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Italics: (Na'vi language, or Metkayina sign language, and Jake's inner thoughts)

We're starting out with mild angst before we really get into the deep and complex stuff I have planned for the next couple of chapters. Im doing it gradually so Im not just angst dumping every chapter lmao this chapter is just a bit of a briefing :,)

Also, huge thanks to -tHeCoNfUsEdSiMp for once again helping me out with this chapter! I love you so much and it wouldn't have been possible without you! Everyone should go check out her Avatar story as well, it deserves so much love! :,) 🤍

As always, don't forget to comment and vote <3 I love reading and replying to all of your comments and they truly make my day 🤍 Without further ado, I hope you guys like it!
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It was about a couple days later when things seemed to be completely calm and peaceful for the Sully's.  You had officially moved into their hut, your last one was now completely empty and vacant, and now you were spending your days with your newfound family. You woke up alongside of them in the morning and went to sleep by their side as well. It was so fulfilling for you to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Jake for the kids and the feeling of providing that for your children was simply indescribable. It was surreal to think about you. You had a family, again. You got to start over surrounded with people that made you so happy and that you held close to your heart so dearly. Everything was so hard to believe.

Since you moved in, the kids have been so helpful and welcoming in every way. Every time they offered to help you when they noticed you doing even the simplest of tasks, your heart warmed. Every morning, Neteyam asked if you wanted to go hunting with him to get some stuff for the meals along the day, and you always complied happily. When it was just you and the oldest Sully out in the reef, you taught him tricks on things like how to hunt without the fish noticing you're there and they don't escape, taught him how to use different hunting tools, and even after a lot of insisting towards Jake and Tonowari, they finally let you give Neteyam one lesson on how to mount a Skimwing, so that he can get used to one until he can ride one when he's older. Once you had gotten approval to teach him, you and Neteyam had turned to one another and cheered silently as Jake and Tonowari walked away.

A Tsurak was a warriors mount and for Neteyam, he was well on his way into becoming one. You didn't have him ride a fully grown Tsurak yet, but one that was fitted for a teen like him. He had quickly managed to pick up the specific way of how to ride one and it was really impressive. When he successfully rode it with no errors, he swam back to you and you embraced him in a hug as he kept telling you how he couldn't believe he did it, but you reassured him that it was real. He had done it. Jake had told you that his son had many feats back at the forest, which included being the youngest of the Omaticaya to make a clean kill and also succeeded in his Iknimaya, taming a mountain Ikran, on his very first try. He was very skilled, and when you heard of those stories, it didn't surprise you how much of a natural he was in learning the ways of the Omaticaya. It was astonishing. For you, you vividly remember when you first learnt to ride one, and it was just around his age too. You had given the boy separate lessons in the mornings the last couple of days and you got to know how humble and kind this boy was. He was so mature for his age and admired how brave and courageous he was. He is always so eager to learn and you truly admired him. You were sure that he would surely grow up to be a great warrior and a great role model for his siblings and everyone around him.

As for Kiri, your deep connection with her just intensified and grew every day. You realized that Kiri just needs someone to talk to, more especially after hearing the type of connection she has with Eywa. She just needed somebody to hear her, and she came to you to do exactly that. She has a very compassionate and deep soul that sees this further than what meets the eye and you were thrilled to know that she has such a bond with Eywa, feeling her through everything around her, and that bond was unusual to many and even to the abilities of a Tsahik. You were trained to be the next one of your clan, so everything you heard from her, seems like nothing you've ever heard before. The last couple of days, she's been so willing to help you out around the home, and you and her even take some time in the afternoon to swim in the reef, and that's when her connection with her surroundings shined the most.

She really loved the ocean and you could see with how much he enjoyed being around sea creatures and the depths of the ocean. It was like she forgot everything around her and her focus went only to the surroundings she was in.
Kiri told you that she could trust you with these types of things because you were going to be Tsahik eventually and knew about these things, and her trust in you ran deep. You found it incredibly endearing when Jake told you that when she did her Iknimaya, she didn't tame her banshee by doing it the traditional way but by asking it to be her friend. You asked Kiri about it and she told you the story, and you couldn't help but mentally awe. She also told you how she's taught Tuk on how to honor the remains of wildlife like Ikrans and pay respect. She was such an honorable girl that he a point of view and perspective different from anyone you've ever met, and you promised her you'd be there every step of the way to help her figure out where her connection with Eywa ran, and why it happens. She couldn't have asked for anyone better and is very happy to have you.

And Lo'ak was a whole different story. You and him had grown such a beautiful bond together as mother and son, as well as a close confidant for one another. He trusted you deeply with many things. Whether it was to have talks with you when either Jake has failed to understand him, when he wants to tell someone about Payakan that really understands his friendship with the Tulkun, and just to rely on the deep seeded bond that has grown with you two over the last few months. He felt that you were able to understand him in a way that nobody has and he will never forget that. When he thought that after his mother passed, and he genuinely thought that no one listened to him, not even the closest people in his life, you came in and filled in that piece of the puzzle that he really needed. He no longer felt ignored, ridiculed, misunderstood, and felt like he could be himself. For the first time in his life, he felt heard and someone believed what he had to say, and not only that, but also joined him on his adventures. That was you. Just the fact that even when you've known him a few weeks, you stepped in and defended him and Neteyam without hesitation and you visited Payakan to meet him when anyone else wouldve told him he was crazy. He loved having you as his mom, and couldn't wait to share more moments with you and his families all together. Its all he truly wanted and wouldn't trade it for anything. You saw him as the son you've always wanted, along with Neteyam. Someone who wasn't just your son, but your friend. He was such an energetic boy, and even if he was rebellious, he was so strong-headed and sure of what he wanted. He's always looking to prove himself to be just like Jake, and a strong warrior like his brother. He just wants to live up to those standards and you've grown to see that over their time in the village. Jake was honestly grateful that you've been there to bring Lo'ak back to Earth when he wasn't there, albeit in a less harsh and tough love kind of way, and more in a gentle and comprehensive manner.

