"One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood."- Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Tenzin's POV

Today's session had started smoothly. Asami had talked about seeing Korra's mother and my former patient, Senna. After her husband came back I decided she no longer needed to see me but could do so if she wished. She had come by once or twice just to fill me in on what was going on in her life. The older woman had even brought her grandchild once. It was truly amazing how a schizophrenic like Senna had gotten so much better after her family was reunited.

I knew she saw Asami as a surrogate daughter and the heiress had mentioned that her best friend's mother had offered her support. Senna knew what it was not to have control over her mind.

"Lets go through your relationship with Korra," I finally suggested. "She depended on you for years. Then her mom came back. And then she starts connecting with the other members of your team. You're losing her."

"She's my best friend," Asami defended.

"Then Unalaq kills her. And the only family you have left is gone." I snapped my fingers. "Just like that. Your only source of stability has vanished."

A shake of the head. "We were all devastated."

"And that's when you started obsessing over Unalaq, plotting how to get rid of him," I continued. "He took Korra from you, so you'd take his life."

Her jaw clenched. "The world's better off without him." It was a fact, the way she said it. I could see she was getting more uncomfortable, more tense.

"And even when Korra came back, it was never really the same. She started branching out, started dating Mako." I saw her hands turn into fists. "Started having a life that no longer needed you."

"Stop."

"But now, Unalaq's gone, and you aren't satisfied," I continued. "Korra's happy, she's a mother, a wife. She has a life she never thought possible."

"Please stop." Desperate.

"So why isn't it enough?"

Asami was gripping the chair arm, her knuckles turning white. She looked like a cornered animal, ready to attack if pushed any further. This is what I was afraid of, but also what she had to learn to control.

"...I think I'm done for today," she finally said.

I nodded. "We'll pick up where we left off today next week," I told her.

She slammed the door.

Senna's POV

I was so happy to see Asami. Tonraq and I had been away for almost a month due to political issues in the South Pole. We had come home to find out our daughter had an accident. At least that was what she said but the look on her husband's face said otherwise.

Iroh had brought Henry earlier so I could take care of him and then picked him up. I found it odd that the heiress wasn't with him and I asked him about her. He assured me she'd drop by later and she did, letting me know that they were taking a break for the time being. I didn't comment on this.

There was a knock on the door and I stood, opening it to find my son-in-law bringing me some groceries for the week. His eyes narrowed when he spotted the raven haired woman. She shifted uncomfortably and I frowned.

"How dare you?" Mako practically growled, setting the bags on the table.

"Hotch, please-"

"Sending Korra to the hospital wasn't enough for you?"

What was he talking about?

"She didn't tell you, did she?" he asked, shaking his head. "She's the accident that happened to Korra."

My eyes widened and I shook my head, looking over at the heiress but her eyes wouldnt meet mine. "You hurt her...?"

"Senna, I..."

"You beat her to a bloody pulp! And then you have the nerve to even look her mother in the eye!"

"Mako..." She was begging him to stop but I could see the guilt in her eyes and I knew it was all true.

"Why would you... I don't understand."

"She's sick Senna. She's messed up!"

Sick.

"I didn't mean-" Asami stopped grabbing her purse. "I'm sorry. I should leave."

"No," I replied firmly. "Stay."

My daughter's husband blinked in surprise but I gave him a nod, letting him know I knew what I was doing. He sighed but nodded his head before leaving, shutting the door behind him. Slowly I turned to look at Asami, her eyes glistening with tears. I sat down and placed a hand over hers.

"What happened?" I asked her quietly.

Asami lowered her gaze. "I've been doing some very bad things," she began quietly. "Korra tried to stop me and I hurt her." The raven haired woman looked up at me. "But I didn't mean to hurt her. I swear I didn't mean to."

I nodded my head, wrapping my arms around her and holding her as she sobbed. I ran my hand soothingly through her hair, waiting for her to calm down.

"You...you love my daughter...don't you?" I finally asked after a moment, pulling back.

