6 months had passed since Jane and Professor Porter had made the brave decision to stay in the jungle, and they had moved into Tarzan's parents' treehouse, where they fixed it up and added a few new additions, such as a couple bedrooms and a lab space for Professor Porter to complete some studies. Both Professor Porter and Jane had made themselves quite at home in the jungle, and were making strides in learning the gorilla language, which made communicating between his family and friends much easier.

While Jane was out collecting water to be "boiled" for whatever reason, Tarzan was busy exploring the many new books Professor Porter had brought into the treehouse. He was still learning of the human world, and books always taught him so much. As he turned the page in a book about proper etiquette and manners that Jane insisted he at least glance at, he saw a picture of a man in a suit kneeling before a beautifully dressed woman, and he was holding a ring out to her. Tarzan frowned at the picture, then looked over to Professor Porter, who was busy chopping up fruit.

"Professor," Tarzan asked as he jumped over to the short man. He held the book out to Professor Porter. "What is this man doing?"

Professor Porter glanced at the page Tarzan was referencing, then smiled.

"Well, Tarzan, he appears to be proposing."

"Pro—" Tarzan stammered, frowning once more. "What is . . . proposing?"

"Proposing is when a gentleman has decided that he would like to marry a woman he has been courting for some time. You know, to become man and wife—err, to be joined in matrimony." Professor Porter struggled to find the right words as he watched Tarzan's frown grow deeper at his words.

"Like . . . mates?" Tarzan asked.

Professor Porter chuckled at the rather primitive word.

"Yes, Tarzan! Exactly like mates. Except in human culture, a man chooses a woman to be his mate for the rest of his life, and he usually proposes with a ring to seal the deal, so to speak."

"A ring?"

"That is what the man is offering the woman. An engagement ring. She will wear it for the rest of her life. They are usually diamond or some other valued stone."

Tarzan studied the picture, his mind wandering to Jane. He wondered if this was something he might be able to do now as he had been "courting" her for so long. He really loved Jane, but did she really feel the same toward him? Would she be willing to be his mate for the rest of their lives?

"You are thinking about Jane," Professor Porter asked softly with a knowing look. "I can see it in your eyes, my boy."

"Do you think she would . . . say yes?" Tarzan asked.

"Only one way to find out." Professor Porter patted Tarzan's shoulder. "You have my blessing to propose to Jane if you wish. You have already made her so happy. Ever since we lost her mother, she's struggled to find a place in the world where she felt she truly belonged, but here in the jungle—with you—I don't think I've ever seen her happier. I think you two would be very good for each other."

"Thanks," Tarzan said, grinning at Professor Porter. "I must find a ring. I know where some diamonds are too."

"Oh, you do?" Professor Porter asked, his brows shooting up, but Tarzan had already swung out the window. Professor Porter snorted and shook his head fondly. He would find out about these diamonds another time. It could wait.

"Good luck, Tarzan," he said as he watched the ape-man swing through the trees.

Jane slowly filled the second jug she had brought down to the river, watching it bubble as air was replaced by water. It was one of the many cons to living in a jungle, there was no longer a steady supply of clean running water, and she had to come down to the river at least once daily to top off the large main tank at the treehouse. That way, they always had water ready to be boiled and cooled down. Tarzan had seemed very perplexed by science when Jane tried to explain how filthy the river water was and how much safer it was to drink clean water. While Tarzan seemed to gain a better understanding of why the river was unclean, it didn't stop him from continuing to drink directly from the source when he felt thirsty.

He's made it this far, Jane thought as she pulled the jug out of the water and set it down next to the other one. While she was amazed that Tarzan had never really come down with a deadly disease, though she had never asked him about sicknesses he had in the past either.

As Jane stood up, she heard a soft snarl that made her freeze. She slowly glanced around the bushes surrounding her, looking up into the trees as well. It was midday, she found it hard to believe that predators would be out at this time—unless they had come out for a drink. Jane licked her lips anxiously as she grabbed her jugs.

Another snarl.

She saw it this time. A leopard, hiding in the brush on the other side of the river, slowly stalking forward through the reeds as if it might swim over to Jane. She knew leopards were powerful swimmers and turning her back on it now only gave it a chance to swim over and run after her, and it would probably catch her in no time. She tried recalling what her father said about leopards and how to scare them off. Was it acting big and tough? Or was that lions? Or some other animal. She knew she wasn't supposed to turn her back on it.

The leopard growled again as it stepped into the water, pausing once more to stare at Jane, keeping within the reeds still.

"No!" Jane shouted at it. "Away with you!"

Jane waved her arms up and down, hoping this is what her father meant by acting big and tough.

"I'm not afraid of you," Jane bluffed in a loud voice, "so don't you try anything."

