Katara and Korra's parents had been waiting for them at the White Lotus compound upon their arrival. The Water Tribe girl hadn't stirred since she fell asleep on Oogi's saddle. At first, Mako and Tenzin had been worried until they slightly relaxed when they noticed that she was still breathing. Barely. Tonraq took his daughter in his arms, holding her gently as if afraid he might break her and followed his wife and Katara into one of the rooms.

Not long after, another healer had been called to heal the Firebender. At first, Mako had refused, not wanting to leave and miss hearing any news on his teammate's health. It took some convincing (a scolding from Tenzin) before he was practically dragged to another wing in the compound. The healing session helped relax him and he was asleep before the woman was even finished.

When he woke, he was immediately back at his post in the living room. "How is she?" he asked.

Tenzin was about to answer him when a piercing cry cut through the building. Both boys winced at this. "Amon did quite a number on her," Tenzin noted sadly. "And she lost a lot of blood."

"Will she recover?"

The Airbender looked down at the floor. "They're doing everything they can." Mako wasn't sure how he felt about that statement but he understood. Tenzin wouldn't deny or confirm what he didn't know. The man wanted to reassure the boy but he didn't want to get his hopes too high. Mako could see the man's grey eyes brimmed with concern and knew that he was telling himself the same thing.

"Mako!" The Fire Ferret captain turned to see his brother rushing toward him. The Firebender smiled slightly, happy to see his brother was unharmed. The younger boy almost knocked him off his feet with the force of his polar bear hug.

"How's Korra?" Asami asked, quickly walking over to the brothers. If what her father had told her was true, Korra was in bad shape. She had preyed to the Spirits that he had been exaggerating.

Mako shook his head. "We don't know yet. Her mother and Katara are working on her as we speak." He eyes darted around the room and out the door, looking for Lin. "Where's Bei Fong?" he asked.

"The Chief had to stay in Republic City," the Earthbender informed him. "She had some...business to take care of."

"She was reinstated?" Tenzin questioned.

Bolin nodded. "But what about Amon? Did they find him?" Mako inquired.

"He and Tarrlok had a...accident," the heiress stated carefully. "They found their bodies afloat not too far from the bay. The Chief has to conduct an investigation. As soon as that's over and done with she'll be here." Asami pictured what Bei Fong had told her about the case. The bodies had been several burned and disfigured but after some...procedures there wasn't a doubt in the Police Chief's mind who they were. It made the raven haired beauty shiver at the thought.

*** It had been a week since they'd arrived in the South Pole. Korra hadn't awakened since the first healing session. Her screams had been reduced to mere whimpers due to her unconscious state. Katara claimed she wasn't in a coma, like before, but she couldn't explain why the girl hadn't woken up yet.

"It's almost been a week!" Mako cried out, frustrated as he ran a hand through his spiky hair, pacing the length of the living room. The lack of screams did nothing to comfort the poor guy. "Why isn't she awake yet?"

Katara's expression was calm and patient, the Firebender having asked this question many times before. She understood he was anxious, as were the rest of them. "She will wake soon, Mako. We must be patient."

"Yeah, bro, just relax," Bolin interjected. "This is Korra we're talking about here. She'll wake up." Mako looked over at his little brother and managed a small smile.

"Bo's got a point," Asami added. "Korra's the most stubborn person I've ever met." She smiled lightly at this. "She'll be fine."

After a moment's hesitation Mako relented and sat down across from his brother, pulling his scarf towards his face, a gesture his brother knew too well.

*** Senna sat in a chair next to her daughter's bed. The Avatar lay on her side, breathing peacefully, a calm expression on her face. She ran her fingers soothingly through the teen's chocolate hair, tucking the stray strands behind her ear when they fell onto her face. She could remember doing this when Korra was a little girl, about three years old if Senna remembered correctly.

*** Senna lay next to her husband in their bed, tossing and turning as the wind howled outside. Another blizzard. The smaller Waterbender had always been a light sleeper and in that moment she envied her husband's ability to sleep through a stampede.

Sighing, she hopped out of bed and headed toward the kitchen. She filled a glass with water, sipping from it as she watched the snow outside come down in tufts. She couldn't see anything through the white. The howling of the wind was louder now than it had been in the bedroom. She set the glass in the sink and started to make her way back to her room when a sound caught her attention. She smiled, shaking her head. Korra was awake.

Opening her daughter's bedroom door, she was greeted by the sight of her daughter, standing at the head of her bed so she could look out the window above the bed. But she was a little too short so she stood on her tiptoes and clung to the little jut under the window.

"What are you doing?"

