AN: ugh this chapter fought me at every turn. I am so sorry if it is not up to usual standards.

Though she was prepared for it, Kuvira did not run into Baatar Jr. after that first time. She did not meet his wife or child. In fact, she barely left her rooms at all. After ten years in prison, she would have thought that being confined to quarters would not have been difficult to tolerate. She was wrong. She found herself agitated and bored. In just a short amount of time, she had become accustomed to the relative freedom she was allowed under Suyin's guardianship. In prison, three days without leaving her cell would have been nothing, would have been normal, easy. Now, she had her three rooms, the hallway of her wing, and the library at the end of the hall to explore, and yet she still felt caged. Perhaps it was because she had not been able to practice her bending properly. Perhaps it was because she knew that an 'enemy' was close (though she did reflect that it was possibly dramatic to think of Baatar Jr. as an enemy). Whatever the reason, on the third day of her confinement, she kept looking at the clock, hoping that Suyin would show up to tell her that she was free to leave her quarters again, that Jr. was on his way back to Republic City.

Suyin, however, never came. Instead, late in the afternoon, a knock sounded on her door. She jumped up to answer it, all of her nervous energy channeling into her movements. She flung open the door.

"Baatar?" She blinked, confused that Baatar Sr. was standing outside her door, Kaori in tow.

"Su asked us to come tell you that Jr. is on the train to Republic City."

"Oh. Thank you." She stood there awkwardly. It was strange to realize that she had not seen him in a week. Suyin had made the effort to see Kuvira as much as she could during Jr.'s visit, and Kuvira has even spent time with Kaori, Huan, and Hua during that time. But Baatar had been busy keeping his son occupied. Which she deeply appreciated.

"She would have come told you herself, but there was a pressing matter that needed her attention." He looked apologetic, and she felt her gut clench as she thought about her growing attraction to Suyin. She resolved then and there to nip it in the bud. She would not hurt Baatar. Not again. If that meant distancing herself from Suyin to keep her attraction from getting worse, then so be it. She had put this family through enough already.

"I understand. Of course." She waited. He clearly had more to say, but he seemed to be unsure how to proceed. He rocked on his heels for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Kaori wanted to ask you something. Well…Kaori and I both wanted to ask you something."

"All right."

"Su is going to miss dinner tonight, and Huan is with Yunru," Baatar said, gesturing emphatically with his hands. "And so, it would just be the three of us. And well-"

"Well, it's just such a nice day," Kaori picked up. "We wondered if you'd have a picnic with us."

Kuvira blinked. "What?"

"A picnic," Baatar repeated. "The sun is still out, and it's not too hot today. And we know you haven't been outside much this week. Kaori suggested it."

Kuvira had to look away so that they would not see the emotion on her face, the way she had to swallow the lump in her throat. "I'd like that," she said softly.

Kaori squealed and threw herself around Kuvira before Baatar could stop her. Startled, Kuvira stood with her arms raised, eyes wide with surprise. Few people hugged her, and even fewer did so spontaneously. Hesitantly, she placed a hand on top of Kaori's head, patting the girl on the back.

"If you and Kaori could find a place," Baatar said, "I will go get the food from Chef. If that's all right."" He looked at Kuvira questioningly.

"Yes, that's fine."

"All right. I'll come find you. Kaori, you just stay with Kuvira, and do what she says until I get back." He raised his brows pointedly, and Kaori nodded. Once he was gone, Kaori released her, bouncing on the balls of her feet, and Kuvira let herself relax.

"This is going to be awesome!" Kaori exclaimed. "Su never wants to eat outside. She says there're-"

"Too many bugs," Kuvira supplied before Kaori could finish. Her chest felt warm as Kaori beamed.

"Exactly!" The girl took her hand and dragged her outside. "I know the perfect place!" Kaori led her through the various practice yards and gardens to an older tree that's shade spread out around its trunk. What Kaori could not have known was that this had been one of Kuvira's favorite places to come sit when she was younger. When she felt lonely and overwhelmed, when she missed her parents, when she needed to away from the Beifongs. When life became too much for her, she would come to this tree. "How is this?"

For a second, Kuvira could not answer, swallowing down the longing in her chest. She squeezed Kaori's hand. "It's perfect."

"Awesome!"

