Chapter 12: The Futures We Spilled

Sokka tossed and turned, forcing his eyes shut. The pelts were new and felt cozy against him, and his bare back and chest were cooled by a fresh coat of seaweed lotion, which Yue had generously applied before bed. Despite these comforts, he failed to sink into sleep. He eventually quit his battle with the blankets and pulled himself up. Longing ate away at him as he ambled out of his room, facing the direction of Yue and Ummi's room. He sighed, spending the next few minutes pacing back and forth, but ultimately he decided to check on them from afar. He pulled his shirt over him, tiptoed over to their room, and took the liberty to gently open the door, which was already left ajar.

To his surprise, he saw that she wasn't asleep. Ummi was sleeping beside her, tucked against her blankets, but Yue was sitting up, her eyes bloodshot as she stared absentmindedly out of the nearby window, smoothing the infant's soft tuft of hair.

He knocked lightly on the door, which pulled her out of her thoughts. "Sokka, you're awake?"

"You're not asleep?"

She shook her head, "I can't sleep actually."

He stepped inside, and she invited his presence with a pat on the space beside her. He joined her in an instant, casting a gentle look at the sleeping newborn who, like Yue, seemed to glow beneath the ample moonlight that spilled in.

"You need to get as much sleep as you can," he said. "I'll feed Ummi when she wakes up."

"It's not that. I don't know why, but I just feel…jumpy…"

His hand found its way to hers in a gentle hold of reassurance, "You want me to stay for a little bit? Until you sleep? It's no trouble at all. Besides, I can't sleep either."

"Well you won't be getting any sleep if you do that. Ummi will probably wake up soon, and you'll be running around in the middle of the night again."

"If I want to run around for my best friends, then I'm gonna do that," he said with a warm grin. "It's my choice, ikkingutima, not a pain."

She sighed, trapping her gratitude. She was very hesitant for a few seconds before asking in a small voice, "If…if you don't think it's weird…can you sleep here again? On the other side?"

"Yeah, sure," his eyes softened. "If it's okay with you."

"I'm asking too much from you," she breathed, "I know I shouldn't—"

But he dismissed the formality with a warm hug, which she gratefully returned. The pendants of their necklaces clinked against each other, intertwining. He leaned his head against hers and kept his arm around her, her warmth serving as a balm for the dull ache in his heart. "Trust me," he whispered, "I'll feel better, too, when I'm with both of you."

More moonlight wafted in with the breeze, and Yue, preoccupied in thought, felt her glance gravitating towards the wisps of glimmering silver.

"You still thinking about the bakery?"

She shook her head, but the disbelief on his face prompted her to give an honest nod. It was no surprise; he knew another reason for her anxiety was the news that Fen's bakery had also taken a huge hit by the storm. Sokka was honestly relieved since Yue kept getting drawn to her obligation to move into that horrid room and live up to the terms of Fen's abhorring contract, and now that the bakery itself was in shambles, there was nothing to fear. Then again, he knew it made her anxious as she had to look elsewhere now for a job.

"Gansu and Lady Sela mentioned something about paper-grading duties. I'll talk to them again. See if they can arrange that so you can do it from home. They're very trustworthy, too. Very anti-gang. I know they'll help however they can. It should be good pay, and Ummi will be right next to you, too."

Which managed to smooth the perturbed creases between her brows. "That sounds good."

He couldn't stop his lips from planting a kiss on her forehead — a gesture that she didn't seem to mind. He pat the sheets, "Come on, sleep. I'll be right here."

She didn't protest but found that she was held back by the tug of his necklace, which had tangled with hers, extracting chuckles out of them. She worked to untangle the black threads before sinking next to Ummi. He settled on the other side of the bed, slipping under the covers. Ummi was sleeping peacefully between them, suckling the air in her slumber.

"I promise I'll talk to them tomorrow," he told Yue. "You and Ummi are not ever gonna be separated. I'll make sure of that, okay?"

She nodded, lost in the sea of his reassuring gaze before her eyes fell to a close.

It seemed the universe was more than willing to help out Sokka's resolve of talking to Sela and Gansu, for the Earth Kingdom couple showed up at their doorstep early in the morning. Upon seeing Sokka and Yue, Sela breathed in relief. "Oh, thank the Spirits you two made it safely in that horrid storm! I was so worried!"

Yue blinked, caught off guard by Sela's hug, "And you must be Miss Yue Taqqiq." Smiling at the young tribeswoman, "And my, you are very beautiful, dear."

