Eckhart Tolle said, "Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath."

Korra's POV

I couldn't be there anymore. After I saw him, after I saw my dad after so many years…I just couldn't take it. I had left, feeling the pounding of my heart in my ears. I shut the metal door behind me, wheezing for breath and I pulled out the damn inhaler and gave it a few puffs, leaning against the cold wall. He was alive. He had been alive all this time. Part of me was relieved to have finally found out what happened to him, why he had disappeared. But the other part of me was angry. Very angry. He could have fought harder, he could have tried to escape…

I shook my head, pulling myself together before running up the steps and out of the hidden prison. I immediately went to the hotel and packed my bags. I needed to get out of here. I needed to go home and get away from him. I didn't want to see him. Not now, not yet. I didn't know when I'd be able to though I knew I'd be living under the same roof as him. My mom would forgive him, I already knew that, and I couldn't just throw him out to the street. But I could spend the nights over at Asami, I could avoid him. And that's what I planned to do.

As I took a plane back to the city I looked at my phone, seeing all the missed calls I had from Hotch. I wouldn't doubt the new tech guy had already tracked me down by my phone but I knew he just wanted to see if I was okay. I considered calling him back through the airplane's phones but thought better of it. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to get home. I wanted to see my mom. Tenzin had called the day before, telling me about her breakdown, about how she blamed herself for how I acted. Based on how he talked, I knew he didn't know exactly what she was talking about but he feared it could cause a relapse and I wouldn't let that happen.

A relapse meant she'd have to go back. I couldn't be separated from her. Not again.

I let out a tired sigh as I opened the door to my apartment, Yagoda greeting me. The pup ran over to me, wagging her tail and standing on her hind legs, barely able to reach my waist. I chuckled at that, gently petting her head before my mom came and told me how happy she was I was home. I dismissed the nurse for the night and dropped my bag in my room before sitting down with my mom, Naga's head on my lap.

"You're home earlier than I had expected," mom commented.

I sighed and nodded. "I just…I needed to be back home."

"You left your team in the Northern Tribe?" I nodded again. "Why?"

I took a deep breath. I'd eventually have to tell her. He would be here in a couple of hours and I didn't doubt my team would bring him here. But I just wanted a moment with my mom. I just wanted to be with her.

"Tenzin called," I began, avoiding the question. My mom lowered her gaze, looking down at her hands. "He told me about what happened on Tuesday. That you blame yourself for what happened to me."

"I should have seen it," she began, tears falling freely. "I should have known…I should have taken better care of myself. If I had…you wouldn't wake up screaming at night. You wouldn't be living this nightmare."

I reached out, taking her hand between both of mine, giving it a tight squeeze. "Mom, it isn't your fault," I told her, my voice firm. "None of it is. It's his and his only. You did what you could, I don't blame you. I never have and I never will." I paused, closing my eyes tightly, trying to stop myself from crying. "You're the reason I'm still here, that I'm still sane. You comforting me at night, cooking for me, holding me. That's all I ever needed from you. You're my mom and I love you. You're the best mom I could have asked for."

My mom reached out, pulling me close to her and I did the same, hugging her tightly. I could feel her body shake with sobs and I let a few tears escape as well, kissing the top of her head. We stayed like this for a long time and I leaned against her shoulder, my eyes drooping slightly as she held me. I was extremely exhausted but I needed to make sure she'd be okay. I wouldn't let the guilt eat away at her.

"Are you feeling better?" I finally asked.

I saw her smile and she nodded, kissing my forehead. "Yes, baby."

I couldn't help but smile. Because to my mom I'd always be her baby. I sighed after a moment, looking at my phone as it rang once again. This time it was Asami. I didn't answer and she instead sent me a message, letting me know my dad would be arriving in a couple hours. And that Hotch would be talking to me in the morning. No surprise there. I took a deep breath as I sat up and faced my mom.

"There's another reason why I left the North Pole," I began quietly. "We were sent there to investigate the possibility of hidden prisons and we found them. But…we, uh, found someone in particular."

My mom furrowed her brow. "Who did you find?"

