Chapter Three | The Charade Begins

'A man is only as sick as his secrets.' – Anonymous.

Jake definitely hated himself the next morning when he woke up. But he began to hate himself even more, especially when they told Kiyeri they would take her baby and raise it as their own. And then when they went back to their little room in Hometree and Neytiri immediately started sewing fabric together which she could use to make her 'baby bump'.

Five months into their act, it was working.

Neytiri's idea of the fabric under her dress was excellent; everyone was so excited at the prospect of an Omaticayan prince. Jake was warming to the idea, especially when they started on choosing names.

"What about... Miles?" Neytiri suggested one day when they were with Norm in the Avatar Link Room. The link room was in need of proper care, since Norm was no longer an Avatar – he was a full fledged Na'vi. Max and he had managed to resurrect Norm's Avatar, and now they were working on creating Max one. It would take a few years with the equipment they had and the fact that they had honestly no idea what they were doing, but they were making progress.

Jake looked at his wife incredulously. "'Miles'?" He echoed. "As in... Miles Quaritch?"

"Well, yes," Neytiri said. "Even though he tried to kill us, it is a nice name."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Oh sure, this is only because he didn't kill you and went after me!" Jake exclaimed. "This child is going to be a father killer."

Neytiri smiled at Jake and very realistically put a hand on her stomach. She was now wearing the maternity wear, so no one could figure out that it was actually fabric under her dress and not a real baby in her womb. "Fine, we will not name him Miles. What about Mike?"

Jake laughed. "What is it with you and 'M' names?" He asked. Neytiri had just opened her mouth to defend her choice of names when Norm came in and interrupted them.

"Well, if you don't mind, I came up with a few," he smiled, sipping at his coffee.

"Oh?" Jake asked, looking at his best friend. It was nice to be able to look at him directly, and not bend his head down like he used to do.

"Okay, well, 'Norm' if it's a boy, and 'Norma' if it's a girl!" Norm smiled. Jake and Neytiri exchanged glances.

"It's definitely a boy," Jake said slowly, "And besides, I think Neytiri here is more focused on naming him after one of our enemies." Jake's voice changed to a bitter one as he finished the sentence, looking at his wife. Jake was usually easy going, but this was his child. Well, not really, but he had to get used to that fact. And also, he had been steadily losing ground to Neytiri ever since they started this, and he wanted to win at least one argument.

Neytiri frowned and her cyan, lion-like tail flicked agitatedly. "I am not. They just have nice names."

Jake shook his head and thought for a few moments. "What about Phillip?"

"No!" Neytiri exclaimed. "This is the third time you have tried to pass Philip by me. No, and that is final."

Jake let it go. "Well, you have to help me here. I'm running out of names from the board." Neytiri arched an eyebrow and Jake pointed behind her where he was looking. Behind his mate there was a whole board with the names of all the marines which had been on Pandora before the war.

"Who said it had to be a human name?" Norm asked.

"I did," Neytiri smiled. "Then he will be different."

"And because he is already different due to his 'father' being an Avatar – or used to be – he is already going to be teased. Why do you want to make him suffer more?" Jake pointed out.

"Because, when all the women come over to 'ooh' and 'ahh' over him, I want them to be able to for once be astonished at the name. Bossy women rule this clan; you know that, ma Jake."

Jake smiled a little and whispered to Norm, "I know one rules my life." Norm sniggered.

Neytiri expression changed to one of annoyance; she'd heard that. "I am sorry, I did not quite catch that," she growled.
"Nothing!" Jake said.

Neytiri shook her head and stood up. Jake almost forgot that she wasn't pregnant when she stood, with her rather amazing acting skills. Her acting of being a pregnant mother was becoming rather realistic as she placed a hand on her stomach and pretended to have difficulty standing up. Neither Jake nor Norm helped her; they would when people were around. Once she had gone, Norm looked at Jake. "This is going to blow up in your faces."

Jake groaned and leaned back. "I know, I know," he murmured. "But what can I do, huh? She wants this child so much. You have no idea how much."

Norm sighed. "You guys can still have a child. It's just such a low percentage and – "

" – we don't know how this child will be, mentally and physically," Jake finished. He'd heard it a million times over. "You've told me."

"I'm just trying to help."

"I know that." Jake sighed. If anyone except Norm, Max and Mo'at found out, they were screwed. They would be utterly humiliated, and Jake just didn't want to put Neytiri through that. But he also didn't want her to go through life childless. The respect of their clan would be gone, and how would he lead a clan that doesn't respect him? Jake was about to add something when Neytiri came back. "I got it! Devon."

Jake and Norm both groaned. "Neytiri, why do you hate our child?" Jake growled.

Neytiri shrugged. "I thought it was a cute name!" She said.

"If I left it to you, you'd name our son Elijah or Sequoia – "
"Ooh, Sequoia!"
"NO!" Jake and Norm said in unison.