"Oh…thank you—"

"And this must be the little one!" Sela beamed as she saw baby Ummi sleeping in Sokka's arms. The older woman gently traced the infant's cheek with her finger, "I've never seen anyone so beautiful…And she's all you, Yue!"

Which drew a smile out of the tired tribeswoman.

"Yes, you have a very beautiful child, Miss Yue," the man accompanying Sela said as he bowed in respectful greeting, "My name is Gansu, by the way. I am Sela's husband."

"It's great meeting you both," Yue said only to be hushed and hurried to the nearest seat by Sela.

"What are you even doing walking around?" Sela frowned, "You need to sit and rest. You just recently gave birth, my dear. You're not supposed to be running around like that."

"Uh…yes…" Yue shared an awkward look with Sokka, who shrugged and played along.

"Uh, yeah, that's what I'm saying," he said, handing Ummi over to Yue, "You guys just make yourselves comfortable. I'll get us all some tea."

Gansu offered to help out, leaving the two women to converse as he followed Sokka into the kitchen.

"You must be exhausted," Sela said to Yue, smilingly holding Ummi's tiny hand, "It must have been a long ride here. But Wang was persistent. He started three hours early so he can get to you quicker and bring you right home. That man, I tell you. He was so worried about you having to stay in that room at the bakery — being a new mom who has to heal and all. Did you know that there's a long staircase that leads you to that room? It had to have been made by demons, I swear. Not good on a healing body." Sela cast a proud look towards the kitchen where the tribesman was, "That boy is a gem. Who would be so considerate about a woman's health like that? So understanding and supportive. I always tell my sons to be like him. Sweet and helpful."

Yue tried to calm the flutters in her heart. "Sok…I mean…Wang tells me you and Mr. Gansu have helped out with all of this."

"Oh, don't you mind that, Yue," Sela said. "We need to help each other. Wang actually did most of the work. All the shopping and the cooking and the small repairs. Gansu and I just helped organize it a little bit."

"Wang is my best friend, and his care is not too much of a shocker. But you never knew me and you still helped. I don't know how to thank you both for your support."

"No, dear, don't say that. You're one of us now," Sela said. "And Wang…he's like our own son. He has helped our family out in many situations. Whoever's a friend of his is a friend of ours." Though friend seemed to be an incorrect label with regard to Wang Fire's relationship with Yue given the fact that Yue was wearing a necklace that was nearly identical to his. The fact that they were Water Tribe made this discovery more of a surprise.

"Wow, look at that. You both have the same kind of necklace," she remarked, trying to remain nonchalant despite her interest, "Did he make that for you?"

"Yes," she said. "It's a friendship necklace. Made according to Earth Kingdom custom. And I made his."

"Oh, okay..." Sela attempted to laugh away the awkwardness but was unsuccessful. Yue gulped, slipping her necklace beneath her tunic.

"Look what I got!"

Yue blinked at the necklace that dangled down from Sokka's hand. It was a simple black thread looped in the shape of a necklace, bearing a tiny, crookedly-carved boomerang pendant. The young tribesman had a wide, ear-splitting grin on his face, which was briefly overpowered by a cautious disclaimer, "Now before you get the wrong idea, ikkingutima," he fought off a blush, "This is a friendship necklace! In honor of Friendship Day! Earth Kingdom tradition."

"A friendship necklace, hm?" she said knowingly, taking the necklace from him to take a good look.

"I went for a simple design," he said. "The local jeweler said I should carve something that'll remind you of me, so I carved a boomerang! It took me forever to get the shape right, but hopefully whenever you look at it, you'll remember the boomerang guy who tried to break into the planetarium and made a fabulous first impression as a burglar."

Yue laughed goodnaturedly, "Oh wow."

"What? You don't like it?" he asked worriedly.

"No, Sokka, I love it," she assured, her eyes radiant, "I'm just laughing at the coincidence because I made the same kind of necklace for you. In honor of Friendship Day."

Blinking, "You did?"

"Yeah. It took me a while to get the shape right, too." She then reached into the pocket of her tunic and held out an identical black threat looped into a necklace, the only difference being a more smoothly-carved pendant that was in the shape of a crescent moon.

"Oh…" he took the necklace from her, smiling at its handiwork.

