"So how was the patrol with 'Team Avatar'?" Tahno smirked at the stupid name that the Earthbender had come up with. Why not just name themselves the Korra Krew while they were at it? Seriously, did the boy have no imagination?

"Quiet. Boring. No one to stop tonight," the girl replied shortly with a yawn. "And what do you have against the name? I kind of like it." She was lying down in the grass, head lying on her arms, eyes closed. She was really tired.

"Of course you do, Avatar," Tahno said with a roll of his eyes as he sat against the wall of the house. Korra mumbled something along the lines of, 'yeah, yeah' causing Tahno to smirk. "If I really bore you that much, I can leave right now so you can rest." Korra opened her eyes, revealing those deep oceanic pools.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, lazily pushing herself up into the sitting position. "But why did you have to visit this late at night? It's almost two in the morning. And we just got back from patrol," she whined jokingly. At the question Tahno looked down at his hands that lay in his lap.

"Couldn't sleep."

"I know the feeling," Korra replied with a slight smirk, rubbing her eyes. Tahno's somber expression didn't change. Korra immediately knew something was wrong. "What's up?" Tahno sighed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's nothing really. I just…" He trailed off. "I just couldn't sleep." The bags under his eyes were back, Korra noticed.

"You been having a lot of these nights?" she asked, coming to her own conclusions about why he was having trouble. Tahno nodded slowly.

"What was it like for you when you faced Amon?" he asked, looking up to meet her gaze. Korra remembered that night. She doubted she could ever forget the night that monster of a man had struck fear into her very being. He had promised to save her for last and was allowing her to see his devastating power. A power he could unleash on her if he had even the slightest inclination to do so.

But no, he'd used it on Tahno instead.

She visibly shivered. "Terrifying." Tahno watched as a storm of emotions swirled around in her cerulean irises. "He had me at his mercy," she began. "I had stupidly challenged him and I didn't even stand a chance when he ambushed me with a dozen or so of his followers. He had me…and he could've taken my Bending away from me…" She trailed off, her eyes glazing over as she relived that night.

"Why didn't he?" the ex-Bender asked. There was no bitterness in his voice, but curiosity. "Why did he spare you?"

"He said he has a plan. And he's saving me for last." Her voice was soaked in the fear she felt as she pulled her knees closer to her chest. It amazed him that the fiery Bender he had come to see as a confidant and friend was actually scared of something. It didn't seem right to him. Tahno sat there for a moment, feeling he should do something to comfort the girl. But this wasn't exactly his area of expertise.

So, hesitantly and slowly, he maneuvered himself so that he sat next to the girl and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She looked up at him.

"You've been having nightmares, haven't you?" It really wasn't a question. The way she looked at him with empathy, it made his stomach churn. "I still have them occasionally. The same one actually." Tahno kept his eyes locked on hers as she told him this.

Korra was the first to look away from his pale gaze as she leaned against his shoulder tiredly. She yawned again and closed her eyes. "You know, one way to help is to admit you're scared. I learned that lesson the hard way," she muttered. Tahno raised a brow at the sleepy Avatar.

"I never said I was scared, Sweetheart," he whispered, but the nickname lacked its usual specialty. Korra opened her eyes slightly to look at him again before closing them and exhaling deeply.

"You didn't have to." He furrowed his brow at this. She felt his stare and gave a lethargic smile. "Believe it or not, Pretty Boy, I think I'm actually starting to get you." It was a simple statement, which Tahno didn't know how to reply to. He simply sat there with her and it wasn't long before Korra fell asleep against the Nonbender.

*** After helping Tenzin get the unconscious Avatar back into her bed, Tahno started his walk home. The lanterns cast weird shadows against the deserted streets of Republic City, shrouding the alleys and cloaking the nooks and crannies from the Nonbender's view. Besides the lanterns, the full moon illuminated the streets with its illustrious glow. Tahno felt an old ache as he remembered the feeling the moon once gave him.

What had once filled him with an unnatural strength now did nothing but cause a hollow feeling in his soul. It was just the moon. And he was just a man. It really didn't bother him as much as it had the first week of his disgrace. But still, he couldn't shake this feeling of emptiness that the full moon seemed to bring. The moon had once been a constant to him. But not any more.

His thoughts suddenly went to the Avatar. She seemed to be the new constant in his life, and he found it odd that such a thing was possible. She was honest with him. Sometimes a little too honest, but he respected that. And as she'd been proving to him a lot lately, she was a lot more complex than she seemed. Yes, she was freakishly strong and was an exceptional Bender…but she was scared. He understood why, of course. Anyone in their right mind would be scared of that madman. But to actually see her, the over-confident, ill-tempered, fiery, headstrong girl like that…it was absolutely mind-blowing.

As he lay in bed that night, he thought about what she'd said to him.

"Believe it or not, Pretty Boy, I think I'm starting to get you."

He smirked to himself. He was starting to understand her too. If only a little.

**** I've lost my mind. That's the only way to explain this…I don't even know what to call it.

Anyway, next chapter won't be posted till after Episode eight airs! I so excite!

Do whatcha got to do!

BG out! Peace.