"So, are you going to tell me what actually happened to your arm?"

Kuvira looked up and rolled her eyes. She'd somehow managed to avoid Sakku for the first half-hour of the morning, but now he was standing just inside her office with a stupid little smirk on his face.

"I already told you," she calmly answered. "I decided it would be a good idea to challenge the Avatar in a sparring match. It wasn't and I lost."

It was the only feasible excuse she could come up with that didn't involve her being inebriated or clumsy. Losing in a sparring match to the Avatar seemed plausible enough, especially since Sakku didn't think she was a bender.

"Uh-huh," Sakku said, his smirk growing wider, "you know what I think? I think you had a little bit too much fun at the Avatar's wedding."

Kuvira shrugged as nonchalantly as she could. "You're free to think whatever you want."

Sakku laughed and walked into the room, taking a seat across from her. "So how was the wedding?"

"A lot of fun," Kuvira replied, her face breaking into a smile. "The Chief definitely knows how to throw a party, as you said."

Sakku nodded. "And did it give you any, you know...ideas?" He waggled his eyebrows at her as if she didn't already get what he was hinting at.

"You're never going to let that go are you?" Kuvira asked, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice. She considered Sakku a close friend, but she'd never had a friend try and pry into her personal life as much as he did. She knew she should consider it a compliment, but it still managed to irk her sometimes. Of course, Korra tended to do the same thing, so maybe it was just a Southern Water Tribe thing, showing how much they cared or something like that.

"Not until you finally pop the question, no," Sakku stated. He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. "I like Nayuh a lot. She comes from a really good family who have been fixtures in this Tribe for generations. You could do a lot worse, you know."

"I know," Kuvira said, with a small sigh.

"And," Sakku went on, "the only reason I keep bringing it up is because I see how much you love her. And how much she loves you. If I didn't think it was a good idea, I wouldn't antagonize you so much about it."

Kuvira smirked slightly. "Is this your roundabout way of saying you care about me?"

Sakku snorted and stood. "Maybe. Maybe not." He narrowed his eyes at her in a mock warning. "You tell anyone I have a soft spot for happy endings and I'll fire you."

"Alright, alright," Kuvira said, laughing, "your secret is safe with me. No need to threaten me." Sakku couldn't hold his grin back any longer and finally turned to go. "Oh, and just so you know," Kuvira added, as he was getting ready to walk out, "I might have given it a thought or two."

Sakku's grin grew even wider as he paused in the doorway. "I thought so." Then he was gone and Kuvira could only shake her head in amusement.

She spent the next hour or so trying to catch up on all the work that had accumulated in her short absence. Nayuh had forced her to stay home for two whole days following the Beifong's departure and the stack of paperwork sitting on her desk was far higher than she would've liked it to be. And trying to get through it all with only one working arm made the process even slower.

As much as she hated to be kept away from the office, Kuvira couldn't deny that spending almost three days straight in the healing hut had helped tremendously. She was finally regaining feeling again in her arm and could close her fist almost halfway now. Sakku had agreed to allow her to leave work an hour early each day for her healing sessions until it was fully healed. Which Kuvira had a feeling wouldn't be but a few more weeks, maybe a month at most.

When she finally got to a good stopping point she got up and made her way out of her office and down to the assembly room floor. It wasn't uncommon for her to walk it several times a day and the workers were used to seeing her. She made a point to stop and talk to all of them for at least a few minutes daily, and she'd come to know most of them fairly well.

And today, every single one of them wanted to ask about what had happened to her arm. She stuck with the story she'd given Sakku and received more than a few good-natured jabs at losing to the Avatar so badly that she'd ended up in a sling. Kuvira laughed and took it in stride, her ego comfortable enough with knowing that whenever she and Korra actually did spar, they were pretty evenly matched.

After she was done on the assembly floor she made her way over to the engineering department. It was secretly her favorite place in the entire factory, if only because she finally got to get hands-on with the machinery that made the factory run. Her initial interest in engineering during her time as the Great Uniter had only grown since then, and the engineers were more than happy to show her what they were working on and allow her to help, in any way she could.

She'd learned so much from them over the last year or so, and that knowledge had been extremely useful with her and Asami's prototype project. Some days she wished she could go to Republic City and see the machine up close, put her hands on it, and maybe help Asami finish it, but she knew those were pipe dreams. So she tried to help as much as she could from afar.

