After Lupe left the secluded cove where Katherine was living with the grandson of the Earl of Greystoke, things remained fairly quiet for a while. Katherine continued with her language lessons, teaching the jungle man how to communicate in something other that grunts and his ape talk. A natural mimic, he learned fast and was soon competent enough in the spoken word to argue with Kat if he thought she was overdoing her daily activities.

Her pregnancy was taking a lot out of her. Because of the now almost constant nausea, she wasn’t keeping much down, and she tired easily. Johnny was an astute observer of Kat’s body language, and when he recognized any signs of her becoming overly fatigued, he would tell her to either go back to the tree house or lie down, or to rest with her head on his lap under the shade of a tree.

Except for his excursions into the woods to hunt or to gather food, Johnny stayed close to Katherine. The first time she had played the flute for him, he had been completely mesmerized and had made it clear that he wanted to learn how to make music too. So, Katherine made him a set of panpipes out of the bamboo-like reeds growing by the river, tying them together with the sea grasses and giving them a coat of fish oil to make them gleam. He mastered playing them fairly easily, and he and Katherine would sit in the grass under the trees, playing a duet where he would repeat whatever notes she played. After awhile, he started experimenting, making his own music, often basing his little songs on the various bird calls that he had heard during his lifetime. Encouraged by the success with the panpipes and flute, Katherine taught Johnny how to make drums using the hide of some of the larger creatures he killed for their food. She made several handheld bodhrans and a couple of small kettledrums, which Johnny took to banging on with much glee.

But what Johnny liked best was when Katherine took the bagpipes out to the beach and played them. The first time, he had fled up a tree, making agitated noises and swinging from branch to branch. Amused, Katherine had kept playing until he had come down the tree, approaching her carefully as she played a lively reel. If she was feeling up to it, Katherine would take the pipes to the beach at sunset, and would play them as the light of the sun gradually dipped behind the horizon.

As the days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, Katherine found herself starting to bond with Johnny. It was a different bond than what she had shared with Connor but what they shared was starting to fill a little bit of the large hole in her heart that had been there since Connor’s loss. Johnny seemed to know when Katherine was thinking about the man she had loved before him, and would reach out and hold his woman, trying to comfort her. Grief he understood all too well.

Now over three months pregnant, Katherine was still having trouble keeping anything down. The weather had turned warmer, and she knew dehydration would be a real danger. With that in mind, she kept trying to force liquids, even though they frequently bounced as soon as she drank them. By the time she had gone over a week without being able to keep anything down, Katherine knew she was in trouble. She stayed in bed, feeling weak and exhausted. And then she started to spot.

Johnny smelled the blood when he came back from getting some fresh fruit and water, and became almost frantic with worry. He stroked her face, trying to rouse Katherine and to get her to drink or eat something.

Finally Katherine opened her eyes and placed her hand in his. "I think I might be losing the baby," she told him honestly. The cramping in her lower abdomen wasn’t too bad at the moment, but it was strong enough to make her decide to stay in bed. Johnny wrapped his arms around her, and she patted his head, trying to assure him that it would be okay. Whatever happened, she knew she would recover because of her immortality, but if at all possible, she wanted to save the baby.

"Johnny?" she asked in a tired voice. "Remember when you went with Lupe back towards the place she lives in? Do you think you can find the town? If you can, there are people there called doctors. A doctor might be able to keep me from losing the baby."

"I know where find town. I find doctor there, bring here for you," Johnny said, stroking her face tenderly. "Leave now. Back two, three days." Just before Lupe had changed back into a wolf, she had made sure that he understood the way to Edan, telling him that if something happened and Katherine and he needed help, he should go there.

"Good," she said, managing a weak smile as she put her locket around his neck. "This will confirm that you were with me. I’ll be okay here till you get back. Just leave the water and fruit where I can reach them without getting up."

"Kat drink now?" He held her head up and gave her a drink before standing up to leave, his hand still clinging to hers.

"Godspeed, Johnny," Katherine said in a weak voice, struggling to keep the water down. She watched him leap off the side of their tree house home and grab a vine. A moment later, as John Clayton disappeared from sight, she retched up the water that she had drank, moaning in pain as the cramps intensified.

* * * * *

The residents of Edan were going about their every day business. The Dòchas had returned the day before from it latest journey, and was being stocked up for its next trip out. The Bounty was out exploring and mapping the coastline in the other direction from the way that the Dòchas had been going.

Connor had spent the night in town in the hotel, and it was planned that they would once more set sail in the morning. Duncan was in town too. This time, he was going to accompany Connor. But the business of today was filling in the map of their world, combining the recollections of both of the MacLeods of where they had been and what they had seen with any other resident’s input.

