What if? (P2) || Jake/Reader || Draft

🌟 Overhaul (1/3)

You reach out for him, and place your palm on his inner arm.
   "He's just exploring, Norm. He's trying to connect with his birth mother. She and Trudy had their jobs in common.. He doesn't mean to upset you.
   Puberty is starting, anyway. Surely you remember what that was like?"

"I know, believe me- I know."
   He presses against the comms, greeting Trudy as she answers.   "I'm gonna need you to talk to Spider, honey. He went at it again. Tell him he can't do it without you in the passenger seat until you feel he's ready."

"Damnit." Trudy's voice comes over the comms again. "This is the third time this month hes tried it. I've just been so busy helping Jake out with preparations."
     Clearly she feels she's let him down by the sadness in her voice.
"I'll see if Bert will teach him when I can't. I'll talk to them both and workout something.  But his ass is still grounded for a month.  I told him last time that if he tried the controls again, he'd lose flying privileges on the ikran."

He signs off with her, and you pat your hand on his shoulder - seeing how stressed he's become lately.
     "Hey. Take a break from all this, would you? Just for a few minutes. Take a walk with me?"

He hesitates, but figures it may be worth going for. He's been non stop trying to be Jake's other second-hand in everything on this end.
    He sheds himself off the heavy vest and leaves his tech behind, placing it inside the scorpion so it's safe there.

"Can I ask something?" You start to bring up the conversation before you're even half way out in the forest.

"What's up?" He questions, unsure why you'd need to hesitate asking anything.

"It's just ... something I've noticed, but never cared to really ask before." You shrug.
    "—How come Lia calls you and Trudy parental terms, but Spider doesn't?"

He catches up to you, both hip to hip as you follow along the path in your Avatars.
   "We told them when they were young that we'd let them decide what they were comfortable calling us. I don't mind either way, as long as he knows he's loved and it doesn't change anything."

"He does, trust me. You didn't see him like I did. The McCoskers didn't approve of him wanting to connect with the Navi, and Neytiri was Olo'eyktan then, too. She had ... a more negative view of him because of his father."

"I remember you telling me that.. must have been hell for him to go through."

"Yeah, but you and Max helped. He hung out a lot in the offices, and you two were constantly bickering. I always thought he would've done better with the two of you, anyway- But Trudy wasn't there, and you were already single parenting so many orphans."

"Well." Norm tilts his head as he thinks. "We may not have been able to do right by him the first time, but we are now. Or trying to for what it's worth. That's what counts, right?"

"Absolutely. He doesn't bare his fathers sins like before."

Up ahead - a small group of Ikran seem to swirl above and call out to you, like vultures circling their next meal.. and you can just barely make out the riders on them.

"Oh no, those are ours, aren't they?" Norm sighs as if he's disappointed to be bombarded so soon.

"Unfortunately." Is all you can get out before they land on the ground a few feet away from you both.

At least the moment without any kids was nice.

"Mom!" Niikeym first shouts as he jumps off - and helps Tommika off who greets you both as well.
  Niikeym has Tommika with him, and Kiri has Lia since she wasn't up to flying today.