DISC: I DO NOT own any of the characters from Korra. They belong to Brike. I do however own anyone you don't recognize.
Enjoy!
A/N: This one shot came to me after reading a really cute baby-sitting story about Korra! Also, Aisha is spending time with Senna, which is why she isn't in this story.
"Baby-Sitting Surprises"
Korra sighed as she sat on the couch with a still wide awake Kierna in her arms. Normally, she was able to calm the two-year-old down, but tonight looked like it was going to be anything but normal.
Korra had gotten her first clue that the day was going to be strange when Jinora snapped at her for the first time ever. This lead to the Avatar checking on the thirteen-year-old who had gone to the bathroom, only to discover Jinora had her period for the first time. Once Korra had calmed Jinora down, she gave her a warm bath and tucked her in bed. She tried to use waterbending to soothe Jinora's cramps, which helped her a little bit. As for Ikki, she was her usual hyper active and loving self, wanting to be everywhere Korra was. Meelo was busy playing with Pokey, while Tenzin was on the phone in the den, trying to straighten out a problem with the police.
Around two or so, Pema had asked Korra if she wouldn't mind watching the girls while she took Meelo to a doctor's appointment. It was just a regular checkup, but the whole ordeal would probably last a few hours. Korra had agreed mostly happily. Once Pema had left, the Avatar set up a game for Ikki to play while she checked on Jinora. She found the thirteen-year-old awake and looking a little green.
"Hey, kiddo," Korra sat on the edge of the teenager's bed and wrapped an arm around her. "Jinora, what's wrong?" Korra frowned when she saw the young girl's expression.
"Korra, I feel…" Jinora's voice trailed off as tears welled up in her brown eyes, "…sick to my…"
Korra jumped up and retrieved the trashcan near the door. She was back in front of the teenager in seconds. She knelt down in front of her as she placed the trash can underneath her chin.
"Jinora, it's okay, you're okay…" Korra soothed as the young girl emptied the contents of her stomach. Korra remembered how sick she felt the first time she had gotten her period. She thanked the moon and ocean spirits that she had been home with her parents at the time. Putting her hand on Jinora's right shoulder, she rubbed it. "Are you okay now?"
"Uh-huh," the thirteen-year-old caught her breath before leaning against her older sister.
"Do you want me to stay with you for a little bit?" Korra offered, tucking Jinora back in.
"That's okay," Jinora closed her eyes, "you have Ikki and Kierna to watch too."
"Ikki's playing with an old game of mine and Kierna's napping," Korra assured her. A question came to her mind just then. "Why didn't you call for me?"
"I did," Jinora said as she started to drift off.
Korra frowned.
"I'm sorry," she kissed Jinora's forehead, "do you wanna lay on the couch in the living room? That way you can be with me and Ikki?"
"Okay," Jinora agreed. She let Korra pick her up and carry her to the family room. Once there, Korra lay Jinora down on the couch and covered her with a blanket. Sitting beside her, Korra patted her little sister's shoulder.
"Is Jinora sick?" Ikki frowned as she stood, coming over to sit on Jinora's other side.
"Yeah," Korra replied. "She'll be fine though. How about a story?" she suggested, pulling Ikki onto her lap.
"Okay!" Ikki eagerly agreed.
Korra decided to tell them about how she got Naga. By the time she was halfway through, she glanced down to see Jinora was fast asleep.
"Are you hungry?" Korra turned her attention to Ikki.
"Yeah," the eight-year-old answered.
In the middle of eating their snack, they both heard Kierna start to cry. Korra left to get her, instructing Ikki not to take the snack into the family room until she got back. Entering Kierna's room, Korra found the usually happy two-year-old standing at the bars of her crib, tears streaming down her face. As though the little girl sensed someone was there, Kierna glanced up. When she saw Korra, she calmed a little, but her tears didn't stop all the way.
"Hey, hey, what's all the noise for, huh?" Korra walked over to the crib and gently picked Kierna up, "Did you get lonely? Do you wanna hang out with me and Ikki? Aw, there you go," Korra smiled as she felt Kierna relax in her embrace, "let's get you changed, huh?" With that, Korra laid Kierna down on the changing table and went about the task while talking to her. By the time Korra was done, Kierna was much happier. She even rewarded Korra with a giggle. "That's it. All right, sweet girl, let's go see Ikki," Korra cooed, bouncing Kierna on her hip. "Can you say Ikki?"
