[AN] Aaaaand we're back! So sorry it took so long to get this one going, my other works of course took longer than I thought, plus life. Life is a thing. A thing that consumes a lot of time.

Anyway, here we go!

The therapy garden at University Hospital covers around five acres of carefully designed landscaping. There are wide open areas with soft grass and mosses, designed to make the patient feel unconfined. Other areas are labyrinths of beautifully maintained hedges for those who feel the desperate need to hide from view.

It's a place I've spent a lot of time over the past couple of years.

I take a deep breath and look around. I have to sell a potentially controversial idea to two hot headed people, which is always going to be a little tough. I step through the gates and onto a slate stone path that leads through a copse of trees into a broad expanse of lawn.

I finally see my target on the grass on the far side of the lawn, three figures sprawled in the glass gazing up into the sky. As I approach I catch their conversation.

"… looks like a ferret, hey Bo?"

"Nah, that's no ferret. That one over there is way more ferret like. It even has flames. Right, Bo?"

My heart sinks as I get closer. My former squadmate, Lieutenant Bolin, has been arranged carefully onto a blanket. His face bears the same blank look that it always does, his eyes empty, his hands limp at his sides. A cable runs from a black box on the back of his wheelchair and disappears under his hospital scrubs. On either side of him lie a couple of his old comrade in arms, Captains Jinora and Opal, otherwise known as Wee Bitch and Mad Bitch. They come regularly, taking him out of his hospital room and hanging out with him, hopeful that some day he'll be able to finally respond.

It's a hope that my girlfriend, Doctor Asami Sato, has steadily and sadly relinquished. The sheer volume of damage to both his brain and psyche have proven beyond even the genius of her and her team to repair. She's only managed to keep him comfortable and somewhat mobile through a custom application of her top secret R.A.a.V.A., or Regenerative Assistant and Virtual Augmentation, system.

However, she's also said repeatedly that she believes in the potential of the unexpected, given everything we've gone through. Guess that's as close as a scientist like Asami will get to admit their might be miracles.

"AttenSHUN!" I bellow as I get closer. I giggle as Jinora and Opal instantly scramble to their feet, then catch sight of me and flop back down with twin glares.

"Such an asshole," Opal complains.

Jinora rolls her eyes in agreement.

"You two are always so respectful to your commanding officer."

Opal waves a lazy middle finger at me. "Yeah, yeah, Colonel. The same commanding officer who dared us to go streaking with her past the graduating class of Space Fighter Corps pilots and got us all tossed in the brig for two days."

I smirk. It was true, and it was worth it. My best friend and second in command Lieutenant Colonel Kuvira, aka Boss Bitch, had bet me a thousand yuans and a case of my favorite whiskey that I wouldn't actually do it.

I though Fleet Admiral Izumi was going to have a coronary her face had gone so red with rage but later there were witnesses to her snagging a couple of bottles from the case during our incarceration.

I really love that tough old broad.

I give Bolin his usual head rub and tug on his earlobe. When he first joined the squadron he'd always laugh and pull me into a headlock in retaliation, to the utter horror of his brother.

I sigh at the memory of Mako and Iroh, two other squadron mates lost too soon. There was also Song, the gruff Sergeant lost during the mission to protect Asami and her precious achievement; the AI Raava, then and now an incredible boon to humanity.

I look carefully at Bolin as I sit down.

"You know, B, I used to wish you'd shut up so often," I say conversationally. "But I think enough time has passed. You can start telling your shitty jokes again, and I won't mind."

Jinora sniffs. I look over to see Opal wrap one arm around her shoulders.

"I'm thinking its time to get you out of this hospital," I say again, looking back at Bolin, but really talking to the two women staring at me. "We've got a nice setup for you at the house. It's got a great view, super quiet and peaceful."

"You're giving up," Opal said, her voice low and tight.

I turn to her, keeping my face neutral.

"I promise I'm not."

Jinora cocked her head at me. "Then why are you taking him from the hospital?"

I look around briefly then lean forward, my hand holding Bolin's. "Look, the hospital has declared him a lost cause. They want the facilities he's using for new patients. If it was up to them he'd be institutionalized at one of the base veteran's hospitals to basically just sit there for the rest of his life."