"We've been friends for years," she answered wiping away the tears. "The majority of our lives."

"I can see the way you look at her..."

"And how's that?"

"Like your very existence depends on every breath she takes. I started to notice it ...after she came back from the dead..." But I think I had always known. I had always known what kind of love resided in Asami's heart for my baby girl. I saw it when she visited with me in the institute, in the way she mourned for her after she 'died,' in the way protected her after she came back. "I mean, you've always appeared to love her dearly, but after that... It was like it was set on fire... "

She looked away, toward the floor. "And you don't..."

I cupped her cheek. "Asami, you've always been like a second daughter to me, and I'm eternally grateful that you took care of her when I couldn't," I told her sincerely. "But... We both know she's happy with Mako. She loves him so deeply."

A light laugh. "...Trust me. I know."

"I'm sorry. If circumstances were different... Who knows."

Maybe things would have been different if Korra had seen Asami that way...Tonraq and I would have supported her. All we want was her happiness. But our daughter didn't fall for her and I could only imagine how Asami must feel.

"Yeah. I know," was all she replied. "I should go."

I stood with her, hugging her tightly and she returned the embrace. I didn't know what to say or feel about her hurting Korra, but I could see the guilt. I couldn't be mad at her, not like Mako. I couldn't. Because she had been there for my little girl when I wasn't. So I'd give her the benefit of the doubt. It was the least I could do.

Asami's POV

I'm drunk. I know it. I can feel it in every pore of my body, can taste it on my lips, transferred there by hers. My whole body is humming, and my pulse is racing. Our hands are entangled in each other's hair and exploring each other's bodies and it's taking everything I have not to end our wait. I want her. It's a carnal desire.

I hear her gasp as I bite the juncture between her neck and shoulder, marking her, something she returns in kind. Her nails dig into my shoulders, and I can feel them even through my shirt. My hips rock upward and she's now on her back, and I'm not far behind. The desire is palpable as her legs wrap around my waist. I want her.

My hand holds me up as my other starts for the hem of her shirt. I need her. My entire being craves her.

"'Sami..."

Spirits, how can she make my name sound like that?

I slowly push her shirt up, my mouth following its path, placing kisses against her toned abdomen. But then I stiffen, because there's something off. And as I lick my lips, I find that they taste of something metallic, something that wasn't there before.

I look up, and her body is littered with bruises and red stripes, oozing blood onto the sheets and me. My hand that I'd been using to prop myself up is resting in a puddle of it. Her blue eyes, those eyes that had just been closed in the fresh wave of ecstasy were now wide and unseeing, head hanging off to the side, body now limp and cold.

And the knife that I'm holding against her throat -

I wake up screaming, looking around frantically before realizing where I am. It was a nightmare, just a nightmare. I take deep breaths, turning on the light and checking my hands.

There's no blood, they're clean.

I get up and grab my phone, checking the time.

Three in the morning.

I know I shouldn't. I knew Mako wasn't completely okay with it but I can't help it. I had to make sure she was okay. I dial her number and wait, trying to catch my breath in the process. I had been going to therapy for a little over a month but as much as it was helping it was also making me uneasy. And now with this dream...

"Mmmm...Morgan..." The answer is automatic, tired and a relief to hear. I'm going crazy. But Korra's fine. She's alive.

"Hey."

"'Sami...?" she slurs, her voice groggy.

"Are you okay? Is everything... I just..."

I hear the sheets rustle as she shifts, more awake because even I can hear the tears threatening to corrupt my voice. "Why? What's wrong?"

"I just had to make sure you were alright," I reply, curling my knees up to my chest.

"What happened?"

"I...I had a bad dream..." I cringe at how pathetic I sound. "But I'm fine. Sorry."

A pause. "Do you want to talk about it?" I can hear Korra is wide awake now, and concern laces her tone.

I shake my head, running my hand through thick, ratted hair. "No... No I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

"'Sami..."

