After lunch, the group went back to the courthouse for the closing statements. Asami did not return to hear them. Korra assumed it was part of her ploy to create distance. The Avatar was very much looking forward for this 'distance' to be over with. It had been a weird day and she could use a little comfort from her girlfriend. The thought made her smile. "Asami Sato is my girlfriend."

Korra looked over at Baatar Jr., despite his crimes she felt for him. Maybe it was because she witnessed the effects of Kuvira's dismissal of him first hand, or maybe it was because that was something she knew could break her too. It was quite early in her relationship with Asami, but she felt confident she'd never have to worry about her girlfriend doing what Kuvira did to Baatar Jr.

The gavel rapped a few times and Korra stopped her musing. It was over. Now Baatar Jr.'s fate rested in the jury members' hands. The courtroom slowly emptied, the hum of many conversations got quieter and quieter.

"It's time to say goodbye until sentencing, could be a few days before we get a verdict." Baatar Jr.'s defense lawyer called out to their small crowd.

Suyin shot up from her seat and headed towards the front of the courthouse. Baatar Jr. sat shackled as his mother clutched his head to her chest. She gently stroked the longer hair atop his head. Baatar Sr. soon joined them. The rest of the Beifong children and Lin had left their seats, but kept a bit of distance.

Korra surmised they were unsure of how to act towards Baatar Jr. She already knew Opal was conflicted; her brothers and Lin must be to. They all looked to Opal, as if to ask for guidance. Opal hung her head and started walking towards where her parents and brother were. The three boys and Lin followed. Baatar Sr. stepped to the side so his other children could speak to their brother. Baatar Jr. noticed his siblings' presence and looked up. Even from her seat Korra could see the glimmer of tears forming in his eyes. She felt her heart tighten at the sight.

Korra felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Tenzin in the row behind her. "We're heading back to the Temple."

"Ok, I'm ready."

Tenzin, Korra and Jinora slowly walked together back to the city docks.

"You did well today Korra. I know public speaking is not easy for you." Tenzin said, with a light pat on her back.

The Avatar straightened up a bit, feeling proud of herself. "Thanks Tenzin. I want to get better at it. I should ask Asami for advice, she's so confident since she does it all the time."

"Mmm, she also did well. The Prosecutor didn't make it easy for her."

"What do you think the jury will decide, Dad?" Jinora asked.

Tenzin thoughtfully stroked his beard as they walked. "It's hard to say, Jinora. The United Republic has never sought the death penalty before. I do believe whatever is decided for Baatar Jr. will impact Kuvira's trial. If they choose to execute Baatar Jr., then her execution is a guarantee. If they choose not to, then it is possible she could get off with a life sentence."

They arrived at the docks and took a seat to wait for the next ferry.

"What do you think… Kuvira deserves?" Jinora asked looking over at her father sitting beside her.

"I do not believe we have the right to take anyone's life away, no matter what the circumstances. That is a core principle of the Air Nation. My father was told over and over again during the hundred year war that the only way to end it was to kill the Fire Lord. In his spirit he knew that it was not the answer and he chose to follow his own path. Korra, you made a similar decision with Kuvira."

"I guess I did. Had it not played out the way it did, had she not lost control of the weapon and needing saving, I don't know if I would have been able to reason with her. I don't know what I would have done then…" Korra said, putting her hands in her pockets.

"But that is what happened and you did choose to save her life. When my father took away the Fire Lord's bending, that was an unprecedented punishment. It made capturing him and imprisoning him for life easy since he was no longer a threat. It was also his son, Lord Zuko who was in control of that punishment." Tenzin stopped for a moment. "I wonder if the Earth Kingdom felt cheated out of that chance to punish their oppressor… Perhaps their push for death stems from that incident. These are different times we live in girls. You are the ones who will shape the world next. Remember these trials and remember the past. It is when people forget the past that they end up repeating its same mistakes."

Korra stood up and walked a few steps away from her company. "Taking away her bending, that could be a sentence worse than death to her… You think I should suggest it as an alternative to the jury." Korra said, starting to pace.

"I do, but it is your decision if you want to testify in her defense and how."

Korra kicked a nearby rock. She kept on doing this; before she was wrapped up in thinking about Kuvira she forgot about Bataar Jr. Now she had done the same to Kuvira. She didn't know what the right thing to do was.

"You think I could get a chance to talk to her before the trial?"