She must've taken the little Waterbender by surprise because the girl jumped, accidentally releasing the jut and falling back onto her bed with a oomph! Senna suppressed a laugh at the mini glare her baby girl sent her way.

"What are you doing up, Momma?" she shot back.

Senna did laugh at this as she sat down on the edge of Korra's bed next to where the girl lay. "I asked you first," she countered. Korra scowled and rolled over so she laid on her stomach, before hiding her face against her crossed arms. Her mother waited patiently. Her daughter muttered something she couldn't quite hear. "What?"

Korra looked up at her mother and sighed. "I can't sleep."

The older of the two smiled and gently picked up the toddler, sitting her down on her lap. "Wanna talk about it?"

Korra hesitated, the gears in her little mind turning. "I'm not scared."

"I never said you were."

Korra looked up to meet her mother's cyan gaze before slowly nodding her head. "I didn't want you to think I was. I'm not scared of anything." A pause and then she nodded her head as if confirming it.

"Then you, my dear, are a lot tougher than I am," Senna replied, running her hands through Korra's little mop of dark brown hair.

Korra looked up at her mother in surprise. "You're scared, Momma?"

"Not at the moment," she stated. "How can I be when I'm here with my brave little girl?" Korra beamed up at her proudly, her trademark smirk on her face. Her mother smiled back and kissed her forehead tenderly and the little one snuggled against her mother's chest. The rest of the night Senna and Korra slept in the little bed, Senna's arms wrapped protectively around her baby's smaller frame.

*** Now her baby was back home but the conditions were not as sweet. She felt an unfamiliar anger light itself in her stomach as she observed the fading bruises and closing cuts that decorated every inch of visible skin. Korra's bones had needed to be reset, like the one in her arm and leg. Her back had proved to be in worse shape, the disk still slightly out of place.

Hearing her daughter's screams and seeing the pain contort her face as they works had nearly broken Senna's heart. She had wanted to leave, to get as far away as possible. But she'd stayed. Her child had needed her. And that had been what kept her there. She rubbed her face and her hands came away wet.

Her anger subsided and was slowly replaced with guilt. Her baby...her little girl... How could she have let this happen to her? Where had she been while her Korra was in the city, risking her life against a madman and his revolution? She should have been there! For Spirit's sake, her little girl had almost died...three times!

The mother's shoulders started to shake as tears streamed freely down her face. She brought her daughter's hand to her lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back. "Please," she whispered pleadingly. "We waited everyday for you to come home. We worried about you all the time. We should've come to visit you, we should have been there."

She clasped the girl's hand between her own and brought it back to her lips, holding it there. "Please...just wake up soon. We love you so much."

*** Most of the other occupants were in the living room, fast asleep. Bolin was snoring as he laid sprawled out on the floor, causing Asami to cover her head with a pillow as she curled up on the couch. The pillow was mainly to block out the Earthbender's snores but it wasn't much help. Mako was asleep in one of the two chairs, sleep having finally caught up with him. Tenzin sat in the chair opposite him, wide awake as he waited for any news. His thoughts spinning.

Three White Lotus approached and Tenzin was immediately on his feet. "Any news on Korra?"

The leader, a short little man, shook his head. "Still unresponsive." The Airbender sighed and nodded in understanding. "We will give her another day, and then we will begin our search," he continued.

Tenzin raised a brow at this. "Your search?" His stomach dropped as an idea of what they were getting at entered his mind. Mako and the others were beginning to come back to life, waking up from their various states of drowsiness.

"We hope that Avatar Korra will recover from this, we really do. But..." the woman of the group trailed off, unsure how to finish. The short one picked up where she left off.

"But we will travel to the Earth Kingdom to begin our search for her successor."

The room grew deathly quiet. Each member of Team Avatar stared at the three guardians, a mixture of shock, anger and disbelief on their faces. They looked like they'd been slapped. Mako's fists clenched at his side as he stood up from the chair. "How dare you!" he hissed. "Korra isn't even dead and you want to look for the next Avatar?"

"It is simply a precaution," the tallest man said. "Avatar Aang entrusted us to make sure his successors were kept safe."

"You couldn't even keep Korra safe," Asami pointed out, distaste thinly veiled in her voice. She was furious, as were the rest of Team Avatar. Did these people seriously have that little faith in the Waterbender? It sickened her to see them act as if this was nothing more than a business deal. And believe you, me, Asami had seen enough of those to know what they looked like.

It was at this moment when Tonraq entered the room, a curious brow raised as he took in the scene before him. "What's going on?"

"These people want to start looking for the next Avatar," Bolin informed him, his eyes narrowed at the White Lotus elders.

