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Chapter Text

175 AG

Lin let her legs dangle off the edge of the upper deck as she watched the sun set over the water. The small yacht Asami had let them catch a ride on was making good time to the South Pole. Lin and Kya had decided the first stop on their vacation would be to see Katara. Although Kya had been going back and forth between Republic City and the Southern Water Tribe for years, the last time Lin had seen Katara was when Amon had taken her bending. She and Kya had spoken briefly while she was there, but Lin had been too caught up in her own grief and the conversation hadn’t gone well. It would be good to mak some happy memories there.

From there they would enter the spirit portal. Kya wanted to explore the spirit world, so Lin conceded to spend some time there. They would exit through the spirit portal in the North Pole. Then they would visit Izumi and Zuko in the Fire Nation before working their way across the Earth Kingdom back to Republic City. They had one stop scheduled in Zaofu but other than that they would go where the wind took them.

It was starting to get cold on the top of the boat, but Lin was enjoying the view. She had a RCPD sweatshirt on but hadn’t thought to bring a heavier jacket. From behind her, she heard the creaking of the roof hatch opening. There was some grumbling, but then Kya pulled herself onto the deck. She was wearing a thick water tribe coat.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” she exclaimed. “Trust the earthbender to find the highest point on the ship.”

“We’re completely surrounded by water, Kya. I’m already further away from the earth than I want to be. What’s a few more meters?”

Kya settled down next to her. “Honestly, I can’t believe you made it up the ladder with that knee of yours.”

“I didn’t take the ladder.” Lin held up the coil of metal setting on the deck next to her. Lin had wanted a better view and wasn’t sure she could navigate through the yacht, so she improvised.

“Oh, it is beautiful up here.” Kya leaned up against her.

“Yes,” replied Lin without really thinking, looking at how the setting light reflected off the silver of Kya’s hair.

Suddenly, Kya’s eyes widened in curiosity and she excitedly wondered out loud, “Do you think we will be able to see the Southern Lights from out here?”

Lin looked out across the water as darkness settled over the ocean and hoped they would, if only for Kya’s sake. She sounded so excited about the prospect that Lin was willing to risk freezing to see it. In theory, they should be close enough to the South Pole to see them. She had seen the Northern Lights decades ago, but hadn’t been this far south since Korra had opened the portals. Lin slid an arm around Kya, embracing her warmth.

While they waited, Lin closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind of everything but the night and the woman she loved. She slowed her breathing, trying to mimic Kya’s meditation style. The peace she had been striving for years seemed just within her reach now. Although, she did wish she was a bit warmer.

“Ooo! Lin!”

Lin’s eyes fluttered back open and a small smile crossed her face. Lights gleamed over the ocean. So many colors arched and flickered in the sky. It was breathtaking. Every time she would focus on one color it seemed to change seamlessly into another. The sky was dancing as if it was performing for just the two of them. It seemed this vacation was off to a fantastic start.

“Happy yet?” Kya was grinning like a child on her birthday. Sometimes it felt as if Kya had never grown pass age eight while Lin had been born a sixty-year-old woman. If it weren’t for the gray hair, it would be easy to assume that Kya was the younger of the couple, even though she was four years older.

A kiss on her lover’s lips was Lin’s answer. “Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky, to end up here with you.”

“I’m not sure luck had anything to do with it, sweetheart.”

Kya was probably correct, but Lin was sure she had to have had luck on her side to have ended up on this boat with the woman she loved. Staring into the beautiful lights, she took a deep breath and remembered.

Chapter Text

134 AG

Eighteen-year-old Kya sat meditating on the roof of her room. Or at least she would be if there wasn’t so much giggling and shouting going on below her. Clenching her teeth, she tried to keep her eyes closed and concentrate just like her father had shown her as a child. Her stress levels were beginning to overwhelm her, and she needed to spend some time centering herself.

“Tenzin!” shrieked a female voice from below, followed by a very uncharacteristic giggle from a usually very stern earthbender. Even at fourteen, Lin Beifong was more serious than most of the people Kya’s age. The giggling was more in character for her sister, Suyin or even Kya herself.

Kya let out an exasperated sigh and opened her eyes. She uncrossed her legs and tucked her knees under her chin, hugging her knees to her chest. She tried to suppress the tears threatening to fall. What was she supposed to do with her life? Bumi had joined the United Forces when he came of age and precious airbending Tenzin was busy studying to be a Master.

Her mother had suggested spending some time at one of the Poles to become a Master herself. Kya was tired of hearing that she should become a healer like her mother and become a waterbending master. The waterbenders of the Southern Water Tribe were happy to praise her bending ability and tell her how much like Katara she was. Kya didn’t want to be her mother and there was no way she could be her father. The only thing she wanted to do like her parents was to travel the world. Aang, Karata, Sokka, and Toph traveled all around the world before any of them were her age.

Being the daughter of the Avatar was an issue all on its own. Everyone knew who she was, and everyone expected so much of her. Kya was sick of being Avatar Aang’s daughter or Master Katara’s little girl. Not to mention these days Aang spent most of his time teaching Tenzin. Kya had tried to find peace with Tenzin being the airbender their father had always desired, but he was so damn annoying.

And somehow stick in the mud Tenzin had managed to get a girlfriend. Listening to them flirt below her was getting on her last nerve. What Lin saw in Tenzin, Kya would never know. The only thing she could think that they had in common was that they both wanted to please their parents. Lin wasn’t that bad for a fourteen-year-old, but the more time she spent with Tenzin, the more she got on Kya’s nerves.

“Lin, watch this!” shouted Tenzin. Kya heard a shish of air and could imagine he was showing off one of the new moves that he had learned at the Southern Air Temple with Aang during their trip there last week.

“Kya?” Aang had landed on the roof next to her, folding his glider behind him. He must have just gotten in from a council meeting in Republic City. “Why are you on the roof?”

“Because the ground is annoying me,” she replied dryly. Giggles supported her answer.

Aang looked over the edge and smiled. “They make a cute couple don’t they.”

“They’re fourteen.”

“I was twelve when I met your mother,” he replied.

Kya laid out flat on the slatted roof in response. And that was the other thing: the inspiring love story of her parents. That was quite the legacy to live up to. Bumi always had a girl or two hanging around and now Tenzin had Lin. And Kya had…well, that was another thing entirely.

Aang sat down next to her. “It’s ok to be jealous.”

“Jealous?” Kya sat back up at his words. “What is there to be jealous of? They’re fourteen! They have no idea what a real relationship is like or what love is! It won’t last…”

“I didn’t mean their relationship. Because you’re right, they are young. But they are happy and carefree.” Aang waited patiently for his words to sink in.

Kya tried to swallow back her emotions. Happy and carefree…why couldn’t she be happy and carefree? She was only eighteen years old and had her entire life ahead of her. She could literally do anything she wanted and had every advantage in the world. Why was she so unhappy?

“Is there something you want to tell me, Kya?” asked Aang, looking at his folded hands in his lap.

Caught off guard, she didn’t answer right away. What did he mean? Did he want her to tell him that she wanted to spend the next few years traveling the world? Or did he want her to admit to kissing Aloya in a secluded part of the beach? Her heartbeat quickened at the thought. She didn’t know if she was ready to tell her parents about her plans for the future, or who she wanted to spend her future with.

It was so easy for Tenzin, the airbender with his girlfriend playing below. Sure, he had the weight of an entire culture on his shoulders, but at least he had a direction in life. And apparently, Lin had decided he was worth the effort. Was her father correct? Was she jealous of Tenzin and Lin?

“Dad, I…” Kya closed her eyes. Why was it so hard to tell him? Dad, I like women. Dad, I don’t want to marry a man. Dad, I want to get away from here. But no words came out. They never did. Why was she such a coward?

“Kya, you don’t have to say anything,” murmured Aang. “I just wanted you to know I’m ready to listen.”

He had positioned himself in the meditation position. Kya copied his posture, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. Aang was not normally so hard to talk to. She should just say something. He was always telling her that he would love her no matter what. So why was this so hard?

She peaked an eye open to look at her dad. She was surprised and a bit embarrassed to see he was staring at her with a soft smile. He reached for her hand and gently said, “Everyone has to find their own way in life, my daughter. I miss seeing your smile. You’ve been so serious lately. Tell me how I can help.”

“I love you…”she whispered back.

“And I will always love you.”

Kya squeezed his hand and tried to organize her thoughts. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell him about Aloya or the other girls she had crushes on. But it was time to make her way into the world on her own. “I want to travel. I want to see the world, but I want to do it by myself. I need to do something by myself.”

Aang smiled brilliantly and replied, “I would love to tell you all the places you should visit. And I’m sure you can ask Uncle Sokka for a good map. All that I ask is that you write to your mother and I so we don’t worry.”

Relief spread through Kya’s body and the tension seemed to float away. “I can do that. Thank you, Dad.”

She lunged at him to give him a hug, earning a chuckle and his firm arms around her. He kissed her dark hair and whispered, “Just don’t forget to visit every once in a while. You’ll mother will probably miss you.”

A giggle escaped her. “Just Mom?”

Before Aang could reply there was a gust of wind and one of the trees bowled over. A yelp was heard and then a thud. There was the sound of running feet and Lin exclaimed, “Spirits! Tenzin! Are you ok?”

Her brother’s voice was embarrassed and defeated when he sadly replied, “Yeah. I’m fine.”

Both Kya and Aang began shaking in muted laughter, not wanting the two teenagers to know they were being overheard. Sitting on the roof with her father with a smile on her face and a future to look forward to, Kya began to feel a little less jealous.

Chapter Text

142 AG

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Lin let out a frustrated groan from her position on the couch. The apartment was tiny, but it was all she could afford right now. She had been so determined to move out of her mother’s house as soon as possible there hadn’t been time to do much searching for something nicer. She had planned on moving out later this year anyway, but after what transpired two days ago, Lin had made the decision to leave immediately.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Go away, Tenzin!” shouted Lin, still laying on the couch. Her boyfriend was the only person who knew where her new apartment was, and she had made him promise not to tell her mother or Katara. She was twenty-two for spirits sake. Even if Suyin hadn’t gone off the deep end, it would have been time for her to move out anyway.

Tenzin had wanted her to come to Air Temple Island with him, but the thought of officially moving in together was a little too much commitment for her. Not to mention, technically he still lived with his parents too. The Beifong family had plenty of money, but her grandparents were currently harboring a fugitive in her opinion and there was no way she was going to ask Toph for money. So she was using her patrol officer salary to support herself.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Are you deaf, airhead? I said go away!”

To Lin’s surprise the voice on the other side of the door was far too feminine and gentle to be her boyfriend. “I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever been mistaken for my little brother.”

“Kya?” Lin picked herself off the couch and jerked the door open. Standing in the hallway was the dark haired waterbender. Kya had a sack in her arms, and she didn’t wait for an invitation to push pass Lin into the apartment.

“And before you get too angry with Tenzin, he says he didn’t break his promise because you only specified he couldn’t tell our parents where you are.” Kya set the sack down on the tiny table that Lin had in what was supposed to be a kitchen. She looked around the sparse apartment and raised an eyebrow. “I’ve lived in worse, believe it or not.”

“I didn’t even know you were in town,” muttered Lin, looking down at her bare feet. Kya was four years older and had been gone more than home lately. About the time she and Tenzin had become a couple, Kya had taken off to explore the world.

“I got in this morning. I’m surprising Uncle Sokka for his birthday.”

With a groan, Lin sunk back onto the couch. She had completely forgotten about Sokka’s birthday. It was pretty easy to avoid Toph at the station because Lin was working patrol. She got her assignments from her Captain and then hit the streets. She had figured she could go at least a month without coming face to face with her mother. But she knew Toph would be there to celebrate with the rest of the family.

“You hungry?” asked Kya, oblivious to Lin’s dilemma or at least pretending to be. She started to unpack the sack which was filled with food. “I swear Mom packed everything in the kitchen.”

“I can feed myself,” retorted Lin.

“Fine, I’ll take it back.”

“Don’t.” With a huff, Lin walked over to the table and helped Kya put away the food. “So how did you get roped into bringing me the pity food?”

“I volunteered. Tenzin told us what happened and since you had threatened him with bodily harm if he told Mom or Dad where you were, I told him he could tell me without getting into trouble. It’s been a while since we talked, and I know something about being an older sibling…” Kya’s eyes flickered to the bandage on Lin’s face.

“Tenzin isn’t a criminal.”

Kya sat back in the one chair at the table. “You’re right. Tenzin’s a stick in the mud who is too scared of his own shadow to do anything against the law. And technically Bumi is older than me, but you know how he is.”

Lin took a bite out of a steamed bun and frowned. “I literally caught her committing a crime and Mom just covered it up. How could she do that?”

“I don’t know, Lin.” Kya’s voice was gentle and non-judgmental, much like Aang had been when Lin had arrived on the island to let Katara try to heal her face. It was almost as infuriating as Katara trying to defend Toph. “Families are complicated.”

“I’m done with families. From now on, it’s just me.”

“And Tenzin?” asked Kya with a smirk.

“Yeah, sure, him too.” That earned a chuckle from Kya. Lin tried to smile at her but grimaced in pain instead.

Kya leaned forward in concern but didn’t touch her. She could sense the last thing Lin wanted was to be pitied. “Mom said it was pretty deep, but you left before she could finish the session.”

“It’s not like she could heal it anyway,” retorted Lin and took an aggressive bite out of her bun but had to slow her chewing since her face still hurt. “She said it would take months to heal it properly and it could still scar.”

“Mom’s pretty good at what she does. Even if it takes a while, I’m sure she could make the scarring minimum.”

“I’ve decided I don’t want her to,” said Lin in a low voice that worried Kya, but the waterbender waited silently for Lin to continue speaking. “I don’t want what happened to just fade away. I don’t want to forget. When Su looks at me, I want her to see what she’s done to our family.”

“No one’s asking you to forget and someday you may be able to forgive-”

“Forgive?! Su slashed my face up and undermined Mom’s position as Chief! Forgive her? Are you kidding me?” Lin dropped the bun on the table and balled up her fists. “And what happens? She gets to run off to our grandparents to live a cushy life in Gaoling and Mom made me lie about it!”

Kya held up her hands defensively. “Look, I just came to deliver some food. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“I’m sorry,” Lin hung her head. “It’s just been a tough few days…”

“Look, girl, I get it. I mean, I’ve had tough days too. But what always got me through was talking to someone I care about.” Kya got up out of her seat and walked towards the door. “You should stop pushing Tenzin away. I get that he’s annoying but you seem to think he’s boyfriend material. He’s beside himself with worry and I might have to punch him if you don’t start talking to him again.”

“He pissed me off,” complained Lin halfheartedly. “He was too…concerned.”

“Sounds like my brother.”

“Thanks for the food, Kya.” Lin took a deep breath and self-consciously touched the bandage. Kya nodded and opened the door to leave. As the door was closing behind her, Lin shouted, “Tell Tenzin that I love him, and he can come tomorrow. I won’t kick his ass.”

Chapter Text

154 AG

Bumi was hopping around the room telling an over the top story about something that allegedly happened during a mission in the Earth Kingdom. He had been promoted to Major last year and had taken a leave of absence after Aang’s death, but had returned to duty four months ago. Apparently, a lot had happened in the world in four months.

Tenzin was sitting on a mat next to his mother who was watching her eldest son with a smile. Lin sat awkwardly on the other side of Tenzin. Without Aang everything seemed out of place, more so even than in the weeks after the funeral. Perhaps it was being in the South Pole and not Air Temple Island or that Katara seemed more subdued, almost compliant to this new life. Lin was used to being uncomfortable in family situations, but it was getting unbearable today.

Lin had noticed Kya had exited the room with dishes less than ten minutes ago. She had assumed the waterbender would just be taking their lunch plates into the kitchen to clean later, but Kya had been gone too long for a quick trip. With a whisper, Lin told Tenzin she was going to help Kya and left Katara with her sons.

Kya was standing at the water basin in the kitchen, slowing bending water over a pot. Katara wasn’t the only member of the family who seemed to have lost some of her spark after Aang’s death. Kya had flitted in and out of Republic City over the years but was always good to Lin. Whenever she was in town, the two easily chatted about Lin’s work or Kya’s adventures. However, Kya was usually boisterous and lighthearted. Not quite as wild as Bumi and not quite as meditative as Tenzin, but an open and bubbly personality that had been missing this trip.

Without saying anything, Lin picked up a towel and started drying the few dishes that had already been washed. Speaking from the heart didn’t come easily to Lin and it certainly wasn’t something she had been used to growing up. It was a problem she and Tenzin often had in their relationship. Therefore, Lin didn’t see a need to ask Kya what was bothering her. Obviously, her father’s death was still weighing on her and Lin was sure Kya had seen the changes in Katara.

So they cleaned the kitchen in silence for a while. It seemed Kya was intent on cleaning everything. It was more obsessive than Lin had ever seen from her. As they cleaned, Lin began to go over everything that had occurred since she and Tenzin had arrived in the South Pole. Kya had already been at Katara’s hut when they arrived. She also had made two of the meals they had eaten and when Bumi couldn’t find towels for the shower, it was Kya that knew where they are. In fact, Lin couldn’t remember seeing a suitcase in the room Kya was staying in when she went in to borrow a coat.

Lin suddenly looked up from the towel she was folding. She couldn’t believe it had taken her this long to realize it. Kya was living here with Katara, not just visiting like Tenzin and Bumi. Lin took a deep breath and put the towel down on the stack of others. Slowly, she turned to face Kya, weighing her options. Lin hated talking about her feelings or anyone else’s for that matter. She should probably just not say anything or maybe tell Tenzin.

“What is it, Lin?” Kya stood with a hand on her hip, staring at her. “You’ve been a little off since you got here. Is there something you want to talk about?”

“Is there something I want to talk about?” asked Lin, bluntly.

Kya looked surprised at the comment and replied, “I know you don’t read much into auras and I don’t want to get into your business, but I’ve noticed that Tenzin’s aura has been conflicting with yours. I’m just worried about you.”

Both women stared at each other for a moment. Lin didn’t make a habit of discussing her personal life with anyone, sans Tenzin. On the other hand, she didn’t necessarily have that many people close enough to her to trust with her problems. She had a couple of friends on the force, but she hated discussing her relationship with anyone. For most of their relationship, she and Tenzin had been in and out of the papers, so she tried to keep as much as she could to herself. The public already knew more than she wanted.

“Lin, you know you can talk to me, right?” Kya’s voice was soft and caring. She lifted herself onto the counter and let her feet dangle off the ledge. She waited patiently for Lin to start talking.

“I don’t know what there is to talk about…” muttered Lin. Even if she wanted to talk to someone, where did she start? But Kya was Tenzin’s sister, surely, she would take his side even after Lin explained what had been going on. Defensively, she asked, “What about you?”

“What about me?” asked Kya, curiously. Her blue eyes didn’t quite make contact with Lin’s greens ones. Lin had been interrogating people for years and knew all the signs of deflection. She also knew that sometimes the interrogator had to give something to get something in return. Maybe she and Kya could help each other. Lin knew she could trust Kya; she had known that for years.  

“You lied about staying in the Black Cliffs for the last few months.” Lin watched curiously as Kya’s expression slipped into surprise.

The older woman let out a little chuckle and said, “Should have known you’d figure it out, Miss Fancy Police Detective.”

“That’s Miss Fancy Police Captain,” retorted Lin as she settled her hips against an opposite countertop.

“Well, congrats on the promotion. I didn’t know.”

Lin let out a deep breath and replied, “I got promoted right before Aang…passed away. I guess it just didn’t seem like the time to tell anyone.”

“Yeah, no one was really doing much talking, huh?” mused Kya. She twirled a piece of brown hair absentmindedly.

“Have you been here since the funeral?”

Kya gave a little shrug. “I kept saying I would leave when Mom was ready, but she just…”

“Hasn’t been ready?” That revelation didn’t surprise Lin. The letters that Katara had been sending Tenzin had sounded like she was still in mourning for her husband.

There had been ceremonies held all over the world in his honor and in the days immediately following his death had seen a lot of traveling. Aang’s ashes were scattered in the Southern Air Temple and then Katara had insisted on going back to the South Pole. Bumi, Kya, Tenzin, and Lin had stayed with her for a while and Sokka was in and out as much as his job would allow. Zuko had even taken a week to spend with them. Toph had shown up as well, but Lin had been busy avoiding her mother and ended up going back to Republic City.

“I think it’s been too hard, losing Dad. She just isn’t herself. I’ve never seen her like this, Lin.” Kya let out a sigh. “I was supposed to meet up with my girlfriend back in the Fire Nation, but I just couldn’t leave Mom. She’s not ready to be on her own.”

“What happened to the girlfriend?”

“We broke up. I mean, it wasn’t like we were soul mates or anything and she’s not really a long-distance kind of person. It’s fine.” Something in Kya’s voice told Lin that it wasn’t fine. In all the years that Lin had known Kya, she had always been happy out in the world. Lin was a homebody, so she had never understood Kya’s need to be everywhere all the time. But she did know that staying in the South Pole for almost a year had to be killing her.

“You didn’t have to do this by yourself. Bumi and Tenzin-”

“…have their own lives.” Kya pushed off the counter and began to pace. “Bumi is moving up in the ranks and he loves his job. It was so hard for him growing up, being a non-bender and now he has this great life. I mean were you listening to him tonight? He’s having the best years of his life.”

“And Tenzin?”

“You of all people know how much pressure he’s under, being the last airbender and all. He doesn’t need this too.”

Lin looked down at the floor at her words. The pressure of being the last airbender. Oh yes, Lin knew all about the last airbender. But they weren’t talking about her, so she ignored the thought. “Still, Kya, she’s their mother too. You don’t have to do this alone.”

“Lin, please don’t tell them.” Kya’s voice was quiet and that surprised Lin. For as long as Lin could remember, Kya had always been so sure of herself. But she had also been independent and had been out of her parents’ house as soon as Katara and Aang had let her.

“If you are sure…” answered Lin hesitantly. “You just don’t have to feel like you’re on your own.”

“Neither do you.”

Kya stared at her intently. They had worked their way back around to Lin’s problems. At first, Lin gave a little resistance. “I’m not on my own. I have Tenzin.”

“You can talk to me. I promise, I won’t tell him. What’s going on, Lin?”

Every instinct in her body told Lin she should keep her mouth shut. On the other hand, she desperately needed to tell someone. The words came out in a rush: “Tenzin proposed.”

“He what?” Kya couldn’t hide her surprise, but when she saw Lin’s panicked face, she raised her hands to calm the other woman down. “I’m sorry. I assume since you’ve been here two days and haven’t told Mom that you told him no.”

“What’s wrong with me, Kya?” The anxiety and stress that had building inside of Lin for way longer than she cared to admit was bubbling forward. “I’m thirty-four years old and I love Tenzin. But I don’t want to get married! He’s so sure that marriage is the right thing, but I just…”

To Lin’s surprise, Kya wrapped her in a hug. When she pulled away, she rested her arms on Lin’s shoulders. “Oh, honey, if there’s something wrong with you, there is something wrong with me too. I don’t want to get married either. And Bumi and I are both older than you, neither one of us is married. Your mother never got married…”

“Yeah, and she turned out great,” replied Lin sarcastically. She stepped away from Kya; the physical touch was a little too overwhelming.

“I’m just saying, there’s nothing wrong with it. What did Tenzin say?”

“That’s just it, Kya. I’d say everything changed when Aang died, but I’d be lying.” Lin tried to keep calm, but now that she was finally telling someone about her problems, the words were just tumbling out. “Tenzin has been wanting to get married for years and now he’s so worried about the airbending legacy and Aang’s legacy and…it’s just too much.”

“When you say legacy…”

“I mean kids. He wants kids. A bunch of airbending babies…” Lin threw her hands in the air in frustration. “What if I can’t even have airbenders? What if we have a dozen kids and they’re all earthbenders or non-benders or I mean, technically we could have waterbenders.”

“And you don’t want kids?”

The question was gentle and unaccusatory. Not at all like the fights she and Tenzin had been having lately. She tried to keep her voice level as she explained, “Honestly, I don’t know anymore, Kya. For years I thought that eventually I would come around on the idea. And I love Tenzin and I know he would make such a great father. It’s just I…”

“You don’t have to explain it to me. I don’t want kids. I decided that a long time ago.”

“It’s not just the kids, though. We’ve got other problems too.” Lin slid down the cabinet to sit on the kitchen floor. Kya sat gracefully beside her. “Chief Shiro wants to retire in a few years and he told me that he was going to recommend me to replace him. Another Chief Beifong, he says.”

“Lin, that’s amazing. I know it’s what you want.”

“It’s exactly what I want.” Lin’s voice shook a little and she closed her eyes, letting the admission come for the first time out loud. “I love my job. I’m good at my job. And the sad part is, I know I want to be Chief more than anything else…including being Tenzin’s wife.”

“Have you told him that?” Lin let out a little nod to her question. She had Tenzin had been arguing about it for months. Kya patted her knee and said, “Look, I don’t have any great words of advice. I fall in love a lot and most of the time I don’t take the time to work through the hard parts of a relationship. I know what you and Tenzin have is real. You’ll get through this, I know it.”

“And if we don’t?”

Kya considered her words for a little while and then she said, “Lin, out of all the people I know, I believe that you are capable of surviving whatever life throws at you.”

“Thanks, Kya.”

The two women sat on the kitchen floor until Tenzin found them a half hour later. Lin got up, kissed her boyfriend and let him lead her out of the kitchen. Looking back, she nodded at Kya, knowing that both women would be keeping the others secret.

Chapter Text

161 AG

“Lin! I’m so glad you came!” Katara drew the woman into her arms as soon as she walked into the courtyard on Air Temple Island. It was Katara’s seventy-sixth birthday. A few months ago, Katara had come from the South Pole for the first time since Aang’s death to deliver her first grandchild.  

“It’s good to see you, Aunt Katara,” murmured Lin, and she handed her the small tin in her hand. “Happy birthday. One of my officers has been experimenting with new flavors of tea. This one is supposed to be Southern Water Tribe inspired. It’s pretty good, I thought you would enjoy it.”

 “Oh, thank you, dear.” Katara took the tin in one hand, but in the same swift motion, grabbed Lin’s arm with her other hand. “You are far too skinny, just like your mother. Come, have something to eat.”

“Aunt Katara, really, I have to be getting back to the station…” Lin tried not groan as Katara pulled her towards the party. This is what she had been afraid of. Lin had no intention of hanging around the Air Temple to make small talk. The only people she would know here were the City Council, a few faces from her youth, and Katara’s children.

As Chief of Police, Lin had to deal with the City Council on what seemed like an almost daily basis. Sokka had retired a year ago and she didn’t care for any of the other political airheads. Lin had never cared for small talk and chatting with people who had known her growing up wasn’t high on her list of things to do. Sokka and Zuko were dealing with a situation regarding the young Avatar, which meant that Izumi was still in the Fire Nation standing in for her father as Fire Lord.

Then there was the situation with Tenzin. After their rather public split and his marriage to the air acolyte, she could have spent the rest of her life without ever seeing him again. Naturally, the spirits hated her, and he was on the City Council. He had been on sabbatical after the birth of his first child, so Lin had been enjoying some time without having to see or hear him on a regular basis. Of course, they hardly spoke, and Tenzin preferred not to weigh in much on matters regarding the police force.

So, Lin would much prefer just to go back into the city. The problem she had somehow forgotten was that she did not possess the ability to tell Katara no. For the last three years, Katara had been writing to her monthly, just as she used to do to Tenzin before the breakup. Lin did her best to write her back, but she never knew what to say.

“Bumi!” Katara called out for her eldest as they joined the crowd. As if summoned out of thin air, Bumi appeared beside them in an instance. He had a loopy smile and his commander’s uniform was unbuttoned at the top. Lin did notice with a smirk that he had begun to gain a little weight around the middle. Apparently, his promotion had come with a few perks.

“How’s it hanging, Chief?”

Lin rolled her eyes, but it was Katara who answered his question, “Bumi, get Lin some food. She’s apparently been starving herself.”

“I haven’t been-” Lin started to protest but Katara had already been stolen away by another well-wisher.

Bumi threw his arm around her and pulled her over to an empty table in the corner. “You do realize you’re going to have to put in a solid hour before Mom lets you leave, right?”

“I need a drink,” was her curt reply. He laughed and pointed to a nearby table. Lin left Bumi at the table in the hopes of finding something to take the edge off. She didn’t like to drink in uniform, but technically she was off duty for the rest of the evening.

While the bartender was pouring for her, her eyes skimmed the crowd, cataloging the guests. It warmed her heart that some many people had turned out for Katara, even after she had been away for so many years. Her gaze then fell on a bald head with blue tattoos. Even after three years, she could still find him in a crowd. Tenzin was holding a bundle in his arms and it made Lin’s stomach twist. His daughter. The daughter she had never wanted.

The waves of jealous came and went still. The anger had faded though, which was probably for the best. But it was still hard to see him standing there with exactly what he wanted out of life. A bitter part of Lin wanted the child to be a non-bender. The part that still loved Tenzin would have give the entire world for him to have the airbender he desired.

“Your drink, ma’am.” The bartender’s voice startled Lin out of her thoughts. With a grunt, she accepted the drink and started back to Bumi, but she nearly collided with someone a few steps into the walk.

“Oh, spirits, Lin!” Kya steadied them both by grabbing her by the shoulders. “Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. This is a surprise, but a good one!”

“Your mother guilted me into staying.” Lin tried not to sound like she was complaining, and it must have worked because Kya gave a hearty laugh. She looked good; happy. She hadn’t seen Kya since the split with Tenzin and three years was a long time. Lin could see silver at the base of brown roots and perhaps another wrinkle or two, but otherwise Kya was as beautiful as ever. The only thing that seemed different was the half-moon necklace she wore.

“That sounds like her…where are you sitting? I could use a break from all the hosting.” Lin motioned to the table, just noticing that Bumi had taken her absence as an opportunity to fill the table with food. What a mama’s boy. Kya nodded and said, “Let me grab a drink and I’ll join you.”

Lin managed to avoid anyone else she knew for the remainder of her walk to the table. She surveyed the spread on the table as she sat down and decided Bumi had grabbed one of everything. With a subtle nod to his stomach, she dryly said, “Not all of us need to eat an ostrich horse for dinner.”

Bumi let out a loud laugh and patted himself. “Command looks good on me doesn’t it. Of course, you’re looking more fit than ever.”

Ignoring his suggestive wink, Lin reached for a bowl of noodles. Truth was, she was hungry, and this was better than whatever leftovers were in her icebox back at the apartment. “Kya will be here in a minute, but quick question, did she get married?”

“You saw the necklace?” Bumi shook his head. Lin knew she had been out of the loop since the breakup, but she was sure she would have heard if Kya finally got married. At the very least, Sokka or Izumi would have told her. “She made it for herself. Something about making a promise to put herself first or something like that.”

“That sounds more like it.”

“What sounds more like it?” asked Kya as she plopped down in a seat across from Lin.

“Your brother is an idiot,” covered Lin swiftly, knowing Bumi would back her up. Sure enough, he overdramatically feigned offense at her statement. Kya cracked a smile and helped herself to some octopus fritters. “How long are you two in Republic City?”

“I ship out in the morning. Gotta get back to the troops.”

Kya took a sip of her drink before answering, “I just got in last night, so I’ll stay here until Mom is ready to go back to the South Pole. Although, with the way she’s acting it could be a while. I haven’t seen her this happy in a long time.”

“I think she missed the city. I told her she needed to get away from that compound,” said Bumi, with his mouth full of fried dough.

“She’s determined to be Korra’s waterbending master. It’s important to her,” explained Kya.

Lin frowned, “How old is she? Like five?”

“She’s eight and a waterbender, so the White Lotus wants her to master waterbending first.” Kya shook her head. “Mom is arguing with them, saying that she’s still a child. Of course, Dad had basically mastered all the elements at twelve, but he always said he missed out on a real childhood and wanted that for the next avatar.”

“Even more reason for her to stay in the city a little longer,” argued Bumi. “The kid gets to be a kid and Mom gets to enjoy herself.”

“I’m not the one you have to convince, Bum.” Kya reached across the table for some lemon cakes. She grabbed two, setting one in front of herself and handing the other to Lin. “I’m hoping she’ll stick around to see if Jinora shows signs of bending.”

“Jinora?”

Both Kya and Bumi froze and eyed her warily. After a pause, Kya answered, “Jinora is Tenzin’s daughter.”

Of course, she was. Lin wasn’t sure why she hadn’t thought of that. She took another sip of her drink only to find it was almost dry. The siblings were staring at her anxiously, so she said, “I’m fine. I just didn’t know the kids name. Do kids normally start bending that young?”

“Not really, but there are signs sometimes when they are babies. It’s harder with airbenders because you can’t actually see them manipulating that air, but Mom is adamant that Jinora is a bender.” Kya answered, still watching Lin carefully. Lin appreciated that they were sensitive to her feelings, but she didn’t want their pity.

“Well, to hear Aunt Toph tell it, you were bending in the womb,” said Bumi with a laugh that Kya joined when she saw Lin’s lips twitch upward into a smirk. Bumi launched into some story of their youth and Lin appreciated the change in topic.

Across the table, Kya gave her a sympathetic smile. Lin gave a little nod in return and finished the rest of her lemon cake. This was the one thing she had missed over the past three years: friends. The few she had on the force had kept their distance once she became Chief and the friends that she and Tenzin had spent time with together had slipped away. If she was honest, Tenzin had been her best friend and it was the one loss she felt heartily since their separation.

