chapter 11, enjoy.

(Sophia's POV)

"Norm…" I whisper, hands gently grasping his face "Norm? Can you hear me?"

He blinks, back arching off the bed in a low groan. I grab the cloth, soaking it in the cooler water and place it on his forehead.

"Norm, hey man, talk to me." Jake says, kneeling down beside the male.

Norm's eyes flicker open again, glancing at Jake and I tumbled off the bed as he swings, punching Jake in the nose.

"OH SHIT!" Jake yells.

The force of the punch had knocked Norm off the bed as well and I pause as a deep painful laugh echoed around the room. Jake was leaning against the wall holding his nose, Norm was face down, laughing like a mad man.

"Norm…?" I sigh, watching his head roll to me. Those eye flickering open, a soft grin on his lips

Jake sighs, wiping more blood off his nose "… Okay, I deserved that."

I couldn't help the bitter laughter that bubbles up, my knees curling up as the stress of the last few days broke. Hot tears stream down my face, my hands buried in my hair. I feel a hand on my ankle, Norm's weaker grip and cry harder.

(3rd person's POV)

"Hey Sophia, not that I'm ungrateful for you saving my life and all." Norm shifts on his wheel-chair "But uh, how did you convince the Ometikaya clan to give you the antidote?"

The whole table freezes, all faces turning to the woman in question. Sophia to her credit sets down her tray gently.

"Um... Well I wasn't awake for that part but I went to the clan to ask for the antidote, got the shit beaten out of me and after Manova saved me I had to do a test."

"A test?" Grace asks.

"Yeah, some sort of pick a bottle of liquid that isn't poisoned and if you win you get the antidote. I thought I drank the wrong one, but I guess that was all the commotion in the link room with dad." she shrugs.

"Well it wasn't that different for me. I mean I showed up after everything went down and kinda lied through my teeth to keep us both alive." he shrugs

Flashback

"HEY! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" Jake yells, a blade by his throat.

Sophia had fallen to the floor, Mo'at quickly rushing to her side.

"Sophia?!" her hands hover over the girl, a slow trail of blood rolling from her nose "Bring me my medicine bag! I need bandages, wraps, my medications." her eyes flicker to Eytukan in fury "This is not how we treat our young my love."

"She is not of our people!" Tsu'tey growls.

Mo'at moves, her hands hovering over the flickering soul in this body "She passed the test Tsu'tey, she will be."

"HEY!" The outsider yells, struggling in his grasp as Neytiri moves closer to her mother

"QUIET!"

"How can I help?" she asks as people move bowls of pungent brown liquid and large pieces of leaves around them.

"We need to get this stuff off her."she states, pulling at her clothes in annoyance.

Neytiri pulls her blade, making quick work of Sophia's shirt as Mo'at examines her flesh, the dark bruising wasn't looking good.

"Hey! Get away from her!"

Tsu'tey chuckles angrily "I thought this demon said her brother was poisoned? This moron sees fine!" Eytukan glances at the outsider as well "Five minutes in and they are already lying."

"What are you saying? Speak English!" Jake snaps

"Oh! Now he doesn't even speak the language of the people! Do their lies know no bounds my chieftain!" Tsu'tey sighs "I should kill them where they stand!"

"NO! TSU'TEY!" Neytiri had moved, pushing herself between her intended mate and the outsider, another Navi was helping mother "YOU CAN NOT KILL HIM!"

"WHY NOT? LOOK AT HIM! IT WOULD BE EASY!" he growls, yet Neytiri shoved him back

"THERE HAS BEEN A SIGN." Neytiri says, switching to English "I was going to kill him earlier and Eywa stopped me."

"Eywa? Who's Eywa?" Jake asks only to ignored again

"Neytiri! Come child!" Mo'at snaps

Neytiri grabs the basket of cloth and herbs and shoves Tsu'tey back a step "Stay! I can not be in two places at once and you have done more than enough!"

Jake licks his lips "Look, I...I don't know all that fancy native talk okay?" his eyes flicker to Sophia before wincing "I... I fell out of a tree a couple years ago and forgot everything."

