this is it. this is the end of this story. so sorry this took so long. but on another note, i have another story called 'family of the different kind.' check it out, you won't regret it. anyway, Read, review and enjoy. thank you all :)

Lin woke to a soft hand being placed on her chest. Opening her eyes, she was met with Kya breast-feeding their daughter. Raising a hand, she ran it gently over Daiyu's head. "She's hungry this morning."

"Mm. Morning sleepy head."

"Sleepy head? What time is it?"

"Eleven."

Lin rolled over and groaned. "I can't believe I slept for fourteen hours straight."

"I wouldn't exactly call it straight. You managed to change Daiyu's nappy in the middle of the night, which in itself was pretty impressive." When Daiyu let go of her mother's breast, she let out a loud burp. "So are you going to get up today, or?"

"I'm getting up. I have a couple of things I need to do before our siblings and parents come over. I can take Daiyu with me while you work on lunch if you want."

Thinking it over in her head, Kya decided that it was a good idea that she didn't have to care for a screaming baby, while she was around sharp instruments. "I guess that will be fine but please be home before one. They'll be here around one thirty."

"I'll try." She waited for Kya to place their daughter on their bed and leave, before standing up to get dressed in a tight emerald green shirt and loose back pants that hid her metal boots relatively well. "Come on baby girl, let's go meet some of mummy's colleague."

The two Beifong's entered a warehouse to see a person practising their waterbending in the ring, alone. Picking up Daiyu from the stroller, Lin walked down the steps and entered the ring.

"Do my eyes deceive me or is that Beifong?"

Lin rolled her eyes at Kana's comments. "Sorry I haven't been around, but as you can see, I've had a few things happen recently."

Kana released the water under her control, to walk over to her ex-lover and the baby in her arms. "She's adorable. And so small. She looks nothing like you though."

"Well, I didn't give birth to her if that's what you're wondering. But she's mine. She's a true Beifong. She's the reason why I left the ring a couple of months ago. Kana, this is Daiyu Beifong, my daughter."

"Figured she's not yours, she's way too adorable." Kana joked good naturedly, as she wagged a finger in front of the baby's face. "So what are you doing now, seeing as how this life is out the window?"

"The family life. I have my girlfriend back and my daughter. I've actually been thinking of asking my girlfriend to marry me."

Kana smiled at the notion. "I'm sure Kya will agree."

Lin's eyes narrowed cautiously as she felt her muscles tense up. "How do you know her name? Straight answer."

"Relax." Kana put up her arms and took a step back to show she was no threat. "I haven't been straight forward with you since we met, so now is as good as time as any to tell you. I'm an under cover cop hired by your mother privately. Shu is too. That's how she knew you were here and why none of us were here when she talked to you."

"You're a police officer?"

"An officer and part time medic. Your mother knew these underground rings would always exist, even if she does constant raids, so she thought having officers in charge would be the safest thing to ensure people's safety. And the benefits of having sex with new women every now and then doesn't hurt."

"Including the Chief of police's daughter?"

"Perks of the job. I have to say though, I'm happy you got out of this place, even if the Chief had a hand in it. I felt so upset when I saw you stumble into that ring with the smell of alcohol on your breath. I looked up to you and to see you like that, it ruined the image I had in my mind of the amazing Lin Beifong. I actually called your mother after you left the first night, to see if I could get permission to break my cover and help you out but she told me to just roll with it, as though it were another case." Kana let out a sigh and looked away. "I am so sorry for taking advantage of you in that state. You were depressed and in a bad mind set. I regretted ever going home with you."

"I don't. You're right, I wasn't in a good place but sleeping with other people helped reiterate that Kya is the one and the alcohol helped me forget but not for very long. And now I finally got to meet my daughter and get Kya back." She placed a free hand firmly under Kana's chin and lifted her head until they were staring eye to eye, before placing a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you Kana. For everything."

"You're uh, you're welcome I guess?"

"Well, I'll see you around when I'm Chief but right now, this little girl needs to meet her uncles and grandparents."

"Yeah, see you later, Captain."

Kana gave her a smirk as she watched the metalbender leave for the last time.

Lin entered the kitchen to find Kya putting the finishing touches on lunch. "Thank the spirits. You're home just in time. Our parents and siblings are early. They're out on the back deck waiting to meet Daiyu."

"Alright, well Daiyu needs to be changed and fed, so if you want to do that, I'll bring the food outside."

