"I'm so thankful to have everyone together for a while." Kiri expresses.
"It'll be like old times." Lo'ak even spares a partial smirk. "I'll get to spill Max's coffee by mistake and blame it on Spider."
"Hey, not fair. I'm not the one who has to watch my tail."
"And also not the one who has to watch your height." Lo'ak makes a face toward Spider, the two now playfully tussling around as they yank on each others main braid.
Aonung and Rotxo are both unimpressed, sighing and rolling their eyes in an annoyed manner.
"Hey-" Kiri reaches out and smacks the lower part of Aonungs arm to gain his attention. "—at least it's not you for once."
"Anyway-" Da'mik seems to shrug the whole thing off.
"When does Max get here again? He promised he'd bring me a new tablet so I could read my books again."
"It's your fault for trying to take it on your boat." Tuk sticks her tongue out.
"Come on, Tuk! He told me it was water resistant! It was an honest mistake." He tries to defend himself, but it's no use with this many around him.
Lo'ak and Spider have finally given up, and they're rejoining the group just as the conversation switches.
"I just hope whatever Max and Norm have... it gets us somewhere with this." Lia expresses, and she crosses her arms over as she clasps a palm along her upper arm.
Holding herself with a sense of worry.
"What kind of stuff did they say they had before?" Da'mik asks.
"Records of research, logs, building plans, new factory work, employment contracts, staff files-"
It doesn't matter what else she lists beyond that, because Spider has already stopped listening after the mention of staff.
He's worried.
It wouldn't be much longer until they found out he was still alive, and how would that be explained?
His heart sinks to the bottom of his gut as he watches the kids around — laughing and playing around with each other as he falls into a dissociative state.
He's had everything hes ever wanted, finally belonging somewhere.
And yet... it wouldn't last much longer.
There's no way they'd let him stay if they found out what he did, and they were owed knowing before they found out from some other source.
Maybe getting some time alone to think would do him good, clear his mind.
Try to figure out the best way to do this before it was too late.
——————-
"I'm sorry we weren't there, I can't imagine how scary it must have been without us."
"I had the clan, and Max... Lia — it was alright. I know you guys would have been had I waited, but I needed to get it done before I changed my mind again."
He smiles so sweetly before looking off across the hut.
"I'm not like Jake.
He had it the easiest, that's for sure."
"Actually." Jake hesitates to even speak up at first.
"It wasn't all that simple like everyone assumes.—"
And both of you turn to face him now, surprised by the sudden confession.
"—I never told anyone this, but I did try to dig up my old body."
"What? Dig up your old body? How would that even-"
"It was only a few days after." He admits, fiddling with the dagger in his hands.
"I was afraid I made a mistake... thinking about how it would affect our human child, or my own sense of who I was becoming."
Something he knows you constantly worried about as well.
"-however.
I made my choice, and there was no going back. Not when the clans needed me, not when I knew I had no place back on earth anymore.
I dealt with all my internal conflict after the event, instead of before like you both did."
Your eyes stay on his as he glances over at you.
"I ... honestly can't believe you never told me that, Jake."
"I was ashamed to."
He hears the way you sigh in response, not out of annoyance — just ... processing everything.
"This whole time - I really thought I was the only one dealing with the parental inner conflict of shifting to this body."
"Im sorry I didn't tell you, baby." He says so sincerely. "I guess that's why I got so irritated at times.
I was afraid your inner conflict would make me regret my own decision."
"Hey, hey." You softly speak out as you crouch along and move closer to him and Norm.
Placing a hand on each of their knees as you sit up and look between them both.
"No regrets here.
We're doing the right thing — we did the right thing. This is where we belong."
————————-
Spider has taken off to the edge of the shore — slipped out before anyone else could notice as the group dispersed.
He's alone, curled up while he sits - lost in his thoughts.
Toes in the sand, fingers intertwined together as they rest folded on his shin. His face on his knee.
Staring outward into the distance as he appreciates the scenery for what it is, for who knows if the Sully's could forgive him for what he needed to tell them.
He owed them that much, and he wouldn't let them down.
Not this time, at least.
It's a bit warm as he lays in the sand, and it only takes a few moments to pull himself up.
