Note: OMG- sorry for the long wait. This chapter is cruddy and not my best, but I was trying to get it out so we could continue the story. Plus, I'm finally on spring break. So now I can get some serious writing done (though I've started like two more fanfics). Still, this is going to be my big deal. Love all the reviews and follows.

Morning sun broke into one of the Northern Water Tribe palace's rooms with its glowing light reaching out to sleeping lovers. They both opened their eyes slowly before they made their morning kiss. Sweetness touched both of their lips. Neither one said a word as they touched one another and kissed. They just looked at each other and made their quiet gestures of love. She felt the softness of his touch as she arched her back when he kissed her just so. He felt the desperation of her love as pushed her body into his when she tightly held onto him. They let their limbs tangle with each other even though both knew that they couldn't touch enough of the other. When silence finally broke, it was when they said each other's names in their release of what they would say was love. They didn't speak another word as they collapsed and laughed and kissed.

"I don't have tea for the morning," Korra said.

Korra had her head on Noatak's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Go to the market and buy some later on. It will still work, but it might not be totally effective," Noatak said.

"Alright," Korra said.

"Is something wrong?"

"Asami is pregnant. She's getting married to Mako."

"Do you want a child?"

"No… I just feel…"

"What is it?"

"I just feel like… as if everyone and everything is just moving on without me, and here I am just struggling to figure out… who I am and what exactly I'm doing."

Noatak took Korra's face in his hand and kissed her.

"Those things are always going to happen, Korra. Just ask yourself this, are you happy?" Noatak said.

Korra smiled as she nuzzled Noatak. Her fingertips swirled around Noatak's chest.

"I think so," Korra said.

"That's good then. As long as you're happy, then things are good," Noatak said.

"And you? Are you happy?"

Noatak looked at Korra, still naked and practically glowing in his arms. He kissed her on the brow and skimmed his hands through her hair.

"Yeah…" he said.

"What are you thinking about?" Korra said.

"You… and me… Our future. Everything. I guess," Noatak said.

"What do you want?" Korra said.

"Just you and me. Maybe a child. Something not complicated."

"You want to be a dad?"

"I'm an old man. Don't blame me."

"No. I think that's sweet."

"You'd be a great mother. Strong women make good mothers."

"What about your mother?"

"… She was too kind for her own good."

"Really…"

"If she was strong, she would have left my father when I told her to."

"She knew?"

"She never believed me. That's what happens when you get married at her age."

"How old?"

"I think she was thirty when they got married."

Korra nodded. She knew what Noatak meant then. Water tribe women always married early and then had litters of children. This was especially true of women not from the capital city or from the Southern Water Tribe. Korra knew some girls in the Southern Tribe younger than she that were married with at least two kids. If Korra hadn't been the Avatar, she probably would have been married with children. The women that didn't get married usually lived with their families until they were cast out to work. The jobs these women got were usually as midwives like some sort of joke or herbalists at the apothecary. Some left for the capital city and ended up becoming prostitutes. Now, they usually just left for Republic City to start a new life.

"She thought she was lucky to have met my father. She was never going to leave him no matter what," Noatak said.

"Is she alive?" Korra asked.

"I found out she died before Tarrlok left for this city. He would have never left her if she were still alive. He was her miracle child. So she babied him. She was the one person he thought loved him. So he never left her side."

"Didn't you love her?"

"Not the way Tarrlok did. I resented her but mainly because of my father."

"I'm surprised then."

"By what?"

"That you want children."

"We're not my parents."

Noatak stirred and got up. He walked to Korra's bathroom. Korra thought about the idea of being a mother. She liked the idea but not here in the Water Tribe Palace. She liked thinking about what her future family would be like when she woke up next to Noatak in his bed with the window that looked out onto the harbor and the ocean with all of the gulls that flew by. They would live a simple life with their children with no one else to bother them. They would only be Korra and Noatak- never the Avatar and Amon. He would make tea and read, and she would listen to the radio as she sipped on tea.

A tiny knock then came from the door. Korra quickly stumbled about the furs and strewn clothing. She remembered the robe that the maids always laid out at the chair of the vanity. She rushed to drape the robe over her as she opened the door slowly. There, in small and too quiet, was Iluq carrying the uniform for a royal palace guard. Her eyes shifted at Korra's room before she pushed the door open with her shoulder. Korra was surprised at how strong Iluq was. Iluq ducked below Korra's arm and wiggled past to the bathroom door. Korra felt scared as she shut the door behind her and locked it. She ran to Iluq and barricaded herself against the bathroom door.

