From her hotel room rotary phone, Lin dialed the number that paged her. Fortunately, Bolin answered.

"Bolin, what's going on? Are you safe?" Lin skipped to the point.

"Welllllll, yes. Sort of. I'm terribly sorry to inconvenience you, and I know we hardly know each other, and I'm technically a mooch vagabond and all, but can you please pick me up? I'll explain – I mean I won't explain later," Bolin's voice said on the other line.

"A lotta things inconvenience me – you're not one of them. We'll be there as soon as we can – say about forty minutes?"

"Oh my God, thank you! I –"

Lin thought she heard Bolin squeal on the other line, but she realized it was something else – errant screams and moans and loud thuds.

"What's that?"

Bolin stuttered. "Oh, it's uh, n-nothing. Just – well, Mako has a lady friend over."

"They sound like they're beating the crap outta each other."

"I have no idea what's happening, actually. Just wanna fly."

"Copy."

Lin hung up. Time to rescue her young friend.

She walked over to her bag and pulled out some tactical gear she brought along as a contingency. She was loading her gun and checking its jammers. It took a minute for groggy Kya to fully wake up, but she snapped to when she saw the hunk of metal in Lin's hand.

"What the hell are you doing? I didn't know you had a gun on you this whole time!"

"Well I was a cop. And now I'm going to get Bolin."

Kya sat up. She was naked, her hair amess. "Is he OK? Should we call the police?"

"It's OK as far as I can tell, but I can't be sure. Doesn't seem like he wants cops involved, but I haven't ruled that out."

"So maybe you're overreacting with the gun? I woke up and all of the sudden we're in a Bruce Willis movie."

"More like Thelma and Louise, but you're probably right," Lin shrugged.

"Then I'm coming with you. Let's go get our boy."

Lin nodded, grabbing her long coat as Kya got up and dressed.

Bolin was waiting on Mako's porch for Lin to pick him up while the two folks from earlier were still standing at attention. Mako had said they needed to last three days before being let in, and Bolin admired their dedication.

It was a cool and dewy morning with the sun slowly rising in the East. Kya pulled up in her van and walked out with Lin down the driveway toward the front door.

"Over here!" Bolin waved his arms upon noticing them, signifying to an overly cautious Lin that it was safe to proceed, though the two thugs on the front porch gave her pause.

Kya waved back. "Hiya Kiddo. Missed you!"

"Awe look, he's gotta have his mommies rescue him," the tall sentry at the doorway sneered.

Before Bolin could respond, the front door swung open and a muscular young woman walked briskly out the house, avoiding eye contact as she passed them.

She disappeared out of the driveway as Kyalin made it to the porch.

Behind the woman who left with a quickness was Mako hovering at the doorway, lighting a cigarette.

"It's OK baby bro, I don't take it personal," Mako said in between a long, exaggerated puff.

Bolin approached his older bro and pressed their foreheads together like Mako used to do to him when they were kids.

"I promise… I'm gonna go out there and make something of myself and then come back and take care of you – just like you did me when we were kids."

Bolin kissed Mako's forehead and left with the two old broads the guy on the porch had called his "mommies." He had to admit he wasn't mad at it.

Kya rustled his hair. "Wanna get some pancakes at Denny's."

"Ooh, Pancakes!"

Lin had to admit pancakes with warm syrup and a hot coffee sounded nice.

It was only a few hours before Bolin was due at the agency and he was sleep deprived, dirty, and all banged up. At the very least, the pancakes warmed his belly and the company warmed his heart.

Bolin yawned. "You guys are the best." He was about to fall asleep in his plate of pancakes but caught himself and wolfed them down before finally settling into snooze mode in the booth.

Lin and Kya looked at each other and decided to let him nap while they enjoyed their coffees. They would ask him what all the hubbub was about later.

"Don't you just love the smell of coffee in the morning?" Kya said.