Today, however, she couldn't do much else other than watch. She chatted with the head engineer for a while, then left them to it, needing to get back to her office to try and finish getting through the rest of the paperwork waiting for her.

She was passing by the break room when she heard a familiar voice call her name. She stopped and poked her head in, seeing Nayuh's youngest brother, Panuk, getting up from a table. He strode over to her with a smirk on his face, and it was a very good imitation of the same one Nayuh liked to give her.

"What happened to your arm?" Panuk asked. "Did my sister beat you up again or something?"

Kuvira chuckled and shook her head. Panuk had started working at the factory only six months prior, the first real job he'd ever held that didn't involve working at his parent's shop downtown. After he was hired, Kuvira promised Nayuh she'd keep an eye on him, and so far, he was proving to be just as hard a worker as she'd suspected he would be.

"No," she replied, "the Avatar did. I thought it was a good idea to challenge her to a sparring match. She proved it wasn't."

Panuk laughed, then leaned closer to her, so no one would overhear them. "Well, next time, don't purposefully challenge the one person who's a master in all four elements."

"I'll keep that in mind," Kuvira replied, laughing as well. "Your sister's taking good care of me though."

Panuk wrinkled his nose and crossed his arms in front of his face. "Gross. Too much information."

"That's not what I meant," Kuvira said, rolling her eyes. "You know how she gets."

"Oh do I ever," Panuk replied. "How many hours has she had you in the healing pool so far?"

Kuvira cocked her head, thinking for a moment. "Over the last four days, at least twelve. Probably closer to fifteen."

"She's nothing if not thorough," Panuk said with a chuckle. "That's why she's the best though."

"I know," Kuvira said, "and I do appreciate it. This conversation never happened though. Wouldn't want her to find out we were talking crap behind her back."

Panuk made a motion like he was zipping his lips shut, then laughed. He gave her a small wave as he turned to go, needing to finish eating before his lunch break was over. Kuvira wound her way back to her office, where her own lunch and the mound of paperwork were waiting for her.

She was in the middle of looking over the last month's production numbers and trying to calculate what the estimate might be for next month's (because Future Industries required those projected estimates every quarter) when she heard shouting coming from the assembly room floor.

It only took a few seconds before she was out of her chair and sprinting out of her office, nearly colliding with Sakku, whose office was right next door to hers, in the process. Together they ran down the stairs and out onto the assembly room floor, seeing that the line had been stopped and the workers were now gathered around the area where the engine blocks were mounted inside the snowmobiles.

As she got closer, she could see two of the more burly men that worked on the line, squatting down to pick up an engine block. The blocks, which weighed a couple hundred pounds and required at least two people to carry them, were quite possibly the most dangerous aspect of working on the assembly line. They were as bulky and awkward as they were heavy, and they had to be placed inside each snowmobile by hand.

As such, most of the injuries that occurred in the factory happened at the engine block station. It wasn't the only reason why Kuvira wanted to use the mecha-tech to assist the workers, but it was definitely one of the biggest ones. And every time a worker went down with an injury from them–whether it be from their backs giving out, or the engine block being dropped onto their legs, like today–it stoked the fire of urgency in Kuvira's gut to get the prototype finished.

And what made it even worse, was that there was enough metal inside the engine blocks that Kuvira could easily lift the heavy object off of the workers, or even use her metalbending to place them inside the snowmobiles. But her bending was a secret for a reason, and she could only stand off to the side and helplessly watch as the men moved the block off the other worker's leg, which was clearly broken.

"I'll go call the healing hut and let them know what happened," Kuvira murmured to Sakku. There was a cluster of healing huts about a mile away that was always on standby, ready to dispatch a healer on a snowmobile whenever a worker would go down at the factory. It was a well-rehearsed routine, one Kuvira sorely wished they didn't have to do multiple times a month.

Sakku gave her a small nod and she turned and hurried back to her office. As soon as she got confirmation that a healer was on their way, she went back downstairs to wait. As the production manager, she felt responsible for each and every worker that worked on the line and made their safety her top priority. She'd failed miserably at overseeing those who'd worked under her once. She wasn't about to let it happen again.

