Here we go, folks! Thanks for your reviews! Regarding iambubby´s review, I found it very helpful as I also don't think of Jake as the whiny guy, not in general. Still, I think it´s an important point - considering the Na´vi´s general physical advantage as well as the fact that his avatar gives him the chance to not even stand on his own feet and legs again, but to do all that crazy flying and jumping and running stuff, he would probably have preferred that she doesn´t see his disablement. And I think even if he´s more than willing to face things (not that you´d have any other chance if you´re that obviously handicapped…), I think it´s unavoidable to develop at least some kind of defiance – I´ll work on that – thanks!
Besides that, I realized today that I´ll have to watch the movie a second time, as I am just not sure about many details you just miss when watching a movie for the first time - I´ll work on that, too, I promise :-) And, as this is the big advantage of a fanfiction - Grace and Trudy survived !
Please keep on reviewing! I am sorry for any mistakes in spelling and phrasing, but I was in a hurry to upload things and still get to the new year´s eve party in time!
Now I wish you all just a happy new year 2010!
The day had been too long. Again. People all around them, humans like Na´vi, were just exhausted by the last days´ happenings.
After Max had enabled him to connect to his avatar again from the lab at the base, he had returned to his people. Had witnessed the chaos and death around with the avatar´s eyes again. But there had not been much time for his feelings. Decisions had been to be made quickly. He had returned to the base, accompanied by troops of warriors, to supervise the humans´ departure. Neytiri had stayed with her mother to help organizing the camp and the search parties.
There was still enough to do. Taking care of the injured and death, watching out for people they still missed. Getting rid of the chaos the intruders had left. He mused that it would take weeks and months to erase all their traces. And regarding the loss of the hometree, they would never be able to readjust things.
But finally, after the last unwanted visitors had left Pandora, Jake felt that people around him tried to focus. There was rage and grief and despair. Still, the tribe would handle it. Those who had survived struggled hard – but they were determined to return so some kind of basic rhythm. As he realized, to a rhythm he had already gotten used to. A rhythm he was longing for.
Sometimes, it irritated him. The way he felt home out there in the jungle. The way he felt home in that body. The way he felt home with her.
Neytiri seemed to be everywhere, helping, caring, organizing. Still, later that night, she managed to steal some quiet hours for the two of them.
She had brought some paste to take care of a deep cut right across his palm. "´s alright", he told her, reaching out for the bin she was holding. "I´ll manage. Get some rest."
He grabbed the bin, but she didn´t let go. "Sit", she ordered him. He cocked his head, too tired to get his way. So he sat down. She followed and took his injured hand in hers, examining the cut for a moment. Contented with the fact that the wound had already been cleaned, she carefully spread the paste over the wound. "I didn´t pay attention", he whispered. Instead of the normal mild mockery she would show, she only leant forward to kiss him softly. „You´re tired", she said. "As we all are."
"How long is it since you´ve been injured ?" she asked then and something in her tone told him that she wasn´t talking about the fresh cut across his palm. "Some years", he answered vaguely. "In a battle ?" she inquired. "In a battle", he confirmed.
She finished the treatment and looked into his eyes. "Couldn´t your people heal you ?"
"They could have", he answered hesitantly. "But I couldn´t afford it." He noticed the tip of her tail wandering over his skin, an incidental search for contact. "I don't understand", she said, frowning. "I couldn´t pay for it." He frowned, having no idea how to explain things to someone who had no idea of a currency and stuff. "I am bad at explaining that stuff", he added. "That means you didn´t possess what you would have to give them to heal you ?" she asked. He nodded. "Grace explained things once to me, about trading on your planet", she said.
The memory of Quaritch returned to Jake´s mind, the memory of the day the Colonel had offered that deal to him.
He caught her free hand with his injured one. "I am sorry, Neytiri, I am so sorry." She looked at up to him. "You led us to victory", she replied lowly. "All this should never had happened", he said. "There should have been no need for a fight."
She remained silent for a while, watching him. Studying the pattern of dark blue lines on his skin, the lines of his brows and jaw. "You can´t change the past", she told him finally. "We wouldn´t have been able to win without you. Trust Eywa."
"I wish I could", he answered.
She put away the bin and stretched out on the moss besides him, padding the cushy spot besides her with her hand. "I asked Grace for what you call ´god´," she said. He looked up again, surprised. "You mentioned him yesterday", she reminded him. "After the battle."
"Grace told me that it is just another name for Eywa and that she thinks you meant to thank her", she continued, finding herself a comfortable position to rest in. "You trusted her once, so you can do it again", she added.
He needed a second to follow that explanation, stunned by Grace´s quick wittedness and sensitivity.
He finally followed her request to lay down, only to pull her into his arms. The urge to have her close was overpowering everything else. She moved only lazily in his embrace. With a hidden smile, he wondered how he had ever been able to actually learn anything with her right next to him. It had been hard sometimes to listen – not to talk about focusing on anything else than that goddess in blue at his side.
He would have liked to make love to her that night, to forget for at least a short while the world around them. But they were probably both just too tired for that. Still, one of the advantages of being a Na´vi was that things didn´t stay unsaid only because nobody ever found the right terms or the courage to put them into words. In fact, there was hardly a way to hide something from her. It caused a sharp sting of pain inside of him that he had managed to hide things from her not too long ago anyway. But it abated. There were no secrets left.
"I didn´t mean to betray you", he whispered. "I didn´t know what things meant to you. There …" "Oh Jake!" she exclaimed, forcing him into another kiss. "I know all that", she told him afterwards. "You couldn´t see when they sent you here." Her fingertips traced softly the line of his jaw. "But you learned", she added softly.
She noticed with a smile that his embrace tightened, forcing her gently closer. Her smile widened at the memory of that clumsy child in an adults body she had saved months ago in the middle of the night.
"Will you leave tonight ?" she asked lowly, referring to a possible disconnect. "Not before dawn", he answered distractedly, placing another kiss. He had told the others not to disconnect him until the next day´s morning. Max had only grinned and nodded.
Contented, she closed her eyes, glad that she would have him with her for the night. Right now, he was obviously up to take the lead again. She decided to allow him so.
There had actually been things she hadn´t needed to teach him.