Chapter 9: Do You Remember (What We Had)?

"I searched all over Ba Sing Se," he whispered, stroking her hair as she huddled against him. "I asked a lot of people who had ties to the North. Everyone knew about Taqqiq Industries, but they only knew your old address. You weren't there." Heaving a broken sigh, "For several years I camped out at the investigation office, hoping they'd give me some information, but then those idiots closed your case… And I was so terrified I'd never see you again."

Yue sighed into his chest, extricating herself from his hold, finding that his tunic was nearly drenched with her tears.

"For a long time, I've been searching on my own. I've been trying to figure things out. There were no signs of a struggle near your dorm. No evidence that anyone broke in or…or even if there was evidence, the fire—"

"There wouldn't be any such evidence if I voluntarily ran away."

"You ran away?"

She could see the incredulity unfold on his face, and she was not surprised by it. She had really had everything she could ever ask for at that time— an award-winning thesis, a brilliant future waiting at the Earth Kingdom's most prestigious institution, the companionship of a trusted friend with whom she would share her journey.

"I ran from the university, not necessarily away from it."

"But why? Did anyone try to hurt you?!"

Shaking her head, "Umaani wrote that Father's condition was very serious, and I was scared that something would happen to him. I didn't know what to do. It was two hours past midnight. The guards were patrolling by your dorm, and I wouldn't have been able to see you until the next morning. Even if I went to ask the emergency officials for help, they would've told me to leave the next morning. But I couldn't wait that long. I was terrified and I was fearing for ataata's life…"

She had scribbled a last-minute note intended for her friend, Song, to hand it over to Sokka. She had explained in her letter the situation in which she had to abruptly leave. She then snuck past the guards that very night and booked an emergency ticket at the monorail station.

"I wrote that I would be back as soon as I can, and I wanted you to ask Professor Yugoda if she can extend the deadline for my biology paper… And as the years went by, all I could think about was how I made you wait. How hurt you must have been…" Shaking her head, "But I didn't realize I would be gone for that long. I didn't think my absence would cause such a big scene…such a string of investigations…"

Remembrance of those tumultuous days always drained him. He basked instead in the sheer relief that she was here, that her hands were settled over his, that her pulse seemed to course through his wrists, reassuring him of her presence. "As worried as we all were, it was for the best that you weren't there at the time. The fire apparently started in your room. The lantern pole literally fell through your window. You could've been badly hurt. And if anything had happened to you, I…" he trailed off, unwilling to entertain the thought.

"Looking back now, I wish that fire had taken me. So I would've been spared of the last ten years."

"Don't say that—"

"I was of no use to anyone anyway. I couldn't do anything to protect my loved ones…" Frustration simmering in her gaze, "I told my sister many times not to marry that demon. It was arranged anyhow. She didn't love him or care about him. She didn't have to be so invested. But for ataata, she had to. And from there, everything went downhill." Shaking her head, incredulous, "It took her marriage to a 'capable man' like Hahn to bring our sexist father away from the brink of death. Ataata was at so much peace after her marriage, thinking the family was in the safe hands of a new patriarch. He regained the will to recover. She had to keep up the act to save him, but the cost of doing that? Our lives, our futures, our trust…our peace…"

Throughout the night, Yue confided all that she had bottled up inside of her, every horror that came to the forefront of her memories, but Sokka realized that the one thing she kept from him was the Red Fang's hunt for her "university boyfriend."

"At one point, keyhole locks nearly drove me insane, you know?" She looked at the door of their room where he had placed heavy furniture to keep people out, especially with the Dai Li officer having obliterated the lock earlier. "That demon always had a habit of breaking into rooms unannounced. One time, he…he intentionally picked the lock of the bathroom door while I was bathing…" Her voice broke, "A few years back, I never would've guessed shower pelts and torches would be my greatest lifelines in keeping my dignity…"

His blood boiled more and more, tears sweltering in his eyes, but as furious as he was with the Red Fang, he muted his rage for the sake of listening to her. For the sake of easing at least a little bit of the burden in her heart by being present and attentive.