So she sat and waited with the injured worker, chatting with him and trying to keep his mind off of his injury. It didn't look too terrible up close, but Kuvira could tell his leg was broken in multiple places. The line was soon humming again as the rest of the workers went back to work, and Kuvira couldn't help but notice the small look of longing Nanouk had on his face as he watched.

As was the way with most things in the South, the workers and the factory itself were almost like a second home and family to everyone who worked there. Sakku and Kuvira had made it their mission to create a positive work environment, although they hadn't had to try too hard. The Southern Water Tribe was a very tight-knit community as a whole, and that closeness permeated into everything they did.

After Nanouk left with the healer Kuvira went back up to her office, sighing heavily as she sat down. The incident on the line had just created even more paperwork for her, as Future Industries required every workplace injury to be thoroughly documented, which meant interviewing and getting statements from everyone that had witnessed the accident. It also meant that she was going to be tied up for the remainder of her afternoon (and quite possibly the evening), and the other stack of paperwork was now going to have to wait until tomorrow.

She pushed the production totals and estimates aside and reached into her desk, getting out the required documents and organizing them in front of her. Then she picked up the phone and dialed the number to Nayuh's healing hut.

"Hello?" Nayuh sounded busy, which Kuvira knew was probably the case, and she felt bad for interrupting her work.

"Hey babe, it's me. Sorry for interrupting, I know you're probably busy."

"Oh, hey. It's okay, I'm almost finished with this session. Is everything okay?" It was very rare for Kuvira to be calling during the workday, and Kuvira didn't miss the hint of caution in her girlfriend's voice.

"Yeah, everything is fine, but I'm not going to be able to make my healing session today. We had another accident on the line and I'm going to be tied up with the paperwork for that all afternoon."

There was a pause on the other end of the line and Kuvira could almost see Nayuh's face pulling into a frown. "There's no way Sakku can cover the paperwork for you? You know how important these sessions are to your recovery."

"Yes, I know how important they are, but no, Sakku can't cover it. He's busy enough with his own work. And since I'm the production manager, it's my responsibility. Maybe we could go after dinner though?"

"Are you going to be home for dinner?" A valid question, considering Nayuh knew that answer was usually no, whenever there was an accident at the factory.

"I...I might be a little later than normal, but yes, I'll be home."

Another pause, longer this time. "I suppose I can bring home some of the healing water and do your session there. Since it's just your shoulder, you don't really need to be fully submerged. I would really prefer it if you stuck to a daily healing schedule."

"I know, but this couldn't be helped. Whatever you think is best."

"I'll bring some of the water home and we'll do it there," Nayuh said. She didn't sound too upset and Kuvira breathed a small sigh of relief. "I appreciate you calling me and letting me know though."

"Of course," Kuvira said. "And I'm sorry, but I promise I'll be home as soon as I can."

"Okay. I'll see you later then. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Kuvira hung up the phone and sighed again. She needed to go find the first witness and start the interviews, but instead, she reached into her desk again and pulled out the blueprints for the prototype. In her last phone conversation with Asami, Asami had mentioned that the main issue she was having was trying to calibrate the mechanical arm to have the fine motor skills required to do the same things a human arm and hand could.

Maybe we don't need it to do the fine movements just yet. If we can get it to just do the heavy lifting, instead of having the workers do it by hand, that would help tremendously. She scribbled down her observations from today and some notes, knowing it would be a while before she could talk to Asami about it. She and Korra were currently on Ember Island for their honeymoon and Kuvira wasn't about to bother either one of them.

She tucked the blueprints and her notes safely away once she was done, then stood and went to go find the first of the witnesses. She spent the remainder of the afternoon doing interviews and filling out paperwork, but in the back of her mind, she was thinking about the prototype.

Having it be functional enough to lift the heavy engine blocks off of the carts they were wheeled in on, then being able to place the blocks safely inside the snowmobiles, would significantly cut down on injuries. And since it would still require a worker to operate it, no one would need to lose their job. It would just make their job that much safer.

The entire reason Kuvira had pitched this to Asami in the first place was to cut down on workplace injuries and now, seeing those injuries firsthand, she realized that the prototype was needed even more than she'd initially thought. The workers relied on her and Sakku to keep them safe, and Kuvira knew that if Asami could get the prototype working, it would do just that.

Asami sighed as her assistant walked in, carrying another large stack of documents in his arms. Jianyu gave her a slightly sympathetic look as he set the stack on her desk, next to the other large stack that he'd placed there a few hours prior.