The leopard licked its chops and took another step forward.

"Bad kitty!" Jane said in a louder voice while waggling a finger at it. "You are a very bad kitty. I suggest you go the other way now and we'll pretend this never happened."

Suddenly, the leopard's eyes grew large, and it snarled as it backed out of the river and turned around, trotting back into the deep jungle with quick, silent steps.

"That's what I thought," Jane said. Feeling very proud of herself, Jane huffed and clapped her hands together triumphantly. She turned around to grab her jugs and nearly ran right into Kerchak.

"Oh," Jane said as she backed up. "I didn't see you there, Kerchak. Ah, you must be why the leopard took off."

Kerchak snorted at her disappointed look.

"I advise against taunting the leopards," Kerchak said as he walked around Jane to the river. "They like a challenge."

"You don't say," Jane said. She was glad she had spent hours practicing gorilla language with Tarzan these last few months, otherwise, she was sure she would still have no clue what they were saying to her.

"I do not recommend coming down to the river alone either," Kerchak said. He paused for a moment as he took a long drink. When he finished, he pulled back and looked down at Jane. "Far too dangerous."

"Well, you came alone, didn't you?" Jane asked, then quickly regretted it as she remembered who she was talking to. "Err, I meant no offense, I just . . ."

"Point taken," Kerchak said with an amused smile. "But very few predators want to take on a silverback. I can't say the same for a . . . small human."

Jane was glad Kerchak wasn't upset by her comment. The silverback always surprised her as of late. She recalled how aggressive and standoffish he had acted when she first encountered him, but as she spent more time with the gorilla family and got to know the big silverback, he was no different from her own father—kind, caring, protective, and very loving of his two children and family. That was not to say that Kerchak wasn't dangerous. Oh no, he was a force to be reckoned with when something threatened his family.

Jane grabbed the jugs and followed the silverback through the trees.

"I'm not that small," Jane said. "I'm actually above average in height where I'm from."

"They must have low expectations where you're from."

Jane spluttered, then couldn't help but laugh at Kerchak's words.

"Coming from someone who is four hundred pounds and lives in a massive jungle, I suppose our expectations are rather low."

Kerchak smiled at her words, glad she had not been too offended at what he had said. He had meant the words in a joking manner. Despite not completely trusting her when she had firs arrived in the jungle, Kerchak had grown rather fond of the female human. If Tarzan wished to pursue her as a mate, she would make a wonderful addition to the family. And honestly, he was glad Tarzan wouldn't spend his life alone in the jungle as the only one of his species. Speaking of his son, he had not seen Tarzan since that morning when he left their shared nest to visit the humans at the tree house. So what on earth was Jane doing collecting water alone?"

"Was Tarzan not with you today?" Kerchak asked.

"He was at the treehouse," Jane answered. "Looking through some books, I believe. Sometimes, he is such a bookworm and nothing I say pulls him away from them. He's probably still there reading. He loves to learn."

"Yes, he always has." Kerchak paused at a fork in the path he was walking on. One path led back to where his family was resting, and the other to the treehouse. Kerchak looked down at Jane. "Thank you for teaching him the ways of your species. It makes me happy that Tarzan may not spend his life as the only one of his species."

Jane smiled with a blush at Kerchak's words.

"Of course, Kerchak. Though sometimes I feel that I'm learning something about humanity that I never knew before meeting Tarzan. You raised a good son."

Kerchak smiled and dipped his head at Jane before turning down the path to his family while Jane carried on back to the treehouse.

"I thought we had plans for today," Terk said as Tarzan swung above her in pursuit of something else that did not involve tackling and wrestling. "Where are you off to?"

"I need to do something for Jane," Tarzan answered, pausing on a branch above his friend.

"And what exactly do you need to do for her?"

"It's a surprise. But hopefully she'll accept and want to be my mate."

"Whoa, whoa, hold up." Terk held her hands up in disbelief. "You're actually serious about her? Are you sure about that? I mean, she's not that great at speaking gorilla and she swings on vines like a two-day-old chimpanzee."

"She does not," Tarzan said in Jane's defense.

"Someone sounds jealous," Tantor said, giving Terk a pointed look.

"Jealous!?" Terk spat. "I'm not jealous. I'm just thinking about the long-term future for our good ol' pal Tarzan. I just think that you can do better."

"I don't think there's anyone better for me than Jane, Terk."

"Aww, isn't that sweet," Tantor said, smiling with dreamy eyes. "I personally think she's perfect for you."

"Thanks, Tantor. You'll come around, Terk, I'm sure of it."

"I doubt it," Terk said, crossing her arms, but Tarzan leaped for a vine and swung off to finish the task he had started.