"I guess we visited the same jeweler," she chuckled. "Honestly, I wasn't sure if you'd make a move like this. You know, since a tribesman personally making a tribeswoman a necklace is obviously considered betrothal in the Water Tribe. But being in the Earth Kingdom, it makes sense that you would still go for it." Beaming, "Now every time you look at it, you'll be reminded of that moon-nerd you busted out of the planetarium on her first day here."

He laughed, giving her a hug, "I love it! Hey, why don't you put it on me?" holding her necklace back out to her.

"And you can put this on me," she said, taking the liberty to put the necklace on him first. He followed suit, their pendants gleaming beneath the dappled Ba Sing Se sunlight, unaware of their loyal presence for years to come.

"What are you still doing here, Wang? I expected you would leave after dropping her off here."

Sokka felt a twist of longing in his chest, "I, uh, I was helping her get her stuff situated." Looking away from the boiling tea momentarily, "I can't just leave her…" And upon Gansu's curious look, "I couldn't let her get settled all by herself. And then it started storming and everything."

"So you were stuck from the storm."

"Yeah. She said I could stay. Since it was raining…"

"But it's not storming anymore, and everything looks pretty situated now. There's no need for you to still stay. If you want to, you can go home now. Sela will be more than happy to stay with Yue for a while and make sure she's comfortable."

"I can't, actually," Sokka said. "The shop's pretty much destroyed."

"What?" Gansu widened his eyes. "Oh Spirits, that's a shame. We haven't gone out and seen all the damage, yet, we came here first thing. Did you speak with the insurance agent?"

"Yeah, already done."

"Well I tell you what. You can stay with us. Sensu will be happy to give you his room, and he can stay with Lee in his room."

"It's okay, Gansu," Sokka said, his heart repeatedly lurching in Yue's direction, "Someone's gotta help Yue around with everything. She needs her sleep. There's a spare room here anyway. I'll be able to help her out if I'm here. She doesn't have a problem with it, either."

"Your concern is commendable, Wang, but I understand it might be… awkward. You two are not married after all."

He shrugged off the awkwardness, "We're like roommates. We've known each other for a long time, and we're very close. We help each other. That's all there is to it."

"Well yes…" but Gansu decided against speaking further logic. Being a man who kept to himself instead of probing others regarding their personal lives, he did not want to break his resolve. He ended the conversation with, "I suppose you're right."

"Also, I've been thinking about moving my shop closer to here," Sokka said, relaying to him all that he had planned with regard to a new swordplay institution, the acquiring of adjacent Lotus Street property to serve as the location for the said institution as well as their reconstructed shop.

"It all sounds very good, Wang," Gansu said proudly, "Though I imagine it's going to take some time. Getting all of those arrangements made, going through with the property purchase, constructing an institution and a forge from scratch. There are so few resources in the lower ring. Constructions of even regular buildings take loads of work. All of this is going to take at least months."

"Yeah, it's an estimated eight months to build it from scratch. Not counting any possible delays," Sokka said. "The agent said he'll have the compensation funds distributed in the meantime, so I should be good to go until then. I also have the funds from the Dai Li departments saved up, so I don't absolutely have to work until next year. I could technically stay home and live off of that."

"Then what are you going to do? Just wait it out? If you still want to work, I'm sure you can find something. Unless you plan on taking a break from working."

"Yeah…maybe…"

"We can look at a few apartments or homes for you if you'd like." Though the fact that the tribesman was moving his entire shop to be closer to this place and was even having the swordplay institution constructed here spoke volumes about his decision to be close to Yue however he can. It was likely that he was going to be staying here, and Sokka, too, didn't give much of an answer other than a shrug to Gansu's offer.

"Hey, Gansu, you think maybe you could give me some tips?"

"For what?"

"I wanna help out however I can with Ummi," Sokka said as he poured the finished tea into a few cups. "I've never had to take care of a baby before. Like…am I holding her right? And I can use some work on changing her. I guess I just…I'd like a man's perspective, you know? And you have two kids, so you've got the experience…"

It was very strange to Gansu that Wang Fire was so invested. The tribesman said he was close to Yue, but how close was he exactly? Had Gansu not known any better, he would have flat-out assumed that the tribesman was, in fact, the father. Nevertheless, the older man nodded, "I'll be happy to share what I know."

"You're moving locations?"

Pipsqueak nodded in response to Suki's query, "That's right. Wang Fire announced some major changes."

