A/N: Ok here goes round two, it was promised and I will deliver. Starting off slow but don't worry, we'll be picking up the pace soon enough.

One Year After The Night Of Lightning Event......

Norm came into his alcove in the new Hometree feeling especially burnt out after a long hunt atop his Ikran with Ninat. The pair had started the day early, having left Hometree on their Ikran mounts as the morning light was just barely starting to break on the horizon. Not that it was necessary since there was still plenty of lighting from the other moons and Pandora's naturally glowing forests.

Norm's new Ikran that he had bonded with the day after he had mated with Ninat was not as big as his previous mount, but that actually was not necessarily a bad thing. While Maiestas had been certainly one of the biggest Ikrans in the nest and could take down larger game easily, his new mount was a bit faster and indeed more far agile which had advantages too when pursuing more elusive game. Norm had given him the name of Volitalis, again Latin for swift. Ninat's mount was also a glorious sample of an Ikran, flourished with blue and purple which contrasted sharply to Volitalis's almost tan and leathery brown appearance.

The hunt had gone well with a variety of game caught, but mainly Yerik had been the catch of the day. The pair had brought in four of the deer-like creatures which had enough meat to feed their Ikrans, themselves and several other Omaticaya for a couple of days. In an attempt to preserve resources and game close to Hometree the two had taken a long flight about forty miles west of Hometree so as not to encroach too severely on the local habitat. The flight out had been simple, but the return flight carrying the extra payload of two Yerik apiece and been slow with their Ikran constantly needing to rest from the burden of the extra weight.

Now Norm had practically collapsed on the oversized woven hammock feeling the strain of the hunt starting to sink in. Ninat could tell that Norm was hurting, him having been the one who did most of the hauling and carrying for the Yerik from the top of Hometree to the base. They had been planning on singing a duet hymn to thank Ewya from the top of Hometree as was their typical habit, but it seemed like he was too tired and in a bit too much ache to be up for anything except rest at the moment.

Ninat came over to him and sat on the edge of the hammock, rubbing a soothing balm over her hands. Norm almost flinched at her sudden touch as she kneaded his shoulders and neck, feeling the muscle over bone that weren't quite Na'vi. Humans were stockier than the average Na'vi which were very thin and wiry by comparison.

Norm let out a deeply appreciate sigh as Ninat worked an especially tense spot. Ninat had one other talent in that she was gifted with the hands of a healer. Norm felt like he was the luckiest and most fortunate man in the world, indeed the galaxy to be life-mated to the tall blue-skinned Siren-voiced woman. Sometimes he wondered what he had to offer that allured her so much by comparison.

"Feel better?" She leaned down to whisper in his ear that flicked under her warm breath, a response that elicited a giggle from Ninat.

"Always, my love. But that doesn't mean you can stop yet," came Norm's almost muffled reply from laying face down. She made a sarcastic huff but still smiled widely as her hands continued over Norm's shoulders, and he sighed again in deep gratitude.

Ninat chewed her lip for a moment, then finally decided to ask Norm what she had been wondering about. Norm had been able to tell something was up with Ninat. She had seemed to be her usual self from outward appearances, but across the bond they shared he could tell that something was starting to bubble to the surface that she wanted to ask him.

"You know, I was just thinking."

Uh-oh, she's buttering me up for something, too bad it's working Norm thought as she found another tense spot on his neck. "About what, love?" He managed to grunt out without moving his head so as to discourage her handiwork.

Ninat let out a small sigh, "my mate, I think it is time that we think about adding to the family."

Aches and exhaustion completely forgotten, Norm immediately sat up in the hammock and looked into his mate's yellow eyes, feeling lost in them. Be a father? Am I ready for that, can I be that?

Doubt seemed to plague his mind, but he looked up at his mate and he saw a woman that loved him deeply and would go anywhere with him and do anything for him, and he would do the same for her.

Norm chewed his lip for a moment as Ninat patiently looked back at him, understanding written across her face. She then saw his face take on the edge that she recognized all too well that he got whenever he made his mind about something. Finally he gave her an answer. "My Ninat, if you want to start making the family bigger, then let's go for it." His aches and pains seemed to completely disappear as her mouth descended onto his. They never did make it to singing that night.

At the edges of the Sol System.............................

The ISV Venture Star gracefully tumbled 180 degrees in place so that the massive engine faced towards earth and a massive line of flame kilometers long spewed out, beginning the process of slowing the massive vessel from near relativistic speeds. The braking cycle for the Venture Star had begun. It would orbit the outer edges of the solar system for another year using the gravity from the sun to keep them in position before they were sufficiently slowed to begin the trek towards the inner planets. Soon, the sleeping passengers would awaken and the whirlwind would be reaped. The only question was, by whom?