99% of y'all are outstanding reviewers and followers. :) Love you guys. If you aren't in the 99%... fix your ask box etiquette, I'm not obligated to answer everything.

Secretly I feel like under different circumstances, ch9 would have ended with Keisai making brinner and having a gab sesh with Junior in true sleepover fashion. Major thank-yous to everyone who remarked on the 20 different kinds of character development in that last chapter- perceptive readers make my heart smile. Now, onward!


Baatar was unable to sleep.

It wasn't that Keisai had downplayed the state of disarray of his bedroom; the room was more than serviceable. Most of the mess was confined to the desk and chair, but the floor and bed were tidy and none of the lawyer's belongings were in their usual random locations, save for the glasses hooked on the blinds. Keisai had not exaggerated in saying that it was more than habitable, but despite the palpable lack of papers and personal effects at the foot of the bed, Baatar couldn't relax. He tossed and turned for the better part of the night, his mind awash in speculation about the loyalists. How long had he been tracked? How did the lawyer know that this would be the night of an ambush? He desperately wanted to trust Keisai, reminding himself of all that the man had done for both him and Kuvira. Surely an ambitious attorney with strong ties to the royal family would gain nothing through subterfuge, he reasoned, but he couldn't shake his sense of disquiet. His misgivings about the lawyer seemed to amplify as soon as he managed to shake them off, and he felt perennially frustrated by Keisai's strategies of withholding information. Perhaps if he were kept fully in the loop, it would be easier to place his complete faith in the man.

It hadn't always been like this, he recalled. He had trusted Kuvira with his life, and her betrayal, no matter how well he now understood her reasons for it, had scarred more than his face.

By the time he had drifted off to sleep, the night was nearly at a close. Still, he snapped awake not a moment too late, the sun having not yet risen. He freshened up in the bathroom before he went to go wake the lawyer, sprawled on the sofa with his limbs at odd angles. "Keisai," he said, shaking the man by the shoulder. "Keisai, wake up."

"I'm completely awake," Keisai mumbled, his voice surprisingly clear even though his eyes were closed. "I've been awake for a while..."

"You're still half asleep," Baatar snapped. "Get up, you told me to wake you early."

"I am awake," the lawyer insisted, before rolling over and burrowing under the pillow. It would have been amusing if his life and trial were not potentially endangered, Baatar reflected dispassionately, and he grabbed a mug off the counter, filling it with cold water.

"Last call, Keisai," he said loudly. When the only response he got was an unintelligible mumble, he emptied the mug over Keisai's face, laughing when the man sputtered in indignation and released a plume of flame in his surprise.

"Damn it, what was that for?" Keisai exploded. "Are you trying to make me burn the place down?"

"You said I was to wake you up," Baatar said. "You clearly aren't a morning person."

Keisai pointed a finger, shaking it slightly. "Well played, my friend. All right, give me a minute..." He showered and dressed rapidly, seizing an equalist glove from its place against the wall. "For you," he said, presenting it with a flourish. "Kuvira said you can grapple like no other, but I figured you'd like a bit of an advantage in a fight all the same."

Baatar examined it carefully. "This is a Future Industries model. They were discontinued years ago..." His eyes narrowed. "Really? A tie? For a time like this?"

"Work with me, man," Keisai snapped. "Let's do this." He seized the phone, dialing a number and bouncing in place as he waited. "Lin? ...fine, chief... we're about to head over to Baatar's place. Did your men see anything?" He shrugged at Baatar as he listened. "All right, I'll call afterward." He hung up. "It's about to get interesting."

They drove in silence, and Baatar felt an old stirring of excitement as he flexed his fingers in the glove. He had missed the action on the battlefield more than he had expected, and the prospect of a skirmish, no matter how small, raised his spirits. He glanced at the lawyer, his hair tousled and standing on end from running his fingers through it repeatedly. Keisai had been in the navy and was an accomplished firebender in his own right, but Baatar was wary of being allied with a man who seemed dangerously impulsive more often than not. "Ever done a raid before?" he asked quietly as they parked a short walk away from the apartment complex.

"I've been a frogman for a raid before," Keisai whispered. "Scariest thing I've ever done."

