Chapter One

"You told her what?" Lin clenched her fists, trying to suppress the urge to toss a boulder. It could do considerable damage to Air Temple Island. Some very satisfying damage.

"I told Kya to take some time for herself," repeated Tenzin. He looked mildly surprised at Lin's reaction. But that was how Tenzin responded to everything: mildly. "She seemed rather upset by last week's mess, and I asked her why she didn't just go wander the world like she normally did. You know how Kya is."

A vein throbbed in Lin's temple. "And did she tell you why she was so upset?" Despite her rage, fear clenched at her heart for a moment. She had been an emotional wreck and refused to let Tenzin see how much the past week had hurt her.

Tenzin raised his eyebrows. Genuine curiosity, Lin noted. "No. She seemed very reluctant to discuss any of it with me." He looked down. "Though she usually goes to Bumi for that sort of thing."

"When did she leave? Did she say where she was going?" Her first instinct was to give chase, thought she knew it was pointless. When Kya set to wandering, nobody but Aang or Katara could find her.

"She left yesterday night," said Tenzin. He stroked his beard thoughtfully, his ugly, pointy beard. Lin had threatened to trim it in his sleep on more than one occasion. Now she felt like ripping it off his chin. "Took one of the sky bison with her. Said something about needing to reflect..." Tenzin looked at her with renewed suspicion. "You're not going to try to throw her in jail next, are you?"

Instead of slapping him across the face, Lin yelled, "No! But I might have you locked away!" She pointed a threatening finger at him.

"On what grounds?" Tenzin asked.

"Reckless endangerment!" Lin turned away and began walking down toward the dock. She needed to leave before she lost her temper any further.

Tenzin called after her, however. "Lin, I really hate to see you taking your anger at me out on others. Can't we just talk this out?"

She stopped. Her jaw was clenched too hard to get any words out. She needed action instead. She turned and glared at Tenzin. He took a cautious step back. She glanced at one of the pagodas behind him, a traditional meditation chamber for air nomads. It was empty, she could sense that. Perfect.

She raised a fist and the earth rumbled beneath her. "Lin!" Tenzin yelled. He ran forward but she raised an earthen wall between them with her other hand. A resounding crack broke through the air and a boulder lifted the small building skyward. The wood attaching it to the nearby walkway splintered before breaking apart, freeing the construction from the ground. The island attendees scattered.

"You're a fool, Tenzin!" she yelled. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her vision blurred. Good thing she didn't need it. Tenzin had eyes as perfect as hers, and he was possibly the blindest man in Republic City. The building turned upside down on its floating platform and crashed into Air Temple Island once more, decimated.

With a thrust of her hands, Lin lowered the wall of rock back into place and pushed Tenzin away from her even as he tried to scramble forward. "Stay away from me." That was all she said before turning around and finally leaving Tenzin. Even as she walked toward her boat, she could hear Aang and Katara calling after her. She ignored them, however. She did not want to explain herself to Tenzin's parents. They had helped raise her, and in her moment of rage she did not feel quite like the responsible adult she now was. Instead, she felt ashamed, like a child caught throwing a tantrum for no good reason. Well, she did not have to explain herself to them or to anyone. Instead, she climbed into the police-issued speed boat and set off from Air Temple Island, determined not to return and apologize.

Lin's mother waited at the docks. The blind woman stood with her arms crossed, her blank stare never meeting her daughter's gaze. Lin felt her mother's senses on her more acutely than an icy glare, however, and as soon as she set foot on the dock, Toph Beifong let loose all her fury.

"Want to explain the radio call I just received, detective?" Her mother did not bother looking in her direction. She did not have to. Lin could feel Chief Beifong's trembling rage through the dock planks.

"I don't know. What radio call would that be?" Lin didn't need to play dumb. That was just to aggravate her mother further.

"The one detailing your destruction of Aang's meditation room on the island."

"It sounds like someone else already explained it well enough," said Lin. She began walking away, hoping her cool attitude would be enough to warn her mother away, but the woman shot out a hand and grabbed Lin's arm in a hard grip.

"You're not getting off that easy, kiddo," said Toph. "Now do I need to issue a time out? Or are you going to act your age?"

Lin yanked her arm out of her mother's grasp and rolled her eyes. "Not here," she said. She ran a hand through her black hair, smoothing the strands back into place. "Can... can we just go home?" She allowed herself to waver, but only enough to let her mother see the turmoil.

Toph nodded and allowed her daughter to lead the way off the docks. "Now, when you say home, do you mean my place or yours?" Lin cringed, so Toph chose for them. "Home it is, then," she said. She even looped an arm over her daughter's shoulders, pulling her close. "But don't expect me to cook for you or anything."

Lin smiled despite her frustration. "It never tastes that good, anyways," she said. The both of them chuckled softly and started the long walk back to Toph's house, Lin's old home.

Republic City was quiet that evening. They did not meet a single familiar soul on their way through the various districts. None of Toph's familiar neighbors lingered outside as they approached the apartment building. Lin noticed a person peeking out of her blinds at them. When she glanced up, the blinds shut.

