Author's Note: Well here we are after a rather long hiatus, which I apologize for profusely! Life just hit me with one thing after another, but I'm hopeful that things are back on track now, and I'll be able to update regularly.

Thanks to my beta, Mossu for all of her tireless help, as always.

Thanks to starbuckviper for the awesome cover page for this story.

And if you want information about this story between updates, check out my blog at collisionandconsequence . tumblr . com

That's all I've got for you! Happy reading!

It wasn't the fault of the photographers, Asami judged, drinking in the sight of the firebender approaching her. It was just that Mako looked so much better when he was cleaned up and wearing something other than the padded Pro Bending uniform. Without the helmet in the way, Asami could appreciate that brooding, golden gaze, that messy hair… oh, and that jaw-line! Her eyes traveled downwards to take in his broad shoulders and trim waist then back up again. And he was so tall! Asami loved tall men.

She turned to Bolin as the two made it over to her and Korra. "It's good to see you again, Bolin," she greeted him, smiling warmly. "And you must be Mako," she continued, shifting focus to the firebender beside him. Mako's eyes were well below her face, but they snapped back up when he realized she was looking at him. Asami met his eye and arched one eyebrow in question, eliciting a furious blush from her admirer.

"Uhh, yes, I am," he stammered out. Her smile slid into a self-satisfied smirk. Well well well... Apparently she wasn't the only one who was impressed.

"Asami Sato," she introduced herself, holding out her hand. "I'm a huge fan."

Mako took it, cheeks still red as he determinedly maintained eye contact. "Of the Fire Ferrets?" Her hand lingered in his for several seconds longer than necessary, and she squeezed lightly before letting go.

"Don't sound so surprised!" She teased. "You guys are really shaking things up this season. Watching the Wolfbats win the championship every year was getting a little boring."

"Wolfbats!" Bolin cried out, throwing his hands up. "Don't remind me. I've been trying not to think about them."

"Come on, you guys have the best chance against them out of anyone I've seen so far!" Asami consoled him.

"You really think so?" Bolin asked, eyes huge.

"If she didn't, she wouldn't have covered our ante," Mako reminded him, sounding every bit like the stern older brother. Asami hid a smile. Mako's eyes kept straying to her, even as he pretended to scold Bolin. She recognized the compliment, and it was cute that he thought he needed to cover it up.

"Actually, you're thinking of my father," she corrected. She looked away, then back again coyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "All I did was convince him that it was a good investment."

"Either way, thank you. We're in your debt," Mako insisted.

She waved it off. "Don't worry about it. When I found out about the money issue from Korra," she glanced over to the Avatar beside her, "I knew I had to help you guys out. You're my favorite team!" She focused on Korra again, suddenly aware of how quiet her friend was being.

Korra was unhappy. Asami could see it in the frown she was directing at Mako and the sullen set of her shoulders. Her arms were crossed and she had taken a step back, pulling away from the group and isolating herself from the conversation. In all the excitement over meeting Mako, Asami hadn't even realized that Korra was excluding herself. Or maybe – she was struck by an uncomfortable thought – she was excluding Korra. Asami had stolen the spotlight since Mako arrived and effectively ignored Korra since then. The Avatar's withdrawal was understandable, and it marked an embarrassing social blunder on Asami''s part – one that, as a Sato, she never should have made. And it was something that she never should have done as a friend either.

Asami placed her hand on Korra's shoulder in silent apology, determined to fix her mistake. "I really can't wait for the Tournament to begin," she continued, directing it at Korra and turning to include her in the conversation. "I can't wait to see you guys play together after all of your hard work!" Korra relaxed slightly and looked like she wanted to speak, but Mako beat her to it.

"You can come watch us practice one day, if you want," he offered, the faintest touches of red returning to his cheeks. Bolin looked over at his brother like he had gone crazy.

Asami smiled, pleased by the offer. She pulled her hand from Korra's shoulder and turned back to Mako, about to accept when she heard Korra's unenthusiastic: "Yeah, sounds great." Startled, Asami glanced at her again. The Avatar's frown had deepened into a full-out glare, and Asami's eyes widened in understanding. Korra wasn't just upset about being left out of the conversation – she was jealous.