The sun was starting to draw closer to the horizon, but there was still enough light to see by, and Kuvira thought the deepening reds and oranges gave the whole landscape a kind and welcoming atmosphere. Something she had trouble feeling in Zaofu. Certainly Suyin and the people who spent time with Kuvira were cordial to her, but she knew that the average citizen hated her. And she could not blame them. It was something she would learn to live with.

Whatever her complicated feelings toward Kaori were, it was nice to spend time with someone who genuinely liked her and wanted nothing from her but who she was. Even Suyin had expectations. Kaori just wanted Kuvira to like her. And after Baatar Jr.'s visit, Kuvira was really starting to understand why. She was sure that Suyin's other children had welcomed the girl. Huan certainly seemed to, and Kuvira could not see Opal or the twins shunning Kaori. But now, she thought it quite possible that Kaori had already heard negative comparisons between herself and Kuvira from Baatar Jr. They had been linked by circumstance, and Kuvira thought that perhaps she had a responsibility to keep Kaori from experiencing the same anger and isolation that she had endured.

She was the adult. It was up to her to make sure this girl never knew of her jealousy and bitterness.

"Kaori," she started, unsure where she was going with this.

"Yes?" The girl looked at her with wide, expectant, eyes.

"If it's all right with Suyin and Baatar, would you like to help me out tomorrow?"

"You mean…like come work on stuff with you?" Kaori looked like this suggestion was too good to be true.

"Yes. If it's all right with-"

"Yes! Yes, please!"

Blinking, taken aback by Kaori's outburst, Kuvira nodded. "Okay. We can ask Baatar when he gets back. Now, remember, it's not going to be easy work." Kuvira had just little bit more to do with the guest rooms in the east wing, but the work was delicate and required a lot of concentration and control. She would not trust that part to Kaori, but perhaps she could let the girl do some of the less detailed work.

"I'll work hard, I promise."

"I know." She lifted her hand, intending to ruffle the girl's hair, but she hesitated. The action felt natural, but Kuvira was unsure if she should take that step. So she let her hand drop back to her side. "Why don't we find a comfortable spot to sit?" She watched as Kaori studied the ground, looking for the smoothest patch of ground. Kuvira wondered briefly, what it would have been like to have a child with Baatar. She had never wanted children. She had always thought she would make an awful mother, having never had a good example to go by. She had never regretted the decision, and only rarely wondered how things would have been different. Mostly, she was glad that she had not left a child motherless while she was in prison. Motherless and fatherless while Baatar Jr. was also incarcerated.

The child probably would have been raised by Suyin. Possibly taught to hate its mother in those first few years. Even longer when Baatar Jr. was set free.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. It didn't really matter at all. Children were not in her future, and for that she was thankful. Things were complicated enough as it was.

"All right, I've got the food." They turned to see Baatar Sr. approaching, arms laden with food and a blanket draped over his shoulder. Kuvira met him and unburdened him of his load, allowing him to spread out the blanket. "Don't tell Su, but I put some extra sweets in here." He winked at Kaori, who grinned conspiratorially. Kuvira found her jealousy was less than it had been, and instead of the pain of betrayal as she watched their interaction. With the sun on her face, she felt something close to peace, even if momentarily. Even if it was just for a little while. As Kaori and Baatar settled, Kuvira set the containers of food down in the middle of the blanket, then lowered herself next to the girl.

"This looks good," Kuvira said to Baatar. She realized how odd it was to be around him and Kaori without Suyin present. She was not sure what to say, what to talk about. With Kaori, their conversations usually centered on bending forms and things like that. Suyin always mediated and kept the conversation going when Kuvira grew too awkward. She only ever saw Baatar at meal times, and then there were other people to pick up any slack in conversation. Now, she grew nervous as she tried to think of what to say to these two people. How was it so easy with Suyin, and yet so hard with everyone else. Well, it was easy with Korra, too. And Hua. She even felt comfortable with Lin for the most part. If she could be comfortable with all of those people, then she could make it through a picnic with the man who had tried to be a father to her and the girl he and Suyin had taken in.

"Chef wanted to give me some things he's been experimenting on, but I managed to convince him to save it for Su," Baatar said with a smile to Kaori. The girl was notoriously picky.

