AN: so somehow I managed to magically get another chapter out while the mus is with me. which is cool. Kuvira thinks about sex in this, but nothing happens. Just fyi.

When she had kissed Suyin, the prospect of waiting two months to do it again had seemed like an eternity. She had not known how she would be able to return to 'normal,' how she would go about her day as if it had not happened. Suyin had not pretended that it didn't happen. Su had been all smiles and moony eyes and even Kaori had started to notice before Kuvira could plead with her to tone it down. Otherwise, Huan would be sure to notice. Luckily for them, he was rather busy planning his wedding and was often distracted, even when Kuvira came to sit for his painting. Which he swore was almost done. She still had not seen it.

She was sitting in with him for what she hoped would be a final session when a guard interrupted them and informed her that Suyin needed to speak with her.

Kuvira followed the guard to Suyin's office, apprehension flooding her veins. The guard stopped outside, and Kuvira entered alone. Suyin was standing behind her desk, marking off on a paper while holding a phone to her ear.

"Yes….of course. No, I'm sure that's not necessary….It seems to be just a few-Well, if you think that's best. All right." She looked up at Kuvira. "Lin, I have to go. Just do what you think is best…I'll see you soon. Bye." She set down the phone and gave Kuvira a very tight smile which did nothing at all to ease the younger woman's anxiety. "I'm sorry to pull you away from Huan. I know you enjoy spending time with him."

"What's going on?" Because she knew something was. "Lin is coming?" Had she done something wrong? Was Lin coming to collect her? She looked at Suyin with wide, terrified eyes, her mind racing with what this could possibly mean.

Suyin must have seen her panic because she stepped out from behind the desk and reached for Kuvira's hand. "It's all right, Kuvira." She shook her head. "Of course, I should have thought about how this would look to you. This isn't about you. Well…" She grimaced. "It is. In a way."

"Su, just tell me what's going on, please."

"I don't want you to worry, but there has been some…activity around the city."

"Activity?"

"Yes. Seems that you still have a number of supporters around the former Earth Kingdom." Suyin's face darkened. "Your whereabouts aren't exactly a secret, and we've been getting some disturbing reports of Great Uniter graffiti popping up."

"Oh." Kuvira felt dread in the pit of her stomach. This was not something entirely new. She had gotten letters, plenty of them, while in prison from people who promised her they would continue to support her whenever she got out. People who promised to continue her work, even ones who offered to help her break out. In the beginning, it had been so very hard for her to read those letters and still accept her punishment as just and warranted. They helped fuel her belief that her desire to unite the Earth Kingdom had been the right thing to do. They had fed her bitter anger, and caused her more pain.

And they had scared her. To know that perhaps the peace Korra had brought might be short lived. That someone might take up where she left off. Luckily, nothing had happened beyond a few isolated incidents, and Kuvira had been able to move on.

"Lin is on her way to help with security. She should be here later today." Suyin sighed and touched Kuvira's cheek. "Until we find these people, though, I don't want you going anywhere unescorted. Not even around the compound."

"Su, I don't need-"

"I am still responsible for your safety, at least for a few more weeks. And it's my call." Her tone allowed for no argument. But that did not stop Kuvira.

"I don't need protection. I can take care of myself."

"Can you?" Suyin raised her brows in challenge. "Because, I'm going to be harsh here, you are not up to your peek physical condition. You're slower, weaker, and more easily tired. And you haven't done any serious fighting in over a decade. Barely any sparring, and what you have done is light. You are not the bender you once were."

Kuvira stared at her, anger and hurt bubbling inside her. Suyin's words were true, she knew they were, but to have it laid out so bluntly made her want to lash out. She clenched her fists, and the metal rack that held Suyin's papers in order crumpled as Kuvira's control slipped. Suyin's head whipped around to look at the damage, and Kuvira closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry," she said. Carefully, she unclenched her fist, and the rack returned to normal. The papers it had contained, however, were irreparably damaged.