"How rich has the gossip about me been?"

"It's nothing compared to what they'll be talking about if the newsies get wind of what you did on the island," said Toph. Lin shot her mother a glare as they walked upstairs. "Though I'm sure you had good reason. I'm dying to hear what Tenzin must have said."

Lin frowned and waited for her mother to unlock her apartment door. "You don't know why I destroyed the meditation chamber."

Toph laughed and slid the door aside. She allowed her daughter in first before following her and closing the door. "I don't need you to tell me. I know you and I know Tenzin. While I don't think Pema did anything to warrant being locked up, I wouldn't put it past Tenzin to 'stupid' himself into a jail cell."

"How elegantly put, mother," Lin muttered. She strolled into the sparse living room and sat down on the sofa. The arrangement of the space was the same since she had last visited. Toph was hardly at home most days, and so kept her apartment as bare as possible with few alterations. Lin knew her mother kept a cot at work for this very reason.

Toph slumped down into a high-backed chair across from her daughter. "So, spill," she said.

Lin crossed her arms and looked her mother over. She had inherited the brusque manner Toph was famous for, but recently it seemed difficult for her to cope with her mother's extremely casual personality. "Tenzin was an ass," she said. No sooner did the words leave her mouth, her mother snorted with unchecked laughter. "It's not funny. He ruined my life this time."

The police chief sat up and leaned forward. "Aw, did the little air bender break your heart?"

Lin's fists clenched. "He might as well have," she growled.

That caught Toph's attention. "Oh, so it's not about your break-up, then?"

"Tenzin and I were through ages ago. You knew that." Lin looked down at the floor. It was easier than facing her mother. "He and I should have cut it off sooner. I just... I..." She did not have words. Perhaps if she had been less conflicted, less terrified of everything happening around her, she could have avoided this mess.

"I'm glad you've come to terms with that," said Toph. All the derision and playfulness had left her voice. Lin glanced up to see her mother smiling sadly. "I wish you had not been so terrified"

Lin blushed. This was still a sore subject to discuss with Toph, though it did not help she was the only one she could talk to about it. Well, besides Kya. "It's not... normal. Whatever this is between Kya and I."

Toph shook her head. "No. Not a single case of love is normal. It's all unique."

Those words could have been a boulder to a chest. They left Lin breathless in the same way. She had expected to be outcast by her mother, by everyone when they learned the truth. It did not matter that Lin and Kya were both women. The trouble of the matter was far from that. No. What made Lin lie awake at night while Kya's naked body lay pressed against her own was the knowledge that she was betraying Tenzin. She was sleeping with his sister, and she had asked Kya not to breathe a word to anyone. The lies, the indecision, that was what marked their relationship as 'other.' Lin had feared rejection when her mother found out because if Toph had managed to bang one lesson into her head it was to always be direct.

Lin sighed and shook her head. She could feel the pressure of tears building up. "Well Kya's gone and Tenzin still has no idea of what's been going on between us."

"Which is why you should have been honest with him from the start," lectured Toph.

"You don't think I know that?" snapped Lin. It was her biggest regret. "Maybe if I had told the airhead that I was madly in love with Kya, that I had seen her for over a year before he ended things, that I tried to lock Pema away because she found out and was going to tell him, maybe this all would have been avoided. But I didn't do any of that, so Tenzin told Kya to fly off and commune spiritually, or some other ostrich-horse shit!" Lin stood up. Her mother remained seated. Chief of Police. Cool as ever. "And you know why I did not? Because I'm a coward." Toph looked up at her, directly at her, her face contorted with anger. Even if her eyes could not see, Toph often took advantage of how uncomfortable people got when she glared at them, Lin learned that quickly.

"Darn right you are," she said, rising from her chair. "If you were a real earth bender, you wouldn't have slunk around in the shadows this whole time. You would have confronted your problems head on. No wonder you can't bend metal. You can't even be honest with yourself. If you wanted to actually do something about this, you'd get a zeppelin and go chasing after Kya."

Lin blinked back tears. Her eyes stung with the effort. Of all the things to bring up, her mother loved reminding her that she was a failed student. And yes, she should go after Kya, but what would she do when she found her? An apology hardly seemed suitable. "Too bad I don't have a spare zeppelin lying around," she said with a sniff.

Toph smirked. "No, you don't have one. The police force does have a whole garage full of out-of date balloons, though." She paused as if waiting for Lin to take the bait. Lin crossed her arms and remained silent, however. "Whatever idiot they put in charge of watching them lost the lock to the front door. Anyone could walk in and fire up one of those-"

"What makes you think I'd take a balloon to look for Kya? I'd never catch her!" Lin snapped.

Her mother shrugged. "That's your problem. Not mine." Instead of giving Lin a chance to respond, Toph walked over to the door. "Hold on a second. I think Katara is here." When she opened the apartment door, Katara stood there, ready to knock.