"Thanks, Jianyu," Asami said, trying not to let her annoyance show. It wasn't her assistant's fault she'd been gone for two weeks on her honeymoon and now had mountains of paperwork to comb through. Such was the life of the CEO of the world's largest corporation.

"You're welcome," Jianyu replied. "If you need anything else, just let me know."

"Oh don't worry, I will," Asami said, smirking slightly. Jianyu returned it, knowing full well that his boss would only ask for something from him if she absolutely needed it.

He bowed slightly and left her office, closing the door on his way out. She was in for a long few days, trying to catch up on all the work she'd missed while she was gone. Not for the first time, she felt a little envious of her wife, whom Asami knew wasn't currently buried in paperwork. No, Korra was out on Air Temple Island at the moment, visiting with Tenzin and his family and training.

Jianyu had been thoughtful enough to bring her a cup of her favorite tea as well, and Asami pulled it to her as she reached for the next document in the stack. She sipped on the tea as she slowly plodded along, making somewhat of a dent in the first stack by the time late afternoon rolled around.

Then her progress came to an abrupt halt as she pulled the next document in front of her. It was an injury report, which wasn't unusual in and of itself–she'd already read and approved a few throughout the day. But this one was from Kuvira and the small, coded note the metalbender had left at the very end of the report made her pause.

She reached for the phone, eyes skimming over the report as she dialed the number to the factory. Kuvira was just as much of a workaholic as she was, and Asami wasn't surprised to be immediately patched through to her office.

"Hey Vira, it's Asami," she said, once Kuvira answered.

She heard Kuvira clear her throat, then say, far more formally than she should've, "Mrs. Sato, hello. It's nice to hear from you."

The fact that Kuvira had addressed her by her new married name and with such formality almost made Asami laugh, but she caught herself just in time. She had a feeling there was a reason Kuvira was acting the way she was.

"Vira, you know you don't need to be so formal with me, but now I have to ask: is someone in your office with you?"

"Yes," came the simple reply.

"Alright, well, when you get a free moment, give me a call. I'd like to discuss the injury report you sent up from a couple of weeks ago."

"Of course, I'd be happy to. I appreciate you calling to check in."

They said their goodbyes and Asami hung up the phone chuckling. She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the times she could make the former dictator flustered. Given their shared history, Asami knew Kuvira would do almost anything to stay on her good side and would spend the rest of her life trying to make amends to Asami for killing her father. Normally, Asami never played that hand, but she also wasn't afraid to.

She set Kuvira's injury report aside and pulled the next document from the stack. She'd made it through another five reports or so before the phone rang. She quickly answered it, pulling Kuvira's report in front of her again.

"Sorry about that," Kuvira said, her tone now back to normal. "Sakku was in here and we were discussing some of the new safety measures we want to implement."

"No worries," Asami casually replied. "I'm guessing those changes stemmed from the incident your report covers?"

"Yes. You saw the note I left for you, then?"

"I did, which is why I called. Care to elaborate?"

Asami listened as Kuvira walked her through what had happened and the new safety measures she and Sakku had decided to implement. Asami saw no issue with them and gave Kuvira her blessing. Then she got to the real reason she called.

"What were you thinking in regards to the prototype?"

She heard Kuvira take a deep breath, which was something the metalbender tended to always do, right before she was about to pitch something to Asami. Asami had learned that it was Kuvira's tell that she was nervous, which was somewhat endearing in its own little way. Kuvira had held a lot of power at one time and was still one of the most powerful benders besides Korra. So the fact that Asami's mere presence could make her nervous, made some small vindictive part inside her happy.

"What if we don't focus so much on the fine motor skills right now, and instead focus on having it do more of the heavy lifting? In a literal sense. It would be a tremendous help if there was a way to use it to simply pick up, move, and set something heavy–like a snowmobile engine block–down again.

"The majority of the injuries that happen here, happen at the engine block station because it's a heavy piece of machinery and it's very awkward to move by hand. Having the prototype doing that work instead of the worker would significantly cut down on those injuries."

"Hmm," Asami said, thinking, "so instead of the worker moving the block by hand, the machine would do it. That could definitely work. And taking the focus off the fine motor skills would mean I could probably get it up and running sooner, rather than later."