I readied myself. "Mom, we found Dad."

Senna's POV

For a moment it seemed as if time had stopped. Tonraq…he was alive. He had been alive all this time. Korra explained to me that he had been in a secret prison, that she didn't know for how long, she hadn't stayed to find out. As soon as she had seen him she had come home but Asami had let her know the rest of the team was on their way here with him. My daughter placed a hand over mine, giving it a squeeze and I looked up to see her eyes full of concern. I hadn't said a word yet. What could I say really? It had been seventeen years since the last time I'd seen my husband. Seventeen very long years.

I could still remember the day he didn't come home. How worried I had been. My illness had began to get the better of me and at first I thought I was having an episode, maybe lost track of time. But soon enough I realized that it was true. That he wasn't coming home. I could remember seeing him, seeing him laugh at me, tell me that he couldn't be with a person like me. At some point I even thought I saw him with another woman. I had thrown the furniture all around only stopping when I heard Korra's crying. She had looked so terrified.

"Mom?" I looked up at my daughter and nodded, letting her know I had heard her. "I know it's a lot to process. He can stay here if you want."

"When is he arriving?" I asked.

"A few hours."

I nodded my head again before bringing her close to me, leaning against the couch. Naga let out a whine, putting her paw on my thigh. I smiled at the pup and reached over to pet its head as Korra's head rested on my shoulder. It seemed like an eternity when the doorbell rang and Korra stood, taking a deep breath before going to the door. I stayed seated for a moment before standing, seeing my daughter's supervisor and Agent Rossi, an old friend of Tonraq's. After exchanging a few words they moved aside to reveal a familiar figure.

Korra gestured for him to come in and he did, his gaze set on me. I felt my hands turn to fists at my sides as the door closed before my daughter came over to where I was. Here he was. His hair was a lot longer than it had been and he had grown a beard too, something he hated. The only facial hair he had was a goatee and that was long gone. He still stood tall, muscular, full of pride. We didn't say anything and he stepped over to me, carefully, as if not to startle me.

"Senna, I-"

I slapped him. I didn't know how it happened but I did. Tonraq didn't say anything as he simply took the hit. I took deep breaths as tears began to fall. He came closer once again, his arms slowly wrapping around me. I tried to fight him but as much as I didn't want to give in, I had missed him all these years and a part of me was relieved that he hadn't abandoned us. That he hadn't left us.

"Shh," he soothed as I cried onto his shoulder, kissing the top of my head.

I don't know how long we stayed this way but after a moment I pulled back and looked over at Korra who was simply staring at us. She hadn't moved at all since he came in. Tonraq smiled at her and reached out but she took a step back.

"Sweetie," I began.

She shook her head. "I can't," my daughter answered. "I'm sorry. I can't."

With those words she turned around and went to her room, closing the door behind her. I looked up to see Tonraq close his eyes. This wasn't going to be easy.

Korra's POV

After he had arrived and made up with my mom I went straight to my room. He had tried to hug me, to make it all okay but it wasn't. My dad had been missing for seventeen years. Seventeen years that couldn't be forgotten in just a day. Naga whined at the door and I sighed, letting her inside before I sat on the bed again. She hopped up and licked my face, causing me to smile a little before scratching the back of her ears.

I took a deep breath before taking out my travel bag and putting a few clothes and other essentials inside. My dog let out a whine, lowering her head and I patted her. I needed to get out of here. I couldn't deal with this. Not now. Not yet. I came out the room to find my parents in the living room, talking. My mother's gaze went to the bag and she stood up, my dad following.

"I'm going to spend a few days at Asami's house," I told her, trying to ignore the sadness in her eyes. I hated that look.

"Baby, this is your home."

"I can't be here."

My father lowered his gaze and nodded before speaking. "If it makes you feel better I can go to a hotel-"

"No! No! We are going to stay together," my mom told him before looking back at me. "Please... I know why you want to go but please..."

"I'm sorry Mom," I apologized. "I just...I can't. I need time." I paused. "I'll visit every day but please understand."

"This is your home, you don't have to go," my dad said.

"Just take care of Mom," I replied before I walked out the door.

