Chapter 8: Seal Meat and Mountain Flower

"Aawwwwwww, she's a precious little thing!" the receptionist beamed at Ummi, who was currently in Sokka's arms. "She has her daddy's skin but her mama's beautiful looks!"

"Thank you," Yue attempted a smile, trying not to make eye contact with anyone in the wake of the awkwardness. Sokka only chuckled, not seeming to mind too much as he held Ummi closer to him.

"So are you both from the North or the South or…?"

"I'm from the South. My wife's from the North."

"Cool!" Noting the necklace on Sokka's neck, "I didn't know tribesmen wore necklaces, too."

"Uh…the tradition's changing."

"Oh, interesting! Sorry, I'm not trying to offend you, I just love Water Tribe culture. Tell me, was your marriage arranged?"

"Yes—"

"No—"

Yue and Sokka shared awkward looks.

"Well yes and no," Sokka covered. "We were best friends. We liked each other but never said anything…And then our parents happened to arrange us. We got lucky."

"Oh, how wonderful! How long did you know each other?"

"We'd been best friends for thirteen years," Yue said.

"How sweet! Best friends make the best spouses, I tell you. No one else knows us the way they do."

The two friends couldn't help sharing a look.

"Oh, silly me, I forgot to ask your names! What's your name, good sir?"

Sokka stopped himself before he could say his real name, opting instead for, "Ojuk."

Which brought a genuine smile out of Yue.

"Ojuk. Alright, Mr. Ojuk. And you, ma'am?"

"Isuttanguak."

Which earned a beam from him as well.

"Anyhow, you two are in luck because we have exactly one room left! Hold on, let me get the keys for you right quick."

As she retreated to the back of the room, Sokka took a deep breath, leading an exhausted Yue to the nearby bench, "Have a seat. You've been running around a lot. You need to take it easy, okay?"

She took her seat, patting the space next to her. He was quick to join her.

"You still remember our nicknames?" she reverted to the Tribal tongue.

He smiled, "Of course." His hand reached for her trembling one, intertwining with it. "Sorry, I know it's awkward like this. I originally had so much planned. I'd wanted to pick you up early so we could avoid the storm and everything. If those idiots hadn't been at the checkpoints, we would've made it home by now."

"Why are you apologizing? It's very clearly my fault we're in this mess. I was trusting the wrong people and getting off at the wrong stops. I was being an idiot."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," he insisted, "It's not your fault."

"Well you've still had a very difficult day because of me. I couldn't have you lose sleep over me, too. You didn't even get to eat since I hogged all the snacks in the carriage—"

"Hey, those were for you. I wanted you to eat them. And they're not real food, besides. You need to eat."

She sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I just…"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me. I understand."

"I didn't think you'd still be in Ba Sing Se. The chances of running into you were minimal. Even if you seemed familiar, I didn't entertain the idea. I thought you would be in the South. You had always talked about going back."

"Well…that was the plan, but…" brushing the hair away from her face, taking another moment to fully soak in her presence, his chest twisting longingly, "Life's not exactly predictable…"

"You said it."

Swallowing the burn in his throat, "Also, I turned in that imbecile from the monorail to the Dai Li. He'll rot in prison for whatever's left of his life."

Raided by helplessness, "For a moment, he reminded me of my father, and I thought maybe he was looking out for us out of sympathy. He acted like he really cared. And Hama, too." With a mounting bitterness in her tone, "It seems like nearly everyone I run into in Ba Sing Se is capable of putting on such performances."

A warm hand sought her shoulder. Sharp blue eyes, soft yet laced with firm conviction, met her baby blue ones, "I'm not letting any imbeciles like that get close to you and Ummi again. I know this isn't something that's easy to forget, but I can only say I won't let it happen again…And I'm sorry I wasn't there beforehand to prevent this."

"Are you kidding? If it wasn't for you…I don't want to think about where Ummi and I would have ended up—"

"We don't need to think about that. What you two need is a good night's rest. Everything will be okay."

Holding back her flood of tears, "You're doing too much for me. I'm not sure how I can ever…for everything…"

"You make it sound like we're strangers," he said with glazed eyes, thumbing her knuckles, "Like we had nothing at all between us."

"Like we had nothing at all between us."

"Okay, here we go!" the receptionist returned with a pair of keys, interrupting their moment. She was followed closely by another woman, who was most likely an apprentice. What interested Yue was the fact that the apprentice had a baby carrier with her, and her child was sleeping against her as the woman continued to work on the receipts and booking documentation.

"Okay, it's room twelve," the receptionist said, pulling Yue back to reality, "It's a pretty small room, so you'll have to adjust. As you know our inn is very family-friendly, and we will provide certain emergency essentials."

