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Jade can't remember it. She was only three at the time but her learning to bend was one of her grandpa Aang favorite stories to tell. The way he told it was, Jade had been dropped off with her grandparents while her mom and dad went to work one day. Jade probably spent half her days with her Gram Gram and Grandpa Aang by that time. Her and Aang had been playing outside. Aang raising bits of earth and collapsing them and popping them out somewhere else like a game of whack a mole. It had entertained the three year old so far. Katara who was inside making lunch had apparently called out to Aang asking him what he wanted, distracting him, allowing the column of earth to stay raised about 12 inches off the ground. Katara says that the only reply she got to her question was a whoop of joy from Aang.
"Yes Jade! Do it again!" He was cheering from outside. Katara walked out to see what the commotion was about. She saw Jade sitting in front of her grandfather and a tiny pile of rubble, another small earth pillar raised in front of the girl.
"Punch it Jade" Aang encouraged helping the girl into a standing position again. Jade was staring at her hands like she couldn't figure out what happened. Then Katara watched as the girl punched the earth and broke it crumbling into pieces underneath her tiny fist. Aang let out another whoop of joy and swung the toddler up into his arms turning to his wife.
"Did you see that?!" He cried practically floating with joy. "She is an earthbender!"
Katara was smiling now from ear to ear. "Very nice Jade." She complemented kissing the girl's head. She had suspected Since before she was born. That the girl was a bender her aura was too powerful not to be
"Your mommy and daddy are going to be soo happy!" Aang crooned
Tenzin might not be as happy as the others Katara privately thought but she kept that to herself. "I'll go call the station. They'll want to hear about this." She said happily. She went inside to ring the police headquarters. Tenzin had expressed hope to her that Jade might be an airbender when Lin was pregnant, Katara had told him not to get his hopes up. After all neither of his siblings had been air benders. That was the last she had heard about hopes for the kid to bend from either Lin or Tenzin.
"Chief Beifongs office?" A lady on the other line said politely,
"Hi, I need to speak with either Toph or Lin, please. Tell them it's Katara" Katara said to her.
"One moment"
"What is it, sweetness?" Toph's voice came over the phone.
"Is Lin there? Call her over you both need to hear this." Katara said, trying to keep the excitement out of her voice.
"LIN!" Toph yelled.
Katara winced. "Did you have to scream into my ear?"
"Eh you're fine. She's here. what's up?" Toph said nonchalantly.
"Aunt Katara, is everything all right with Jade?" Worry in the young mother's voice.
"Yes, everything fine better than fine actually she started earthbending." Katara said excitedly.
"YES! I KNEW IT!" Toph cheered, punching the air.
"Really that's great." Lin said, smiling wide.
"Yes if you two can get away. Why don't you come over and pick up Tenzin on your way he doesn't know yet." Katara suggested.
"We will be right there, Katara." Toph said so happy she even used her real name.
"LISTEN UP! MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S AN EARTH BENDER!" Toph yelled when she opened her door to her office. "Ming! You got the office for the rest of the day. I got a grandkid to spoil!" Toph said practically running out the door, with Lin following her mother chuckling. They went over to city hall to pick up Tenzin. Toph was comically happy she had been saying from the minute, she found out Lin was pregnant it would be an earthbender. Jade had inherited blue green eyes that had given her her name, which had only encouraged Toph. Toph walked right into Tenzin's office ignoring the secretary who tried hopelessly to stop her.
Throwing the door open. "Junior, lets go." She barked as Lin followed her in. Tenzin was talking to the fire nation representative, when they had barged in.
"Toph, Lin? What? I'm in the the middle of-" Tenzin spluttered caught off guard by the pair of Biefongs.
"Not anymore you're not." Toph said all but dragging him out of the room by his collar.
"Jades an earthbender." Lin said, explaining, her arms crossed but smiling nonetheless.
Tenzin stopped struggling against Toph. "Really? that's great." He said surprised.
"You bet it is! I knew my genes would win!" Toph crowed on her way out the door.
"My congratulations. I take it we're finishing this tomorrow." The fire nation representative said smiling now at the news.
"Yeah sorry. Mom's not going to let this one go anytime soon and I'll need his help prying my kid away from the Avatar and Chief." Lin shrugged almost apologetically.
"Not a problem." the fire nation representative laughed. Lin followed them out of city hall, Toph had finally let go of Tenzin and he now walked beside her holding her hand as they made their way across to the ferry. Lin thought about asking Tenzin if he was disappointed that Jade wasn't an airbender, but didn't have the heart to ruin her mother's mood and part of her was still scared about having that conversation. After she found out she was pregnant they had both freaked out. Jade wasn't planned and they were only 25 years old and unmarried. She had never seen kids as part of her life. She knew Tenzin wanted to have kids, airbending kids to be specific. She had hoped that Jade would be an airbender while she was pregnant so that they could put preserving the air nation behind them. After Jade's birth Lin had warmed considerably to the idea of kids. She loved Jade more fiercely than she had ever loved anyone in her life. The moment she opened her eyes and blinked at her, Lin knew she loved her. All the fears about being a mother had disappeared for the moment and everything had seem so much less scarier. She enjoyed having Jade to come home to and to watch her learn and explore the world. A bigger part of her than she would have thought was ecstatic at the idea of being able to teach Jade how to bend. Tenzin loved Jade, Lin had no doubt about that but the need for airbenders was still there, but for now she pushed those thoughts from her mind and took the stairs two at time to her in-law's house. Aang was in the courtyard with Jade in front of him Katara was sitting on the stairs to the house.