"That would be fantastic if you could. It's just some salad and meat chops I cooked in the oven." Kya took their daughter into her arms and gave Lin a peck on the lips. "Thank you. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Picking up the dishes, Lin walked outside to find her family sitting in silence, which was odd given that Bumi and Sokka were there. She placed down the food and took her rightful place at the head of the table. They started to put the food on their plates silently and it made the metalbender nervous. She poked Su on the arm and motioned for her to come closure so she could whisper. "What's going on with everyone?"

"Some shit went down between mum and Katara while you were out and Kya was making lunch. I don't know what to do. Not even Aang could do anything. Apparently he is just as guilty as Katara."

"Guilty in what?"

"Helping Katara," Toph started, only to down her drink before continuing, "put Daiyu up for adoption."

A thousand things ran through her mind at that moment. How could the most maternal woman she knew, give up her own grand daughter? Her child. It was wrong on so many levels. This woman gave her daughter to a couple that she knew nothing about, so they could let the baby starve to death. She couldn't speak. She was too angry and stunned at the revelation to know what to do. For the first time in her life, she was paralysed.

"Sorry I'm late, I was feeding Daiyu and she had a dir- what's going on?"

"Your mother, was the one that gave Daiyu to those people."

"Oh, that."

"Yeah, that." Lin's voice was laced with anger as she spoke.

"Hey Su, why don't you show my brothers, Sokka and Baatar the house. They haven't seen upstairs yet."

"I can take Daiyu if you want."

Kya wordlessly handed her daughter to Suyin and then took a seat at the table. "Now what is going on?"

"Simple, I told your mother to stay away from my family. Yet here she is."

Katara glared at Toph, a growl threatening to escape her. "That's not fair Toph. Kya is my daughter and Daiyu is my granddaughter."

"Oh that's rich. If you saw Daiyu as your granddaughter, you wouldn't have adopted her out. You just couldn't let the fact that your first grandchild is a bastard, ruin your perfection!"

"Mum!"

"It's true Lin! You should have seen the way she acted when I told her yours and Su's fathers wouldn't be involved in your lives. 'You can't be an unwed mother Toph, imagine what the press would say, they will be labelled as bastards'."

Lin didn't know what to do, she felt like she was being torn in two with this argument. She was lost.

Seeing the inner torment on her girlfriend's face, Kya slammed her fists on the table to silence the two arguing women. "Enough! What happened, happened. Lin and I could move past it. It affected us more than any of you, yet we worked through it. So you two are going to shake hands, fuck, you can even kiss if you want to, and make up, because we are a family damn it and we're going to start acting like one."

Katara was the first to stand up and offer her hand as a sign of peace. Toph did the same and squeezed the waterbender's hand tightly, causing her to flinch. Katara knew why she was squeezing so hard, a silent threat that said, 'pull anything like that again to my kid and her family, and I will end you'.

"Good, now let's sit down and eat the food I prepared like the loving family we are."

Lin was sitting up in bed, starring at the wall while Kya got dressed. She was completely lost in her thoughts, that she didn't even feel Kya slide into bed and cuddle up to her, until she bopped her on the chin with a finger. "Earth to Lin."

"Hmm?"

"I asked if you were okay but you spaced out on me."

"Yeah, sorry. I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine. You completely locked up at lunch time."

Lin let out a sigh. "I know. I just felt so conflicted at hearing the way my mother spoke about yours. I could feel my mother's heart beat, Kya. She wasn't lying about Katara referring to Su and I as bastards. I know the truth, yet I can't bring myself to believe it." The metalbender's eyes squinted in an effort to keep the tears at bay. "I was always called a bastard at school and now my daughter is being labelled a bastard by her own family."

Kya took her girlfriend's face and brought it close to her own, to make sure she had her full attention. "If Toph wanted to raise you on her own without a husband, that's her choice and for the reason that she did, it doesn't allow anyone to call you a bastard, because you're not. You have a loving mother who raised you on her own because she believed in herself and I believe in us. Daiyu has not one, but two mothers that love her and we are her family. We are the only ones she will look to for approval and if you see her as a bastard, then she will never get that approval. So Lin Beifong, is your daughter a bastard?"

Lin stared at her girlfriend in awe, never had she ever thought Kya could make her view that word, like she does right now. "No, she isn't."

"That's right." She snuggled back down in the bed and pulled Lin down with her. "Now sleep."

I can't believe this woman. She was so fierce today and she didn't back down. I love her so much I can barely contain my heart. I want to spend the rest of my life with her. "Hey Kya?"

"Yes sweetie?"

A large smile graced the metalbenders face. "Marry me."