New chapter, second half of last chapter. Get it? While you read through this, I'm going to ask you to keep an open mind about Jake's behavior. Please.

Also thanks for all the alerts, reviews and favorites. I appreciate them so much. Just one more chapter to go before we find ourselves in the thick of Ava's training. So I hope this chapter lives up to your standards.

Keep an eye out for details and clues up ahead. Is that enough warning?

Read on!

Time in a Bottle, Part II

We made it back before we were discovered, and while I trusted the borders of our village to protect us, I was glad Eyreal knew how dangerous it was for Ava to be out in the open. I hoped that meant she would ask Mo'at for some kind of protection while she was out teaching Ava all the things she needed to know. I also hoped Mo'at would allow me to keep them safe, but I honestly wasn't holding out for it anymore.

Morning activities were already underway as we made it to the clearing where the rest of the pa'li grazed, and I helped Eyreal to the ground before dismounting myself and turning to get Ava.

"Jakesully," I heard and turned to see a group of Thomas' friends running toward me. Normally, most of the Clan members didn't use my name, but most of Thomas' friends didn't like following the rules .

"Is it true?" one of them asked.

"Is what true?" I asked, glancing at Eyreal and nodding for her to take Ava.

They all followed Ava with their eyes, and I had an idea what they were asking about.

"Is swirä really Sky Person and Na'vi?"

I also followed Eyreal and Ava with my eyes, waiting until they were out of my sight to look at the kids. "It's true," I told them. "I saw her mother. And she was more than a Sky Person. She was more like me, the way I was before I was in this body. You all know me, right?"

They all nodded, murmuring softly. "We do."

"Then trust me," I said to them. "And I won't ever lie to you. Okay?"

They all looked at each other, agreeing after a minute. "Okay," they all murmured.

I started off to follow Eyreal then, finding her with Mo'at and Tu'San as Ava stood behind her.

Tu'San didn't look happy, and when I heard what they were talking about, I realized why.

"Ma Tu'San, awngeyä fya'ori sì li nga sänume sivi poe . . . fte tsivun pilvlltxe si tiviran na ayoeng."

"Ruxte, Ma tsahik," Eyreal whispered. "Fi'u lehrrap."

"It is decided," Mo'at said in English. "Tu'San will teach her our way. Let us hope she can learn as well as those before her. Though I have low expectations."

Tu'San stepped closer to Ava, taking her arm roughly, and I stepped in, yelling at him.

"Kehe!" I slapped his hand from her, glaring up at him. I'd since put my collar back on, so everyone could see the Clan Leader disagreeing with the Tsahik. And Mo'at looked at me so harshly, like I'd insulted her very existence. But I didn't back down.

"Do you not wish to have her be taught?" Mo'at asked me in English.

I looked at Eyreal and then Ava, glaring up at Tu'San. "I do. But not by him. He will not teach her. He will only hurt her and insult her intelligence."

"She should go away," Tu'San snapped in English, and I stepped closer to him.

"She's not going anywhere," I growled lowly

Ava took my arm in both her hands, speaking as she pulled me away from him. "It's all right, Jake," she said, and I looked at her. She looked at Tu'San, and it looked like she remembered him from before. "If I can't learn from him, then I can't learn at all. Right?"

She looked at Eyreal and then Mo'at, accepting the terms laid out in front of her.

"Ava, you don't have to do this," I told her. "I told Norm I would take care of you. I wanted to teach you. I know I'm supposed to."

"And you will," she said softly. "But I've been surviving a long time on my own. You'll know if he's doing a bad job, right?"

I glanced at Mo'at and then Eyreal before I looked at Tu'San again. "Yes," I said. "I will." I stepped closer to Tu'San. "If I hear about you doing anything wrong to her, saying anything wrong about her, leaving her anywhere to fend for herself, this ends. She is more unique and precious than you can possibly fathom, and from this moment on, she'll be your responsibility as much as she is mine. Her failure will reflect on you more than it will on me. You will not hit her. You will not yell at her. You will not insult her. I'll be watching you."

Ava waited for me to finish before she stepped in front of Tu'San. They didn't say anything to each other, but when he looked at me, I saw what I thought was an understanding between them. I hoped I hadn't overstepped my boundaries, but I'd made a promise, and I intended to keep it.

I stepped back from Ava, watching her walk away with Tu'San, and as soon as they were gone, I turned to Mo'at, speaking as softly as I could without anyone hearing me.

