A/N Well it's finally here! The last chapter. If you've made it this far, it means that you didn't die of fluff-overdose in chapter four. Yay! I felt like the little girl from Despicable Me writing it. "It's so fluffy I'm gonna DIE!" Anyway, I'm rambling. To sum up: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING THIS STORY. I LOVE YOU ALL.

And in light of said support, *ahem* I WILL BE WRITING A DIRECT SEQUEL TO Given ENTITLED Chosen. Since I don't want to spoil this last chapter of Given, I'll discuss Chosen more in the second author's note at the end of the chapter.

This is the first multi-chapter fanfiction I've ever completed. *throws confetti* And if you want to stay updated on the sequel-of-sorts that will be titled The Time Between or the direct sequel Chosen, you can add me to author alert, or just PM me and I'll send you a message when either is up. And now, on to the final chapter!

Chapter Five: Given

Three weeks passed at the Southern Watertribe before Korra, Mako, Bolin, Asami, and Tenzin and his family prepared to return to Republic City. As the airbending family climbed aboard Oogi and Bolin and Asami boarded the boat, Korra and Mako lingered on the shore to bid Katara, Senna, and Tonraq farewell.

"Goodbye, Master Katara," Korra said, hugging her pseudo-grandmother.

"Take care, Korra. It seems you found your destiny in Republic City after all." The old woman's eyes laughed at the two waterbenders' private joke as she inclined her white head towards Mako, who was conversing with Korra's parents. "Keep him close," Katara added in a whisper.

"I will," Korra promised, smiling and hugging her teacher a final time before departing.

As she approached her parents and boyfriend, Korra caught the end of their exchange.

Senna enveloped the firebender in a motherly embrace. "You're welcome any time, Mako."

"Thank you, Senna," he said, returning the hug.

"Take good care of my little girl," Tonraq warned with mock-severity.

"Yes, sir," Mako answered with a smile, shocked when the older man swept him into a paternal hug. "I really will," the firebender promised, patting Tonraq's back a bit awkwardly.

"Try not to get in too much trouble?" Senna addressed her daughter, knowing full well such a request was futile.

"I'll try," Korra conceded, hugging both her parents at once. "I love you both. I'll remember to write more often this time."

"Take care, sweetheart." Tonraq reluctantly released his daughter, as did his wife a moment later. They watched as the pair of teens walked towards the boat, Mako's arm around Korra's shoulders.

"They'll be alright," Katara assured the worried parents. "They've got each other, after all." Tonraq and Senna nodded in agreement.

Mako and Korra joined Bolin and Asami on the deck as the ship took off. They waved until the shore became a distant site, thinking to themselves how lucky they were to have such love in their lives.

And Mako and Korra's love grew with the years.

The thick sounds of a summer night filled the room as Mako gently pulled his sleeping wife closer, pressing his chest to her back. His arm wound around her protectively, hand resting on her swollen stomach, sensing the heat of life within.

Sometimes, Mako wondered if he would wake to find Korra's warmth replaced with the cold press of concrete, their love the mere fantasy of a starving street kid. It just seemed too good to be real: that for every thing taken, something more had been gained.

It started with a stubborn girl offering a hardhearted boy her friendship, then she gave him her love and everything that came with it: marriage, their unborn child, and a life more beautiful and fulfilling than he ever fathomed possible.

Mako pressed a kiss to Korra's shoulder, savoring the serenity the night offered between their hectic days. Being married to the Avatar guaranteed difficulties. Even in times of peace, the threat of danger loomed like a dark cloud in a sunny sky. Korra's pregnancy heightened her vulnerability and heightened her husband's protective instincts.

As he nuzzled her neck and took in her calming scent, Mako recalled how many times he'd come so very close to loosing the woman he loved. But they always made it through. Together.

Together they discovered that for every thing lost, something more was found. The loss of Korra's bending led to her fully mastering her abilities as Avatar. Where Mako lost his first family, he gained another. No one would ever replace his parents, and no one would try. But Korra, with her infinite obstinacy, had broken down his walls piece by piece and made his heart her home.

For many years, Bolin was all that kept Mako from falling into the widening black hole left in his heart by his parents' deaths. Mako's friends helped to bridge the gap. His in-laws filled the space a little more. But only Korra could seal the wound; their baby made him forget the pain associated with the scar.

Korra's blue eyes fluttered open as her husband leaned over to kiss her cheek. She shifted to her back and turned her head to face the interrupter of her rest.

"Sorry," Mako murmured, lips ghosting over hers. "I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

Korra's stubbornness hadn't faded with age, demonstrated by a shake of her brown locks. Mako pulled his spouse to his side as she placed a soft hand on his cheek.

"Hey," she greeted quietly, voice still heavy with sleep. "What are you thinking about?"

Mako was silent for a moment, lightly tracing patterns along Korra's dark arm. Then he answered quietly, "Just about how blessed I am and how much I love you."

Korra smiled. Despite their boundless trust in one another, Mako did not speak such thoughts aloud often. He never would be a man to speak unnecessary words.

"I love you, too." After a brief kiss, she chuckled and added, "Though, when we first met, I never would have taken you for the romantic type, Sir-Scowls-A-Lot."

"You're the one that married me," he reminded her, lacing his fingers with hers and lifting their wedding bands to eye level.

Korra had favored a discreet sign of their union with traditional Earth Kingdom rings, as opposed to the Watertribe betrothal necklace. She claimed such jewelry would be a hindrance in a fight and secretly confessed to Mako that it reminded her of something Naga might wear. (1)

Korra gently squeezed his hand. "Pretty sure marriage was both our doing, dear."

Mako brought her hand to his lips and placed his free hand on her stomach again.

"So was this," he smirked and Korra laughed.

"We make a pretty good team, huh City Boy?"

"Nah. Better than 'pretty good.'" His amber eyes twinkled with mischief, a look saved especially for her.

"The best," Korra amended. She intended the words as humorous, but they fell from her lips quiet and earnest.

"Always."

Their kiss spoke of unwavering affection, built on a foundation of friendship, and a fire between them that never dimmed, but amplified, fueled by an unfading love.

And they thanked the Spirits every day for all they had been given.

Footnote:

(1) In my headcannon, Korra would not like the betrothal necklace tradition because it could be a nuisance in a fight (ever jog or play a sport with a necklace on? Mine always fly up and bop me on the nose!). While I know the betrothal necklace could be a very sweet gesture (I'm a sucker for Sukka stories where Sokka carves one for Suki), I feel in Korra's case that she might regard something like that as a type of dog-collar, an item declaring ownership of her. I probably view it that way because of how the necklace was used in Yue and Kana's cases as a sign of oppression since it indicated that they had to marry men they did not love, whether they wanted to or not. A simple wedding band, though, isn't as noticeable as a necklace and really wouldn't be much of an issue in a fight. Plus, I think rings signify unity and equality in a marriage, not dominance of one spouse over the other. Very long footnote, I know, but perhaps doing the explanation here will save time when the subject is renewed in Chosen.

A/N I would love to know your thoughts on this chapter and the story as a whole. Thank you again to every one that followed the story, favorited, and reviewed.

About Chosen: Probably didn't see the time-skip coming, did you? Well, Chosen will pick up right where Given left off as a future-family fic. I'm just brainstorming right now, but I already have some chapter ideas going and I'm mapping out the plot, so hopefully the sequel will be up in about a week, maybe less.

About The Time Between: As the title implies, this story will detail the time between seasons one and two. Though it will be a stand-alone story, it also acts as a companion piece to Given in that it can be read as taking place between the first and second scenes of this chapter.