Your days remained relatively unchanged in the passing weeks since you mated, but you started your days being held by either Ronal or Tonowari. Mostly you were cuddled by Tonowari, since Ronal's stomach was starting to get in her way and made sleep uncomfortable. The Olo'eyktan was actually a big teddy bear and could only fall asleep holding either you or Ronal. He was slow to wake, needing time to stretch and lay there while he woke up gradually, and on the other hand Ronal woke easily and started her day immediately. She chose not to just lay there like the two of you did, instead taking the time to pick the clothing she would wear.

Ronal spent time preparing small mixtures for her nausea, and would welcome both you and Tonowari to the waking world with a kiss when you two finally decided to get up.

In the mornings you would yawn while you cooked with Tonowari, the Olo'eyktan was adept at making niktsyey for Tsireya and Ao'nung to take with them as little snacks to eat on the go. He chose to fill the wraps with tuber like vegetables and whatever meat that was on hand, most times it was fish but every now and then he would get hold of other proteins much to your enjoyment.

You never had the taste for seafood, but recently the smell of the damn thing was enough to run you out of the mauri. To the point that Tonowari would make time once a week to go hunting in the forest with either Jake or Neytiri to get you fresher meats, just so that you could stomach your meals. He would always be so worried when the stench of cooked fish made you vomit, but you reassured him that all it took was one bad meal prepared by Jake and any of that food would seem gross.

Though if anyone were to ask your brother then he would throw you under the bus, saying you were one of the pickiest eaters he ever met. Which you thought was terribly hypocritical, since he was the type of guy to eat only cheap ass burritos and pizzas when you two lived on Earth. It didn't help that there weren't a lot of vegetable options for people to eat seeing as only the powerful, rich, and elite had the means to buy fresh vegetables instead of having to eat vitamin filled slurries.

The food on Pandora was something from your wildest dreams, and you thoroughly enjoyed the fresh fruits and vegetables that were available to you now. You loved eating fresh meats instead of processed shit in a bag or tube, so it was really dampening your spirits to not be able to fully enjoy your meals anymore. Something would trigger your gag reflex in some way, be it a texture, taste, or smell. Causing you to get violently sick and puking your guts up.

Ronal kept an eye on you whenever you were sick, but since you had only recently been sick when fish was cooked she wasn't concerned. In fact she rather disliked the smell as well, and would join you in your misery when Tonowari cooked fish. And you being a sympathy puker, could only vomit more when Ronal could hold in her sickness no longer.

Both of you exasperated Tonowari to no end, but like a good mate he was there to hold both your braids and Ronal's hair back when either or both of you vomited.

After breakfast antics, you would spend the majority of the day with Ronal before departing at eclipse to visit your brother. Jake and Neytiri asked often about your new life and how you were adjusting to it. Neytiri hovered about you, clearly missing you but happy that you had the chance to be in a family. You would laugh and joke with your sister-in-law about mated life, and Jake would beg you to stop whenever your conversations got too close to bedroom topics.

No matter how old you were, Jake would never want to hear about what his innocent little sister got up to in bed. It was just something that utterly grossed him out and you found that to be a little unfair considering the sheer amount of times that you had accidentally come across him and Neytiri in intimate moments.

Then after a late lunch, where you would see the kids and talk to them about their days, you would leave for your home.

Sometimes you would stop and talk to some of the Metkayina on your way back home. You had been a bit salty, at first, that the way that the Metkayina treated you and the Sully family changed only after you mated with their leaders. You felt that your ties to Awa'atlu shouldn't have been contingent on mating into the Metkayina, but you would move past that if only for the sake of the fragile peace that came in the wake of Lo'ak's unfortunate hunting trip.

You would chat with some of the younger adults, those closer to you in age, and more often then not the children of Awa'atlu loved to swarm you. They found your differences amazing, and while they got along with Tuk and the others, they did like to bother you in particular. You didn't mind it and often talked to any that came to you, sometimes for advice or sometimes just for the sake of talking.

Often, you would see Tonowari on your way home. The Olo'eyktan made his own rounds through the village, checking in on the progress of young soon to be hunters and warriors. When he saw you, he would beckon you over so that you may walk with him. Tonowari was proud to show you to the other warriors and hunters, his strong arm would wrap around your waist and fingers resting against your naval. Whenever he caught you, he would walk you home after his errands where he would then spend time combing through your hair.

He lovingly would take the headpiece from your hair and set it aside before combing through your hair with a comb made from an akula's bone. You practically melted when Tonowari did your hair, sometimes braiding the entire length of your hair in one big braid, or giving you smaller braids to sleep in so that when he unbound them your hair would curl.