After the hour that Bumi had deemed acceptable for her to stay to satisfy Katara, Lin bid Bumi and Kya goodbye. It had a good evening; the best she had in a while. It was good to know that even though she had lost Tenzin, Kya and Bumi were still there. She went back to the city with almost a smile on her lips.

As Lin walked away Bumi tossed a fritter at his sister and said, “Why do you always have a thing for the unobtainable?”

“What?” Kya looked at him, completely bewildered.

“I’m just saying, you stared at her all night.” Bumi tilted back in his chair. “It’s like you just now figured out that Lin Beifong is hot. Everyone else realized that about twenty years ago.”

The water in Bumi’s drink splashed into his face. His unbalanced chair teetered over, dumping him unceremoniously to the floor and Kya left him there, a blush threatening to redden her cheeks.

Chapter Text

163 AG

Kya fumbled with the key to Lin’s apartment where she had been staying for the past couple of nights. Katara and Kya had come into town two weeks ago for the birth of Tenzin’s second child, Ikki. Air Temple Island was feeling a little crowded, so Lin had let Kya crash at her place until it was time to go back to the South Pole. Today, an old friend had called Kya up when she found out she was in town and invited her to spend the evening celebrating the friend’s fiftieth birthday.

It had been a fun night, but now it was almost two in the morning. There was also the matter of the lilyweed that Kya had smoked which made getting back to Lin’s apartment a little difficult at this hour of night. If she could just get this damned key to go into the lock, she could get in to go to sleep. Ten years ago, maybe even five years ago, she could have stayed out all night partying. She hadn’t even had that much to drink…this side of forty years old was a real bitch.

Suddenly the lock clicked, and the doorknob turned, opening the door. Kya looked down at the key in her hand, momentarily confused on how she had managed to unlock the door. When she looked back up, she was startled to see Lin standing in the open door. Lin’s arms were crossed against her chest and she was wearing a black tank top and some old grey RCPD sweatpants.

“Kya, it’s two in the morning. I thought someone was breaking in.” Lin moved to the side so Kya could get through the doorway. “That’s why I gave you a key.”

“Well, it wasn’t working,” said Kya airily as she sashayed into the living room. Lin had a really nice apartment. It was very modern and there was a lot of books. So many books. Why did she have so many books?

“What?” Lin turned around from where she had been walking back to her bedroom. “Did you just ask why I have so many books?”

“Nope.” Kya twirled around in the living room. “What did I ask?”

“Are you drunk?”  

“Nope.”

Lin walked back over to Kya and took her by the shoulders, staring into her blue eyes. “Spirits, Kya, are you high?”

“Noooo…” Kya blinked furiously under Lin’s stern gaze. And within two seconds blurted out, “Who are you, the police? So, I smoked a little lilyweed. What’s the big deal? I’m almost fifty years old and you aren’t my mother.”

“I am the police!” Lin threw her hands up in air in frustration. “Lilyweed is illegal in Republic City. Please tell me you don’t have any on you.”

Kya scoffed. “Of course not. I’m not an idiot.”

“You’re the idiot who showed up to the Chief of Police’s apartment higher than a sky bison.”

“I’m only a little buzzed still and technically, it’s not illegal to be under the influence in a private residence. The law says I can’t possess, distribute, or smoke lilyweed in public. We’re not in public and it wasn’t mine. So, nothing illegal is happening…why are you mad about it?” Kya argued.

She studied Lin’s face as the woman’s jaw tightened and the sleep that had been in her eyes had faded into irritation. Lin had striking green eyes; which were glaring at her right now. And that jawline…the woman had such a beautiful profile. Lin’s lips were moving, but Kya was having a hard time concentrating on the words coming out of them. All she could think was how wonderful it would be to kiss Lin.

So she did.

By the time her brain caught up with what her body was doing, Kya had placed one hand on Lin’s jaw and pressed their lips firmly together. She must have taken the other woman by surprise because Lin didn’t immediately pull away. The kiss was tender and only lasted for a few seconds.

When they pulled apart, Lin had a startled look on her face. Softly she asked, “What was that?”

“A kiss,” Kya practically hummed, but then the implications of her actions were slowly starting to creep in. “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have…”

Lin took a step back, her eyes studying Kya intensely. Gone was the irritation and outrage, replaced was a confusion and hesitation that Kya did not usually relate with Lin’s personality. “You shouldn’t have kissed me?”

“Well, no…I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wanted to kiss you, but I shouldn’t have sprung that on you…” Kya tried to explain, inwardly cursing herself. Over the years, Kya had navigated the difficulty of learning which women were like her and which ones preferred men. Lin would probably forgive her the kiss, even if it would be awkward for a little while, but she hated to see her so flustered.

She started to walk over to the kitchen to get some water to clear her head, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. Lin spun her around and stepped in close to kiss her again. This time it was Kya that was surprised. One of Lin’s hands had found the back of Kya’s neck, the other on her low back. Kya leaned into the kiss, her hands grasping for Lin’s body.

A groan escaped Kya as Lin forced her backward, the backs of her legs bumping up against the kitchen table. With one swift movement, Lin lifted her up onto the table, so Kya was sitting and her legs instinctually wrapping around Lin’s waist. But as Lin leaned back in to press her lips to Kya’s neck, Kya put her hands on Lin’s shoulders to stop her.

“Hold on, hold on,” Kya gasped, trying to get her mind around what was happening. She was making out with Lin on the dining room table. Lin Beifong was kissing her. Something wasn’t right. “Lin, stop. Look, I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret…”

“I’ve done things before I regretted, this is not one of them,” assured Lin, staring hungrily into her eyes. She leaned in again and let her lips brush against Kya’s neck. The sensation sent a shiver down Kya’s spine and she leaned her head back to give Lin more access. Lin’s hands traveled down her body, pulling Kya flush against her.

Kya let her own hands from the back of Lin’s neck down her shoulders and muscular arms. There was something so attractive about a woman who had that kind of musculature. Lin’s mouth was on hers again, tongue slipping past her lips. That’s when Kya felt a hand skimming up her thigh, under her dress. There was a warmth growing in her body and she reveled at the feeling of Lin pressing against her.

The bottom of her blue dressed was pooled at her waist and she shifted her hips so Lin could move it out from underneath her. Lin fiddled with the tie of the wrap that she wore over her underdress. Kya tried to center herself, focusing on the moment. And the moment felt so good. She could feel Lin’s breath on her neck and all Kya wanted was more; to touch more; to feel more. Her hands found the hem of Lin’s tank top and gave a gentle tug.

Lin stepped back enough to help her pull her top over her head, exposing her bare breasts. As Kya’s hands gravitated towards Lin’s chest, she stopped herself. She redirected her hands to come to rest on either side of Lin’s face. “Hey…ok. I want this. I want you. But are you sure this is what you want? I don’t want to pressure you into anything…”

“Kya,” Lin removed the hands cupping her face and placed a kiss on the wrist of Kya’s right hand. “I find you attractive and sexy. I very much want to have sex with you.”

“Thank spirits,” said Kya as she pulled Lin back into her arms. She swore she saw the stern earthbender smile before they were kissing again.

Kya felt the shoulder of her underdress slip off her shoulder and Lin’s right hand had found its way inside her underwear. With a gasp, she arched her back and slowly leaned back onto the table. Lin paused her ministrations briefly to slip down between her legs. Her first thought was that this wasn’t Lin’s first time with a woman, which sent a thrill down her spine. Her second thought was bliss. And her third thought, well, her third thought was she could do this all night long.

Chapter Text

163 AG

With a deep sigh, Lin leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms over her head. Her hips and shoulders were stiff, and she was pretty sure she bruised her left shin last night. What had possessed them to have sex on her kitchen table? They weren’t lustful teenagers or adventurous young women anymore. Eventually, they had stumbled to the bedroom, but at that point they were both ready for sleep.

She didn’t think either one of them could have predicted what happened last night. The only reason that Lin believed it wasn’t a dream was that Kya’s warm, naked body was still in her bed when she left for work this morning. Lin hadn’t wanted to wake her and wasn’t sure if she should leave a note. Kya had been staying at her apartment for two days, so she knew where to find anything she might need and what Lin’s routine was. So, Lin had let her sleep and left without a word.

Now she was second guessing that decision. What if Kya thought she regretted last night? Or that she hadn’t enjoyed their time together? It was the best sex she’d had in a while…far longer than she would care to admit. Making love to Kya had been the most natural feeling in the world. That sort of connection was something she had missing in most of her relationships since…

For the dozenth time that morning, Lin shook the thought of Tenzin’s name from her mind. She had finally come to the conclusion that she wasn’t bothered that she had slept with Tenzin’s sister. However, it didn’t lessen the fact that they were siblings and it could be potentially awkward in the future. Although, she wasn’t sure what the future held. If she had it her way, this would not be a one-night stand. But Lin had found she was much happier on her own and couldn’t imagine trying to have a real relationship with someone as flighty as Kya.

It was a conversation she was dreading when she went home tonight. If it was anyone but Kya, she would pull a night shift. Of course, if it was anyone but Kya, they probably wouldn’t have been in her apartment in the first place. But Kya was a friend…and now a lover. There was no reason why they couldn’t talk this out like reasonable adults.

“Chief, there’s someone here to see you.” Her assistant, a petite stocky brunette with wire-rimmed glasses, poked her head into Lin’s open door. Tani was twenty-four years old and the best assistant Lin had ever had. She’d been working as a court reporter when she had answered the Station’s ad for a personal assistant to the Chief of Police. Tani had been the only applicant that hadn’t called her ma’am.

“I’m about to take lunch, is it important?” asked Lin as she rubbed the back of her neck.

Tani glanced behind her and replied, “I think she brought you lunch. The name Kya ring a bell?”

“Yeah, send her in. And Tani…go to lunch.” Tani didn’t even blink at the order and left as quickly as she had come.

Hesitantly, Kya entered Lin’s office with a bag of to-go food. She was dressed in her normal water tribe colors and had a tentative smile on her face. She started to close the door behind her, but then stopped, as if being enclosed together may be too intimate. This amused Lin for some reason. With a wave of her hand, she bent the metal of the door handle to shut the door completely. This wasn’t a conversation she wanted eavesdroppers for.

Kya put the bag of food on Lin’s desk and began unpacking it. As she set a container of noodles in front of Lin, she said, “So…about last night…”

“I think it’s pretty simple,” started Lin as she grabbed a pair of chopsticks and settled back in her chair with the bowl in her hands. “Either we plan on a repeat performance tonight or we never talk about it again.”

Kya stared at her for a brief second but then burst out laughing. Lin felt a grin pulling at the edges of her mouth. The waterbender’s laugh was melodic and refreshing. Kya pulled out a box of pot stickers and offered one to Lin. The tension that Kya had entered the room with had been stripped away; she was back to her usual bubbly self.

“I have to say, I was not expecting that…” Kya slurped up a noodle from her bowl.

“What? Great sex?”

Again, a light chuckle escaped Kya. “I’m serious, Lin. I was still in disbelief when I woke up in your bed this morning. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very glad it happened, but I still don’t know how it happened.”

“You do remember that you kissed me first…” Lin raised an eyebrow at the woman sitting across from her. Lin had decided a long time ago to stop regretting her sexual encounters. It did help that she was very particular about her partners. When Kya had kissed her last night, all she had wanted to do was kiss her again.

“Yes, but I am known for doing outrageous things. You on the other hand…”

Lin set her bowl down on her desk and leaned forward. “There was nothing risky about kissing you back. We’ve known each other for years and I trust you.”

“I trust you, too,” replied Kya with a smile. Then she bit her lip and started to say, “Lin…”

“I’m not looking for a relationship.” The words were out of Lin’s mouth before she could stop them. Part of her felt like she should have heard what Kya was trying to say, but she wanted to get that out on the table. If there was one thing Lin was known for it, it was cutting through the bullshit. “Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed myself last night and you know I consider you a friend…”

“Oh, thank spirits,” Kya said in relief. “I’m not sure where we would even start.”

Lin did smirk at this comment. “You mean I’m not girlfriend material?”

“Hmm…let me think,” Kya took a bite of a pot sticker, pretending to think her question over. “The married-to-her-job workaholic who never leaves the city she serves and thinks fun is a crime…trying to keep up me?”

“You mean the freewheeling hippy who took her father’s nomad heritage too seriously?” replied Lin with a raised eyebrow. Kya let out a full laugh and Lin joined in with a dry chuckle.

“So, we agree…relationship is bad; sex is good.”

“You’ve always had a way with words…” Lin ate a few more bites of her lunch. Both of them were well settled in their lives so there was no use upsetting what worked. She should have known that Kya felt the same way. In fact, she was certain that Kya may have a similar arrangement with other women around the world.

“So…if I hadn’t kissed you last night, do you think you would have ever told me that you have a thing for women?” Kya slurped up a noodle as she finished the question, her blue eyes dancing in amusement. “Because you don’t learn to do that with your tongue from dating men.”

It took all of Lin’s self-control to keep herself from blushing. That was a recent development that had transpired after a visit to the Fire Nation royal family three years ago. If she was honest, it was Kya’s fault for recommending that bar in the first place. Much like last night, she had not expected to wake the next day in the arms of a beautiful woman.

“Look, you don’t have to say anything. I know you’re a private person.”

“I am…” This brought up another problem Lin was struggling with. Kya had always been so confident in her life and her sexuality. She had grown up in the public eye as the Avatar’s daughter but had somehow managed to live her life the way she wanted to. Lin had spent as much time in the public eye: as Toph Beifong’s daughter, as Tenzin’s girlfriend, or as the Chief of Police.

Kya seemed to sense her dilemma and softly said, “Lin, I won’t tell anyone. I get it…not everyone is comfortable with people being gay and…”

“It’s not really that,” replied Lin honestly. “It’s just I enjoy a certain sense of anonymity when it comes to my personal life these days. I’m not in a hurry to be making headlines again.”

“Then I won’t say a word. Just you and me.”

“Just you and me.” Lin liked the sound of that.

Chapter Text

163 AG

The trip to the South Pole had taken far too long for Lin’s liking. She was already going to miss the first few days of Sokka’s memorial. On one hand, she hated funerals, especially ones that drew as much attention as Sokka’s would. On the other hand, she hadn’t really had a chance to mourn the loss of her uncle. As Chief of Police, it was her job to find the murderer of the man who she had called uncle since she was old enough to speak.

When she finally arrived, there were people everywhere. Readjusting her pack on her back, Lin searched the crowd for any sign of Sokka’s family. After bumping into a few people, she heard a voice call out to her: “Chief Beifong!”

Lin turned to see a muscular waterbender coming towards her. The petite woman behind him was watching over a young girl with Southern Tribe styled hair. Lin wasn’t wearing her uniform, opting instead for Earth Kingdom colors so whomever was calling to her now must have recognized her face – or at least the scars. As he drew closer, Lin finally recognized him. “Tonraq. How are you?”

“As well as you, I suppose. Sokka’s death has hit us hard.” Lin just nodded in response as her eyes traveled to the ten-year-old girl waving at all the people she knew as they walked by. Lin had never actually met the young Avatar. Tonraq looked for a moment like he wanted to ask something, and Lin was relieved when he said, “If you are looking for Master Katara, she’s in one of those two huts over there.”

She thanked him and gave one last glance at Korra. I hope she’s worth it. As soon as the thought left her mind, she regretted it. This wasn’t Korra’s fault. There was even a part of Aang in that child and Korra wasn’t responsible for any threat against her own person. Sokka believed in protecting Korra and the legacy of the Avatar. Lin knew that he would give his life willingly to protect Korra. And it’s likely that he did.

Approaching the first hut, she could see Zuko through the window. When she had almost reached the door, he shifted, and Lin saw Toph leaning up against the wall with her arms crossed against her chest. Sitting in front of her was the tear stained face of Suyin. In Su’s lap was a girl about Korra’s age. The sight of her mother and sister in the same room startled Lin and she froze outside the hut.

She sensed the person coming up behind her before she heard her name. Bumi placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, “Trust me, you don’t want to go in there.”

Bumi was dressed in his Naval Commander uniform as was the young officer behind him. It took Lin a moment to recognize Izumi’s son with his short military haircut and a Navy uniform. She knew Iroh was moving through the ranks quickly. Lin figured she would be seeing a lot more of the young man when the United Forces came through Republic City.

They walked together to the hut next door. Inside was Kya and Izumi, who were sitting clutching each other’s hands in a corner. Tenzin was watching Pema play with their daughters on the floor. Kya rushed to her, practically jumping into her arms. Lin patted her back sympathetically. Tenzin gave her a solemn nod of recognition over Kya’s shoulder.

It had been Tenzin that had officially identified Sokka’s body at the morgue. It was probably the first time they had been in the same room alone together since the breakup. They had allowed themselves to mourn for their uncle together. In that room with him, it felt as if the broken pieces of what once had been a solid friendship had started to fall back into place.

Izumi joined Kya so the three women were holding each other close. Lin had thought that losing Aang would have prepared her for this moment, but her throat tightened, and she felt the tears sting the corner of her eyes. The hug ended when Kya pulled out a handkerchief to blow her nose in. Izumi moved on to grasp her son’s hand. Iroh murmured a few words of comfort to his mother.

“You find the bastards who did this yet?” Toph’s voice rang clear from the entrance of the hut. Katara pushed past Toph to greet Lin with a tight hug and a kiss to both cheeks.

“She just got here, Toph. Give her a minute to settle in.” Zuko’s calm voice proceeded his entrance into the room. Lin stiffened for a moment, but Suyin didn’t follow the others. She must still be in the other hut. 

Refocusing, Lin’s attention drifted between Zuko and Katara as she reported, “We found the third suspect. He’s dead.”

Bumi raised an eyebrow as Izumi asked matter-of-factly, “Did you kill him?”

“What? No…he committed suicide when we showed up.” It had taken her two days to track down the third suspect. The other two had been DOA. So had Sokka. “The investigation concluded that it is likely Sokka took down one of his attackers and heavily injured the second. I believe the third suspect silenced his own guy before escaping to report what had happened to whoever he answers to before killing himself.”

“You think these attackers were hitmen for the Red Lotus?” asked Zuko wearily.

Before Lin could answer, Toph spoke up, “They weren’t assassins. Or at least they weren’t very good ones. If they wanted Sokka dead, we would have found him alone with a red lotus tile on his body. More likely, they were there to interrogate him for information on where we put Zaheer. Any first year cop could have figured that out. Why did it take you a week?”

Lin’s jaw tightened at her mother’s words. “It didn’t take me a week to figure it out. There are procedures that need to be followed and I managed to track down a member of the Red Lotus in less than forty-eight hours!”

“We both know that bozo didn’t give the order that cost Sokka his life!”

“If you care so much where the flameo were you?” spat Lin, forgetting how delicately she had been keeping her emotions in check for the past two weeks. Toph leaned forward to continue the argument, but suddenly both Zuko and Bumi were between them.

It was Katara who snapped, “Toph! That’s enough!”

Zuko rested his hands on his friend’s shoulders and said sternly, “Walk away. This is coming from a place of sorrow…don’t say something you will regret.”

Toph shrugged him off and stalked out of the room without another word. Zuko took a deep breath and walked over to Lin to give her a short hug and murmur, “Thank you for all you have done. I will let the White Lotus know.” Then he followed her mother out.

Katara took her hand and said gently, “We all know how hard you have been working. Your mother is more upset than she wants to admit. She’s grieving and…”

“She’s a grown ass woman. Don’t make excuses for her.” Lin’s words had more anger than she intended so she immediately dropped her gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry, Aunt Katara. I did what I could. The men who killed him are all dead. It is out of my hands now. Republic City doesn’t have jurisdiction over anywhere the Red Lotus may be hiding.”

“Dear, I know you’ve done everything you could and more. Sokka was so proud when they made you Chief. He wouldn’t have wanted anyone else investigating his…” Katara trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

Lin tensed at her words. Praise and pride weren’t something she depended on at this stage of her life. But today wasn’t about her or her mother’s approval. Katara had lost her brother. Everyone in the room had lost an uncle. Toph had lost…well Lin had learned long ago not to ask questions about her mother and uncle. Lin wasn’t an idiot; she had seen how Toph and Sokka had behaved when they thought she wasn’t paying attention.

“It’s been a long day, maybe we should all turn in,” Izumi suggested.

Kya stood up and grabbed Lin’s bag. “Tenzin and his crew are staying with Mom and so is Bumi. You can bunk with me.”

Together they left the hut in silence and made the trek across the frozen city to where apparently Kya had been living. Lin hadn’t been to the South Pole in a few years and when she and Kya had their few escapades this year, it had always been in Republic City. Of course, they had only seen each other twice since that first night.

Kya’s hut was small and in absolute chaos. Lin almost laughed when she entered because they couldn’t be more opposite. Kya tossed Lin’s bag onto a nearby table and immediately went into the kitchen to start some tea.

“I only have the one bed, but I figured you’d be ok with that. Also, Toph and Su’s family are staying close to Mom,” said Kya as she put the water on to heat.

Lin resisted the urge to ask about Su’s ‘family’ and thanked her instead. Now that she was here, she felt exhausted. Lin grabbed her bag and slipped into the bathroom to change out of her dress. She flinched a bit when she saw her reflection in the mirror. There were bags under eyes and obviously she hadn’t been sleeping well for days. She looked every bit of her forty-three years.

With a groan she pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top. Kya was hovering outside the door with a cup of steaming tea. It smelled wonderful and Lin took it without a word. As she sipped, she savored the feel of the warm liquid traveling down her throat. The stress and tension were taking its toll on her body.

Kya made a little small talk as she fluttered in and out of the bathroom and bedroom, getting ready to go to sleep. Lin appreciated that she didn’t talk about the case, only filling her in on the Southern Water Tribe’s traditional funeral proceedings. The weeklong memorial was not only to honor and mourn Sokka, but to celebrate his life as well.

Lin didn’t even realize she was drifting off until she felt Kya take her half drank cup of tea. Kya cupped her face and murmured, “Let’s get you to bed.”

The bedroom was dark except for a single candle Kya kept by the bedside. The water tribes had been resistance to the developing electrical power that Republic City ran on. Lin climbed into the bed as Kya finished blowing out the candles in the rest of the hut. When Kya joined her, the older woman turned on her side, away from Lin.

Not that Lin was in any sort of mood for sex, but it surprised her that Kya seemed to turn away from her. Lin propped herself up on an elbow and whispered, “Kya, are you ok?”

A sniffle answered her, and Lin could have smacked herself for being so stupid. Sokka had been Kya’s uncle in every way that he was Lin’s. After Aang’s death, Kya had leaned heavily on Sokka and she had always been more sensitive than Lin, even growing up. She knew that Kya had been taking care of Katara and probably had done a lot of planning for Sokka’s memorial.

Slowly, allowing Kya time to stop her if she wanted, Lin reached out to tuck her arm under Kya’s. Settling on her side, she inched over so her body was flush against the other woman’s back. Lin pulled Kya in close and buried her face in the crook of her neck. Kya let out a shudder and the tears began to fall again.

As Lin held Kya as she cried, something broke loose inside her. The memory of Sokka’s dead body in the morgue and all the hours she had spent looking for his killer had been at the forefront of her mind all day. But now, she was remembering her fun uncle who loved to play with her as a child; the uncle who would pick her up from school to go have smoothies and chat; the uncle full of encouragement when she told him she wanted to be a cop like her mother; and the uncle that sent her the weirdest books he found when he was traveling to add to her library.

The tears came freely, and Lin didn’t stop them. She felt Kya grip her hand tightly in comfort, but neither woman spoke. They shared their grief together. Eventually, the tears faded, and sleep came to them. For Lin, it was the best sleep she had since the call came in that Sokka had been attacked. They laid there, entangled together, until the rising sun woke them in the morning.

Chapter Text

164 AG

The sun had started to peak through the curtains a half hour ago. Lin had left the warmth of the bed to grab a cup of coffee and now she was leaning against the doorframe taking in the peaceful scene in front of her. Kya was asleep on her stomach on the left side of the bed and the sun’s rays crisscrossed across her bare back. Long strands of silver hair covered her shoulders and the pillow that her face was buried in. Lin wasn’t quite sure how she could breath, but her back rose and fell steadily as she slept.

Normally, Lin would finish her coffee and begin her morning workout, but for some reason all she wanted to do was get back into bed. There was something so inviting about the pale sheets and Kya’s brown skin. She didn’t have to go into work today, what would be the harm in crawling back under the sheets for a little while longer?

Quietly, she set her mug on the bedside table and slipped back beneath the cool sheets. Laying on her side, Lin reached out and ran her fingers through Kya’s hair. It still fascinated her by how long it was. Lin’s hair had never been longer than shoulder length since she was a child. Long hair got in her way; even Toph had kept hers in a bun for years when she was on the job. Long hair was impractical. However, as she twisted a lock around her finger, she wondered if she was right about that.

Her hand moved down Kya’s back, her fingers ghosting over her spine. It had been three months since they had last seen each other and to Lin’s surprise, she had been happy when Kya showed up with a bag to stay for a long weekend. Lin didn’t normally like sharing her space with anyone for too long, especially not lovers. Over the years, she had developed rules against bringing people home with her.

Maybe it was because she had been friends with Kya before they had begun a sexual relationship. Or perhaps because she knew that when the wind changed, Kya would be gone again, and Lin would have her space back. She never had to worry about Kya getting too attached. It had been a long time since she had a weekend she had enjoyed. It was a nice feeling.

“Don’t you have a workout to do?” a muffled voice came from the pillows.

Lin smirked and withdrew her hand, saying, “There’s coffee in the kitchen.”

She began to roll back out of the bed, but Kya reached out to grab her arm. Kya’s eyes were still sleepy, and her hair was disheveled. “No, you don’t have to leave. You just usually stick to your routine.”

Lin settled back beside her, this time with her back against the headboard. “I was feeling…”

“Lazy.” This time it was Kya’s turn to smirk as she rolled over. She pulled the sheets over her bare breasts to shield them from the chill air. Then she snuggled against Lin’s waist. “Never thought I would witness a lazy Beifong.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. There is no such thing as a lazy Beifong,” replied Lin before making a noise that could have been mistaken for a chuckle.

“Hmm…” Kya pulled back the sheet to reveal the tank top and shorts that Lin had put on after getting out of bed. She let out a gasp of delight and said, “You have the sexy shorts on!”

“What?”

Kya laughed and poked the thick muscle of Lin’s thigh that the shorts didn’t cover. “Sometimes you work out in those pants. These are the sexy shorts. So, stop being lazy and give me a show.”

“What are you on about?” asked Lin in astonishment. Kya began to push her out of bed. “Alright, I’ll go do my workout.”

“Ok, but wait just a minute.” The waterbender crawled out of bed after her and slipped on underwear and a short robe over her naked body. Lin wasn’t sure where she got the robe, since she didn’t own one, but that didn’t really matter. Kya picked up Lin’s half-drunk coffee and took a sip. “Ok, let’s go.”

Lin let Kya follow her into the spare bedroom that she had converted into an exercise room. Kya sat cross-legged on the edge of the mat and took another sip of coffee. Self-consciously, Lin stepped onto the mat and then turned and said, “Are you going to watch me?”

“Yes…but turn around when you do your stretches…” Kya winked at her suggestively, which made Lin blush. Lin tried to ignore her, but as soon she bent over to stretch her hamstrings, Kya let out a whistle of approval.

“For spirits’ sake, Kya.”

“I’m just appreciating the show. I told you, those are your sexy shorts.”

Scoffing, Lin tried to get back into the rhythm of her pre-workout routine. After the stretching, came her meditative stances. They helped her focus on centering herself as well as bending. It was something Aang had taught her years ago. She also figured out a way to make it an abdominal exercise as well.

“I thought you didn’t meditate,” commented Kya.

With a groan, Lin opened her eyes to answer, “It’s not that same hippie crap you do. And I can’t do it if you keep talking.”

“Right. Just watching.” Kya mimed zipping her lips closed.

Lin closed her eyes again but could feel Kya watching her. It was a bit creepy if she was being honest. With a sigh, she decided to skip the rest of her meditation. Next she decided she would do some sparing with the dummy. After a few hits and kicks, Kya made a little noise from her spot on the floor.

“Kya!” Lin whirled around.

“Ok, before you get mad, you have to understand you are so attractive with those shorts on. And the little tank top that shows off all your muscles…” Kya stood up and stretched, leaving the mug on the ground. “Since you need a workout and I’m apparently a distraction, lets both get something out of this.

With a little come here motion with her hand, Kya stepped out onto the mat. She tightened the belt around her waist. Lin raised an eyebrow but figured that some one on one was better than not getting her morning exercise in at all. The two women circled each other before Kya lunged, fist swinging. Lin easily dodged it, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Lin twisted her body and swung her leg in Kya’s general direction. In turn, Kya brought up her arm to block the kick. A few easy punches and kicks were exchanged as they circled each other on the mat. Kya may not have Lin’s hand to hand combat experience, but she had her own moves. Even as children, Kya had been the most defensive fighter, never wanting to injure her opponent. It made her an excellent sparring partner though.

After about ten minutes, they had both increased their intensity. Kya blocked a flurry of jabs and punches and then spun out to try to kick Lin in the abdomen. Lin caught her leg and with a smirk, twisted her leg, sending Kya tumbling to the ground. She let out a yelp and landed hard on the mat.

“Yield?” asked Lin, crossing her arms against her chest.

“Kiss my ass.” Kya pulled the water from the bottle sitting on a bench nearby. The use of bending caught Lin off guard and the water swept her off her feet. She landed soundly on her back and Kya used the opportunity to crawl on top of her.

Sitting confidently on Lin’s hips, Kya asked, “Yield?”

“What did you say about kissing your ass?” Lin bucked her hips upward reached up to grab Kya by the shoulders. Confidently, she flipped them over, so she was now sitting on top of the waterbender. Lin leaned forward, pinning Kya’s hands above her head. Both of their chests were heaving from the workout. Lin slowly brought her chest closer to Kya, leaning her head forward to press a kiss to Kya’s exposed neck.

Beneath her, Kya let out a hum of satisfaction and squirmed under Lin’s weight. Breathing heavily, Kya asked, “What happened to having a lazy day?”

“There’s no such thing as a lazy Beifong.”

And Lin Beifong spend the rest of the morning making that a true statement.

Chapter Text

164 AG

Kya laid back on the stone bench with a sigh. This was going to be a long night. It wasn’t the first night she had spent in lockup and if she had it her way, it wouldn’t be the last. It had been some time since she had found herself in the Republic City Jail. At just a few months shy of fifty-years old, it was nice to feel young again. Of course, when she was arrested in her twenties for illegal protesting, the bench hadn’t been so uncomfortable.

“Open up four. She’s made bail.”

Kya propped herself up on her elbows when she heard Lin’s voice coming from the front desk. She couldn’t help the smirk as the officer came to unlock the cell, knowing Lin had to have bailed her out herself as Kya hadn’t called Tenzin yet. The young cop slid the cell door open and nodded for her to approach, taking out his ring of keys.

“Leave the cuffs. I’ll get them,” ordered Lin as she leaned up against the booking desk. As Kya approached, she raised an eyebrow and said, “Protesting without a license? Unlawful disturbance? Resisting arrest?”

“That last one is a trumped-up charge and you know it,” argued Kya playfully. She’d argued with the cop who had arrested the group and may have bent some water in the process. No one had gotten hurt. Lin nodded to the cop and then started walking out of the jail.

Kya had to jog forward to make it through the door before it shut behind Lin. “Are you mad?”

“What?” Lin looked over her shoulder with a curious expression as they neared a police satomobile parked off to the side. “Why would I be mad? Amused more likely. You do realize you are almost fifty years old, right?”

“I’m young at heart,” joked Kya and she held up her handcuffed hands as Lin opened the passenger side door for her. “You can take these off now.”

“Get in,” replied Lin with a jerk of her head.

 Kya stuck out her tongue but complied, clambering awkwardly into the front seat. She spent the ride informing Lin about the details of the protest and how it had been great to see some old friends from her youth. She didn’t even notice that they weren’t going to the ferry until they had pulled into the parking lot of Lin’s building.

She tried to hide her smile at the thought of Lin taking her home. It turned out her evening was going to be much better than she expected. Kya fumbled with the door handle since Lin didn’t seem to be inclined to open it for her. In fact, Lin was already waiting at the elevator inside. Kya could swear that Lin was smirking, watching her try to get the front door open with the handcuffs on.

“Alright, I get it, I got arrested,” muttered Kya when the elevator door shut behind them and started up to the top floor. “These aren’t that comfortable, you know.”

Lin just leaned against the back of the elevator and her eyes traveled up and down Kya’s body. A shiver ran down Kya’s spine. Now this was unexpected. She had made a joke about handcuffs one time, but Lin only said that they were uncomfortable. It wasn’t like Kya had never used a pair in the bedroom before, but this was something else entirely. There was something authoritative about the way Lin was watching her now and Kya was definitely willing to see how this played out.

The elevator couldn’t go up fast enough. Lin didn’t say a word the entire time and Kya took the cue and kept her mouth shut. Instead she stood next to her and tried to keep her breathing even. A chime rang out and the doors slid open. Kya rushed through them, but Lin took her time and sauntered out of the elevator as if she was in no hurry to get inside. Effortlessly, she unlocked the door to the apartment and motioned for Kya to go in first.

