Makorra: Gift of a Lifetime Ch.7

Pema quietly walked into the hallway to see her husband conversing with the fellow councilman, and immediately she felt dread drape over her shoulders. She didn’t like this man any more than her husband did-she knew what he was capable of and what he was here for. Bribery and threats- mostly directed at Korra and Tenzin. He was the last person they needed to see today.

“Councilman Tarrlok!” Pema put on her best pseudo smile and approached the two men. “How…nice to see you!” Just because she put on an act didn’t mean she didn’t want him to take a hint. “What brings you here so early in the morning?”

“I just came to speak with your husband and Avatar Korra, but it seems that you are all busy this morning.”

“Yes, I’m afraid so.” Pema tried to sound casual, but she was really just itching to push him back out, slam the door in his face and lock it.

“Well then allow me to assist you with your busy schedule,” Tarrlok brushed past Tenzin and started down the hall. “I’m sure you could use all of the help you could get!”

“I don’t-”

“Don’t be so modest.” Tarrlok’s venomous gaze pierced Tenzin. “It would be my pleasure.” The low note at the end of his statement- it said that the conversation was done. Of course, the sly man only high tailed it to the kitchen and dining area. Help was the last thing he wanted to do for Tenzin and his family.

Once they were sure he was out of earshot, Pema whipped around to bark at her husband. “Tenzin, Korra has her appointment in two hours!” Pema emphasized. “We can’t have Tarrlok around when that happens!”

“I know,” Tenzin sighed. “I’m sure if he found out he would let the press have a field day over it.”

“Then you’d better figure out a way to get him out of here--and quick.” Pema crossed her arms. “Besides, I’m sure he’s the last person Korra wants to see this morning.” Pema knew that today could very well break the Avatar. Perhaps she would act like nothing had happened at first. Once the baby was gone, she would continue with training as usual. But Pema, as well as everyone else, knew that it wasn’t going to work out that way- at least not for Korra.

“Yes, well,” Tenzin huffed out an agitated breath, “it appears our Avatar snuck out last night.”

“What?!” Pema rasped. “You mean she’s not here?”

“No.” Tenzin glared at the floor. “I’m going to send the air acolytes to look for her if she doesn’t come back soon.”

“Have you checked the entire island?” Pema tried to reel back her agitation and her worry. She prayed Korra was alright and that Tarrlok would leave before they found her. Or, at the very least, that he wouldn’t stir up any more trouble.

“I’m going to have them check the island as well.” His eyes were downcast. “Perhaps she just needed time alone to…meditate on today’s expected events."

Because Spirits knew he needed to.

--

She was tense and her stomach was in knots, but Korra was sure of this. She would keep this child and raise it. She wasn’t afraid of what her airbending teacher might think or say about it. He would be fine with her choice- this she knew would be true. Being sent home was her only fear from Tenzin, but even that wasn’t on the forefront of her mind right now. She wasn’t afraid, yet she was tense. It was a matter of anticipation and getting everything out into the open.

Korra glanced over at Mako--who was just as uptight as she was--but kept a steady pace alongside Naga’s lazier one. The poor polar bear dog never did like the island’s steps, to which all three teens could sympathize. Bolin was much more relaxed than she was; the way the earthbender saw it, there was nothing else to worry about and everything would work out just fine. Then again, he was pretty stoked to be an uncle- that was enough to make any dark day brighter for him.

Naga’s gate was slow and sloppy, gently rocking Korra from side to side. Back before she was pregnant she found the movement relaxing, but now it was only making her stomach churn. She swallowed the sick feeling in the back of her throat and tried to focus on the temple ahead, but found it to be no use.

“Hold on.” She reined Naga to a halt and both brothers stopped.

“What is it?” Mako asked.

Korra started climbing off of Naga, praying that the ground beneath her feet would relieve her nausea. “Just feeling sick is all.” She took a deep breath and swallowed, already feeling better.

“Are you gonna be alright?” Bolin peered around Naga at Korra.

“I’m fine.”

“Korra!”