'There's nothing here," Korra said.

"He needs these," Iluq said.

"Who! What!" Korra said.

With the opening of the bathroom door, Korra fell backwards onto Noatak. Her face blushed fiercely as she tried to cover the sight. Iluq pointed behind Korra at Noatak who seemed unsurprised at their visitor.

"Him," Iluq said.

Iluq placed the clothes gently down on the bathroom floor.

"Thank you Princess," Noatak said.

"Iluq," she said.

"Yes," he said.

Iluq grabbed Korra from the floor and closed the bathroom door. She saw the glimmer of Korra's betrothal necklace and pointed to Korra.

"When?" She asked.

"Oh… I… we don't know," Korra said.

Iluq nodded and placed a hand below Korra's stomach. She shook her head and removed her hand.

"Not this time. Later. You will," Iluq said.

Iluq wandered to Korra's wardrobe and handed Korra a pair of navy pants that tapered towards the calves and ankles. Korra put them on slowly as Iluq grabbed a gray-blue tunic that cinched a Korra's waist and more importantly covered her neckline. Korra slipped the tunic over her head and adjusted it. Iluq took a brush from the vanity and combed Korra's hair before tying it with a clip.

"Iluq… please don't say anything to your father or your brother. Especially your brother. In fact, this is our secret. Don't even tell someone like Chu," Korra said.

Iluq nodded and pointed back to behind Korra. Noatak already dressed in the royal blue guards uniform with its swaddled hood and neck keeping his face shrouded.

"This beats whatever I had planned to escape this place," Noatak said.

Korra and Iluq nodded and followed Noatak outside of the room. Korra, at first, started to walk quickly while Noatak and Iluq walked at a slow pace. She stopped in place and turned around.

"You look suspicious," Noatak said.

Iluq smiled and nodded. She grabbed Korra's arm and began to walk slowly behind Noatak.

"This looks even more suspicious," Korra said.

"Less so," Iluq said.

Noatak ignored Korra's worry and walked on like nothing was amiss. As they met the end of the hallway, Korra jerked back.

"Shit," Korra said.

"What?" Noatak said.

Korra pointed at the person walking towards them. Noatak recognized who he was immediately. The red scarf gave him away even before Noatak could make out the small form coming their way. The trio stopped as Mako ran up to Korra.

"Korra… Wow…" Mako said.

"I don't have time to speak to you Mako," Korra said.

Noatak was glad that Korra couldn't see him smirk. He understood Korra's reaction- after all, he had been a scorned lover himself when he was her age.

"Please Korra, I leave today, and I just wanted to talk to you," Mako said.

Korra sighed and looked at Iluq and Noatak who both shrugged at Korra.

"Sorry. I'm busy with… royal family stuff. You wouldn't understand," Korra said.

Mako looked at Iluq and Noatak. Iluq looked like her normal self- expressionless.

"Yes. That's why I have this guard," Iluq said.

Iluq pointed to Noatak who had shifted behind Iluq and hoped that his hood had kept his face obscured from the only other person he knew would recognize him. Something about the matter didn't faze him though. He knew he should be more panicked about Mako noticing him, but he also felt a surge of odd confidence that the kid was also probably could not recognize a man he saw from over fifty feet away.

"Oh…" Mako said.

"We have to go," Korra said.

Korra grasped at Iluq's arm and started to drag her to the vestibule. Before they left, Mako grasped at Noatak's shoulder and turned him around. He looked at Noatak and scrunched his face. He bit his lip and let go of Noatak.

"You… look familiar," Mako said.

"He's Water Tribe," Iluq said.

"Yeah… Still… you're from here," Mako said.

Noatak nodded and cleared his throat.

"I am…" Noatak said.

Korra smiled at how Noatak changed the timbre of his voice so easily. His normal smooth and deep voice changed to a scratchier higher pitch. Mako shrugged and scratched his head.

"I don't really know too many Water Tribe men," Mako said.

"You wouldn't know what a man was in the first place," Korra said.

The trio then shuffled past a bewildered Mako who was left muttering to himself. When they made it past the outer palace walls, the three of them entered into an alleyway, breathing heavily. Iluq took off Noatak's hood and placed it on her own head. She smiled and pointed to Noatak and Korra.

"Let's have fun today," Iluq said.