"Why?"

"The girl I liked was on the raid," he said with a reminiscing smile. "You know what I'm talking about... I bet you were a nervous wreck your first time on a scrimmage with Kuvira."

"For someone who thinks I should think about her less, you're certainly making sure she stays on my mind," Baatar retorted.

"Fair." They were at the door, and Keisai signaled to one of Lin's men down below. "Ready?"

"Blast it in," Baatar said. "Hit it right there with just the right trajectory and it'll fall inward... no hiding places behind the door in the event of an ambush."

Keisai grinned at him. "My pleasure."

The blast must have woken up half the neighbors, but Baatar found he didn't care as he and Keisai entered the apartment. "Cover me," Baatar murmured. They slowly scoped out the main living space, making their way to the bedroom. Baatar frowned as he saw his desk. "Odd," he muttered to himself, picking up a folder. "I haven't seen this in months..." A flicker of movement caught his attention and he swung around, barking a warning to Keisai.

"Shit," he heard the lawyer say, and suddenly the men were upon them. Baatar recognized the man who had given him the papers, his face transformed by an expression of rage. The glove was useless, he realized, noting the sharp gestures the man made. Kuvira had shown him how she could disable his mecha-suits at close range with a few precise movements, a skill that the assailant apparently had picked up. Keisai was preoccupied with the other, blocking his exit, and Baatar took advantage of a quick opening to land a blow with the glove.

The glove had been short circuited but that didn't change the fact that his fist was encased in metal, and Baatar gritted his teeth in satisfaction at the sickening crunch the glove made as it collided with the man's jaw. It was an excellent block against metal projectiles as well, and Baatar shielded his face behind it as cutlery flew towards him. He kicked the man's feet out from beneath him even as a couple of the projectiles met their mark, managing to pin him despite feeling resistance in his glove. As the man ceased his thrashing, evidentally subdued, Baatar felt a horrifying sensation in his gloved hand. The metal was puckering and crunching in, and his hand protested as his fingers were slowly crushed.

Swearing, he brought the twisted glove down hard on the man's hands, wondering if the man had been a part of their army. He was far too proficient a metalbender to merely be a "slacktivist empire loyalist" as Keisai has branded their local supporters. As the man groaned, he glanced over to see how the lawyer fared. Keisai eyes blazed about as much as the fire he directed, and he alternately grappled with the man and dodged the onslaught of metal attacks. "Having fun?" the lawyer called, finally pinning the man to the wall face first and holding his fingers to his neck, a blade of fire pointing from them.

"Absolutely not," Baatar said, though he knew that to be inaccurate the second the words left his lips.

"Don't lie in court," Keisai said, grunting as he forced the man to his knees. "You're terrible at it." He pulled off his tie, lashing the man's wrists together and shoving him to the ground. "Keep an eye on them," he said, walking outside to signal Lin's men.

The police had ample questions for the men, but they were sullen and silent. Baatar regarded them with a frown, perplexed. The first man looked familiar, and he couldn't attribute it solely to their encounter on the bus. As they were led away, the man spat, suddenly cursing loudly.

"Traitor! You're a thrice-damned traitor!"

Keisai raised his eyebrows, glancing at Baatar. "Don't stop there."

"Go on! Keep rebuilding and expanding the city on stolen land, keep working for the enemy and forget your soldiers, forget your people!" the man spat. "You couldn't stay in jail like the Great Uniter. You should have died for the cause!"

"He's a corporal," Baatar said softly as the man was led away, the officer reciting his rights to him. "Damn it, he's one of our men."

"Baatar, you don't have any men anymore," Keisai said in frustration. "Xi surrendered the military. There isn't-"

"This is why they're coming after us," Baatar said wonderingly. "They know what we did for them. They know we helped them..."

"Yeah man, you did some good things," Keisai said, patting his shoulder. "Don't forget about the prison camps, the bullying, and the damages to the city. Oh, or starting an arms race and refusing to hand over power."

"Wu can't start a new regime if the army isn't loyal," Baatar mused, more to himself than to Keisai. "There's a power vacuum, and it's a matter of time before an elite officer turns warlord and fills it..."