However, as soon as the door clicked behind them, Lin’s hands were all over Kya. Kya’s fingertips brushed up against Lin’s armor, trying to get a hold of something. She kissed Lin eagerly, but the handcuffs kept her arms at an awkward angle between them. Just as she was going to complain, Lin stepped back enough to reach down to grasp the metal and pull Kya’s hands up. With her other hand she pressed against Kya’s stomach, walking her backwards into the wall next to the door.

Her back hit the wood paneled wall gently and Lin held her handcuffed hands above her head, leaning in to kiss her again. As Kya concentrated on Lin’s lips, she felt both of the other woman’s hands on her face. She gave her hands a little tug, but the handcuffs held tight above her.

She broke off the kiss to look up. With a little huff of indignation, she asked, “Did you just pin me to the wall?”

All Lin did in return was smirk. Her right hand trailed down from Kya’s shoulder to cup her breast. Then she proceeded to tug at the tie of her wrap. With a frown she asked, “Are you attached to this dress in any way?”

“No,” was her breathless reply. The flush that had been threatening Kya since the elevator blossomed in her neck and cheeks. Lin was staring at her like she wanted to remove the dress with her teeth and Kya was pretty sure even if this was her favorite dress, she wouldn’t have had the will power to stop her.

Shink.

A blade shot out of the sleeve of Lin’s armor. Kya swallowed. She should not be turned on by that. And yet…with the way Lin was studying her dress, it was hard not to be. The Chief was in full uniform staring at her like she was ready to devour her. It was both unnerving and arousing. And all Kya could do was breathe.

Lin cut through the dark blue fabric of her outer tunic. The fabric tore cleanly at the touch of the metal blade and fell away to her side. Next was the dress. Lin ran her fingers under the collar, barely touching the dark skin beneath. Slowly, she pulled the blade down the length of Kya’s body. Never once did the tip touch her, but the sensation was breathtaking. This was absolutely driving her crazy.

Now she stood with her arms pinned to the wall, dress hanging from both arms, clad only in a thin slip and her underwear. Lin retracted the blade and stood back for a moment, as if appreciating her work. Kya didn’t dare speak and ruin the moment. The metalbender was always attentive to Kya’s body when they had sex, but never like this. Never like she was the only thing in the world to be worshiped. And it was the sexiest thing Kya had ever experienced.

When Lin finally did touch her, it was just her lips on her collarbone. Her hands rested on either side of Kya’s face, just inside where her arms turned upwards. Lin dipped forward to kiss the exposed skin and the sensation spread through Kya’s entire body. Her tongue was next, tracing along her skin to where the slip met her breasts. Lin smirked when Kya’s breath hitched as she started to move lower.

This time she brought her hands to smooth the light fabric over Kya’s hips. Kya couldn’t help herself from letting out a moan when Lin’s fingers gripped the hem of the slip. Lin let her thumb run up the inside of Kya’s thigh and pulled the slip up as she went. The other hand tangled into Kya’s hair and gave a gentle, but firm tug to pull her head back, exposing her neck.

As Lin’s mouth found her neck again, her other hand pushed Kya’s underwear aside. Kya let out a little gasp as Lin’s thin, strong fingers found the spot they were looking for at the same moment she felt teeth bite down on the sensitive skin of her neck. Her hips met Lin’s hand and they found a pace together. She could feel hot breath on her body as Lin continued to circle her hand, her fingers teasing as Kya moaned again.

The ache was growing, and she tried to maneuver her hips to meet her needs, but Lin pushed back against her. Lin was setting the pace and she was making sure Kya knew who was in charge. She kissed her firmly and Kya met her hungrily. Her mind was swimming with pleasure now and all she could hear was her own labored breathing.

And then suddenly, Lin pulled away. Kya let out a strangled gasp at the loss of sensation. Green eyes stared at her and then with an amused smile Lin turned around and walked away.

Fuck.

“Lin!” cried Kya in exasperation. The woman was heading down the hallway that led to the back of the apartment. Her legs were trembling, and she was felt the loss of contact more clearly than she had expected.

Before Lin turned the corner, she snapped her fingers into the air and the handcuffs unlocked on command. Kya stumbled forward as she was taken by surprise by the release of her hands. She rubbed her wrists which would need a little healing later. Her breath was still coming in quick, heavy gasps. She stripped off the remains of her dress.

Then she heard the distinct sound of Lin’s metal uniform unlatching from the bedroom. By the time she made it down the hallway, Kya turned into the bedroom to find Lin stripping off her tank top. She dropped the shirt to the floor next to her pants and put her hand on her hip, naked. 

“Are you just going to stand there, or you plan on getting into this bed so I can finish what I started?”

Chapter Text

167 AG 

Lin tipped back her drink, hoping it wouldn’t take too long to feel the effects. The coronation had been beautiful, and she was extremely happy for Izumi. So much so that she actually felt herself smile when Zuko placed the flame shaped headpiece in his daughter’s hair. Izumi had been training her entire life for this and Lin couldn’t be prouder, but she hated events like this.

When they were children, Izumi was always the perfect child. No one could have ever forgotten that she was the crown princess. Lin remembered Zuko dropping his daughter off to stay with Aang and Katara in hopes that the other children would loosen her up a bit. Toph had mentioned once that Izumi was Mai’s child through and through. Izumi may have never become as free spirited as Bumi or Kya, but she had her wild moment when she turned twenty. It was her only wild moment, but it was quite the event.

No one was more surprised than Zuko and Mai when twenty-year old Izumi declared she had gotten married. While on vacation in the norther province of the Fire Nation, Izumi had met Aoro, the son of the chef that had been assigned to cook for her during her stay. The two had eloped out of fear that the Fire Nation Council would disapprove of the match. Zuko responded by throwing the couple the largest celebration the world had seen since the defeat of his father.

For the rest of her life, Izumi had dedicated herself to her nation, learning at her father’s right hand. Lin would argue that Izumi was more serious about her job than she was and that was saying something. But Aoro loved his serious wife and the two would be celebrating thirty-five years of marriage soon. And now, Izumi was the Fire Lord.

The party was packed with dignitaries from all over the world, which was why Lin needed a drink. Or two. Being the police chief of a city didn’t necessarily warrant you the attention of the world. Being the daughter of the first metalbender who was a member of team Avatar definitely did. The Beifong name had a heavy weight...alcohol often helped lighten the load. However, she owed it to Izumi to socialize for a little while, so she surveyed the party.

Across the room, Lin could see Katara with her children and grandchildren. Tenzin had a little girl with her hair pulled up in twin buns sitting on his lap. The eldest girl was sitting between him and Pema, looking very smart in her airbending robes. Bumi was bringing his mother some food and Kya was holding the youngest member of the family on her lap. She was having a difficult time trying to control the two-year-old boy.

Not far away Lin spotted Suyin talking animatedly to Aoro and Iroh. Next to her was Bataar, her husband. Lin had looked him up after she had seen Su with her family at Sokka’s funeral a few years ago. She had a few sources in the Earth Kingdom and it seemed they had founded a metal bending community called Zaofu. Su had a couple of kids as well and it looked like they were at a table not far away.

That was a table she would have to spend the night avoiding. This was Izumi’s night, no sense in making a scene. Therefore, she took her drink to the other side of the room to find something to eat. As she approached the buffet line a low, rasping voice, asked, “No uniform tonight?”

“I think your security can handle any problems,” replied Lin smoothly as she turned around to see an elderly woman with long silver hair staring at her. Two women with the painted faces and green dresses of the Kyoshi Warriors flanked her.

Mai had aged gracefully, but a recent illness had taken a toll on her health. Mai’s face was paler than usual, and she had lost a lot of weight. Lin knew part of the reason Zuko was abdicating the throne was so he could spend more time with his wife. It pained Lin to see her looking this ill.

Zuko would always be one of her favorite members of her family, but Mai was a close second. The woman was a closed book and Lin adored that about her. Never once had Lin ever felt judged by the Royal Family and Zuko and Mai had taught her a number of valuable lessons in her life.

The elder woman reached out a hand for Lin to grasp tightly. It was Mai’s version of a hug and Lin’s chest tightened at how frail she seemed. Mai said, “Izumi will appreciate your attendance.”

“I’m so happy for her,” replied Lin honestly.

Mai nodded and then pointed to the buffet. “You should try the roast duck.”

“Thanks.” And that was the end of the conversation. Mai glided off into the crowd, her warriors forcing everyone to keep a wide berth. Lin wished every dignitary was more like Mai, straight to the point and she didn’t linger.

Mai was correct, of course: the roast duck was delicious. Lin managed to maneuver herself through several boring conversations and soon found herself out on a balcony. There was one thing she had never gotten used to about the Fire Nation: it was hot. For one thing, the climate was naturally warmer than Republic City. The other was that there was fire everywhere. Even out on the balcony, there were torches along the ledge and a fire pit in the middle.

“Where have you been all night?” a light, airy voice came from behind her. Lin knew who it was without turning around. The speaker came to lean on the railing beside her.

Kya looked beautiful tonight, there was no denying it. The dress must have been new, because Lin had never seen her in it before, but it was styled as traditional water tribe. Somehow, it made her look like both a dignified woman over fifty and as if age hadn’t touched her at all. Her hair looked a little neater than usual and two strands of the front were braided back into the ponytail.

“Socializing,” answered Lin without a trace of sarcasm, but Kya still laughed lightly.

Nudging her shoulder gently, Kya said, “Wanna take a walk?”

“What?”

“A walk,” replied the other woman. “Come on, I know you hate things like this and I know from personal experience that the gardens are beautiful.”

“It’s dark.”

Kya looped her arm through Lin’s and gave it a tug. “Stop being so miserable. Let’s take a walk.”

So they took a walk. It wasn't the first time that Lin had wandered through the gardens behind the Royal Palace, but it had been a few years. A few decades, if she was honest. Now that she was thinking about it, she was pretty sure her teenage years were the last time she spent any time taking walks through gardens. Kya seemed to float through the gravel path, stopping here and there to smell the flowers as she hummed some obscure song.

Lin followed her. It was a mindless action, really, letting Kya lead the way. It was warm down here too, but now the heat didn’t seem so stifling. Although something else was causing her temperature to rise now. How on earth did Kya manage to look so flawless after all these years? Even the silver hair seemed to add another element of beauty that she had been missing before.

When Kya stopped to rest against a marble pillar of a portico, Lin couldn’t resist any longer. She slipped an arm around Kya’s waist and pulled her close for a kiss. The sudden move must have amused Kya because Lin felt her subduing a laugh. However, Kya kissed her back with equal eagerness. Effortlessly, she leaned back against the pillar.

“What’s gotten into you?” asked Kya when Lin pulled away.

“You look beautiful tonight,” murmured Lin. She rested her forearm on the pillar and dipped her head down to kiss Kya’s exposed collarbone. She could feel Kya’s heart hammering in her chest, as if she were nervous. Lin pulled back and looked into the blue eyes staring at her.

Kya brought up her hand to trace a finger along Lin’s jaw. Softly, she said, “You’ve never said that before.”

“What?”

“That you think I’m beautiful…”

Lin thought back over the last few years and tried to remember if she’d ever said it before. She did find Kya beautiful…why hadn’t she said it before? Handing out compliments just wasn’t a part of her personality. She liked to show her feelings rather than say them, but Kya did. But then again, they had never needed to say something like that before. Telling a woman she was beautiful was something you did to a girlfriend…a partner. Maybe to a lover, but not one of Lin’s. That was too much.

So why did she feel the need to make sure Kya knew it now?

Lin took Kya’s hand and pressed her lips to the inside of her wrist. She then whispered, “I think you’re beautiful.”

Their lips met again, and Lin felt a new heat between them. It was a feeling that she had avoided most of her life. But tonight, under the moonlight, she let her heart lead her. And it was leading her hands to find the curve of Kya’s hips. She could feel Kya’s fingers digging into the back of her dress, desperately pulling her in closer.

Turning a bit for a better angle, Lin shifted her knee between Kya’s legs and the other woman moaned into her mouth. Kya took Lin’s bottom lip between her teeth for a brief second. Lin’s brain was calculating the fastest path back to the rooms she had been given by the Royal Family when a horrible, grating voice came bellowing own the path.

“IT’S A LONG, LONG WAY to BA-SING-SE, BUT THE GIRLS IN THE CITY, THEY LOOK SO PREEEEETTTYY!”

The two women sprung apart, straightening dresses and hair. Something about almost getting caught was turning Lin on even more. She was about to take the opportunity to suggest they move inside when Kya’s eyes widened. Lin recognized the voice seconds after she did. Bumi. Damn it.

“AND THEY KISS SO SWEEEET…YOU REALLY HAVE TO-”

“For spirits’ sake, Bumi!” shouted Kya as she moved out into the path. Lin followed, annoyed that her night was being interrupted by Kya’s brother.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my two favorite girls…” Bumi had obviously been enjoying the complimentary drinks tonight, because he added with an exaggerated wink,  “Too bad neither one of you is from Ba-Sing-Se.”

Kya scrunched up her nose. “Gross, Bum, I’m your sister.”

“And I doubt either one of us are your two favorite girls,” said Lin as she tried to decide if they were going to have to help him get back to the Palace. The mood had effectively been killed so they might as well make sure Bumi didn’t get into any trouble.

“Well, my sister who is not from Ba-Sing-Se, Mother would like to see you for a portrait.”

“What?”

“We’re taking a family picture, Kya. Lin, I’m sure you could-”

Before Bumi could even get the words out, Lin interrupted. “Don’t even say it. I’m going back to my rooms. I’ve had enough socialization for the night."

That wasn’t necessarily a lie. Lin was tired of being around people and she was certain that she wouldn’t be able to keep her eyes off of Kya while everyone would be trying to take a photo. Although it would be memorable to see Tenzin’s reaction to her suddenly grabbing his sister to kiss her in front of everyone. But Bumi was drunk and it seemed their secret was still between the two of them.

She sidestepped Bumi to walk back up the path. Behind her, she heard Bumi start singing again, although she could didn’t know the song. It wasn’t until Kya joined in, belting out “SECRET TUNNEL!” that Lin figured out what they were singing. She rolled her eyes but was tempted to smile. Kya always tempted her to smile.

The smile would come an hour later when there was a knock at Lin’s bedroom door.

Chapter Text

167 AG

To say Bumi was enjoying the evening would be an understatement. Not only was his entire family in the same place for the first time in years, but his mother had been smiling all night, he had chatted with several old friends, and had managed to annoy Tenzin on three separate occasions. The food and drink had been spectacular. It was the perfect way to celebrate the crowning of a new Fire Lord.

He had even managed to get a quick word with Izumi. It was a nice conversation, although she did threaten to banish him if her called her ‘Umi’ one more time. The two had developed an odd, but special bond over the years, growing up together as the eldest children of Team Avatar. Bumi had also looked out for her son when he had joined the United Forces. Not that the kid had needed much help. Bumi also had it on good authority that Iroh would be wearing the title of General soon.

All and all, a good night. As the evening wore on, Pema suggested that since the entire family was here, they should sit for a picture. Zuko had offered the use of the photographer and Katara hadn’t needed much convincing. Tenzin went to track down his children (except for little Meelo, asleep on Katara’s shoulder) and Bumi was given the task of locating his sister. Luckily a waterbending woman in her fifties was memorable at a party like this. Therefore, he was soon pointed in the direction of the gardens.

The Fire Nation Royal Palace Gardens were beautiful no matter what time of year, but there was something magical about the way the moon shown over them tonight. Bumi did his best to avoid couples looking for a little privacy or individuals seeking solitude and peace. Finally, he saw a flash of blue through one of the hedges. It looked like Kya was under one of the porticos and she wasn’t alone.

Bumi grinned. Age certainly wasn’t keeping Kya from finding a woman, no matter what the circumstances. And age certainly wasn’t going to keep him from mercilessly embarrassing her for necking like a teenager at Izumi’s coronation. He crept through the flowers, careful not to squish any. This got him to the path that led to the portico, but as he got a closer look, his brain finally processed what his eyes were seeing.

The woman in the muted green dress that had his sister pinned between her body and the post shifted slightly, revealing two long scars on the side of her face.

Lin fucking Beifong.

Well shit. That certainly complicated things.

Bumi tucked himself behind a small statue so the two women couldn’t see him. He stood as still as possible, because if Lin was paying attention, she would be able to sense him. Although, for the moment, she was pretty well distracted.

When had this started? Bumi tried to think back on the events of the night. Lin had sat in the row behind them during the ceremony and he had seen her, drink in hand, making polite conversation with a few people at the reception. At some point, she had disappeared and then Kya had excused herself from the table. Kya had a few drinks, but she was never the type to need alcohol to get through social events. Over the years, Bumi had learned that Lin drank enough to ease her stiffness, but never too much to dull her sense completely. So this wasn’t some drunken encounter.

The coronation of an old friend seemed like an odd place to decide to hook up. Kya was known to flutter from lover to lover depending on the location, but Bumi knew for a fact that Lin was extremely careful with those she shared her bed, or in this case, a secluded spot in the gardens of the Fire Nation Royal Palace.

All of this led him to conclude that this was not the first time his sister had made out with his brother’s ex-girlfriend. Come to think of it, it did seem like she had been visiting Republic City a lot more recently. At first, Bumi thought it had been their nieces and nephew or that Kya needed time away from their mother. Tenzin had made an offhanded remark a few months ago that Kya must have a girlfriend in the city, because she wasn’t always spending her time on Air Temple Island.

Two thoughts came to his head at the exact same time: one, Kya and Lin had been seeing each other for an undetermined period of time; and two, they had chosen not to tell anyone. There were a dozen reasons why they would keep it a secret. Therefore, Bumi had two choices: one, barge in on them and have a good laugh at theirs (and probably Tenzin’s) expense at the two of them getting it on; or two, be the best big brother that Kya deserved and say nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Bumi made his decision. Loudly, and terribly off key, Bumi started singing, “IT’S A LONG, LONG WAY to BA-SING-SE, BUT THE GIRLS IN THE CITY, THEY LOOK SO PREEEEETTTYY!”

He stumbled out into the pathway, making his gait a little unsteady. “AND THEY KISS SO SWEEEET…YOU REALLY HAVE TO-”

“For spirits’ sake, Bumi!” Kya and Lin appeared in front of him. Neither woman looked flushed or ruffled and if Bumi hadn’t witnessed them kissing just seconds ago, he wouldn’t have been the wiser.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my two favorite girls…” He winked seductively. “Too bad neither one of you is from Ba-Sing-Se.”

“Gross, Bum, I’m your sister.”

“And I doubt either one of us are your two favorite girls,” retorted Lin. She was looking him over as if to see how drunk he really was. Bumi needed to get Kya out of her fast before Lin put together that he was faking.

“Well, my sister who is not from Ba-Sing-Se, Mother would like to see you for a portrait.”

“What?”

Bumi let out an exasperated sigh as if explaining his meaning would be beneath him. “We’re taking a family picture, Kya. Lin, I’m sure you could-”

“Don’t even say it,” said Lin shaking her head. “I’m going back to my rooms. I’ve had enough socialization for the night."

Lin nodded to them both and then slipped past Bumi on the path back up to the palace. Bumi threw his arm around Kya and they began to shuffle back as well. Kya even joined in for a riveting rendition of Secret Tunnel.

The next morning, Bumi noticed that Kya came down for breakfast early (for her) and from the opposite direction of her room. He didn’t see Lin, but that wasn’t unusual, because Suyin and her kids were down already. However, what Bumi did find unusual was that Kya hadn’t said a word about the relationship.

Lin was an extremely private person, but Kya didn’t usually keep her lovers intentionally secret. If nothing else, she had something on Tenzin. Personally, Bumi thought that screwing your brother’s ex was the greatest power move a sibling had. So there had to be a reason Kya was keeping this particular relationship to herself.

In fact, it was almost as if Kya was doing this for Lin…which indicated that his sister was in it for more than just a good sex. If he was honest, there had been a change in Kya’s attitude lately. Bumi thought it might be her age getting to her, but now…maybe it was something else.

Damn. His sister was in love with Lin Beifong…and she probably didn’t even know it.

Chapter Text

168 AG

The call had come in just as the family was sitting down to dinner. A massive fire had broken out in one of the districts downtown. Tenzin was hurrying to ready Oogie when they heard the explosion. Seeing the smoke in the distance, Kya hiked herself onto Oogie’s saddle as Tenzin was about to take off.

“They’re going to need healers,” she said. Tenzin agreed without argument.

A thick black smoke rose from the eastern side of the city. Oogie navigated the grey haze to City Hall where the council was gathering. Two of the other council members had just arrived as well when the sky bison landed in the courtyard. Another person, Kya assumed he was a secretary of sorts, was bursting out of the front doors to update them when two police cars pulled up.

The councilwoman in Fire Nation red addressed a metalbender who had jumped out of the nearest Satomobile. “Where is Chief Beifong?”

From the uniform and badge, Kya reasoned that he was of a higher ranking than the other two officers who had spilled out of the Satomobile. Sure enough, he replied, “Chief Beifong was at the scene when the explosion occurred. She and a few other officers were able to help contain the blast. At this time, she felt her abilities are better served where she is. I am here to answer all of your questions.”

Kya could imagine that Lin thought updating the bureaucracy while a crisis was still happening was a waste of her time. She also imagined Lin probably had worded that sentiment a little less delicately. Tenzin stepped forward and in a serious, but calm voice said, “Thank you, Saikhan. I’m sure you can provide us with the information we require. Before that though, my sister has offered her services to help the injured. She is a trained healer and master waterbender.”

The man, Saikhan, eyed her carefully. Lin had spoken of him before; he was her second and command. It was good to put a face to the name. Kya knew he was weighing the information presented to him: Tenzin’s sister. That meant that her father was also the Avatar. And in Republic City, Katara’s name still carried awe and respect. To his credit the connection was made quickly, and he turned to shout at the officer that still remained behind the wheel of one of the Satomobiles. “Escort the waterbender to the scene. Make sure she gets to the medical team.”

Kya hopped quickly into the back of the car and the officer pulled out of the street, sirens blaring. She leaned towards the front seat and asked, “Can one of you fill me in?”

The police officer in the passenger seat reported, “Fire broke out about two hours ago. Unknown cause. The fire brigade had a hard time getting it under control…lot of the shops on the street are old. Went up quick, they said. We had evacuated most of the area when the explosion happened.”

“You don’t know what caused it?”

“Nope.”

The police car banked around a turn and Kya saw the burned-out shell of a street. People were frantically rushing around, in and out of buildings. She could see an injured man being helped to the road by two people and she said, “Let me out here.”

“No can do, ma’am,” said the officer driving. “I’ve got instructions to bring you to the medical team.”

“To help the injured. That person is hurt!” Neither man responded and Kya had to suppress a groan of frustration. Unlike Saikhan, they didn’t know who she was. They rolled up to a crowd and Kya could see people dressed in white scurrying about.

As she jumped out of the Satomobile, she heard: “Kya! Oh, thank spirits!”

A woman about her age, clad in a white coat thrown hastily over evening wear, hurried over to her. Healer Nulari was an old friend. The two policemen escorting her looked at the healer in confusion, but she shooed them away without a second thought. “I need someone with a clear head in a crisis. Most of my healers are used to mundane injuries, nothing like this. Go wherever you think you can help the most.”

For the next few hours, Kya moved from person to person, helping the other healers manage the triage. At first most of the injuries were superficial burns, but soon the earthbenders had made it those effected most by the explosion. Kya had heard Lin’s voice a few times, mostly over the radio, and she had helped bring in injured on two occasions.

It was interesting, really, to see Lin work. Kya had never seen her in a situation like this. There was no question that she was in charge. The police force, the fire brigade, the medical staff, even the civilians followed her every command. It was mesmerizing. Lin was steady, calm, and assertive.

So calm in fact, that it wasn’t until she came in for the third time that Kya noticed Lin was injured. Like everyone else, Lin was covered in sweat and grime from the ash, smoke, and debris. Kya though, could see that she was carrying herself stiffly. Most likely an injury to the hips, ribs, or lower back. There looked like there might be blood on her left hand and forehead, but it was hard to tell which was the source. Kya would have to worry about that later; she knew better than to think Lin would stop for treatment.

Things were starting to calm down so Lin had taken up command in one of the tents where a radio had been set up. A couple of local vendors that hadn’t sustained damage in the fire had brought food for the emergency crews. Kya watched to make sure that Lin ate something, but she needn’t worry. It seemed like there was some sort of organized effort to make sure the Chief got food. One officer at a time, usually a Lieutenant, Kya noticed, would randomly hand her an item of food or glass of water while she was busy speaking to someone else.

A piece of jerky, a few slices of mango, something that looked like a dumpling, and at one point a bao bun were placed in her hands. And, to Kya’s ever-growing amusement, Lin ate or drank everything she was given. Her subordinates had obviously come to the conclusion that asking her to sit down and eat would be met with resistance. But when they gave food to her directly, she would have no choice but to eat it.

“It’s Kya, correct?” A male voice pulled her attention away from Lin. Saikhan was back. Kya was impressed that he had bothered to learn her name.

“Yes, what can I do for you, Assistant Chief?” To her satisfaction, he seemed equally impressed she knew who he was.

“One of my captains believes Chief Beifong may have been injured in the blast. I was wondering if you would have a look.” He glanced over his shoulder where Lin was practically shouting into the radio. “I would ask one of the other healers, but I need-”

“Someone who isn’t afraid of her.”

Saikhan smirked at her words and added, “She tends to make new healers cry.”

“Her scare tactics don’t work as well on me. I knew her through her awkward years,” joked Kya. She stood, stretched, and then followed Saikhan over to Lin.

She was bend over the table with the radio next to a man Kya guessed to be the commander of the fire brigade. Both were listening intently to what was being said and occasionally responding. Lin’s eyes had rose to acknowledge Saikhan when she spotted Kya lingering behind him. Her surprise was evident as she faltered in her reply to whomever was on the other end of the call. Annoyed, she finished her sentence and then asked, “What the flameo are you doing here?”

A voice was responding on the radio, so Kya bent the water out of the pouch on her hip and let it glow in her hand. Lin rolled her eyes and made a motion with her hand as if to dismiss her. The hand had been hastily bandaged and Kya rolled her eyes right back at her. Lin glared at her and went back to talking into the radio.

The glare didn’t stop Kya from walking around the table to Lin’s side and grabbing her injured hand. Lin ignored her as a few more officers joined them and gave her reports. The only time during the healing that she reacted to Kya at all is when she peeled back the material from the wound that was beginning to clot. It only took a few minutes for Kya to clean and close up the cut.

Next she needed to handle whatever the other injury was. Since her arrival in the command tent, Lin had remained standing in the exact same position. Everything and everyone came to her. Kya wondered if the injury was preventing her from walking around too much. It was very difficult to heal someone through the metal uniform, so Kya needed to get Lin out of it, but there was no way that would happen here in front of everyone else.

Kya knew Lin would be here for a while longer, but if she didn’t want to collapse while she was finishing up, she needed some sort of treatment. So this was going to take some creativity. Lin looked uneasy as she raised the water to Lin’s neck, around the collar of her uniform. Their eyes met and Kya nodded at her: Trust me.

The water flowed down Lin’s back, creeping through the minute space between the metal and skin. Kya closed her eyes, letting her knowledge of the water and Lin’s body guide her. The water trickled down past her shoulder blades and Kya could feel tension and soreness, but this wasn’t where the injury was. Moving lower, she imagined tracing her fingers down Lin’s spine, feeling for any injury to the vertebrae. There was some superficial bruising on the skin, but nothing that needed to be addressed now.

Next, Kya used her water to feel Lin’s hips. She had always a bit jealous of how Lin’s body was solid muscle, but she had discovered a few years ago that the firm muscular frame gave to tender, soft flesh at her hips. Kya felt, more than saw, Lin wince as the water pushed against her body here. Under further probing she noticed the small fracture in the hip bone. This would take time to heal, but if she concentrated hard enough, she could stabilize the injury enough to make sure Lin could get through the rest of the case.

The space between Lin’s uniform and her skin was so small that it made the normal technique for healing a fractured bone virtually impossible. Slowly, Kya worked the water the best she could. It was an odd sensation and something she had never done before. She heard Lin let out a gasp mid-sentence as she was trying to give an officer an order.

“Sorry,” she muttered, her eyes still closed, trying to focus only on the water and the injured area. Kya had always liked a challenge, and this was no exception. Within a few minutes, she was exhausted, but Lin was standing a little straighter and in significantly less pain. The fracture wasn’t completely healed, but it would hold until she could get Lin into a healing bath.

The water flowed back out of the top of Lin’s uniform and the metalbender touched her hip hesitantly before straightening her back. When Kya opened her eyes, Lin, Saikhan, the firebender, and two other officers were staring at her.

Saikhan spoke first, saying, “I thought healers couldn’t work through our armor.”

“Two things: one, I didn’t work through the armor. Two, I’m not a normal healer.” Kya crossed her arms against her chest and smirked smugly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lin dip her head in an effort to hide the smallest smile. “You aren’t completely healed, Chief, but that should hold for now. You’ll need a complete healing session at the first opportunity.”

“Noted,” replied Lin gruffly. Kya took that as a dismissal and began to walk out of the tent. Before she got out of earshot, she heard Lin’s voice call after her. “Thank you, Kya.”

Kya kept walking, back out to the triage area, but there was a soft smile on her face. It had been a while since she had been on a job like this and she had missed it. It was as if a spark had reignited a part of her that had been snuffed out when her father died. Glancing over her shoulder to look back at Lin, she couldn’t help but think they made a good team.

Chapter Text

169 AG

Lin was sitting on the couch in her living room, arms crossed against her chest, looking very unimpressed with the blue piece of cloth that Kya had tied around her eyes. She had stripped down to a threadbare tank top and some loose sweatpants after work with the intention of settling down with a good book.

Her houseguest, however, had other ideas.

Kya had been staying with her for eight days straight. It was probably the longest amount of time they had spent together since they were children. At this point, Lin didn’t even know what she was in town for. But she had to admit, the week hadn’t been boring. Kya hadn’t even gotten on her nerves that much, until she had tied a blindfold over her eyes just as she had finally opened her book.

The kiss that followed was the only reason she hadn’t immediately ripped it off. But then Kya had backed off, leaving her sitting alone on the couch, blindfolded. Lin protested, “You know I could just take this off…”

“Oh, don’t be a spoil sport. It’ll be fun. You need to relax…let me do all the work. Let your other senses take over.”

Lin smirked, “Oh yes, my other senses. You do realize I know exactly where you are. So much so, that I know you’re about to try to put my uniform on.”

“Ugh, spoilsport.” Kya let the uniform drop back onto the chair Lin had tossed it on after walking in the door. “I don’t even know how to put it on anyway.”

Part of her wanted to take off the blindfold and get back to her book. On the other hand, Kya was right. She did need to relax…and the thought of being at Kya’s mercy was enticing. She could sense Kya heading into the kitchen and then heard the faucet run. As Kya returned to the room, she seemed to be weaving back and forth in the room. Lin frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Lin, what part of relax do you not understand? Quit using your seismic sense…I can tell. You are following my every move.”

“I’m not-” Lin stopped midsentence. That was true, she wasn’t trying to sense where Kya was in the apartment. It hasn’t her footsteps that Lin was sensing…it was her heartbeat. Lin felt her own heartbeat quicken at the thought. She had grown so acustomed to Kya that she could sense her heartbeat without trying.

For her mother, that was something she depended on. Toph claimed she could tell people apart based on heartbeat alone and Lin believed her. When Lin was using her seismic sense, she could detect the heartbeats around her, something that came in very useful in her job. There were very few people she could detect without thinking: Toph, Suyin (when they were children), Tenzin, her first partner on the job, Saikhan, and her secretary, Tani. And apparently, now Kya.

“Lin?” Kya’s voice brought her back to reality: blindfolded, on the couch, listing to Kya’s heartbeat.

“I’m fine.”

“Hmm…” Kya obviously didn’t believe her, but she started walking back to the couch anyway. Lin listened in amazement at how well she could track the other woman as she came to join her.

The water touched her before Kya did. It caused her to jump a little and Kya giggled in response. She bent the water over Lin’s shoulders and neck, working the tense and overused muscles there. Lin would never admit it, but she loved it when Kya gave her a massage. Somehow, she knew exactly the right points to hit.

A moan escaped her as Kya concentrated on the base of her neck, moving the water around the bundle of muscles and nerves there. Slowly, Kya worked her way over the left shoulder and then the right. The water lifted from her skin and she felt soft fingers grip the bottom of her tank top and give it an upward tug. She let Kya pull it over her head. Next, her bindings fell away from her body, leaving her breasts free.

Hands touched her shoulders, rolling her body to indicate that she should lay face down onto the couch. Lin made the maneuver and felt Kya straddle her back. It was an awkward position because her couch wasn’t very wide, but Kya wedged her knee into the small space between the back of the couch and Lin’s body, settling her weight on Lin’s hips.

Water made contact again, this time in the middle of her upper back. Kya worked her entire back and Lin could feel herself relaxing under the ministrations. She wasn’t sure why Kya had insisted on the blindfold, but the massage was nice. The silence hung comfortably in the room as Kya worked her magic on the tough metalbender.

Soon, the water was withdrawn, and Lin felt Kya shift, then the gentle brush of lips on her spine, just between the shoulder blades. Then another. And Another. Kya kissed down her spine with gentle lips that feathered against the skin. The weight on her hips lifted and she immediately missed the physical contact.

A gentle hand tapped her shoulder and Lin sat up slowly. Her head was buzzing with the leftover sensation of the massage. Kya took both her hands and helped pull Lin to her feet. Kya dropped the left hand and placed her hand on Lin’s cheek, a warning that she was leaning forward to kiss her. Soft lips pressed against her own. Lin tried to reach for her lover, wanting more, but Kya pulled away.

