I want to thank SaoirseParisa, Idkwhattobe, and Taurus The Dragon (formerly known as Wildstar93) for their reviews. Special thanks must go to Idkwhattobe for leaving 5 reviews in their attempt to catch up with this story. A lot has happened last time, especially with Korra reuniting with her family. Now we see more of that reunification, and how Korra will relate to Tonraq and Senna in her new development. I suggest you hang on to your hats, because this will be a fun and wild ride!

Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko own the Legend of Korra.

Asami could not help but feel a sense of déjà vu as her family's limousine pulled up to the gates of the penitentiary. She had been here twice before, the more recent time with Korra. It was to pick up Varrick and Zhu Li being released from prison after the investigation cleared them of any wrongdoing. Asami could still recall Korra's excitement during the whole ride here, and how happy Korra was when her family was reunited.

But today, it was Asami's turn to reunite with her family member. After the evidence was produced to the company lawyer, a court application was made to have Hiroshi released on grounds that the detainment was not justified. To no one's surprised, Tarrlok's team fought it tooth and nail. While Asami and Yasuko did not attend all the court hearings, they saw enough to genuinely fear that they might actually lose the application.

The limousine came to a halt before the chauffeur shut off the engine. "Mrs. Sato, we've arrived," the driver announced as he opened the door for Yasuko. Asami waited for her mother to clamber out before following suit. Lucky for them, the court found in their favour and ordered Hiroshi's release. With Tarrlok not appealing, they were now doing exactly what Korra did with Varrick and Zhu Li. Hopefully the clerk was not as mean as she was during the previous visits!

Asami helped her mother up the steps before holding the front door for Yasuko. The older woman glanced up with an expression that was a mix of relief, intrigue, and helplessness. It mirrored Asami's own feelings, given she had not spoken to or visited her father since the day after his arrest. She still had difficulty coming to terms with Hiroshi's Equalist ties. Despite his release, Asami still wasn't sure if she should forgive him entirely.

"Asami, where do we go next?" Yasuko's gentle voice asked. That knocked the engineer out of her train of thought, forcing her to face her mother again. "Is everything alright?" Yasuko inquired, leaning her face closer to her daughter's, "You didn't really say much the whole time."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Asami stated, her eyes wandering to the ground while her right hand reached across her stomach to grab her left elbow, "I'm just kind of torn right now. I don't really know what to say to Dad when he gets released, or if I want to talk to him at all. I mean, I don't want to hate him, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to re-accept him."

Yasuko placed a hand on Asami's shoulder, trying to gauge her daughter's eyes. "I feel the same way about this, mainly because I don't want to believe that I married a murderer," she responded, "But right now, our family has to stick together. Whatever issues we have amongst us, we can resolve that when we get home. But for now, let's get Hiroshi out of this place."

Asami nodded. Leading Yasuko to the same clerk that annoyed Asami each time, she allowed her mother to converse with the clerk instead. As the clerk presented to Yasuko the same paperwork she presented to Korra, Asami felt like she was in Korra's shoes, trying to forgive someone who wronged her. Except in Korra's case, the person committing the wrong was Asami herself. Even though Asami tried to carry on as usual, there was a part of her that felt more could have been done to avoid the falling out. And until Korra officially told Asami that she was forgiven and they were ready to restart the friendship, Asami could not shake that guilt.

But at the same time, Asami was also mindful of the similarities and differences between Hiroshi and Korra. Only Korra was affected by Asami's actions, while potentially hundreds would have been affected by Hiroshi's actions. As Asami herself stated, killing someone with a pen was no different than killing someone with a gun. But when Asami terminated Korra's employment and read through Korra's journals without Korra's consent, wasn't Asami herself guilty of the same thing? Was she employing a double standard between herself and her father?

"Asami, I signed the paperwork," Yasuko called, snapping Asami to attention again. Asami glanced at the clerk, who was surprisingly pleasant with Yasuko. While they headed to the waiting area, Yasuko declared, "Any moment now, your father will walk out those doors."

Asami made sure her mother was comfortable at the bench before sitting next to her. "I guess if Korra can still forgive me for what I did to her, and become friends with me again, then maybe I can re-accept Dad," Asami analyzed, folding her hands onto her lap, "But I think it'll take a while, and I do want him to make up for what he did to everyone."

"And I'll be with you all the way, Asami," Yasuko replied, placing her free hand on top of Asami's hands, "We are a family, and that means supporting each other no matter what. While I'm also upset at Hiroshi, I also know that he wants to change, and I'm willing to give him the chance to change. And if we all make it happen, our family will only become stronger."

As mother and daughter sat there waiting, they could hear the muffled echoes from the interior. Some beeps and clicks emanated from within, while slurred words of several individuals sounded off. Before they could decipher all that, a familiar heavyset man came out from the doors and headed towards them. "Asami, Yasuko, you both came," Hiroshi whispered.

Mother and daughter both felt smiles crept onto their faces. With Hiroshi approaching, both stood to greet him with a tight embrace. Yasuko was so overcome with emotions that she could not even hear her cane fall to the floor. The threesome stayed in their position for a bit longer, hoping it would last forever. By the time they released, there was not a dry eye among them. "Let's go home, Hiroshi," Yasuko announced, reaching down for her cane once more.

