AN: Okay, hopefully I don't screw up FanFiction's system or rules by going back to "in-progress". When I last left it, I admit I didn't really have any real intention to continue, but after not thinking about it at all for a while, I had the urge to restart writing, taking up sort of where I left off. While I thought about starting a new story entirely, in the end it seemed to make more sense to just reopen the story; it sort of requires the reader to have read the first ten chapters anyway or else you don't know anything about how we got where we are.
Consider up through "Chapter 10: Resolution" the conclusion of Avan's main intro arc, at least where I had originally thought to go. The bits from here on out will continue from there to some extent or another. At least the first few items I have in mind fall more under "slice of life" type chapters instead of building up to some deep plot (maybe?)
In the end, I just wanted to have some more fun with the characters in my head and live a bit longer in the Avatar universe. After a break, I began to miss creating my own narrative in this world. I will see where I end up and I hope some of you will enjoy the journey as well. The only warning is that updates will be more sporadic than the first ten chapters, I just don't have nearly as much time available as I would like. I really envy those with the freedom to really work on stories (or am deeply impressed at their ability to generate and type stories so quickly.)
It had been several months since Jukan's plan had been fully revealed to the Avatar and the group had undergone the ordeal in the Earth kingdom. Most of the wounds, both physical and emotional have had time to heal. Things were getting back to normal, just another chapter of history surrounding Avatar Korra and her friends.
While the world had been at relative peace since Kuvira's attack on Republic City, smaller scale skirmishes still broke out. Most were related to localized groups in the Earth kingdom still vying for power and land, but there were also still criminal groups in Republic City trying to take advantage during the rebuilding. Whatever the source, while Kya and Avan had more free time now than ever before, it was still rare for them to go more than a day or two without having at least one patient in their care. The Republic City hospital system was able to handle most healing cases either through the use of more modern medicine or through the employ of water-benders, the skilled of which were quite rare. The worst cases from across the nations were still brought to Air Temple Island for the best care available.
Kya had been known for some time as one of the leading healers in the world, and, despite his young age, Avan's renown quickly grew as well. Although there was still a small, and occasionally vocal, segment of the people that protested due to his now public blood-bending abilities, over time, this had waned as they could find little over which to stir up any controversy. Master Katara was still considered the pinnacle among healers, but she had recognized her own age and was now mostly retired seeing only the occasional patient. Katara herself said on several occasions that her daughter had in fact surpassed her own abilities when it came to healing, but Kya never truly accepted the assessment.
They currently had only a single Fire nation soldier in their care. He had been part of the joint forces in the Earth kingdom that were supporting the new government to train their own forces and keep order until they could transition to being more self-sufficient. A building collapse had trapped several workers and while in the process of rescuing the workers, he had been crushed by a secondary collapse and was quickly transported to the island due to the massive internal injuries he suffered.
"Avan? Can you bring another jar of the anti-scarring cream? This one is out." Kya announced from one of the healing rooms on Air Temple island. As Avan approached, she held out the empty glass jar and Avan took it and exchanged it for an identical one.
"How is he doing?" Avan asked.
"He should recover quite well over the next few days, and hopefully this will minimize the affect on his appearance. All the rubble really did a number on him." Kya spoke as she started to rub the light green cream into the many small cuts and scrapes that still littered the man's face and arms.
"Cuts to the face are always so much more difficult to heal without scarring," Avan commented, thinking about how they could modify their techniques to improve such damage. Kya nodded in agreement while Avan sat down opposite and quietly began working as well.
"Kya, we've received some serious news," a stern voice spoke out from beyond the healing room doorway. Kya stirred a bit, somewhat startled after being in a state of concentration for some time.
"Tenzin?! Why do you insist on trying to catch me off guard when we are in the middle of a healing session?" Kya scolded.
Tenzin stepped into the room followed by Pema, Bumi, Lin, Korra and Asami. They all held serious expressions on their faces sparking concern in the two healers. Kya and Avan stopped their work glancing at each of them in turn. Kya felt tense and she could feel the hairs tensing up along her neck.
"Oh spirits, what happened? Please don't tell me another war has broken out! There has been so much fighting the past few years and things had just started to settle down." Kya spoke with deep concern in her voice. The group didn't respond in any way.
"Kya, it may be best if you read this yourself," Tenzin spoke solemnly as he held a letter out to Kya.
Avan moved next to Kya and rested his hand on her shoulder as she reached out for Tenzin's offering. As she took it, she stared into her brothers' eyes, searching for answers, but only received bleak looks in return.
"Is it mom?" Kya questioned.
