So, let me explain. As I was following the production and follow-ups while Avatar was being made, I had pictured Grace to be another actress that the casters were considering, and that is how I imagine her looking in this fic :) I won't tell you who the actress is because I want you to picture the characters as you see fit – hey, after all, this IS fanfiction! We can do whatever the hell we want! :P

Chapter One.

Sure footed and heavy footsteps could be heard throughout the echoing hallways of the compound. Distinct in their very nature and confident in their stride, anyone who wasn't deaf, dumb or blind knew who they belonged to. And every single time she heard them, her blood boiled a few temperatures higher than usual.

Grace Augustine scowled slightly at the sight at the other end of the hall. People moved to the sides of the hall, some ducked their heads and all knew not to get in his path. An imposing man of impressive height, weight and build took no notice of his subordinates as he strode down the hall like he owned the damn place.

Grace's scowl turned to bored indifference as they made eye contact for the briefest of seconds as he passed her, the same expression on his face as well. Her and Colonel Quaritch didn't like each other. Not one bit. To her, he was nothing but a glorified bodyguard for that spoiled brat sitting in a leather chair in his high office, Parker Selfridge. To him, she was probably just some nerd who studied plants all day. She didn't care though. He and his opinion didn't matter to her in the least so she didn't keep herself up at night wondering why he didn't like her. She knew that answer too for the most part. She got in his way. And he got in her way. A tale of wind and sea, complete opposites.

She rounded the corner at the end of the hall and picked up her pace when she remembered the amount of cataloguing work she had to attend to. Her own leather boots making silent thuds against the linoleum floor. Her hair was down today, as it usually was in the mornings up until she got sick of it in her face and around her neck sometime in the afternoon, depending on the humidity. It's dark brown colour complimented her sun-kissed eyes, she thought, with their light and dark differences. She chose her usual khakis and tank top covered by a longer sleeved one today as almost every other day. She enjoyed the simplicity of it, it reminded her that although she might be a complete wreck sometimes, stressing over everything and sometimes regretting even coming to Pandora, that there still were simple things in life. Even if in her anger she burned most of them.

"Morning, Norm." She greeted. The tall and lanky boy immediately jumped to his feet, mumbled incoherently and almost dropped the flask he was holding at her greeting. His antics made her smile often and seeing him so uncomfortable at her merely saying his name brought a wicked sense of pleasure to her that she would never understand. But it sure was funny.

"Good morning, Dr. Augustine!" He replied a little too loudly and a little too out of breath.

She decided to put the poor boy out of his misery and simply continued her way to her desk. Unlike almost everyone else in the lab, her desk was full of papers, proposals and plexipads whose importance was declared minimal in place of other matters. She switched on her personal computer that sat at her desk waiting patiently each morning for her to push frustratedly too hard on its keys and yell obscenities at its screen. God, she loved this thing. Always there to take her crap when one of her drones wasn't always around to cop it.

Its screen immediately emitted a blue light as it came to life. The first thing she noticed was the 48 unread emails awaiting her reply.

'Only 48?' She thought, 'Today is going to be a good day...' She mused and smiled to herself.

She decided since she was already in a good mood, she would answer just a few. She double tapped the screen with her finger over the icon and the new window popped up.

Her smile immediately dropped from her face as she read the sender of the first email on the list. Parker Selfridge, it read. A name that would instantly put anyone in the science department in a bad mood if it were mentioned, and Grace was no exception.

"Look out everyone, I've got an email from Selfridge here." She spoke an octave louder than usual so everyone on the surrounding desks would hear her. The resounding groans coming from her colleagues seemed to give her their united courage and she grinned in amusement as she tapped his name with her finger.

Grace. It started, and already it felt like a demand.

General updating meeting at 1100 today at the conference room. This would be the time to present any proposals to the table for consideration.

Parker.

She scoffed at his use of first names. He always did that, because he knew he could. He was the man running the show here and if he wanted you to be on a first name basis with him, you were sure as hell going to be. With one exception, the Colonel. He only referred to his squire as Colonel or Quaritch, or both. Heck, she didn't even know whathis first name was! Only that it started with an M, as his arrogantly placed name plaque on his office door informed anyone that walked past who happened to glance at it read Col. M. Quaritch.

"General meeting." She said to the silent room, sighs came from all around as she did. She sat back and looked at her scientists, "If anyone has any proposals that would like to be presented to the farmer and his dogs, bring them here." She said. Giggles were heard through the room. She liked making jokes at other's expense. Not at the expense of people she cared for, but of the annoyances of the world. Two of which that currently stood in a large room conspiring against a peaceful planet. Yes, those people are the ones that deserved her relentless humour.

