Mo sheepishly smiled, "Fair enough...Let's say that my mother taught me...", and Susan smiled, "Ah, that explains it. Come up with me, you're forgiven for that tease.".
Mo chuckled, getting over and getting into it, "Good to know.", before kissing her on the lips, and then her baby bump of reassuring the twins, "Don't keep your mama up. I have plans for us.", with a smile as he looked at her.
Susan raised an eyebrow, "Oh, really? What do you have in mind?", with a purr, and Mo smiled warmly, "Making love with you, my beloved mate.".
"Ooh, now you are getting me in the mood, Mo.", Susan purred even happier, removing her clothes before pouncing on Mo, removing his clothes. Mo happily followed Susan's lead tonight, knowing that her desire of making love has increased thanks to her hormones and such, and gave her so much pleasure as she sat on him from behind, fulfilling Susan's favorite dream at last.
The rest of their journey consisted similarly to this, exploring and having a grand time while making love or cuddling up in Mo's hammock nests in different trees through the different sections of the island.
Like Mo said, it took a week of travel, and on the last day, they have now arrived in Mo's home section of the island, with his village only a couple of hours away.
"So... Mo... um, now that we're getting closer... you really haven't told me too much about your tribe; like a few things I might wish to know like their wardrobe or something of that nature. And well, what about your own family...?", Susan admitted, feeling somewhat guilty for not asking those kinds of questions sooner.
Mo nodded, "Oh, yeah, I haven't really said much...Well, for the tribe's wardrobe, it depends on the moving of the island. As the island's heading south, it means warm weather, so think of it as a mix of African and Hawaiian, meaning that the men will wear a sarong wrap sash, breeze pants, and the women will wear a breast wrap, a skirt. Girls, they wear dresses while boys wear loincloth shorts.".
He then exhaled deeply, "It has been years...I don't know if my parents still live...My teenage sister who would be an adult by now, she would be either married within the tribe, or in another tribe altogether...".
Susan puts her hand on his shoulder as she gave a small sigh, "I'm sorry, Mo... I know how you feel... sort of.".
"Yeah, I know...", Mo nodded. "You at least only were separated from your family for a few weeks, and your true family, you weren't even really aware that you had been taken from them.".
Susan kissed him on the lips, "Whatever we will find in your tribe, at least you know that you are home, and that's the best thing for you because you won't keep wondering anymore.".
Mo smiled softly, "You are my home, Susan, you and our children...", lovingly and tenderly rubbing her baby bump, and chuckling when he felt kicks in response. "Yes, Skull Island will be always my first home, but nothing compares to you and them.".
"I can feel the same way...", Susan smiled. "Home is wherever you and they are, Mo.", she kissed his head as he continued to rub her belly. "At least until they're old enough...", Mo chuckled. "We can't coddle them forever after all.".
Susan giggled, "True, yet they'll need us for advice and support no matter what, and we'll be there for them.", and Mo smiled warmly before taking a deep breath, "Let's go.", taking her hand after kissing her baby bump.
They walked the two hours, and Mo began to recognize his tribe scents and the landmarks of the village, and Susan exhaled after grimacing a bit, "One of the twins is leaning on my bladder... I need to pee.".
Mo nodded, "Right...Is it really bad? We're only 10 minutes away.", and Susan replied, "Bad.". Mo glanced around, and smiled, taking Susan to an area of bushes, "No conflicting scents here, you're good to go. I'll be right here.".
Susan kissed Mo on the lips, and walked into the area of bushes, looking for a spot, and after finding a comfortable spot, she daydreamed as she did her business, wondering if the village is on the ground or in the trees...the village is not far from the shoreline...It would be so exotic to make love on the shoreline.
She's so going to ask Mo to take her to the shoreline sooner or later...After all, there isn't a lot of time before it gets too crowded in the womb, and she wouldn't want Mo to accidently hurt one of the twins even if the womb is far more secured thanks to the Quantonium.
After finishing her business, with a slight grunt as she got up from her squatting position, she heard a strange grunt, and she looked around, "Hello?".
Another grunt answered her, and Susan frowned as that wasn't Mo at all, and she then shouted in surprise when a gorilla landed before her from one of the trees, baring his teeth and sniffing the air. He snorted, leering at her as he came closer, thumping the ground with his fists.
Not wanting to hurt another tribesman if this is one of Mo's people, Susan shouted out, "Mo, help me!", and hearing the slight fear in his mate's voice, Mo instantly ran to her side, seeing the gorilla. The gorilla roared and bared his teeth, scenting an alpha in him, thumping his chest, and Mo snarled, "She's my pregnant mate. Her heat is mine!", before shifting into his gorilla form, and thumped his chest, and the rival male charged at him, beginning the fight.
