Ash and Blue Eyes were fishing. Or, they were supposed to be, but mostly they were playing and teasing one another. Both boys seemed totally unaware that just above them in the top of the trees lurked a tiny slender waiting figure. She was grinning as she spied down on the boys, watching patiently from her hiding place.

Come on now, just a little closer, she silently urged one of them. Come on … that's it … a little more …

When one of the boys was directly beneath her, the girl opened her hands, dropping a small load of plant leaves sticky with tree sap down on the boys' head. The leaves clung to his fur.

Both boys hooted in alarm before they heard the light giggles from above them.

"Mary!" Ash cried.

Blue Eyes was openly laughing as Mary poked her face out from behind a limb, her eyes flashing mischievously.

"Careless boys," she teased. "Slow boys."

"You knew about this," Mary watched Ash sign to his friend. "You helped her set me up, again!"

Blue Eyes was too convulsed with laughing to respond. What Ash claimed was true, but Mary knew she could count on Blue Eyes not to admit it. Blue was her faithful brother, well, like brother.

Ash playfully shoved Blue Eyes to try and get the Ape Prince to shut up, but that only made it worse.

"I'll get you later," Ash signed to his friend.

Then, he grabbed a handful of the sticky leaves from the ground, and scrambled up the tree towards Mary. She let him get within touching distance of her before hooting with laughter and flitting away with ease.

"You come back here," Ash went to sign, but he almost fell out of the tree doing so.

Mary laughed harder, and Ash growled and plunged off after her. She led him on a merry little chase, letting him get within an arm's reach before she darted away, until they were at a small secluded pool. Mary dropped out of the tree, landing gracefully in the middle of the shallow pool, and waved happily to her oncoming friend.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked him, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. She cupped her small hands and flung cool water over ash's face. "I'm right here."

With another mock snarl, Ash plunged in after her. This time, instead of running away, she charged straight at him, flinging herself on top of him and giving them both a serious dunking in the cool water.

"Are you trying to drown me or what?" Ash spluttered and signed when she finally let him up.

"Aw, my poor boy," Mary's light voice dripped with false sympathy.

When the ripples settled, both young Apes caught site of each other's reflections in the water and burst out laughing at the same time.

Keeping one arm around him, Mary led Ash from the pool. The two young Apes scaled a nearby tree together. They both shook to clear their fur of most of the water. But Mary was still shivering a little, so Ash pulled her smaller form close and they huddled together on a thick branch. Mary began to groom him, carefully picking out almost every bit of the leaves she'd pelted him with earlier. After a little while, Ash returned her grooming gestures.

And they lost all track of time.

A little while later, a light rumble and another hoot caught their attention. They Sprung apart from one another, and Looking around a little fearfully, Mary spotted both Maurice and, surprisingly Lake, coming towards them through the trees.

"Well there you are, Children," Maurice signed, openly grinning at the flushed pair. "You two were planning on joining the rest of us for the evening meal tonight, weren't you? Your Mother wants you Ash, and Mary, your Father will be looking for you very soon, too. Blue Eyes can't keep him distracted forever, you know."

The two young Apes took a moment to gape at Maurice. Then, Ash and Maurice began to sign back and forth, but Mary's eyes were fixed only on Lake. The pretty Chimp had the oddest expression on her face as she stared first at Ash and then at Mary. Mary could almost see a revelation coming over the other's features

"You really meant it, didn't you," was all Lake signed to Mary.

Before Mary could respond with either sign or speech, Lake came forward, hugged her, then with several happy hoots, sped off back to the main part of the village. By her movements, Mary almost expected to see her begin to do summersaults through the trees

"I'll see you later, Mary," Ash signed. He quickly pressed his muzzle to Mary's cheek than ran off before she could protest.

Maurice was openly chuckling now, not even trying to hide it.

"Put some cool water on your face, Dear," Maurice gravely advised Koba's daughter. "You're blushing rather prettily."

Of course, that only made Mary blush even more


A few days later, it was looking like such a peaceful morning. Cornelia had given birth the day before to Caesar's new son. The whole village was still celebrating, though cautiously. Though she and the baby had both survived the birth, Cornelia was very sick. But everyone was still carefully optimistic and happy. Even Koba seemed much more cheerful than usual.