And that meant that, no matter how much Asami wanted to take Mako up on his offer and flirt a little more with the firebender, she had to stop. At least until she talked to Korra. If Korra had feelings for Mako, then it wouldn't be right if Asami pursued him. Especially not in front of her, and especially not now that Asami realized what was going on. She wasn't that kind of girl, and she couldn't think of a faster way to ruin a friendship.

She would have to answer carefully. "Well…" She began, when another voice cut her off.

"Asami!" Her father called out, striding over to them with Tarrlok in tow. "The Councilman tells me that these are the other members of the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!" He chuckled. "I've really been looking forward to calling them that," he told his companion. Tarrlok smiled thinly in response.

Asami shook her head at her father's enthusiasm, suppressing a grin. "The Councilman is correct. This is Mako," she gestured to the firebender, "And this is Bolin. Mako, Bolin, this is my father, Hiroshi Sato."

"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Sato," Mako took her father's hand and shook it. "Both because of your reputation and because of what you did for our team. I really can't thank you enough."

"Please, Mako, call me Hiroshi. You too Bolin," he added, shaking the other's hand. "And think nothing of it. Why, when I was a young man not much older than yourself-"

"If you'll excuse the Avatar and I," Tarrlok interjected, just as Asami recognized the start of the 'selfless loan' speech again, "There are other guests who are eager to make her acquaintance." He stepped forward and placed his hand on Korra's back, urging her away from them. Asami saw a flash of annoyance cross Korra's face before she sighed.

"Bolin, Mako," her voice hardened slightly over Mako's name, "I'll find you guys later. It was good to see you again, Hiroshi." She bowed to him. "Asami..." Tarrlok was pulling at her insistently. "Bye," she finished simply, leaving with the Councilman. Asami watched her go, brows drawn together with worry. She needed to talk to Korra as soon as possible.

Her father resumed his interrupted speech, with Mako and Bolin listening avidly. Asami followed along for a moment, but her attention was almost immediately caught by Tarrlok's voice.

"Ahh! Chief Beifong!" She heard him call out. She looked over to the source of his greeting, but she couldn't see where he and Korra were in the crowd. Asami did catch a glimpse of the Police Chief striding by, but was distracted by a bizarre comment from Mako.

"…Tattoo it on my chest if you want, sir!" Mako was saying with a grin. She returned to the conversation in front of her, confused, but her father didn't seem thrown off. He laughed richly, clapping Mako on the shoulder.

"That won't be necessary, but I like your attitude!" He approved. Asami blinked. She had obviously missed something, but she would figure it out later. There were more important things going on. She tried to turn away to search for Korra again, but was called back once more, this time when her father addressed her.

"So, Asami," Hiroshi said briskly, "You've seen these boys in action, what are our chances of winning the Championship?"

"Hmm…" Asami drew it out, resisting the urge to sigh in frustration. She would just have to hope that Korra would be ok alone with Tarrlok. "Well, assuming they face the Wolfbats in the Championship match… I'd say about seventy/thirty, in favor of the Wolfbats."

"Hey!" Mako protested, "You haven't seen us in action lately! We've been training hard since Korra's first match! I'd say we have at least a fifty/fifty shot."

"And I've been working with Pabu on our big entrance!" Bolin announced, "Don't underestimate the power of positive thinking! Pabu is a great motivator."

"Pabu?" Hiroshi asked, amused.

"He's our mascot!" Bolin explained.

"He's a fire ferret," Mako elaborated.

Hiroshi laughed again. "Well, I hope what you're saying is true. I like the sound of fifty/fifty a lot more than seventy/thirty."

"I'm sure Asami would change her mind if she got a chance to see us in action," Mako said. He was speaking to Hiroshi, but he was looking at Asami. "You really should come to one of our practices sometime."

Asami smiled ruefully. She wanted to say yes, and not just because she thought Mako was handsome. The opportunity to see the inner workings of the Arena and to see her favorite team practicing was one she could hardly bear to pass up. But if she said yes, Mako would get the wrong idea – or the right idea – and Asami still needed to talk to Korra. "I'll think about it," she promised.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A while later, Mako, Bolin, and Asami were in the middle of a heated debate about the merits of different Pro Bending defensive strategies. Hiroshi was gone – he had excused himself some time ago when he caught sight of Lau Gan-Lan schmoozing with a group of Fire Nation trade ambassadors. Asami knew it would be all business for him for the rest of the night – her father had been trying to shut Cabbage Corp out of the growing Fire Nation market for months, and Lau was just as doggedly negotiating for an exclusive contract. Asami was used to this sort of thing, and it gave her a chance to get to know Mako – and Bolin – a bit better.