Practicing his intended speech over and over.
He doesn't know how to communicate his thoughts, let alone his feelings — it's the hardest thing he'd ever have to do.
And how exactly would he?
Hey, I'm sorry about Niikeym and Da'mik and countless other humans, but I couldn't let my father die?
I came across him on accident thinking he was Jake?
Is it even truly regret that his own heart had grown merciful over the years? Suffering so much at the discrimination of Olo'eyktan Neytiri and a few of her disciples that he would jump for anyone who treated him politely?
So...
Maybe he did have regret for saving Quaritch ... knowing he killed someone who considered him his brother. Almost killed a second brother of his.
He had hope this new... clone... may know better. Be better.
The same exact thing that hung over his head about his mother for so many years.
Praying and hoping and wishing that if she had survived - she would have been a decent human being. She would have changed. For him.
Seen the good of the Navi and become as peaceful as his scientist family had.
His head hangs as tears drop down the sides of his cheeks.
Broken and lost and confused.
"What do I do?" He asks out loud, probably hoping Eywa was somehow listening.
"If I tell them, they'll all kick me out.
I can't go back to the forest clan, and I can't stay here.
What if it risks Garvins life because it's my trust they rely on to keep him here?
Should I even tell them? Do I just act shocked on the off chance they somehow find this out?"
And there is a chance that they may not, he realizes. Maybe a bit of hope with that thought...... until he realizes they'd then find out when it's too late.
They needed the upper hand here.
His heart starts to race as he cries even harder. Worried and terrified for what will come of him.
Homeless, outcast, demonized.
He'd have no choice but to go back to Quaritch — assuming he'd even protect him anymore.
The RDA wouldn't hesitate to kill him, unfortunately.
That he knew for certain.
————————
Tuk seems to be first in as the big kids follow behind her - calling for your attention.
"Max is coming! The samsons almost here!"
"Wow, he's a bit earlier than I expected." Norm comments as he shortly follows behind you and Jake.
They seem to drive up over head, and drop the base down next to the kids.
The Samson, however, can only land further out in the open sand once the base is in place — and the kids don't hesitate to run out.
Everyone's rushing to greet him, and even help him carry a few things.
"Hey, Bert." You lean in and give him a small side hug from behind as he powers down the aircraft so Max can head out.
He's happy to accept the hug, even as he faintly shrugs in return.
"I'm sorry I can't stay and hang around." He apologizes. "As soon as max is off I'll have to head back, Neytiri's orders."
"Is she worried we'd be tracked down here?"
"No, no, the RDA clearly know you're in these islands as it is.
—- She needs all hands on deck for a raid tonight, and I'm driving the biggest gun ship we've got."
"Just be safe on the way back, yeah? Land somewhere if you need to nap for a while."
"Yes, ma'am. And I'll give Evelyn your best for her. She misses you and the kids."
You can't help but frown.
"I miss everyone, too.
When this is all over we'll come visit, how about that?"
"Im sure she wouldn't turn it down. It's been too long as it is."
——————-
"And you're a .... marine biologist?" Max seems to be reading off a few report papers Jake laid out for him.
"Yes. I've studied for twenty years, and only recently they signed me on." Garvin responds. "The second I realized what had come of my Amrita discovery, I knew I couldn't be part of it anymore."
"How long was your contract with them?"
"Fifteen years. They needed someone to come in and make some discoveries, notes, logs... really understand the life around us and make some research books.
Then head back and retire early when it was all done. They insisted I take a longer deal after the Amrita - knowing I could find them more valuable substances - but I couldn't be bothered. No amount of money would have troped doing that again.
So, they set me with Scoresby. Threatened to shut me down if I didn't, and some other bloke would have been doing my job except with no care for the life around us.
I figured I could help from the inside, at least a bit."
"That's how I felt." Max admits. "I tried to stay between both as long as I could, and I even bulldozed one of their main rooms apart when the war was starting."
Max looks over to Jake, and points in his general direction. "Sully over here could tell you all about the pretending to work with the bad guys club."
And Jake shrugs it off.
"I heard about that, actually.
