Disclaimer: The characters and relationships between the characters from the Tarzan books and the movies are copyright of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Disney. I only own any fanfiction characters.

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Category: Disney (Tarzan)
Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Summary: More strangers encounter the African jungle, but what do they want? One of the humans finds herself rather attracted to Tarzan, but how can she remove Jane from the picture so she can be with him?

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Part Seven

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The gleaming rays of the sliver African sun finally began to fade as night slowly crept across the jungle. The stars twinkled into view, and the continuous cawing of the birds disappeared as they prepared for sleep.

Jane yawned a little as she finished adding a few touches to her drawing. "There," she beamed, indicating Olivia over with her finger to show her.

Curiously, the girl appeared by Jane's side. "You've finished?" she whispered. The professor had only just drifted off and no one wished to disturb him. His soft, occasional snores floated from the other room.

Tarzan looked up eagerly at the word "finished" and with inquisitive movements he crept over to take a look at the drawing for himself, cocking his head to one side.

Jane's picture was a shaded, pencil sketch of Olivia, holding a tropical flower between her slender fingers, a small smirk curled at the corner of her little mouth. Her hair waved beautifully over her shoulders and her eyes almost seemed to be sparkling.

Olivia blushed. "Oh, Jane..."

"I like it," Tarzan smiled.

The girl bit her lip and tried not to look in Tarzan's direction. He likes the drawing, she thought secretly. The drawing is of me – does he like the way that I look in it?

She giggled a little. "Y-yes, so do I," she replied, twiddling with her fingers against the lilac shade of cotton that was her dress. She directed her attention back to the artist, sitting there with a few small smears of pencil fibre on her rosy cheeks.

"It's wonderful, Jane," she told her. "You're incredibly talented."

Jane's sapphire eyes lit up with the sight of a stranger – someone whom a few days ago she had never heard of – and yet...somehow, it almost seemed as if they had been friends for weeks.

"Thank you," she finally murmured, although she was sure she was the only one who had heard it. She found herself yawning again, but deeper this time. She was finding it hard to keep her eyes open.

Tarzan smiled a little. "You're tired, Jane," he observed.

"I...I think you may be right," said Jane between breaths of exhaustion. "I think I'd better get a little shut-eye." She got to her feet and carefully brushed pieces of drawing material away from the fabric of her skirt.

Tarzan stood to his feet and took Jane's hand in his, squeezing it gently. The fingers seemed to envelope Jane's as he held them protectively, preventing his love from any harm, it seemed to be.

Olivia felt a terrible pain suddenly drop to oblivion inside of her ribcage. It battered against the sides and then dropped sharply into the base of her stomach, like a pebble being thrown into a pool. The ripples created memories:

"Do you understand?"

"Yes. I've had my own promises to keep."

The way that his fingers enclosed around hers, hiding them away from corruption and the danger in the world. Her hand relaxed in his as her feet walked amongst the clouds. She closed her eyes...

...And when she opened them again, she saw Tarzan kiss Jane gently on the cheek before she would head back to bed.

Olivia swallowed back the incoherent noise that wanted to escape from her throat. How could this be happening to her? She had only known him for a while, but...this hurt so much...

"I'm, err..." she started, wanting to break the atmosphere of the moment before she found herself distressed. "I'm...going to get some fresh air."

And she left.

Jane stared back at Tarzan, confusion written all over her pretty face. "Do you suppose she's all right?" she asked him worriedly.

"I don't know," muttered Tarzan, embracing his wife once more before departure. "I'll go and find out."

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Olivia stared out at the lush, emerald and olive surroundings of the treehouse. She smiled weakly as she gazed around. This place was like a sanctuary to her at present. It protected her from her hellish life back in England – back with...him.

But yet...yet it seemed almost like a prison. She hadn't been able to get down and investigate the floor. Half of this was because she was afraid of becoming lost or hurt. Somewhere, deep inside her, she wanted to be part of this jungle; just as much as Tarzan or Jane had become.

However, half of this was fear of being found by her father again, who would march her back to the camp and give her the worst punishment she had ever received in her life. He would take her back to England...

And she would never see Tarzan again.

Olivia fought back salty tears. No! She couldn't! She didn't want to lose him. Although their meeting had been confusing, she wasn't going to be dragged back to society like a small child, away from the man that she loved!

Love? Olivia thought, stopping herself in surprise. Do I...love him? I mean, truly love him? I've only known him for a few days. Is that enough time to find love? Why am I drawn to him so?

So many questions rippled in her mind, and yet she could answer none of them. Why was this so unfair? She wanted to stay in a place that she could be happy, but her heart was suffering more pain than she could have ever imagined.