With the hand still holding Lin’s, Kya began to lead her down the hallway back to the bedroom. Step by step, Lin allowed Kya to lead her. It wasn’t something she was used to in her life; she had always been the leader, even as a child. But it was comfortable, letting Kya take charge. Maybe she should let her do it more often.

Kya guided her into the bedroom and stopped her in front of the bed. A weight settled on the fabric of her sweatpants, slowly pulling them down. Kya gave a tap on the outside of Lin’s ankle and she responded by stepping out of the pants. On the way back up, Kya let her fingertips brush along the outside of Lin’s leg and come to a rest on the band of her underwear. Sliding two fingers underneath the band at Lin’s hip, she teased her slightly, sliding the fingers back and forth against the skin before giving a tug to pull the underwear down over muscular thighs.

Lin was naked except for the blindfold now; exposed to a point that she normally would not have been comfortable. But Kya’s hands were back on her body as soon as that last garment of clothing fell to the floor. Gentle touches by firm hands glanced across her stomach and hips. Fingertips pressed into the muscle of her arms and thighs. A palm cupped her breast and the other hand trailed aimlessly down her stomach.

It was as if Kya needed to touch her everywhere at once, but at the same time, not enough. Kya seemed determined to place a hand or trace a finger over every curve, muscle, and angle. Every touch was a warm revelation and Lin couldn’t anticipate where Kya’s hands would be next. It was an excitement she hadn’t experienced before. The feeling of exposure was slowly slipping away. Kya had a way of undoing her, both literally and figuratively.

Hands found their way to her hips and a solid, but slow pressure was applied. Lin instinctually took a step back. And then another. Two more steps and the backs of her legs pressed against the soft mattress. Another little push and Lin’s bare body gently slid onto the cool sheets. Then Kya stepped away.

For a few seconds, Lin lay still, waiting for her lover. Between the massage and the tender touches, she was as relaxed as she could ever remember. In fact, if it wasn’t for the anticipation of whatever Kya was going to do next, she could probably fall asleep. The oddest part about this entire experience, blindfold aside, was how quiet Kya was. Kya always had something to say, a moan in her throat, or a teasing comment. But she hadn’t spoken a word since they left the living room.

And that was for Lin. Lin who loved silence and lingering glances; Lin who preferred to anticipate what someone needed instead of being told; Lin who didn’t have time for chatter when there was sex to be had. Tonight was all about her; Kya had planned this. The thought was both startling and comforting at the same time. It was good to be wanted.

The edge of the bed gave a little as Kya’s weight settled next to her. A slender leg slipped over her and she felt Kya’s body settle on her hips. She had stripped out of her dress and Lin marveled at the feel of Kya’s bare skin on her own. An instant reflex was to reach out for her lover. She gripped Kya’s thighs, forcing their bodies firmly together. Lin felt a brush of hair on her shoulder and then Kya’s lips were on her own.

Kissing back eagerly, she drug her fingernails up Kya’s back. She arched her back, trying to create as much skin on skin contact as possible. Since Lin couldn’t see, she was desperate to feel. Her hands roamed with an urgency that she normally didn’t possess. It was as if she had to touch every part of Kya to see her. Imagining the dark skin beneath her hands she tried to map her body. As long as her hands never left Kya, then she knew exactly where she was.

Kya had moved her face lower to place soft quick kisses on Lin’s neck. Lin let one hand tangle in Kya’s hair, trying to imagine the silky gray slipping through her fingers. Her other hand dug firmly into Kya’s ass to increase the friction between their hips. There was only darkness around her, but she could feel every movement Kya made. And she wanted to feel her.

The feel of Kya was all Lin knew. The other woman was now focusing on her attention on Lin’s breasts and a moan escaped her lips at the sensation. Kya’s tongue could do amazing things and without her sight, Lin could concentrate wholly on the ministration. But Lin needed Kya’s tongue lower. She gave a little push to the top of Kya’s head, but the woman wouldn’t budge.

“Down,” she murmured as she lifted her hips off the mattress to press against Kya. Her lover sat up and Lin gasped at the loss of contact.

“Use your words.” Kya’s voice was low and sultry. She was putting on a voice, almost making fun of her. The irony wasn’t lost on Lin that she would be the one to break the silence. Lin dug her fingertips into Kya’s thighs in response. A little noise of amusement escaped Kya’s mouth. “Tell me what you want, Lin.”

Lin would have rolled her eyes under the blind fold if she thought Kya could see her. “I need you lower. I need you…”

“Yes, ma’am,” came the reply and Kya moved slowly to comply.

Lin didn’t need her vision to appreciate what happened next.

Later, the blindfold had been abandoned, but Lin still closed her eyes, so her world remained in darkness. She felt the warmth of Kya’s body firmly against her own, soundly sleeping. The buzz of pleasure was still ringing in her head. She was finally dozing off to sleep, her body relaxed and sated.

There, in the darkness, she fell asleep to the sound of Kya’s heartbeat.

Chapter Text

170 AG

Lin was freezing. The damned South Pole got colder every time she visited. However, it was way too claustrophobic inside the healing hut to stay inside. Korra had stalked out ages ago and Lin had followed her shortly after. Everyone was getting a bit too cuddly for her liking. She was tired of the stares, or worse, the sneaking looks in her direction. She was Lin Beifong, damn it, she didn’t need their pity.

But was she Lin Beifong anymore? She wondered who you became when you no longer recognized yourself. The ground felt foreign beneath her feet and she was certain she’d collapse at any moment. Lin wrapped her thin coat around her tighter and wished for the millionth time that she had her metal uniform on. Not that it would have been any warmer, but she would have felt more secure.

Security. Something else to add the list of things she had lost. Lin wasn’t even sure anymore if anything had been left intact after Amon had taken her bending. Tonight had been another blow to her fragile state of being. There were very few people that Lin put her faith in: Katara was one of them. The rational part of her mind knew it wasn’t Katara’s fault she couldn’t help them. The part of her mind that had been screaming since Amon had taken her bending wanted to hit something.

The thought kept crossing her mind that she would get used to being a non-bender. There was no reason she couldn’t go back to her old job, if they would have her. She wouldn’t be able to lead the metalbending force anymore, but Saikhan was more than capable. After the Equalists, the police could stand to have a non-bender leading the force. However, the thought of being reinstated as Chief of Police and never wearing her metal uniform again made her slightly nauseous.

“Do you mind if I sit down?”

Lin jumped at the sound of Katara’s voice behind her. She was not used to the sensation of being snuck up on. It had been happening too often since she had lost her bending. While her skills were nowhere as good as her mother’s, Lin still prided herself on knowing where everyone was around her. That of course, had been taken away with her bending. Even normal life was proving to be difficult. She couldn’t be having a heart attack every time someone wanted to talk to her.

“It’s your porch, do what you want.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Katara raised her eyebrow at Lin’s harsh reply but didn’t comment on it. Lin made a mental note to apologize to her aunt after she had gotten a better handle on her emotions. Instead she sat silently, not wanting to say anything else that may hurt the elder woman’s feelings.

It was the only defense mechanism she had left, really. The anger and the sarcasm were all that remained now. Would this be her future: a bitter woman who is past her prime? It was the hardest thing she was wrestling right now, who she would be after this. The problem was, it was after now. Amon was gone. Now it was just Lin. And no earthbending.  

Katara slowly lowered herself into a chair behind where Lin had positioned herself on the floor of the porch, her back against one of the posts that made up the frame of the hut. “I wanted to thank you for saving my family.”

Whatever happens to me, don’t turn back.

Lin let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. She didn’t even know what to say to Katara. Why had she lost her bending; for what purpose? For Aang and Katara? For Tenzin? For a legacy that at one point in her life she thought she would be responsible for carrying on?

But she would do it again.

The elder woman seemed willing to wait her out. What did she want Lin to say? That it was worth it? Lin wasn’t even sure if it was. She wasn’t even sure if there was anything left to say. Tenzin and the airbending nation had survived; Lin’s bending had not. Now she just had to figure out what to do next. No problem…she had always handled life changing events well.

“The Air Nation owes you a great debt.”

“They still got caught.” Lin stared at her hands. Was this what was really bothering her? When she had sacrificed herself, it seemed as if the airbenders had gotten away, but Amon had caught them anyway.

Katara’s voice was sharp when she disputed Lin’s statement. “If that man had caught them that first day, on Air Temple Island, he would have stripped them of their bending right then. Korra would have fought and lost. Because you gave Tenzin time to run and the United Forces time to get there, you are all alive. Amon was defeated.”

She was right of course. The airbenders had not lost their bending and Amon was gone. Republic City was safe; Aang’s legacy was safe. Lin had done her job. Now she just had to live with it.

“So, hear me when I say thank you, Lin, for my son and grandchildren.” Lin started to speak, but before the words were out of her mouth, Katara muttered, “I swear if you say you were just doing your job, I’ll banish you from this house. Take my gratitude, child.”

A tightness in Lin’s chest released just a little at Katara’s words. Even at fifty, sometimes you needed a mother’s words. Lin titled her head back to rest on the post and took a few deep breaths. It was becoming less and less terrifying to not feel the earth beneath her. She doubted, however, that she would ever be able to truly feel whole again.

The sound of the snow crunching just a few yards away turned her attention to what was in front of her. Kya was hurrying towards the hut looking very disheveled. She hadn’t been in Harbor City when Lin and the others from Republic City had landed a few hours ago. The tightness in Lin’s chest was back and she forced herself not to groan. Hopefully, the woman would bypass her to check on her brother and nieces and nephews.

“Oh, spirits, Lin!” Kya’s voice was laced with worry. “Are you-”

“Nope.” Lin pushed herself off the ground and started walking past Kya. She had to get out of here. After losing her bending, being held captive, everything that had happened with Amon, she couldn’t deal with this too. Lin wasn’t sure why, but the sight of Kya so concerned had overwhelmed her.

“Lin, wait, where are you going?” Kya was so startled at Lin’s sudden movement that she didn’t immediately try to stop her as she passed. She exchanged a glance with her mother, but Katara seemed confused at the sudden change in temperament as Kya was. “Lin! Ok, you don’t have to talk about it…”

“You’re right I don’t,” snapped Lin. She didn’t even turn around, but heard Kya start to rush after her. Snow and ice groaned beneath the usually light footed waterbender and her breath was coming heavily in the thin air. She briefly wondered how long Kya had been running, but then turned her focus to the horizon. Lin’s head was beginning to spin, and she felt her own breaths coming faster as her chest constricted with panic.

Kya jogged to get in front of her, extending her arms to stop Lin from going forward. Lin froze for a second and Kya took the opportunity to say, “I’m here for you. Whatever you need…”

“I need you to get out of my way.” Her voice was harsh, but it didn’t seem to faze Kya.

Lin needed her to stop looking at her like that. Kya wasn’t her girlfriend; she wasn’t her wife. Just a friend for a good fuck. Immediately she regretted the thought. What was wrong with her? Of course, the answer was simple: everything. Everything was wrong. She was on unstable ground and for some reason, Kya was ice. She was slipping and sliding across a figurative landscape and she couldn’t get a hold of herself.

“Lin, please, you aren’t alone.” Lin shook her head in frustration at her words and starting walking in a different direction. Not alone? She was pretty alone in that cell for days on end. No bending, no help, no will to live. Nothing but the echoes of the earth fading further and further away.

Kya called out, “We can do this together. I know what happened…I just want to help.”

She had to get away; she had no idea why, but the addition of Kya to the mixture of chaos in her mind was too much. This was it: she had finally reached the tipping point. She whipped around to find Kya was closer than she had thought. Her inability to sense people kept shocking her. Was she going to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder?

The anger was bubbling up inside of her. Shouting into the wind, she lashed out, “You don’t know what happened! You can’t possibly understand, and I don’t need you to try!”

“That’s just grief talking. You just need some time-”

“Time?! Are you fucking kidding me?” Lin gasped trying to catch her breath as the icy cold penetrated her lungs. The air was burning her throat, burning her body. “You’re right, I’ll figure this out, but I don’t need you hanging around while I put my life back together. My entire identity is gone…with just a touch of a finger. And what, you want me to meditate about it? Fuck that.”

Kya looked stunned at her anger, but stepped closer, reaching out for Lin. The other woman stepped back to keep distance between them. The last thing she needed was to feel her touch. Lin had never felt further from anyone than she did right now. It wasn’t even the loss of her ability to sense Kya’s feet on the earth or feel her heartbeat. The physical contact would be too much.

“Lin, please, let me help. You can’t do this alone.”

“Watch me.” The words came out in a hiss. Lin turned her back on Kya, letting her harsh words sink in. Kya’s blue eyes reflected hurt and confusion. There may have even been tears, but the jealous part of Lin was happy that someone else was suffering too. If there was one thing Lin knew how to do in life, it was be on her own. And that’s what she would do now.

She started to walk away again when something in the distance caught her eye. Where the ice met the ocean, a large wave had come crashing down followed by a lightning display of fire bending and by the sound echoing across the tundra, earth bending as well. At first, Lin’s strained brain couldn’t put the facts together. Was someone fighting? Were there firebenders or earthbenders in the South Pole? Kya had caught back up to her since she had paused, and she too was staring at the spectacle.

It was Kya who put the pieces together, her words a whisper of hope, “Korra got her bending back.”

Kya tried to take Lin’s hand, but Lin shook her off. This was all too much, and she needed to be alone. So, Lin left Kya standing alone in the frozen tundra, tears in both of their eyes. There was nothing more to be said.

Chapter Text

170 AG

Katara left her hut quietly. Tenzin and Pema had just gotten Rohan down for the night. Jinora was still reading by candlelight in the main room, but Ikki and Meelo had passed out about an hour ago. The tightness in her chest was finally beginning to subside after weeks of anxiety surrounding her youngest son and his children. But now that she knew they were safe; she had another child to worry about.

The wind had died down a little, so the temperature wasn’t as biting tonight. Katara had found that as she grew older, the cold penetrated further in her bones than she cared to admit. Her daughter’s hut wasn’t that far away, so she wouldn’t have to be out in the cold long. Her eyes glanced toward the hill where Tonraq and Senna lived. Korra seemed to be getting her spirit back since she had regained her bending.

However, there was one person whose spirits had been lower than usual, and it had nothing to do with Amon. Or at least, not directly. Katara had been distracted for the first few days worrying over Korra and her family. She had been so close to losing Tenzin and her grandchildren that her attention had been pulled away from her middle child, even after witnessing the most confusing conversation between Kya and Lin.

That was three days ago. After Korra had restored her bending, Lin had taken the first ship out of Harbor City back to Republic City. Tenzin had been visibly worried about her and even Pema seemed to be hovering around the older woman. They felt like they owed her something and Katara wasn’t sure they were wrong. She didn’t blame Lin for getting out of the South Pole as soon as possible and the city was probably missing its Chief of Police in the aftermath of the Equalist movement.

What was bothering Katara tonight, however, is how Lin’s departure was affecting Kya. Lin’s effect on Tenzin had always been obvious, even after their relationship ended. Bumi and Lin had developed an odd friendship over the years with the ability to bond over their police and military experience. Kya and Lin had gotten along well enough as children, but the two couldn’t be more opposite. Which was why Katara was baffled as to why they had argued that night. Or why Kya had been so apathetic since Lin’s departure.

Katara could hear mellow music coming from Kya’s hut as she approached. Katara pushed open the door, but didn’t see her daughter at first. The living area, however, was neater than she had ever seen it. When she entered the kitchen, she was pretty sure the counter tops were shining. This made her let out a large sigh. Kya was in worse shape than Katara had previously thought. She finally found her daughter curled up in a ball in the middle of her bed.

“Oh, my dear,” Katara sat gently on the edge of the bed. “Do you want to talk about it?”

There was a long pause before Kya’s soft voice answered, “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Kya, I’m your mother, so don’t take this the wrong way, but the only time your house is ever this clean is when you’re upset about something.” As a child, Kya would internalize her emotions and Katara would find her scrubbing the floors in the temple as if she could clean away her feelings. Eventually, Aang taught her to meditate and share her thoughts when something was troubling her, but every once in a while, Kya would fall back into this pattern.

“I’m fine. It’s nothing, really.”

Katara reached over and stroked Kya’s gray hair away from her face. “I’ll be honest, I’m perplexed.”

“Mom, really, I’m fine.”

“Then you won’t mind me telling me what you and Lin fought about?”

“What?” Kya rolled over to face her mother and pushed herself up on her elbows. Katara noted that she looked tired, as if she hadn’t been sleeping. Katara also noted with a sense of satisfaction that she had taken Kya off guard by mentioning Lin.

“I didn’t know you and Lin even kept in contact. I didn’t hear what you were saying, but Lin isn’t exactly good at hiding her emotions.” Katara paused, but Kya just shook her head and slumped back on to the bed. It was as if it was thirty-five years ago and teenage Kya had just experienced her first heartbreak. The implication of the thought startled Katara. If she hadn’t known better, it could have been a lover’s quarrel. But she knew better…right?

“We had a…disagreement,” said Kya tightly.

“About?”

“It’s…personal.”

Katara let those words sit between them for a moment. Personal. Oh, spirits. “What did you fight about? She had just lost her bending, Kya, it had been a rough few weeks.”

“I was just trying empathize with her! She’d been through so much and I just wanted to talk to her!”

“After fifty years, you haven’t figured out that Beifongs don’t like to talk about their feelings?”

“I thought…” Kya trailed off. She unconsciously clenched and unclenched her fists. “I miscalculated.”

Over the years, Katara had observed traits from herself and Aang in their children. Tenzin had far too much of her own seriousness and stubbornness for his own good and he carried the weight of the world like his father. Bumi on the other hand, had inherited every irresponsible bone in Aang’s body, but he had her love for family and knew all about sacrifice for the greater good.

And then there was Kya. Too many people had drawn a comparison between herself and her daughter over the years: a waterbender, a healer, a woman who knew exactly what she wanted. But secretly, Katara didn’t see it. Kya was all Aang: a happy woman with the ability to draw people to her without ever trying.

Even as a child, Kya had known what the world had expected out of her. She tried, she really did, but just like her father, Kya ran. Katara never disapproved of Kya leaving to travel the world, because that was the air nomad in her. Just like Aang, Kya had found friends and happiness no matter where she went. And just like Aang, when Katara needed her the most (not that she had realized it at the time), Kya had returned.

Kya never miscalculated. Even if the situation didn’t work out in her favor, it wasn’t because she miscalculated. Aang had the same talent; somehow, he always came out on top. Suddenly, Katara realized Kya’s mistake: she believed that Lin felt the same way about her that she felt about Lin. Somehow, another one of her children had fallen in love with Lin Beifong.

Katara had absolutely no idea what to say. The revelation had blindsided her. Katara prided herself in keeping up with her children the best she could and somehow the child who was physically, and in recent years, spiritually the closest to her had managed to surprise her.

The words were soft when they finally came out. “How long have you been in love with Lin?”

“I have no idea,” answered Kya truthfully. Kya’s voice was weak when she continued, “When you called to tell me what happened and that they were all coming here, I got here as fast as I could. When I saw her sitting on the porch, it hit me. I wasn’t worried for Tenzin or Korra or any of the kids. I just need to help her, fix her…”

“Oh, baby,” breathed Katara. As much as Toph had protested the contrary, Lin was her mother’s daughter. There was no ‘fixing’ a Beifong.

Kya sat up again, wrapping her arms around her knees. She said, “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was just sex. We were friends again…not anything else.”

“How long has this been going on?” Katara was trying to piece together when on earth Kya and Lin could have started this ‘relationship’. Kya always wore her heart on her sleeve, but Lin, especially after what happened between her and Tenzin, had built more walls than Ba-Sing-Se.

With a groan, Kya lowered her head to rest on the tops of her knees. The muffled reply was more of a question: “How old is Ikki?”

“SEVEN YEARS?” exclaimed Katara, her pretense of being the calm mother going out the window with the revelation. The outburst had one good effect though, Kya burst out laughing. She uncoiled from her position as Katara looked at her in amazement. “You managed to have a secret relationship for seven years without telling anyone?”

“Oh, Mom, it wasn’t like that. We were just hooking up at first. Both of us were still seeing other people in the meantime. And what was there to tell? You sound like it’s some sort of illicit affair.”

In Katara’s opinion, it was good as. But Kya was a grown woman, she didn’t need a lecture about how she chose to live her life. That’s not why she was crying in her bedroom. So instead she asked, “When did it change?”

“I told you, I don’t know. But it did and now I’ve fucked it up.” Kya smiled sadly down at the bed, as if imagining Lin laying there with her. When she was younger, Kya both broke a number of hearts and suffered from her own heartbreak. But as she aged, she learned to balance diving into a relationship she wasn’t willing to see through and falling for the wrong person. She’d fallen hard for Lin and it had blindsided her.

Katara thought for a minute and let the silence fester between them. There was only piece of advice she had for her daughter now and she wasn’t sure Kya wanted to hear it. “Kya, the way I see it, you’ve got two choices: you catch the first boat to Republic City and tell Lin that you’re in love with her. You’ll have to deal with the fallout, but at least she’ll know.”

Kya thought this option over and shook her head. “And the second choice?”

“You follow her rules. You stay here, give her the space she needs, and hope she comes back. And then you love her any way she’ll let you, because it’s better than losing her for good.”

Katara slid off the bed and left the room silently, leaving her daughter to think over her words. This wasn’t something she could fix. Kya and Lin would have to work this out between them. Hopefully, they could do it without breaking each other’s hearts.

‘Oh, Aang,’ she thought as she entered the cold air once again, ‘Watch over them.’

Chapter Text

170 AG

To Kya,

I am sorry.

I honestly don’t know what else I can say. I should have never said those things and I didn’t mean a single word. I’m writing this on the boat as I go back to Republic City. I had to go back, but I wish I hadn’t left before I apologized.

You don’t deserve to be treated that way.

I am sorry.

-Lin

Dear Lin,

I forgive you.

I won’t lie and say your words didn’t hurt. I thought after all these years you would know you could trust me, even in the darkest moments. But I will never know what you were going through, and I can’t blame you for reacting the way you did. Just remember that I am always here for you.

Don’t forget about me.

Always,

Kya

Kya,

I wish I could face you in person. I regret that I could have hurt you by my words and actions. Losing my bending was no excuse to cast you aside like that. I’m not sure I’m worthy of your forgiveness, but I thank you for it.

I’m not entirely sure how you think I would forget you. You’re ingrained in my life, for worse or for better, I guess. I can’t promise I won’t hurt you again. It’s a habit at this point. I didn’t mean for you to get close enough to hurt.

Can we start over?

-Lin

Dear Lin,

I’ve known you since the moment my mother delivered you. I don’t remember it, of course. But for worse or for better, as you put it, we have been a part of each other’s lives for far too long to not attract some collateral damage. No one can promise not to hurt someone. All we can promise is to try.

And Lin, I forgave you as I watched you walk away from me.

Always,

Kya

Kya,

I don’t usually do letters. I think this is the longest correspondence I’ve held with anyone besides your mother or Uncle Zuko. And normally I just comment on what they wrote and answer their questions. I’m not used to ‘talking’ to someone this way.

Please don’t stop writing me back.

-Lin

Dear Lin,

I am very good at writing letters. Observe:

The weather is cold and every day the biting wind penetrates further into my soul. Life here can be mundane. I work the days in the healing huts and training young waterbenders in the arts of my ancestors. At night, I wrap my body in furs, wishing I had a lover to warm more than just my skin.

Although I miss my time traveling the world, you can never underestimate the idea of being home. The water surrounds me completely, my natural element, seeping into my bones, providing me a lifeforce that can only be found here with my people. Your metal city seems like a distant memory; all sharp edges and unforgiving landscape.

The majority of my conversations are with the one who gave birth to me. She ages gracefully and misses having all of her children in one place. My brothers have made promises of joining us once more during the celebration of the Winter Solstice, but that is still many moons to come.

Perhaps I shall see your face before then?

With Kyoshi’s blessing,

Kya

PS: You exchange letters with my mom?

Kya,

I can’t believe you made me read that. Somehow it was as boring as some of the old airbending monks’ writings and as cheesy as those trashy romance novels Uncle Sokka used to send me. I’m going to burn that letter.

But if you really want to know, this sharp metal city is finally getting its feet back underneath it. Republic City is about to hold its first democratic elections. Instead of a council making all the decisions, we will have a President. He will have an appointed cabinet to help him make decisions. Surprisingly, Tenzin refused to run. So we’re choosing between other pompous airheads. For some reason, everyone wants my opinion.

Unfortunately, there’s no way for me to leave the city right now. Everything is too delicate. We need to elect a president and regain the faith of both the benders and non-benders of the city.

And yes, Aunt Katara and I exchange letters. She’s been writing me for years. And no, I won’t tell you what we talk about.

-Lin

Dear Lin,

I completely forgot that Uncle Sokka used to send you those terrible books. Dad and Uncle Zuko always found special and meaningful books for your collection and Uncle Sokka would walk into a local bookstore and ask for the trashiest romance novel they had. Is your entire romance section made up of his books?

Good luck with elections. The chiefs in the South have been elected since the war ended. Most of them have served for a decade or so, like Mom did. I can’t say if it’s a successful method of governing or not, but it works for the South. In the North, the title of Chief is still inherited. Actually, Korra is technically Northern Water Tribe royalty, although we aren’t supposed to talk about that.

Maybe in a few weeks you can join the others when they come down for the Glacial Spirits Festival. I would offer to come to Republic City, but Mom wants me here to help teach the next group of waterbenders. The new masters will graduate at the Festival. I haven’t done much teaching since I worked with Korra years ago. It’s been fun.

Always,

Kya

Kya,

I’m so sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written. I don’t have a great excuse except that work got in the way. The Equalists created a power vacuum in the City. Some of the Triads were stripped of their bending and even though Korra rectified that, it took some time, and the criminal underground has been fighting for supremacy.

I’m exhausted. And we officially have a new President. Who knew I would want the old Council back? Raiko is driving me crazy. He seems to think I can just snap my fingers and every criminal in the City will drop what they are doing and become upstanding citizens. Apparently, a high crime rate will hurt his image. I tried to explain that the crime rate wasn’t even that high…but you know how politicians are.

I really don’t think I can get away for the festival. I’m sorry.

-Lin

Dearest Lin,

I was so happy to get your letter. I’m sorry that work has been so difficult, but I know better than to suggest an early retirement. I understand why you couldn’t make it, although I wish you were. Things have gotten very tense around here.

I don’t know how up to date you are with everything, but Chief Unalaq of the North tribe arrived just a few days ago. Korra, Tenzin, and Tonraq got into a huge fight and Korra has renounced Tenzin as her spiritual guide and will be training with her uncle. I have a bad feeling about that, but the girl is hardheaded.

By the time you get this letter, I’ll probably be at the Southern Air Temple. We’re taking a family trip. You may have to apprehend me for murdering my brothers. Wish me luck.

Always thinking of you,

Kya

Kya,

I have no idea if this letter will ever reach you.

I’m worried about you.

There was a bombing at one of the demonstrations here and it sounds like the Civil War is getting heated. Korra has disappeared and things aren’t adding up here.

Please write me back.

-Lin

Kya, 

Please write back. Or radio. I'm so worried.

We're getting conflicting reports about what is going on in the South Pole. The United Forces are patrolling the bay. My police force is preparing for the worst. 

Kya, what is going on? Please answer me. 

-Lin

Chapter Text

171 AG 

The water was lapping gently at her ankles as Kya sat on the edge of the shore on Air Temple Island. She had returned with her brothers and the rest of the family about an hour ago. Pema had assured Kya she didn’t need any help unpacking so Kya had taken a walk. The walk had turned in to a swim. But now she was tired.

Aging was still something she was getting used to. Most days she still felt young, even though she had just celebrated her fifty-fifth birthday. But today was a different story. It wasn’t the physical toll of the recent battle that was weighing her down. In fact, fighting in the Spirit World had brought back a sense of youth she hadn’t experienced in some time. But the spiritual journey she had been on was exhausting.

The brief trek into the Spirit World had not been what she expected. Although if someone had asked Kya what she thought the Spirit World would be like, she’s not sure she would have had the words to describe it. She remembered her father describing the beautiful and colorful landscape. It wasn’t until they were running for their lives did she remember his words of warning about the darkness that existed in the other realm as well.

Was this left-over darkness from the spirits they had encountered there? A remnant of the twisted power of Vaatu? Kya felt a heaviness in her chest that wasn’t anything she could heal away. It was grief, she guessed, but what could she be grieving? Another sigh escaped her as she bent the water through her fingertips. The cool rush didn’t have the same effect that it usually did, and she let the water drip down onto the shore.

From above her, she heard the sound of metal grinding against metal and a sudden thud of feet hitting the ground behind her. She whirled around in surprise to see Lin retracting her cables into her uniform. Still sitting on the ground, she stared at her as Lin asked, “How the flameo did you get down here?”

Wordlessly, Kya pointed to the water. Lin glanced down at her, taking in the loose gray hair, wrinkled dress, and lack of shoes. Green eyes swept over her, sending another wave of melancholy through Kya. They had exchanged letters for the better part of six months, but this was the first time she had come face to face with her since the fight in the South Pole. Clearly, Lin was nervous, but Kya couldn’t even think about the heated words that had been spoken when they last parted.

“How are you?” The question was far more complicated than Lin could ever know.

The words weren’t coming. Unsteadily, Kya pushed herself off the ground. The need to touch Lin, hold her, feel her, was overwhelming. As she stumbled, Lin was by her side in an instant. The moment Lin’s hands touched her hip to steady her, Kya threw her arms around the other woman. She didn’t even feel the unyielding metal of the uniform. She needed to be held. It was more than that; she needed to be held by Lin.

Instantly, Lin’s arms gathered the waterbender close, allowing Kya to cling to her body. Lin kept her from collapsing back to the earth with one arm firmly around her waist and the other draped over her shoulders. If she was shocked by Kya’s reaction, she didn’t show it. In a whisper, she told Kya, “I’ve got you.”

At her words, the emotional floodgate broke loose. Tears fell in a rush and gasping sobs escaped her mouth. Lin’s grip tightened around Kya’s shaking body. Her knees gave out and slowly, Lin lowered her to the ground until both of them were kneeling. Kya buried her face into Lin’s neck. Years of memories, good and bad, flooded her mind. Her father was forefront in all of them: steadfast, heroic, and with a playful smile. Eighteen years had passed, but still she mourned the loss of her father.

As she cried, she realized that Lin was rocking her slightly and stroking her hair. With a shuddering breath, Kya tried to pull away, embarrassed that her emotions had gotten the better of her, especially with Lin. As she did, Lin’s hand cupped her cheek, forcing their eyes to meet.

“Kya, what happened?” Lin was more concerned than Kya had ever seen her. Her heart jumped at the thought that Lin cared for her this much. Maybe it wasn’t love, not like Kya felt for her, but at least she was here.

“It’s nothing…” That was a lie and as soon as the words left her lips, she saw Lin frown.

“You can tell me,” replied Lin. She dropped her hand from Kya’s face and grabbed her hand instead. She gave it a squeeze before added, “You aren’t alone.”

Kya felt her breath catch in her throat at the words echoed back to her from the cold tundra six months ago. There was no judgement in Lin’s green eyes. This was a moment of trust and Kya knew that Lin was offering an olive branch of healing to whatever relationship remained between them. And Kya accepted whatever she could get now.

“I feel like I let him down.” Her words were soft with regret and a small hiccup escaped her at the end while she tried to get her tears under control.

Confusion crossed Lin’s face and she asked, “Who? You feel like you let who down?”

“Dad.” There it was, out in the open. A fear only a daughter who wanted to make her father proud would have. And no matter the many times he had told her growing up or her mother had reassured her, the fear was always there. The time spend with her siblings at the Air Temple and in the Spirit World had only brought back that self-doubt.

“Why? How could you possibly have let him down?” Lin’s questions were almost accusatory. As if she wanted to hit whoever had suggested that Kya wasn’t living up to Aang’s legacy.

“Because I wasn’t an airbender? Because I didn’t have children who could have been airbenders? Because I left my family? Because I’m not a good sibling? Or a good daughter?” The words were flowing like water now. All the questions she had about her life pouring from her mouth. And Lin was a vessel, trying to keep her afloat.

The metalbender took a deep breath and then spoke sternly, “The spirits blessed you with waterbending, just like your mother. And you aren’t just any waterbender. You have a talent unseen in the North or the South in decades. You had no responsibility to have children; no one is responsible for the future of any culture. If Aang truly was the last airbender, then that is what fate wanted. You could not have controlled that.

“You didn’t leave your family. You wanted to see the world and learn about different people and cultures. You healed people who would have never had a chance without you. The good you did out in the world was an honor to your family. If anything, you paid homage to the Air Nomads by travelling the world to help people and spreading knowledge and customs to other Nations.” Lin took a breath. “As for being a good sister or daughter…I can only tell you that I did not succeed in that department. Whereas you just fought side by side with your brothers to defend the world and protect your family. I would say you turned out just fine.”

Lin’s speech left Kya once again without words. It wasn’t as if Lin had never said anything nice to her or complimented her. But this affirmation of her qualities and the sincerity of Lin’s voice was bringing the tears back to Kya’s eyes. How did Lin have so much faith in her? The thought crossed Kya’s mind that Lin had more confidence in Kya than she did in herself. Which is why she loved her…

“Lin…” The words were thick in the back of Kya’s throat. Just tell her. Why was it so hard? Before she could figure out how to explain her feelings, Lin was speaking again.

