Chapter 16: Love Me Quietly

"NO! GET AWAY FROM THEM! GET AWAY! YUE! UMMI!"

Sokka tumbled out of his nightmare with a fierce jolt in his chest. He wore a look of utter chaos as he looked around him, relieved to see Ummi fast asleep beside him. The peeping moonlight glimmered over her as if she were a star nestled under blankets resembling midnight clouds. Yue wasn't in bed, however, and the bathroom wasn't occupied, either, but he heard something out in the hallway, convinced she was there.

He took a deep breath, dismissing the haunting visuals from the past several minutes before kissing Ummi's mittened fist. He straightened her blanket over her. "Sweet dreams, ullugiaga." My star.

He slipped hastily out of bed, careful to not wake the newborn. He hurried into the hallway, finding that the place was spotless compared to last night. Yue was seated on a pelt on the ground, immersing a rag in a bowl of water. She was struggling to both clean the blood-soaked bandage and untie it from around her arm, trying to avoid staining the couch.

"Yue!" he raced over to her in alarm.

"Sokka, when did you—?"

"You should've woken me up!" he settled beside her on the floor.

"No, it's okay, I got it—"

"It's fine, let me help," he took hold of the old bandages, peeling them away carefully. "Come on," gesturing to the couch, "Sit up here, I'll—"

"It'll get all over your couch."

"It's our couch," he corrected softly, "And it's okay. We'll clean it later."

Her protests disappeared in her throat as he led her to the couch. He dipped the rag into the water and cleansed her arm as gently as he was able. He took a peek at the kitchen, which was also tidied up, "What are you doing cleaning in the middle of the night? I told you not to strain yourself! Now look what happened."

"I couldn't really sleep, and I was bored…"

"Bored? You need to sleep, you've had very little sleep."

She looked away, admitting, "My arm was hurting, and I couldn't sleep. I didn't like just sitting around with my thoughts, so I straightened the pelts out—"

"And made yourself feel worse," he frowned, "You should've just woken me up. Where's the pain balm the healer gave you?"

She pointed to the table beside the couch. He reached for the small container.

"I'll put it on, Sokka, you don't have to—"

"It's okay, ikkingutima," he said, calm and patient. He smeared some of the balm over her wound. She swallowed a hiss of discomfort; despite him being as gentle as he could in dressing her wound, the nature of her cuts made the pain unavoidable, and it would take another few moments for the numbing balm to take effect. "I'm sorry, I—"

"No, you're fine," she sighed. "It's not something you can help."

He slowed his movements significantly and sealed the bandages, swallowing the lump in his throat. She noticed a flash of red nestled between the bridge of his nose and the corner of his eye, "You've got a smidge of paint on your…wait, let me get it." She reached forward to wipe the ceremonial pigment away, but she was surprised to see the glimmer of a fresh, warm tear mingling with it, "Hey..."

"I'm okay," brushing his tears against his sleeve, trying not to think about the trails of blood he had seen when she escaped from the Hounds or the blurry pandemonium from his nightmare, "I just… I hate seeing you in pain like this…"

She softened her eyes, "It's okay. It doesn't hurt that much anymore. The balm's already starting to work." And when he still had trouble bringing himself together, she wrapped her uninjured arm around him, smoothing her hand down his back, "I'm okay."

"I'll bring in another healer in the morning to double-check—"

"Sokka, no matter how many healers you bring, I'm going to have to wait this out. Besides, I can't feel anything right now, really." She brushed the pigment off of his face, her hand lingering on his cheek. "It's going to be okay."

He then caught sight of a few bags with wrapped gifts and little bows on them, "What's all that?"

"I went ahead and wrapped the presents," she said, noting his confused look, "Don't tell me you forgot. We need to go see Katara in the upper ring in the evening."

He widened his eyes, really having forgotten the planned visit in the wake of yesterday's chaos. "Hey, that's right! How can I be so stupid?! My sister's a waterbending healer! She'll heal you in seconds!"

"Sokka, that's not what I—"

"I can't believe I didn't even think of taking you there! Come on, we gotta—!"

"Woah woah, wait," grasping his arm, "We can't let Katara know about this."

"What?" he frowned incredulously, "Why not?"

"I know you would want to be real with Katara but not too real. It's going to be difficult as it is trying to tell her you were a Hound. If she sees me like this and asks how it happened, what are you going to say? Are you really going to admit to being a Hound for many years and also tell her about last night? You think she would want to hear that?"

"We'll tell her something else, obviously—!"

"What are we going to tell her? Can you think of any way to say this is all accidental?"