It nearly breaks me, cuz I remember her voice in the dream, how she said my name. I feel so much shame well up inside me. It's so wrong. I'm so screwed up.

"No. No. I just... Go back to sleep," I insist. "You're okay. So I'm okay. Everything's okay." Maybe if I say it enough I'll believe it.

"Where are you? I'm coming over."

I shake my head, even though she can't see me. "No, it's not a good idea."

"'Sami, please," she begs. "You were always there to keep the nightmares away. Now it's my turn. Where are you staying?"

I sighed but give her the address and she assured me she was on her way. Mako wasn't going to like it. She shouldn't be alone with me. I was dangerous. But I wanted to be selfish. I needed to be selfish. I needed her. I needed to see her.

Spirits, I needed her to protect me from myself too.

Korra's POV

I sighed, letting Mako know I had arrived.

Asami had called earlier and she just sounded so scared and lost... I told her I'd come over to her place though I could already feel the look my husband was giving me. He tried to talk me out of it but I told him we needed to compromise. I had been patient and while I had been on bed rest I hadn't had any contact with my best friend.

But this was different, she needed me and I wouldn't turn my back on her. So with a heavy sigh he had let me go and I assured him I'd call when I arrived and when I would started home. He needed to understand that Asami was my family, no matter what had happened.

The door opened and Asami immediately threw herself at me, hugging me tightly and I returned the embrace. She was sobbing, gripping my shirt tightly and thanking the Spirits. I frowned. Had the dream been that bad?

After a moment she pulled away and stepped back allowing me inside and I shut the door looking around. The place was not tidy like she had kept the mansion. There were takeout containers everywhere and a few water bottles scattered around.

"I haven't had a chance to clean," she commented when she noticed me staring. I didn't say anything and she sighed. "You should leave. This was a bad idea."

"I'm not leaving you alone," I answered. Not like this.

"I'm dangerous to you, Korra." A pause. "I mean, does Hotch even know you're here?"

"Of course he does."

He hadnt been thrilled but he at least knew.

I watched as my best friend hugged herself, avoiding my gaze. Her normally long raven hair was messy and the circles under her eyes told me she hadn't been sleeping well. I led her to the bed and she sat down with me, still refusing to meet my gaze.

"You once asked if I was scared of you. You remember?"

She nodded. "Yes..."

"And what did I tell you?"

"...That you weren't. But, Korra, things have changed since then. I've... I..." Tears started well up in her eyes and she shook and trembled.

"You did. But I'm still not scared. Not of you," I answered. "It scares me that you've been dealing with this all alone, and that I was blind and caught up in my own world. I didn't even see how much you were hurting."

I wrapped my arms around her as she cried. "You were taking care of your family," she answered.

"You're my family."

"I'm so sorry...so sorry," Asami managed between sobs.

"Shh. I got you," I soothed. "I love you. I got you."

Slowly her sobs subsided and I saw her eyes close and breathing even out. I ran my hand trough her hair, untangling her curls and just holding her to let her know I was there.

I felt my phone vibrate and I looked down, sighing when Hotch let me know we had a case. I didn't want to leave, I wanted to stay and watch over her like she had for me but... I knew she'd understand. Whenever I had suffered from nightmares she'd still do her job so I had to as well.

I lay her down, tucked her in and wrote her a quick note, assuring her I'd be checking up on her and telling her I was there for her. She was my best friend and I loved her. Nothing would ever change that.

Asami's POV

I sat on the couch, silent, just thinking about what had happened last night.

I'd had a nightmare about killing Korra, about having her. About her actually wanting me. I felt sick. I wanted it to be real. I wanted for her to want to be with me. But even in that fantasy I had hurt her. I was messed up. I was dangerous. What had happened to me? Why was I this person? This person that I didn't like, know or recognize. I was monster. I was dangerous. But why couldn't I get her out of my head?

"What's the one thing you want most for Korra?" Tenzin finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Her happiness." It was an automatic response. That's all I had ever wanted for her.