Kierna looked up at her favorite person in the world and gave her a big grin. The row of top teeth showing brightly. She stared at the young adult intently during their short trip to the kitchen.
"What?" Korra tapped the end of Kierna's nose, making her giggle. "Do you have something you wanna say?" she asked. Kierna had started saying a few words over the last few months and her vocabulary was growing by the day. Ikki had been trying to get Kierna to say her name, but so far, the little girl wasn't biting. She said Mama now, along with Naga and the word dreaded by everyone in her life, no.
Korra re-entered the kitchen to find Ikki almost finished with her snack. She sat down to join her, still bouncing Kierna.
Once Ikki was done, Korra lead the way back into the family room. Sitting back down on the couch, she made sure Jinora was warm enough before turning her attention to her two other sisters.
"So what do you guys wanna do?" she asked.
"Will you tell me another story, please?" Ikki asked.
"Sure," Korra agreed.
"Pay!" Kierna declared.
"Kierna, shh," Korra cautioned gently, "Jinora's asleep."
Kierna frowned as she stared at Jinora lying on the couch.
"Nowa night-night?" Kierna gazed up at Korra for confirmation.
"Yes," Korra replied, "so we have to be quiet."
"No fair!" Ikki pouted, glaring at her younger sister.
"Ikki, what did I just tell Kierna?" Korra chided her.
"Shh!" Kierna emphasized her eldest sister's point.
Korra almost laughed out loud. Kierna was definitely a fast learner.
"Sorry. Kierna can kind of say Jinora's name, but she won't say mine," Ikki huffed.
"She'll say it in time," Korra comforted.
"I hope so," Ikki sighed.
It wasn't long before Pema and Meelo returned.
"Korra, the doctor said I'm getting big and strong!" Meelo reported.
"That's awesome, buddy!" Korra grinned at the six-year-old. "Give me a high five."
Meelo did so, making his mother and Korra laugh.
"So how did everything go?" Pema asked.
"Pretty well. The girls were good. Jinora got sick, but she's feeling a little bit better now," Korra told her.
Pema frowned.
"Did her fever break?" she asked.
"Yeah, about an hour ago," Korra replied.
"Thank goodness. Listen, I know this is a lot to ask, but could you watch the kids tonight? Tenzin has this business dinner he has to attend and he wants me to go with him," Pema frowned in a way that told the Avatar she would rather do anything else.
"Okay," Korra switched kierna to her other hip as she spoke.
"Have you been holding Kierna since I left?" Pema inquired, kissing Ikki on the head as her eight-year-old gave her a hug hello.
"For a little while after you left. I sung her to sleep and she just woke up an hour ago," Korra explained.
Pema nodded. She went to start dinner with Ikki's help.
*****
Korra's mind was brought back to the present as she felt a tug on one of her braids. Glancing down, she was met by Kierna's hazel eyes locking with hers. It was an intense stare like the almost two-year-old was trying to tell her something.
"What's up, sweet girl?" Korra asked, smiling warmly at her. She sat down on a chair,, still holding the little girl. She was trying not to break eye contact with her. She was desperate for Kierna to say whatever was on her mind. Glancing outside, Korra realized it was a little past Kierna's bedtime.
"What do you say we get you ready for bed?" Korra stood with Kierna in her arms.
"No!" Kierna declared, but she was smiling.
"I'm gonna get Bolin for teaching you that word," Korra muttered while she carried Kierna into the bathroom. Drawing a bath using waterbending, Korra undressed Kierna and put her in the tub. It wasn't long before Kierna's joyful giggles filled the room. She loved being in water. She bent a ball of water and aimed it at Korra.
Korra giggled and launched her own gentle attack. She enjoyed sharing this time with her youngest sister. After playing for a few more minutes, Korra washed Kierna and rinsed her off before draining the tub.
"Come on, sweet girl, let's get you out and we'll cuddle," Korra reached down and pulled the little girl from her second favorite place next to her own lap. As always, Kierna started crying. Only now she said the word no over and over again.
"Oh my goodness," Korra cooed while swaying back and forth a little bit while drying Kierna off, "that's a lot of noise you're making. Shh, shh, I know, Korra knows. You'll get another bath tomorrow," she tried to soothe the upset toddler. With that, she carried her out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. Getting her dressed in a pair of pj's with seals on them, Korra found a clean pacifier on the dresser and gave it to the still crying little girl. Sitting down in a rocking chair, Korra started to hum while brushing Kierna's hair out with her fingers. Eventually, Kierna started calming down. A minute later, Kierna threw the pacifier across the room before pulling Korra's right ring finger towards her mouth.
