catch up with her father. Jane placed her hand on her belly and felt a warmth spread through her, pure unadulterated happiness.

Jane breathed a deep sigh of pleasure as she dipped her foot into the cool and refreshing water of the river. When she was in deep enough so that the water came up to her armpits, she looked back at the shore, her clothes hanging safely over a branch out of harm's way. It felt delicious to swim naked, not having to wear those cumbersome bathing costumes that she had to wear once on a trip to Eastbourne.

Tarzan loved her swimming naked and the couple enjoyed many moonlight swims together. As the gorillas did not swim, it was the perfect activity for them to do when they wanted some alone time. After a long gentle swim, Jane decided that she had enough and headed back to shore. She got out of the river and wrapped a sheet around her that she brought to use as a towel. As she squeezed the excess water out of her hair she felt a dull pain in her belly.

Jane grimaced as she reached for her clothes. "Calm down in there little one," she told her belly, "You are kicking a little too enthusiastically today." After pulling on her green skirt and cream blouse, she decided to go for a walk, her go to cure for her aches and pains.

"Hello Jane," called Lela, a parrot that Jane knew well, "beautiful day today isn't it?"

Yes," Jane replied, trying hard not to wince, "well it would be more so without these darn cramps."

"Well I hope you feel better soon, Jane," Lela said with utmost sympathy. Jane nodded gratefully before continuing her way through the jungle, heading back towards the nesting area.

Suddenly a sharp pain shot through her belly! A pain so strong that Jane's legs buckled under her and she had to grab onto a branch of a tree to stop herself from collapsing! She felt a warm liquid gush out between her legs, sullying her skirt in seconds! With panic rushing through her, Jane intrepidly placed her hand between her legs. Her heart started to race as she saw that when she brought her hand back out from under her skirt, it covered in blood! Jane's eyes began to sting and burn as she lowered herself down onto the ground. Shots of pain followed one after other; Jane clinging onto an exposed tree root as she felt her body instinctively begin to push. Then there was a rush of clot filled blood and it was all over.

Jane looked down and choked at the sight of the blood and her lost baby. It was only the size of a papaya, just 5 1/2 months old but its face was fully formed and Jane welled up as she saw that she could see the sex of her baby. It was a boy, her precious little boy unfairly torn from life.

All her hopes and dreams were now shattered into a million pieces. All that time waiting and wondering if they would ever conceive, desperately wishing for a baby and then the relief and joy when she found out that she was finally with child. Jane bit on her knuckles to stop the animals from hearing her cry. Her teeth penetrated her skin and she could taste the sharp tang of iron in her mouth. She felt as if it was the only way to stop herself from crying, because if she didn't she felt that she would never stop. How was she going to tell her father, the gorillas? How was she going to tell her husband, the love of her life that the baby that they so desperately longed for was dead?

Jane stared into nothing for several hours; her body once filled with intense pain was now completely numb. She didn't even notice that the sun was beginning to set. Then as if almost in a trance she took the sheet that she had used as a towel and carefully wrapped up the mess that had been her baby and held it close to her chest.

She walked through the jungle, like a sleepwalker, her eyes wide and unblinking, destination fixed in her mind. When she arrived she knelt before it and placed the bundle gently on the ground. It was the same tree where Tarzan first taught how to swing on vines. She remembered how full she was of apprehension but soon enjoyed the feeling of flying through the air before their vines became intertwined. She remembered the strong spark between them but shyness and nerves led her to blush and turn her head away when Tarzan looked down at her, his intense emerald eyes filled with desire.

All those loving memories seemed insignificant now. It seemed that happiness had died inside her just like her baby. With her bare hands Jane clawed at the earth with a lump in her throat that burnt like a hot coal. When she was finished she placed the bundle gently into the makeshift grave and then scattered the dug up earth on top until it was fully covered. She found a large white stone and as she placed it at the head of the grave. Jane felt her eyes burning from holding in her tears and her heart breaking.

Shame and guilt spread through her like a plague. "It's my fault," she thought, "It's all my fault. I killed him, I killed my son." Jane kissed the stone and placed her hand on the grave. "I'm so sorry son," she whispered, "forgive me." With tears of despair and shame streaming down her face Jane ran off into the darkening jungle.

"Evening Mum," Tarzan beamed as he approached his mother who was eating a banana.

"Hello Tarzan," Kala smiled at her son. Impending fatherhood seemed to make her son look perfectly content, fully at peace with the world.

"How is the tree house coming along?" she asked as Tarzan sat down next to her.