The entire limousine ride back to the Sato estate was in awkward silence. It wasn't until when the housekeepers greeted Hiroshi through the front doors that either of them addressed the issue. "Dad, I think we should talk," Asami started, moistening her lips nervously, "Mom and I have been holding down the fort at Future Industries, all the while wondering if you're doing okay. Now that you're out, I think you have to fix your mistakes and restore your image."

Hiroshi glanced back at Asami and Yasuko with a pained look, before tilting his head towards his study for more privacy. Letting the two women sit across his large desk, Hiroshi closed the door and plopped into his executive chair. The soft warm seat was night and day compared to the hard benches in the prison. "I know what I did destroyed your trust and caused you stress," Hiroshi stated, his voice weak and shaky, "Part of me wondered if I should plead guilty and just spend the rest of my life behind bars, if that can allow you to respect me again."

"Dad, I want to be supportive of you, since we are family and Future Industries is a big part of our lives," Asami replied, her entire body clenching tightly as she struggled with her words, "But you really hurt us, and the company also suffered as a result."

"Even though I was permanently scarred by that fire bender's attacks, it wasn't like I wouldn't make it," Yasuko continued the joint admonishment, "You're lucky the Equalists didn't continue coming after us. If they wanted to blackmail you for more funds, we could be hurt!"

"I know, and I don't deserve your support right now. I realize my mistake will take forever to correct, and maybe even that's not long enough," Hiroshi replied, pulling off his glasses and wiping tears from his eyes, "But you're both strong people, much stronger than me. And I've heard from my limited news in prison that you two took over Future Industries for me after my detention. You two are much more capable than I am, and if turning away from the company and focusing on societal good is what I should do, then I'll do it."

Yasuko and Asami had their eyes increase to the size of plates when Hiroshi made his decision. "I completely resign from Future Industries and let Asami take over," he announced, "Asami has done a fabulous job in creating more positives for the world, which is the whole vision of the company. As for me, I'll spend the rest of my life redeeming myself. Since I'm no longer a corporate leader, maybe I'll have more time to do so. How does that sound?"

"I'm so glad to finally be home," Tonraq declared as he and Senna hobbled through the front doors of their residence. After weeks of intensive therapy, both Tonraq and Senna were at a stage where they could finally be released from hospital. Both still had issues with mobility and motor control, but especially Tonraq, given his longer comatose period. "I know it'll be a while before the president and I are at full capacity again, but at least we're healthy enough to return to work really soon," the large man commented as the housekeeper closed the door.

"I believe you said we're expecting visitors," Senna commented, her eyes following the housekeeper, who now scurried into the living room, "Have they arrived yet?"

"Yes, they're right in the dining room. Please follow me," the housekeeper announced, waving Tonraq and Senna forward. The Southern Water Tribe couple slowly made their way in, almost alien in their own home. Maybe it was a mix of not being here for a long time and the coma's effects affecting their functions, but Tonraq and Senna almost had to relearn the bearings of their own residence. It was a truly sobering thought for them indeed.

But all negative thoughts vanished when Tonraq and Senna entered the dining room, where three familiar faces waited for them. "Varrick, Zhu Li," Tonraq stuttered, lumbering in as quickly as his weakened legs could to shake their hands, "It's great to see you again."

"Likewise, and I'm glad you're finally out of the hospital," Varrick commented, clasping the taller man by the shoulder, "And I'm even more glad that you're returning to your post. Your buddy Tarrlok has been difficult to work with, and I hope you can knock some sense into him!"

Zhu Li jokingly slapped Varrick's shoulder before turning to Tonraq. "We're happy to see you back home now," she stated, "Maybe my husband should learn to tone it down a bit with business and worry about friends and family, which is exactly why we're here today."

Senna turned to the side, where an elderly water bender joined Varrick and Zhu Li. "I'm guessing you're here because of Korra, right Katara?" she asked, leaning over and shaking the retired physician's hand, "Did Varrick and Zhu Li talk to you about this?"

Katara nodded. Since her own children told her about their investigation into Korra's history, Katara felt nothing but relief, not just because of the family reunion. "I've actually had my suspicions about your relationship with Korra, but I didn't really investigate and the evidence wasn't all there," Katara explained, "But I know how close Korra is to you, and how much she talks about you, even when she was young and I was her water bending teacher. So when Bumi and Kya released the news to me, it almost felt like everything settled in place."

"Katara was really kind to help us transition Korra's routine to include you in her life," Zhu Li added, taking a seat around the dining room table. Tonraq, Senna, Varrick, and Katara all followed suit, all the while the housekeeper brought her employers a cup of hot tea each. "Korra talked to Varrick and me about wanting to spend more time with you, and Katara really helped with the routine. I know Korra's condition and mannerisms are a bit unusual, and it's definitely different between seeing it as a visitor and living it as her guardian. But with the right amount of motivation, I'm sure you and Korra will reconnect with no problems."

"Korra's a smart kid, and I'm not worried about her at all!" Varrick exclaimed, waving his hands in excitement, "You guys visited us enough to know what she's like and how bright she is. As long as you understand her routines and why she does them, I think you'll be fine."

Both Tonraq and Senna smiled, mostly at ease with Korra's stay but also apprehensive about what other challenges might be present. "I will have to head back to work soon, as the president wanted a cabinet briefing of everything that happened since we were hospitalized," Tonraq pointed out, "I guess Senna can stay home and work with Korra if Korra doesn't have to work. Is she still working at the warehouse and the pro-bending arena?"