"And what would make her happy?"

I furrowed my brow. "I... I don't..."

"Let me rephrase," he said sitting up. "What do you think 'should' make her happy?"

"M- I..."

Me.

Thats what I wanted to say. I should make her happy. Me being with her should make her want me. But that wasn't the case. She was in love with Hotch. She didn't see me the way I saw her.

My therapist hummed in response. "The incident with Korra, how aware were you?"

I tried thinking back, trying to remember details of...of what I'd done to Korra. But the details, thankfully, didn't surface. "I can't remember much." I didn't want to remember if I was being honest.

"Hmmm. I see."

My hands curled into fists against my pant legs. I hated when he did that, like he didn't believe a word I said, like he knew the real answer. "What are you getting at Tenzin?"

If he saw my reaction he didn't comment. "It's just that I think it would hurt for the person you love most not to return your feelings."

How dare he. "I wouldn't hurt her just because she didn't return feelings I didn't even know I had."

"But you did know. Deep down. You've known for a long time that there was something off in the back of your mind."

I opened my mouth to retort but closed it. Yes, somewhere in the deepest depths of my mind, I knew everything had spiraled far out of my control. "I wouldn't hurt her on purpose." But was that even the truth? It was starting to scare me how little I knew about myself anymore.

He raised a brow. "So beating her within an inch of her life was an accident?"

I was starting to tremble, my eyes shut tight. "What kind of question is that?"

"It might be time you faced facts. You need her a lot more than she needs you. She won't ever love you the way you love her."

"Shut up!" There was a loud crash, the sound of glass shattering, and it took a moment for me to register that I'd stood. An overturned coffee table lay between me and the therapist, a broken vase not to far away. I didn't even remember breaking it.

Tenzin looked from the wreckage to me, and it felt like he was saying 'I've made my point.' I sunk down to the ground, one hand pressed against the seat of the chair I'd been sitting in for some sort of stability.

"I...I had a dream," I began quietly. Might as well every twisted part of me on the table.

"Oh?"

Tears began to blur my vision and I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to keep myself together. "About me and Korra. We were... And then I... She was..." I was trying to speak but my voice got caught in my throat, the horror I felt choking me.

"Calm down," he tried. "Talk to me. I'm only here to help."

"We were...kissing," I revealed. "And then she was dead. And it was my fault. It was all my fault." Always my fault.

"Asami, dreams are your subconscious. Your feelings for Korra created that reality and your guilt showed you your deepest fear. But it was a dream, nothing else."

"I don't want to hurt anyone," I choked out. "I don't want to be afraid of myself. Help me, please. Help me."

Tenzin stood, coming over to kneel beside me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "As you know I live on an island across the bay with monks," he began. "You are more than welcome to stay there until you're better. But Asami, the first step towards healing is admitting your fears, the second is asking for help."

I looked up, seeing the sincerity in his grey eyes. Maybe some time away would be good for me. It would be my refuge. Raava had suggested as much.

"Will I be able to see Henry?" I asked.

He nodded his head. "But only him. You will have no other contact with the outside world. No cell phones, no electronics," he said. "Are you willing to make this change?"

"How long will be away for?"

"Until you're ready."

I thought about it for a moment and nodded my head. "Okay. I'll do it. But I have to do something first."

"Asami, don't make this harder-"

"I can't leave without saying goodbye. I'll be back in an hour. I just...I have I say goodbye."

Iroh's POV

I sighed as I watched the kids play. Hotch had invited me over to have dinner and I had complied, wanting Henry to entertain himself for a bit.

Though he was too small to completely understand what was going on at home, he knew something was off. Asami and I tried to keep to the routine as much as we could, her reading him Baby Star every night and coming to see him daily.

Earlier today, however, she had called me to let me know she'd be away for some time but wanted to see our son on the weekends. Of course I had agreed, I mean he was her son too but I couldn't help but worry.

