Author's Note: Not as long as the others but there is a bit of a time skip there. We get to dive a bit more in Jake's frame of mind and we get the plot moving along a bit. Sorry about the long wait! Thank you all for your kind words, I do hope that you continue to enjoy!

Jake stands in tense silence before Quaritch, looking at anything and everything but the man in front of him. Hating that it feels like he will never get a break. He's not sure if the cramping in his stomach is because of how hungry he is or how upset he is, making his guts churn. He was supposed to be under the radar. He was supposed to not exist. He was supposed to lay low, keep his head down, make it through his tour undetected and when he made it back to Earth, he would be free.

That was supposed to be the deal. After all of this was done, Jake and Tommy were going to be free. And if Tommy wanted to come back to Pandora for as many tours as he wants or go back to Earth or whatever, then they would. But it would have been their choice. Their freedom to express. Until then, they just have to keep their heads down. They have to fly as below radar as possible until then.

Or, at least, Jake does. Tommy is too iridescent for that. But luckily people just tend to like Tommy. They like him enough to keep his secrets, to keep him safe.

Jake... not so much. He is the unlikable twin. He's been told his entire life. How Tommy could be so funny. So smart. So much better. But so long as it helps keep Tommy safe, Jake doesn't really mind it. He's never had delusions about who or what he is. No one has ever let him forget.

After making it back to his room last night, for the first time in weeks, Jake collapsed onto his bed and actually fell asleep. If it wasn't for his internal clock jolting him awake at four in the morning, he probably would have overslept. Sleep on a normal basis is hard enough for Jake, so he's never over slept in his entire life. He's always been the light sleeper in the family. Any shift and sound anywhere near his and Tommy's bedroom would wake him. Tommy could always sleep peacefully because Jake was there to keep an eye out for him.

Setting his alarm and trying to get another two hours of sleep was too much to ask for, though. He just ended up staring at the ceiling until his alarm went off, especially when he realized that he left the manual in the lab the night before, so even if he wanted to try and actually read some now that he got some sleep, that's not going to happen. Well, that's what he gets.

Thankfully, with those eight hours of sleep, Jake feels worse than he has in days. But he knows that he needed that. His body needed to shut down for as long as it did - probably longer. No doubt a lot longer, actually. But he'll take what he can get.

He got up and dressed, relieved that he showered before going to the labs, because if he had fallen asleep in the dried sweat from yesterday morning? Nope, he would probably gag.

And shower twice.

But, thankfully, he has plenty of time between his security duties and going to the lab that he can shower and eat a quick lunch. He hates the idea of being the stinky person. People who are different, especially with something as sensitive as smell, draws attention and while he's not trying to be anyone's friend, he doesn't want to be known as a stinky person either. He has enough pride that he wants to be presentable, even if it's only to himself.

But speaking of lunch yesterday, that was the last meal he had. And it wasn't a lot. He had been so drained from linking up with his avatar for the first time that he just needed to go back to his room and try to desperately get some sleep, which thankfully he finally got. That doesn't mean that his stomach cramping isn't bothering him a bit. Although, that'll be easy to rectify.

So, his disappointment is immeasurable when, in his steady fast walk to the cafeteria is interrupted by Wainfleet. The bald man stepped right in his path, causing the teen to nearly run into him but barely managed to stop short of that. Dread burrowing in his gut, knowing immediately that the rest of his day was going to be ruined. No body ever wanted to talk to him for good reason, and he ultimately knows that Wainfleet isn't here for himself.

Wainfleet gave him a once over, from shoes to hair before saying, "Colonel wants to see you."

Jake's shoulders drooped as he nods. He has to restrain himself from looking over the older man's shoulder longingly at the cafeteria and the promise of almost edible food beyond. But he turns away, dejected, and follows after Wainfleet.

Which brings him back to the present.

"How was yesterday, son?" Quaritch asks, leaning back against his desk, crossing his arms and ankles, looking relaxed and like the first conversation that Jake had with the colonel. He is no more relaxed now than he was then. In fact, it might be worse now.

Jake shrugs, eyes lowering to the ground. "It was... different, sir."

Quaritch smiles that Cheshire smile that makes Jake feel that familiar sense of danger and fear. Quaritch could read between the lines of Jake's hesitant words. Almost like everything he didn't say was written across his forehead, which serves to make Jake even more uncomfortable. He should have just said the experience was good. Or fine. But by saying it was different... it's almost like he said exactly what Quaritch was hoping for. Jake has absolutely no idea why that is, what this man is looking for, but this is just making him more uneasy.