"But why are you moving all of a sudden?" the Kyoshi leader pressed despite knowing that Sokka's rift with the Hounds was the reason to blame. "Everyone knows your business is here. All of your loyal customers—"

"We won't be too far from here. We'll just be relocating to Lotus Street. It's only about five minutes away. Not too much of a burden on customers to travel five more minutes. Besides, it's not like we're offering emergency services for our move to cost lives."

"But what's even on Lotus Street? Just a tiny little house—"

"Well Wang lives there now with his wife and their baby girl," Pipsqueak beamed, but he quickly widened his eyes, "But, uh, act like you don't know that they're his family, okay? He didn't tell us explicitly, so… He's just saying that lady is his best friend from university. Say, did you know he went to Ba Sing Se University?"

Suki's frown deepened, "Why wouldn't he just admit to you that she's his wife? You're his close friends."

"We don't know, but… I mean, it's obvious that there's a change in him. He's a happy guy now, and it's only expected that he'd want to be closer to home."

"Well isn't all this effort unnecessary anyway?" Suki persisted, "He would still be pretty close to Lotus Street if he stayed here. It's only five minutes away like you say."

Pipsqueak looked both ways before leaning forward and whispering, "Between you and me, he wants to get away from the Hounds. You know there's a lot of Hound meetings around the Women's Center some days. Wang doesn't wanna deal with that shit. He's a family man now."

Suki couldn't help glaring in hurt, but even so, she countered with vehemence, "I don't see how moving five minutes away will still do anything."

"Well he has his plans," the apprentice said. "He said he's no longer gonna be making weapons willy-nilly. He's gonna give them only to law enforcement and other people who have valid licenses after extensive background inquiries. He's likely gonna move to part-time shifts at the shop, too."

"Part-time?"

"Yeah, he's actually gonna be teaching swordplay with Master Piandao. Old man's closing down his old estate and opening up a swordplay institution here to run it with Wang. Right now, they're working on buying the plot of land next to the house. Not sure how many acres and stuff, but I know they're gonna make it all gated and connected and stuff. The forge and the institution and the house, I mean. It'll be like Master Piandao's previous estate, only much bigger and with more open space. Wang can literally wake up in the morning, walk ten steps to work, and walk ten steps back home."

"So he's going to be teaching swordplay, huh?" she said, musing, He sure has his safeguards ready.

"Yep. You see how responsible he's getting." Shaking his head, "Though I just don't get why he's gotta keep his family life a secret. I mean, I respect that, but is he really that paranoid about the Hounds? We all know that we can't help but coexist with these gang members in a place like this one. In fact, we gotta rely on 'em sometimes to keep safe. But it's not like he's a Hound himself or knows any for him to be afraid or anything." Failing to notice her knowing look, Pipsqueak shrugged, "Guess he's just anxious and overprotective. I don't blame him."

Suki said nothing more, opting to quit her inquiries and tend to her business, but she was reminded of something that was said in the meeting that ended it all.

"If it comes down to sparing the child, Hahn plans to make her say that she whored herself out to some tribesman she apparently knew in university or something like that."

Some tribesman she apparently knew in university. Suki furrowed her eyebrows, recalling what Pipsqueak had just said. "He's just saying that lady is his best friend from university."

"Wait…" she turned back around, "You said he's saying…she's his friend from university?"

"Yep. Ba Sing Se University. Can you believe it?"

"There are so many other vulnerable people out there that we need to protect! The world doesn't stop for that woman and that baby, alright?!"

"Well my world does."

Did this mean…did this mean Sokka was the tribesman? Did this mean Yue was "Sedna"? Or was Sedna even her name? Did this mean Yue/Sedna went to Ba Sing Se University? Did they really know each other all these years to justify the affection that had bubbled and overflowed on Sokka's face every time he defended "Sedna"? What even happened for them to have lived in different parts of the world all this time if they were so invested in each other?

With these thoughts roaming through her mind, Suki quickly made her way back to the Women's Center, approaching Ty Lee with great urgency.

"I need some passes to the upper ring."

Ty Lee cocked her head curiously, "Why?"

"We need to visit Ba Sing Se University immediately. There's likely some helpful information there."

"I have no intention of continuing my education or being considered for any academic seminar," Yue placed aside her emptied teacup, turning to Gansu and Sela, "Those are not my priorities anymore."

Sokka tried not to make his disappointment obvious. He was aware of Yue's fears and would never write them off, but he had hoped she wouldn't be outright dismissive about her opportunities.

