Little Blue [OFC&Neteyam]

My Other

Family doesn't have to end or even begin with blood. It can be whoever you feel is your family. And until I met the na'vi people, I never really thought much of family at all.

Jake stands in the waters, Neytiri beside him, their children floating around them. Tonowari and Ronal stand with their two children just a few soft waves away. And meanwhile, the rest of the Metkayina clan have joined them in the Suli Family's wake.

Not only was I lucky enough to find the love of my life among these strange and beautiful people, but I was also lucky enough to carve out a new existence for myself. My very own family.

Jake can only watch as a few members of the marine clan come swimming towards him, his sad eyes glued to the tiny lifeless body floating atop as they carry the leaved casket along the waters.

Neteyam. My poor boy. Fuck, I really thought we had lost him this time. Neytiri almost broke down when she thought she'd watched our sweet boy take his very last breath.

Neytiri feels a few stray tears roll down her cheeks as she turns to face her son. His beautiful face is now as lifeless as the face of one being floated over to them. Jake, too, turns his head to look at his poor son-because he can't even imagine the thought of losing his own mate.

I feel bad for Spider, too, of course. It's his big sister we're laying to rest.

Jake glances over to Spider, who's sitting with Kiri on the back of her ilu, his arms loosely wrapped around her waist. Jake can clearly see the tears in his eyes through his oxygen mask.

I never understood why Spider always irked Neytiri and I more than his sister seemed to. At least, not until I saw the look the kid gave his unlucky excuse for a father. I don't blame him. He's just a kid looking to find where he belongs. Can't say I haven't been there...

Tonowari swims his ilu over to Jake and Neytiri's shared ilu (Neytiri sharing her Jake's.) Jake gives a faint smile of gratitude when Tonowari places a gentle hand on his shoulder and tells him, "The sky girl died protecting your sons and my daughter. And now, she will rest with our ancestors. She was one of us, as now, are you and your family, Tsyeyk te Suli."

"Thank you." Neytiri speaks up to the leader when she sees her husband's gaze lost on their eldest boy again.

Tonowari gives a formal nod. He follows the other father's line of sight and sighs as he leans in and quietly asks the boy's mother, "It is tradition for the closest of kin to lay the body to rest." He motions subtly towards the boy, smiles softly as he says, "But if it is too much for him, our people can-"

"We will take her." Jake says, turns back to face Tonowari, who simply bows his head in acceptance. "Thank you." Jake finally says, lays a hand on the leader's shoulder.

Tonowari nods, then, glides back over to join his wife and children.

Jake sighs tiredly; anxiously. He turns his head back to look at Neytiri as he quietly asks her, "Are you asking him or am I?" Neytiri smiles softly back at him, her arms tightening around his waist. "We ask together." Jake nods before turning his ilu to swim over to his son finally.

Until the moment his father waves a hand in front of his face, Neteyam had simply been staring at her body, while secretly trying not to crumble in front of everyone. (He can do that later when he finally finds somewhere to be alone...maybe out in the ocean, where something bad can hopefully swallow him up...) Neteyam blinks rapidly, his eyes snapping up to his father's face.

"What?" Neteyam's eyes widen for a split second as he quickly remembers himself. "I mean... Yes, sir?"

Jake smiles softly, lifts a hand to swipe a few of his son's braids away from his face. "I said, it's time."