"I'll think of something, but I'm not having you sit through the pain like this. All I care about right now is you getting better. I don't care what she ends up thinking about me—"

"How can you say that? How can you be so careless?" she nearly glared, "You've waited so long to see Katara again. Do you really want to ruin the moment because of me—?"

"It's not because of you—!"

"No more discussions," she persisted. "You're going to keep quiet about this when we see Katara, and that's final. You don't have to worry about me; I'm still going to stay out of everything. We'll just say my arm's strained or something."

He wasn't convinced. "Or we could just not go—"

"No! We need to go!"

"Well I'm not letting you overdo it!" he squeaked. "I don't want you forcing yourself to—"

"There's no force in this. What you're not about to do is tell me all these years of longing were lies. Did you even see yourself the other night?" she asked, referring to how he broke down when he told her everything that took place over the years. "Look me in the eye and tell me you didn't mean any of it…and I'll let this go."

"Well Katara isn't the only person I've missed for a long time," his voice cracked.

Yue's frown melted away, her hand resting atop his. He held it softly, his stubborn pout sinking into pure agitation, "There's no one more important to me than you and Ummi. I want you two to be safe and well-rested."

"We will be. There's nothing strenuous about sitting in a carriage. And think about Master Piandao. He must've worked really hard to get those tickets. If we don't take advantage of them, they'll expire—"

"I'll pay him back—"

"That's not the point. Look, Sokka, this is very important for you. You need this. I'm causing enough inconvenience as it is. I'd hate to ruin your time with Katara—"

"I can't believe you're blaming yourself for this," he said, clearly displeased. "You're not causing any inconvenience, and you're not ruining anything. Like I said, the universe is acting shitty right now—"

"Well even if it is, it's been too long since you've seen Katara and connected with her. How long are you going to hide yourself? You can't let this opportunity slip. I promise you, meeting her will make you feel lighter." Squeezing his hand, "Please. We don't need to go anywhere else after this, okay? We don't need to stay for the night if you don't want to. We can come right back."

He took a deep breath, taking a look at the spark candles, which struck thrice, indicating three hours past midnight. "Fine. Get some sleep first. We'll talk about it in the morning."

"I'll be there in a little bit."

"Does your arm still hurt—?"

"No, I just…" She trailed off for a moment, casting a longing look in the direction of their room.

"You want me to bring Ummi here?"

"No, let her sleep." She turned away, "I can't get it out of my head. That horrid Snake-Blood pulling a dagger on her…and then Pakku…" Her eyes welled up with tears. "In any other circumstance, I probably would've helped the Hounds. But I can't afford to make certain sacrifices. Ummi needs me, and they just don't understand—"

"In any circumstance, you shouldn't let those idiots use you like that," he said firmly. "They try to justify their crimes with their greater good yakshit, but there's really no end to the violence. Don't fall for it. I know I did, and I thought I wouldn't be so useless if I did something… but it wasn't worth it. Not at all." Brushing back a stray strand of her hair, "The people who really love you and care about you would never want you sacrificing anything, let alone stand have you face a predator like Hahn even after everything he's tried to do to you…"

"The people who really love you and care about you…" Yue dried her eyes, ignoring the flutter in her chest.

"You know, if you're interested…I know self-defense," Sokka told her, harboring rays of hope. "I can teach you."

"Would you do that…?"

"Of course I would! We're gonna be home anyway. I won't be doing anything with the construction going on, and you'll be tutoring from here. We have all the time in the world. As soon as you get better, and when we're not super bone-tired, we can start lessons. What do you say?"

Her gaze fluttered to the wound on his hand, "That would be the dream. That way, I won't have to make the more extreme moves next time, and you won't have to get hurt—"

"There's not gonna be a next time," he said, "And this isn't about me. We'll always be together, and I'm always gonna be right next to you. But I know this is still really important for you. You're strong and capable, ikkingutima. All you need is some confidence and a little technique, and you won't have to worry about being overpowered by anyone."

"Do you really think I can…?"

"Of course you can. I'm not just saying this. I know it."

She nodded, the burden in her heart starting to lift.

"Now come on, get some sleep. Everything's gonna be okay."

"You go sleep. I want to stay like this. Just for a minute."

He didn't say anything in protest, simply giving a nod and getting up. She assumed he was going back to bed, whispering a soft, "Good night."

"I'm not going to bed yet," he said, briefly stepping in and bringing a blanket, which he wrapped around her. "I'm not going anywhere," he promised, taking his seat beside her.

"I'm not going anywhere." She huddled against his shoulder, basking in a wave of peace.