It was a different approach, but Lo'ak was slowly but surely starting to see what his dad sees and that he worries for him constantly because he loves him. Lo'ak's determination was even more noticeable when Jake told you the story about his Iknimaya. When trying to tame his Ikran, Lo'ak struggled a lot. Jake told you that he had considered intervening but Neytiri stopped him, telling her husband that danger was a part of it. However, Lo'ak did fail his Iknimaya for the first time, unlike his brother. In the middle of the rite of passage, Lo'ak got accidentally thrown off a cliff by his Ikran and fell from a great height, and lost consciousness. When he woke up, Jake told you how eager his son was to resume the failed attempt, but Jake told him that he will return to it another day. On his next attempt, Lo'ak had managed to tame another ikran, and Jake told you that the whole family takes a flight together, and the clan later celebrates Lo'ak's accomplishment. The story warmed your heart. Lo'ak never gives up and had such morals and ideals that he never gives up on. Its one of the things you love most about him. After Neytiri passed, losing more of his family continued to be in his mind, and the risk of losing his children, or even you, to the hands of Quaritch now that he was looking for the Sully's was even greater. But, Jake was starting to see sense too. Starting to see what his son is trying to tell him. Just like Lo'ak, Jake was very stubborn at times, and it seems Lo'ak got it from his dad. They're so similar that it worries Jake he will make the same mistakes. But as of now, things were finally changing. They're different now. For all of the Sully's.

And then comes Tuk. You and the youngest Sully have grown such a loving mother and daughter bond. Every day that passed after you started living officially with the Sully's, Tuk grew more attached by the hip to you. The little girl was always offering to help you around the hut, to go swimming in the reef with her since she was a free-diver in training by courtesy of Tsireya, and tucking herself close to you and Jake at night instead of her in own sleeping mat. She was such an open minded girl, always expressing her opinions and expressing her thoughts. You can still remember when the Sully's arrived at the village for the first time and she was the first of the family to be so open to get to know you, quickly growing a bond since then. She's so young, with so much to learn and to see from what the world has to offer. You've noticed that even despite her young age, she's always following after her siblings, even if the situation wasn't meant for someone as young as her, she was always there with an adventurous spirit and willing to go further than what her age depicts. She is very brave and doesn't buckle under scary and unpredictable situations, which she has already been through enough for a lifetime, which is something that no girl her age should have to experience. The more that you spend time with the Sully's, the easier it is to see how close Tuk is to Kiri and how much she looks up to her older sister. A lot of her traits, she gets from Jake, and it's something that slowly becomes more prominent. Much like Lo'ak, Tuk can be reckless by jumping into serious situations without a second thought and is also stubborn to an extent. Though, thoae traits don't always have to be seen as negative, like Lo'ak's traits that are very similar to her little sister's. They two of them are daring and courageous, open to anything that comes in their way.

Jake told you about many traits that Tuk has that you didn't know about, mostly about her kids' life in the forest. He told you that for Tuk, since she grew up close to a human base, the little girl is very used to experiencing cultures other than her own. You suddenly made the realization that what Jake told you must be the reason as to why Tuk was able to adapt so quickly and bond with the Metkayina and with other kids in the village her own age, blending in easily with the other reef kids. What you love most about Tuk is that she is just so full of love and completely open to the world that opens up to her, with no judgement at all. Still, she is very sensitive to her surroundings, and every time you've spent an afternoon with her, she has proven to be so attentive to everything around her. Just as Kiri calls her, you've gotten into the habit of calling Tuk, "Tuk-Tuk" which she loved. The girl also told you that once she came into the village, the first few days, Lo'ak ans Neteyam wanted to commemorate her experience by making her a new loincloth made out of dried seeds and seaweed. Now that you spend every day even closer to the family, you have grown to take into account how united they all are, how much the Sully siblings love each other, how deeply Jake cared for them, and how they were treating you with so much acceptance the before and after the moment you joined their family officially.

Those moments continued on for the next few days. You've gotten to know each and every one of them even better. You were in it until the end, for every argument, every problem, every flaw, and everything in between. Not only that, but its those little things and moments that made your new life that much better. There was the feeling of going to sleep and waking up next to Jake, all the while he held you close to him at night with his arms wrapped around your waist and as lulled you to sleep with sweet words, liberating you of any nightmares that previously plagued your mind. You can't recall the last time you had a haunting nightmare like the ones you used to have when you lived alone and hadn't gotten together with Jake, but now that you have, all of that was gone and you felt better than ever, starting to feel truly liberated that you didn't have to live with memories so full of agony and pain. You were happy.

And waking up by the happy laughs and chatter of your children every morning was a blessing to you. It's all you've ever wanted and you would never take that for granted. The dinners right before bed had become one of your favorite parts of the day, in which you got to hear what yours and Jake's kids had done that day and just laugh happily at the banter between the kids. You'd learned so much about them that you didn't know before now that you lived with them and got to know what they liked to do during the day and the people that they liked to spend their time with. In short, this life is one you never wanted to give up for anything and now, all you wanted was to watch the kids grow up and spend the rest of your days with Jake. You didn't want anything to change and you hoped nothing ever did.

