Chapter Two | Oh, You're Back. Get Out.

' Grace bit the inside of her cheek slightly, the blood draining out of her face slightly. "You talk as if I hold no sadness over this. Sylwanin was like a daughter to me."

"And yet you let her die like a dog!" Tsu'tey snarled. '

Eytukan watched as his love walked off. He could hardly blame her for being so hostile. He had pushed her away, after all the events. But how could he not? He had felt terrible when she left him, like a piece of his heart had gone with her. He had banished her, at a time when they needed each other most. Of course she would harbour at least a little resentment.

· · ·

"What's with the frown, Grace?" Jake asked as he caught up to his 'frenemy'. "Are you okay?"

Grave sighed. No, she most definitely was not okay. The person she cared about most in the world was right there, and yet she couldn't reach him. She turned her head to properly look at him, and frowned just a little. "Where's Neytiri?" As far as she could tell, those two these days were inseparable. Or, perhaps, Jake was the one glued to Neytiri, and Neytiri was just grinning and bearing it.

Jake looked back at Grace. It was a little strange to see her in her blue form, but Jake preferred her that way. He had noticed how she seemed much more at ease in this body, than her classic human one. It was nice to not have her staring down at him as well, and breathing down his neck whenever he was out of the link. However, today, she seemed even more moody than she was in her normal form, which was strange. "She went to deal with something. I'll be seeing her at dinner. But you didn't answer my question." When Grace continued to ignore him, he let it go. He paused for a moment, thinking of something to stop the awkward silence. "Hey, if you want to come and sit with us," he began, knowing that Grace might be alone at dinner.

Grace was hesitant to take up his offer. "I'm not sure if Neytiri would like that," she replied stiffly, averting her eyes from him. Jake quickly took that as the cue for him to be quiet. He was burning with curiosity about what happened to Neytiri and this 'Sylwanin', but Neytiri did not want to enlighten him, and for that matter, neither did Grace.

Grace joined the rest of the clan with Jake, and tried to ignore the murmurs of surprise at her presence. Jake, apparently sensing her discomfort, murmured, "Ignore them. They'll get used to you again." Grace resisted the temptation to tell him to shut up. She knew he was only trying to help. Unfortunately for Jake, he appeared to generally be in Grace's crosshairs and could do no right, apart from when he was accepted into the clan. Grace felt terrible for basically using him to get back in herself.

Back to Eytukan. But yet, not back to him at the same time.

Jake led Grace over to where Neytiri was. She looked up as they came, and seemed rather astounded as Grace came to sit with them. "Hello, Grace," she said, giving her a polite smile. She tried not to blame Grace like the rest of the clan. She loved Grace like a mother, and that would never change, but she was still distressed over the whole ordeal of Sylwanin.

Grace smiled at the young Na'vi. "Hello," she said in reply, coming to sit cross-legged beside her.

"Where did you go?" Jake asked Neytiri softly.

Neytiri shook her head at him quietly. She then took pity on him, knowing he simply wanted to help, and just said, "Tsu'tey." That answered Jake's question all together.

"I'm sorry," Jake told her gently. Grace nodded in agreement, and just as she did, she heard a sneer from someone behind them, "Well, look who it is. 'The Scientist'."

Jake frowned. "Speak of the devil," he murmured with a slight growl. "And I mean that."

Neytiri growled at her fiancé, Tsu'tey. She turned to Grace and gently said, "Ignore him." As if to prove her point, she continued to look straight ahead and not turn around, not wanting to deal with him.

"Ignore me? I think that would be difficult," Tsu'tey growled softly, coming right over to Grace. "What are you doing here?"

Neytiri felt her defences snap on. Though she was still somewhat torn over liking and not-liking Grace, she never hesitated to pick a fight with Tsu'tey. "Leave her alone, moron."

Tsu'tey gave a growl. "Hush, child!" he said to Neytiri, whose ears flew back at his taunt. He turned to Grace, hell's fires blazing in his eyes. His hatred of her was not irrational. She hadn't protected Sylwanin, the one he had loved. He would not break bread with someone he deemed a murderer.