"I'll see what I can arrange." Tenzin said from his seat.

The boat started to pull into the docks. Jinora and Tenzin got up from their seats in anticipation.

When the trio arrived back on the island, Jinora and Tenzin went to the gazebo to meditate. Korra opted out; too much was going on in her mind to even attempt meditating. Korra instead chose to just hang around at the Air Temple waiting for Asami to show up.

Father and daughter sat side by side in silence. Tenzin was happy that at least one of his children enjoyed meditating like he did. His relationship with Jinora reminded him of the one he had with his own father. Aang would have been so thrilled, had he gotten the chance to meet her.

It was a huge weight off his shoulders knowing he could trust one of his children with the Air Nation when he passed. It was a thought that had been weighing on him more and more lately. He'd had two very close skirts with death in the past years and was starting to feel his mortality. How many more radical tyrants' attacks could he survive? He wasn't getting any younger.

Tenzin snuck a look at his daughter beside him. Perhaps it was time to talk to her about the future. She was going to be fifteen soon, old enough to learn about what was to be expected of her.

Tenzin cleared his throat, "Jinora?"

Jinora slowly opened her eyes and looked over at her father. "Yeah?"

"I want to talk to you about some things…"

"Ok" Jinora said scooting herself to face her father. Tenzin did the same. They both remained seated in the lotus position, but were now facing each other.

"Jinora, you know that you are going to be the one to lead the Air Nation when I no longer can?"

"I guess... I never really thought about it. That seems so far away."

"For your sake I hope it is, but we have seen a lot these past few years. It has made me realize that nothing is a guarantee. I want to be prepared for whatever the world throws at us next."

The young girl nodded.

"What I said today is true; you and Korra are part of the next generation who will take care of our world. As leader of the Air Nation you will be the airbending teacher and spiritual adviser to the Avatar. Korra is closer to your age than mine, so it is likely there will come a time when she looks to you for guidance, and if not, then the next Avatar."

Jinora broke eye contact.

"I don't want to think about the next Avatar…"

"I know sweetheart, it's a strange situation. Normally, when a person in your life dies, that relationship is rarely replaced. With the Avatar it's different; we know that part of the person we knew before is a part of the new Avatar."

"Even though her connection with her past lives is gone?"

"I like to think so. I wonder what it will be like for the next Avatar. Will they have access to Korra? Since it is just Korra who preceded them how much will she be in there? Does the individual Avatar's presence get diluted?"

"Is it weird, knowing that in some ways she is your Dad?"

"I like to think of her like she is a product of him, like another one of his children. I did feel an immediate fondness for Korra, like when you meet a relative for the first time. There is just something there."

"I felt that way about Korra too when I met her."

"It makes me happy that you two get along so well. I think it's time you start further building your relationship with Korra. She will need you and so will the next Avatar. Your experiences with her will help you guide the next Avatar."

"You make it sound like Korra is practice." Jinora said with an uncomfortable chuckle.

"She is... That is just the way it is for those who guide the Avatar Cycle. It is time I told you; I am a member of the White Lotus."

"What?"

Tenzin looked out to the water. "I am a more discreet member, but one nonetheless. I hope one day you will join too. It is our mission to guide the Avatar in any way we can and maintain the balance of the world. When the White Lotus was revealed in the hundred year war, we pledged an allegiance to the Avatar. One of Aang's wishes was to set up a program for future Avatars, like the one in place before the war. He saw the world was changing, and he knew the next Avatar would need protecting and teachers that could come to them. It was also when they began archiving all that was known about the Avatar. That way, future generations would be prepared to assist them. I wonder if Aang in some way foresaw Korra losing her connection with her past lives, because what the White Lotus has archived is all we have to fall back on for future generations. Korra is the trial run of this new system. We have recorded everything about her since her discovery. We periodically interview her parents. I am interviewed as her mentor. One day they will wish to speak to you."

"Does Korra know about this?"

Tenzin turned back to face his daughter. "Not yet, but she will soon… Now that she is an adult we are planning on having a more open dialogue with her. We don't have the best track record with her. Korra is a very sensitive person; we don't want her to take what we've done in the wrong way."

"I'd feel pretty weird about knowing my life has been an experiment." Jinora said with a shrug.

"Korra's life… in many ways is not her own. The Avatar is still the most influential person in the world. At the end of the day, it is it the cycle itself that is the most important. The current Avatar is a vessel for the power to maintain balance. When the life of the Avatar is done or in true risk, the spirit will leave to preserve the cycle."

