She didn't know how it had gotten so bad.
Things had been fine for so long, this was a blemish on her life. She was used to the fame now, it had been startling and overwhelming the first time Tarrlok had put her in front of the podium to speak to the crowd of angry reporters, but now she was better at handling it. She'd never like it, but it wasn't bad.
And in the course of meeting all of the people who hated her, hated the whole concept of an 'Avatar' hated her bending and or simply hated her for breathing, Korra finally met those who liked her, and some even adored her. She loved the little kids who ran around the parks pretending to bend all four elements and save the world from the evils of the Equalists or just the bad guys they could come up with. She enjoyed meeting the people who respected her position and wanted to listen to what she had to say, and even the everyday people who found out and simply smiled, or gave her a free cup of tea just because of the work she did.
But never did she think this was going to happen.
The first time she'd met him, it was a little odd. Mako had been standing right next to her and he'd introduced himself eagerly, shaking her hand and standing a little closer than she felt comfortable with. Mako had been annoyed and looped his arm around her waist as she spoke to the other man. She'd tried to smile and be nice, but he hadn't let go of her hand and he was gushing about her.
Tenzin had interrupted without knowing what he was doing and given her the chance to escape with her fiancé.
She didn't see him again until a few weeks after she and Mako had tied the knot, but this time she'd been alone, walking toward the police station to see Mako when he'd approached her.
"Avatar Korra." He was smiling. "How are you?"
"Fine thanks." She gave him a polite smile and tried to keep walking, but he fell in step with her.
"You did a great job with the triads last week, I was so impressed." He gushed about her accomplishments and she smiled weakly.
"Thanks, but the Council worked with me a lot on that one." She smiled and nodded.
"Don't sell yourself short, you're amazing." He smiled and touched her arm. "You're absolutely amazing. Look, I know this is insane, and I know you're probably not going to say yes, but I have to, are you free tomorrow night? I know a great Earth Kingdom place."
"I'm sorry, I'm married." Korra shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest as his face fell and darkened in merely a second.
"Oh." His response was forced and his hands stuffed into his pockets. "I'm sorry, I hadn't heard, congratulations."
Korra frowned at that comment. Her marriage had been widely announced in Republic City, so the likelihood he hadn't heard of it, was extremely slim. "Thank you, I'm actually going to see him." She gestured to the police building that was thankfully right in front of them. "Bye!" She waved and ducked in as fast as she could and shivered as she walked for his husband's desk.
"Hey." Mako slipped his arms around her waist. "Are you alright?" She frowned and shook her head.
"Just, a weird encounter." She winced. "Remember a few months ago at that dinner that guy came up and was holding my hand?"
"Yes." Mako scowled at her.
"He just asked me out." Korra shook her head, frowning. "I just got bad vibes from him." She let herself shudder once and straightened her back and smiled at him. "He's gone now though, don't worry."
"I'm worried." Mako sighed. "But you're sure?"
"Yes, it's nothing." Even as she said it, she was lying.
A week later the first letter came. It was the most disturbing thing she had ever read, and if she'd been able to keep it from Mako, she would have, but he'd gotten to it first. "What?" Mako snarled as he read the graphic letter. "This is sick."
"I don't know what he's doing." Korra frowned at her husband. He was so angry, growling at the letter from the man who'd written the most graphic letter of love and affection.
"He's stalking you." Mako spat out and sighed. "I'm making a file at the station, getting you a restraining order."
"Alright." Korra sighed, nodding and letting him go on his tirade to protect her. In the years they'd been together she'd just accepted that he wanted to protect her sometimes. While other times it got on her nerves to the point where she wanted to kill him, she let it go. He meant it out of love.
But then the second later came exactly two weeks later and he filed the report. It was just as creepy as the first, with a little more uneasiness when he asked why she wasn't replying to him.
The third letter was filled with outrage that she'd filed a restraining order against him. Fury that she'd do this to him and their relationship. Korra would never let Mako see it, but the letters were terrifying. They came to a box the Avatar kept in Republic City to take fanmail or suggestions, or simply letters telling the Avatar that they mattered.
