*A/N: So, I rearranged a few things to have some of this make sense at least… I know it must be difficult to follow. I feel like it's a little rushed, because this was all a dream I have been having over the course of a few nights. I don't know quite how else to order it. But thanks for following, I'm pretty proud that I have more than one chapter up.*

As Grace was telling her story to Jake, she couldn't help but flash back to all the times she had felt for him. After the recent loss of her relationship with Parker, who could blame her for wondering?

Grace power walked to keep up with Jake and Norm as the headed for the lab. "Jake, I can't allow this. You're just not strong enough."

Jake reminded himself not to be offended. It was Grace's way of caring, and he knew she did. "It's the last door - I'm going through it. You can help me or get out of the way." Jake pushes past her toward the corridor

Grace gets upset at his brushing her off, and grabs his shoulder, effectively stopping him. "Will you listen to me? Sometimes the Na'vi themselves die in these vision quests. The venom takes you to the edge of death. And the psychoactive alkaloid in the worm- - we have no idea what that'll do in an avatar brain."

Jake breaks free and wheels away, down the corridor. A storm punctuates Grace's speech. Norm is initializing the Link. "Calibrating. Thirty seconds." She puts her hands on his shoulders. "No matter what you prove out there- you are still in here," She shakes him. "Right here. Remember that," She closes the link. It feels like closing a coffin. "Remember me.."

When Grace least expects it, she begins to remember. Parker. He had asked for one last report, before he began the mission. Because they had just reported Jake's need for more time, he was bound to begin fighting soon. With Quaritch involved, Grace knew that they would be well on their way.

"Jake, we need to get to Parker, we need one last chance to plead our case." Grace explained, pulling away from the closeness they were keeping. It felt wrong, but at the same time Grace knew it was impossible. Jake was Neytiri's now, and Grace had broken the rules of her "friends with benefits" situation with Parker and fallen in love. They got to the outer office as Parker was consorting with Quaritch. Grace was immediately angry. What right did some stupid jarhead have to destroy the lives of the Na'vi? She headed straight for Parker, hoping to have an in with him even though they were not together.

"Parker, listen, there may still be time to - "The jarhead bastard swiveled around with anger, directed at her.

"Shut your fucking hole!" Grace was momentarily stunned. But Grace Augustine never let anyone tell her what to do, especially if she didn't respect them.

"Or what, Ranger Rick? You gonna shoot me? You need to muzzle your dog!" Parker was visibly afraid. "Can we just take this down a couple notches, please." Despite his callous attitude, Grace knew he was being a coward, as usual.

"Parker, stop being afraid and listen to me. There's so much that I've learned, and you can't just ignore-" Quaritch took this moment to intervene. Unfortunately, he took steps to physically restrain Grace. As she had with Parker years ago, she reacted violently.

"Don't fucking touch me, you jar headed piece of shit!" Quaritch responded by restraining her harder, until Parker came to her rescue. As much as Grace didn't want to admit it, Parker obviously had developed feelings for her and still has them. Great, another point for her to wonder about when she was looking over the regrets of her life. Parker looked her in the eyes and for a split second, she saw the old Parker, the one she fell in love with. He suddenly disappeared and was replaced with Selfridge the hardass manager.

"Let her talk, let them all explain." He said quietly. He didn't let go of her wrists. "Alright, look - I don't have the answers yet, I'm just now starting to even frame the questions. What we think we know - is that there's some kind of electrochemical communication between the roots of the trees. Like the synapses between neurons. Each tree has ten to the fourth connections to the trees around it, and there are ten to the twelfth trees on Pandora-"

Parker interrupted her. "That's a lot I'm guessing. "

Grace scoffed. "That's more connections than the human brain. You get it? It's a network - a global network. And the Na'vi can access it - they can upload and download data - memories - at sites like the one you destroyed."

Even though a flash of the old Parker appeared in his eyes, and his trusting nature tried to make him believe her, stand up for her against Quaritch, it was too much. Selfridge returned. Grace saw it a half-second before everyone else heard, and she sighed. "What the hell have you people been smoking out there? They're just. Goddamn. Trees." Parker said. Grace tried to force the old Parker out of Selfridge. "You need to wake up, Parker. The wealth of this world isn't in the ground - it's all around us. The Na'vi know that, and they're fighting to defend it. If you want to share this world with them, you need to understand them."

Grace couldn't help but wonder if he would have believed them, if they were still together. It was a horrible thought. She pulled him away from Jake, away from Quaritch. They were alone in the corner of the lab, and Parker looked as if he wanted nothing more but to hold her and tell her it would all be okay. The flash in his eyes disappeared when he saw Quaritch behind her, shaking his head.

"Parker, we have to talk, like rational people." It pained him to say it, but he had to do this to her. His Grace was going to hate him.

"Well, I'd cherish that, but unfortunately you're out of here on the next shuttle. All of you. I'm shutting down the Avatar Program, effective now. "

He turned away from her, so he wouldn't see her tears. But partly so she wouldn't see his.

He began to flip switches, activate machines, and microphones. Grace was feeling physical pain over the loss of her only chance, and she shook her head to keep her emotions from playing with her logic.

"Parker, wait. Stop! These are people you're about to -" Parker was having trouble keeping this up. Was his job truly worth losing her, hurting her this way? He had to strengthen his resolve, fast.

"They're fly-bitten savages who live in a tree! Look around - I don't know about you but I see a lot of trees. They can move." His tone held a venom he didn't recognize. Quaritch nodded his head with approval.

"For God's sake, there are children in there. Babies!" Parker refused to listen to her, instead holding her at bay while they took Jake and Norm away. Parker almost died to think of how she would react when he spoke his next sentence.

"I need you to understand. There is nothing you can do to help them. But you can help yourself. Sit down, in my office. Stay until we're done here. I can promise you that I will be here when you come back."

Grace was disgusted. What had she been thinking, falling in love with this man.

"I'm not staying, and I cannot believe you even proposed an idea like that. It's not about you anymore, Selfridge."

She walked away, and guards quickly took her to the holding cell they had escorted

the men to.

"Selfridge? What happened to Parker?" Quaritch questioned. Parker, to himself, mumbled, "I wish she would just run off with her aliens and get out of my head." Parker turned to the window. Was it really worth it? Was everything worth losing her?

*So here's the problem. I see two ways this could go.

1. I could have Parker change his mind, allow them out, remove the military presence from the Na'vi land, and pack it up and move on, blah blah blah.

2. It could go on as the movie planned.

I really, really, really, REALLY want to find a way to keep Grace alive. Although I was wrong, and this probably won't end up ultimately Jake/Grace. My muse misinforms me. I actually don't see myself killing her off. I do see killing Norm, Jake, Max, Neytiri, etc.

Basically, I'm the writer and I'm keeping my favorites.(Grace and Parker) =D Quaritch is dying anyway, no matter what. I have half a mind to throw him off a Pandoran cliff with no rebreather unit. Prick.

If anyone has any suggestions as to who else should die, I'm open to it.

Or if you think no one should.

I have another, kind of strange idea, that I'm not sure if I should work in or not. Message me if you want to hear it.