"Ummi needs love and nurture more than I need further opportunities," Yue said. "All I see before me right now is her. And I would really like a job where I can physically be next to her. I understand your school doesn't provide babysitting services."

"No, I'm afraid not," Gansu shook his head.

"If you needed someone to watch over your teachers' children, I would have been more than happy to help out with that and watch Ummi along with them, but teaching a group of students with a baby at the hip isn't ideal." The young tribeswoman twiddled with her fingers, "Maybe I'm expecting too much, and I apologize for that, but I won't accept anything less. I don't see myself leaving her with anyone else. It's not just a matter of trust." She took another look at Ummi, who was deeply asleep against Sokka's chest, "Just the thought of not seeing her or…not being next to her…it makes me feel like my world is ending…"

Sokka reached out and held her hand. Gansu and Sela, meanwhile, could see flashes of genuine pain in the young woman's eyes. She likely had a very rough recent past evidenced by the fact that she came here under financial hardship, left to raise her days-old child. Perhaps this was what was bringing out the side of Wang Fire that they had not seen before. Nevertheless, the degree of the warrior's investment in this ordeal was not any less surprising.

"Hey, it's alright," Sela scooted closer to Yue, placing a hand on her shoulder, "We'll make it work, Yue, we will. How about this? I can hand over to you the paper-grading duties, but additionally, would you be willing to tutor our son, Lee?"

"Yes, I think that's a great idea," Gansu agreed, turning back to Yue, "Lee is just not able to get a grip on his core lessons, and he needs to work on his penmanship. It's horrid. The teachers at school are already burdened with the curriculum, and several of them have still reached out to try to help him, but it seems to me that they are so burdened that they are not being as patient with him as I'd like them to be. Wang says you are very well-educated and that you've tutored before when you were studying together."

"I don't have any of my qualifying documents with me—"

"It doesn't matter. We trust Wang's word and judgment," Sela said. "I know that a couple of other families are interested in having their children tutored, too, and I will reach out to them. We will walk our children here after school, and we'll pick them back up. That way, you can work from home. Thirty silver pieces an hour and three hours per session — four to seven o'candle. Three nights a week, weekends off."

"I will be happy to sponsor it on behalf of the school," Gansu added. "The Spirits were gracious, and we have extensive funding for the administration. I think this is a worthy cause to invest our resources in."

"I'll be home, too, to watch her," Sokka told Yue. "I don't have work right now. The construction will take a while anyway. I'll be free for the next couple of months. And you'll be home, too. If you feel like you wanna check on her, you can, and whenever you're busy, I'll still be there." Gently squeezing her hand, "What do you say?"

Yue gave the idea another moment of thought before nodding slowly, "Yes…I think that would be great."

"Then it's settled!" Sela clapped, "You're all set! But I do think you need to wait a couple of days."

"A couple of days?" Yue said, "But I need to start as soon as possible—"

"You need to regain your energy and heal, Yue," Sela said firmly. "Eat plenty of food, take some time to bond with Ummi. And I know how exhausting nursing can be. You shouldn't stress yourself out. If you would like, I can drop off the papers for you to review, but we're holding off on the tutoring for a little bit."

Yue found that she couldn't protest. After all, she needed to do whatever it took to fool the world into believing that Ummi did come from her.

Sela was absolutely over the moon as she tried to get Ummi to smile. The infant, though, was too curious about the events around her, but she was nevertheless relaxed by her first bath, locking eyes with her mother.

"You like baths, don't you?" Sela chuckled, planting a kiss on the baby's hand. "Her skin is very smooth. What lotion are you using, Yue?"

"Oh, it's this one," Yue handed the lotion to Sela and went back to coating Ummi's chest and belly with the said lotion.

"This is a good one," Sela said. "No wonder! Wang certainly made sure to get the best of the best."

Warmth seeped through Yue's chest, but she held it in as she finished putting Ummi's little dress on her. Sela might not have said it, but by the "best of the best", she obviously meant items that were of high quality and higher prices.

"See? That's all there is to it," Sela told Yue. "It's not rocket science to bathe your newborn. I know it might be scary for a first-time mom, but you'll get used to it."

"Hey, kuluk!" Little one.

The women turned to see Sokka shuffle in. He picked Ummi up, kissing her cheek, "Looks like somebody had their first bath!"

Sela chuckled in amusement, "I was thinking of bringing in some food later today."

"It's fine, Lady Sela, I'll be cooking dinner anyway," Sokka said.

