Kya could sense Lin was tense as they raced in the younger woman's Satomobile toward the Sato Estate. Not that Kya was not concerned about Korra from what Asami had revealed, but the older, wiser Water Tribe woman could not help but feel as though her partner was hiding a missing piece of the Korra puzzle from her. Kya had suspicions herself about the young avatar, who in her opinion had changed since the Kuvira debacle.
Korra was all but family to Kya, it was inevitable that she would notice the change in the avatar, whose diapers she had changed as a child. But Kya could not pinpoint what was different per say about Korra now. She had never imagined that Korra had been facing such demons that Asami had relayed, resorting to hurting herself was hardly characteristic of the girl Kya knew. The thought sent a shiver down the healer's spine as she pushed the ideas of what other behaviors Korra might have acquired out of her mind. It was not that Kya was a prude- in fact she had been a wild child, dabbling in drugs among other things herself in her youth. She just hoped and prayed to Raava that Korra had the fight not make the mistake of going the down dark road that the demons of what seemed like a budding mental illness often lead people.
"Are you okay?" Lin's voice was soft as it penetrated Kya's thoughts, a calming hand stilled her bouncing knee as the older woman sighed.
Kya wasn't okay, far from it. She was consumed with worry for Korra who was hybrid of something like a sister or daughter to her. The healer knew it was useless to let her imagination run wild with what exactly Korra had gotten herself involved with, but Kya was worrier especially when it came to Korra. She much like Lin, who would deny it, had an incredible soft spot for the truly unique avatar.
"Korra is a strong kid. Whatever it is she will get through it. We can help her, be her family," Lin offered knowing that Kya felt much like Asami did in the fact that Korra's family to prepare her for the real world, and that Kya's silence was due to her worrying.
Kya smiled softly, the changes in Lin the past few years had been gradual and often unnoticed by outsiders but those closest to her saw them. They could see the love and compassion she had grow both inwardly and out. Lin was breaking down her walls and becoming outwardly affectionate to those that meant those to her, it may be a tough brand of love but Lin was evolving. The mere fact she was willing to be Korra's 'family' was proof of that in itself.
Kya worried about how Asami was handling the Korra situation. From what Lin had desc ribed, the scene at the estate was dire at the CEO was worried. She knew that Asami loves Korra more than anything, but she also knew all too well the toll mental health issues could take on a person and a relationship. Given the fact that young love can be so mercurial Kya hoped that the couple could withstand whatever Korra was going through and may be hiding.
Asami did not strike either Lin or Kya as someone to just walk out of the relationship when things got rough, but the older women also knew Korra had a habit of being difficult and screwing things up on a grand scale. They knew Asami had her own demons, Hiroshi and Kuvira being a few of them, but Miss Sato had a past before Korra and battles, monsters, demons, and ghosts of her own to fight while Korra was away.
Kya knew the proud CEO had sought out help, had sought out healers and ended up medicated and in therapy. She did not know the extent of Asami' struggles but what she was lead to believe from colleagues is that Asami had no easy journey and her life had been no fairytale. The elder waterbender just hoped she and Korra could have their fairytale because they deserved each other.
The rest of the ride Lin tried to comfort Kya verbally, but that was not her strong suit, coming up short each time she had opened her mouth to try offer something comforting to soothe her girlfriend's nerves. Instead, the oft times abrasive police chief, but secretly a sweetheart, stuck to nonverbal gestures of caring and love to comfort Kya whether it was a hand to steady a nervously bouncing knee, or a free hand gently squeezing and caressing Kya's, Lin did her best. Her efforts did manage to calm the waterbender but did little to soothe her own nerves.
Before Lin knew it, she was knocking loudly on the door to Asami's with Kya in tow, as she waited to be let in the irony was not lost on her about the previous visits she had paid to the Sato Estate. The last two times she had been there the mood was also somber, however Lin had never bothered to be let in, she was a woman on a mission to catch Hiroshi in the act of running his terroristic equalist empire. It seemed whenever Lin was here, it was never on a good note which bothered her more than she wanted it to- deep down she liked Asami- the girl had moxie and knew how to put Korra in line which made her a bonafide badass.
When the door swung open it revealed a puffy, red eyed Asami with a tear and make-up stained face looking impossibly paler as she barely pulled herself together to greet the two women before her and usher them into her home. Her voice was small, and hoarse from crying as she lead Lin and Kya into the living room where an exhausted, semi-conscious Korra laid on the couch.
Korra was a mess, to put things politely and that was something Lin did not often do. The wounds appeared to have been cleaned, assumably by Asami, but that only revealed their gruesomeness and brutality. The young avatar's hands were ripped open, exposing destroyed, mangled bone under torn flesh. Lin heard Kya tsk quietly, it was a tsk of compassion yet frustration at the sight before. No frustration was aimed at the young Sato. One glance at the young woman could tell she was given Korra all she had to try to help her to the point of self ruin. But in true Korra fashion she had just taken advantage of her kindness and had not been one hundred percent honest with Asami leaving the young Sato devastated trying to pick up the pieces for both of them.
"I will tend to Korra upstairs and see what can be done," Kya said softly after assessing the damage on Korra and sensing the tension between Korra and Asami, figuring they could use some space and a person to speak to alone.
Lin nodded and watched as Korra followed Kya, refusing to meet Asami or her eyes. The avatar looked defeated as if she knew that her back was against the wall and it was time to put all of her cards on the table and come clean, the guilt was evident on Korra's face just as much as the defeat was. Once they were alone, Lin watched as the sadness on Asami's shifted slowly into a scowl accompanied by a clouded expression of anger and frustration.