“What brought this on?” Lin shifted her weight so she was no longer sitting on her knees, but on her bottom. With a wince, she straightened her legs in front of her.

Kya knew her own knees would be sore later, so she copied Lin’s position. Her feet and the bottom of her dress were still wet from earlier. Beside her, Lin was waiting for an answer, so she said, “Tenzin, Bumi, and I always bring out the worst in each other. It was stupid argument…Tenzin just has a different perspective on our childhood. I guess I just…lost it.”

“You’re allowed to lose it,” replied Lin softly. “And Kya, even if you weren’t all the amazing things that you are, that wouldn’t make you any less of the Avatar’s daughter. Or Katara’s.”

“I know that. Logically, I know that. And I don’t know what I would do without my brothers,” reasoned Kya as she bent the water from the hem of her dress, drying it. “But sometimes, I wish I had been no one. Just another face in the crowd…I guess I tried to be invisible for years. But I never could accomplish it.”

“You were never meant to be invisible, famous family or not. I refuse to believe that.” Lin stared out into the bay, watching the waves roll gently in front of them. The lights of the city were beginning to come on and reflect across the water as the sun set. “I understand part of it. I’ll never be my mother. But at some point, I found out I was someone else and I guess, I always assumed you had decided to be your own person years ago.”

Lin was right. She had decided to be her own person when she left home as a teenager. And somehow, over the years she learned that the Avatar’s daughter and the roaming Kya could be the same person. That when she healed someone with the gifts her mother gave her, it was both a legacy and her own identity. But sometimes, the doubt creeped back in. Luckily, she had someone in her life to remind her of who she was. It took an earthbender to ground Kya, there was no use in denying it.

When she glanced over to the other woman and to her shock, Lin’s green eyes were staring at her intently. There was something there that hadn’t been present before the argument in the South Pole. For a moment, it seemed as if Lin had something to say. But then, the moment was gone. Instead, Lin leaned over to kiss her on the forehead, both hands firmly on the sides of Kya’s face.

It was a soothing feeling and Kya melted against the other woman. Maybe one day, she would tell her that she loved her. Maybe. But for now, she would hold on to whatever piece of Lin Beifong the spirits saw fit to let her have.

Chapter Text

171 AG

Lin pushed the door to the bunkroom open without knocking. The airship was crawling with airbenders and it had taken a while to find the room that Kya and Bumi were sleeping in. Zaheer had been captured, but Korra was hurt badly. Lin had a feeling the young Avatar wasn’t going to bounce back readily from her ordeal today.

She had spent the last hour on the radio with President Raiko and other world leaders working out what to do with Zaheer when they landed in Republic City. Technically they were in the Earth Kingdom when they captured him, and he was wanted for the murder of the Queen. However, since the fall of Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom was in shambles. No one there was in any position to hold a trial.

There was also the matter of the where to put him. Before Harmonic Convergence, there had been no need to design a prison cell that could hold an airbender, let alone one that could fly. Lin had a few ideas and she had the unique perspective of being both a cop and someone who had been close to airbenders her entire life. When they finally reached Republic City, she would have a lot of work to do. For now, Zaheer was tethered in metal in a storage closet.

When Lin had gone to check on Korra and the others, she found the Avatar asleep in her father’s arms. Tonraq had quietly told her that Kya had spent the majority of the past hour performing a healing session, but Tenzin and Bumi had decided that the waterbender had spent enough of her own precious energy for the day. She had bumped into Tenzin in the hallway and he had pointed her in the direction of Kya and Bumi’s room.

So here she was, standing awkwardly in the cramped quarters of one of the bunk rooms on the airship. Kya was passed out in the bed furthest from the door, while Bumi appeared to be playing fetch with his little spirit creature. He looked back at the door when she closed it.

“How’s Korra?” he asked, his voice hoarse. It told her how injured he must be to not even be attempting humor at the moment.

“Asleep,” answered Lin quickly. Her eyes were fixed on Kya. Kya’s silver hair had been released from its usual loops and was fanned out across her shoulders and the pillow. She was still in her dress from the fight and there was dirt and blood on her tanned face and arms. She had clearly been more worried about Korra than herself.

Lin was pretty sure her heart was beating so hard that Bumi could hear it. When she had heard Mako’s voice telling Korra that they had been tricked and the hostages weren’t at the temple, Lin had felt the fear tighten in her chest. Then seeing how severely injured Tenzin had been had made her realize how much pain she would be in if Kya were dead. The loss of Kya was unimaginable.

Ever since their argument in the South Pole, Lin was coming to terms with how exactly she felt about Kya and what role she wanted her to play in her life. She had been so close that day, on the shoreline of Air Temple Island, to saying I love you. It had taken her by surprise, in the moment. Later, over a stiff drink, she decided that Kya’s emotional state had been what led her to think the words. She wasn’t in love with Kya; she could care about someone and not fall in the love with them. It wasn’t the same thing.

And then the Red Lotus had attacked.

Never before had Lin entertained the idea of physically losing Kya. Their relationship had always been based on being together in the moment and it had worked for nearly ten years. What had changed? The anger that had seared through her at the sight of Kya laying lifelessly in the cave had surprised her. She had felt like it was a personal attack, more so than when she had faced P’Li with Suyin.

The sound of a groan brought her back to reality. Bumi was attempting to get out of bed. Lin rushed over to help steady him. “What are you doing?”

“Giving you a moment alone…” The little spirit bounced around them. Bumi looked up at Lin and patted her shoulder. “I’m too tired and sore to pretend I don’t know you two have been screwing like snow rats.”

“I…what?”

Bumi started limping towards the door, the spirit hovering around protectively. He turned around before he left. “I don’t think anyone else knows, but I saw you together years ago at Izumi’s coronation. I don’t know all the details, but I’m pretty sure my little sister is in love with you.”

Bumi left the shellshocked earthbender alone in the tiny room with Kya, who was still asleep. Lin didn’t know what was more shocking, the fact that Bumi did in fact witness them making out after Izumi’s coronation or that he thought Kya was in love with her. Could it be true? Did Kya feel the same way?

But then, did even matter if Kya loved her back? Lin knew now she was in love with her. There was no way she could deny it any longer. She thought the worst day of her life had been when she lost her bending; now she was certain it was today, the moment she thought Kya was dead. Lin would have traded her bending in a heartbeat if it could have kept the Red Lotus from hurting Kya. Falling in love had caught her by surprise, but now that she knew it, there was nothing that could keep her away from the woman she loved.

Unsteadily, Lin grabbed a stool out of the corner and settled down beside at Kya’s bedside. Tenderly she reached out and brushed her fingers over the stray strands of silver. She was unnerved by how her hand shook. Kya was here and alive and for some reason Lin was still worrying about her. She moved her hand from her hair to where Kya’s hand was laying on the bed. She didn’t want to wake her, but she needed to touch her.

Slowly she traced her fingertips over Kya’s hand, thinking of all the times she had held it. Not in a walking down the street holding hands with your girlfriend sort of way, but she had so many memories of Kya’s hands. How many times had her hands touched her, caressed her, made her feel alive? Or the times those hands healed her or soothed aching muscles? Lin had let those hands travel all over her body and never wanted to be touched by anyone else ever again.

Lin took a deep breath and let her fingers intertwine themselves with Kya’s still hand. Then she hung her head and waited. Lin would be right here when Kya awoke, and it was time to tell her everything. She needed to tell her exactly how much she loved her and how much it scared the spirits out of her.

“You look like I’m on my deathbed.” The voice startled Lin out of her reverie. Kya’s blue eyes were staring at her intently.

“I didn’t mean to wake you, I just…” Her words caught in her throat and she opted to squeeze Kya’s hand instead.

Kya frowned at her and softly asked, “Lin, are you ok?”

“No,” replied Lin honestly. She let out a deep breath and started talking. “I thought I had lost you and I didn’t know…”

“I’m fine, really.” Kya tried to sit up a bit and winced. “Honestly, Korra needs more attention than I do and-”

“Kya, I have to tell you something.” Kya raised a curious eyebrow at Lin’s interruption, but let her speak. Lin’s words came out in an uncharacteristic rush, but she needed to get it all out. “I really thought I lost you and I had to face something I hadn’t experienced before. I was afraid. And I mean genuine fear of never seeing you again. Kya, I’m in love with you. I’ve fallen in love with you and I need you to know that.”

After the words were out in the open, Lin held her breath. It had been a long time since she was this honest with someone. She wasn’t known to wear her heart on her sleeve, and she had no idea what to expect. But facing the possibility of rejection suddenly seemed easier than the thought of Kya dying without knowing how she felt.

Kya released Lin’s hand and reached up to cup her cheek. Slowly and gently, she guided Lin’s face closer to her own. Lin leaned forward as she realized her intent and Kya raised her other hand to slip around the back of Lin’s neck. The following kiss was worth remembering, a kiss of promise. It was a kiss that she never wanted to end. Lin was kissing the woman she loved; it was a feeling of euphoria she hadn’t ever experienced before.

When the kiss ended, Kya kept Lin’s face inches from her own and in a whisper replied, “I love you, too. I’ve loved you for longer than I can admit, and my entire world is complete hearing you say those words.”

“Oh, spirits, Kya.” Lin let out a little gasp of breath. “I really thought I had lost you. I couldn’t protect you…I should have been able to protect you.”

Kya shook her head, trying to reassure Lin, “You were exactly where you were supposed to be: protecting Korra from the Red Lotus-”

“That went so well,” replied Lin sarcastically. Kya gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Korra is alive. I am alive. The Red Lotus has been defeated. Apparently, you have reunited with your sister…” Kya smiled when Lin rolled her eyes. “And you love me. All is right in my world. You are here with me now. I love you so much. I am so happy I can say that out loud. I love you, Lin Beifong.”

“I love you, too, Kya.” The words were both foreign and the most familiar thing all at the same time. Lin sat back on the stool and brought Kya’s wrist to her lips. The two women smiled at each other and even though both knew there would be more to discuss later, the moment was perfect. That was until a knock on the door broke the silence.

Bumi’s voice was practically a shout in the hallway. “I’m coming in and I brought food. I repeat, I’m walking in the door!”

Kya’s eyes flickered toward Bumi’s empty bed as if she hadn’t noticed he was gone and then back at Lin who was holding back half a laugh. Through a smirk, Lin explained, “Bumi saw us in the gardens at Izumi’s coronation.”

“He’s known for this many years and never said a word?” asked Kya in disbelief and awe. Bumi pushed the door open and a tray of food proceeded him into the room. He smiled broadly at Lin’s hand around his sisters.

“Glad you two are comfortable. I brought tea!”

“Thank you, Bum,” rasped Kya as he handed them both a cup. With a knowing look she added, “For everything.”

“Just remember, I’m your favorite big brother,” He replied with a wink. Kya tried to laugh but ended up grimacing in pain.

Bumi went back to his own bed with his snacks and Lin watched Kya savor the cup of tea. Her heartbeat had returned to its normal pace for the first time in hours. Finally, she could let herself relax. After taking a sip, Kya looked over the top of the cup and smiled at her. The sight of the woman she loved, alive and smiling, made her heartbeat increase again.

Everything would be just fine now. Kya was alive and loved her. That’s all Lin could ask for now.

Chapter Text

172 AG

“Babe, will you pass me the noodles?”

Lin paused mid-motion as she held the to-go container in her hand. When Kya reached for it, Lin slowly brought the noodles back towards herself and asked, “What did you just say?”

Kya had to think back on her words and then a small grin appeared on her face. Coyly, she replied, “I asked you to pass the noodles.”

“You called me babe.”

“Oh, for Kyoshi’s sake, what’s the big deal? Its just a term of endearment. I like you…I love you, so I called you babe.” Kya shrugged her shoulders and reacted again for the noodles, but Lin pulled them out of her reach.

Sternly, she said, “I don’t do nicknames.”

“Lin, come on. It’s not even a nickname…it’s just something sweet to call you,” protested Kya, throwing her arms in the air in exasperation.  

“My name is Lin.”

They stared each other down for a few seconds before Kya rolled her eyes and asked, “Can you please pass me the noodles, Lin?”

Lin slid the noodles across the table and started to unpack the rest of their dinner.

“Thanks, babe.”

“Show ‘em how it’s done, Chief!”

Lin looked over her shoulder with a piercing glare. She had volunteered her day and a few of her officers to help train the new airbenders in combat with different bending types; specifically earth and metal, as that is what most of them would be up against in their travels throughout the Earth Kingdom. She was wearing her metalbending uniform, walking up and down a row of airbenders, instructing them how to react to her officers.

Apparently, Kya had come to watch. She sauntered up beside Bumi, who due to his military experience, had been excused from having rocks thrown at his head. He gave her a blazing smile at her entrance. “She’s going to kill you if you keep talking like that.”

“I’m willing to risk it,” laughed Kya as she gave his shoulder a nudge. “Plus, this was supposed to be her afternoon off, which she should be spending with me.”

“You do realize you’re dating the Chief of Police, right?” asked Bumi with an amused smile. Kya shook her head in bemusement at the statement. Of course, that wasn’t the term they were using. And only Bumi officially knew about their relationship.

They both watched as Lin corrected an airbender’s stance. It was easy to forget that the earthbender had been trained by Aang as well as her mother. And there were the years that she spared with Tenzin. She probably knew more about airbending than some of these new benders.

Lin crouched into a defensive stance in front of one of the younger airbenders and showed him where to attack her. Although she easily dodged the gusts of wind, he still got a nod of approval. Then she moved down the line, giving advice and critiquing everyone’s approaches. Eventually, she made her way over to Bumi and Kya.

“Enjoying your time off?” she asked Bumi sarcastically.

Bumi feigned a back injury and groaned, “I’m just too old. I’m decrepit and would only slow them down.”

Rolling her eyes, Lin’s next question was addressed to Kya. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought I’d take a peek at the esteemed Chief at work.” Kya winked at her suggestively.

“Well they certainly aren’t ready for the Force,” grumbled Lin, nodding back towards the airbenders and pointedly ignoring Kya’s flirtation.

“Well you better whip them into shape then, Chief.”

“Wouldn’t you stop calling me that?”

“Aye, Chief!”

“You awake, love?”

Kya’s voice wasn’t a whisper and even it if had been, Lin was such a light sleeper that it would have woken her up anyway. She had just managed to drift to sleep after a rather active evening. Not that she didn’t appreciate being able to have sex with Kya after a long day at work, but now it was time to sleep.

“Hmmm…” was the noncommittal noise that she exuded.

Kya rolled over and cuddled up to Lin’s back. “I was just thinking about that time we all went to visit Uncle Zuko when we were kids-”

“Kya.”

“What?”

“Is this story so important that it will have some impact on my life before I have to be awake in the morning?” Lin kept her eyes firmly closed as she spoke.

“Well, no, but-”

“Then please go to sleep.” The request came out more like an order, but she had been working all day and would have been asleep over an hour ago if it hadn’t been for Kya’s hands.

Kya pressed a kiss to the side of Lin’s head and then rolled back over to her side of the bed. “Goodnight, love.”

“Hmm…”

“Is that all you’ve got, sweetheart?”

Kya held up the sparring pads. The glare of green eyes that flashed back at her made her laugh. The responding punch forced her to take a step back to absorb the hit. Kya had to immediately duck as Lin’s foot came flying at her face.

“Hey!” she cried in protest. “Watch where you’re swinging your leg!”

“Watch who you are calling sweetheart.” Lin’s voice was teasing and there was the slightest smirk on her face as she stepped back to grab a drink of water. With a nearby towel, she wiped away the sheen of sweat that dotted her face.

“I’m not the one hitting like a lily-liver,” retorted Kya.

She knew perfectly well that Lin had a well-balanced workout routine. So when Lin began to say, “It’s about repetitive motion. You aren’t supposed to-”

“Hit as hard as you can every time. That’s how you hurt yourself,” mocked Kya.

Lin rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Think you can do better?”

The question forced Kya to take pause. They both knew Kya wasn’t in the same physical condition that Lin was. But she was certain Lin was teasing her; she was playing along with Kya’s antics this morning. So Kya stripped the pads off her arms and handed them over, saying, “You’re on, sweetheart.”

Lin strapped on the pads and squared up in front of her. “Give me your best shot.”

The first punch landed softly against the padding. Lin raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“Oh, shut up. I don’t do this as often as you,” complained Kya, bringing her fists back up into a fighting stance. “I don’t go around punching people in the face.”

“That’s probably for the best.”

The next few hits landed more firmly as Kya tried to set herself into a rhythm like Lin usually did. Her memory searched for the training sessions as a child with Uncle Sokka about centering herself, remaining on her toes, and applying equal force across her entire fist. But after a few hits, she knew there was no way she could keep this up.

And Lin knew it too. “You’ve got at least two more sets.”

“I don’t think so.” Kya didn’t like to start her day by sweating.

“And what have we learned today?” Lin smirked at her from behind the pads.

“Fine, I won’t call you sweetheart,” exclaimed Kya.

“Ten more.”

“Lin!”

But Lin only raised up the pads for her to hit, not taking no for an answer. So Kya gave nine more halfhearted punches into them. But on the final hit, she put her body behind it. One did not grow up as Sokka and Suki’s niece and Bumi’s sister without knowing how to throw a punch. Lin stumbled back a few steps at the impact of the hit, not prepared for an actual punch. But when Kya lowered her fists, Lin was grinning back at her.

“Dear, I’m going to need you to stop fidgeting.”

Lin put down the papers in her hand with a sigh. Kya raised an eyebrow at the attitude but continued her work on Lin's shoulder. Blue, glowing water flowed over the area between her neck and arm.

"I don't know why it's the big of a deal," grumbled Lin as she eyed the report she needed to work on. "It's just a pulled muscle or something. It'll be fine in a couple of days."

"You can't even lift your arm above your head...that's not something that will just heal itself.” Kya refocused her efforts on the shoulder blade. Frowning a little, she said, “I need you to raise your arm a little.”

“I thought you just said I couldn’t do that,” replied Lin with a smirk. Kya flicked some of the water at her face. Lin pulled away, trying to suppress her laughter, but the pain of movement made her wince. Kya let out a sigh and positioned herself once again to continue healing the shoulder.

“What in Kyoshi’s name were you doing anyway? I thought you weren’t pursuing criminals that much anymore. You know, a paper-pusher.” She nodded towards the folders spread out on Lin’s desk.

Lin hesitated before answering. She didn’t quite meet Kya’s eyes when she admitted, “I wasn’t pursuing a criminal…I was sparing with some of the officers.”

“And you hurt yourself?”

“No. My shoulder just hurts.”

The two stared at each other for a moment, before Kya burst out laughing. She had to stop healing Lin because she was laughing too hard. “You got beat up by a bunch of kids.”

“They aren’t kids. They are police officers that are held to the highest standards. I expect a lot out of them.”

“You are getting old, dear. You can’t be taking on officers half your age.” Kya brought the water to her shoulder again, but Lin waved her off. The stiffness was lessening, and the pain would be gone tomorrow.

Lin picked up the report in front of her and said slyly, “Yeah, but I won.”

“How was your day?”

The question came as Kya breezed into Lin’s apartment. Or at this point, her and Lin’s apartment. The Chief was curled up in the corner of the couch, book in hand, glasses perched on her nose. A smile graced Kya’s face at the sight. It was something most people didn’t get to see: a relaxed and domestic Lin Beifong. She even had an old blue knit blanket that Kya had brought from the South Pole thrown across her knees.

Kya busied herself making some tea in the kitchen as she replied, “It was a good day. I held another meditation class to today with some of the airbenders who are here from the Western Air Temple.”

“Sounds boring, but if you’re happy…” Kya let out a laugh from the other room and Lin smiled quietly to herself. The idea of meditating all day with some airheads was certainly not Lin’s idea of a good day.

Kya poked her head around the corner to ask, “Would you like some tea?”

“Tea sounds wonderful, thanks, hun.” Lin readjusted her glasses to focus on her book again. However, Kya was still hovering in the same spot staring at her. Her mouth was slightly agape which only confused Lin more. “Did you forget how to make tea?”

“You just called me hun.”

“I am absolutely certain I did not.” Lin wrenched the reading glasses off her face to get a better look at Kya, who looked completely flabbergasted.

“But you did.” Kya made an exaggerated motion with her hands. “Ha! You just called me hun!”

A little growl proceeded Lin’s next words. “I don’t employ flowery vocabulary. You are hearing things from all that smoke you inhaled during your meditation.”

Now Kya was doubled over in the giggles. As she tried to get control of herself, Kya swayed towards Lin’s chair. In a sing-song voice she cooed, “You love me.”

Lin rolled her eyes and tried to ignore Kya in favor of her book. “Weren’t you going to make tea?”

“You love me. I’m your honey. You called me hun, because you love me.” Kya plucked the book from Lin’s hands and clambered on top of her. Lin let out a huff, but was finding it increasingly difficult to actually be irritated with her. Instead, she placed her hands on either side of Kya’s hips and leaned into the following kiss. “Admit it, you like me.”

“Oh, hun, I love you.”

Chapter Text

172 AG

Tenzin found his wife in the playroom with his youngest son. The toddler was stacking blocks as Pema watched on, a small smile on her face. Like him, she was having a bit of trouble adjusting to the influx of new airbenders. Some days, they just needed to get away from everyone else.

“How was your meditation, dear?” asked Pema when she noticed him hovering at the door. Rohan gave a little noise of delight at the sight of his father but went back to playing with his blocks.

“It…” Tenzin stopped talking, now not sure how to proceed. Kya had mentioned that she wasn’t supposed to be telling him about her relationship with Lin. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to tell Pema? But how was he supposed to keep this a secret from his wife? He knew Pema wouldn’t tell anyone…but would he be betraying Kya’s trust? However, he didn’t know how to process the information that his ex and sister had found love together. He needed his wife.

“Tenzin?” There was a slight look of concern on Pema’s face now. “Did something happen?”

“Kya came to talk to me…” Surely, Kya would understand if he told Pema. And Pema was very good about keeping secrets, so maybe his sister never needs to know that he told Pema. And how long could Kya and Lin keep this a secret anyway?

“Is it about Korra?” Her concern was genuine. He knew that she held a special place in her heart for Korra and suspected that several promises had been made to Senna when Korra had first come to Republic City. Not that Korra needed another mother, but that someone would be looking out for the young girl’s best interests, not as an avatar, but as a person.

“No…no…she just thought I should know something.” Tenzin settled onto the floor beside his son. “About her personal life, that is.”

“Kya told you something about her personal life?” Pema’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “No offense to your sister, but has she ever told you anything about her personal life?”

Tenzin hesitated and, in what he thought was a cryptic answer, replied, “This time it sort of involved me.”

“Ah.” Pema reached out and squeezed his hand. “And how are you doing with this information, now that you know?”

“I haven’t even told you what she said,” sputtered Tenzin, his neck and face beginning to redden. Now that he was trying to tell her about what Kya had revealed to him, he was having a difficult time. It was one thing to for Kya to tell him that she loved Lin, but something else entirely to say the words out loud.

Not that it bothered him, of course. Why would it bother him?

Pema, on the other hand, was looking far more amused than he thought she should. This wasn’t a matter of Kya informing him she had a girlfriend; that girlfriend happened to be the woman he dated for nearly fifteen years. A woman, that up until recently, his wife certainly didn’t care for.

“Tenzin, Lin Beifong has been showing up to breakfast before the ferry gets here several times over the last few weeks. And I know we don’t have a spare room for her to sleep in. So unless you’ve cleverly figured out a way to have an affair with her without leaving our bed, that leaves your sister.” Pema paused for a moment before adding, “Or your brother, but I don’t really see them making a good couple. Maybe some secret escapades, but not an actual relationship.”

Tenzin stared at her. His shock from Kya’s revelation was slowly fading into surprise that apparently his wife had known the entire time. “Why didn’t you say something?”

Pema’s eyes had a bit of pity in them now. Calmly, she said, “First, it’s none of my business who your sister choses to spend her time with and if she wanted people to know, she would tell us. Second, it is most definitely not my business who Lin Beifong sees in whatever spare time she has. Thirdly, I didn’t know how you would react.”

“I’m reacting just fine!” exclaimed Tenzin, his voice climbing a few octaves. “Lin is a grown woman and since I am happily married, there’s no reason she can’t be happy too.”

“With your sister.”

“With my…” Tenzin let out a huff of air. Rohan seemed to notice his father’s discomfort and handed him a block. Pema seemed to be trying not to laugh at him, which irritated Tenzin slightly. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“It’s alright if it does,” reasoned Pema. A gong sounded somewhere on the island, signaling the beginning of dinner being served in the cafeteria. She stood up and gathered Rohan into her arms. “I think you will be happy that they have each other, once you get over the initial shock.”

Tenzin wasn’t sure how to respond, so he chose to reflect privately and follow his wife in silence. She was right, as usual, that he should be happy that they had each other. Kya was his sister, after all, and especially after their vacation together last year, he felt like he was seeing her in a new light. She deserved happiness.

Even if that happiness was with Lin.

And Lin deserved to be happy. He had always wanted to her find someone like he had with Pema; someone who could connect with her and keep up with her busy schedule. For all their differences, Lin had been his best friend. He could see what Kya saw in her and Pema was right, he should be happy that they had found each other after all these years.

“Hey, airhead, will you tell the President that I’m not a damn messenger pigeon.” Tenzin nearly jumped out of his robes at the sound of an extremely familiar voice. As he and Pema had rounded the corner, they had found Lin walking up the hallway, holding a set of folders.

“I…uh…” Tenzin stared at her. The image of Lin kissing his sister was suddenly very forefront in his mind. He had worked very hard over the years to meditate away all the memories of Lin’s naked body from his brain. And now it was Kya who was enjoying that body. “Lin…”

“What the flameo is wrong with you?” Lin frowned at him and exchanged a quick look with Pema, who just shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Tenzin’s ears started to burn. Lin was sleeping with his sister and having silent conversations with his wife? “I don’t have time to unpack whatever is going on here. The President asked me to bring by this paperwork that you need to file with the city about jurisdiction of Air Temple Island.”

“Yes. Paperwork,” stated Tenzin, trying to focus on what Lin was trying to tell him. However, as he took the folders from her, their fingers brushed, and he was suddenly bombarded with the thoughts of what those fingers had been doing to his sister.

“Did he hit his head or something?” Lin asked Pema.

His wife laughed out loud, shifted her youngest son to her other hip, and replied, “He’s just processing some new information. He’ll be fine. Are you staying for dinner, dear?”

“Not tonight, but thank you.” Lin eyed Tenzin suspiciously as he wondered when she had gotten so comfortable at Air Temple Island that she and Pema discussed having dinner together. They had gone almost a decade without Lin and Pema exchanging a word; when had that changed?

Probably when she started having sex with his sister.

They stood awkwardly in the hallway before Pema let out another sigh and grabbed his arm to guide him around Lin and into the kitchen, but before they got to the doorway, Kya exited the kitchen.

“Oh, there you are! I just wanted to let you know I wouldn’t be around for dinner.” Kya flashed a smile and then saw Lin hovering down the hallway. Her blue eyes flickered from her girlfriend to Tenzin and then back again.

“Why won’t you be at dinner?” asked Tenzin, his own eyes glancing between his sister and ex. Pema elbowed him in the stomach. “Wha…Oh! Yes. Enjoy…eating.”

Kya tried to hide her smirk unsuccessfully. Tenzin knew he was turning red again. Just as he thought he was going to make his escape, Lin exclaimed, “You told him!”

“He’s my brother!” cried Kya in self-defense as Lin stalked towards them. Tenzin tried to move into the kitchen, but Pema stood stubbornly in his way, watching the scene unfold with amusement. Even Rohan was watching in rapt interest from his place in his mother’s arms, although he didn’t understand what was transpiring.

“Well that explains why he can’t string an entire sentence together in my presence. I thought we said we weren’t going to tell anyone!” Lin glared at Tenzin, as if this entire thing was somehow his fault.

“Bumi and Mom know, so I just thought it would be fair if he did too!” Kya pouted a little and Lin looked exasperated. “He’s not going to tell anyone…and it’s not a secret.”

“He certainly won’t be telling anyone; he can’t even look at us right now,” conceded Lin as Tenzin stood stiffly between the two women staring pointedly at the ceiling.

Tenzin opened his mouth to defend himself, but Pema got there first. “Tenzin is very happy for you both. But we all know he’s not the best at expressing his feelings. And your secret is safe with us, I promise.”

“It’s not a secret,” grumbled Lin and Tenzin noticed that Kya’s eyes lit up. His heart softened a little as the woman exchanged a glance. It was weird, this thing between Kya and Lin, but it shouldn’t be. Obviously, they cared for each other. He didn’t want either one of them to be ashamed; the past was the past. Even if he was still repairing both relationships, this was his sister and his best friend.

“I am glad it’s not a secret,” he said suddenly. They didn’t need his blessing, but they should know he approved. His words came out in an uncomfortable rush, “I love you both…I mean, I like you both. No, I love Kya and Lin you are…”

“Oh, spirits, Tenny.”

“No, I’m trying to say that I just want what’s best for both of you. And it seems you are what is best for each other…” Tenzin cleared his throat. Kya was watching him with hopeful eyes; Lin had her arms crossed stubbornly across her metal uniform. “I am honored that you have chosen to tell me. I know that you are both very private and this must be difficult. And I will…”

“Get over it,” finished Pema. Rohan gave a gurgle of agreement. “We wish you a future of happiness.”

Kya crossed the space in the hallway to reach Lin’s side. She placed a chaste of kiss on Lin’s cheek, barely brushing her lips over her scars. Lin’s shoulders relaxed a little at Kya’s touch. Tenzin felt his heart lighten at the thought they could both be happy. It’s all he ever wanted for them both: happiness.

“Come on, the ferry is going to leave without us,” grumbled Lin, but as she turned away, she gave little nod of appreciation to Tenzin. Kya’s smile was from ear to ear now as she followed her girlfriend out.

“Have fun tonight,” called Pema.

Kya looked back over her shoulder and replied saucily, “Oh, we will.”

And just like that, Tenzin’s blush was back.

Chapter Text

172 AG

Lin stalked up the steps to the main building of Air Temple Island. She had barely caught the ferry over, and the day had been a long one. If her officers could be unsupervised for more than five minutes, she may actually be able to get some work done. And now she had to sit through a “family dinner”. Lin wasn’t sure when she started attending family dinners, but now she was celebrating the twelfth birthday of Tenzin’s kid.

As she pushed the door open a gust of wind met her and suddenly something was wrapped her waist. Startled, Lin reached down to find Jinora latching herself onto the metal uniform. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

“Um…” Lin looked around for help and saw Kya smiling broadly, leaning up against the doorway to the dining room.

Jinora squeezed her and said, “Thank you for the book! I’ll treasure it forever!”

Lin glared at Kya and muttered, “I told you to tell her it was from you.”

“No one was going to believe I would give anyone a book as a present,” Kya shrugged. “I’m the cool aunt.”

“That and no one would believe she actually reads.” Bumi came through the door behind Kya and smacked her on the shoulder.

Jinora was still clinging to her and Lin awkwardly patted her on the head. “Um…you’re welcome I guess.”

“Jinora, dear, let go of Lin. You are making her uncomfortable.” Pema walked up the path towards them with a tray of food. Tenzin followed close behind carrying his own tray. He raised an eyebrow as Jinora bounced away from Lin, clutching an old, battered book.

Tenzin and Pema brought the food into the dining room and Bumi, Kya, Lin, and Jinora followed them in. Already seated was Ikki, Meelo, Kai, Opal, and to Lin, surprise, was Suyin. Su had Rohan in her lap, making faces at the two-year-old.

“What are you doing here?”

“It’s nice to see you, too, Lin.” Su handed Rohan off to his mother as the others took their seats. “If you must know, I am in town briefly to visit my daughter. And I was invited to celebrate Jinora’s birthday!”

Lin made a little noise of disapproval but didn’t say anything else. She took a seat between Bumi and Kya and began to help herself to the food on the table. Across the table, Jinora was excitedly showing Tenzin the book she had received.

“It’s a collection of Monk Otso’s notes from his travels around the world. He studied the other types of bending and how they could be transformed into airbending. He studied everything from traditional firebending to the swamp people!” Jinora was practically bouncing off her cushion.

Tenzin flipped through the pages and then looked up at Lin in wonder. “This is a first edition…where did you get this?”

“It’s not a big deal, Tenzin.” Lin looked down at her plate, trying to avoid the conversation. Usually, she managed to pass family dinner without having to say more than one or two words. Kya prodded her with an elbow, and she gave in. “Aang gave it me.”

Silence met her words. Lin looked up to see the entire family staring at her. Jinora gently took the book back from her father and held it to her chest. In a small voice, she whispered, “This belonged to Grandpa Aang?”

“Dad gave it to you?” Tenzin looked at her in amazement.

“Oh, yeah, Aang was always giving Lin books,” said Su offhandedly. “It used to piss Mom off. You know, because of the whole blind thing.”

Jinora continued to stare at her in amazement. Softly, she asked, “Are you sure you want me to have it?”

“I’ve read it a dozen times. I don’t know why you’re all making a fuss about it,” Lin grumbled and took a piece of a roll to shove in her mouth. Under the table Kya gave her leg a squeeze, trying to reassure her. This is why Lin had told Kya to say the book was from her; she didn’t want any of this attention. She couldn’t help but think that Aang would have wanted the book to stay in the family; and at the time he had given it to her, he thought she would marry his son.

“Thank you, Lin, I know Jinora will take good care of it.” said Pema with a smile. “Meelo, why don’t you tell your father about the training session today?”

