Lin is filled with dread as Tulok makes her go to the clinic after she has been feeling ill the last few weeks.

She is met with a face from the past, but once again, cannot let on in front of Tulok that she knows them.

Is it just two ships passing in the night once again?

A/N: Just a reminder that Lin's alias here is Meriwa - meaning thorn in Inuit

Summer 146 AG

Lin had been feeling very ill the last few weeks, and an icy dread filled her bones. She knew what it meant, but she was doing her best to ignore it.

She lasted a couple more weeks, before Tulok had caught on, and was now forcing her to go to the clinic today. He was coming with her, while their children would stay with Istas who had come to watch them.

Tulok had stopped giving her verbal warnings when they went out, as she knew after the first few to not speak much or interact as little as possible with the other people of the Northern Tribe. Their story was that she was still a very shy and reserved person. It wasn't much of a lie; being out in public gave Lin a lot of anxiety these days. She really only went out to do grocery shopping, to Istas' house, or to take the children to their bending lessons. Ever since the gala six years ago, she had barely gone to another event at the palace. Tulok would send her regrets that she was at home with a fussy child. The real reason was that he didn't want another chance encounter to happen, like it had with Katara and Chief Hakoda.

Entering the clinic filled Lin with a new wave of dread. But she followed his lead as he checked her in and they then sat in the waiting room chairs. Tulok kept a possessive hand on her own, squeezing every so often - which to some would look like a comforting gesture, but Lin knew better. She just focused on her breathing to try and calm her nerves.

After a little while of waiting, they were called in. "Meriwa?"

Lin thought she recognized the voice, but pushed it out of her head. Of course she recognized the voice, she had been using this clinic for the last 10 years; for every one of her pregnancies and any time the kids needed a healer.

Lin followed her husband to the room they were shown to. Once there, she was asked to take off her fur coat and sit on the bed.

The healer waited for Lin to sit on the bed and Tulok on the chair nearby, before sitting herself.

Lin was staring at the floor, dreading the inevitable when the healer spoke again.

"Alright Meriwa, and Tulok is it? I am Master Healer Kya. I am a travelling healer, though I can assure you I have been practicing for over 10 years now, and have learned from some of the best healers in the world."

Lin felt like she couldn't breathe. 'It couldn't be, could it? Don't let on anything, he's watching.' Lin glanced up at the healer who had looked down to the chart in front of her. 'Spirits it is. What should I do? Will she recognize me? The kids are my first priority. And continuing to protect Su… Can't let on, can't let her recognize me as much as I want her too.'

She focused back on what was being said, casting her gaze back down.

"According to your chart you are 26 and have had 4 full term pregnancies?"

"Yes she is 26, and we do have 4 children at home." Tulok answered for her.

Healer Kya nodded, before continuing. "And what brings you in today, Meriwa?"

Lin contemplated on how to respond, but Tulok beat her to it again. "She has been feeling ill and I have caught her vomiting a few times over the last week. I believe she is expecting again, and would like confirmation."

Kya made a note in her file before looking back. "Mr. Tulok, for the next questions, I would like Meriwa to answer herself, as I need to know the best information possible, and everyone knows their own body best."

Lin could almost feel Tulok's distaste for the almost order from a woman, but he just nodded.

"Meriwa, please describe how you have been feeling lately."

Lin took a little breath before responding in a soft voice. "I have been feeling ill off and on for the last 6 weeks or so. The nausea has been both morning or afternoon, and either I vomit or it fades on its own."

Kya took more notes. "And is this similar to your previous pregnancies?"

"Y-Yes. I think my husband is right in thinking I am pregnant."

"Alright, why don't you lay down, and pull your tunic up. I'm sure you know the drill by now."

Lin blushed slightly, always nervous when someone other than Tulok saw her body. She laid back and pulled up the shorter tunic style dress she wore today in preparation, and pushed her pants down a little. She was proud she held back a reaction when Tulok grabbed her hand in an 'act' of support. She stared up at the ceiling silently praying that she wasn't pregnant.

She could feel the coolness of the water as it glided over her lower abdomen. The longer the waterbender took, Lin could feel the heaviness of dread wash over her.

"Well?" Tulok asked, almost impatiently.

Lin allowed Kya to help cover herself back up and into a sitting position. She felt a pat on her knee before the waterbender addressed her husband. "There is a fetus." There it was, the confirmation Lin had been dreading. She closed her eyes briefly to centre herself while Kya continued talking.

"It looks like you are approximately 10-12 weeks along. You should start to feel better soon. However, you really need to work on bringing your weight up. I am concerned with your current weight and how that would affect the health of both you and the baby during this pregnancy. For now I am going to insist you eat large portions and I want to see you back in two weeks to make sure everything is still going well." Lin heard a scratch of a fountain pen across paper, and opened her eyes again. "These are the herbs and tinctures I think will benefit in helping you stay healthy, aid with the nausea, and help you put weight on."

Lin watched Tulok take the paper and read it over before nodding and slipping it into his pocket. "I will make sure Meriwa eats better. Ever since our youngest was born and was weaned, she lost her appetite. She barely eats more than our toddler most days, despite my insistence that she eat more." He wasn't wrong. He did constantly tell her to eat more, but she just couldn't bring herself to do so. It was the only thing he didn't force her to comply with too much - as long as she didn't make herself sick and could care for the children, then he let her be as long as she ate something.

Kya pulled her from her thoughts again. "Do you mind if I do a small physical, just to make sure there is nothing wrong with your stomach or anything else that would prevent you from eating?"