"Can I speak to you in private, please?"

I'd never had to do what I was about to do, but I had to make sure she knew how I felt and what I knew, and I couldn't do that in front of anyone else. So when she bowed her head in agreement, I glanced at Eyreal, silently telling her to keep an eye on Ava for me.

I led Mo'at away from the rest of the Clan, climbing into the interior of the tree where we would be able to talk without anyone else hearing us. I'd never really had to do this before, but I felt the need to do it now, and I wasn't going to stop just because Neytiri had died less than ten days earlier.

"You're grieving," I began, turning to face her. "I know you are. I am too. I hope you're not trying to punish anyone else for Neytiri's death but me. I told you what I saw, and I thought that would be more important to you than punishing me."

"I do not understand," she said blankly. "You wanted this creature taught our way. And she will be. Was this not what you wanted? Was this not what our Great Mother wanted?"

"Her name is Ava," I said, my voice elevated slightly. "Don't you believe me when I tell you about her? I saw it with my own eyes. Her mother was here, Mo'at. With Grace. Before Sylwanin's death. Her name was Amelia. She was carrying a baby. Neytiri would have known her. Don't you remember her?"

It took several seconds for realization to fill her eyes, and I sighed heavily. "Tu'San will not teach her anything but how unworthy she is to be taught. She's even less alien than I am. She was born here!"

Her eyes widened, and I retreated. "I'm sorry," I said softly. "But please. I know I might not be as objective as he is, but I know her. And she trusts me. And she's been out there for so long. Eyreal can help me. I need to do this."

She was silent for several more seconds, and I knew I was pushing it too far. I hadn't been like this since before the War, and I was sure she wasn't enjoying me doing this. I had to admit, I didn't like it either. But if anything happened to Ava and I could have prevented it, then I'd have to live with that for the rest of my life. I was already carrying the burden of my mate dying at my hands. I couldn't handle it if anyone else had the same fate.

"I am not punishing you," she said slowly. I knew the word was foreign to her, but she said it nonetheless. "But you are too close to her to be for certain she will learn properly. I wish for what you wish for. Allow time for this to settle, and we will speak on this at another time."

She left me there without really resolving anything, and I stood there a good five minutes, remembering how Neytiri had taught me only because she'd been told. We'd spent every waking hour together when I wasn't with Grace or Norm, and I knew what had happened over the three months it had taken me to learn everything she taught me. I'd fallen in love with her. But I'd only learned because she'd given me the chance to learn. And I was so afraid no one here would do that for Ava. No one but me. And maybe Eyreal.

Ava was gone with Tu'San most of the day, only returning when it was time for the evening gathering, and while I'd been able to keep myself busy most of the day with mindless activities and boring counseling sessions, the minute I saw them coming back, I left where I'd settled to reach them as she walked about a meter and a half behind him covered in dirt and carrying an old bow. He was dirty too, but he didn't look happy about it. He glared at me, proceeding toward where everyone else was gathering, and I watched as Ava stopped in front of me.

"I like your friend," she said, removing the bow and wiping dirt from her forehead. "He's stubborn. A lot like you."

I didn't hide my smile, looking up to see Eyreal also returning, and I waited for her to arrive at where we were to speak to Ava. "He reminds me of an old friend. Never really thought he was like me though."

Eyreal's eyes dropped slightly, and I figured she knew who I was talking about, but I didn't say his name. Eyreal moved closer to Ava, turning her around to face her, and after one glance over her body, Eyreal looked at me.

"I take her to bath," she said, and I nodded, allowing them to move passed me to perform their task.

I waited for them to return, and Ava was perfect the next time I saw her. But I also saw scrapes over her chin and a bruise over her shoulder. She saw the attention I gave her injuries, and she spoke softly.

"I fell through a few branches before I caught a vine," she explained. "I don't think he expected me to follow him, but when I did, he put dirt on it. I think he meant for it to stop hurting. But it still burns."

I rubbed the bruise and then her scrapes. "We'll look at them later," I told her, looking at Eyreal and seeing her nod. I took that to mean that Ava was telling the truth and not sparing my anger.

With that, we all followed the people gathering at the second level of the tree. Thomas was next to Mo'at, and I pulled Ava with me as I took my place. I showed Ava the food, whispering to her what it was in English and Na'vi. She made a face at it the same way I had, but she took what I gave her, nodding graciously. I looked at Mo'at then, but she didn't say anything, and neither did I. My eyes also found Tu'San as he sat across the fire from us, and he only stared.

