A/N: Hi, everyone!

It's been a long time, hasn't it? To make it short, I've been really busy and a bit depressed, and also a lot lazy (still am), plus I got problems with my beta which comforted me in not posting. But he said the chapters should be fine without any suggestion from him, so we'll do with my translation.

I'll post two chapters in a row as an apology. Just so you know, this last bonus is actually composed of three chapters. It's the last one, then I'll put an end to this story. I'm still writing the third part, which will be posted before the end of summer. At least, I hope so... People don't read much in summer anyway, so I guess no one will be waiting for this third part.

As for the pieces of information:

People wanted Isolina and Reena to have children, so... let's see how Isolina deals with that.

Genre: Family, Angst

Summary: There are not many things which Isolina and Reena don't agree on. Children is one of these. As Reena tries to make Isolina realize the importance of children in a family, the young water-bender is convinced that it's a bad idea. A really bad idea. What if it were the end of their couple?

Enjoy!

Isolina and Reena had decided not to have children. Well... decided... People might say that...

No, in fact, Isolina had totally decided that they would not have children. And it wasn't because Reena was making her puppy dog eyes, that she was caring and doing crazy things to her in bed that she would change her mind.

No was no. And she was at least as stubborn as her girlfriend. Well, from time to time.

She had to admit that the conversation she had had with her mother about it had weakened her position a little. She had even told herself that she should think about it seriously, that they had time, and all of that. Then, she had saved a child in the street, she had joined her partner, they had spent a calm, quiet, perfect evening. Why change it even a little?

Apparently, Reena really cared about it because she even gave her a massage. It ended up being much more intense than that...

"You know that even if you make love to me a thousand times, I'm not going to have a baby, right? Because if that's necessary, I can teach you again the basics of reproduction..."

"Oh, stop it..."

Reena jostled her before kissing her languidly while being on top of her.

"I'm not going to give in... Just saying..."

"Why?"

"Because."

"That's not really a reason."

"We already talked about it. Just the two of us is good."

"We can be more than two."

"But right now, I have you only for myself..."

"You wouldn't be jealous of your daughter or your son anyway..."

"And why not? You're too important for you to be shared with others... At home, at least."

Reena fell back onto the bed and sighed.

"Why do I have the least reasonable girlfriend in the world?" she complained.

Isolina said nothing. She looked at the ceiling.

"Reena?"

"Mmmm…"

"You... Do you need it?"

"Need what?"

"To have children. I mean... you're not fulfilled now, that's why you want things to change, right?"

"What? No! I am fulfilled. I love you and you know it."

"But... why do you insist so much?"

"Because... Because I don't want you to miss this."

"You don't want me to miss this?"

"I don't want to miss this either, but you're right when you say that it's easier for me, and all about that. That's why you have to do it. Well, you don't have to either, but you know what I mean..."

"You know... every time we have this conversation, I think of my mothers..."

"Why?"

"I often talked about it with Asami when I was little, because I didn't understand well… But she said that if I hadn't come into their lives, they would surely never have talked about it and even if she wanted children, she would never have had any. She said that she thought she could do without it because she was very happy and that she loved Mom more than anything in the world and..."

"And..."

"I don't want to take this away from you... I don't want to take this away from you like Korra almost did it with Asami when... She suffered from it, even if she didn't say anything. And I'm worse, because you tell me and I don't listen, and..."

"Isolina, calm down."

"Sorry…"

"You don't make me suffer, ok? I'm happy with you, we're a couple, we'll make this decision together."

"I just want you to be really happy… I don't want to force you…"

"Yeah, well, that's the contract when you are together with someone, right? Otherwise we would end up eating each other."

As evidence, Reena nibbled her lover's shoulder, which made her laugh. The other girl shoved her a bit and they almost ended up fighting with pillows, but Isolina resumed with an air between fun and reprimand:

"Stop that, I'm serious!"

"A little too much, don't you think?"

"Perhaps. I'm just saying that we're fine like that, I've never liked change and you know it. And a child is complicated."

"It's not complicated. You have to take care of them, give them a little love and attention, have fun, learn lots of things and laugh. You already know how to do all of this, right?"

She plunged into her memories. She quickly remembered all the good times she had spent with Reena when they were children, all the good times she had spent with Korra and Asami and the people who were close to her. Then she thought about most of the other relationships she had... Acquaintances, friends, all those other times when she had seemed to be having fun while she just didn't really care or she couldn't have fun. That's why she didn't really have friends, that's why she didn't want children.

"Not... always..." she said, grimacing.

"But with your family?"

"You're my family! Not some fifth wheel!"

"Do you really think that Korra and Asami once considered you a fifth wheel? And then, if you don't want a "fifth wheel" as you say, I'll carry them, or better yet, you carry them."

"Out of the question," she decreed unequivocally.

Isolina was starting to get sharp and Reena knew she was playing a dangerous game, she was going to have to resist her cutting remarks so as not to hurt herself, and not to get angry so as not to hurt her. In any case, the situation would surely become for her to handle and her companion would end up deflecting the subject or shutting herself up like an oyster as it often happened. Oh, she could make her reopen but it would probably have to go through there.