To Lin’s relief, Meelo launched into a wild story about some of the new airbenders and the wild lemurs that had started living on the island. Bumi asked a lot of questions and the book was largely forgotten. Or at least, by everyone but Jinora who had started reading instead of eating her dinner.

The rest of the meal passed in lively conversation which Lin was able to listen to but was not asked to contribute. It was her favorite way to pass time with the large group. She was perfectly happy not saying anything at all. There were a few times that she thought Su might try to drag her into a conversation, but her sister seemed to be trying to stick to Lin’s good side.

Eventually, the kids all left to do whatever fun there was to do on the island, with Bumi leading the way. This left Tenzin, Pema, Su, Kya, and Lin to clean up the table. Between the five of them, it didn’t take very long, and they sat back down at the clean table to chat. Or at least, Kya, Su, and Pema made small talk while Tenzin and Lin sat around watching.

Su let out a yawn and stretched her arms into the air. “I think I better be getting back to the airship. Thank you for dinner, Pema, it was wonderful.”

“I’m glad you got to stay. And don’t be afraid to come visit more. I know Opal misses you,” said Pema sweetly, adding, “Oh, and if you want to come back down for breakfast, you are welcome to.”  

She let out a laugh and replied, “I may take you up on that.”

“Why are you staying on the airship?” asked Lin with a frown.

“Well, with all the new airbenders, Air Temple Island is a little short on beds,” explained Su with a wave of her hand. “And you always insist that you have a one-bedroom apartment. It’s just as easy to stay on the ship.”

Lin thought for a moment as Su stood up to leave and then said, “You can sleep in Kya’s room.” The words were out of her mouth before she had a chance to fully think through what she was saying.

Su frowned and asked, “Where’s Kya going to sleep?”

“Yes, Lin, where am I going to sleep?” Kya mimicked next to her. Lin turned to see she was grinning from ear to ear with a mischievous smile on her face. Lin felt like smacking her. This wasn’t necessarily how she planned on telling her sister about their relationship, but it seemed silly for Su to go all the way back to the airship. And Lin certainly didn’t want her at her apartment.

“Tenzin, would you help me finish in the kitchen,” said Pema, rising to her feet.

“What? We already put everything-”

“Tenzin. Kitchen. Now.”

Pema smiled at the three women and then practically dragged Tenzin out of the room. Su watched them leave and then back at Lin and Kya. Her brain was working overtime, trying to figure out what had just happened. It was amusing and Lin was suddenly happy to be confusing her sister.

“Kya can sleep at my apartment,” said Lin nonchalantly. Kya was practically vibrating with excitement next to her. This would be the first time that Lin had ever chosen to disclose their relationship to anyone. Kya respected Lin’s need for privacy, but refused to keep their love a complete secret, hence telling Tenzin. And of course, Bumi already knew and apparently Katara had put two and two together a year ago. So that just left her sister.

“Kya can sleep in your one-bedroom apartment…” repeated Su slowly, her eyes flickering back and forth between the two women.

“Like she usually does,” added Lin.

Two long seconds ticked by before Su’s eyes lit up and she let out a loud squeal that startled Lin and sent Kya into a fit of giggles. “I’m so happy for you! Oh, my spirits! How long? Who knows? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Kya had dissolved into full on laughter at this point and Lin rolled her eyes. “I am telling you now. And if you must know, we haven’t really told the entire world or anything. Kya had to tell Tenzin for some reason, and Bumi and Katara both figured it out. It’s not a secret, its just not…”

Su swept around the table to hug her sister around the neck. Kya had finally contained herself and threw her arms around them both. Lin shifted uncomfortably, muttering, “I hate you both.”

Both women released her with smiles on their faces. Su sighed dramatically at Kya and said, “Honestly, I don’t know how you put up with her.”

“Well if I don’t put up with her tonight, it sounds like I wouldn’t have anywhere to sleep,” joked Kya. She pulled Lin by the arm and both of them stood up. Kya knew Lin had reached her socialization limit for the night. Telling Su about their relationship was a huge step and Kya loved her all the more for it.

“Honestly, Lin, I’m so happy for you,” said Su sincerely. Then she added, “Can I at least tell Bataar? I swear I won’t tell another soul, but please, can I tell my husband?”

“Yeah, yeah,” grumbled Lin. She allowed Kya to slip an arm around her waist. She was surprised by how good it felt to share something with Su after all these years. It almost made her feel like the world had somehow been righted again.

Kya kissed her cheek and Su let out another squeal of delight. Before Lin could protest, Kya said, “Let’s get back to the city. Goodnight, Suyin.”

Chapter Text

173 AG

It was a Saturday and the plan had been for them to spend the entire day together. Both Lin and Kya had spent the last few months more on the road than at home. The Earth Kingdom was still in pieces, but Commander Kuvira was making progress. That progress meant that President Raiko needed to stick his nose into every conflict, dragging his Chief along as protection.

Kya had brought healers from the Water Tribes and taken her own tour around the united states, trying to help the sick and injured. There was plenty of grief to go around after the fall of the Earth Empire and many were left wounded in skirmishes by bandits. There was also those who had resisted Kuvira’s army; but for now, peace was beginning to settle. Or at least, Kya hoped so.

Finally, they had one day to themselves. All Lin had to do was go in and sign some paperwork and then they would be free to just spend the day together. She had left just after sunup. The plan was to pick up some breakfast at the bakery on her way home. However, things didn’t go to plan.

After three phone calls and one lunch delivery with an apology, it was almost dinner time when Lin finally trudged back into the apartment. She was tired and her back hurt. Obviously, this wasn’t the way she had wanted to spend the day and was looking forward to finally seeing Kya. However, when Lin finally stepped through the door, she nearly tripped over the coffee table that normally sat in the middle of the room.

Her living room had been completely transformed: there were blankets and pillows thrown haphazardly all over. It appeared the couch had been shoved down the hallway. Candles dotted the floor, probably a fire hazard, and the lights were out. There was a haze in the air and the distinct smell of incense. Sitting in the middle of it all, in just a slip of dress, was Kya.

“What is going on?” asked Lin, gruffly.

Eyes still closed, Kya replied, “I decided to meditate.”

“You decided to redecorate my apartment.” Maneuvering around the errant coffee table, she managed to shut the door behind her. It had hardly been a few seconds and the incense was already giving her a headache. “Clean this crap up.”

“I’m not done meditating.”

Lin’s eyeroll didn’t go unnoticed by Kya, even though the other woman still had her eyes closed. Lin stomped into the kitchen and pulled open the cabinet. Then the icebox. Then another cabinet. A third cabinet slammed shut before she shouted, “Why isn’t there any food in this damn place?”

Kya didn’t dignify the question with a response. They both knew why there wasn’t any food in the cupboards. Kya had only gotten back in Republic City yesterday and Lin hated doing grocery shopping. They had intended on going out for lunch at Kya’s favorite restaurant and then going to the market to pick up ingredients to make a meal together for dinner.

Of course, as soon as the phone had rung at the crack of dawn, their romantic day had gone out the window.

Lin abandoned her hunt through the kitchen to traipse back across the living room, nearly tripping over a loose blanket. Her armor was peeling off before she even made it to the bedroom. Instead of carefully placing it on its rack, the metal made a clanging noise when it hit the floor.

She tried to rub the stiff muscles of her neck as she made her way back to the living room. Kya was still sitting in the middle of the room with her eyes closed. Lin groaned, “Seriously, Kya, I don’t have time for this. My living room can’t be a monk’s temple.”

“Well, seeing as I’ve had literally nothing to do today but be with the spirits, I thought I would make myself comfortable.” Kya finally opened her eyes and uncrossed her legs to stand up in a graceful stretch.

“I said I was sorry, Kya.”

Blue eyes stared back at her. “This was supposed to be our day. We both have been working so hard…”

“It was an emergency.”

“It’s always an emergency!” There was a rise in Kya’s voice that Lin hadn’t been expecting. Well, if she wanted a fight, a fight was what she was going to get.

Defensively, she crossed her arms against her chest. “It’s my job.”

“This was supposed to be our day. It’s been two months since we’ve been in the same city and you couldn’t even manage to take one day off.” Kya made a general motion with her hands at the state of the living room. “So, excuse me if I tried to entertain myself.”

“So you decided to entertain yourself by stinking up my apartment?” Lin’s headache was getting worse. Damn incense. She would never understand how it brought Kya comfort. “People died, Kya.”

“You think I don’t know that? People die every day!” Kya started grabbing blankets and furs off the floor in a flurry of motion. “But you’re not the only cop in Republic City. You promised me, Lin.”

“How many times can I say I’m sorry?” Lin glared at her, not moving to help straighten up the room. There was an aching in the pit of her stomach, and she couldn’t decide if it was from hunger, frustration, or anger.

“And it doesn’t stink! Just because your aura is so bottled up that you can’t breathe, doesn’t mean I have to sit in a stuffy apartment all day!”

“This is why I don’t do this.”

“Do what?” snapped Kya as she threw a bundle of cloth onto the couch.

“This!” Lin made a waving motion between them.

“Being a cop doesn’t make you unable to have a relationship, Lin. You being stubborn and stuck in your orderly life without thinking of other people is the problem.”

“Oh, because you’re so good at settling down-” started Lin, but Kya interrupted her.

“Spirits, Lin, I’m not trying to pick a fight!” Her voice said otherwise.  

“Oh, so redecorating my living room and then yelling at me for doing my job, isn’t picking a fight?” Lin shook her head and headed for the office. Kya was probably right. She was tired and hungry and there was no need to fight. But sometimes, it just felt good to yell at something.

She wrenched the telephone off its place on her desk, dialing from memory her favorite curry place. She placed the order in a gruff tone, and she was sure the poor kid on the other end of the line was going to be scared to deliver it. She had to remember to tip him well. She could feel Kya’s heartbeat through the floor. It was racing and Lin knew she was angry.

When she got back into the living room, Kya had moved back most of the furniture and had extinguished the incense. Her cheeks were flushed, and she didn’t meet Lin’s eyes. Lin stood awkwardly in the doorway, watching Kya work. Part of her knew she should help Kya put everything back, but the petty part of her made her just stand and watch.

“Did you order dinner?” asked Kya stiffly.

Lin had to admit she was surprised that Kya was going to stay. After all, it wouldn’t be that much effort to get over to Air Temple Island; the ferry didn’t stop running for another hour. Most people left after a fight. And this was Lin’s apartment, so she had no intention of leaving. Tensely, she replied, “Yes.”

The apartment fell back into silence. Neither spoke as they waited for the food to arrive. The tension in the air was thick and Lin was extremely uncomfortable, but Kya seemed determined to stick it out. For some reason, it made Lin uneasy instead of comforted that she hadn’t left. Wasn’t that what you were supposed to do? Fight and then leave?

The food arrived within a half hour, obviously the kid that took her order had relayed to the cook that the Chief was in a bad mood. He seemed pleased with the tip, though. The food was steaming hot as they began to eat. All that could be heard was the clinking of spoons against the bowls. Kya’s heartbeat had slowed down to its normal rate and Lin didn’t feel as heated anymore.

Lin was the first to speak. “I’m not going to change.”

“I know.”

The clinking of spoons continued.

Finally, Kya let out a deep sigh and murmured, “I’m not going to leave you.”

“I know.”

“But I’m still mad.”

“Me too.”

Chapter Text

173 AG

Lord Zuko walked a few paces behind the two women after an extremely secret meeting in the Fire Nation Embassy. His daughter, the tall and proud Fire Lord walked slowly, her hands clasped respectfully behind her back. She had her head slightly inclined to a much shorter Lin Beifong, who looked just as professional in her dark metalbending uniform.

He was so proud of them both; not that he had ever doubted they would turn out to be extraordinary women. Nothing gave him greater pride than to see his daughter on the throne of his ancestors but seeing how Lin had made the position of Police Chief her own warmed his heart as well. Lin was just as precious to him as his own child.

All of this made the meeting ever the more important. What he was asking of them was not only important, but extremely dangerous. As Zuko had laid out the plan he and the other members of the White Lotus had detailed, they had agreed immediately. He hadn’t expected anything less, but the guilt was beginning to grip his heart. He knew what he was asking would make them targets for those who wished to disrupt the world, but he knew no one else he trusted with this.

“Umi!” A booming voice echoed through the entryway of the Embassy as Izumi and Lin reached the top of the stairs.

Zuko smiled to himself at the way his daughter’s shoulders tensed at Bumi’s nickname. He knew that, in reality, she actually really liked the moniker. It made her feel included with the other kids when they were younger and as the heir to the throne, she hadn’t had many friends growing up. However, in her Embassy, in front of her staff, and a few citizens, she was less forgiving.

Izumi and Lin were halfway down the staircase to greet the rest of the guests for lunch when Zuko got to the top. He was beginning to regret letting Mai design the Embassy with so many staircases; she had a flair for dramatic entrances. Waiting below were Bumi, Kya, Tenzin, and Suyin. He had extended an invitation for lunch upon his arrival in Republic City. 

It had been decades since all of Zuko’s children had been together for a meal like this. Technically, they had all attended Izumi’s coronation years ago, but since Lin and Suyin hadn’t been speaking at the time, not to mention the tension between her and Tenzin, he had to speak to all of them separately. It made him happy to see they had all put the past behind them, or at least, were getting along in the present. Since Kya was spending more time in Republic City and Suyin had been visiting her daughter, Zuko had an opportunity to see everyone at once.

Bumi was quick to give Izumi a sweeping hug, which she stiffly reciprocated. Tenzin gave her a bow that she returned, but both Kya and Suyin wanted a hug as well. He noticed that Su greeted Lin with a bright smile and a simple hello, something that two years ago would have been an act of war. However, the most surprising hug was the one that Kya bestowed on Lin, who didn’t seem to mind as much as she usually would.

The head chef had prepared a wonderful meal for them out on the patio. He and Izumi took their places at either end of the table, letting the others fill in beside them. Lin took the seat immediately to his right, but to his surprise, it was Kya that seated herself next to her. Tenzin chose to sit directly across from Lin, next to Suyin, leaving Bumi between Kya and Izumi.

As they waited for their meal to be served, Bumi and Suyin entertained Izumi at the other end of the table while Zuko politely inquired about the state of the Air Nation. As Tenzin excitedly relayed all the new benders had accomplished since the last time they had spoken (only a fortnight ago, but Zuko always enjoyed an update on the airbenders), Zuko noticed that Lin and Kya had been speaking softly.

Zuko was getting on in age, but he was fairly certain he knew the dynamics of this particular group. Usually, it was Bumi who could draw Lin into a forced conversation, or Zuko himself. Izumi always was rather pleased to spend time with Lin in silence, a trait both of them appreciated more than anyone else. With their history, Tenzin and Suyin were not natural conversational partners for Lin, but he never imagined Kya to fit into that category.

However, Lin’s body language reflected almost an eagerness and a comfortable air as she listened to Kya’s recount of the day. He managed to pick up on part of their conversation and heard Kya mention that she had stopped by Lin’s apartment to pick up something. Zuko wondered if Kya had been staying with Lin since there were so many airbenders on the Island now.

“I’ve requested to be the official liaison between the Air Nation and the Fire Nation, but my little brother keeps telling me no.” Tenzin’s story to Zuko was interrupted by Bumi’s words. Not that Zuko had retained much of it; it seemed Kya was smiling and touching Lin’s arm. Odd, seeing as usually the metalbender preferred no one touch her at all.

“For the hundredth time, we don’t need an official liaison.”

“But I have the best references. I’ve even been told the Fire Lord respects my opinion.” Bumi pretended to look flabbergasted by the suggestion that his expertise was not needed.

Izumi took a short sip of wine and said stoically, “You should have your messengers fired. I have it under good authority the Fire Lord has said no such thing.”

Bumi roared with laughter and Suyin and Kya were quick to join in. Zuko repressed his own smile, but his eyes had a particular gleam as he watched his daughter enjoy herself for once. Outside of her husband and son, Izumi always had her guard up. However, these were friends where she didn’t need to worry about outward appearances.

Before any response could be formed, several servants entered the room carrying trays of food. The next few minutes were spent with everyone filling their plates. Zuko had made sure that the meals were suitable for all at the table, including vegetarian for Tenzin and Lin’s favorite dumplings.

“I’ve never had this soup before,” exclaimed Suyin, happily helping herself to another bowlful. “You’ll have to have your chef send mine the recipe.”

Beside him, he watched Lin tense up. He knew that Suyin’s Zaofu lifestyle was still something her sister was getting used to. To his surprise however, it was Kya who reached under the table and squeeze Lin’s knee in a reassuring manner. His eyes flickered across the table and noticed that Izumi had seen the motion as well. Their gazes met briefly, and he gave a little shrug of his shoulders. It seemed that with age, the two opposites had found something in common.

Zuko allowed the younger generation to carry on the conversation and found himself wishing that Katara and Toph had joined them. They would all have to get together soon, now that the family bonds had been repaired. He knew that somewhere, Aang, Sokka, Suki, and his dear Mai were watching this meeting fondly. Everyone was laughing and eating, just as they had as children, before life had complicated and tainted them.

“Get your own kabobs,” hissed Lin next to him as she smacked Kya’s hand with a pair of chopsticks.

“They’re all the way across the table and you know if I ask Bumi to pass them, he’ll try to airbend them or something.” Kya gave her a pouting look. “And you know you aren’t going to eat them all.”

Zuko then watched in amazement as Lin took a deep sigh and pushed the kabob in question to the edge of her plate for Kya to steal. Looking up at his daughter, he noticed Izumi’s eyes narrow in the two women’s direction. They were both missing something here.

“Kya, are you in town for long?” asked Izumi, diplomatically.

“Another couple of weeks and then I’ll back to the South Pole for a month or two. Korra has made a lot of progress, but I don’t like to leave Mom by herself for too long. She worries about Korra so much,” answered Kya through bites of kabob.

“I’m sure that your nieces and nephews have enjoyed having you around the Island.” Zuko had to hide a smile; she was certainly a clever girl, that daughter of his.

Tenzin let out a little chuckle and said, “When she makes it to the island, that is. Lately, she’s been dragging Jinora, Ikki, and Opal to the apartment for ‘girl’s nights’.”

“It’s wonderful that you got an apartment in the city,” commented Zuko, trying not to sound too interested.

“Oh, I’ve been staying with Lin lately.”

Well, he was correct about that at least. Lin seemed to be sitting up a little straighter and he saw out of the corner of his eye that Suyin and Bumi shared a knowing glance. This was certainly an interesting development. Kya using Lin’s apartment as a place to stay while she was in town didn’t completely answer the question of their sudden closeness.

“Are you going straight back to Caldera City tomorrow?” asked Tenzin politely, but Zuko knew he was trying to deflect the conversation away from the women. Whatever was going on, the others were in on it, even Tenzin. 

“I have a few meetings to attend to, but Izumi will go straight back, yes.”

Bumi let out a chuckle and raised his glass in Zuko’s direction, “So much for being retired, ay?”

Zuko let out a pleasant chuckle and went back to finishing his food. His meetings were with high-ranking White Lotus members across the world to discuss his business here today. Izumi and Lin were willing to participate in this last effort to protect the spirit. He needed to alert the others to the decisions made today and they couldn’t trust sending letters or being overheard on the radio.

The rest of the meal passed with friendly conversation. Zuko had missed this family being all together. He was thrilled that it seemed they would have more dinners such as this. He also noticed that Kya drank from Lin’s glass two times and that at one time Lin’s arm had draped on the back of Kya’s chair.

He may be old…but he wasn’t that old.

Maybe, just maybe, they had found happiness at this stage of their lives. Kya, it seemed, could be happy wherever she was. For years, she would show up at the palace with a story and a hug. She really blossomed during her traveling and did so much good throughout the world, even in his own nation. Lin, on the other hand, and planted herself in one place, pouring her heart into her job.

There was a balance there, between the two of them. Zuko didn’t know why he hadn’t seen it before. Certainly, they would not have been able to build a relationship in their youth. They were too different then, but maybe those paths had led them to the same future; a future together. It thrilled him that he could still be surprised after all these years.

It seemed his daughter had caught on as well. They exchanged a look across the table when Kya made a particular witty comment that made Lin smirk just slightly. Izumi’s eyebrows were arched so high that Zuko almost laughed out loud. He was getting the feeling that they were being played with.

That hypothesis was proved correct when Izumi took a long sip of wine and Kya reached out to touch a piece of Lin’s hair behind her ear. Izumi gave a cough as she diplomatically tried to cover her surprise and not spit out the wine.

Kya smiled innocently and asked, “Something in your wine?”

Izumi took a deep breath and her amber eyes met Zuko’s. Then the serious Fire Lord persona went out with the wind. “What the flameo is going on?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” answered Kya.

“Lin?”

Lin and Izumi stared each other down from opposite ends of the table. “Yes, Izumi?”

“What is going on?”

“Apparently, Kya is love with me.” Lin’s voice was completely monotone. Suyin had doubled over in silent laughter and Bumi had both hands clasped over his mouth. To Zuko’s pleasant surprise, Tenzin appeared to be amused as well.

Izumi’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so? And please tell me, do you love her back?”

This time Lin’s eyes flashed to Zuko. There was a brightness behind the green that hadn’t been there in decades. “Well, I guess I do. Otherwise, the fact that she’s living with me would be rather awkward.”

Kya let out a dramatic gasp and cooed, “Did you hear that? She said she loved me!”

There was the faintest of blushes in Lin’s cheeks as Bumi started hooting and hollering as if this was the first time he had heard the information. Obviously, Zuko and Izumi were the last to know at the table. As Izumi raised her glass to toast the couple, Zuko felt another jolt of guilt. The danger he was putting in Lin could hurt Kya too.

But the thought was banished from his mind when Lin’s eyes found his again. It took him a moment to realize she was looking for approval. After all these years, she still wanted his blessing. He raised his glass to her and said, “I’m so happy for you both. A toast: to many years of your love together.”

Chapter Text

173 AG

Katara noticed that Senna hung back as Tonraq escorted Korra out of the healing hut. She had been walking on her own for weeks now, but her father stayed close, still ready to catch her if she needed it. The girl was stubborn, but at least today she was being stubborn about getting better. It was progress.

When Tonraq and Korra were out of earshot, Katara told Senna, “Today was a good day. She seemed determined…and almost happier.”

“She got another letter today.” Senna’s voice seemed odd.

“From the Sato girl, right? Korra couldn’t stop telling me about how her new plans for the City got approved. Something about changes to the infrastructure and roadways.” Katara had noticed that when Asami had a success, it often correlated with Korra trying harder during her therapy sessions.

Senna didn’t reply at first, which surprised Katara a little. Over the time that she had known the Avatar’s mother, she usually wasn’t afraid to say what was on her mind. Senna was more timid in personality than her husband, but when it came to Korra she was always spoke up. Maybe seeing the damage done to her daughter had finally worn her down.

“I have something personal to ask.” Senna was looking out at the snow blankly when she spoke. Over the years Katara had always been open with Korra’s parents, so she wondered what could possibly be so personal that Senna would be afraid to ask.

Therefore, she said, “Perhaps we could talk over a cup of tea. I just got in some old favorites from Zuko.”

The two women walked back into the healing hut. Katara always kept a stash of tea and Senna settled in a chair while Katara warmed the kettle. Senna spoke softly, “How did you know, with Kya? Did she just tell you?”

Katara paused as she reached for the cups. What on earth did Kya have to do with Korra’s recovery? She had helped, of course, especially in those early days. And when Kya wasn’t visiting Republic City, she would assist in Korra’s rehabilitation. Korra responded well to Kya, especially when the older woman brought her letters from Republic City…from Asami Sato.

Oh.

“Aang knew before I did. To be honest, I didn’t even really considerate it, one way or another. It was something we didn’t talk about here in the South Pole while I was growing up. Aang, on the other hand, was raised in a place where people didn’t hide who they loved, and where same-sex couples were normal. Both the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation held very negative opinions, especially after the Hundred-Year-War, and in some places being in love with someone of the same gender was illegal. Aang and Zuko, even Sokka, did their best to change the stigma, but you know how people are.”

Senna nodded, listening intently. The water tribes kept their opinions to themselves for the most part, but over the years, thanks in part to Katara’s own actions, it was easier for gay couples to be together and raise a family.

“When Kya was a teenager, I remember one night I was teasing her about one of the boys in her class. She didn’t react, almost like she was embarrassed or nervous. Kya, out of all our children, was always the most confident. She lived her life the way she wanted to. When she reacted like that, I stopped. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. I just figured like every other girl her age, she was starting to pay attention to boys.

“Later that night, I mentioned it to Aang and he asked if I had ever thought that maybe Kya may not be interested in any boys. We spent the next few years trying to subtly show Kya that the way she felt was completely acceptable and normal. Maybe we should have been a little more up front about it, but that’s parenting, I guess. Kya left Republic City when she turned eighteen and when she came back to visit a year later, she was with a girl who she introduced on her girlfriend. I thought, there she was, my confident little girl, ready to take on anyone who dare question who she was.”

“So, I should just wait for her to tell me?” asked Senna when Katara handed her the warm cup of tea.

“I honestly don’t know. I always asked myself if we did the right thing – if we could have supported her more. Kya always swears that she never felt that she couldn’t tell us because she thought we wouldn’t approve. She said she had to become comfortable with herself first.”

“Korra has so much to deal with right now. And I don’t even know if she realizes she’s in love with the girl. And what if Asami doesn’t like her back in the same way?” Senna shook her head in frustration. Katara’s heart ached for her. All any mother wanted was for her child to be happy.

“I’m not her mother, but if you’re looking for advice, here’s what I have. Korra is getting stronger every day. She is fighting something inside of herself, but I don’t think any of it has to do with her thinking you wouldn’t approve of a relationship with another woman.”

“Thank you,” murmured Senna. “I don’t even know why I’m worried about this. Asami is a good friend to Korra and she has been for years. And if they could something more between them, I’d be so happy for them.”

“You’re worried because you love your daughter and you just want her to be happy.”

“Will she be happy again?” There were tears in the corners of Senna’s eyes as she spoke. Katara a sip of her tea and tried to think of a way to comfort her. She of all people knew the burden of worrying over your child and the burden of loving the Avatar. In Senna’s case, those were both the same thing.

Katara knew that Korra felt alone and it pained her to think that Aang and the other Avatars weren’t able to help her. Katara often found herself wondering over the past few years what her husband would say to Korra. But maybe, in this moment, a moment between mothers, her word was better than Aang’s.

She set down her teacup and reached out for Senna’s hands. “She will be happy again. Your daughter is strong; she is resilient. Right now, she thinks she is broken. No matter how much I heal her or how much you love and support her, she is going to have to put herself back together again. And she will. Not because she is the Avatar, but because she is Korra.”

There was nothing left to be said between them, the two mothers. Senna nodded and wiped her tears. She finished the last drops of her tea and then left the healing hut to go home to her daughter.

To Kya’s amusement, Korra was sitting on the front stoop of Kya’s hut when she arrived from Republic City. When Kya had left two months ago, Korra was making the decision to stop using her wheelchair altogether. It seemed she was getting around much better now, because she scrambled to her feet when Kya got within eyesight.

“Let me help you with your bag,” said the young woman as she reached for one of the knapsacks slung over Kya’s shoulder. Kya let her take it, even though she certainly didn’t need any help getting her luggage across the few extra steps into the hut, seeing as she managed to get them from the boat to this point without any trouble.

As Korra traipsed into her living room, she asked bluntly, “Do you have any letters for me?”

“What do you take me for, a messenger hawk?” Korra’s face fell and Kya had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. “I’m joking. Hold on, let me get them.”

Korra’s blue eyes brightened again as Kya dug through one of the bags. Finally, she found the small leather pouch and started to unload it. “I’ve got two letters from Asami, three from Bolin, a little note from Mako…which he wrote after I told him I wasn’t delivering verbal messages. And here’s a picture from Ikki, but don’t ask me what it’s supposed to be. Meelo’s art is much better – he painted you a portrait of his lemur. And Jinora thought you might like this book. I told her not everyone likes to read for enjoyment, but she seemed confused why no one would want to read the autobiography of a monk.”

Korra took the bundle of gifts eagerly and Kya couldn’t help but notice that she flipped through them to find the envelope with Asami Sato’s neat handwriting spelling out Korra’s name. “Thanks, Kya, you’re the best.”

“No problem…” Kya hesitated. She knew she shouldn’t say anything. But she remembered the look on Asami’s face when she gave Kya the letters; the strain in her voice when she asked how Korra was really doing. “They miss you…a lot.”

Korra’s smile faltered and she shoulders seemed to slump a little. “I’m not really ready to see anyone. And they’re busy, you know. Asami has this really amazing project that she’s developing. She was supposed to start on the prototype after her last letter. I hope one of these tells me how it went.”

Kya knew that Korra had only been writing back to Asami. Some days she wanted to tell Korra that Mako and Bolin wanted to help just as much as Asami did, but Korra was on a difficult journey right now. It wasn’t Kya’s place to judge her choices.

Normally, over the past few years, when Kya would bring letters and well wishes to Korra, it was during her next therapy session. At first, Korra hadn’t wanted anything to do with her life in Republic City. But as her body improved, she started to look forward to hearing from her friends. That’s when Korra had started giving her letters to bring back to Asami.

However, this was the first time Kya and Korra had been alone outside of the healing hut. There was something on her mind and Kya had an idea what it was. So, she took a chance, watching Korra stand there, staring down at Asami’s letters, and said, “She misses you.”

Korra didn’t answer right away. Her voice, when it came, was hallow. “She has other friends. She has Mako and Bolin. She has her company.”

“I’m sure all of those things are important to her. But I think you are important to her, too.” Kya stepped up to Korra and very slowly and gently in case Korra didn’t want her to touch her, placed her fingers beneath Korra’s chin. She raised her face so that their eyes met. Blue on blue. Only, one set of blue eyes was carrying the weight of the world. The next words Kya spoke with full conviction to make sure Korra understood. “There is nothing wrong with the way you feel about her.”

“I know…” The young Avatar’s voice was weak, and Kya could see the internal struggle she was suffering from.

“But?” prompted Kya, letting her hand fall away from Korra’s face. She stayed close to her, a visual pillar of support.

“I did love Mako…”

“Your feelings for Mako don’t negate your feelings for Asami. And your feelings for Asami have no bearing on your relationship with Mako,” Kya told her sternly.

“But…”

“There are plenty of people who love both men and women.” Lin’s face came into her mind. For a moment she contemplated telling Korra about their relationship, but Lin wasn’t here. And this wasn’t about her, it was about Korra. “Only you know your own heart.”

“How do I know? How do I know that she feels…that she feels the same way?” Korra looked at Kya as if she held all the answers. The truth was, she didn’t. No one did.

“Listen, honey, I can’t pretend I know how to navigate falling in love. I’ve jumped off the deep end a few times without looking; sometimes someone caught me, sometimes they didn’t. I’ve fallen in and out of love in a single night. I’ve given my heart to someone who didn’t want it and I’ve let some people down myself. I’m not going to lie and say that I don’t know how it feels to wonder if a woman loves me back; to fear the rejection and ridicule of being a woman who loves other women instead of men. Trust me, the world is not always a welcoming place and people can be cruel.”

Korra seemed to be lost in her words, so Kya decided to bestow the last piece of advice she had; the advice she wished she had been told. “I tried not to fall in love; it hit me like a polar bear dog when I realized I was so far gone there was no going back. You can’t keep your heart from being in love. I lost years I wish I could have back.”

“So what do I do?” whispered Korra.

“You listen to your heart.”

Lin rounded a corner at City Hall and almost collided with Asami Sato. The young CEO was hovering by a window, a bundle of papers and scrolls held protectively against her chest. Lin was on her way for a meeting with President Raiko and it seemed Asami had just left a meeting of her own.

At first, Lin gave a nod of recognition and continued down the hallway. But there was a certain paleness to the young woman’s complexion, as well as an emptiness in her eyes. In fact, Asami hadn’t acknowledged her at all. Odd, really, as Asami had inherited her father’s ability to entrance anyone who crossed paths with her: an important skill in her line of work.

Her first instinct was to keep walking to her meeting with the President; the second was to see what was wrong with Asami. Lin got about a dozen steps further down the hallway before the second instinct won out. She was a police officer, after all, it was her job to help. And the Sato girl looked lost. So, she turned swiftly on her heel and backtracked to where Asami still stood silently by the window.

“Is that your proposal for the new overpasses?” asked Lin, trying to make the conversation seem natural. Her voice seemed to shock Asami out of her reverie, though, so at least it was working.

“Oh, Chief Beifong, I didn’t hear you walk up.” There were bags under the young woman’s eyes and Lin knew a sleepless look all too well. Asami shifted the paperwork in her arms and replied to the question, “Yes, President Raiko and the Council seemed pleased with the progress. They told me I won the bid, and we will be signing the contract next week after all the lawyers look it over.”

“Congratulations.” Lin of course already knew that Future Industries had won the bid since she had been present for the vote. “I’m sure you’re happy that all that hard work paid off. The city will be better for it.”

“Yes, of course.” Although she tried to make her words sound enthusiastic, Asami’s voice didn’t quite match the happiness the situation warranted.

Lin cleared her throat, looking up and down the hallway to make sure no one was listening in. Then she said in a low voice, “Listen, kid, I know I don’t usually follow this advice, but you look like you could use a vacation.”

