Again, I'm at a loss for an appropriate tittle that fits with the 'Talk' motif

Words Of Comfort And Loss

"The medical name is Post-Traumatic Amnesia." Kya sat behind a desk in the office that had been set aside for her during her stays in Republic City, "I won't go into too much detail, not the least because there is still much we don't understand about how our minds work, but the gist of it is that Asami has lost all of the memories that make her... her. She can speak, read, write, knows the names of things, but she doesn't remember anything personal about her life. This kind of memory loss is unfortunately not all that uncommon after serious head injury, but the good news is that in most cases, it tends to be temporary. With some luck, she should be back to her old self in a few days, maybe a little longer."

"But she doesn't remember us!" Korra almost sobbed, "When I told her we were married, she took it as a joke, then said that the idea of her falling in love with another woman was absurd."

"From what I know of the two of you, Asami fell in love with you because of who you are, not because of your gender." the healer did her best to sound reassuring, "Neither of you are what I'd call lesbians; I'm not even sure bisexual is the right word either. It's more a case of finding your soul-mate and they happen to be, well, not what you were expecting."

"But she doesn't remember our children. Have you any idea how hard that is to explain to them?" The Avatar buried her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking as she gave in an wept openly, "Aang's still too young to realise what's going on, but Senna and Yin want to know why their mother looks at them as if they were strangers."

"I... I have no advice for you there." Kya admitted, "I'm not a mother, so I can't for a moment begin to understand what you or they are going through. I can try talking to them, if you'd like. See if I can make them understand that their mother is just... unwell."

"Thank you. I... I just don't know what to do." Korra admitted freely, "I have all this power, but there's nothing I can do. And spirits know, I've tried everything I can think of; I meditated into the Spirit World to see if there's anything there that could help, then I asked all of the former Avatars that I've managed to reconnect with to see if they could suggest anything, but... nothing."

"This is one of those times where I don't think being the Avatar is going to be of any help." Kya nodded, "All you can do is be there for Asami and try and help her regain her memories in her own time."

Asami Sato. She had to keep reminding herself that that was her name; Asami Sato.

Mrs Asami Sato, if what she had been told was true, but she found that harder to believe than the idea that she headed one of the largest corporations in the world. She'd asked the man she'd been told was her father what was being done about this company while she was in hospital, and with noticeable reluctance, he'd informed her that a man named Varrick and his wife, Zhu Li, had arrived in the city to take over the day-to-day running of Future Industries for the duration of her recovery.

It was clear that the names were supposed to mean something to her, but as with almost everything else, she drew a total blank on them.

"So..." She looked at the young man who was sat across the room from her bed; her apparent friends and family seemed intent on making sure there was someone with her at all times, "We're... friends?"

"Yes." The man; Mako, she reminded herself, nodded, "We did date for a while, but that was a very long time ago now. I'm with Kuvira now; you met her yesterday."

"I remember her." Asami nodded, happy that she at least seemed able to form new memories, even if her past was still very much a closed book, "So, if we dated, then I haven't always... with women?"

"No; you once told me that Korra was the only woman you've ever... taken an interest in... romantically speaking." Mako looked more than a little uncomfortable, "I don't know if it helps, but she's said the same about you."

"Right." Asami nodded, fitting another bit of the puzzle that was who she was into place, "I've been told I have children?"

"Three: two daughters, Senna and Yin, and a son, Aang." Again, Mako seemed uncomfortable, as if there was something he wasn't saying. It didn't feel like he was lying to her, so much as holding something back, "You had the girls, while Korra carried Aang. But you both consider them very much your children."

"Oh." Asami filled away the information for later, "I'm surprised they haven't visited."

"...it was felt best they stay away, for now." Mako shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Aang isn't quite two, but Senna and Yin are old enough to realise that something's wrong, and 'your mother is feeling too ill for visitors' only goes so far. Korra didn't want to risk upsetting them, and I agreed with her."

"You agreed?" Asami raised an eyebrow, "Mako, who's the father of these... of my children? Because unless there's something about Korra no one is telling me..."

"I'm their father." Mako did his best to maintain a poker face, "When you and Korra decided you wanted to start a family, you asked for my... assistance."

"So we..."

"No! I mean, yes! But a long time ago; back when we were still dating." Mako's eyes darted to the clock on the wall, checking to see just how much time was left on his shift, "It's all really complicated and not something I really want to get into right now..."

"Waterbending?" Asami asked, the shocked look on Mako's face telling her she was right, "It's not that hard to work out. I don't know where I know it from, but I do know that water benders can bend most liquids..."

"Apparently it's an old Water Tribe trick!" Mako cut her off as he blushed a deep red, "Korra... can give you the details."

"Okay." Asami nodded, realising that she was straying into territory she wasn't sure she wanted to visit; the idea that she had a wife at all was still very new to her, let alone any of the more intimate details of their relationship, so she changed the subject, "What about Hiroshi, my father? He seems... distant."

