Only Human?

by TeeJay

Chapter 1
- Bad Moods and Chocolate -

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Author's Note:
This story started out with exploring the relationship between Jake, Norm and Grace, focusing on events in the human world. I guess you could see it as deleted scenes that we didn't see on the screen. No het or slash, just pure interpersonal relationships and character exploration (except maybe for a bit of Jake/Neytiri interaction towards the end).

Starts around the time that Trudy first flies Grace, Norm and Jake out to the shack in the Hallelujah Mountains. The story somehow developed a mind of its own and I ended up continuing it pretty much throughout the movie, but only through the eyes of human Grace, Norm, Trudy and Jake.

A number of dialogues and scenes in this story were taken from a 2007 version of the movie script and some from the movie itself, so these are obviously not mine. Neither are the characters or situations of this story or the movie. They are property of James Cameron, Twentieth Century Fox, Lightstorm Entertainment or other copyright owners. No copyright infringement intended.

This story has not been beta-read (by anyone but me, I mean). My friend who usually helps me out has no interest in seeing the movie, which unfortunately counts her out. If anyone would like to send me comments or more detailed feedback, I'd be delighted. E-mail me at tj_teejay [at] gmx [dot] net or contact me here at FFN.

With regard to the Na'vi language used in this story, I tried to stay as true as possible to what the movie script and learnnavi [dot] org offered (which actually wasn't always consistent). In some places I had to improvise. Should you be fluent in the language, please forgive me if my Na'vi may not be a 100% correct. I am listing all the phrases and words I used (and their translations) at the end.

Rated T (PG-13) for occasional language.

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Norman Spellman looked out the window of what was not so lovingly called the 'shack' and could only just make out a huge chunk of floating rock in the foggy distance. After almost a month in this place, the marvel of the Hallelujah Mountains was starting to lose its magic.

He listlessly chewed on the chunk of artificial cheese he had grabbed from the fridge. A piece of bread would be nice to go with this, he mused.

It was hard to overhear the footsteps on the metal floor, so Grace Augustine's approach didn't come as a surprise. After all, she was the only person in here but him who could actually walk.

She pulled up the spare, standard issue metal chair and sat down at the table next to him. "Enjoying dinner?"

"Dinner?" He looked at his watch and remembered that the battery had run out; it had been stuck at 11:32 for days now. There was a definite downside to not having any resources around. "What time is it anyway?"

Grace shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Does it really matter?"

"Going back and forth between this place and the world out there, it knocked my sense of timing totally out of whack."

"Is Sully still in?" she asked.

"I guess."

She couldn't hide an amused smile. "I really wonder what he's doing out there. I mean, if what he's been telling us is even remotely true, he's been pulling some mean stunts."

"Oh yeah, he's a true action hero." It sounded just as sarcastic as he had meant for it to sound.

Grace narrowed her eyes. "You know, you can't stay mad at him forever."

"Who says I'm mad?"

She snorted a short laugh and shook her head in disbelief. "Geez, Spellman, it's written all over you."

He sighed. "Okay, fine, whatever."

"Pandora tends to screw with your head after a while, especially if you run around out there in a tall, blue body. Every now and then it doesn't hurt to remember that your real life is right here—in this body."

"It's just not fair, you know? I trained three years for this mission. I speak the language fluently. He falls off the frickin' turnip truck and all of a sudden he's cultural ambassador!? I mean, come on, Grace, I know you aren't exactly happy about him being here either."

She looked out the window, pensive for a moment. "No, I wasn't, not at first. Because what would a random Marine, who just happens to have the same DNA as his brilliant neurogeneticist brother, be able to accomplish here? But, you know, it's not our choice, Norm."

"Our choice my ass."

She shot him a scolding glance. "Look. I've been here for ten years. It took me five of them to gain the Omaticaya's trust enough to let me build a school, to befriend them, get to teach them. It took Quaritch and his goons a mere two months to take all of that away. And now... we have Jake. He may be our way back in. Maybe we can repair some of the damage that's been done."

"Well, that's... that's great. I'm really happy for you." Here was the sarcasm again.

"Okay, Spellman, I get it."

He waited for her to elaborate, but she only fumbled for a cigarette from the pack she kept in her lab coat pocket.

The acrid smoke bit his nose. He felt slightly foolish, but nevertheless asked, "Get what?"

"You're jealous."

"Jealous? Of Jake? Are you kidding me?"

She smiled one of her wistful smiles, and it annoyed him more than he would care to admit.

"Here." She put a candy bar in front of him. "You need it more than I do."

He looked at it and picked it up. It was a real candy bar, not those artificial ration pack ones that only tasted of sweetened wax.

Her smile never wavered. "I've found that chocolate cures most anything, especially bad moods."

She got up and, before she left the room, she said, "I need some serious rack. If you wake me for anything other than an emergency, you're a dead man."

Despite himself, a small smile crept into his features. If there was one thing about Grace Augustine that he truly loved, it was her charming way with people.

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