Chapter Text
Tenzin is at city hall, a Council meeting in session. The north water tribes soon to be replacement councilman, Tarrlok, currently speaking as annoyingly as ever. The man had been here for three weeks and Tenzin couldn't stand him. Okay, so most of it was due to the fact he had hit on his wife, Lin, at his predecessors retirement party but he was also a power hungry politician. Lin had called him possessive and overprotective but Tenzin had minded much. The way Tarrlok smiled was enough for Tenzin not to trust him and to want Lin as far away as possible to him even though he knew full well that she could handle them both better than he could. They had been arguing a lot recently over seemingly everything. His father had died a year prior and his mother had moved back to the southern water tribe recently. Lin was now Chief after her mother retired and the two had yet another falling out. Things just seemed to pile up and they were taking their frustration out on each other. He wanted to move forward but Lin was as stubborn as ever. The door of the city hall burst open and Police Deputy Captain Rui walked in. He knew Lin's deputy pretty well the two had always been friends since Lin first got the force. He often went out to the bar with him, Lin and Rui's wife.
"Captain, is this important? Because if not I have to ask you to leave." The earth kingdom representative asked.
"I need to speak with councilman Tenzin privately." He said his voice was calm and… solemn as was his face Tenzin noticed. He looked distressed and he had taken off his hat.
"Well if you can't see he is busy at the moment." Tarrlok retorted impatiently. "If this is important surely the entire council should know about it."
Captain Rui heisanted. "Tenzin, I really think we should talk in private." He stresses this time.
"What is this about?" Tenzin asked standing confused.
"Tenzin…" He tried again.
Tenzin began to walk towards him, but Tarrlok protested again. "Captain, really I insist that you really must tell us all now if this involves police business."
The other council members nodded with Captain Rui seeing that he took another step towards Tenzin stopping right in front of him. "Tenzin, it is with my deepest sorrow and regret that we inform you of the death of…"
"No…" Tenzin felt his world closing in and collapsing. He didn't hear what Captain Rui was saying. Something about being sorry for his loss, he couldn't hear or think. "Where, where is she?" He manages to get out
"Come with me" Captain Rui says, waving him towards the door. Tenzin walked numbly out of city hall and got in the police car and they went to the police station. He really didn't register any of it. His head was spinning, there was no way... Lin couldn't be…. He had seen her this morning and she was fine, happy. She had joked with him about a few of the air acolytes. No, there was no way. This had to be a mistake. Rui ushered him into one of the interview rooms on the ground floor. Tenzin's mind seemed to be going impossibly slow because the two things couldn't be connected in his mind. He knew she had a dangerous job but this was Lin Biefong they were talking about. Rui put a glass of water in front of him.
"Tenzin," Rui says gently. "I'm so sorry."
Tenzin nodded mutely, staring at the water in front of him for a long moment. Rui was giving him all the time he needed. "What- how-" he struggled.
"We were called for a boat raid on the east of the city's edge. She went, we were raiding the boat and a fire bender fought us. He uh, hit the boiler by mistake. Lin saw and told us to run. We did, I thought she was behind us." Rui stopped taking a shuttering breath and trying to hold it together himself. "The explosion almost got us. I- the only reason I survived was because she blocked the door. Tenzin, I owe her my life." Rui gripped Tenzin's hand across the table. "I know that doesn't mean anything now but maybe someday it will. She saved us."
Tenzin took it all in. He couldn't say anything, his mouth opened a few times, but nothing came out. "Her body, can I?"
Rui gave him a sad look. "I'm sorry. The boat sank, we weren't able to recover her body."
Tenzin nodded again still not fully comprehending the information.
"I uh need to ask but uh her mother, I can't contact her…" Rui said awkwardly.
"I uh I think my mother will know." Tenzin swallowed.
"I'm so sorry, Tenzin. I can't imagine" he shook his head. "She was one of my closest friends. If you need anything, please let me know."
Tenzin doesn't know how he gets home, but here he is sitting down in his office picking up the phone and dialling the number.
"Hello" A soft voice comes from the other end. "hello?"
"Mom" he sobs. He can't hold it together any longer.
"Tenzin? Tenzin" His mother says concerned now. "Tenzin whats wrong?"
"Mom, Lin's- she's-" He still can't finish that sentence, his voice watery fully of tears.
Katara must have known she was either really hurt or- because she gasps. "Oh honey, I'll leave right away." Her own voice is weak. "Did you call your siblings?"
He shakes his head and Then remembers she can't see him. "No" he chokes out.
"Okay I'll tell them to come." Katara tells him. "I'll see you soon you just have to be strong okay? I love you." Tenzin can't reply. He just finally breaks down, dropping the phone. He buries his head in his hands and cries.
He can't remember the last few days he knew his siblings and mother arrived at some point and Su, Lin's sister as well but he couldn't say when or how he just knew he was no longer alone. He had to go to two funerals, the private one they had for family and close friends and then the one open to the public. He can't remember any of it or more apply he refused to remember that. He has only even admitted aloud that she was died once, when Kya had arrived. Kya had been the one to tell Su. They had never found Toph, neither Su nor Katara or Zuko had known. Tenzin didn't care who was there or who wasn't, there was only one person's who absence he felt. Lin, their last morning together they had been running late and she had given him a quick kiss and tossed an I love you over her shoulder as she ran out the door. Now there was nothing he regretted more than not grabbing her and kissing her as long and as hard as he could and of never letting her go that morning. Lin had been by his side for his entire life there was no one he trusted more, no one he loved more. Now there was no one sleeping beside him at night. He didn't have to fight her for the last dumping or for blankets. He felt the hole in his heart and would for every day of the rest of his life.