"When does the food counter close?" Sokka asked.

"In about fifteen minutes."

"You mind waiting for a bit? We haven't had dinner."

"Oh, no problem at all! I'll keep it open until you get your meals," the receptionist chirped, looking at Yue, "You're a new mom, you have to eat as much as you can! Though I have to say you don't even look like a new mom. You look absolutely stunning. I can't believe your figure's this perfect even after pregnancy and giving birth like, what, two days ago?"

A Dai Li officer who was standing nearby raised his eyebrows at the comment, turning to the tribeswoman who was the subject of the compliment. Rather than a smile expected of a flattered woman, she harbored a look that was only uncomfortable; she looked around at those around her before faking a half-smile.

"Alright then, you're all set!" The receptionist handed the keys to Sokka, "Enjoy your stay!"

"I'm sorry, I just want to double-check," Yue said. "There's no gang activity anywhere near here, right?"

"Ma'am, I can assure you that we are a very family-friendly environment. We do not tolerate any form of violence whatsoever, and our security guards are very dedicated to preserving a safe atmosphere. You are perfectly safe here, I guarantee you. I've been working here for five years now, and I haven't had any type of harmful run-in with anyone."

"They even accommodated me here so I can watch my baby and work at the same time," the apprentice added. "You'll have a safe night here. Don't worry about anything, ma'am."

Sokka grabbed all of their supplies and wrapped his free hand around her shoulder, "Just relax. Everything will be alright."

Yue nodded despite a degree of hesitation as she followed him to their room. Unknown to them, the officer's gaze trailed along with her.

"Long Feng and Fong are dead."

Pakku widened his eyes, "What?"

"They succumbed to their injuries in their cells," Bato said. "Heightened brain damage for Fong and severe internal bleeding for Long Feng."

"If he didn't hesitate to kill Long Feng and Fong, he has to be a Snake-Blood," Jeong Jeong reasoned. "He could very well be in Ibbein."

"But we haven't run into any tribefolk at the border," Bato pointed out. "The checkpoint surveillances haven't been promising, either."

"Ty Lee hasn't gotten back to us regarding the Minsa checkpoint yet," Pakku said. "We're still waiting to hear back from her."

"Was Piandao able to find anything? I know he was out patrolling, too."

"Don't expect anything from him," Pakku spat. "He was in this begrudgingly the entire time. I doubt he did anything useful."

The screech of a messenger hawk suddenly caught their attention. Pakku extended his arm, and the bird perched atop him, flaunting its attached scroll canister. He seized the canister and unfurled its scroll, holding a lantern close to him and fumbling to read the calligraphy beneath the darkened sky.

"It's from Suki and Ty Lee. They're saying they stopped an empty carriage around the Minsa checkpoint. The coachman had apparently dropped off some 'tribefolk' at A'irum Nights, an inn on A'irum Street in Inchen. A man, a woman and her daughter."

"Tribefolk?"

"They're currently investigating the area. They said they'll get back to us after checking the inn."

"Let it be them," Pakku crushed the note in his determination, closing his eyes, "Tui and La, let it be them."

"Loook whaaat I've goooot!"

A cleaned and refreshed Ummi blinked in the direction of his sing-songy whisper as he pulled out a tiny pair of blue mittens from the pocket of his new tunic. He gently reached for her fists, attempting to inch the mittens over her hands. Her new blue dress, imbued with the design of baby guppies, matched her cap, bib, socks, and the smooth blankets and padded cushions he had propped at the edges of the bed.

"I mean, I just assumed you'd like the Tribal blues and purples and lavenders 'cause we're, you know, Water Tribe," he said, "But I got some jade mittens, too— these Earth Kingdom folks are obsessed with jade, I tell you. We'll try the jade ones out when we get home. There's a jade dress to go with 'em, too, don't worry. And a jade cap and socks and three different pairs of jade bibs. We got other colors, too, of course." Slowly managing to inch a mitten onto one hand before moving to the other, "There's pink and orange and brown. I know there's a couple of reds and yellows and other green shades. Whites are probably better for special occasions. And obviously we got baby blues and baby pinks, but that's so boring, don't you think?"

Ummi cooed.

"And if you wanna get crazy, we can mix and match some days, but I'm telling you, matching outfits are the way to go. You know, back when your anaana and I were in university, I had this bag that matched my belt. It was everything. All of Ba Sing Se was like, 'Sokka, you're the best!'"

She blinked at his squeaky impression and cooed before going back to staring at her mittened hand, attempting to plop it into her mouth.

