Chapter 2. Seriously, I cried a little writing this.

Chapter 2: Bolin

"And they say that that bright star right next to the moon is Sokka's soul reuniting with his lost love, the princess Yue," Mako finished the legend, trying to get his baby brother to sleep. It had been 2 years since their parents' murder, and some nights Bolin could fall into an easy, dreamless sleep. But other nights, he would cry and cry into his big brothers' shoulder and wish for their life back.

Tonight was one of those nights.

They were huddled in an alley by the docks, as far away from downtown as possible. There was a police raid going down, and Mako couldn't risk him and Bolin going to an orphanage. He could protect Bolin on the streets; there was no guarantee that they could stay together if they got placed in the system.

It was a little after midnight when Bolin's sniffles turned to wails, and the eight year-old couldn't calm down. He felt the ache in his heart as fresh as he did 2 years ago, and screaming into the night was the only relief he could find. When he started to get too loud, Mako would rub his back and tell him old legends until his sobbing turned to hiccups. This was the third story that night, but Bolin still couldn't sleep.

"Tell me another one," he said, his voice raw from the tantrum.

"What do you want to hear?" his brother asked, rubbing circles on his back with his chi warmed hands.

"More of the Avatar's adventures," Bolin liked hearing about Avatar Aang's life.

"Okay. There is the one where Sokka drank cactus juice in the dessert. Or the one where Toph discovered metal bending."

"I want to hear…. something about family," Bolin knew that family was a touchy subject for Mako, but he was too young to fully remember what it was like to have one. The hand rubbing his back faltered.

"Why?" Mako's voice was thick with tears he never let himself shed.

"Because I want to know!" Bolin whined. "I want to know what it's like to have people love you and take care of you."

"I love you Bo, you know that. And the Triple Threats take care us."

"But it's not the same. They don't hold my hand, or play games, or tuck me in, or hug me, or anything. Tell me what the Avatar's family was like."

Mako pulled his brother closer. He felt his heart ripping apart, but he complied.

"Avatar Aang was an orphan too Bo."

"Really?" Bolin gasped.

"Yes. The Fire Nation wiped out his entire race. He was all alone. But then Katara and Sokka joined him, and later Toph and Zuko did too. And then they became a family. So you see, a family doesn't have to be a mommy and a daddy and their babies."

"It doesn't?" Bolin wondered, eyes wide.

"No. A family can be a group of people who take care of each other, teach each other, and always has each other's back."

"Wow!" Bolin scrambled out of his brothers' lap and scampered to the edge of the dock. He stared up at the huge statue of Avatar Aang out in the bay, illuminated by the stars.

"One day, I want to have a family, just like yours!" he said to the statue. He ran back to Mako and snuggled into his scarf, hoping the Spirits would grant his wish.

Little Bolin is the cutest thing ever!

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