CHAPTER WARNINGS: pregnancy, adult shop, adult toys, public intoxication.

NOTE: Working on getting some new stuff ready to go! For those of you wondering, there are roughly... 4 more chapters left to go with this fic. I'm going to do my damndest to get them up faster than I have the last couple, I promise. Even though there's no smut this chapter, I hope you enjoy!

~ CHAPTER TEN ~

The next day's events were largely overshadowed by the looming notion that Asami may or may not have been knocked up by Spiritually-generated semen. They both avoided talking about it as they went to bed and throughout the following morning. Varrick sensed nothing, but Zhu Li was watching them especially carefully as they picked up their findings.

It was as they feared: mercury interlaced with the explosives. There were also minimal amounts of actual Spirit vines, but it was unclear if those were there beforehand or just mixed in when the vines were destroyed. Either way, Chief Beifong was not pleased, but was at least able to use the information to help seek out the cause of the unfortunate disturbance.

"Now, you promise you won't give the healer any trouble?" Asami shot at her as they climbed out of the car. "I know you're feeling a bit hesitant, but she's just doing her job."

"I promise I won't interfere," Korra replied a little defensively. "I've got enough on my mind, I don't wanna fight with some old Water Tribe lady."

Most healers in Republic City were trained in the Northern Waterbending technique of chi-healing; the healer they ended up seeing seemed to be multi-ethnic. She had somewhat pale skin, so pale as to almost seem Fire Nation, but her blue eyes gave away some Water Tribe descent. She was also younger than Korra expected, probably no older than Pema. Perhaps Korra's notion of healers was too closely tied to Katara…

The smiling healer led them into a small room, which was dominated by a shallow pool of warm water at its center. Korra took a set on a cushion at the edge of the room. "So," said the healer, turning to Asami. "What seems to be the trouble? You don't behave as though you're unwell."

"It's not so much that I'm unwell," Asami began, taking off her jacket and laying it across a chair. As she made to untie her boots, she continued, "There''s an odd... disturbance in my chi. We were wondering if you could perhaps shed some light on the situation."

The healer gave an understanding nod. "There are many ailments that may cause a disturbance in one's chi. If there is something wrong, I will find it." She gestured to the pool of water. "Please lay down and try to relax."

Asami had known they would be doing this later on, and prepared accordingly. Slipping out of her boots and outer garments, a dark blue swimsuit was revealed underneath. Korra was holding a small bag with underwear to don afterward. Gingerly, she stepped into the water and reclined until she was lying back, then began to float gently upon the surface, allowing her eyes to close.

Korra leaned back against the wall and blushed a little, looking nervously at the healer. This situation was so strange and so inherently awkward, simply because of one possible outcome…

The healer waited until her patient was lying comfortably in the warm water. Then she raised her arms and began to Bend the water around Asami's body, back and forth in a steady rhythm, as she felt out the flow of chi in her body. After a few moments of this, the healer smiled knowingly.

"Ah, yes. This is a very common condition, and the change in your body's chi is expected." She let go of the water and folded her hands in her lap. "You are with child. The energy is unmistakable."

Both of Asami's eyes flew open. It was true. Against all the odds, a baby was growing inside of her. If the healer had taken any longer to state her diagnosis than that, she would have doubted her and sought a second opinion. But there was zero hesitation. Korra had fathered a child inside of her, and that was that.

The healer smiled knowingly once more, nodding with sympathetic understanding. "This is unexpected?" she asked gently as she raised her hands to move the water once again, concentrating the movement of the healing water around Asami's middle. "The child was conceived perhaps… seven or eight weeks ago. Its energy is healthy and strong."

As the healer spoke, Korra was internally panicking. On the outside, she was completely frozen, her back pressed against the wall and arms hugging her knees to her chest. Why wasn't Asami saying anything? Why wasn't she freaking out?!

"Seven... seven or eight weeks?" Asami at last asked in a strained voice, fighting the reflex to sit bolt upright, disturbing the water and thereby the healer's process. "Are you sure of that, ma'am? Not that I'm trying to say you don't know what you're doing, it just... that timetable would be very, very odd."

The healer remained very calm. "No offense taken, ma'am," she replied respectfully. "I will check again." She continued moving the water around and around in the center of the pool for a tense, silent moment. Then… "I am quite certain this is correct."

Korra fought the urge to cry or shout or slam her fist into the wall. Instead she bit her lip and buried her face in her knees.

"Am I... is that the end of your examination?" Asami asked, though she was already sitting up. "If it is..."

"I am finished," replied the healer, bowing her head slightly before standing to leave the room.

As the healer exited, Korra approached Asami and helped her to her feet, silent and dumbfounded. She knew for a fact that Asami had been a virgin when they walked into the Spirit World; she had seen and felt that for herself. She knew this child had to be hers… or that horrible Spirit's.