Songs and stories filled most of the time we sat in the gathering, and I had to stay until it was all right for anyone to leave. Mo'at usually stayed until the last person was gone, but I wanted to get Thomas to bed, so we left when he started to get tired. Ava followed silently, glancing behind her and then looking around as we ascended the tree. Thomas told me about his day while we climbed, and it sounded like he'd had an eventful day. He didn't mention seeing the argument I'd had with Mo'at, and he didn't ask where I'd been all night the night before. It hadn't seemed to bother him.

"I slept in a hammock for the first time last night," he exclaimed sleepily.

I smiled as we arrived in our alcove, and he stepped onto the mat without me saying anything to him. I sat Ava on a stub inside the alcove, using what little light there was to look at her scrapes.

"You did good for your first day then?" I asked, taking a paste I'd taken from the gathering and rubbing it over her scrapes.

"We ran all over the place," she said smiling. "I didn't get tired once. I think it was frustrating for him. He tried to make me take my necklace off. I punched him."

"You punched him?" I chuckled.

Ava allowed me to finish, easing away from me and making her way onto the mat. I followed her, laying down with her.

"What is it?" I asked.

She didn't say anything for a few minutes, holding her eyes away from me as it appeared she was thinking about something she didn't want to think about. Tears slid from her eyes, and I reached for her face, making her look at me.

"Ava, what's wrong?"

"I . . . lied to you," she said softly.

"About what?" I asked shaking my head.

She sat up slowly, and I followed her, reaching for her as she tried to get away.

"Ava," I said again. "What did you lie about?"

"My mother didn't give this to me," she said, touching her necklace and then looking at me. "You did."

I didn't understand what she was telling me, knowing it wasn't possible for me to have given her anything. She reached for my face, touching my cheeks and then my lips and my chin. She touched the spots on my forehead, and I found myself thinking about Tommy. Amelia had talked to Tommy for ten months. She'd loved him and lost him the same way I had. I had his Avatar. It was the only real connection I had to him. Amelia had possessed something much more valuable. His heart. But how was it possible for Tommy to have given Ava anything? He'd been killed before she'd been born.

"Looks like him."

"No, it looks like you. This is your avatar now, Jake."

Norm's words played in my head, and Ava spread her hands over my cheeks. It probably wasn't possible for her to understand the concept of twins, not after only a few days with Norm. But I had to try to explain it to her.

"Ava," I said softly. I didn't even know where to start, but before I could say anything else, she spoke.

"I'm tired," she whispered. "Did I mention that I ran all over the place today?"

I inhaled deeply, touching her face gently and then turning her back to me to tuck her in my arms. She relaxed as soon as we laid down, and I did too. But my mind was racing, thinking about the day those suits had come to tell me about Tommy. I hadn't thought about it in so long, and it was all so blurry. But now that I was thinking about it, the memories seemed able to bubble to the surface.

It was the third time in a row I'd dreamed about Tommy, but he wasn't anywhere in the dream. Nowhere but a cardboard box in the Crematorium.

"We'll release your brother's personal effects to the recruiting agents when they come to get you tomorrow," one of the suits had told me on the ride back to my apartment.

"Personal effects? Like his clothes and shit?"

"Yes."

Honestly, I hadn't wanted any of Tommy's things, but in the five or six days it had taken them to get me ready and on the shuttle, a lot of things had happened that I hadn't been in control of. Tommy's bloody clothes had been packed in my bag along with everything I'd had left. His shoes and his jacket, and a silver necklace with a butterfly charm.

The scene in my dream shifted again, abruptly aligning me with the inside of the habitat I'd shared with Norm on base, and I was sitting beside the bed going through my bag. These memories were still blurry to me, but this was as clear as day. And I couldn't believe I'd forgotten this. Even if I'd been in a different mindset, what guy forgot about a beautiful little girl appearing at his door with an inquisitive look on her face.

"You're Jake, right?" she asked softly.

I remembered turning and seeing a girl with paint of her face in the doorway in a tank top and a pair of shorts. She was probably four and a half feet tall and looked about ten, but her eyes were so beautiful. I remembered smiling at her.

"That's me," I confirmed.

"Grace told me about you. You're here to do what Uncle Warren does."