Without thinking, Korra quickly looked up towards the direction of her name being called. The nausea she was so close to quelling came back with a vengeance and threatened to break down her barriers. She looked back down, placing her hands on Naga’s side and closing her eyes, focusing on anything that wouldn’t further upset her stomach. But having Tenzin coming their way so suddenly wasn’t really a relaxing thing. Seeing Tarrlok pop his head out from behind the front door didn’t help either.

Tenzin closed in on the group of teens, worry clear on his face. “Are you alright?” He took in Korra’s posture and his frown deepened.

“I will be,” she gnashed out. “Just give me a second.” Deep breath in, deep breath out- wipe the mind of any troubling thoughts and revel in the feeling of the cool breeze.

“Good morning, Avatar Korra.”

Well, clearly someone didn’t want her to hold down her breakfast.

Begrudgingly she looked up to find Tarrlok sauntering towards her with an ever present smug wiped across his face. She could only muster a small scowl before the nausea tugged for her attention again like a lonely puppy.

“It’s good to see you, as always.” The water tribe councilman stopped next to Tenzin, offering Korra a slightly less horrid smile.

“Yeah, I can’t say the same.” Deep breath in, deep breath out the nose.

Tenzin’s eyes examined Korra’s stature and the beads of sweat forming on her paling face. “Tarrlok,” Tenzin began firmly, “I’m afraid our conversation will have to wait until a later time. Korra is still not feeling well.”

“My goodness,” Tarrlok feigned concern. “It seems that you have had this bug for quite a while.”

He, too, took a moment to review her. She was slouched and leaning against her polar bear dog like she would fall over if it wasn’t there. She looked a bit pale and her brow furrowed and twitched; the lump in her throat slightly visible as it moved up and down when she swallowed.

“Are you sure it’s nothing more serious?”

Korra tried to swallow her nausea back once more. “I’m getting better.” She shot him a short-lived glare before she fought yet another wave of discomfort. For the record, it wasn’t a complete lie. She had been feeling better in terms of her morning sickness.

“And you look quite tired,” Tarrlok claimed. “Surely you haven’t been out all night, have you?” His suave talk was laced with dubious deviousness; a sick grin accompanying his searching gaze.

Mako quietly clenched his jaw and focused on his breathing. He tried to keep his shoulders from bunching up and drawing his hands into fists. This guy had a lot of nerve; too much of it for their comfort. Tarrlok was the kind of man who wouldn’t stop until he got what he wanted, and it appeared he wanted to break down the Avatar’s barriers and use whatever Korra had against her.

And Korra had a lot that could be used against her.

“We were out all night tracking Equalists,” Mako stepped forward. “We heard about a small gathering.” Mako’s amber eyes flitted to Tenzin for some kind of approval; he only prayed that he was telling a believable lie. Tenzin’s serious face told him nothing, so Mako kept going. “There were about ten of them and they were planning a riot.”

“Uh-huh, yeah,” Bolin piped in. “They were going to start a not-so-peaceful protest outside of the arena during the next probending match. And we couldn’t have that!”

“Really?” Tarrlok asked, unconvinced. “And pray tell did you obtain such information?”

“You can hear a lot on the streets if you listen,” Mako said.

“Or your dirty street habits have followed you into your new lives as probenders.”

Mako remained quiet; no emotion on his face. He wouldn’t take that as an insult- because it would be a lie if he said that his claim wasn’t true. He had more street smarts than the next guy, and he utilized it when he needed to, even though it wasn’t part of his life anymore.

“What do you want, Tarrlok?” Korra growled. She just wanted to go inside and sleep, but she knew this man would make her dreams sour.

“I merely wanted to come to speak to you and Tenzin about city matters.” He shrugged, then smirked at Korra. “And to see how you were fairing.”

“Peachy,” Korra deadpanned. “Tell us what you’ve got to say and then leave.”

“I’ll try to make it quick.” He smiled; he didn’t really want to see the Avatar lose her breakfast in the bushes. The councilman turned to Tenzin and he put on a serious expression. “Scandals have been spreading around the city like a disease- word that well-known companies are secretly backing the Equalist movement in particular.”

“Yes, I have heard that…” Tenzin answered thoughtfully. “I also find it odd that we haven’t heard from Amon himself in the past month.”