The fourth letter came right to their apartment.
"Mako." Korra pointed at it, not wanting to touch it where it lay on their floor in the pile of their other mail. Their address had been a closely guarded secret to make sure no one could find her. To keep some semblance of privacy in her personal life and in her marriage.
"Shit." Mako picked it up and ripped the letter open, scanned a few lines and stuffed it back into the envelope. "Have you seen him lately?"
"No." Korra frowned. "Why?"
"He's seen you." Mako muttered darkly and threw the letter on their table. "Said he saw you doing different things around the city."
Korra wrapped her arms around her waist feeling violated. First he knew her address, and then he'd followed her, now he sent a letter bragging about it? There wasn't even anything they could do. The restraining order only worked if he came near her, and he was merely sending her letters and following her, things they couldn't stop.
"Korra." Mako's voice was soft. "Are you alright?"
"I don't like this." She frowned. "It's frustrating, he follows me, he knows where we live." She looked up and moved into his arms when he opened them.
"I'm afraid too." Mako murmured into her hair, saying the words she was much too stubborn to admit to anyone, even herself. Especially to herself.
The fifth letter came to their apartment taped to a cardboard box that Mako whisked away and wouldn't tell her what was in it. "Don't coddle me." Korra snarled angrily at him as she came into the police station. "I want to know."
"Korra, it'll just upset you." Mako tried reasoning but the fury on her face made him rethink things. "Fine, ok." He pulled her into a side room away from the prying eyes of his co-workers. "It's a dead badger mole."
"What?" Korra recoiled. "He sent me a dead animal?"
"As a present." Mako frowned. "I'm filing a 'no contact' order so he can't send you letters or things anymore."
"He will." Korra shook her head and sank into a free chair. "He's not going to leave us alone, I'm scared, Mako."
"We'll keep you safe." Mako murmured and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry about it."
"It's been months." Korra frowned.
"We'll get him." Mako sat on the chair across from her and put his hand on her knee. "If he so much as looks at you we can arrest him now."
"Alright." Korra smiled, feeling confident in the wake of his confidence. Mako knew the police force well, if he thought things would be ok, she'd trust him.
"Just, try not to go anywhere alone for a while." Mako winced as he said it. "I know it's ridiculous, but I don't want to give him an opening to talk to you."
"I don't like it." Korra frowned at him, but the worry in his face swayed her. "But alright."
As much as she absolutely hated it, she kept her promise and ran errands with someone around, trying not to go out for more than ten minutes alone. Asami and Bolin seemed to pop out of nowhere to be around her when Mako couldn't, it was suspicious, but she let it go; at least there weren't any letters for a while.
Life was ok for a while, she and Mako were doing fine, and even though they'd just gotten the incredible life changing news that they were expecting their first child, things were better.
Until she saw him. The second she recognized and placed his face, she felt her blood run cold and the pure instinct to protect herself and her baby kicked in.
"Korra?" Asami was looking at her oddly, the two women had been spending the afternoon together, looking at a few baby things she and Mako would need someday, but not for a while. Window shopping.
"That's him." Korra muttered, nodding to where her stalker was looking in a storefront casually.
"That guy?" Asami's eyes widened both at the fact the guy looked so damn normal and the fear in Korra's eyes. "Let's get out of here." She pushed her friend to another route to loop around and get back to her car easily.
"Avatar Korra." His voice cut into her mind and made her feel instantly nauseous, not hard to do with her current condition. "Please, just let me say something." He'd gotten to Asami's car before they had.
"No." Asami cut in. "Get in the car, Korra."
"Please, Korra, I just do this because I love you." He pleaded. "I wouldn't do this if I didn't love you."
"I'm married." Korra tried to make the point and he frowned at her. "Please, just leave us alone." She closed the passenger's side door to Asami's car and after a second locked it. As soon as the lock clicked into place, his face crumpled with rage and he slammed both fists on the hood of the car, startling both women. Without another moment of hesitation Asami started the car and floored it, driving past him and away, turning the corner just as Korra saw him throw something in their direction. Nausea rose to the surface and she pressed her hand over her mouth tightly.