Now, it was a new day. The kids were spending the afternoon in the hut of Tsireya and Ao'nung just hanging out, while you and Jake stayed back to prepare dinner for the kids. They were supposed to come back earlier in the day, but the rain prevented them from coming back home. No Metkayina was out of their huts. In the village, a sudden wave of rain and strong winds came around in the reef of Awa'atlu and also by neighboring islands that are nearby. Because of this, you and Jake had advised the kids to stay where they are and come back later, but if the rain didn't let up, then you and Jake would pick them up yourselves. You and Jake didn't want them to be out in the rain and lose their way, so you and Jake settled on that.

As the rain began to become more of a drizzle, even if the tides beneath the village were still harsh, Tonowari was making his way up to the Sully's hut. He had just recieved news from a messenger, and when he heard it, he sighed and suddenly realized that what he expected to happen the moment he allowed Jake and his family to stay in the village, finally happened. He needed to speak with him about it, and Tonowari was sure that you had no idea that Jake had dangerous people looking for him. He knew this would happen and he should've spoken to Jake about it before anything got out of hand like it did in that Ta'unui village. As he thought, you'd get dragged into Jake's conflict and get caught in the middle of it. Tonowari was walking up the woven paths, and his thoughts about you and him not knowing what happened in that village was confirmed when he heard you and Jake laughing together even from the outside of the hut. Tonowari wouldn't beat around the bush, and he'd tell you and Jake straight up that things were escalating.

As Tonowari continued to near the hut, in the meantime, you and Jake continued to laugh together, sitting side by side as you continued to prepare dinner for the kids together. You laughed at something he said and simply by the sound of your laugh, Jake couldn't help but smile. As your laughter died down and you giggled softly, you were fanning out the flames in the fire in front of you where the food was cooking. Jake simply leaned in and pressed a kiss against your temple and then your cheek, making your face flush with heat. He loved having moments like these with you, and everything was peaceful, but he had a feeling it wouldn't last very long, so he made every moment count. Jake was quick to continue helping you chop the other ingredients that were left so that you two could add it to the cauldron where the food was cooking. It was one of the specialties that you have grown to know that the kids loved after you cooked it for them for the first time a couple of days ago.

As you and Jake continued to talk, when Tonowari appeared up on the entrance, your conversation as well as your laughter with Jake died down when when you noticed Tonowari's presence and you were quick to stop laughing. Jake noticed this and turned to look back as well to see the Olo'eyktan standing there with a sullen and sad expression. Your ears tipped back worriedly while Jake's smile dropped and you slowly stopped fanning the cauldron. Your mood dropped, so you and Jake turned to look at each other as Tonowari's face hardened and he turned around, standing just outside your family's Mauri with his back to the two of you and gazing out to the reef. The mood had changed drastically and there was something wrong. A weird feeling settled inside of you, and Jake's instinct spiked at how silent the Olo'eyktan right outside was. Not saying a single word because his expression said it all. Something was extremely wrong for him to look as distraught as he was in that moment.

As Tonowari stayed outside, waiting for you and Jake to come out, you looked at your husband worriedly again. What could have happened? There were many few times when you've seen Tonowari as worried as he looked right now, but now, it felt different. You knew that you shouldn't have expected this peace to last forever. This was the bump in the road that you were expecting. You hoped this wasn't as bad as it looked and it was something with an easy fix, but it was you trying to bury that something much bigger was happening and a threat was arising but you didn't know from where. Without a word, Jake was quick to take your hand and lead you outside in the drizzling rain where Tonowari was waiting. You and him left behind the items that both of you had in your hands on your way out, not wanting to keep Tonowari waiting any more than he was.

When you two reached Tonowari, hand in hand, Tonowari was in deep thought, refusing to make eye contact with either you or Jake, which sent a bad shiver down your spine. This must be bad then. Tonowari just continued to look forward into the distance. Jake already had an idea of what must have happened in the back of his head, but he prayed it wasn't what he thought it was. It couldn't be. And if you found out he's been lying to you all this time from Tonowari and not from him, it would crush Jake and everything you and him have worked for up until now would be wasted. He lied and kept the truth on what was happening with the Sky People from you. After a couple seconds of silence, Jake finally managed to get the courage to speak up, knowing that all of his suspicions would be proven correctly soon.

"What's wrong?" Jake asked as your hold on his hand only tightened out of fear. He didn't even want to imagine how you'll react when you find out the truth. He would've loved to be the one to tell you, and now he'd face your disappointment but there was never really a right time, and before all of this, things were going so well and were so peaceful so he didn't want to ruin that, but now there was a chance you'd find out by a third party instead. Jake briefly looked at you from the corner of his eyes and saw the pure concern and fear that clouded your eyes. Jake wants to believe that what Tonowari was about to say wasn't what was plaguing his mind, but he was wrong.

It took a couple of seconds for Tonowari to reply, but eventually, you and Jake got your answer, but your heart dropped at what your father said. You couldn't have heard right. It was then when Tonowari said; "Sky People," The Olo'eyktan said, and his words made your hands begin to shake and tremble slightly in Jake's hold against his own. Jake's breath hitched and he inhaled sharply. It really was exactly what he was thinking, and now, not only was he thinking about the fact that Quaritch was getting closer, but the fact that the moment Tonowari continued to speak, you would realize that Jake had been lying to you.

Your breath got caught up in your throat as your ears tip back in worry. In your head, you were frantically wondering why the Sky People were getting so close? They've never gotten this close to reef clan villages, only out in open sea. You had no idea why humans were getting closer or what they might have done, so you were completely unaware and oblivious that it was entirely because of Jake and that they're specifically looking for him. You other hand wrapped around Jake's arm as you tucked yourself closer to him, and Jake's worry only hightened. How long will it be until you would not want to be near him after this anymore? He sighed and relished in your closeness, holding onto the back of your head and trying to calm your nerves and arising fear inside of you.