"And, if you do and it works, once it's been implemented on the production lines, then you could focus on the fine motor skills. Because ideally, each station on the line could have the mecha-tech aiding the worker. But even if that never happens, at least the prototype could be doing the heavy lifting. From what I've seen firsthand, that's the most important thing."

"Of all the injuries there, what's the percentage that happens at the engine block station?"

It was quiet for a few moments. "I'd have to do some research to get you an accurate number, but off the top of my head, I'd say it's close to seventy percent. Maybe even higher."

Asami felt her eyes widen. That was a far bigger number than she'd expected. It also got her thinking and she scribbled down a few notes as she spoke. "See if you can find me an accurate number. I'm going to do some digging as well, for all of the other factories that Future Industries has. I'm betting that you're not the only one having that issue."

"Probably not," Kuvira agreed. "I'll have that number to you as soon as I can."

"Thanks," Asami said, "and thanks for bringing this to my attention. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you and Korra are safely back from your honeymoon. Tell the Avatar I said hello when you get a chance."

"I will," Asami replied, "and tell Nayuh the same thing, from Korra and me."

They said their goodbyes and Asami hung up the phone. She called for Jianyu, who entered her office a moment later. She gave him a wan smile as he approached.

"It doesn't have to be done tonight, but first thing tomorrow I need you to pull all the accident and injury reports that have occurred in every single factory over the last year."

"Of course," Jianyu replied. "It'll take some time, but I should be able to have it to you by the end of the day tomorrow."

He knew better than to ask why, which was just as well. This project with Kuvira was top secret for multiple reasons, the least of which was the very-much-not-dead former dictator that was behind it all. The last thing Asami needed was for a competitor like Varrick to find out what she was working on and then steal it.

"That works, thank you," Asami said. Jianyu bowed slightly and left her office, this time leaving the door open in his wake. It was the end of the day and it was his way of saying he was going home for the evening and that she should do the same, even though they'd been working together long enough that both knew she wouldn't.

Now that her brain was officially sidetracked, Asami set aside Kuvira's report and meticulously went through the stacks of paperwork, pulling out every single accident and injury report she could find. Then she set all the other documents aside and dove right in, carefully reading through each report and taking notes. She knew Kuvira was likely onto something big; now she just had to prove it.

"I thought I might find you in here."

Asami looked up and saw Korra striding into the room, a grin on her face and a bag of food in her hand. A quick glance at the clock told her it was well after seven and her stomach rumbled in response. She'd worked right through lunch earlier and never even realized how hungry she was until now.

Korra looked tired, but in a good way, and there were faint traces of dirt and sweat on her clothes. "Good training session?" Asami asked, as Korra set the bag of food down on the low table next to one of the couches Asami's office had in it.

"Excellent training session," Korra replied. "Tenzin thinks Opal, and quite possibly Ikki and Kai, are very close to being ready to test for their tattoos. And from what I saw today, I'd say he's right."

She quickly crossed the room and bent over to give Asami a kiss. Asami didn't let her pull away immediately, and let the kiss speak to her gratitude for Korra bringing her dinner. And to the happiness she always felt when Korra was around.

"Mmm, food first, that later," Korra playfully answered, correctly guessing what was on Asami's mind. Despite two weeks of doing absolutely nothing but lounging on the beach and in each other's arms, Asami still wanted Korra in every intimate way possible. She'd heard of the honeymoon phase before, but now that she was in it, she could finally see what all the talk had been about.

"I'm going to hold you to that," Asami teased. She finally released Korra but took her hand as they walked over to the couch. They hadn't broached the subject of the prototype, or work in general, the entire two weeks they'd been gone, but after her conversation with Kuvira, Asami felt comfortable enough to finally bring it up again.

"I talked to Vira earlier," Asami said, watching Korra for any kind of negative reaction as she dug into the bag and pulled out a container of dumplings. The last time she'd mentioned trying to bring Kuvira to Republic City, Korra's reaction hadn't been what she'd expected. If Korra balked on it again, then Asami knew she'd have to either try another way to convince her or abandon the idea altogether.

"Oh yeah?" Korra said, giving her a side-eyed look. "And how's our favorite metalbender doing? How's her arm? Is it healed now?"

Asami internally winced, having completely forgotten to ask Kuvira about her arm. "She's doing well, but I don't know about her arm. I forgot to ask."