Initially Asami thought she would have to hold herself back from sending Mako any more mixed signals. However, as the friendly discussion on strategy deepened into a dispute over two opposing schools of thought, Asami found that flirtation was the last thing on her mind.

"I'm telling you," she insisted, "Mirror defense only works – can only work – if you are absolutely certain that every single member of your team is as good as or better than their opponent at their element."

"I am…" Mako began stubbornly.

"And," Asami continued, cutting him off, "That they can fully engage their opponent. I've seen so many teams throw games because somebody couldn't cover their man well enough to keep him from helping out a teammate. Two on one is only good when you're the one doing it."

"Well it's better than cross-element!" Mako exclaimed, throwing his hand out in exasperation. "Everyone knows that only works if you get your water to cover their earth, your earth to cover their fire, and your fire to cover their water. And that never plays out in a real game. Any team worth their salt recognizes that setup instantly and breaks it up!"

"That's why we run a mixed defense," Bolin explained easily. "Mako and I like to have two elements cross cover, leaving the third to mirror, depending who's weakest on the other team." He chuckled ruefully. "Or at least, that's what we always tried to do. It kind of fell apart whenever we needed water to mirror. Hasook was never very good at isolating the other team's waterbender. You're right," he smiled sweetly at her, "That's totally the downside to mirror covering."

"But it should work now that we have Korra on our team," Mako continued in a more even tone. "She's a lot more skilled than Hasook ever was, and now that she knows all the rules, she should run a better game than the last one you saw."

"Psh," Bolin scoffed. "'A lot more skilled?' Korra blows Hasook out of the water!" He frowned. "No pun intended."

Asami smiled. "Of course she does!"

Bolin nodded in eager agreement. "She's amazing!" He gushed.

"She's improving," Mako corrected. He paused and saw Bolin pouting at him. "Ok, fine! She's improving faster than anyone I've ever trained with. But she still doesn't have any game sense to speak of. Asami has a better grasp of strategy, and she's never even played!"

"Hey, you should cut her a little slack!" Asami objected, indignant on behalf of her friend – although secretly a little pleased by Mako's backwards compliment. "I've been watching Pro Bending matches my whole life; she just started a few weeks ago. Give her some time – she'll get it. And just because I've never played..." She was about to say more when a sudden commotion behind her drew her attention. She turned, along with Mako, Bolin, and everyone else in the antechamber. Korra had appeared at the top of the stairs with Tarrlok and… there was a crowd of reporters swarming to the base of the stairway.

Tarrlok guided Korra about halfway down, one hand firmly on her back. The reporters were whipping themselves into a frenzy – cameras flashed with dazzling frequency and a confused clamor momentarily froze the proceedings as all of the reporters tried to shout over one another. Asami could see Korra's hesitation as a flurry of voices yelled "Avatar Korra!" and "Just one question!" from the crowd. Asami realized she had taken several steps closer, and that Mako and Bolin were right on her heels.

Tarrlok leaned in and said something that Asami couldn't hear. Korra's reluctance was plain, and she looked like she was trying to object, but Tarrlok's hands closed on her shoulders. He smiled a small, oily smile and pushed her forward. Asami felt her stomach drop. This was exactly what she had feared – exactly what she warned Korra about. Tarrlok's smile turned into a smirk, and Korra's unheeded protest turned into a look of panic. Asami felt of flash of impotent ire fill her with bitter heat. Of all the dirty, sneaky, underhanded, conniving, cowardly ploys…

"Avatar Korra!" The first reporter called out. "You witnessed Amon take away people's bending firsthand. How serious a threat does he pose to the innocent citizens of Republic City?"

Korra cleared her throat. "I think… He presents a real problem." She replied awkwardly, trying to sound convictive and falling short.