Before Jake could even ask anything else, Tonowari said exactly what Jake was dreading for you to know."They're looking for you Jake Sully. South. They have a human boy who speaks Na'vi," Tonowari said, and your eyes widened as you gasped softly. Jake shut his eyes closed and let his head drop at the words of Tonowari. They were looking for Jake? Why didn't he tell you? Did he know that they're looking for him? You loosened your grip on him and turned to look at him, but by the look on your mate's face as he looke down in shame and guilt eating up inside him, you could tell he already knew about this. Jake didn't do a single thing to stop you from letting go of his grip, and just allowed you to do it, only confirming in your mind what you were thinking. He knew you were upset and wouldn't force you to forgive him right away. You deserved to be mad, upset and any emotion you had about this. It was only fair. So, Jake had known all this time about him being searched for, and now your fellow Metkayina reef clans were suffering for no reason. Knowing how greedy Sky People were, they would not stop and even more Metkayina villages would be ransacked. 

Your breathing got heavy, yet silent, and you took a couple steps away from him. He had already told you about his life in the forest, but none of it included that the moment he fled to this village, is all because he was being hunted down and that those who were looking for him would destroy any village and kill anyone in their path just to find him. Your mind was flooding with betrayal, confusion, and despair. Your head was sent into turmoil as you kept your distance from him, which just shattered Jake's heart. He had failed to tell you that Sky People would eventually come to find him and harm your people, and he knew and was aware all this time that your people would suffer and have their homes and lives destroyed for that.

Tonowari silently took notice of you letting go of Jake and stepping away from him, with betrayal written all over your face. Tonowari himself did know that there were Sky People looking for him, but it was clear that Jake didn't tell you about it and now you didn't know why your people were suffering now. Tonowari just hoped it didn't get to this extent, but the reality is that it did and now it seemed to put a crack in what you and Jake had built up these last couple of months. He knew this would happen but Tonowari was aware that it wasn't his place to tell, and it was Jake's. The hurt on your face was more than evident, and now that you are the future leader of the clan, you had so much deeper and inner love for your people of any village that hearing of their suffering was too much to bear. Tonowari was innerly hurt as well at how this seemed to put a stump on your relationship, because he really did like you two together, but that didn't change the fact that he knew you'd eventually get hurt one way or another by the hand of the relations and past conflict Jake had with the Sky People. Tonowari stayed silent. This wasn't his problem to come into, but right now, he had to warn the other villages of what was to come. That was the most anybody could do right now. Striking back right away would only make it worse and unnecessary violence would ensue. A deep part of Tonowari did hope that you and Jake could come back from this.

He cursed at himself for letting this happen again. He couldn't even bare how you looked at him with such betrayal and disappointment for not telling you about it sooner, before people had to go and suffer. It could have been possibly prevented, or maybe even have done something to not let it go to that extent. Jake suddenly came to the realization that he made the same mistake as he did when he first did when he met Neytiri. But he liked to believe that things were different now, and that things weren't as dire yet as they were when Neytiri found out about what he did. Jake still had time to act and he wanted to explain that to you, as hard as he knew that it would be to get you to trust him. The first time, it ended in a massacre of the Omaticaya, but if no one had died yet, Jake had time to act and do things differently this time around. He wouldn't let himself make the same mistake all over again.

Jake knew exactly who Tonowari was talking about. It was Spider. Spider was taken by Quaritch, so it only made sense that the biy was with the Colonel by now and being his guide to get through the villages, against his will. He brought his head back up to meet Tonowari's gaze, but the Olo'eyktan was looking briefly at you. You were looking at you adoptive father, bur refusing to make eye-contact with Jake now. As much as it hurt to see you not bearing to look at him, Jake turned to look at you for a few seconds, seeing as you were completely silent now and refusing to look at him. Your expression was unreadable and that hurt him more than he thought that it would. His ears tipped back and his gaze became disassociated from everything around him, only wanting to know one thing. He wanted to know if it was too late for him to undo his grave mistake, and if there was still something that he could do. Tonowari took a couple of steps forward, leaving Jake to only ask a single question that would answer everything that he was thinking.

"Did they kill anybody?" Jake whispered almost inaudibly, but Tonowari heard. You raised your head slightly and perked up at his question, also wanting to know. Even if nobody died, your people had suffered and Sky People wouldn't stop until they found Jake. You couldn't imagine what would happen if they arrived at your village. Jake only hoped that those attacks didn't go as far as to leave any deaths behind. Still, even if no lives were lost, the suffering of the loss of their homes, the fear and grief that they felt, was heartbreaking enough as it is. Jake hated how he ended up dragging his problems until they found him again and people would get hurt in the process, just like those people in that village did. He had to do things differently from now on, and he needed to desperately explain things to you. He didn't want this to separate you, but something that can strength your bond and love for each other, knowing that you can go through this together and not apart. He was being selfish, but even if things went south, he would want to have you by his side rather than going into an abyss of danger knowing there was separation between you two. It'd break him. When he first told Neytiri the truth, he had held it from her because he wasn't allowed to by Quaritch's orders, but now, he had full control, he had no excuse as to why he didn't speak up before and Jake would not hesitate to do things differently now. He has grown, and he knows that it's not too late to do something about all of this.

You and Jake continued to stay a distance, different to how you stood at the beginning of the conversation. It was tearing him apart. You didn't take lies lightly, especially because this one was dragged over since the moment you and Jake met, which was about two months ago and even after you two got together only about a week and a half ago. He had time, and he didn't say anything. You'd hear him out, because you were sure that if he was the Jake you've gotten to know, then he must have a decent explanation, or at least was thinking about telling you but didn't find the right time, and would have the heart to tell you everything that he hasn't already. That didn't magically erase how upset you were at him for hiding something like that. You did admit that he didn't owe you anything by having to tell you about the first few weeks of getting to know each other, but you at least expected him to tell you when you and him were finally getting somewhere in your relationship. It was all too much and you didn't know how to process it. But you hoped that no one lost their life, because at least that meant that there was still something to be done to prevent it from ever happening, and hopefully stop it altogether.

