Thank my awesom Co-author BG-13!

Korra's POV

Mako took me to his apartment again. I could see him shivering from the cold while my body remained still. The rain had become second nature me, it wasn't that I was always warm, but that I was always cold. He led me inside and placed a towel over my shoulders. I never met his gaze and he lifted my chin up so I could see him.

"Hey, aren't you cold?" he asked. I shook my head. "Well, I'm freezing. I'll get you some clothes, ok?"

"You should change first," I suggested. "I don't want you to get sick because of me."

I could see the hesitation but I assured him I was fine. He came out shortly and handed me a t-shirt and shorts. I changed and hung my wet clothes in the bathroom next to his. He knocked on the door and I told him he could come in.

"Korra," he began. "I want to apologize again for Bei Fong's behavior today, during the match and her lie detector test the other day."

"The Chief of police can do whatever she wants," I replied with a shrug. Bei Fong didnt concern me. Her words, however...I couldn't quite shake them.

"It's my fault really," the Firebender began lowly. I gave him a confused look. "After Bolin went missing, I-I sort of went missing with him. Bei Fong is just trying to bring his murderer to justice and she's focusing on you."

I lowered my gaze. Every day I wake up I think about what happened to Bolin, of what I could have done to save him. But I have to admit, it rarely passed through my head how Mako might have felt, what he had gone through in my absence.

"Why don't you hate me," I whispered after a while, meeting his amber gaze. "You should."

"I did," he answered. "For a long time, I did. But after these past few days I realized that I was so focused about what happened to Bolin that I didn't even stop and wonder what could have happened to you." I lowered my gaze at that. I didn't blame him. "I didn't know about the torture or your scars. What happened to you on that prison was far more than you deserved. And I was wrong that I didn't ask you before, but I'm asking you now. I need to know, I need…to see."

I looked at him straight into the eye before speaking. "Are you sure?" I asked. It almost surprised me how willing I was to allow him to see the things I hid from everyone else. But...I did. Plus, I figured I owed him something. And I hated owing people.

He nodded. "Yes."

I raised the shirt I was wearing and pulled it over my head. I could see the horror reflected on his face as he took in all the large jagged scars. He took my left arm and pulled off the glove. I flinched at that. If there was a scar that bothered me, it was that one. I hated seeing the bumpy burned flesh on it. His hand hovered over the other pink lines on my abdomen and he turned me around where I had more burned skin.

"How did you survive this?" he asked after a while, his voice reluctantly in awe.

"There were times when I wanted to die," I admitted, looking at his warm amber gaze. "In the end…there was something I wanted more." But of course, I had a mission, a promise to keep.

For a moment Mako didn't do anything, just simply stared at me. But after a while he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to his chest. I allowed this, burying my face into his shoulder. We stayed like this for a long time, him just holding me. I could feel myself relax in his arms, feeling his warmth creeping over me. After a while he pulled away and placed the shirt over my head before laying down next to me.

"Go to sleep," he said. "I'll be right here."

I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to come. Surprisingly it came very quickly this night.

Mako's POV

I went back into the living room to find a familiar elder on my couch. I went back to the room and shut the door quietly so that Korra wouldn't wake up before heading to the figure that had clearly made themselves at home. I sat on the opposite couch before speaking.

"Ever heard of knocking?" I asked a bit sourly.

He smiled at that. "I didn't think I needed to," he replied with a shrug.

My eyes narrowed. "It's my house," I reminded him. He nodded and opened his mouth to speak but I cut him off. "What do you want?"

"I heard about your dismissal from Bei Fong's Police force," the elder stated. "Thought you might be looking for a job."

"I worked for you before. It was good experience, prepared me for the police job I had, but I'm not interested."

"I'll pay you double the salary," he insisted.

I raised a brow at this. That was a lot of money. I couldn't help but wonder why he was offering me such a large sum. "What is the mission exactly?"

"Just to escort, nothing too drastic," the man said with another shrug. "But it's important that they get to their destination."

I nodded thoughtfully. I was going to need the money since I wasn't working for Lin. I didn't know if my dismissal was permanent. "I accept," I said after a while.

He smiled and stood shaking my hand. "I will give you the full details soon," he said before leaving. "It gives me great pleasure to know the Order can count on you once again."

"I wish I could say the same," I replied. "This is only temporarily."

The elder chuckled shaking his head. "But the reasons are still the same," he replied opening the door. "It was good seeing you, Mako."

I nodded my head once.