**This chapter has been updated, and a couple more added to the story. Thanks for reading, and I hope you like the improved ending!**
Chapter 12
Aeri's POV
That first morning waking up with Jake amidst the clan was wonderful. It was only the second time I had awoken wrapped in Jake's appendages (he had a habit of holding me not just with his arms, but legs as well), and I already adored the enveloping feel of him around me. I had woken up before Jake, the sun's rays already beginning to make their way through the canopy. It was unusual. Jake was usually awake at first light and already going about his day as the rest of the clan awoke. I had observed Jake's habits for quite some time.
Not wanting to wake him, despite his normal custom of being up so early, I gently lifted his thick forearm from my shoulder and twisted carefully to lay on my back, setting his heavy arm down across my stomach again and readjusting his leg over my thighs. I gazed at him in the early morning haze. My mate. This morning would hopefully see our last doubt vanished as Jake told the clan about his choice of mate, about me. Mo'at's words had been a tremendous comfort last night; she knew the clan well and would not have misled us with overly hopeful conjecture, I knew. Jake knew her better than I, I suspected, and he had trusted her words completely. Ah, my Jake…he was so peaceful here next to me. I looked at him for a long while, it felt like, and listened to him breathing deep and slow. I looked at each of his remarkable features in detail, willing every nuance of him into memory. He was still wore nothing at all and I let my eyes travel down his body, examining his impressive physique. He was beautiful. I knew this was not his original form, but also knew from Grace's explanations that the Dreamwalker bodies closely resembled their human counterparts. I had seen Jake's human form only once when he had made the journey from that vessel to this one. He was Jake in either form, I had felt then. I would have loved him regardless, but since Jake had made his own choice, I did not feel guilty about enjoying this body.
I looked him all over, committing every stripe and speckle to memory. I was examining the edge of his right ear when I suddenly realized that I could see my very own alcove from this spot…across the main gathering area and between a few trees, but I could see it! Jake must have known it was mine…I tried to remember if when we had established this place as our new home, Jake had chosen this dwelling before or after I had settled in my own. I had settled pretty quickly, he must have chosen this spot afterward…and how had I missed this direct line of sight to his own chosen alcove, all this time? That question, at least, I could answer right away…of course, I had known this spot was his. Every member of the clan would have to know where the Oloeyktan was likely to be, if not plainly in sight. But his routine rarely brought him here until late at night. Jake would be found among the clan or in the forest, not here. He was a good man, a good leader, staying amongst his people during the day.
He would be a good father, I knew, the thought suddenly coming to mind as I reflected on his character and gazed upon him. Whether I had been granted the privilege of living such a full life beyond any expectation, and also being able to create a new life, I did not know. It pained me, but it had always been an unanswered question throughout my life, as I had matured. Now…well, it stung a little less lying next to Jake, but I worried about the implications for my mate. I had seen him playing with the children many times; I knew he longed for his own, eventually. Jake was an intelligent man; I knew he worried about his own ability to create new life. His situation was…unique, and he knew it. We would just have to see if Eywa would grant that creative power to two such unique creatures. There was time, and we could be patient.
I was watching when Jake's eyes finally opened. He blinked, and then he smiled. I never grew tired of that smile! I never tired of returning it, either. He yawned a giant, deep, purring yawn and stretched, baring his fangs and tensing his body. He was impressive, there was no doubt, and he was more handsome now than he ever had been in my dream. He was a large man; his girth was greater than any of the other Na'vi men, chest, arms, and legs, but he was not bulky. His great mass did not hinder him at all. When he stretched, his muscles rippled up and down his toned body like waves on the river. Unclothed as he was, he was a sight to behold, stretched from end to end. The pull and stretch of his skin over his muscles was quite appealing.
After a moment, Jake rolled over onto his back as well, his arm still underneath my head, waking up slowly. Finally he turned to me with a ready-and-waiting sort of look in his eye. It was time to see the clan and begin our new life, together, wherever and whatever it may entail. I was ready.
Jake met with Mo'at briefly before addressing the clan and she stood by me as Jake gathered the people and began to address them.
"We have all suffered through much loss and grief, and we have struggled, all of us together, to create a home here, by the same river that fed great Hometree. It feeds this home, now, new Hometree, and all of us." It was the first time Jake or anyone had referred to this place as Hometree. It felt right. It was finally time to accept this beautiful place as Home and call it by its rightful name. I could see the heartened expressions on many of the people's faces as they heard Jake's words, recognizing the shift Jake was consciously making in calling this place Home. They were ready for this, too, and I was encouraged.
"We all have fought courageously and paid dearly for it, but we have earned this chance to live our lives, create our own future." Jake paused and turned to look directly at me as he said, a little more quietly, "We deserve the chance to be whole once again." Even after all we had shared, he still made my heart skip a beat. I noticed many eyes in the gathering flickering between Jake and myself, and saw several people already smiling.
Jake continued. "I know it has been a stressful time for this clan, with many futures so uncertain, even during this time of peace. I have not been whole for you, as Oloeyktan. But no more." A smile flickered on his lips for just a moment. "Aeri'ina and I are bound by Eywa. If you will accept her, she will be your tsahik, here in new Hometree." Jake took a deep breath and held his head high, waiting for his people's response. Mo'at squeezed my hand as we held a slightly tense breath ourselves. We didn't have to wait long. Several people let out whoops and cries, and then en masse, they moved forward to lay hands on Jake and also myself. They accepted our bond, readily and without question. Jake turned toward me again, beaming brighter than the morning sun and my own smile must have chased away at least a few shadows. Today, our future really began. Today was a good day!