Korra laughed softly.
"Whatever keeps you calm," she said as Kierna's gums made contact with her finger. She winced slightly as one of Kierna's teeth hit it.
"I love you," Korra planted a kiss on her right cheek while rocking her a little. She sung Kierna the lullaby she had sung to her since she was four days old, knowing it would help her calm down. It did the trick soon afterwards. As Korra gazed down at Kierna, she found the little girl gazing at her with that same intense gaze.
"Are you ever gonna tell me what you're thinking?" Korra tapped the end of the little girl's nose, making her giggle. After holding her for a few more minutes, Korra resigned to tucking her in. As she did so, Korra found her heart longing to hold Aisha. She knew her little girl was being taken care of well by her grandparents, but she still missed her. Korra was a few feet away from Kierna's crib when the little girl blurted out clear as a bell, "Korra!"
Korra glanced down at the little girl as a grin spread from ear to ear.
"Good girl! Oh I am so proud of you!" she hugged the little girl close and gave her a bunch of kisses. Tucking her in a few minutes later, Korra ran a hand through her hair, hoping it would help her fall asleep.
"Korra!" Kierna blurted out again.
"Shh, I'm right here," Korra assured her, "you need to go to sleep now. It's time to go night-night," she explained.
"Korra tay," Kierna glanced up at her.
"I'll stay for a little bit," Korra assured her. "I love you, sweet girl." Standing up a few minutes later, Korra made her way quietly from the room. She went to check on Jinora and Ikki. Entering Jinora's room first, she found her younger sister fast asleep or so she thought. Bending down, she gave her a kiss and made sure she was warm. Standing back up, she was about to leave when Jinora's voice stopped her.
"Korra?" she asked.
"Shh, its okay, Jinora, go back to sleep. I was just checking on you."
Jinora sat up slowly while holding her arms out. A minute later, she grimaced as pain shot through her stomach.
Korra frowned in concern.
"You're gonna be okay. You need to lie back down. I can take the pain away."
"Korra, it hurts!" Jinora cried.
"Shh, I know, sis, I know," with that, Korra helped the thirteen-year-old lay back down. Once Jinora was lying as straight as she could get, Korra dipped her hands in a water jug Pema had left on the table. Bringing them out, she gently placed them on Jinora's lower abdomen. She left them there until she felt the teenager relax.
"Is that better?" Korra asked.
"Yeah," Jinora said as her breathing became normal again.
"I'm glad. You need to try and go back to sleep," Korra removed her hands from Jinora's stomach and ran one through her hair.
"Korra?" Jinora asked, her eyes closing a little.
"yeah?" the young adult replied.
"Can we cuddle for a little bit, please?"
Korra grinned.
"Sure." Sitting on the bed, Korra gently pulled Jinora into her lap and held her for a few minutes. She sung to her and stroked her hair until she was asleep again. Laying her back down, she tucked the blanket around her and stood to leave. Before she left, she whispered that she loved her and wished her little sister sweet dreams.
Entering Ikki's room, which was next to Jinora's on the right, Korra smiled when she saw Ikki's covers on the floor. Ikki definitely moved around a lot in her sleep. Korra found it out the hard way the time she had let the eight-year-old sleep with her after she had a nightmare and was kicked a few times in the middle of the night. Tucking the blankets around the little girl, Korra was about to leave when Ikki spoke.
"Me too, please?" came the sleepy request.
Korra figured she had heard her and Jinora talking in the other room.
"Okay, but then you need to go back to sleep. It's late," Korra sat down on the bed and took Ikki into her arms. She sung to her and held her until the little girl was in dreamland. Tucking her back in, Korra told her she loved her and left the room. Halfway to her own, Korra doubled back. Entering Jinora's room once again, she crawled in behind her and wrapped a protective arm around the teenager.
As though sensing she was there, Jinora rolled over and snuggled into Korra's hold. As the Avatar drifted off to sleep, one thing was for sure. She had certainly gotten some surprises while baby-sitting this time. And as she let sleep find her, Korra realized she wouldn't have the airbender kids any other way.
THE END