"Are you ok?"
"I'm going to be sick." Korra murmured and Asami pressed her accelerator down further to whip around a few corners and pull over. Korra leapt out and lost everything in her stomach from a combination of losing her nerves and terror. She heaved until her stomach hurt and bile burned her throat. "Don't tell Mako." Korra breathed as she tried to wipe her mouth, trying not to let dizziness overtake her.
"Korra…"
"No, don't tell him I was sick." She looked up at her friend. "Please, just I'll tell him about him, but don't tell him I got sick."
"Alright." Asami agreed with a frown. "I'll take you to the station."
"Thank you." Korra stood slowly and moved to the car again, feeling as sick as she had before. Except her stomach was clenched and the nausea still threatened. Just when she thought her life was going to be ok, that she and Mako could move on with their baby and live a normal life, that man came back and ruined it. Asami followed her inside, not helping her like she wanted to, letting Korra walk over to Mako and explain what happened softly. Rage flew onto his face and he glared from his wife to Asami, anger and fear radiating from him.
He took her home with Lin's blessing while his coworkers went out to find and arrest him. "Are you alright?"
"Stop taking it out on me!" Korra snapped at his scowl. "I didn't ask for this, Mako."
"I know you didn't." His eyes were wide. "I never thought that." He grabbed her arms gently. "Korra, I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at him."
"Then don't take it out on me." She frowned, but let him touch her. "I didn't mean to run into him."
"I know, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Mako pulled her close to him. "I'm sorry." He repeated and buried his face in her neck, stunning her with the tears on his cheeks. "I just want you to be safe, for our baby to be safe." He rested his hand on her stomach. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to make you think I was blaming you."
"I hate him." Korra muttered darkly. "I hate him so much." Before Mako could respond heavy thudding on their door was met with someone trying the latch.
"Korra, please let me in!" His voice sent sheer terror through her body as he pounded on the door. "Please?"
"Get out." Mako thundered at the door.
"You!" His voice was angrier at Mako while Korra grabbed the phone and dialed the police station, getting Lin. "You've ruined her! You're keeping her all to yourself." The pounding got louder when he screamed in a rage.
"Korra." Mako turned to her with his eyes wide with fear. "Just, make sure that the baby is ok." He winced saying it.
"What!?" An angry yell came from the other side of the door. "You did what to her?"
"Shit." Mako caught the slip a bit late as the door came crashing open and the man flew in. He rushed forward as Korra felt the instant response drilled into her by a hundred hours of training to protect herself through offense. Her instant fight response was overwhelming and it took a shout from Mako to remind her of the other person she had to protect. She fell back instead, her arms out to prevent herself from getting hurt. The baby was the top priority, and even though she hated it, she had to back off and play defense while Mako wrestled the much weaker man into a pin hold on the floor.
It was a blur of discomfort and frustration as the police came. Korra stood away to the side angry. Furious she couldn't aid in her own protection, angry that other people were required to do it for her, terrified that her stalker was still trying to fight the officers to get to her, and tired.
So tired. So tired of being terrified all of the time, so sick of looking over her shoulder when she went out by herself, sick to death of her heart racing when she answered her mail, and sick to death of Mako looking at her with fearful eyes all the time. It was hours before they'd told the officers everything and got them out of their apartment.
"I want to move." Korra announced as soon as Mako closed the door. He looked up at her curiously, and she saw just how tired and drawn he was. This wasn't easy on him either.
"Move? Why?"
"Because I'm not comfortable here." Korra shook her head and looked at the apartment. "Fresh start for us, he's going to jail, we can move." She moved into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder. Despite the frustration, she still loved him so much. "Fine a new place to have our baby, start things just the three of us, right?"
"Right." Mako smiled and brushed loose hairs from her face, one arm wrapped around her waist.
"I don't understand why he did all this." Korra closed her eyes and pressed her face into Mako's neck, willing herself to not shed another damn tear over that awful man.
"We'll find out when he's interrogated." Mako sighed. "We have a psychologist coming in to talk to him."