"Not yet," Tonowari said, pausing for a moment and then turning back to look at you and Jake. You sighed with relief and closed your eyes, feeling more rain water fall down your face and your cheeks, and Jake visibly deflated in relief at the news. He had been holding in a breath way too long and now at least he knew no one had died. At least not yet. "They threaten, but the villagers will not tell them where you are. By my order," Tonowari said, and Jake nodded hesitantly, knowing at least the attacks have not resulted in someone killed. Though, It did not mean that it would be overlooked just because nobody died, because people did suffer during Quaritch's attack and that was more than enough of an incentive and a reason to fight now more than ever and to get rid of Quaritch once and for all, to not let it happen again, and not let any more villages go through what the the Ta'unui people did.

Soon, Tonowari started walking away after he delivered the news so it was you and Jake in the drizzling rain alone, in total silence. You still hadn't even dared to speak to him. You were too angry, and you were afraid that if you spoke, you'd say something you didn't mean and that was really the last thing either of you needed. When Tonowari had made it back to his hut and there was no one out in the rain except for you and Jake, your mate continued to look at you, hoping you'd say something. After the rain startes to pick up, you and Jake stood in silence for a few seconds before you wordlessly began to make your way inside the hut, brushing past him. Jake sighed and closed his eyes at how you dismissed him. He won't lie and say that didn't hurt, but you have every right to do so. Didn't mean it didn't sting. Jake could sense the betrayal and anger you felt. He hated that you had to find out this way and not by his own means, but he knew that he'd find ways to push it back to avoid having to see you like you were now. Angry, upset, frustrated, disappointed and many other emotions he can't even put into a single sentence. Jake then inhaled deeply, turned around and made his way inside. You and him had to settle this now. No beating around the bush anymore and explain everything right then and there.

When he walked inside and saw you with your back to him, trying to rummage through the baskets of ingredients, with the intention of trying to just continue dinner and dismiss the incoming conversation. But that didn't sit right with Jake. He wanted to talk about this now before this crack that has been made in your mutual trust began to grow and spread. "Y/n," He said, walking up to stand behind you, just a couple meters away from you, giving you space. You didn't say anything and continued to stay silent, only making it harder for Jake to have this conversation with you if you refused to speak to him or say a single word. He quickly realized that he just had to come out and say it all. Maybe you'll talk then after you've heard what he has to say. "Look, I know it looks bad but please, my love, just listen to me. Let me explain-" Jake started, but he couldn't even finish his word's because him trying to state the obvious only made your anger and disbelief rise. At his words and his attempt to explain, your face scrunched up in pure disbelief and cut him off, standing up from your spot and turning around and walking over to him.

You stood in front of him, and even if he towered over you, you didn't buckle or yield under hiw gaze. Your emotions were fired up and all over the place, and your frustration along with built up confusion just burst out. "Explain?" You said with a scoff as you shook your head, looking up at him. "Explain to me how you endangered my people without my knowledge? Or why you even came here to this village in the first place?" You said, and by now, you came to the conclusion that you'd say everything you were thinking. You weren't upset because he lied, because he technically didn't since he never said anything at all, but it was more like he hid it from you for reasons you just could not comprehend. It hurt and It truly felt like he didn't trust you enough to tell you about what was really happening. He did not lie about it, regardless, it stung and it hurt just as much as if he did. You thought that after all this time, there was an unbreakable bond that came with an unyielding level of trust, but that statement just didn't feel true at all now.

Jake's eyebrows furrowed as his gaze became conflicted by everything you were saying. It hurt more than he wanted to admit. "Baby, please, I wanted to tell you but there was never a right time." Jake said, and your eyes widened at his words. You felt the need to scoff again as you looked at him in utter disbelief. Everything has been peaceful up until a few days ago, and even then, he didn't have anything stopping him before, why couldn't he tell you? Tonowari probably already knew of it, so why couldn't you? "Never a right time? See, no, you only had two months to tell me, but you didn't! I had to find out because other reef clan villages are being burned to the ground because of you!" You exclaimed in frustration, really hoping the sound of the rain drowned out the volume of your voice and other people in their huts didn't hear you. You had too much to say. Your heart ached at the idea of the man you loved and adored so much had kept something this big away from you, which has affected your people, those you grew up around, the environment you cherished, and everything that you held close to your heart. You couldn't even imagine how much those people have suffered to have their lives disrupted and turned upside down.

Jake flinched back in guilt, he knew he was responsible but hearing it come from you hurt. But he really and truly understood where you were coming from. As for you, there must have been a reason as to why Jake is being hunted down by the Sky People, and you couldn't even imagine how much hurt he had to go through to get to this point where his family had to flee and leave everything they love behind. But, that was the thing. You wishes you'd known earlier, and been there to help Jake go through such burdens he was putting on himself, taking on something so big on his own, and he didn't have to. It just hurt to think that maybe he didn't have that kind of trust in you, and you liked to think that maybe he wasn't ready to say what was happening all at once. But the thing is that he didn't say anything. Not even a word about the situation that would inevitably happen, and that's what worried you the most. On one hand, you were concerned about him and wanted to urgently help him get through the situation, fight by his side and be together throughout it all. But then the other part of you was just so angry and despondent that you could barely control your emotions building up inside with no control, letting your frustration speak for you in ways you didn't mean to. You were slowly becoming blind by your emotions. So many questions and thoughts came into your head from his lack of speaking up.