"I-I don't know what to say…" Korra said sheepishly as she handed her lover a small towel. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"I would never say you did," she whispered back. Her steps were unsteady, but she didn't fall over as she picked up the towel that had been left for her and began to blot at her body. "Is... can this really be true? You and I will have a baby of our own, even though we're both women? It seems like a dream..."

Korra's hands shot out to help Asami steady herself, but her lover's words made her face fall. Could Asami be serious? "I-I-I'm…not sure you're thinking this through. Asami, this isn't normal or natural. We have no idea what this thing is! Think of what… what made it."

Asami blinked at Korra, surprised into dropping the towel. "What made it? But... but we made it. That spirit may have changed your body, but it changed your body into a man's for that moment. It was you, I could feel your skin, smell your sweat. That was no ghostly appendage that was glued onto you: it was a real one. So... so maybe it's a little unusual, but we can't just assume that it's going to be an evil spirit creation, or whatever it is you're thinking!"

"I'm thinking maybe you shouldn't keep this!" Korra blurted without pausing to consider her words. "I mean… we can't just assume it'll be a regular baby, either! Anything could happen. I don't know if you feel ready for this, but—but I don't! And I don't want to lose you!"

"Korra..." Her face had fallen at the last sentence, even though it was beginning to bristle with anger beforehand. "I understand your worry, but we'll hire a midwife — a seasoned healer who can spot any irregularities in the pregnancy. She'll keep an eye on me, don't worry."

"I can't believe you want to go through with this!" Korra cried in dismay, throwing her hands in the air as though at a loss. "Eight weeks, she said! At this rate you'll be ready to pop in like… a month! How are you gonna explain that to a midwife?"

Raising both eyebrows, Asami merely shrugged and stated, "There's a portal to a previously-unknown dimension in the middle of town. I don't think much will surprise the people of Republic City these days."

"WE surprise them, Asami!" Korra all but shouted. "The 'people of Republic City' don't want us here, so what makes you think they'd be willing to accept… this?!"

"Yes, that's true," Asami sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "But... that doesn't mean we're going to give up on each other. Just like I'm not going to give up on this child. If it proves itself to be no more than a malevolent spirit, we will deal with it accordingly."

"But what about you?!" cried Korra, her eyes welling with tears. "What if it hurts you? I can't just sit back and wait for it t-to… to…"

The Avatar found herself unable to continue, and at a loss for any more words. She was terrified that she wasn't ready to be a parent; she didn't WANT to be a parent! And above all things she was terrified that something horrible would happen to Asami before the 'child' was even born. "I- I can't—" Korra stammered through welling tears. "I'm sorry…"

Face taut with worry, Asami reached out and placed her hand on her lover's shoulder. "Korra, I-"

As soon as Asami's hand touched her shoulder, Korra pulled away. She felt guilty and inadequate and helpless. "I can't do this!" she sobbed. "I- I need to be alone!" Then the Avatar turned on her heel and practically ran out of the building.

"Wait! Korra?! KORRA, DON'T-"

But the door to the healing room was already slamming shut. Asami stood there staring at it for a long few minutes, goggling at the wood and wondering how this all could have happened. Then she forced herself to begin changing her clothes, even as her eyes pricked and threatened tears. She was apparently going to become a single parent, if Korra's reaction was any indication.

~ o ~

Korra just ran. She didn't know where she was going, until she was already there; but when she finally stopped in the middle of the road to catch her breath, she found herself in the Little Pole, a neighborhood known for being populated mostly by Water Tribe immigrants.

Eyes still pricking with tears, she trudged into the Water Tribe restaurant she and Bolin frequented together, and took a seat at the bar. She flagged down the barkeep and said hoarsely, "Triple order of seaweed noodles, and...a drink. Something strong. Surprise me."

The bartender gave her an odd look, but Korra didn't care. She had troubles and sorrows to drown. She wasn't ready to be a parent. She couldn't believe she'd been so stupid! This was all her fault! And now Asami probably hated her for running away like a scared little kid, but… what was she supposed to do or say?

~ o ~

It was an incredibly lonely drive back to Sato Manor by herself. One that could not be completed; Asami was too restless. How was she supposed to go about her day as usual when she had a Spirit-influenced baby growing inside of her? When Korra was who knew where, doing who knew what? She was worried about both of them — or all three of them, rather. Her mind felt like it was going to fall apart from trying to contain all the varying and weighty thoughts.

A melon cart caught her eye, and she eased the car to the roadside. After a few seconds spent trying to control her breathing, she exited and perused the selection. The vendor was happy to sell her a small box of assorted cuts, which she began nibbling as she walked along the street. At another, she stopped to have a steaming cup of tea, wishing she were sharing it with Iroh. He would know what to say, know how to advise her. On her own, she had no ideas.

Then another sign caught her eye — mostly because it was glowing red all the way down an alley. Following it, she saw it had a flashing pair of lips on it, and the legend proclaimed: "Biph's Bawdy Boutique." It was an adult store.