Katara nodded. "Korra still works at both jobs, but from what I heard, she took time off of both this week," she described, taking a sip of her tea, "I think Korra really wants to make this work out. I'm sure she already discussed with you even before you were discharged, but part of her wants to make up for the lost time. It'll take a while for her to get used to you, especially calling you Mom and Dad. But I told her to just treat this like a sleepover, and she'll be fine."

Tonraq and Senna glanced at each other, not speaking any words but getting silent confirmation of their thoughts. They had no expectations about Korra being part of their lives again, and until Korra decided to do the sleepover, they were completely fine with her being a friend. So for Korra to make such a huge change, especially in the backdrop of her autism, it was something to be commended. It showed Tonraq and Senna how much Korra valued them as people, and they had to do whatever it took to regain Korra's trust.

"And speaking of which, Korra is actually in the guest bedroom right now," Katara added, slowly getting up from her chair, "We told her that she can join us, but she wanted to rearrange the furniture to her liking first. Do you want to go see her?"

Tonraq and Senna widened their eyes, surprised that Korra was already here but did not join them. They followed Katara upstairs and to the guest bedroom, where even from the hallway they could hear the sounds of items being shuffled around. As they made the final turn, they could see Katara approach the open door and rapped her knuckles on it a few times. "Korra, Tonraq and Senna are back," she announced.

Before Tonraq and Senna could even enter the room, a blur of blue zoomed out of the room and held them in the tightest hug ever. "I'm so glad you're out and doing well," Korra greeted them, her voice laced with a slight stammer, "Katara told me you're back to work soon. Do you think you'll be ready, since you haven't reviewed your files? Will Tarrlok pick on you for being slow since you're out cold for so long? I can't wait to hear you tell me about that!"

Korra released Tonraq and Senna, which allowed them to really examine the bedroom. Boxes and clothing were scattered about, while the bed, desk, and even dresser were shifted around. "If it looks messy, then I'm sorry," Korra explained, "I want my bed at the corner furthest away from the window, in case it gets chilly. The dresser is on my left hand side, since I'm right-handed and my right arm is free to grab my phone, which I put on the dresser when I sleep. The desk should be near the window, where it's brighter when I want to use my computer. And Naga's basket has to be at the feet end of my bed, so I don't step on her when I get off. I'll put away the clothes in the closet later, once I reorganize them into the usual places…"

Korra paused when Katara, Tonraq, and Senna chuckled at her. Even Naga, who was trapped in a corner in the midst of all the items, gave Korra an incredulous look. "Did I talk too much? I overdid the rearranging, didn't I?" Korra remarked, awkwardly rubbing her forehead.

"No, you didn't overdo it. We're totally fine with you arranging the room to your liking," Senna responded, slowly approaching and gently placing a hand on Korra's elbow. Korra did not flinch away, but her eyes went straight for the floor again. Senna leaned her head closer and could see Korra's face creasing, prompting her to reassure Korra that everything was fine. "Why don't you come down and have some tea and snacks? You can keep unpacking your stuff later."

"Besides, with what you said earlier about my job, I think you're interested in what I'm actually doing as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade," Tonraq chimed in, "We can talk all about that in a little while, so let's not worry about your room for now, okay?"

"Welcome back, Mr. President, and to Minister Arnook as well," Tenzin greeted the two members of the executive team who had been absent for the longest time. For the past months, Tenzin was the one seated at the head of the table, taking over presidential duties while Raiko was still comatose. It almost felt odd for Tenzin to return to his usual first seat to Raiko's right, but at the same time he was happy the two were alright. "We have a lot of updates to get to since you were gone," he announced, gesturing around the table for everyone to take a seat.

Raiko managed an uneasy smile before taking a seat himself. He reached for his water and took a sip, scanning his cabinet the entire time. Even though he was eager to get back into the presidential routine, Raiko realized he was not as energetic as he used to be. Even just looking at the briefing notes from each department last night made him fatigued, something that never happened during his two terms. "Well, shall we begin?" he suggested.

Tenzin nodded, inviting everyone to open their notebooks. "The first matter to address is the terrorist threat against the United Republic. We've worked very hard with Chief Bei Fong and the Republic City police. We were able to arrest many members of the Triple Threats," he explained, "After interrogating their leadership, we found out that the Triple Threats acted under the direction of the Red Lotus. Charges have been pressed and we expect the prosecution team to start working on trial dates. We're definitely looking at convictions for most of them."

Raiko nodded, taking notes after various ministers also commented on the subject. But when it came to the Interpol matters, it was surprisingly Tonraq's aide and not Tarrlok who gave the update. "Our local officers have done a fabulous job in working with Interpol, and the Fire Nation police also made a lot of progress," the young aide described, "They already investigated every border town or city, and some junior Red Lotus associates have been arrested. Hopefully they will reveal some clues as to where the leadership is."

Raiko and Tonraq both nodded. While it was frustrating that the Red Lotus leadership was still at large, at least there was progress on the investigation. "But what about the borders between the United Earth States and the United Republic," Raiko pointed out, "Are there any concerns with the Red Lotus potentially smuggling back in?"

"Oh, don't worry, because there are no issues with national security," Tarrlok interjected, his smug voice echoing throughout the wide conference room, "In fact, I've been working with the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure on securing all land crossings. There should be no problems on that end, even though some presidential permits may be required."

