Authors note: Let me see, do I have anything to say about this chapter? No, I don't think so. I probably will think of something I wanted to point out later, but oh well. I hope you all enjoy and don't think the events in this chapter are happening too soon. I think the story is at a point where it might be doing a bit of time jumping from chapter to chapter. For those of you looking for smut, I think I have some planned for the next chapter.
Asami looked at herself in the mirror as her hands absently smoothed the material over her abdomen. The mirror reflected her slender frame wrapped tightly in a mint green mermaid style dress and she watched, through the mirror, as a seamstress pinned up the hem asking Opal if the length of the dress was to her liking. The air bender walked around Asami making sure the back of the dress would trail slightly on the floor while her feet would poke out the bottom of the front of the dress. This was the final fitting as her and Bolin's wedding was only four weeks away, she needed to make sure Asami's dress was perfect. Finally she decided it was.
"Ok," said Opal to Asami as changed into her street clothes. "We can mark your final fitting off the check list. What's next?" Opal waited for Asami to answer, but questioned her when no reply came. "Asami?"
"Yes?" said Asami as she left the dressing room and handed the dress off to the seamstress.
Opal tilted her head to the side, considering Asami "What's left to do today?"
"Umm, we still have to pick up Bolin's dress suit."
"Right. Let's get lunch first though since you're hungry."
Asami looked puzzled "It's just past 11:30. What makes you think I am hungry." Her cheeks flushed as her stomach grumbled audibly.
"I guess I just know you." Opal hooked her arm through Asami's "Come on, there is a cafe just around the corner I have been dying to try."
Opal chatted about the wedding preparations being made at Zaofu in their absence. Asami murmured the appropriate answers at the appropriate time, however Opal was still able to tell she was only partially involved in the conversation. Opal paused to watched Asami stir her tea and then add yet another spoonful of sugar, bringing her up to four teaspoons. The air bender had come to know Asami well over the last five months and she knew Asami was not one for sweet things and never took more than two teaspoons of sugar in her tea.
"Asami...are you ok?" Asked Opal.
"I'm sorry," said Asami looking up from her task of stirring tea. "I lost my train of thought. What were you saying?"
"I'm just wondering what has you so distracted."
"I...Nothing. I'm just a little tired I guess." Asami smiled beautifully at her friend. "I'm sorry. I promise you have my full attention now."
"You're lying to me. But," Opal reached across the small table to take Asami's hands in hers. "If you don't want to tell me it's ok. I just want to add that you can tell me anything. Nothing you say can shock me more than when I found out that you, Korra and Mako were a couple, and I got over that pretty quickly."
"Thank you." Said Asami simply "But I am fine, really."
Opal studied Asami, trying to read her. She knew her friend was hiding something but she wouldn't pry. "Oh, I just remembered." said Opal as she let go of Asami's hands to search through her satchel. She found the box she was looking for and handed it to Asami.
"What's this?" said Asami genuinely surprised.
"It's just a little thank you gift for all the help with the wedding. I was so excited when Bolin proposed but I started to become stressed and sad about planning the wedding with my mother so far away from me. Bolin is a dear, but he has no idea about planning a wedding. He doesn't give any real feedback he just says to do whatever makes me happy, but in doing so it just frustrated me further. Then you and I started talking about the plans and you offered me help and, well, the rest is history."
Asami opened the box and pulled out a beautiful pair of opal and emerald earrings. Asami's hand went up to her mouth. "They are beautiful Opal, thank you so much. I was and am happy to help. You really didn't have to give me anything."
"I wanted to. To be honest since moving to Republic city I feel like you were my first real friend. Don't get me wrong I love Korra and the airbending family, but you and I have so much in common. We both love shopping, fashion, art, and reading. You and I really had a chance to bond over the last few months and I feel that you have become more than a friend. You are like a sister to me." Finished Opal, her hand going to rest over her heart. "Which is why I chose you as my maid of honor, a fashionably new idea for weddings, that may I add we both loved the idea of."
Asami felt her eyes becoming misty with tears. Opal was so sweet and Asami too felt that she was like the sibling she always wanted. However, her tears surprised her. She was not an overly emotional person nor was she prone to tears. She tried to find the right words to say as the waitress presented with their plates.
The smell of one of Asami's favorite dishes tangled with her olfactory sense and she suddenly felt queasy. Her hand went to her mouth as she held back a gag.
"Excuse me" She said as she made her way quickly to the restroom.