Bumi turned away; no one spoke. It felt as if the weight of Avan's hand on her shoulder suddenly increased a hundred fold as she took the folded note from Tenzin.
"Please tell me, has something happened to mom?!" Kya pleaded.
She felt time slow as it does in times of great importance. The folds of the thick, white paper seemed to resist Kya's urging to open. She could feel their stares as her eyes scanned down to the contrasting black script.
After investigation of evidence presented, it is ordered, adjudged and decreed by the Court:
That from the date of entry of this Decree herein that Avan of the Earth Kingdom is declared adopted for life by Kya of the Southern Water Tribe.
That this Decree of Adoption effects substitution of families for all legal purposes and establishes the relationship of parent and child, together with all the rights, responsibilities, and duties, between the parent(s) and the individual being adopted.
That from the date of this Decree of Adoption, the adoptee is entitled to inherit real and personal property by, through and from the adoptive parent(s) in accordance with all applicable statutes and has the same legal status, including all legal rights and obligations of any kind whatsoever, as a child born the legitimate child of the adoptive parent(s).
Signed ...
Kya looked up slowly as her mind was still processing the words she had read. She moved to Tenzin and half-heartedly pounded his chest with her fists. As she and Avan surveyed the group, smiles began to crack through their false facades. Bumi turned back around and broke out laughing with tears in his eyes, unable to keep up the farce any longer.
Avan still unsure, spoke up, "Kya, what is it, what's happened?"
Kya turned to Avan, grabbed his hand, and placed the letter into it and waited for just a few moments while he quickly read to himself. When he looked up, his glassy eyes pulled the tears from Kya's as she threw her arms around her son, now official.
Tenzin spoke, "You two will...no, you two make a wonderful family. I'm so very happy for both of you."
"We all are," Pema added as the kids all poured in from just outside the room.
"Congratulations!" all the kids shouted in unison.
Kya put her finger to her lips, "Shhh," pointing to the soldier still asleep in the healing room, "Let's move outside."
"Bumi, I can't believe you were able to hold the rouse together," Kya commented.
"I couldn't, if I hadn't turned away when did, I would cracked up right in your face!" he responded, laughing. "You should have seen the serious face you had!"
"I can't believe you guys did that. The first thing I could think of that would have put you all together like that was mom! How could you lead me on like that!" Kya scolded weakly.
"It was Lin's idea," outed Bumi. Lin gave Kya her most innocent face, shrugging her shoulders as wide smile broke across her lips.
"Lin, how could you!"
"Kya, how couldn't I!?" Lin responds with a smile.
"Congratulations you two!" offered Korra and Asami, chuckling. Asami continued, "This calls for a celebration if anything does! Let's get everyone together for dinner tonight, my treat, at the Platypus Bear Bistro, if that is okay with everyone." Asami glanced around to eager nods. "Alright, I'll go make some calls to make arrangements." She grabbed Korra's hand and pulled her to close. "I'll need your help with this," Asami whispered into Korra's ear, sending shivers down her spine and a smile to her lips as they walked off.
"You guys are the greatest!" Kya announced.
"Thank you everyone!" Avan said with tears now running down his cheeks. "It wasn't long ago I had no one in my life, but whether official or not, even with everything that has happened, you have all made me feel like such a part of your family... I don't know what to say...but...thank you, sincerely."
The group spent some time to share some of their memories of Avan and Kya, both happy and painful ones. They all felt that this moment had been a long time in coming. Avan felt he had gained so much from the group, but they too thought that his addition had gone far to strengthen their spirits as well. Tenzin and family and Bumi eventually filtered away leaving Lin, Kya and Avan standing outside the healing rooms.
"I'm going to go back in and check on our patient," Avan says as he heads inside the healing area. Before disappearing inside, "Kya, thank you. I know we already have talked about this, but even though this may not change much about our relationship day to day, it really means a lot to me knowing that we are *really* family now."
"You guys have been through quite a lot in a short time. I think you'll take good care of one another," Lin states.
"Well I think we both have to thank a certain guardian angel, don't we. After all, if not for you, we would never have found him. He might still be wandering the streets for all we know, or worse. It is strange the path on which fate can take one's life," mused Kya.
"I have to be honest, I was and am still surprised at just how well you two work together. Don't you guys fight or disagree about anything?"
"Well, sure we have disagreements about the course of treatments every now and then, but, yeah, it has been really smooth. I can't remember when work has felt so little like work. I think just having someone there to not only share the responsibility, but also collaborate with, who really understands healing has been eye-opening. I think we have both found new courses of treatment here that we could never have done individually!" Kya decided to reign in her excitement just a bit. "Nothing goes smoothly one-hundred percent of the time, you just have to work through it." She could feel their conversation taking a turn.
