This is useless!
Why are we still here?
Why aren't we leaving?
The human soldiers had come, and days had gone by, and the apes began to settle in, albeit very reluctantly, to the human ruins. But the low rumbling of discontent was getting worse every day, the same question being repeated again and again by more and more apes.
This was the only question in Mary's mind, too. Her Father had wanted to move them permanently in to the human city, and Mary understood that all too well, but Caesar did not intend for them to stay here, did he? So, why were they going through so much effort to find a place to bed down and make shelters? Why was Caesar risking lives by fighting so hard to defend a place where he, presumably, did not intend for them to live? It just did not make any sense! And too many apes were dying or being maimed for life because of it.
In the back of her mind, Mary began to wonder if her Father had not been right, at least in his doubts. Maybe Caesar really was no longer fit to lead the apes.
One day, after treating more of the injured and laying many of the dead to rest and comforting their grieving friends and relatives, Mary felt so angry that she almost worked up enough nerve to approach Caesar directly and demand some real answers. Then, she would take a deep breath and remember. She remembered her Father's death and remembered that she was not speaking to Caesar any longer. And if Cornelia or Maurice could not get real answers out of Caesar, what chance did she, daughter of Koba, have in getting him to explain the nonsense! He would, likely, only see it as another challenge.
And so, without really thinking much about why, Mary began to find much solace and some small comfort in the company of some few other apes who also questioned recent events. Some had been her Father's most staunch followers, Red and gray being among them, and some had never supported Koba. Many of This troubled Mary somewhat, but for now she brushed that aspect aside. At least, with these people, her father's name could be spoken without hateful looks and fear of retribution.
It was even worth putting up with the closeness of simpering and complaining Cedar, Gray's wife, and a longtime nemesis of Mary. The older ape female had been oddly silent towards Mary since Koba's death. The young ape girl had expected the exact opposite from the annoying older female. But by doing this, Mary did not realize how she was gradually distancing herself more and more from many of those who truly loved her the most. Lake had tried topoint this out to her, but Mary had gently brushed her concerns aside as much as she could without hurting the girls' feelings. She had just gotten Lake's friendship back. She definitely did not want to loose it now.
But it seemed that almost everyone was starting to notice the change in Mary. And it took a young human, and a young human male at that, to finally point this out to her one morning.
"You know Caesar's gonna toss us out," Alexander grumbled.
Mary did not know how the boy's Father or Ellie felt, but Alexander was clearly not happy about leaving.
"I know." Mary sighed and laid a hand on Alexander's shoulder. Malcolm's son had been such a great help to Ellie and Maurice these last few days.
"Go talk to Maurice," Mary advised him as the boy stood close beside her and gently stroked baby Hope's head. The infant reached up and locked one tiny fist around the boy's finger.
"she really likes you," Mary commented with a little smile.
"I always wanted a little sister," Alexander said almost to himself as he prtended to try and pull his finger out of the infant's grip. "And I have talked to Maurice," the young human boy complained. "He says that Caesar just wants us to be safe. Like there is anywhere that is safe. It doesn't exist, Mary."
"I know it doesn't," Mary sympathized. "Not for any of us anymore."
"So, why are you mad at Caesar and Rocket's wives, then?" Alexander asked with uncharacteristic bluntness as they stood in the shadow of a crumbling human wall.
Mary gaped up at him in utter amazement.
"I-I'm not mad at Cornelia and tinker," she protested.
"Then why are you spending so much time with that red-furred gorilla and those other apes? Maurice tells me you don't even like some of them?" Alexander asked.
"You wouldn't understand," Mary said flatly.
"Just a dumb ol' human, huh?" Alexander asked.
At Mary's shocked expression, Alexander laughed. "Hey, I'm just kidding. And you're right. I will never understand. Not if you won't bother to explain it to me."
Mary was stunned, and she gaped at Malcolm's quiet son. She did not think Alexander had any confrontation at all in him. Spending so much time with apes seem to be bringing the boy out of his shell, at least a little bit.
"Like to know the answer, too," Came an unexpected gruff voice.
Both Mary and Alexander jumped and looked around as Blue Eyes approached them.
"Are you following me again, Blue eyes?" Mary exclaimed, glaring at her old friend. "Is that what Caesar told you to do, keep an eye on me?"
Mary knew she was being unreasonably harsh with Blue eyes, but she could not seem to help herself. But Caesar's son just shook his head, seemingly ignoring her new gruff demeanor.