Even Mo'at in her haste to help Sophia looks at him oddly.

"What is your name?" Mo'at finally asks.

"Uh, Jake. Jake Sulley."

"Why have you come here?"

"I came because Sophia's here. And I don't want to let family go in to enemy territory alone." Jake spits some bloodied saliva on the ground "It's basic training 101."

"Training? Are we saying he's some kind of warrior?!" Tsu'tey chuckles in disbelief

"I was a marine." Jake eyes Sophia, smiling a little when Manova stands beside him "A Warrior, of the Jar-head clan."

"Let me test his skills!" Tsu'tey tries again, only for Eytukan to stop him

"No! if he is family than we need him conscious." Eytukan steps forwards "Jake Soo-ley. Sophia came here looking for a cure."

"Yeah," Jake nods "Norm saved my life, but he's very sick."

His head tilts "You are a very unusual family."

Jake smiles softly "Well, were... adopted."

"Adopted?" he asks but the others shrug in confusion "Explain this word."

"Adopted." He rubs his neck "It's... a family brought together by choice, not blood." he chuckles softly "We're a bunch of miss-fits you know? We don't always see eye to eye, but we only have each other." he eyes Sophia "We do what we have to to keep each other safe."

His fingers lifts, gently petting Manova's head, the large cat glares at the people around her.

Tsu'tey's face shifts, stepping closer to his leader "My chieftain please, this is not the way."

"Tsu'tey," he says softly

"This is not what was promised to me!" he tries again "Neytiri was supposed to be mine! I have already lost Sylwanin and now I'm supposed to be-"

Eytukan lifts a hand "Enough!"

"But-"

"I said enough!" Tsu'tey hisses in anger, turning away from the group.

(Sophia's POV)

"Would have been better if I spoke the damn language," he chuckles "but I kinda pretended I was your older brother. Eytukan needed a family member to give permission on the whole thing."

"Permission?"

I'd be lying if I said I'd missed Graces increasingly suspicious face. Jake however seemed to be in his own little world, shoveling more fruit cobbler in his mouth.

He snorts "Yeah, something about Sophia agreeing to the trade before hand. I mean I don't know all the details as most of it was spoke in Na'vi, but that Tsu'tey character was pissed." he sends me a wink "I mean now he has three dream walkers in his home so I see why."

"Jake." all eyes snap to Grace, a level of seriousness in her voice I hadn't heard in a long time "I need you to go deep into that empty head of yours and focus. "What kind of agreement did Eytukan say."

"Grace, I just said I don't speak-"

"Try. Ball-park it."

"Grace?" Jake's head shifts

"Mom?" I add, also growing concerned.

"Now Marine."

Jake sets down his fruit cup "uh... adda... adka... adkawanta or something like that?""

"Adkanata? Adkanata ramadanada?!"

"Yeah!" Jake snaps "That's it!"

I didn't think it was possible for Grace to grow paler "Oh god..."

"Grace... Grace!" I grab her hand "Mom!"

She blinks, dropping her fork "Damn it Marine! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"What?" Jake laughs

"They weren't asking for your permission as a brother! They were asking as a next of kin! Because only the men in the family have the right to give away a daughter!"

I had a sinking feeling deep in my gut "Mom... what are you talking about."

Grace sighs "Sophia that test you did wasn't to see if you were worthy of the antidote, it was to see if you were worthy of Eywa's gift." I set down my fork "You two bargained a cure for a title."

"No." Max whispers.

"Yes." Grace sighs

I couldn't help the nervous chuckle that leaves my lips.

"A what?"

"A title." Grace repeats, all eyes snapping to me "Sophia will become the next Tsahìk, or she'll die trying."

"Grace I-I can't be the Siheek, Neytiri is the next Tsahìk." I stand "I mean I'm-"

An outsider.

flashback

"That is why…" she trails off. Her hand lifts moments later, fingers snapping together loudly "Bring me the items for the trial of souls."

"What?!" Tsu'tey snaps

"Mother!" Neytiri says, glaring at me as Manova steps up beside me.

