Disclaimer: All characters belong to nickelodeon/Bryke.

Like You're Never Coming Back

It's been four months since it happened. It's been four months of fighting and hiding, but mostly it's been four months of trying to forget what he lost. What they all lost. Mako tries not to think about it.

Sometimes, though, there's too much to forget and he finds himself weighed down by memories of darkness and fire and falling. Mostly he remembers at night, when Bolin is asleep, and there's a quietness that feels distinctly out of place hanging over the city.

It's been four months since the air temple burned.

He and Bolin helped Pema hide Ikki, Meelo and the baby; Tenzin and Jinora were declared missing, presumed dead. Three times a week they visit the family in their underground hideout to bring them news and food. The children are always happy to see them, and it tears Mako apart from the inside out when they ask where Tenzin, Jinora and Korra are. No one has the heart to tell them that they aren't coming back, and Pema refuses to believe that they're dead anyways.

"There were no bodies," she repeats every time, "They're out there somewhere, waiting for the right moment to come back."

Mako sighs and looks away. He wished that he could make himself believe that. But Pema hadn't been there. She hadn't seen the rage in Korra's face as the temple was engulfed in fire, hadn't been there as she destroyed half the city in search of Jinora, when the Equalists had stolen her away. Pema hadn't seen them go over the edge, falling into darkness, for what seemed like forever. She hadn't heard the sickening crunch of bodies finally hitting the ground.

That's what invades his nightmares; he reaches out, screaming for Korra, ready to jump after her, but Bolin grabs him around the middle and drags him away as the Equalists converge on them.

He beats his fists on the wall, burning through the wood as Bolin watches him from the corner. The perfect calmness, coolness that he's always shown under pressure slips away as his heart is torn from him. The wall is back soon, though, and his face is a stone mask. He won't let anyone see him cry.

He wakes up in a cold sweat every night, and sits on the couch, listening to the sound of Bolin's breath, the steady rhythm of it bringing him back to the present.

It's been four months since Korra died.

The days are long and full of fear. Patrolling the streets at all times, the Equalist foot soldiers have instilled in the people a reluctant subservience. All the benders seem to have melted away entirely. Occasionally, Mako sees one game enough to try taking on the Equalists, but they are few and far between; everyone knows what happens to benders when the Equalists get their hands on them.

When he has to go out, he wears a hood, and his scarf is wrapped around the lower half of his face. He only talks to people when he has to, and he steers well clear of the Equalist patrols. Usually, he limits his outings to getting food for Pema and her children, and the occasional visit to the slum that Toza has been hiding in. He takes good care of everyone, like he always has.

The path from the market to Pema's hiding place is painful. Chained down to a stake in the middle of the square, is Naga. She is the Equalists' trophy, their proof of victory. They don't have Korra's body to splay out before the crowds of Republic City, so they put Naga there instead, to prove that the Avatar really is dead. Everyone knows that Korra would never let them keep her there. Mako tries to ignore her whines and snarls as he passes by, but he glances at her for a split second, and Naga recognizes him. He moves quickly away, wishing that there was something he could do. He knows there isn't.

Tucking the parcels of food away inside his coat, he goes quickly to Pema's hide away. She's sitting in a chair, with Ikki in her lap, braiding her daughter's hair down her back.

"Thank you, Mako," she says, looking at him with tired eyes, "I really don't know what we'd do without you."

Mako takes a deep breath.

"Pema," he says, "Bolin and I have to get out of the city. It's too dangerous."

She doesn't say anything.

"We're going to Ba Sing Se, and soon."

"And what about us?" Pema asks, her voice a little shaky.

"You can come with us, if you want. It'll be harder for Amon to get to you in the Earth Kingdom."

Pema glances at the room that she and two of her children have lived in for the last four months.

"And what if they come back? What if my husband and my baby come back to me?"

"They're dead, Pema," he says, as gently as he can, but he knows it's no use.

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do," he sighs, "And even if they weren't, they could find you in the Earth Kingdom."

He looks around the cramped room, and his eyes fall on Meelo, curled up on the bed, snoring loudly. He's wrapped in Korra's fur coat. Mako's throat closes up and he has to get out of there.