"No," Blue Eyes answered patiently. "Mother sent me. You should go to her now if you want, She says it's probably time to feed your baby. Don't worry. Father's not there."
"I don't care where Caesar is," Mary exclaimed. But since baby Hope was starting to whine and fuss a little bit, the young ape girl figured Cornelia was right. So, she heaved a sigh and turned away.
"I'll see you later, Alexander," she said goodbye to Malcom's son before stalking off. She barely looked back at Blue Eyes.
"Oops. Guess she's mad at you now too, huh," Alexander commented, his face creased with worry.
Blue Eyes only watched Mary go with a deeply troubled expression as he spread his hands helplessly.
"Don't take it personally. She's mad at the world," the human boy said sagely.
"How you know. She tell you this?" Blue Eyes asked. He had taken note that Mary and the human boy had been spending more time together lately.
"No, but it's exactly how I felt after my Mom died," alexander explained sagely. "But at least I still had my Dad... Oh, man, I didn't mean that as a ... I mean, I wasn't saying anything against Caesar, just-" The human boy stumbled to a halt and looked down at his feet.
Blue eyes gave Malcolm's son a small smile. "Think I know what you mean," he said slowly. He studied Alexander for a long moment before asking, "How you get over it?"
Alexander shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know if I have. I guess it just took a lot of time and love and even more patients from my Dad. Ellie's helped a lot, too. She may not be my Mom, but she's really great. She's treated me just like her son, even when I didn't deserve it much." The human boy bowed his head. "I feel like a real jerk. I didn't know Ellie had a daughter who died. I'd have tried to be nicer to her from the start, if I'd known."
"I come to ask. Favor?" Blue Eyes said hesitantly,
"Oh yeah?" Alexander looked surprised. "Sure, anything I can do?"
"You draw?" Blue eyes said.
Alexander nodded.
"You draw picture of Mary and Ash?"
Alexander nodded again.
"Could you draw picture. For me. Ash and me?" Blue Eyes asked.
"You bet," the human boy said eagerly. "Um, if your Dad doesn't kick us out before I get the chance."
"Kick you out?" Blue eyes asked, surprised.
"Yeah, didn't you know? My Dad says Caesar will be sending us away soon."
"Away? But to where?" Blue Eyes demanded. "You have somewhere to go?"
"No. Nowhere that I know of, anyway," Alexander complained. "I guess your Dad thinks there's somewhere safer for us poor human refugees."
"Many of Koba's followers still here," blue Eyes pointed out. "You and family might not be safe here."
Alexander shook his head. "Blue Eyes," he said, looking the ape prince in the eye. "I know you don't like us much. I'm shocked your even talking to me now. But honestly, I feel safer here with you and these other apes than I've felt in years. Maybe Dad and Ellie don't, but I do. I'd really like to stay. Any chance of changing your Dad's mind? I was gonna ask Mary that, but since she isn't talking to Caesar right now-
Blue Eyes was obviously taken aback by the human boys' words. "You that scared? Of other humans?" he asked, looking amazed.
"Yes I am, but it's more than that, I'm sick of them, too. Considering the less than warm way you took to us, why do you look so surprised?" Alexander asked.
"but they are human?" Blue Eyes protested feebly. "They are your people."
Spotting the gorilla called Red in the distance, alexander pointed him out. "And he is ape. But you don't seem to want his company anymore, do you?"
Slowly, Blue Eyes shook his head.
"Wish father had made them leave. Listening to Koba has cost me too much already," the young ape said sadly. "Cost all of us too much. I should have listened more to Father all along. Even Mary tried to tell me that."
Alexander gave a small grin. "If I didn't know better, sometime it seems you and Mary act very much like brother and sister."
"Mary is my sister," Blue Eyes told him. "We both nurse from Mother as babies. We never find Mary's mother, so my Mother took Mary as her ... Her ..."
"goddaughter?" Alexander offered helpfully.
"What is that?" the Ape Prince was curious.
"Well, it's like when someone isn't your real parent, by birth, but they promise to take care of you when your real parent can't."
Blue Eyes smiled. "Goddaughter, then. Father feel that way too, about Mary, but—"
"Yeah, that's gotta be tough on you all," Alexander said softly.
The two teenagers stood together in silence for a few moments. It was Blue Eyes who spoke first.
You see picture. Of Father. In the human house?" the Ape Prince asked suddenly.
"Yes," Alexander answered carefully.
"I. Did not know. About Father and humans. Mother knew, Maurice knew, Rocket possibly knew. But I did not. Father did not tell me."