After an hour of dedicated searching, he managed to find an old cave full of diamonds hidden behind a waterfall. It was a cave Kerchak had shown him once when he was still a young child. It was full of red and blue diamond rocks. Tarzan had managed to chip a small piece off and found some sap and vine that he used to create a small ring, using his finger first to get it right then shrinking it some. By his estimation, he was sure it would fit Jane.

He wanted to "propose" to Jane right away now that he had the ring, but he remembered Professor Porter mentioning something about "courting" Jane before proposing. He had no clue what that entailed, but he figured it involved impressing Jane enough that she would want to accept his proposal to begin with. Now, how did one impress the female human? It couldn't be that much different from apes, right? He wondered if Kerchak would have any advice on "courting."

Swinging through the trees, Tarzan returned to his family grounds. He put the ring in a safe place for now, in the hollow of a tree where he kept his spear, then he shuffled around, seeking out his father.

Kerchak was making his way through the family, probably performing his usual headcount and checking up on everyone. Tarzan swung over to his father, landing on a branch next to him.

"Hi, Dad," Tarzan greeted. "Do you have a minute?"

"For you," Kerchak answered. "Always."

"How did you know Mom was the one?" Tarzan asked. "You know, to be your mate."

Kerchak paused, caught off guard by the question.

"Well, she more or less chose me," Kerchak answered honestly.

"I'm sure there was a reason though," Tarzan pushed. "What did you do?"

"Is this about Jane?" Kerchak asked. He shook his head slowly. "Tarzan, I don't know if the same rules will apply for her."

"Jane says that gorillas and humans are practically cousins," Tarzan said. "The rules are probably close enough. Come on, Dad, just tell me what you did to impress mom."

Kerchak sighed indulgently before he glanced over at where Kala and Kaphi were grooming each other near their nesting site.

"Well, being a silverback helped. Like my father before me, I acquired leadership of the family upon his passing. There was quite a bit of shuffling as some members aged out while cousins and siblings moved on in search of a new family. So I had nearly an entirely new family to prove my worth to, as well as some wandering females that happened to chance by. Your mother was one of them. As silverback, I had to demonstrate that I could provide food, shelter, and protection for everyone. By chasing off leopards and silverbacks, then leading the way to foraging grounds and sheltered areas, I was able to prove that much."

"And when you met Mom?" Tarzan asked.

"She joined the family shortly after I took leadership. I could tell she was interested, and when I first laid eyes on her, I was very interested in her. I made sure she had her own supply of fruit and roots to choose from, as well as the largest termite mound when we came across them. I would patrol around her nest first on nightly rounds, and she seemed to appreciate that."

"Okay," Tarzan nodded his head in understanding.

"There were a few children left from my father's reign, and the females always love when you play with the children. It shows them that you will make a good and attentive father. I would roughhouse with a few of them when I knew she was watching. After a few weeks, she approached me, and we've been mates ever since."

"Cool. I think I know what to do now. Hey, I was thinking of asking Jane to be my mate. What do you . . ."

"I think," Kerchak interrupted his son, "that if she accepts, she will make a fine mate for you, Tarzan."

"Really? Thanks, Dad."

Tarzan leaped away after that, and Kerchak couldn't help the proud smile as he watched his son retreat through the trees.

The next day, Jane woke up to a banquet of fruit and vegetables piled neatly on the dining table. There were a few flowers mixed in with the food, and she frowned at the arrangement, gently picking up a flower in her hands as she studied the food.

"My, isn't this lovely," Professor Porter said as he came out of his bedroom and saw the display. "Did you do this, Jane?"

"No, Daddy," Jane said with a shake of her head. She twirled the stem of the pink flower in her hands. "But I think I know who did."

As the last words left her mouth, Tarzan leaped through the window and landed inside the treehouse with one last fruit in his hand. He added it to the collection and Jane smiled at him.

"What is this, Tarzan?" Jane asked.

"Just wanted to make sure you had plenty of food in your ice box." Tarzan adjusted the food on the table. "This should last you a few days."

"Thank you, Tarzan," Professor Porter said. "That's very thoughtful. Less foraging Jane and I have to do."

"I know where to find all the best food," Tarzan said. "It was no problem, really."

"The flowers were a nice touch," Jane said, still holding a pink one.

"Do you like them?" Tarzan picked one up and ate the entire flower in one bite, leaving behind the green stem. "They're very sweet."

"Oh, right," Jane said as she brushed a lock of hair behind an ear. She twirled the flower in her hands again. "Very sweet."

Professor Porter chuckled at that while he grabbed a fruit to chop for his own breakfast. After Jane and Professor Porter ate a bit from the massive pile of food that was sure to last them the week, Jane followed Tarzan to practice her vine swinging, which she was getting down pretty well without falling too much. Tarzan assisted her now and then. As they neared the family, they both landed, and Jane panted to catch her breath.

