Wow, I am so incredibly sorry for abandoning my fanfiction account. I got less and less time to write as I got older, and now I'm in college and can't barely remember what I had in mind for these stories. This chapter was actually written close to four years ago, I think, but I just never got around to posting it. I think I was waiting until I had more in progress, and when I stopped writing it simply ended up forgotten. I wish I could remember what I'd had in mind for this story, because I know it was going to be epic. If I do one day recall it, you all will be the first to know. But as it is, don't get your expectations too high, unfortunately. Perhaps one day I will start writing again. Until then, please enjoy the last bit I have written for A New Beginning, A New Body.

The next morning, Jake's excitement awoke him before dawn. Realizing he wouldn't get any more sleep, he got up and stretched, gathered his effects, and decided to take a look around the surrounding area. He walked along an overgrown path towards the river. It took a sharp right at the bank and followed the curve of the water. He strolled next to the slowly swirling water, admiring its clarity.

The river led to the tree line and disappeared into the jungle, as did the path. He kept following it, holding overgrown branches out of his way as he traveled. Jake wondered to himself why such a beautiful home would be deserted. It unnerved him a bit. What if he wasn't making the right decision? He was the leader, the Olo'eyktan. He had the future and safety of an entire village on his broad shoulders. But he felt in his heart that this was where they were supposed to be. Eywa provided for them, just like was always promised.

Sometime during his thoughts, the scent in the forest had changed. The birdsong that had kept the atmosphere light was gone. The bushes and trees no longer rustled with the morning activity. It was eerily silent. Jake's tail flicked in curious agitation and his ears twitched forward and back. He continued following the path as it became more and more difficult to separate from the surrounding jungle.

Something sharp jutting up through the dirt pierced the bottom of Jake's foot. He jumped up in surprise and grimaced at the pain. He leaned his back against a tree and lifted up his leg. Sure enough, there was a shallow cut across the sole of his left foot, beading with fresh blood. He narrowed his eyes and scanned the ground for the cause of his injury, and something shining on the path caught his eye.

Jake hobbled over to it and gingerly picked it up. It was a small piece of shrapnel. Whether or not it was from a bullet he couldn't tell. He put the small scrap of metal in a pocket near his knife and limped into the forest. He had been trained to survive, and, even though the gash was small, it could disable him should it become infected. He knew which plants would clean it, and knew which leaves were strong enough to keep it covered and dry.

Once his foot was bandaged, Jake continued down the path, his curiosity piqued. His route took a distinct left, but Jake noticed that the trees directly ahead were thinner. He blazed a trail through the underbrush to investigate.

To his horror, the forest stopped abruptly, revealing a small encampment. Surrounded by once-charged fencing, it was a small military base. Jake figured it was used as a checkpoint or a clinic for soldiers too far away from Hell's Gate. Even though the jungle had already begun to reclaim its ground, the deserted base made a chill run up and down Jake's spine. It was a bit too close to the kelutral for comfort. Jake realized that was probably why the magnificent tree was empty.

Jake didn't need to investigate further. The empty metal junkyard was the least of his worries. He still admired the new home they had found, and was sticking to his decision. No one in his clan would even think about going near it, so it wouldn't be a problem. The expansive jungle surrounded all other sides of the kelutral, and was full of game to hunt.

Even though it wasn't a pressing issue, Jake shared his find with the rest of his search party.

"This changes everything, Toruk Makto," Sa'oh said thoughtfully, "No wonder such a beautiful home is empty of life." He gestured to the kelutral they were standing in.

"This place is cursed," Omei mumbled to his brother.

Jake turned on him, keeping his voice controlled. "It is not cursed, Omei." Then, he returned his attention to all of them. "The area was deserted. It is safe here. I will warn the clan to stay away. Everyone in our village has enough sense to listen. Did none of you see the Toruk in the branches of this tree when we first saw it? Eywa wants us to be here. We do not fear the Sky People… we never have."

Jake's speech encouraged the rest of the men to silence their suspicious thoughts. Khan, with his young optimism, was the first to respond. "Toruk Makto is right, this is our new home. I can feel it."