Suyin's lips pursed, and she put her hands on her hips. "You need an escort. This isn't coming from the person who loves you and wants you to have your freedom and autonomy. This is coming from the person who is charged with your safety. I would do this for anyone who was under my supervision."

Kuvira bit her lip, turning away from Suyin, trying to regain her control of her emotions. "You didn't have to…say those things."

"We would still be arguing if I hadn't."

"That doesn't make it hurt less." The admission hurt as well, but Kuvira had tried to stay true to Kya's urges for honesty. If Suyin hurt her, she had to say it. She had to voice it.

She felt Suyin step in behind her, close enough that Kuvira could feel the heat from her body.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think…" She placed a tentative hand on Kuvira's shoulder. "I didn't think it would bother you that much. You've always been…practical. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry that I did, Kuvira."

Kuvira tensed, then shook off Suyin's hand. Her entire body felt bony and thin and fragile, and she didn't want anyone, even Suyin, to touch her. She hovered between telling Suyin of these irritatingly stubborn body issues and just keeping quiet. She knew that Suyin would have spoken less harshly if she had been aware of them, but she was not quite sure if she wanted to share them. Not yet.

"Kuvira, please. I see now that I shouldn't have said that." Suyin did not touch her again, but Kuvira knew she wanted to. "Kuvira…"

Kuvira closed her eyes and tilted her head back, taking a shuddering breath. "I know I'm weak, Su. I see it every day in the mirror. I see it in the ribs I can still count despite having had more than solid meals for months now. I see it in my lack of muscle definition, in the clothes that just hand off of me. I get winded just jogging around the practice yard. I don't need you to remind me of how weak I am."

"Oh, Kuvira." Suyin's voice was choked with emotions, and Kuvira dared a glance over her shoulder to see the older woman looking at her with compassion. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, shaking her head. "I didn't know it was bothering you so much. I thought…you've come so far, I thought you were pleased."

"Well, I'm not." She crossed her arms over her chest, looking away again. That was smaller, too. Not that she cared about that. She didn't, really. It was just another reminder of how much her body had changed. "If I have to have an escort, I want it to be Hua."

"Hua is very promising, but I have to assign someone with more experience," Suyin said quietly. "Do you want to talk about-"

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

Behind her, Suyin let out a very frustrated sigh. "I know that it's not fine, Kuvira. I know you're upset, and I know it's my fault. Again. I'm…I don't know what these people are here to do. I don't know what they're capable of, and I don't know what they want with you. And I'm…very scared of something happening to you. I spoke…harshly, and I shouldn't have. I was trying to…I'm not making excuses for myself, but I just wanted to make sure you would see how important it is for you to agree to this. I know that you don't want to be dependent on someone else this way, but I don't see an alternative."

Kuvira still did not turn to look at Suyin, looking down at her feet instead. She felt so unsure of her own emotions. Was she just being overly sensitive? Or had Suyin been the one in the wrong? Either way, Suyin was apologizing, so shouldn't she just accept it and move on? But what kind of precedence would that set? She did not want to set a pattern of Suyin just saying things without thinking and then apologizing for them later. She felt like that was reasonable.

But she also thought that she had no room for moral high ground.

"I'll accept whatever guard you choose," she finally said, slowly turning to face Suyin. "But I want to start training harder. Kya said I could."

"I'll see what we can do. But I don't want you out in the practice yard until this…threat is figured out."

"Great. I'll just sit in my room and waste away," Kuvira grumbled. "Lose what little muscle I've managed to gain back."

Suyin's face grew hard. "Look at me, Kuvira. Listen. I know that you're upset about that, but keeping you safe is more important. You have your whole life to work out. And I want to make sure it's a long one. All right?"

Kuvira watched her carefully. "You think they'll hurt me?"

"I don't know."

"If they're supporters, then…they wouldn't do that. Would they?"

"Lin has some ideas about why they might or might not do," Suyin informed her. "Kidnapping is at the top of that list. And if you were to fight back…it could end in you getting hurt. I just…" She lowered her eyes. "I can't lose you Kuvira. Not after all we've been through. Not after all of this."