Mako's POV

I huffed as I got out of the vehicle, having told the team to meet me at the scene. Korra looked over at me before lowering her gaze. She knew I was going to have to have a word with her about her leaving the North Pole so abruptly. I mean, she hadn't taken the private jet or else I would have been really ticked but still. We'd been on a case, she was obligated to stay. I understood that it was her father, and I actually thought she would have reacted differently but then again it was Korra. She had gone through a lot and if her father had been in the picture…

"What do we have?" I asked the team as I approached.

"Dead bank manager. Three employees witnessed the robbery and the shooting," Lin began as we walked inside.

"It's the fourth robbery in two weeks," Zuko commented.

I nodded my head, looking at the body of the manager. They hadn't shot anyone else at the other sites. So why was this guy so special?

"Witnesses say he didn't resist or try to pull the alarm," Korra added.

"So why shoot him?"

"Maybe he was in on it and the trio decided they didn't want to share the money," Bei Fong suggested.

I hummed in response, noticing the surveillance cameras. I pulled out my phone and called Asami and then Iroh, telling them to gather the footage from all five robberies and see if they would get anything.

"Meet me at headquarters," I told Bei Fong and Rossi. "Agent Morgan, a word." She sighed but nodded her head as I took her aside. "Leaving the North Pole was the most unprofessional thing you've done while on this team."

"I know," she answered. "I'm sorry. I just…I couldn't be there. I know I shouldn't let my personal life get in the way but…that was way too personal. It won't happen again."

"I understand that finding your father was a shock," I began. "But I don't want you to ever run off like that you will be dismissed from this team. Is that understood?"

"Yes."

I shook my head. "With that being said, you can always come to me if you need anything. It's a lot to process."

"Thank you, Hotch." She sounded sincere as she turned to go back toward the scene, walking over to one of the uniforms.

I smiled. That had been the first conversation between us that hadn't ended in a fight. Progress.

Asami's POV

I wasn't surprised at all when Korra knocked on my door an hour after the team had arrived. I sighed and let her inside, throwing an arm around her and giving her a reassuring smile. I knew it was going to be a hard adjustment for the brunette, having gone years thinking her father had abandoned her only to find out he had been imprisoned. I was surprised she had even let him stay in her apartment, but I suspected that she had only done it for her mother, who had been more understanding than Korra.

Due to her nightmares, I'd asked Mako to help move the guest bed into my room.

Shortly after they had taken Tonraq home he'd come by, telling me to expect Korra. I asked her if she wanted to talk about it but she shook her head, laying down on the bed and within moments was fast asleep. I sighed as I covered her up, turning off the lights before stepping out to make a call. A male voice answered and I could only guess that was Korra's father and I could hear Senna crying in the background. I sighed.

Dammit Korra.

"Ms. Senna?" I started when she answered. "I just thought I'd let you know Korra is going to be staying with me for a couple days."

"Is she okay?" Korra's mom asked. "Is my baby okay?"

I felt a lump in my throat at how desperate she shounded. "She's fine," I assured. "She's asleep."

"Asami," she sobbed. "I want her to come home."

I released a heavy sigh. "I know. But right now she needs her space. She'll come around, just give her time, and don't worry. I'll take good care of your daughter."

"Thank you."

After exchanging a few more words and filling in her husband on her medical needs I hung up and went to sleep as well. The next morning I woke up to see that Korra wasn't in bed and I sighed. Probably had gotten up to do her workout. I stood and got ready, made breakfast just as she came out of the shower. She sat down and ate in silence. Well not really ate, more like played with her food before we left to work.

The day dragged by and I got a call from Senna during lunch time to pick up the food she had made for us. I couldn't help but notice the small smile that appeared when Korra saw me walk in with the too familiar lunch bag. I handed over her portion and she surprisingly ate it all and finally talked a little about how it was to be up in the Northern Tribe. Iroh walked over to us and I looked up, trying to hide my smirk as he fidgeted. He so wasn't as smooth as he thought.

"Um, hi, Asami."

"Hello, Iroh."