"Hey man, stop that," Keisai said, a flicker of disquiet crossing his features. "We'll discuss this at length..."

"How did you know?" Baatar demanded flatly. "How did you magically know to have my apartment watched the day of the party?"

For the first time in their partnership, the lawyer looked ill at ease. The nervousness passed quickly, but didn't escape Baatar's notice, and his misgivings rose to the forefront of his mind yet again. "Listen to me," Keisai said carefully. "I only share need-to-know information with you-"

"And having my place watched isn't 'need-to-know'?"

The lawyer exhaled slowly. "I liked you better when you didn't question me."

"I'm tired of putting blind faith in someone who refuses to explain himself," Baatar said, crossing his arms. The two men regarded one another in silence.

"Kuvira trusts me," Keisai said at last, stepping around him and putting the apartment back in order. "That ought to be good enough for you." He picked up a sheaf of engineering paper, stacking it neatly.

"Listen to me, you manipulative little weasel," Baatar growled, roughly siezing his shoulder and turning the man around. "Yes, I still have feelings for her. But if you're going to use that to convince me to trust you without getting some answers, you're sadly mistaken, because she absolutely is not reason enough for me to trust you."

Keisai looked at Baatar, a grim set to his jaw and a steely look in his eye, holding his gaze for a few moments before shrugging him off and continuing to tidy up. "You're right," he said, a sardonic hint in his voice, "she isn't. But you and I both know she will be." They finished in silence, and he patted Baatar on the arm on his way out the door. "See you later. I have a good deal of unfinished business to attend to." Baatar narrowed his eyes as the lawyer walked away, his familiar bounce in his step and humming a Fire Nation army song, as if their argument had never happened.

o0o

It felt odd visiting Air Temple Island, but the councilman received him politely, even if his courtesy was cold. Baatar followed him through the now-familiar courtyard, the only evidence of the previous night's party the strings of lanterns. The avatar appeared to be practicing her bending with the children, and she paused to wave. "Another deposition?" she called.

"Just a family visit," he replied.

"I'll go get Opal," Korra offered, and she disappeared into the compound as Tenzin showed him to his family's guest suite.

"What a wonderful surprise," Su said delightedly. "Boys, your brother is here for a visit."

Baatar stumbled back as the twins came at him from both sides, latching onto him. "Easy there," he said, clapping them on their shoulders. "You're practically my size now."

"What happened to your hand?" Wing demanded, grabbing his wrist and inspecting it. "It's all bruised."

"It's been an interesting morning," Baatar confessed. "May I sit?"

His father walked into the room. "Good to see you, son. I'm glad you're taking a break for the weekend, for once."

"Well, it's a break from my work. I thought we could go over your design," Baatar said awkwardly. "I've... missed working with you, Dad. And it isn't just because the architect for the city hall lacks your aesthetic." Korra appeared at the door with Opal, smiling encouragingly before she left them and as Opal sat next to him.

His father's expression was all the answer he needed. "I'm glad, Junior."

"Dude, what happened to your hand?" Wei asked, insistently pounding Baatar on the back. "Spill it."

"Stop, I'm sore enough already," Baatar snapped. "If you must know, we -that is, Keisai and myself- had a bit of trouble with a couple of trespassers in my apartment."

"Are you okay?" Su said anxiously. "What happened?"

"Apparently they went in the night of Opal's party and were waiting for my return," Baatar said carefully. "Keisai had the foresight to control the situation, and both men are in custody."

"Who were they?" Opal asked. "A lot of citizens have reason to dislike you.. it could just be some random act."

"Doubtful," Baatar said darkly. "They've obviously been tracking me for a while now. The lawyer thinks there's more to it than that, and that they're part of the loyalists to the empire."

"Here?" Su said incredulously. "The loyalists have driven Prince Wu out of the Earth Kingdom! Arrangements have been made to grant him asylum while the situation is defused, but I can only imagine what will follow. Zaofu is as safe as ever, but the states are essentially independent entities again and with Wu gone, we can expect a significant power vacuum. Reiko's backing isn't quite enough to keep the peace and to be honest, Reiko's responsible for putting a tyrant in power anyway."