Tenzin and Raiko both furrowed their eyebrows, surprised at Tarrlok's revelation. The arrogant water bender stood up and, in his usual theatrical flair, described an item not currently on the agenda. "I've spoken with the United Earth States ambassador, and we've decided to ramp up security at both Senlin and Merchant's Pier. We believe the Red Lotus will likely enter from our eastern border, so those border crossings are most vulnerable. However, I discovered that Ambassador Hou-Ting is interested in building a third border crossing in the area, one that involves a bridge that crosses the bays. That changes things dramatically, do we agree?"

There were murmurs amongst the crowd, to which Raiko tried to extinguish. "I've heard that as well, and we did do some feasibility studies beforehand," the bespectacled president replied, "But we never pursued it until there's a need, and with Minister Arnook comatose with me, no decision has been made. Why is there is need to proceed with it now?"

Tarrlok smirked at the front of the table before casting a quick glance at the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure. The older bearded man almost wilted at Tarrlok's glare, even though Tarrlok was maybe two-thirds his age. "Because it's the perfect time to make this good investment for the country, and also boost security," Tarrlok pointed out, turning to face Raiko again, "We build new infrastructure to ease the congestion at the border points, and we can put in new protocols for border security at the new bridge. Let's not forget that Taku, which struggled economically for the past few decades, may be revitalized by this new route linking it to the Untied Earth States and to Merchant's Pier. Two birds, one stone, am I right?"

"But that would imply more spending on these things, which means we have to redo the budget for next year," the moustachioed Minister of Finance chimed in, scribbling some notes on his pad, "Even if you count on Taku turning from a near ghost town to a lively economic driver, is this an investment that should be made now, or can we wait a bit longer?"

"Not to mention that there's a tourist resort nearby, with both mountains and ocean in the same area," the Minister of Environment and Oceans, a thin bespectacled woman, added, "Any largescale project like this should be properly scoped for environmental impacts. If it ends up harming that resort, the tourism industry will fail, and your economic impacts go back to zero."

Tarrlok frowned at the two ministers speaking out against him. While he expected some opposition to the plan, he didn't believe they would challenge his authority on the security front. Since the border was his bread and butter, who were these people to even think about resisting? "I think you're forgetting that the United Republic is upgrading its border security in conjunction with the United Earth States. Ambassador Hou-Ting will have to report to her superiors, who are very eager to press ahead with this project," Tarrlok retorted, his eyes narrowing to darts, "Not only will we risk the Red Lotus or any other dangerous organization entering our borders without this upgrade, we might also risk alienating our alliance with the United Earth States."

Tenzin and Tonraq glanced at each other, incredulous looks plastered all over their faces. How ironic was it that Tarrlok was discussing alliances and good relationship when he berated Korra for trying to do the same thing with the ambassador's own nephew! Deep down, they both knew that this bridge and border security station was another prestige project for Tarrlok, who might use it as his record for his presidential campaign next year. And with Tonraq still trying to recover from the coma, it was clear that Tarrlok was several steps ahead in the game.

Luckily, Raiko also noticed the conversation going awry. Clearing his throat, he gestured at Tarrlok to sit down. "We have a lot more to discuss, so let's keep this meeting moving, shall we?" he insisted, flipping to the next page of the briefing package, "Since this bridge may also affect foreign affairs and trade, I'm sure Minister Arnook would like to look into this as well." Raiko quickly turned to Tonraq, who kept quiet. The large man only nodded his head, opting to focus on his notes rather than escalated the confrontation.

Tarrlok sat back down, but kept his stare at Tonraq. While Tarrlok managed to get many ministers on his side, including the aforementioned Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, there were still those on the fence about the election campaign. Tarrlok only received their support because he took charge during the time when Raiko and Tonraq were both comatose. Now that they were awake, there was no telling if those ministers would keep their allegiances to Tarrlok. Sensing that Tonraq still had some sway, Tarrlok felt the battle between him and Tonraq was inevitable, and now he had to up the ante for the presidency should Tonraq choose to run.

By the end of the week, Tonraq was already swamped with work. Not only did he have to catch up on all he missed, Tarrlok decided to dump a bridge project on him at the last second, forcing him to make a decision. With Raiko deferring to Tonraq this time, it put the Minister of Foreign Affairs in a bind. "I really wonder if Tarrlok did that just to make me look bad, or boost his resume for the campaign, or both," Tonraq grumbled.

"There's no point dwelling on it now," Senna stated, spooning some food onto her plate. Despite having lunch with his family, Tonraq would have a meeting with some assistants at the government office later. That meant taking time away from Korra, much to her disappointment. "That means I'll be spending some mother-daughter time with you," Senna stated.

"Sure, Mo…uh, Senna," Korra stuttered, her eyes tilting between her biological parents before dropping right down at her food. The past few days allowed Korra more chances to bond with Tonraq and Senna. Korra felt progress was made in their relationship but she still felt uncomfortable calling them her parents, opting to stay on a first name basis with them for now.

Tonraq and Senna both glanced at Korra, her posture dipped while her hand robotically stirred at her food. Come Monday evening, Korra would return to Varrick's place, so they too lost out on some bonding time with Korra. "It's okay, I'm sure we'll find some other time to get together," Tonraq suggested, patting Korra on the elbow.

Tonraq headed out after quickly finishing lunch, leaving Korra and Senna at home. At this time, Korra turned to Senna and asked, "During the time when he's the minister, does he always do this? Does he stay late at work and miss out on weekends?"