Jake understood how you felt, and he knew that you were expecting him to trust you even before getting together, especially after that one night where you said almost everything about your lives to each other. He understood how betrayed and embarrassed you felt, just thinking that trust was one sided, but it wasn't. He trusted you more than anyone, and just didn't wanted to ruin what you had. He was being selfish, wanting to prolong his problems until they found him again and his wake up call had to be people getting hurt for what he did. Trying to escape as his solution, running away from his problems; that was the source of it all, but he wanted to keep his children safe. That night in the forest was the most scared he's ever been, but was so grateful that all of his kids came back to him in one piece. He needed to make things right. Jake just slowly grabbed both of your arms, gently. He gazed and looked at you closely and saw the beautiful, yet such devastated doe ocean eyes staring back at him with such conflict that never in his life did he think that they would look at him that way.

"Y/n, I know I messed up again, but hear me out okay? That's all I ask" He pleaded, really wanting you to hear what he has to say. He was sure that you'd understand why he did what he did once he explained everything, and he truly meant everything. He wouldn't spare you a single detail, not wanting there to be any more lies in your relationship that could potentially pull you apart like it could do now. All Jake did during the next few seconds is wait as he gazed at you, waiting for your answer. After some time of you visibly mulling it over, your jaw clenched softly and you firmly nodded at him. You'd hear what he had to say, and you would not judge him for it. As angry and upset as you were, you knew he deserved that much. All you wanted was for him to trust you, and hearing him out, your trust between you two would slowly restore itself and you could hear from his perspective what really happened and why it happened. You sighed, closed your eyes, and inhaled deeply trying to calm down. You'd hear him out. He had an explanation for all of this.

Jake sighed and smiled faintly, lowering you both to the ground as you sat in front of one another, and you were ready to listen intently. After a few seconds of Jake gathering what he wanted to say, he began to speak; "Back when I was human, the man who's looking for me had taken me under his wing and at the time, and made promises to give me back mobility in my human legs since I was completely paralyzed from the waist down, so I was happy to work with him. After that, when I had met Neytiri, you know how much I changed as a person. Of course the people I worked for were furious that I went rogue and joined the Na'vi to fight alongside of them. Quaritch is his name and he was the leader of the pack and he made it his mission to get his revenge after he felt that I turned my back on him and humans" Jake explained, and then he paused to see if you were still following and the way your ears had twitched let him know he could continue. Your eyes were also intently set on everything he said so Jake knew he had your attention and were really listening to him. He innerly sighed in relief that you were hearing him out. Its all he wanted all this time, and he'd tell you the entire truth without leaving anything out.

Jake paused again, looking at you to see if he could continue. He smiled softly when he saw that you were listening intently, even after discovering that Jake used to be paralyzed in his human body. That's something yo didn't know before. Jake suddenly placed his hands on yours and gripped them, prompting for you to grip his. He exhaled with a smile. Yoi two were getting somewhere. Turns out that was all either of you needed. Trust. And now it all felt much clearer and that there was nothing more putting up a barrier between you two. You two had been living in a false sense of security and happiness, but now, things felt much more real than before. And you were really glad you were hearing him out. Jake took that as his cue to continue. "In the Battle of the Tree of Souls, Neytiri killed him but we both had no idea there was an Avatar body for him if he died. Somehow he's back as an Avatar Recom and he's been trying to track me down. He wants revenge and apparently is going to any lengths to find me. I...really thought we would be safe here and that he wouldn't find us, unless not this soon, but I was wrong." Jake admitted and his head dropped a bit, realizing that this is the part of it all that was becoming a reality the quickest. Those battles in the past felt like distant memories, but he still remembered them vividly. Saying it all out loud really was making everything that much more real and the realization that Quaritch was only getting closer was becoming more prominent.

You wanted to speak but you could tell there was more he needed to say, so you held back your words and allowed him to continue. You gave him a soft hum in response and your eyes softened at the mention of Neytiri. Things were starting to come together and you had yet come to remember that Jake still went through the agonizing horrors of losing his mate just like you did. You were starting to see his point of view, and talking about this was truly all you needed. You wished him and you could've done this sooner and this horrible fight could have never happened. This was your first fight with him and it did not feel good. You began to see that for him, telling you would hurt him and maybe he wasn't ready, or didn't know how you'd take it. But now, you and him were really understanding each other and how much this situation affects both of you on each side.

This connects directly for him to a figure in his past that still haunts him, and for you, it directly relates to your people, your home, who you love and everything in between. All you and him had to do was see in between the lines and come to an understanding, which was finally happening. "You have to understand, I never wanted him to hurt anyone. That was never, ever in my plan. I just wanted to keep the kids safe in a place they could thrive." Jake said and you nodded. You know Jake would never intentionally hurt anyone, especially those he loves, and as for the kids, you could imagine that what he did for his family was what every parent would do. To take them away from everything they've ever known, but also from direct line of danger was a tough decision, but he wanted the best for them. He wanted them to grow up happily, with no worries, to have happy memories, but their lives up until now were tainted with sadness and Jake just wanted to change that and let them be happy for once. Without pain. In Jake's mind, telling you the truth would throw all of that away, all of the happiness he's been feeling with you and the kids lately and before he wasn't having a clear picture in his head on what to do. But he does now. He really does.

Your gaze softened and everything started ro make sense. All he needed to do was to explain, and you were glad he did. You were upset and angry before because you hadn't gotten any answers at all, but now, you felt even more connected to Jake than before. He trusted you after all and that made you very happy. You wanted to tell him that he didn't have to take on this alone. The kids were happy, you and him were happy, and this situation would bring you and him even closer together. You'd be able to get through it if you all stuck together and didn't give up on one another. You would not give up on him for anything in the world. "Jake..." You trailed off and were at a loss for words for everything he said. There was no way to prevent the Sky People from more damage, but it was possible to stop this man that was after Jake. You lifted a hesitant hand up to his cheek and he leaned into your palm, closing his eyes at the feeling of your warm and loving touch once again. He missed it so much even if it's only been a couple minutes since you last touched him, he missed your warmth dearly.