"I think I'm getting better at that," Jane said. "It still knackers me out, but I think I've improved."

"For sure," Tarzan said. "I think I only had to save you twice this morning."

"A new record," Jane agreed.

A twig snapped behind them, and Tarzan quickly stepped in front of Jane, baring his teeth at the unseen threat. Jane stayed close to Tarzan, peering around him to see what was there.

Something moved through the shadows of the trees, lurking high in the branches as it stalked around the family grounds. Tarzan lowered himself slightly, prepared to pounce on whatever was there.

Finally, leopard eyes shined through the darkness of the trees, meeting Tarzan's eyes. However, as Tarzan glared at the big cat, the eyes blinked before disappearing, and the cat slinked its way through the branches and away from the family, leaving without even attempting to attack. Tarzan grunted at its retreat and Jane visibly relaxed.

"You'll have to teach me how you intimidate the big cats and scare them off," Jane said. "Your father already informed me it is not wise to taunt them."

Tarzan chuckled at that as he tried to imagine when his father had that talk with Jane. At least she was impressed with his protection skills. Together, they walked through the family grounds, greeting apes in return as they passed them. It was a good way for Jane to practice speaking gorilla. A few young apes rolled in their path as they wrestled, and Tarzan grinned before dropping down and joining them, which the young gorillas enjoyed as they tackled Tarzan together. Jane laughed at their antics.

"Some brothers never really grow up," Kaphi said as she walked over to Jane. She sat next to her and shook her head at her brother as he continued to wrestle the younger children.

"I see that," Jane agreed. "How have you been, Kaphi? Your arm, has it healed at last?"

"It has." Kaphi lifted her arm that Cheetah had bitten a tracker out of months back. "Who knew bite wounds took so long to heal. There's a scar now, but with all my fur, it's hardly noticeable."

"I'm glad to hear that," Jane said. She glanced back at Tarzan, who was trying to get the two apes off his back.

"He's trying to impress you, you know," Kaphi said with a knowing look at her brother. "In a very ape-like fashion, but still. I've had a few blackbacks try to get my attention lately, bringing me food, playing with young ones when I happen to look their way, but I'm waiting for that special one still."

"Playing with the young ones?"

"Yeah, it's an attractive quality. If the males are willing to entertain the children, they'll make good babysitters and protectors when you have kids of your own. It's important in a gorilla family to have a mate who's good with kids.

Jane blushed but also smiled at Kaphi as she finally understood why Tarzan had brought a bunch of food this morning and why he jumped right into playing with the young apes. While Jane wasn't sure about having any children any time soon, especially in a dangerous jungle, she understood Tarzan was following what he knew in his attempts to get her attention. It was kind of cute actually. And if Tarzan was trying to impress her for "courting" purposes, well, she was impressed.

Tarzan managed to free himself from the kids, then rejoined Jane and Kaphi. His sister gave him a knowing look while she walked off into the family in search of her friends, giving Tarzan and Jane alone time.

"Jane, there is something I'd like to show you," Tarzan said. He gently took her hand and pulled her forward, leading her through the family and into the jungle once more. He led Jane to a fallen tree that stretched over a wide chasm, and they carefully crossed the old tree before arriving to a massive tree made up of several different small trees and trunks, some thick, some thin, some twisted, and some straight. In the center was a large trunk, the biggest tree in the mix, standing strong with support from the several other trees surrounding it.

"This place is beautiful," Jane said.

"My mother showed me this place," Tarzan said. He placed a hand on the biggest tree trunk. "She told me that this tree is the strongest tree in the jungle, and all because it has so many other trunks working together to lift the leaves to the sky. They all help make the tree strong, strong enough to weather any storm. Just like a family."

Jane gently touched the large tree as she looked up at the sun beams streaming through the leaves, flickering with the movement of the wind. Birds and monkeys chattered above them, and a few leaves flittered down around them.

"Like our family," Tarzan added.

Jane turned to look at Tarzan. He took her hands into his own.

"Jane, I want you to become apart of my family," Tarzan said. Slowly, he kneeled on to one knee, then pulled out a beautiful blue diamond ring. Jane gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as she watched Tarzan, her eyes glistening.

"Jane, will you be my mate forever?" Tarzan asked.

Jane couldn't help the small giggle at how Tarzan phrased it, but she didn't really care as she nodded her head.

"Yes," she said. "Yes, of course I will be your mate."

Tarzan smiled and slid the ring onto Jane's finger. Jane hugged Tarzan's neck and kissed him deeply. Today was the best day of her life as far as Jane was concerned. She couldn't wait for future adventures with Tarzan by her side.