Korra gave her a slightly exasperated look, but let it slide. "Okay, so I'm guessing all you talked about was work then."

"Yes, but it was for a good reason, I promise. I came across another injury report from her while I was going through that–" Asami motioned to the stacks of paperwork on her desk "–earlier. So I called to discuss it and found out some rather interesting information I wasn't aware of."

Korra was quiet for a few moments, as she munched on her dumpling. "And what kind of information might that be?"

"That, according to Vira's estimates, almost three-quarters of the injuries that happen at the factory down there, happen because the engine blocks are extremely heavy."

Korra nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. I've helped my dad fix ours before and the only reason we were able to lift it out of the snowmobile was because of my metalbending. I can't imagine having to lift those things by hand, day in and day out."

"Exactly," Asami replied, "which is why she suggested using the prototype to do it, instead of the workers."

"Well that would certainly cut down on a lot of injuries, I think," Korra said.

"Vira thinks so, too," Asami replied, "and so do I. And I'm almost positive the factory in the South isn't the only one having these issues."

"Probably not," Korra agreed. She gave Asami a small smile. "I'm glad the two of you are getting along…I never thought I'd see that happen."

Asami chuckled. "I didn't either. And I won't lie, it hasn't been easy. I still haven't forgiven her for what she's done and I don't think I ever will. But I have decided to move past it. She's proven to me and everyone else that she's not the same Kuvira anymore. And, as much as it pains me to say it because I wasn't the one who thought of it, this prototype of hers will transform Future Industries…if I can get it working."

"You'll get it working," Korra said, leaning over and giving her a kiss. "I have no doubt about that."

"Have I ever told you that your eternal confidence in me is one of the many things I love about you?"

Korra's face brightened and she blushed slightly as she shoved another dumpling into her mouth. "No, you haven't. But you're the smartest person in the world…so I think my confidence is warranted."

"I think Varrick might disagree with you," Asami said with a laugh. She leaned over and gave Korra a kiss on her cheek, which was still stuffed full of food. "But thank you."

Korra scoffed. "Varrick is smart but stupid." Then she chuckled. "If that makes any sense."

"Oh, it does," Asami said, chuckling as well. She picked at her dumplings for a few moments, trying to find the best way to bring up what she wanted to ask Korra next.

"Spit it out," Korra suddenly said, giving Asami a knowing look. Asami looked at her, somewhat confused, and Korra chuckled. "I've known you long enough now to know when something's on your mind. So, whatever it is, just say it, so we can talk about it."

Asami gave her a guilty smile. "It's about the prototype."

"I figured as much," Korra replied. "What about it?"

"Well, Vira's suggestion of using it to do the heavy lifting got me thinking. The issue I was running into with it was trying to get it to do all these fine motor skills, but now that I'm shifting the focus to picking up and moving large, heavy objects, I think I'll be able to finish it a lot sooner."

"And that's a good thing, right?" Korra said. "That means you can get it into the factories sooner. And cut down on all those injuries."

Asami nodded, then decided to just go for it. "I want to bring Vira up here, to help me finish it and so she can see the idea she had, come to life. I think she's earned it and it only seems right that she's here to see the final product."

Korra didn't respond right away, but her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I don't think that's a good idea, Asami," she finally said, her voice slow and careful. "She's in the South for a reason. And you know how Mako reacted to seeing her alive. That was one person–imagine if this entire city found out that they'd been lied to for the last three years."

Asami had known Korra would immediately argue that point and she was prepared. "Which is why they never need to know. I can send my private airship for her, with only the minimum amount of staff that takes to run it. Pilot, co-pilot, engineer. And none of them need to know who they're ferrying up here.

"The airfield is only a ten-minute drive away from the house and I can have a car waiting for her that will take her straight there from the airfield. Sure, she won't be able to do any sightseeing, but I can almost guarantee she won't want to. She knows the risks, Korra. Probably more than we do. And I know she won't want to push her luck."

Korra stared at her, studying her, and Asami could tell she was working through her options in her head. She sat quietly, ready with even more ammunition, in case she needed it. But when she saw Korra's face relax slightly, she knew she wouldn't.

"You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" Korra asked in a soft voice.

"I have," Asami answered, "and if I didn't think it was a good idea, I would never have suggested it. I really don't think we have anything to worry about, though. Vira is barely recognizable anymore. If it weren't for her eyes or that beauty mark, you'd never know who she was.