Sarah Jo came into the city hall building, and told them all that a picnic lunch was going to be served outside in a little park like area. Just about everyone in town was joining them, and soon some lively discussions were taking place as they all filled their plates with food.

As Lupe carried a pitcher of a sweet citrus type of juice around, offering it to anyone who wanted it, a shower of flower petals drifted down onto her head, making her look up. There, hiding amidst the thick foliage was her jungle friend!

She gave one of her cat screams back at him, which startled everyone but Jonathan and, of course, John himself. She was really just saying hello.

As everyone fell silent and looked up in the trees where Lupe was gazing, Johnny ducked back deeper into the thick covering of leaves but after a moment, a quiet ape like sound could be heard from way up.

"A monkey?" Duncan asked, walking up to Lupe, peering curiously up into the tree. His jaw dropped when he caught a glimpse of the familiar looking face starting back at him. "Methos, Connor - you are not going to believe this," he said with a shake of his head. From up in the tree, the sounds that they heard seemed to become even more agitated.

Lupe said, "He likes Ape. I told him my Ape was not all it should be. I wish he'd stick to pard." Nathaniel looked up in the tree and smiled.

"Want me to shift and flush him out?"

Lupe shook her head. "No. But I can't shift to Raven with the pregnancy, so I have to try and talk him down from here."

"You know him?" asked Duncan as Methos and Connor joined him, searching the tree for what the others were looking at. A shower of leaves and flowers fell on their upturned faces and they saw a glimpse of a pair of bare legs moving from one branch to another. As Lupe called out to Johnny, reassuring him that it was safe, the branches shook almost violently and after a moment, Johnny swung down to a lower branch. Reaching down, a look of wonder on his face, he touched the elder MacLeod's face for a long moment before screaming loudly in ape talk again and then scrambling back up into the tree.

"I can't believe this," Connor said, watching as the near naked man disappeared from sight once more. "How many more of these guys are there going to be? Who in the devil is this one?"

Lupe said, "He's Tarzan, of course," in such a matter of fact way that Methos chuckled.

"Why didn't y'think of that y'twit?" he said, imitating John Lennon in Help!

Connor shot him a scathing look and then chuckled himself. "Well if Mohammed won't come to the mountain..." He leaped up, grabbing the lowest branch, and after a couple of swings, did a flip that got him on top of a higher branch. It was a large one, so it had no problem bearing his weight. He climbed a little higher, and then reached out with his hand towards the man peering down at him.

"Its alright," he said with a smile at the curious look he was getting from the man Lupe had called Tarzan. "No one will hurt you here. Come on down."

Johnny made a series of soft "ohh-ohh" sounds and then slowly reached out his hand once more. Connor grasped it, squeezing it firmly, and after the two men appraised each other that way, Johnny climbed down and started to touch Connor's face again, running his fingers through the other man’s hair and over his features.

"Conn-nnah?" he asked slowly, poking the highlander's chest. Connor nodded, wondering how that man knew his name, and then Johnny slapped his own bare chest. Connor noticed that he had long, welted scars made from some creature's claws all over his body. "John. Need doctor. Conn-nah know doctor?"

Doc Adams, Helm and Giles all sprang to their feet. "Who needs a doctor?" asked Helm.

Connor pointed down at the three men. "Doctor," he said, putting his other hand on the other man's bare shoulder. He seemed healthy enough, despite the scars lacing his body.

Johnny grunted and to Methos and Duncan's amusement, gave Connor a tight hug. "Thank you," he said slowly, sounding out the words carefully. He then took Connor's hand in his and started to guide him down the tree. Once they were both on the ground he let out an authentic sounding cat growl followed by a hiccupping type of purr, holding out his arms to Lupe.

She responded in kind, going into his arms but rubbing against him in a way that looked almost obscene. To the raised eyebrows, Jonathan just shrugged. "Animals have less inhibitions than humans."

Lupe was introducing Nathaniel, who was never really more than a few feet away from her. Then she asked, "It is Katherine?"

He grunted an affirmative and then opened the locket that Katherine had place around his neck, looking back and forth between the highlander and the picture. "Conn-nah," he said, tapping the picture with his long finger. "Kat say bring doctor." The excitement of those words caused Johnny to leap up in the tree again, but Connor grabbed his foot, stopping his flight.

"Kat? You were with Katherine? Where is she? What's wrong?" he asked, worry in his voice. Johnny jumped down and patted him reassuringly on the head.

"Kat in bed. No get up. Send me for doctor. She sick," he made a retching sound and then put his hand on his stomach and doubled over. "Hurt here. Say maybe lose baby. Doctor come help?"

That was all Helm had to hear. "Get my horse," he said. "Can you make it there on horseback?"