On a good day, Jake has no idea what's going on most of the time, but this place is really throwing him for a loop. Quaritch is cut from the same cloth as 'he' is, but obviously not as blatantly sinister. But Jake's not sure which is more terrifying. Someone who's too cold and empty to be able to fake joy for long, or someone who has adapted to the lifestyle of pretending to be human.

"I imagine so," Quaritch drawls out slowly, staring at him with icy blue eyes. "Don't see yourself being one of those nature hugging alien lovers, Sully?"

Nature is fine. Jake has nothing against these Na'vi either. He's never seen one - outside of their avatars, of course - but he's not really one to judge the worth of another on a good day anyway. He doesn't have a problem with any of it, he just doesn't like being an avatar. The only thing about all of this that he is excited about, is Tommy. He knows that Tommy is enjoying this and is excited about all the things that they could learn and do. And Jake is happy for him. Jake would much rather sit in the observation room and watch his brother and his joy, but if he has to suffer in the body of an avatar that is obviously unfit for him, just so that Tommy can be happy and do the things that he enjoys, then Jake will endure.

For Tommy, he'll always endure.

"No," Jake says, voice even, realizing he had to say something. "I don't quite see myself as one of those..."

Quaritch laughs, eyes brightening. "I like you, kid. You don't mince your words. I wish more of my boys were like you." Jake highly doubts that. No one ever wants more people like Jake.

But instead of that, Jake nods, saying, "Thank you, sir."

They settle into a silence for a moment, Quaritch looking at Jake, and Jake looking at a spot right over Quaritch's shoulder, forcing himself not to idly shift his weight back and forth on his hips. No sign of weakness. No sign of unease. Even if Jake feels tense and scared, he's not going to show it. If Quaritch sees it on him, it's something that he ascertained on his own, Jake will give him nothing.

"Are you heading back after lunch, Sully?" Quaritch asks, as if he didn't know.

Jake nods, regardless. "Yes sir."

Quaritch nods back, shifting his weight a bit from where he's still leaning on the desk. "Good. Do me a favor, will you?"

Jake glances at him quickly before looking away, waiting for the Colonel to tell him what he wanted, but after almost a minute of silence, Quaritch's bright blue eyes burrowing into him, Jake reluctantly says, "Yes, sir?"

The corner of the older man's lip curls up slightly, before he easily says, "Keep an eye on things over on that side for me, Sully. Make sure the good Doctor Augustine is keeping everything on the up and up, you know what I mean?"

No. Jake has no idea what he's talking about. But he nods, tipping his head a bit, wishing he had his avatar hat so that he could cover his face. After a beat of silence, Quaritch waiting for a verbal response, smiling amused at Jake's blatant reluctance, Jake finally says, "Yes sir."

"Yes sir, what, Sully?"

Jake didn't dare glance at him, didn't dare swallow at the lump in his throat, or shift his weight in the slightest. He just sucked in a few slow, deep breaths, before tentatively raising his gaze to land on Quaritch's chin, the closest he dares to get to the man's eyes. But he can see them through his lashes. The careful amusement, the cold, Cheshire smile. It all puts Jake's frayed nerves on end. His stomach cramping more in discomfort - and fear.

But once more, a peace starts to loosen the tension in his shoulders. A fear that he recognizes well. That feeling of standing at a razor's edge, tipping one way and then the other. The inherent danger, the feeling of something lurking at his back, the long-winded drop into utter darkness. It's all familiar. Scary in that familiarity, but familiar enough that Jake knows what to expect. Knows what happens if he tips too far one way or the other. Or if he accidently falls forward.

He's never been brave enough to turn to face what waits behind him. So, his options are set before him. There is no turning around or going back. There is just waiting on this precipice and hoping not to fall off.

"Yes, sir," Jake says, voice somehow even despite the burrowing pit in his stomach. "I will keep an eye on things."

Quaritch smiles. "That's my boy."

Jake felt sick enough not to bother with breakfast, terrified that he would throw it all up before even finishing morning drills. He made sure to keep his head down and avoid speaking to literally everyone around him for the entire time he was with the Security side of his job. Most seemed content with a nod or a headshake from him. Fike, thankfully, seemed interested in hearing himself talk so he was content with Jake not upholding his side of the conversation.