Grace gently shook her head at Neytiri; she could fight her own battles. "Tsu'tey, it was an accident." she said, trying to reason with him."I tried to protect them."

"Well, you did a great job. Congratulations! Thanks to you, Sylwanin is dead."

Grace bit the inside of her cheek slightly, the blood draining out of her face slightly. "You talk as if I hold no sadness over this. Sylwanin was like a daughter to me."

"And yet you let her die like a dog!" Tsu'tey snarled, taking a few steps towards Grace. His demeanour was threatening, and Grace was no fighter. She wanted to stand her ground, but she had no problem thinking Tsu'tey wouldn't hesitate snapping her neck.

Jake jumped up and as did Neytiri, but they didn't need to, for Grace found safety in Eytukan's arms. Well, not entirely – she merely backed into him, and it was like backing into a brick wall, he was so sturdy. Grace gasped as she knocked into him, and she began to move away, but Eytukan placed his hands on her shoulders, something very daring to do. Tsu'tey frowned at Eytukan's protective ways of her. Eytukan's eyes sent daggers at his strongest warrior and soon-to-be son-in-law. "What is going on here?"

Tsu'tey backed off of Grace. He knew his place. "Nothing," he replied simply.

Eytukan's brow furrowed and he let go of Grace, gently pushing her to Neytiri and Jake. Grace knew he did that just to get her out of the way of the threat, not to be rude. "Grace is a guest. And you will treat her with respect." Tsu'tey cast a dirty glance at Grace as if to say, 'This is not over'. He didn't understand why Eytukan was so protective of her. But if she had the leader's respect, he knew he had to be polite. Tsu'tey gave a nod of a non-genuine apology to her, a swift bow to Eytukan and then let them be.

After that, Eytukan merely left. The drama was over – he was no longer needed. Grace watched him leave before going to sit beside Jake and Neytiri. She didn't realise she was trembling until Neytiri rubbed her shoulders. "Are you alright?" She asked her friend. Stupid question – how was she alright? Tsu'tey had just made it clear that she was going to suffer when she was not under Eytukan's watchful gaze, and with the way she had treated him that morning, she could say goodbye to that protection.

Once more, Grace lied. "Yes," she said, turning to Neytiri. "I'm fine." She watched as Eytukan went to sit beside his mate. Her heart clenched, and seemed to turn in on itself as Mo'at smiled at him. The way she used to smile at him. Grace watched them for a moment longer, and knew she should have turned away earlier, especially when Mo'at and Eytukan looked directly at her. She quickly looked down, feeling rude.

Mo'at watched as Grace realised she had been caught spying. She took her eyes off her, and was about to say something to her mate when she realised he was still staring at her. Mo'at looked at his lingering gaze on her, and was jolted back into life when Eytukan pulled his gaze to her and said, "It's nice to have Grace back."

Mo'at's topaz eyes quickly flickered over to her mate's. She didn't look directly at him, but now focused on a spot below his eyes. "I suppose," she murmured.

"Sarcasm duly noted."

Mo'at gave a sigh and only now looked into the eyes she loved. "I just can't talk to her. I can barely be in the same area as her. Not after what she did."

Eytkan looked back at his mate, his friend – nothing more. If it showed in his eyes, Mo'at never picked up on it. Eytukan had come to see his and Mo'at's relationship as more of a business arrangement, as would Neytiri and Tsu'tey's be. It worked, but it was not the recipe for happiness. He pushed the thought out of his mind before he did or said something irrational. "You know as well as I do that she couldn't protect them," he calmly said to Mo'at.

"She should have tried!" Mo'at snapped at Eytukan, showing her canine teeth. Eytukan's brow furrowed slightly at her reaction, and Mo'at bowed her head, knowing her place. "She was your daughter too... why do you treat Grace like she's the innocent one?"

Of course, Eytukan made no reply. He just mumbled an excuse and steered the conversation in another direction.