At first, she wanted to simply turn around and leave. She was far from in the mood to even entertain the notion of buying anything for sex. Of having sex. After all, those pursuits were what landed her and Korra in this position to begin with. But she had only turned and taken a few steps back toward the entrance of the alley when she looked across the street, only to spot-

President Raiko. Of all the people who might be along that exact street when she was coming from the general direction of a store selling things like that! It froze her in place. There was no question what he would think of her, seeing that sign above her head. When he turned in her general direction, she panicked and descended the steps into the store.

Biph, the shopkeeper and proud owner of the small establishment, was standing behind the shop's counter. He was a small, flamboyant man with loud clothes and even louder hair. When the tall, dark-haired, clean-cut looking woman stepped into the store, he started slightly for a moment, then jumped to attention and grinned.

"Well hello, little lady!" he gushed in a high-pitched voice. "Welcome, welcome! Haven't seen you around here before!" He gestured to the shop around them, which was decorated in all manner of flashing lights and fluffy heart-shaped cut-outs. "Feel free to take a gander! We sell only the best in quality!"

"So is- are you Biph?" Asami asked, slightly surprised. "I thought that was a woman's name." However, she was partly distracted by all the frilly, lacey clothing on the mannequins. There were also a few other implements hanging on the wall that were completely alien to her. Did people really purchase such items without feeling like utter filth?

"Ohhhh, sweetheart!" Biph gave an effeminate laugh. "Man's name, woman's name… what's in a name? We don't often deal in names here, anyway." He gave a flourishing swoop with his hand, gesturing back towards the shop's wares. "What can I help you find today, sweetheart? Anything in particular?"

"U-um..." Truth be told, she hadn't even intended to enter the shop at all. However, as long as she was here... "W-well, I don't suppose you'd have any items that could help a woman who's, um..."

Then her voice trailed off. Could she really trust a random store owner with her relationship details? After all, the people at the Fire Pit had been so awful to them. On the other hand, obviously this man was in no position to judge.

"A woman who's with another woman," she whispered finally.

Biph had leaned forward playfully as the young woman hesitated, then leaned back and opened his arms wide. "Of cooouurse I do!" he replied enthusiastically, rounding the counter to join her. "You're in the right place, honey, no need to be nervous. We help everybody here, no matter who they are or who they're with!" He gave her a soft pat on the shoulder and began leading her down one of the small aisles. "Are you looking for something small? Or a little more… manly?"

"W-well!" Laughing nervously, and perhaps too loud, she tried not to look at the items on the shelves — even though that was the point in going down the aisle. Partly, she was in disbelief that she was not the first customer to ask for such a thing. "Can't say I've ever looked for anything before, so... I mean, what do you recommend?"

"You're new to this, huh? Well, no problem, we'll see what we can do! Alrighty… for the ladies who love the ladies, I love to recommend this!" He pointed to leather harness that looked a lot like underwear.

"Hmmh," Asami muttered as Biph lifted the harness off its display rack and took it over to one of the mannequins. The interest in design and function was somewhat obscuring her nervousness over the subject matter. "Well, I can tell where it goes… but what purpose does it serve, how does it work?"

"Hang on, sweetheart. Let me grab one of our demonstration models!" He ran over to the counter, fetched something from behind it, and returned... with what turned out to be a large false phallus made of oiled leather. "There! You take one of these beauties…" He brandished the fake cock with a flourish. "And you strap it into here!" Then he slid it into the harness, and began buckling it onto the mannequin.

"OH!" she burst out, then caught herself and laughed self-consciously again. "Okay, that's… quite a bit clearer now!"

Stepping forward to examine the mannequin, she looked at it from every angle. This most certainly did seem to be a solution. The cock was slightly larger than the watery one from the night previous, but smaller than the flesh-and-blood one from Spirit World. There was some sort of widened, flat base holding it into the harness, and she presumed that once all the buckles were secure, it would shift as little as possible. Her hand fell to it before she realised that might be presumptuous.

"Sorry, do you mind if I get a feel for it?"

"Of course not, sweetie!" Biph replied with another laugh. "You get a feel for it as much as you like! After all, we don't do returns once you've taken the product out of store. You understand, of course."

It only took a brief thought as to where the implement would be going to make Asami understand completely. "Yes, of course; you wouldn't want to be handling… right." Sliding her hand up and down it, she found that it didn't quite have the same surface feeling as either of the two she had been in contact with before, but it was still nothing unfortunate or displeasing. Then she gave it a gentle squeeze; only the slightest amount of give. It felt quite sturdy, to be sure.

"Hmm. Out of curiosity, what- I mean, do you have other sizes? Of the, uh, tool, I meant. The harness seems to be adjustable."