"Why?" Reena asked lightly.

"Because I don't want an outsider to intervene in the affairs of our couple!"

"You make babies, remember, with your bending..."

"I don't "make babies". They don't come out of nowhere, and so it's no. If you want children, I refuse to do so by anything other than adoption."

"Well, already, that's it. But do we agree that this is not a "fifth wheel"?"

Isolina sighed, groaned, and rolled into her bed.

"Don't want to talk about it anymore?"

"Not really... I'm not sure I can handle it, Reena... I can accept the idea, even try, but... bring another person into my life—our life—like that even a child, it's like an impassable wall to me. What will we do if I can't? What if we don't get along?"

"That won't happen."

"What if it does?"

Reena rolled her eyes.

"If it happens, it won't happen again. We'll fix the problem."

"Okay…"

"Okay?"

"It's an okay that means: "okay let me consider the idea and a little time to take it in, please"... she growled.

Reena laughed. She was not going to push her luck any further. She had already managed to finally finish this conversation that Isolina had been avoiding for weeks and she had agreed to think about it. Really, it was something to be proud of! Besides, the goal was not to hurt her. Never.

"Okay, Love. Sleep well. We'll talk about it in a week."

She sighed.

"Good night."

The next day, Reena managed to find Asami who got up at dawn. She was finishing her breakfast when the young Airbender showed up in her pajamas.

"You really have to lose this habit of getting up early..." she grumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Reena? Already awake?"

"Yeah."

She yawned and began to prepare tea. Ouch, she needed it at such an early hour…

Asami noted that she looked... totally sleepy. In fact, she should still be sleeping for other long hours, which was why she was surprised. Something was going on, or it was a simple insomnia but seeing her face she doubted it.

"Why are you up?" she asked directly.

She and Reena had long stopped caring about formalizing their talks.

"Because I love the morning air," the Airbender replied, jokingly before resuming more seriously. "I wanted to talk to you."

"So early in the morning?"

"Face to face."

"Okay... Is there a problem with Isolina?"

"No, I don't think so... Well, I hope not... I don't know if she told you about... 'my desire to extend the family'."

"We talked about it," she confirmed.

"Okay. Well, she doesn't like much the idea, but yesterday it looked like I managed to make her a little more inclined and she might even accept it."

"Congratulations?"

"Yes and no… She really doesn't want to. I hope I don't push her too hard... I don't want to put my desires before hers but this is really the first time that we totally disagree. There is no way to find a middle ground: it's either yes or no. And yet, I... I feel like it would be the right decision, you know? For her, I mean. She... Isolina... You know how she is, she is your daughter..."

"Are you afraid that she is too tightly gripped on your cocoon as it has always been?"

"Yes! And I mean, the rest of the time, I don't mind. Her essential and exclusive personality, I mean. We're doing well. But... raising a child is already an experience that changes us—I saw it with you—and that might allow her to love someone else... I don't know how she manages not to see that if anything happens to me..."

"Oh, she sees it. She just ignores it. She can't afford to contemplate this for too long. It would hurt her too much."

"But I can't be her only support! I mean, she has you and the people she knew in her childhood and some others but..."

"I know, it's not the same with the others and Korra and I won't be here forever anyway."

Asami put into words exactly what was on her mind. She didn't mean to say that, because there was still time and it was not very nice.

"Yeah, right..." she confirmed, a little sheepish.

"You can say it, you know. It's not a taboo."

"Well, I don't want to put you in the grave too quickly..."

Asami laughed.

"It's reality."

"Do you think I should keep pushing her, even if... I'm almost forcing her?"

"I don't know. I'm not the one who will suffer the consequences, it's you and your couple. And the child. You have to be strong enough for them."

"But Isolina would never hurt a child… She suffered too much for that…"

"Unless she's unable to accept them. She won't do it on purpose..."

"I don't know…"

"Wait a bit. See if she can accept the idea and maybe want the same thing as you. If she believes it is the right decision, that the two of you will be happy, she will do anything to make it happen."

"I know…"

The problem is that she had no idea how to give birth to such a desire or even if it could in the midst of fear. Because Isolina was afraid: afraid of change, of the unknown, afraid of people, to a degree that she would never be able to fully get.

And she was a little scared too: afraid of being wrong, afraid of not understanding her girlfriend enough to make the right decision. But they had known each other for almost 20 years, they had grown up together, they could go through this just fine!

Then it was not as if Isolina was pathologically unable to relate to people. She just felt that she had created the relationships she needed when she was little and she had lost sight of so many people that she did not even allow the opportunity to know anyone else. But it would be different with a child, right?

Finally, a few more months were necessary. Reena alternated between talking about it and not talking about it. Then, one day, Isolina announced that she was ready. Her partner wondered about this shift in the situation but never bothered to ask, for fear that she would change her mind.

If she had asked, she would have known that Isolina had ended up being touched by all the happy couples she helped every day and that she had just seen a child die, a child, beaten to death by his parents, that she couldn't save. The rest of the day, she had been haunted by her past. She had known that she would never be a mother like that, an awful mother. Maybe she could not be emotionally attached to this child, but she could at least protect them as she had been protected. She could help someone like her.

