Senna's POV

As soon as I received Mako's call, I grabbed my medical bag and rushed out the door. He sent me the address of the Sato mansion and I was there in less than fifteen minutes. The butler answered the door and led me up stairs. My daughter was sitting up in bed, rubbing her eyes as if she had just awakened. Her eyes narrowed when she saw me and wouldn't let me near her.

"Korra, sweetie, please just let me-"

"I said stay away from me," she growled. "And don't call me that."

"Korra," Asami scolded, sending a pointed look at my daughter.

"Stay out of this, Asami!" Korra snapped. "I'm not letting this woman anywhere near me."

Truthfully, I understood why she was acting this way. Noatak had done a thorough job of making sure she thought I was the bad guy. It hurt, no doubt about that, but at least I could see where she was coming from.

I turned my attention to the other two teens. "Can I have a moment alone with Korra please?" I asked, my tone gentle but leaving no room for argument. They both sent me a look that said 'are you sure?' before looking over at Korra. The girl was sending them a look that clearly begged them to stay.

I could see Mako didn't want to. Asami on the other hand looked to be considering the options before slowly nodding. "Come in, Mako."

The boy made a move to protest but the raven haired girl was dragging him out by his collar. Korra glared at their retreating figures before turning her attention back to me.

"Korra," I began carefully. "Let me see your knees." She refused, drawing he legs closer to her chest. I sighed before cautiously sitting down beside her. She tensed and I fought the urge to flinch. I reached out and pried her arms off her legs gently. I could feel her eyes watching me as I examined the shredded and red skin.

"Why did you tell her to leave us?" I don't think she meant to ask by the way she just blurted it out. I looked up from her injuries and saw her cyan eyes staring at me blankly. But beneath that I could see pain and anger. She looked lost.

I returned my attention back to her knees, thinking of the best way to answer her as I decided what to do about the injuries. I reached out to my medical bag and pulled out a cream and some bandages. Gently, I applied the ointment on her knees, causing her to jerk away instinctively but I held her legs in place before placing the bandage around them. Then I looked up to meet her gaze again.

"I didn't tell her to leave you," I said finally. Korra fisted her hands around the sheets beneath her, clenching her jaw. "She loves you."

"Well she has a funny way of showing it!" she snapped. "If she loved me she wouldn't have left me."

"Your father knew that your mother didn't love him."

"So that's why she hated me?"

"No, Korra," I said shaking my head. "Your mother loves you, it's just…"

"Just what?" my daughter replied coldly. "She didn't love me enough to take me with her?"

I flinched at that. It broke my heart to see her talk about me this way. She had so much anger, so much resentment in her. I didn't know what she would do when the truth came out. At this point I thought it would harm her more than help her.

"I don't know what your father has told you," I began. "But not everything he said is true."

"Why should I trust you?" Korra asked.

I moved a hand up to her cheek and she moved away but I tried again and she allowed me. "I made a promise to your mother and to you when you were but a baby to keep you safe."

My daughter continued to look at me blankly but I could see her relax a little more. I removed my hand from her face and she laid down on the bed, wincing and letting out a short breath of pain. I remembered what Mako had told me and raised her shirt gently to see several burn there.

I clenched my jaw, my hand hovering over the burns before treating them. She winced when I applied the cream but didn't cry out. "What happened to you?" I asked.

Korra turned away, not answering my question and I sighed again. I knew those burns weren't made on accident. Lord knows, I've seen my fair share of those. But she wasn't going to tell me and I wouldn't force her, not now that we were having a civil conversation. Once I bandaged her stomach, I saw her eyes droop and called her friends inside once again.

Mako rushed by her side and so did Asami, checking to see how she was. I picked up my doctor bag and headed to the door.

"Wait," I heard Korra call. I turned around to look at her. "Thanks," she whispered. I couldn't help but smile. Baby steps.

Mako's POV

Soon after Senna checked my girlfriend's wounds, she fell asleep, still clutching the bear. Asami and I both stood by her side, making sure she didn't have any nightmares. She slept on the bed and I took the couch. To be honest I didn't really sleep. I thought about everything that had happened. Korra had finally opened up about the abuse that went on at home and I knew it had not only physically drained her but emotionally as well. All I could hope is that she would stay strong. I got up, kneeling in front of her and caressed her cheek.

"I'll always be here for you, Korra," I whispered. "I'll always be here."