Chapter Eight:

"Tag." Bolin slapped hands with Iroh as the older male walked into the nursery. Dark circles painted under his eyes and his usual formed hair hung in his eyes and had been messed by the small hands. It was only midday but the teen had exhausted himself watching the twins. Korra had been up all night with the wailing Shiro and needed the sleep, but Mako had to get to his new job. So Bolin and Iroh said they could take turns watching the twins. Asami offered to help as well but she also had the chore of shopping today.

"It can't possibly be that tiring." Iroh tried to hide the humor in his voice. The man hadn't had to deal with both infants at once though. He manly only dealt with Nilak while he was sleeping. He hadn't been there whenever Shiro cried for three hours straight or when Nilak had gotten sick and any movement hurt him. Bolin dealt with it all though. His nephew and niece were only five months old, but the two seemed to have more night terrors and illnesses than anyone else alive.

"Good luck." Was all the earthbender had to say before slinking off to his bedroom.

Iroh stared at the infants rolling around on the ground and chewing on some blocks Bolin had made for them. "You two aren't that bad are you?" He smiled and kneeled in front of Nilak. The smile was quickly removed when one of the wooden blocks smacked him in the forehead. His golden eyes snapped to see Shiro giggling behind pudgy baby hands. From behind him he could hear a puff of laughter. The man turned to see Korra leaned against the door frame. She seemed less like a teen now and more like a woman. "I thought you were supposed to be sleeping."

"I was, but I missed the twins. Even my dreams were of them." She glided over and lifted Shiro into her arms. The infant coed and reached up to tug on her mother's wolf tails. Other than Shiro's pale skin and golden eyes, she looked like her mother. Same nose and ears and cheek bones. Mako shined through in the young girl in her raven hair and golden gaze, but nothing more. Iroh's eyes went back to Nilak. The boy had darker skin then his sister and blue orbs watching the older male. His hair was also the same dark mocha as his mother, but his eyebrows were the same shape as his father's and Iroh could see the facial features of the child already sculpting to be identical to his father. "I can't believe they've only been with us for five months."

"You've turned out to be quite the mommy." Iroh laughed as he began to move a stuffed polarbear dog in front of the infants face. The child coed and reached for it only to have the man start speaking through it in a funny voice, sending the child into a trance.

"I just wish they weren't always sick." It was true. The twins were always seeing the healer, from swollen cheeks to high fevers to troubles breathing. Nilak was the worst of the two. And due to his quiet nature it was hard to tell when he wasn't feeling well until it got really bad.

"Don't worry their immune system just needs to develop some more."

The day went by pretty simply with only a little fuss when Shiro decided to take a stuffed animal from Nilak and they both started crying for four hours. When finally the twins were put to bed and the adults were able to relax it didn't take long for Bolin and Iroh to pass out on the couch, their legs hanging over each other. Korra liad with her back against Mako on the floor and Asami sat backwards on one of the kitchen chairs, her head resting on the back.

No one spoke for the longest time, to tired and achy from the day. Mako's head rolled back before a sigh left his lips and he stretched. "I guess we should get some sleep as well. Who knows when the chance will come again."

No one had to speak to know each of the others agreed. Asami was the first to head to bed while Korra and Mako cover the boys in a swaddle of blankets and went to cheek on the twins. What they found wasn't something they expected. It was also a parent's worst nightmare. Standing beside Shiro's crib was a masked man holding their slumbering infant daughter. Another man was already at the window with Nilak. The boy was awake and had swollen eyes and feverish skin that was noticeable even in the darkness and from a distance.

At first no one moved, all in shock. But finally Nilak let out a blood curdling scream, reaching for his parents. All at once everyone was in motion. Mako rushed forward to try and grab Shiro from the closet man who dodged and dashed to the window. Korra moved the air currents around the men trying to trip them up. But when it was apparent that their attempts at returning their children to them was just putting the twins in more danger Korra stopped, trying her best to follow the men out the window, hoping outside they had a better chance. But instead then men had attached themselves to metal ropes and were already being pulled into one of those cursed aircrafts when she had jumped through. Mako followed soon after and pounded his fist down, using flames to send him rocketing towards the kidnappers. He grabbed ahold of the rope and started towards the men only to be bombarded by fireballs and ice shards. It was near impossible to keep going. But hearing both his children now screaming at the top of their lungs drive him harder, forcing him to make his way to the platform the closest man stood on. He grabbed at the man's leg and pulled, but the man threatened to drop Shiro. "If you truly care about them you'll drop." The man called over the wind. "Or watch her drop."

The man held Shiro by her shirt and dangled her an arm's length away. The horror in the firebender's eyes matched the pain emitting from his breaking heart. But his daughter was slipping and he couldn't dream of reaching her in time. With no other choice he released. He felt that if he were to die here he would feel he got his just desserts for not being able to protect his family. But a large guest of wind broke his fall. It was Korra. She saved him though he couldn't save their children. The man was broken, his golden eyes lifeless as his love wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest. He watched as the aircraft flew away. He watched long after the others came to see what happened and long after the aircraft was far out of sight. They both stood like that until Korra had cried herself to sleep and he carried her back inside. They let down their guard and the twins paid for it.

"I'm sorry, Korra." He whispered to his restless sleeping love. "I couldn't protect them like I promised you. But I swear I will get them back. I swear on my life."