Chapter 10

Iroh could feel the warm sun on his face and his eyes fluttered open. For a moment, he wasn't sure where he was or who he was. He was in a field filled with wild flowers and there just a few feet away was girl with white hair about that age of seven holding her hand out to him.

"Come on Iroh!" She called out to him. "We'll be late!"

Iroh took her hand remembering that was his name and realizing that he was about seven too. She led him to the top of the hill were a table sat, set for tea. At the head of the table an elderly, and rather round, man rested. Sitting next to the man was a white haired woman holding a cup of tea. They smiled as the two children approached.

"Ah Korra! What are you doing here? And who's this young man with you?" Asked the elderly man.

Korra led Iroh up to the old man. "We're here for tea Iroh! And this is uh, oh Prince Iroh! I think he's named after you."

The older man held his hand, which Iroh shook. "It's nice to meet you Prince Iroh. Welcome to my tea party."

"Thank you for welcoming me." He looked at the table and saw Korra take the seat next to the woman. He counted the cups. "The table is set for five people are we expecting someone else?"

The old man smiled. "You know, I think we might be." He looked over Iroh at someone else approaching. "I didn't think you would make it today!"

Iroh turned as a water tribe man he had never seen before walked up the hill. Iroh may have never seen the man before but he knew his face because he had seen many of the same features in the mirror.

"I'm sorry I'm late!" The man said smiling. "But I wouldn't have missed this for anything!"

"I guess you wouldn't have Karrem, I should not have doubted you." The elder Iroh poured a cup of tea and handed it to Korra.

Karrem looked at the two children. "Iroh, who's joining us today?"

The old man sat back. "Ah that young lady there, trying to eat a whole cookie in one bite, is avatar Korra and this young man is Prince Iroh of the Fire Nation. I'm told he was named after me."

Karrem kneeled in front of the young prince. "Silly me I should have recognized you as soon as I saw you." He held out his arms. "Can I get a hug?"

Iroh not even caring about the tears running down his face flung himself into his father's arms. He burred his face in Karrem's chest. "Daddy." Was all he could say.

Karrem held his son close. "Oh Iroh, my beautiful baby boy I am so sorry this is our first meeting." He kissed the top of Iroh's head. "I've been watching over you since the day you were born. I love you so much and am so proud of you."

Iroh pulled away to look in to his father's eyes. "Really?"

Karrem wiped his son's tears away. "Really, you grew up in to such a good strong man, my only regret is that my absence caused you so much pain. Just know I will always be watching over you and bragging to everyone here how awesome my son is. Especially to your grandfather."

"So I'm not dead?" Iroh asked a little confused.

Karrem shook his head. "No, you're really close to it and if you want you can stay here but." He turned and pointed to Korra. "I think she's going to head back soon and I would fallow her if I were you. You're not going to find a girl like her ever again." He stood up and smiled at his son. "I'll be here looking out for you and loving you more then anything. We'll meet again Iroh and trust me I can wait till then because I know you are going to be one of the greatest men that world has ever seen."

Iroh watched as Korra got down from the table and Princess Yue kissed her spiritual daughter on the forehead.

"I think it's time for you go home Korra." Yue brushed some hair out of her face. "You can come back and visit sometime soon."

Korra nodded and after hugging Yue started to walk away. Iroh looked at his father. "I love you too Daddy." He flashed a smile. "I'll see you later!" He took off after Korra who had resumed her older form and when he grabbed her hand he was no longer a child but his full grown self.

Korra turned and smiled. "You ready to go back to the other world?"

Iroh smiled. "Ready!"

.o.

It was two weeks, and many close calls, later before Iroh woke up in his hospital bed. The first thing he became aware of was the music playing on the radio and a woman humming along. The second was the false euphoria of heavy painkillers. Finally, after about three songs played on the radio he decided to try to open his eyes. He found the right eye willing but the left seemed to be bandaged shut. At first the room was too bright to see anything then his vision adjusted and he saw her sitting to his right.