"Oh, certainly!" said Biph, gesturing towards the next aisle, which seemed to be filled almost exclusively with similar devices. "We have almost any size you can envision, from the minuscule to… equestrian! And we carry them all in leather, lacquered wood, ceramic, and glass."

For the first time, a true smile crossed Asami's lips that day. "Glass? Can that be safe?" But she was already walking down the aisle, following the gestures with her eyes.

"Of course!," replied Biph. "They're solid and quite sturdy, blown in the hottest fire that Benders can Bend! Buuuut, if you're looking for something with a little more give, the leather is really quite popular."

"This one..." She had picked up a ceramic one that was only a few inches long, with a bulge in the middle. "I can't imagine what use that would be for."

Biph giggled like a schoolgirl. "Oh, aren't you just the sweetest thing! That, sweetheart, is designed to go in the backdoor." He gave her a lewd wink. "That part there is so it won't, well… fall out."

Nodding to herself, Asami turned it over in her hand a few times. The proprietor had likely been thinking she would recoil in horror — but she didn't know what they had done less than twenty-four hours ago. "Doesn't look like it would go terribly deep in there." Then she set it aside and picked one up that did go a bit deeper, but was roughly the same thickness. "Ah, there we are. Do you have one like this in glass?"

Biph's eyes widened in disbelief, but he barked with laugher and gave and dainty clap. "Oh, my goodness, I just love you already! We certainly do." He located the requested item quickly on the shelf and placed it in his customer's hand. "We're of a like mind, you and I. Is there anything else I can get you today? I know I saw you eyeing that strap-on dildo, young lady…"

"Oh, that I definitely need — the strap, and the leather one in the strap. Perhaps, um… this ceramic one, as well." It was about an inch shorter and very slightly thinner than the one hanging in the strap; it seemed to be wise to have one that wasn't quite so "challenging", to put it delicately. "With the… 'backdoor tool', um, how much does it total?"

Biped honestly hadn't been expecting to make a sale with someone who looked as Asami did, but he was more than happy that he'd been proven wrong. She turned out to be quite the spender! Gathering up all the items, he took them to the counter and tallied up the total with a pencil. "Let's see… all together, we've got… ninety-three yuans."

Pursing her lips, Asami weighed that. It was a lot of money to drop at once, but she had no frame of reference for how much these things normally ran. Clearing her throat, she asked, "Will I be needing anything else, or does this complete the sale? I might have to put some of this back for the time being, if so."

"This is all you'll need, for the… activities they're recommended for," Biph replied. "I know it seems like quite a lot, but keep in mind, these are all handcrafted. They'll last you for years if you keep them clean."

"Good, good. Years sounds good." As she withdrew her coin purse, she added, "And I assume that if they… break under normal use within the first month, you wouldn't mind at least trying to fix them, if not replace them?"

Biph smiled as he counted out the money his customer laid on the counter, discreetly eyeing the insignia on her coin purse. "Didn't I mention we offer a one-year replacement warranty on all our products?" He winked. "This is a business of repute… Miss Sato."

"Well, that's quite a- huh?!"

Suddenly dropping his voice, Biph leaned forward against the counter and whispered through a grin, "Word along the grapevine says you and the Avatar are an item, huh? Now that's a smart match, in my humble opinion."

Flushing scarlet, Asami had to fight the urge to run screaming from the room — with or without her discreet black bag of purchases. "You, um, recognised me, eh? Now I feel perfectly foolish."

"Most folks recognize you, I suppose, what with you and the Avatar and those two Pro-Benders being in the papers all the time," Biph continued a little more conversationally. The man truly didn't seem to care.

Returning the smile very cautiously, she gathered up the bag and turned to leave, but then stopped and asked, "You… think she and I are a good fit?"

"Of course, the two of you just make sense! Two gorgeous, empowered young ladies in the public eye… oooh, it's just the perfect little love story!" He gave a little flick of his wrist and giggled excitedly. "And it's about time somebody in the limelight started being open about their feelings! Things would change around here, you know, if more folks just talked about being a little different."

Oddly enough, his uncomplicated little speech cut straight into Asami's gut. It had felt like everyone was oppressing her and Korra for being together and not acting "ashamed" enough, or trying to hide it, but she'd never once thought about how other women who love women had it. Or men who love men, for that matter. This was beyond just two people.

"I'll keep that in mind," she told him earnestly. "And thank you so much; I'll try and come back in sometime and tell you the results."

Biph's eyes lit up at the very thought of hearing about the Avatar's sex life with Asami Sato. "Oh, please do, sweetheart! You're always welcome at Biph's! And your sweet, dark little hunk of an Avatar is welcome here, too." He grinned wolfishly and winked. "You two have fun, eh?"

That last comment seemed to be implying something she could scarcely believe. Did he want them both to drop in for future shopping, or something more? Trying to put the second possibility aside, she thanked the unusual man and made her way back to the street. Once she was certain the coast was clear, she stole over to her car and drove off.