"I want to watch." Korra straightened and put her hands on her hips forcefully, feeling confident that her stalker was in custody. He couldn't hurt her now.
"That's against so many regulations." Mako frowned.
"Is that going to stop you?" Korra lifted her brow at him and he just scowled at her. "Ask Lin, what can it hurt?"
"I'll ask, but don't get your hopes up." Mako held her closer. "Do you want to stay at the Temple tonight?"
"Yes." Korra replied with a sigh and a nod before going to pack up a change of clothes for the night. She and Mako had a room at the Air Temple that was saved for them whenever they needed it, so they merely slipped in, in the dead of night, and curled up in their bed to sleep.
For the first time in months Korra felt rested and safe when she woke up. Mako had taken the next day off and they just held each other for a while when they woke up, comforting each other. No one was surprised when they came to breakfast, Pema simply set out tea and plates for them with a smile on her face.
And in three hours they were in the Republic City Police Department behind the one-way mirror, listening to the most disturbing conversation either of them had ever heard.
"I love her." The man insisted as he spoke with the psychologist. "I know Avatar Korra loves me too, she's just being controlled by him." His face darkened when he spoke of Mako. "We're in love!"
"Has she ever admitted that to you?" The psychologist asked evenly, showing no emotion or reaction to this.
"Of course she has."
"No." Korra scowled. "Never." She looked at Mako with worried eyes.
"I know, I was there when you met him." He laced his fingers through her to comfort her.
"He's delusional." Lin was frowning as she looked through the mirror, ignoring the affection of the couple next to her. "He truly believes she loves him." She explained as he was listing things he believed Korra had told him to the psychologist. "He honestly believes all of this happened."
"That's so creepy." Korra bit her bottom lip.
"He's obsessed with her." Mako frowned at Lin who nodded slowly, not taking her eyes off of the man in custody.
"We searched his apartment, it was filled with notes about her, letters he didn't send, he framed the restraining orders because they had your signature." Lin sighed. "He had every newspaper article you've ever been in."
Korra shook her head and looked back at how he was now arguing with the psychologist. "I love her, don't you understand that? He hurts her, he always hurts her, she's never happy anymore!" He was shouting now.
"He thinks Mako makes me upset?" Korra frowned.
"He refuses to admit that he's causing you pain, so he put it on Mako, I'm guessing because Mako's his competition for you." Lin replied evenly, no emotion in her voice, but her brows were furrowed, giving her concern for Korra away.
"I'll kill his brat! That bastard!"
Korra recoiled the second those words permeated her mind. She stopped listening or caring as the fear started to get her again. This time it wasn't fear for herself or for Mako, it was for her baby. Her innocent baby who had done nothing to deserve being threatened like this. "Korra." She was shaken back to reality when her husband gripped her shoulders, facing her. "Are you ok?" He'd gotten her out of the observation room and she nodded weakly. "He can't hurt you. Either of you."
"You're shaking." Korra murmured softly and touched his arm. Mako was shaking ever so slightly as he tried to comfort her. "I love you, Mako." She murmured and ruffled his hair with a half smile. "I just want this to be over.
"It almost is." Mako leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"You two." Lin came into the main room where he'd taken her and addressed them stiffly. "We're taking him back to the holding cell, he's not cooperating anymore. Take her where he won't see her." She ordered Mako who nodded and stood, Korra going with him.
"I'll take you home."
"Ok." Korra was too tired to argue, to fight to have control over this situation. Mako held her hand as they walked home together, but when they were in the door Korra shivered. Her eyes scanned the room. It looked the same, it was the way it had been since they'd moved in after the wedding, and it was warmly furnished thanks to her mother and Pema, a nice place for the newlyweds. But now, now looking at it she felt like nothing could be safe here. "Mako."
"Yeah?" He had been pinching his nose, his indication of a headache.
"Can we go live at the Air Temple until we can move? I can't stay here."
"Sure." He nodded. "Whatever helps."