"Look," he chokes, "We're leaving tomorrow night. If you want to come, meet us by the pier tomorrow at eleven."

He turns and leaves, and prays that they decide to come.

Of course, he wishes that they didn't have to leave at all, but things in the city are really bad, and his first priority is making sure that he never lets his brother get hurt again. There's nothing left for them here anymore.

It's been four months since there's been something worth staying for.

Bolin gets home a while after Mako does, and he's brought Asami with him. Taking a deep breath, Mako keeps his demeanor calm. Sometimes, Bolin didn't seem to understand just how dangerous having that girl around could be.

"She's coming with us," Bolin tells Mako, a look of defiance and determination on his face.

"Fine," Mako says, because he's never really been able to say no to Bolin, and now that Asami knows they're leaving, she'll have to come to anyways.

A big smile spreads across Bolin's face, and Mako turns away as Asami grabs Bolin by the collar and kisses him. A feeling of sadness and maybe a little jealousy comes over him. Mako never even got the chance to kiss Korra.

That night's sleep is a fitful one. For hours, Mako tosses and turns, twisting in the sheets, unable to get comfortable. When he does finally sleep, his dreams are plagued by Korra's silhouette, twisting and bending around him. Her laugh echoes in the darkness.

Morning comes and Mako is exhausted. The day is spent packing what little possessions that he and his brother have. By nightfall, they are ready to go and only have to wait for the right moment. Asami paces around the room, and Mako watches Bolin watching her. A little before eleven, they leave, hoods up, blending into the shadows.

They're early. Waiting at the end of the pier, Mako stairs out at Air Temple Island.

It's been four months since he's been there.

The foundations had smoldered for weeks, and the smoke had blackened the sky each day. There is nothing out there now, only darkness. Though it's night, Mako can make out the cliff that Korra had taken them diving off of.

It had been a serene summer day, and Tenzin had cancelled her training. Eagerly, Korra had dragged Mako and Bolin up the hill, and leapt off the edge as they looked on, slack jawed. When she climbed back to the top, she had insisted that they try it too. At first, Mako had refused, and watched nervously as Bolin jumped.

"Your turn!" Korra told him, pushing him towards the edge of the cliff.

"No way," he had said, eyeing the steep drop and some of the rocks down below.

"Are you scared, Mako?" she teased, poking him in the chest.

"No!"

"Then come on!"

She grabbed his arm and started running, dragging him with her. Seeing no point in resisting any longer, Mako ran with her, and they leapt off the cliff, holding on to each other. They whooped and shouted on the way down, clutching at each other as they hit the water. When he bobbed back up, Korra was treading water, waiting for him. She burst into laughter at the sight of Mako with his hair plastered to his face, spluttering loudly to catch his breath.

The night is still, and after a few minutes, Mako sees Pema and her children appear at the other end of the pier. He straightens up, and is about to pick up his bag when all of a sudden, everything goes to hell.

They appear out of nowhere. Within moments, the pier is swarming with Equalists, subduing Pema and her children. Asami is the first to react. She sprints towards the conflict, with Bolin following close behind her. Hesitating slightly, Mako enters as well.

It's a hard fight, and Mako is proud of how he and his friends fight, but there are just too many of them to hold off, and eventually, they are all captured. Blindfolds are put over their eyes and their wrists are secured with behind their backs. He can't see anything, but he can hear Ikki crying as they are all marched away.

They're somewhere by the water, he can tell, and there is an uneasy air about the Equalists. They may have won the fight, but they seem jumpy. The ground beneath him changes, and Mako thinks that they might be walking across a gangplank. He's right; the motion of the boat makes him feel a little sick, but he adjusts quickly. As he feels the engines of the boat start, Mako is forced below deck and thrust into a cell where the Equalists take off his bindings and blindfold. Blinking rapidly, he tries to take in his new surroundings. Everyone that he was captured with is still there, and just like him, they are adjusting to the light. Then he sees them. Huddled in a corner is Tenzin, with Jinora curled up next to him, head resting in his lap. Both of them are asleep.