"But anyway, you gotta promise me you can't tell your anaana about our plans. Or she'll be all like, 'Sokka, you're doing too much for us!' So it's our little secret, okay?" He succeeded in putting on the other mitten and held her in his arms, kissing her cheek and squeaking, "Spirits, you are SO CUTE!"

Yue then stepped out of the bathroom, wearing the clothes he had picked up from a nearby convenience stall. Noticing her adjusting her oversized tunic, "Sorry, I didn't really know the sizes well and… I'm pretty sure over half the stuff at home, you wouldn't really need, either. We can go shopping once we get to Gansu."

"That's not necessary, I don't mind—"

"Well I do. You know, there's a big Water Tribe supermarket and boutique downtown called Kungtuk's. It's got everything. We'll go shopping." A hopeful smile, "Just like old times."

Just like old times.

"You have everything else you need…right?"

She figured he was referring to the hygiene products he graciously shopped for her on their way to the inn. She nodded, flushed.

"No need to be embarrassed," he said sweetly. "I grew up with a sister, remember? I get the deal. If there's anything else you need, just let me know."

Her attention then flew to Ummi's new mittens.

"I thought these would match her dress, so..."

Though she allowed herself to smile, the wake of great burdens weighed heavily on her. "Sokka, can we talk? About Gansu?"

"Absolutely," he nodded. "I was asking around, by the way. The rain's expected to be lighter in the morning. We'll need to make it to Gansu before the weather picks up again. Stormy season's already hit, so we gotta be careful. I was thinking we could start early in the morning. Maybe six or seven hours past midnight. Does that sound okay?"

"Actually…I don't know if I can come to Gansu."

"What?"

"I don't think it's a good idea. And I also don't think it's a good idea for you to be associating with me any more than you should. That's why I'm thinking of maybe staying here…in this city." Twiddling with her fingers nervously, "The apprentice earlier was talking about how the people here are very accommodating and welcoming. It's also very safe and highly guarded here. That's the dream right now for me; getting a job in a safe location where I can also watch Ummi… That's really why I agreed to work for Fen. She said I can watch Ummi as long as I finish up the tasks assigned to me, and… Maybe instead of working there, I could just ask for work here…" she trailed off, noting his look of absolute confusion.

"I don't understand. Is it…is it something I did…?"

"No, no," she shook her head. "Look, Sokka…I came here to make a life for Ummi and myself, not to be a burden to other people. We're here to save ourselves, not throw other people under the sleigh and run them over."

"Is that what I am? Just an 'other' person? I mean nothing to you?"

"That's not what I meant," she felt a lurch in her heart, "If I'm with you for too long, I'll be putting you in danger."

Sighing, "You won't be putting me in any danger, ikkingutima—"

"You don't understand. You're inserting yourself into an impossible situation without knowing it," she stressed. "I have zero energy to explain it all right now, but it's been a long ten years. The circumstances now are complicated. Up until now, I thought only the Red Fang was after me. Now I know the Night Wolf is after me, too."

A pang of heartbreak jolted him, "The Night Wolf?"

"I only wanted to go to Gansu because someone told me it was the safest the lower ring can get. That the Night Wolf is rather lenient for a gang leader and that people can lead lives with few problems under him. But those men from earlier…they were the Night Wolf's men, weren't they? At this rate, I can't expect Gansu to be safe right now." Shaking her head, "I don't see any leniency in his men. The way they had no problem attacking an unarmed woman with an infant… Leniency, my foot, those people are all monsters."

He couldn't respond, only feeling a painful tear in his heart as he turned away. His blood boiled with fury as he pictured the disgraced Hounds. Despite that, he kept his voice even, "The Night Wolf didn't send them. He's not after you."

"He's not?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret," he dried his eyes and gathered himself, "He separated from the Hounds for good."

"He what?"

"He told the gang that he was done. That he was tired of everything. And he walked out. I swear, he wasn't the one who sent those cretins."

"How do you know this?"

"The street where my shop is…it's full of Hound activity. Sometimes I eavesdrop on their conversations. There was apparently a rift between the Night Wolf and the rest of the Hounds. He's no longer a part of the group. They told him to get lost, too, basically."

"Are you sure he left for good?"

He nodded. "He no longer exists under the Night Wolf persona."

"Is he going to start a new group or something? What if he's still trying to reach me but without Hound influence—?"

"He's not out to capture you," Sokka croaked. "He's off to pursue his own life. Away from all that violence. Whatever kind of guy you think he is, he's not going to hurt you."

"Well either way, that doesn't change the fact that the Hounds are still after me. And obviously the Snake-Bloods are, too. I would never want any of them get to you just because they've seen you with me—"

"I'm the one saying I won't let them get to you," he persisted.

