A/N: So another stand alone piece. I listened to Coldplay on repeat during midterm week and tada! Inspired. =)

Overview: Continuation of Pieces of Me, perhaps? Jake falls. Neytiri catches.

Fix You

In a blink of an eye, I witnessed the collision of past and future.

Bows and arrows. Bullets and guns.

Choppers slicing in the air. Hooves pounded on the ground.

The aftermath?

…flesh and blood.

The commodities of war and always the price of freedom.

In these late hours, I stand at the center of Hometree: The heart of Pandora, the area hardest hit by the war. Smoke still lingers like spider webs spun across an abandoned building. Beneath my feet lay a thick film of ash. In only a matter of hours, I destroyed what it took centuries to nurture. Here was the gateway into Hell.

The Gods must be laughing.

Through some twisted and convoluted joke, the fate of an entire civilization now rests on my shoulders. Their lives falling precariously into my hands.

Me.

Jake fucking Sully.

A name that meant nothing. A man that had even less to offer. At the time I was called in, my only possessions were the shirt on my back and the scars on my soul. I got left nothing to give to anyone.

Not far behind me once stood thousands of Omaticayas on their feet, drunk on my every word, riveted on my every action as I prepared us for war. A war that wormed its way into innocent lives because of my weakness and gained strength through the aid of my hands.

They're rough now. I could feel the callous across my fingertips. The long hours training with bows and arrows, spears and guns have left their marks. Out of habit, I pull the knife from the sheath dangling around my neck. The blades' familiar shimmer instantly comforts as me I trace the sharp edge honed to perfection through the countless uses.

The metal is cold and slides smoothly across my palm. The dangerous glide of the blade triggers a sense of alarm that brings color back into my world. Sandpaper across nerve endings. I breathe and feel a little more alive than I've ever felt before.

No one understands this darkness.

Not even her…maybe especially her.

Her words reassure while her eyes condemn. She can't possibly forgive what she couldn't even begin to forget. I see every detail of the battle through her eyes. Every day, I relive each horrifying moment until I see death from every angle. Her touch becomes memories that seep into my bones and into my brain sucking what little life I have left.

My hands are shaking now. I should stop.

But I don't.

With just a bit of pressure, the tip of the knife sinks smoothly into my flesh like slicing through butter. Soon the entire length of the blade is buried in my hand. At first it's just a trickle, hardly worthy of any notice. But quickly, it rapidly overflows sliding through my fingers and down my forearm in crocked rivulets of red.

Maybe there was pain. Maybe I even cried out. But I couldn't see, hear or feel anything beyond the shrieks of horror screaming out my failure.

There's blood on this blade.

The problem is it's no longer just mine.

I see him….like I always see him.

As if he was the sun rising over the mountains, his light chasing all the darkness from the world.

My world.

I crouch low to the dead forest timing my breaths so that they came out quietly and evenly. The smoke and ashes mixed with the wet air making it hard to breathe. The lack of trees and plants make it even more difficult to keep my presence hidden. I slide along the shadows quickly folding my body against some fallen human debris.

I hear him.

One heartbeat.

Two heartbeat.

Three heartbeat.

Cautiously, I ease away and gather the courage to peek from behind the metal barrier.

If he knows I'm here, Jake made no attempt to his vulnerabilities. He looks so weak. My body instantly tense ready to catch him should he fall. I watch him take a breath and follow his strong shoulders as lift then sag under the worry he carries but refuses to share.

Foolish warrior.

Does he forget that we are bonded? His pain is mine. I feel every scrape, every burn and every tear. Up ahead, he knees buckle slightly and I break a little inside.

This was my fault.

Something flashes in his hand and I squint, stepping closer. There was that faraway look in his face again. The one that lets me know he is lost and no longer listening. Even though he nods and smile when he is suppose to, I know that during those moments, he is gone wrestling some demon I cannot see.

Carefully, moving around the jagged edges of broken branches, I risk a few more steps to gain a better vi-

A knife!

Breath leaves my body as my heart squeezes to a painful stop. I am half-frozen watching him slowly trace the deadly blade across his palm. I feel my own hand twitch in response. I pick up a metallic taint in the air. My nose lifts and I catch the breeze floating downwind.

Jake's blood.

Suddenly, my legs are moving before I realize and within the next heartbeat, I'm directly in front of him. Both our eyes stare at the bloody knife sticking out from his fist. I couldn't believe what I am seeing. This close, the copper smell hung heavy in the air like a crimson veil. I took a small breath through my mouth and could taste the blood on my tongue.

"Jake," I whispered.

I take a step closer and gently cup his hand with both of mine. Instantly, the warmth of his blood stains my fingers. I feel the force of his grip as he clutches the blade. He is going to slice his hand in half.

My heart breaks.

I look up to his face and see the familiar nightmare eclipsing all the light in his eyes. The darkness suffocates me and the ugly monster lunges from Jakes' vision as I instinctively take a step back. Jake snaps awake and stares as though he's seeing me for the first time.

I search his eyes choking back the tears.

With gentle touches, I slowly pry each of his fingers open until I exposed the knife digging into his flesh. My hands shook.

"This will hurt."

He says nothing. The weight of his stare said enough. Quickly, before I lost my courage, I grabbed the handle and lifted it from his flesh. A disgusting sound of wet skin filled my ears. I threw the knife over my shoulders. Without the blade, his gaping wound now bleed freely. If I held it steady, I could see the bones.

I let his arm drop and spun towards the forest running to the sound of rushing water. Swiftly, I tumbled down into the creek reaching for the violet leaves even as I fell. I land on my knees. In rough movements, I yanked the entire plant from the ground and ran back.

He was standing exactly as I left him. I grab his arm and pressed the leaves into his hand deep into the wound. It must be extremely painful but Jake kept his eyes on me. I close his fingers into a tight fist and held it shut with my hand. I stare, anxiously.

Slowly, the bleeding quivers to a stop. The rivers of blood dry and then crack against his skin. I keep squeezing his hand afraid what would happen if I let go.

I look at him.

He looks at me.

My mouth opens but tears spill instead. I let a sob escape giving voice to the heartbreak within.

"Why?" I asked like a child. "…why Jake?"

Silence.

"I hurt."

I didn't know what to say. I spend my nights lying awake in his cold arms learning about his hurt. I fight it, rip it apart and tear it to pieces praying that it would be enough.

But it never was.

Because once the morning rises, I see him a die a bit inside.

Bit by bit.

Neytiri cradled his injured arm against her chest as though it was the most precious thing in her possession. With her other hand, she swept a strand of hair away from his face. Her fingers lingered across his forehead and wrapped around the side of his neck. Stepping forward, she pressed into his body until they shared the same space, breathed the same air.

"Let me fix you, Jake."

He looked into her eyes and quietly leaned down as if he was going to kiss her. Instead, Jake laughed a brittle sound and dropped his head against her shoulder giving her all his weight. Neytiri staggered but quickly wrapped her arm around his waist.

She fought to hold on.

He struggled to let go.

As she cradled him against her heart, Neytiri wondered if her love – her life – would be enough to save this warrior.