When it was Ronal that you saw on your way home, she would hold your hand and take her time walking back. Often asking you how your lunch went with your brother's family, and you appreciated her willingness to try since Ronal still felt on edge with the Sully family around. Though, while still apprehensive Ronal learned to see the Sully family being in Awa'atlu as a gift, because without them she would have never met you. Though she had confided with you that she was worried that whatever your family were running from would follow you here.

Which was a legitimate concern that you had as well, knowing that Quaritch would never give up. Not as long as you were alive, and not as long as Jake was alive. Until all of your bloodline was killed, you knew that he would come back time and time again to kill you off.

But for now, Ronal was content with the Sully family being there, and that was all that mattered to you.

She seemed a little interested in the progress of the children's learning of the Metkayina way of life, and approved at the way that both Neteyam and Lo'ak were being so helpful with the hunters. And she didn't mind when Kiri and Tuk became little followers some days, coming with you and Ronal as you both gathered more supplies for her stockpile.

And when you were home with her, she would do her best to bridge the gap between you and Ao'nung. At first it was hard to spend time with Ao'nung, much to his shame and his parents' disappointment. You tried you best, knowing that children would make mistakes both big and small, but it was hard knowing that he had willing left Lo'ak in unfamiliar waters. All because he was different, had human blood coursing through his veins. Despite your misgivings, you did you best to grit your teeth and get along with the young boy.

For the most part, he was ashamed of his actions and that soothed your anger more than you thought it would. Ao'nung would help you with any little chore you were working on, be it sewing patches in the family's clothing or weaving together rope for nets to fish with. He sought your forgiveness, but as long as Lo'ak forgave him then you would learn to deal with your feelings.

Eventually you looked forwards to the time that both he and Tsireya would join you at the end of the day with your menial tasks, you would talk to them about their days and once or twice you sang to them your songcord. When you did sing your songcord, Ronal and Tonowari would quiet down so that they could listen to your life.

Both Tsireya and Ao'nung would press themselves close to you as you worked and sang.

"I experience my siblings,

Two mighty brothers, together in birth.

Bringing to me, great love and joy,

One gone, but not forgotten.

We honor his life.

We honor his life."

Around you, Ronal and Tonowari would stop what they were doing.

"I open my heart, to my new home,

Land in the stars, an unexpected light.

The People welcome me, into their hearts,

A second birth, a second life.

A new beginning.

A new beginning."

You found that their favorite part of your songcord was when you sang of Awa'atlu, and how you found the waters to be more welcoming than you first expected. It was the latest part of your songcord, and you took great care in stringing sea glass and whirling shells onto the string. The contrast between the more oceanic materials and the forest beads and bone was visually appealing to you.

"Hello, and welcome, my dear mates,

A beautiful family, expanding with love.

I experience love, deeper than the seas,

Days and nights filled with light.

Filled with love,

Filled with life."

To you, it felt like you truly had a chance to live, and if the rest of your life was like this then you would have no complaints. So you slept each night comfortably in the arms of your mates, enjoying the time you had. Finally feeling some sense of normalcy and experiencing a true, intimate relationship with the People that didn't come as a result of being the sister of Toruk Makto.

You were so very happy, and never wanted this to end.

But in the back of your mind, you never once forgot the threat that lay over the horizon.

"Are you sure you are okay, ma tsmuke?" Neytiri asked you.

It was one of the rare days in which you were able to spend the majority of your day with your brother and his family since you moved out over a month ago. You made it a point that you were to visit them, and it was something that was not negotiable to you. When Ronal or Tonowari pouted at the thought of you leaving in the morning to return later in the night, you huffed at them that Sully's stick together. And even though you were now mated to them, you would always find time for the precious family that you spent so much time caring and loving for.

While it didn't make them happy, neither Ronal or Tonowari would deny you the right to spend time with the Sully's.

And in your once a week daily visit, Neytiri would catch up with you the most since during your daily lunches with them you would focus a lot on the children and their recent exploits. You and her would spend the day weaving new clothing and cooking the food that Neytiri caught from hunting the day before. Which lead you to where you were now, throwing up the contents of your breakfast after the smell of cooking meat finally became too much for you to handle.

You wiped your mouth and spat into the reef, trying to get the rancid taste of bile out of your mouth.

"Yes, I'm sure. I just- just don't like the smell of sturmbeest cooking anymore," you responded to her, "It turns my stomach into knots."

She rolled her eyes and guided you back into the mauri, her hand rubbing your back as you gagged at the smell of the food cooking in plant leaves. Neytiri hissed in warning, telling you that if you were to vomit then to go back outside but you took big gulps of air from your mouth, trying to calm your stomach.

"Ahhh yes, because all of the sudden you detest the thought of your favorite foods, therefore you must not be sick," she sassed at you.

