Invisible String - Jake Sully

4 (Edited)

No, she didn't want to believe it. Tawn couldn't do that. She couldn't just walk in and make a place in their heart that easily. She couldn't replace their mother that fast. 

"Yo, sis, what are you doing just standing right there?" Lo'ak asked loudly, attracting their attention to them. 

Tawn smiled at the two siblings, beckoning them to come over.

"Hey, Tawn!" Lo'ak smiled, walking towards the adults.

Tawn looked at Kiri and noticed her frown. She looked at her as if asking 'what's wrong' only to see annoyance in her eyes before turning to leave, bumping into Neteyam in the process.

Neteyam, not knowing what was going on, looked back at Kiri. He knew something was wrong with his sister. She was fine before, even happier than their initial arrival. He sighed deeply, not understanding what happened, before walking to Lo'ak and his father.

"Teyam! Look at what I made today!" Tuk grinned, showing him her necklace.

"That's pretty, Tuk," he smiled, plopping beside Tawn.

"Neteyam, what happened with your sister?" Jake asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know."

Hearing that, Tawn's ear flopped down, her heart was heavy, and she didn't know why.

Tawn knew that Jake's sons wanted to spend some alone time with their father and little sister, so she decided to go and find her sister. "well, I guess I have to go now," she announced, standing up.

Tuk looked up at her and whined, "No!"

Tawn smiled sadly at her, "I need to find the Tsahik, Tuktirey."

Jake nodded understandingly, "Tuk don't you want to show me how you ride an ilu?" Jake asked, changing the subject.

Tuk nodded enthusiastically, dragging the three men to the shore. Tawn took this time to go and walked away from them.

--

"Do you like him, sister?"

"huh?" Tawn looked up from the fire that cooked their dinner.

Ronal let out a huff of laughter before asking again, "do you like him?"

Tawn looked back at the fish on the pan and shook her head, "who?"

Ronal rolled her eyes at her blatant lie, "the Toruk Makto, of course," she sang.

Tawn looked at her sister in horror when she didn't keep her voice quiet, "shh, someone might hear you!" she whispered, eyes frantically looking everywhere.

Ronal laughed at her little sister, "So do you?"

Tawn sighed, "I don't know, I feel something whenever I'm with him, but I don't think that matters."

Ronal frowned, sitting beside Tawn before the fire, "Why?"

Tawn sighed dejectedly, her eyes unfocused, "because he has a mate." She whispered.

Ronal looked at her sister, the soft glow of the fire illuminating her face, "I know I shouldn't say this to you, but Jake's mate returned to Eywa a year ago."

Tawn's eyebrows rose in surprise, urging her sister to continue.

"She was shot in the heart by one of the demons from the sky," Ronal said, her hand tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"Oh no, the kids," she gasped sadly, thinking about the sully's siblings mourning their mother.

Ronal nodded, "Tonowari told me in confidence," she whispered, nudging her shoulder, "don't tattle."

Tawn didn't notice her sister's teasing tone; her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't imagine losing her mate, her other half. It must've been hard for Jake to manage four kids in their peak adolescence. She sighed, now feeling guilty about her newfound feeling. She shouldn't feel anything for Jake. It wasn't fair on his mate and his children.

Oh, my eywa, was that why Kiri was upset?

Tawn let out a long groan. Her feelings were all over the place.

"Tawn'kiri, you shouldn't overthink it. If Eywa wills it, then don't fight it," Ronal said, gently pushing Tawn's head on her shoulder so she could lean on her. Ronal knew how sensitive Tawn was. She was always so soft and gentle, feeling her emotions profoundly.

Before she could process it, Ronal heard sobs from Tawn. She buried her head in her big sister's chest. Tawn felt awful, "I think... I think Kiri hates me," she sobbed harder in Ronal's chest.

"Oh, ma tiyawn, why?" Ronal hugged Tawn closer.

Tawn snuggled deeper into her sister's embrace, seeking warmth and comfort. She didn't know how to articulate her feelings, and it didn't help that her throat felt heavy and she felt exhausted.

"I-I think she saw Jake, Tuk and me on the beach," she sobbed, trying to let out the words, "i-i-I think that she thought that I was trying to replace her mother." She sobbed harder.

Ronal sighed and hugged her closer. Letting her vent out her problems.

"And somehow, it's also my fault because I did cater to little Tuk's need. But sister, you need to know that I felt a pull to the family, and I can't help but care about them a little more than the other children," Tawn confessed, calming her breath and herself. "please tell me what to do sister," she looked up and

Ronal raised her eyebrow at her confession. She felt like maybe the pull was a sign from Eywa. She has heard about second chances from Eywa and how they could be a blessing and a curse at the same time.

A blessing because you got to love again, to live your life again with someone that gave your life meaning, a curse because of the unbearable guilt that followed you the moment you realised that your heart belonged to another now.

A second chance mate was rare. She rarely saw Eywa grant others the opportunity to have a mate again, so she wasn't sure what to do about this. However, if Eywa allowed Jake to have a mate again, she didn't know if she wanted it to be her gentle sister.

"Ma tiyawn, I don't know what to tell you, but remember Eywa's answer is closer than you think. You just need to follow it inside your heart," Ronal sighed, hoping the words soothe her sister.

Tawn, exhausted, just laid her head on her sister's shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment. She felt her sister shift slightly, so they could both be comfortable and wrapped her arms around Tawn.

Ronal sighed, praying to Eywa to lessen the heaviness in her little sister's heart. They both stayed like that for a minute before Ronal noticed movement from outside the tent. 

Ronal gently pulled away from her sister to stand up and looked at the person outside.

Tawn's eyes followed Ronal's movement in anticipation. 

"Tonowari?" Ronal asked softly, grabbing his arm.

Tonowari walked in, looking at his sister by tsaheylu with so much sadness. After being mated to Ronal, Tonowari and Tawn'kiri's bond became that of a brother and sister. He felt like it was also his duty to keep Ronal's sister safe until Eywa decided to give her a mate.

So when he eavesdropped on the conversation the two had, he couldn't help but feel sad about her. He couldn't imagine what she had gone through.

Tonowari looking at Tawn's puffy eyes, wet cheeks, and snotty nose, couldn't help but walk towards her and bring her in for a tight hug.

Ronal watched the scene with unshed tears in her eyes.

"Mawey Tawn'kiri, mawey, Eywa will guide you through this," Tonowari soothed.

Tawn was grateful she had both of them to lean on. She didn't know what to do if she let all these feelings bottled up inside her. She wouldn't be able to handle it alone. 

---- 

double updates! 

2k words! amazing am i right? hope you enjoy this part. 

Lots of love, wlfstrwife.