"We're still talking about you and Avan right?"
"Lin...you know that you are part of our family here too, right?"
The usually stern woman turned away slightly and stumbled for words. "Yes, well...thank you. I should get back to the station, paperwork and all if I am going to be free for dinner tonight. No way am I going to miss a free night at the Platypus..."
Kya made a motion for the metal bender's hand as she turned to leave, but held herself back in the end. "We'll see you tonight then Lin." She responded with a wave as she slowly made her way back to the docks. "She's so strong, but I wish I could make her realize she has a place here," Kya thought before exhaling quietly and turning back to rejoin Avan. Avan carefully pulled the wooden door to healing room closed as Kya left her hand floating in the air for a few moments.
Later in the afternoon...
Avan headed back to his room on Air Temple Island. Even knowing that he was at a permanent resident, the room still remained sparse and little changed from the standard air acolyte setting in which he received it. He sat down at the small, wooden desk built into the corner where he had spent countless hours since the ordeal in the Earth kingdom. He opened a deep drawer under the desk and removed a thick stack made up of different sizes, shapes and colors of well worn paper. Like many times before, Avan thumbed through the stack, picking up on words and passages here and there before settling in with pen in hand.
Ziara had stayed prominently in Avan's mind since their meeting in the Fire Nation. They had barely spent twenty four hours with one another, but she had made an impression on him. The affection had apparently not been one-sided either as, upon returning to the Air Temple after dealing with Jukan, there was already letter waiting for him. Kya, Korra and Asami made a point of getting in some friendly teasing for the first week or so, but after a few letters every week became such a routine, they all quickly let it go.
Dear Ziara,
I just sent a letter yesterday, but I could hardly wait to get a break to write again. We just received the notice today that we have been waiting for! We are officially a family! The adoption decree came in today! In some ways it almost seems silly since for all intents and purposes I am an adult of course. To be honest, I didn't think it was such a big deal until it came in today. When I was reading the letter and announcing the decision, it affected me much more than I thought it would.
Kya and I have been working together and spending time getting to understand one another better. I had really begun to think of her as my mom quite a while ago. Still, for some reason, having this official, legal stamp on it for some reason ended up really making it feel different than before. Kya was moved to tears when it came too which meant a lot to me. I have a mom again!
Of course, everyone here couldn't make it simple. They put together this whole rouse that freaked Kya out into thinking something bad had happened. I have to hand it to them, they held their ground! They had her scared, and she jumped to the conclusion that it was family related and must have been her mom (not really funny at the time of course.) It was worth a good laugh though, I can't blame them. Some times, but especially in the middle of work, Kya and I do get pretty serious. They probably just wanted to break us out of that...quickly. It worked.
I can't lie though, all this did bring back quite a few memories of my mom and sister. For one of the first times though, I wasn't so fixated on the events that tore us apart. It mainly brought up the good times that we had together. I think that Kya and I will have many of those to share in the coming years.
I hope we will finally be able to see one another again later this month. With both of us busy with work, it just becomes difficult to make the trip one way or the other or get on the same schedule.
I am going to be getting ready for a night out here with everyone. Asami is setting up something at some restaurant for Kya and I. I hope it is low key, but seriously, given it is Korra and Asami and everyone else, it is hard to say what to expect, except it will probably be loud and wild. I'll follow up later to let you know how it went.
Avan paused at the closing of the short letter like he has for the nearly the last month when closing out correspondence with Ziara. "Is it too forward to sign it 'Love'?" he ponders again. "It's just a word...if she were just a regular friend I wouldn't even think about it, right? We haven't been able to really talk, but it feels like we are so close through our letters. I wonder if she thinks about the same thing... I'm probably making this way more complicated than I have to." He leans back in his chair and takes a few deep breaths before taking up his pen.
Love,
Avan
Avan tosses the pen at the back of the desktop, folds the letter and seals it in an envelope before he has the chance to second guess anything. After a few moments, his chest actually feels lighter. "I've been stupid. I've been given another shot to start my life and I don't want to let it pass me by," he thinks. It had been an early morning and he knew it would be a late night, so he crawled onto his bed and quickly drifted off for a nap.
Several months ago, returning from the Jukan's assault at PEM headquarters...