Asami gave a small smile at her words. “Thank you, Chief, but I’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“One of the perks of being the boss is that you can hire other people to do the work for you.” This made Asami give a dry laugh and even Lin smirked. Then she added, “I’m serious, Sato, you look dead on your feet. I hear the South Pole is beautiful this time of year. I’m sure you’ve got a boat to take you.”

For the briefest moment, a sad look crossed Asami’s face. In a tight voice, she said, “I’m not sure that’s where I’m meant to be…”

Lin thought on her words for a moment. She knew that Kya had her suspicions about Korra and Asami’s relationship, but the girls hadn’t seen each other face to face in almost two years now. Lin knew that she didn’t have the best track record when it came to successful relationships, but there was a piece of advice that she could bestow on the young woman.

“If you don’t think it’s where you’re meant to be, then it isn’t.”

Blinking back the beginning of tears, Asami whispered, “I don’t think she wants me there.”

“Kid, every relationship has the right time to start and the right time to end. Sometimes we get it right; sometimes we don’t. There’s been a boat I shouldn’t have gotten on and one I wish did. I’ve been where you are: writing letters to the South.” A flicker of confusion crossed Asami’s face at first. Then she could see a dawning of realization on her face. Lin continued on, not allowing Asami to slip in a question. “If you feel like you are meant to be here, then this is where you should be. Maybe you’ll regret it. Or maybe it’ll be the right call.”

“Thank you,” replied Asami gently, hugging her scrolls and plans closer to her chest.

Lin gave a little nod and the two parted ways. However, as they each reached opposite ends of the hallway, Lin called out: “Sato!”

“Yes?” Asami turned on her heel.

“Keep writing those letters, kid.”

A real smile spread across Asami’s face as she promised, “I will.”

Chapter Text

172 AG

Chief Beifong is never late.

There was the rare occasion that she was too injured or had spent a late night working a case, but in those situations, she usually called in. There had been one time during Mako’s first year as an officer that it seemed like she was going to be late, but it turned out she made a bust on her way into the office. Chief Beifong was known for being on time and she expected her all of her officers to do the same.

And on time meant that you arrived at work before the Chief.

Today, that was proving to be an easy task. When Captain Quang, who had been excused from the ‘on time’ rule because his wife had just given birth to a little girl, arrived before the Chief, a rumble started throughout the office. Mako was happy that he had a few more minutes to complete the report that Beifong would expect on her desk as soon as she got here, so he paid little mind to the rumors that were beginning to circulate.

Only Tani, Beifong’s personal assistant didn’t seem to be participating in the betting pool. From Lu’s loud voice, it seemed the leading theory is that the Chief was single-handedly stopping a bank robbery. Mako did note that Tani kept checking the clock and didn’t seem to be getting much work done besides watching the front door. Obviously, she was concerned.

Mako slowly walked to Beifong’s office, knowing that if the report wasn’t waiting for her when she finally got in, she’d have his neck. Before he reached the door, the elusive Chief marched through the front door of the precinct. Complete silence fell over the office, so all that could be heard was the metal clang of her boots.

Gang broke the silence with a sarcastic, “Stop for breakfast this morning, Chief?”

“Maybe I did,” replied Beifong with a slight shrug of the shoulders. “Although it seems you lot are incapable of getting morning rounds started without me…”

The hint was taken and the daily shuffled started. Mako held out his report and she jerked it from his grasp to head into her office. Oddly, Beifong seemed almost flustered. Mako thought her cheeks seemed a little redder than usual. However, he didn’t have time to think too much about it as he had a full schedule in front of him for the day.

172 AG

Mako was buying lunch at his favorite market stall with a couple of the other officers when he saw a flash of grey uniform a few stalls away. Chief Beifong was eating a sandwich walking along the sidewalk. Then to Mako’s surprise, he noticed that Kya was walking with her and appeared to be doing a bit of shopping.

“Who’s that with the Chief?” asked Yuke before stuffing a bun into her mouth. Song and Yan glanced in the same direction that Mako was staring. Yan gave a little shrug.

“That’s Kya,” supplied Mako, as he finished paying the vendor for a very delicious looking bowl of noodles.

“Who?”

“Kya…um…she’s Councilman Tenzin’s sister. Avatar Aang’s daughter,” Mako now only had eyes for his noodles. He was starving. He had woken up late and hadn’t had time for breakfast and now he was late grabbing lunch as well. He and Yuke had been working on a robbery case. However, he was pretty sure this was Yan’s second lunch of the day.

“You mean Councilman Tenzin’s sister, as in her ex’s sister?”

Mako shoveled a bite of noodles into his mouth before answering. “I guess. She’s been back in town for a while. I’m pretty sure they were all friends as kids.”

Yan snorted. “Chief doesn’t have friends.”

“You asked who she was; I’m just telling you,” replied Mako as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“Isn’t Avatar Aang’s daughter famously only interested in women?” mused Yuke.

“Well, that’d be one way to get back at your ex…shagging his sister…” Song let out a burst of laughter with Yuke and Yan joining in.

Mako’s stomach had just stopped growling long enough for him to stop shoveling noodles down his throat and look back at the Chief and Kya. It was odd, that Beifong would take time out of her day to spend time with Kya as she shopped. But maybe they had run into each other by chance and just decided to spend lunch together.

Of course, Song’s insulation that they were carrying on some sort of illicit affair was ridiculous.

He watched as Kya practically bounced at Beifong’s side, telling an animated story as she shopped. The Chief was eating her sandwich but listening intently to everything the other woman was saying. Mako knew that they had rekindled their friendship over the last few years, but the idea that there was something else going on was absolutely ridiculous.

173 AG

Mako took the steps two at a time down to the boat dock. Bolin was staying on the island, but Mako had work in the morning, so he would be catching the boat back with Beifong. They had come over together on a private boat for dinner at Air Temple Island together. Both had been equally dreading the family affair; but Bolin had insisted Mako attend.

It was less clear as to why Lin had been obligated to attend.

She was waiting on him now, down at the boat. Bolin had been talking his ear off all night and he knew Beifong had wanted to leave a half hour ago. He wasn’t expecting to find Kya sitting on the bow of the boat when he finally reached the dock. The waterbender was dangling her feet over the edge, letting the water splash up around her ankles as she bent it while Beifong readied the boat.

The first time that Beifong had offered to take him over to the island, it had surprised Mako that she knew how to operate the boat on her own with such ease. Although under further thought, he realized that she probably regularly went from the City to the Island throughout her life. He actually liked riding with Beifong on the boat; she seemed less stern at the helm. Most of the time, she absolutely refused to say anything at all, which was nice too. Just the two of them; riding in silence.

Every once in a while, though, they would discuss a case he was working on. Mako had found that Beifong had a particular talent for unsticking a problem he was having or make him look at a case from another angle. He liked sounding his ideas off her on the boat; it was as if she was no longer Chief Beifong out here, but rather Detective Beifong.

“You ready?” asked Lin as she threw the tie-off onto the dock. Mako quickly hopped on board, just as Kya was swinging her legs over the edge to saunter over to the helm. The engine revved up and they took off back towards the city.

“Hey Kya…” said Mako, trying to sound natural. He had no idea why she would be going into the City at this time of night. There wasn’t a boat back to the island until the morning.

She gave him a little wave. “Hope you don’t mind that I catch a ride with you.”

“Of course not…” Mako watched in curiosity as Kya leaned her hip against the helm as Lin piloted, talking too quietly for him to hear. Kya talked with her hands a lot, waving them whimsically in the air. To his surprise, Beifong seemed to be enjoying it. At one point, he saw her smirk.

He nearly fell overboard.

Kya had made the Chief almost smile.

And that wasn’t even the weirdest thing that happened. When they reached the docks, there was no one waiting to take Kya to her destination. In fact, it seemed Beifong was giving her a lift. Mako climbed into his own car and watched as the two drove off in the direction of the Chief’s apartment.

Obviously, Kya had a friend in the city who lived on route to Beifong’s apartment and she would be dropping her off. Unless…Kya was staying with Beifong. They were friends after all. Mako shook his head, trying to clear it. He was too tired to try to decipher this particular mystery tonight.

173 AG

Balancing the two cups of coffee in one hand and the file folders in the other, Mako had to use his foot to knock, or rather kick, on the Chief’s door early on a Tuesday morning. He had made an important break in his case late last night and had a suspect in custody. He wanted to run a few things by Beifong before the interrogation and the best way to do that was to walk with her to work.

It was something he had learned during his first few weeks on the job. The detectives liked to bring her coffee at her apartment and walk (or on rainy days, drive her) to the precinct together to bring her up to speed. Apparently, Beifong liked to be informed before she ever walked into the office. It certainly scared the wits out of the rookies who had no idea how she knew what they had done on the beat last night.

Beifong answered the door, bagel stuffed in her mouth. She gave him a little nod of approval and motioned for him to wait inside. She finished her breakfast quickly as she gathered the paperwork that was strewn across her coffee table. Mako couldn’t help but notice there was a pair of shoes next to the door that were defiantly not the Chief’s.

“Whatcha got, kid?” asked Beifong, finally through with her bagel.

Mako started into his rehearsed update, handing her the extra coffee. He had worked all night and hadn’t slept more than thirty minutes in sixteen hours, but he was sure he had gotten his guy. As they walked out the door, Mako realized that there was the sound of water coming from the back of the apartment.

Someone was using the Chief’s shower. At six in the morning. And had left their shoes by the door.

Well…at least someone had a better night than he did.

174 AG

Kya was perched on the edge of Tani’s desk when Mako walked back into the precinct. He had just been making some rounds and needed to check back in before officially being off work. Kya and Tani were so involved in their conversation that neither woman noticed him walk by.

Song, Gang, and Wu were watching the two women intently when he reached his desk. Song filled him in. “The Avatar’s daughter showed up about ten minutes ago. Apparently, she’s supposed to be having dinner with the Chief.”

“Her name is Kya,” replied Mako, absentmindedly. “Where’s Beifong?”

“Finishing some paperwork.” Gang put finger quotations around the phrase. He let out a snort. “Like anyone can make the Chief leave work early. Robbery just booked a guy they like for the Moon Spirit Street robberies.”

Beifong’s office door opened and she walked out, not a piece of paperwork in sight. She nodded to Tani saying, “You know where to find me.”

Her secretary dutifully nodded, and Kya gave her a blazing smile. The two the left together. Mako glanced over to see Gang’s mouth hanging open and Wu’s eyebrows had completely disappeared beneath his mop of dark hair.

Song let out a long whistle. “Chief got herself a lady friend.”

“I’d say that’s an upgrade from the Councilman,” laughed Wu. “Who knew Beifong was getting more ass than the rest of us?”

“Who knew Beifong played for both teams?”

Before Mako could correct them to the nature of Beifong and Kya’s friendship a throat cleared behind them. Assistant Chief Saikhan stood with his arms crossed and a frown on his face. “I think the four of you have better things to do than making baseless gossip in the office. You’re lucky that Chief Beifong has friends to go to dinner with and not spend her time yelling at you to get back to work.”

“Yep.”

“Sure thing, Chief.”

“Got it.”

Mako nodded, although he was irritated that he had been grouped in with those three knuckleheads. As Song, Gang, and Wu quickly shuffled papers on their desks, Mako looked back at Saikhan who was watching the door that Beifong and Kya just exited with an amused, almost happy, expression on his face. When he noticed Mako staring, he grinned and winked, before walking back to his office.

174 AG

Asami twirled her chopsticks in the air as she described her latest project over dinner at Kwong’s. For the last few years, they had made a deal to meet for dinner once a month just to catch up. Of course, they rarely managed it and it had been three months since they had sat down for a meal. They had seen each other in passing in the meantime, but they tried to reserve a night for just the two of them.

She had spent most of the dinner bringing him up to speed on some changes she was making to the Satomobile. This was the part of Mako and Asami’s relationship that he had missed: how excited she got about one of her inventions. Of course, any other feelings had long ago faded away, but he did enjoy watching her light up as she explained some technicality that he could never comprehend.

He bit into one of the dumplings, his favorite item on the menu, savoring the taste. As Asami continued talking, his eyes caught a glimpse of a familiar face a few tables over: Chief Beifong. He wondered how he hadn’t noticed her earlier until he realized she wasn’t wearing her uniform. Just a crisp green tunic over grey pants. Sitting with her was none other than Kya.

“Mako?” Asami’s green eyes sparkled at him from across the table. She seemed amused by his distraction. “I know that not everyone gets as excited about spark plugs as I do, but you really seemed to tune out just then.”

“Oh, no…the spark plugs are great.” Mako stuffed the rest of the dumpling in his mouth, distractedly. After he finished chewing, he added, “Sorry, it’s just that Chief Beifong is over there with Kya. I’m just not used to seeing her without her uniform on.”

Asami shifted subtly in her seat and flipped her hair over her shoulder to sneak a look. When she glanced back at him, there was a knowing smile on her lips. “Only Kya could get Lin out of her uniform.”

The double entrendre was not lost on Mako. He raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re convinced too? Half the office is certain they’re sleeping together. I think there’s even a betting pool going.”

“I’m not one for rumors…” Asami shook her head, but then bit her lip, leaning in close to whisper. “But do you really not see it?”

“I mean…”

Mako’s mind started racing. Kya had been spending a lot of time in Republic City and now that he thought about it, not just on Air Temple Island. When he saw Kya in the City, she was usually with Lin…and they did seem to go to dinner together a lot. But they were just old friends…who apparently slept over. Mako was now certain that it had been Kya’s shoes at the apartment last year and it must have been her in the shower.

Asami was giggling across from him now. He gave her an exasperated look, but she just shook her head and said, “I know she’s your boss, but she’s still a woman. Just be happy for her.”

“Of course I’m happy for her…for them,” sputtered Mako, his dumplings now forgot on the plate in front of him. “It’s just sorta…I don’t know…she’s my boss! I’m not supposed to think about her like that.”

Between gasps of breath from the laughing fit, Asami managed to say, “I’m pretty sure everyone knows. It’s just that no one talks about it. I just assumed that you being ‘Mr. Detective’ and all, you would have figured it out.”

“How did you find out?”

“Lin sort of told me…” Asami had managed to control her laughter and took a sip of water. “I don’t think she meant to, but she was trying to give me advice and let it slip.”

“Since when is Beifong giving you advice?”

“Excuse me, you don’t have a monopoly on advice from Lin Beifong,” teased Asami and he rolled his eyes.

Mako glanced back at Beifong and Kya. Now that it had been pointed out to him, he couldn’t unsee it. The way Beifong looked at her, there was no denying she had it bad for the waterbender. Anyone who couldn’t see that was a fool. Apparently, all of Republic City was just letting them have their secret, though. Besides the gossip at the precinct, which was kept strictly between the officers, there hadn’t been a hint of it in the papers.

“I think it’s sweet,” murmured Asami. Then she picked up her glass and raised a small toast, “To finding love at any stage of our lives.”

This did make Mako laugh and he was happy he had managed to make time for this dinner. He raised his glass to clink with hers. “To Lin and Kya.”

Chapter Text

The sound of running feet and giggles were not something that Lin was accustomed to coming home to. A screech of joy proceeded a naked child sprinting through the living room as Lin shut the front door behind her. The boy took one look at her and let out another screech and ran full speed back down the hallway.

Lin let out a long sigh before slowly following him toward the back of the apartment. The screeches turned into giggles as the little boy sprinted into her bedroom. She could hear Kya’s cooing voice as she proceeded down the hallway. For all she had done in her life to make sure no child of Tenzin’s ever entered her household, falling in love with his sister had undone all of it.

Jinora showed up some days out of the blue and Lin was starting to suspect that it wasn’t always to see her aunt. Ikki and Kya shared “creative days” which usually ended in paint all over Lin’s kitchen. For a while it seemed she would be spared the two boys, but Kya had taken to bringing Rohan back to the apartment on the days she volunteered to babysit.

However, usually the toddler was gone by the time that Lin got home from work. In fact, tonight she had worked late, so there was no reason for Rohan to still be in her apartment. Judging by the wet footprints on her wood floor, it was bath time. Her suspicions were proven correct when she entered the bedroom and could hear giggling coming from the on-suite bathroom. She took a deep breath before entering the bathroom.

Kya was dressed in a grey slip and was using a towel to dry Rohan’s head as he shrieked with laughter. Lin allowed herself to enjoy the bright smile on Kya’s face before asking, “Aren’t you a waterbender?”

Kya glanced up, grey hair falling into her face. Rohan gave a little hiccup, his earlier excitement tampered down by Lin’s appearance. “It’s more fun this way,” she replied before continuing to try to smother the boy with the towel.

“Dry! Dry! Dry!” shouted Rohan. Kya had told her that he was quite talkative for his age, even though some it was still gibberish. However, whenever Lin was around, the boy didn’t say much. Kya said it was because she was intimidating. They had several conversations about ways Lin could make the boy more comfortable in her presence. Kya said she was too severe and stiff; apparently she needed to be more gentle with the younger kids.

“It’s getting late,” noted Lin, trying not to sound irritated. It’s not that Lin hated children…it’s just that she had no intention of liking them.

“About that,” said Kya, biting her lip. She dropped the towel and reached for his clean clothes that were sitting on the counter. “There’s a lot going on at the Temple tonight and I told Pema I’d keep Rohan here.”

“Here?” repeated Lin, not sure she heard her right. Kya got down on Rohan’s level and began helping him into his pajama bottoms. There were numerous reasons Lin did not permit sleepovers of any kind at her apartment. The rules were firm. “Kya, where is he going to sleep?”

“I set up a little cot in your office. Will you hand me his shirt?” Kya nodded to the counter where the yellow garment laid. Lin tossed it their direction, earning a disapproving glare from Kya, and a reminder to, “Be gentle.”

“Kya, we’ve talked about this!”

“It’s one time and Rohan has promised to be a good boy! Haven’t you?” Kya nuzzled their noses together, causing the giggles to come back. After she fitted the shirt on him, she scooped him into her arms. “He’s going to be asleep in an hour and then you won’t even know he’s here.”

“Hmph.”

“I’m going to read him a book before he goes to bed.” Kya eyed Lin’s uniform. “After you take that off, you can join us.”

“What?”

Kya pushed past Lin, Rohan on hip, to leave the bathroom. As she passed by, she murmured, “What do we have to be with children?”

The faint memory of a conversation revolving around small children and babies, specifically Rohan, from a few years ago popped into Lin’s mind. With a grumble, she replied, “Gentle.”

“Metal isn’t gentle,” replied Kya in a sing-song voice. Lin rolled her eyes.

After changing out of her uniform and refreshing herself in the bathroom, Lin went back to the living room. She noticed that all the wet footprints had been dried, presumably by Kya. The two sat on the couch, a book in Kya’s hands. Lin watched for a moment as Kya read, making comical facial expressions and annoying voices. The kid seemed to be enjoying it though, as he clapped his little hands together.

It was then that Rohan noticed her standing there. He waved at her and said, “Chief!”

Lin wondered briefly who had told him to call her that. Kya looked amused, so it must have been Meelo. Or possibly Ikki. Now, though, she had a problem. She had no idea what do to. She didn’t actually want to read a bedtime story with them, but it was her living room.

Rohan bounced a little in his seat and patted the cushion next to him, repeating, “Chief!”

Suppressing the urge to groan out loud, Lin walked awkwardly to her own couch, taking a seat at the far end, away from Kya and Rohan. Kya continued to read, but Rohan wasn’t listening anymore. He slipped off his spot on the couch, rushed as quickly as his little legs would allow, and climbed back up on the couch next to Lin.

Alarmed, Lin looked over at Kya. Rohan snuggled up against her hip and turned so he could face his aunt as she read but lean on Lin’s lap. Kya grinned and mouthed “Be gentle” silently to Lin. Not that it helped. Lin was frozen in place, afraid to move. If she did, she might knock the kid off the couch altogether. All she could hope for is that the story was almost over.

Rohan fell asleep before the end of the book. His little eyes had closed, and his breathing had evened out. Once she was sure he was asleep, Kya put the book down and quietly came over to pick him up. Gently, she scooped him into her arms, letting his head rest on her shoulder. Rohan never moved, completely unaware that he was being carried.

It amazed Lin that Kya could transport him without him waking up. She followed Kya and Rohan to her office where a little cot had been set up in the middle of the room. Then, as gently as she could, Kya laid the boy down and tucked him in. He was so peaceful; fast asleep without a care in the world.

Wordlessly, the two women proceeded down the hall to their bedroom. Once the door was closed, Kya smirked and said, “See, that wasn’t that hard.”

Lin grimaced and ignored her, going to the bathroom to finish getting ready for bed. When she came back, Kya was brushing her hair in the mirror. Long, fluid strokes of the brush swept her gray hair over one shoulder. Lin tried not to take these moments for granted. Kya was beautiful and it never ceased to amaze her.

While Kya finished with her routine, Lin set her armor up on it’s stand. It didn’t need to be completely polished tonight, but there were a few spots that had gotten scuffed this week that she would like to buff out before going to bed. However, as she reached for the bottle of oil, slender arms wrapped around her waist and lips pressed to her neck.

“I missed you today…”

“You had company,” teased Lin, enjoying the feeling of Kya pressed to her back. Hands gripped Lin’s waist to spin her around. When they were face to face, Kya cupped Lin’s face, bringing their lips together for a firm kiss. The first kiss soon turned into a second and Kya was beginning to sink her teeth into Lin’s bottom lip when the metalbender pulled away slowly.

“Long day?” asked Kya, looking slightly put out that her advances had been rejected.

Lin raised her eyebrow. “There’s a three-year-old down the hall.”

“And?”

“There’s a child in my office…” Lin stared back at her.

Kya started to laugh. “Wait…do you not want to have sex with me because Rohan is here?”

“He could wake up!” Lin didn’t see why the situation was funny. She crossed her arms against her chest. Kya tried to move in for another kiss, but Lin avoided her.

“He’s fast asleep,” Kya tried to reason, attempting to stem her amusement at the situation. “Even if he did wake up, he’s too young to understand. People don’t stop having sex just because they have kids!”

Lin glared at her and skirted around to get to the bed, climbing under the covers. “Yeah, well, he’s not my kid.”

Kya turned off the lamp and followed her into bed. Much to Lin’s frustration, and possibly arousal, Kya shimmied off her slip in the moonlight. Slowly, she moved beneath the covers to rest next to Lin. A kiss was pressed to Lin’s exposed shoulder. Then her collar bone; another on the crook of her neck; and finally, Kya found her lips.

“I guess we’ll just have to be quiet…” she murmured.

Lin found her earlier reservations thawing as a slender hand played with the waistband of her sweatpants. “I’m not the one who has a problem with being quiet.”

In a swift motion, Kya swung a leg over Lin’s waist, straddling her. The blanket slipped forgotten off of their bodies. Seeing Kya, naked above her, illuminated by the moonlight, never lost its appeal. And she knew Kya was doing this on purpose, knowing what got her heated. Slowly, Kya lowered herself to hover just over Lin’s prone body. Gray hair fell into Lin’s face, obstructing her view.

She felt Kya’s hot breath near her ear and all thoughts of anyone else in the apartment were long forgotten as Kya whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”

Chapter Text

174 AG

Lin took the steps two at a time as she climbed down from Tenzin’s office to the courtyard. The Temple was empty this morning; the majority of the airbenders were spread throughout the Earth Kingdom, assisting in humanitarian efforts. She was only on the island to confer with Tenzin about reports that had come from Kuvira’s camps.

The President had asked her to share their intelligence with the Air Nation leader and get his opinion. So far, he thought the same thing as them: the sooner they could get that kid on the throne, the better. Neither shared her worry that Kuvira wouldn’t be willing to step aside, although Tenzin was willing to admit that it could be a difficult transition.

A familiar vibration reached her feet as soon as she stepped out into the courtyard. She had recently realized that she could sense her niece and nephews without thinking; not that she would admit that to anyone. Or that she could feel Tenzin’s children coming as well. This particular vibration and heartbeat belonged to Opal.

Stopping, she could hear the distinct sound of someone hitting something. With a frown she turned to follow a set of cobblestones to a training courtyard just a few yards away. There were multiple posts and wooden training dummies set out for the airbenders to practice moving around and aiming. In the middle, Opal had given up on airbending and was slamming her fists into one of the wooden chests of a dummy.

“You’re going to hurt yourself,” called Lin before she could stop herself. A part of her didn’t want to get involved, but obviously there was something bothering her niece. And apparently Su hadn’t taught her daughter how to properly spar.

Opal gave a little jump, looking quickly over her shoulder, but relaxing slightly when she saw her aunt walking towards her. She looked down sadly at her hands, where the skin had become red and broken. “I just needed…”

Lin raised a hand, signaling that she didn’t need an explanation. Heart to heart conversations weren’t something that she particularly liked to have. But she knew the look on Opal’s face, and she knew that sometimes physical activity was the best way to blow off steam. Wordlessly, she motioned for Opal to follow her.

The girl followed without question and Lin led her across the Island to where she knew there was a small gym. Inside, there were two airbenders meditation on yoga mats in a corner of the room. Lin gave a short, shrill whistle to get their attention.

“Out,” she barked.

“Aunt Lin!”

However, before Opal could protest her rudeness, the airbenders had packed up their mats and were on their way out of they gym. Lin winked at Opal, who just apologetically smiled at her fellow airbenders as they left. When the door shut, Lin locked it with a flick of her wrist. Then she looked around the room for what she had come for: a punching bag.

She grabbed the metal chain attached to the large red bag full of sand and drug it to the middle of the room. Then Lin bent the chain up and over one of the beams in the ceiling, raising the bag into the air. She found some old gloves in the cabinet and threw them to Opal.

“Put them on.”

“Aunt Lin…I don’t know…” However, under Lin’s glare, Opal put the gloves on.

“Alright, square up with the bag. You gotta stay on your toes, make sure you are swinging with your body, not just your arm. And hit it square on the fist,” instructed Lin. Opal squared up her shoulders and took a deep breath. Her first punch hit the bag solidly. Her second came not far behind. She bounced from foot to foot, keeping her concentration on the contact her fists were making with the bag.

Lin stood to the side, letting Opal wear herself out. She didn’t ask what had brought this on. If Opal wanted to talk, she would. But sometimes, silence was all that was needed. Lin just didn’t want her to hurt herself. While Opal worked the bag, Lin fetched some water for when she needed a break.

When she returned with the water, Opal had broken out in a sweat and had sped up her strikes. Obviously, she was working through something. Lin didn’t want her to overwork herself, so she spoke up. “Grab a drink.”

Opal whirled around, chest heaving. She had tears in her eyes now and was shaking, not from exhaustion, but from emotion. This was turning into a situation that Lin tried not to involve herself in, but this was her niece…her family. So, she handed the glass of water over to Opal and waited for her to speak.

After a few gulps, Opal sunk to her knees, letting out deep breaths. “What do you do when someone you love lets you down?”

“Usually…never speak to them again.” Opal actually laughed and Lin was glad the sarcasm had come through. “What happened, kid?”

“Bolin is working with Kuvira…” Opal stared at the floor, trying to gather her thoughts. “He just wants to do good in the world, but I just don’t understand how he can work for her after everything she did. He doesn’t understand why it bothers me.”

“Do you still care about him?”

“Yes. So much. I love so many things about him and the fact that he wants to help people is one of them.” Opal sighed. “I just don’t know why he has to do it with her.”

Lin shrugged. “Men are idiots.”

“You’re probably right about that. But I still love him.” She gave a little sniff and took a couple more sips of water. “He’s been writing me all these letters and he just can’t figure out why I’m hurt about this. He doesn’t understand how Kuvira has torn my family apart. And I think she’s using him.”

“So what are you going to do about it?” asked Lin, trying to be gentle. But she wasn’t exactly skilled at these sorts of conversations. Opal was a smart kid, so they could cut through the crap.

“I haven’t decided yet. It’s hard, being so far apart.” Opal glanced down at her glass and then back at Lin. “How do you handle the distance?”

“It becomes easier with time. And it fit us better than most people,” replied Lin. Kya was in the South Pole now, with Katara. She would be there for at least another month or two. Then, suddenly, she realized that Opal wasn’t supposed to know she was in a semi-long-distance relationship.

She narrowed her eyes at Opal, who blushed and gave her a small smile. “I’m sorry if I’ve overstepped. I saw you two together one night and I just…Look, I promise I haven’t told anyone. Not my mom or Bolin. I can keep a secret.”

“It’s not exactly a secret,” admitted Lin. There was no embarrassment, just surprise. “And your mom already knows. We just like to keep our private life private.”

“I understand. I’m just happy for you.”

“Thank you,” responded Lin, somewhat awkwardly. Then she added, “I’m not sure distance is your problem here, but talking face to face may help. I think you two have to decide what is more important: Kuvira or your relationship. If Bolin can’t see why it bothers you, then you need to decide if you are going to let Kuvira come between you.”

“I don’t want her to break up any other part of my life.” Opal slowly got back up to her feet. “But maybe I can see if Tenzin will give me an assignment near where Bolin is stationed, that way we can talk in person.”

“I think that’s a good place to start.”

“Thanks, Aunt Lin.” Opal handed the glass back to her and strapped her gloves back on. Then she paused and asked, “How do you know when someone is the one?”

The question surprised Lin and she thought her answer may surprise Opal. “I don’t think there is ‘the one’. I think you should just take the opportunity to love the person you have when you have them.”

“And if you aren’t supposed to be with them?”

“Then time will let you know.”

Opal gave her a smile and asked, “So Kya is the right person right now?”

“She’s the right person all the time. It’s just that I wasn’t the right person all the time.”

“But you’re happy now? You love her?” asked Opal.

Lin gave her a tiny smile. “Yes. I’m happy to be in love with her.”

“Thank you again, Aunt Lin. I think I’ve got it from here.” Opal turned back to the punching bag and began hitting, this time at a slower pace and with more control.

“Don’t overdo it, kid. I don’t want your mother on my case about getting you hurt.” Opal let out a laugh and assured Lin she wouldn’t be much longer.

Lin left her niece to work out her emotions and instead of heading back to the office, she stopped off at her apartment first. She found a pen and parchment quickly and sat down to write. Kya had been in Republic City more the past few years than ever before. So when she wasn’t here, Lin hadn’t necessarily been on top of writing letters like they used to do. She knew she would see Kya in a couple of weeks, so there wasn’t much to say that couldn’t wait until they got back.

But after listening to Opal express her concerns about her own relationships, Lin didn’t want anything to come between her and Kya. Ten years ago, she would have never thought about writing Kya when she wasn’t around. But now, Lin felt the need to make sure Kya knew that she still loved her and was thinking about her. The distance worked for them and always had. However, that didn’t mean that she didn’t need to nurture it just the same as if they lived together every day.

Kya,

I was thinking of you today.

I realized we had stopped writing letters. I don’t know when we did that, maybe after we admitted our love for each other. I know that we can talk over the radio sometimes, but I don’t think it has the same meaning. I am still terrible at writing letters, but I will give it my best.  

I hope it isn’t too cold in the South Pole. The weather here has been muggy. I have been drinking your tea on the rainy days, so you should probably bring some back when you return. I miss you on the rainy days. The office is quiet and then when I come home, it is quiet too. Of course, I find it amusing that I spent the majority of my life enjoying a quite home, but now it seems odd for you not to be there.

I don’t know what you have been hearing, but it seems things have escalated in the Earth Kingdom. I am glad you are with your mother, just in case anything happens. I don’t know what is going to happen. Hopefully the people accept the kid as their king and maybe we can find our way back to some normalcy. But there’s a long way to go. I wish Republic City could do more to help, but our hands are tied.

I love you. I miss you. I hope you are doing well. Tell Aunt Katara I send my love.

Also, your nieces keep showing up at the apartment, even though they know you aren’t here. I don’t know what they want. But they bring coffee, so I don’t kick them out. Sometimes Opal is with them, but I don’t want them to get the idea that our apartment is some teenage hang out place. You’ll have to talk to them when you get back.

-Lin

In the cold chill of the South Pole, Kya was smiling brightly, holding the parchment in her hands. Not that she feared that she and Lin’s relationship had grown routine, but it was reassuring to get the letter. Their love had always withstood distance, but it never hurt to hear that Lin was thinking of her when she was gone.

“Who’s that from, dear?” Katara shuffled out of her hut so they could walk to the healing hut together. Upon seeing the smile on her daughter’s face, she chuckled and answered her own question, “Lin?”

“Is it that obvious?” Kya slipped her arm through her mother’s. “I feel like a teenager sometimes. Who knew Lin was a letter writer?”

“I’ve known that for years. We keep regular correspondence.” Katara couldn’t help but let Kya’s infectious smile spread across her own face. “But I’m glad you’re happy.”

“I am, Mom. I really am.” Kya glanced down at the letter in her hand and then added, “We are happy.”

Chapter Text

174 AG

“Can I buy you a drink?”

Lin’s head whipped around so fast that Kya was certain she was going to get whiplash. She had not been able to sense her coming out here on the wooden deck. Kya let out a breath of relief that she hadn’t even realized she was holding. She had known, of course, that Lin was safe after Kuvira’s attack on the city, but it warmed her soul to see her in person.

And in a dress, no less.

“What are you doing here?” Without waiting for an answer, Lin reached out to embrace her. Pulling her close, Kya breathed in the scent of her and clung to the feel of her firm body. She needed to feel her and know that she was really alive and alright.

“I needed to see you. I took an early ship out,” murmured Kya into her ear as they held onto each other. The party was still raging on just yards away, under the décor of bright lights. Apparently, it was possible to liven up Air Temple Island, even if Kya did think it was all a bit over the top.