"I just don't like icky squiggly stuff!" she protested, wrinkling her nose. "Sometimes the things he makes are so gross." She looked slyly over to Kuvira. "Kuvira doesn't like it either. She just never says anything."

Baatar raised a brow, looking to Kuvira. "Is that true?"

Kuvira grimaced, thinking of the times she had picked at her food. Kaori must have noticed. "It's not so much that I don't like the food," she admitted. "It's more that…" She glanced at Kaori, debating how much she should say. "It's just…well… In prison, the food I had was much less rich, and there was….less of it." Not that she had been starved, or hadn't had enough to eat. She had been treated well, and eaten well. Just not the decedent, expensive, sometimes heavy food Suyin's cook was so fond of preparing. "It's hard for me to finish a plate. I'm not accustomed to it." Kuvira focused on the grass, aware of the awkwardness she had brought on the group. Kaori seemed horrified, and Baatar…she was not sure what Baatar was thinking. He just watched her from under knitted brows. He already knew of her conditions in prison. She was sure that Suyin had discussed it with him.

"They didn't feed you enough?" Kaori's eyes were wide, and her voice shook.

"What? Oh, no it wasn't like that," Kuvira backpedalled. She had not meant to upset the girl. "They fed me. I Just not the same kind of food you get here."

Kaori looked from her to Baatar. "I don't understand."

"Well, Kaori," he began, choosing his words carefully. "You know that prison is for…trying to teach people what they've done wrong." Kuvira appreciated that he didn't say it was for punishment, even though she knew that was the truth. "It's not supposed to be fun or…comfortable."

"So there was no dessert?" This time the question was directed back to Kuvira.

"Um…every once in a while," she replied. "Not often, but…on very special occasions."

"Kaori, honey," Baatar said softly. "Kuvira probably doesn't want to talk about prison. It's not a fun place."

"Oh. Oh no, I'm sorry!" She bit her lip, brows drawn. "I didn't mean to say anything to upset you."

Kuvira shook her head. "It's all right. I'm not upset." And she wasn't. Talking about her time in prison was not something that she could, or would even want to, avoid. Korra had been very clear in preparing her for her release. She had to learn how to process that time and what had happened to her. What she had gone through. What she had caused. Talking about it was one of the best ways to do that. She was just unsure if it was appropriate to discuss it with Kaori, who was just a child. Kuvira did not know how much Kaori knew of what she had done. Of the lives she had ruined, the people she had killed. The pain she had caused. She wondered if Kaori knew, and if she would still look up to Kuvira once she found out. For some reason, the thought of Kaori hating her gave Kuvira great pain in her heart. She suddenly wanted to ask Baatar if she knew. She wanted to know if there was a possibility that in the future, Kaori would shun her, treat her as the villain she was. If it did happen, she would blame the girl. She just wanted to prepare for the possibility.

Kuvira was tired of people leaving her.

But, she reflected, not all of them stayed gone. Suyin had come back for her.

"We can talk about something else instead," Kaori said, taking a plate and putting food on it. "Like, oh! Su is going to let me start doing dance performances. Isn't that great!"

Kuvira was prepared for the stab of pain and jealousy, and she was able to move past it quickly. She would be happy for Kaori, happy that the girl would not suffer like she did. She would even be happy for Suyin and Baatar having another chance to get things right. It was not her failure. Their inability to integrate her into their family was not on her. It was their failing, not hers. And she had to keep reminding herself of that. She was not to blame for her childhood. And neither was Kaori.

"That is great. Su is a very good teacher. I'm sure you will be wonderful." She smiled at Kaori, and the girl's face lit up. Beside her, Baatar was watching Kuvira intently. His hand twitched as if he wanted to reach for her, but he didn't. They had never had that type of relationship, even when she was young. Where she had accepted hugs, kisses, touches from Suyin, there had always been more of a barrier between her and Baatar. She sometimes wondered what his true feelings towards her were. He was certainly trying hard to be kind and open and welcoming with her now. He always greeted her with a broad, wide smile, with happiness that suggested he was truly glad to see her. He always seemed so genuine, and she could not find any evidence that it was an act.

"I've watched them practice before," Kaori continued. "Everyone is so talented. Su says that I can be a flier because I'm the littlest."