"I'm not bringing you into this mess, Sokka," she said with every bit of firmness she could muster. "I know we wanted to be very involved in each other's lives a long time ago… And as much as I would like that, we're not children anymore. The life I'm living is drastically different from the life I expected… And I don't want you at risk. Some people, you need to keep close to you to protect them. That's true in Ummi's case. But some people, you need to keep as far away from you as possible to protect them…and I really believe that's how it should be between us."

"Believe me, Yue, I get it. Some people you need to keep away. But there's a difference between keeping someone away from you to protect them and abandoning them to save yourself. And if you think I'm going to abandon you two because of the Red Fang, you're wrong. Yes, we're not kids anymore, and yes, we ended up in situations we didn't expect, but I think we both know that our priority is Ummi right now, not me. I told you I'll do everything in my power to keep you two safe, and I will."

"Sokka, that's—"

"I'm not exactly living an impeccable life, either, if you haven't guessed," he said, his voice breaking. "I'm not the engineer we all hoped I'd be. But that doesn't matter, Yue, it really doesn't. The only thing that matters to me right now is finally being able to see you. Do you know how long I've been looking for you? All this time, people kept saying horrible things, and I…I was holding onto the hope that I'd find you…that you would be safe…" Brushing back his tears, "Please, just let me be by your side, that's all I'm asking."

Conflict was written all over her face, but she was too exhausted and hungry and caught up in her own feelings at the moment, seized by undeniable vulnerability.

"I'm gonna get us some food real quick," he said, handing Ummi over to Yue. "I'll be right back. Keep the door locked. I'll tell you it's me when I get here."

She watched him leave, his words echoing through the room. "If you think I'm going to abandon you two because of the Red Fang, you're wrong."

"And you're sure they got your application, Ojuk?" Seal Meat.

Sokka smiled at her, assuring her with, "Fret not, Isuttanguak." Mountain Flower. "We sent ours through the same messenger hawk, remember? And unless those admissions people are impossibly racist, there's no way they'd deny entry to the top students of Ba Sing Se University's science group." Sighing, "I just wish I had a thesis or something to back up my application—"

"Did you talk about your water filtration device in the personal statement?! Sokka, I swear if you didn't, I'll—!"

"I did, I did! Calm down," he laughed. "I don't know if they'll like it, but it's something—"

"Out with that nonsense. They'll love it."

"If you say so."

Yue grinned before diverting her attention to the peach slice in her hand; she leaned back against the swing they were currently sitting on, placing the bowl of peach slices between them so they could share. She nudged him to take a slice.

"Nah, I'm good."

"You gotta learn to eat fruit, too, Ojuk," she flicked his forehead.

"Ow."

Handing him a slice, "Come on now, don't be a party pooper."

He took the slice and munched on it, smiling at her. Her attention, however, was on the empty campus in the event any guards were on patrol. The night was awfully quiet, though, and beneath the lush moonlight, the surroundings seemed to glow, especially the planetarium building that loomed behind them.

Yue sighed, "I'm really going to miss this building."

"Yeah, me too…" Sokka turned around and took a look at the building before assuring her with, "But I heard the planetarium at the Gaoling Institute of Sciences is much bigger. Better equipment— more expensive equipment. Perfect for the latest research."

"Yeah."

"I heard Gaoling's much better than Ba Sing Se overall," he added. "People can mix freely there, so there's no upper ring-lower ring business."

"That's good."

"Some people are wealthy, though, and closed off, I heard."

"But that's normal for stuck-ups."

"Yep." Taking another peach slice that she held out to him, "New city, new people."

"Hopefully it won't be another culture shock."

"But even if it is, we'll have each other."

She smiled. "We will. It's always good to not be the only one suffering."

"How compassionate," he drawled, earning a much-welcomed giggle that lit up his world brighter than the light of the moon. A cold zephyr suddenly swooped by, making her shiver. He reached for the blanket he'd brought along and wrapped it around both of them, and they huddled together, staring at the stars.

"I wonder what we'll be doing in ten years," Sokka mused.

"Well, first we need to pass our spring exams, but that shouldn't be a problem. Then graduation. Then three more years at the Institute and then graduation." Looking at him, "I'm assuming you want to go into mechanical engineering?"

"Actually I have a change of heart. Yours truly is gonna go into aerospace engineering."

"Aerospace, hm?"

"I hear they're coming up with new inventions to observe the universe," he said. "I think I might prove myself useful."

"Useful? You'll be the face of the industry."