Senna gave Korra an understanding smile. She turned around and marched back into the living room, with Korra slowly following her. "Your father has a difficult job, Korra," she described, her tone patient but serious, "This is only his first week back on the job after being in a coma. Knowing how hard he works, you have to give him credit. I'm sure he doesn't want to miss spending time with you, and he'll be more than willing to make it up to you."

"I know, I know," Korra responded, feeling her body clench tighter again, "But it's just annoying that every time I try to spend more time with him, he's always busy. I know he's a government minister, but if he runs for president next year, will he have even less time for me?"

Senna took a seat at the couch, gently patting the seat next to her. Korra slowly lowered herself onto the seat, her body slightly slouched and her eyes tilted away from Senna. Korra's pose was no different than when she was at the hospital when Tonraq was still bedridden. It was a sign that Korra was feeling conflicted due to her inability to sort out the issues in her mind. Korra had to change her routine just to fit them back into her life, so Senna knew they at least owed Korra an effort to reach out, no matter how busy Tonraq was with his schedule.

"Korra, what's on your mind?" Senna asked, placing her right hand on Korra's left shoulder. She gently rubbed circles on Korra's shoulder, which released some of the tension in Korra's body. "Do you have something planned for today? Will it be alright if only I join you?"

Korra slowly moistened her lips, all the while her fingers loosened from her fists. "Do you think there's anything we can do to help Tonraq with everything?" she wondered, wiggling her fingers a bit, "If there's a way we can help him lighten the load or something, then maybe he'll have more time for us. Or does the work of the minister require full privacy?"

Senna smiled at her daughter. It was so like Korra to be curious of her surroundings, but also being selfless enough to put the needs of others first. "Unfortunately, some things can only be handled by Tonraq alone," Senna replied, "That's why he has aides that help him with these things. Unless he agrees to let you help him under cabinet rules, you can't really get involved."

Mother and daughter chatted a bit more on their own, mainly sharing Korra's work life this week and what Senna did when Tonraq was not home. Sometimes they touched on issues relating to their native land, the Southern Water Tribe. Korra was aware of the civil wars and how the Northern Water Tribe was on the south shores. Knowing that Tonraq was also in charge of foreign affairs, it meant he would lead the team of diplomats, should they be engaged. "I'm guessing they're still negotiating with the representatives from the other tribe," Senna explained, "But it's just so strange that everything seems to be at an inactive stalemate for this long."

After a while, Senna excused herself to run some errands, leaving Korra all alone again. While Korra felt better after her discussion with Senna, it still felt like there was a gulf between them. Lifting herself off the couch, Korra strolled out of the living room and headed upstairs. She just wanted to go back into her room and found something to do on her laptop.

Turning into the hallway leading to her room, Korra took a glance at the large room at the end of the hall. The housekeeper told her that this was Tonraq's home office where he would work remotely. Korra knew that sensitive government information was inside, meaning unless Tonraq allowed her to be an aide, she could not get involved. But still, the large but dim room, with its curtains half shut and the large executive desk in the centre, beckoned to her. Korra's curiosity peaked with every step she took, and before she knew it, Korra stood before the desk.

The water bender's eyes scanned through the piles of documents, similar to what she had at her warehouse office. Planting herself in the chair across from Tonraq's executive seat, Korra flipped through the pages and made notes on a blank notepad. From what she read, this was the bridge proposal that connected the United Republic to the United Earth States. Korra could see prices, usage, and even security personnel on the pages. Never did Korra imagine a bridge affecting so many departments, which made her aware of what Tonraq went through each day.

"Korra, what are you doing here?" a baritone voice called. Korra's head whipped around to the doorway, where Tonraq stood with a curious look on his face. All colour drained out of Korra's face, as she realized she was caught doing something inappropriate. It was no different than when Asami confessed she read Korra's journals, and now Korra was guilty of the same. "How long have you been in here?" Tonraq queried, stepping into the office.

Korra glanced at her cellphone and her eyes grew wide. She could not believe that she was in here for close to three hours. "Uh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to look through your stuff!" Korra exclaimed, her heart pounding so hard that she swore her sternum cracked.

Tonraq leaned in, scanning the notes on the desk. "You do realize this is government information, and you can't just barge in unannounced to read it," he admonished Korra with a firm but gentle voice, "I'll let it go this time, but next time, I'll keep the door closed."

Korra was on the verge of tears by now, her entire body shrinking into the chair. While she appreciated Tonraq's soothing tone, part of her felt like she wore away her welcome. But before she could even lift herself off the chair, Tonraq's eyes landed on her notes. "What are these?" he inquired, lifting the notepad off the desk, "Did you make these notes?"

Korra did not answer, but Tonraq's expression went from disappointment to amazement. With each page he read, Tonraq was astounded by the level of detail and accuracy in Korra's notes. "How did you come up with these calculations?" he wondered, giving his daughter an impressed look, "Will you go over these with me after dinner?"

The cabinet boardroom was filled once again for the cabinet meeting. Tarrlok was particularly eager to hear about the bridge proposal he put front and centre. Tarrlok's eyes stayed on Tonraq, who sat directly across from him to the president's right. Tarrlok's smirk stayed on while Tonraq kept shuffling through his notes. Even with Raiko setting the agenda, Tarrlok was literally counting down the seconds before Tonraq would make a fool of himself.

Hearing his name called, Tarrlok immediately snapped to attention and turned to Raiko. "Why don't we start with the Minister of National Defence?" Raiko proposed.

