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Knock Knock Knock

Kuvira stood patiently waiting outside the door, hoping Baatar was still awake. Sure enough, a few seconds later he was opening the door.

"Kuvira?" he asked, surprised by the girl's appearance. "Is everything alright?"

Kuvira pushed past him into the room, turning to close the door. "I have a huge favor to ask," she said. "It might sound a little crazy, but you're the only one who can help me, and I could really use some help…"

Baatar held up a hand to stop her rambling. "What's going on?"

Kuvira sighed. "Baatar Sr. designed the architecture of every building in Zaofu right?"

Baatar Jr. nodded.

"So he has the plans to every building somewhere right?" she continued.

Again Baatar Jr. nodded. "They're all filed away in the desk in the study."

"I need to see one of them," Kuvira said.

Baatar Jr. arched an eyebrow in question. "Why don't you just ask him for them? I'm sure he'd let you see them. He likes sharing that kind of stuff with people who take interest in architecture."

Kuvira shook her head. "I don't think he'll be excited to show me the building I want to see." She paused and said a little bit quieter, "I want to see the schematics for the orphanage."

"Why?"

"I need an easy way to get into the main office without being seen," Kuvira explained. "There's something I want to find."

"You want me to help you break into the orphanage?" Baatar asked. "Are you crazy? What are you even looking for?"

"I want to see my file," Kuvira said. "Look, this is why I didn't go to Su or Baatar Sr. If you're not going to help me I'll do it myself." She turned to leave, but Baatar caught her arm.

"Wait," he said. Then, he let go of her, his cheeks turning red. "I'm sorry. I'll help you. Whatever you need."

Kuvira smiled. "Thank you, Baatar."

Not an hour later, Kuvira and Baatar Jr. sat on his floor, the blue prints of the layout of the orphanage spread out in front of them. It had been simple enough for Baatar to get in and out of the study without question. Luckily for them, Su Beifong did not always detect where people were in the house like her famous mother, and Baatar Sr. was too busy working to notice his son slip in and out of the office.

Baatar pointed to a square toward the front of the building. "This is the main office," he explained. "Dad designed it to have a central door that faces the main entrance, but it also has a side door leading to a bedroom as well as a window pointing out to the back of the building. Behind the building is an alley and another building." He paused, looking at Kuvira beside him. "I'm not sure how you're planning on sneaking in undetected."

"I could sneak in silently through the window without anyone hearing me, I'm sure of it. And no one will see me in that alley. It's not like I can just walk in through the front door. And if we go early enough we can sneak in while everyone is asleep." She looked back down at the map. "Thank you for helping me."

"I just hope you know what you're doing," Baatar said.

Early the next morning, Baatar and Kuvira were running through the streets of Zaofu. Baatar felt nervous; not only did they have to break into a building, they had to sneak past dozens of guards and left without telling his parents where they were going.

They stopped near the corner of a building, Kuvira grabbing Baatar before he could run out into the sight of a guard. Baatar was impressed; Kuvira's training with his mother was really showing. She could detect people quite easily, just as his grandmother could. When the guard was a safe distance away, Kuvira motioned him forward with her hand, and they continued to run until they were in the alley.

Kuvira had been right; no one was around. Baatar felt himself relax a little bit; the plan was working so far.

Kuvira pointed at the window leading to the orphanage. Baatar nodded. It was the only window on this side. It had to be the right one.

She looked in it, happy to see no lights were on. Placing her hand on the glass, she jerked it to the side, and Baatar heard a barely audible click as the lock snapped open. Kuvira jumped through the now open window swiftly, reaching her hand back to pull Baatar in after her. The room was very dark, and they stood in the darkness letting their eyes adjust for a moment before Kuvira moved toward the desk. Baatar heard her swear under her breath as she tried the door. Locked.

She again unlocked the drawer as she had done the window. However, this time the lock was much louder, and Kuvira could feel her heart beating out of her chest. She did not want to get caught. How would she explain that to Su?