"I started off as a flier, too," Kuvira told her. "Actually…I continued as a flier. Once I was older, I could throw myself up." She realized that she had not yet put food on her plate, so she remedied that. As she filled her plate with rice and dumplings, she crossed her legs and settled in. "I was around your age when I started dancing with the troupe."

Kaori frowned, puzzled. "Well, why don't you dance with them now?"

Startled, Kuvira did not know what to say. "I…well, it's been…a long time since I danced like that." Thirteen years. Since before she left Zaofu. "I'm not sure I could anymore." She had done her best to keep up her forms, but…there was only so much she could do in a prison cell.

"You could always come and practice!"

"I…" Kuvira looked to Baatar, but he could only shake his head softly. There were so many reasons why she did not feel she could attend dance sessions in Zaofu anymore. So many people she had hurt. "I don't think that would be a good idea."

"But why no— "

"Kaori." Kuvira had rarely ever heard Baatar's voice so hard, and clearly neither had Kaori. She flinched, and looked at him, mouth open in shock. "Just let this go. If Kuvira wants to come to dance practice, she will. But her reasons not to are her own. And not for you to know."

"Oh." The girl's voice was so small and brittle. "Sorry."

The older man sighed, deflating. "No, I'm sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn't have snapped like that." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, but he was looking straight at Kuvira. "I just know that there are some things that…aren't polite to ask."

"I know."

"All right." He cupped her face gently and rubbed their noses together, and Kuvira decided it was the most disgustingly adorable thing she had ever seen. "Remember to think before you speak."

"I will." Looking at Kuvira, Kaori tilted her head. "I didn't mean to get pushy."

"It's…fine." She did let herself reach out and ruffle the girl's hair this time. Kaori smiled, and Kuvira relished the rush of warmth that filled her chest. She always worried about being too cold, not feeling enough, not giving enough. But this little girl was pulling it out of her, little by little, sometimes painfully. "I don't really mind that much. Talking about it isn't so hard. I just…don't want to upset you. It was a hard time. I'm just glad to be here now."

"I'm glad you're here, too! I missed you so much while Jr. was here." Her pout was truly impressive.

"You saw me last night," Kuvira said with a small laugh.

"I knoooow, but…" her eyes flitted over to Baatar, and she looked as if she was wrestling with herself. She leaned in really close to Kuvira, and whispered in her ear. "Jr. isn't always nice, and I don't think he likes me."

"Oh, Kaori." Kuvira could not say what she really wanted to, not with Baatar right there. He could probably hear them, she was sure. Her eyes slid to the side to try and gauge his reaction to Kaori's words. His face was a dark mask of shame and anger. She tore her gaze away, focusing on Kaori again. "He doesn't like me much either. But you know what? That doesn't matter. Because we both have plenty of people who do like us."

Kaori nodded. "Like Su. And Baatar." She glanced at her guardian, giving him a lopsided smile. The older man relaxed slightly. Kuvira knew that he was not proud of how Jr. acted around Kaori, but Jr. was still his son, still his family. "And Huan and Yunru and Opal and Bolin and Wing and Wei! And even Aunt Lin."

Aunt Lin. Another difference. She was an aunt to Kaori. To Kuvira, she was Chief. Maybe something close to a friend. Maybe. But she had never been family. Granted, for the majority of the time Kuvira had been with the Beifongs, Lin had been estranged. No chance for Kuvira to form a relationship with her before she was incarcerated. Surprisingly, the jealousy was minimal. She knew Lin now. Had something like a friendship with her. Even with Kya. The waterbender visited with Korra sometimes. Sometimes on her own. She seemed invested in Kuvira's 'spiritual healing,' as she liked to put it.

The point was, Kuvira knew that she wasn't as alone as she sometimes felt. And she had to keep that in mind, had to keep herself from wallowing in self-pity. Baatar Jr. hated her, but he was no longer a part of her life. He was no longer important. She decided that for every time Baatar Jr. had made Kaori upset, she would give the girl a happy memory. It was the least she could do since she was partially responsible for his reaction to the girl. His feelings towards her colored his feelings toward Kaori. And perhaps it was not fair to either of them, but it was the reality of the situation. Which reminded her-

"Baatar, I was meaning to ask you if tomorrow it would be all right for Kaori to help me with my current project." She wanted to move the conversation away from anything that was uncomfortable for any of them. "I know I could use the help." She really didn't need any help, and she knew Baatar was aware of that. They both knew she was offering for Kaori's sake.

