𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 | 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐦²

26.

Jake escorted her to the same room she was in before, the very room she was told of her mothers sudden appearance. She sat down in the empty room and nodded at Jake, signaling him to get Penelope. He nodded back and gave her a reassuring smile, then walked out.

She started to feel a gnawing ache in her stomach. She suddenly she wished she brought Neteyam with her.

With no time to go back on her actions, she looked up when she saw Jake return. He forced Penelope into the room, roughly shoving her onto the chair.

"Jeez- relax. I'm very complacent no need for this brutality-"

Jake scowled at her, then looked at Laya. "Do you want me to stay? I can wait outside if you want-"

Laya shook her head. "It's okay. You can go, this might take a while."

He nodded and stepped out of the room, sitting down in the hall. There was no way he was leaving her with this 'stranger', no matter who she said she was.

Laya looked at Penelope, a hardened look growing on her face.

"So-" Penelope started. "What's changed since I last saw you?"

Laya narrowed her eyes at her mother. "Hmm-" She mockingly held up a hand to her chin and stroked it. "I wonder- I grew up with the Metkayina, aged 18 years, met a boy, moved to the forest, and here we are." She crossed her arms. "Okay, your turn now!"

Penelope clenched her jaw. "Don't take that tone with me- you have no idea what's happened!"

Laya scoffed. "You can't tell me what to do or not to do."

Penelope threw her hands up in the air. "I'm your mother!"

Laya rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "No you're not- a mother doesn't leave her kid." Penelope was about to speak when Laya raised her voice. "A mother doesn't come back 18 years later, expecting some big family hug. A mother stays with her family, with her children!" Laya's voice was starting to crack. "A mother is dependable! Someone who protects you, nurtures you, comforts you when you're sad!"

A single tear fell down her cheek.

"And you are not that." She said through her teeth.

Penelope felt a wave of sadness fall over her. "I wish I could've been-"

Laya groaned. "Then why weren't you?!" She yelled.

Penelope ran her hands down her face and sighed. "I wasn't ready- I would've been bad for you."

Laya shook her head. "I don't care. You don't get to walk in here- acting all high and mighty, trying to act like my mom now. You wanna be my mom? Go back 18 years."

Her mom shook her head at Laya. "So you're saying you never wanted to meet me? See the woman who gave birth to you?"

Laya looked down at the table and bit the inside of her cheek. "Of course I wanted to meet you. But look-" She looked up at her. "It's too late. I'm 18. I'm done."

Penelope felt a tear roll down her cheek. Wiping it away, she let out a sigh. "I want a chance Rolayea. Just give me a chance-" She clasped her hands and begged.

Laya ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know." She said. It was completely true. A part of her wanted nothing more than to accept her and run into her arms, desperately seeking a maternal figure, but the other part knew she would just be asking to be hurt again. She's run off before, what stopped her from running off now?

Penelope sighed. A moment passed, silence falling over both of them. "Can I at least tell you what happened?"

Laya nodded. "Okay." She started. "I was young- younger than you when I first started in the avatar program. I think I had just turned 16. I was in a small subsection of the program- made primarily to study the different cultures of the Na'vi. But as I eventually got my own avatar, as I got sent out to the Metkayina clan, I couldn't help but fall in love." She looked at Laya, tears shining in her eyes. "Fall in love with the music, the ocean-" She sighed. "The people. That's where I met your father, Tonowari's brother. We got close quickly- easily clicked." Laya saw a tear fall down her mothers face. "And we got closer, but the war did too. We wanted to be together, so we mated." She looked at her daughters face. "And there you were. He died in the battle. A true soldier he was. He saved many people that day."

She looked down to her hands. "But when I was pregnant with you- I was in two worlds. One where I was human, the other where I was Na'vi. I begged Tonowari to let me transfer into my Na'vi body, but he didn't know if It could be done. When I finally convinced them and Ronal tried, it barely worked. I felt like I was fading in and out of my life, but I had no other life to go back to. We had successfully transferred my human consciousness to my Na'vi body, but I was weak- all the time. It was as if we didn't transfer all of it."

She raised a hand to Laya's cheek. "And I knew I couldn't handle a child, so I proposed something to Tonowari. They raise you, and I go live off in the woods."

Laya furrowed her eyebrows. "You could live in the woods by yourself but couldn't raise a child?"

Penelope nodded. "I wasn't responsible, I was only 19." She looked Laya up and down. "I was a year older than you. What would you do if you were pregnant and constantly passing out?"

Laya scoffed. "I would do whatever had to be done to raise that kid. I would give my life to my child-"

Penelope shook her head. "You have your man and his family- I had nobody."

Laya rolled her eyes. "You had Tonowari and Ronal. Hell, you had the whole clan. You could've figured it out- but you didn't. You took the easy way out."

Penelope suddenly slammed her arms down on the table, surprising Laya. "I'm sick of this blaming on me! I tried my best!"

Laya furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her accusingly. "You could've done more! You're sick of being blamed? I'm sick of not having a mom! You think it was easy growing up like that? All alone- outcasted!"

She stood up. "Don't act like the fucking victim because I don't want to hear it. Next time we talk, I expect an apology, and a damn good one at that."

Laya stormed out of the room. When she walked out of the room, she saw Neteyam shoot up from his seat on the ground. He immediately rushed to her and closed the door after her.

"Hey, how'd it go?"

She furrowed her eyebrows and eyed him. "I thought you were at home?"

He shrugged. "I came while you were in there- I'm here for you." She gave him a soft smile, then looked down at Jake. "Can you put her back in her cellar? We're done talking." He nodded and walked in the room.

Neteyam walked her back to their house. "How're you feeling?" He inspected her. She didn't seem too upset, a little angry maybe, but not as emotional as she was last night.

She sighed. "A little relieved actually. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had control over my life today. At least, over that portion of my life."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What do you mean that portion?"

"My past. It was always such a mystery to me, so forbidden. I just finally yelled at her today. I feel like I've been waiting for this for so long."

He smiled at her. "I'm glad you feel better." He slung his arm around her shoulder and brought her in close. She kissed him on his cheek as they walked into the house. Neytiri looked up from her weaving and let out a sigh of relief when she saw Laya with no tears on her face.

"How was it?" She rushed forward.

Laya smiled at her. "It was okay. I yelled at her, she cried. Wasn't too bad." Neytiri smiled and kissed Laya's cheek.

Neteyam quickly pulled her towards him though and put his chin on the top of her head. "I think we might go in our room, rest a little before our big plans."

Laya raised an eyebrow at him. "Our big plans?"

He jokingly frowned. "You don't remember? We have to pick out where our ceremony is going to be!"

Laya nodded, suddenly remembering. "That's right- I forgot about that."

He nodded and pulled her to their room. She gave one last wave goodbye to Neytiri and followed Neteyam in. He closed the door and scooped her up. He laid her on the bed and put the blanket on her. She felt her energy die down from the big events of the day, and she simply closed her eyes. Neteyam joined her and brought her closer so her back was resting against his chest, and he lazily threw a hand over her waist. He was basically spooning her. She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it gently.

"My favorite sleepy boy-" She muttered.

"Don't you mean man?" He responded. She giggled into the pillow and adjusted herself so she was closer to him.

"No, I meant boy."