"Only if I have a capable astrophysicist by my side," he grinned. "We'll both be the face of the industry. I can see it now: you and me at the International Space Institute, Water Tribe Division. Making millions. You're the theory and research girl, and I'll be the plan and practical application guy, and everyone's gonna know just how smart we are."

"I'm telling you, we'll just be dominating every place we go," she chuckled. "I'm assuming you'll apply to be in the Southern Subdivision."

The question struck a sore spot in him. He blinked at her, "Are you gonna go to the Northern Subdivision?" Are you going home?

Yue's smile slightly dimmed. "You know I don't like the people my father is always around."

"Snobby, egotistical. Think they can buy the world in seconds if they want."

She nodded. "My father isn't like them, but…he has no choice but to work with them… And part of the reason why Umaani sent me here was so I don't have to be a part of all that. So that I can be independent. She's eight years older than me but has yet to make her own financial decisions. She became used to being supervised like that. But she never wanted that for me." Sighing, "I do miss home. I miss Father and Umaani… but I want to be my own person, too."

He thought for a moment before handing her another peach slice, "Maybe you can come down South and do that. The South's obviously not the North but it's very similar. It'll be like home a little bit. You're already killing the Southern dialect. Plus I can introduce you to all my old friends. My mom's gonna love you, no doubt. And if you want, you can try to convince your sister to come to the South, too, so she can start fresh. Maybe start her own business."

"Yeah…maybe…" With a hopeful vibrance in her eyes, "I'll ask her and see what she says. We've always wanted to visit the South anyway."

"Really?"

"Yeah, why not?" She beamed, "I guess we'll both be applying for the Southern Subdivision then."

"Then that's settled," he leaned back against her, their heads touching as the first touches of drowsiness swooped over them. "What next, Isuttanguak? We get high-paying jobs and change the world. Is that it?"

"Of course not. We'll have fun on the weekends. Watch plays, go sledding, the usual."

"Anything else?" Turning to her, "Marriage, maybe? We'll have to get married at some point. Maybe have a couple of little brats running around us?"

Amused, "'We'?"

He blushed, "Not like, not to each other, I mean…I mean generally."

"I'm dodging that arrow right now," she said. "My father is traditional. He thinks once you turn sixteen, you should be hitched and start planning for a family. I'm seventeen, and I'm not in any way, shape, or form ready for a family right now, but when I am ready…whenever that is…and if someone's interested in me that way… I suppose that will happen."

Twiddling with his fingers, "What kind of guy would you want?"

"Well…someone who gives me respect. Someone who cares. Someone who makes me laugh…Overall someone who's a good friend. He doesn't have to be the best in looks. If he's dark, that's an added bonus, but it's not mandatory."

A sense of pride reared its head in his chest, "You want someone dark?"

"Everyone makes fun of me for being so light-skinned for a tribeswoman. They don't think I'm Water Tribe enough," she pouted. "Everyone in my family is on the darker side, even Umaani, but I ended up with the recessive genes and the weird white hair."

"For the last time, it's not weird. It's unique."

Shrugging, "Well anyway, if I marry someone dark, there's a greater chance our babies would be dark. And everyone else can shut up about my 'Tribalness' or lack thereof." With a huff, "I'll show them."

He laughed. Not mockingly but in interest. She frowned, "What?"

"Nothing," he said, still beaming, "How many babies do you want?"

"At least two. I'd like one girl and one boy. I might have more, depends on how I feel after the first two." And again noticing him smiling at her, "What? Why are you smiling?"

"No reason," he shook his head. "I know all of this is, like, several years into the future, but…would you be open to having…I don't know, a boyfriend?"

"Umaani says boyfriends — relationships in general— are big distractions. Skipping school to hang out, making out in the classroom and getting you suspended, constantly jealous and insecure—"

"They don't have to be," he said, offended. "There are responsible boyfriends out there. I'm sure there's a guy out there who'll do your homework for you, make sure you're not late to class, cheer the loudest for you when you're giving a presentation. And he can have fun with you on the weekends. Going on picnics, shopping, going to see plays late at night, having fun at the water park with you, getting ice slushes or something fun like that."

"Fine, fine. I'll think about it when a guy like that is interested in me," she laughed. "What about you? What kind of girl are you gonna marry? Someone your mom picks out?"

"What, you get to have a choice and I don't?" he feigned a frown.

"You respect your anaana so much. You always talk about her. I just thought you'd be the type to get yourself arranged according to her wishes."

"Would you get arranged?"

"Hell no. Getting myself arranged is basically suicide. I love my father, and I know he would want the best for me, no doubt, but the 'traditional' kind of boy he's looking for to 'ensure my best' is most likely going to be someone as sexist as he is."