~ o ~

Back at the manor, a few hours passed. Asami did her best to focus on her paperwork, to put both the shopping trip and the life growing inside of her to the wayside, but it kept sneaking in. Eventually, she gave up and began wandering around the garden for a while, poking at all the flowers and generally avoiding responsibility.

This didn't last forever, as became apparent when Asami's butler approached her in the garden, a little perplexed as to why the Avatar had not returned with her. It looked and sounded as though the two of them were joined at the hip now. Still, it was not his place to ask. But eventually, a call had come through that required him to disturb his employer.

"Please excuse me, Miss Sato," the butler said respectfully. "But there is a phone call for you. Chief Lin Beifong wishes to speak with both you and the Avatar."

"Well, Korra is... out at the moment," Asami informed him as she straightened, rubbing her face. Of course, she was unsure as to where Korra was, but there was no sense spreading her worries to the staff. "Where may I take the call, in my office?"

The butler raised an eyebrow, but said nothing out of line. "Yes, Miss Sato," he confirmed. "The phone is waiting in your office. It sounded rather urgent, if I may say so..."

"Of course. Thank you."

Once in her office, she made sure to pick up the receiver before she even edged the door closed. "Hello? Yes, this is Asami Sato!"

"This is Lin Beifong," the chief's voice came quickly over the phone. She sounded even more tense than usual. "I followed up on the lead from that mercury, and the results were… alarming. I want to speak with you and Avatar Korra as soon as possible."

"Oh! Yes, I'm sorry — Korra's not here at the moment, but I'll tell her the instant she gets back. Shall we meet you down at the station?"

Lin was quiet for a brief moment. Then she said, "Well find her and come down to the station as soon as possible. I'm afraid it can't wait."

Then the line clicked; she'd hung up. Asami eased the receiver back onto the cradle. It couldn't wait? This really did sound urgent, after all. She began to feel mildly guilty about their fight earlier, even though she knew she wasn't the only one to blame for it.

Pressing her fingertips against her lips, she tried to think of some way she might get in contact with Korra on the spur of the moment. Her only thought was that she might call Jinora and ask her to astral project, but that seemed like too much of an ordeal. Where could she be?

Another possibility came to her: Mako. It wasn't guaranteed that she'd be there, but he was one of her closest friends in the city. It was worth a try. Snatching up the receiver again, she dialed hastily.

Mako had been ironing his shirts, trying to drown out the noise of Bolin watching "Nuktuk" for the millionth time, when the phone rang. He picked it up and held it absent-mindedly between his cheek and shoulder. "Hello?"

"Hey, Mako, it's me. Have you seen Korra at all today?"

Mako was more than a little surprised that Asami called him. "Um… no. Why? Don't tell me she's gone missing or something."

"Not really missing," Asami hedged, feeling nervous. It shouldn't be this hard to talk to him; she and Korra had both moved on from those days. However, it was a little different now that the two of them were together. Also, given their recent discovery, the topic was even more sensitive than before. "I just needed to talk to her earlier than I expected."

"Hey, who's on the phone?" Bolin called from the other room over the sound of his own mover.

"It's Asami!" Mako shouted back, covering the receiver. Putting the iron down on the ironing board, he held the phone properly and continued, "What do you mean, earlier than you expected? Asami, what's the matter?"

"There's... something happening," she hedged. Was it alright to discuss the case with outside parties? After all, Mako did work for the force. "Ask Chief Beifong if you want to know more — anyway, I just expected to see Korra later tonight, but now I need to speak with her immediately."

"Did she say 'hi' to me?!" Bolin demanded. "Tell her I say 'hi'! No, wait — tell her I said 'hey, what's cooking?' No wait, that's stupid- tell her-"

"Shut up, Bolin!" Mako hissed. "Wait a minute… what should I ask Chief Beifong? Does this have something to do with the bombing?"

Squirming, Asami hissed, "I might have said too much — I don't know for sure that I can divulge any more. Seriously, I just really, really need to talk to her."

Now Mako was very worried. "So it is about the bombing… Listen, is there anything we can do to help you find Korra?"

"Dude, did she ask about me?" Bolin was still asking from the next room.

"Yes. If you haven't seen her and can think of anywhere she might be around this time of night, drop by there and ask her to give me a call. I'll stay at the Sato manor for now; it's not like she's been gone very long."

Mako closed his eyes and tried to block out his brother's nagging. "Okay," he said. "Bolin and I will split up and look for her. Yeah, stay at the mansion, in case she comes back, and if she does, give us a call, okay?"

After hanging up the phone, Mako walked into the other room and turned off Bolin's mover-box. "Listen up, Bolin. Korra's missing. Have you seen her at all today?"

"Nope," he said, sitting up a little straighter and putting down the bag of pork rinds he'd been slowly making disappear. "Wait, she's missing? How can a whole Korra be missing? She's a pretty decent size, ya know!"