Meanwhile, Methos was looking at Lupe. "And just why didn't you tell us you knew where Katherine was?"

She shrugged. "She said she wanted time alone. Said, if they ask, tell them I am fine." She turned away. "No one asked."

Turning Johnny to him, Connor took his face in his hands and looked him straight in the eyes. "We will take a doctor to her. Where is she? Is it very far?"

"Take night and morning. Johnny run fast. Use trees - go faster. Kat in house by big water near big rocks." He made a motion with his hand to say they were very tall.

"A cliff?"

"Yes. Cliff is word. Kat say water cove. Big, big water other side of rocks. Call sea."

Connor looked at Lupe. "Would it be faster by land or by sea?" he asked her. "I think I know where he is talking about. It would only take half of a day sailing with a good wind."

Lupe shrugged. "I don't know from sea. I'm not a sea mammal."

Helm said, "I'm not a seaman but at this point I don't care how we travel - while we argue about it, she could be losing the baby!"

"He said a night and a morning. So the sea will be quicker. The Dòchas is ready, let’s go." He started to pull Johnny with him, but the jungle man resisted, pointing back towards the way he had come.

"No, this way," Connor assured him. "Faster. Go very fast. Faster than you can run." That was all it took.

Helm had turned away. The doctors were having a consultation over what he should bring with him. Helm had offered to go, and there was no swaying him from his task if he was determined. So the best they could do was get their word in on what he was bringing *with* him. Then they all headed toward the pier.

It took some more persuasion to get Johnny on board the ship, but with Lupe's help, they managed. Helm followed, with Sarah Jo right behind him. Duncan couldn't help but smile when he saw her come on board too. Doc Adams noticed the grin and frowned. There was a bit of a rivalry going on between the two men, much to everyone’s continued amusement. Bets were even being taken on the side as to who would eventually win the girl's affections.

Methos wanted to go, but with Duncan leaving as well, he didn't dare leave the town in Montoya's clutches. So he had to be content with shouting advice from the pier as the ship pulled away. Connor's crew knew their jobs and within minutes, the ship was heading down river towards the open sea.

Jonathan was happy to go; he liked the sea, and the look of him, standing on the deck and gazing out, reminded Helm of Wentworth. He shook the thought off and turned away, seeing Lupe curled up in a ball on the deck. Stooping, he asked, "Are you all right?"

"I told you," she said, "I'm no marine mammal."

Johnny wasn't any happier and after Duncan kept him from leaping over the side of the ship he went to Lupe and wrapped his arms around her, both seeking and giving comfort as he kept up his nervous ape sounds. The ship made its way down the river and out to open sea, where Connor ordered the sails set so they could take advantage of the brisk wind. The Dòchas surged forward as the winds filled her sails, and she raced over the waves gracefully, racing to the area of the coastline that Connor had always avoided before because of the rough water at the base of the cliffs.

Helm kept an eye on Lupe - after all, she was pregnant, too - and that kept his mind off Wentworth and Camilla. Soon he would have too much on his mind for it to wander much.

After awhile, Jonathan joined John and Lupe, talking to them both in animal language. It seemed to calm John somewhat, and after awhile, he got up, walking unsteadily towards where Connor stood at the helm, guiding the ship with deft turns of the wheel, keeping the ship running before the wind. He grunted and ruffled Connor's hair, making the Highlander chuckle. "Conn-nah right. This way fast." He paused then, pounded his chest hard. "John Kat's mate. We make baby." He was testing Connor, seeing if he was going to challenge his position as Katherine's protector. He was fully prepared to fight for her if necessary.

Off to the side, Duncan's jaw dropped again, and he started to say something but Sarah Jo shushed him. Connor just shook his head and shrugged. He didn't care who had fathered the child. Both he and Katherine had long since worked out between them that they were both free to have other relationships. When things were settled down, he was going to have to give her a very hard time about choosing *Tarzan* to share her bed. "Kat is a good mate, right?" he said with a grin, not taking his hands off the wheel.

After a moment, John grunted. "Kat good mate. Make John happy." He continued to watch Connor carefully though.

"Very happy, I bet," Duncan grumbled, earning him a sharp elbow in the ribs from the little nurse standing beside him.

Several hours later, the distant cliffs were spotted, and Connor steered the ship towards them, looking for the hidden entrance to the cove. He finally found it, and eased the Dòchas through the narrow opening. As the sails were furled, Johnny danced on the deck in excitement, pointing to the familiar beach. Then, before anyone could stop him, he jumped up onto the railing and dove into the water.

"Shite!" yelled Connor, already kicking off his shoes. He dove over the side as well, followed a moment later by Duncan. John Blackthorn shook his head, yelling for the boat to be lowered to take the doctor and the others to the shore.