While a bit battered, the group was in surprising condition considering all they had gone through, much of the credit due to Kya and Avan. Tonraq and Senna decided to stay with everyone to recuperate fully and visit the Air Temple; it had been some time. Tenzin and family had warm greetings for the entire group once they landed and most of the afternoon and into the late evening was spent recounting what had happened and sharing older stories to lighten the mood over plentiful food and drink. The sun had barely set and most of the group was already at least tipsy, if not out right drunk. It was what they all needed to remove the ordeal that Jukan had inflicted from their minds, even if just for the night. Tonraq and Senna, unexpectedly, took the lead in the evening and seemed to hold back few embarrassing stories of Korra growing up in the Southern Water Tribe. Many laughs were had at her expense by everyone, Asami probably more than anyone else. The change in how close they stayed throughout the entire evening was not lost on anyone, even in their inebriated states. At some point in the evening Kya slipped out to the docks.
Kya found a dark figure walking along the water's edge. "How long have you been out here? I didn't notice you leave," Kya asked.
"Well I didn't try to announce it and it goes with the job to sometimes stay unnoticed. Besides, since when do I need to notify others of everywhere I go?" she sniped back.
"Lin, why are you acting this way? Are you drunk?"
"No! Yes...well maybe a little, but that isn't the point. Why didn't you tell us, tell me, what was happening out there? Korra, Asami, you...you're all so pig-headed thinking you can just run into any situation and handle it on your own! Do you even realize how close you were to...," she trailed off.
"Lin, we didn't mean to keep others out of the loop. We didn't want to run off on our own. Things just developed quickly, we didn't have time to think..."
"No you didn't! I could have told you that you were just walking into a trap there. I could probably have sent a junior detective with you who would have realized that before you almost handed the Avatar as a slave and gotten yourselves killed." After a breath, "Sometimes when decisions are made, it can make people feel like they are always on the outside."
The two women stood in silence for a few moments. Their relationship had always been...complicated and not well defined. Lin was always so logical about things and, though she always held such a stoic, hardened exterior, Kya knew just underneath lurked a strongly emotional personality that was sometimes just barely held in check. Add to that a deep passion that they both held about their ideals, sometimes at odds, and work and it paved a difficult path. In spite of any outward disagreements, however, they held each other with the utmost respect.
"Lin, I'm sorry things ended up the way they did, but we aren't kids. Both of us have duties that can sometimes end up with being in the face of danger. There is nothing we can do about it! Why does this always end up with putting distance between us?" Kya appealed.
"Kya, I don't know, I just don't know. The possibility of losing a friend, of which I truly have so few...if there was anything I could do to prevent it. I would rather it be me."
"How would it be fair for everyone else to lose you!? There are many people that care deeply for you as well Lin. I don't know why you can't see that more clearly for yourself...," Kya trailed off.
"I'm sorry. I'm glad you are safe." With that, Lin launched herself onto the Republic City cruiser from the docks, cut the mooring lines and pulled away. As she departed, Kya thought she could see a shimmer to her face. "Was Lin crying?" she thought.
It was still the early evening when Avan woke up. He rummaged through a rather meager selection of outfits, most of which Kya had insisted he get so that he had at least a few things that were not the air acolyte outfits that he received when first arriving at the island. After a few outings into the city, he had collected a few Earth kingdom toned outfits, falling back to what he knew. Tonight, he wore a sea green, long sleeve shirt with a coordinating, light weight jacket several shades darker that closed across his chest at an angle, trimmed with tan cloth. He grabbed the matching two-toned slacks and a pair of dark brown, leather shoes before tying on his mother's green sash, which he wore with almost everything regardless of it matching, and tucking the now two hairpins. Avan was a creature of habit and he nearly always kept these few personal mementos without care for what some people may think about a young man carrying them.
Avan made his way to the healing room where their one patient currently resided. He was scheduled to meet a transporter to transfer the patient back to the mainland hospital before the evening since he was now fully stable and was surprised to see Kya there and the patient already gone.
"I didn't expect you to be here. I thought you were going to get some rest before tonight too," Avan said, surprising Kya a bit who had been lost in thought.
"Hmmm? Oh, Avan, I didn't notice you come in. I stuck around here to clean up a few things and the gentlemen from the hospital came a bit early so I went ahead released our patient to them."
Avan looked around and had difficulty picking out exactly what, if any, cleaning up might have been done since he left earlier in the day. He deposited some of used bandages and clothes into a bin for wash and collected the salves and medicine that were left out next to the now empty bed for re-shelving or refilling. As he started to remove the sheets from the bed where the patient one laid, Avan instead sat down in front of Kya, catching her gaze.