"It's lovely. Especially because it masks the smell of this big kid sleeping in front of us." Lin plugged her nose and waved a hand in front of Bolin.

Kya took Lin's hand. Though neither of them wanted kids, it was fun to pretend that Bolin was theirs and they were a family. They were growing to be one anyway. Lin just wished Opal was also there.

When Bolin next awoke, he was face first on a twin bed of a hotel room. Kyalin were cuddled onto the other one, also napping. He yawned a big bear yawn and got up and found the bathroom and did his morning business.

Then he grabbed the hotel toothpaste and squeezed it onto his finger and brushed his teeth, looking at himself in the mirror and all the fresh bruises that were forming. That was one wild night. Though it wasn't what he was about per se, some dark part of him could see the appeal. He felt raw, reckless, ready to tackle the world. Even though he looked like shit, he was ready for his interview/audition with the agent, Kuvira.

As for Mako – he was in a different place in his life. Bolin would have to come to terms with that for now. Wearing the white collar too tight in his rat in a cage cubicle job may have made Mako snap, Bolin surmised, but it was probably a cocktail of reasons that simply went over his head. Life's easier when you don't have to think so much, at least that's what Bolin figured.

In the mirror's reflection, he noticed the claw bath tub and his eyes sparkled.

"Oh my god!" He yelled.

Lin was startled awake. She jumped up, ready for action. "What? What is it?"

Bolin came out the bathroom. "Do you mind if I take a dippity-dip in that fabulous tub?"

Lin rolled here eyes. "What is up with you people and taking baths?"

Kya yawned. "Bathing cleanses the mind and body and soul. At any rate, I too hope to one day take a dippity-dip in that tub. Go ahead, honey." She noticed the bruises forming on Bolin's face, added: "I'm not gonna force you to talk about why you're all banged up, but I have some healing bath salts from the waters of my tribe here. It's good for sore muscles and bruises, and it cleanses cuts. Go have a nice soak. It might sting at first, but it'll feel great after a couple of minutes."

"Yeah, and make sure to wash your pits, because you stink," Lin added.

"Sweetie, that's rude!" Kya said.

"I mean, please wash your stinky pits. What? My mom used to say that to me all the time. She's blind, by the way."

Bolin interjected. "No no, the Lady's got a point. I can smell myself – not a good sign. Thank you, Kya. I'd love those bath salts. And to answer your non-question about how I got these bruises – let's just say I'd be breaking the cardinal rule if I talked about it."

Kya wanted to say he looked like he'd been fighting – the cuts on his knuckles seemed like he possibly inflicted more damage than he received. She got out of bed and rifled through her bag before pulling out a satchel and handing it to Bolin. "Use a lil handful and just let yourself melt."

Bolin nodded thank you and disappeared into the bathroom.

An hour later, the door opened and Bolin sauntered out in a long fuzzy robe courtesy of the hotel with steam billowing behind him, the smell of salts wafting in the air.

Bolin's black hair was slicked back and wet; his skin was glowing.

"Ahhh, that was lovely."

"I'm glad. Need anything else, m'Lord? Lin said.

"Um, just a ride to the agency? And maybe some company – you know, moral support?" Bolin got all doe-eyed; his cowlick wriggled free from being slick back and flicked over his forehead..

"Of course, honey," said Kya. "You already asked us when you were half-asleep in the van. But I guess you were very tired."

"Oh yeah, been meaning to ask you how I got here. I was wondering if Lin carried me."

Lin scoffed. "You're like a boulder. I'm strong, but no way am I carrying you - you moved your own damn Chevro-legs and walked."

"Ohhhh," Bolin said.

Kya and Lin chuckled and gave each other a look. Kids.

Notes:

My head canon is Mako made a fight club because he was super stressed out from working a soulless cubicle job and he also has a lot of pent up trauma from his childhood that he's had to hold in because he was always looking out for Bolin more than himself.

The next chapters to the end will be super fun (at least to me). I'm capping this story at novella-length.