Bullet with Butterfly Wings

Summary: In 174 AG, Kuvira surrendered to the United Republic, accepting her unknown fate. While waiting for her trial date, she reflected and vowed to better herself, as the outside world decided her future. Now, in 179 AG, Kuvira is on house arrest, quietly biding her time for the termination of her sentencing to rejoin society, eagerly wanting to find redemption. When Avatar Korra arrives, asking for her to join Team Avatar on a mission to the Fire Nation, Kuvira must face her past as The Great Uniter, assisting those she once betrayed…

Rating: T+

Pairings: Korrasami, Baavira

Main Characters: Kuvira, Baatar Jr., Korra, Asami, OC

.: I :.

-179 AG-

Kuvira grumbled in annoyance as a bundle of silverware she had recently finished washing and drying fell back into the sink, stewing the soapy water. Exhaling sharply through her nose, she continued to wash the dish in her hands, ignoring the water that was seeping into the orange gloves she was wearing. She glanced out the window into her spacious backyard. She smiled gently at the greenery, the colorful blend of flowers lining the patio, and then small koi pond off to the right of the patio.

A couple with a young child entered her field of vision as they walked along the path a bit beyond her backyard. The little boy was skipping happily along the dirt road, waving a long stick around in the air. He paused when he spotted Kuvira at the window, smiling brightly and waving. Before Kuvira could move, the mother spotted her and frowned. The father rushed forward and picked his son up before scurrying down the path and out of sight, his wife behind him.

Kuvira clicked her tongue, reaching up and roughly pulling the curtains closed. She finished washing the dishes, placing them in the drying rack in the sink on the left, before pulling the plug and letting the water drain out as she peeled off the orange gloves and placed them along the edge of the sink, allowing them to drip dry.

Grabbing a pair of work gloves, she slipped them into her pocket before taking a water can and filling it up in the sink. Kuvira made herself a sandwich as she waited for the container to fill up. Upon finishing her food, she turned the water off and headed towards the front of the house. She pulled a pair of socks out of her pocket and placed them onto her feet, before stepping into a pair of shoes. Opening the front door, and pushing on the screen, she stepped outside and made her way towards the mailbox.

A neighbor was out in their yard, watering the plants with a hose. He stomped his foot into the ground, lifting a section of ground up. He stepped close and inspected the soil and the roots of the flowers, before stomping his foot to the ground again, flattening out the ground. The minute he spotted Kuvira, he smiled gently, waving. Kuvira nodded her head in his direction as she reached her mailbox. Finding it empty, she stuffed her hands into her pockets, making her way back to the house. A quiet beep sounded.

"How are you doing today?" the neighbor called out. Kuvira paused and turned to face him. Bending down, she scratched at her ankle, another beeping sound interrupted the silence.

"I'm well," she answered quietly. "Thank you." Kuvira walked back into her house, quickly shutting the door behind her. She let out a huge breath before shedding her shoes and socks. Bundling up the socks, she tossed them onto the couch as she quickly entered and exited the living room and moved back into the kitchen. Grabbing the full watering can, she opened the back door and stepped out onto the patio.

Kuvira hummed an old Earth Nation tune to herself as she began to water her garden. A bee buzzed around a few flowers, collecting pollen. She made sure to water those few flowers as soon as it left, making herself busy by cleaning up stray leaves and twigs from the flower beds. After noticing that the bee still hadn't vacated the area, she briefly stepped inside the house before exiting with a yoga mat.

Walking over to the side of her house, Kuvira gently laid the mat down on the cool ground. She sat down and began to take a few deep breaths, lightly clasping her hands together. Breathing deeply, she began to move through various yoga poses. The light chatter from birds, the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind, and the voices of her neighbors provided background noise, calming her, as she continued with her exercise.

Kuvira tensed up when she heard loud shouting come from behind her. The father, from the small family that had walked behind her house, was alone and holding a slab of rock. His face was red and set in a snarl, his eyes pulled into a harsh stare. Before she could react, the guy pulled his arm back and heaved the large rock towards Kuvira head. She quickly threw herself to the ground, gasping loudly as the rock made a dull thump as it collided into the ground.

"We don't want you here!" the guy shouted before stalking away.

Kuvira slowly sat up, her jaw set, her lips pulled into a thin line as she watched the man walk away. She pulled the mat off of the ground and stormed back into the house, after watering the flowers she had missed from the bee hovering around. Kuvira turned on the shower and jumped inside, neglecting to shed her clothes. She gasped in shock as the ice cold water splashed over her body. Pulling her hair down from the bun, Kuvira ran her fingers through her dark locks, her muscles tensing, silently focusing on the cold water, letting her anger flow down the drain along with the excess water and sweat.

