"I'm sorry, there's nothing else I can do."

The words ring hollowly in the room for several heart beats before Asami truly comprehends them. When her mind finally catches up to her hears Katara is still speaking.

"...her connection the other elements has been severed"

Severed. The act of being brutality and completely separated. To be ripped away. To lose forever. Theses are feelings Asami understands. She can see the shock and disbelief beginning to register on the faces of the others as the door slides open again and Korra steps into the room. After an agonizing moment of silence Tenzen manages to say what they have all desperately been clinging to,

"It's going to be alright Korra"

But Asami can see the dead expression in the other girl's eyes and she knows that nothing could be further from the truth.

"No. It isn't."

Without so much as a second glance Korra is out the door heedless of both Mako and Tenzen who follow her out into the cold. The ragged injustice of it all rises up in Asami's chest, after everything they've been through, everything they've lost, this can't be how it ends. Her side aches under the bandages and she presses a hand against it, watching through the window as Korra turns away from Mako's touch and rides out into the frozen waste.

"Are you OK?" His voice is low, meant only for her ears, his fingers land lightly on her arm in a familiar sort of way. Something has shifted between them in the last few days, he never seems to be too far from her side. She's always liked Bolin, his good heart combined with an uncanny ability to make her laugh at the most inappropriate moments made him someone she enjoyed spending time with almost immediately. But ever since the airstrip, and maybe even before that really, she's come to rely on his grounding presence and ready support more and more. She honestly not sure where she'd be right now without him.

"Yes." She says automatically. She's still watching the scene unfold in the yard, Tenzin laying a hand on Mako's slumped shoulder, so she can't see his face but she can tell from the little huff of air in her ear that he doesn't believe her. She turns, forcing a smile that becomes a little more genuine when she sees his serious expression. "Really Bolin. You don't have to worry about me."

"But-" She halts his protest with a gentle hand on his face.

"You're sweet. I'm fine. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to step outside for a moment"

The air outside is so cold it hurts to breathe. She should have stopped for a coat she supposes but she doesn't turn back because if she doesn't do this now she may never have the strength again. He's alone, staring through the empty gateway. She stops a few feet behind him, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.

"Are you just going to let her go like that?"

He's so startled he actually jumps,

"What?"

"Korra. Aren't you going to follow her?"

"No" He turns away again, letting out a heavy breath that steams in the freezing air. "She doesn't want-" he breaks off, his gaze becoming distant. She moves forward to stand beside him, their shoulders barely touching.

"Well," she says, trying to sound friendly instead of heartbroken. "it seems to me your place is with her, no matter what she says."

He looks at her then, really looks, in a way he hasn't in weeks.

"Asami, I'm so sorry." He is too, she can see the same heartbreak she's been living with in his eyes. The wave of emotion that washes over her is almost too much. She loves him, she is surer of it than ever before, and that is why this must be done. Because she loves him, and she loves Korra, and this is they way things are meant to be.

"I know you are. So am I."

"I just wish..."

"Me too. Now go on, you'll have a job to catch her.". She reaches up and brushes snow out of his hair. "She's going to need you Mako." He catches her hand and squeezes it.

"She said the same thing to me about you once, after we found out about your father."

"She wasn't wrong."

"Asami..."

"Go." she says, giving him a gentle shove because she isn't strong enough to say it twice. He nods, turns away, hesitates, and then turns back and takes her face in his hands.

"Thank you." he whispers, dropping a light kiss on her forehead. And then he's gone, sprinting out of the gate and into the bright white glare of snow and ice. She feels ill, dizzy and cold and sore, and so impossibly alone. But she isn't alone, because when she turns around she finds Bolin waiting for her at the top of the steps. He meets her half way, offering a hand to help her up the last few stairs.

"You're freezing" he says, wrapping his hands around hers. "Come on, let's get you inside." He guides her through the door and before she knows it she's wrapped in a warm blanket with a steaming cup of tea in her hands and he's leading her to a chair by the fire. She makes a face as she sits, the stitches in her side pulling uncomfortably, sending a dull throb through her ribcage.

"I wish you'd let Master Katara take a look at that." Bolin says, frowning at her over his own cup of tea.

"Master Katara has more to worry about than my scratch." She says, sipping the scalding liquid gratefully. She loves the way it burns a trail down into her stomach, loosening the knots that have tied themselves there.

"12 stitches is hardly a scratch. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. It would only take Korra a few-" he stops, a dark expression filling his face. She reaches out and lays a hand on his knee.

"She's going to be alright Bo. We'll take care of her."

"Yeah." He nods. "We will." A twinge of guilt stabs though Asami because even though they will all take care of Korra she has the feeling Mako will be shouldering most of the responsibility, and even thought Bolin has probability already guessed this, even though he claims he's over Korra, the look on his face tells Asami a rather different story. When did things get so complicated? She wonders if any of them will ever really be OK again. But in typical Bolin fashion , as quickly as it comes the brooding expressing leaves, pushed aside by a pointed, slightly teasing gaze.