“Agreed,” Tarrlok nodded. “He appears to be hiding in wait. For what, that is unclear.”

“Maybe he wants to gather more followers,” Korra voiced while crossing her arms. She didn’t need any of this right now, but it was a relief to be talking about something else other than her impending motherhood.

“Yes, but to get followers and to start up riots and rallies he would want to be loud and clear.” Tenzin stroked his beard. “I was expecting him to abuse the radio waves again.”

“Sometimes doing things in secret is more effective,” Mako punched in. “If he keeps it quiet then the authorities can’t bust his supporters, and he can keep his followers.”

“Yeah, the Red Monsoons were really bad about that.” Bolin stroked his chin. “They wanted people to know they were bad, but they always kept their plans a secret.”

“This is all plausible,” Tarrlok grunted, “but we’re limited on intelligence. All we know is that Cabbage Corp is on the list of suspects, as well as a few other smaller companies.”

“Wouldn’t an investigation be the smart thing to do?” Korra took a deep breath; her nausea was finally subsiding.

“If we can get a warrant,” Tenzin answered.

“We’ll discuss it more at the council meeting tomorrow. I just wanted to make sure you and the Avatar knew what was going on and to keep your guards up. There’s no telling what Amon is planning, but from what Avatar Korra has told us it is nothing good and will likely involve your family and the Avatar as well.”

Tarrlok turned to face Korra. “And it looks like you are…recovering.”

“Slowly, yes,” Korra bit.

“Tell me, how long have you been sick?”

“I guess about a month,” she shrugged with a pout. Like Tarrlok even cared.

“And you just get sick on and off throughout the day?” He wished he knew what was ailing the Avatar; then maybe he could expect a time frame for her full recovery. But another suspicion was lurking in the back of his mind.

“Basically.” Korra raised a brow at her fellow water tribe man. “Now could you please leave?”

Tarrlok kept his eyes locked on Korra; cold, calculating, but uneasily still. The only time they moved was when he glanced at Mako and Bolin.

“…Interesting. Well,” he cleared his throat, “I hope you make a full recovery and we hope to see you back on the force soon.”

“Doubtful, but thank you for your concern.” Korra pretended to be interested in her fingernails, her bottom lip jutting out. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, but chose to ignore it for the time being. She had other things to handle, plus she didn’t feel like upsetting her stomach again.

“We’ll just see.” Tarrlok retained his smirk, but his displeasure was clear by the twitch of his lips and the angle of his eyebrows. “You all have a wonderful day.” He nodded at both Tenzin and Korra before taking the long journey back down the island steps.

Korra scoffed. Tarrlok had the worst timing possible. She had hoped to come back to an island filled with good company, not to a shark snake.

“Where have you been?!” Tenzin raised his voice. “We’ve been looking all over for you, and you’re appointment is-”

Korra held up a hand and closed her eyes; here it goes. “Actually, Master Tenzin…” She winced as she said his name. She just hoped her assumptions about how he would react were right. “We needed to talk to you about that…”

--

Mako sat rigid, his hands in his lap. His ochre eyes shifted between Pema and Tenzin, who sat across the table from him and Korra. They both seemed serious; maybe even a little miffed, considering Korra had pulled a vanishing act last night. But above all else they bared concern openly to them both. When his eyes landed on Korra she looked a tad nervous- perhaps even rueful. She had told him that she felt bad for putting everyone through this rollercoaster of choices, but he told her not to worry about it. So long as she was happy, then it really didn’t matter.

The Avatar twisted her hands about nervously in her lap. There wasn’t anything to be nervous about. Tenzin would understand and respect her decision. But this was it: her final decision. She didn’t want to keep jumping across the lines and going back on her choices. The side of the line was where she planned on staying.

Still, this was the cement decision. She was going to have a future with a small child in it; someone she would have to take so much time out of her day to take care of and love. She just hoped she was capable.

Her hands continued twisted about and pinching her pants. “I’m not aborting the baby…” Korra quickly looked down, lifting her brows to herself in a congratulatory manner. She shook her head to get herself to keep talking, “After the probending scare I started thinking… I guess I realized that I cared more about it than I thought.” She looked up ever so briefly, before looking back down at her lap. “So I’m keeping it.”