"Where's my grandkid?" Toph almost squealed when they reached the top of the steps.
"Toff," Jade said she was beginning to speak but could pronounce Toph's name. Toph insisted on being just Toph because she was 'too damn young to be granny', as she put it.
Toph bounded over to her. "So I hear you can do something very special." She told the toddler.
"Uh Nah." The toddler said.
"No? Can you show me what you showed Aang?" She asked.
"Dada" Jade cried seeing her parents coming towards her.
"Hello Jade." Tenzin smiled sitting down on the ground neck to her. "We want you to do what grandpa Aang says you can do."
Jade just looked at him. "Jade, look, let show your mommy and daddy the game we were playing." Aang said. He raised bits of earth and collapsed them and popping them out somewhere else like a game of whack a mole. Jade began to reach for the earth again and Aang left them up long enough for Jade to grab it. She smacked the top of the column breaking it.
Toph let out a whoop. "Great Job! Jade!" She cheered "I'm so proud of you!" Hugging the toddler to her.
"Good job Jade" Tenzin echoed, rubbing the little girl's head. Lin simply smiled, she was overjoyed at her daughters abilities, but was never as comfortable showing emotion as the rest of her family.
"I knew my genes would win." Toph gloated.
"yeah but I'm the one that got her to earth bend." Aang shot back taking Jade back from Toph.
Katara came over to Lin and put her hand on her back. "She's just like you, you know."
Lin snorted but didn't hide the grin on her face. "Great, that means it'll be easy sailing" She said sarcastically.
"Are you excited?" Katara aske slowly and quietly so only Lin could hear.
Lin paused, shrugging. "More than I thought I would be." She told her honestly. "I knew I would be happy if she was a bender, but I never thought I'd be this excited that I get to teach her especially with.. You know." Lin trailed off knowing Katara was well aware of Lin's relationship with her mother. Although Jade had brought the pair closer again mainly because Toph adored the kid who she claimed would succeed her as greatest earthbender. Toph and Aang were ecstatic about Jade's bending and were trying to show her stuff while Tenzin laughed quietly at them making a fool of themselves to the three year old.
"Go be with her, I'll bring out some drinks for us." Katara insisted, patting Lin's arm.
"Are you sure I could help."
"No you daughter just started bending don't let your mother and uncle hog her from you." Katara smiled disappearing inside the house.
Lin sat down next to Tenzin as soon as she did Jade scampered up to her crawling into Lin's lap. "Mama." The toddler said.
"Hey little one," Lin said, picking the girl up. "I hear you can bend now like me."
The girl didn't understand but she nodded. "Me like you."
Lin laughed nodding. "Yes" Jade seemed to be tired and rested her head against her mother's cheek.
"Is she tired?" Aang asked sitting back.
"A little I think." Lin agreed.
"Bending must be exhausting at that age." Tenzin commented, still smiling at them.
"Hey Jade what do you think of this?" Toph asked, holding up her meteorite bracelet and handing it to the kid. Jade grabbed for it and seemed to examine it very closely turning it in her hands. The three year old had a confused expression on her face.
"I think she can't tell if it's earth or not." Lin said watching her daughter poke at it.
Toph smiled and reached for it again. "Jade watch this." She began to bend it into different shapes. The toddler cheered, clapping her hands as the adults laughed. Before they let that night Toph gave Lin the bracelet. "Give it to the kid one day." Was all she said before walking away. Lin knew the gesture met more than that, but didn't have time to stop Toph from leaving. Her and Tenzin were laying in bed later that night when she finally worked up the courage to ask.
"Are you disappointed she isn't an airbender?"
Tenzin rolled over to her immediately. "What? No of course not." He said. "Why would you think that?"
Lin sighed. "I don't, not really, I just- people expected her to be is all and I- its stupid." She said running her hand through her hair.
"Lin, its not stupid. Tell me please," Tenzin said, running his fingers against her cheek.
"I know you love Jade, But sometimes the talk gets to me." Lin admitted staring up at the ceiling.
Tenzin tilted her head to him. "I love you and Jade more than anything." he swore to her. "Anything else doesn't matter, okay?"
Lin nodded and went back to staring at the ceiling, she felt Tenzin watching her not convince she had let it go. Lin had but it didn't stop the nagging feeling in her gutt about the need for airbenders. The thing was that ultimately Tenzin would want airbenders and Lin wasn't sure their kids would be airbenders. Bumi had been a non bender despite two great bending parents and Jade was an earthbender. Jade was an easy kid for the most part she never fussed too much. If you let her walk she would explore though, Tenzin, Lin and well as their parents had all almost lost her already when she would walk away when they turned their back.
"You know I'm open to a second kid." Lin said after a long while. Tenzin had laid back down his hand on her leg though.
She felt Tenzin sit up in surprise. They hadn't talked about it yet, both had just gotten their head above water with Jade and work. "Really?" He asked looking down at her now.
Lin laughed lightly at the look on his face. "Yeah airhead. Jade's not so bad you know."
"You're serious?" Tenzin asked again. "Cause you didn't like kids before Jade was born."
"I know, I'm serious. If we're going to have another kid I want to have it before Mom retires in a few years." Lin told him, reaching up to caress his face.
"You're serious?" Tenzin asked again like a broken record.
"Yes airhead, now shut up and kiss me." Lin laughed.