"Who?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. What is that?"

She moved around the room to where I'd laid Tommy's things, reaching out to touch the necklace as it laid on top of his bloody shirt.

"It's my brother's," I said. "He was always a little girly. Here, you take it. You'll put it to good use, right?"

She smiled widely as I lifted the necklace and unclasped it, securing it around her neck as she laughed softly.

"Irayo," she whispered.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Oh, sorry. Thank you," she said as a tall, dark blond haired guy appeared at the door.

He didn't look familiar to me, but it looked like he knew her. "Ava, you're not supposed to be here."

She looked at me. "Bye," she waved.

I smiled at her, watching the guy take her hand and pull her out of the room. I noticed her arms and legs painted too, and I remember thinking it must have been a kid thing. I don't think I'd noticed her tail or her braid, but like I said, I'd been in a different mindset. And I'd never seen her again, so how was I supposed to know there weren't any other kids on the base. I guess a smart person would have figured that out, but what can I say? I was an idiot back then.

"I just want to see him."

"No. It's not him, and you shouldn't be around him. He's an arrogant, military asshole, and he'll go to Selfridge if he finds out about this."

Grace's voice echoed in my head, and I didn't remember ever hearing this. But I guess there'd been a lot of things I hadn't heard or known on base.

"Besides, I don't trust him, and I'm the one who has to work with him, so you just steer clear of him for now, all right?"

I was awake before anyone else, gathering up the comm unit Norm had given me and leaving before anyone could see me. I walked out as far as I could without anyone finding me, and even though I knew it was early, I also knew someone at the compound would be up. I'd honestly never thought about asking for this, but having Ava with me now was causing all these old memories to resurface, and after getting all the details about how she'd been created, I needed the rest of the story now. Amelia and Ava had been on base for nearly six years before I got there, and in the three months I was there, I'd probably ripped their world out from under them. I'd never even thought of who I was hurting, not even the Na'vi who'd died in the war. All I'd known was I couldn't let Selfridge and Quaritch destroy something they had no right to, and beyond that, I hadn't cared. Now I had to care.

As soon as I was far enough away from the village, I strapped on the throat piece, sliding the earpiece in and then touching the nodes to talk.

"Norm? Are you there?"

For several seconds, nothing came back. I knew Norm wouldn't give me a comm unit that wouldn't reach him, and I waited for someone to talk to me.

"Norm," I said again. "Can you hear me?"

"Jake?" I recognized Max's voice.

"Where's Norm?"

"He's outside taking samples. I'll go get him."

I waited another minute or two, and then I could hear Norm. "Jake. Is everything okay there? Is Ava okay?"

"She's fine. But I need something from you."

"What do you need?"

I paused, looking around and making sure I was alone. I inhaled deeply, forming the words in my head and then speaking. "I know Ava's mother was on base with her while I was on my way here. And I know Grace probably kept her away from Selfridge and Quaritch. But there's got to be some way of finding out what happened to her for the three months I was there. I need to know her, Norm. I think Ava's survival here might depend on it. Neytiri knew Amelia, Norm. I'm almost positive of it, and if she did, then I need to know her too. Can you do that for me, Norm?"

"I'll have to look deeper into the archives," Norm said. "We had to decrypt a lot of information just to find what we found. It might take a little while, and I'll have to bring it out there to you. Is that gonna be okay?"

"Yeah," I said, hearing the brush around me moving and then rising to look around. "Just touch down where you did before. And call me before you leave there, so I can meet you."

"Are you sure everything's okay out there?" Norm asked.

I thought for a minute about telling him my dreams, but I didn't need him to study me or the reason why I felt like my strings were being pulled by an unknown force. I honestly didn't know why I felt like that, but I'd figure it out on my own. "Yeah," I said again. "I'm sure."

"Okay. Give me the day, and I'll call you when I know something."

"Thanks."

"No problem," he said as the brush moved again, and I moved toward the noise, discovering Ava there by herself.

I took off the comm as she rose to face me, and she spoke softly.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"How'd you know I was out here?"

She smiled. "You're about as stealthy as a Rhinoceros."

I smiled, still keeping an eye out around us. "And here I thought I was being quiet. You must have super hearing or something." I took her hand in mine, pulling her back toward the village. "Come on. You've probably got a big day ahead of you."

She didn't say anything, allowing me to pull her back to the tree where the earliest villagers were starting to come out.