"Are you sure? You two look exhausted. Besides, you never got the chance to try my jelly creampuffs Wang. I'll be making them this evening."

"On second thought, yes please. Yue and I love desserts," he grinned, turning to Yue, "All of Gansu tasted Lady Sela's jelly creampuffs except for me. We gotta take advantage of this, ikkingutima."

Yue nodded, "Yes, we would love to try them."

"Great!"

"Hey, Wang," Gansu called from the hallway, "If you want, I can try to speed the process up for the construction. I know of a few friends in the middle ring…"

"Coming," the tribesman stepped out of the room, taking Ummi with him, but he didn't wander too far, remaining within sight.

"He is not putting her down, I swear," Sela chuckled. "It's a good thing he's not busy for the next several months. He'll enjoy spending time with her."

Yue swallowed, overcome with guilt, "We've been great burdens on him these past two days. I'm really looking forward to standing on my own two feet—"

"Now now, don't say that. I know Wang doesn't think of this as a chore. He genuinely enjoys being around you. You know, you two made him a really happy man by coming here. In all my years, I've never seen Wang be this happy. Or happy at all, in fact." Sela sported a worried look, "The Wang we're seeing now seems like a complete stranger. Yes, he helped us out and everything, but he would rarely communicate more than necessary. He always seemed like…like he was alone in the world. He did his own thing and rarely interacted with people more than necessary. He never talked about his parents or other family members or even friends. But just look at him now. Don't you see him aglow with happiness?"

Indeed, it seemed as if Sokka really was aglow as he zoned out of the conversation and spoke gently to the infant, eventually turning around and pointing to the white-haired beauty, "Look, there's anaana right there." Waving, "'Hi, anaana!'"

Yue grinned and waved as Ummi blinked from her to Sokka, resting against the tribesman's chest. Yue then turned to Sela, overcome by a firm resolve, "You said Mr. Gansu is very influential in the education sector, yes?"

"Yes, he is."

"I was wondering if…there's a way to…"

"Is there something you need?"

"It's not for me. Wang worked really hard to maintain his scholarship for university. The circumstances were rough, and he had to drop out. His records were destroyed, too. Is there any way he can maybe go back…even if not to the university, exactly, is there a way he can finish his engineering track from where he stopped? I know he can do it. He's very smart and talented. He was the topper of the university with me."

"Look at this. He's over there worrying about your future, and you're over here worried about his," Sela observed with a chuckle.

Yue looked back at Sokka, who was planting little kisses on Ummi's small head, keeping her perched over his heart and swaying gently to keep her relaxed. "His mother really wanted this for him…And I don't want him to let her down…"

The nature of the two friends' exact relationship constantly eluded Sela, and from the look she had shared with Gansu, she could tell that her husband, too, was struggling to get a grasp of this. How could they claim to be friends and yet hold this much affection for one another? "Well…normally, entry into the Board of Engineering and subsequent licensure are achieved by passing a state examination. You said Wang made it up to his fourth year, right?"

"Yes, he almost finished it. He didn't finish his last semester, that's all."

"In that case, he can get enrolled in the nontraditional degree track as an independent scholar for the Ba Sing Se Board of Engineers. There are two components - a written exam and the completion of a project. He can familiarize himself with the material and sit for the exam in a few months, and in the meantime, he can work on his project. I know of a mechanist who moved from the Northern Air Temple into the middle ring a few years ago. He lives here with his son, Teo, and his family. He's accredited, too, by the Board of Engineers. I'm sure we can work something out to where Wang has flexible project work hours or can even work on it from home. That way, he can work in the morning and be free in time for your tutoring lessons. Someone will always be available to check on Ummi this way."

"Yes, yes, that's perfect!" Yue gave her a grateful look, "Thank you, Lady Sela. Thank you so, so much."

"Just call me Sela, my dear. I'm like your sister."

I'm like your sister. Yue blinked back a tear, daring to cool the flames of suspicion in her heart with fountains of trust.

Neither of them had imagined that their next moongazing would take them ten years, but here they were beneath the full moon, sitting together on the porch swing as they counted the stars, munching on some peach slices. He extended his blanket out to her to share, and she accepted the invitation, huddling against him. They so quickly and unabashedly slipped back into their lost rhythm, holding onto each other as if the failure to do so would pull them apart for another ten years.

"We're gonna be meeting Katara sooner than we expected."