Baatar compressed his lips into a tight line. "She stepped up when no one else would."

Wei smacked his forehead. "Mom, will you stop ragging on Kuvira in front of Junior?"

"Yeah, it's really insensitive," Wing added, repeating his brother's action. "Are you trying to start another fight? Think about our sanity."

Su's expression hardened, and her husband put an arm around her. "I don't understand why you keep defending her," she said at last. "It's been half a year. I thought time away would do you good."

Baatar pinched the bridge of his nose. "I hate to use a tired cliche, but I think you never understood what I saw in her from the beginning. I don't know when she changed, but when we left Zaofu together, she gave me something that none of you ever realized I had needed. You never understood the relationship, and you never cared to find out-"

"It's over, Junior!" Su burst out. "It's over! Why does it even matter anymore?" He was silent and avoided her eyes, but he could feel her scrutinizing his face all the same.

"Son," his father said quietly, "it is over, isn't it?"

"Of course," Baatar said, forcing his tone to be light. "Why wouldn't it be? She fired on me at will-"

"You're still in love with her," Huan said without looking up from his sketchpad, breaking his silence. Baatar and the twins stared at him, while their father tried to keep Su from another outburst.

"What do you mean?" Baatar said, frowning.

"Exactly what I said." Huan looked at him, eyes narrowing. "We all can hear the way your voice changes when you say her name... I've never had such an example of raw, unbridled emotion in front of me before." He nodded, pensively. "Only a complete plebeian would be blind to the desperate yearning for your ex-girlfriend that has incorporated itself into every fiber of your artistic soul-"

"Huan's being fricking pretentious," Wing said under his breath. Wei nodded, arms crossed.

"What I'm saying," Huan said with a disdainful sniff, "is that your feelings haven't changed one bit. It's whatever." He looked at Baatar sympathetically. "Feels like only yesterday when you were geeking out about that little visit in your lab-"

"We're not discussing this here," Baatar said hurriedly. "Mom, I know you've been right about a lot of things, but stay out of my personal life. I can't get over her just because you want me to, and even if I could, I wouldn't. Say whatever you want about our military campaign and our... clandestine departure from Zaofu. But please, don't talk to me about her. Not if you want me to stay in contact with the family."

Su opened her mouth to protest, but Baatar Sr. cut her off. "Su, I don't think Junior's being unreasonable. He's twenty-five. Don't you think it's time to compromise?"

"I don't want him getting hurt again," Su said helplessly. "She tore our family apart, and it has a chance at being whole again-"

"You need to stop babying our kids, and you need to stop making this about you," her husband said firmly. "And if Junior has poor judgement after all that he's been through, then I'm afraid he's beyond our help. We've done our job as parents."

Baatar exchanged looks of satisfaction with Opal. "Actually, Dad... can we have a word?"

His father raised his eyebrows. "Of course." He stood, and Baatar pulled Opal along with him. "Outside?"

"We can go to my room," Opal said, leading the way. Once inside she shut the door behind them, crossing her arms over her chest. "I know what you're going to say."

Baatar grinned at her despite the trepidation rising in his chest. "Do you want to tell him for me?"

"No, you're on your own," she said with a giggle. "Good luck."

Baatar groaned, steeling himself for what he was about to say. "Dad, I've been visiting Kuvira."

His father stared, but admirably only needed a moment to get his bearings. "Well, I can see why you wanted to tell me this alone..."

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Baatar said hurriedly. "I've mostly seen her with Keisai, when he has leads on the case that pertain to the both of us. She hasn't ever asked me to stay longer-"

"What do you mean by 'mostly'?" his father said, an edge to his voice.

Baatar chuckled embarrassedly. "Well... more than fifty percent...?" His father sighed, and he pressed on. "Dad, she has no one in the world to visit her, besides the lawyer. A legal visit isn't the same as having a family that cares about you."

"That's her fault, son," his father said gently. "I know you two were always close, but things didn't have to end this way for her. She brought this on herself-"

"She never had a family," Baatar snapped. "She lived in our home, but in retrospect that's far worse than just financially supporting her! She had daily exposure to what she should have had as a child, and she never got any of it for herself. She was Mom's favorite dance student! Mom called her her protege! She became a captain in the guard at nineteen, was present for state meetings at Opal's age, and tried to help our country-"

"Where are you going with this?"