After taking a shower and changing clothes, Kuvira entered her living room and walked over to the bookshelf, scanning the spines of the numerous books. She lifted a finger, trailing it along the rough material of the books. Finally, she paused on a historical novel, a fictional tale about a couple during the 100 Years War. Frowning, she pulled it off of the shelf, flipping the front cover open. A small note slid down into her palm.

I know you like historical, war, and military literature. I know fiction isn't really your thing, but I think you would enjoy this story. Jinora recommended it. Something to keep your mind busy. – Korra

Nodding slowly, Kuvira flipped back to the front cover of the book. Avatar Korra had given her this book as a gift, and yet she never opened it. Fictional novels weren't on the top of Kuvira's must read list, but she kept the novel regardless of its content. Not many in her life have presented her with a gift, so it was something she took great care in preserving, even if it was something she was sure she'd use.

"You've read every other book twice," Kuvira muttered. "May as well…" She walked over to the couch and took a seat, opening the book to the first page. Moving a pair of white socks off of the cushion next to her and onto the small shelf underneath a nearby table, she scooted back onto the couch, making herself comfortable.

A soft hum filled the air from the gyrator washing machine, providing background noise. Kuvira always needed some noise around her while doing various activities around her home. However, when she slept, she preferred everything to be silent, just in case. It had saved her life once in the past.

Kuvira scoffed as she was introduced to the female protagonist, rolling her eyes at the girl's antics and constant hesitation. She shifted on the couch, laying down and placed her head on the arm rest, her long legs stretched across the upholstery, her feet propped up on to the opposite armrest, her ankles crossed. Kuvira muttered under her breath as she continued to read the book, constantly berating the protagonist.

A swift knock came on the front door, breaking Kuvira from her reading. She glanced up from the book she was reading, looking over at a clock hanging on the wall, her eyes widening when she noticed that hours had passed. Leaning her head back, she lined up her vision to the translucent window next to the front door. There was an outline of a figure, somewhat short, with squared shoulders. Their predominant arm muscles flexed as they reached up, cupping their hands on the glass and peering inside. Kuvira rolled her eyes before tossing the book to the end of the couch.

She sat up and grabbed a pair of socks, slipping them onto her feet, past her ankles. Kuvira sighed as she got up off of the couch, heading towards the front door. Placing her hand on the doorknob, she took a slowly deep breath. Opening the door, she squinted at the sunlight before pushing the screen door open.

Kuvira was met with striking blue eyes and a bright smile, much more dazzling than the sun. She moved her lips to the side, nodding slowly, before a ghost of a smirk formed onto her face. "Hello, Avatar Korra," she greeted quietly.

Korra let out a huge groan, rolling her eyes. Kuvira bit back a response to the Avatar's gross exaggeration. "Just Korra, remember?" she prompted.

"Right." Kuvira nodded. "I keep forgetting that."

"May I come in?" Korra asked, clasping her hands behind her back. Kuvira raised an eyebrow in surprise. During the initial visits, Korra would essentially force her way into the house. While it did annoy Kuvira to no end, she continued to let the act occur during every visit. Now that Korra had actually asked for permission to enter her home, Kuvira could sense something was off. The back of her neck suddenly turned warm, a knot formed in her throat, an uneasiness striking every cell.

"Of course." Kuvira stepped to the side allowing Korra to pass the threshold. She waited patiently as the Avatar peeled off her shoes, before heading towards the living room. "What would you like to drink? Lemonade? Tea?" she asked.

"Some water is fine," Korra answered. "Thank you."

"Have a seat." Kuvira entered the kitchen and walked up to the refrigerator. She paused, hand outstretched, towards the metal handle. She glanced at her reflection in the small space, noting the distorted planes of her face. Furrowing her eyebrows, she slightly curled her fingers towards her palm, before slowly pulling her hand back. Kuvira sighed hard, before pulling the refrigerator door open with a hard yank.

Kuvira pulled out a pitcher of water before kicking the door closed with her foot. After taking another glance at the metal handle, she turned and pulled a glass out of a cupboard. Swiftly pouring the liquid into the glass, she wiped off the excess water from the counter. Pausing, Kuvira stared at the glass, watching as a small dribble of water slid down the side. Wiping it off with her thumb, she grabbed a second glass from the cupboard, serving herself some water, before heading back into the living room.

"You can take your socks off," Korra said gently. She smiled in thanks when she received her glass of water. "I'm sure you'd be more comfortable without it," she added. Kuvira sat down on the couch opposite of her, glancing at the sock. "It's not like I haven't seen it before."

"You're one of the few people who I let see it," Kuvira muttered. She placed her glass of water onto a coaster and leaned forward. After taking her left sock off, she slowly removed the other one, sighing in relief as her ankle bracelet wasn't pressed to her skin anymore. Forcing two finger underneath the back sensor she rubbed her red, clammy skin. Kuvira took a brief look at the green light before focusing her attention on Korra.