So, on a Tuesday, after other long months of waiting, they had an appointment to get to know this child whom they would be the mothers of. Isolina was nervous, more than nervous. She hadn't been so nervous since she had confronted her persecutor. Okay, sure, she was supposed to meet a little innocent being and not a manipulative and bloodthirsty murderer, but really, the feeling was the same.

She was getting ready, tying her hair, when Reena appeared behind her, slipping behind her back and placing her hands on her stomach. The waterbender jumped.

"Don't scare me like that..."

"You're very tense, my love... Relax..."

"I can't. And Reena?"

"Yes?"

Isolina turned and kissed her deeply. Even if the other woman was surprised, she was not going to be picky. However, she questioned so much ardor and passion.

"What was that for?"

"For if it doesn't work."

Isolina was entitled to a doubtful look and a raised eyebrow.

"If we're doing something stupid, it's not working out and we're screwing up our lives and our couple, I want you to remember that moment. I want you to remember that I love you and that I'll always love only you."

"Stop being so dramatic."

"I did what I had to do. Then, you do what you want. Shall we?"

Reena was driving. It was silent. Isolina wanted to throw up. She looked at the landscapes, her forehead pressed against the glass of the window which was getting hot. And then, finally, they arrived.

Isolina walked in first despite all the subterfuge she used to make Reena be the one to lead the way. There were some meetings, some procedures, then finally they were there.

In front of them was a little boy named Gaku. He came from the Earth Republic. He had a slightly tanned complexion, but not enough to make it obvious. He had two green eyes which were more luxuriant than a forest, short black hair, a simple outfit and a suitcase larger than him on which he was sitting.

When they arrived, he looked at them curiously, wriggling imperceptibly. The accompanying adult said some information to the young women. Isolina listened attentively, sometimes throwing brief glances at the child who was staring at her when he was not busy answering the antics of her companion who was certainly acting like a clown behind her. Finally, the time when the adult explained everything to them seemed too short and, after some introductions, it was time to go home.

They installed him, spent some time chatting with him. It was mostly Reena who made the conversation. Isolina listened to it and sometimes answered the child's questions. Gaku. Their son. Anyway.

As soon as she could, she slipped away to go and cook. After a few minutes, Reena left Gaku and joined her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Good."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Why are you going away then?"

"Time."

"Are you going to answer me with monosyllables for a long time?"

"Maybe."

"Two syllables, you're getting better!"

The joke didn't work. Isolina remained focused on the vegetables she was cutting.

"Give me time to breathe. Please."

"Okay…"

Reena kissed her on the cheek.

"I love you."

Then she left without waiting for the answer.

Indeed, Isolina needed to breathe. She felt like she had been holding her breath from the start of the day, that she was choking, that she was suffocating. This was why she did not join her partner and "her son" when she had finished preparing. She went to her room. She closed the door. Locked it. She tried to breathe, not to die from the inside.

She dropped, back to the door, and curled up like she did when she was a child. She only had to reach out to grab the old purple teddy bear that was lying on the dresser next to the door. She let her arm fall. She stayed there, alone, trying to breathe.

It couldn't be easy, could it?

Why did she feel like she was so lonely, soiled, overwhelmed? A child, it was just a child... Their child. He was nice, he was a sparkling boy, she saw it in his eyes. But it hurt her... She knew she would need adjustment, time, and she was afraid of having it because it hurt. She was going to solve this problem. She couldn't bear it to last.

"Isolina, where are you?" her girlfriend called.

"Coming!"

She took a deep breath, even though the air seemed to never reach her lungs. She put the purple bear down and went back to her partner.

"Something's wrong?"

"No, nothing at all, I was getting my hair done."

"Okay…"

"Where's Gaku?"

"He's having fun in the bedroom. He likes the mattress."

"I see…"

"Isolina…"

"I'll check that the things on fire are not burning."

Reena let her do so. Rather, she went to their room. She looked at the old teddy bear. Isolina may be very fastidious, but Reena made a masterful effort to memorize very exactly all the locations and all the positions of what was in their environment, in particular this bear, and the head was not oriented correctly.

She had hoped it would go perfectly well. She had hoped that for once in Isolina's life something would be easy and normal. But that was not the case. And she would protect her, as she had promised her so many times. She knew her demons were formidable, but she would sacrifice everything if necessary. This child was supposed to be a chance for her, not a curse. And if he became one... she would have to protect Isolina first of all, even if she was a bad mother or not a mother at all and had to give it up forever...

A/N: Guess what? I'd make me really happy to have reviews x) Thank you for reading anyway. I won't put any author notes for next chapter. I guess I'll be back next month or something like that. Then, I'll say goodbye for an undecided time.

See you then!

Lion

Answer review guest:

No name guest: I'm glad you liked last chapter. I thought it would be good to write a real ending, even if in life we don't always have a closure for our traumas. I hope you'll like the last bonus! Hope to see you again!