"I was afraid that piece of yakshit would pick the lock to my bedroom. And he tried to once. Again the torches came to my rescue. I started making a fire every night right behind the door. That way, even if he opened it, he wouldn't be able to step over it, and by the time he tried to put it out, I would be awake. I also bolted my windows down so he wouldn't break through them. Over time, I'd gotten to the point where I needed a torch with me in every room I was in. It frustrated him, and he would take out his frustrations on my sister…." Sniffling, "I ended up sharing my room with her so I can guard both of our bodies, but I couldn't get us out of that hell. The only time that demon didn't bother her was when she was pregnant with Ummi. He needed her to have the baby to get access to the trust."

Their efforts to escape finally bore fruit one night after the Red Fang gathered his most trusted men together.

"Those heathens…they probably had enough of me escaping their clutches, I guess," she huffed. "Hahn said he would kill Umaani and the baby as soon as the assets were transferred over to him. He said he would consider sparing them if I slept with him anytime he wanted me to." And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop further tears from flowing, "I couldn't take it anymore. I lit the whole mansion on fire. He had destroyed my records years ago when they were mailed to our old address, so I had nothing of importance there anyway. And even if I did, I didn't care. I took my sister and ran out of there."

"You never once thought about contacting me in some way?" he questioned, his heart splintered to pieces. "Instead of suffering in silence? Did you just forget that there was some guy out there named Sokka who was clearly very invested in your friendship?"

"I tried to reach you at first," she admitted. "I knew you would be worried. I started writing so many letters, but it was futile. Over time I realized how stupid I was being."

"It's not stupid to ask for help—!"

"You had your own life waiting for you. Your career as a successful engineer…you were all set to change the face of the Water Tribe. On the one hand, your mother was working hard to raise and educate you and your sister. And by reaching out for help… I would only jeopardize all of your lives. I couldn't let the Snake-Bloods get to you and your family. Sure you would probably worry for a few more days. Maybe feel betrayed that I left you in the dust like that, maybe grow to hate me over the years or move on…But all of that was better than dragging you into the hell I was in." Looking at him, "Hahn didn't spare any of the people who tried to help us. In front of my eyes, he killed so many of my father's friends and relatives. By then, he already knew I had a Water Tribe friend at university, and if I had made any attempt to contact you, he would've taken you as a serious target. The last thing I wanted to do was get caught writing to you, so I burned every letter I wrote. Just imagine how explosive things would've been if I ratted you out in some way." Turning away, a shudder in her voice, "If he hurt you…I would've never forgiven myself…"

His tears plinked against her knuckles. He brushed them away, holding tightly onto her hand.

"I never thought I'd see you again," Yue's palm flew to his cheek, brushing away his tears. "Honestly, I didn't want to so long as Hahn was looking for me. I know I couldn't stop myself when I saw you earlier, but…If I'd known beforehand that you were still here…I don't know if I would've come here. Just thinking of what could happen if the Snake-Bloods ever came to know I'm with you… if they ever came to know your father is a Hound…" Tilting his chin so he could face her, "By the way, is your father still…?"

Shaking his head, "Not anymore. He and anaana passed on."

She could see him starting to break, softening her eyes, "Sokka… ikkingutima, I'm so sorry… They were young, what even happened…?!"

"The Snake-Bloods got to her. My dad tried to save her. They both…" Watching the horror unfold on her face, "The Red Fang is my dad's enemy, too."

"Katara—?!"

"Safe and happy. Married to Avatar Aang. Five kids. I can't meet her, though, since my dad's a Hound and we're both his descendants. People were looking for us already, and it was only going to get worse if we interacted, so we went our separate ways. I've been staying here as Wang Fire ever since. It's been seven years since I've seen her."

"Sokka, when…when did this even…when were your parents…?"

"Three weeks after you went missing," he crushed his lower lip, "Three weeks after you left, I got the scroll…"

Yue froze, unsure of what to say for several moments. He shrugged, continuing as he tried to contain himself, "I lost all motivation for engineering. I stayed behind and learned blacksmithing from a friend of my dad's. Started making money to maintain anaana's igloo and pay for Katara's fees for healing school. She finished and married Aang."