She turned to him for elaboration, and he pulled out of his pocket three passes to the upper ring dated for the day after tomorrow. "Master Piandao left these by the door earlier. He left a note saying he'll see us tomorrow and talk more about it. Bottom line's that Aang and Katara are in the upper ring with the kids. They came as soon as he reached out to them."

"Sokka, that's wonderful! You must be happy to see them." And upon noticing his uncertain look, "I'll be right with you just like I said…but I need you to promise me something."

"What is it?"

"It's not enough to physically be away from the Hounds. You need to start thinking about your future now. I know you want to work at the shop, and you can do that, but you can also do that with an engineering degree, right? You'll have more options."

"Yue, I don't really know if that's the most important thing right now—"

"I wasn't worried about a seminar, either, but you insist I should do it."

"Because it's a great chance for you to continue studying whatever you want," he said resolutely, "And I do believe I have every right to look out for you as your best friend."

"And I do, too," she pressed. "So just hear me out."

She explained to him everything Sela told her about the continuing education opportunity.

"Katara will feel very happy when you tell her you're going to finish your engineering track," Yue said. "She'll appreciate that you're being serious about moving forward."

"Yue, it all sounds good on paper, but—"

"Sela said she'll bring in that mechanist sometime next week. Just sit down and talk to him. This is a really good opportunity, Sokka." Placing her hand on his shoulder, "It'll make your anaana very happy and very proud. Wherever she may be."

He sighed, "I'll only do it if you let Gansu and Sela consider you for that seminar. We both want the same things for each other, Yue. If we're gonna pick up our careers, we're gonna do it together."

"Sokka, you don't understand. My situation is different. I have to think about Ummi—"

"You're not alone in this for you to worry so much," he told her softly, firmly. "I'm here for Ummi, too. I literally have nothing I need to be doing right now. Gansu even said he's willing to teach me some basic things about taking care of babies. I'll learn. I'll watch Ummi when you're busy. And I'll study for that exam whenever you're not. Please, Yue. This is a really good opportunity for you, too."

She was unable to argue with him. Whether or not she was going to act on a seminar offer, she was not going to let him lose his opportunity. "Fine. We'll give this arrangement a try."

"You have to promise me."

"Only if you promise me."

"I promise."

Leaning her head against his shoulder, blinking at the bright moon, "I promise, too."

"He stayed the night there," Sela told Gansu in the privacy of their bedroom.

"He was stuck there," was all Gansu said, his eyes remaining closed in an effort to sleep.

"Think about it, Gansu. He could've stayed in the outbuilding, but he stayed with her in the house."

"They apparently knew each other for a long time. They're good friends. They don't see anything wrong with that, and we don't have to, either."

"I can understand the same house argument, but why would they sleep in the same bed?"

"How do you know they're…?"

"There was only one bed in the house, and I saw his hair tie and tunic hanging by the edge of the headboard. He and Yue are sleeping in the same bed. They're even sharing the same blanket. Well…maybe not next to each other since it seems like Ummi's in the middle…"

Gansu said nothing, merely taking a deep breath. "Not everything is meant to be figured out..."

"Haven't you noticed? Wang seems to be really invested in them. He's not putting Ummi down. He's pampering her like she's his own. I'm not saying that's wrong, but if she's not his, why would he care so much about taking care of her to the point of asking you for parenting tips, basically? Those two share the same skin shade, too."

"They're Water Tribe. Of course they will look alike."

"But tribespeople have different complexions. Ummi's shade matches Wang's perfectly. And did you see that Wang and Yue were wearing the same kind of necklaces?"

"Didn't they say they were friendship necklaces—?"

"Oh be reasonable, Gansu. They're Water Tribe. You think they wouldn't think twice before making necklaces like that?"

"They were just teenagers back then. Maybe they didn't think that far ahead."

Sela sighed in frustration, "Don't you think Wang is the father? He said they are just friends, but I really think they had relations. He bought her nursing pads, Gansu…"

"You said yourself that Yue feels bad about relying on him for everything. She is in a vulnerable position after all. Why would she feel that way if they were married or if they were in a relationship?"

"But Sensu and his friends have also been saying that Wang's invested in them. Wang is even wanting to be closer to them. And they both care enough about each other's careers."

Gansu took a deep breath, "Alright then. Maybe she really is his wife, and I admit that I felt that was the case, too. But maybe they're trying to hide the fact for whatever reason. Whatever the reason, we should respect it."