"Zaheer wanted to stop the Avatar Cycle by killing Korra while she was in the Avatar state. How could that even happen, since the spirit can leave when it knows the Avatar could die?"

"We are not entirely certain. We theorize it's because the Avatar and the Avatar Spirit are fully joined as one in the Avatar State, trapping the spirit to the Avatar host's body. They both have to let go to get out of the Avatar State."

"So an unforeseen attack or an unconscious Avatar means they cannot let go of their half of control over the Avatar State?"

"Correct. The spirit could be ready to leave the body, but is trapped. The Avatar Spirit is powerful, but it has no body of its own. Living organisms will fight for their life down to the very end, it is an automatic response. This is part of the complicated relationship between the Avatar host and the Avatar Spirit."

"It's fascinating, but…" Jinora looked down at the wooden panels of the gazebo. "It makes me feel like I'm betraying Korra to think about her so objectively. How did you do that when it was your own father?"

"Aang was very honest with me from the beginning. It wasn't easy for him at first. He had to let go of a lot at a very young age. Your grandmother was one of those things. His love for her kept him out of the Avatar State, his inability to accept that his life and his mission had to come before her life. Risking the world to save her would in the end be the same as not saving her. He made sure we were aware that he didn't love us any less, but he wasn't just father to us, he was like a father to the world. With no world, there would be no us."

Jinora started to pick at the wood, letting all her father just told her sink in. "I love Korra, she's like a big sister to me. I want her to be happy. For the first time in a long time she seems genuinely happy. If guiding her is to be my path, then I fully accept it. If I do this, I am going to be a hundred percent honest with her. I don't want any secrets between us."

Tenzin smiled at his daughter. "I think you will two will work very well together."

After dinner Korra got tired of waiting so she grabbed her air glider and took off. About fifteen minutes later she dismounted from her air glider and walked up the many steps to the Sato mansion. She rang the bell and listened to the loud chime. The door cracked open and a small woman appeared.

"Yes?"

"Oh, hi Mako's grandma, I uh, was wondering if Asami was home?"

The old woman squinted. "You're Mako and Bolin's little friend, the Avatar right?"

"Yeah, is Asami here?" Korra asked shifting her weight anxiously.

"Oh, she doesn't live here anymore. She got an apartment in the city about a few years ago, didn't she tell you?"

"No, but I uh-"

"How can you go all that time and forget to tell your friends your new address?"

"Yeah, could I get that from you?" The Avatar asked trying to interject.

"Just goes to show how she works too much. She really ought to settle down and get married to a nice man like my grandson Mako. Do you have a boyfriend dear?"

"No, actually I have…" Korra looked at down into the hopeful eyes of the old woman in front of her. "I have… to go. Can I get Asami's new address?"

"Yes, I think she made a little card here." Mako's grandma walked inside the door for a moment. Korra could still hear her talking to herself. She soon came back with a slip of paper and handed it over.

"Thank you." Korra said, opening her glider.

"Bye bye Avatar! Tell my grandson Mako to come visit sometime soon!"

"But he – I will. Bye!"

Korra took to the sky. As the mansion got farther away she dared a look back.

"Mako must not have told her. Bolin will take care of it..."

Korra tried to navigate the city on her glider, but it was too hard to read the street signs. Eventually she accepted she'd have to do it the old-fashioned way. She walked the rest of the way to Asami's apartment. It was only a few buildings over from Future Industries' campus. Korra could see why Asami had chosen the spot. She rang the bell again hoping this time it'd be Asami on the other side of the door. To Korra's relief it was. They both rushed into each other's arms and held on to each other tightly.

"Korra I'm so sorry I forgot to tell you I moved! I called Air Temple Island right after you left."

"It's okay, I should have called first. I got impatient." Korra said, nuzzling her face deeper into the crook of her girlfriend's neck.

"I could have called you while I was at work to make plans. It was so busy, I just got home. Come in." Asami said, taking Korra's hand and pulling her inside. "I'm going to change. Make yourself at home."

Asami slipped down the hall and was quickly out of sight. Korra walked around the large open room. There was a seating area that bled into the kitchen. Most of the apartment walls were windows, giving Asami a lush view of the city. Korra walked up to one of the windows. She could see the faint lights on Air Temple Island.