"Well I want to marry for love, too," he insisted.

"Okay then. What kind of girl do you want?"

He didn't answer, enchanted by the moonlight's dance over her curious look, the glimmer of the moon's rays over her tousled hair, the gleam of the stars resonating in the shimmering remnants of peach juice that trickled down to her chin and even plopped against one of her twin braids. And as she wiped the juice away with her sleeve, ultimately missing a spot, batting her innocent baby blue eyes patiently… Sokka was reminded of how beautiful she really was, how she had never looked more beautiful than she did now.

"Hey, Yue…I need to tell you something. I'd been wanting to say it for a while now." Gulping, "I was gonna wait until we finished our exams and everything and had the chance to breathe, but…I guess I'm just scared for some reason…"

Softening her gaze, "Why are you scared?"

"I don't know, I just…" He couldn't explain it— the reason for his sinking feeling raiding the pit of his stomach. As if something was going to happen…as if… He shook the thoughts away, unwilling to entertain them, "We'll always be in each other's lives, right?"

"Of course we will."

Rubbing the back of his neck, "Well I was thinking…I really…want us to always be together…"

"We will be," she smiled, ruffling his hair, "Why are you scared we won't? Did you have a bad dream?"

"No, I just… When I say that, I also mean…that…"

Frowning, "Is everything okay, Sokka?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I want it to keep being fine, that's all."

Confused, "It will be…"

The midnight gong reverberated through the campus, seizing their attention and signaling them of the resident assistants' rounds for the night. Yue fumbled out of the swing, tossing the blanket over him and leaving the bowl of peaches in his lap, "Here, take them. We need to get back. Quick, finish what you're saying."

Sokka took a deep breath, looking up at the starry night and then at her, cursing the gong for cutting their time short. "You know what, I'll tell you tomorrow."

"OPEN UP!"

The harsh banging and the booming voice jolted Yue out of her minute-long slumber. Ummi, too, was startled despite being awake, her shrill cries quickly filling the room.

"Open the door!" the voice boomed again. "Dai Li!"

Yue scrambled out of bed, bringing a wailing Ummi into her arms. She backed up against the wall, her heart nearly pounding out of her chest. Even before she could process the situation, the door burst open. Through the dust that unfolded, the Dai Li officer came into view.

"Why didn't you open the door?" he asked. "I clearly announced myself."

Yue said nothing, reeling back from the chaos while trying to calm her daughter.

"Are you hiding something?"

She shook her head, tightening her hold around Ummi as the officer approached her. "Is she your daughter?" he demanded.

Yue swallowed, nodding.

"Biological daughter?"

Another nod.

"Are you a mute? SPEAK UP!"

She jumped, "Y-Yes, yes, she is..."

"When did you come into the city?"

"P-Pardon?"

"Answer the question," the officer growled. "When did you come into this city?"

"A few minutes ago—"

"Are you headed to Gansu?"

"I…yes, I am…"

"And you're sure this is your biological daughter?"

"I'm pretty sure I know what my own daughter looks like," she finally snapped, masking her defensiveness as irritability, "I pushed her out of me two days ago. F-Fifteen hours of labor."

"Hmm," he folded his arms, "I tell you what. Why don't you come on down to the station? A female Dai Li agent will be available to check you."

"Check me? For what?"

"You did say you gave birth two days ago. I understand there must be some kind of physiological impact of that process—"

"You need proof?" she said, incredulous. "You think I'm lying? Who else's baby would I have with me? Why are you even here—?"

"We received word from the Ibbein Dai Li Department. They're looking for a suspect charged with kidnapping and arson. A Northern Water Tribe woman kidnapped a baby and set a building on fire."

Yue widened her eyes.

"And if this child really is yours, certainly you wouldn't mind being checked. If anything, it will prove your point, won't it?"

"I have nothing to prove. I did nothing wrong…" Dabbing away her beads of sweat, "A-And I can't help the fact that you find it appropriate to be suspicious of all tribeswomen just because one of them did something crazy…"

"Perhaps I am being inappropriate, but something's just not adding up." Eyeing her up and down, "It really is astounding to me that you look nothing like a new mother."

"Th-That's ridiculous," she hissed, fierce pounding raiding her chest.

"Then there's the fact that you were apparently wandering around Shurai for hours. Many witnesses described a woman with long, white hair and a baby in her arms running through the streets." Raising his eyebrows, "You were in Shurai, weren't you?"

She didn't say anything, but her silence only confirmed his words.