Lupe peeked her head up, sighing thankfully at the sight of land. She was even happier with the sight of the boat, and went to help Helm with his medical bag. He assured her he was fine. Jonathan kissed her, and said, "Look after her, doctor; I think I want a little swim." Standing on the side of the boat, he winked at his lover, then jumped.

He did not come back up. A few minutes later, as they got into the boat, they noticed a playful dolphin bumping the side. "Oh, stop showing off," Lupe sighed, sounding slightly annoyed at the animal.

As they loaded into the boat, they could see Johnny running up onto the shore, doing an impatient dance while he waited for Connor to catch up. The two men then took off towards the tree line with Duncan right behind them. When they reached the tree house, Johnny shimmied up a vine leaving them on the ground and searching for a way up. They found it finally, and by the time they climbed up into the tree house, they found Johnny holding the limp form of Katherine in his arms, desperately trying to rouse her. Connor ran to her side, calling out her name, but there was no response other than a very soft moan. Standing helplessly off to the side, Duncan heard the approach of the others and yelled at them to hurry.

Helm rushed in and examined her. "She's got some bleeding, but it is not bad enough for her to be passed out." He sniffed, his large nose crinkling. "How often was she ill?" he asked the ape man.

"All time," he said as he raised her hand, putting it on his head, trying to get her to respond. Katherine moaned again, and her hand slid down his face, falling limp beside her. "She eat. Get sick. She drink. Get sick. Sometimes get sick when no eat or drink." Connor reached over and wrapped his arms around them both, holding them for a moment.

"Johnny, come with me. Let the doctor help her." As they laid her down, Kat's eyes fluttered open, and then she rolled onto her side, retching again even though there was nothing in her stomach. Connor pulled Johnny away, aided by Lupe and Jonathon, and together they held the anxious jungle man back while they all watched Dr Helm and Sarah Jo moved in to see what they could do. The nurse was already pulling out the bag containing IV lines and fluids. Giles had trained them all on its proper use so they knew what to do.

"As soon as this is put in," Helm ordered, "we need to get her back to the boat, then back to Edan. Somehow we have to stop the morning sickness. We stop that, and get her hydrated, then we can deal with the spotting. She might just be spotting because she is always retching."

It took several efforts to find a vein that they could get a needle into, and when all efforts to find one in her arms failed, Helm managed to get one into the side of her neck. He turned the drip from the saline bag up as far as it would go and as the fluids rushed into her system, some color started to gradually return to her face.

"Johnny," she moaned softly with her eyes still closed, and there was no holding him back. He squatted on the floor beside her, placing her hand on his head again. This time she managed a couple of weak pats before bringing it down to lie on her chest.

Connor watched the scene before him, and then swallowed hard. It was obvious that Johnny loved her dearly. "Duncan," he said in a voice made hoarse with emotion. "Help me make a litter to carry her in."

Lupe watched silently. Then she said, "Make it so it can be pulled by a horse."

It didn't take the men long to fix up a litter, and Katherine was carried very carefully down from the tree house, Helm walking beside her, holding up the bag of fluids. As she was laid on the litter, her eyes opened briefly and she looked around, the buzz of the two immortals standing near her trying to alert her dazed mind. As her eyes lingered briefly on Connor, she sighed. "Must be worse off than I think," she mumbled to a worried looking Sarah Jo. "Now I'm seeing ghosts." She closed her eyes again and drifted off once more.

Connor opened his mouth, but Helm gave him a look that made him shut it again. Lupe had shifted into her equine form, and they hitched her to the litter - getting Katherine to the away boat inn record time. Soon they were back to the Dòchas, and on their way back to Edan.

It was a slower trip this time. They were headed into the wind, and Connor didn't want to shake Katherine up any more than necessary. She lay on the padded litter underneath a makeshift canopy, drifting in and out of consciousness. She recognized Sarah Jo and Lupe one time, and then the next, mixed them up. Johnny was at her side constantly, stroking her face, and talking softly to her. But when he took up the panpipes that hung by his side on a rope made out of a vine, she sighed softly as he played a lullaby she had taught him, and went to sleep. Helm checked her vitals, nodding in approval. She was definitely improving. Surprisingly, the motion of the ship had not caused her to be sick to her stomach more than a couple of times.

It was night when the Dòchas made her way carefully up the river to its port near Edan. As the ship approached the dock, the light of many lanterns could be seen on the pier. A large welcoming committee was apparently waiting for them.

But Helm pushed them all away, rushing her to the clinic. "She can see people tomorrow," he said, "after she's stabilized!" And, with that, he closed the door, leaving them to sort out their feelings over night.