"We both went too far," Baatar said softly. "We both knew that we had overshot, and we both betrayed you. Mom accepted me the second I was back, even before I apologized, after all that I've done. I'm grateful for it, believe me. But do you know what she said to Kuvira, when she turned herself in? She had two battalions of mecha-suits on the ground and they were prepared to fight for her release, but she turned herself in! What do you think Mom said?"

Opal made a sound of understanding. "I remember. 'You're going to answer for everything that you've done.'" She winced. "Right after she apologized, too.."

"And no one told her I was alive," Baatar added, his tone entreating. "Dad, I'm not trying to start something with her again, I'm not a complete idiot. But can't you be fair to her? I have all of you, but she has no one. She's never had anyone but me, and if I don't check up on her periodically, I'll be trying to rectify one betrayal with another."

His father was silent, and he and Opal anxiously traded looks until he spoke at last. "I'm going to keep this between us," he said at last, "because I doubt you want your mother to know. Su wouldn't understand."

"Thank you," Baatar breathed, and suddenly he was hugging his father as if nothing had changed. "Don't be mad at Opal for not saying anything," he said, pulling back and putting his arm around her. "I told her she'd be my favorite sister if she kept it to herself."

"I've always been your favorite, period, and not on a technicality," Opal said smugly.

"Fair," he conceded, smiling. "Don't worry about me, Dad," he said reassuringly as they went back to join the rest of the family. "I'm not going to do anything stupid. The best she and I can hope for is settling as friends." He said it confidently, but even as he went over the calculations his father presented him and discussed the engine mechanics, he knew that even if he had convinced his father, he hadn't convinced himself.

o0o

"Nuktuk, hero of the South!" Keisai exclaimed, pumping Bolin's arm enthusiastically. "You know, I was a bit starstruck when I first met you. I was delighted to be invited to your girlfriend's party."

"Oh, please," Bolin said, grinning. "Please, go on. I do like praise."

"The last time I talked to Varrick, he was hinting at a Nuktuk sequel," the lawyer said, resting his chin on his hand. "What are the odds of that happening in the future?"

"Probably not for a long while," Bolin said with a rueful shrug. "I'm not going to be in Republic City for much longer... I want to get back to the Earth Kingdom and help out some more with the relief efforts. Korra's going to be heading out soon, too."

"Yes," Keisai said, nodding. "You know, the last time we chatted, we discussed Baatar's case. I've taken on Kuvira as my client, and if I recall what you said correctly, you signed on with Kuvira for this same exact reason." He turned on the dictaphone. "I hope you don't mind..."

Bolin was surprised, but shrugged it off. "No, no... it's cool."

"Excellent." Keisai pulled out his notepad. "So you never did become an inner circle guy, eh?"

"No," Bolin said, wincing. "Kuvira threatened to send me to a reeducation camp if I didn't go along with her plans... I thought those were where people learned trade skills! Who knew?"

"Apparently very few people," Keisai said evenly. "You were a corporal?"

"Yup," Bolin said, flexing as he stretched. "Two chevrons, thank you very much-"

"And yet you never knew about the reeducation camps?" the lawyer prodded. "It looks like the camps were directed by officers ranking no higher than captain."

"Nope," Bolin said, slurping up the last of his noodles. "Listen, I liked Kuvira. I get that you're trying to help her get a fair trial, but there isn't much I can tell you that Varrick hasn't told you already. She was ready to fire the weapon at Zhu Li in her test run!" Bolin dropped his chopsticks, throwing his arms out to the sides. "I mean, yeah, we helped a lot of towns. She conquered a lot of states without having to break out the tanks. But the way she treated the Beifongs was wrong."

"I understand that," Keisai said gently, "but there are a lot of contradicting reports regarding the camps, and I'm trying to get to the bottom of it. This isn't about getting her off the hook with zero consequences, this is about making sure that justice is served and that her sentencing is fair. I know that Raiko is more than ready to claim her as a prisoner of war and delay the trial as long as he can in retaliation."