"What will you do today?" Ava asked as we made our way toward the center of the village where Eyreal and Tu'San were emerging slowly.

"Don't worry about me," I told her. "You just go on. I'll be here when you get back."

She stepped away from me, and I realized she was already carrying her bow. Tu'San nodded for her to follow him, and they left. Eyreal moved to my side, whispering softly.

"Do I follow them?" she asked.

I waited until they were a good distance away, responding quietly. "Yes. For now."

She bowed her head. "Kìyevame ulte Eywa ngahu."

She looked around, following Tu'San and Ava away from the village. I didn't want to know what they were going to be doing, but I knew I'd find out when they all came back that night. I guessed the only difference now was there was no video log to do at 2200 at night right after getting out of link. I could wait all day, and that meant I had to find something to do.

It wasn't easy.

Mo'at seemed to watch me all day, like she was making sure I didn't go off to watch Ava, and she rarely let me out of her sight, even while I was meeting with other members of the Clan. I tried not to be offended by her gaze, but it was difficult for me to wait and looked like I wasn't waiting. I didn't want to undermine Ava's training or her trainer, but I was having trouble believing that Tu'San was capable of the tolerance Neytiri had been capable of with me ten years earlier. And I knew the first time Ava came back bloody I was going to lose it right then and there.

I didn't have to wait long for that, even if it turned out to not be her blood.

As they'd done the day before, Ava and Tu'San returned just as the light was fading and everyone was gathering for the evening meal. Even from a distance, I could see blood covering her face and smeared over her chest, and I was angry almost instantly, leaving where I'd planted myself and hurrying toward them.

"You son of a bitch," I yelled, going for his throat and pulling my knife on him. "What the hell is this?"

Eyreal stopped me. "Rutxe," she exclaimed, grabbing my arm and pulling the knife from Tu'San's throat. "He no do this," she told me.

"What happened?" I demanded.

"A nantang attack them," she said. "I kill before it hurt her. But he hurt."

I then noticed a large leaf bandage covering his shoulder, and I stepped back, replacing my knife. "Oe tsap'alute si," I whispered bowing my head. I was so embarrassed.

Tu'San's look of disdain was enough to make me feel stupid, but he didn't say anything, walking passed me toward the gathering of people already there.

Ava moved to my side, speaking softly. "That was nice," she said to me.

"I'm acting stupid about this," I responded, huffing loudly. "How is he acting out there? How could one of those things get close enough to the two of you to attack? He's supposed to be watching everything."

I didn't wait for her to respond, moving toward the gathering and finding Mo'at there with Thomas. I moved closer to her, beckoning her to follow me as I returned to where Ava was still standing with Eyreal.

"I'm begging you," I said to Mo'at. "Please let me teach her. Tu'San doesn't understand how dangerous it is out there for her."

"Jake," Ava protested. "It's okay."

"No, it isn't." I didn't care about appearances anymore. I didn't care that I was being stupid. Ava's safety was my responsibility, and if Tu'San wasn't going at least try to keep her safe while they were out in the forest, someone had to.

"Your actions are strange to me," Mo'at said finally. "You're acting as she is yours. A child to you."

"Ma tsahik," Eyreal said, and we all looked at her. "Tu'San no know to watch her. She no like him." She sighed, frustrated. I knew what she was trying to say, and I looked at Mo'at.

"Tu'San doesn't know to watch out for her. She's not like him. She's not like any of us here. She needs someone who will know how to teach her and keep her safe. Please. Allow me this one thing. I need to do it. For Neytiri."

That turned Mo'at's eyes cold, and she stepped closer to me. "It has been decided. He is her teacher."

I bowed my head, defeated.

"But perhaps you are correct. She is not like any of us. If she requires the protection you say, then you will be the one to protect her. This is the last time we will discuss this matter."

She left me there, and I looked at Ava, but I could tell she wasn't happy. I didn't like it either, but it was the only way I could think of to keep her safe. Eyreal stepped up to my side then.

"You be too hard on him," she said softly.

I looked at her, knowing she was probably right. "We'll have to work on that then. And I'll help you with your English. Tomorrow."

I took Ava's hand then, pulling her toward the gathering. Eyreal followed me silently.

The comm unit was crackling with Norm's voice when I made it back to the alcove with Thomas and Ava, and while I sent them out onto the mat, I stepped back to a dark corner to talk to him.

