Promises

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Unlike Jake, Marie was left alone and allowed to sleep. Both her human and avatar body left to rest.

When Jake awoke from the hammock above the terrifying opening of the tree he found Neytiri above him waiting on the branch.

"Hurry, it is time for our morning meal."Neytiri walked away, Jake hot on her tail afraid of loosing her. He'd realized she was quick and never looked back to check if he was following.

She led him to her parents area. He looked around, his eyes landed on his daughters sleeping form before moving his gaze towards Eytukan and Moat.

"Good morning. Thank you for watching her, she can be a handful at times," Jake knew his daughter, and she would never stay where she didn't feel safe always quick to find him. Seeing that she looked peaceful calmed his worry.

"She is no bother. Now sit, eat." Tsahik was no nonsense that's for sure.

"Yes ma'am," Jake mumbled taking a seat next to Neytiri grabbing the portion that was placed out for him.

Eytukan rumbled something to his daughter before looking towards Jake Sully.

"Ask him where his mate is."

Neytiri finished chewing turning her gaze towards Jake, "my father wants to know where your mate is."

"My mate?" Like my friends? The marine was confused.

"Yes. Marie's mother."

Realization hit Jake, his wife.

"I don't have a wife if that's what your asking. And her mother — " what did he say? That she upt and left them because she couldn't handle being with a handicapped man. Or that Marie wasn't even conceived out of love, just a drunk night between two comrades. "She's gone."

Neytiris face softened at the sentence, assuming that Jake meant she passed, "I am sorry to hear that."

"He says he has no wife, that she has passed." Moat spoke this time, preparing a smaller leaf plate. Adding more fruit than the rest of the plates. The night before Marie had eaten all the fruit and rice and ignored the beetles.

Eytukan gave Jake a nod, as a form of condolences.

The four continued their breakfast, the Navi father and daughter speaking of what Neytiri would be teaching Jake.

When Marie awakened she was met with the sound of shuffling, and loud voices. Her dads voice among them.

"Daddy," she stood up and waddled her sleepy form into her fathers arms, Winnie in tow. Her sight still blurry.

Jake chuckled at the sight of the dried saliva on the side of her mouth and the crust on her eyes, "well someone slept well, hmm?" His fingers tickled her chin, Marie was still too groggy with sleep to react. He leaned forward to grab his cup of water and a cloth Moat had given him.

Neytiri watched on as Jake dapped the cloth with water and wiped his daughters face. His hands surprisingly gentle. Are all demon fathers like this?

Jake sat Marie up on his lap handing her a cup of water and making her drink, "cmon baby, it's morning, time for breakfast."

Marie was not a morning person until food was in her body. The fruit Moat had prepared for her brought life into her system. Awakening the small girl from her drowsy state.

The juice of the fruit she ate would splash onto the floor and on her face, she was only five and couldn't grasp the ideas of manners. So she still chewed and talked, a habit that Jake found endearing and couldn't correct on earth. The Navi didn't seem to mind much either, in fact he found the chiefs family looking at his daughter rather fondly as she displayed her clear approval of the delicious fruit.

"Do you enjoy the fruit prepared for you?" Neytiri asked Marie, she had a hard time warming up to Jake. But she could not refuse a child, they were blessing whether from Earth or Pandora.

"Mhm" Marie hummed moving from her fathers lap to the Oloeytekans and speaking to the older man "can we pick some more." Eytukan gave her a nod, his face stern as always.

"Daddy, what're you gonna do today?" Marie asked finishing the last of her fruit, and leaning against Eytukan.

"Don't know baby, whatever Neytiri says" Jake answered sipping the last of his water. Smirking as he watched her climb all over the frightening clan leader. If it bothered him, the man didn't say.

"Your father will learn to ride a Pa'li today," Neytiri had finished breakfast, she was up and about helping her mother clean up.

"No fair, I wanna ride an animal too!"

Eytukan mumble something to Mo'at and unhooked the little girl from his body standing up to get ready for the day.

"My father and you will go riding another day, little one," Neytiri said putting away the last of the dishes "your father and I will see you later today, and I will do your hair before bed. Is that okay?"

Marie shook her head up and down comically, "yes! Promise to make me as pretty as you?"

Marie's little finger was out and I front of Neytiris face, Neytiri hooked her smallest forth around it, "you will be even prettier."

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