"Also, no changing the subject!" He sits back in his chair and gestures with his tea. "We need to make sure you're OK too."

Oh Bolin, she thinks, that may be the impossible dream. What she says is,

"I'm perfectly fine. Just sore. The Air Acolytes did a good job patching me up."

"Well," He finally concedes "If you say so. But if you change your mind I'll talk to Tenzin or Master Katara."

"If that becomes necessary I'll let you know." She sighs and sets down her empty cup. "I think what I really need is a hot bath to warm up. I don't know how Korra lived here for so long. I'd be a permanent icicle."

By dinner she's beginning to wish she'd taken him up on his offer. She feels lousy. The bath had been nice but she'd been so tired she was afraid she'd doze off and drown so she climbed out, wrapped up in a robe and drifted into an uneasy sleep. When she wakes the sun is low in the sky and her head feels heavy and dull. The skin around the cut is hot and sore and she aches all over. She's considering just staying in bed until tomorrow morning when she hears some sort of commotion coming from down the hall, raised voices and pounding feet. Fear surges through her. What's happening? Have they been attacked? Maybe things aren't as over as she'd thought. She throws on the nearest clothes she can get her hands on and hurries out into the hall. There are loud voices and lights coming from the main room and she hurries toward it, her heart pounding, adrenalin coursing through her. She slides into the doorway, body ready to spring at any attacker and collides with Jinora and Ikki.

"What's wrong?" She demands, too disorientated to make sense of the scene unfolding in front of her.

"Korra's back!" Ikki exclaims, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward into the fray.

"Is she OK?" Everything is too bright and too loud. She sees Korra now, she's in the middle of the room surrounded by what seems to be all her friends and the entirety of the White Lotus guard. As Ikki comes to a halt at the inside edge of the circle Asami watches in complete bewildered as Bolin gives a shout and grabs Korra in a huge hug, spinning her around in circles. He catches her eye, sets a laughing Korra down and rushes over, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward.

"Asami!" He's giddy with joy. She doesn't understand. "Korra's back!"

"I...I can see that" Is all she can manage.

"No no! I mean she's back! She's the Avatar! She got her bending back!" He laughs and scoops her up just like he did with Korra, twirling her around. It's too much.

"Bo. Stop. Bolin, STOP!" She shoves herself out of his arms, stumbling back a step. She knows he's stopped twirling her because she can see the slightly hurt expression on his face but the room is still spinning. Everyone's eyes are on her now. Her head is throbbing in time with her side and her heartbeat. Mako is reaching for her, his face creased in concern

"I'm sorry." She says, and there must be something wrong with her voice because now Korra is moving towards her too. "I can't-" The room gives a mighty lurch and suddenly the floor is rushing up to meet her and she can't help but think that it's not going to feel very good. Then there are arms around her, a body under hers, cushioning her landing. Someone is yelling something but all she is sure of is the feel of large cool hands on her burning skin and the smell of the earth in her nose and she goes away for a little while.

The next thing she is aware of is a delicious coolness on her skin and the sound of someone humming. She blinks her eyes open and finds herself curled on her good side while small wrinkled hands work soothing water into her wound.

"Ah. Back with us my dear? That's good." Says a gentle voice.

"Master Katara" she says, struggling to lift herself into a sitting position. Surprisingly strong hands push her back down onto the pillows.

"Stay still please." It's more a command than a request. "I'm not quite finished." Asami complies, relaxing her body.

"What happened?" She asks. "I remember taking a bath and going to sleep..."

"Your side was infected. You've been running a fever for a few days I expect."

"I have been?" She can't remember feeling particularly bad...she certainly hasn't been feeling great but she'd chalked it up to having her entire existence ripped out from under her and figured she'd get used to it in time. She thinks back over the week's events, regrouping at the Air Temple, deciding to come to the Northern Water Tribe, waiting for news of Korra... "Korra! Is she alright?"

"She's just fine. She wanted to see to you herself but she's had rather a trying day so I sent her to get some rest."

Asami sighs and closes her eyes.

"I don't really understand." There is a small chuckle from the older woman and warmth tingles through her body.

"That's life with the Avatar my dear. There have been many times in my life when I didn't understand. All I could do was trust Aang. It was always the right choice."

"You must miss him." Asami mummers, she feels so warm and peaceful, better than she has in weeks.

"I do, but it's OK. The people we love are never very far away. Even if we can't see them. Now. Sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."

She'd like to stay away and talk some more, to ask this wise, kind woman what to do when the people you love become so twisted with hate that they stop loving you (are they still with you even then?), but she is pulled down into sleep and everything else fades away.