"You're not going to lose me," Kuvira found herself saying, stepping closer to Suyin. "I may not be what I was ten years ago, but you know me, Su. If someone wants to take me, they will have to be ready to die for their trouble."

Suyin managed a smile. "You know, that's the first time you've sounded like the old Kuvira."

"I don't want to be her," Kuvira said, troubled.

"I know. I didn't mean it in a bad way. I just meant…I missed you. So much." She bit her lower lip. "I miss how close we were and how easy it was. I miss how things were before they got…complicated. And when you said that, it just…felt like that again." Before Kuvira could say anything, Suyin plowed on. "But I love who you are now. I loved you then as something different. A friend, maybe. It's not the same now. But I still sometimes miss how it used to be."

Kuvira's brows furrowed, and she nodded. "I miss it, too." Her biggest regret. Turning against Suyin and her family.

"I know it probably doesn't mean much, and that it doesn't change how you're feeling, but you're beautiful, Kuvira." Suyin reached out to touch her face gently. "No matter what your body looks like."

"I don't feel like it," Kuvira rasped, quietly, timidly. "I feel…sometimes I can't even look at myself in the mirror. I'm so gaunt and…old."

"You're certainly not old," Suyin huffed.

"But you don't know what it's like to go weeks, months without seeing yourself in the mirror," Kuvira said. "One day I looked twenty-seven and then suddenly, I'm almost forty and I have no idea how I got there. I didn't get to see it happen. I lost ten years, Su. And I know it was my fault, that I…deserved it, but it's still hard to reconcile."

"No, I don't know what it's like," Suyin admitted. "I'm….Well, I'm not really good at verbally expressing my feelings. As you know. It's something Lin and I have in common. I suppose we can thank my mother for that. We speak before we think about the consequences, and neither of us is particularly…soft." She gave Kuvira a strained smile. "I'm much better at showing my emotions by touch, you may have noticed."

"I know."

"And I know that we can't…I know that no matter how much I want to, I can't kiss it all better. Not now." Her thumb bushed over Kuvira's cheek. "I also know that kissing can't make this better, anyway." Her fingers ran tentatively over a gray streak in Kuvira's hair. "You are beautiful. So…Spirits, Kuvira every part of you is incredible to me." She was very close to Kuvira now. "Every gray hair. Every line. I know it doesn't make your…image of yourself any easier to deal with, but to me, you're perfect. The way you are. And you will continue to be perfect no matter what changes you go through."

Kuvira closed her eyes and leaned her head against Suyin's shoulder, allowing the older woman to wrap her in a strong embrace.

"I just want to go more than two days without something going wrong," Kuvira said. "It feels like every time I've gotten my footing, something else happens to send me sprawling again. I feel like I'm just constantly fighting and it's exhausting. I thought I left the Great Uniter behind."

"Kuvira, do you feel…Are you worried about…" Suyin hesitated, but Kuvira knew what she wanted to ask.

"Yes. I do. I worry about losing all the progress I've made. I worry about falling back into…her." She shook her head. "By the time you first visited me, I was past all that, but Su…for a while it was very hard. I struggled a lot with letting go. There were so many letters. It was…so tempting. Su, I don't trust myself to…to not give in to that temptation."

As she had gotten into the habit of doing, Suyin took Kuvira's face in her hands, which Kuvira was now sure was Suyin's alternative to kissing her. "I trust you. I trust that you wouldn't do that to…to us. To me or Kaori or Huan."

"I don't want to," Kuvira said. "Not to any of you. Not to Baatar, either."

Suyin's eye softened, and Kuvira could clearly see the love and affection in them. "We will help you. I will be there for you this time, Kuvira. You won't have to do anything alone. Not ever again."

Swallowing down her emotion, Kuvira nodded. "All right."

Suyin kissed her forehead, then pulled back and returned to her desk. "I have to prepare for Lin. They haven't closed on a house yet, so she'll stay here with us."

"Is Kya coming?"