Asami heaved over the toilet, but as she hadn't yet eaten for the day she had nothing to expel. Finally when the bout of nausea had passed she left the chamber to wash her hands. She noticed Opal was sitting on the chaise lounge in the lobby of the rest room.
"Are you sure you are OK?" Asked Opal, who had followed Asami into the rest room and waited for her patiently.
Asmai looked at herself in the mirror and tried to hold it together. Against her will she could see her eyebrows tilt upward and her lower lip began to tremble. "No." She said to the mirror. "I'm not ok."
She took the few short steps and sat next to Opal, who took her in her arms.
"I'm pregnant." sobbed Asami, breaking down.
"Why are you so distraught? You love children. Did Korra or Mako react badly to the news?" asked Opal as she hugged Asami, patting her back.
"I haven't told them yet." Said Asami, pulling away. Opal handed her a tissue and Asami blotted her eyes as she pulled herself together. "I don't think Mako is ready for children. I fear this pregnancy will have a negative impact on our relationship. Korra would be heartbroken if this causes our relationship to strain or worse...dissolve."
"I don't think Mako would leave either of you." then again, thought Opal "Even if he did, he would be a real jerk and wouldn't deserve to be with you or Korra anyway...How long have you known?"
"I just found out yesterday morning." Asami nervously twisted the tissue in her hands. "Kya confirmed it for me. I am a little over four weeks along. I was literally a few days past my due menses and figured I might as well see. I didn't actually think I would be pregnant..I have been taking precautions." Asami shook her head. "We haven't even been together a year yet, and have only really been getting along well for half of our relationship. Of course I had to go and get pregnant; ruining everything."
Opal placed her hands on Asami's shoulders, forcing Asami to look at her. "Don't you dare place the blame on yourself. It takes more than one person to have a baby. Besides this should be a happy time. New life is an amazing thing and you are all adults. You need to tell Mako and Korra. If Mako is a jerk about it I will send Bolin to set his brother strait."
Asami had decided she was going to spill her secret that night, but she couldn't bring herself to do it and instead spent the night tossing and turning between fitful naps and psychologically distressing nightmares. In the early hours of the morning she was woken from one of the said nightmares with severe nausea. Since she had been able to eat dinner she knew this bout would end with uncomfortable results.
After lurching out the bed she quickly and quietly padded into the bathroom that adjoined to their bedroom. She didn't bother turning on the lights and found her way to the toilet just in time to dispel the contents of her stomach. She was surprised when she felt her long jet hair being pulled behind her shoulders to no longer be in danger of falling into the toilet or catching the contents of her spillage.
As Asami was vain she was embarrassed that her indecency had a witness. She was mildly relieved, as the small palm that rested momentarily on her forehead, revealed that it was Korra that came to her aide.
"No fever," said Korra groggily "that's a good sign." The brunette held back Asami's hair until she leaned away from the porcelain bowl.
"I'm sorry I woke you up." said Asami after rinsing her mouth. "You needn't have fussed. Now that I have nothing in my stomach I feel much better."
Korra shrugged her shoulders, though Asami was not likely to notice even if her eyes had adjusted to the dark. "I'd still like to examine you and make sure you are ok. I'm not the best water healer when it comes to sickness, but I'll still be able to tell if something is wrong." Said Korra as she wrapped her arm around Asami's waist to help her back into their room and into then into bed. Korra flicked her wrist, performing light air bending to turn the light switch on from across the room.
Mako tightened his closed eyes at the intrusion of light. "Is everything ok?" he asked sleepily, stirring without completely waking.
"Yeah." Said Korra "Asami's just a little sick, I am just going to do an exam to make sure she is ok."
Mako's only response was an unintelligible mummer.
Korra's hands grasped Asami's neck lightly and then she moved her hands slowly down over her body looking for an infectious or viral intrusion. As the body is sixty percent water a talented water bending healer could differentiate between the water, organic/chemical makeup of the body and any abnormality or foreign material/organism that was not beneficial to the being. They could also in most cases identify the culprit in order to provide treatment whether it be water healing or by pharmaceutical remedy. Korra, however, was not one of those talented water benders. She hadn't even known she had poison lingering in her own body for three years. Internal/external derangement, such as those due to injury or degeneration, was different; those she was familiar with and was rather talented at repairing. At the very least Korra would be able to tell, by examination, if Asami needed to see a professional water healer.
The avatar noted that Asami's heart rate was slightly elevated as her blood moved faster than normal through her body. "Does my touching you still make you nervous like a young school girl?" asked Korra in jest.