"That's messed up," Bolin protested. "Raiko's the one who made her the interim president in the first place!"

"And he still refuses to give me an audience," Keisai grumbled. "No wonder his approval ratings are in the gutter." He beckoned to their server, thanking the man as his glass was refilled. "I think it might help if I could have a proper audience with the head of the loyalists here in the city. I've been able to dredge up some intel from my nights out and strategic conversations, but I can't keep it up any longer. I had a good run, but I'll be featured in the papers after today's debacle, and they'll all know me as Baatar's lawyer soon."

"Look, maybe you're looking in the wrong places," Bolin said. "The triple threats are pretty good at knowing what shady business is going on in the city. I could try to hook you up."

Keisai raised his eyebrows. "Mako's little brother was mixed up with gangs?"

"Hey, Mako was in on that stuff too!" Bolin said indignantly. "He did it to take care of me, after our parents died."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," the lawyer said gently. "I had no idea. If you could give me a contact, that would be excellent."

"Yeah, what's the deal with the loyalists anyway?" Bolin said, screwing up his face in thought. "I mean, it seems weird to be loyal to Kuvira's empire and then try to attack her second in command."

"I have my suspicions," Keisai said slowly, "but my interactions with them don't give me any clear cut answers. They don't seem to want anyone lacking an affiliation to Kuvira before her defeat- wait." His head snapped up and his eyes sparked with the light of a new idea. "You were in her inner circle. And you're a celebrity. And you have dual citizenship with the Earth Kingdom and the United Republic."

Bolin eased his chair away from the table, expression perturbed. "Yeah, all of those things are true..."

"You were a corporal?"

"Yes..."

"Bolin," he said, shoving his chair back from the table in his excitement, "you're my in."

Bolin gulped. "Check please?"

Keisai snatched it off the table. "My treat. Oh, this is going to be a riot... I hope you're excited, kid. After this case is over, you'll be able to run for political office if you decide you want to. What do you say?"

Bolin frowned, evidently thinking hard. "Fine. What do you need me to do, exactly...?"

The lawyer grinned over steepled fingers. "You're going underground."

o0o

The phone rang obnoxiously, and Baatar jumped to pick it up, jolted from his single-minded focus on the mechanics behind the new bridge construction. Lin had joined them on the island for lunch and a visit with her sister, and Baatar had observed her interactions with Tenzin when the councilman came to join them. Lin seemed at ease with the man, friendly even, and watching them had boosted his spirits.

All that newly acquired optimism drained away relatively quickly, he was soon to learn.

"Hello?"

"Junior?" It was Lin, and her voice was harsh. "I know you're alive after that raid on your apartment."

"Yes?" Baatar said, frowning. "I saw you less than an hour ago..."

"Well, I have a couple of things to tell you," his aunt said. "First of all, the men who broke into your apartment are safely in custody and they've refused to talk. Mako wants to see if they know the man responsible for kidnapping Wu, see if there's a connection there. The other thing..." He heard her sigh over the phone, and Baatar wondered if he had forgotten something important.

"What is it, Aunt Lin?" he prodded when she didn't continue.

"Did Keisai forget to call Kuvira?"

Baatar froze. "I don't know..."

"I got a call from one of the guards while I was trying to relax and they told me and she hasn't eaten anything all day," Lin said testily. "I didn't think much of it, but then they made it sound like she's trying to stave off a panic attack, so I thought I'd call you before telling them to let her know-"

"Damn it." Baatar looked around the room. "Damn it... can I go visit?"

"Visiting hours are over soon, kid-"

"Oh, so you'll pull strings for Keisai but not for your nephew?"

Lin sighed. "I'll give the order. You know Junior, I can just call and let her know... you don't need to do this to yourself."

"I know," he said. "Thank you, Aunt Lin."

"You're lucky to have me, kid."

Baatar hurried up the steps two at a time, nearly barreling into the guards as he reached her door. They let him in and he entered just as she turned around from the window. "Kuvira," he said, stopping short as the door swung shut behind him.