Tarrlok let out a soft chuckle before flipping a page in his notebook and flamboyantly got onto his feet. "Our friends at the United Earth States are eager for a solution, and our Minister of Foreign Affairs has the most important job here," he declared, staring at Tonraq with narrow eyes, "Is he prepared to make this investment, and how will he fit this into the budget?"

Strangely enough, Tonraq was calm and collected. He did not even bother looking at his notes, opting to clasp his large hands and placing them on top of the pages. "I am prepared to grant the permits for the bridge, but I won't be granting them now," Tonraq answered, "In fact, I have a method to give you a bridge without making a single dent in the current budget."

Every set of eyes at the table grew wide at Tonraq's remark. The ministers all whispered amongst themselves as Tonraq moved to the doors of the boardroom. "I recently renewed my ties with her as her father, and already she's shown me why I'm so proud of her," he declared, pulling the doors open to bring in a special guest, "Everyone, please meet my daughter, Korra."

The water bender gave a shy wave as Tonraq led her to the front, all the while struggling to hold several sets of notes under her arms. "Wow, I'm so glad to finally see you all in person," Korra exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet and letting her father put her papers on a note stand, "I know some of you personally, but to see the whole cabinet? That's really amazing!"

Tarrlok did not even bother to hide his disgust. "Minister Arnook, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded with a scowl. He was still standing, but was shuffled several steps to the side due to Korra taking up the front. "Cabinet meetings are meant to be confidential!"

"The president and I cleared Minister Arnook last night, and Korra is allowed to stay at the meeting," Tenzin interjected from the head of the table beside Raiko, "Besides, based on what we're told, Korra might do an even better job of explaining the reasons for the decision."

Korra smiled at Tenzin before turning to the group. Each person at the boardroom stared right back at her, but Tarrlok had a particularly intimidating look. He returned to his seat at the first chair to Korra's left, glowering at Korra with a huge frown. That sent chills up Korra's spine, causing her to involuntarily rub her arms up and down. Korra did manage to best Tarrlok before at the pro-bending arena, but she knew the stakes were much higher this time.

Korra felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. Mustering all the strength in her body to not flinch away, she forced her head to the right and saw Tonraq with a serene smile. Before the meeting today, Tonraq taught her a few tricks on dealing with a hostile crowd. While she didn't have to look anyone in the eye, she should keep her sight level and scanned the crowd periodically. As long as she stuck to those, Korra was sure she could present her thoughts persuasively.

Taking a few more deep breaths, Korra turned to the charts and went through them. "I stumbled upon Tonraq's information from the Department of Transport on how many vehicles use the existing border crossings," she described, pointing to a table she drew on a page she had on the podium, "The first and oldest border crossing was most recently updated forty-five years ago. It can handle around 7,500 vehicles of all types crossing the border, and currently over 8,100 vehicles use it daily. In other words, it's gone over its intended capacity."

Korra then pointed to the second line on the table, her eyes alternating between the chart and the ministers. While she tried to keep Tarrlok out of her line of sight, she knew he was still shooting darts out his eyes at her. "The second border crossing is newer, with the most recent update to it made twenty years ago. It can handle around the same number of vehicles daily, 7,500. Currently just shy of 5,000 vehicles use it daily, but that's mainly due to a higher toll fee."

Korra flipped to page, this time to her calculations on the bridge. "Your new bridge is supposed to have a capacity of just shy of 11,300 vehicles daily, but part of the recovery of the construction costs is in toll fees," Korra pointed out, noticing the ministers quickly scribbling on their notes or typing on their calculators in desperate hope to catch up. "At the current fees set in order to recover the costs, for the first ten years you will average a little more than 2,600 vehicles daily. It will take twenty-five years to break even, and it won't solve the problem of alleviating congestion at the other two crossings. Nobody will want to use the new bridge because it's so pricey, meaning you'll still have traffic jams at the other crossings."

Korra flipped the page again, this time showing a different set of numbers. "So instead of spending money on a rarely-used bridge, I say we punt the proposal down five years," she stated, "We adjust the fees on the current crossings, allowing the vehicles to spread more evenly. In the meantime, we can start budgeting money into the bridge for five years, which will decrease the amount of fees we have to collect in tolls just to break even. Even if we start building the bridge in five years, and it won't be done for another five, traffic is only expected to grow by twenty percent. We will still have a slight overcapacity issue, but it's a lot more manageable."

Korra took another deep breath as she finished, giving the boardroom table a glance. The ministers were still calculating away, but Korra could see some proud looks, especially from her father and Tenzin. While she had basic financial management knowledge due to running the pier, Korra had never done calculations for something this large and important. Deep down, Korra was surprised she did not shrivel at the sight of all these VIP's staring at her.

But no sooner could Korra relax did Tarrlok go on the attack. "Your numbers are indeed impressive, but you're once again failing to account for potential changes," he lectured Korra like she was a naughty child, "If we kick-start the economy of Taku, there will be an increase in population and goods travelling through. The need for the bridge will be much higher than what you suggested. Moreover, there's still the Red Lotus threatening our border security. Why won't you make the investment now and prevent those terrorists from coming back into the country?"

Before Tarrlok could even finish, two angry blue eyes met him head-on. "Are you out of your mind?" Korra shouted straight into Tarrlok's face, "Why do you have to build a bridge to improve border security? If you're concerned about terrorists getting into the country, why don't you update your protocols? Why don't you post more staff at high-risk areas? It was under your watch that the Red Lotus got in and out, so why don't you find out what you can improve on?"