"No. Just Lin this time. And it's not going to be any kind of evaluation on you. She's coming for security." Suyin's face scrunched in displeased scowl. "As you well know, Zaofu is not accustomed to these types of security breaches. Lin has more experience with this sort of thing. Republic City is a lot harder to manage." She shuffled through some papers. "Besides Hua, are there any more experienced guards you'd feel comfortable with?"

"It doesn't matter. Any of them are fine."

"I'll try to make sure it's me or Lin when possible," Suyin promised.

"Just not Delun or Nianzu," Kuvira said, remembering the guards from her first day back at Zaofu. She had seen them around, but luckily, their paths never seemed to cross.

Suyin was immediately suspicious. "Why? Have either of them said something to you?"

"Not recently. It's not a big deal. They just…weren't pleased to have me back."

"I'll talk to them."

"No, Su, please don't. It will just make it worse." Kuvira shook her head. "Delun especially never liked your favoritism of me even before. And it's…he has every right to be upset about me being here. Please don't make it worse by talking with him."

"I don't want anyone who is working under me to treat you poorly," Suyin protested. "If you're going to be part of this family, then they have to respect that."

Ignoring the terrified thrill of being included in the family, this time as something along the lines of a lover or partner, Kuvira splayed out her hands in a gesture of pleading. "Su, he doesn't have to respect that. He doesn't have to forgive me, and he's allowed to be upset that you have. And he's got every right not to trust me anymore. Just…I didn't bring it up to ask you to make him be all right with this. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't the one to escort me. It's better for both of us. Please don't say anything to him. For me."

For a long moment, Suyin looked like she was going to continue arguing, which would not have surprised Kuvira in the least, but finally she sighed. "Fine. I won't say anything. But I will absolutely be keeping an eye on him. This is supposed to be a safe place for you, and I won't have you worried about who you may or may not run into in your own home."

"It's only my home for a few more weeks," Kuvira reminded her.

"That's temporary."

Kuvira was well aware that Suyin's ultimate goal was getting Kuvira back under her roof, back in her family, and finally into her bedroom. That was something she would have to deal with eventually. It wasn't that she didn't want…sex with Suyin. She did. And she knew that was ultimately what would happen. Suyin was clearly playing for keeps, and Kuvira would never embark on a relationship with her if she didn't think it was something that could last for life. She was old enough now, and had experienced such a life that she wanted desperately to cut as much drama and complication from her life as possible. But falling for Suyin had really fucked up that plan. Now her life was full of drama and complications, all of which she knew would lead her to Suyin's bed eventually.

And that was a scary prospect. Not because she didn't want to be there, but because she had never been there before. With anyone. Most people assumed she had slept with Baatar Jr. but that had not been the case. They had never gone that far. Kuvira had always told him she wanted to wait until they got married, and he had respected that. She had to admit that he had always been very considerate of her comfort zone when it came to physical affection. She supposed she should have expected no less of a son of Suyin Beifong.

And then she was in jail for ten years. Alone.

A virgin at thirty-seven, about to embark on a relationship with a very experienced woman. And Kuvira worried that she wouldn't know what to do, or that she would be too boring. Or that she would freak out. That was a distinct possibility. Which would be mortifying. She knew she would have to tell Suyin at some point. They could never be intimate if Kuvira didn't lay down her needs and fears first. She was sure Suyin did not assume she had never had sex. She had been with Baatar Jr. for three years. A relationship long enough where most people would have had sex and even been married. But not Kuvira. She had never been ready. And now…She knew if she asked Suyin, they would never have sex. She knew if that was what she wanted, Suyin would oblige. That would almost have been easier. To just not want to. The real problem was that she did want to, but she was still frightened.

"Kuvira, are you all right?"

She shook herself, realizing that she had just been standing in Suyin's office, staring at the wall. "Um, yes. I'm fine." She tried to remember what they had been talking about. Ah. Housing. "We don't know how long it will be before I can move back here. Last time Korra was here, she was talking about five or six months before reevaluating my arrangement. It's temporary, but the long-term type of temporary."

"I wish it were different," Suyin said. "Everything is still so out of our hands."

"I have to pay my dues."

