Jake X Ali'yah: Family

Anger

When we return we find Children fighting. We run over and Jake tries to pull them apart. I notice Ao'nung and his friends fighting Neteyam and Lo'ak. I notice Kiri is standing next to me. I feel anger filling me. "Nitam! (Enough!)" I yell, sternly, they all stop. "I have never seen this from you Ao'nung. Is this what you do to other children?" I ask him.

"Kehe!" He says, I want so bad to yell at him. I close my eyes.

"Ka, Ao'nung." Him and his friends walk away. I look at the two boys. I walk away, my anger is not yet calm. We all walk to the Marui. Kiri is not following. We get inside.

"What was the one thing I asked?" Jake asked the boys. "The one thing."

"Stay out of trouble." Lo'ak says. I cross my arm over my chest.

"Stay out of trouble, right." Jake repeats, Neteyam gets in between his father and brother.

"It was my fault." Neteyam says.

Jake looks at our oldest. "I don't think so. You've got to stop taking the heat for this knucklehead." Jake looks between our sons. I watch Jake on how he deals with this mess. Neteyam steps back.

"Look, dad. Ao'nung was picking on Kiri. He called her a freak." I straighten my back. Jake steps back his tail drops. I look at Jake, Jake looks at me. He sigh lightly. We look at Lo'ak.

"Go apologize to Ao'nung." Jake says, but I can tell Jake does not want to say it. Lo'ak looks at his father surprised. Neteyam is just as surprise. Neither of them hear Jake having trouble saying what he is saying.

"What?" Lo'ak asks.

"He's the chief's son. Do you understand?" I continue to look at Jake. Jake turns to me and back at Lo'ak. "I don't care how you do it, just go make peace. Just go." I watch as my youngest son walks out shaking his head. This is breaking my heart, I know it's breaking my mates. Neteyam tries to follow Lo'ak. "Hey." Neteyam turns to face Jake. "So, what the other guys look like?" Jake asks.

"Worse." Neteyam answers.

"That's good." Jake says. Neteyam smiles.

"A lot worse." I keep my face blank. I turn to the window.

"Get out of here." I hear Neteyam leave.

Jake sighs heavily, I feel his arms around me. "I do not understand." I look at Jake, he looks down at me. "Why praise one and not the other?" I ask. He sighs again. "Does Lo'ak not deserve to praise for protecting his sister?"

"Of course he does. But if I let Lo'ak cause trouble we might not be able to live here." I frown.

"I worry this will only hurt Lo'ak. He did nothing wrong to apologize for. Ao'nung called our daughter a freak. If someone called my brother that I would do what Lo'ak has done." His hold gets tighter on me. "I know this mess bothers you." He nods.

"I will talk to Lo'ak tonight when he gets back. Hitting can't be the only thing he can do though. There has to be a better way." I pout, looking out the window.

"I still would hit them." I mumble, Jake chuckles.

"Well, it's good you wouldn't have to." Jake kisses my neck, I moan softly. "Seems like you didn't get enough last night." I giggle as he continues kissing my neck.

"Jake I must cook dinner." I say.

"Uh-uh. Your staying right here and let me savor you." We laugh when we hear one of the children clear their throats.

We look at the opening. "Kiri." I say, making Jake let go of me. He chuckles, he grabs his weapons and his sharpening stone. He goes outside.

"Can I cook with you?" I'm a bit surprise but I nod. Kiri helps me wrap the food in leaves. I notice she is upset.

"What is wrong?" I ask her.

"Nothing. Why should there be anything wrong?" She slams the food she wrapped.

"Kiri." I go to her. I sit next to her. I tuck her hair behind her ear.

"Why am I different?" I hug her, she lets me hold her like this until she is ready.

"Kiri, I use to ask the same question." She looks up at me.

"You did?" I smile gently.

"Yes. I never connected with my own. Yet I can connect with plants and creatures around me. I found that being different is not bad. It is good." Kiri listens to my words, but does not believe being different is good. I look at my daughter. She sighs and finish helping me with cooking. When Jake eats dinner, he goes to check on Kiri. The children are still out. I watch as they talk, until Neteyam comes in with Ao'nung. I see Neteyam grabbing Ao'nung's hair. "Neteyam, why do you have Ao'nung like that?" Neteyam looks at me.

"Mother Ali'yah. He has some news about Lo'ak's whereabouts." Before I can question further, they walk to Jake and Kiri. I follow, Jake quickly stands up, but before he can say anything. "Tell him what you told me." Neteyam says. Ao'nung smacks his hand off and looks at Jake. His face shows guilt.

"I left..." He looks at me. "I left Lo'ak outside the reef."

"What?!" I hiss, Jake blocks me from Ao'nung. He holds on to me. "How can you do that?! He knows nothing about the water!" I'm yelling.

"Shh. Ali'yah, look at me." I obey Jake and look into his eyes. "We will find him. We need to stay calm."

"Jake, I can't lose him." I say panicking, Jake hugs me.

"Let's go..." Jake stops, I look at him to see him looking behind me. I look behind me. I see my brother, I glare at him. I turn back into Jake's chest and cry. Jake holds me tighter.

"I have heard my son was dragged here by yours." Tonowari says, his voice sound concern.

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