Neither adult said anything initially. They both appeared to be dumbstruck, so Korra bowed her head and kept talking. “I’m really sorry for putting everyone through so much trouble,” she looked up, icy eyes locking with the older grey ones of her mentor, “but this is something I have to do.”

“Korra, you don’t need to be sorry,” Pema spoke first. Tenderness leaked from her voice like honey and immediately put Korra at ease. “We know this has been hard. This is a big decision, after all!”

“She’s right,” Tenzin began softly. He wouldn’t let anger intercede this time. Allowing anger to corrupt his relationship with his student would only lead to disaster beyond his comprehension. But more than that, he knew Korra needed him now more than ever, and he wouldn’t brush her aside.

“It’s alright to change your mind…” The old airbender glanced at his wife to the side and exchanged a timid look. “Actually, we’re glad you did.”

Korra’s eyes widened and she craned her head back a little. “Wait.” She looked over at Mako briefly before placing her eyes back on the couple before her. “But I thought that you thought it was a good idea?”

“It was a smart idea,” Tenzin paused to stroke his beard, “given all that you two have to deal with, a…termination would have been a logical option. But, well, for you…” Tenzin sighed, placing both of his hands on the table. His wisdom was like books in a library; sometimes sorting through it and finding the right book was what made it difficult. “Sometimes the smartest idea isn’t the best idea.”

The airbending master paused for a moment, gathering and sorting his thoughts.

“Korra…” Tenzin pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. What all did he need to say to her? Where in the world did he start and how did he go about saying it all in just the right way; in the way she needed to hear it? He supposed he needed to start from the beginning.

“I’m sorry for snapping at you the other day. The news just…surprised me. I didn’t mean what I said.”

“It’s alright.” Korra knew he was genuinely sorry. She could forgive him. But the sad fact of the matter was that the seed of doubt had been planted. Before he had said anything, she had merely held the seed in her hands, staring at it- afraid that it could grow. The minute he compared her to his father and judged her possible mothering capabilities, he had planted it. It was up to her now if she decided to water it and let it grow.

“No, it’s not alright.” Tenzin shook his head. “But it’s in the past now, and I can’t take back what I said. Right now, I’m just glad you’ve come to the decision that’s right for you.”

“And we’re glad that you came to talk to us,” Pema interjected earnestly. “Both of you.”

Korra smiled lightly; she was glad she had made the right decision. And she was glad that Mako was there to make it with her.

“I imagine now would be the best time to figure out our next course of action,” Tenzin said.

“Since you’re going to go through with the pregnancy, we need to set up a doctor’s appointment and get you on some prenatal medications.” Pema smiled; it tickled her pink to know she would be the voice of experience for the younger woman.

“Uh, yeah.” Korra was sure of her decision, but she could already feel the overwhelming tidal wave rising behind her.

“I have to know,” Tenzin interrupted gently. He hoped his next question wouldn’t set off an entire war. “Have you considered adoption?” Tenzin asked gently.

“Yeah, it’s just…” Korra looked down at the table when she found out she didn’t have a direct answer. “I couldn’t bear the thought of aborting it- and I know that’s totally different from giving it up for someone else to raise, but…” She scanned the palms of her hands; maybe the answers were in the lines. But she found none.

“It’s quite alright.” Tenzin raised a palm to cease her and put her at ease. “You don’t need to explain.” The airbender took his focus off of his student and placed it on the firebender seated next to her. The boy seemed formal in the way he sat; his posture straight and his eyes focused and alert, even though it was clear he hadn’t had much sleep. “And I assume you’re taking responsibility for this as well?”

“Yes, sir.” Mako bowed his head.

“I’m glad to hear it.” The bearded man sighed. Finally, all of the chess pieces were in place and the game could begin. “I suppose we need to figure out what we’re going to do from this point onward.” He brought his hand to his face, the sides of his fingers pressed around his cheeks as he contemplated their plan of action.

Korra wished she could contribute to a plan, but she hadn’t the slightest idea of what to do. She had been so focused on getting everything out of her system that she hadn’t given thought to what came after this. Her only fear had been that Tenzin would send her back to the South Pole- and now the fear suddenly felt amplified now that all the cards were on the table.