He rubbed the back of his neck, fumbling with his words. The new guy had been staring at me all day but it wasn't until now that he had built up the courage to come and talk to me. It was cute, actually.

"Just wanted to tell you that you're good," he finally said. "At hacking, I mean. Of course you, uh, got what I meant.

"Thanks. You're pretty good yourself."

"You're better."

"I am," I agreed. It wasn't my ego talking. It was pure fact.

He grinned, shaking his head. "I'll see you around, Asami."

I smiled at him and watched until he disappeared down the hallway. I sighed before turning around to see Korra with her arms crossed and brow raised. I frowned.

"What?"

"You got it bad," she said with a laugh.

"He's..."

"Goofy? Nerdy? Hot?"

I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Yeah, something like that."

She grinned, taking a bite of her apple before saying, "Iroh and Asami, sitting in a tree…"

My eyes narrowed. "Korra, I swear I will kick your ass."

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"Korra!" I snapped, but she didn't stop and I scowled before pushing her shoulder, causing her to fall down with the chair.

That didn't faze her the least bit as she continued laughing, trying to finish the song. I growled and considered actually giving her a good punch when Mako walked in, brow raised. As soon as she saw him, Korra immediately stood, picking up the chair and sitting down again.

"Having fun?" he asked.

She grinned. "You have no idea."

I punched her shoulder but she simply laughed as I tried to control the smile that threatened to appear. At least she was having some fun. But I would strangle her if she ever did that again.

Korra's POV

I couldn't help but sigh in relief. I knew I would be in big trouble after that little stunt I'd pulled. I could've been suspended for that, or worse, fired. But he had told me he understood why I did it, which was why there wouldn't be consequences this time. I was never to do it again. Never. Didn't really need to be told that because I knew that if I ever ran off like that my career in the F.B.I. would be over.

However, I was surprised when I walked into headquarters to find a familiar face. I stopped in my tracks as his blue eyes bore into mine. I shook my head after a moment, continuing my way to the office when he stepped in my way. I took a deep breath. I hadn't seen him in years. What was he doing here?

"Agents, this is Howl Cruz, he's the Chief Detective in the South Pole," Mako introduced.

"It's good to see you again, Korra," he said with a grin. He moved in for a hug and I stepped back.

"Whoa. Easy there, big guy."

"You two know each other?" our team leader asked.

I nodded, not missing the look of hurt and disappointment on the Detective's face. "He was my partner when I was a detective."

"I understand you had similar robberies in the South Pole," Rossi questioned, taking the attention from the both of us. I knew there was a reason I liked the old guy.

I smirked and shook my head. "Dropping the ball already, Howl?"

"Things haven't been the same without you, Korra."

"Back to the case, Detective," Hotch droned.

Howl cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, we had similar robberies about a month ago. They robbed three banks and then vanished," he explained. "When I heard about the robberies here, I phoned your Director and she invited me onto the case."

"Hotch, the getaway van's been located," Iroh said as he walked over to us. "Here's the address, maybe you want to send someone to watch it in case they come back."

"I can do that," Howl volunteered.

Mako nodded. "The detective and I will sit on the van. Agent Morgan, I need you to go with Asami and talk to the witnesses before joining Detective Cruz," he ordered. "Rossi and Bei Fong, I want you to visit the banks that were robbed and see if you can get any new information. Iroh, start checking bank accounts for any abnormalities."

I looked over at Howl and he winked at me. I sighed. I could only pray to the Spirits, Asami wouldn't find out about us or I'd never hear the end of it.

Asami's POV

Korra was acting…off to say the least. A detective from the South Pole had requested to be added to the case since there had been similar robberies there and my best friend had admitted to knowing him but wouldn't tell me anything else. I knew she was hiding something but I hadn't figured it out. He was handsome, older, black hair, blue eyes and muscular. If I didn't have my eyes on someone already, I think I would have considered it.

Interviewing the witnesses had proven to be a waste of time as they all were still in shock from what happened. They all said the victim was a nice man, non-confrontational. I had done some research and found he was behind on his credit card bills and mortgage which could support the 'he was in on it' theory, but it still left the question as to why they killed him. They could have done it later or maybe they wanted it to look like a casualty, collateral damage.

