WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH

"I love you, Mako," Korra mumbled weakly, the fever taking the last of her strength. It had been a long battle with the illness, and for awhile, they thought she would be fine. A storm had rolled in, though, and even though they did their best not to let the weather in, it always found a way. She caught a chill and relapsed, and now here they were.

He knew what this was, and tried so hard not to believe it. He didn't want to. Tears stinging his eyes, he clasped her hand tightly between his own, looking at her intently. "I love you, too, Korra. You'll be all right. You will. We-."

"Mako," she interrupted him gently, shaking her head. There were tears in her own eyes. She didn't want to die, but she knew was being called. Her time was up, and that was just the way it was. "I'm sorry, Mako. You won't be alone, though, I promise. I'll always be close to you, you'll see."

"Korra, don't...," it was futile, and she smiled sadly up at him. His cheeks were wet and ruddy, his eyes burned with the sting of salt. Forcing a smile, he tried not to be miserable for her last few moments, "All right. I believe you."

She nodded, lightly squeezing his hand, "Mako?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you," she whispered, her arm beginning to go limp, "for everything. I really had a great time. Tell our kids that I'm sorry. I never wanted to leave them, you, like this."

Throat tight, he couldn't even voice a response. He nodded, kissing her knuckles, the only answer he could give her. She didn't say anything more. Time passed by, he didn't really know just how much, and the phone rang. Lifting his head, he looked over at it. Setting down her cooling hand, he got up and grabbed it, clearing his throat before picking it up, "Hello?"

"Hey, bro, great news! Seung just gave birth! I'm a dad! We'll have to bring him over so you and Korra can see him, he's adorable!" At that moment, Bolin got distracted and shouted something, and Mako just felt numb. He wanted to be happy for his brother, and really, deep down, he was. It was difficult to be outwardly happy, though, when so much of what he was feeling was the exact opposite.

Sitting down, he barely listened to the babble of Bolin having a conversation on the side. When Bolin came back, it took saying his brother's name a few times to get Mako's attention. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Congratulations, Bo, I'm happy for you. I don't want to spoil the good mood, though, and right now's not a good time. We'll talk more later, okay?"

"Sure, sure. See you later!"

"Bye."

He hung up the phone and slumped back in the chair, staring across the room at the body of his wife. A thought was forming, and he couldn't quite place it, the idea hanging in a fog somewhere in his brain, and it was a fight to discover it. When he finally did, he hung his head and buried his face in his hands.

It was the timing. Korra's death, the birth of his nephew. Bolin and his wife were both earthbenders. The Avatar cycle. Korra's promise.

How was he going to handle being the Avatar's uncle? How was he going to break the news to his brother?

Heaving a sigh, he tried not to think too hard about it. He would cross that bridge when it came. Right now, he only had suspicions.

But when he met his nephew for the first time, he knew he had been right. Looking into the infant's eyes, he just knew there somewhere deep in there was Korra's spirit, keeping close to her family and watching over them, reborn into this child.