Susan quickly moved to better protect herself. If she wasn't carrying the twins, she'd easily take the gorilla on in a fight, but she had to care about the lives she was carrying so she stifled her pride and stayed out of the way as Mo and the other ape fought each other.
Mo got the first strikes in when he landed a chain of attacks, punching and slapping the other gorilla hard with such speed and fury, Susan was surprised that his opponent was still standing.
The rival gorilla roared, hitting and punching Mo back, baring his fangs, trying to flip Mo over on his back, but Mo was too smart for that, tripping the rival gorilla, and slapped, smashing him with his fists, roaring back at him as he grabbed the feet of the rival gorilla and threw him against a tree, stunning him and injuring him, and Mo thumped his chest, huffing and roaring, glaring.
The rival gorilla grunted, churring and panting, looking at Mo before submissively bowing his head and left with a limp, running off. Mo snorted, looking back at Susan, panting and huffing as he shifted back to human form...
"Are you alright? Didn't realize that it was the time of kicking out bachelor gorillas from the wild troop.", Mo asked in concern, and Susan nodded, "Yes, I am alright...The twins are a bit scared from all the kicks they're doing...What was that?".
Mo sighed heavily, "One of the arrogant bachelor males from the wild gorilla troop upriver...He didn't care that you are pregnant, only in heat...He smelled my scent on you...He knew I was a gorilla shifter...".
"I see... I hope I'm not the cause of some issues with your tribe and another one.", Susan apologized. "It's alright, I'm sure that it won't be a problem, but he'll be smart to know that he should look elsewhere for a mate.", Mo explained.
"And by wild, do you mean by actual wild gorillas?", Susan asked, and Mo nodded, "Yes. The troops are what we call the wild gorillas by. The bachelor gorillas don't care if my tribe are gorilla shifters as long as they find a mate, but my tribe cannot get along with the wild gorillas on that aspect as wild gorillas are not viable with humans even if they are shifters. So, it's one of the biggest headaches in my village...Thankfully, the time of the kicking out of the bachelor gorillas only happen 10-15 years each... This year, it's happening...Looks like I have to keep you close to the village if they can smell your heat already this far from the village...", with a sigh.
"I can handle myself if I need to, Mo, I'm not completely defenseless.", Susan pointed out. "I know, but we both know we don't want to risk the twins by you fighting... even if the Quantonium flows through their veins, one good punch to you down there might jeopardize their lives.", Mo calmly replied as he tenderly rubbed her baby bump.
Susan nodded, "Fair point...", and Mo smiled softly before looking thoughtful, "What were you thinking before he came in?".
"I...I was thinking about the shoreline you talked about...I was daydreaming about making love there as well, I never done that yet with you...", Susan blushed, and Mo blinked, "Oh, that explains why you are reeking of heat earlier and now...".
"Is it bad? I mean, to attract any males in your tribe?", Susan asked, feeling guilty, and Mo shook his head, "No, as long as the males are in their human forms, it's fine, and if they already are told that you are my mate once we come in, they can force their gorilla forms to keep in control as I'm an alpha male, and they wouldn't want to mess with a alpha male at all which is why the wild male was different in that aspect, being more aggressive and arrogant.".
"Oh, that makes sense...Wait, troops have a dominant leader, a silverback...Does your tribe have a leader too?", Susan inquired, and Mo nodded, "The chief, yes...I see what you're saying...Before I was taken, a new chief came in after challenging the old chief...I hope he got a mate already and all...Still, as we're 10 minutes away, they would have heard my roars already, and it's a bit rude to keep them waiting...Don't worry, love, I'll take you to the shoreline soon...Just try not to daydream about it so you keep your heat down to a minimum, okay?".
"I'll try... sometimes though your mind just ignores what it knows it should do at times.", Susan chuckled as Mo gave one himself. "I know... it was so hard for me that time before we did it, of course, I already told you that.", he said.
Susan kissed his cheek, "Indeed. Let's go then...", and Mo led the way, holding her close, and sure enough, they got to the village, and Susan was both right about her theories as the village is half in the trees, half on the ground, with treehouses, sheltered hammock nests, and vine bridges, along with huts, underground burrow homes, and yurts.
Hundreds of eyes looking from every direction, looking at Mo and Susan, silent and curious, noting every scent of the couple and their obviously open relationship of being mates, and of course, the bulging sign of the baby bump.
Mo reassured her, whispering, "It's going to be alright...", and Susan nodded silently as Mo led them to the biggest yurt, removing his shoes, and Susan followed his example, removing her shoes as well before walking into the yurt, and they saw the chief standing on his podium, watching them with a stoic eye.