"Dr. Augustine." She heard her name and looked up into the sheepish expression of her fastly-becoming favourite scientist, Norm.

She smiled reassuringly at him, "Got a proposal for me, Norm?"

"Well... not written down or anything. I just thought, maybe, you could perhaps present an idea to the board for me...?" He asked, unsure.

"Depends what it is." She said and watched him as he bustled about grabbing papers, and plexies from various desks that didn't belong to him with a quick "Right!"

He unceremoniously dumped, no, dropped the objects in his arms onto her desk. But instead of being angry, she silently told herself to clean her damn desk after his scrunched papers and disorganisation looked right at home on the surface. She raised her brows a touch and curled her lips in, moving ever so slightly back from her desk to allow him room.

"Sorry!" He said, again a little too loudly, and fiddled with a few of the papers, attempting to make them look more tame.

"Get on with it, Norm." She said and rubbed her temple slightly. It wasn't a frustrated gesture towards Norm himself, but at the stupid meeting she was being summoned to go to. Most of the time at the conference room was spent arguing with jarhead loons about topics beyond their comprehension. And she was certain this time wasn't going to be any different.

"Well I was hoping a presentation could be made regarding our research on the energy surrounding the bioluminescent leaves of plant specimens 108 and 109 for the hopes of a renewable and everlasting energy source to help reduce the energy consumption of the compound." He said in one big breath, shuffling through his papers, never quite finding the right one in time before his next word.

Grace Augustine rolled her eyes and felt a sigh escape at the mere suggestion that she bring up going outside the gates to Parker and Quaritch. The two were still a little on edge about the whole Thanator attacking during the day now thing. Even as she explained to the two that they were the ones disturbing the Thanator's natural behaviour with their big fancy weaponry and loud bangs, she still highly doubts they'll hear more than two words about it.

Norm's face fell at the Doctor's expression. She noticed this and explained, "It's not at you, Norm. I'd love to continue that research, but do you really think the military will be on our side after the Thanator attack last week on a soldier?" She asked him.

He bowed his head even lower, "No, I don't think so." He answered truthfully.

"Sorry, Norm." Grace said to him genuinely. His ideas were often smart and very valid, but unfortunately they also required a lot of time and energy. Things in which, to Parker, were their own currency. And God knows he loves his currency.

"That's okay, Doctor. I'll just continue with it's theory studies." He smiled sadly and with disappointment.

He left her to her work after gathering all of his papers and things in one giant swoop of his long arms.

Although her experiments screamed at her for attention, she couldn't keep concentrated enough to make any real progress. A coffee is in order, she thought. With a huff and a sigh she pushed herself out of her chair and made her way to the lone coffee machine that sat on one of the benches of the lab, the scientists obviously not deserving a proper kitchenette. Bullshit, she thought. She and her team worked harder than any of those mindless boys and their guns.

It really was an insult to her and her division. She let it slide because of her lack of genuine caring and was pleased to see the coffee in the machine made and ready to be consumed. She grabbed her red mug that everyone knew not to use because it was hers from the tower of mugs kept to the left of the machine.

She leaned her hip against the bench as she sipped her coffee with her eyes closed, revelling in its taste.

She took the time to glance at her watch and pulled a face as she realised it was nearing 10:30. At this point she didn't even want to wait, she just wanted to get it over and done with. But she knew showing up over half an hour early meant the more chance she would run into her least favourite people on two planets. And she certainly didn't want that. So she just leaned against the workbench until her hip starting hurting and she finished her coffee. The sink was close enough to the coffee machine that all she had to do was reach over and place her red mug in the sink, ready for someone else to wash and worry about, knowing it would be fresh, clean and the top of the mug pyramid the next morning.

Grace took her time walked back over to her desk, her mind never leaving Norm's disappointed face for long. He was much too shy and (although it hurt her a little to admit it) pathetic to actually stand up for himself, even when his research was at risk. As she flopped into her chair, she couldn't bring herself to look at the horrid email anymore, so she promptly pressed the trash can icon and sent it to where it belongs.

"Norm," She started. His wide and inquiring eyes immediately found hers over the top of his computer, "I changed my mind about presenting your idea." She said while folding her hands in her lap.

Norm's eyes brightened, "Thank you Dr. Augustine! I'll come along and be the secondary-"

Her palm directed towards him stopped him, "Not necessary, Norm. I can handle it." She smiled. Damn right she could handle it.

He sank a little further into his seat at this, but smiled nonetheless, "Thank you again." He said, turning back to his work.

She almost didn't want to look, but very hesitantly she looked at the clock on the far wall. 10:50.

'Damn. Now I'm going to be late.' She thought bitterly to herself.

R&R pleaseeeee! :)