"And it's been almost four years since the Earth Empire fell," Asami went on. "The world has moved on, and I highly doubt that any random person on the street would recognize her now. Mako only did, because of Bolin's big mouth."

Korra slowly nodded, thinking. "I suppose you're right. She really has changed a lot in the last three years, physically. She's basically a member of the Tribe now, and I know they treat her like one, even though it's obvious she wasn't born there." She sighed. "Okay…if you're sure we can keep her presence from being discovered, then I'm not going to fight you on this."

She gave Asami a slightly pleading look. "But I'd really like it if we at least gave Lin and Tenzin a heads-up, as a courtesy. I really don't want to go behind their backs. We can trust them not to say anything."

Asami pursed her lips but then decided to let it go. She would've preferred it if no one knew, but she also knew Korra had a point. Asami wasn't the Avatar, which meant that she didn't have to be diplomatic in order to keep the world leaders pleased or play politics. Korra did. And as much as Asami envied Korra for not being buried under mounds of paperwork, she very much did not envy how nuanced and difficult the job of the Avatar was.

"Alright," Asami said, "you can let them know. But they have to give you their word, they won't try and stop it from happening and they won't say anything to anyone."

"I can guarantee they won't be happy, but I think once I give them the same reasons you just gave me, they'll come around." Korra snorted softly. "Just don't be surprised if Lin decides to camp out at the house the entire time Vira is here."

"Well, there's more than enough bedrooms if she wants to do that," Asami replied with a chuckle.

Korra chuckled as well, then sat back on the couch and folded her hands behind her head. "When were you thinking of having her come up here?"

Stomach finally full and content, Asami also leaned back, settling against Korra. "I need some time to pull together more research on accidents and injuries in the other factories, to make sure this is the correct route we need to go."

Korra wrapped an arm around Asami's shoulder and lightly stroked her arm. "Well, we'll be back down there in a month for the Glacier Spirits Festival. Will that give you enough time to get the research done?"

Asami nodded. "That should give me plenty of time."

"Then we'll ask Vira while we're down there," Korra said, placing a light kiss on the top of Asami's head. "It's probably better if you ask her in person anyway. There's no guarantee she's even going to agree to it, either."

"I know," Asami agreed. She reached up and slid her hand into Korra's, twining their fingers together. "Do you think Nayuh will want to come, too?"

Korra scoffed, but it was playful. "Those two are joined at the hip. I think if Vira agrees to come, then there's no way Nayuh doesn't come with her."

"Good point," Asami said with a light laugh. "They're cute, though. And, it's kind of nice to have another couple like us around to hang out with." She sat forward a little, twisting around and giving Korra a playful smirk. "Who do you think will pop the question first?"

Korra returned Asami's smirk with one of her own. "Who says either one of them wants to get married? I can see Vira being completely against it, given what happened with Bataar."

"True, but can you really see her trying to do the same thing to Nayuh?"

Korra laughed. "No. And only because Nayuh would kill her first."

"I never thought I'd see the day that someone had Kuvira–of all people–wrapped around their finger, but here we are," Asami said.

"Nayuh saw the good in her before anyone else did," Korra replied with a slight shrug. "She was there for Vira when she needed her the most. I'm not surprised they're as close as they are. I still don't know if they'll ever get married though."

"You saw the good in her before anyone else," Asami reminded her, leaning forward and lightly brushing her lips over Korra's. "But I'll take that bet. I think they will get married, and I think Kuvira will be the one who asks Nayuh."

Korra returned the kiss with a little more vigor, before pulling away slightly to say, "You're on." Then she kissed Asami again and slowly forced her down onto her back on the couch. Asami pulled Korra down with her, all thoughts of Kuvira and Nayuh instantly gone.

"And," Korra murmured, "now that we've finished eating, I have a promise to keep…"

Asami knew at this late of an hour, there was likely no one else in the building except for them, but not wanting to take any chances, she pulled away only long enough to say, "Korra…the door…"

She didn't need to elaborate. Korra quickly sat up and sent a gust of wind at the wide-open office door, which immediately slammed shut. She turned back to Asami, wearing that goofy grin that Asami loved so much. The perks of being married to the Avatar.

Then Asami greedily pulled Korra back down to her, fully intent on keeping the honeymoon phase going for as long as possible.