“Leaving the island is out of the question.”

Korra perked up. “Wait- aren’t you going to send me back home?”

“What?” Tenzin was shocked by the question. “Why would we send you back home?”

“Because I came here to train but I got knocked up instead!” Korra held up her hands, glancing from one to the other as she spoke of each topic.

Tenzin had to swallow the ruffled feeling her bluntness shoved into him. He cleared his throat. “Yes well, you came here to complete your airbending training. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no sense in sending you home when you haven’t mastered it.”

Korra visibly relaxed. She could stay and not have to face complete and utter failure by returning home. She could stay here and not have to go home with her head hung low and her tail between her legs as an unwed teenage mother. Mako could still be close by and he could still be there for his child.

How much that last part meant to her still blew her away.

“Wait.” Korra could feel dread settling on her stomach. “When you say no leaving the island…”

“I mean,” Tenzin knew he would have to put a lot of emphasis on this next part, “you won’t permitted to leave the island until after your child is born.”

“What? You can’t be serious!”

“I’m very serious.”

“But that isn’t fair!” She regretted it the minute she said it. She knew she would get the ‘you did the crime, now you do the time’ kind of talk from him. “Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I’m some kind of convict!”

“It’s not about being in trouble,” Tenzin countered quickly. “It’s too dangerous for you to be wandering about the city as it is in your condition.”

“He’s right,” Mako joined in. He got a dirty look from Korra, but he didn’t falter. “With Amon and the Equalists running around- you wouldn’t stand a change while being pregnant.”

Korra scowled, biting her bottom lip. She had already thought of all this; cursed it as well. She knew that she would have to stay clear of Amon and the press would be a problem, but she never considered completely isolating herself on the island. The idea made her stomach roll and her heart burn; she was a creature that longed to be free, not tied down to one spot. But she knew her teacher and the father of her child were right. Amon could use her condition, or –spirits forbid- her child against her. Tarrlok could easily exploit her and the reporters would have ball spreading the word of an Avatar baby.

“You’re right…” she ground out.

Seeing that the announcement of her lockdown was frustrating, Tenzin continued, “You’ll continue to train your physical self- staying away from the gates. When you progress further into your pregnancy, then you will be restricted to meditation and reading.”

Her least two favorite training activities; wonderful. But it was still better than going back home and having to sew baby booties out of yak bear fur, all while receiving judgment from around the village.

“Alright,” she sighed. Not being able to leave the island was going to be the hardest thing for her, but she could handle meditating and reading no sweat, even if it was a complete drag.

She was taking this all surprisingly well. Tenzin was glad for it, too. If the Korra he had met a year ago were in this position he would have seriously contemplated sending her back to the South Pole- mostly for his own sanity. But she had matured in a young woman; a bit of a rough young woman and who was still tender-footed in the ways of adulthood, but a majestic being of respect.

Tenzin only hoped Mako could keep up with the finesse Korra was slowly beginning to exude. He was just about to start laying into Mako about his plans, but Mako beat him to the punch.

“I’m going to quit probending and work full-time at the power plant.”

Tenzin and Pema were taken aback, while Korra sighed quietly. She knew Mako wasn’t done yet. “I’ll pay for everything the baby needs- clothes, food, medicine-”

“I already told you, you don’t need to do that.” Korra rested her elbow on the table and lay her forehead in her hand. The fatigue was catching up to her even more now that she had some of the weight off of her shoulders. It didn’t help that the room was pleasantly warm.

“And I told you that I am,” Mako stated firmly. “I’m taking responsibility for it.”

The airbenders didn’t know Mako or his brother very well. They knew they were friendly boys who loved to probend, and they were aware that they had no parents and had lived on the streets, but everything else about them was a mystery. Tenzin couldn’t help but feel a little skeptical about Mako’s conviction, but he also commended it, and couldn’t help but feel sorry for the boy. It was clear the firebender worked hard and that recent events had taken away precious hours of sleep.