Opal opens her mouth to argue but I hold up one hand.

"So instead, we put him up at our place. We can bring in whatever in-home care he needs, and Asami and Raava can continue to work with him." I stroke his knuckles. "At this point physically he's as good as can be expected. It's just his mind that's in trouble, and Asami thinks it might be useful to get him a change of scenery."

I see Opal start to relax, and now it's Jinora who's rubbing a comforting hand across her partner's knee.

Interesting. Asami might actually win this bet.

Just to be safe, I throw out the final coup de gras. "Also, Raava won't have to hide at our house, so its possible there are things she'll be able to try she simply can't do at the hospital."

I see them both get happy at this thought, and I finally start to relax myself. Bolin will always be Little Mouse to us — a brother in arms, and for whom we must always keep the faith. I was afraid my Bitches would put up a fight at anything that took him from the hospital's resources and Asami's research lab, but I'm glad to see they trust me enough to support this.

I hope to hell it helps.

"Good afternoon, everyone."

Almost as if summoned, the brilliant and beautiful Doctor Asami Sato has approached us unawares, but she smiles gently at all of us before kneeling at the R.A.a.V.A. case under Bolin's wheelchair to check the readouts.

Rumbled greetings come from all sides, and we watch as she reviews incomprehensible rows of numbers and graphs.

"Hrm, okay. Let's get you back inside, okay Lieutenant? You blood sugar is a bit low — time for dinner." She steps back as we lift Bolin back into wheelchair and start for the garden gate. Orderlies used to fuss at us doing this, citing hospital policy and other non-sensical drivel. One large orderly in particular made the mistake of putting a patronizing hand on Jinora's shoulder to move her out of the way. He discovered quickly that this was an incredibly bad idea as he found himself flat on the ground, one arm twisted painfully behind his back and her booted, albeit petite, foot pressed firmly against his trachea.

Word got around, and now the entire hospital knows not to mess with Bolin when the Bitches are around.

The air inside the hospital is always an unpleasant shock after the sweet aromas of the garden, and we all wrinkle our noses. As we emerge from the elevator and head toward's Bolin's room we spot a familiar imposing figure lounging nearby.

"Uncle Bumi!" Jinora squeals in delight and flings herself into a hug.

He chuckles and wraps his arms around her fondly. "I thought I'd stop by and regale our young Lieutenant with a new book I found at the library."

Bumi was the previous commander of the Special Forces division. While he had never known Bolin healthy and flying he had developed a special bond with the Fire Ferrets squadron during our mission and Special Forces, like the Space Fighter Corps, treat all members as family, known or not.

Over the past few years he'd taken to reading to Bolin once or twice a week, and the AI Raava with her ever practical understanding of human physiology but limited knowledge of thought patterns, had been astonished to see that Bolin at some level responded; his night terrors eased and his vitals improved.

Now Raava is in secret communication with some of the top psychologists in the United Federation — secret because none of them know who she really is. As far as they know she is a colleague of Doctor Sato's, and very thorough with her emailed questions.

Bumi looks over at me with a wicked green. "So, Colonel Korra, I trust you received your gift from me for your recent promotion?"

I groan. "Yes, you asshole. Thanks a lot."

Opal giggles. "A singing telegram during morning muster was outstanding, General."

Jinora pokes me. "With balloons, no less."

"Oh yeah," I growl. "All of the recruits are trying to get Izumi to change my callsign to Twinkletoes now."

"She might do it after the streaking incident," Jinora observes.

Asami turns to me with narrowed eyes at the reminder of my two days in the brig.

I groan. "Not helping, Wee."

Bumi chuckles, then gently nudges Jinora and Opal out of the way. "Come along, young Bolin. Adventure awaits!"

They disappear into Bolin's room and the rest of us head down the hallway towards the elevators.

Asami glances at me carefully. "Everything sorted out?"

"Yeah, we're good."

Asami looks over at Opal and Jinora. "Thank you," she says seriously. "Given how things initially went with Kuvira, I wasn't sure how you two would respond."

Jinora snorts. "I bet. She's good with this though?"

"It took a bit, but once we explained everything the third time, she was good. There were a few punches thrown though."

"Good for Boss," Opal beams.

"Not helping, Mad!"