I Have Crossed the Stars to Find You - BOOK ONE

Chapter 10 - Argument at the Lab

Warning: Spoilers for ATWOW from this chapter on

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Rose

I spent the rest of the day helping Ninat with chores, despite being nearly 4 months pregnant (making it so Na'vi pregnancies last 6 months) she was still trying to carry heavy baskets of fruit up and down the levels of Hometree. So once I helped her with that we settled in her home pod, the two of us peeling fruits and cutting them up for the little snack packs she liked to send the hunters off with so they had something to eat while on their daily hunts. By the time we were done Ninat was starting to complain about cramping so I helped her up off the floor and into her's and Norm's hammock, going and retrieving the oil made from ioang syewe (animal fat) before gently rubbing it on Ninat's stomach to help prevent stretch marks and discomfort in the muscles as they adjusted to the baby as it got closer to the time for birth.

Once Norm got back to their home pod I said my goodbyes and headed to my own pod knowing Jake was most likely busy preparing his weapons and his ikran for the hunt the next day as that was what all hunters did the night before their hunts took place.

✭・.・✫

I opened my eyes as my link pod opened, sitting up and rubbing my eyes tiredly. Standing up and walking out into the kitchen, I stretched as I went and sighed contentedly when my back let out a loud crack, going and making myself a cup of coffee despite it being the Pandora equivalent of midnight. While the coffee maker was going I quietly got out a pot for the stove and began making myself dinner, it wasn't anything special just noodles since I was tired.

As I began to pour the box of noodles into the boiling water, I heard footsteps coming from where the shared bunks were and turned slightly to see Marcus, Mina, and Tonio all walking out to join me in the kitchen. I smiled a bit at them before turning back to the stove to push the noodles under the water with a spoon, "Kaltxì frapo. (Hey guys.)" I heard a quiet scoff and turned around again to see Mina looking at me with a frustrated expression. "What?" I asked as Tonio and Marcus went to sit at the stools lined up against the counter, confusion evident in my voice.

"What do you mean 'what'? You spend way too much time with those people, do you even realize that you just spoke to me in their language?" Mina replies, visibly upset as she puts one hand on her hip and motions around with her other one. I feel my eye twitch as I stir the noodles a bit before setting down the spoon and turning around completely to face her, crossing my arms across my chest. "What do you mean those people? They are Na'vi, not some freakish.. monkey-things or something. You act like they have done something wrong when you have not even tried to interact with them, let alone learn their ways. It does not matter how much time I spend with them; it is my time. I spend it how I wish, with who I want to." I grit out, my mind slipping back to the friendships and bonds I've made.

Mina scoffs again, an amused but pissed off smirk on her face as she speaks, "Don't think we haven't seen you with your new boytoy, Rose. He killed my father, I've told you this numerous times but I guess you just don't give a shit as long as you're getting some action, eh?" She spits the words out with venom and it takes every ounce of self-control I have to keep myself from tackling her to the ground. "You do not speak of him, you bitch. You know what your father did to their clan was awful, absolutely inhumane and they did nothing to deserve it. But I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" I catch sight of Marcus standing up to try and get between us since we're now in each others faces. "Just because you're getting fucked by Jake Sully of all people doesn't mean you get to disrespect me!" Mina barks in my face and I grab her by the jaw, my nails digging into her cheeks until she lets out a pained yelp but even then I don't let go.

"You do not deserve to speak his name!" I shout back at her, and Marcus steps forward to try and get me to let go of his sister but at that moment we hear a loud roaring sound from outside, our lab beginning to shake violently and in turn causing the three of us to fall to the ground, Tonio also falling out of his chair as a few loud crashes sound from different places in the lab, the red alarm lights and sirens beginning to go off loudly. I quickly roll away from the stove as the pot of boiling water and noodles comes crashing down to the floor with us, I manage to stand up and stagger my way over to the closest window and when I look out I can feel my blood run cold, eyes wide in terror as I watch hundreds of large ships land off in the distance, setting large fires for miles around from the engines. I don't even process where my I'm going as my legs take me to the linking pods, though as I near the door I grab three of the oxygen masks off the wall and toss them back to the others when I hear a loud hissing coming from the other side of the door.

I slide my own mask on and secure it, glancing back to make sure the others have theirs on as well before opening the door and nearly breaking into tears at the sight of all four link pods crushed by a large tree that had fallen through the roof of the lab. I punched the wall in frustration and hurried back to my room, putting together a duffel bag of clothing, food, water, my handgun and some ammo, and I grabbed my two knives as well. I sheathed both knives and strapped them to my thighs over my cargo pants, making sure my food and water containers were sealed properly before tucking an extra oxygen tank into my bag and zipping it up. I pulled on a light jacket over my tank top before slipping the straps of my current oxygen tank over my shoulders and picking up my bag. Walking back out of my room, I ignored the others as they started yelling and asking what I was doing, where I was going. I walked over to the door that lead outside and opened it, stepping out and slamming it shut behind me.

I began trekking through the forest in the direction of Hometree, only slightly worried about if they'd let me in in my human form, sticking to the paths that I'd mapped out in my head so many times over the months that now walking along them became second nature. After a while I heard a loud screech come from above me and stopped in my tracks, dropping my bag and taking out one of my knives, watching the tops of the trees and not daring to move out of fear of making noise. Suddenly a creature swooped down from above the trees and landed in front of me, seeing it was Anìheyu I quickly put my knife back in the sheath and held my hands up defensively but made no move to run away nor get closer to him. He shoved me down and I landed on my back as he roared directly in my face, closing my eyes tightly and quietly preying to Eywa that he would recognize me.

When I didn't immediately get mauled and instead heard a quiet purring noise from above me, I slowly opened my eyes and sighed in relief to see him watching me with what I'd come to recognize as a soft look in his eyes. I tentatively lifted a hand and when he didn't react, I gently smoothed it down the side of his wing next to me and he chirped happily down at me, gently butting his head against my chest before climbing off of me. I stood and pet down the length of his queue gently, smiling through tears that I only noticed now. After a moment he leaned down like he usually did when I was trying to get on his back, and I watched his face as he almost motioned for me to climb on with his head. I grabbed my bag back up off of the ground and carefully climbed onto his back, humming a quiet melody familiar to him as I did so to try and make sure he didn't freak out, and when he didn't and instead directed his queues towards me, I secured my bag in my lap before gently grabbing the queues and leaning towards his head so he could hear me, "Kelku, Anìheyu. Kämunge kelku. (Home, Anìheyu. Take me home.)" He chirped quietly before taking off, looking back at me when my hold tightened on his queues so I didn't fall off but as we started flying towards Hometree, I allowed myself to relax slowly, knowing he would let no harm come to me.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

A bit of a short chapter so I'll have the next one out later today, but yeah the sky people are back already :)