"People like you sicken me," the officer spat. "Posing as responsible parents but really pleasing your client with your bodies and other people's babies—"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT?!" Yue yelled in his face, tears rolling down her cheeks, "Do you even know what's leaving your filthy mouth?! This is my daughter! Born from my blood!"

"Don't raise your voice at me, you wench! I'm not so depraved as to make up these scenarios on the spot! Kidnapping a child to sell her to the brothels, making a living in undignified ways…it's something you whores are born with." Grabbing hold of Ummi, "Surrender the child! Now!"

"NO! This is my baby!"

"Surrender the child, damn you—!"

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF THEM!" came a roar followed by a rugged hand seizing hold of the officer's shirt and dragging him away. Sokka shoved the man against the wall of the corridor outside of their room, the wall seeming to rattle from the force. As the officer reared his head back with a clenched fist ready to fly in the face of his attacker, Sokka jammed his own fist against the man's face, additional jabs to the man's pressure points rendering him unable to bend. Through her bleary tears, Yue couldn't see everything that was happening, but she backed several feet away, gawking at the scene while holding Ummi as close to her as she could.

"The balls you have to assault an officer in uniform, you savage motherfucker—!"

"The fucking audacity you have to touch my wife and daughter, you piece of yakshit!" Sokka burst.

"Officer Yan, what's going on here?!" came the frantic inquiry of another approaching officer. This officer jarred to a stop upon seeing Sokka, "Metal Man? Is that you?"

"You know this idiot, Officer Rhin?" Yan spat.

"This is Wang Fire, Gansu's finest blacksmith and bladesmith. He supplies weapons to all Dai Li stations in Ba Sing Se and Gaoling." The officer approached Sokka, "What's happening here, Wang?"

"Your friend over here doesn't seem to know proper Dai Li protocol," Sokka growled. "Breaking into my room, intimidating my wife, trying to take our daughter away from us!"

"You have a wife?" Rhin widened his eyes, looking at Yue and zeroing in on Ummi, "And this here is your daughter?"

"My flesh and blood. And this fucking idiot thinks he can—!"

"I'm a Dai Li officer, you better hold your fucking tongue—!"

"Yan," Rhin frowned, shaking his head.

"He assaulted an officer, and you're just standing there supporting him?! This man was philandering around with a prostitute who kidnapped someone else's child—!"

"Hey, hey, woah," Rhin frowned, "Slow down. Who told you this? You think you can snatch people's children away like that based on some far-fetched story? Do you even have evidence? Do you have a warrant?"

"No, but that woman—"

"You don't have a warrant?"

"It's not an arbitrary decision, sir," Yan insisted, standing up and wiping the blood away from his mouth, "This woman is Water Tribe and fits the profile, and I have several witness statements saying she was wandering around in Shurai—"

"No, she was lost in Shurai," Sokka clarified angrily, "It's her first time in the lower ring and she was misdirected there from the monorail station! She had no knowledge of what that area was like!"

But Yan wasn't convinced, "What's the proof that you're not just saying this to—?"

"In Ahrai, I turned in the idiot who misdirected her. Check the fucking records in the Dai Li department there if you want."

"And just look at their necklaces, Yan," Rhin pointed out, "Necklaces are symbols of marriage in Water Tribe culture. How can you jump to such horrible conclusions without any sort of evidence other than sightings of this honorable lady in Shurai? "

"I don't know who you're looking for, and I don't care," Sokka hissed, "but just because you see someone in a high crime area doesn't necessarily mean they committed a crime. Get this through your thick empty heads—"

"Yes, yes, you're right. We're extremely sorry about this, Wang—"

"You think an apology will fix everything?" Sokka bellowed, pointing to the abashed Yan, "This uncultured buffoon demeaned and insulted my wife and tried to take our daughter away from us! If anything, he should be the one charged with kidnapping! He should be ashamed to call himself an officer! I'm taking this up with the headquarters—!"

"Please, please, Wang we don't need to go that far, do we?" Rhin stopped him. "I'll make sure appropriate action is taken against—"

"You're kissing up to his ass even after he took a swing at me?!" Yan screeched, incredulous. "Don't you see I'm bleeding over here—?!"

"Wait outside, Yan," Rhin only glared.

The officer grumbled and made his way outside.

"Again, I am so sorry about this," Rhin said. "It won't happen again, I'll take care of it. We'll be happy to make it up to you somehow—"

"You've done enough," Sokka barked, "Now leave us alone and get the hell out of here! And if your friend pulls another stunt like that, hell, if I ever see him or you in Gansu, I'm taking it up with the headquarters. Warrant or not, if anyone comes after my people, they'll regret it—!"