Jake grinned at the young man to show his gratitude. The other two grudgingly agreed. "I contacted Neytiri last night. She will tell the other groups to come home. We will return as well, and lead our people here."

The others nodded their agreement. "Let's pack up and head for home, then," Jake grinned, accidentally slipping and using English. Khan gave him a curious look, but the older men seemed to understand and returned his excitement and began to pack their things. Khan followed suit, asking his brother what Jake had said.

They flew all through the day, and well after dark. Jake only signaled a landing when he sensed that Ralu could barely keep his head level. He patted the beast on the neck and sent it an apologetic thought. The night was restless, and Jake couldn't make himself eat the next morning, and the rest of the return trip passed by much the same way.

Jake couldn't help but yell with excitement when the Tree of Souls appeared over the horizon. His companions returned his shout and sped their ikran towards the camp. When bystanders on the ground saw them approach, they waved like ecstatic children and went to meet them at their landing spot by the cliffs.

Through the din of congratulations and commotion, Jake couldn't help but notice that Swizaw was not resting on the rock face. The ikran's remarkable colors would stand out against so much green and yellow, but he was not there. And, to Jake's dismay, Neytiri had not found him in the crowd yet. He was sure that the moment his feet touched the ground he could wrap her in his arms again.

After the clan began to disperse, Jake set off through the camp towards the Tree of Souls. "Mo'at!" He shouted, looking around for the spiritual leader.

Mo'at stepped into his view from behind curtain over the entrance of her tent, her expression curious. "I see you, Mother," Jake performed the greeting as he approached.

"You are too formal with me, my son," She said, putting her hands on Jake's shoulders.

Jake gave her a half-hearted grin, and then asked, "Have you seen Neytiri?"

"As far as I know, she went flying with her new ikran earlier. She still may be gone," Mo'at answered, returning her arms to her sides. She grinned sympathetically when Jake's features fell. "She should be back very soon, though," She told him, trying to reassure.

Jake was about to turn away when Mo'at continued speaking. "Also," Jake recognized the sly glint in her eyes, like she knew a secret, "I believe that she has something to tell you."

"Thank you, Mother," Jake told her, before leaving her at the Tree of Souls. He returned to the tent that he shared with Neytiri and dropped his things by the entrance. For lack of anything better to do, he wandered to the cliffs where the ikran rested.

He was about to call Ralu when a flurry of movement around him caught him off-guard. Jake recognized Tsteu stepping off of his ikran, followed by his group. Jake smiled and embraced his friend. "Good job, Jake! You found us a new kelutral!" Tsteu exclaimed as the few men he had taken with him gathered around and patted Jake on the back. Jake only nodded his gratitude.

Not long after, Pey'ral and her search party returned, and they also greeted Jake with wide grins and congratulations. "A feast will be held in your honor, Toruk Makto," Pey'ral stated in her ever-calm voice. Jake was taken aback by her nice comment, but accepted it nonetheless.

Jake attempted to help ready the food and festivities, but he wasn't allowed. They told him he deserved to rest, along with the others who had been chosen to travel and search. But instead of sitting with Omei, Khan, and Sa'oh, he returned to the ikran grounds. He called Ralu and spent time paying attention to the beast. He rubbed all the knots out of the sore muscles in his long neck, and even took off the riding saddle, which Ralu was extremely grateful for. The long days of flight had taken a toll on the both of them.

Just as Ralu was lying down to rest contentedly, he picked his head up and glared into the dimming sky. Jake, who was sitting not far off, turned to look. A lone ikran was flying towards the cliffs. It was black shadow against the retreating light, so Jake couldn't identify who it was. As they came closer, Ralu became tenser.

Jake's ears pricked forward; there was only one ikran Ralu hated. Swizaw. Jake jumped to his feet and watched with anticipation as the purple creature touched down. Ralu bared his teeth and backed away, preparing to retreat to the cliff face. Swizaw paid him no mind.

