Authors Note: So I was driving for two hours today and started thinking about peoples gripes on the movie. I decided to write what (I think!) would happen if a few things had been changed – notably the biggest complaints from others.

Will be rated PG-12ish, nothing horrid but there will be racism (human vs. Na'vi and vice versa), swearing, slight sexuality. Hope you all enjoy.

-Noz

Empty Cup

Getting lost wasn't really something Jake had planned on doing, not really. He had been told to learn about the Na'vi from the 'inside'. How to get to that point never crossed his mind, not even a little. Stupidly assuming that Grace would casual introduce him to the large indigenous, he failed to care.

The first trip made damn sure that would not happen.

But there he was, getting dragged into camp by a group of crazy-pissed natives, a knife at his braid. It gave him some idea, some inkling that the length of hair was in some way important; learning 'how' again came very low on his priority list. The chick saving him from certain death from the viperwolves and, more recently, the angry guy with the mohawk strode in front him with the waist shaking saunter of a woman used to owning whatever it was that came her way.

Stupid humans included.

He still didn't know her name. When it came to women, that hit high on his to do's. It was simply unnatural to not know the name of the pretty lady who just kicked some serious ass with a seemingly effortless multiple blows to string-thing hyenas with six legs.

Jake rather liked Pandora for the animals alone. Interestingly enough.

He squinted into the group of hoarding Na'vi. There were more than he thought in the forest. Sure, the forest was huge as was the tree but until that moment the greatest number of hulking, tiger-esque aliens with braids he had seen were the scant numbers in the Avatar program. They had nothing compared to the multitudes of sky colored creatures crowding him, all of different ages, styles.

Most of them wore the same decorations Grace did. None of the other Avatar riders had such things in their hair - only Grace. Jake blinked, frowned. The woman had been wearing native jewelry the entire time and he hadn't even looked -twice-? Disappointment in himself overshadowed the sharp tone of the older Na'vi man wearing more clothing than the rest.

Jake shifted, uncomfortable. At least the blade was gone from his hair. It unnerved him. The girl who saved his ass talked fluidly to the older man.

"What is he saying?" He saw her ear flick, one shoulder dip down in the slightest motion.

"My father is deciding whether or not to kill you."

After that, everything became a blur. It was harder to concentrate on some things in his Avatar body, a glitch he hadn't brought up to the wonderful doctor (a mistake, in retrospect). Maybe the other Na'vi moved too quickly, the lack of understanding the language hurt his ability to -listen- to the actual inflections within the conversation, rather than the words themselves. Whatever it was, Jake certainly did not appreciate it.

The dragon lady - tall, her hair like an Egyptian queens and a prick like any porcupine - spoke, declared him insane. Jake twitched his ears involuntarily, stared down at her with furrowed eyes and a cocked chin.

She looked to the angry young Na'vi warrior, spoke something that sent him into a flurry of hissing. His teeth were sharper than Jakes, than the girls. The blue man threw down his dagger, tail to the air and muscles tense with anger that personified all the humans feared.

"Tsu'tey," Dragon lady explained with a gentle brush of her hands towards the man, "Will teach you our ways. You are to go with him, learn what you can with this 'empty' cup of yours, Jakesully."

The warrior - Tsu'tey - snarled once more, crouched down towards the ground. Jake didn't look from the intense glare thrown at him from the native. If anything, he hardened his expression further, pulled his lips into something of a smirk.

Dragon lady and Chief Man noticed. Jake saw them exchange looks. Whether that was to be considered a positive thing, he didn't know, didn't want to ask in order to find out. He guessed it was something akin to his and Chief Mans shared, small nod - something between those who knew what they were looking for, who wanted to know more about what it was, exactly, that was going on.

He really, really didn't like that.

Tsu'tey said something sharp to the girl who had saved his ass, a single word. 'Neytiri'. She only glanced at him with those too big eyes, blinked once, but otherwise did not respond. Tsu'tey spoke again, this time beginning with that same word, something Jake guessed was her name, and other things followed.

Neytiri shot Jake a look he could have classified as pity. It was then that Tsu'tey walked to him with the same heavy gait as Neytiri. His arms swung more, a dominance display Jake knew well from the human 'counterparts'.

"You are a waste of my time," Tsu'tey spat out, his lips curled into a grimace. "Why Mo'at did not throw your worthless hide to the viperwolves escapes me."

"Tsu'tey," The female Na'vi switched her weight, moved just enough in front of Jake to keep him from attacking the human. "Tsahik doesn't give orders lightly. There is wisdom to what she says."

"There is-" Tsu'tey shook his head, his face still pulled into a mask of distaste. Another shake of his skull, the tinkling of braids and beads sounding with it, deceptively pretty. "Come, Dreamwalker."

Jake hesitated for the briefest of moments. Then, the humanoid swung himself around Neytiri, grinned at the glowering warrior. His reply came out much smoother than he imagined it would: "Sure."

Tsu'tey spun on his heel. Without waiting for Jake, he stalked off to the gigantic tree. Jake trotted after, his tail flashing every which way.

——-

Jake opened his eyes. He grinned up into the worried scientists eyes, shoved himself up.

"Doc," he said, frame relaxed. "You are NOT going to believe where I am."