First came the sharp sound that was a little like thunder, but not quite. Then, a few moments later …

"GO! Go, go, go!"

Caesar … and papa!

Then, the long-extended roar of the Apes split the peace and silence of the forest yet again. It roused Mary from where she was tending her little flower garden by her home. She had been weaving together the long stems of flowers she intended to give to Cornelia and the new baby. Her gift was not just for ornamentation. The scent of the plants should help Cornelia to breathe better, too. But the young Ape girl abandoned her task and ran around to the front in time to see Blue Eyes and Ash and Rocket. And someone was hurt.

"Ash?" she gasped, falling in to step next to Rocket, who was hurrying his son off to the Healer's hut. Blood seeped from the fingers Ash had pressed to his shoulder, and Rocket was in a state of rage.

"Humans," Rocket growled. "Humans shot my son!"

Mary hooted in alarm, her eyes going wide with surprise. Elbowing Blue Eyes out of the way, she moved quickly to Ash's other side to help Rocket support him. Even through his pain and shock, Ash still managed to grin aside at Mary. She smiled shyly back at him.

Fortunately, the human was apparently a very bad shot, and it was only a scratch. But, it was the beginning of all the things still to come. And much more blood would be shed and very soon. As they entered the Healing Hut, the scene suddenly shifted. Rocket was no longer there, and it was no longer the Healing Hut. Mary now crouched over Ash's body in the human city, blood pooling around his head.


"Ash!"

Mary jerked awake with a gasp and a small cry. As her eyes came back in to focus, she was surprised to find Luca standing in front of her. The big gorilla was gazing down at her and Lake and baby Hope with the gentlest expression on his heavy face.

"Will you please come with me, Mary?" the big gorilla signed. "Best leave the infant here, though."

Reaching down one huge hand. Luca gently helped Mary to her feet and steadied her as she swayed a little.

Mary clutched Hope tighter against her chest.

"But I can't! Who will watch her?" Mary protested. Was this some way Caesar had of separating her from the human baby?

"I'll watch her."

Lake was also awake, brought out of her own thin sleep by Mary's cry. "If you'll just show me how to hold her?"

Reluctantly, Mary handed the baby to Lake. She showed Lake how to handle the fragile human infant.

"Support her head, she can't hold it up. And be careful of that soft spot," Mary advised, sounding for all the world like a nervous new mother.

"And, If I'm not back in a few minutes, take her to Cornelia," she added. "If she starts to whimper, take her sooner. She'll be hungry soon, and need to nurse."

The other nodded, and feeling both curious and worried, Mary left with Luca. It was not long before she realized Luca was leading her out of the city.

"What's this about, Uncle," Mary asked. "Where are we going?"

"Maurice wants you," was all that Luca would say, rather mysteriously. But there was almost an expression of great sadness or pity in his eyes when he looked at her.

Oh, what is it now, Mary wondered as she mutely followed Luca past the human city limits. The gorilla led the girl out to a small stand of trees. Maurice sat and waited for them beneath the largest tree. His head was bowed, and he held something in his arms. As they drew closer, Mary's eyes widened. It was wrapped in a human's bed sheet, but she knew what it was right away.

"Papa?" Mary sobbed, tearing out of Luca's gentle grip and running up to Maurice. "What are you doing with him?" she cried indignantly, flinging herself down next to Maurice, and coming as close as she had ever done to glaring at the old Orangutan in anger.

But when Maurice raised his bowed head from Koba's body, Mary instantly felt ashamed of her reactions towards him.

"I thought that you would not want to leave him there, in that broken human wreckage," Maurice signed mournfully. "I knew you would not ask any of us to help, so, we found this place. I've made a bed for him, up there."

He pointed to the top of the tallest tree where a beautiful nest now sat empty.

"If it's not to your liking, I can change it."

Sadly, Mary began to climb towards Maurice's new construction. But she quailed visibly as Maurice moved to join her, meaning to put Koba's body down on the cold hard ground. Seeing the girls' distress, Luca came forward and held out his arm so Maurice could place her Father's body in them. Then, the old Orangutan joined Mary in the top of the tree while Luca waited patiently below them.

"You did all this?"

Mary was astounded. Everyone knew what good builder's orangutans were. There was hardly an Ape home in their village that at least one Orangutan had not had a hand in designing or constructing. And Maurice was one of the best, better even than a few Orangutans who were even older than him. But for old Maurice to do all this so quickly, it was amazing.