To say that Piandao was shocked was an understatement, but the man was surprised to see the all-too-recognizable Water Tribe pigment smeared across the foreheads of Sokka and a sleeping Yue. The swordmaster was more elated at the sight of the jasmine garland, which he had learned over the years was an integral part of a Water Tribe marriage ceremony. There was initially no time to dwell on it, however, with Sokka casting him a worried look, whispering softly so she wouldn't wake from her sleep, "Can you tell Katara to come here?"

"Katara?" Piandao blinked, "I expected you wouldn't want to visit her today with what happened yesterday—"

"It's Yue," he breathed. "She's been in pain all night, and she didn't sleep so well. And she's too exhausted to travel right now. Please, Master, tell Katara to come here."

"Sokka…"

"She's the only other Water Tribe healer we have around here. Please."

Worriedly, "But Sokka…what are you going to say when she asks how this happened? Are you going to tell her that you were…? We agreed we will tell her this slowly—"

"I don't care how it turns out. Yue's suffered enough. If Katara wants to hate me, then fine."

It wasn't until the messenger hawk returned to Piandao's wrist, bringing a note that promised Katara's speedy arrival that Sokka's agitation began to wane. He carried a sleeping Yue to their room, planting a kiss on her forehead before bringing a squirming Ummi out into the hallway. In spite of the anxiety of what would happen when Katara looked him in the eye and questioned his life decisions up until now, there was a rare glimmer in his eyes that Piandao didn't fail to notice. The tribesman's occasional gleams of ebbing love as he gazed at Ummi, the way he hummed made-up tunes and sprung into gentle, spontaneous dances with the baby in his arms…everything led Piandao to believe that his suspicion was, in fact, true.

"So you worked up the courage to finally ask Yue?" Piandao asked. He took Ummi from the tribesman and held her in his arms, casting a broad smile at the infant.

"Actually…she was the one who asked me. I never saw that coming." A flare of doubt briefly crossed his features, "You didn't mention anything to her, did you?"

"No, I left as soon as I spoke with you. You told me not to say anything, remember?"

"Then it's probably a coincidence…"

"She had to have asked you because she feels the same way about you," the swordmaster said, sounding hopeful.

"No, Master. She made this decision as an anaana, and I respect that," Sokka said, casting a soft look at Ummi. "And I told her I want to raise Ummi with her."

"Did you say you want to be a father to Ummi?"

"Not in those exact words," he brushed away the bubbling spittle at Ummi's mouth, "I didn't know what she would think. I didn't want her to think I was taking advantage of this or anything. But I did tell her that I consider her and Ummi family and that I love Ummi. I don't know if there's any other way for me to put it without openly admitting my feelings."

"So she agreed to that? To you raising Ummi with her?"

"Yeah…"

Ummi's whimpers tugged at his heart. He brought her back into his arms, whispering to her. His smile was intact as she lay against his chest, sucking on her fingers sleepily.

"So yeah, Yue and I had a ceremony, but we're still friends. No drastic changes. This is just…an arrangement to keep Ummi safe. To keep us all together. Our main goal is to move forward one step at a time. Yue said she was comfortable with this idea, so we went for it." Briefly looking in the direction of her room, "I just wish she's comfortable with my help, too. My financial help, at least. I would understand if we were strangers, but we've been best friends for a long time. We used to sneak out and buy things all the time with her money, and now I see her constantly thinking of ways to repay me for all this. It's gotta get exhausting at some point, right? Trying to fight off the help? This isn't anything to be ashamed of." Planting a kiss on top of Ummi's head, "I just want to care for them without having to explain myself like I'm some outsider…"

"All you can do is give her some time," Piandao advised. "And you were essentially kids when you last saw each other. It's been ten years, Sokka, and a lot can change even if your friendship hasn't. You mentioned her family had been in debt when their business was failing, and I can imagine the hassle of appeasing frustrated creditors. They can get really ugly about these things…"

Sokka sighed miserably.

"But it's okay. It's going to get better. Keep showing her that you're still her best friend from before. You will be surprised to see how things will change."

Yue was under the impression that the balm worked like a charm as her eyes fluttered open to daylight. Ummi was not there, but she was likely with Sokka. Other voices could faintly be heard from the other side of the closed bedroom door; they had guests. Yue brushed her sheets aside and pushed herself up, expecting pain but not experiencing any. Moreover, the skin of her arm looked clear, free of any type of wound. Even more surprising, her tunic was bunched down around her waist, only her breast bindings preserving the modesty of her upper body. Her pants were pulled up, too, past her knees, leaving her legs bare. She gasped and held the sheets back over her body, taking a brief look in the mirror. She found that the cuts on her face had been healed, too, as were the ones at her knees and the bottom of her feet, liberating her of all pain as she stood up.

"What happened…?"

