Calm Before The Storm, Jake Sully

054, I Hate You.

♯┆calm before the storm .ᐟ
━━━━━━━━━━

     Spider couldn't live with him. He was a dangerous risk to himself. "Take a knee. Tuk, come on," Jake told his children, all completing his orders. Denahi kneeled beside him, hand resting on her large stomach. "Your mother and I have come to a decision. Spider, you're going back to High Camp to live with Norm," Jake told them.

Denahi looked around at their expressions, watching as confusion and sadness covered most of their faces. "What?" Kiri asked. Throughout her grief, Spider had been there for her. Through thick and thin. Spider had made her smile and laugh.

"The Wind Traders will take you..." Jake continued to speak. Denahi watched as the children turned their ears down. "You can't," Lo'ak spoke. Denahi leaned forwards, pressing her palm onto his shoulder. Lo'ak looked up at her, face begging for Denahi to intervene and refuse to take Spider. "Spider, you can't live in a mask day and night," Jake explained to Spider, hoping the point would make sense to the rest of his children.

"The Tlalim are kind people, Spider. You will have no trouble travelling with them," Denahi explained to him, moving to rest her aching thighs. That wasn't the problem within this situation. The problem was their children had become too attached.

Denahi and Jake understood that. Spider had been around their children for their entire lives. "I just wanna stay here with you..." Spider explained. But, he couldn't.

"I know, but, it's just too risky," He couldn't live without spare masks. He couldn't live within a mask for his entire life.

"This isn't fair!" Kiri interjected as she leaned forward to Jake. Denahi's head turned, "Kiri... You have to listen." Kiri shook her head and fell back on her bottom, folding her arms over her chest with a huff.

"Please! You're the only family I've ever known," Spider told them. Denahi's prints for eyebrows curled inwards, her lips falling into a frown as she listened to Spider. He was desperate as he spoke to them— Spider didn't want to lose them. "This is what's best for you," Jake told him.

"But, dad, he's our best friend!" Lo'ak asked. Malhua rubbed her eyes as she sat within Lo'ak's lap, she didn't quite know what was happening, but from the rising tones of their voices, Malhua started to understand.

"It's too dangerous. You're one dead battery away from being dead yourself," Jake explained to Spider. That was the truth. Awa'altu didn't have the correct equipment for Spider to continue living here.

And Ronal would not allow much more human interaction within her home. "Please, Jake. Mr Sully. I won't be a problem. You know that!" Spider continued to beg them, but their decision had been made. Even though he didn't see it, going back to Norm and High Camp was the safest for him.

"This isn't right!" Lo'ak said. "Spider is part of this family!" Kiri exclaimed. Denahi crawled between Kiri and Lo'ak, holding her hands onto their arms.

The children had grown too close with Spider. He was a danger here. The children began to shout their disapproval to Jake. Kiri shaking Denahi's hand from her arm, crouching in closer to Spider. Denahi looked down at her before closing her eyes.

The sound of her family shouting at Jake. Their disappointment. Because all their parents wanted to do was keep Spider safe. "It is decided! He will leave!" Denahi exclaimed as she stood up. Jake looked at her before standing also, his arms reaching.

He wanted to take the shouting from their children, "This is a family! It's not a democracy!" Kiri then stood from Spider, "I hate you!" Denahi gasped at the three spoken words. Hurtful words family should not speak to one another. "Kiri, do not speak those words!" Denahi shouted back at her, watching as Kiri stormed from them all.

Jake looked at Denahi. Her eyes had glossed over with familiar water, palm pressing against her stomach. Too much stress. "I already lost my brother. I can't lose anyone else," Lo'ak mentioned as he stood.

Malhua stood with him, holding onto his hand with her own. Tuk then hissed at Jake. Denahi's ears fell down her head.

"Kiri should not have said that," Denahi mentioned now the marui was empty of their upset children. Jake nodded his head. He knew she didn't mean it. She was a stubborn teenager who adored Spider.

Jake walked towards her, pressing his hands onto her stomach— needing Denahi to soothe her stress before something happened, "Kiri don't mean it, baby. She's upset."