And Jake was pleased to have someone act as a buffer in case anyone else wanted to speak with them. Thankfully Fike was content to speak for both of them. Jake is starting to get the feeling that the slightly older man was lonely without someone close to his age like Jake was. It's with a thought like that, which makes Jake feel bad. He wishes that Fike would attach himself to literally anyone else, seeing as they could be a better friend to the young man than Jake ever could be. But, if Fike was okay with Jake just listening to him - even if only sort of - than Jake would try that for him.

He was really helping Jake out, even if Jake hadn't asked for it nor was he giving him really anything in return.

But Fike didn't seem to mind, and Jake was cowardly enough not to ask about it. So, they spent their day like that before Jake left to head back to his room to shower quickly and head back to the cafeteria for a much-needed lunch. He's been lethargic and weak all day. He has to eat something substantial or he's going to pass out. This morning with Quaritch already setting the tone for a rough day in store for him held true to the first half of his day. He's just hoping now that Max was right and that the next jump into his avatar is not going to be as hard as the first one.

He just doesn't have the energy for this.

Jake chokes down as much food as he can, chugs an energy drink, praying that doesn't come back to bite him, before making his way towards the labs, taking a second to remember all the wrong turns he made the day before - even with signs that should, in theory, have helped him - and manages to not get turned around enough to be late for his second day.

Tommy and Norm are waiting for him when he gets there. Tommy's smile nearly splitting his face in two as he turns to Jake, then it drops immediately at the sight of him.

"Damn, Jake, are you okay?"

Norm's green eyes flash in worry, stepping closer to Jake's side. "Jeez, Jake, what do those jarheads in Security got you doing? You look like you haven't slept in weeks."

Funny he should mention that. "I'm fine," Jake grumbles instead, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes, hating the momentary pleasure and comforting darkness that it brings. Jake really just wants to go back to his room and sleep for a week. Maybe then he'll be able to tackle this whole thing with a clearer head. He's exhausted.

"You don't look fine," Tommy says, frowning deeply.

Jake drops his hands, blinking away the spots in his eyes before looking between his brother and his brother's friend. "Don't worry about me. What are we doing?"

Norm and Tommy both glance at each other, hesitant before Max rounds the corner, smiling brightly at them, tablet still glued to his hand from the last time that Jake saw him. Might be the same one for all he knows.

"Hi Jake!" Max says, grinning. "Are you ready for today?" For a second, Max blinks, as if not noticing anything wrong, but then he blinks again, smile fading a touch. "Are you okay, Jake?"

"Just tired," Jake mumbles. "I'm okay."

Max's dark eyes flicker up toward a scanner above the doorway - one in pretty much every doorway in this section of the facility to prevent contagions from being brought in from the outside and from any of them bringing it here. He had to of been scanned half a dozen times since he entered this section of the facility to make sure he wasn't sick, so he's not sure why Max was looking at the one behind Jake's head. If none of the others pinged him for sickness, this one sure wouldn't.

Although, it might be an excellent excuse to get out of having to make another jump. Jake might be able to live with that.

Max frowns now, concerned. "Are you sure? Do you need to go to see the doctors on base?"

He already did that, and it did nothing for him. Jake sighs, shaking his head. "No, I just want to get this over with."

Max deflates a bit, as if saddened by that. Tommy is still staring at his twin, worriedly while Norm rubs at the back of his neck, as if suddenly uncomfortable. Jake sends Tommy a look that he's sent to his younger brother enough times to last them both ten lifetimes and a small shake of the head. Tommy's face suddenly looks stricken, face crumbling a bit, before he looks away, chin dropping to his chest.

Jake's shoulders droop immediately in regret but Max, carefully is ushering them along back into the same room where all the Avatar pods are for them to use. Jake watches sadly as Tommy quietly makes his way over to his pod and hops in, not looking at Jake as he lowers the chest piece down on himself without a word. Jake sighs, rubbing at his forehead and sighing, following behind Norm, who keeps glancing at him but doesn't get between the brothers and whatever just went down between them.

Max helps Tommy in, waiting until he's jumped into his avatar before moving over to help Norm do the same. Once it's Jake's turn, Max hesitates before closing the lid on him, dark eyes scanning his face.

"Jake, are you sure that you're okay?"

Jake nods, staring up at the light above him. "I'm fine."

Max nods, not fighting the young man before lowering the lid on him once more. Jake takes a moment to school his features, knowing that there was a little camera pointed at his face and he didn't want the pain in his chest to reflect upon his face. He didn't mean to upset his brother. He knows that look probably wasn't the right one to use, but Jake feels like he's paper thin. He can't worry about it. Tommy will understand.