"Seven years," a feminine voice echoed from the other side of the door, "For seven years, I've been trying to reach out to you and you ignore me. And like a fool I keep telling myself that maybe you're busy being the best engineer Ba Sing Se has to offer, or maybe you're busy doing something worthwhile with your life!"

"I know this is overwhelming for you to hear," Piandao's voice came, "But Sokka was in helpless circumstances."

A male voice that didn't belong to Sokka or Piandao jumped in with greater calm, "Katara, love, please, we can talk this out—"

"Talk what out?" the woman's voice burst, "I didn't care that this idiot didn't have time for me. I just wanted him happy and doing something honorable with his life. And look where he is now. He was a Hound up until last week!" A sob, "I can't even look at him, Aang…"

Aang. Avatar Aang. Katara!

"Sweetie—"

"When Master Piandao said he wanted to see me, I was so happy for a moment, I… I thought he finally had it in him to care. After all these years…And this is what I see…" Another sob, "This all happened because of him, didn't it? Yue got hurt because of him, didn't she?!"

"No no no!" Yue fumbled to straighten her clothes and make herself presentable, Why the hell did he tell her this?! I told him not to!

"If you didn't have it in you to keep her safe, then why did you even marry her?!" Katara fumed meanwhile, her fists clenched as she glared daggers at her brother, "Why did you have a baby with her?! And even if you did, why are you still with them?! To put them in danger?! How can you even think of raising a family if you were so attached to being a Hound?! Did you seriously not think about the vulnerability of your situation?! Did you not think of quitting even when you found out there's a baby on the way?!"

Sokka had expected this outrage from his sister, and he knew she wouldn't let him talk in her catharsis. Still he began weakly, "Katara, I—"

"Don't Katara me!"

"Let's all be calm and talk this out," Piandao said. "You have no idea how much he suffered, Katara—"

"If there's anyone's suffering we should think about, it's my mom's," Katara swallowed a sob, "And if this hooligan had thought about her even once before following the Grand Wolf's footsteps—"

"Of course I think about her, Katara," Sokka said, bereft of strength, "I think about her all the time. She was my mother, too—"

"Well you certainly didn't love her the way I did!"

"Katara," he said, incredulous.

"Anaana worked so hard to educate us. To make sure we held our heads high socially and morally. All of her happiness, all of her peace…it was all snatched away because of our dad's stupid decision… And the least she expected from us was to not make the same mistake." Glaring at her brother, "I'm so sick and ashamed of you. I thought you had the least bit of wisdom in you to not turn out like Dad. But I was wrong." With an enraged huff, "And as much as I hate to say this, at least Hakoda had the decency to not get Mom pregnant again in the middle of that crisis, but you just couldn't keep it in your pants, could you?"

"Katara, you need to calm down," Aang said worriedly, adjusting Ummi in his careful hold, "Come on, let's step out for a minute—"

But Katara, incensed beyond compare, seethed at the tribesman while taking Ummi into her own arms, holding her against her heart as if shielding her from the "abomination" that became of her brother. "People like you don't deserve a family. Yue and Ummi are wasted on you! Wasted! How do you have the gall to say you even love Yue? You never loved her! It was lust! If you even knew what love was, you wouldn't have dragged her into this hell with you! What's next? You move away from them and come to visit them once in a blue moon like Hakoda? Ummi's going to grow up hating you!"

Sokka felt his heart tumble over and drop into his stomach as he looked at Ummi, who was now wailing.

"Katara, he said he quit," Piandao frowned, "Please, you're only hurting him. Just give him a chance—"

"And let him come near my family?!" she said while trying to comfort Ummi. "I'm a mom of five, and the last thing I want is some gang leader masquerading as someone of decency and character." Brushing her own tears away, "When Yue wakes up, I'm taking her and my niece with me. There's no way they'll be safe with him, and I will go to the ends of the earth if it means I can keep them away from him—!"

"Katara, stop, please!"

All of them turned to the door to Yue's room, where they saw her cloaked but disheveled form. She wore a devastated look, and when she caught a glimpse of Sokka's face, he quickly turned away to dry his drenched face.

"Yue, you need to rest," Katara began.

"I need to talk to you," the Northern tribeswoman said. "It's very important."

Katara didn't speak further, wallowing in her anger and misery, but she was unable to fathom the trust Yue had for her brother when she took Ummi from her and handed her to Sokka. The tribesman, too, initially seemed surprised given his sister's intense monologue that Yue surely heard, but the trust Yue held for him sparked vibrantly in her eyes.

"Give us a minute," she told him gently, "I'll handle this."