You pouted at her, "If I wanted to be made fun of, I would have went to see Jake or Kiri."

She rolled her eyes at you, reaching past you to grab a bowl before thrusting it into your hands with a quick order to vomit there if you can't make it outside in time. You huffed but held onto it nonetheless, knowing damn well that if you threw up on her woven rugs she would hit you. Neytiri's hand left you as she moved to flip the cooking sturmbeest, and you sat, bringing your knees to you chest while cradling the bowl.

"Either way, you've been sick too many times for this to be healthy. I think you should ask the Tsahik to check on you, Eywa only knows why she hasn't yet," Neytiri grumbled at the end.

"It's only been just recently since this started, I'm okay," you protested. You felt a bit better and tried to set the bowl away from you, to which Neytiri hissed at you to keep it near you.

"Skxawng, you and ma'Jake are too similar sometimes, so stubborn like a baby," the other woman commented, "One more week and I will drag you to Ronal myself."

"Yes mom, whatever you say mom," you sassed her and she chuckled at that.

Neytiri shook her head, "Yes, very much like a baby indeed."

You smiled at her, and in return she whipped at you with her tail and you hissed when the thin appendage managed to smack you across the chest. Rubbing at your chest you sighed, you were terribly sore there and was looking forwards for that feeling to go away soon. Next to you Neytiri watched you with a close eye, her expression was searching for something and you looked at her in question.

Before you could ask what was going on, her eyes widened and ears flattened against her head. Neytiri had a shocked expression on her face before it fell into a determined look, and you were a bit surprised when she abandoned the food cooking, and reached for you. She swatted at you when you tried to shy away from her touch.

"Hey, hey! Stop that!" you reprimanded her, but Neytiri was not one to be deterred.

She poked and prodded at your chest, the soreness flaring when she pushed roughly on the sides of your breasts and a warm hand pressing against your abdomen. Neytiri pressed her hand incessantly on your stomach, before a wide smile broke out across her face. Her eyes were full of emotion and she reached out to hug you and brought you into her space.

"Oh Great Mother, Great Mother," Neytiri praised as she hugged you, "Thank you for your blessings, for this parul."

You frowned, feeling very much left out of the loop, and pushed at her until you wiggled out of her embrace. "Neytiri... what in the word are you talking about?" you asked her, "What in the fresh hell are you talking about?"

Neytiri rolled her eyes in exasperation at you, "You were a healer amongst humans, and yet you cannot see what is happening within your own body?"

"What?" you asked dumbly.

"Eywa preserve me," she mumbled before grabbing you by the shoulders and shaking you lightly, "You. Are. With. Child."

It was like the gears in your brain stopped working, and you started at her with half lidded eyes waiting for the punch line of her joke. When it was apparent that you didn't quite understand her, she hissed and threw her hands in the air in frustration. "You are just like your brother! Not believing you are to be a parent," Neytiri groaned, going back to her task of flipping the food cooking on the fire.

You just sat there with your jaw slackened as Neytiri hummed to herself, mind racing as you tried to process what she had told you.

A child? A baby? So soon?

It wasn't something that you thought would come so soon, as you were still settling into your place within the family. You still tried to do your best in a parental role to both Ao'nung and Tsireya, and worried incessantly when it came to Ronal's baby. Mainly about what it meant to be a parent to a newborn. It had been a while since any of Jake's children had been babies, and even then you only doted on them instead of actively raising them.

Raising a child was a hard task, and instead of supporting the tired parents you were gonna be a tired parent instead.

"A baby? I'm going to have a baby?" you asked.

Neytiri looked over to you, eyes softening at the way you cupped your still flat stomach tenderly. She remembered what it was like to learn she was pregnant with Neteyam, and how she realized that she had been pregnant during the battle against the Sky People. That fear that crept in her spine at the thought of having a baby during a time of fear and strife was a feeling that took a while to be able to digest. Neytiri had been afraid that she would not be a good parent, and that she would somehow fail her baby.

She could see it in your eyes, that same fear of not being enough to bring a child into a world with the threat of the Sky People hanging overhead. "Yes," she answered, "You have been blessed by Eywa. It is early now, but there is no mistaking the fact that you are with child."

Now that you could wrap your head around the fact that you were pregnant, you squashed down your uncertainty and fear, emboldened by the proof of your love for Ronal and Tonowari burning bright in your abdomen. "A baby-I'm pregnant, Neytiri!" you jumped up with joy in your heart, "I'm gonna have a baby!"

Your sister-in-law rolled her eyes, but smiled at your enthusiasm nonetheless. "Yes, yes, you are tsmuke. I just said-" you cut her off with a squeal.

"I-I have to go tell Ronal and Tonowari!" you said, giddy with excitement to the point that your tail was swishing almost violently.