She stared longingly at the creepers that laced through the branches of the trees and hung down eerily. If only I could swing on a vine, like Tarzan, she told herself bitterly. Then perhaps he might appreciate me more. He might see me as more than a little girl who is playing hide-and-seek with her father.

Sucking in a deep breath, she carefully got to her feet, her knees shaking from excitement and terror. She grasped onto the rails of the treehouse balcony that jutted out, just far enough to reach a few vines that hung down. She reckoned that she would be able to hold one if she stretched far enough.

I can do this...

Clenching her teeth, she placed all of her pressure onto her hand that was being used to hold her balance. The other hand swiped air as she attempted to reach for a liana.

"Oh, come on, you," she grunted at the creeper, small waves of terror vibrating through her body. She felt her hand beginning to slip.

"Ah!" she gasped out, as her fingers finally grabbed onto the vine and she wrapped it around her wrist triumphantly. "Got it! Aha!"

It was then that she heard a voice from behind her. The tone was filled with horror and surprise: "Olivia!"

The girl jumped in shock at the sound of the unexpected shout, and she felt her palm slip from the wooden rail that was keeping her upright. A small, astonished cry escaped from her mouth as she felt her body plummeting to the earth below.

"HHHEEELLLLPPP!" she screamed into the night, the rushing air managing to snatch away the last notes of her squeal before they could be used. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact of her body to hit the floor, bones to shatter and pain to endure. Instead, she felt something else.

He stomach rose back into place, and she felt herself moving along. Opening her green eyes in disbelief, she noticed that she was dangling from a moving liana, and it was taking her away with it on its journey. Her wrist was wrapped in its hold.

She was swinging! Awkwardly, but she was!

"LOOK AT ME!" she yelled in delight, finally getting a firm grip onto the vine with her other hand and staring down at the floor below with an elated grin. "TARZAN! LOOK! I'M SWINGING – THIS IS FANTASTIC!"

Before that she could say anything else, she found that Tarzan was swinging beside her, smiling at her enthusiastic face and shaking his head a little. "You could have been hurt," he smirked.

"But I didn't get hurt!" Olivia sang, holding one leg out into the air and letting it catch the breeze as she moved along. "Instead I'm flying! I'm free, Tarzan! FREE!" Her cries echoed into the canopies, like an angel that had just been released from capture.

Tarzan smiled. She was right. She was free. And from the looks of things, she was never going to forget this night. The night that she first experienced freedom.

He didn't try to stop her vine from moving just yet. He wanted her to remember this moment for as long as she could. And the only way to do that was enjoy it.

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"You should be more careful," he told her sternly afterwards as they made their way back into the treehouse. "You could have been hurt."

Olivia chuckled. "Why do you keep saying that?"

She wasn't used to others worrying and thinking of her safety. She only remembered the punishment and anger afterwards. She could never remember a time that someone had been concerned of her becoming hurt...or worse. They were only cross because she had done something she was not supposed to have done.

"I'm sorry," she apologised to his concerned eyes. "I'm just...not acquainted with the fact that others would be thinking of my well-being in such a way."

Tarzan's caring smile returned on his handsome face. He shook his head. "It's all right," he replied warmly, accepting the apology. "But why didn't you ask me if you wanted to swing on vines?"

Olivia shrugged pathetically. "I...I just..."

Tarzan stared at her.

"I just wanted to do something right," she admitted stupidly. "You and Jane...you both seem to be so...so connected to the jungle, Tarzan, and – I just wanted to be the same way! I want to swing like that, and walk among the trees and flowers, and talk..." she trailed off.

Tarzan sighed.

"Anyway," she finished, feeling herself blush a little at the cheekbones. "I'd best get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning...Tarzan."

And with that, she did something that she counted herself as extremely brave. She found herself walking over to the ape man and wrapping her arms around him in a sweet embrace. She placed her cheek against his warm chest and sighed happily.

"Thank you..." she whispered. Turning her lips towards his skin.

She kissed him.

"Oh!" she gasped out, seconds after she realised that her lips were pressed against the flesh of his chest. Tarzan didn't really seem to notice, but there was a look in his eyes that held a shred of anxiety. For some reason, this felt wrong.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, full of embarrassment. She covered her cheeks with her hands and grinned awkwardly at him. She had just made such a fool of herself! What must he think of her now?

"G-goodnight," she whispered, before he even had time to say anything. She dashed back to her room and stood inside it with the door closed. Her back pressed against the wall; she could still feel the warmth of his chest on her ruby lips, and could remember how his heart had been beating through the skin.

She sank onto her bed with a little sigh, and placed her fingers onto her lips, savouring the moment.

She would dream of him tonight.