Piandao relayed to the Avatar everything that had transpired thus far, especially the situation that was intensified with Yue's past and the circumstances that led to marriage. Aang, feeling immensely guilty considering Katara's harshness earlier, walked over to the anguished tribesman, who was currently rocking Ummi's cradle despite her having fallen asleep. The Air Nomad placed his hand on Sokka's shoulder. "On behalf of Katara, I'm sorry, Sokka. I'm so, so sorry. We had no idea…"

Sokka only shrugged, "Forget it."

"No, really. You know how she gets when she's really mad. She doesn't mean all of that, she was just venting."

"Everything will be okay, Sokka," Piandao said. "She just needs some time to cool down. I'm sure Yue is explaining everything to her as we speak."

Sokka said nothing.

"Sokka, please," Aang sighed. "Don't take this to heart. She didn't mean it. I'll talk to her again, okay?"

"Let it go, Aang," the tribesman said. "She had to get that off her chest, and she did. I'm not mad. I know I shouldn't be." Swallowing, "I know what I am."

"Sokka…"

"Just leave me and Ummi alone for a bit. I'll be okay."

Piandao, concerned as he was, persuaded Aang to give the tribesman a minute to gather himself. Sokka let out a broken sigh.

"People like you don't deserve a family. Yue and Ummi are wasted on you! Wasted!"

He felt a tear drip onto the sidebar of Ummi's cradle, and by the time he brushed it away, he felt another hand rest on his shoulder.

"Aang, I told you to leave me alone, I'll be okay—" he paused upon seeing Katara behind him, her eyes welling with tears. Her attention flew to his right hand, which harbored the slice of a dagger from the previous day's chaos.

"Does it hurt?"

He shook his head, "Not that much."

She slowly reached for his hand and unwound the gauze, summoning water to her fingertips and healing him in a moment's time.

"I'm still disappointed that you were a Hound," she spoke, her voice breaking, "But I shouldn't have said what I said." Looking up at him, "I'm sorry. I didn't know… I didn't think… I was being a jerk."

Despite being hurt by her words, he still hated to see his sister in tears. "No surprise there. I always knew you had a loud mouth."

She frowned before letting her tears fall, "You really quit? You promise?"

"I promise."

Her arms flew around him in a hug, which he wholeheartedly returned. She cried and cried against him, not realizing just how much she missed the smell of seal jerky radiating from his tunic. She vented several things and called his utter lack of communication a jerk move, all the while not letting go, and he patiently waited for her to finish before, "I know, I know. I missed you, too, sis."

After several more minutes of crying and a cup of hot tea that Sokka graciously provided, Katara was able to calm down and explain herself.

"I was mad because I thought you were being irresponsible and reckless."

He nodded, "I would be mad at myself, too, if I was doing all that. Not that I'd let myself do that, but if I was that dumb enough…" He turned to her, speaking as calmly as he was able, "What I have for her isn't lust, Katara. I'd never do that to her. I'd never do that even if we really did have a baby on the way—"

"I know, I know," she held his hand, "I'm sorry. I just…I was afraid because I thought you were turning into Dad…"

"I've been doing everything in my power not to turn out like him," he told her. "You don't understand, Katara. I've been nothing but a walking corpse all this time. I thought I could stop other people from experiencing what we did, but it wasn't as ideal of a mission as Pakku made it out to be…"

"It never is."

"And it took me this long to figure that out."

Shaking her head, "I can't believe that old bastard would go as far as throwing your records away like that. I can't believe he's still alive even."

"There may have been a way I could've still continued my education…but I lost the will completely," he said. "All these years, I'd been looking for Yue on my own, but everything I did was useless. I wanted to see you and Aang so badly. I wanted to meet my nieces and nephews. But I didn't want anything happening to any of you. I just kept a picture of you guys even though I wasn't supposed to keep anything."

"Why didn't you just reach out through Master Piandao?" she asked. "Why didn't you say you needed help? If you reached out earlier instead of suffering like this—"

"Why would I try to get help if I hated my life and just wanted it to end?"

She stiffened in alarm.

"I hated every bit of what I was doing. I hated myself. I couldn't even look in the mirror some days…and I thought for sure that you would hate me when you found out what I was really doing, and…I thought I was a lost cause. I thought I didn't have a reason to live anymore. I for sure thought I'd die in a bloodbath one of these days—"

"Sokka," she shook her head, "Don't talk like that, please."

"Well that was how it was. I had nothing to look forward to other than death by a Snake-Blood. But ever since I found Yue again…and ever since I met Ummi… It's amazing how quickly someone can go from not caring about what happens to them to wanting to actually live." Softening his eyes, "When I held Ummi for the first time…I didn't realize how terrifying it would be to hold a baby in the situation I found them. It's like…you have a new filter all at once. Everything around you becomes dangerous, everything. And Ummi's so small, and…And the way she tries to hold my finger with her teeny little hand… and she's usually sleeping all the time, but whenever she wakes up and she looks at me… I feel like a king."