"I understand you were doing what you thought was best but you should have come to me. We're bonded for life, and that means we have to be open with each other so that trust can flourish. I would never judge you. I was only upset because I thought you didn't trust me enough to entrust me something as big as that. You are one of us now, we'll get through it together" You smiled as you stood up and Jake quickly followed after you, standing on his feet again before you. Your hand had moved from his cheek down to his neck, and you were still looking up at him sincerely and lovingly, telling him without a single word that you loved him and you always would, no matter what came in the way. You, him, and the kids would all get through this. You and Jake would face this Quaritch and make him pay for all the pain he's caused to the Sully kids, your people, and Jake. But, there was one thing. You and Jake had to be smart about this. If they hit Quaritch now, him and the RDA are going know where your village is, where your people live, and where Jake and the kids are hiding, and they're gonna come to the village with everything that they've got. The good thing is the the Sully's location is still unknown, so you and Jake can still make a plan. They had think thing's through first.

Jake rubbed his hand up and down your arm with a smile, sighing deeply that things were a lot better now and he was able to tell you the truth after so long. It's what he should've done and he's happy he did at last. His heart had a small flutter at you saying that he's one of them now, and he liked to think that he and the kids really were part of the Metkayina clan now. As much as they'd like to return to the forest, this place has also wormed their way into their hearts and Jake loved your implication that him and the kids would always have a place within the Awa'atlu sea clan. "I know, I know and I'm so sorry for not coming to you sooner. I should have learned my lesson but I was worried about what it would mean for us. You mean so much to me and our kids...I couldn't ruin that." He explained and you nodded with a soft smile. His intentions were very noble, but he just went about it the wrong way. He had a lot to learn from you, just like he learned very important things from Neytiri that he thinks about every day. He takes in your words in a grain of salt and cherishes them, and he would work on not letting his emotions act for him. You proceeded to stand on your toes and rested your forehead against his, and he closed his eyes upon contact. You both inhaled and just breathed each other in, letting any remain of negative thoughts waft away into the air and focus on what was important as of now.

"I'm still angry with you, though. But I do understand" You piped in, with the intention of trying to lighten the mood but also settle any last comments before moving on from this with Jake. As for him, he tensed up at your words but leaned into you more, raising his hand to cup your cheek and rub his thumb tenderly against your cheekbone. He didn't blame you for being pissed off and upset, still. But, he was so grateful that you were trying to stand in his shoes and try to see things from his eyes. He also understood that it would take a while for you to feel over the situation, but either way, you would stand beside your husband and family, and fight for them until the very end. You were still worried about what this meant for your clan and other Metkayina villages who were sure to be invaded, but for now you tried to focus on the man in front of you, focusing on the fact that you and him had crossed a hurdle and that your connection and understanding was stronger than its ever become. You loved him with everything you had, and it would take more than a fight to separate you from him.

As you appreciated each other's presence in silence, there was still more until everything was settled. There was one more thinh you needed to reassure him of. "Trust me when I say that I'm not going anywhere Jake. You're my mate, my partner, my husband...and will carry this burden together, okay?" You said in a voice barely above a whisper, but by the close proximity of you and him in that moment, he heard you loud and clear. Jake smiled softly at you and your words, feeling his heart flutter. You couldn't help but return the smile back at him. Jake silently wrapped his arms around you tightly around your waist and hips, and he didn't think it was possible but the love he felt for you tripled, or maybe even further than that, but it did. You returned the embrace and tucked your face into his neck, wrapping your arms around his neck. The both of you didn't feel the need to let go any time soon but you felt a burning passion in your heart for him and only him. You pulled back from the hug and the look in your eyes made Jake watch you intensely. The way your entire aura changed to one of loving energy to one of complete power.

Your eyes hardened and your hand moved to cup his cheek, to make sure that he looked at you as you said what you were able to say. He needed to hear this, and you swore to yourself that you would and you wouldn't go back on it. "I swear to you, Ma Jake, that we will avenge Neytiri. Together. And whoever else has fallen from this man's evil hands. We can do it. I know we will," You said with certainty, your voice had an authority but there was fire in your tone that he wasn't used to hearing. Your gaze almost felt like too much and shuddered under it. Your promise to him almost made him buckle but he suddenly felt he couldn't hold it in anymore. He shuddered as he felt the slight sensation of incoming tears build up in his eyes, he was just so grateful for you and didn't know how to express it. There was so much he wanted to say but none of it would be enough. But he didn't need to say anything, because you knew, without words, exactly what he wanted to say. Thank you. For everything. 

-

Later that day, after the rainfall was over and the last eclipse of the day had passed, Quaritch was now terrorizing yet another innocent sea clan village, and these were Metkayina and not Ta'unui. Same as before, he interrogated the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan, and detained the rest of the villagers, while tasing them if they didn't comply. As usual, and because of Tonowari's orders, they set fire to this village as well. As expected, people screamed and pleaded for the pain that was being inflicted on them to stop.

"That's Toruk Makto!" The Colonel yelled at the Olo'eyktan, holding him by his braid as an Avatar Recom woman, Z-Dog, forced down more villagers. "Head down!" She demanded, circling a couple of kneeled down reef clan. villagers. "Has he been here?" Quaritch yelled at the Olo'eytkan again, holding him tighter by his braid and pulling on it, insisting with more and more force as villagers clamored. The clan leader and his wife were both put to on their knees and their wrists were bound, not giving them a chance to even fight back. Villagers in the background continue to be agonizingly tased by Quaritch's comrades, screaming and falling to the ground in pain by the Recoms.

