"Where is she? Where is my daughter?" Phoebe asked headmaster Iroh panicked when she and Coop finally arrived at the bending school.
"Parker is save at Katara's cottage" headmaster Iroh replied: "I will take you to her."
On the way to the cottage Iroh explained all of what happened the evening before. Phoebe and Coop had heard a part of it when Jaya came to them but they hadn't heard the full story yet.
At the cottage, Iroh knocked on the door and Katara immediately opened it. She had seen them coming through the little window next to the door.
"Where is Parker?" Coop and Phoebe asked at the same time, the second the door opened.
"She's in the corner by the fire" Katara answered. Phoebe walked over to the fire place and indeed found Parker sitting, curled up next to the fire in the corner.
"Parker?" Phoebe said and crouched down before her daughter.
Parker had her knees close to her chest and with her arms tight around them. She stared to the ground in front of her and didn't reply.
"How is she doing?" Iroh asked Katara.
"She slept through the night which isn't surprising since she used up a lot of energy yesterday" Katara answered: "She woke up around 7 am and had a small panic attack. She's been sitting in that corner, staring in front of her, since then…I think she's in a bit of a shock."
"I can imagine" Coop said.
"Honey," Phoebe said towards her husband: "I think we should take her home."
"Mrs. Halliwell, I don't think that's the best idea" headmaster Iroh replied.
"She needs to be with her family" Phoebe said. She had a sad look in her eyes and was on the verge of crying.
"Phoebe" Katara interrupted: "I understand how you feel but I agree with Iroh that it won't do Parker good to take her away from the bending world right now."
"Why?" Coop asked and went standing next to his wife.
"Parker has ran from herself all her life" Katara explained: "She's been hiding her true self from others and herself."
"You mean the gloves and the kerchief?" Coop asked.
"For instance…" Katara answered.
"What…So you mean it's our fault that our daughter is scared of who she is?" Phoebe asked hurt.
"I didn't say it is your fault. But Parker hiding her tattoos, herself, is one of the reasons that caused her bending to stay hidden too" Katara tried to explain calmly:
"Parker has become more comfortable with me seeing her tattoos but since she hasn't yet accepted herself completely her powers didn't come through. When yesterday she showed up at class with her tattoos showing and everyone seeing them it caused such a mix of very strong emotion within Parker that finally her bending burst out."
"It took Parker by surprise and it scared her" Iroh continued: "If Parker leaves and she runs away from her bending again it will only cause her to stay scared of her own power, of herself."
Katara explained further: "Here at the school in the bending world we can help Parker accept herself and her power. We can learn her how to handle it and she can learn more about her powers past."
Phoebe sighed. She knew they were right and by the looks of it her husband did too. They smiled softly at each other.
"Okay, we agree" Coop said while looking at headmaster Iroh and katara.
"But I can't just sit at home and do nothing…" Phoebe said: "What can we do to help Parker."
"It's very important that Parker feels accepted with every aspect of her" Katara replied.
"We do…we love her just the way she is…" Coop said.
"I know…but her tattoos have been rejected a lot…not just by herself or you…You need to tell her that it is okay to herself, as much as she needs to hear it to believe it" Katara said.
Phoebe looked back at her daughter, who was still sitting in the same spot in the same position. Phoebe wandered if Parker, in this state of mind, had grasped anything of what they were saying. Phoebe walked over the her little girl and crouched down again right before her. She laid her hand on Parker's arm and moved closer to whisper something to her daughter.
"I believe in you…You are the strongest person I've ever met and I am so, so proud of you…Please come back to us…"
During the next few days Parker slowly came out of her shock. She didn't say much yet, only when she was asked simple questions, but she did start to move a bit around Katara's home. Sometimes Parker even went outside and sat in the little enclosed garden by the water.
Phoebe and Coop had taken a rotation on being with their youngest daughter. Every night they went home and then the next morning the other came to the bending school. PJ, Parker's sister had come by a few times too. She was startled the first by seeing her sister so broken. Of course PJ had seen Parker being sad before but nothing like this. When she saw her little sister sitting in that corner next to the fire, so quiet and staring out in front of her, PJ felt really bad about all the times she had made fun of Parker or didn't do anything when someone else made fun of her. In that moment PJ made up her mind. She was definitively never going to let that happen ever again.
"I'm sorry sis…You are strong and you are amazing. You are the best sister anyone could wish for" Pj whispered in Parker's ear.
Another few days passed by. Azula went to Katara's cottage to visit Parker right after breakfast. She knocked on the door and then let herself in the house.
"Good morning" she greeted.
"Good morning to you too, my dear" Katara replied.
Azula looked around but didn't find Parker in her usual spot next to the fire so she asked Katara: "Where's Parker?"
"Oh, she went outside after breakfast."
"How is that going,…the eating?"
"She eating better."
"Good…That's good…I'm gonna see if I can go talk to her for a second."
"Sure, would you like some tea."
"Yeah…Thanks."
Azula walked out of the backdoor into the enclosed garden. She quickly found Parker sitting on the rocks by the water. Azula walked over to the spot and took place on a rock next to Parker. She could see Parker was staring over the water at the bending island, which the upcoming sun gently lighted up with a bright color.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Azula said, not expecting any response right away.
Parker sighed.
"How are you feeling today?"
"Better,...I guess."
"Bolin has been asking about you a lot."
"Have you said anything?"
"No…but he does care about you, clearly and I think he needs an explanation about what's going on with you."
"I know…I'm just scared that if he knows my whole story that he won't be my friend anymore."
"I don't think that will happen…And you don't have to tell him your whole story yet…Tell him a part of it so he can understand a bit about what's happening."
Parker sighed again.
Behind them Katara walked up with a tray in her hands. She put the tray down on the little table standing behind Parker and Azula.
"Here is some fresh tea" Katara said: "Now, I hope I'm not bothering but there is another visitor for you Parker."
"Another?" Parker said confused.
"Who is it?" Azula asked.
"It's a young man. He says his name is Bolin" Katara answered.
"What? He's here?" Parker replied panicked and stood up quickly backing away from the cottage but forgetting that behind her the rocks almost ended and the water started.
"Be careful" Azula said while grabbing Parker's arm and pulling her towards herself.
"It's okay, Parker" Katara said: "I asked Bolin to wait outside.
"Azula" Parker said, still not at ease: "Can't you go talk to him? I'm not ready."
"I know it isn't easy. But you are strong… If you want I will go with you" Azula replied.
Parker was breathing a bit heavy.
"Deep breaths, Parker" Katara reminded her.
Parker took a deep breath and locked eyes with Katara, who smiled softly at her. Then a long sigh. Parker slit her hand inside Azula's. Together they walked back into the cottage with Katara right behind them. Slowly they made their way over to the front door. To Parker it felt like time was going in slow motion. Just one more step towards the door.
Parker laid her hand on the doorknob, turned and pulled it open…slowly and unsure. The boy standing outside was standing with his back towards the door but turned around when he heard the hinges squeaking behind him.
"Parker!?."
"Hi, Bolin."