Yue let a worried sob escape before wrapping her arms around him, her embrace speaking more than she ever could. She felt him shake against her as he hugged her back, holding onto her tightly. "You were avoiding me because you didn't want anything happening to my family," he whispered, "but by then, a lot of my life had drastically changed, ikkingutima. By then, my parents were already… I wish you had reached out to me. Before things got so intense."

"And what would you have done? Would you have come all the way up North for me? And what would that do? You are clearly not helpless, but you're not invincible, are you?" Holding his face in her hands, "I couldn't save ataata. I couldn't save his business. I couldn't save angajuk. I probably would've failed at protecting you if you showed up at our doorstep. You're the only other person out there that I care about, Sokka… I couldn't just take chances and hope nothing happened to you..."

Holding the hands that cradled his cheek, "It's not too late. Just say the word, and I will destroy him."

She only shook her head, tired and defeated in more ways than one. "The universe can destroy him whenever it wants. I'm not concerned with that."

"Then tell me what you want to happen," he said, resolute. "What does justice look like to you? 'Cause there's no way in hell I'm letting that blubberfucker go after everything he—"

"Vengeance is not what I need, Sokka. I need rest. I started running the day I ran away from the university, and I haven't stopped." She wiped her eyes, "I never want to see that demon again in my life. I would like to go at least one day without worrying about what will happen to me and Ummi, without having nightmares of that demon trying to force himself on me."

He swallowed the lump in his throat, "You're never going to run into him again. Not on my watch."

Yue then turned to the sleeping newborn, "I'll never forget the look in angajuk's eyes when she asked me if I will take care of Ummi. Angajuk left this world thinking she was destroying my life and career by leaving a baby with me…but she has no idea that Ummi saved my life. I have no other motivation for survival other than her. I want to give Ummi every bit of love I have in me without worrying about people snatching her away from me. I want her to be very well-educated. I want to live long enough to see her living a happy life with a family of her own. I never once want her to suspect that she's not mine…"

Ummi stirred but did not wake completely from her slumber, simply suckling the air in her sleep.

"I made my decision," Yue said firmly. "The world can call me a whore all it wants. Society can call me a slut every chance it gets. But Ummi will be known to the world as my biological daughter. At the end of the day, no one wants to be known as a child of rape. No one wants to be told that the man responsible for their existence is on the hunt to end their life or that their mother didn't even hold them before leaving his world. I'm not going to make Ummi feel that kind of pain for even a millisecond. I'm never going to make her feel unloved or unwanted. I'm taking these secrets with me to my pyre. I'm her mother, her father, her all, and no one is going to come in between us."

She brushed her hand over the infant's head, smoothing the soft tufts of hair, "Justice for the two of us is just peace. Not some despicable creature's burning corpse or decapitated head. I've seen too many of those horrors happen to the most-hated Snake-Bloods over the years… and they gave me no joy or satisfaction whatsoever. I don't want to see them anymore."

Her answer was not unexpected in the least. "What those two need right now is warmth, home, rest. Peace." His hand brushed softly against Ummi's fist. "You're not ever going to see them ever again."

Taking a deep breath, "Sokka, you can fight, and I'm obviously the damsel in distress here right now, but I mean what I said. I'm not having you get involved in this mess. Your father was a Hound; that by itself would've been enough for them to hurt you. But if they ever see you with me and Ummi, they will start to hunt you, too. If Gansu is where I have to be, then until I'm confident that Gansu really is safe, it's best if we kept our distance."

"So what now?" his heart pounded, "I should just leave you two vulnerable out in the open?"

"When the city isn't watching, you're always welcome to come and see us. But otherwise…" Sighing at his worried frown, "A gang is after me, Sokka, do you not understand?"

"I do understand, and I'm saying nothing is more important to me than you and Ummi."

"But you never wanted anything to do with gangs. You never could digest the fact that your father was part of a gang."

"Is that supposed to convince me to just stand there and do nothing while you and Ummi are in danger?" And in the midst of his vehement response, he wondered how would she take the reality that he went from not wanting to become like his father to being a Hound until several hours ago. "I might not have wanted anything to do with gangs, but at the end of the day, my mom remained married to one." Looking at the newborn, "Besides, Ummi and I are in the same boat. We're both in circumstances that we don't want to be in. We have fathers that let us down, good or bad or whatever their intentions were. There is no way I'm letting her suffer because her father is undeserving of being a living being." Looking up at her, his hands squeezing hers, "What is it about me that you're still trying to protect? I'm nothing right now, Yue. I have nothing."