"What do you think?" Asami purred into Korra's ear, having snuck up behind the shorter girl.

The Avatar turned to face Asami. She had changed into a red Fire Nation-style robe and had undone her hair. Korra's eyes looked her up and down a few times. "You have… quite the view…"

The engineer smirked and flipped her hair. "Can I get you something to drink? I need one after today…"

"Sure."

Asami walked into the kitchen area and started rummaging in her cabinets. "What do you like?"

"I don't know... I'll have what you're having."

"Wine it is."Asami said, pinching two glasses with her fingers in one hand and carrying a dark bottle in the other. She then made her way over to the love seat in the seating area. Korra followed.

"So Mako's grandma… what's her real name?" Korra asked scratching the back of her head.

Asami started pouring them each a glass. "Yin."

"Right, Grandma Yin told me you've been here for a few years?"

Asami passed her girlfriend a glass as she spoke. "Yes, I moved out after the family moved in. They were supposed to move back to the Earth Kingdom after Wu's coronation, but you know how that went. It doesn't bother me. It's been nice being closer to work and I really didn't need all that space to myself."

"Speaking of Wu… Mako has gone to the Earth Kingdom to work with Wu. He wanted me to tell you he's sorry he couldn't say goodbye."

Asami settled into her seat and took a quick sip of her glass. "You mean he's already left? Did he plan this while we were away?"

"I don't know, it sounded like it was a pretty sudden decision. He told Lin he was leaving at the same time he told me. The whole situation was strange; it felt like they weren't telling me something." Korra said turning the glass around in her hands.

"Does… Mako know about us?"

"I don't know, him saying goodbye has been the first I've seen of him since we got back. He never showed up last night at the Air Temple. So unless someone else told him, I don't think so."

The egineer took a large swig of her drink and placed the glass on the table. "He must know and that probably has something to do with why he's leaving."

"Why? He didn't run off after we all finally called it quits. That situation was way messier if you ask me." Korra said, folding her arms.

"He tried to; remember he wasn't going to come to the Earth Kingdom with us." Asami argued.

"Yeah I guess, but it's been so long since we dated. I can't imagine he'd be upset enough to leave. He did say something about taking Lin's advice; maybe it's like a career move?"

Asami got up from her seat. "Oh Korra, you're not even aware of it."

"What are you talking about?"

"The effect you have on people." Asami said, looking out the large window behind the love seat.

Korra leaned forward in her seat. "What do you mean?"

"There is just something magnetic about you. I don't know if it comes from having lived a thousand lives or if it's just a Korra thing. Your strength, your charm and those icy blue eyes that freeze and warm you at the same time…"

All Korra could do was sit there wide eyed and stare. She felt her face heating.

"I couldn't help but be drawn to you and clearly so many others feel that way too. About a year ago I suspected Mako was probably still in love with you. I didn't blame him; at that time I already knew that I loved you too. It's funny thinking back to that night. We were together, both hurting over you but not admitting it to each other. Had someone told Mako and I that we'd be in that situation when we first met, we both would have laughed."

"Asami I…"

"You don't have to say anything. I started falling in love with you three years ago, when we were out in the desert, running away from the Earth Queen and sand sharks. You were like this wild girl from my childhood fantasy stories, beautiful, brave and strong." Asami joined Korra on the love seat again. "I didn't want to fall for you, I really didn't. I couldn't stop it though."

Korra turned her body to face Asami's. "I'm sorry I was gone so long. I was… I was just so lost."

The egnineer took her girlfriend's hands and kissed the back of them. "I know. I told you, you don't have to apologize and you don't have to explain. You didn't know how I felt. Besides, it wasn't until a year ago that I was ready to accept it myself."

Korra gave Asami a slight nod and looked at their joined hands.

"Asami I… I love you too, you know." Korra said, looking into Asami's eyes. "I might not have known as long as you have, but I do."

Korra pulled Asami to her with their joined hands and tilted her head up to Asami's for a kiss. The girls both closed their eyes letting the sensation of their pressed lips take over.

Asami let go of Korra's hands and wrapped them around Korra's neck. The Avatar grabbed Asami's waist and pulled her whole body closer, causing the older girl to squeak.

"Did I startle you?" Korra asked with a smile, flexing her hands around Asami's waist.

"Just kiss me." Asami commanded, pushing them both down on to the love seat, overestimating how much room there was and the two girls tumbled. They both groaned as they sorted themselves from the floor.