But Tenzin could also tell from a few of the matches he had attended, that probending was something Mako enjoyed. His moves in the ring were lively and light, yet powerful and controlled. If all the boy planned to do was work a lousy, dead end job –and Tenzin knew how the power plant worked- then he would be miserable like half of the adult population of the city. He was far too young to be stuck in a job like that and have no outlet to keep him happy. Not to mention, Mako was so good at probending that he had a shot at the championship. Even if he didn’t make it that far, he could still win matches and bring in money.

Even in all of this, Korra was right. There was no need for Mako to provide any money. But Tenzin was a man of virtue, and he supposed Mako must be too. He knew that this was not only a matter of taking responsibility, but a matter of pride. And judging by the way Mako’s fiery eyes bored into Tenzin’s hazy grey ones, it was also possibly a matter of care.

“I don’t know that quitting probending is the right answer,” Tenzin answered thoughtfully.

“Yeah,” Korra added. “You shouldn’t have to give up something you love.”

“But I am,” Mako stated with certainty.

Korra was touched by his conviction. His honey-colored eyes were hard and focused; he was completely behind her on all of this. But she couldn’t just sit by and watch him give up everything. “Mako,” Korra started, “I think you should listen to Tenzin. I don’t want to see you quit probending over this.”

“It would be a shame not to see the Fire Ferrets participate this season.” Tenzin smiled softly.

There was trepidation in Mako as he flinched. It was tempting to take the offer. He didn’t want to quit something that could possibly get him and his brother out of complete poverty- not to mention help him take care of his child with even more ease.

“But what about you?” Mako looked at Korra with sincerity. “You love probending too.”

“Yeah, but I physically can’t play.” She gave him a genuine smile; something she hadn’t given anyone in a long time. “It’s fine, really.”

And it was. For the first time in a while she was actually fine. She was finally coming to accept these turn of events.

She had been insistent; Mako should have known better than to argue with her. Even if she had to get someone to back her up, she always seemed to win against him. Mako took this was grace; her smile the main motivation. He bowed his head to the airbending master and his wife. “Thank you.”

--

Tenzin called the Dr. Tai about Korra’s abortion. He firmly told the physician that the appointment would not be necessary. He could hear the soft smile on the doctor’s lips on the other side of the phone. “Change of heart?”

Tenzin was about to answer when he heard a high-pitched squeal outside. He turned his grey eyes to the window and saw Mako, Bolin, Korra, and his children all outside. Ikki was jumping up and down excitedly, and Meelo and Jinora’s faces were bright with enthusiasm. They each started jumping and jostling about in all of their newfound delight, and then each took a moment to hug Korra before bombarding her with, what Tenzin imagined, were questions and words of excitement. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Mako and Korra had delivered the news of their expecting baby to Tenzin’s children.

It was when Tenzin turned his attention to the young man and woman next to his children that it dawned upon the aging man. Korra’s smile was beginning to reach her eyes again as she grabbed Ikki by her arms to steady her.  A whimsical laugh bent the air to its liking as it left her lips and floated across to his window. It was such a beautiful noise to hear after such a long time of conflicting silence. Then the airbender looked to Mako. The firebender’s smile was light, weighed down by fatigue. But it didn’t matter how small the smile was, because it reached his eyes, just like Korra’s did. His posture was a bit slouched and his hands were stuffed in his pockets, but an aura of happiness could be felt all the way from where Tenzin was sitting.

Tenzin’s mind went through his file cabinet of memories. Korra had already been through so much, even before getting pregnant. And as he had watched her overcome different obstacles he had gotten a better grip on what kind of person she was. She was someone who never backed down. Her decision to terminate her pregnancy had been one made out of fear; granted, all of the reasons she presented were sound and sensible. However, the decision was so unlike Korra. Her mind had gotten tangled up in all of the anxiety and fear, and even justice for her title and the city, but she had yet to think of the growing life inside of her. But once she had, everything clicked into place. Once she had finally quit thinking about everyone else, and thought for herself for once, she was able to reach a happy medium. Her heart had been in the right place all along, but she couldn’t quite see it through the thick haze of anxiety.

“No,” Tenzin stated simply. “I just don’t think her heart was ever in it to begin with.”