Tonraq's eyes widened and he staggered backwards slightly, as if he'd been pushed. His voice came out in a whisper. "Is she...Is Korra...?" He couldn't even finish.

Tenzin shook his head at the Waterbender. "No. She's still asleep." Tonraq visibly looked relieved before his eyes locked onto the elders. A fire, similar to his daughter's, burned in his eyes and the White Lotus had to force themselves to appear unafraid.

"I want you people out of here in the next three seconds and Spirits help me if you're not..." he growled, letting the threat hang in the air. Fear flashed in the elders' eyes but they hesitated.

"We meant no disrespect," the short one replied. "But the chances of her pulling through are-"

"But there is still a chance! Now get out of here! Now!" The White Lotus looked appalled but left with a respectfully curt bow. Tonraq watched them leave and released a heavy sigh, his demeanor changing from threatening to tired in no time. "There's still a chance..." he whispered, almost as if to reassure himself.

*** Sleep wouldn't come. Her eyes would droop but she couldn't bring herself to let them shut. It was slightly ridiculous but Senna didn't think she could sleep even if she wanted to. Her nerves were all twisted into a ball, waiting for her daughter to awaken, the guilt from earlier still bubbling in her stomach.

Over the years, Senna had allowed herself to wonder about what might have happened if her daughter hadn't been chosen to be the Avatar. She had imagined getting to hold her baby girl in her arms every day, seeing the progress she made with her Bending, if in fact she had still been born a Bender. The Waterbender had imagined waking up in the middle of the night to chase away Korra's nightmares, and taking care of her when she was sick or hurt. Watching her grow up...

But that was the sad part, wasn't it? She could only imagine those things. Thanks to the White Lotus, she and her husband had played a very small part in Korra's life. And that only made Senna feel even worse. She wished they could've done more.

Strong arms wrapped around her from behind and she turned her head to see her husband. "Hey."

"Hey."

A slight pause. "You need to get some sleep."

"I can't leave her."

"We're not," he reassured gently. "We'll be right in that bed right there," he added, gesturing to the adjacent bed next to Korra's.

"I know."

"She wouldn't want you doing this to herself," he reasoned.

"What do either of us really know about our daughter, Tonraq?" It was no more than a whisper but he could hear the regret and heartbreak that made it through the cracks in her voice. Their family had been separated for thirteen long years. Sure they had occasionally been allowed to visit the girl but the White Lotus had made sure their visits had been limited.

After a long silent moment, Tonraq said, "She knows we love her."

"Does she?"

"We told her we loved her every chance we got. We told her how much she means to us." Senna looked up into his warm cobalt blue eyes and smiled slightly. He pecked her forehead and picked her up, carrying her bridal style over to the other bed. The smaller Waterbender didn't fight him, her eyes closing as soon as her head hit the pillow.

It only seemed like five minutes had gone by before she heard a low groan. Senna sat up immediately and her eyes zeroed in on her daughter's stirring form. Korra's eyes fluttered open groggily and she allowed a big yawn to come. The Avatar made a move to sit up but a hand on her arm stopped her. The girl looked over and saw her mother, who was smiling at her as she sat back down in the chair.

"Mom?" Her voice was dry and horse from disuse, causing her to clear her throat. She tried to sit up again and before Senna could stop her she let out a sharp cry and fell back onto the bed with a hiss.

"Shh...Korra, try not to move, sweetie," she soothed. Korra took a deep breath and nodded her head in understanding. Tonraq made his way over to his two girls, sending his daughter a warm and relieved smile.

"Good to see you're awake kiddo," he said.

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost a week," her father answered. His conversation with the White Lotus elders went through his mind and he had to force himself not to show his anger. The next time he saw them, he'd throttle them for doubting his kid.

Korra nodded again and then laughed, still sounding tired. "I really did a number on myself this time, didn't I?"

Her parents nodded slightly. "You certainly did," her mother stated absently, her mind flashing to when she'd first seen the full extent of what Amon had done to the youngest Waterbender. Korra must have seen the look in their eyes.

"You okay?"

"We should be asking you that?"

Korra's brow furrowed. "Mom. Dad. What's wrong?"

Senna held back a sob, avoiding her daughter's gaze. Tonraq rubbed her shoulder, soothingly. He wouldn't meet Korra's gaze either. The frown on the Avatar's face deepened. She made another move to sit up but Tonraq's hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"No," he commanded gently.

Korra sighed but relented. She could tell that now was not the time for her to protest. Her mother was on the verge of a break down as it was. "What's wrong?" she asked once more.