Instead, she lowered her hand and smiled. "It's good to see you, Toph," she said. She peered into the apartment and caught Lin's eye. "And it's nice to see you, as well."

"Hello, Katara," Lin said. Her cheeks felt hot suddenly. Had she come to discuss the damage to Air Temple Island?

"Make yourself at home." Toph stood aside and allowed Katara to enter. The water bender nodded her thanks and took a seat on a chair next to the sofa.

"I was hoping to have a word with you, Lin."

As if on cue, her mother said, "I'm going to head out for some dinner. I can bring back food for everyone, if you like."

Katara nodded. "That sounds perfect. Thank you."

Before Lin could agree, Toph walked out and shut the door behind her. Lin was now alone in her mother's apartment with the mother of the woman she loved. She shuffled her feet against the floor and hugged her arms more tightly around herself. "So..." she said, not knowing how to begin apologizing for the amount of damage she had just caused.

"So," Katara repeated. She wore the same soft smile as when she had come in. Lin remembered stories her mother had told about Katara as a teenager. 'Self-righteous' was the word Toph used to describe her, but this Katara only appeared to be kind and selfless. "So you are in love with my daughter."

The blush on Lin's cheeks got worse. She tried to say something but only managed to clear her throat.

"It's more obvious than Tenzin makes it seem." Katara smiled. "That boy could never understand people the way Kya does... She actually talked to me before she left."

Lin raised an eyebrow and leaned forward from the couch. She did not want to seem desperate, but her fingers twitched as she resisted the urge to ask for more information. "And... did she say something?"

A dark look crossed Katara's features. She glanced down at the floor and sighed. "She asked me if Tenzin would ever forgive her for stealing you away."

"But I... Tenzin and Pema-"

"That does not stop Kya from worrying about Tenzin's reaction. She doesn't like keeping things from her siblings, and I understand you two kept this from everyone for quite some time."

More blushing. Lin hated how easily she blushed. "I asked her not to say anything. I wasn't - I did not know how to tell Tenzin, or anyone else, really."

"I think I can understand that fear," Katara said. "What the two of you share is different from what you and Tenzin had, to say the least, and not everyone reacts well to 'different'. I saw you and Tenzin falling into a trap when you both were very young. You gravitated toward one another because it was expected, not because you shared some profound love. I can understand fearing Tenzin's reaction when he discovers you found a more pure love with his carefree, less politically accomplished sister."

Lin met her gaze and forced herself not to look away. "What do you think of it?" she asked.

Katara sighed. "I think that as long as you and Kya are happy, then I will be as well, and while I regret the fact you two kept this a secret, I am willing to forgive you two."

Deep breath. Lin needed a deep breath for this. It felt so odd discussing her relationship after a year of sneaking around. She did not know how she had managed to keep it in for so long. It must have destroyed Kya, a woman who was never one for secrets. "Do – do you think Kya will take me back?"

Katara placed a hand on her shoulder. Lin glanced at it. "I rode a sky bison over here. I want you to take it to Kiyoshi Island, the first stop where Kya said she would go. I want you to find her, and I want the two of you to work this out, because you both deserve a chance at this, I think."

Lin stood up and the hand fell away. "That's it? You'll just let me take a sky bison? What about supplies? Food? Clothing?"

Katara shrugged. "I packed most of the essentials for you, already."

"Oh really? And what if I don't even want to go after Kya, huh?" It was a lie, a dirty, stupid lie, but she hated how transparent she seemed.

"The destroyed meditation chamber says otherwise," Katara replied with a smirk. She met Lin's glare with a calm stare of her own and waited. Lin tried not to look away, not even blink, but eventually that soft smile won out and she looked down at the floor in embarrassment.

"Am I really that pathetic?"

"Nothing about love is pathetic."

Lin looked out the apartment window and saw the sky bison resting in the sidewalk. A couple walking down the road gave it a wide berth, staring at the unusual creature as they walked past. Lin sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Kiyoshi Island, you said?" She shook a stray lock of hair out of her face. "Tell my mother where I've gone. I don't know when I'll be back."

Katara nodded and stood up. "I think she knew you'd be leaving, anyways," she said.

Lin sighed and walked off to her old bedroom. She had to have a few spare clothes tucked away somewhere. "As annoying as that is, I think you're right."

A/N: I started this piece several months ago, and just found some time to finish the first chapter. I'll try to update regularly, but I'm terrible about that, especially when school is in session. I hope you all like it anyways. NOTE: One reason I've been so busy is that I've published a romance novel with Rae D Magdon through the publishing company Desert Palm Press. If you're interested in reading something that is basically smut set in a sci-fi realm, the book is called Dark Horizons. Warning: if you don't like sex scenes, the book isn't for you. We wrote it as an erotic novel. That being said, it's only 5.99 for the ebook copy, so if you're looking for a quick, affordable read, check us out. You can find it by either searching Rae's name with the book title or mine, Michelle Magly. Thanks, readers. Enjoy the fic!