"He... spent ten years in prison. In fact, he only got out a couple of months ago." Mako was glad for the reprieve, even if it was to another touchy subject, "Before... the events that led to his conviction... well, lets just say that the two of you weren't exactly on the best of terms back then. He was a very angry man back then, but he hid it from everyone, even you. The death of your mother, back when you were about Senna and Yin's age, affected him more than I think anyone realised. He fell in with a group of people who made use of that anger to gain access to his company and the resources that went with it. You, well, you sides with Korra and the government against him, and it drove a wedge between you. He seems to have gotten a lot better since he got out; apparently he spent a long time talking with a guru while he was inside, and says he's a changed man."

"You don't sound so sure."

"I'm a cop; suspicion to the point of paranoia kind of come with the territory."

"I guess that explains why he isn't running my company while I'm... unwell."

"Actually... Varrick was kind of behind a plot to kidnap the President about almost years ago, but he was never convicted. Mainly because he escaped prison with Zhu Li and they fled the country, but they've been pardoned for that."

"...I evidently have some interesting friends. Anything else I should know?"

"I think I've said enough for today."

"You've given me a lot to think about." Asami looked up at the clock on the wall and noticed how late it was, "I'm a bit surprised Korra hasn't been in today; she normally spends a few hours sitting, staring at me with a sad but hopeful expression on her face after lunch."

"Her parents are due in from the South Pole today." Mako explained, "She probably went down to the docks to meet them."

"Oh." Asami nodded, "Do I get on with them? Because I've noticed some tension between Korra and Hiroshi... between Korra and my father."

"You've always gotten on well with Senna and Tonraq." Mako assured her, then noticed the inquisitive look on his friends face, "And yes, named one of your daughters after her. Which is kind of funny, as both of Korra's parents are waterbenders, but you daughter is an earthbender. Yin, named after my grandmother, is a firebender, and Aang... well, Aang hasn't displayed any bending yet, so we don't know about him."

"And Korra and my father?"

"That all ties back into the events that got him arrested and sent to prison in the first place. But I think that these days Korra is just worried that he'll do something to hurt you again; she doesn't seem to hold a grudge over his past actions against her."

"What exactly did he do to her?"

"It's..."

"...complicated. Yes, I know; everyone keeps saying that." Asami fumed, "I'm not made of glass, you know? Just because I can't remember these things, doesn't mean they need to be hidden from me."

"There's just a lot to take in," Mako squirmed, "and the doctors are worried that telling you too much all at once might set back your recovery."

"Or they might trigger a memory." Asami suggested, "Has that occurred to anyone?"

"Occurred, yes, but the mind is complex and wondrous thing that we still understand so very little of." Kya stood in the doorway, a box under one arm, "How are you feeling this afternoon?"

"Better, but that may just be all the pills they keep giving me." Asami admitted.

"You're still healing, but maybe we can start lowering the dosage and see how you feel." Kya turned to Mako, "Lin is looking for you; something about overtime expenses and double shifts..."

"I'd better be going." Mako almost bolted for the door; as understanding as Lin might be of the situation, there was still a limit to how much she was willing to overlook.

"I brought something I thought might help answer a few questions you might have." Kya close the door and put the box down on a table before pulling a small projector out of it. Closing the blinds, she set it up, one of the walls acting as a screen, "Korra's been making some recordings she says are for the next Avatar, but I think are just her way of getting things off her chest. But she did tell me about one recording that I thought might interest you."

With that, she turned the projector on, and a face that was familiar yet also strange to Asami appeared on the wall opposite her bed.

"Hello, my name is Asami Sato, and I'm Korra's wife." the image spoke softly, "She doesn't know that I know about these films, not yet at least, and I'm in no hurry to tell her. I'm not going to stop her making them, or edit them in any way; this is something she feels she has to do as Korra the Avatar, but I felt I should tell you a little something about Korra the Woman, whom I fell in love with..."

Korra sat alone in the shadows. Her parents boat had docked an hour ago, and while it was good to see them again, seeing how close they were after almost thirty years of marriage had been like a knife to the Avatar's heart. Making some excuse, she had left them to settle in to the room set aside for them at the mansion while she had gone for a walk. Her security detail had tried to follow her, but she had made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted, needed, to be alone. And she she had walked for what felt like hours, alone, even in the crowded city streets, the nondescript coat and hat she wore allowing her to disappear into the sea of people.

Unnoticed.

Anonymous.

Alone.

She hadn't interned it, but her feet let her to a bar down by the docks. It wasn't much to write home about; a smoke filled sub-basement below a rundown hardware store accessed through an alleyway, but it was the kind of place where no one asked too many questions or paid too much attention to who was sitting next to them. Her eyes had scanned the shelf behind the bar, and much to her surprise they spotted a bottle of Omashu Brandy. It was cheap stuff, nothing like the high-end vintage reserve that had almost ruined her life, but it brought back memories of sweet oblivion, and before she knew it, she found herself handing over a fifty-yuan note for the bottle, a glass and no interruptions.

The desire to rip open the bottle and just pour it down her throat had been almost overwhelming, but she had managed to stay her hand, and instead poured herself a glass, which she sat watching, almost as if it was likely to attack her, trying to build up the courage to drink it.

To Be Continued...