Can't Let Go

What did you do after you walked Blue Eyes back to the Colony?"

"Before I walked Blue back to his home, my pigeon came back with a message from Malcom, he wanted to meet me in the city so I was heading over there" she said plainly.

"The abandoned part of the city?" He asked as he leaned forward.

"Yes..."

She became lost in thought remembering the bad that happened in city 10 years ago and and the good before that.

"He took the bodies there? Why?" he snapped her out her thoughts.

"Like I said before a group of soldiers had taken station in the human colony to monitor things...people were getting scared after everything that happened a month before, they would have used the dead bodies as an excuse to bring the rest in and would bring anarchy..."

"Like Alpha-Omega?"

She snapped her eyes to the man as he began to look over some more papers on the table.

"You were trained by them were you not? One of there best from what I've heard" he said he put the papers down to see her glare at him.

"It wasn't by choice...they kidnapped me and made me into child solider..." she practically hissed at him the man seemed unaffected by her reaction though.

"You were 14 at the time yes? Was it right after you father died?"

"Two weeks after my father died...it's easier to grab orphans and they found me wondering around...me and other childern most younger then the rest of us lived under horrid conditions and went through hell...I was there for 13 months..." she said quietly as she tighten her hands.

"You were looking for someone weren't you? When you where wandering."

"No...I was looking for a place to die...I had the Simian Flu..."

---------

Muir Park 3 years ago

Iris walked through the forest trying to get to the city to meet Malcolm. She had not bathed or changed clothes in 2 days, she was covered in dirt along with her body and hair sticky from sweat, she felt like shit not only physically but mentally and emotionally as well it also didn't help that she didn't sleep well last night.

She pulled a string from her pocket and used it to tie hair back to get it out of her face. She rubbed her eyes and looked up to look at the tall trees with the sun glistling through them, she was memorized by them.

Muir Park 15 years ago

Iris got out of the car with her dad, her grandpa, her dads new friend Caroline, and Caesar. Caesar was excited he had never been outside before, he had been in the backyard a bunch of times but this was different.

This was far away from home in wide open space surronded by trees, the young ape couldn't wait to climb and explore.

"Caesar look how big this place is!" Iris said cheerfully, she was excited too.

Caesar hooted joyfully, pratically jumping around.

"Let's go!" she said getting ready to run off along with Caesar but they were both stopped and picked up by Will.

"Daaaaddd!" Iris groaned.

"We want to explore" Caesar signed as he pouted.

"Not so fast, we've never been here before so I don't want you two to get lost, we also need wait for everyone" he said authoritatively.

"Grandpa!" she groaned to her gandfather thinking he would back them up since he was more easygoing then their dad.

"Listen to your father sweatheart, he just wants to keep you two safe" he told them gently.

Iris sighed in defeat, it was hard to argue with her grandfather.

"Alright let's get ready to go" Caroline said as she laughed.

They then started to walk in the woods Caesar looked around in amazement and Iris smiled at him, glad to see he was already having a good time. Iris could see Coraline smiling warmly at Caesar and when she noticed Iris staring at her she turned her head to do the same to her causing the 8 year old give the woman a small shy smile.

She then brought her attention back to her brother which made her remember he was wearing a leash.

"Dad does he really have to wear that? He doesn't need it" Iris asked Will with concern.

"It just for safety" he replied trying to reassure her.

It didn't make her feel better though.

By the time they made it to bridge they had stopped walking. Her and Caesar asked Will hopefully if it mean't they could go exploring now.

"Don't leave my sight you two" he said as he took off the leash but Caesar didn't run off when he did which surprised Iris and Will instead he just stood there offering his hand flat to Will.

"I don't believe it! He's asking you for permission!" Coraline said with excitement and shock.

Iris didn't know what to make of this.

"Swipe your hand across his" Caroline told Will.

As soon as Will did this Caesar took off running dragging Iris by the hand with him. Will smiled as he watched them go.

"Ok!ok!ok!" she laughed.

He let go of her hand when he saw a tree and climbed up it while Iris watch as he disppeared between the branches. Then something caught her eye, a rocky ledge that was above her she then went over to climb up it. It only took her a couple minutes to get to the edge of the ledge when she did she pulled herself up, stood up and looked at the view.

She could see most of the whole park along with Caesar on top of one the trees. He was looking around just like she was but had a better view because the tree was taller. When he saw her he smiled big and waved at her, she did the same.

End of flashback

Iris brought her head to the ground not wanting to look up anymore.

"Those where happier times, when the family was together" a voice causing her to look in the direction it was coming from to see the person being shadowed.

"Both you were so young then, oblivious to evil of the world around you," the person speaking was now visable, it was her father Will.

"More like stupid and naive..." said she said queitly.

He looked at her sadly.

"I tried to shield that evil from both of you but I failed at that and both of you suffered because of it"He said softly.

" You did your best dad..."she said while trying not to choke up.

"Why are you pushing him away sweetheart?..."

She lowered her eyes away from her father.

He's the one that wants me gone dad..." she said while tears fell down her checks.

" You always push away those who try to get close to like Malcom, Ellie, Alex, and Zane...are you going to do it to Caesar's son too?..."

"I don't know..." she whispered.

"What are afaird of Iris?...Are you afaird of losing more people you care about?...like how you lost me..."He said grimly while his voice becoming somewhat distorted this caused her look back up at her father.

What she saw horrified her, Will was pale and covered in blood. She backed up in terror until her back hit something or more like someone. Her reflects just acted and spun around to punch who ever was behind her only for her wrist to be caught along with the other one. She then saw the very concerned eyes of Maurice.