𝐅𝐀𝐑 𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐙𝐎𝐍𝐒 - 𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐑

chapter twelve.

The VA hadn't done shit for him, the man that had served well over twenty-five years in the Army and had the scars and wounds to show for it. Yet, they lived in tiny apartment hardly a tier above a storage unit and that was being generous. His deteriorating health to boot.

He'd been the only one there to take care of her from a very early age, when her mother, his daughter, fell victim to her own demons by way of an overdose. She didn't know her father.

Her grandpa had seen to it that she was clothed, fed, had an education. He'd been the only significance person in her life, and now he was falling victim to lung disease that the government couldn't give a damn to treat. They were too poor afford efficient medical care, that was reserved for those that had the money. She was a college kid working a full time job just to keep their utilities and water from terminating, grandpa's service pension mysteriously disappearing one day years ago. The claim for it went no where.

The only reasonable thing to do was to reply to the lady's email. The substantial compensation could see to it that she could arrange the proper treatment for him, could feed them better food and perhaps move them out of the dangerous neighborhood they called home.

She could make everything better. She could take care of grandpa, like he deserved. She had the power to do it with this opportunity. Maybe she could fast-track through her schooling, get that job, and then move grandpa into a house in the high class area of town where she could arrange for a caretaker to help him throughout the day until she got home. They could eat better food and finally replace many things in their home that were worse for wear. Things could get better.

Hitting the reply button, she began to type.

ANXIOUS, Ruth followed closely behind Jake as they made their way back to the Olo'eyktan and Tsahik, the only two that could make the clan move if the warning was heeded. They maneuvered down the spiral of tree growth that lead down from the second level of the tree after having been moved upon collapse it had seemed. As she trailed behind Jake, she steadied her breath while trying to ground herself, trying to convince herself that they could do it.

Her heart was pounding something fierce, almost in line with her steps. With a warning from Trudy that gunships were being prepped to leave Hell's Gate for an assault on Hometree, a new slew of issues were presented before the original ones had even time to settle. Along with the impending attack, the shock of Neytiri and Jake's 'elopement' had seemed to only stir things for worse. Between the approaching attack and the ruined arrangement for the future clan leaders, there was plenty that was wrong.

Back at Hell's Gate were they narrowly able to convince Parker (with his ever unsympathetic attitude) to let them try and convince the clan of the dangers that were coming. Ruth had gone back and forth between threatening and begging him, the need to save Tsu'tey and the clan driving her angry urgency. At many points had she considered solutions that involved some very dangerous behavior, some of which could have ended her thrown into the brig with no opportunity to convince the clan to leave. A nearby coffee cup had almost slammed into the side of Parker's head if she had followed through with the intrusive thought.

The really fucked up part of all that was going wrong was that she had finally found some happiness outside of the work she'd dedicated herself to since she was a teenager, finding someone who resonated with her in way she never seen before. She hadn't had anyone close to her like this, the last person that could even come close would be her grandpa, god rest his soul, and perhaps Grace.

Once Parker reluctantly conceded to she, Jake, Norm, Grace's pertinent request, they were given one hour to convince the clan to evacuate before perishing under the firepower the humans would soon unleash on their home. The notion of the fact was hard to grasp in the first place. With the knowledge of what kind of technology was at the disposal of Parker and Miles, Ruth could hardly consider what was to come in the next forty-eight hours.