"Then why have you refused to join Tarrlok's Task Force?" Another reporter demanded. "As the Avatar, shouldn't you be going after Amon?" Asami's lips thinned into an angry line. That was exactly what Korra had been struggling with. This reporter – who might even be working for Tarrlok – was undoing all of the advice that she had given her friend yesterday. Asami had told Korra that she didn't need to do what everyone expected of her, and had seen her relief. Now Asami saw Korra's distress as she struggled to answer.

"Well… I…" She looked lost, but the reporter wasn't showing any mercy.

"Why are you backing away from this fight?" He accused.

"What? No… I've never backed away from anything in my life!" Asami heard anger now, and she felt a matching anger. Korra was being baited.

"This is ridiculous," Mako muttered fiercely. "Why isn't someone stopping this?"

"Like Tenzin," Bolin pleaded, voice small.

Asami looked over to the airbending Master who stood paralyzed, just like the rest of them. He looked like he desperately wanted to intervene, but Asami understood why he couldn't. It wasn't just Korra who was cornered in this inquisition – it was the Avatar, and she was a public figure. In a sense, she belonged to the public, and the public – in the form of the press – had a right to demand she fulfill her obligations. It was disgusting and infuriating that Tarrlok would use that fact against her, when she clearly wasn't ready to face it, but there was nothing that any of them could do to actually stop it.

"You promised to serve this city," still another reporter shot at her, "Aren't you going back on that promise now?"

"Do you think Pro Bending is more important than fighting the Revolution?"

"How do you think Avatar Aang would have handled this?"

"Are you afraid of Amon?"

Korra finally snapped. "I'm not afraid of anybody!" She bit out furiously. Asami watched her struggle for calm. "If the city needs me then…" she clenched her fist and looked out over the crowds with resolve. "I'll join Tarrlok's Task Force and help fight Amon," she declared.

Immediately, Tarrlok was by her side again. "There's your headline, folks!" He announced grandly, putting an arm around Korra's shoulders and throwing the other arm out wide as the flashbulbs went off. Asami wanted to throttle him.

"What just happened?" Bolin wondered, concern clear in his voice. "Didn't Korra tell Tarrlok that she didn't want to join his Task Force?"

"I think that happened because Tarrlok wanted Korra on the Task Force," Mako replied grimly. Well, at least Asami wasn't the only one who could see that Korra just got manipulated.

It took another ten minutes for Tarrlok to finish up with his surprise press conference. He spent the rest of the time answering all the questions himself and posing with Korra for pictures. Korra looked miserable, but Tarrlok handled the attention with effortless aplomb. Asami knew that, if he had wanted to, he could have easily defended Korra before.

She never would have guessed... well, she knew to expect something from the Councilman, but she never would have thought that Tarrlok would make his move so publicly. Korra was the Avatar, yes, but she was also painfully inexperienced with politics. Tarrlok could have gotten what he wanted without embarrassing her in front of a room full of the most prominent members of Republic City's high society. It was insult added to injury, and it was completely unnecessary.

When Tarrlok finally led Korra down the rest of the steps and through the crowd of reporters, Tenzin was waiting for them. He placed his hands on Korra's shoulders and pulled her out from under Tarrlok's arm, saying something to her that Asami couldn't hear. Korra waved him off and pulled back with a weak smile, turning to walk away.

"Korra, don't forget, nine o'clock tomorrow," Tarrlok's honey-smooth voice called out, dripping with false concern. Korra stopped and nodded curtly with a smile that was almost a grimace. Tenzin whirled on the other Councilman.

"We are going to have a very long talk about what you just did," the airbending Master threatened, voice tight with anger.

Tarrlok spread his hands wide. "Very well, Tenzin. You know where to find me," he reminded the other with a smirk. Korra ignored them and walked towards the edge of the room, obviously looking for a little peace under the overhang of the second floor corridor.

"We should go over there," Bolin whispered.

"I don't know, Bo, she looks like she needs a moment alone," Mako argued.

"Then we'll go away again, but we should still go over there," Bolin insisted.

Mako sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Come on. Asami, we'll be-"

"I'm coming with you," she cut him off, leaving no room for argument. Mako just nodded, and the three of them made their way over to their friend.

Korra was leaning against one of the support arches along the edge of the room, glaring at Tarrlok and the group of reporters with her arms crossed in front of her. She looked over at them as they approached and closed her eyes, sighing. "Not now, guys," she begged, weariness plain in her voice.