The drawer opened and Kuvira quickly flipped through the few contents within. Luckily there weren't many children in Zaofu's orphanage, making what she was looking for easy. She turned to Baatar and smiled. Then, as suddenly as the happiness came, Baatar saw her smile fade and turn into a look of fear.

"We need to go," she whispered frantically, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the window. She practically shoved him out of it, before turning and realizing the drawer was still open. She flicked her hand and metalbent it shut but had no time to lock it. She jumped out of the window, narrowly avoiding hitting the wall of the next building. She grabbed Baatar and dragged him behind a dumpster just as a head stuck out the window. Two seconds later, they heard the window shut and the lock being put back in place.

Kuvira let out a sigh of relief, looking over at Baatar who looked terrified. She held up the file with a smile. "Got it," she said. Then she motioned for him to follow her. He followed like an obedient polar bear dog.

"Kuvira, where are we going?" Baatar finally asked. They had been walking for an hour and were nearly at the outskirts of Zaofu. He was getting worried about his family. What was his mother going to think if she found they were missing this morning?

"We're almost here," she said. She still had the file stuck under her arm. She had been studying it since they had left, but finally had seemed satisfied with its contents.

Finally they reached a small grouping of metal houses. Baatar had never been this far from home and was surprised when Kuvira suddenly stopped. She looked as if she had seen a ghost. Baatar followed her gaze, startled when it led to a man outside one of the homes. He seemed to be tending to some plants.

"Kuvira, what is it?" Baatar asked, taken aback by her change in demeanor. He looked back, noticing the man was no longer alone. He was joined by a woman and two children who were running around the yard. They looked like any happy family.

Suddenly, Kuvira was running in the direction they had come. Baatar followed after her, thoroughly confused by what had just occurred.

When he found her, she was sitting alone, her back against a wall. She sat with her knees pulled to her chest.

"They abandoned me," she muttered, clenching her fists.

Baatar finally put the pieces together. That was why she wanted the file. She was looking for her family. He felt like a fool.

Baatar sat next to her. "You don't know that," Baatar said, though what they had just seen did not support his argument.

Kuvira scowled at him but then turned her face back toward her knees. "They have two other kids, kids who were born while I was still in that orphanage." She buried her face in her lap and began to cry. "Why didn't they want me? What did I do?"

"They're not your family," Baatar told her. "We're your family. We're not blood related, that's true, but you don't have to be related to be family." He paused, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Forget about them. It's their mistake. You're a wonderful person, and they were stupid to ever give you up."

Kuvira sniffed but actually smiled at him. She rubbed her eyes, and Baatar swore he heard her say, "Thank you."

Baatar stood up, holding out his hand. "Let's get home," he said, pulling her to her feet. "I'm sure our family is worried."

"Where have you two been?" Su asked as she rushed out the door to meet them. She hugged each of them in turn and then stood back to look at them sternly. "Your father and I were so worried."

"Sorry, Mom," Baatar apologized. He looked to Kuvira who looked like she might cry and added, "I made Kuvira go exploring with me. I wanted to show her all I know about the city. I should have told you before we left."

Su looked at the two kids in turn, a skeptical look in her eye. Then she sighed.

"Well I'm just glad you're safe," she said, ushering them toward the house. "The orphanage was broken into today. I worry about you going off by yourselves." Kuvira looked at the matriarch and found that the woman's eyes were on her.

She knew.

~AN~

Thank you to all for reading and reviewing. This idea goes along with the wonderful FYYi's idea that has been written already. I hope you all are still reading :)

Kuvira and Baatar are still pretty young in this chapter… maybe a year or so after they take her in. Why she didn't investigate before? She was too young to know any different until she saw the perfect Beifong family and wondered what her life would have been like with people related to her.

I will be without wifi for the next week, hence, why this chapter is so long. I hope you enjoy!