I lean on her gratefully, sitting on her long frame with a wince.

"Mo'at, you can't be serious!" Eytukan hisses.

"She is showing the signs!" Mo'at hisses back

"She is an outsider! She can not take the trail!" Tsu'tey hisses

"EYWA HAS SPOKEN!" she roars, glaring at all three "You cannot ignore the wishes of our great mother."

"OH MY GOD!" I grab my head "OH MY GOD!" my eyes snap to Jake
"That's why Tsu'tey was so angry! He was trying to stop-"

I couldn't say 'our engagement.' out-loud.

"Kid?" Dad's voice echoed front my left, I turn to see him setting down his tray of food and struggle to breathe.

"Sophia?" Grace says, standing up.

"Soph?" Max tries also rising.

"Sophia talk to me." Dad tries not more than seven steps from me and I do the only thing I can.

I scream.

I scream, running from the mess hall, already hearing the thunder of feet behind me.

"Sophia stop!" Grace tries

"Kid come back!" Dad tires.

I shove a few people out of the way, opening the doors and tumble into the hall. I manage to hold my footing, hitting the wall and scream again, running down the walk-way.

"Sophia?" A few doctors spin, clearly confused.

I scream again, running up the stairs to the second floor and take a left. At this point I wasn't even sure where I was going, I was just running.

I see two guards before me, taking a hard right and slide under there feet and into the open door. I turn, shoving the door closed. I shove a large wrench in the handle and jump back when they slam their fists against it. I back up for steps, seeing the door to my left open and run again.

"GO AWAY!" I scream, running along the platform leading to the hangers

"Sophia! Stop!" a guard screams, coming from my right.

"GO AWAY!"

"Sophia you can't go out there without a mask!"

I force my way through another door, the alarms now sounding around me. Despite the warnings I couldn't stop myself, the sickly sweet air filling my lungs but I keep running, down the platform.

RUN.
RUN!
RUN!

And scream when a pair of arms wrap around me, stopping my sheer drop off the platform before me. Dad had run through the base, propelling himself up two levels with the help of Lyle in a war rig and barely caught me. We spin, strong arms pinning me to a firm chest and cough, my head spinning.

"No!" I scream, hands forcing away what I only realize later was a mask on my face "Go away!"

It was too much! This was all too much!

"Sophia! Sophia stop!" Dad yells, hand moving the mask back.

"No!" I scream

"You're alright." he tries again.

I kick my legs, trying to break out of his grasp and feel his longer ones wrap around mine.

"LET ME GO!"

"Trust me kid!" Dad drops the mask when my hands try to claw down his face "Papa's right here." his hands grip my wrists, wrapping my arms in a tight X and pins me with one arm.

"No!" I sob "No!"

"Just breathe for me." he slowly begins to rock me "… Just breathe kid…" the mask is back on, the steady stream of air filling my lungs as we continue to rock "In and out. In and out, that's it…." I curl my fists, my legs going limp, his lips whispering in my ear "Nothing else matters. Just breathe…"

I see mom and Max running down the platform, Lyle in a large war machine on my left and lean into dads comforting embrace as my world goes black.

"Papa bears here now…"

..

..

That gentle hum was back, a comforting warmth holding my body. I could hear voices yelling in the distance. I think it was dad's.

"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING I NEEDED TO KNOW AUGUSTINE?!"

Yeah, that was definitely dad.

"We just found out ourselves Ranger Rick. I don't like this anymore than you do!"

"SHE ALMOST DIED! SOPHIA ALMOST DIED AUGUSTINE! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM HER?!"

"IT WAS A PANIC RESPONSE!"

"TO YOUR DAMN PROGRAM!"

I turn off the heat monitor and pull the leads off my chest.

"Okay, you need to muzzle your dog," mom growls most likely to Parker.

I remove the two lines of fluid from my arms with a hiss as Parker sighs.

"Grace, its one thing to try and build metaphorical trust bridges but head-quarters is never going to approve a child marriage!"

"It is not a child-marriage, she is seventeen Selfridge!"