"You have a future—"

"Well people are more important than futures. You're my best friend, and Ummi is my newest best friend. I'm not gonna throw you to the wolves. I'll take measures to keep all of us safe. I know my ins and outs, ikkingutima, nothing's gonna happen to me."

He thumbed away a stray tear, resting his palm against her cheek, "I'm not losing you again."

"He's what?"

Jeong Jeong, Bato, Bumi, and Pakku gave Suki and Ty Lee bewildered looks. Suki, however, held an even tone, exuding all seriousness as she turned to Pakku, "You were right. He groomed himself to go and meet a woman. Not just any woman; his wife. They have a baby daughter. I saw them staying at the families-only inn."

"The baby's probably a few days old," Ty Lee said, an ounce of her usual bubbliness shooting through, "And she was so cute! And the woman's very beautiful. My gosh, her hair's white and wavy and much longer than mine—"

"Not now, Ty Lee," Suki frowned.

"And you're both dense enough to believe that?" Pakku jumped to his feet, "That has to be Sedna Sunaiq posing as a different person! He's obviously bailing her out! Just because he was staying with a woman and child in the same room and might've claimed they were his wife and child—"

"Sokka had never done something like that before," Suki noted. "He never had to help anyone by masquerading as their husband or father."

"The circumstance never arose—"

"It's not about that. Sokka just doesn't have the habit of posing as a random person's husband to bail them out of any situation. Besides, he was well-groomed and was seen shopping at maternity stores even before he knew about Sedna. He was going crazy even before he knew there were a woman and baby out there who were escaping Hahn's clutches. He must've known this woman and her baby were coming into town beforehand."

"And they're wearing matching necklaces," Ty Lee pointed out.

"Matching necklaces?" Pakku frowned.

"Yeah, she and Sokka were wearing the same kind of necklace, it seemed like. I didn't see them from close up obviously, but if that doesn't say they're married—"

"Tribesmen don't wear necklaces," Pakku spat.

"Maybe it's Southern Water Tribe custom—"

"I've lived in the South for many years. That's not a thing. Besides, he's had that necklace for a very long time."

"Maybe he made her one just like his," Ty Lee wondered.

"Well Sokka told me that he had someone to pick up from the monorail station," Bato said. "I asked him if he was going to meet a woman, and he got angry and said he was going to pick up some lady and her child. She's apparently going to work for Fen."

"It could very well be possible that he knew of our plan beforehand but acted like he didn't," Jeong Jeong said. "Maybe he had already taken steps to protect that woman and child and was going to her in the guise of 'picking her up.'"

"I don't know, but it certainly can't be that Sedna Sunaiq and the child happen to be his wife and child," Suki said. "Sedna is running away with her sister's child. This woman is the biological mother of this child. She had to have been pregnant. Why else would he be extensively shopping at maternity stores? I inquired around, and the vendors said he was there buying things that only biological mothers would need as opposed to moms who adopted their nieces and ran away."

"Even if it was some random lady, why would he personally do the shopping?" Ty Lee said. "And that, too, with something as…well, maybe not intimate, but…yeah, actually intimate. A man typically doesn't go buy nursing pads for a woman he doesn't know and hasn't had relations with. It's just…considering the kind of knowledge that a husband or partner would have of his wife or partner…"

"I suppose that explains why he hasn't been active, lately," Bumi ruminated. "It could be that he was seeing that woman all this time."

"How?" Pakku demanded, "He was here all this time. Here in this city. That woman is from Spirits know where."

"Occasionally he travels for errands and other things," Bumi shrugged, "We don't exactly follow him everywhere he goes."

Suki thought for another moment before suggesting, "If he's had his necklace all this time…what if he's been married all this time? That's probably why he never pursued anyone else. Maybe he and his wife were separated somehow, and maybe they reunited."

"Yeah," Ty Lee nodded. "You guys remember what Aunt Wu predicted a few years ago? She said that Sokka would meet his long-lost love again and that they'd have their first child by the time he's twenty-six."