Asami was not a person to anger easy, but Lin knew the Sato anger was infamous for its wrath and pondered if the young woman before her had the same fire as Hiroshi did. Unlike her infamous, Asami had palpable pain and love hidden under her anguish. She truly loved someone (Korra) other than herself, whereas Hiroshi was to vain to love anyone but himself after the death Yasuko.
"I just- how can I trust her?" Asami fumed as she paced the floor of the sitting room.
It was clear to Lin that Asami was upset over Korra hiding her emotions, about not trusting her enough to open up. Lin knew that look, this scenario all too well albeit on a much smaller less dramatic scale. How often had she and Kya had this argument, about her not letting the waterbender? Lin knew what it was like to be closed off emotionally and afraid to let your guard down, but that did not jive with Korra.
Korra was outwardly a touchy-feely person, she was openly emotional and loving. It was her trauma she was hiding, and being a Beifong, Lin knew a thing or two about the importance of outwardly appearing tough at tall costs. Beifongs were not have weakness, they hid there traumas. Lin had her limits though, there were lengths she would not go to. For example, she would not associated with the triads like she had solid intel that Korra had been dealing with them, specifically in the drug trade.
Based upon Korra's past and erratic behavior, Lin highly suspected Korra of being involved in the use of drugs; it was the only thing that made any sense with the intel the Chief had. Korra was an independent woman, stubborn to a fault, much like Lin herself, it seemed that if she was not going to let anyone help her, Korra was going to self medicate. However, Lin was not going to worry Asami with her hypothesis, in case Korra surprised and had a an explanation for her behavior, but the famous Beifong gut doubted the avatar.
"Asami I am sure, Korra tried to tell you," Lin offered soothingly in an attempt to be supportive knowing full well that Korra stubbornness and pride would have had hindered her.
"Lin I appreciate it what you are trying to do. Really, I do. But, I had been fully honest with Korra about my past, even the stuff Hiroshi suppressed. I gave her every chance to open up and though she let me in a little, she couldn't trust me enough? The second I turn my back she does this... how can I trust her with herself? To be honest with me if she is okay Is she even okay? I shouldn't even be mad," Asami rambled.
"Calm down, Asami!" Lin snapped, not to be harsh but enough to get the CEO to settle down and listen to what advice was about to follow.
The heiress immediately stopped rambling, taken aback by Lin's voice. Lin was naturally abrasive but in private she had never been stern to Asami. Though she carried herself as a tough a hard ass, Chief Beifong had a soft spot Asami, after all their predicaments growing had not been too different to a certain extent. Both women had wealthy, powerful, influential parental figures who very laissez faire when it came to raising them yet expected the world of them. Lin saw the wild streak of Suyin in Asami, but she also saw the part of the CEO that had reformed and was composed and very much like Lin herself.
"Don't work yourself up until you know the whole story. Besides, no matter what is going, she is still the same Korra. The same Korra you fell in love with. I am not defending Korra's choices but she had an unusual upbringing even we can't comprehend. The mind set that environment created Raava only knows the damage has created. She is going to need you now more than ever with her mind frame," Lin continued explain in soothing tone as she tried to comfort Asami who began to relax at the words easing into the comforting touch of Lin's hand.
"I-I just..it...hurts," Asami said feebly knowing the excuse sounded flimsy after the explanation the Chief had just given her, she knew she sounded so very selfish and small.
"I know, kid. Sometimes, the things we and people we love the most hurt us the most. Sometimes, it takes the pain to realize just how much we really love them and what lengths we are willing to go for them," it sounded as if Lin was speaking from personal experience but even Korra would know better than to press her for details, so Asami simply nodded in understanding as she processed the information.
"Do you think it's going to be okay?" the raven haired CEO worried aloud looking for comfort, forgetting the present company she was in.
"I am not going to bullshit you and tell you everything is going to be fine because I don't know, honestly," Line started, stopping when Asami shot her a look of shock at first as if no one had ever dared to speak so bluntly to her before but then the sadness in her eyes at the thought of losing her relationship with Korra because she could not let things go, or because she couldn't forgive her washed over her and devastated her.
The look on Asami's face of pure heartbreak at the possibility of losing Korra's love tugged at the heart that Lin supposedly lacked according to her detectives.
"But I will tell you this, I think if anyone can make it work it with that hard headed, stubborn, loud mouth girlfriend you got, it is you," Lin offered honestly, knowing that the raven haired woman take her description of Korra for what it was meant an jokingly insulting but endearing endorsement of the gruff Beifong.
Lin's words meant a lot to Asami, the young woman knew the Chief wasn't one to placate people, especially those close to her at least what could be considered close to Lin. Though the words meant a lot, they did little to ease Asami's nerves. Korra raced through her mind, how could someone she had only known for handful of years be her world, her universe?
Honestly, she pondered considered how Korra had been absent for three of those long years with no explanation of what she had been up to. Asami sighed, her mind was doubting Korra and what she had done, none of that really mattered in the end because nothing could cause the amorous feelings she had to waiver.
It was true she when the time spent alone with Korra was tallied in total together they were practically strangers, but that logic did nothing to quell the feelings Asami had for her. In fact, it only solidified how much Korra meant to her, that she felt so strongly loved and safe so quickly. It was a feeling beyond comparison, something she had never felt romantically, platonically, or familiarly before to be so loved or safe.
The fear that now encompassed Asami was the selfish thought of losing that feeling that Korra provided her. The anxiety began to be all encompassing as she paced the floors, her worry for Korra magnifying with each breath, each step. The feeling of claustrophobia in her estate was suddenly stifling as Lin's hard gaze bore into her, annoyed by the anxious pacing that Asami was helpless to stop. It was and old, habit that she had thought was long abandoned but Korra had away of bring to the surface whatever parts of herself Asami had long ago tried to repress or refine. Korra brought out her true nature, her true-self- just another reason she loved the amazing woman that was upstairs in a state that rocked Asami to her very core.