They went back to the cave when Tcelia had managed to get herself together and stopped crying. As they walked towards their tent, Tcelia spotted Lo'ak, Kiri and Tuk kneeling by the side of it, peering under the tarp. Neteyam and Tcelia exchanged a curious look as they walked towards them.
"What are you guys doi—" Neteyam was cut off by all three of the others, shushing him. They gestured for Tcelia and Neteyam to get down beside them and listen. Snickering silently at the dumbfounded expression Neteyam had on his face after being shushed, Tcelia grabbed his arm and squeezed them down between Lo'ak and Tuk.
Tcelia shot Lo'ak a questioning look, silently asking what this was all about. Lo'ak mouthed 'listen' to her and bend his head down and resumed his spying. From inside the tent, Neytiri and Jake seemed to be arguing about something serious.
"I cannot – you cannot ask this," Grief was evident in Neytiri's voice as she spoke, "I cannot leave my people." Tcelia's heart skipped a beat. Jake wanted the Sullies to leave? The kids shot each other shocked looks.
"I will not," Neytiri said. Tcelia felt bad about rooting for Neytiri at that moment, but she didn't want the family to leave, even though she knew how selfish she was being. She just couldn't imagine her life without them. They were her whole life. She swallowed a lump in her throat as she continued to listen.
"He's hunting us," Jake spoke up, "He's targeting our family."
"You cannot ask this," Neytiri repeated, raising her voice, "The children – everything they've ever known. The forest – this is our home!"
"He had our children – he had them under his knife." Jake stressed.
Revulsion bubbled up in Tcelia as she was forced back into the memory of the way her knife had felt when she had forced it into the man's neck, through muscle and tissue. How the Avatar had clawed at his neck, desperate for another breath that would not, could not come. Because of her. She inhaled sharply. Neteyam glanced at her, concern in his eyes. Tcelia ignored him, trying to play it cool.
"My father gave this bow to me as he lay dying," Shuffling steps came from inside the tent, "And he said protect the people." Tcelia had seldom heard Neytiri so out of it. The woman had always been a calming presence, the voice of reason. "You're Toruk Makto!" She cried desperately.
"This will protect the people." Jake's frustrated voice had grown a little louder and almost as if noticing this, he lowered it again. "Quaritch has spider. That kid knows everything! He knows our whole operation! He can lead them right in here." Tcelia's stomach dropped as she understood the gravity of the situation.
"If the people harbor us – they will die," Jake stated, clearly desperate to convince Neytiri that leaving was for the best, "Do you understand?"
A long silence filled the air. Tcelia felt even worse that the small part of her brain still hoped that Neytiri would convince him to stay. But in the more reasonable part of her mind, Tcelia knew that she was being ridiculous. Jake was Olo'eyktan. It was his duty to protect the clan. But he was also a father. His family came first, always.
She looked at the family crouched beside her. At Kiri who was listening intently, eyebrows furrowed. At Tuk who was leaning against Neteyam, eyes large and brimming with emotion. Neteyam who absentmindedly stroked Tuk's hair as he listened to his parents, an unreadable expression on his face. Tcelia looked to her other side where Lo'ak sat. Her heart stilled as she saw the resigned look on his face. All the kids knew that their father had won. They were leaving their home. Tcelia distantly wondered where she would go now. Perhaps she could stay in the tent where the Avatars rested whilst she figured out her situation.
"Look, I got nothing." Jake broke the silence, his voice mirroring the resigned look that his youngest son bore. "I've got no plan. But I can protect this family. That I can do." His voice was unwavering, "But I know one thing. Wherever we go – this family is our fortress."
Tcelia stood up quickly, her head woozy. She refused to feel sorry for herself. It was important that the Sully family left. She couldn't bear losing any of them and if they would be safer leaving, then that's what they needed to do.