I force my feet to the floor, making my way to the door. I could see the six of them standing there. Dad, Grace, Parker, max, Norm and Jake -the last two were still in there respective wheel-chairs

"If you think I'm gonna let you offer up my daughter like some god-damn fruit plate you're dumber than you look." dad growls

"This isn't something you can just walk away from," Grace sighs "This isn't some bar bet made over whiskey and hockey for Christ-sakes! Its a deal, one Sophia made weather we like it or not Ranger Rick."

All heads turn as the lab door hisses open, I pause in the doorway.

"Shouldn't this discussion include me?"

"Kid!" Dad was already moving, pulling me into a tight hug and I can't help but burry my head in his shirt. That familiar body wash soothing my frazzled nerves. My fingers wrap around his back "I can not lose you in this hell hole."

"I'm sorry…" I whisper, tears rimming my eyes.

He places a kiss on my brown hair before pulling back to look in my eyes "You are the only decent thing in my life kid, don't you ever do something like that again you hear me?" his grip tightens slightly "You hear me?"

"Yes sir." I nod, his thumb wiping away a stray tear.

When I step back, wiping away another few he grabs my hands, twisting my wrist when he sees the small trail of blood rolling down my arm and lifts my sleeve.

"It's just from the I.V., I'm fine..." I whisper, holding his hand in place.

"Could you do one thing without scaring us?" Grace sighs, the sound of plastic ripping hits the air "Seriously Sophia…" she dabs my wounds with a sterile cloth "Hold this." I do, wincing as she shines a light over my eyes "How are you feeling? Any dizziness? Pain?"

"No, I'm just jumpy…." I lick my dry lips, and smile when Max hands me a bottle of water.

"Hey Superstar," Parker smiles, sadness in his gaze.

"Hi Parker."

He leans against the table, folding his arms "Crazy past few days huh? How you doing?"

My mouth opens and shuts, my brain refusing to process what happened.

"I'm alive." The simple words were enough to bring tears to my eyes. I chuckle painfully, hot tears stream down my cheeks "… God this is so messed up!" I suck in a shuttering breath "I made everything so much worse…"

Dad holds my shoulder as I wipe away a few tears "Though I now understand why Tsu'tey tried to kill Norm."

Norms face shifts "Tsu'tey tried to kill me?!"

"You were unconscious," Jake smiles softly "Sophia kept you safe though."

I sit on a chair max offered. Dad had moved behind me, arm draped over my shoulder as I refused to release his hand. His left hand grips my shoulder firmly.

"So what do we do now?" Dad asks

"I don't know," Grace sighs, genuine exhaustion mares her features "Like Sophia said, this whole thing is messed up."

"How does this even work?" Norm asks "I mean I get there's aspects of their culture that we will never understand, but isn't there rules against outsiders running a clan?"

Grace sighs, taking a sip of coffee from a thermos "Mo'at wouldn't have tested Sophia if there wasn't merit. She had to see something that not even we can see."

Dad smirks, annoyance plastered on his face "Okay, what the hell have you guys been smoking out there?"

"Quaritch!"

"Dad!"

"I'm just saying! This would all be over in an day if you just let me do things my way."

"Hell will freeze over before I let you do things your way!" Grace yells

"Guys." I try

"If your telling me those tree hugging monkeys are a threat to my child!" he pokes his chest "I have a duty to protect my own!"

"Your duty will put thousands of people in the ground!"

They were face to face now, Dad towering over mom like a brute, a vindictive grin on his face

"Well at least I'd be efficient."

"STOP FIGHTING!" I shout, grabbing my head "STOP IT!" more tears spill down my face "ALL YOU TWO EVER DO IS FIGHT! I CAN'T LISTEN TO IT ANYMORE!"

"Yeah I agree with her," Parker sighs "this bickering isn't helping anyone."

I bury my face in my hands, wanting this entire thing to be over already.

"I just want to stop fighting… we just need to stop fighting!"

"This isn't about you two-its about Sophia! She's in this now, which means we're in this. All of us. We're family now, science and military. And if we have any hope of surviving this, you two need to put your differences aside and work together."

Read and Review, peace.