"I feel like Piandao would know more about this," Bumi said. "Sokka tells him everything. Surely if Sokka got married or knew he was going to be a father, he would have told Piandao."

"Piandao would've gone off the rails yelling at him to quit if he knew about this," Jeong Jeong frowned. "If he doesn't know, either, then Sokka kept this from all of us."

"She still could be Sedna Sunaiq," Pakku insisted. "Something just isn't adding up… We need to check the border again. I have a feeling they'll run by when the rain stops—"

"Forget the damn border," Suki hissed in annoyance, her temper catching everyone off guard, "He has a wife and kid. He was kissing her and everything. And I think Piandao knows; I asked him what would happen if Sokka quit for real, and he said that it's his right to quit."

"He says similar things all the time…" but Pakku tapered off, "but you're saying he was kissing her…" And the subtle jealousy on Suki's face had to be some sort of an indication.

"It was a kiss on the forehead," Ty Lee clarified. "Can be platonic, can be romantic, but it's very clearly a gesture of affection…Though even if you look at it that way, Sokka doesn't go around kissing people's foreheads."

"It could just be a coincidence that we're looking for a tribeswoman and a baby and he's married to a tribewoman and has a days-old daughter. It probably is a coincidence," Bumi said. "The factors are all weighing in favor of them being a family. If they never met, why would they be affectionate? Besides, this woman is the biological mother of her child. She can't be Sedna if she had been pregnant. Sedna was not pregnant when she left the household."

"Well if there's anything we can confirm, they seem to be very much in love," Suki noted with a frown. "Sokka's just a different person around her, and he's very gentle and affectionate with the baby, too. I mean, he even swung at an officer for them. How can they not mean anything to him?"

"He explicitly and vehemently told them that the baby was his flesh and blood," Ty Lee said. "It can't get more real than this."

"And I honestly think that's why he quit," Suki added. "He violated a core value of the group. He fell in love with a woman and married her, and now they have a baby. I'm pretty sure he was looking for the opportunity to quit and was using this Sedna Sunaiq issue to do it. Maybe he really doesn't care what we do…or maybe he does but not to the point of quitting just for that. I mean, he did surrender that scroll that had her information on it. It's not enough information, but it was still something."

"It may be that Sokka doesn't want us to know he's married with a child," Bato said. "I wonder if she knows he's a gang member. Or maybe she knew and stayed away from him until he quit. He's a familiy man now; I would imagine he wants nothing more to do with us."

Pakku gave an exasperated sigh, staring out of the window at the soaked world. He begrudgingly admitted to himself that their conquests and inquiries had to wait until after the storms, for there was no way they were able to take a single step outside. "No matter what anyone says, I need to look and see for myself before I can come to any conclusion."

In the brief reprieve from the storm at around three hours past midnight, Sokka and Yue hit the road once more. The carriage tumbled into Gansu much quicker than expected, part of that being the coachman's own haste for reaching home. The city, drenched by the downpour, was gearing up for more to come. Despite the dark night and the limited moonlight, people abandoned their sleep to gather around convenience stalls, stocking up on food and essentials. There were few Dai Li officers present in the streets, and for the most part, the city seemed like a normal city rather than a center of extensive crime that was in need of constant supervision. It was no Shurai, that was for sure.

"Hey, Yue?"

She turned away from the window, "Hm?"

"I don't know about the North, but down South, it's…what's the word, auspicious? Yeah…it's auspicious to do the naming ritual during the baby's first week."

Though surprised by his comment, she replied, "That's how it is for the North, too. A week, maybe a week and a half at the most."

"Exactly."

"It's going to be hard to find a Tribal Temple around here. I was thinking of just saying a small prayer and saying her name in front of a picture or idol of Tui and La. You don't happen to have anything like that, do you?"

"There's a picture back home, but actually," he looked back out of the window at the sky before turning back to her, "I heard there's a Water Tribe temple around here."

"There is?"

"Yeah. I've never been there, but I heard it's a thing. It's by Kungtuk's. Fifteen minutes away from here. Plus it's moonrise, so the temple should be open. We can have Ummi's naming ritual real quick."