What was going on with her? Why had she been lying to me?

I sighed and looked up to see Hotch offer me a beer. I took it and gave it a swig. The door opened and Korra walked in, waving in our direction but going to the living room to sit down with the kids. I watched as Becca immediately crawled over to her and the youngest agent smiled, lifting her up. That kid had to be the most spoiled baby ever.

"How are you holding up?" Mako asked as he added sauce to the spaghetti.

I sighed, shaking my head. "I miss Asami," I admitted quietly. "I mean...I didn't know our break would last this long. It's been over a month."

"She needs to sort out her issues."

I raised a brow at his tone. It almost sounded...frustrated. "Do you know something I don't?"

He blinked. "Why would I?"

"I don't know," I answered. "Maybe because your wife is Asami's best friend."

"They haven't talked." He took a deep breath, shaking his head. "Look, her being away for a while is good."

I nodded my head, though the answer bothered me. I huffed. I missed my wife.

Asami's POV

There was a knock at my door, and I prepared myself, shutting my suitcase, flipping the lock.

After my latest session with Tenzin he had offered to let me stay on the island so that I could clear my head a little and I had agreed. It was close enough for me to see Henry but far enough so that I wouldn't run into anyone else. I had packed a separate bag with all my electronics which I intended to give to Tenzin to hold until I was ready to come back.

After, I had called Iroh and told him I would be away for some time but asked him to let me borrow Henry for the weekends. I could hear the concern and confusion in his voice but he had agreed. Now all I needed to do is tell the person I loved most aside from my son.

Korra.

She walked inside, looking surprised as she noticed I had cleaned up my mess, but quickly her gaze went to the bags and suitcases behind me. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for what was about to come.

"Are you moving?" she asked, eyeing the luggage warily.

I sighed. "Korra, you remember when...when you left Republic City?" I asked instead.

A nod. "Yeah. I was seventeen. A minor...well technically sixteen...my birthday wasn't for another month." She paused. "Why do you ask?"

"You were bruised up and cut up and injured and...you looked so lost...I remember you'd call out for your mom at night. All you wanted was your mom..."

She didn't say anything, her blue eyes studying me. I could still remember that day. I had my arms wrapped around her, soothing her as she called for her mom. Oh, how it had broken my heart.

"But you'd fall asleep if I laid down with you and you made me promise that I'd never leave you," I continued.

"Asami, where are you going with this?"

Here came the moment I had been dreading.

"Korra...I'm not leaving you but I...I need to stay away, for a little while."

"What?" the brunette asked surprised. "Why?"

"I nearly killed you and I can't get it out of my head. I can't get you...like that out of my head..." I couldn't get her out of my head, period. "I need some time alone, and away from you..."

She shook her head, and I could see her eyes water. "Asami, no."

"Didn't you want me to get help? Well now I have it and I think a little time apart will be good for me...just like when you were sixteen." I managed a smile. "It's just for a little while... It's not forever. I promise."

"You said you wouldn't leave me!" she answered instead, the loudness of her voice startling me slightly. "You promised."

Her tears were falling freely now and it made my heart ache to see her this way. I didn't want to hurt her but I had to stay away. Why was she making this harder than it needed to be?

"And I'm not. Korra, please. You know I wouldn't. But...Everything in my head is so messed up. I hurt you. And I'm getting help so that I will never do that again."

She looked at me, tears in her eyes. Then I watched as she wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace. "I don't like this."

I hesitated momentarily before allowing myself to hug her back, clutching onto her sweatshirt. "I don't either. But I need to get better. I have to protect you, even from myself."

I felt her nod against my shoulder, and I placed a kiss in her chocolate hair, closing my eyes. I took a deep breath.

"We won't be apart long. I just need to sort out some things."

"I love you, Asami."

My heart felt like it was breaking and mending simultaneously. "I love you too." With everything I was.

"That old saying, how you always hurt the one you love, well, it works both ways." -Chuck Palahniuk