Spider's eyebrows furrowed as he continued to watch everything happen right before his eyes, breathing heavily, seeing as Quaritch threw the bound Olo'eyktan to the ground harshly after not getting any of the answers he wanted. The human boy had already tried to go against Quaritch and get him to stop doing this. They have already been through countless villages and none of them have seen Jake before in their lives, and were told not to say anything about his location. Quaritch sighed and then turned to Lyle beside him, who was holding other villagers at gunpoint while the Colonel was interrogating the Tsahik and Olo'eyktan.

"This shit ain't working," Quaritch said, turning his back to the chaos he created and spoke to Wainfleet. "Nah, they're stonewallin'
us," Lyle said, who was still holding his rifle in hand, carefully aiming at anyone who resisted. The Colonel realized a few things after they got to the first few villages and that maybe it was time to do things a different way. "If we turn up the heat, he's just gonna keep runnin'. We gotta draw him out," Quaritch said, turning to give Lyle a knowing look, and the man reciprocated it. They were both thinking the same thing.

Soon after leaving the village and getting back on their Ikrans, Quaritch and his group flew back to the SeaDragon, which was docked just outside the cove where the village they had just attacked was located. Upon landing on the top platform on the ship, the Ikrans screeched and Quaritch saw Scoresby and Garvin standing there expectantly. In the distance, it was clear that there was nothing left to do or take in this place as they watched burns overtake the home of this clan. It was burnt to nothing and there was nothing of importance that they could use in there. They had to do things differently now.

Spider was the first to dismount the Ikran, and with Quaritch shortly getting off afterward, the two along with Lyle walked to stand on the big platform where the hunter and biologist were  standing at. The two men in the platform did not want to be a part of this anymore, but not because they cared about the destruction of these villages or anything, at least that was the case for Scoresby and not Garvin, but mostly because they have other and bigger and much more important responsibilities to fulfill that aren't from going village by village terrorizing Na'vi and their homes just to find one man who could be just about anywhere in the ocean.

"I'm over it," Scoresby started, walking close to Quaritch with his arms crossed. He wasn not going to wait around anymore for this man to finish his search until he could get back to his quotas of hunting Tulkun. "I've got quotas to meet," He said, all the while the biologist stood gazing at the meaningless destruction with sullen eyes. He has been studying this planet for years and for its astounding beauty and he never thought that he would take part in this. He didn't want to, but he had no other choice.

Quaritch figured that if Scoresby needed to do his job, then so be it. Quaritch already had a plan anyway that would let these guys do their jobs and he could get Jake to come out of hiding even quicker. "You want to hunt, huh? Let's hunt?" Quaritch said, making Scoresby's eyes, as well as the Garvin's, widen in surprise at what Quaritch said. Spider, who was looking at the burnt-down village through the railing, turned back to look at the Colonel with pure and utter disbelief. What was he planning to do now? He really had no limits, did he? Now he wanted to involve the Tulkun into the problem.

"What? Here? Not here. There are too many villages," Scoresby said, eventually getting the attention of Garvin who decided that this is where he drew the line on this. Garvin was a biologist and this went against everything that he stood for. "No. No, no, no," Ian said, and Quaritch narrowed his eyes at the marine biologist for suddenly speaking up about this, much less denying what Quaritch wanted to do. "Respectfully, sir. You do not understand the kinship and kindred bonds between the Tulkun and the ocean Na'vi. It would be like murdering a member of their family," Garvin pointed out, to which Scoresby decided to intervene shortly after Ian finished speaking.

"If we start hunting here, the hostiles will come after us," Scoresby said, and his words made the Colonel smirk slyly, looking back at Lyle for a second (who had a similar expression) and when the Colonel turned back, he spoke with a tone that spoke volumes of evil. "Exactly. One hostile in particular," Quaritch said, and Spider turned around to face him. If this was the plan to draw Jake out, then why do the Tulkun have to be involved? The creatures themselves were already being hunted enough as it is, but to use them to simply draw them out and find Jake and the Sully family? It wasn't okay and Spider would never, ever, be on board with that. But once again, he had no option but to follow. He needed to find a way to get out of there.

-

Okay! So this is just a teensy bit of angst like Ive been saying would happen! The chapter im looking the most forward to is the next one, chapter 26. Its the one Ive been planning the most for and itll have more Payakan/Lo'ak/Y/n moments so I hope you guys are as excited as I am! More things will be revealed, and the final battle is slowly coming up so I hope you guys are ready for that too!

I was going to have it happen in this chapter, but the chapter itself is almost 11k words so I don't want to just cram everything into one. Id much rather leave the scene I was going to add at the end of this one for the beginning of the next chapter, that way its all related to what I have planned and it can flow more smoothly 🤍

Also, revisions for all of my Avatar books will start right after 'Your Existence' is over, so Im starting with the first book of 'Barricades' and finishing with this one. Ill go over them throughout the summer. If you see any spelling mistakes, don't worry, because they will all be fixed eventually, book by book! I type my stories on my phone so spelling mistakes really go over my head when Im writing :,) Like I said, though; they'll all be fixed eventually! I would do it like before where I ran my chapters through grammarly but then the app would freeze and that would just stress me out so yeah lmao shsj

As usual, I put these at the end of every chapter, but there's not much else that I have to say now, but as always, I'll add other news in future chapters if there are any at all or if anything changes. Anyway, I'll see you all in the next one! 🤍 Have a good rest of your week everyone! :,)

Also, remember if you want a dt for the next chapter, let me know! I love doing these because I can really express my gratitude to all of you that way :,) I really want to start doing these more!
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