There was a moment of silence and then with a small shudder, Senna spoke. "We're sorry." Her voice was small.

The youngest Waterbender raised her brow, confused. "You're sorry?" she asked. "For what?"

Tonraq shared a look with his wife. "We haven't exactly been the best parents," he said sadly. "We've failed so many times."

"No." The firmness in Korra's voice startled them, making them look at her with wide eyes. "You guys were - are - great parents. You've supported me, loved me...and I know there were times when I made that hard." She smiled slightly. "But I love you guys...so much. And I wouldn't trade our relationship for anything."

The master of the elements watched as tears brimmed her mother's eyes before she placed her face in her hands, small hiccups escaping her. Tonraq simply smiled, still holding his wife close to himself as she sat in the chair. With great difficulty, Korra managed to slide over closer to the pair and put her hand on her mother's.

"Don't cry," she whispered.

"I was so scared," Senna admitted. "I was terrified that you wouldn't wake up. The thought of never getting to tell you how much we love you..." She paused. "We wish we could've been there to protect you."

Korra shook her head, thinking back to her little conversation with Aang in the Spirit World. She thought about the memory of the White Lotus coming and taking her from her parents. She'd seen what having to give her up had done to them and she understood. "No one could've protected me," she said finally. "It was my decision and mine alone. It was never your fault." She hoped they heard the meaning behind her words. She hoped that they realized that she didn't blame them for how her life had turned out and that not all of it was bad.

Korra rubbed her thumb over the top of her mother's hand, noticing the difference between her own calloused digit and her mother's smooth skin. She suddenly smiled. "Besides, I thought you said you'd never be scared when I was around."

The woman froze and her eyes bore into Korra's. She...She remembered that night? Her baby girl remembered! "You...You-"

"I never forgot."

This admission caused a watery smile to spread across Senna's face and some of the guilt she was feeling seeped out of her. Tonraq smiled at his girls and caressed the teens cheek, letting her lean into his touch. The Avatar suddenly released a mighty yawn and both of them chuckled.

"Mom. Dad," she muttered, her eyes closing.

"Hmm?"

"Can you guys sleep with me? Like you did when I was little?"

Both parents smiled and nodded, climbing onto the bed beside their daughter, mindful of her injuries. Tonraq was on her left while Senna was on the right, Korra right in the middle. She'd never felt more at home, more loved. Both father and daughter were out like a light, in only a few minutes their light snores could be heard. Senna lay awake for awhile longer, letting her fingers run through her daughter's hair. This caused the girl to smile contently in her sleep and snuggle up closer to her mother.

Senna smiled back before closing her eyes and allowing sleep to claim her. Her family was back together. That's all she'd ever wanted.

*** Later that night, Katara walked into the room to check on the Avatar and she couldn't help but smile at the scene that greeted her. The family of three lay asleep, an air of content-ness and completeness that surrounded them. She walked over and brushed her wrinkled hand against Korra's cheek, pushing the hair out of her face. The touch caused Korra to groggily open her eyes and look up at her former master.

"Katara?" she lethargically muttered, making a move to sit up but the master motioned for her to stay down.

"Shh, Korra," the elder soothed. "Go back to sleep."

The young Avatar didn't need to be told twice and was back asleep as soon as the words left the elder's mouth. Quietly, Katara exited the room, smiling as she did so. She shut the door and turned to be met by Tenzin and the other occupants. "Mother, is Korra alright?" the Airbender asked, his voice sounded tired and weary.

"She's going to be just fine," Katara answered, smiling at the group.

"Is she awake?" Mako asked.

"She did awaken." Team Avatar looked relieved to hear this, as did Tenzin. "But now she and her parents are asleep."

"When can we see her?" Asami inquired, the rest of the group nodding their heads in agreement. All were wondering the same thing.

"Most likely you will have to wait till tomorrow," the Waterbender replied. "And you'll have to go in one at a time so you don't overwhelm her," she added sternly.

They nodded in understanding. Bolin couldn't help but let a smirk spread across his face. "Wait till the White Lotus find out," he said smugly, barely containing his excitement.

The elder master raised a brow at this. What was the Earthbender talking about? "What?"

"Well," Tenzin began carefully. He knew exactly how his mother was going to react to this news. "The elders had informed me that they would give Korra another day before they'd start their search for the next Avatar."

***** And then Katara killed all the White Lotus and they all lived happily ever after... If only right? I believe some closure needed to be extended for this little family. I mean, come on! The parents were barely even in the season finale...they didnt even get a line! What kind of crap was that! So this just needed to be done!

As always, reviews are appreciated.

We out! Peace!