"I don't see why not. So long as she does her bending practice and all of her school work."

Kaori made a face and sighed dramatically at the mention of school. "Oh come on, Baatar! I don't need to go-"

"Yes, you do." Baatar pressed a finger to her lips, amused. "You have to learn your arithmetic if you want to be an architect."

This surprised Kuvira. She had just assumed that Kaori was interested in joining the guard, in becoming a warrior. "You want to be an architect?"

"Yep. I love building things, and I want to build a whole city like Baatar did!" The excitement on her face was so refreshing. Of course, Kaori was always excited about something, but this was different. This was something like a true drive, an internal motivation to do something good. To build something beautiful.

"That's a really wonderful dream to have. To work for." She wanted to warn Kaori about the dangers of giving herself over to her passions. Of losing herself in her attempts to fulfill a dream. She did not know if Kaori had her same tendencies to extremes, if she would be in danger of going off the path, losing herself. She did not know, and she had to keep herself from voicing those fears. They were hers, not Kaori's. And she did not have the right to dampen the girl's enthusiasm because she feared their similarities.

"Kaori is very talented," Baatar said, the pride clear in his voice. Jr. had not quite followed in his footsteps the way he wanted. Regardless of the crimes he had committed with Kuvira, he wasn't as interested in architecture as his father. Kuvira knew that Baatar Sr. had always wanted one of his children to be as passionate about his work as he was. Perhaps Kaori could be that for him. "You should see some of her sketches. Very ambitious. Very cutting edge for someone of her age."

"I would love to see them some time," Kuvira said to the girl. "If, that is, you would allow it."

"Really? You want to see my drawing?"

"Yes."

"Of course!" Kaori hopped up, and Baatar had to put a hand on her arm.

"Not just yet, sweetheart," he laughed. "Let's finish eating first."

"But I'm almost done!"

"Your sketches will still be there when everyone is finished," he assured her. Gently, he tugged on her sleeve until she plopped back down next to Kuvira.

"Fine." The girl's arms crossed, and her lip stuck out in a pout.

"What are you three doing out here?" Suyin was walking towards them, one hand on her hip, the other shading her eyes.

"Having a picnic!" Kaori called. "There's still plenty of food left if you're hungry."

"Well, as a matter of fact, I haven't eaten yet." Suyin came to stand over them, her mouth quirked in a small smile. Her eyes sparkled with amusement. And perhaps something like contentment. She leaned over to press a kiss to Kaori's hair before lowering herself next to Kuvira. She smiled more broadly at Kuvira. "Glad to see you out and about."

"Glad to be out and about." Her room had felt more like a prison than her cell ever had. Even when Suyin and Kaori had visited her.

Suyin looked over the food and gathered some for herself. "So you all decided to have a picnic without me?"

"We thought you would be in your meeting longer," Baatar confessed.

"So did I. But…It was such a beautiful day, and I missed having supper together." Kuvira thought that Suyin looked wistfully at her. She knew the older woman had missed her. Suyin had been vocal about that already.

"I admit, I have also…missed it." Kuvira was painfully aware that she blushed as she said it.

"Well, things are back to normal now," Suyin said, her smile turning forced. Kuvira knew that she was upset about Jr. About the fact that he was still so bitter, still so angry. That he made things so difficult for everyone. That he was cruel to Kaori. Kuvira knew that Suyin wanted thing to be different. She wished that she could enjoy her time with her son without worrying about how it affected Kuvira and Kaori.

Kuvira boldly reached over and grasped Suyin's hand. She gave a light squeeze. To let the other woman know that she was still there. That this week had been hard, but they had gotten through it. It was going to be all right, and they were going to make it.

The next week, Avatar Korra would be coming for Kuvira's first post-prison evaluation, and Kuvira found that she was very much looking forward to it. Korra had been the first person to befriend her after her incarceration. Korra who had risked her life to save Kuvira from her own spirit weapon. And when she was around, Kuvira felt grounded. The time she had spent in Zaofu, she had missed Korra.

Things were looking up.