Katara smiled, "Believe me, I get it. I've been through all that five times now."

"And Yue…Yue still cares about me. She still appreciates me. I thought she would run away from me when she found out who I'd been and what I'd been doing, but she didn't. She was still looking out for me."

Katara was happy to see the rays of bliss in her brother's eyes, but she couldn't help asking, "But she doesn't know about your feelings yet, does she? She said it wasn't a marriage out of love. At least, not in the romantic sense. Even though she cares deeply about you, and it's obvious..."

"I didn't tell her how I felt when I should have, and I can't tell her now. It's not the right time."

"You know, 'I love you' isn't the same as 'I want to have sex with you.'"

"I know, but I don't want her to feel uncomfortable or pressured in any way. She's been through a lot, and this isn't about me. Besides, I don't know what I'd do if I ruined our friendship."

Katara smiled, "You know, when I told her she and Ummi should come with me, she had this look on her face. And she said she was never going to abandon you like that. She said she's not leaving your side." Nudging him softly, "I know that look, Sokka. I think she loves you, too. Especially if she was willing to stand up for you like that. If she was so quick to understand you like that."

"Yeah?" he said hopefully.

"Mhm. Of course, it does make sense to wait a while…"

He nodded, sporting a look that screamed of his hopeless affections, simultaneously content with Katara's observation.

"But it's still a very beautiful arrangement to live in," his sister said. "You're both married even if you're friends. You're raising Ummi together. And Ummi's just perfect. She looks like Yue, but she's got your skin. It's amazing how easy it is to convince other people she's yours."

A broad, proud smile crossed his lips, "Maybe she was actually meant to be ours, but the Spirits made a big screw-up somewhere, and she was born to the wrong people." Giving his sister a sincere look, "I'm happy, Katara. This is the happiest I've been after a very long time. And I'm not about to pull a Hakoda and ruin it. I promise."

Katara hastened to leave before noon but not before drenching her niece in kisses and inviting Sokka and Yue to bring Ummi to their upper ring guesthouse. She insisted that they join them for dinner and spend time with their children, then stay the night since the Avatar and family were set to leave in the afternoon the next day.

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Katara," Sokka said. "As much as I wanna meet the kids, it's one thing to have Master Piandao escort you here. It's another thing if we come to the upper ring. I don't want to put you guys at risk—"

"If you really forgive me for being a jerk earlier, you'll all join us for dinner," Katara said. "It's been too long, Sokka. It'll be safe. We have lots of security."

"Sure," he scoffed, "That's why I didn't see a single security guard come with you—"

"Because Master Piandao was with us, and because this is a private meeting," Aang explained. "Please, Sokka, come over for dinner. Bring Yue and Ummi."

Katara turned to Yue and handed Ummi over to her, "I never expected to meet my ukuak and nuak like this, but I'm really happy that I did." The waterbending master reached into the folds of her robe and pulled out a bracelet. It was a simple-looking silver bracelet save for its centerpiece, which was a dazzling blue gemstone — sapphire, likely— surrounded with intricate silver designs.

"I brought this with me as soon as I knew I was going to see you," Katara reached for Yue's hand, attempting to slip the bracelet on her.

"Katara, you shouldn't have," Yue withdrew her hand, surprised, "I'm just happy to meet you, I wasn't expecting anything—"

"This belonged to our anaana," Katara explained, looking at her brother. Yue blinked, wide-eyed; she turned to Sokka, who held a nostalgic gleam in his eyes at the sight of the bracelet.

"It was one of the only possessions she still had with her along with her necklace," Katara said. "Even when it became difficult for us financially at certain times, she kept them safe. They were passed down to her by her mother." Smiling, "Anaana always used to say that she would give her jewels to me and her future daughter-in-law." Pointing to the choker at her neck, "I have her necklace. And now, it's my responsibility to give this bracelet to you."

"Oh, Katara, that's…I don't know if I can—"

"Of course you can. It's what anaana would've wanted me to do."

"But you're her daughter. I know she wouldn't mind you keeping both," Yue said, appearing conflicted, "I don't know if I deserve this honor."

"My mom wanted to give this to her daughter-in-law with the understanding that whoever Sokka chose to marry, that woman would take good care of him. That she would understand him and support him through everything. And after talking to you today, I can clearly see that you fit that description. I know it wasn't a traditional marriage between the two of you, but this is the only way I know how to honor you for supporting my brother. I know Anaana would want you to have this…and I'd really appreciate it if you wore this when you come over tonight. Aang's having a painter there, and we'll have our family portrait drawn."