That night a celebration was prepared for Jake and I. The Oloeyktan's choice of mate and tsahik warranted some festivities, as did his declaration of our new Hometree. There was food and drink of all manner prepared, and much singing and dancing. Jake loved to dance. It seemed that he had never missed an opportunity to dance whenever there was cause for celebration within the clan, and tonight was no exception. I just loved watching him move to the sound of the drums and voices of the people. He was so free and unrestrained. He had a kind of reckless grace as he spun and gyrated amidst the other dancers. I had watched him many times before, but tonight…tonight the Oloeyktan danced for me, and we held each other's eyes as our feet pounded the earth and we spun and twisted to the rhythms of the tribe.
I had removed myself from the crushing excitement of the festivities for a few moments. I was still very much accustomed to solitude, and the press of people dancing around me in such fervor was a bit overwhelming after awhile. Eventually, Jake came over to me, stretching out his hand and inviting me to dance with him once more as the moon rose high and the people's exhilaration calmed. The drums continued but as soon as Jake had me in his arms, the voices shifted and I heard a clear high voice slicing through the sounds of the gathering. It was Ninat's voice, herself a storyteller of the clan. She was a beautiful singer and created such songs as to move the people to tears. As she began to sing, the drums slowed to match her tempo and Jake's previously rigorous pace followed suit. He held me closely as the people quieted to listen to Ninat's song. It was a story of a precious flower buried under the forest floor and yet enduring, all the same. She sang of hope, of sacrifice and loss, pain, hope cast aside, and yet somehow, born again. A love realized, at last, that would survive forevermore. She sang our story, mine and Jake's. I had kept my eyes closed, swaying in Jake's embrace as Ninat had sung to us, realizing that she could not have created it just that day. She had known, she had seen. Ninat saw much, and I was not surprised, but I was very deeply touched that she had prepared for this day, for this union between Jake and myself, clearly for some time. Her gift to us was astonishingly precious.
I opened my eyes, moistened with emotion, to find Jake staring at me, a small smile on his face, and tears tracing fine lines down his own cheeks. I expected he felt very similar as I did. These were not joyful tears, yet neither were they tears of grief. They were cleansing tears, washing out the old emotions to allow the new feelings in. They were a sweet release.
Ninat's voice faded into silence while the drums kept up the slow steady rhythm. Jake's head had bowed, his cheek resting on my shoulder and my chin quiescent on his. I looked over at Ninat as she finished her song and mouthed a silent thank you to her. She had been watching us intently, and she smiled sweetly, joyfully, and nodded her head to me in acknowledgement. Before old Hometree's destruction, I knew she had had an eye on Jake herself; several of the clanswomen did at the time, and for good reason, I knew very well. But Jake had chosen Neytiri. So quickly had things happened at that time, that nothing that came afterward had been simple or straightforward. Ninat had lost her mother and brother in that battle, herself. Once things had settled a little in the days that followed our struggle and our loss, I knew Jake had comforted her as he had many others of the tribe, but no one's mind had dwelt on anything more than finding the reassurance of family around them, then. I remembered the time vividly, myself.
Once we had begun to rebuild and heal our hearts and spirits, I had rather expected Jake to be the center of the other women's attention once again, and for some he was. Ninat, I knew, had not renewed her interest in him, though. She was a good friend to me within the clan, and I knew her better than I did many others. She had not spoken of Jake to me at all, and was often more absorbed in her role as singer and storyteller than she had been beforehand. After some time had passed, some of the other women I did not know as well were much more brazen in their display of affection for Jake. As he had never shown any such interest, however, I had guessed that Jake himself had been their deterrent. Now I wondered. Ninat, dear sister that she was, had seen us for who we were. I wondered how many others had also seen what Jake and I ourselves could not, and in fact had not seen. I felt more a part of this clan than I ever had before, and I let my tears fall unabashedly onto Jake's sturdy shoulder.
We slipped away as the evening wore on and the people began to disperse and settle down for the night. Jake was exhausted. His seemingly endless strength was finally dwindling. Two nights now of being short of sleep were taking their toll, in combination with the emotional strain of worry and doubt. He leaned down to my ear and whispered to me, "Aeri, I'm cooked. Let's get some sleep." I still didn't understand all of the words he used in English, but his meaning was plain enough. And "sleep" came through loud and clear to my tired, fuzzy mind. Leaning on each other, we ambled away from the gathering, taking our leave from those who saw us go, and shuffled back toward Jake's alcove.
"Aeri, will you stay…?" he asked, still not assuming where my comfort might lie. He would eventually stop asking, I knew, but of course I would stay with him. I never wanted to sleep again without his arms wrapping me up.
"Of course I will, Jake. Always." I steered him in the right direction and as soon as we reached his cot and made ourselves comfortable, he collapsed around me and dozed off. I was smiling and drifting off to sleep quickly, myself, when my mate roused himself briefly, reached over and kissed my cheek, then wrapped his arms carefully around me, draped a leg over mine, and promptly fell back asleep. I lingered in consciousness just long enough to revel in the tender moment before drifting off completely.