The group followed her lead and stood up as well. Their eyes widened as they heard Neytiri and Jake coming out from the tent, and they all scrambled in different directions (Neteyam picking up Tuk) to avoid getting caught eavesdropping. Tcelia vaguely thought back to yesterday when she had scolded Tuk for eavesdropping on her and Lo'ak. She scoffed to herself. Some role model she was.
She thought that she had been in the clear as she had sped away, but was stopped midtrack as she heard Jake calling her name. She slowly spun around, watching as he jogged over to her.
No one was around. All the warriors who could stand had been sent out on patrol to ensure that there would be no more sky people visiting them that night, and the rest were sitting around the fire in the cave connected to this one, eating dinner.
She looked over Jake's shoulder and saw that Neytiri had found her kids (Tcelia almost shook her head at how ridiculously bad they were at hiding) and was guiding them into the tent. Neteyam and Lo'ak both shot her a bewildered look, watching as their father cornered her.
Then Neytiri forced both of them into the tent and Tcelia was left alone with Jake, who was now standing in front of her. She straightened her back, faking confidence, as she prepared herself for Jake to inform her of the situation. She would not have anyone feel bad for her and especially not Jake who had so much else to worry about. She met his gaze full on and swallowed.
"How are you, Tcelia?" Tcelia furrowed her eyes. She had expected Jake to tell her what was going on straight away. At Tcelia's perplexed look Jake put a hand on her shoulder and added, "You made your first kill tonight, that's got to be difficult."
Tcelia blinked. This was not at all what she had expected. Jake looked so earnest as he stood before her, ever the father figure. He was making it really hard for her not to fight for them to stay with her. She hadn't thought of it before, but it dawned on her now, that Jake and Neytiri, the closest she had to parents, would also be leaving.
"Oh, you know..." Tcelia shrugged, feigning indifference, "I have killed before. Animals and such."
Jake squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, "Taking a person's life is different. It's okay to feel remorseful, no matter the circumstances." Tcelia nodded tightly, not trusting herself enough to speak. Jake dropped his hand from her shoulder. Tcelia could feel the emptiness the missing hand left her with creeping up on her. She shoved it down, fuming at herself for how pathetic she felt.
Jake sucked in a breath and continued, getting back to business, "I need to protect my family. What happened today was too close a call for me to overlook it." Tcelia nodded once again, steeling herself for what she was about to be told.
"We have decided to move the family, to both protect the clan and the family. It is what's best for everyone."
And there it was, "When will you go?" Tcelia put on a brave face, "I just need some time to collect my things. It won't take long; I do not have much." She cringed at herself.
Jake looked dumbstruck. His eyes furrowed as he opened his mouth, closed it again and then said, "What?" It was not often that the Olo'eyktan was left speechless and Tcelia found it a little amusing.
Tcelia bent her head, "Just my sleeping mat and such, sir. As I said, it won't take long."
"No, I don't think you understand, Tcelia. We want you to come with us." Tcelia's head snapped up and she was met by amusement dancing in Jake's eyes. "You are part of this family whether you like it or not," he chuckled to himself, "Neither Neytiri nor myself had any intention of leaving you behind." Tcelia couldn't believe her ears.
"Oh... I just – I just thought that" She spluttered, flushed. But her embarrassment quickly switched to ecstasy. She was coming with them. Relief flooded her as she jumped into Jake's arms, hugging him tightly. Jake, who wasn't used to Tcelia showing him physical affection, froze for a second but then quickly put his arms around her. Tcelia swiftly pulled away from him, having a hard time containing her joy. At any other moment she would have felt embarrassed to show such affection towards Jake, he was Olo'eyktan after all, but it was so wonderful to know that they had never considered leaving without her.
Jake turned businesslike again, "Now run back and get some sleep. You've had a tough day today and tomorrow won't be any easier. Go on, dismissed."
Tcelia moved back towards the tent, stopping when she was halfway and looked back at Jake who was watching her walk away with a strange expression on his face. She smiled at him, turned around and entered the tent.