"Thank you," Mary whispered, perching on the edge of the nest and hugging Maurice very tightly.

"Your Father was our dear friend once, Child," Maurice gently reminded the girl as he held her close and stroked her head. "He saved all our lives, more than once, during the human firestorm. Didn't he ever tell you about it?"

Mary shook her head.

"Well, remind me to tell you the stories, sometime. But you are also still our friend, and family, our daughter, even. Family does for family, no matter what. Even when … when one of them goes badly astray."

Badly astray, Mary thought. Maurice did have a talent for understatement, sometimes.

Mary let go of Maurice. She watched as he climbed down the tree, and Luca handed her Father's body up to him. Scampering down quickly to help, she and Maurice bore Koba to the top of the tree. Maurice helped the girl arrange the body in the nest.

"We'll leave you alone for a bit," Maurice sighed. "Call if you need us."

The Orangutan climbed down the tree again, and took himself and Luca to the edge of the trees where they could still be within hearing distance if she called out.


Once she knew Maurice and Luca had retreated to a polite distance, Mary lay down next to her Father's body. She wrapped herself around him, pressing her forehead against his through the thin sheet.

As she sobbed quietly, emotions and memories threatened to overwhelm her. She struggled to make the good memories Come. There were many of them. but they would not come, no matter how hard she tried. All that would fill her mind was blood, Ash's blood, her Father's, the wounded, everyone's. Mary was afraid that blood would not leave her site for the rest of her life, that it would haunt her even in her sleep.

Opening her mouth, the poor grieving Ape girl tried to say, "goodbye, Papa. "I love you." But the words stuck in her throat, and all she could do was keen out her grief. Eventually, though, she turned her wordless keening in to one of her songs. It was a tune she had used often to sooth her Father after he had one of his many nightmares. As she sang, her voice grew stronger until it even reached Maurice and Luca. She did not know where this sudden strength came from, and she did not care. It was the last song she could sing to her Father, and she intended to make it a good one.

Mary finished her song of mourning just as the sun was beginning to set. Sorrowfully, she covered her Father with the softest leaves she could find, and began to climb back down the tree. But something at the top of the nest caught her eye.

Scrambling back up to the top, she saw that Maurice had added one final touch. Around the top of the tree, the orangutan carved these words:

Here lies Koba,

Our lost brother and fallen friend,

And most beloved Father of Mary.

May his strength now live within his beloved daughter,

And may his tortured spirit find the peace in death that was denied to him in life.

Mary sprang briefly back in to her Father's resting place, and kissed his forehead.

"I love you, Papa," she whispered. "Sleep well."

Then she ran down the tree, almost falling the last few feet in her haste. But her Uncle Luca was there and the gorilla easily caught the tumbling girl in his arms, and carried her back to Maurice.


From a very carefully concealed hiding place, Caesar watched Maurice and Luca at their sad task. It was killing him to heed Cornelia's advice and not help. And when Mary was brought to the tree, he almost forgot everything Cornelia had said and went rushing out to the girl's side. But, he restrained himself, with an effort. Though when the girl's sad song reached even him, it almost broke him and he, too, began to cry quietly as she sang

Once Luca and Maurice had led Mary away back toward the females' temporary den, Caesar left his hiding place. He stood for a long time at the base of the tree, then slowly climbed to its silent occupant. Leaning forward, he laid one hand on Koba's shoulder.

"this is my fault. I failed you, my old friend," Caesar whispered. "I would not listen to your warnings, and I have failed you. But I swear on my blood that I will not fail our people."

The Ape Leader drew in a slow breath.

"I swear to you, Koba, though she may hate me for the rest of our lives. I will not fail your daughter."

He bowed his head over Koba's body one last time. Then, the Ape Leader regained his stoic and stern expression and leaped away to the nearest tree. He went back in to the city to his people.


A/N:

I'm having some formatting issues with the editor here. If anyhting turns out weird, please let me know.

Hope that starts to keep my promise for more flashbacks. Okay, they were really dreams, but whose counting? LOL!

Hope everyone is still enjoying the story.

Thanks go to all my loyal readers, and a big welcome to any and all new ones.

remember to leave reviews or PMs whenever you can. All comments are so appreciated.