Respectful yet not rude enough to be on his personal turf space, Mo knelt down, helping Susan down, and with a glance to the chief, he nodded, and Mo then took a deep breath, "Great chief, I am Mo of the Gorilla Tribe, and I've returned to Skull Island after many years, with my mate here, carrying my children.".
Gasps, murmurs, and whispers fill the room as many residents on the sides watched, sitting down in respect of the chief. The chief spoke, "Yes, I have heard stories of you, Mo of the Gorilla Tribe, but are you really him? State your lineage.".
Susan glanced around, starting to feel somewhat worried. She was sure Mo could easily prove it; hell, just simply shifting into a gorilla would certainly prove that in spades that at least he was from the island, but she was worried if Mo had been gone too long that so many things had changed, and he would be unable to prove his facts. And then she was worried about what would happen to the both of them as she knew neither of them could fight off all the village if things turned nasty.
"I was born to Gaja of the Gorilla Tribe and Fei of the Bonobo Tribe, and I was the older brother to Ciro of the Gorilla Tribe.", Mo replied firmly and respectfully. The chief raised an eyebrow, "Yet you abandoned tradition of seeking a mate from any of the neighboring tribes. Your mate doesn't reek of any tribe here, meaning she's a stranger from the outside world. Your mission was to honor your parents, and this tribe in seeking a mate from one of the neighboring tribes near or far, and yet for years and years, no word of you. My allies never spoke of you arriving anywhere through the island...".
"I have a decent reason for all of it, but I must admit the shameful nature of it.", Mo sighed as he looked back to Susan and held her hand, wanting her support. She smiled as she was giving it which the chief certainly noticed.
"I certainly can tell your mate, despite her from being not of the island... still has a connection similar to the rest of us...", the chief said.
Mo nodded, "Yes, great chief...", and the chief exhaled, "However, I must sadly decline your lineage. I can tell that you haven't betrayed us all, but abandoning us of tradition for a long, long time, it calls for your exile. I only can spare you today and tomorrow for your brief reunion with your sister. Your parents have died only a decade ago. I will not order harm on you or your mate for your children are innocent.".
Mo looked devasted and resigned, and Susan leaned on his shoulder, shocked yet horrified for Mo, and the chief gave a hum, "Mate of Mo, say your piece, and be respectful.".
Susan really just wanted to scream and rant at the tribe. To simply abandon him like that when it wasn't really even his fault that he was gone in the first place... She tightened her fist and knew she stood at a crossroads, similar to the night before Tara and Derek's wedding. Susan regretted the decision for a bit; especially upon Tara's original reaction; but it also did in a way work out for the best as she and Tara wouldn't have been struck by the Quantonium meteor if Susan didn't try to get the truth out to her that morning at the rotunda.
Susan sighed deeply, and looked at the chief, "I'm Susan Carter-Rogers, the mate of Mo, and the mother of his children. Long have I wished to see what Mo's home is like, and my expectations have been met, but right here, right now, if I am not currently pregnant, I would have shown you how much importance Mo is to me. He's worth everything of my life, and our children would have never been born if it wasn't for him. He saved my life when he confessed of his love for me, and I would never have known if he hadn't saved me in time, and in return, I saved his life, and he gave me about the greatest gift of my life. I love him for who he is and what he is, and I am here, supporting him. You have lost a great man, a marvelous warrior, and an incredible hero, and so, you have lost all the respect I had for your tribe, chief.".
The chief looked surprised and thoughtful before looking around at all the tribe, and he replied, "You speak the truth. If you do not want Mo to be alone without family, I will allow Ciro and her son to go with you on your exile. Ciro, step forward with your son.".
A gorgeous, dark-skinned, black-haired woman with bright green eyes stepped forward, with a teenage boy of dark skin, dark brown hair and bright hazel eyes at her side, and Susan heard a muffled sob from Mo, glancing to see Mo having tears in his eyes.
"I know you have grieved after the passing of your wife, Ciro, and I have heard your demands of taking your son to the Chimpanzee Tribe as your wife was part of it, but with the tribe being enemies for the past few decades, I denied your demands. Now, you have a new opportunity. Do you wish to go with your exiled brother and his mate?", asked the chief.
"Uh, one moment, chief...", Ciro said to him before she ran into Mo and hugged him tightly. "Where have you been?", she whispered to him as she sobbed. "Sorry, Ciro... I'm so sorry...", Mo said as he hugged her back. "I've... I've missed so much...".
Ciro nodded, "I know, I know.", before looking back at the chief, and replied, "I and my son, Gizmo will go with Mo and his mate. I thank you for being merciful with us, great chief.".
"I accept the apology, Ciro. I'll allow Mo and his mate to rest within your burrow for today, but tomorrow before sunset, they must head to the shoreline to get off the island. So, pack up what you want to bring with you. Dismissed.", the chief replied.