Lin let out a deep breath and slowly pulled away, but left her arm lingering at Kya’s hip. The touch was reassuring. It was funny, that after all these years, they didn’t worry about who saw them anymore. She glanced back to the festivities and muttered, “I still don’t know how Varrick convinced Tenzin to let him do this?”

“Probably the same way someone convinced you to wear that dress,” teased Kya and she leaned over to give a soft kiss to the side of Lin’s face.

“I blame Opal. And Su. And you know what, I think those twins had a hand in it to. I swear Huan is the only one I can trust,” she huffed, looking down and using her free hand to pull at the fabric.

Kya laughed and said, “I have to admit, it took me a few minutes to find you. I was looking for the uniform.”

“I’m very uncomfortable.”

“Too uncomfortable to dance with me?” Kya detached herself from Lin’s grasp to give a little spin in her own formal dress. “I got all dressed up. I think I deserve a trip around the dancefloor.”

Lin rolled her eyes. “Why do you think I’m standing out here?”

“Ok, compromise: you dance with me, but we do it out here, away from everyone else.” Kya gave her a blazing smile, knowing there was no way Lin could turn her down. She knew that the dress she had chosen was Lin’s particular brand of attractive.

Sure enough, Lin gave her one glance up and down and let out a long sigh. Then she reached out her hand. Kya accepted it, allowing Lin to bring her into a dancing embrace. Lin’s hand found her hip and Kya rested her arm across Lin’s shoulder. The music was loud enough, even this far away to, to feel the rhythm.

They began to sway along. It was simple, with very few steps, but they moved along the deck with ease. It had taken Kya years to learn that Lin was a fair dancer, although she wasn’t surprised. She always was graceful for an earth bender and she knew all those times dancing at Avatar functions as a child didn’t easily disappear.

A minute or so in, Kya realized that Lin had shut her eyes. This slightly alarmed her at first, as Lin was supposed to be leading, but then she realized they had moved out onto the courtyard and Lin could see their surroundings with her feet.

If there was one thing Kya loved the most in the world, it was watching Lin at ease. Together, they danced as if the rest of the party didn’t exist; as if it were their wedding; as if the city wasn’t in shambles just across the bay.

In that moment, every regret Kya ever had seemed to disintegrate. If all of her life had been leading to this moment, dancing with Lin, then she must have done everything right. This is where she wanted to spend the rest of her life: just being with Lin.

“I love you,” she murmured. Lin’s response was to pull her closer.

They danced the next song as well, just letting the music guide them across the courtyard. They didn’t dance like this very often. In fact, Kya wasn’t sure they had ever danced quite like this. It was different than dancing in the apartment, just the two of them. There was a freedom in the air tonight as if the spirit portal gleaming on the shoreline was projecting a cleansing energy.

Eventually the song turned into something more upbeat and Lin loosened her grasp. Kya smiled down at her and gently pressed their lips together. Then, as if she didn’t want to, Lin pulled away and straightened her dress.

“Do you want to get out of here?”

“Well, I had planned on saying hello to the rest of my family…” Lin gave a little frown and Kya chuckled. “But since I’m not even supposed to be here, I don’t think anyone would know the difference.”

Lin offered her elbow and Kya slipped her arm through, allowing her to lead them toward the docks. Across the courtyard, they watched a hurried Tenzin rushing back towards the party. Kya couldn’t help but laugh and even Lin was grinning.

“I wondered when all of this would get to be too much for him,” commented Lin. Her eyes tracked to where Tenzin had come from and stopped walking. She gave Kya a little nudge in that direction. Sitting on together on the steps of the pavilion were Korra and Asami. They seemed to be engaged in a rather serious conversation.

“I hope they’re actually talking.” For the last two or three years now, Kya and Lin had been discussing the relationship between the two women. They knew better than to meddle in their lives but had often lamented that they wished they could push them together.

Lin and Kya crept quietly past the pavilion on their way to the docks. Both of the young women looked beautiful tonight and it seemed Korra had made a lot of progress in returning to normalcy. Suddenly, Korra and Asami embraced. Kya felt her heart fill with hope. Maybe love was on the table for the two of them; at the very least, it seemed their friendship was closer than ever.

Even from the distance, Kya could hear the conversation. She made Lin walk a little slower. She didn’t condone eavesdropping, but she wanted some clue as to how they were doing.

“So what now?” asked Korra. “Back to the dancefloor?”

“I’m kind of all danced out,” admitted Asami, looking down at her lap. Then she gave a little sigh and looked out across the bay. “Honestly, after everything that’s happened the past few months, I could use a vacation.”

To Kya’s surprise, Korra exclaimed, “Let’s do it! Let’s go on a vacation, just the two of us…anywhere you want.”

Kya couldn’t help but give a little hop of excitement, clinging to Lin’s arm. Lin rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face. Kya was so proud that Korra was putting herself out there, offering to take Asami on a vacation. It was a huge step for the young Avatar and Kya forced Lin to stop, waiting for Asami’s response.

“Really?” Asami seemed hesitant at first. But when she continued, there was a hopeful tone in her voice. “Okay. I’ve always wanted to see what the Spirit World’s like.”

“Sounds perfect.”

Kya could hear the happiness in Korra’s voice. Now, she allowed Lin to steer her down to the docks and give the women some privacy. She hoped they could get past the years apart and start healing together.

“They’ll be fine,” murmured Lin beside her. “They both know what they want now.”

“I just want them to be happy.”

They boarded the small ferry that was running between the island and the City. There was another couple on the other end of the boat, but they weren’t paying any attention. The captain gave Lin and Kya a nod of recognition and signaled to his crew to push off.

As they pulled away from the island, they could see Asami and Korra in the distance with their heads close together, planning their trip. Kya felt Lin squeeze her hand. She was glad she had caught the early ship back to Republic City. A dance with Lin and watching young love bloom was her idea of a perfect night.

Chapter Text

174 AG

Kya walked out to the gazebo on Air Temple Island, a small smile lighting up her face. She could see two figures already there: Korra and Asami. The two had returned from their vacation just a little while ago and she wanted to greet them in person.

The two were lost in conversation when Kya entered the gazebo, so she cleared her throat and said, “I was hoping I’d run into you both.”

“Kya!” greeted Korra, enthusiastically. “Hi…what’s up?”

“It’s none of my business, but I think the two of you make a beautiful couple,” replied Kya gently. Both girls blushed and Kya smiled back at them. “I know you two took a vacation together. I remember when I took a vacation with my first girlfriend. I’d never been so happy.”

“We had a wonderful time,” murmured Asami, laying her hand over Korra’s.

“I’m glad you were able to spend the time together and work some things out.” Kya gave Korra a wink.

Korra gave Asami the smallest kiss on the cheek and said, “I’m so glad I had someone giving me great advice. We told Mom and Dad and they were really supportive. I guess that’s thanks to you and Katara…”

Asami gave a short laugh. “Of course Kya was giving you advice…because Lin had a few suggestions as well. I can’t believe you two knew we had fallen for each other and didn’t even know it.”

Kya raised her hands in surrender. “I promise we had no intentions of meddling where we didn’t belong. But young love is difficult even when you are in a traditional relationship. Us ladies of a certain persuasion have to stick together.”

“Wait, Lin was giving you advice? As in Chief ‘I don’t have emotions’ Beifong?”

“She actually is the reason I wrote you all those years. She encouraged me to not give up on you.” Asami blushed a little. “Somehow, she just knew how I felt about you.”

“Guess I owe her one, then.” Korra pressed her forehead to Asami’s with a smile. “Because I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Kya gave a little clap of her hands in excitement. She declared, “How about this: you can pay us both back by having dinner with us. Lin will pretend to hate it, but it’ll be good for all of us.”

“A double date with the two of you? Sounds wonderful!” Asami gently pulled away from Korra, about to make more plans when she noticed the confused look on her girlfriend’s face. “Korra?”

“What do you mean double date?”

“Sweetheart, I know we kept you pretty sheltered as a child, but you have to know what a double date is,” replied Kya, teasingly. Then a concerned look crossed her face and she added, hastily, “It doesn’t have to be an official date. Just four friends going to dinner. I know you may not be ready to tell the world yet.”

“Oh, no, I’ll shout it from all the roof tops in Republic City,” said Korra. “I just meant, a double date would imply that you and Beifong are…well…dating.”

Kya stared back at her blankly and Asami burst out laughing. Between giggles, she gasped, “Oh spirits, no one told you! I can’t believe…all these years…”

“What?” asked Korra, put out by the matching grin that Kya was sporting. She crossed her arms against her chest defensively. “Are you seriously trying to tell me that Kya and Lin…”

“It’s not really common knowledge,” offered Kya, sweetly. “So of course, most everyone knows.”

“You and Chief Beifong? Beifong and you? You and Lin are…” Korra stared at Kya, ignoring her now hiccupping girlfriend.

Before Kya could answer, a voice called out from the path leading up to the gazebo. “There you are. I was looking all over this damned island. Oh, and I see the Avatar finally made it back from her little vacation.”

Lin sauntered up to the gazebo in full uniform. She gave Asami a little nod and then barked, “Next time you take off into the Spirit World, there are protocols you have to follow. We can’t have humans just going in and out of the portals any time they want.”

“Lin…” said Kya softly, and nodded her head towards Korra and Asami. Korra was staring at Lin as if she had transformed into a sky bison and Asami gave a shy little wave of her fingers.

“Look, just because she’s the Avatar doesn’t mean the rules don’t apply to her.”

“Lin…” Kya nodded once again in the young women’s direction. “They are back from their vacation…together.”

“Alright, so I owe you dinner,” muttered Lin with a roll of her eyes. Kya coughed and Lin added dryly, “Congratulations. Young love is a blessing.”

“Thank you, Lin,” responded Asami sincerely. She took Korra’s hand, although her girlfriend was still flittering her eyes between Lin and Kya. She made a little squeaking noise and Asami had to stifle a laugh with her hand. “I guess Korra and I should be going. But we would love to go to dinner with the two of you once Korra has had time to process this new information.”

As the young couple walked away, hand in hand, Lin gave a small humph and asked, “What the hell was that about?”

Kya wrapped her arms around Lin’s waist and planted a small kiss on her cheek before responding. “I don’t think Korra was informed that you and I have an understanding…”

“That so?” Lin smirked and turned to lead Kya out of the gazebo. “Well, I’d like to understand you a little better back at my apartment…”

Kya’s beautiful laughter rang clear across the island.

175 AG

There was a short knock on the door as Kya was slipping on her sandals. She grabbed her bag from the hook on the wall and ripped the door open, saying, “Sorry, Jinora, I know I’m late!”

“Well, I’m sure Jinora will forgive you.” The deep baritone voice certainly didn’t belong to her niece. Finally look up, Kya found herself face to face with Assistant Chief Saikhan. He was holding a large cup of coffee and had a pleasant smile on his face.

“Chief Saikhan, my apologies,” replied Kya, and she moved aside so the man could enter the apartment.

“It’s been a while, Healer Kya. It’s nice to see you, again.” Kya was impressed once again that he had remembered her name. He seemed very comfortable in Lin’s apartment and not at all nervous about waiting for her to appear from the back of the house. Kya knew Lin had sensed his entry and she didn’t need to call for her.

“How have you been?” she asked politely. This wasn’t a situation she and Lin had discussed. For years, they had kept their relationship out of the public eye for the sake of privacy and to a certain extent, Lin’s job. She had no idea what Saikhan would think about his boss being in a relationship with a woman.

“Just splendid, actually. My son got married last month and things at the office have calmed down a little since the Kuvira incident,” he gave her a soft smile.

Something in his eyes told Kya that he knew she wasn’t just a friend of Lin’s visiting the apartment. It certainly didn’t help that a majority of her things were strewn all over the living room. She knew that Saikhan and Lin went way back, but she was certain that Lin hadn’t told anyone at work about their relationship. And everything she knew about him told her that he was a more traditional guy; a rule follower of an older crowd. Probably not someone who was very open-minded when it came to same sex relationships. 

“Congratulations,” she said, and was rescued from any further conversation when Lin came walking up the hallway, completely dressed in her uniform.

“What warranted a house call this morning?” she grumbled, looking completely unfazed by the fact her second in charge was standing across from her not-so-secret girlfriend.

“Murder in the second district. And I brought coffee…” he handed over the cup and Lin smirked a little. He cleared his throat and said slowly, “Miyang wanted to know if you wanted to come over to dinner tomorrow night.”

Kya smiled at the way the edges of Lin’s mouth softened at the mention of Saikhan’s wife. She knew that Lin had been going over to their house for years for monthly dinners. It was one of the few traditions that she kept with anyone from work. Being the Chief was lonely work, but somehow Saikhan and Miyang had broken down that barrier.

Lin gave a little shrug and replied, “I’ll have to check my schedule. And if this murder turns out to be anything more than an open and shut case, you won’t be making it to dinner tomorrow night either.”

“How about this time you bring your lady along?” Saikhan raised a presumptuous eyebrow. Kya startled at the mention of herself. Her eyes sought out Lin, but the woman was wearing a poker face. Saikhan gave a little sigh and added, “My son and his husband will be joining us as well.”

Kya let out a small, “Oh!”

Lin and Saikhan stared at each other for a long few seconds before Lin took a long drink of coffee and calmly asked, “Kya, do you have any plans tomorrow night?”

“If you’re not chasing down a murderer, I’d be happy to have dinner,” answered Kya diplomatically, hoping this was the answer Lin was looking for. She was rewarded with the smallest smile and a wink.

Saikhan clasped his hands together. “Great! I’ll let Miyang know. She’ll be thrilled. She’s been dying to meet Kya.”

“Uh, huh. And how does your wife know anything about Kya?” asked Lin, narrowing her eyes. However, any attempts at intimidation didn’t phase Saikhan who seemed delighted that there was no longer a secret between them.

“I’m a detective, you know.” He gave Kya a suggestive wink. “Trained by the best some would say. Now Chief, give your girl a kiss goodbye. We’ve got a killer to catch.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.” Saikhan held open the door and tipped his hat to Kya, who couldn’t hold back her smile now. Playing along, she puckered her lips in Lin’s direction, who let out a sound of disgust.

“I’m going to regret introducing the two of you,” Lin muttered. Still, she pecked Kya on the cheek on the way out, who pretended to swoon and started lecturing her assistant chief as they went out into the hallway.

As the door shut and Kya reflected on what just happened, she thought that just maybe, they could have it all. Just maybe, the world had changed enough for her to be in a relationship openly with the woman she loved. Just maybe…

Chapter Text

175 AG

“Hey.” A soft voice came from the door of Lin and Kya’s room on Air Temple Island. Or as Lin liked to refer to it: Kya’s old room. The stairs at the apartment were too much for her to handle right now.

It had been about twenty-seven hours since she had been rescued from the Compound. She had spent approximately twelve of those asleep as Kya and a few healers had worked on her broken body. Since then, she had constantly had someone by her side, making sure she was recovering. After a short meeting with acting Chief Roan to learn exactly what had happened the night she had been kidnapped, she had thrown everyone out of the room.

This particular voice hadn’t been hovering this entire time, or at least not where Lin could see her. She remembered Suyin being there in the middle of the battlefield. Little pieces of the previous day had slowly been coming back to her. It surprised her that her sister hadn’t just pushed into the room without Lin’s permission.

Even though she knew a part of her would regret giving up her solitude, she answered, “Come in.”

Su slipped in the room, as if she was afraid Lin would immediately throw her back out again. Her heartbeat was elevated, and her brow seemed to have set in a permanent furrow. Lin had no intention of starting a conversation; the last person who had come into this room had told her that seven officers had died under her watch, including a dear friend.

“Hey…” was all Su said at first. Lin raised an eyebrow; it was odd to see Suyin so bothered or without her usual boisterous confidence. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m getting a little tired of answering that question,” replied Lin dryly. It was probably most honest answer she had given all day. There was no point to lying to Suyin and she didn’t feel like falsely reassuring her sister.

“That was insensitive of me…” Su cleared her throat and clasped her hands in front of her. “I’m just glad you are here…alive.”

“Too many aren’t.” Whatever physical pain she was in, nothing compared to the jarring knife in her side that was the knowledge that seven of her officers were dead. Guilt wasn’t a new feeling; certainly, she had lost people on the job before. This wasn’t the first time she had survived when someone else hadn’t. But something inside of her told her it would probably be the last. Or at least she hoped it would be the last.

“I would say I’m sorry for your loss, but I know that’s a stupid thing to say. I hated hearing it…” she trailed off, not quite meeting Lin’s eyes.

It took Lin a moment to figure out what she was talking about. For a long time, Lin had listed Tenzin as her next of kin. Then for years, it had been blank until Tani told her she had to put someone down. So, then it was Saikhan. The thought of his name now brought a hollowness to her stomach. She hadn’t fully been able to process what had happened yet; that she wouldn’t never see him again.

Four years ago, she had changed that name to her sister. It had never been Kya; she had never wanted the first call of her death to go to her lover. So, in a moment of clarity, she had listed Suyin. It was therapeutic in a way; she had a family again.

“I’m not dead.” It was a stupid thing to say, but for some reason it was the words that needed to be said. She had seen the hollow look in Kya’s eyes, the pity in Bumi’s, the fear in Tenzin’s and Zuko’s. Only Izumi had been able to treat her normally, but the Firelord had returned to the Fire Nation shortly after the rescue.

“But you were.” The whisper of words left Suyin’s lips with a careless harshness. The two sisters stared at each other in silence. Tears welled up in the corners of Su’s eyes. “But you were…”

Lin had no idea what to say to this. Of all the people she had considered when she thought she would die, Su’s reaction wasn’t one of them. They had been separated for so long. She knew that Su would mourn her, but to be this torn, this broken over the thought that Lin was dead…it was unexpected.

“I’m so sorry,” continued Su, seemingly not noticing Lin’s hesitation. Lin wasn’t sure what she was apologizing for. “I took so much away from us. When they told me, you were dead…all I could think was that it was so unfair because we had just reunited. I just got you back! And that’s such a selfish thought that I hated myself for it. But you were dead and I had no idea what to do.”

“I’m not dead.” This time when Lin repeated it, it held more power. Tenderly, she stood, and reached out for her sister. “I’m not dead.”

Su stepped forward hesitantly, as if Lin could be spooked away, as if she would disappear back into the claws of death. Awkwardly at first, the two embraced. Then Su took hold of Lin’s thin body, as if letting her go would send her back to the compound. Her fingernails dug into Lin’s back and her arms fervently clung around Lin’s shoulders.

Lin allowed her sister to hold her. For all the physical and mental trauma Lin had been through the last few days, she could understand how much Su was hurting. And a tiny part of her was enjoying the hug, although that part was growing smaller by the second.

“I am so happy you are not dead,” whispered Su into Lin’s ear. “I am so happy I still have my sister. I love you, Lin.”

Those words weren’t something that Lin was ready to say out loud, so instead she tightened her grip around Su’s waist. Her brain suddenly remembered her sister’s voice at the compound.

“Lin! Look at me! It’s Su! We’re trying to rescue you!”

She remembered that it was Su kneeling next to her in the dirt, while Kya’s hands worked their magic. Her brain had only been able to focus on Kya at the time, but Su had been there, too. Her little sister and niece and nephews had fought on that battlefield to make sure she made it home alive.

Lin held on a little tighter.

Lin could feel her face growing hot when Bumi jumped up to get her a glass of water when she coughed. Kya was hovering nearby, eyeing Lin’s knee with increasing intensity. They had a healing session a few hours ago and Lin wasn’t going to admit that it was beginning to hurt again. Mako, Bolin, Korra, and Asami were playing some sort of card game in the middle of the room.

Her sister was pretending to read a book across the room, but Lin noticed that she hadn’t turned a single page. Tenzin kept making his children fetch Lin things that she didn’t even ask for or need. It was all becoming a bit too much. Not only was she unused to this sort of attention, but she was still trying to come to terms with what had happened and did not want to be scrutinized.

She stood up, suddenly, and Mako hurriedly scrambled to his feet to offer his arm for her to lean on. Lin pushed him off and noticed that everyone was standing now, too. “I’m fine. I just need some air…”

“I’ll go-” Kya started to offer, but Lin cut her off.

“Alone.” She felt a little guilty at the roughness of her voice and knew that Kya had every right to be worried. But what she needed right now was some space. Lin made a mental note to apologize later. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Kya any more.

Naturally, it was pouring rain outside, so she limped through the main house of the Temple. The glass of water she had emptied earlier hung loosely in her hand, so she stopped by the kitchen to rinse and put it away. Pema was inside, humming to herself as she washed dishes.

It was curious, really, that Pema insisted on doing so much of the cooking and cleaning herself. There was so many acolytes (and now, airbenders) that did much of the housekeeping on the Island. But then again, Lin could appreciate the need to do something for oneself.

Pema gave her a smile of recognition when she entered the kitchen. “What can I do for you, Lin?”

“Do you want an extra hand?” If there was one thing Lin could count on, it was that Pema wouldn’t be too chatty with her. They had found a balance over the years, one that Pema didn’t usually push.

Pema hesitated at first and then nodded to the rag sitting on the counter. “You can dry if you want.”

For the next fifteen minutes, Pema and Lin cleaned and dried the dishes from lunch and probably some that didn’t need cleaning. She was beginning to suggest that Pema was just patronizing her when she saw her pull out a clean bowl from the cabinet.

“Thank you for letting me help.” Lin shifted her weight, resting her hip against the counter. She hadn’t spent this much time standing since her rescue three days ago.

Pema noticed the movement and Lin was certain she was going to comment about it when she opened her mouth, but instead she said, “Give them a break. They thought they had lost you.”

“What?”

“I know they are driving you crazy. You like your space, and you hate this kind of attention,” explained Pema.

Lin let out a sigh and put down the rag. “I know they mean well, but it’s starting to get irritating.”

“You have every right to feel that way,” started Pema, crossing her arms against her chest. “You were put through literal hell, but so were they. They thought you were dead, Lin. I’ve never seen my husband like that…Tenzin had to identify your body. He had a look in his eyes that I feared would never go away. He was the first person they called, because they couldn’t get a hold of Suyin.”

“I didn’t…I didn’t know that.” Lin hadn’t given much thought to exactly what had transpired immediately following the attack on the Station.

“The people who loved you were suffering. Kya locked herself in her room and wouldn’t talk to anyone. Bumi followed her everywhere because he thought she might be suicidal. Korra and her friends were ready to burn down Republic City. I’m pretty sure that Mako didn’t sleep until he made a break in your case. He’s the one who figured it out, by the way, that you were still alive.” Pema took a deep breath. “I watched everyone mourn for you. I mourned for you. And suddenly, not only could they get revenge for what happened, they saved you!

“Lin, your sister planned your funeral. Your little sister, who until four years ago, you hadn’t been on speaking terms with for decades planned your funeral. Do you know what that does to a person?” Pema reached out and took Lin’s hand before she could protest. “My babies cried when we told them you had died. I held Meelo in my arms while he mourned the loss of his hero. They are just so happy to have you back. Your family had to see a world without you and they never want it to happen again.”

Lin was so stunned that she didn’t even remove her hand from Pema’s grasp. “I’m sorry.”

“I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad,” replied Pema, giving her hand a little squeeze. “I just want you to see how much they love you. I know it’s annoying and I know you hate all this attention. But everyone, including me, missed you.”

“It’s just…” Lin didn’t know how to put into words how she felt. For years, it seemed like it was just her against the world. And now, she was holding hands with the woman who married her ex-boyfriend. She had a woman who loved her and family who literally went into battle for her.

“Let them love you.” Pema dropped her hand, sensing it was getting to be too much for Lin.

Before Lin could make any sort of reply, Ikki ran into the kitchen. The twelve-year-old grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter and greeted, “Hello Mom! Hello Aunt Lin!”

Lin stared after her as she bounced out of the room and then looked to Pema who was wearing a similar look of confusion. “We told her that you and Kya were in a relationship and that was why Kya was so depressed. I think she thinks you are her aunt, too…”

Lin gave a little shrug. “There’s no going back now is there?”

“Oh, no way. Ikki is going to call you Aunt forever now,” laughed Pema. Lin almost smiled. She guessed this is what having a family meant. And if that family was willing to fight crazy people to make sure she was alive, she guessed she would keep them.

Chapter Text

All that could be heard was the rumble of the tracks beneath them. Lin set down her book and slipped her glasses off her face. It had been a good novel; one she had been wanting to read for some time. Glancing to her left, she felt a smile creep onto her face. Kya had supposedly been meditating for the past hour, but now Lin saw that her lover had fallen asleep to the rhythm of the train.

Their first-class cabin had an oversized plush bed to make them comfortable as they traveled through the Earth Kingdom back to Republic City. They had reached the last leg of their month-long trip across the world. They had started on a boat to the South Pole and finishing now on a fast train from Zaofu.

Lin rolled over in the bed and kissed Kya’s forehead tenderly. Blue eyes fluttered open and a smile gleamed back at her as soon as Kya realized who was staring down at her. Lin couldn’t help herself and pressed a kiss to her lips. Kya let out a hum of contentment and snuggled closer to her.

“It’s almost time for dinner,” said Lin as she slid her arm between the back of Kya’s neck and the soft pillow. They would need to make their way down to the dining car soon, but Lin was willing to risk being late to hold her love close for a little while longer.

Kya gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and then snuggled into her chest. “This is our last night of vacation.”

Lin knew that Kya had been dreading this wonderful escape from reality coming to an end. It had reminded her of her youthful years, traveling the world. Although during that time, Kya had been busy helping and healing people. This time she had gotten to enjoy everything the world had to offer with a more mature set of eyes and a hand to hold.

“We really do have to get up and go to dinner,” reminded Lin. Kya sighed and nodded, then untucked herself from Lin’s arms and slid out of bed. As soon as the physical touch was gone, Lin was regretting mentioning anything about dinner. But she pulled herself out of the bed as well and reached for her slacks.

After she pulled on her jacket, she looked over her shoulder. Kya was tying the wrap of her dress at her hip. Even all these years later, she still took Lin’s breath away. It was an Earth Kingdom style dress that she had picked up in Omashu because she thought the colors brought out Lin’s eyes. Lin had told her that was ridiculous since she wasn’t the one wearing it and Kya had just replied, “It looks best when I stand right beside you.”

Romance may be dying, but it wasn’t dead yet.

As they walked out the door, Lin grabbed the silver cane propped up by the door. It was an upgrade from the wooden one that Katara had given her at the South Pole after they determined that no amount of treatment was going to completely heal the damage to her knee. At first, she wouldn’t use it, but after almost having to be carried down the side of a mountain in the Fire Nation after her knee gave out, she changed her mind.

When they had arrived in Zaofu, Huan had taken one look at the wooden cane and decided he could do better. Apparently, the young man had inherited some of his father’s abilities after all. Not only was the new cane a work of art, but it was an innovation as well. The core of the cane was platinum: unbendable and study. The handle was a moldable metal that fit to Lin’s palm perfectly, no matter how she grabbed it.

The real ingenuity came from the dozens of slender metal panels that twisted around the platinum core. It gave the cane a sleek, minimalist, and rather pointy look. Huan based the idea off Kuvira’s uniform but had streamlined the shards of metal. At any point, Lin could summon the metal shards off her cane to defend herself.

It was one of the most useful gifts Lin had ever received. When she told Huan that, he had hugged her for an uncomfortable amount of time. It made the idea of relying on a walking stick much more palatable, since her walking stick could kill a man. Kya made her used it at every opportunity, claiming that she needed to strengthen the knee more.

So, she let her weight shift to the cane as she followed Kya to the dining car. The transcontinental train ride was something Lin had been wanting to do for years, but never had the time. It was the perfect way to end their trip. Dinner was as wonderful as it had been the last few nights. There was a rotation of chefs from different cultures across the world.

As they started their main course, Kya asked, “How are you feeling about going back?”

“To Republic City?” asked Lin, mid chew. She swallowed and replied, “I haven’t been away from the City for this long for probably my entire life. I’m ready to go home.”

“I meant back to work.” Kya lowered her chopsticks to the table and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“Ah.”

“Lin, I’m just a little concerned…” admitted Kya. Lin slowly raised another bite to her mouth, contemplating her answer. Kya waited her out, taking a sip of wine.

“I need to go back.” This had been on her mind since the moment they left for vacation. She would be officially reinstated as the Chief of Police as soon as they returned to Republic City.

“Lin, you don’t have-”

“I do,” she interrupted, sternly.

Her first act as Chief would be to make Roan her assistant chief, replacing her murdered best friend. She knew that Saikhan would approve and had been assured by both Tenzin and Raiko that Roan had been calm, collected, and in charge of the situation during her apparent murder. It wouldn’t be quite the same; there was no replacing Saikhan, but it was the right thing to do. As was returning to work.

Lin tried to explain her reasoning to Kya, because she deserved it. “If I don’t go back, they win. Kya, I can’t just disappear into nothing after this.”

“They didn’t break you, Lin.” Kya saw Lin’s eyes drift towards the cane. “A physical injury is not the same as breaking you. And they didn’t care about the affairs of Republic City or who was the Chief of Police. You are more than just the Chief, Lin.”

“I know that, I do.” That wouldn’t have been a true statement just a few years ago. This relationship with Kya and the newfound family she had re-discovered had changed her mind about what her life was worth. “But I’m not ready to leave. I wasn’t ready before the Order came and I’m still not ready now. If my busted knee doesn’t keep me from doing my job, then I want to still do it.”

“Ok.” Kya took another sip of wine.

Lin stared at her, trying to read her face. They hardly ever spoke about Lin retiring except in jests of a potential future years away. But this wasn’t a decision Lin could make alone anymore; Kya deserved to be a part of this conversation. “I know you want me to retire, but…”

“It’s not that I want you to retire, love.” Kya reached out across the table to squeeze Lin’s hand. The remainder of their dinner was abandoned between them. “I just want you to be happy and feel safe. I know you can’t promise me that you will always be safe, but now that I’ve face the worst-case scenario…”

There were small tears in the corners of Kya’s eyes as she relived the moment that Tenzin and Bumi had relayed Lin’s death to her. Lin could see the damage that would never be forgotten, an emptiness that Kya had experienced and could now never unlive. For all the horror that Lin had experienced and the guilt she felt for surviving an attack that cost seven officers their lives, she hadn’t lost Kya.

“I’m not ready to retire. I want to go back to work…” There weren’t many things that Lin was sure of after her rescue. But almost two months later, she knew she wanted to get back to work. The only way to honor them, Pari, Han, Lee, Ming, Suma, Yuke, and Saikhan, was to get back to work.

“Ok,” repeated Kya. “Just promise me that when you are ready, you’ll let me know.”

“Trust me, Kya, you’ll be the first to know.” Lin released Kya’s hand and picked up her glass to sip her own wine. “I know it’s hard to understand, so thank you.”

Kya gave her a slightly sad, but soft smile. “I do understand. I can see it from your perspective. The reasons you want to go back are all reasons I fell in love with you. But will you make me a deal?”

“Anything.”

“One vacation, just for a week, once a year. And on that vacation, we will discuss whether or not it is time for you to retire or cut back your hours.”

“Agreed.” Lin raised her glass to toast the promise and Kya clinked her own to it.

After dessert, they found themselves back in the overstuffed bed. Lin had requested that Kya not bother with her nightdress and the waterbender had tucked her naked body against Lin’s own. Lin was tracing her fingers over the dark skin of Kya’s shoulder, letting them wander across the expanse of skin that stretched over her collarbone. She buried her face into Kya’s neck, letting her lips wet the skin there and her senses breath in scent of her.

A low hum came from Kya’s throat. Her eyes were closed, her mind allowing her body to be worshiped without too much thought.  Lin knew how to draw out her movements and make Kya wait. Slowing down allowed them to feel each other and know that they had made it through the terrible ordeal. That Lin was still alive and unbroken.

Kya’s eyes fluttered open when Lin’s teeth sunk into her shoulder. The hand that had been on her shoulder had crept its way down to find a nipple on her chest. At first there was a lazy caress, but Lin shifted her body weight to turn herself on top of Kya and palmed the breast, inciting a moan. The change of pace brought Kya’s hands to Lin’s hips and then on second thought, slid them to her ass.

Lin pressed her hips downward, grinding onto Kya. She moved her mouth to kiss the other breast, making sure it got plenty of attention. Another moan escaped Kya and she arched her back and tried to pull Lin even closer to her body. Lin started to respond, but the pressure of kneeling over Kya was beginning to try her knee. Instead, she released her hold on Kya’s chest and flipped them over.

It wasn’t as smooth as she would have hoped, and she almost elbowed Kya in the face. Kya was giggling as she wiggled on top of Lin, peppering her face with kisses. Silver hair draped across her eyes and she breathed in the moment. She reached down and dug her fingers into Kya’s thick thighs and thrusted her hip upwards to create friction between them.

Kya captured Lin’s lips in a true kiss. She poured her soul into the kiss with their bare bodies pressed together. Tomorrow they had to go back to the real world. Tonight, it could just be the two of them. Her grip on Lin tightened without her realizing it, until there was a whisper in her ear.

“I’m not going anywhere…” Lin nibbled on her ear before adding, “I love you, Kya.”

“Oh, Lin, I love you, too.”

As Kya kissed her again, a thought crossed Lin’s mind: This was living. This was more than surviving. After everything that had happened in her life, not just the last few months or years, she was on this train, in this bed, in the arms of a beautiful woman who loved her and understood her.

There was no other place in the world she wanted to be right now. There was something so right about her life now. After all this time, her spirit had found peace in this world, right beside Kya’s. When they lay tangled in the bed, falling asleep in each other’s arms, the spirits decided they would be forever intertwined.