Korra curled up in a chair listening to the radio and humming along. She had bandages on her arm and one of her legs was in a walking cast, there was an I.D. bracelet on her wrist and her hair was down. She also was making the hospital gown she was wearing way more attractive then he ever thought possible. He felt a genital breeze against his face and smiled as he watched a grin form on her lips.

"Good morning General, glad to see you've finally decided to join the land of the living."

"Glad to be welcomed back. How long ago was that tea party?"

"About two weeks." Korra moved from her chair to sitting on the side of his bed with minimal awkwardness. She placed a hand on the side of his face and softly stroked his cheek with her thumb. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Iroh took a deep breath. "High, really, really high."

Korra smirked. "That's probably a good sign then cause, spirits, are you on a pretty heave dosage of drugs."

"Am I that bad?"

"You may or may not have been impaled by several large-ish parts of a jeep. And your left leg's broken because of said parts. Also you have one eye."

"What?"

"Just kidding, according to the doctors you had a really bad cut near your eye and you almost lost it but lucky for you they were able to find a great water bending healer and now you're just going to have to wear an eye patch for a little bit."

"Well that's a relief, a blind girl and a guy with no depth perception sounds like a rather bad combination."

"Yeah, that does sound bad, oh you might end up having a gnarly scare there afterwards so rejoice that you're girlfriend's not really big on looks." Iroh chuckled as Korra smiled at her own joke.

"Ow that hurt." He put a hand on his chest and found it really sore. "Looks like I just found the limit of the drugs."

Korra nodded still smiling. "I guess we did. That's also going to be really sore, apparently your heart stopped for a moment in the ambulance. Mako saved you by sending a lightning bolt through you but he doesn't want you to know that he did. Oh! I need to give you this before anyone comes in and starts a conversation." She leaned down and making sure not to put any pressure on his chest kissed him.

He didn't want to kiss to end and tried to sit up as she pulled away but his abs refused contract. He pouted but resigned to the fact that he'd have to heal more before he got to kiss her like he wanted to. He looked around the room. "So where is everyone?"

"They are zll at Air Temple Island, Jenora is getting installed as an air bending master today."

"So why aren't you there? You don't look all that bad, surely you could've gotten leave to go to that."

Korra shrugged. "I could've, but then there would be no one here for you to wake up to and anyway it's not like I could have actually watched it."

"I would have been fine waking up alone Kor."

"I know but I still wanted to be here for you, you were there for me." She paused for a moment. "And besides sitting here next to you let me mediate and enter the spirit world where I could see it." She said in a low voice.

Iroh looked amused. "Well that's sneaky. I'm guessing I'm the only who knows you can do that?"

"Yeah and for now anyway and I think I'd like to keep it that way."

Iroh nodded. "I won't tell a soul. So how are you doing? Did you hurt your leg in the battle?"

Korra blushed. "No actually, I pulled a muscle when I found a staircase the hard way. Other then that I'm pretty good most of my injuries have healed so can't complain."

"So wait if you're almost healed why are you still here? I mean clearly you're still a patient here. So what's up?"

"I'm here mostly to see this therapist for P.T.S.D. I kind of didn't take the news of your injures well, at all. They're rebuilding that ward now. They're also giving me some physical therapy for my legs and teaching me to read brail!"

"What's brail?"

"It's like little dots raised up on paper for blind people to read. It's weird but I'm learning it and it's been a good distraction."

"And how's the Therapist?"

"She's really nice, she's been teaching me these coping mechanisms and breathing exercises to help with the panic attacks. She tells me that I might not ever be completely comfortable with what happened but she also says that that's ok. It's been nice to talk to her, not as nice as talking to you, but still nice."

Iroh nodded. "Glad to hear it's working out. So I'm going to guess we took back the city?"

"Yeah, the city is back to normal and no longer a pit of chaos. They had the memorial service for all the military personal that where murdered in the chaos about a week ago. I'm told it was beautiful. Evidently, Commander Bumi is back in the United Forces temporarily to get the whole chain of command back in order. You can have your job back as soon as you're willing and able."

"Well glad I'm not unemployed. So how are the others? Mako, Asami, Bolin? Did they make it?" Korra was about to answer him when the three of them walked through the door. "Speak of the devils." Iroh mumbled watching them file in.