"I just don't see-" The ringing of her phone interrupted her, and Suyin glared at it before answering. "What?... Right now?...Yes, send him. I'll come look….Yes, I'll come right now." She put down the receiver and looked at Kuvira apologetically. "I have to go. They've found…It seems like these supporters of yours have set up a base here. One of my patrols found what looks to be like their headquarters. They're more organized than we first thought."

"I should come with you."

"No. Absolutely not. You're staying here." Suyin grabbed her coat from where it rested on the back of her chair. The evenings were starting to grow cooler with the approaching winter. Suyin stuck her head outside her door and called in one of the guards in the hall. It was Hua. "I want you to stay with Kuvira until I can assign someone. She's not to go anywhere without you until I say so. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," Hua said with a salute. Kuvira wanted to protest, but she knew it would do no good.

"I'll see you at dinner, Kuvira. Hopefully Lin will be here by then." She gave them a nod, then left.

Hua seemed to be waiting for Kuvira's orders, which definitely was not something Kuvira liked. She didn't want to be someone who gave orders anymore. She just wanted to fix things. But of course, her life was not destined for simplicity.

"I'd like to go back to Huan's studio," Kuvira said, and Huan saluted her, as well. "Please, no need for that. I'm not Su."

"But you're…" Hua trailed off, looking uncertain.

"What?"

"Well, you're important to Suyin. Like…It's like you're one of them. The Beifongs."

"I'm not."

"If you say so."

"Hua, is that how the rest of the guards see me?" Kuvira should have noticed that they all kept her at a distance. She had just assumed it was because of her reputation, because of who she had been. She had not even considered that it could be because of who she was becoming.

"I mean….well, yes." Hua looked at her like she couldn't believe Kuvira had not been aware of this. "You're her favorite."

"I see." This did not exactly bother Kuvira. She had been Suyin's favorite before. Her favorite student, her favorite captain. But it was different this time. She wondered if any of the guards had guessed that more was going one. However, she was not about to ask Hua that. "Let's go. Huan has been waiting a while now."

When they got to the studio, Kuvira politely asked Hua to stay outside. She could not provide the vulnerability needed for Huan's painting with her in the room. The young guard looked skeptical, and said she wasn't sure if Suyin would agree to that. Kuvira convinced her it was all right by reminding her that the room itself was sound, otherwise Suyin would never let one of her children stay in it alone. Especially her child who refused to fight.

She closed the door behind her and sagged against it.

"What did mother want?"

"There are Great Uniter supporters in the city."

"Ah. Hence your armed escort."

"Yes."

"Will you be able to do more posing today?"

"Let's see how it goes." She eased herself onto the stool he'd had her on earlier, and tried to capture the mood of regret he wanted. Instead, she found herself scowling, unable to shake the apprehension that had settled on her since she had walked into Suyin's office. "I'm sorry, I don't know if I can do it."

"That's all right." Huan twirled his paintbrush in a cup of water to shake the paint from it. "I'm just glad it doesn't have anything to do with my mother for once."

"What?"

"Your brooding. It almost always comes down to her." He raised a brow at her. "Look, I'm not stupid, Kuvira. I know there's something between you two. And at first I was really pissed because how could you do that to my father after he let you back into our home."

Kuvira's heart thudded in her chest, fear flooding her veins with ice. "Huan-"

"But then, I saw how he was with you. And I decided I didn't want to know. Mom likes to think that none of us know about her other relationships, but she's not half as sneaky as she thinks she is." His nose wrinkled in disgust. "It's definitely not something I want to think about. Ever. But it's pretty clear what's going on with you two. All I ask is that you please don't let my dad get hurt."

Kuvira swallowed, her throat dry and tight. "I won't," she managed to whisper. "I promise."

"Good. Other than that, just don't talk to me about any of it, okay? I don't need that."

"No problem there," Kuvira muttered. "I think we've both been mortified enough."

"Is this why you're moving in with Aunt Lin and Aunt Kya?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, I thought so. I didn't really believe that nightmares cover."

"I do have nightmares," Kuvira said defensively.