"Now?"

"I know it's sudden, but everyone's been saying it's a pretty bad storm in the works. We don't know how long it's gonna last. We can just check. What do you say?"

She looked to Ummi, who was currently in Sokka's arms, cooing and trying to chew away at her new mittens, "I don't see why not."

They had arrived at an auspicious time indeed, the priest had said as he laid Ummi down by the idols of Tui and La. Raving about the beauty of the incoming storm and the elegance of the moon as it hid behind the storm clouds, reveling in the blinks of lightning and crackles of thunder, the head kahuna wrote Ummi's name on the newborn's forehead with ceremonial red pigment, chanting a prayer to the Spirits. He then handed the wailing child to her mother, who seemed as if she had been standing on the edge of a razor-sharp sword the entire time she wasn't in close proximity to her.

"You seem very tense, Lady Taqqiq," the kahuna noticed. "Don't you worry. Tui and La are sure to shower your little one with longevity and prosperity." Turning to the squirming child, "May the Spirits watch over you, kuluk." Little one.

It had been years since Sokka had seen Yue actually smile. The bright spark in her gaze as she held the child, the joyful tears that glistened in her eyes as she read Ummi's name on the infant's forehead, the rare beam blooming at her lips as she kissed the baby's cheek, the soft Ummi, nalligivagit ommatiga that followed… It all made his heart swell with love, and he found himself lost in a strong sense of elation that seeped into his heart. Intensifying booms of thunder prompted him to snap out of it, however. He tugged cautiously at Yue's sleeve, "The storm's closing in."

"Yes, we need to go."

"Thanks for everything," Sokka told the kahuna, "We'll visit again when the weather's… more agreeable."

"Take care."

As Sokka hurried to the carriage with Ummi, Yue reached for the few coins she had in her pocket. "I'm so sorry, honorable kahuna. I wish to donate, but I don't have very much with me—"

"Your husband already donated generously, Lady Taqqiq," the man smiled, "He's a very proud father. May the Spirits bless your family."

Yue widened her eyes, "I think there's a misunderstanding here. He's not my—"

But before she could correct him, a particularly boisterous clap of thunder rattled the building, urging her to leave the statement uncorrected as she raced in the direction of the carriage.

"No, no, I said I'll take care of it."

Yue found herself being steered to the couch by the tribesman. He made her sit, "Just rest and chill with Ummi. I'll be right with you." And he subsequently hurried back into the kitchen.

"Sokka, I want to help. Let me do something," Yue said, watching as Ummi stared curiously at the soft planet toys that dangled down from the top of her new cradle. "Ummi's playing anyway. I can't just sit around forever."

"Nope, just have a seat."

Barely a minute later, he hurried back out, carrying with him a very large platter, "Dinner's ready!" He then set the food on the table in front of the couch, "So, uh, yours truly learned how to cook over the years. It's been so long since I've seen you, and I was hoping we would have a nice, traditional feast. I cooked a lot of Water Tribe dishes to surprise you. I hope you like 'em."

Yue blinked in near disbelief at all the varieties he had laid out before her.

"Sorry in advance about the kelp-heavy diet. I assumed you were naturally feeding her…" he trailed off, leaving the thought to be completed by inference, "But anyway, I also have all your favorites. Oh, wait!" He ran back into the kitchen and hurried back out with a teapot, pouring its steaming contents into a cup, "I brewed some ginger tea, too. Katara always used to say it helps with cramps and stuff…"

"That's very thoughtful of you," was all she could say, overwhelmed.

"And now onto the menu." Pointing to one dish at a time, "Stewed sea prunes here. Classic Tribal favorite. We got pickled fish here. This one's seaweed stew, and this one's mushed kelp-fruit paste on toasted buns. Kelp dumplings here, kelp curry over there. These two over here are both five-flavor soups, but I made the left one Southern style and the right one Northern style. And then we got mango-pomegranate cake and sweet prune tarts. And this one is spicy pickled lemon in kale noodles with three dashes of kelp-chili powder, complete with lentils! You used to love it, remember?"

She caught sight of the radiance in his eyes as he said it.