"Oh look guys! He's awake!" Bolin said jumping up and down a little. "Korra did you tell him? Did you?"

Korra shook her head and hobbled back to her chair. "No, Bolin I haven't told him, I was going to let you and Mako do that."

Iroh looked apprehensive. "Korra what did you not tell me? Should I be worried?"

Korra made a gesture with her hand that could be roughly translated to 'maybe'.

Bolin looked at Mako. "Can I tell him now! Please!" The earth bender was shaking with excitement.

"I already told you, you could. The floor is yours, just spit it out the General looks genuinely worried now."

"Yay! Ok, so when we found you, you were like dying, and had lost a lot of blood and needed some and Mako actually was the donor that saved your life! Because you two are both fire benders and have the same blood type! So you owe your life to Mako!"

Iroh was lost for words for a moment he owed Mako his life twice. "Thank you, I don't really know what to say other then that. I'm actually stunned."

Mako was about to say something but was cut off by Bolin. "That's not the exciting part! So you know you have a rather rare blood type for a fire bender right?"

"Yes, I'm aware that's why they printed it on my dog tags."

"Well I was curious as to how it was possible for you two to share the same rare blood type, you know aside from literary irony."

"Literary what?"

"Ignore that! So I did some digging and when I say I did, Mako did cause he was curious about it too! And guess what we found!"

"Something earth shattering?" He looked at Korra whose face wasn't giving anything away.

"You got it! Cousin! Looking into it, we found out that our mom and your mom were sisters! We're actually related! I'd hug you but I've been told that would hurt you, so air hug!"

Iroh felt like he had just been hit over the head with pitcher of cold water. His mind was racing to make sense of what he had just learned but things were refusing to click. No, this was not happening, he was hallucinating; it had to be the drugs! I can't possibly be related to them! They're nuts! Ok, maybe that's a point towards being a relative. What if I had died? They would be the next in line! Mako can't decide on a girl to date how the hell is he going to run a country?!

Mako looked over at the General and tried to suppress a smirk. "Bolin, I think you just broke him, again."

Bolin looked at Iroh. "So are you surprised?"

Iroh nodded. "I can honestly say that if I woke up tomorrow with my head glued to the carpet I would not be more surprised then I am now."

"Funny, Korra said something similar when we told her." Bolin mused.

Iroh looked over at Korra. "You did?"

She nodded. "Yeah I think I said something like I was more shocked about learning you three were related more than I was about learning who your step-dad was."

Iroh smirked. "You actually took that news pretty calmly if I remember right."

The group chuckled and talked about nothing for a bit until a nurse shooed them away. With silence restored, Iroh dozed for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening he had another visitor. Iroh woke up to see his grandfather sitting in the chair Korra had inhabited earlier.

"Grandfather? What are you doing here?"

Zuko looked mock offended. "What kind of Grandfather would I be if upon hearing you were finally awake didn't rushed to your side? A bad one that's what."

Iroh smiled. "Ok, ok, it's good to see you grandfather."

Zuko nodded. "It is good to see you alive. I nearly had a heart attack when they told me of your condition. I don't know if any one's told you but there were some very close calls with you." He took his grandson's hand. "It's not nice to put your elders through such stress you know."

"I'll try to avoid that in the future." He looked up at the ceiling. "You know for a bit there I actually thought I had died. I was in spirit world for a time. I got to meet great uncle Iroh! Or is it two greats? Oh well it doesn't matter I met him and I got to meet my dad Karrem. Yeah, he was there too." He looked at his grandfather and saw there were tears welling up in his eyes. "They told me I could stay there with them if I wanted but dad suggested I come back here."

Zuko patted Iroh's hand. "I'm almost afraid to ask what was his reasoning for telling you to come back."

"He told me to chase after Korra because I would never find a girl like her ever again."

"Accurate and about girls, that sounds like Karrem. Iroh, I just want you to know I knew your father and he was a good man and very good man a few flaws but a good man nonetheless. I would have welcomed him in to our family with open arms had he not been murdered. Just know that."

