It was dark and well past supper time when Korra finally made it back to the ranch. She was tired from the day's work and sore from holding calves still. She was covered in mud and the occasional spot of what she suspected to be cow shit. Wearily she made her way up the porch, stomping her boots clean as she went. She jumped when the front door was jerked open, flung wide as she reached for it.

She looked up into the wide eyes of her wife, her face holding the tell-tale signs of where she had been crying. Without thought she stepped forwards and pulled Asami towards her. "What's wrong?"

Asami shook her head and drew a steady breath as she tried to fight down another round of tears that wanted to spill forth. "Has Mako talked to you?"

Korra pulled back and studied her wife's face. "No, why? Did something happen?"

"Someone shot and killed the Mori's." She whispered the words, afraid her voice would carry to the spare bedroom. "The kids found them."

Korra blinked rapidly as she processed the words. "Where are the kids?"

"Here."

"What do you mean here?" Korra peered in through the doorway.

"Spare bedroom, I finally got them calmed down enough to sleep." Asami stepped back then, pulling Korra by the hand into the house. "Mako brought them by, asked if we could watch them until Child Services could come out." She pushed the door to the spare room open.

Korra looked in on the two small children huddled together under the covers, an old ragged looking teddy bear tucked under the blankets with them. "What happens once Child Services gets here?"

Asami leaned against the doorway, watching the easy rise and fall of the blankets as the children slept. "Depends on if they have any family that can take them. Mako said their grandmother is in too poor of health and if there's no one else," she gave her a wife a sad look, "they go to a foster home."

Korra frowned and rubbed at her forehead as she stepped out into the living room. She thought of the stories Mako and Bolin had shared with her. "Asami, I don't want that to happen to these kids."

"I don't either." Asami stood next to her, her arms folded against her chest. "What if…" her voice trailed off as she studied her wife, "Korra what if,"

"they stay here?" Korra looked up at her, eyes bright with hope. "If it kept them out of a foster home, kept them here near their grandmother, their friends?"

Asami nodded, a slow smile on her face. "We could do that. We could give them everything they'll need."

Korra nodded and reached for her phone. "I'll call Mako, let him know."

"Korra," Asami wrapped both her hands around Korra's, stopping her from using her phone, "it's late, call him tomorrow."

Korra looked at the time and nodded in agreement. "Good idea." She pressed a kiss to Asami's cheek and together they went upstairs to ready for bed.

In the early morning hours, a scream rang through the house, startling both Korra and Asami from sleep. Korra was she first on her feet, rushing down the stairs and skidding into the spare room. Asami was just behind, flicking the lights on as she went.

Korra rounded the bed and pulled a crying Mai into her arms. "Hey, I'm here. You're okay." She turned wide eyed towards Asami, who eased down on the bed to sit next to a sniffling Haru.

Asami pulled the young boy into her side as she stroked his back and whispered calming words into his ear. She shared a look with Korra, a small one that conveyed sorrow and heartache. Together they settled against the headboard, the children huddled between them as they each did their best to calm and soothe. It was sometime before the tears gave way to the steady breathing of sleep. Neither offered to leave, neither mentioned returning to their own bed. Instead, they each wrapped an arm around a child, and held them close.

The following days were hard for all of them. Haru and Mai both unsure what to think of the two women that were looking after them. Both prone to break into tears at a moment's notice and both plagued with nightmares. Korra and Asami did their best to make the children comfortable, to make sure they felt safe, and to help with the nightmares.

It was a week before the kids laughed, filling the house with giggles and the occasional squeal of delight. Asami stood with her back resting on the counter, the kids each on a barstool at the island, and Korra at the stove. Asami sipped her coffee as Korra made breakfast, doing her best, and succeeding very well in getting the kids to laugh.

Korra flipped pancakes in the air, pretended to drop the eggs, and on occasion dropped a few tiny pieces of bacon to a very happy Naga. Haru giggled as the dog danced underfoot, searching for more scrapes. Mai squealed every time Korra flipped a pancake in the air. Asami stood back and watched it all, a smile on her face so big, no one would know that dread set like a stone in her stomach.

Today they would find out if the Mari children would be staying with them or leaving to go live with a faraway relative. Asami wasn't sure what would happen when the kids left. She'd grown very attached to them. She loved the fresh smell of their hair right after they'd bathed and crawled into her lap for a story. She loved how Mai clung to her hand when they walked among the flowerbeds outside. She knew her heart would break if they had to leave. A look towards her wife told her they both would hurt if the kids left.

Korra stood in the center of the round pen, working a horse through some steps when a black SUV pulled into the drive. She eyed it as she handed the lead line over to Meelo and stepped towards the panel. She smiled up at Haru as she started to climb over, his eyes locked on the car.

Korra swung her legs over the panel and sat beside him. She reached out and ruffled his hair getting him to smile. "Let's go see what Mai and Sami fixed for lunch."

"Will they take us away?" Haru asked as Korra helped him to the ground.

Korra sighed and knelt beside him. "I don't know buddy. It depends on if you have family somewhere that they feel will do a better job raising you."

His eyes locked on hers, a swirl of emotion in them. "What about what Mai and I want?"

Korra placed a hand on his shoulder. "What do you want?"

A tear drop rolled down as cheek as his bottom lip began to quiver. "To stay."