"Nearly finished," he replied confidently, "The Professor is exhausted and is staying there tonight. I also had time to get some of that wild honey that Jane likes." Tarzan turned round to look at their nest which was strangely empty. "Mum, Jane is not at the nest," he said, his brow furrowing with confusion.

"Oh I'm sure she probably with Terk and Keke," Kala tried to reassure him but Tarzan had already rushed off.

"Terk!" he called out as he approached her nest, "Do you know where Jane is?"

"Jane?" Terk said, but she was too distracted in trying to pull Keke off Gobu's back. However Keke clung on like a limpet, refusing to let go.

"No we haven't seen her since this morning," Gobu added, "Keke will you quit pulling my hair you pesky rascal!" Tarzan began to feel anxious, it was getting dark and it was so unlike Jane to stay out that late. After calling all the gorillas together, they all confirmed that none of seem had seen Jane since she left to go for her morning swim. Tarzan's fears were confirmed, Jane was probably lost or heaven forbid hurt!

"We must split into smaller groups and look for Jane," he commanded, "you lot go to the river, this group head west, you lot east, this one south and I'll head north. Mum stay here in case Jane comes back." Kala nodded and everyone went in their designated direction, calling out Jane's name as the remnants of the sun disappeared behind the horizon. They were running out of time. Even though nearly every animal in the jungle respected Tarzan and Jane, there were still many that would delight in their demise!

"Jane! Jane where are you?" Tarzan called out both in English and gorilla as he swung through the northern jungle on vines, hoping that being high up would make it easier for him to spot her. He never felt so panicked in his life. The thought of his pregnant wife alone and hurt in the jungle was too much to bear! Suddenly he spotted a shadow of a creature and he immediately landed on the nearest branch and climbed down to investigate. Walking quietly on all fours, he peered through a large bush to see whether the shadow creature was a friend or foe. To his utter relief it was Jane, who was walking slowly through the jungle.

"Jane!" he cried as he came out of the bushes and ran upright to her where he scooped her into his arms. "Where have you been! We have been looking everywhere for you, I have been so worried!" he exclaimed but he then noticed that she was not hugging him back, she felt limp like a rag doll. When he let go of her he saw that she was in a complete state. Her hair and clothes were damp with sweat, her face drained of colour and her hands were covered with dirt and ... her skirt.

"Jane? What's happened? Who did this you?" he cried as his acute sense of smell told him that in the dim light the stain was blood, her blood. Jane said nothing and sharply pushed him away.

"Jane?" Tarzan pleaded desperately, "Please tell me where are you hurt?"

Jane's head turned back to face him faster than the crack of a whip and Tarzan could see that the skin around her bloodshot eyes were red and sore from fatigue and crying. "Where am I hurt?" she snapped, her fists clenched. "My heart! That's where it hurts! My heart feels like it has been ripped out of me and fed to wild dogs! I have ruined everything! Everything we have been wanting and waiting for so long is now gone! I have lost the one thing that I am supposed to keep safe and protect and it's all my fault!"

"Jane, what do you mean?" Tarzan asked, confused at his wife's outburst. "What have you lost?"

"THE BABY!" Jane screamed wildly, "I HAVE LOST OUR BABY! I HAVE LOST OUR SON! OUR SON IS DEAD! DEEEEAAADDD!" With her clenched fists she started to pummel Tarzan's chest with full force, all her pent up rage and despair cascading out of her like a torrid river. Tarzan grabbed her wrists to try to stop her from hitting him. Jane resisted at first, but her punches got slower and finally she gave into loud, gut-wrenching, hysterical sobs. Tarzan pulled her in and held her tight whilst she wailed into his chest. Tears welled in his eyes as they held onto each other for dear life, their pitiful sounds telling all the jungle animals that an age of sorrow was now upon them.

"Where is he?" Tarzan whispered softly to Jane. "Where is our son?"

Jane through choked sobs managed to say the words, "Tree …first… vine… swing." Tarzan put her arms around his neck and gently carried her all the way in his arms to the tree where he first showed her how to swing on vines all so long ago. Sure enough under the foot of the tree he saw the sorry mound of earth and the stone of their son's grave. He carefully placed Jane on the ground beside it and knelt down next to her. He placed his hand on the grave in the same way as he did on Jane's belly every morning and a tear slid his cheek.

He and Jane curled up together on the ground and stayed there all night, neither of them able to sleep or bearing to leave their baby. It was a balmy night but both of them shivered. For no matter how hard they held onto each other they could not get warm.