"Whoa! Really? What a way to find out about your Dad's past," alexander said sympathetically.
"Now that I do know. Want to know more. Good humans. Like you and your family," blue eyes admitted a little sheepishly. "Want to know humans as Father knew them."
Alexander blushed. "Ah, come on, we're not all that good," he said looking down at his feet.
"Yes, you are," Blue eyes insisted. "Ellie saved Mother. You all find Father. Then Ellie save Father again. Your Father brought me back to my Father. That is good enough. For me," Blue Eyes said. He held out his hand to the human boy. "Trust?" the Ape Prince offered shyly.
Alexander blinked in surprise. Then, he smiled shyly and offered up his own hand to Caesar's oldest son. Trust," the human repeated as they clasped hands.
Since her Father's death, Mary had been drifting. She had no home of her own anymore. She would spend a night with Lake and her family, then move on to stay with other friends. But the one home she avoided was Caesar's.
And later that night, seeing his wife's mournful expression, Caesar rose and started to leave.
"Caesar? Where are you going?" Cornelia demanded,
"to get Mary," he said shortly.
Cradling Cornelius against her chest, Caesar's wife also rose, and gripped her husband firmly by the arm.
"No," she said gently.
Caesar turned and gaped in astonishment at his wife.
"What do you mean No, Cornelia? She belongs with you, with us. She has always stayed with us when Koba was—""
Caesar broke off, and Cornelia took the opportunity to pull him back to their nest.
"Yes, she's always stayed with us when Koba wasn't there. But this time is different, Caesar," Cornelia signed before reaching out to gently stroke her husband's face. "She will come if you go get her, but she will not be happy about it. Give her time and some space, Caesar. I'm sure she will come back to us soon."
Caesar was not so sure of that. The Ape King looked like he really wanted to argue with his wife, but any protest he might have made were stalled by Blue Eye's entering their temporary home.
"Mary's safe for tonight, father," blue Eyes said. "She isn't with red or any of Koba's bunch. She is with Maurice and Karin. They convinced her to bring the human baby and come stay with them, at least for now. I think Maurice wanted Karin to be closer to the baby. You know how much she loves the children."
He still looked deeply troubled, but Caesar relaxed a little hearing that news. And Cornelia breathed an audible sigh of relief as Blue Eyes came and stroked the top of little Cornelius's head. Caesar's youngest smiled up at his big brother before sighing and falling asleep in his mother's arms.
"Mother? Father? We need to talk about something."
"What is it, son?" Caesar asked as he stifled a yawn. "Something more about Mary?"
"No. Alexander," blue Eyes signed.
"Malcolm's son, Alexander? What of him? Koba's old followers aren't bothering him, are they?" Caesar wanted to know. If so, he'd put an immediate stop to that.
"He wants to stay ... With apes."
Caesar and Cornelia both gaped at their oldest son.
"He tell you this himself?" Caesar asked.
"Yes, this afternoon. I think he means it, Father."
"But, why?"
"He says there is no more safe places for humans. He says he feels safer with apes than anyone else."
Caesar was at a complete loss. He had never expected this, though Malcolm had also made several complaints about being forced to leave. But glancing aside, the ape king noticed his wife did not seem nearly as surprised. He wondered if she and Ellie had been talking amongst themselves. He wondered if Ellie had also said things about wanting to stay, too.
And most of all, he wondered if he should allow it?
"Your Father and I will talk more about this, son," Cornelia told blue Eyes. "It's late. Come to bed now," Cornelia ushered both her son and her husband to their new nest. Her expressions was soft and gentle, but her eyes said to both of them, "And not another world from either of you."
Both apes willingly obeyed the Ape Queen's loving demands, and the family curled up together. But sometime during that night, Caesar awoke, and looked over, feeling an absence in his nest. His whole family slept peacefully around him, all but Caesar himself.
The absence was not just a physical one he felt. It was in his heart, too. He missed Mary deeply. But for now, he would follow Cornelia's advice. Just for now.
A/N:
Hello patient readers!
Well, I bet you all thought I'd forgotten about this fic. Not at all. My muse for it just went on a strike or took a temporary vacation or something like that. LOL! but now that the muse is speaking to me, sort of, I hope you enjoyed this little tidbit.
I have nothing but unending thanks to anyone who is still reading this far into the story. And big huge hugs of welcome to all newcomers. Thanks for lending me your time and interest.
I'll try and get updates out a little faster.