Then, in the most audacious move ever, Korra gripped Tarrlok's chin and waggled it up and down. "I told you at the pier that I would never vote you for president. Hearing what you just said, I stand by my words," Korra yelled, spitting every word right at Tarrlok like they were ice daggers, "You really are the worst candidate, ever!" With that, Korra stormed out of the boardroom, slamming the door shut behind her so hard that the entire doorframe shook.

Unalaq could only let out a sigh as he re-entered his office on his flagship. It made no sense that the United Republic would send all these diplomats to the Southern Water Tribe just to negotiate with him. It was clear what his goal was, but until he broke one of the international norms, there was no way those diplomats should get involved. "If my idiot brother is the one behind this, then Tarrlok will hear it from me," he grumbled, plopping down onto his seat.

Unalaq flipped open his notes and reviewed what happened in the past few weeks in Republic City. Tonraq was able to return to work and reunited with his daughter. The most concerning part was a cabinet meeting that took place less than two weeks ago, which was Tonraq's first meeting since his return to cabinet. Korra attended that meeting and stole the show, to the point where Tarrlok was publicly humiliated. "And to no one's surprise, Tarrlok had nothing to counter that, leaving Tonraq with the advantage," Unalaq observed.

However, there was one thing going well for him in the past month, which was the way the Red Lotus operated. Currently, the Red Lotus laid low, starting small uprisings here and there but not causing mass-scale riots. The Future Industries protest was effective in its own way, as it kept police and military on edge. However, Unalaq was prepared to bide his time with his allies, letting them spread government resources thin and making world leaders keep their eyes off him. Keeping the Red Lotus in the Fire Nation was probably the best move for him for now.

It was when Unalaq compared the two fact patterns that he realized there was a threat against him. Interpol was collaborating with Republic City police in tracking the Red Lotus in the Fire Nation, while the United Forces had yet to engage his Northern Water Tribe military. Despite this, Tonraq was in charge of foreign affairs, and that included the diplomats currently negotiating with Unalaq. That meant if Tonraq, who was now in charge of his department again, deemed it necessary, he could ask the president to personally order the troops to engage. It would bypass Tarrlok directly, causing Unalaq problems as well. It would mean he had to act sooner in the Southern Water Tribe, or have the Red Lotus return to the United Republic.

Rubbing his face in frustration, Unalaq picked up his phone and again dialled for Zaheer. He hoped that the Red Lotus leader could give him something positive out of this. Unless there was a plan to bleed United Republic resources dry, things would not go well.

When Zaheer picked up, Unalaq immediately ordered an update. "What's going on in the Fire Nation right now? Is there any interaction with the Interpol? Have they found any traces or evidence of your group that has led to arrests?" he demanded.

"We're mainly focused in smaller centres right now, especially those on the coasts and away from the capital," Zaheer reported. That got Unalaq to shuffle his plans again, getting out a map of the Fire Nation and seeing where the Red Lotus was. Being a chain of islands with the eastern edge located very close to the United Republic, it would not surprise Unalaq if the Fire Nation navy would inspect ships more frequently. "Nobody has been arrested yet, but we're not in the clear. The Interpol is increasing security, and we may have to ditch."

"You can't ditch yet, because we still haven't done enough damage to the Southern Water Tribe," Unalaq retorted, clenching his free hand into a fist. Things were falling apart at the seams, and Unalaq might have to use his contingency plan. "At this rate, you're leaving too much power in the hands of the United Republic, because their Minister of Foreign Affairs is now taking the initiative. Once he gets the upper hand, then we're all in trouble."

"But are you even ready to attack the United Republic at this point? The entire goal was to have us eliminate the president and the frontrunner to next year's presidential election. That leaves us with a lame-duck in the presidential seat and your buddy Tarrlok in charge," Zaheer challenged, "There's still more than two months before nominations are finalized, and another three before the election. And with your brother back in the picture, what does that mean?"

"It means the core leadership of the Red Lotus has to stay hidden until the nomination date," Unalaq declared, "You and your three associates will have to smuggle your way out of the Fire Nation, but your juniors will stay in there to cause more problems. Meanwhile, I'll find a new way to put the squeeze on the Southern Water Tribe. Hopefully by the time nominations are complete, we will both be in the best position to attack the United Republic. At the very least, we can restore our advantage and potentially cut our losses, if there are any."

"Hold on, are you suggesting I just sacrifice my junior members for an escape?" Zaheer asked bewilderedly, "Don't forget that the Red Lotus stands for the dismantling of organized governments and states, so that the people themselves can be free. What message am I sending if the group just gets sacrificed by orders of their superiors?"

"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the leadership group, so keeping you guys alive is the first priority," Unalaq responded, tapping his fingers on his desk in frustration, "Do what you have to in order to survive, because I will go with Plan B if I have to."

Unalaq hung up the phone more forcefully than he intended to, rubbing his forehead in unease. He knew that the Red Lotus had similar goals as him, which was to destabilize all current existing governments and changed them up. He had always seen himself as off limits to them, given he supported their movement their entire way. After all, with the Northern Water Tribe being ruled in a spiritual manner, it was much better than every other government.