"Norm, I'm here."

"I've been calling you for forty-five minutes," he complained.

I glanced at Thomas and Ava. "I was . . . eating."

"Oh. Right. Um, Max and me worked all day. It took a lot of coaxing the computer on his part, but we found most of Amelia's logs."

"Were there a lot?" I asked.

Norm sighed loudly. "That is an understatement. But Jake, listen, I don't know if you should see these."

"Why not? Even if she hated my guts for what I did, I'm the one taking care of her daughter now. I need to know what I did."

"Jake, it's about the way she died. I just don't think you should see these logs."

I glanced at Ava as she sat over the mat waiting for me. "How did Amelia die?" I asked softly.

Norm was quiet for a few seconds, and I retreated deeper into the corner. Finally, he spoke. "After we escaped with Trudy, and after Grace died, she tried to get Ava off the base. With all the trees she planted, I guess she thought it was possible for Ava to jump to one of the trees on the other side. But she got caught outside without a mask on, and I guess they thought she would die anyway. So they shot her."

He paused, allowing me to process this. I'd feared something like this. The idiots on that base who didn't know any better probably thought she was trying to escape with us traitors. But there was more. And I knew that. It didn't matter if Norm thought me looking at those was a bad idea. I was the only one who could decide what I could handle. And if I was going to be taking care of Ava, I needed to know those things.

"And that's not all," Norm continued. "Max says he thinks it's possible Trudy knew about this too. I mean, she was here when we got here, so I guess it is possible. And she did fly us and all the others everywhere. I haven't looked at the majority of these logs, but I'm begging you, man. Just leave it alone."

"I can't," I said after a minute. "This is important, Norm. I need to do it for Ava, and for myself. It's okay. Just bring them out here. I'll decide what to do with them. All right?"

Norm was quiet again, and I kept my eyes on Ava while I waited. "All right," he said softly. "It'll be morning though. I've been up all day, and I gotta get some rest. I'll call you when I leave. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good night."

"You too," I said, putting the comm unit away and then stepping out onto the mat to sit with Ava.

"Is that how you see me?" she asked softly.

"Like what?"

"Like your child," she said, reminding me of what Mo'at had said earlier. Honestly, I hadn't thought of it that way, but I could understand why anyone would think that way.

"I feel very protective of you," I told her, easing my hand over her arm gently. "I felt that way before I knew about your mother and my brother. And I know you can take care of yourself. But now that you're here, you don't have to do it by yourself."

"So you don't feel possessive of me in any way?" she asked, a grin tugging at the left side of her mouth.

I glanced at Thomas to see him sleeping, and I looked at her, shrugging my shoulders. "Maybe just a little. There's so much I have to know, and there's so much you need to know. I don't want you to feel slighted. You deserve to be here. You've earned it after all the time you spent out there alone. You deserve to belong somewhere."

She inhaled deeply, glancing around and then laying over the mat. She didn't say anything else, closing her eyes and relaxing before she fell asleep. I laid down in front of her, easing as close to her as I could and looking around to see everyone else settling in for the night. I thought about Amelia while I was laying there, wondering about how she'd reacted to me being on base and then turning her life upside down. I don't think I'd ever looked at it that way.

You'd think I would've gotten used to having strange dreams lately, but the one I had that night was even stranger than any others I'd had before. I was walking through the forest at midday by myself, but everything looked a lot bigger than it should have. The ground was cool against my feet, and it felt like it was going to rain. I don't think I was going anywhere in particular, but after a few minutes, the sky exploded with water as large wings and a massive torso closed in on me and landed in front of me.

My ikran emerged from the giant leaves around me, and when I reached out to touch him, I was shocked to see a small Human hand extended in front of me. Without meaning to, I retreated from him, looking at my hand and then my arm. It was no longer blue, but pink, like Human skin. I looked at my other hand, seeing the same thing, and then I looked at the rest of me.

My chest had hair on it, and I was wearing shorts. I still had on the same armbands and leg bands as before. But I was in my Human body, instead of the one I was in and had been in for ten years. The only problem was I hadn't walked in that body for ten years, and it was in the ground near the Tree of Souls. And plus, I'd hadn't walked in that body before then for over a year. How was I walking in it now?

"Are you coming or what?"