"Thanks, that really means a lot."

"I also want you to know that when I was younger, two of the most amazing woman I knew, save your grandmother, was a water bender from the southern water tribe and a blind earth bender who could instill more fear then anyone else I even knew."

"Ok, I'm not sure what your getting at Grandfather."

"What I'm trying to say is you will be the world's biggest idiot if you let her get away and an even bigger one if you break her heart."

Iroh rolled his eye. "Why does everyone seem to assume that I don't know what I have?"

"Do you know what you have?" Zuko asked a little intrigued.

"Yeah I do, I have the one person in the world I would give up my career for, my claim to the throne for, would die for, did die for in a way. Trust me grandfather I know what I have and I have no intention of letting her go."

Zuko smiled. "You were always a smart child." He stood up. "It's getting late and I better leave before that nurse comes back and tosses me out. Your mother will be by tomorrow. She was on rout to meet with a delegation on Kyoshi Island and turned around as soon as she heard you were awake. I think the fact she couldn't come to see you today is killing her. So when you see her tomorrow don't bring it up." He smiled. "Good night, dear grandson, sleep well. I love you."

"Night grandfather, love you too." Iroh closed his eye and drifted off to sleep.

.o.

Korra and Iroh stood in the hallway in front of two very large doors flanked with guards. One year and three months had passed since the Battle of Republic City, not to be confused with the Battle for Republic City, which had been against Amon. During that time Korra had traveled the world within and beyond the boarders of the four nations. Iroh, who had reclaimed his military title and job, had been by her side the entire time as Commander of the Battle ship Leviathan, her personal bodyguard, and aid.

The idea for her to travel for a year had actually been the newly elected president of Republic city. It was decided to let the world know of Korra's survival more by rumor and legend then by messy and biased press releases. At first Korra had been hurt by the idea that she was being hidden away again. Her attitude changed however, to once at sea. She stopped focusing on her problems, and started helping other people in both small ways and big ways, similar to how Aang had over seventy years before. As she looked back at her time at sea, Korra truly saw how much she needed to take the journey. It helped her heal her body and soul.

She had honed her bending skills far past the mastery she had at the fight with Zaheer. The elements were now so much apart of her that that the line between moving her body and moving the elements was so blurred that, to her, it didn't exist anymore. Iroh had once comment that whenever he felt a Korra bend the air into a breeze that touched his face it was just as intimate as having her hands there instead.

Speaking of Iroh, the good General was currently using a crutch to help support himself because his left knee had recently been injured. The General had learned the hard way that getting in to a really ugly argument with a really angry metal bending avatar and still having some shrapnel in his knee was a poor decision. He also learned that when your angry girlfriend in a fit of rage accidently rips some rather large pieces of metal out of your flesh the argument usually ends right then and there and the subject is changed to more pleasant topics. Like Korra apologizing profusely while you scream in agony for instance. On the plus side, he no longer had any shrapnel in his knee, on the down side he had to use a crutch for a few weeks and half the crew though the Leviathan was haunted by a banshee because of said screams of agony.

Korra still had to metal bend braces to help her move but they both knew she was probably going to have to do that the rest of her life. Aside from the scar just under Iroh's left eye and the crutch, Iroh looked happy healthy, and very handsome dressed in his general's uniform. He looked over at Korra who was wearing a long white gown (white was fast becoming her signature color) and had, just for this occasion chosen, not to worn her glasses.

"So shall we go in?" He asked finally.

"I guess we have no choice everyone is expecting us."

"We don't have to, if you don't want to." He said kindly. "I can stand here all night."

"Everyone's waiting for me to walk through those door and resume my duties as the avatar." She signed. "Remind me again, why do we have to go to this thing?"

"You don't have to go down there, but your family and friends are all waiting to see you. A year is a really long time to just be in contact by radio and letter."

"I guess so, I kind of wish we had gotten here sooner so we could've caught up before this…thing. Oh! How was that important super secret lunch you had today?"