"This won't happen again, I guarantee you." Turning to Yue, who still looked shaken by the entire ordeal, "I'm so sorry, ma'am, I had no idea. You have a beautiful baby, by the way, congratulations to you both." Again turning to Sokka, "Please don't run this by the Night Wolf or anything—"

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

"He's married. And he has a baby…"

"No wonder he made himself presentable and responsible."

From afar, Ty Lee and Suki were watching with their mouths agape. They saw Sokka wrap his arm around the white-haired tribeswoman and kiss her forehead, whispering something to her as he brushed her tears away. They saw him take the wailing child from her and hold her against his heart, trying to comfort her with gentle kisses and soft hushes. "It's okay, it's okay, the bad guys are gone now..."

The Kyoshi Warriors also took note of the injured officer who begrudgingly followed his highly disappointed superior.

"Taking that child away from that innocent lady. No warrant on your hands. What the hell were you even thinking, Yan?"

"I may have made a miscalculation, but we're the Dai Li! I don't understand why we need to kiss up to—"

"QUIET!" Rhin snapped. "The people of Gansu come under the Night Wolf's jurisdiction. That man is untouchable. He'll end you and your career in a moment's time if you cross a certain line. If Wang goes and expresses his grievances to him, think about what that means for your future!"

In light of all of these observations, Ty Lee turned to Suki, who appeared frozen on the spot as she watched Sokka and the woman head to their room, their arms entwined. "It's time to move on, Sukes. For real this time."

Manna sinigit, kuluga.

Aninnit sinijut, nuvujat sinijut,

Tagiut sinijut, ullugiat amma,

Taqqiq sinijuq, nunatsuak sinijuq,

Kullungajut sinijut, salliat tama.

Talliga inillagit, matugit ijikkik

Manna sinigit, kuluga.

Manna sinnatomagit, kuluga.

The previous chaos tapered away. Ummi submitted herself to her mother's soft voice and gentle gait, slipping into a peaceful slumber against her bosom. Despite that, Yue did not feel the need to put her down; rather she was terrified of doing so, holding her for a long time and keeping her close to her heart. Eventually she gave in, her feet giving out from the pressure of running nearly all day. With utmost care, she settled against the bed and lay Ummi down on the soft sheets beside her. She smoothed her daughter's hair and whispered a prayer to the Spirits, placing a kiss on the baby's forehead. "Nalligivagit, ommatiga." I love you, my heart.

On the other side of Ummi was Sokka, who helped tuck the newborn in and propped pillows around her; after several rounds of negotiations, he and Yue decided to opt for this sleeping arrangement, lessening the awkwardness by keeping Ummi between them yet still keeping close in light of unspoken fears and muted terrors.

"She's asleep," came Sokka's whisper. "You can eat now."

Her eyes darted over to the table where he had the food set up. She shook her head, "You eat. You haven't eaten anything."

"I know you're starving. You need to eat during this time—"

"I don't feel like eating anymore."

He didn't say anything to that, merely picking up the small table of food and setting it beside the bed. He took a seat at the edge, offering to feed her some dumplings. She sighed and sat up, taking the bowl from him. "It's fine, I'll eat."

His warm hand brushed away the remnants of her tears, "Ikkingutima, they're animals, okay? Worse than that. I know that was scary, but no one's taking Ummi away from you. I won't be standing around letting that happen. You're never gonna see those jerks again."

Taking a deep breath, "You probably shouldn't have hit him. You could've gotten in trouble with the Dai Li."

"It doesn't matter who he is. If he touches you or Ummi, he's getting what he deserves." He then worked to give her ample servings, unwilling to listen to any of her protests. He took special notice of how ravenously she reached for the other dishes, not minding the heat and the spice. He instantly served more into her rapidly-emptying bowl, replenishing her other servings. It wasn't long, however, before her tears slipped down her face, plopping into the noodles she was currently devouring.

"Yue?"

She wiped her tears away in haste, trapping sobs with swallows, "I'm just overwhelmed, that's all."

He didn't downplay the rush of emotion that she currently was; rather, he brought her in for a hug as she trembled against his heart, grabbing fiercely onto him as her body was racked with sobs.

A/N: I'm not an expert on Inuktitut, but I attempted a lullaby. If anyone speaks Inuktitut, please feel free to correct me on any mistakes! Translation below for those who are interested:

Sleep now, my little one.

The Spirits are sleeping, the clouds are sleeping,

The oceans are sleeping, and the stars, too.

The moon is sleeping, the world is sleeping,

The flower buds are sleeping, and the animals and suckling young.

Lie down in my arms. Close your eyes.

Sleep now, my little one.

Dream now, my little one.