Yue was still uncertain. Katara turned to her brother, nudging him, "Why aren't you saying anything?"

Yue looked to Sokka as if studying his reaction, staying alert for any sign of discomfort or disapproval, but all she could see was a wave of peace in his eyes. "Honestly, there's no one more deserving of this bracelet than you," he told her with utmost sincerity, adding with a blip of awareness, "But if you're not okay with wearing it, then you don't have to."

"It's not that. I just don't want to dishonor—"

"Okay okay, enough of this back and forth," Katara chuckled, bringing her brother and ukuak over to a ledge in the wall, on top of which the friends had kept a small picture of Tui and La. Beside the picture of the Spirits was a portrait of Kya that Katara herself had placed about an hour ago.

"Alright, Sokka, put it on her," she handed the bracelet to him, "In front of Mom. I know she approves."

Sokka looked to Yue for confirmation, who in turn looked to him for confirmation. He eventually broke the uncertainty and smiled wholeheartedly, reaching for her free hand as her other arm was perched around Ummi. He gently placed the bracelet on her wrist.

"It suits you perfectly," Katara grinned at her sister-in-law.

And it seemed to Sokka that at that moment, his mother seemed to smile more brightly in her portrait than he remembered.

"Sokka told me about the decision you've both taken," Piandao said to Yue. "It is better to stay together and have one another's support in times of adversity. While that doesn't always mean marriage, it is most efficient in this situation. Especially with the Hounds refusing to believe you're married."

Yue nodded in acknowledgment, "In an ideal situation, we would've informed you earlier so you can be there for the ceremony. It would also have been proper if Katara and family were there, too, on Sokka's side. But it was kind of a last-minute decision."

"That's no problem at all. I'm just very happy to hear you both took this step." Looking to Sokka, "I'll bring the carriage in the evening. Be ready to leave."

When Piandao found his way out, Yue sighed and made her way over to the couch, exhaustedly taking a seat.

"Why did you have to do that?" she frowned at Sokka, "I knew it was going to be intense. I told you I could've waited it out—"

"Well I possibly couldn't have," he said. "I don't like seeing you hurt. It all worked out anyway."

Her eyes softened. She pat the space near her, inviting him to sit. He joined her, and she gently placed her arm around him. "You know she didn't mean all of those things. I know it's upsetting to hear, but none of that is true. She said it herself; she didn't mean any of it. It was a misunderstanding."

"I know," he nodded, sighing, "I heard you didn't take up their offer. Must be safer living near the Avatar's family…"

She smiled at him reassuringly, "Well I feel safer here with you. Like this. Like now."

Sokka dried his eyes, leaning his head against her shoulder as she rubbed his back, placing a kiss on top of his head. He held her outstretched hand tightly.

"I'm sorry about the whole bracelet thing," Yue said. "I know it's awkward. But for the record," reaching for the artifact on her wrist, "this belongs to you—"

"It's yours," he stopped her before she could take it off. "Katara gave it to you."

"It can't be mine just because she gave it to me. Your anaana will be very happy and proud if you give this to a woman you really love—"

"I do love you. You're my best friend!"

She froze, a tender warmth crashing over her. Sokka looked away for a moment, trying to keep himself from spilling forth further adoration, waves of yearning lapping at his heart.

"Friendship isn't what I mean, Sokka. You know that."

If only it was easy for him to say that she was the woman he had always loved, that he refused to imagine anyone else in her place, that it was impossible for him to think of any other rightful owner of his mother's cherished possession. But several fears— specifically the fears of being separated from her again or breaking her trust— haunted him.

"My mom said she wanted it to go to my wife, and that's you," he said softly. "I'm not trying to say I have any expectations, and it's not at all to make things awkward between us. If you don't want to wear it, that's perfectly okay. But it's just that…we are married. Legally speaking. And whatever that's going to mean in our case, we're still family. I respect that. I respect you."

I respect you.

"You understand me like no one else does, Yue," he said. "I know my anaana is super happy with you having a piece of her. It doesn't have to be weird. It's just a family welcome gift…or maybe think about it like a token of appreciation."

"It's not that it's weird. I just... I'm honored actually. As long as you're okay with me wearing it, I don't mind."

"Of course I am! I wouldn't put it on you if I didn't approve." He cast a soft look at the bracelet on her wrist before smiling in contentment. "If you ask me, it's even more beautiful right now 'cause it's right where it belongs."