"Ok!" Bolin responded instantly, putting his hands up. "Just thought we'd see if you wanted us over here. We're gone now!" And he and Mako turned right back around and began walking away again. But Asami hesitated. She had a feeling that Korra did want to talk about it, but that she felt too much pressure inside the antechamber.

Asami knew from painful personal experience that public humiliation made you feel like everyone in the room was watching you, talking about you, and judging you. Even after everyone else moved on, it seemed like all you had to do was cough too loudly and suddenly all the attention was on you again. Korra wouldn't be able to talk in here, but maybe if Asami gave her an excuse to go outside, she would want to. And even if she didn't, having a moment to collect herself outside – away from the prying eyes of the other guests at the party – would be good for her.

"Do you want to step outside with me for a minute?" Asami offered quietly, when Korra turned to her. Korra looked away, but nodded. She straightened up and fell in step with Asami, and the two made their way silently across the hall.

The night air was cool – almost cold – but it was a welcome chill after the press of bodies inside the gala. The steps of City Hall were deserted, which wasn't surprising. Few people hung around government buildings during the night, unless there was a specific occasion. And anyone who was at Tarrlok's gala would be foolish to be outside now, when all the gossip-worthy events were taking place within.

Asami led Korra over to the steps and sat down on the top one, ignoring the cold of the stone beneath her. Korra sat down beside her and pulled her knees up to her chest, hunching over them and brooding out into the darkness. The lights that blazed from City Hall only shone as far as the edge of the lawn in front of the building. Everything beyond that was obscured by the night.

Asami waited, leaving it up to Korra to decide if she wanted to talk or not. The silence stretched on between them until Korra finally sighed. "I did exactly what you told me not to do," she said bitterly. "I can't believe I let him trap me like that."

"You couldn't have known," Asami responded softly. Then she wanted to kick herself. What a trite, meaningless thing to say.

"I should have. You and Tenzin both warned me."

"I don't think Tenzin realized just how far Tarrlok was going to go... I certainly didn't," Asami admitted heavily.

"What do you mean?" Korra asked.

"I mean..." Asami struggled for the right words, knowing how easy it would be to mess this up and make things worse. "You grew up in the South Pole with the White Lotus Masters, and after all of that training, you're a Master of three elements."

"And a failure at the fourth," Korra added in harshly.

"That's not the point." Asami put her hand on Korra's. "You're working hard on it," she said quietly. "You'll get it one day. I know you will." Korra didn't look at her, and after a moment, she took her hand away and continued: "My point is, they prepared you to fight but they didn't prepare you to deal with people like Tarrlok. They didn't teach you to be manipulative or underhanded. You told me yourself that you don't think you're capable of looking for double meanings in the things people say."

"So what you're saying is that I'd be an easy target for someone like Tarrlok," Korra spat out.

"Actually, that's exactly what I'm saying," Asami confirmed, speaking quickly as Korra looked at her with chagrin, "But do you see? He should have tried to back you into a corner to pressure you in front of the other Council members, or even a head of a company – someone like my father. He had you away from Tenzin; he had any number of opportunities to pressure you. But instead..." Asami huffed in anger. "Instead he chose the most painful and embarrassing one possible. The most inescapable one." And suddenly, it all made sense. "And that's it, isn't it? Tenzin could have rescued you from any other attempt. Even if he wasn't nearby, I'll bet he was keeping an eye on you. But once Tarrlok put you in front of those reporters... that was it."

"And really..." Asami continued, eyes widening. "He had you the moment he announced the gala," she realized. "Making you the guest of honor meant that you had to show up," she mused, working through it out loud, "Or else you would lose a lot of face. For the same reason, you had to stick with him and you had to make the rounds and meet the other guests... and then it was just a matter of getting you into position to throw you to the reporters." Asami shook her head. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help feeling just a touch of admiration for a plot that masterfully woven.

"You mean there was nothing I could have done?" Korra asked incredulously, sitting up a bit.

Asami shrugged helplessly. "Maybe if we hadn't underestimated him. Maybe if Tenzin – or even if I – stuck with you all night..."

"Maybe if I just hadn't come," Korra added in gloomily.

"Maybe." Asami sighed. "I'm sorry I said you don't need to worry about people's expectations. After everything that happened tonight, I feel like... I don't know, like I lied to you somehow. I just... I didn't realize that Tarrlok would use public opinions against you like that."

