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Mako's POV

Korra hadn't left her room since we got back from the Boiling Rock, it's not like she could anyway. What we had seen there…we were never going to be able to unsee it. It had affected Korra more than it did any of us. She had entered the Avatar State in the form of Aang and she had basically spun out of control. It had taken a long talk from me, and a beating from Iroh to finally get her to calm down. I nearly burned the general to shreds when I'd seen the damage.

After that she had passed out and refused to leave her room in the ship. She wouldn't eat; I had to practically beg her to get water in her. When we got back, I took her into her room and she turned away refusing to talk or even look at me.

I was with the kids at the shelter right now, thinking about her. Even they had asked where Korra was and why Asami and I were the only ones giving them self defense lessons. The boy, who still hadn't said what his name was, approached me and gave me a puzzled look. I sighed and sat him on my lap.

"Korra," he said after a while.

I blinked a few times. Did…did he just talk? "What did you say?" I asked, beyond shocked.

"Korra," the boy repeated. "Where's Korra?"

I was left speechless. This kid had been here for weeks and he hadn't said anything. But now he was asking for my ex-teammate. At that moment I knew what I had to do.

"Come on," I said, picking up. "I need to ask permission to take you out for a day or two."

Korra's POV

I was laying on the bed, looking towards the window as I usually did. Except I wasn't really looking at anything. I was just starring off at the distance, in too much pain to even move my head away. I had a few fractured ribs and a large gash on my right leg along with other souvenirs.

I had lost control. I'd allowed my emotions to cloud my mind. I didn't even remember what had happened after I had seen the blood and the decapitated/tortured bodies. They said I had gone into the Avatar State and destroyed part of the island. I didn't have any memory of it.

I smiled bitterly. Control. The thought just occurred to me that I'd never had it. It had all been a figment of my imagination, a wish, a desire that I would never achieve. I was empty inside.

I heard a knock at the door but didn't even bother to see who it was. My parents had tried being with me, caring for me but I had refused anyone's help. It hurt to stand up, to move, to breathe, but I didn't want anyone's help. I'd actually fallen a few times going to the restroom but I would simply clench my jaw and stand back up, ignoring the blood that trickled down my back and leg.

A familiar Firebender came around the bed, blocking my view and I was forced to look at him. His face held concern but what really caught my attention was the boy he was holding in his arms, a blank expression across his face. I must have been an interesting sight: blotches of bruises on my face and arms.

I looked away from them. I didn't want the kid to see me this way. I knew that the kids were probably wondering why I hadn't gone to visit them but…I just couldn't.

"Your mom informed me what they'll be telling the press," Mako started quietly. "About your accident with the moped. How are you feeling?"

"Do I look ok?" I asked before turning my head to see him. "Why did you bring him? I don't want him or any of the other kids to see me like this." To see me at all, I added mentally.

He gave me a small smile. "Maybe he could show you," the Firebender answered, putting the boy down.

I let out a small whimper as I made a move to sit up. Mako placed a hand on my shoulder, silently asking me if he could help me and I gave him a small nod, gritting my teeth in pain as he sat me up in the bed. I took deep breaths, trying to make the pain go away.

The boy looked at me curiously, watching me. "Pretty interesting sight, huh?" He shrugged. I looked over at Mako. "You should take him back."

The little Firebender shook his head and crawled closer to me. I noticed out of the corner of my eye the way my ex-teammate looked at the kid, as if waiting for him to do something.

"I'm not a very nice person," I whispered to the boy. "You should stay away from me. I hurt the people I love. I'm sure Mako can tell you about that." Mako flinched at that. But we both knew it was the truth. My whole family could testify to it. Even Asami.

The boy shook his head and grabbed my hand, placing it over his chest while he put his smaller palm over mine. I felt a knot in my throat when I recognized the gesture.

"Close your eyes," Mako said. I didn't want to but he asked again. When my eyes closed he took my hand and placed it over my heart. "What do you feel?"

"My heart," I answered.

Then he took my hand and placed it over his chest. "Now what do you feel?"

"Your heart," I answered, opening my eyes.

"Now if I'm not a monster, then neither are you. Monsters don't have hearts and our hearts beat the same way."

"Korra," the boy said.

I blinked away the tears. "What did you say?"

"Korra."

"That was the first word he said," Mako admitted. "He missed you, so I thought I'd bring him here."

I shook my head, trying to process. "Can you tell me your name?" I asked.

The boy looked down before answering my question. "Jason."

I nodded. "Jason." He looked up at me. "I missed you too," I admitted. The boy smiled and wrapped his arms around my neck. I took in a deep breath and hissed through my teeth at the pressure added to my wounds but hugged him back nonetheless. I had missed him. I couldn't deny it. The kid just...reminded me of myself. Less damaged but...still.

After a while he pulled back and leaned against the pillows with me. Mako pulled up a chair and he told me about the other kids. The thoughts about what I had seen were still swirling in my mind. But having Jason with me…it made things so much easier. He reminded me in his own way that I wasn't completely empty inside. I had feelings. I felt something. I couldn't help but let a small smile appear at this. I wasn't alone. I never was.

Howl's POV

I couldn't believe it. A kid, a child, had finally gotten Korra out of her room. Her family, friends, even I had tried talking to her but she wouldn't listen, or pretended not to. Then this kid comes along and she starts talking again, being herself, even lets her mom and Katara help her with the pain. We all knew she was in pain. We could hear her whimpers at night. I didnt blame her.

Mako had to take the kid back but because of Katara's insistence, Tenzin agreed to talk to the people at the shelter to let him stay longer until the young Avatar recovered a little more. I went inside her room and found her staring down at her hands.

"Korra," I called softly. She nodded her head, letting me know she'd heard me. "What happened to those people wasn't your fault."

"I never said it was," the Airbender answered, her voice wavering. She didn't have to.

"Korra, it wasn't your fault," I repeated. "There's nothing you could have done to stop Amon."

"I'm not so sure about that."

"Well I'll tell you this much," I began, stepping closer. "You say that going after the guys on the list that my father gave you is the way you honor him?" She nodded. "Well if my dad could have seen you these past few weeks, the way you cared about the people Amon hurt, the way you stepped up to help them. I think he would be pretty damn honored."

I saw the corners of her mouth twitch into a smile.

"So maybe there is more than one way to save the city," I pointed out with a smile of my own.

"Maybe," she said.

My smile widened. I could already see her changing.