Realization flashed in Iroh's eyes. "Wait, Korra before we go in I need to give-I mean ask you something." He leaned against his crutch and riffled through his pockets. "I meant to ask you this at lunch but then we hit that storm and we were delayed a day and so plans got pushed back and I had to make that meeting." He smiled as he found what he was looking for. "Found it! Ok, so I had this whole speech thing but I can't remember it right at this moment."

Korra looked at him the confused. "Iroh your holding a scrap of ribbon I hardly think you need a speech to go with it."

Iroh seemed to have either missed or ignored her comment. "Damn it, I wanted to do this right but I can't bend my left leg." Iroh took a deep breath. "Ok, lets just pretend I'm on bended knee." He looked over at the two guards that flanked the door. "You two, on pain of death you will not reveal what you are about to see. Understand?"

The two guards nodded.

Iroh smiled and turned his attention back to Korra. "Avatar Korra, of the southern water tribe daughter of chief Tonroq I kneel-uh-stand before you to ask if you will accept this necklace in exchange for your hand in marriage... Wow that sounds kind of- is that really your traditional proposal?" He shook his head. "Korra what I'm trying and failing to ask is will you marry me? Because even after all that we've been through and no doubt what we are probably going to go through in the future I can't no, I refuse to think of a future where I'm somewhere other then by your side."

He held out his hand with the necklace and felt a breeze dance over his palm. Looking at her face, he saw tears forming and her lips trembling. His face fell, he had hoped to make her smile, not cry. He was about to put the necklace back into his pocket when suddenly Korra's arms were wrapped around his neck and she was kissing him passionately.

"Yes! Iroh yes!" Korra's smile was bigger and brighter then he could remember it ever being. She was holding on to him as if her life depended on it. "A million times yes, because I don't even want to think of a future with out you."

She ran her fingers over the intricately carved pendent, on one side was a snowflake that looked to be made of fire on the other side was a small brail message. "Forever yours?" she asked trying to read the dots.

"Yeah it's supposed to imply I'm saying it. So when ever I'm not around you know I'm still yours."

Korra ran her fingers over the medallion. "It's perfect, did you carve it yourself?"

"Yes as per tradition, carving this little thing was harder then I thought possible but I got it done, thanks to some unplanned bed rest by the way. Oh, and that super secret lunch was with your father and mother so I could get the final ok to ask. Do you want me help you put it on?"

Korra nodded and unclasped the string of pearls she was wearing. She moved her hair aside to give him easier access. Before putting the necklace on Iroh took the opportunity to place a kiss on her neck. With the necklace secure around her neck, Korra found it impossible not to run her fingers over the pendent. "What color is it?"

"The pendent is made of white ivory and the ribbon is a light blue that matches your eyes."

She looked back at the door. "We have to go in now. They're been waiting long enough already."

"I assume they are probably growing quite restless waiting." He held out his arm. "Ready?"

"Actually, Iroh you know I love you and I know you're always there for me."

"But?"

"I think I actually need to do this by myself. As much as I want you to stand by my side and help me down those stairs, something inside of me I telling me I need to do this alone." She faced Iroh and kissed him. "Wait for me at the foot of the stairs?"

"Of course my love."

Korra waited as Iroh walked through the doors and was announced to the crowd. She stood their practically alone in the hall waiting for the sign that she could enter. She heard the knock and taking a deep breath walked through the now open doors into the Republic City grand ballroom. She could feel ever single person's eyes on her as she was introduced to the crowd.

"Ladies and gentile man, it is my honor to announce the arrival of Avatar Korra!"

A/NL Done! Finished! I'm so happy! This story has been killing me and I am so happy it's done! Wow for a story I thought was going to be short and sweet it certainty got long and introduced some sub plots I was not originally intending. So now please comment and tell me what you think if you feel the inclination. I should be getting back to my other story now that this is done and up. I really hope you enjoyed reading this.

P.S. I am currently working on a squeal to this story but I'm not sure what to call it yet so I will be posting part of the prologue to that story here as well as on that stories book? Page? Fiction? I don't know but it will be here too with the name used so you don't have to fallow me to be alerted to next part. Also I'm upping the rating to M for that story for all the right reasons.

So until I see you again, good luck with all your endeavors ~C.C.