But right now, it seemed like the Red Lotus was getting to ambitious for their own good. Unalaq wanted to make sure that they stayed loyal to him, and would not deviate from the plan over a few junior members. In that case, he might just have to arrest them himself, hoping to use that as a way to get the spotlight off of him. In international relations, nothing changed quicker than alliances, especially when one nation offered something beneficial to another nation. If he assisted the Fire Nation or the United Republic in apprehending the Red Lotus, maybe that would allow him to gain more influence in the Southern Water Tribe?

But for now, Unalaq only had one way to gain more influence over the south. Checking that it was near the end of the calendar year, it also meant spring time in the Southern Water Tribe. The ice would melt and the shipping routes would widen, meaning goods would flow out at an increased pace. Knowing that the Southern Water Tribe depended on trade in the summer to boost their economy, Unalaq had the perfect plan to pressure them.

Unalaq immediately picked up the phone and called the admiral of his fleet. "The plans are changing," he reported, "Instead of parking ourselves outside the water boundaries of the Southern Water Tribes, we'll focus on where their trade routes are. We will make it as hard as possible for any of those trade vessels to go out, thereby choking off their trade. It's either they have to cave to our demands, or we will keep going for the rest of the summer season. Since this will be a war of attrition, make sure to call back to base to get all our ships fully supplied."

As his admiral relayed the orders, Unalaq then focused back on the map on his desk. If the Red Lotus agreed to leave the Fire Nation, then Unalaq could still carry out his plan to get back to the United Republic. It would mean deserting his own troops at the Southern Water Tribe, but decisions had to be made right now. "I don't care if it means losing those people," he muttered with a scowl, "As long as it puts me in a position of power, then that's what I have to do. I just hope they know to get on board with me, before I leave them hanging out to dry."

And we have a very long list of acknowledgements to get to. Please stick with me as we work through this:

1.) SaoirseParisa deserves a lot of credit for editing the scene with Korra moving into Tonraq's home for her sleepover. We had to be mindful of Korra's autism, which causes her to do things according to her structure and routine. Being a high-functioning autistic, I figure that Korra can effectively communicate why she is doing what she's doing, but she'll communicate awkwardly because she's still so unsure of her new environment. Thanks to SaoirseParisa for editing this and I hope this scene works out.

2.) Korra rearranging her room, calculating numbers with ease, and going volcanic on Tarrlok are all based on, you guessed it, "Rain Man." Again, I'm mindful of each autistic being different, and we cannot paint them all with the same brush. However, the parallels between Dustin Hoffman's character and Korra's traits are too much to ignore, and I just felt I had to include some of those traits in here. Since I already based so much of Korra's mannerisms on "Rain Man," I felt I should go all the way with her on some things. I hope this creates a whole new dimension to this AU version of Korra, while keeping her in character with her canon traits.

3.) Katara's comments about her knowledge regarding Korra are based on her traits from the original series and the Korra series. Being the unofficial narrator of the original series, Katara is a character that I always felt had above-average observation and analytical skills. She is also very empathetic to all she crosses paths with, making it easy for her to know how to relate to people. This is why I made her long suspect Korra is related to Tonraq and Senna, but up to this point she wasn't sure. That's also why she kept that observation to herself, and didn't release her conclusion to her analysis until it was finally confirmed (by her own children, of course).

4.) Tarrlok's bridge proposal is based on 2 different things. The first inspiration is from Hong Kong, where there are 3 tunnels crossing Victoria Harbour that connect Hong Kong island with the mainland. The newest tunnel is rarely used because of expensive fees, and the franchise for that tunnel is from 1997 to 2023, around the same time length I suggested it would take for the proposed bridge to recuperate the building costs. The other inspiration is between the United States and Canada, where a new bridge is being built in Detroit to provide a new crossing between the U.S.-Canada border, with the expected completion date being 2021. To no one's surprise, the new bridge is named after a hockey player who played most of his career with the Detroit Red Wings, Gordie Howe!

5.) The areas Tarrlok and the cabinet mentioned as being affected by the bridge are all areas from the original series that have been incorporated into the United Republic. Taku is the abandoned town where Sokka got sick, and Aang had to find frozen frogs for him. The Merchant's Pier is the same pier where Katara stole the water bending scroll, causing pirates to chase after her. The mountains are a reference to Mount Makapu, a volcano that erupted but caused little damage to surrounding villages because Aang and the villagers stopped the lava. And the environmental sensitivity is related to Senlin, which was scorched by the Fire Nation and caused the wrath of a nearby spirit, Hei Bai.

6.) Asami telling Hiroshi that he hurt the family name but still giving him a chance to redeem himself is from "Enemy at the Gates" in Book 4 where she did something similar during her visit at the prison. Tenzin taking control of national security while Raiko and Tonraq were comatose is from "Turning the Tides" in Book 1 where he did the same after the Equalists took out the entire Council. Unalaq openly musing about betraying the Red Lotus for personal gain is from "the Stakeout" where Zaheer informed Korra that Unalaq did the same thing when he failed to show up to kidnap Korra with the Red Lotus. And Korra pulling on Tarrlok's chin while calling him the worst candidate ever is from "When Extremes Meet" in Book 1 where she said and did the same thing to Saikhan, who replaced Lin as police chief.

I hope you enjoyed seeing Korra's unification with her family and that you're as excited as me about the next chapter. We're nearing the climax of the story and I'm really excited about where this story is headed in the next chapter or 2. Thanks for reading this chapter and hope to see you next time!