Mako rolled his eyes. "Look, I think this is serious! Asami sounds like she's kind of freaking out, and apparently Chief Beifong wants to talk to them both. I'm not sure what's going on but it's very important that we find Korra."

Frowning, Bolin wiped his hands on his shirt as he stood up. "Okay, okay. Wow, didn't think we'd be getting our little Team Avatar back in action after bringing balance and all that. Where do we start?"

Mako sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. We may as well start with the places she likes to hang out. Why don't we start with Air Temple Island, and then we can split up? I'll take the West side of town, and you take the East side."

"Got it!" Bolin was halfway out the door before he turned back. "Should… I put on pants first?"

"YES, Bolin, you should put on pants first," growled Mako. "Ugh."

~ o ~

Korra didn't know how long she'd been sitting at that bar, knocking back shots and speaking to nobody. Time didn't exist once she reached a certain level of drunkenness. The bartender had cut her off about an hour ago, saying that drinking for ten hours straight was enough to kill anybody but the Avatar; but she remained, sniffling and wallowing in self-pity as she stirred a chopstick in her noodles.

When Bolin wandered in, sweating and waving his hand in front of his face, he actually had not been expecting to find Korra there; he simply needed a glass of juice to keep his energy up. Plopping in the seat next to her, he groaned.

"Oh, hey, Korra. Do me a favour — if you see Korra around, could you let her know we're looking for her?"

Korra barely looked up from her noodles. "Mmmmmph… go away, Bolin," she said between sniffles, her voice hoarse from crying. "I don't deserve friends."

"Hey," he breathed, slightly taken aback — both at figuring out she was next to him, and also at the state she was in. "Dude, what happened to you?"

"I happened to me," Korra sobbed, dropping her chopsticks and covering her face with her hands. "I ruined everything. Everything! All of this is my fault. I'm the worst Avatar since… since any Avatar ever!"

Frowning, he eased one arm around her back, patting the far shoulder. "No way, Korra! Hey, you're the best Avatar I've ever known!"

"No, I'm not," Korra slurred, shaking her head and wiping her nose on the back of her hand. "I thought I was bringing balance to the world but I made it the most… not-balanced… it could ever be! And now there's bad people who wanna hurt the Spirits, and Asami's pregnant and it's all my fault!" Saying it all again made it sound even worse. She slumped forward, head making a loud thunk on the wooden bar counter.

"Hey, heeey," Bolin soothed her, petting her hair. Of course, he wasn't incredibly comfortable doing this for the Avatar, but she was his friend and she needed to be comforted. "You can't always stop the craziness before it starts! So what if people want to hurt the Spirits? You'll nip that in the bud! And hey, so Asami's preh..."

Then he found himself blinking and standing up slightly. "PREGNANT?!"

"I know, it's crazy," Korra continued in a self-pitying but ridiculously-casual tone, voice muffled by the bar counter. "You know how we went on vacation in the Spirit World? Well there was this, this… bitchy spirit who possessed me and made me grow a dick…" Then she sat bolt upright. "A fucking dick, Bolin! So what was I supposed to do, just sit there and look at it?"

Bolin's eyes were as wide as saucers. "What the hell are you talking about? That's, uh, not a thing that actually happens! You can't have a..." Slowly, his eyes slid down to Korra's lap. Did she?

"I know, right!?" Korra said with a dramatic nod. "But it was just there, and after I fucked her the Spirit left me and the dick was gone! It was… crazy, man, fucking crazy!" She rested her head on the counter again, holding it with her hands, as she was growing somewhat dizzy. "You wouldn't have believed it, I could barely believe it. It was… huge, man, ridiculous!"

"Ohhhh." Bolin relaxed visibly when he figured out that Korra wasn't actually sporting male equipment at the moment. He didn't know why, but the idea made him slightly uncomfortable. Maybe just the idea of having to think about what Korra had in her pants in general. "Well, hey, maybe it was just some kind of fever dream! I mean, the Spirits are always distorting reality over there, right? Didn't they get Jinora lost one time?"

"No, it was real, man," Korra said a little defensively, glowering at him from down on the counter. "Ask Asami, she'll tell you!" She paused. "No, don't do that, don't ask Asami. But I'm telling you, it happened! Uuuuugh… so Asami went to see the healer and the healer said that she's eight weeks along and it doesn't make any fucking sense and it's mine, man, and what the hell do I do?"

"Wait, wait," Bolin sighed, shaking his head out. "First of all, you're kind of… smashed like it's New Year's Eve, okay? So are you sure — really super sure that this actually happened? A spirit turned you into Boy-atar and you got Asami pregnant?!"

"YES!" Korra replied agitatedly. "Haven't you been listening? That's what happened!" She buried her face in her hands again, trying to hide the tears welling back up in her eyes. "I'm sorry, man, I know it's crazy… I'm just… so freaked out right now!"