We were driving towards Hotch and the detective's location and I couldn't help but notice how quiet Korra had been the entire ride. Something was definitely up. I leaned back against my seat, staring at her and after a moment she acknowledged me by turning her head to meet my critical gaze.

"What?"

"Something's up. Spit it out."

"Nothing's wrong," she answered, a little too quickly.

"You've been acting off since that Cruz guy arrived." She said nothing to that and my eyes widened as realization hit me. "Of course! You dated him! He was the one you went out with!"

Korra parked the car, looking at me. "Can you please drop it?"

I gave her a smug smile. No way that was going to happen. "So who dumped who?"

She looked exasperated, muttering very colorful curses under her breath before sighing in resignation. "I did."

"When and where?"

"Two years ago," Korra replied. "At the corner of none of your business and stop asking questions."

I laughed, causing her to growl. She picked up a pair of binoculars as I called Hotch, telling him we were back and giving him our findings. Suddenly Korra unclipped her seatbelt and got out of the car and I went in after her. She pulled out her gun as she approached the vehicle.

"F.B.I!" she called before opening the door, a body slumping out.

The new detective and Mako were next to us in seconds, looking at the masked body with a bullet hole in his chest. I reached out and took his pulse before shaking my head. He was dead.

Korra's POV

After I found the body, Hotch decided that we should talk to the bank manager's wife to see if he was in on it. That quickly turned into a dead end when Asami couldn't see any abnormalities in either of their bank accounts. There were also no suspicious phone calls though it turned out that our dead guy and the manager had played hockey together when they were in college. After we finished our reports we called it a day and I decided to go visit my mom. I told Asami this and she said she'd wait for me but was going to get something to eat around the corner. I rolled my eyes. She was going to meet up with Iroh. That's what she was going to do.

I walked inside to find my mom alone, Naga's head resting on her lap. Her eyes lit up when she saw me before quickly coming over to the door, hugging me tightly and kissing my forehead as she led me over to the couch. The not so little fur ball hopped on my lap as well, licking my face and I couldn't help but laugh. Looks like she had missed me too.

"How are you doing, Momma?" I asked.

"I'm doing good and you?"

"I'm okay. Working on a case."

She nodded her head before placing a hand over mine. "Baby, when are you going to come home? I miss you. I want you here."

I sighed. I hated this. I hated that I couldn't force myself to stay here, with my mother, with my...father. "I need time, Mom," I told her once again. "He was gone for a long time. I can't forgive him as easily as you did."

"He's your father," my mother persisted, turning her body so she was fully facing me, her eyes pleading for me to relent, to give it a chance. "He wants to have a relationship with you."

"I'm not ready for that. I'm really sorry but…it's a lot for me to take in."

"Will you try?" my mom begged. "For me? Please?"

I hated that she felt like she had to beg. She wanted us to be a family again and I understood that. But my dad had been gone for seventeen years. And most of those years had been hell for me. I couldn't just forget that. But that look in Mom's eyes...that desperation...It was breaking my heart.

"Listen, Ma, it's getting late," I said after a moment, wanting to slap myself. "I'll come by tomorrow, okay?"

My mother was silently crying but she nodded, kissing my cheek again. I hugged her tightly before texting Asami that I was going to wait for her in the car. It took twenty minutes for her to answer. I rolled my eyes. Definitely with Iroh.

The next day we got up like usual and I arrived to see Howl in the conference room, the rest of the team with him. I raised a brow, standing by the door as I listened. I sighed irritably when I realized he was talking about me. He just had to tell everyone stories about our adventures in the South Pole.

"There was this one time when she just tackled this guy to the ground," he began. "Dude didn't even see it coming! Korra's just…"

"Howl, enough with the stories," I interrupted as I walked into the room.

"Don't you want your teammates to know about you?"

My jaw clenched. I was not liking where this was heading. "Do I need to talk to you in private?

He leaned against his chair, giving me a smug smile. "Maybe."