Jake swallows, closing his eyes and clearing his mind. There is a blast of white light and then a tunnel of flashing colors, before Jake opens his eyes into his avatar body, to see the bill of his hat obscuring some of his vision. He moves up his hand and push the bill of the hat up to see Norm sitting on his bed with Tommy and Grace standing at the edge of the bed.

"Did it take a long time again?" Jake asks, figuring they wouldn't be standing over him as long as his transfer was instantaneous.

Norm, Tommy and Grace all turn to him. Tommy's face is twisted in worry, ears flattening against his skull, basically giving Jake his answer, even before Norm says, "Yeah, but it wasn't as long this time. It was about forty minutes this time. How do you feel?"

Jake sits up, shrugging. "Same as yesterday," he mumbles. Which... turns out to be true. His skin is just as sensitive today as it was yesterday. Jake flinches, reaching up a hand to pull down his hat as far as it will go, trying to shake away the grimace on his face at the sensation rolling across his skin. He pulls his legs up a bit and carefully rests his arms on his knees, barely looking around at the people surrounding him.

"Well enough to keep going for the day?" Grace asks, resting her hands onto her hips.

Jake nods, figuring that whatever was wrong with him wasn't worth mentioning again. There was nothing that they could do yesterday, what are they going to do today? He nods in agreement, moving to climb off the bed, ready to do whatever it is that is asked of him. Anything to get through this day faster.

For the next two weeks, Jake's life is a series of waking up early - if he sleeps at all that night, which he finds he can at least an hour or two more since starting to make the avatar dive - and tries to stomach food on the days that he can, before going through his Security duties, showering and lunch, before going to the labs to jump into his far too sensitive avatar to go through more of Grace's orders.

Quaritch is watching him. Jake can feel his eyes on him throughout most of his morning, every morning. Sometimes he pulls Jake aside to talk to him, and Jake doesn't really know what to say. All he's doing while in the labs is learning how to live with being over eight feet tall with a tail and new center of balance. Quaritch doesn't seem dissuaded, offering a pat on the shoulder and a smile before sending a confused Jake on his way back to whatever he was doing, whether it was going to get food or to work.

The time between Jake's jumps keep shortening, sometimes by minutes, anywhere between five and ten, and other times it remains stagnant. But it gets to the point where it takes Jake now about six minutes to make it to his avatar, but he can instantaneously return to his body afterward. The exhaustion following him never really lets up. He feels it bleeding between himself and his avatar - which is shocking considering it should technically be sleeping while he's not there, but then again, it's probably all mental at this point for his avatar and not physical like his real body.

His video diary is mostly just him robotically reiterating what he did that day before signing off. Not a lot of thoughts or feelings, and honestly, the longer this going on, the harder it is for Jake to look at his reflection on the screen. This tired, pale faced thing. Thankfully Tommy forgave him for the look, and they just moved on, and his attention turned back to everything that he was learning from Grace and Norm about Pandora and its biology and... whatever they start talking about the Jake just tunes out, unable to understand anyway.

Jake began taking his avatar to the obstacle course to try and make it work more of its energy, wondering if that would help with this lethargic feeling. These jam-packed days without break have finally offered him a few hours more a night than he's used to. Like three or four a night, which had eluded him for so long leading up to this. Maybe it'll help that not both aspects of his life are garbage feeling.

He's... not sure it's helping his avatar feel better, but it does give Jake a reason to get away from the lab crew. Molly - the nice care tech that was with him that first day -checks in on him often to make sure that he's okay, but he's able to assure her that he's the same as he always is. Grace spends most of her time back at the school - or, well, where the school will be - alternating between teaching her students and helping to oversee the school and ensure that it's proceeding as planned, so she's a rare sight in more recent days.

Like with his Security work, Jake is offered more and more freedom. He does what he needs with them, but is usually set free early, knowing that for the time being his duties are going to be with the Science Labs. But even when he makes his way to that side of the facility, Norm and Tommy are usually already in their avatar, going about their work, exploring and learning. They took to following around another Avatar named Carter, who was showing them the ropes while Jake was given a lot more freedom.

He's not a scientist, so he never had to learn any of that. And maybe people were respecting that he wasn't all that interested in it and didn't want to waste their time on someone who's reluctant to be there, or realized that he wasn't worth their time regardless, but thankfully it gives Jake the chance to be alone.