Asami laughed, in a way that Korra considered to be a forced unnatural sound, and asked "Do you feel anything unusual?"
"I don't think so." Replied Korra as her face took on suspicious features. "You do seem to be experiencing an increase in blood volume and flow."
"What do you think it means?" Asked Asami softly, knowing damn well what it meant.
"I think…" Korra looked into Asami's emerald eyes, as her hands moved to Asami's lower abdomen and pelvic. "that you're pregnant."
Korra searched Asami's face that seemed to be doing the same to hers, looking for a reaction, when realization hit her "You already knew." Said Korra incredulously.
Asami could feel her anxiety mounting "Are you angry?"
"Yes, but only because you didn't tell me."
Asami looked away "Please don't be mad. I just found out myself yesterday. This is hard for me and I could really use your support." She didn't see Korra give Mako a rough shove to rouse him.
"What!?" Mako said sleepily as he sat up and rubbed his face. He looked around inquisitively, through tired eyes, and noted that the light was on and that Asami and Korra were clearly awake. "Did I miss something?"
Korra motioned toward Asami, wordlessly telling her this was her news to tell.
"I'm pregnant." stated Asami simply and pathetically.
"Pregnant." Mako repeated blankly.
Asami said nothing, letting the gravity of the situation settle in. She couldn't bear to look at Mako for more than a second, and she looked back at Korra whose face was a mixture of sympathy and...longing?
Mako surprised Asami when he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. He then leaned into Korra and kissed her as well. "A baby!" he said excitedly, "We are having a baby. We should be celebrating."
Korra laughed matching Mako's giddiness, and Asami smiled but then burst into tears.
"Oh, Asami?" questioned Mako, pulling the raven haired girl into his lap. "I guess I should have asked you how you felt about this first."
"Don't let these tears fool you." said Asami as Korra rubbed her back, comforting her. "It's these stupid hormones. Now that I know you and Korra are ok with it, I am happy. I have to admit though that I was worried the pregnancy was unwanted."
Mako looked genuinely hurt "Asami." he said taking her chin in his hand and tilting it upward so that she was looking him in the face. "In a perfect world, I would have preferred it happened in another year or two, but I will love any baby you or Korra give me at any time."
The fire bender's attention was focused on Asami, but he saw Korra's look of guilt as he spoke to Asami. "Don't tell me you're pregnant too." he said to Korra in response to her face.
"Oh my spirits, No!" Said Korra, waving the idea away with her hands. "I am happy Asami will be providing children for us because I won't."
Mako and Asami both looked at Korra questionably.
"You mean in the near future?" asked Asami.
"No, I mean never." answered Korra rather softly and guiltily.
"You don't want to bear one of our children one day." inquired Mako, trying not to sound hurt or disappointed.
"It's not that I don't want to, I just can't." Korra sighed and looked away.
"Does it have to do with what Zaheer did to you?" Asked Asami, feeling intense anger at the airbender. "Did the poison damage your reproductive organs?"
"Not that I am aware of." Korra scratched her nose nervously "But part of the reason I don't want to give birth to a child does have to do with him. Firstly because I just can't be out of commission for 9 months. Look what happened with the Earth Nation when I was gone rehabilitating. I just can't be gone for another extended period of time, not even to have a baby. I am the avatar and no matter what that comes first. Secondly, I couldn't hide my pregnancy forever and my child or children would always be a target to be used as a weakness against me."
From Mako's lap Asami reached out and took one of Korra's hands "That's not fair. I always envisioned our family having children from both of us, even before we knew Mako would be the Father. There has to be a way."
Korra shook her head. "I'm sorry, I have actually put a lot of thought into this, but I never really had a reason to discuss it before this. Besides," said Korra "Now that you are pregnant I know I am going to have children, only I am not a biological parent. This baby is our baby and to me he or she is just as much mine as if I gave birth to one myself."
"I also think of this baby as all of ours and that you will be no less a mother than I am, but I just really wanted you to have a baby too. Mako maybe you can talk sense into her." Finished Asami turning her attention to Mako.
Mako shook his head. "I think she makes a lot of sense. I can't say I'm not disappointed, or crestfallen might be a more appropriate term, but I respect Korra's decision." Mako spoke directly to Korra "I love you Korra and I understand why pregnancy is not an option for you. I won't lie and say it doesn't hurt but I support your rationale."
"Thank you Mako." said Korra simply, though his words still tore her apart. It didn't help that Asami looked like she might burst into tears again. However she held it together.
"I suppose I understand too. I don't agree with it, but as long as I respect your decision I don't have to agree."