"I didn't know you were coming," Kuvira said, placing her hands into her lap. "Normally you radio or send a letter of with your intention to visit," she added. Kuvira raised an eyebrow, her eyes following Korra's hand as the Avatar placed her glass onto the table.

"This is a spontaneous trip," Korra answered with a shrug. "How have you been?" Kuvira remained quiet, continuing to stare at the glass, watching as a bead of condensation made its way down the glass. Korra rolled her eyes before picking up the glass and placing it on a coaster. Kuvira scowled when she spotted the water ring that was left behind. With a flick of her wrist, Korra bent the water back into her glass. "Are you going to answer my question or continue to silently judge me?"

Kuvira stared at the water in Korra's glass, transfixed by the ripples on the surface. A second later, she blinked and took a deep breath, before nailing Korra with a smirk. "I just thought being married would have changed you," she commented airily. "How does she put up with it?"

"She sees it as one of my charms," Korra said, lifting one shoulder, "but we're talking about you."

"We are?"

"We will once you answer my question."

Kuvira groaned, reaching up with her right hand, rubbing her temple. "What can I tell you? The only difference between here and jail is that here I get privacy when I go to the bathroom and I get to make my own food," she frowned.

Korra's smile instantly faded. She cleared her throat, before reaching up and rubbing the back of her neck, her brown hair falling into her face. Over the years she allowed her bob to grow out a bit, but she didn't return to her old hair style. Korra did, however, pull the hair that was long enough in the back into a high bun that rested at the crown of her head. "It's only for a few more years…give or take."

"How is everyone doing?" Kuvira quietly asked. She began to wring her hands together in her lap. Aside from her hand movement, she was calm, cool, and poised. Her long dark hair was brushed back behind her shoulders, held in a loose ponytail, fully putting her face on display. Years of weariness and exhaustion lined the corners of her eyes with light outlines of crow's feet.

"They're all doing well." Korra picked up her glass of water. A bit of condensation dribbled off of the glass and onto the couch. The corner of Kuvira's eye twitched as she watched the color of the upholstery change to a darker shade. "I'm sure you heard about Asami-"

"And her merging with Varrik Global Industries to form Future Global Industries," Kuvira finished with a nod. "That kind of surprised me, since she had troubles with him before," she pointed out.

Korra snapped her fingers before raising her pointer finger into the air. The small droplet of water formed out of the couch, the upholstery returning to its original shade. She bent the water into her glass. "Asami's smart. I'm surge merging with him was a good move. Right now, the company is doing exceptional," Korra explained. "Mako was just named Lieutenant, and Bolin is still traveling around aiding the airbenders," she added.

"How are he and Opal?" Kuvira asked. "They were always one of my favorite couples."

Korra smiled slyly. She cupped her right hand around her mouth, effectively shielding her voice. "You didn't hear this from me, but Bolin is going to propose soon," she hissed.

Kuvira's eyebrows rose. While it didn't surprise her how much Bolin had taken a liking to her pseudo sister, she was more impressed at how well their relationship was moving forward. She was aware when they had hit a rough patch when she had begun to unite the Earth Kingdom. However, while they were having problems, Bolin only said positive and great things about Opal to anyone who would listen, which happened to be Kuvira a majority of the time when he had joined her unification efforts.

"Good for them," Kuvira half-smiled. She then licked her lips, glancing briefly down at her hands. "…and Baatar?" When she looked back up, she was met with a sympathetic look from Korra. Kuvira instantly frowned, growling underneath her breath, partially because she had shown her vulnerability, and partially because she was receiving sympathy, which made her skin itch.

"He's been working with Asami and Varrick at Future Global Industries as the Head of Architecture," Korra answered quietly. "He seems to enjoy it. I think he'll break off soon and start his own company."

"That's what he always wanted," Kuvira commented, "to make something of his name and to not be someone's subordinate." She closed her eyes, breathing slowly through her nose. After exhaling a cleansing breath, she had taken up yoga in the last few years, she snapped her eyes open. Korra raised an eyebrow, remaining quiet as Kuvira squared her shoulders, sitting up straight in her seat.

"What's the real reason you stopped by?" Kuvira demanded.

The corners of Korra's lips twitched before a smile erupted. "Am I that easy to read?" she asked.

"Like a sheet of paper," she deadpanned, "and, like previously stated we normally schedule your visits, and you haven't asked me for a single tip on metalbending." Kuvira shrugged. "So, suspicious actions lead to suspicions confirmed."

Korra licked her lips, running a hand through her hair. The wedding ring on her left hand glittered underneath the lighting in the room. Kuvira quickly looked away, trying to not to think of her own engagement ring sitting in a small, black velvet box, inside of a box, inside of a box, in a bag, which was buried at the back of her closet in an even bigger box filled with clothing and other items she had been meaning to donate.

"I've come…to give you your bending back," Korra answered.