His skin never stopped being sensitive, dulling perhaps a bit to be able to function, but his senses chilled out to an acceptable level. He still has problems with touching things, but no longer can he hear blood flowing through people's veins in quiet rooms, which was a relief. Everything is still exceptionally sharp and borderline painful for certain things, loud noises, particularly pungent smells, but nothing that he can't just deal with. He just... tentatively had to figure out how to operate with a sensitive body. He's relatively okay. Nothing too sudden or too sharp and he can continue on relatively normally.

About a month in since having come to Pandora, the new arrivals, including Jake, Tommy and Norm finally get a day off. Two days a week just for themselves, now that they are settled into their jobs. Tommy and Norm invited Jake out to explore the facility for its recreational sights for the staff, but Jake declined, insisting that he was going to be busy. And despite him wanting to spend some time with Tommy without it having anything to do with being avatars and ecology and biology and whatever other ology stuff is brought up while they are working, but he can barely function.

Weeks of inadequate sleep and cycling between gorging himself quickly because he knows he needs to eat something and going days without eating has caught up enough with him that he just collapses into bed and doesn't get up at all for the whole two days. He intermittently slept his way through both of those days, not leaving his room to eat or interact with anyone. He would use the bathroom, drink from the faucet and go back to sleep. As much as he could. He would stare at the ceiling, daydream, or just stare up at his window to the perimeter beyond for hours, but he hardly left his bed if he could help it.

It finally happened. As he lay in bed the morning before work, knowing he was going to have to shower seeing as he's gone days without it, he dreaded moving and in that moment, Jake began to wonder if he was depressed. He shouldn't be. He is definitely in a better situation now than he's ever been in, so what was there to be depressed about? After dismissing that thought, Jake chocked this all up to just being tired. He's got to be adapting to Pandora at some point, right? The effects of cryosleep has to be wearing off soon, right? Tommy still sometimes can't stomach anything because of it, so it's not that strange that Jake can't sleep still, right?

Maybe Jake is just becoming an insomniac.

If anyone asked Tommy, he would say that Jake never slept back on Earth, which was true in part, but not for the reasons that Tommy would think. But Jake is such a light sleeper that he was always awake before Tommy even when he did sleep. Jake dimly wondered if Tommy ever saw him sleeping before. Surely if he just woke up and looked around instead of fully adjusting, he would see that Jake was alseep, right?

Probably.

But this is definitely cryosleep that did this to him. He could always fall asleep, just any small thing would wake him up. There's a big difference. Jake can't sleep here - at least not easily.

Despite how he feels, Jake crawls out of bed, dreading every moment of it, before heading to the shower to get ready for work. He ate breakfast, his stomach cramping at the thought but he knew he had to eat something seeing as he went two days without, and went through drills before being let go to the science lab. Once more, Tommy and Norm were already in their avatars by the time he got there, which is no surprise to Jake.

As he's making his way over to his pod, Max calls out to him from the other side of the room, waving him over.

Jake maneuvers through the computers and bustling about scientists, studying things through microscopes and pouring over data on the screens in front of them. "Hi Max," Jake says quietly once he's close enough.

Max smiles at him. "Good news, Jake. But first, how are you doing today? Did you enjoy your days off? Did you do anything fun?"

Jake shrugs, giving his head a little shake. "I just rested." Sort of.

Max smiles more, not finding anything wrong with what he said. "Yeah, first couple of months here are tough. It's a lot of hard work, but you'll get into the groove of it soon enough." Jake sure hopes so. "But I wanted to let you know that Grace approved of your request. She needs your help at the school, but you don't have to attend classes. You can just help with the construction and running errands, if that's still what you want."

Relief washes over Jake, and he nods. "Yes, please."

Max smiles, pleased. "We appreciate your help, Jake, really. Now go ahead and get to your avatar, the next Samson heading out to the school is loading up now and will be leaving in about an hour with you and a few other people. Make sure to grab everything you need and head over to the storage building off in Sector Three before the hour is up, okay? Try not to make them wait on you."

"Thank you, Max," Jake says as he nods, offering a thin smile to the other man, knowing that he had a lot to do with Jake getting out of going to the school. Sure, Grace no doubt didn't want him there to begin with, but these avatars are a huge investment for the company, and they expect them to be used. Now he's being used. Maybe not in the way that the company intended, but Jake's still using it.

Besides, Grace didn't need Jake. Grace needed Tommy. One Sully should be sufficient in helping a race of people learn basics like math and reading. Tommy will make friends and shine like Jake knows that he will, because it's what Tommy is good at. Meanwhile, Jake will do what he's best at.

Staying the hell out of the way.