For a long moment, Bolin just sat there, watching her cry and not knowing what to say. Yes, it was true that they had seen and done a lot during their travels, but this was just simply impossible. Spirits didn't normally possess people in the first place, and on top of that, he'd never heard of one possessing someone and causing an extra appendage to sprout from nowhere!

On the other hand, this was Korra. He trusted her. Maybe it would turn out later that she had just been so drunk she didn't know what she was saying, but for now, he had to take her word at face value.

"Okay, so… so you're gonna be a daddy, huh? Hey, that's, uh, pretty cool! I can be Uncle Bolin — I'll take the kid to meet all the other mover stars!"

Korra shook her head sharply. "I-I'm not ready to be a… a daddy!" she sobbed. "Or a mom, or — or anything! I don't want a kid, Bolin, I… I can't do this." Rubbing her tired eyes with her knuckles she half-groaned, "What would you do, Bolin? If this happened to you and Opal, what would you do?"

"WOW," he burst out immediately, laughing nervously. "Me and Opal? That's- I mean, I don't know, I never..." But surprisingly, even to himself, he was able to answer pretty quickly. "Actually, I think I'd be cool with it. Maybe I'd have to… you know, come have a few drinks at the old watering hole here, but after that?" His smile turned a little warm, maybe even slightly embarrassed. "I think I might like to have a little tyke running around someday. If it happened sooner than I expected, I guess I'd just have to adjust, right?"

Korra's eyes widened. She sat up and looked at Bolin for a moment, at the semi-calm acceptance and his positive outlook on the whole situation, then turned to stare at her noodles in silence for a long moment.

"I… Bolin, I think I made a huge mistake," she whispered hoarsely.

"Yeah, I'll probably say that, too!" he chortled, slapping her on the back. "Don't most guys at some point?" Then he sat up straight. "Not that you're a guy! Anymore! I mean, you were never a guy! Sure, you could benchpress me pretty easily, but you're all woman, for sure! What I mean is-"

"I know what you mean," Korra cut him off. "But I mean… I really messed up with Asami." She lowered her head, her bottom lip trembling. "I… I got really mad and told Asami I didn't think she should keep it. I was just so scared! I mean, we don't know if it's really mine or the Spirit's, and it's gotten like two months big in, like… one week! But I shouldn't have said that, and… and I shouldn't have run off."

"Dude, you're a woman who fathered some kind of Spirit baby! She's gonna understand! In fact, she's probably freaking out herself right… now." Then he gasped and covered his mouth with both hands. "Oh crap, I totally forgot!"

Korra's eyes widened in alarm. "What? WHAT?!" She grabbed her friend dramatically by the shoulders. "Dude, what did you forgot? W-wait…"

"Sorry! You were just so upset that it completely blocked it out of my mind!" Recovering himself, he gripped her shoulders back. They looked very intense to the rest of the clientele. "Asami's been looking for you, and wants to speak to you right away! For some reason!"

"Of course!" Korra exclaimed, shaking him slightly for no apparent reason. "Of course, because I ruined everything! Because I…" Her expression suddenly changed from realization to firm determination. She stood up a bit too quickly, wobbling slightly, and said, "I need to go to her. Now. I need to apologize, take back everything!"

"Okay, cool! I'll go with you!" When she looked hesitant, Bolin gave her an even look. "I know you're the Avatar, but right now you look like you could use somebody to lean on. Literally."

"I'm fine, man," Korra insisted, before taking one step forward and swaying dramatically. Between her drunkenness and sleep deprivation she was quite disabled. "I'm… uh, yeah, can I lean on you?"

Smiling in both bemusement and sympathy, he shrugged himself up and under Korra's arm and began helping her out onto the sidewalk.

~ o ~

"No, I haven't, Mako. Check in with me again if she's not in the park. And thanks again."

Asami began to pace back and forth in her study, hands in the small of her back. It had been nearly five hours since their appointment with the healer. How much later was Korra going to stay out? Was she really that upset?

She was. The look on her face when she found out she was at least partially responsible for creating new life was not the cheeriest. But what else could they do but to see the pregnancy through to the end? If they terminated it because they were merely afraid of the outcome without waiting to see what it might be, they really would be monsters. Worse than the mischievous Spirit they feared.

When they finally arrived at the Sato mansion, having staggered about a quarter of the way and taken a taxi for the rest, Korra was determined to walk in on her own. She'd grabbed a cup of some strong, dark tea to ground her senses, and though she wasn't exactly steady on her feet, she could walk on her own without falling, at least. She led the way through the front door, brushed off the alarmed butler with a small gesture, and went right upstairs.

She had a feeling Asami would be in her study, and she was correct. Her poor lover was pacing around the room, looking exhausted.

