A/N: Sorry about the mixed up chapter, hope me giving you an extra one tonight will help make up for that.

-Outreach117

Chapter 9

Norm had been almost catatonic on the ride back aboard the Pa'li mounts, a drastic change from his overjoyed response to knowing that Ninat was alright. Now he sat, barely flinching as the rescue party continued their trek back to Hometree. Ninat suspected, and correctly so, that since his major concern on his mind, namely her safety, was assuaged that everything else was starting to sink in. Norm had a lot weighing on his mind: the destruction of Hell's Gate, the loss of Max Patel, the deaths of the entire remaining human staff and several Na'vi, having to mercifully kill his Ikran, and his love being injured in the resulting escape.

He certainly wasn't alone. Everyone grieved, almost communally although not many tears were shed. Ninat had gotten her crying out for now, although she suspected that there'd be plenty more time for that later. Norm had talked privately to Jake about his concerns for radiation sickness. The weather pattern indicated that any radioactive fallout from the cloud would fall far to the east, Hometree was located to the northwest, almost in the exact opposite of the weather.

The explosion had started underground which limited the amount of direct gamma and neutron bursts, and the survivors had been a little over two miles away when the explosion actually occurred. It was agreed that Jake would return to the outpost in the mountains where Norm currently was located to recover some gear to be sure that nobody had received a lethal dose, something that considering the limiting factors and relatively small yield, seemed very unlikely.

Ninat rode on the back of another Pa'li next to Norm, her left arm in a cast made of some kind of bamboo looking sticks and bound with vines to keep it stable. Before they had moved out, both Jake and Norm had gone about setting the bone which had been excruciating for Ninat, but necessary or else the bone would not heal properly. Norm visibly shook at the memory of her pained screams as they had reset the bone, but she seemed to be in less pain now. Norm cast a look at her and then looked down, for some reason feeling suddenly insecure.

A very unpleasant thought began to work through his head. The only reason he hadn't mated with Ninat yet was because he wanted to wait until after he had completed his transference to his Na'vi body. That had been on ice since he hadn't wanted to leave Max Patel without an additional pair of human hands should anything at the base need doing. Now, for better or worse but Norm felt was definitely worse, there was nothing holding him back from finishing what he promised he would do with Ninat. There was only one thing, he felt completely rotten inside. Ack, what kind of a pervert am I to be thinking about life-pairings when I just lost a close friend and almost got killed?

The fact was Norm was feeling very uninspired to finish his prior promises with Ninat. Sure, she would give him time to grieve and would be there to console him, but how long would be long enough before he was feeling comfortable to finish what he promised....if he even still felt that way? Quit it, Norm. Now is not the time to be thinking about these things, of course you're feeling depressed.

After another sidelong glance, Norm spoke up. "How is your arm Ninat?" Her face was blank also, as if she had seen a ghost, but some color flickered to her spots as Norm talked to her, although she was slow to answer.

"It hurts. The back of my legs and arms feel as if they are on fire." Norm winced visually as he noticed again the burns on her body that looked like a severe sunburn. Not enough to blister, but enough to cause quite a bit of pain. Na'vi skin was more durable and resistant to heat than humans. What could cause a Na'vi to blister could cause a human to char. She continued, "I will be fine, Noruhmann. But it is you I worry about."

Norm tried to be dismissive, "I only suffered a few minor bruises and burns, I will be fine." He looked away, not liking where this conversation was going.

Ninat reached out with her good hand and gently took his in hers, "I wasn't referring to the injuries to your body, but the injuries to your soul." Norm did not draw his hand away from hers, a move that surprised Ninat. She had noticed Norm's almost scarily impassive emotion during the ride, and she was not sure what his reaction would be.

Norm squeezed her hand back, and for the first time looked her in her eyes. "I.....I am in pain. Great pain." His voice became choppier, moistness in his eyes. "I am going to need you to be there for me. I...." Norm choked up, "I am scared. I'm the last Sky-person on Pandora. I'm so afraid."

Ninat didn't know what to say to that. She wanted to argue that he was Na'vi, an Omaticaya, but as she remembered every time he went to sleep he woke up in that small Sky-person body that she saw not too long ago. Now, everything Sky-person here was gone. He and Jakesully were the last two of his kind here on Pandora, and even then that would be a stretch of the truth. Wisely, she didn't push the issue as he gave her hand another squeeze and let her go as they continued the slow trek back to Hometree.

The reception at Hometree didn't go much better. Fortunately there were no screams of hate towards the Sky-people or any clamors against Jake or Norm. Jake figured that everyone was probably too tired and drained to be giving any kind of grief at the moment. He was sure that eventually the floodgates would open up, but for now, it was a time for grieving.

There was a small funeral given for the deceased, Na'vi and human alike were placed in a small grave along with woodsprites. Tears were shed by some, prayers to Ewya were made by all. It was a very sobering moment. Entering his private alcove with Neytiri, Jake sat down on the log bench, his head in his hands. Neytiri closed the "curtains" which were really an exotic Pandoran plant that draped over the openings to the alcove to allow for privacy for the occupants. Once the drapes were lowered and Jake was confident they had their privacy, Neytiri came over and wrapped her arms around her beloved Jake as he broke down and wept bitterly. Neytiri cried too, the immense woe coming across their bond like a tsunami of emotion.

In an adjacent alcove, Norm and Ninat also closed the blinds for privacy as Norm worked a soothing balm into Ninat's burns, similar to aloe from earth. Feeling much relieved from her burns, Ninat then eased Norm's pain as he too finally broke down and cried shamelessly. Putting her arms around him, she spoke softly to him in Na'vi, singing even, that everything would be ok in time. She just only hoped that she was right.