Pema screams, and Tenzin wakes up, looking around in confusion. His eyes are beyond tired, but when he sees Pema and his children, they fill with a certain fire that Mako knows as the most dangerous kind. Tenzin is weak, but he gets up and scoops his wife and children into his arms, crying a little. Pema is crying and clutching at Jinora, smoothing the girl's dirty hair.

Mako watches in silence with Bolin and Asami as the family reunites.

"Where's Korra?" Bolin asks, when they are all done hugging.

Tenzin's face darkens, and Mako's heart drops to the pit of his stomach.

"She isn't well," Tenzin says quietly, "She was hurt very badly in that fall, and they have not treated her kindly."

"Is she here?" Mako looks imploringly at Tenzin.

Before he can answer, however, the cell door opens and Amon walks in, flanked by two Equalist foot soldiers.

"Your friend the Avatar hasn't been very cooperative," he says, addressing Mako.

Shivers run down his spine with each low, smooth word, "She stands by and lets her friends get tortured, rather than giving me what I want."

"And what's that?" Mako asks in spite of himself; he doesn't really want to know.

"I simply need her to go into the avatar state," Amon says, "And then I can kill her, but her friends will stop suffering. But, she won't do it."

He sighs dramatically. "Maybe my threats haven't been great enough. I've been too kind to the air benders," he muses, and without warning, he pulls Mako by the collar and snatches Meelo away from Pema.

They are marched into the hall and forced to their knees, hands behind their heads. It's an execution. A fierce banging comes from within a cell next to where Mako is knelt, and Mako hears screams.

It's been four months since he's heard Korra's voice somewhere other than his dreams.

She is screaming and shouting and most of it's nonsense and Mako can't tell what she's saying but for one, brief moment, he is overjoyed. Korra is alive.

The joy dissipates quickly.

Amon and his soldiers stand before Mako, poised to strike with a death blow.

"Any last words?" Amon asks him.

Mako wishes that he could say something witty or clever, but he can't. Instead, he stares defiantly into Amon's cold eyes. He will meet death head on and will not blink. It will be a small victory.

But death doesn't come. Instead, there is a massive explosion of noise, and there is smoke everywhere. The wall of the cell has busted open completely, and Korra is standing, raised tall, eyes glowing with the spirit of the Avatar. It's all sort of a blur from then on. Korra smashes open the door to the other cell, and beats back the Equalists as they charge at her. A hole is punctured in the side of the boat and water spills in. Mako looks up at Korra, who is hovering above the floor, commanding the elements around her.

"We have to go!" shouts Bolin over the noise.

Mako nods, and scoops up Meelo, half running, half swimming through the rising water in the hallway. They burst onto the deck, which is swarming with Equalists. He can feel his bending coming back, and he clears the way with jets of flame sweeping across the deck. At the edge of the boat, they stop.

"We have to get off," Pema cries, gesturing at the sinking boat beneath their feet.

Everyone agrees, and they jump off into the water below.

It's a cold shock, and as he hits the water, Mako remembers flying off the cliff with Korra all that time ago. The boat is sinking fast, and Korra is trapped inside. She can probably bust her way out, Mako tells himself, but then he stops. He won't lose her. Not again.

Taking a deep breath, he dives underwater, and swims through the enormous hole in the side of the boat. Korra is still in the Avatar state, fighting the last of the Equalists, who have underwater breathing equipment. She doesn't have that luxury. He's not a great swimmer, but he moves as quickly as he can to her, and tries to pull her out. His body starts to burn with a lack of air, but he keeps on pulling Korra out of the submerged boat. He's seconds away from losing all his air when they break the surface, and he gulps in air.

"Korra!" he coughs, holding her close to him, hands on the sides of her head, "Korra come on!"

The blinding glow in her eyes starts to fade as she reenters the world, coughing and spluttering.

"Korra!" he chokes out a sob, and crushes her in a hug, treading water for the both of them.

It's been four months since he's touched her.

She smiles, albeit a little weakly.

"Hey, Mr. Hat Trick," she says, and Mako can't bring himself to detest the use of her stupid nick name for him

He doesn't say anything after that, because it's been four months and all he wants to do is hold on to her and never let go.

a/n: I'm so excited for Korra it's ridiculous!