"I would be worried if you didn't." Huan's eyes challenged her, but she dropped her gaze.

"I just worry about Kaori. With me moving out and you getting married soon."

Huan nodded. "She's gotten really attached to you. It will be hard for her."

"I have to do it." She looked at him, hoping he would understand without her having to go farther into explaining her relationship with his mother. It was a relief that he was basically all right with what they were doing, but as he had said, it was not something she wanted to discuss with him. And she definitely did not want to say anything that Suyin might not want him to know. She did not think it was wrong to acknowledge the relationship, because it sounded like he had been aware for some time now, but more than that would be pushing it. But there was part of her that desperately wanted to talk to someone about it. She realized how isolated she was in this respect. She could talk to Baatar, but he was invested in this. Korra would have been ideal, but of course, she lived far away. Too far to be making casual phone calls about this.

She really needed a friend. Someone outside of the Beifong household. Someone who would always be an open ear and take her side. She didn't want to become too wrapped up in Suyin, she didn't want her judgement to become clouded. Maybe it was good that Kya and Lin were moving here. Kya could be just what she needed in a confidant.

Hua regarded her, looking very much like his mother. "Yeah. I get it. The guardian thing."

"Yes."

"I'll try to get this painting finished before you leave," he said, effectively changing the subject. Kuvira supposed there was only so long you could talk about your mother's love life before it was too much.

"I'll still be coming over here to train and work. I'll be able to sit for you if you need it."

"I might want you in the future." He walked around to study the paint, making sure it stayed turned away from Kuvira. "You've got something that just calls to me. Maybe a sculpture next."

Kuvira tried not to look confused. She had seen plenty of Huan's sculptures over the years, and not one of them resembled a person. In fact, not one of them was anything but abstract. She wasn't quite sure what inspiration she could possible afford him for a sculpture. But then, she wasn't an artist. Not a visual artist at least. Once upon a time, she had considered herself a performing artist. Now, though, it had been so long since she had danced. As she had told Kaori, she no longer felt like she would be welcomed into the troupe. Which saddened her more than she had expected. Dancing had always been a good way to strengthen her muscles, to keep herself limber and strong. It had added another element to her bending, and it had helped her master metalbending faster.

Perhaps she should look into picking it back up, even if it was on her own.

"Just let me know if you need me for anything in the future," she told Huan. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish today."

"Don't worry about it." He waved his hand dismissively. "I just hope these Uniters don't cause too much trouble."

"Uniters?"

"That's what they call themselves, from what I understand. They've been around for a while, but nothing too organized."

"Until now."

"Yes."

Kuvira closed her eyes, groaning. "Not until I was released."

"Hey, it doesn't matter, right? Because you're not going to join them."

She could almost hear the question in his voice, and looked away. "No. I won't. I promise you, Huan, I won't hurt your family. And I won't let anyone else hurt them, either."

His hand on her arm startled her. They had not touched since she had been there. Even though they were on good terms, neither of them seemed to be comfortable with that next step. So she looked down at his fingers wrapped around her forearm, then back up at his face which was creased with seriousness.

"I know that, Kuvira." He gave her a small squeeze. "I trust you." And his trust, perhaps more than his parents', meant that she truly had been forgiven and accepted back.

She blinked back traitorous tears. "Thank you." There was an impulse say she was sorry, to apologize for every wrong thing she had ever done to him, but she quelled it. That would just make things awkward when they did not need to be.

Hua followed her around the rest of the day, hovering in her peripheral as she worked and as she spent time with Kaori. She followed Kuvira to dinner, where Suyin was still absent. Baatar dismissed Hua, and informed Kuvira that Suyin had been held up, but he seemed somewhat worried. Apparently, they had not been able to get in contact with anyone who had gone with her to the Uniters' headquarters. Kuvira tried not to panic. It could very well have been that their radios just weren't working. That happened from time to time. She could tell, though, that Baatar wasn't confident in that explanation. Neither was she.