Korra didn't reply, just hugged him and held him for a while before they collected what they needed and went for the Temple. No one commented that they'd moved back there, not even when they cancelled the lease on their apartment and asked for help moving things out a few weeks later. They didn't move into a new place though, waiting for the whole situation to end before they moved on with their lives.
But life was better, Korra felt herself relax and her stomach began to grow with their baby. She was able to go out and feel relatively safe, though looking over her shoulder was reflexive, but she stopped thinking she saw him everywhere and felt better. Life was ok; her baby was growing and healthy.
"Korra." Mako came into their room after working all day and sat across from her on the bed. She'd been reading a book to relax after running around the city attempting to arrange a law to be passed. And being pregnant meant her legs were swollen from all the activity.
"Hey." She smiled at him, but it fell at his face. "Is everything ok?"
"Well, I don't know." He sat next to her after removing his jacket and slipped her hand into his. "Something happened with your case."
"Is he out?" Korra put down the book and squeezed his hand as the old fears started to rise.
"No." Mako shook his head. "His lawyers put him in therapy to help him assist in his defense and they put him on some medications." Mako took a deep breath. "They said he had a personality disorder, delusions or something, I'm not sure of the terminology."
"Mako, what happened?" He was holding back on her and Korra was starting to get annoyed.
"He committed suicide." Mako murmured softly, his eyes on her to measure her reaction. "He's gone, Korra. He's dead."
"No." She moaned and covered her face with her hands. "I hate him, I hate him so much." She started to sob, startling Mako into climbing onto the bed to hold onto her. "He did this to me." She moaned once and Mako just held her tightly, utterly confused.
"Korra." He murmured her name after she'd cried for a while. He was terrified of her reaction, it didn't make sense, and he didn't want her stress to hurt the baby. Their innocent baby who didn't need to be in the middle of all this.
"I'm ok." She mumbled, gripping him and feeling useless.
"He's dead, he can't hurt us." Mako murmured, frowning at her.
"I know." She mumbled. "It's my fault."
"It's not your fault." Mako's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes it is." Korra sat up. "Because I didn't love him, he killed himself. I hate him for putting it on me. It's my fault he's dead."
"Korra…"
"No, it is." She sighed and wiped her face, resting against him. "And I hate him for it."
"Korra, he was delusional." Mako wrapped his arms around her. "He did it to himself, there is no possible way it's your fault. You could've loved him back and he would've done the same things, he would've been just as obsessed and insane."
"I guess." Korra sighed and turned her face closer to his chest.
"He's dead." Mako repeated firmly. "We're going to find a new apartment and start over, right?" He smiled at her. "The three of us, our family."
"Right." Korra smiled at her husband. "Thank you."
"For what?" He took her hand and played with her fingers absently.
"For sticking around." Korra sighed. "You could've just split and left me, but you stayed. You protected us."
"Because I love you." Mako murmured it against her forehead. "And I'm good at protecting people, just ask Bo."
"Yeah, he'll tell me about how you tried to eat Pabu." Korra grinned at him, pleased when he laughed. It had been so long since Mako had actually laughed, actually laughed.
"It was once, and we'd just found him." Mako defended himself. "I'm glad we didn't though, he got Bo through some stuff when we were kids."
"Me too." Korra grinned and yawned. "We should get our baby a fireferret."
"Maybe when he's older." Mako grinned as she snuggled into him. She fell asleep after a few more minutes of quiet, but he held her close to him, comforting her.
It would be a while before they could relax entirely. It would be months before Korra would feel entirely safe again, to feel like her child was safe, especially after his birth. Their new apartment held no traces of what had happened other than the two deadbolts and that they were locked nightly. They had no mail delivery to their home; it all went to boxes in the post office, and it took a while before Korra could go out alone and feel safe, not having the urge to look over her shoulder and scan the crowd. It was years before she went days without wondering if someone was following her.
There were good results too. Korra put her energy into fighting for women's rights, fighting to give abused women somewhere to go. Giving them options, setting up safe places where their stalkers couldn't hurt them. Teaming up with the police to track and arrest perpetrators before too much damage could be done.
However despite the good, and because of the bad, she would never forget the fear and terror of being someone's prey.