DISC: I DO NOT own any of the characters from LOK. They belong to Brike.

Enjoy!

"You Can Always Come Home"

Chapter 3

Four days later Korra stood on the docks, waiting for a water tribe boat to arrive. Her mother had called two days before and told her she was coming up to see her. Korra was excited, but also a little nervous. She intended to give her mother an explanation. The sound of Kierna suddenly starting to cry brought Korra out of her thoughts. She rushed to the toddler's side to find her right arm bleeding.

""Aw, what happened, sweet girl?" she gently knelt down beside Kierna and reached out a hand to examine the injury.

"Meelo pushed me!" Kierna wailed.

"I did not!" the eight-year-old insisted. HE crossed his arms over his chest and glared at his baby sister before glaring at Korra.

"He did push her," Ikki chimed in, "but I think it was an accident."

"All right. Kierna, come here, let me see," Korra gently took the still crying three-year-old into her arms. "Can I see it? I can make it all better," she told her.

"Like Aunt Senna does?" Kierna asked.

"Exactly like that," Korra replied.

Kierna hesitated before allowing Korra to look at her arm.

"Okay, here we go," with that, Korra bent some water out of her canteen and wrapped it around her right hand. Once the water started to glow, she pressed it to Kierna's left arm. Satisfied when the scrape and cut closed, Korra pulled her hand back before gently kissing Kierna's arm. "How does that feel?"

"Better," Kierna smiled through her remaining tears. "Thank you, Korra."

"Aw, you're welcome, sweet girl. What do you say? Want to sit on my shoulders so you can look out for my Mom's boat?"

"Yeah! Please?"

"You got it," Korra gently hoisted the toddler onto her shoulders. After making sure Kierna had a good grip, Korra stood and moved closer to where everyone else was standing.

"Korra, be careful with her!" Tenzin advised when he saw his youngest daughter perched on top of his former student's shoulders.

"She's fine," Korra assured him with a roll of her eyes.

Ikki giggled at her older sister's tone before squealing in delight and pointing with her index finger.

"I see it! I see the boat! Aunt Senna's coming! Aunt Senna's coming!" she started jumping up and down.

"Me too!" Kierna shouted.

"Good job both of you!" Korra praised. She gently pulled Kierna from her spot and hugged her before setting her upon the ground. It wasn't long before the boat arrived and the gang plank was lowered. The minute she saw her mother, Korra raced for her arms. Ikki got to her first.

"Aunt Senna! Aunt Senna! You're here! You're here! Can we make brownies, please? Please!"

Senna laughed softly and ruffled Ikki's hair. She picked her up for a hug, then set her down again.

"Of course we can," she told her. She hugged Jinora who had joined them. Once the two pulled away, Senna was nearly knocked over by her own daughter. She pulled Korra into a tight embrace, tears flowing freely down both of their cheeks. Putting a hand through her daughter's hair, Senna noticed how short it was.

"Korra, oh my little one, I'm so relieved you're safe. You had me and your father worried."

"I'm so sorry, Mom," Korra apologized as she buried her face in her mother's chest much like she had done with her father a few days before. "I'll explain everything, I promise."

Senna merely shushed her as she planted a kiss on her head before kissing her cheek.

"I love you so much," she whispered so only Korra could hear. "I missed you more than you'll ever know."

"I missed you too," Korra confessed. She had calmed down a little, but she was still crying.

"Aunt Senna, what do you think of Korra's haircut?" Ikki asked, breaking the moment between mother and daughter.

"I like it," Senna laughed softly through her remaining tears.

"Can we make the brownies now?" Ikki asked. Her question was met by several chuckles from the adults and an "Oh, Ikki," from Korra.

~****

Later that night, Korra was trying to sleep. She had explained everything to her mother earlier that afternoon. The two had spent some overdue quality time together. Her father had joined them for a little while. He left an hour or so later, wanting to give them some time alone. He agreed to help Meelo throw a spear, something Senna and Pema weren't too keen on.

Before going up to bed that night, Korra had helped Pema tuck Kierna in. She had sung to her before joining Ikki and Jinora in a game of paisho. After the game was over, Korra and the girls had a brownie for dessert with some milk. A little while later, Ikki went to bed, followed by Jinora. Soon it was just Korra awake. Her mother insisted she get some rest and Korra allowed her to tuck her in. While Senna was doing so, she explained that Katara was going to visit for a few days. Katara wanted to see how Korra was and do an examination to make sure all of the poison was out of her system. Korra wasn't so sure about the idea, but her mother assured her that both she and her father would be able to be with her. This helped Korra relax a little. Once her mother was gone, Korra tried her best to get to sleep. Now, an hour and a half later, she still couldn't drift off. As Korra rolled over for the umpteenth time, she suddenly felt her stomach start to churn. Confused by the sudden nausea, the Avatar sat up and then stood. Managing to make it to the bathroom, she knelt down in front of the toilet before the inevitable happened. As she was trying to catch her breath, she felt a gentle, familiar hand come to rest on her shoulder.

"Korra, what happened?"

Korra shook her head as she felt her mother check her for a fever. She was about to speak when she felt her stomach lurch again. Heaving for the second time, she brought up everything she had eaten in the last day or so. Sipping slowly from a cup of water her mother pressed to her lips, Korra finally gained the ability to answer her.

"I don't know. I felt fine and then I suddenly felt like I had to throw up," she rested her head against her mother's chest as her stomach tried to settle down.

"Is your stomach hurting?" her mother gently inquired.

"No. I'm just feeling really…" Korra's voice trailed off as another wave of nausea hit. She sat up quickly and allowed her mother to help her face the toilet again. She started coughing in the middle of throwing up, making her throat burn.

"It's okay, sweetie, just get it up, thatta girl…its okay…" Senna soothed. Her heart was breaking for her little girl. She couldn't understand why Korra was feeling this way.

Once Korra's stomach calmed down, she let her mother carry her back to bed.

"Mom, will you stay, please?" Korra reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Of course. I need to get you a basin. I don't want you moving for the rest of the night. I'll be right back," with that, her mother left. She returned shortly afterwards and set the object on the nightstand. Climbing into bed next to Korra, Senna gently pulled her daughter into her arms. "Are you okay there?"

"Uh-huh," Korra mumbled. She snuggled into her mother's hold, feeling safer than she had in a long time. "I love you, Mom."

"Aw, I love you so much, little one. You're going to feel better soon. Katara will figure it out," she planted a kiss on Korra's head before combing a hand through her hair. "Try to get some sleep."

"Okay," Korra murmured, already halfway there. She just prayed she felt better soon…