I narrowed my eyes and gestured for him to come outside. He quickly did and I crossed my arms, glaring at him. I had left the South Pole for a reason, and we had broken up for a reason. Clearly he wasn't over that.

"What the hell was that?" I practically growled when we were finally out of earshot.

"Just telling your teammates how amazing you are," he answered with a shrug.

"Howl, we were together, it didn't work. It was mutual."

"No it wasn't. You broke up with me." I groaned and he took out his wallet, pulling out a picture. I recognized it immediately. It was the only picture we took together while we were dating. "I know I screwed up but if you'd just give me a chance, I-"

"Howl," I said trying to get his attention. "That was three years ago. I've moved on."

"I haven't."

"Sounds like a personal problem." He reached out to grab my arm and I stepped back. "Don't. Touch. Me."

"Dammit, Korra," he finally snapped. "Why do you do this? Why do you push people away?"

"I have issues, Howl," I replied. "Lots of issues. We didn't work out, move on. And stop trying to tell my teammates we were seeing each other."

"Why? You like one of them?"

"I don't like discussing my personal life."

He tried reaching out for me again and I slapped his hand away. I knew he didn't have any bad intentions but I didn't like being touched. I remember that when we'd dated the only thing I'd be able to do was hold his hand and that was a difficult task on its own.

"Everything okay?" Mako asked coming outside.

Howl gave him an irritated look. "It's a personal matter, Agent Hotchner."

Hotch didn't lift his gaze from me. "Korra?"

I nodded. "I'm fine, Hotch. It's nothing, we were done here."

"Good, then you can join us. We have new information."

I sighed and followed him inside. As if my life wasn't complicated enough as it was.

Asami's POV

It didn't take a genius to see Korra was more than a little irritated with Howl. He was practically telling everyone they used to be an item and I knew how much the brunette hated discussing her personal life. He didn't take his eyes off her as Hotch debriefed us on who the guy we found was and that we would have to go talk to his brother since his parents were on a cruise of some sort. Mako asked Korra and I to go and I could tell she was relieved. However, I couldn't help but notice how he wouldn't let Howl anywhere near Korra, would even send him looks when he noticed the detective staring at her. Could it be that…he actually did like her?

We went inside the Pre-School class and, who I could only assume was the teacher, stood, asking who we were. Korra and I showed her our badges and asked to speak to the brother of our dead guy, David Polk. One of the men's heads turned towards us. He put down his little girl and walked over to us.

"Can I help you?"

"We need to speak to you about your brother, John," I informed him.

He sighed and shook his head. "What did he do this time?"

"Your brother is a suspect in a robbery that occurred earlier today," Korra began. "We found his body inside the getaway vehicle."

"His body?" David asked. "You mean…"

We nodded our heads. "Do you know this man?" I asked as I showed him a picture of the bank manager.

"Yes, I helped coached the team. I couldn't play because my Achilles tendon snapped. Was he involved too?"

"He's dead. He was killed in the robbery."

David flinched at that. "Did my brother do that?"

"We're still investigating," Korra replied. "Do you know if your brother still talked to his buddies from prison?"

"Just one, Ricky Dunn," David answered. He looked back to where his daughter was before looking back at us. "I'm sorry. My daughter needs me. I'll try to contact my parents."

We nodded our heads once more before leaving and I called Hodge, telling him what we found. He informed us that he had new information and were needed back at the station. Well this was going to be fun.

Howl's POV

It had been a long time since I'd last seen Korra. She was still as beautiful as ever, but that wasn't all. She was still distant, protective, and, to a certain extent, angry. Ever since we were partners I could see that behind all her tough bravado, there was something that wasn't quite right. She couldn't have always been this way, I refused to believe it. We had been happy when we had started dating and then I blew it. I knew that body contact was an issue for her, always had been. Not just with me but with anyone. I had wanted to take things to the next level and she wasn't ready, ended it on the spot.

Now that I got the chance to see her again, I wanted a second chance. I knew I was a lot older than her and at first I thought it would be a good thing. I had done some military time, had a house, had everything going for me. She'd have a stable life with me, but apparently that wasn't something she wanted or was ready for.