A lithe figure jumped from Swizaw's shoulders and landed lightly on the ground. Jake ran towards the figure, his smile growing with every step. "Jake!" Neytiri shouted as he pulled her into a hug. Forgetting that the entire village could see them, she wrapped her arms around him as well, resting her head against his shoulder. They pulled away from each other after a long moment, and Jake held his mate at arm's length. He loved the way her amber eyes were alight with excitement and happiness. Her bioluminescent spots flared with a pulsing glow. He absently noticed that he didn't remember them being that bright.

Jake grinned so broadly his ears lifted. Neytiri smiled back and said, "I have missed you, my Jake."

"I missed you, too," Jake replied, wrapping an arm around her slender waist and leading her towards the camp, where the fires had been lit and dinner was being cooked. He wrapped his tail affectionately around Neytiri's and she leaned into his side. "How were things here while I was gone?"

"What is the word? … Boring," Neytiri said flatly, rolling her eyes. Jake laughed at her explanation. "Why do you laugh? My mother had lessons for me every day, from the first light all the way to the evening meal."

"Don't you think what she's teaching you is important? I mean, you are taking over her job, eventually."

"Of course it is important," Neytiri sighed, "But that does not make it any easier."

Jake nodded his understanding. After that, they were content to simply be in each other's presence; they didn't need to talk to one another.

The feast was similar to the ones Jake had experienced already. There was a surplus of food, drink, laughter, and music. Jake enjoyed a few glasses of the Na'vi's version of moonshine, which he already had some experience with. He noticed that Neytiri didn't have any, and refused it even when Jake offered. He thought it was curious, but didn't press the issue. He enjoyed the night of his return. He told the rest of the clan about how Toruk had helped them find the Kelutral. The children shouted in excitement and the adults couldn't help but grin in astonishment.

As the night drew to a close, Jake and Neytiri bid everyone goodnight and returned to their private tent; it was already late into the night, and the jungle glowed its life for everyone to see. Jake clasped Neytiri's hand in his and lightly kissed her temple as they walked. "It's good to be back," He said, and couldn't help but yawn.

They reached their tent, and Jake held up the pelt covering the entrance so Neytiri could step inside before him. She removed her necklaces and her hunting knife and set them on the ground next to their pallet. Jake did the same and plopped down onto their makeshift bed. Neytiri lay down and curled up next to him, resting her head on his broad chest and listening to his steady heartbeat.

"Jake?" Neytiri muttered his name in question.

"Hmm?" He mumbled to let her know he was listening, but not wanting to make the effort to use words.

"I have something to show you," She said. To him, she sounded somewhat tentative, and this made Jake all the more curious.

He lifted his head to look down at her. "What is it?"

She reached behind her back and grabbed her queue, holding it at eye level. Jake immediately did the same, and held it up next to his mate's braid. The tendrils reached towards each other, awaiting the connection as eagerly as the two that were connected to them.

The flood of raw emotion and power always caught Jake off-guard. He didn't think anything could get him used to connecting to the world around him in such an intimate way. Even with his ikran, he was amazed, but, when it came to bonding with Neytiri, nothing could compare. In those moments, he was privy to her heart and soul, and she did not recoil away from the touch of his mind. The conjunction of their thoughts was not only the path to understanding, but also to unconditional love.

After his pupils returned close to their original size, he began to notice the smaller things. Jake could not only hear her thoughts, but could feel was she felt at that very moment. Their heartbeats were in tune with one another, as well as their breathing. But, it was different somehow. The last time they had linked had felt different. It was as if there was something on the outskirts of their thoughts and feelings, only in the beginning stages. After a few moments of honing his concentration on this one feeling, he realized what it was: A third heartbeat.

His and Neytiri's were strong almost loud. But this one was small and almost undetectable. At first, Jake was confused. Then it dawned on him.

His eyes flew open, and he found that Neytiri was staring at him expectantly, containing excitement. "Are you…" He began to ask, but trailed off. His thoughts had already finished the question, and Neytiri nodded, a small smile breaking across her face. After a few moments delay, Jake grinned back, from ear to ear.