"We have the worst luck kissing." The Avartar lamented.

Asami stood up pulling Korra with her. "Come."

They quietly walked down the short hallway to Asami's bedroom. Once inside the engineer shrugged off her robe to reveal a black slip. Korra stayed in the doorway and watched. Asami sat down on her bed and patted the spot next to her.

"Asami… I don't know if…"

"Don't worry; I just want to cuddle with you."

Korra smiled and started taking off her boots. Once they were off she joined Asami on the bed. Asami wrapped her arms around Korra's waist and pulled them both down. Asami adjusted herself so she was the big spoon around Korra, lacing her free hand in one of Korra's.

"There's not enough room for this on the love seat." Asami whispered.

"Clearly, it makes you wonder why they call it that, considered how little room there is."

Asami giggled. "I don't know. Maybe as Avatar you can formally have them renamed."

The girls fell quiet, enjoying the closeness. Korra closed her eyes. Her heart was still beating fast from the earlier events, but was finally feeling the tension on the day leave her body.

"So when did you… fall in love with me?" Asami asked shyly. She was glad her girlfriend couldn't see how red her face probably was.

Korra thought for a moment before answering. "I think it started while I was out on my own, but I didn't really put it all together until I came back to Republic City. I thought about you during that time alone. Recovering dominated my thoughts, but every so often something else would slip through the cracks. You were one of those things. But then I would think about you and a weird feeling would come over me. My chest would tighten and I'd start getting nervous. It would freak me out so then I tried to not think about you. When I came back it felt like we just synced up… You know?"

Korra opened her eyes and looked down at their clasped hands. They perfectly represented the differences in their physical appearances. Asami's hands were long, slender and pale, whereas hers were thick and dark. She pulled them closer to her chest.

"You were there, you had always been there supporting me, even when I left for three years. I wanted to be there for you too, in all the ways you had been and more... I couldn't quite place what more I wanted and then one night when we were at the Air Temple before Kuvira attacked, I looked at you and my chest tightened and I started getting nervous. I looked at you and my breath left my body. I wished I could sit with you on the gazebo every night. Then it clicked in my brain, along with a panic that I was in love with you… and well, you know the rest…"

"I like the rest." Asami whispered.

Korra rolled over so she was facing Asami in the bed.

"Even though... you… your father…"

Asami put a finger to her girlfriend's lips.

"Being able to testify to his honor was the closure I needed. Many people now know about the sacrifice he made for this city and for me." Asami said, tracing her finger along Korra's features.

"Do you think he would have approved of us?"

Asami finished her tracing, ending with Korra's nose. She pressed the tip of it like a button. "That time in jail seemed to help him realize what was really important. I think he would have put his personal beliefs aside to be a part of my life. The humor is not lost on me that the man who was against benders daughter has ended up with the 'bender.'"

"Today at the trial, you said you don't feel like you're a part of team Avatar… is that true?"

"It was once, but not anymore. It was actually Lin who helped me realized I am a part of the team."

"Really?"

"Mhmm, you were unconscious at the time."

"You realized a lot during that time, huh."

"I did, and it was worth the wait. Korra, will you promise me something?"

Korra's heart raced, "anything."

"Promise me this is the last time we talk about 'that time.' Because I've realized that my father gave me an incredible gift and I don't want to waste it on 'what-ifs' and 'what-could-have-beens.' What happened, happened. All that matters to me now is a chance to build a life with you."

"I promise."

"In other news, today was the last day of Baatar Beifong Jr.'s trial. Kuvira's second in command had two surprise celebrity speakers in his defense, owner of Future Industries Asami Sato, and Avatar Korra. Both public figures argued against the death penalty being sought by Republic City and the Earth Kingdom. Deliberations are now underway for Baatar Jr.'s sentence. Our criminal expert anticipates it will be at least a few days before the jury reaches their verdict. Now the weather, tomorrow-"

Before Kuvira could hear the weather the radio was clicked off by one of the guards. Not that it mattered; the weather may never matter to her again. It was just nice having another voice to listen to besides the one in her head.

Kuvira silently pleaded that the verdict for Baatar came quick, so she could get her miserable trial over with. The sooner she found out that she was either going to be executed or spend the rest of her life in jail, the better. Not knowing what to mentally prepare for was becoming torture and she honestly didn't know which sentence would be worse.

To be continued...