She had been sitting crosslegged on the floor, but she stood in an instant when he said her name. "Are you injured?" she said, her voice cracking.

"No," he said, taking a few steps toward her, holding up his hands. "No, I'm fine, everything is fine. I heard-"

He stumbled back as she fairly threw herself at him, her arms around his neck and her body flush against his. For a moment he hesitated, unsure what to do with his hands, but his hesitance dissipated as he felt a shuddery breath escape her. Slowly, he enveloped her in his arms, wrapping them around her waist and pulling her against him. She rested her head against his chest, her breathing coming in short, quick gasps as she suppressed tears. "When I didn't get the call..." she began, starting to pull back but allowing him to gently return her head to his shoulder. "I don't know, I assumed the worst." She laughed, but it sounded half like a sob. "I thought I'd lost-"

"No, I'm fine," he said, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "Everything is fine. Keisai and I were well-prepared, and Lin has the men in custody." They stood in silence that way for a while, until her breath was easy and relaxed again. Her hands moved to his shoulders, and she grasped him around the upper arms as she pulled back, tipping her head back to look at him. Taking his hands in her own, she gently removed them from her waist as she finally stepped away.

"Your hand is bruised," Kuvira said, her voice steady. "I thought you said you weren't injured?"

"I was wearing an Equalist glove," he said with a rueful smile. "Those men were metalbenders... they shorted out the glove pretty quickly, and then the one I was fighting began to crush it with my hand still inside. At least one is a former corporal from our army.. I remember you showing me the trick. Really though, I'm fine."

Surprise showed in her face for a second at the news, but she collected herself. "I felt a bandage under that sleeve," she said, quirking a brow. "Don't lie to me, Baatar."

"I'm fine!" he insisted. "We had everything under control." He sat on the cot, gesturing for her to sit next to him. "So, I apologized to my mother."

"And?" Kuvira said drily. "Do you want a reward?"

"No," he said, smiling. "I was just letting you know. I owe you an apology too... it completely slipped my mind to call. I assumed Keisai would have." He instantly regretted his words when she flinched, her feelings evidently hurt.

"Yes, you have a lot on your mind," she said lightly. "Did he say anything to you? I won't be seeing him until our usual time next week, I think."

"I lost my temper with him," Baatar admitted. "Don't you have misgivings? He's so cagey... and he enjoys leaving me in the dark a bit too much."

"Really?" Kuvira said. "Odd. He's always spelled everything out to me. Maybe he doesn't want to burden you with excess information. I don't have anything else to think about all day, so.." She trailed off. "Well, I don't know what all I'm allowed to share. I don't think he's giving you the run-around, Baatar. But I'll try to find out for you, and help however I can if he is."

Her hand was between them on the thin blanket, and for a moment he wanted to take it in his own. "Thank you," he said at last. "We don't have to talk about the case right away, though."

"We can discuss your work," Kuvira suggested. "Or the current political situation, or you could tell me about Opal's birthday... anything you like."

"I told my father about this," he said in a low voice, his hand at her back as she leaned in to listen. "He took it as well as could be expected.. Opal's known about it for a while, but she won't say anything to my mother."

"Baatar," she sighed, "if it's too much trouble, you don't need to visit me out of a sense of obligation. I'm perfectly fine... I only needed to know that you were safe." She gently punched his shoulder. "Thanks for calling me."

Baatar winced. "Tell me about the loyalists," he said, changing the subject. "I'm behind on the current situation in the empire thanks to my work... tell me what's going on. Think of it as a briefing session."

"All that's missing is the train," she said, tilting her head to the side, her expression softening. "And my office, and newspapers and wires that aren't always two days late.."

"And our delusions of grandeur," he added. She was too close, her face upturned, and as their voices trailed off it took all of his self control to turn away. "Tell me what you've read," he said, clenching his hands together.

"Yes," she said quietly, remembering herself and looking at the papers on the table. "Well, we're currently looking at a textbook setup for a military coup..." she said, her usual collected facade back in place. And they discussed the political turmoil in the earth kingdom until the guards pounding on the doors became impossible to ignore.


A/N: Long chapter is long. Today's song is by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley. Excited to hear what you thought.