"But why would he keep this hidden from us? She's sweet and beautiful. How would telling the world that she's his wife affect them adversely in any way?"

"Just let them be, Sela. Wang has always been secretive. He wants to keep this a secret, too, perhaps. Whatever the reason is, we should honor it. It's obvious that they've been through rough times, and it's also obvious that they're healing with each other's presence. Their past is theirs to process, not ours to probe."

Kya's soft hand shook his shoulder, a knowing smile painted over her lips, "Wake up, Sokka. I made your favorite seal jerky. Come on, sweetie, wash up."

Sokka jerked out of his sleep, stirring to the smell of, indeed, seal jerky. Or, at least the process of making seal jerky. It had been years since he woke up this way. Curious but then seized by reason, he sat up quickly. Neither Ummi nor Yue were in the room, but as he stepped out into the hallway, he saw Ummi cooing in her cradle, staring at the soft toys dangling above her.

"Ullaakkut, kuluk!" Good morning, little one!

"Ah," Ummi cooed, craning her neck in his direction.

"When did you wake up, Ums?" he sang and brought Ummi into his arms, coating her cheek with kisses, "Come on, let's go find anaana."

He followed the delicious smell and stepped into the kitchen, greeted by more mouth-watering aromas and the sight of the white-haired beauty bustling about. "Yue, I thought I told you to rest up," he frowned anxiously. "I'll do the cooking—"

"It's boring just sitting around," Yue set aside a finished dish, turning her attention to the bottle of yak milk she was letting cool. "And you didn't get much sleep last night. I wanted you to sleep in a little."

His line of sight flew to the strips of seal jerky laid out next to a few other dishes she had prepared, proving to him that he wasn't imagining the smell.

"Yours truly also learned to cook over the years," she told him, adding some kelp extract to Ummi's milk, "So I decided to make your favorite seal jerky. We just need to let the strips dry out for a while, and they'll be done."

Battling the warmth that flooded him, "You didn't have to, ikkingutima."

"I just wanted to," she smiled, "Now go wash up. Lunch is ready."

"How long did I sleep?" he blinked.

"Not for too long," she bluffed, not seeming to mind. "Hurry, the food will get cold."

He didn't realize it, but he was wearing the biggest grin he possibly could on his face. "Hey, Yue, you wanna go shopping later?"

"Sokka, I told you I don't need anything else—"

"I'm shopping for myself, okay?"

"Then why don't you go by yourself?"

"I can't do that!" he said, and she wasn't convinced, her eyebrows raised.

"I need to get some books. So I can start studying for the state exam like I promised a certain someone," he said knowingly.

"You also need to get some nice clothes," she said. "You want to look your best when you see Katara again. It's also your first time meeting your nieces and nephews."

"Exactly, and as we both know from prior experience, my shopping tastes are not always the best when it comes to formal wear. I can really use some moral support." Batting his eyes in utmost innocence, "Pleeeaaasseee? Come on, Yue, it's been years since we went shopping together."

Yue couldn't help a tiny smile, "Fine, but we're only shopping for you—"

"Yes!" And instead of handing Ummi over to her, he took Ummi's bottle, opting to feed the infant himself. "Alright, kuluk, it's time I initiated you into the best place in Gansu: Kungtuk's! Very homely, very Water Tribe if I do say so myself. And as soon as we get there, we're going straight to the toy section—"

"Ahem," Yue crossed her arms.

"Hey, don't listen to our secrets," he faked a frown.

"Sokka, don't you think you've bought enough for us? I'm not having you spend any more on me and Ummi—"

"I didn't know your clothing size, and I bought the wrong stuff," he said. "These are basic needs—"

"I told you it's not a big deal. You're spending too much for us—"

"Yue, you spent thousands of gold pieces on my fashion tastes back in the day. This is nothing."

"But—"

"No buts. We're all getting new clothes and stuff, and that's final. Right Ummi?"

"...ah."

"Atta girl," he beamed and took his seat on the couch, holding the bottle up to Ummi's mouth, "Now as I was saying, we're gonna go to the toy section first thing, and you can pick out all your favorites! I hear they got some fancy new bibs in the baby section, too, and I think they should have a new collection of pajamas out…"

Yue sighed, shaking her head, but she noted his ecstatic grin, the way his eyes gleamed as he conversed with Ummi. The tribeswoman was reminded of Sela's words, which kept her from protesting his generosity.

"You know, you two made him a really happy man by coming here. In all my years, I've never seen Wang be this happy."