"Asami!" Korra cried, practically jumping over to her and falling down on both knees to hug her around the waist. "Asami, I'm sorry, I am so, so sorry…" She looked up at her with red eyes, tearstained cheeks, and the faint smell of alcohol barely concealed by strong tea on her breath. "I've been a fool! I've been such a jerk, I… can you ever forgive me?"

"Korra, what-" Then she raised one hand to cover her nose. "Wow, where have you been, and what have you been drinking?"

"Puki," Korra replied a bit absently. "It's a traditional Water Tribe liquor made from sea prunes, and they- no, that's not important now, listen! I was so, so wrong to say the things I said at the healer's! But I talked to him, and he taught me something, about… about being a man! You gotta — g-gotta own up!"

Eyes brimming with tears and voice trembling, Korra released Asami from her embrace and shrank back a little. "I-I-I love you, Asami…" she stammered with a remarkably small amount of slur in her voice. "And if you want to go through with this and… and have this baby, I… then I want to be here for you."

Smiling a little sadly down at the clearly-inebriated Avatar, Asami caressed her cheek and ran her fingers through her hair. All worries over what Beifong wanted with them would have to wait, it seemed. "Hey, now. I know you love me; I never thought otherwise. But I'm glad you're coming around." Then one eyebrow quirked downward. "Talked to him? Who?"

"Who? Oh— oh, Bolin!" Korra replied, blushing a little and fidgeting with her fingers. "He… um, he found me at a district in the Water Tribe restaurant… wait."

"Are you sure about that word order?" Asami giggled quietly. Then she hooked her hands underneath Korra's arms to attempt to pull her to her feet, but Korra wasn't steady enough. "So Bolin… helped you get home, did he?"

"Oh yeah," Korra replied, as though just remembering, while she tried to get back up onto her feet. "Ohhhhh man… I… I wanna lie down."

"Then that's what we shall do."

It took a little manouevring, but Asami was eventually able to bundle Korra back to their bedroom and tug her boots off. Trying to remove any more of her clothes proved such a chore that she gave up with her pants still halfway on.

"So," Asami asked as she put the boots away, "How is Bolin? Did you two have a good chat?"

"He's… he's good," Korra replied as she tugged her pants back on and flopped onto the bed face-first. "Yeah, good chat. Verrrrrry good chat…" She stretched and yawned. "Mmmmm… ya know, you forgave me pretty fast. Heheh. Is that because… cuz you wanted to talk to me?"

"No," she answered sarcastically. "Who wants to talk to their wife?" As she began to change into more comfortable clothing herself, she turned to look at Korra. "Of course I want to talk to you. And… even though you did hurt my feelings before, I understand it wasn't on purpose. I've been too worried about you the past few hours to hold a grudge about one small argument."

"You've been worried about me?" Korra gushed happily, turning her head to watch Asami dress. "I… I've been worried too. I just… wow! You know, we've gotta start getting ready for an actual baby! Like… yesterday!"

Smiling to herself as she shimmied into a nightgown, Asami answered, "How about tomorrow instead of yesterday? You seem a little… beyond doing anything like that right now."

As she paced over to the bed, she observed the face-down Avatar, looking like the silly oaf she always had been. Magnificent, sometimes immature, but always a hundred per cent dedicated to those she loved and protecting the world. One of a kind. And one that she would never let go.

"And of course I worried about you. I always do. Nobody else in the world matters as much as you."

Korra smiled up at Asami in her silky nightgown and gave her a drunken, bashful grin. "I feel the same way! Nobody in the world matters as much as you." She reached out placed one hand against her lover's belly. It still felt flat as ever, and the Avatar was too drunk to concentrate on anyone's energy, but she remembered the feeling from before and her thumb stroked lightly against the silk.

"And now you too, I guess… baby. Our baby… wow."

Tears sprang to the corners of Asami's eyes — ones she hadn't even known she was holding back until they appeared. "Korra… do you mean that? Really mean it? Because you reacted so strongly, and I didn't have any change to process things, b-but if you really can- if you're willing to love this baby with me, th-then m-maybe..."

Korra paused for a moment before saying with determination, "Yes. I'm gonna do my best to be a good… a good father! Ha! It sounds so weird." She looked up at Asami and smiled gently. "I'm still really scared about… how the child was conceived, and… and how fast it seems to be getting bigger. But… you're right that we should give it a chance."

"Good, because… because I think I wanted this much more than I expected. It's something we couldn't have — weren't allowed, but this insane thing happened! And I know it wasn't quite ideal, magical and impossible and traumatic for me, I understand that, but..." The tears came faster as she pressed herself in against Korra's side. "But we can start a f-family!"

Korra draped a heavy arm over Asami as she settled in beside her, holding her close and kissing her forehead. "A family," she repeated softly. She had no idea what they would tell people, or how Republic City would handle them, or if they could be tolerated at all. She was still frightened. But she cradled her lover in her arms and reassured her with soft whispers and gentle kisses.

"Yes. A family."

~ To Be Continued ~