When dinner ended and she still had not called in, Baatar assembled another group of guards to go search for her, refusing to let Kuvira join them no matter how much she protested. He told her to wait with him instead, and she soon realized why when they were alone. Though he had been strong and calm in front of everyone else, when Kuvira was his only audience, he sat shakily on a sofa, holding his head in his hands, his breath rasping out in short breaths.

"Baatar!" Kuvira gasped, moving to sit next to him, thinking nothing of placing her hand on his back. She remembered that he had a breathing condition, asthma. "You need your tea."

He only nodded, and she called down to the kitchen to have someone bring his special tea to him. Typically, he would breathe in the fumes the ease the swelling of his airways. It was usually triggered by excessive physical activity, but Kuvira supposed that the tension and adrenaline he was experiencing from his worry over Suyin could be enough to trigger an attack. She wasn't an expert, though. She did know, though, that she had to keep him calm until his tea arrived.

"Su's going to be fine," she said, even though the words sounded thin to her own ears. "She's with her best guards, and she can take care of herself." Baatar just shook his head, and Kuvira pleaded with whatever spirits or higher power or whatever was listening that her own panic would stay under control. Baatar was in no place to help her through a panic attack, and she needed to keep her head about her to help him though this asthma attack. What a fine pair we make, she thought. "All right, Baatar, can you concentrate on breathing with me?" He nodded. "Okay. I want you to breathe in really slowly. I'll count." She led him through her meditation techniques, helping him focus his breathing. His breaths stayed shallow and thin, but they did not grow worse.

It was enough. Within just a couple of minutes, one of the kitchen staff had run in with the tea. Kuvira thanked her as she passed the tea under Baatar's nose. "All right, just breathe that in. Slowly. That's it." Her own breathing calmed as Baatar relaxed.

"Thank you," he said. "I was just…Su's been in trouble before, but not…not a long time. And she's not as invincible as she thinks she is."

"They'll find her," Kuvira said. "They have to."

Baatar reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing tightly. "I can't lose her, Kuvira."

She didn't think, she just acted. As Baatar folded over on himself, she wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head against her chest. He was trembling, and she was trembling, and she thought maybe they were both crying, fearful for the safety of the woman they both loved. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed her nose to his hair, knowing that if-when-they got Suyin back safely, she would not let his presence prevent her from going all in with Suyin. Because she would never forgive herself if something happened and she had never gotten the chance to tell Suyin how she felt.

"We're not going to lose her," she said fiercely, not minding Baatar's hot breath on her chest. "We don't even know what's happened."

"She's never not checked in. Not since…" He shakes his head, and Kuvira knows he's talking about the captivity she put them in. "The radios…they used to cut out, but we have new ones that Asami made. They're very reliable. And even if they weren't, she could still call."

"I shouldn't have let her go."

"You wouldn't have been able to stop her. She's so…reckless. She doesn't think about things, sometimes."

"I'll have to tell her," Kuvira said softly. "How much she means to me."

"It won't matter." Baatar eased himself out of her embrace, wiping his eyes under his glasses. "I've loved her for almost forty years, and she still puts herself in danger. It's a part of her I have to accept. Just like I accepted that she would love other people." He gave Kuvira a strained smile. "Though that seems to have worked out for the better."

Kuvira was able to hold his gaze, no longer embarrassed by what she felt for Suyin. "Maybe between the two of us, we can get her to take a step back."

"Maybe." He did not sound convinced. They fell into silence, with Baatar sitting on the couch, staring at his hands as Kuvira paced the room. Waiting. And waiting. And waiting. It seemed like years had passed when the phone rang, and Baatar practically sprinted to pick it up.

"Yes?" His face fell, and Kuvira feared the worst, hand coming up to press against the sudden pain in her chest. "Yes…of course…all-all right." In a daze, he hung up the phone and turned to Kuvira. "She's been kidnapped. They…they have demands, and…they k-killed two guards."

Kuvira sank into the nearest chair, covering her mouth with her hand. "Demands?"

He opened his mouth then closed it again, swallowing and shaking his head.

"Baatar, tell me. What are their demands? What do they want?"

"You."