"You still like it, right?" he asked, sighing in relief when she nodded, "Good, good! Dig in! Careful, it's hot."

"You're not going to eat?"

"I'll eat after you."

She reached for some empty bowls and served him the various varieties, "It's been a long time since we had a meal together. Why don't you join me?"

The comment seemed to melt his core, and he acquiesced, taking a pair of chopsticks for himself. He watched her try the different varieties, looking for a reaction.

"So? What do you think…?"

She nodded, smiling, "This is good."

"You're not just saying that, right?"

"No, this is all really good. When did you learn to cook?"

"When I was back home. After anaana was gone." His voice took on a soft lilt, "I didn't want Katara to stay behind and do the housework and stuff. She was studying in Whaletail Island, and I didn't want her to discontinue or relocate. So I ended up staying behind and taking care of the igloo. I learned to cook from anaana's friend."

Entwining her hand with his, a smile on her face, "Well you must have been her best student."

"Yeah?" he said, smiling as well. "Well I've got more of everything, okay?"

She nodded, taking the time to relish the pickled lemon now that her insides were not as famished as before. "Can you pass me some more of this? It's been a while since I've had it."

"Yeah, of course," he beamed, brushing away the remnants of tears in his eyes as he served her more of everything. How long had it been since she last had a good meal?

The house was small, warm, and comforting. A sense of security wafted through the place, even more so with his company. Sleep awaited her, but somewhere deep down, she was still restless. She turned to the cradle beside her, watching Ummi sleep.

"I've got some more blankets if you want some."

She saw him standing by the door with some blankets in his hands, his voice kept at a whisper. Yue shook her head, "I think we're fine." She then pat the space beside her, inviting him to sit, and he joined her, placing the extra sheets aside.

"I saw that there's another room besides this one," she said, "but this is the only bed in the house."

"Oh," he gave a shrug, "I'll just have to take the crib and call it a night, then."

Which brought a smile out of her much to his pride. "I mean that you should sleep here while Ummi and I sleep there. Ummi has the cradle anyway, and I can take the floor—"

"No, you need to sleep comfortably," he insisted. "I'll take the floor. I'm used to sleeping on the floor anyway at my place."

"But—"

"If it makes you feel better, there's also the couch in the hallway. I can just take that. You're taking the bed, no more arguments."

"I don't feel comfortable sleeping in your bed in your house and confining you to the couch."

"This isn't my house, and this isn't my bed," he said. "Fen felt bad about having to leave out of the blue and arranged all of this."

"I suppose 'Fen' also took great pains to arrange for a Water Tribe cradle, a Water Tribe crib, and Water Tribe blankets and rugs and drapery and furniture," she said knowingly. "Dreamcatchers and all."

"That's because… I told her you're Water Tribe like me," he said, not meeting her eyes. "She wanted everything to be…culturally appealing…"

"You were never good at lying, Sokka."

"I'm not lying—"

"I could tell what kind of person Fen really is by reading her letters. Tell me the truth. This is your place, isn't it?"

"No, it's really not. It's yours."

Frowning, "At least tell me how much the rent is—"

"No, no rent. It's yours yours. Forever. I just…pulled some strings. A few people I knew were wanting to get it off their hands so… And the room at the bakery is very inconvenient. You and Ummi would've had a hard time. That's why we fixed this up a bit."

She sighed, "Sokka, do me a favor and take me back to the bakery when the storm is over. I do love it here, and I'm grateful for your help, but…"

Noting her burdened look, "Yue, please, I don't want you to feel like you're indebted or anything. That's the only reason you're not comfortable with this."

"Sokka, I—"

"You used to pay for dinner every time we snuck out of campus to eat, remember?"

"This isn't about indebtedness necessarily. I told Fen I would sign the contract that she prepared. She explicitly said I can have the job if I stay at the bakery and allow her to deduct the rent from my salary each month."

"She's not deducting anything," he frowned, "She's only saying that so she can pay you less!"

"Maybe, but I don't care. If I make any slip-up, she'll fire me. If I have to stay in Gansu, I'm going to need this job."

"This isn't the only job in town. Look, I talked to a few people. They're very trustworthy, very anti-gang, very peaceful. They're looking for a math and science teacher for their school. You'll get better pay, too, and they'll have great respect for you."

