Towards Love

4.jake sully

Lola emerged slowly from the sleep in which stress, fear and hunger had plunged her. She progressively became aware of the mat under her body, rough and uncomfortable. So she wasn't dead. That was a good thing. She also started to hear voices close enough to her so that she could hear some of what being said. It was Na'vi voices speaking their language. She could understand most of it. The young woman decided to stay still in order to listen to them. It was a female and a male voice. 

(dialogue in Na'vi)

"We are not keeping her. I have seen enough sky people around us. First your scientists friends, then Spider and now ... her? I accepted them. But not one more." It was the female voice speeking.

"Neytiri, sky people were my people too. I can't just let someone in need die in the forest." Now the male voice.

Lola tensed a bit. Could she be in the presence of Jake Sully? The Jake Sully? The human who became a Na'vi because he fell in love with one? The one who "betrayed" human kind by fighting against them? She wanted to stand up and ask him tons of questions. She was suddenly hopefull that maybe she had found shelter. Only if the other Na'vi accepted for her to stay. 

"Ma Jake, what is really telling us that she is in need? She could be a bait. She had a spare oxygen mask in her bag."

"Tuk said that she was going to eat poisonous berries. Who tries to eat that if they know someone is going to go get them at some point? That seems pretty desperate for me."

The female voice made an animal sound, as if she was feigning.

"I don't like this. She is going to bring problems to us. And I had enough of these sky people." 

She was definitely pissed at humans. And she had all the rights to. 

"We will keep her at least until she can explain to us what she was doing all alone in the forest. Then we'll decide what is best for us. Let's not make rash decisions."

Lola felt  like it was her time to make an entrance. She opened her eyes to locate the voices. She was lying down in a hut made out of leaves. Other mats were on the ground, waiting for someone to come take a nap. Curtains separated it from the outside. They were partly open and she could see the two silhouettes talking loudly. A man and a woman. Jake Sully and his wife. 
The young woman got up and  walked carefully towards the opening and opened the curtains to face the two Na'vi.

"Are you really Jake Sully?" 

Surprised, the male lowered his gaze towards her and his eyes soften a bit. 

"Yes, I am Jake Sully."

And suddenly, out of nowhere or maybe out of relief that maybe she was safe, Lola bursted out crying. But not small sobs, big and uncontrollable sobs. "Why the fuck am I crying??"

***

Still surprised by her reaction but willing to help, Jake had led Lola back into the hut and made her sit down. He had given her some water which she had quickly drunk in apnea before putting back her mask. Then he had let her calm down, observing her in silence recovering her breath. 
Neytiri was also there, crouched by the door as if ready for any eventuality. Her gaze was not at all caring.

"I'm sorry." She was ashamed her herself. She was not welcomed here and yet, she let everyone see that she was weak. 

"You don't have to be sorry. We are just going to talk. I want you to tell me why you were alone in the forest. It is not safe for a human."

"I know that. I ... I left the base. I don't want to work for them anymore." Intriged, Jake tilted his head to the side as Neteyam before she collapsed. "I ... discovered what humans are really doing to Pandora and the Na'vi. Back on Earth, they don't tell us anything. Well, the do but they give us disformed pictrure. Back on Earth, Na'vi are the bad guy. Attacking humans every day. Not alowing them to study the environment to see if this planet could be a good option for us." A sad smile appeared on Jake's face. As if he was tired of this discussion already. "Why are you on Pandora then? You're really young but you still managed to come here? Was it recently?" Lola understood why he was confused. No young people were allowed until their pilot project. Way after Jake became a Na'vi. 

"They opened a pilot project for students. We are five. Basically, we are future anthropologists willing to specialize in knowing the Na'vi. We are supposed to study you, get to know your habits, the different clans, your evolution in order to plan an approach and open discussion. Of course, we had no background on past events or studies. They told us that we were the first to do that. But I found that odd. I mean, humans have been on Pandora for such a long time, how could they not have studied the populations there before? So I started to ask around and every time I started to ask someone, they kicked my questions aside, telling me that it wasn't not part of their job to tell me. I finally found an archive room. Full of recordings from years before I knew Pandora existed. So from time to time I went there secretly, watching every single video I could find. And I discovered what they are trully doing to you. I guess they were keeping us in the dark because we are young and easily manipulated. They could do whatever they wantes with us. I've had all kinds of reminders. I was called to the sergeant's office several times. Of course, he didn't like it when I started to find out the truth. He threatened me that next time I did something wrong, they would send me back to Earth. But I couldn't stop. I wanted everyone to know what they were doing on this planet. Yesterday, or at least what seems like yesterday, as I was trying to download the perfect proof to send to Earth, I got caught. I had no choice. I jumped in a helicopter that was going to get a faction in the forest and ran away. I slept in a tree and Tuk and Neteyam found me the next day. I don't want to cause any trouble. I just don't know what to do, they... they have my avatar."

Lola had thrown everything away in one fell swoop. Without stopping. As if she was emptying her bag. And as she spoke, an invisible weight left her shoulders. She could finally confide and it felt good. And what's more, to the person who was most likely to understand what she was feeling. The only soldier who had changed sides. Still processing what he had just heard, Jake looked at his wife, probably looking for the right thing to say. As he opened his mouth to speek, Tuk entered the hut all exited, followed by three other Na'vi and a human. She seemed really exited to see Lola.

"Great, you're awake!"

Author's note
Do you think the Sullys are going to help Lola?
Don't hesitate to vote and comment if you like the chapters :)