Senna never came back to bed. Tonraq found her asleep in the sitting room and picked her up to carry her back to their room. There she stayed asleep for until the morning faded into the afternoon. After saying she didn't want to leave the room, Tonraq brought Senna her lunch on a tray and set in front of her.

"Sweetie, this is really getting to you. I haven't seen you this upset about your parents in years," her husband said with concern his voice. "Maybe we should talk about this."

Senna reached down and took the bread roll on her tray, breaking off a small piece a piece and feeding it to herself. When the bread roll was gone, she washed it down with a sip of tea and sighed.

"I haven't seen them for 16 years. I used to think that maybe if I stopped thinking about them and pushed them out my mind that I could trick myself into forgetting them or at least to where it wouldn't hurt anymore," she spoke softly. She glanced up into her husband's eyes. "It still hurts as much as it did then."

Tonraq pushed the food tray aside so he could sit and hug his wife. She had spent years building a wall around her heart when it came to her parents. Senna never allowed herself to be broken, but everyone is allowed to breakdown sometimes.

"What's bringing all this up?" Tonraq asked breaking their hug. "Because our concern for our daughter sounded like something your parents would have said? Because we've been over this: we're not them. We're not like that." Senna took a second to collect herself and breathe.

"I'm just afraid that...maybe a part of her won't really forgive us for trying to protect her...and that she'll resent us like I did my parents...and…"she trailed off.

"What is it?"

"I'm afraid that she'll leave us forever and we won't see her again," Senna finally admitted. Wiping away the wet tears that had escaped her eyes, she took Tonraq's hands in her own pulling them closer to her body. "Her entire life I've done my best to be the best mother to her. When we found out she was the Avatar, I had to learn to let a part of her go so that she could thrive, and I've always known that it was needed to be done. We let them take her away so that she would be safe, we let her go to Republic City so she could begin her real Avatar journey, and we've stood by her side in every battle. But when she told us that she was in love with another woman, we told her that it would be best to keep it a secret, Tonraq."

"To protect her."

"My parents spent my entire childhood trying to force me to live a life I didn't want to live. They didn't accept me to live a life that I had made for myself. I fell in love with you, and my parents hated me for it and told me that our relationship was a mistake… all while saying they saying they were trying to protect me. What's the difference between them and us?"

Tonraq walked around the bed and slid into the empty spot beside his wife, wrapping his arms around her and bring her body closer to his chest. Feeling his trust, she sank into him as he began to stroke her hair.

"We need to talk to her, Tonraq," Senna whispered quietly. She turned her head and saw him nod in agreement. "We need to tell her we're sorry for trying to control her and that she should live whatever life she wants to, and we'll support her through anything."

"I agree. You know, maybe with all of this coming up...we should tell her the truth," Tonraq suggested. "She's never met her grandparents...maybe it's time we tell her why."

"I don't know."

"She's all grown up now, Senna. Why hide it any longer?"

"Alright," Senna agreed. "But on my terms." Tonraq nodded his approval. Suddenly, the couple was interrupted by a knock on the door. Tonraq left the bed to answer it. Opening the door, they discovered one of the staff awaiting them.

"What is it?" Tonraq asked.

"Your daughter is on the phone, chief. She wished to speak to you two."

Notes:

-I'm going to try and make the chapters longer from here on out. I know everything sounds a little confusing with the missing details, but everything will be answered in the next few chapters. And the future chapters will be focusing much more on Senna. This is her story.

-Please comment your reviews. I love hearing feedback. I'm a little rusty at writing because I haven't really written this much in a long time.