With rehearsed "honesty," Sokka and Yue admitted that they were a married couple to Gansu and Sela, and the Earth Kingdomers (mostly Sela) responded with great honesty that they sort of guessed the romantic nature of their relationship already. What they were caught off guard by was the fact that Wang's actual name was Sokka. The Water Tribe friends spun a story that spoke of their days at Ba Sing Se University and their budding feelings, "personal circumstances'' that pitted them to different parts of the world, their reunion after several long years and subsequent marriage about a year ago, and of course, the recent birth of their daughter. Piandao played along with the bluff, pitching in afterward with his helpful input; he relayed that despite knowing Sokka for many years, even he wasn't aware that his pupil had been seeing someone and had married and started a family with her.

"The area Yue was from had a lot of violence and crime instigated by the Snake-Bloods," Sokka said. "It's not like we were being targeted or anything, but it was unpredictable what would happen. We were paranoid about going public, so we decided to keep it under the low. When we found out Ummi was on the way, we decided the best plan would be for us to all shift to Gansu. I made sure Yue stayed with her family friend while I got things situated here. I'd tell everyone I had errands so I could check on her. The plan was to get her into Gansu by saying she needed a job; she said she wanted to work anyway, and I was willing to do anything…" Gulping, "My parents had been victims of gang violence…"

Sela and Gansu widened their eyes, the Earth Kingdom man placing a comforting hand on Sokka's shoulder, "I'm so sorry, son. We never knew…"

"I was just scared. Ever since I lost them…I had gone as far as changing my name and keeping my life private. And now that I have a family to call my own…I was willing to do whatever it took so I wouldn't lose them, too…"

"We wanted to just live as a family here and not have to worry about anything, but this place is dominated by the Hounds," Yue added. "I've been told Gansu is relatively safe, but I still didn't know what kind of future was waiting for us. There was so much uncertainty, and I thought it was best if we continued to keep our relationship a secret for a while. Especially after what Sokka had been through…"

And as if on cue, Sokka "hesitantly" shifted the collar of his loose tunic aside, showing a preview of his scars. Sela and Gansu both gasped, horrified.

"Sokka, who did this to you?!" Gansu demanded. "The Hounds?!"

"The Snake-Bloods. I was helping someone get away from them, and…"

"I never wanted to see him like that again," Yue said, holding Sokka's hand, "And I never wanted anything horrible to happen to our family. I had a hard time believing Gansu could really be safe, and I insisted we would keep everything about ourselves a secret. But I realize there are greater problems if we pretend to just be friends…"

Sela held her hand in reassurance, "These kinds of things are not easy to hide. I don't know how hard it is to pretend you love someone, but it's that much harder to hide genuine love and affection. No matter how hard you try. We see the way you look at each other. And just look at your husband and daughter," she gestured to the sleeping newborn nestled in his soft grip, "You couldn't have expected that proud dad to play the friend card for too long."

"You three need to fearlessly be a family," Gansu told them. "As long as Sela and I are here, we're not going to let anything happen to you. And I know it's hard to feel secure after what happened," turning to Sokka, "with everything you've seen happen and especially with what happened yesterday, but I've spoken to the Dai Li. This is a matter of public safety, so they'll be patrolling the city for a few weeks, especially the Gansu-Ibbein border. Gansu is a green district and an important one at that, and I know the Dai Li will do what they must to meet our demands. So don't be afraid. You have our support."

"We really don't know how to thank you," Yue said, turning to Sela, "I just wish we could've just told you all this earlier, but—"

"Now now, don't apologize. We're not worried about that," Sela assured her. "Besides, I wouldn't expect you to trust us so quickly after everything you've probably witnessed. These gang members are no-good criminals, burdens of the earth. They don't need a reason to target someone." Turning to Sokka, "And it's just so horrible…the things they did to your parents… We never even knew…"

"We're just glad you're able to share this with us at least now instead of trying to be people you're not and suffering amongst yourselves," Gansu said. "How can a family act like they're not family? I can't imagine anything more difficult than that."

Sokka nodded, flashing them a thankful look, "I'm glad you guys are so understanding about this."

Yue, too, smiled gratefully at them, "We were thinking of inviting you and Sokka's other friends for dinner sometime soon. We want to give a proper introduction." Softly nudging her husband, "Right?"

"Yep," Sokka grinned. "After Yue gets to feeling better, we'll have dinner one day. A traditional Water Tribe feast just like you want."

Sela beamed, "Of course! But first, I want you two to rest up and take some time to recover from yesterday. Wang," she turned to the tribesman, "Oh, er, Sokka, wasn't it? Sorry, it's going to take us a while."

He mirrored Yue's relieved smile, "It's no problem at all."

Translations:

Ukuak- sister-in-law

Nuak - niece