"I won't get to watch Ummi, though," she said. "I might make less at Fen's, but I'll be making enough to buy everything Ummi needs right now. I don't need to spend that much on food anyway; I get to keep the leftovers from each day. Most importantly, Fen offered to let me do the smaller tasks where I can simultaneously tend to Ummi. Ummi will be right with me at all times. I can't ask for more than that."

"Leftovers?" he huffed, "Well that's just insulting! Yue, she's trying to pay you less and less—"

"But she still lets me stay with Ummi," Yue persisted. "After everything that has happened, everything I've seen, I'm not comfortable trusting Ummi with anyone. Even if the Spirits came down from the heavens and offered to look after her, I don't know if I can handle being away from her. This bakery job is the best I can get."

"Fen is not the best person to be around—"

"She's not a Snake-Blood or a Hound, is she?"

Shaking his head, "No, but she's insensitive and callous and—"

"What is she going to do? Call me a whore?"

His heart breaking, "Yue—"

"I'd rather work under a loudmouth who demeans me all day but still lets me stay with Ummi. It's much better than taking chances with sweet-talkers who put on performances that they care and end up trying to separate us. Your friends might be the most trustworthy people on the planet, but I don't have it in me to be away from Ummi for even a minute." Reaching for his hand, "I'm okay with working with Fen, I really am. I appreciate you…And I know there's nothing in the world I can ever do to repay you—"

"Yue, this isn't about repayment, okay? Look, I'll talk to my friends. I know they'll be willing to help out—"

"We're talking about teaching children here. I can't watch a baby and teach at the same time. Your friends may want to help, but even they won't be able to find another way."

"Then we'll figure something out," he said stubbornly. "Yue, this is a really good opportunity. Teachers who show great excellence will be sent to seminars and will get opportunities to research and submit their work and everything…"

Her eyes softened.

"All those years of hard work…it can't be for nothing," he stressed. "Yue, you are brilliant. You can't just let that end."

"If you're constantly floating away in the stars, you'll lose track of grounding realities. I see nothing in my life other than Ummi, Sokka. That's how I want it to be."

"People raise kids and have careers. It's possible to do both."

But Yue only gave him a tired look in response. "I don't know if I can do both right now. My ambitions…whatever they were in the past, they currently don't mean anything to me. I'm a mom now. I have no idea how to be one, but that's all I want to be right now. That's the only thing I want to figure out."

He sighed brokenly, unsure if he was satisfied with her answer in the wake of the losses she had faced, but he knew she needed time and space. "We'll talk about this some other time. Get some sleep first. Before Ummi wakes up again."

Yue hesitated for a moment, but upon his gentle inquiry, she stammered, "C-Can you stay in this room for a few minutes? You can go as soon as I sleep. It won't be long…" Brushing the sweat away from her upper lip, "I just feel a little… I'm restless for some reason, I…"

Feeling a fierce pull at his heart, "I'll be right here, ikkingutima. I'll stay as long as you need me to."

The ferocious pattering of the rain against the window panes nearly drowned out the rapping on the door, which yanked Sokka out of his slumber. Alert, he shot his eyes open, realizing he had fallen asleep near his best friend. Yue was huddled close to him, lost in a deep, tranquil sleep. He draped a fur quilt over her, placing a kiss to her forehead before slipping out of bed to check on Ummi. She, too, was sleeping peacefully through the storm, swaddled in warm blankets.

I'm just hearing things, he sighed, softly kissing Ummi's fist. He looked longingly back at Yue, who was now huddled against his pillow. He was about to go back to sleep, opting to take the chair beside the bed this time before the sharp rapping sound returned. Someone was at the front door.

"Sokka, it's me," came a voice he knew very well, "Sokka, open the door!"

The tribesman stiffened, his entire world at risk of shattering. He looked over to Yue and Ummi before shuffling out of the room, closing the door behind him as softly as he could. Beads of sweat rolled down his face as he hurried over to the door. Standing on the other side was Piandao, drenched in rain and dripping all over the veranda, a sigh of relief leaving him as he saw the young warrior.

"M-Master?"