They've told us everything about the war. I would guess it's so we don't get any ideas.
Which... well, I can't get any ideas if I'm dead, can I?"
"Really? I'm flattered that they still think of us. I wonder how they'll portray me in the history books."
Norm can't help but laugh at the tone in Max's voice.
"What? Don't you want to know what they say about you?" Max defends.
"I've come across a few email clippings in these files, actually. Two of them they call me 'Norman Cheeseman'. " He laughs.
"Cheeseman?" You join in. "I... I'm afraid to ask, how did that even happen?"
"Who knows." He sighs with a chuckle. "It's amusing, either way.
It mostly notes how I worked under Grace, and how we all helped make the first returning contact with the Navi."
"What about you, Max? What are you working on?" Jake asks. "If I can help any-"
"Right now? It's a bunch of staff files.
I'm going through them to see what kind of bullshit we are up against — Ive noticed they marked Scoresby dead, so it's accurate at least."
"Staff?" You question.
"Just... out of curiosity... how many recoms did they say were dead?"
"Let me look, I haven't made it that far." Max says. "I've been pulling apart blueprints of their new buildings and making copies for Neytiri and her squad to hold on to. As well as lists of their weaponry and such."
"Does it say anything about me?" Ian finds the courage to ask. "If... you... get the chance to look."
Norm side eyes him for a spare moment as Max is still trying to tab out of his hundreds of windows - before returning to the laptop screen and pulling up a few files.
They're either sorted by facility, speciality, or last name.
"It says here you're deceased." Norm remarks. "The files are all here, but some are locked. Which, I'd assume, is because of your death."
"So it's all up to date at least." Ian remarks as he notices. "Thats good."
The space falls silent for a moment.
Everyone all flip through files as you're trying to help sort the ones already completed and combed through.
The door creaks open behind you, and Da'mik enters the base.
"Oh, shit." Norm almost drops his laptop as his hands freeze up, and he quickly picks it back up before setting it on his desk.
"What?" You ask him. "You okay?"
"I-I need you to come look at this." He regretfully says. "I'm- hoping to Eywa I'm reading this wrong."
————————
"Spider? Where did you head off to?"
"I'm on the west side of the island, where Rotxo takes us hunting. I wanted a moment alone."
He shortly answers Kiri.
It drags him on to have to force any kind of conversation at the moment.
He'd rather sulk in silence and take what comes.
"Are you sure that's safe?" She worries.
He sighs so loud that the sound feeds back through the comms, even.
"I'm within eye shot of others, Kiri. Don't worry so much. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Alright..." she barely speaks through the comms. "But .. hurry back? Max is here .. and we're going to finish with dinner in a bit."
"I ate earlier.
I'll be back soon." He ends with, trying to distance himself and his thoughts from anyone else in the moment.
She's hardly satisfied with that, and it only hurts her more to have to let it linger in the back of her mind.
Even as the kids are all alone in the mauri, waiting for their parents to return from the base.
—————
Norm calls for your name first, and tags on Jake's after.
"—seriously, come look at this and tell me I'm hallucinating, please."
"Which part?" Jake asks, and Norm hovers his finger over the section called 'Sec0ps: Recombinant Team'.
Jake leans over him, and takes the mouse from under his hand as Norm can barely move.
Most of them have a red mark through the digital file, or some sort of signifying statement about their deaths and credentials being revoked.
A few lack it, though. And unfortunately Jake notices what Norm was so horrified by.
"I'm not.. crazy... right, Jake?" Norms voice barely shakes as he turns to face him.
Jake has to take a few steps back, distancing himself from everyone as his hands clench into fists. His nails digging into his palms so hard he could break his own skin.
"What's going on?" Garvin asks, worried at the now joint reaction of them both.
Jake's lips are pursed so tightly that his fangs scrape along the inside, and he doesn't even wince at the pain when he breaks skin on the inside.
You step over; knowing it's no use talking to Jake with the way he disassociates in pain.
Leaning over and taking a look for yourself.
Out of all things you know the RDA is capable of — how bad could it be?
Something so easily thought until you see what they saw, and you're the only one to fill in Max and Garvin with as short of words as possible.
"Quaritch is alive."