Not the End

14 - Fight or Flight

<<>>

I hear Jake and Neytiri arguing before I even see their tent. My stomach sinks, I have never seen or heard them unhappy with each other before. 

"This is our family. This is our home." Neytiri starts but Jake's voice overpowers her.

"This is about our family. This is about our little ones." There is much pain in both of their voices.

I look up to see the kids gathered around the base of their tent, sitting quietly. I approach quietly, Kiri looks to me, she holds her hand up to her mouth, signaling me to be quiet, I nod, squatting next to Neteyam. Tuk is in front of us, peaking under the gap between the ground and the tent. 

"I cannot. You cannot ask this. I cannot leave my people." Neytiri insists. "I will not." 

My hand grabs Neteyam's arm instinctively, he stares straight ahead, listening intently.

"He's hunting us." Jake states, "He's targeting our family." Neteyam lowers his head. I don't know who "he" is. My grip on his arm tightens unintentionally. Neteyam's head moves toward me, I let go, realizing how hard I was holding on. He grabs my arm back, putting my hand in his. 

"You cannot ask this! The children. Everything they've ever known. The forest. This is our home!" 

"He had our children. He had them under his knife!" Jake whispers intensely, his voice breaking.

It is quiet for a moment, I look at Neteyam again, he looks angry and scared. He pulls my hand onto his leg, he stares at it, rubbing it between his fingers. 

"My father gave me this bow as he lay dying. And he said protect the People." Neytiri's voice cracks. "You're Toruk Makto!" She yells.

"This will protect the People!" Jake pauses. "Quaritch has Spider. And that kid knows everything." We all look to each other at the mention of Spider. "He knows our whole operation, and he can lead them right in here!" My body tenses. Jake is right, that little human boy knows absolutely everything, it won't be hard for them to get information out of him. Especially if that man is  Quaritch.

"If the People harbor us, they will die. Do you understand?" Jake's voice quiets. Neytiri doesn't respond. My head falls onto my arm. "Look, I got nothing. I got no plan..." His voice is soft, defeated. "But I can protect this family. That I can do." His words are powerful, words of Toruk Makto. Neytiri stays quiet, she must have given in. "But I know one thing. Wherever we go, this family is our fortress." Jake's voice is only a whisper now, but his words are still mighty. After that the tent falls silent.

I lift my head, Neteyam is staring straight ahead, unmoving. Tuk is still peering under the tent. I watch Lo'ak stand and leave, then Kiri picks up Tuk and leaves quietly. I want to follow them, but I can't move. I feel frozen in fear and hurt. 

"You are leaving?" The thought comes out of my mouth without my permission, my voice barely a whisper. Neteyam exhales slowly, turning his body towards me. His eyes are angry, hurt. 

He opens his mouth to speak but no sound comes out, he looks around, searching for words. My hands slip out of his, pushing my hair back out of my face, my arms sit on top of my head for a moment as I look up at the stalactites on the cave ceiling. 

When I look back down, he is staring straight ahead at the tent blankly. I feel a cry forming in my chest. No, I need to be strong for him. Push it away.

>><<

Tuk whimpers into her mother's neck. Neytiri's face is blank, but her eyes are red from crying. I hug my legs closer to my chest, resting my chin on my knees. My eyes drift around the room, I feel so out of place, sitting in on a Sully family meeting.