Lin glanced up at her husband who nodded, before glancing up at Kya to nod for her to proceed. Their eyes caught for a moment and she thought she saw a flicker of recognition in the healers blue eyes. Her own eyes widened when she saw this, and she quickly dropped her eyes. She held still as water was soon bent around her again, this time she just sat there.

After a little while, the water was bent back into the bowl. "Alright, so it doesn't seem like there is anything wrong that I can see. Next appointment I will get you in the tub and do a more thorough session."

More scratching notes were heard before Lin was handed a card. "Here is your next appointment, and I have written out my phone number if you think something is wrong and you need to come sooner. Please don't hesitate to use it, even if you think it is a minor issue." Lin glanced at it, before handing it to Tulok who placed it with the prescription in his pocket.

"Thank you." She said softly.

Tulok nodded. "Yes, thank you Master Kya. We appreciate how thorough you are." Lin watched him pick up her coat. "Come now Meriwa, we need to head to the apothecary and then get home to the children." She nodded and slipped off the bed, allowing her husband to place the coat on her.

/

After picking up her prescribed herbs and tinctures from the apothecary, Tulok led her home.

As they approached their house she spoke softly to him. "M-may I lay down when we get in? I'm feeling a little light headed."

His hand tightened on her arm that was looped with his. This time she could tell that it was actually in concern. It always threw her mind for a loop when he genuinely showed concern or did something nice for her. From when she had Nuna to a year after Tarlo was born, she had even begun to believe that he at least cared greatly for her and she had let her guard down during that time; but it didn't last. She realized soon after that it had always stemmed around her pregnancies. And when they didn't immediately try for another after Tarlo, it began to be less and less of the caring man and more the controlling one again.

Tulok nodded. "Eat first, then you may lay down. I will ask Istas to stay longer."

Lin didn't bother arguing about the food, as much as she would rather not be pregnant again, she would make sure this baby was healthy. This was her child as much as Tulok's, even if forced upon her, and she would love and protect them just as fiercely as a mother badgermole.

When they walked into the house, they were greeted by Tayen and Tarlo excitedly. "Mama! Daddy! You're home! Auntie helped us make you cookies!"

Nuna came to save her parents from her excitable siblings. "Tarlo, they were supposed to be a surprise. Let them get their coats off first."

"Oops." Tarlo said, clasping a hand over his mouth, but allowing his sister to pull him back.

Lin smiled lightly at her children as she hung up her coat, before taking Tulok's coat and hanging his up as well. She handed him his slippers before taking her own boots off and slipping into her moccasins. After putting their boots away, Lin allowed her children to pull her to the kitchen.

"Ah Meriwa, how did the appointment go?" The middle aged woman with dark brown, greying hair asked. She offered Lin and Tulok who had entered behind each a cup of tea.

Lin took hers with a small thank you. "It went well." She glanced at her husband who nodded. She pulled a fake smile onto her face as she turned to the other woman. "We are expecting again. About 10-12 weeks according to the healer."

"Oh children are such blessings! Congratulations my dears." Lin accepted the hug, as was custom when dealing with the affectionate woman. The woman sniffled. "Makes me miss my Noatak." She sniffed and pulled back. "Sorry, ignore me. The kids wanted to make cookies, so there are some kale cookies and some seaweed ones over here."

Lin felt her heart go out to the woman in front of her. She really was the closest person she had to a friend around here that wasn't her own children. Just 2 years ago Noatak had left home. Lin didn't know the whole details on why the 14 year old, at the time, had left but she had a pretty good idea it had to do with his father. Istas still had no idea who the man she was married to really was; who even Lin was.

She offered the woman a gentle smile before taking a tentative sip of her tea. Satisfied her stomach would handle it, she took a bigger sip.

"Mama, try the cookie I made. Daddy you try Tayen's." Came Tarlo's excited voice.

"Yes Daddy. I made your favourite seaweed ones."

Lin took the kale cookie that Tarlo's chubby hand held out to her. "Thank you little cub." She said softly to him, caressing his head of black curls. She lifted the cookie to her mouth, but caught a whiff of the smell. She soldiered through her sudden need to throw up and took a small nibble of the cookie, not wanting to see disappointment in her young son's eyes. "Mmm," was all she could get out.

Istas had caught on to what was happening, and led Tarlo and Tayen out of the room quickly with the promise of starting a game.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Lin bolted to the sink. Luckily she didn't have much in her stomach to bring up, but she still hated the retching.

She barely noticed that Tulok had come up behind her and pulled her long braid back out of the way, and started rubbing her back. She did accept the glass of water he handed her and the anti nausea herb tablets they had just gotten. She choked them back, but was glad after a few minutes the nausea passed.

"Thank you." She said softly, eyes flicking up to his face before falling back down.

"Go lay down now, but I expect you to eat when you wake up."

"Yes Tulok."

After closing the bedroom door behind her, and changing into clothes better suited for sleeping, she allowed a few tears to spill onto her pillow.

She had no idea if Kya recognized her earlier. 'Our eyes met, but I do look so different than I did at 16. Is this what hope feels like again? Can I allow myself to dare to hope that… that… No, the family thinks you are dead. There would be no reason for Kya to think you are still alive… But maybe if I can be alone with her… That will never work. Tulok usually attends all my appointments.'

Lin rolled over, and tried to stop her thoughts. She was going to take advantage of the time alone to actually nap. But as she fell asleep, she couldn't help the small flame of hope that sparked to life inside her again.

A/N: Did Kya recognize Lin?

Let me know your thoughts! Any theories?