"Go, go," Neytiri ushered you out, "Out! I've had enough of you for today!"

You gave her a big smile, as you headed out. Not sure where to start you vocalized deep in your throat for an ilu, diving into the water effortlessly and gliding into the saddle that was on it already. You made tsaheylu easily and took off around the reef.

If you remembered right, Ronal and Tonowari spent the days you went to the Sully mauri by joining the rest of the clan in preparation of a large communal dinner that was hosted at least once a week. Tonowari spearheaded the actual cooking alongside many of the older Metkayina, while Ronal would help with the preparation of ingredients by cutting up meat and vegetables or descaling fish.

At most there would be ten other helpers in addition to the fifteen people that already had roles for the dinner's prep that could pick up any slack, when or if anyone had to leave early, so it wasn't like either had to stay the entire duration of the cooking. Though often they chose to stay the entire duration since they held such prominent roles in the clan.

You stayed near the surface of the reef, asking different members if they had seen either the Tsahik or Olo'eyktan and you followed their directions happily when they would point you in a direction. The ilu under you easily maneuvering through the reef looking for either of your mates, and you grinned when you spotted Tonowari and some other fishermen in the shallows on the other end of the reef under the shade of the Mother Tree. He had his back turned to you, as he cast out the nets he was holding onto.

The splashing of your ilu gained his attention as the fish he was trying to catch was scared away, and the smile he gave you made your heart beat a little faster. That burn that you have become so acquainted to came back in full force as you got close to his side only for him to scoop you off your saddle, sending the ilu on its way back to Awa'atlu.

"Hello there yawne, I thought you were visiting Toruk Makto and his family today," his voice rumbled as he held you in his arms.

You smiled up at him, "I was, but I have some news! Have you seen Ronal?"

Tonowari shook his head, "She went with Ta'uwey and Akveyi to go diving for some different mussels, but I'm sure we can find her." He wrapped an arm round your waist as he handed off the net to another fisherman before guiding you to the beach. "Is it so important that we get her immediately?" and you shook your head.

"No, I guess not but I would like to tell her now also," you said, but you also wanted to tell him.

Not being good at keeping secrets, you wiggle anxiously in his hold trying to not spill the secret immediately. Seeing your anxiousness, Tonowari steered you into the shade of the Mother Tree away from the prying eyes of others. "Ma'yawne, what is the matter? Is it bad news?" he held your head in his hands, his blue eyes staring straight into your yellow ones.

Your tail twisted around your leg uncomfortably, as you tried to find the right words to say. A part of you wanted to wait until you had Ronal and Tonowari in the same place, but news like this wasn't something that you could easily keep in. You were always a little terrible in keeping good news to yourself, and it showed. "No! It's good news, well great news! It's just...I-I" you struggled to speak up, "I'm pregnant Tonowari!"

Tonowari's eyes widened and instead of the hesitant reaction like you had earlier, a joyous smile spread across his face. He looked radiant and wasted no time in picking you up to hold close to him. The Olo'eyktan laughed happily as he spun the two of you around, "This is kosman! My sweet mate you have made me a father again!" He kissed the crown of your head, and stooped down to kiss your lips.

He stole your breath away, kissing you deeply before releasing you. His eyes falling to your still flat stomach and he reached down to lovingly run his thumb across your dark blue skin. "This is cause for celebration, come let us find Ronal and bring the good news to the People," Tonowari grinned at you, causing you to laugh as well. He held your hand in his and brought you with him to go find your other mate to tell her the good news.

When you had the chance to tell Ronal, you swore you could see stars in her eyes and she praised Eywa for the blessing that had been bestowed upon you. Ronal was pleased with the idea that the child growing in her stomach would have a sibling close in age to play with. She fretted over the dinner being served that night, making sure that there was food that you weren't overly sensitive to. While Tonowari stayed close to you for the rest of the day, keeping himself near you in the case that you needed something.

Both of your mates smothered you with love and affection as they announced to the tribe, to their own children in attendance, that you were carrying their next child. And the accumulated people cheered, accepting of the fact that you were to carry the child of the Olo'eyktan and Tsahik. They made merry easily, partying well after the actual dinner had been served to the people.

Later that night you added another bead to your songcord, to signify the baby you now carried.

Niktsyey - Food wrap, food that has been wrapped in edible leaves or vines

Parul - Miracle

Tsmuke - Sister

Yawne - Beloved

Kosman - Wonderful, terrific, fantastic

Waytelem - Songcord

I really loved the songcord track, and thought that it was something I would want to incorporate into the story, but I don't fundamentally now Na'vi enough to write it in Na'vi. So english songcord lyrics for you. Also for some reason this chapter has been the hardest one to write, but after this it should be smooth sailing.