It was Korra's turn to shrug. "You couldn't have known," she said with a lopsided smile, handing Asami's inadequate reassurance right back to her.

"That's not..." Asami broke off, a bit embarrassed, "That's not all I wanted to apologize for..." she began hesitantly.

"Hmm?" Korra looked up at her, brows drawn together in confusion.

"Earlier when Mako and Bolin came over and I... basically ignored you and left you out of the conversation..." And flirted with the guy you might have feelings for right in front of you. "That was really rude of me, and I'm sorry," Asami apologized.

"Oh." Korra turned forward again. "It's fine," she said shortly. Asami winced. It didn't sound fine, but she stayed quiet, waiting to see if Korra would say more. The other girl was silent for a few moments before she finally blurted out: "Do you have a crush on Mako?"

Uh oh. Asami would have to answer this carefully. "Actually… I've sort of had this thing for Mako ever since I saw him in his first Pro Bending match a few months ago. I wouldn't call it a crush," she added in quickly, not wanting Korra to get the wrong idea. "I wouldn't say I have feelings for him. And I never thought I'd actually meet him but… I just... think he's really attractive," she explained.

"Hmm." That noncommittal response didn't give Asami much insight on how Korra was taking that news. She needed to know if Korra also had a thing for the firebender, and she was suddenly sure that Korra wasn't going to volunteer that information. She would have to ask directly.

"What about you?" She asked after another quiet moment. "Do you have feelings for Mako?"

"What?" Korra looked over at her, surprised. She blinked, and suddenly the question seemed to sink in. "No!" She answered vehemently. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" She added under her breath.

"Oh." Asami was a bit thrown off by the strength of Korra's rebuttal. "Sorry, I guess I misread the situation," she apologized. She was usually so good at picking up on those kinds of things too. "So..." she continued, watching Korra closely, "I'm thinking of asking him out on a date..." Korra didn't even bat an eye. "Would you be ok with that?"

"Of course," Korra replied emphatically. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"No reason, just checking," she answered. Maybe Korra really was just upset that Asami ignored her and annoyed at Mako for ignoring her also. Maybe Asami was just looking into things too much. It sounded like Korra wouldn't have a problem, which meant that she could accept Mako's invitation to look in on Fire Ferret practice. She smiled at the thought. It would be amazing to see the team in action!

"Somebody's happy," Korra noted.

"I'm just... thinking about taking Mako up on his offer to watch you guys practice," Asami explained with a small laugh. "It's going to be so awesome!"

"Well, you'll get to see Mako and Bolin, at least," Korra corrected her. "I won't be there."

"What?" Asami looked over at her in surprise. "Why not?"

"The Task Force," she muttered. "Tarrlok told me I'll need to meet with them to train during the mornings. They meet at nine, and that's during Fire Ferret practice."

"That's..." Unbelievable? No. That sounded like something Tarrlok would do, now that she knew him a bit better. Unfair? Completely. "Unfortunate," she said, disappointed. She was looking forward to seeing Korra's progress since her first Pro Bending match.

"You said it," Korra sighed. "We should go back inside now. I need to tell Mako and Bolin sooner or later, and I kind of just want to get it over with." She stood and held her hand out to Asami.

"Sure," Asami agreed sympathetically. She accepted Korra's help up, and they began heading back inside. Asami glanced over at her companion. Korra was walking silently beside her frowning heavily, not even paying attention to where they were going. She seemed so... despondent – so hopeless. Yesterday, she told Asami that she didn't want to join the Task Force because she didn't trust Tarrlok and Tenzin warned her against it. At the time, Asami thought that there was more that Korra wasn't telling her, and it certainly seemed that way now. Korra appeared to be deeply preoccupied by something. Asami just wasn't sure what else she should say; she didn't want to make Korra feel obligated to talk but... she didn't want Korra to feel like she had to keep it all inside either.

They were in the hallway leading to the antechamber now. The murmur of conversations was audible, and she could see Korra tensing up, preparing to rejoin the crowd. Asami touched Korra's shoulder and squeezed it lightly, startling her. She offered Korra her most genuine smile. After a moment, Korra smiled back. Then the Avatar turned, took a deep breath, and walked through the open doorway back into the gala.