After Hotch and I found Ricky Dunn, who happened to have a solid alibi, we were back at square one which is why he called back the rest of the team to get the two tech experts to work on the surveillance video while we tried to figure out why someone was killed. I couldn't keep my eyes off Korra the entire time and I could tell it made her uncomfortable but I couldn't help it. I still liked her.

"We found something," Iroh informed us as he put the video onscreen.

I frowned. "I don't see anything?"

"Look at the robber's leg," Asami pointed out.

I hummed. "A limp."

Korra titled her head to the side. "Didn't David Polk say he pulled his Achilles tendon? That would cause a limp."

"And it would explain why he shot the bank manager," I added. "The guy recognized him."

"Well the question remains, who's his accomplice?" Rossi asked.

The door opened and in charged the younger Bei Fong. "Another body turned up, same mask, same uniform."

"And John Polk was actually painting a house when the robbery occurred," Asami added. "So he was set up."

"Let's assume this new body is the driver," Mako began. "David Polk is our shooter, we are still missing one more."

"The friend," Korra said suddenly, her eyes lighting up in the way they always did when the final piece of a puzzle fell into place. "David Polk was with a friend at the daycare. The name on the tag was…Carl Parker."

"Bei Fong and Cruz, you two search David Polk's home," the team leader began. "Asami, you and I will go to Parker's home. Rossi, you and Korra go to the daycare and see if they're still there."

We all nodded and strapped on our vests before heading out. This case was moving along fast.

Korra's POV

Rossi and I arrived at the daycare to find both suspects had left twenty minutes ago. I made an irritated sound as I called Mako only to find out he had reached a dead end as well. We were about to head back to headquarters when we spotted a bunch of police cars hauling ass. Rossi called his grandson to find out what was going on when he informed us that there was a robbery in progress. That had to be our guys. We quickly ran over to our car before informing the rest of the team of the situation.

We got there in record time, and were greeted by the sight of a tense situation.

"Any hostages?" Rossi asked as we approached the lead detective.

I growled when I realized it was Saikhan. The idiot nodded at me before turning to Zuko. "They shot a hostage, have a half a dozen more and they are demanding a helicopter or they'll shoot another one," Saikhan informed us.

The rest of the team arrived and I filled them in before Howl looked inside. "That hostage is going to bleed out."

"The snipers are going to take them both out."

"The hostage is too close," I said. Was he really that stupid? "You'll risk her life."

"This is going to end now."

Howl set his gun down, putting his hands up and walking towards the bank. I called after him but he wouldn't turn. Was it Idiot's Day or something? What the hell did he think he was doing? I looked over to the sniper and asked him to move as I positioned myself.

I could see through the scope that he was trying to reason with the robbers though I couldn't hear what he was saying. The one with the hostage was David, judging by his height, so the other had to be Carl. He seemed to get through to David and he handed over his gun. I sighed before noticing as the partner raised his gun. I immediately aimed at his leg and pulled the trigger. He fell to the floor and my team moved in as well as the paramedics, retrieving the hostage.

The sniper raised a brow at me and I shrugged before climbing off the truck to meet that idiot. I glared at him and he simply smiled at me.

"Guess you still have my back, like old times," he commented.

"That was an incredibly stupid thing to do," I growled. "You're lucky I'm a good shot or Carl Parker would be on his way to the morgue."

"I don't know how you do things in the South Pole," Mako began. "But that is not how we handle things with my team. The case is over, you will be taking the first flight back home."

"Yes sir." I turned away but Howl gently took my arm. I looked at him and he slowly let go. "Korra…"

"Howl, I'm sorry things didn't work out," I said quietly. "It's partially my fault. I do have a lot of issues. You're a good guy, you'll find someone."

"I'm sorry I blew it," he answered sincerely.

"I know."

"So I really don't get a second chance?"

He sounded so hopeful, and I hated turning him down. He really was a good guy. I shook my head. "I'm sorry Howl. But we can be friends. Like old times."

His lips twitched at that and he nodded, reaching out to shake my hand. I let him. "Like old times."

"There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in times of misery." Dante Alighieri