Kya was pulled back into the present with Avan sitting directly in front of her and looking right at her. "Do you want to talk about anything?" Avan asked.
After a pause, she shortly responded, "No, I'm okay." To which Avan gave a slight grimace.
"Kya...mom, we've been working together for quite some time now, we're adults, and we're family. This isn't a one way street, and I know that you know that kind of a response isn't enought to get me to go away." Avan now paused a moment, "I overheard you talking with Lin." Kya looked up at Avan at this with some concern. She opened her mouth, but her voice failed her at that moment. "I know that things have been a bit weird between you since we got back from the Earth kingdom, and I know that it isn't really my business, but I don't see you talking with anyone else, so...I just want to make sure that you know that this family thing...," Avan gestures between the two of them, "...this family thing goes both ways if you ever need to talk or vent or whatever."
Kya slowly met Avan's eyes and a smile grew on her face, "Thank you, I know all of that. I know you are an adult, but sometimes part of me wanted to really think as a mom to keep you away from my own problems. I just need to realize that this isn't how this family is probably going to work." She chuckled a bit, "Did I just adopt a counselor?" Avan shared in the smile and lighter mood.
"The issue with Lin is really all the same I guess. We are both adults, pretty set along our own paths, but we still harbor this bond with one another that we have never quite worked out. It isn't all her fault either. It somehow seems that whenever one of us want to bring it up and really figure out what is between us, something comes up; saving the city, the Air nation, Earth kingdom, the Avatar, you know all these little things seem to keep getting in the way." They both launch into light laughter at the lofty laundry list.
"Our history goes back to well before she and Tenzin brought you back here. They used to date you know."
"Wait, Tenzin...and Lin? I can't see it."
"Well, it was quite a while ago, they were different then, but they had different goals like many do, and there was Pema."
"Pema?"
"She sorta stole him away from Lin."
"Pema!? How is she still alive?"
Kya laughed at the comment. "Tenzin and Lin knew how things were going before Pema really came along; they just didn't want to admit it..." Kya trailed off, "...they just didn't want to admit it."
Avan saw what was going through Kya's mind and grabbed her hands, "Don't let the past dictate your path now; I don't think this is the same." She regained her smile.
"We always seem to have a recurring problem with, I think, wanting to be more of a part of each other's lives, but then still acting too independently, pushing and pulling on one another. I guess that can happen with two hard headed people huh?"
"What, you hard-headed? Noo...," Avan jested. "I don't want to pry, but maybe tonight would be a good opportunity for the two of you to talk, at least neither of you will have an excuse to have to run off and save anything. I've seen the two of you have such good times and I hope that you can both have that all the time. Like you said, we are all part of the same family."
Kya's eyes widened. "We are..."
Avan took on a look of some concern, "What is it?"
"Spirits, how could I have been so stupid?! And how have we been dancing around this for months without talking about it?!" Kya had stood up and was pacing a bit in the room. "That's just like her to put her friends first at the expense of her own feelings! ...and just like me to miss it entirely..."
Avan was a bit puzzled at this point. "What happened?"
Kya smiled back at him, "You." Avan was a bit taken aback and not sure how to take the feeling of the accusation. "No, I mean, it isn't your fault. It's just what happened. I am the one that didn't think about how it affected her!" After a bit more of talking to herself and mumbling, Kya finally settled down and sat back across from Avan. "We became a family, and I don't just mean in the legal sense. We had been working here together, getting to know one another and really becoming a family, but Lin was never part of that. I just didn't see it and she of course can't be expected to try an but into it. Then, after the thing in the Earth kingdom, I come back and tell her that we are going to try to become a "real" family and again I never brought her into it. I left her on the outside of all of this without even thinking! How can I be so stupid!? It's no wonder it has felt so awkward between us! What am I going to do? How can I fix this!?" Kya was quickly becoming more agitated at the thought of the situation in which she had put Lin.
Avan finally acted and hugged the frantic woman. "Mom, you will work it out. Do what both of you should have been doing and talk to one another tonight. Don't wait, do it now. She obviously still cares tremendously for you, nothing is broken. Would someone who has given up bothered putting together the joke on you with the paperwork this afternoon?"
After a few moments, Kya relaxed a bit. "You're right."
"I know."
Kya gave Avan a light smack on the back of the head. "Don't make me scold you young man," she spoke with a laugh in her voice. "I can't forget who the parent is supposed to be here!" Avan gave her a smug nod at which they both shared a laugh. Realizing she hadn't done anything all afternoon, Kya excused herself to get ready for the evening. The sun was already setting, and they would all have to get ready to leave soon.