I looked ahead of me, seeing someone on the ikran, and I was shocked to see . . . me riding on its back. I moved forward slowly, allowing the large, blue man to lift me onto the flying beast, and he did so easily, yelling for take-off the way I always did and lifting into the sky abruptly.

"Hold on."

I held on for dear life, feeling the rain and wind in my face as we flew over the forest.

"So what do you think?"

I couldn't say anything, afraid and curious and exhilarated all at once. I was also confused. How was this possible?

Light shined in my eyes then, but the voice I heard didn't belong to Ava or Thomas as it spoke to me. Strangely enough, I could hear Norm talking to me, but he was saying the strangest things, a lot like the words I'd heard the first time I'd opened my eyes in my avatar.

"Pupils equal and reactive. Heart rate and blood pressure normal. How long has it been since we took him out?"

"About two hours," Max said, and I was sure I was still dreaming.

"How much longer?"

"I don't know, Norm. We weren't waiting for him to take up the last time. He'll wake up when he's ready."

"Jake."

Ava's voice pulled me out of my unconsciousness, and I opened my eyes to see her sitting above me. I could feel her fingertips on my forehead and then my cheek.

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" she asked.

I was disoriented for several more seconds, and she moved to be on her knees, taking my hand and pulling me to sit up in front of her. It was light out, still early in the morning, but Thomas was gone, and most of the other hammocks and mats were empty.

"Jake," she said again. "I couldn't wake you. Is something wrong . . . with you?"

I honestly didn't know, since I hadn't done this in ten years — when I'd been linking to my avatar. I started to stand up, but I was still disoriented, unable to stay on my feet without stumbling toward the alcove. Ava followed me, helping me to a stump to sit down. This felt wrong, being unable to walk or even think without someone or something else saying it was okay to do it. I felt like I had strings tethered to my arms and my legs, and there was someone out there pulling me the way they wanted me to go.

"What . . . time is it?" I asked softly, thinking how stupid it was to ask that when there was no way for her to tell me.

"It's still early. But we should probably get down there before anyone comes up here looking for us. Jake," she said, touching my face and making me look at her. "Are you sure you're okay? You didn't look okay."

I got my bearings back slowly, rising to stand in front of her. "I have to talk to Norm first. Don't worry about me, okay? I'll be fine."

As if on cue, the comm unit came to life with Norm's voice, and I gathered it up as he called for me.

"Jake, you there?"

"I'm here," I said softly, looking at Ava as she waited.

"I've got everything you need," he said. "I should be here in a few hours. I just want to make sure this is what you want to do."

"I'm sure," I said without skipping a beat.

Norm sighed softly. "All right. I'll see you in a few."

I turned off the comm unit, taking Ava's hand to pull her to the base of the tree where most of the people there were already milling around in their activities. I saw Tu'San waiting near the edge of the village, and I had to hope that Mo'at had told him what she'd decided the night before. I didn't really care how that made him feel, but I figured I was going to have to work with him on this. Some kind of compromise was going to have to be made.

Another chapter put to bed. Some answers and more questions. Do we think we know what's going on yet?

Now for the definitions:

pa'li - direhorse

swirä - creature

tsahik - Matriarch, interpreter of Eywa

Ma Tu'San, awngeyä fya'ori sì li nga sänume sivi poe . . . fte tsivun pilvlltxe si tiviran na ayoeng. - Tu'San, you will teach her our ways . . . to speak and walk as we do. (This is long, but fashioned from the movie like a few other phrases. As with those, it seemed to fit, and since the movie is considered canon, I like to use it whenever possible to get the point across.)

Ruxte - please

Fi'u lehrrap - This is dangerous.

Kehe - No

(Despite looking on several sites and having several sources, there is no word in Na'vi for punish. So I think even though I'm sure the action wouldn't be foreign to Mo'at, the word probably would be. I have yet to find any word for it, but if you know of one, let me know.)

Irayo - Thank you

Kìyevame ulte Eywa ngahu - Goodbye for now and Eywa be with you.

nantang - viperwolf

Oe tsap'alute si - I apologise (apologize).

ikran - mountain banshee

A LOT of definitions this time, just like last time, but that's to be expected when we're in the thick of the Clan where most people will be speaking the native tongue. Also, I wonder if anyone's noticed what happens sometimes when Jake dreams. This is the third time he's done it, and there's a very good reason for it.

Anyway, the next couple of parts should be very interesting, but for now, I'll leave you to it.

Until next time, Carry on!