Chapter 1 – The Wedding

EDIT 12/09/15: This chapter has been updated with the new format so that it's not all blocky and shit :P hope that makes it slightly easier to read :)

"….you may now…. do the thing!" Bolin pronounced, sealing the vows of the newly wed Varrick and Zhu Li with the groom's favourite expression. From a distance, the Chief of Police Lin Beifong cringed at the cheesiness of the whole damn event. What does she even see in him? She wondered, as the couple threw themselves at each other with great gusto. In an effort to maintain her grim persona she had to stifle a giggle when Zhu Li dipped her new husband, the role reversal amusing her greatly.

Okay, I suppose they do make an adorable couple. But, still… Her thoughts trailed off, and she took that moment to internally reinstate her professional mindset. Here comes the hard part, she thought, as the guests started to move out towards the Air Temple grounds for the after party. Or, more accurately, as most of the guests sidled towards the cash bar the newlyweds had hired for the event.

The hard part was not what Lin expected – namely, handling the some of the world's most powerful benders while they drank themselves stupid. Rather, it was one particular guest, who seemed determined to make her job impossible. A certain waterbender…

=x=

"Chief!" shouted the bender in question. Lin rolled her eyes and sighed – this was going to be tedious. "Chief!" she called again, bursting into view from the crowd in which she had been enveloped moments ago.

"What is it, Kya? Is Bumi drunk already?" Lin asked, exasperation dulling her tone.

Kya stopped in front of the police chief, grinning ominously. "Nope! Well, probably, I dunno. But who cares? It's a party, getting drunk is one of the main attractions," she rambled, showing her own minor inebriation.

"Is there a point to all this?" Lin asked testily, "Only I'm trying to keep this place secure and you're not helping."

Kya sobered up a little as she responded: "Oh, come on, Lin, when was the last time you actually took a break and had some fun?" she teased. "Come oooooon, first round's on me!" she added, hopeful grin returning to her features.

Ugh, I hate when she does that damn puppy dog look, she knows I can't resist that, Lin grimaced internally as she tried to do the thing she knew she couldn't: "I'm sorry. I can't, I'm needed here."

Kya pouted. "Cut the hippo bull, no-one's gonna attack us, the worst danger you'll have to deal with is the press, and I think your officers can handle them," she argued.

Sighing, the Chief responded: "You're not leaving without me, are you?"

Smirking smugly, Kya confirmed that she would indeed pester the exasperated Chief until she gave in and "Let your hair down for the first time in a decade or two."

Lin turned to one of her officers and barked: "Deputy, I'm leaving the security of this event in your hands. Can I count on you?"

Snapping to attention, he shakily responded: "Y-y-yes, Chief. I- I mean, we won't let you down, ma'am."

Sighing again, Lin allowed herself to be dragged into the party, Kya whooping with joy: "Yeah! This is gonna be awesome!" Lin cringed. What have I gotten myself into…?

=x=

'Letting one's hair down,' according to Kya, meant inducing copious amounts of alcohol in good company, and laughing at the inevitable shenanigans that would follow. So, naturally, the Chief ended up being taken right to the bar.

As Lin settled onto a barstool, Kya waved over the bartender. "Two shots of the Fire Nation's Finest!" she demanded, flashing Lin a cheeky grin. When the shots were poured, Kya slid one over to Lin, who grimaced.

"Didn't we drink this shit when we were kids?" she asked, eyeing the small glass with no small amount of dread. "Because as I recall, it tasted like death back in the day," she concluded.

"Well it's not like we're drinking it for the taste," Kya returned with a wink, adding, "You need to loosen up a little. And didn't we always wonder if it'd taste any better when we were older?" she continued, lifting her shot. "To the good old days," she toasted, clinking her glass with the Chief's.

"I guess I can drink to that," Lin replied, smirking. The whisky burned its way down her throat, but years of police work and the injuries it came with allowed her to suffer the minor unpleasantness without showing weakness.

Kya was not so lucky. Slamming her glass down onto the bar, she shook her head from side to side a few times, then proclaimed her disgust: "Ugh, I guess some things just don't get better with age, huh." Kya looked over at Lin, who still wore that smirk. "What?" Kya inquired, curious as to what could possibly keep her usually surly friend grinning for more than five seconds at once.

"I know one thing that got better with age," Lin answered, then continued: "Your bending."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the waterbender demanded, feigning outrage. "Don't tell me you don't remember the time I had to carry you back to the ferry while you were completely covered in booze?" the amused Chief replied, the then-frustrating, now-hilarious event replaying in her mind.

"Hippo bull! That never happened," Kya insisted.

"Well you wouldn't remember it, I guess, since you were so drunk you tried to beerbend at some jerk trying to pick us up," Lin chuckled, the whisky chipping away at her inhibitions. "To your credit you managed to lift everyone's beer out of their glasses, but when you tried to catch it…. Well let's just say that all you accomplished was pissing off an entire bars' worth of idiots and giving yourself the worst bath ever," she continued, as Kya's shocked expression widened at Lin's recollection of that stupid old night.

"You remembered that?" Kya asked, quietly.

"Of course! Even though I had to fling rocks at most of 'em before we got out, and even though I had to carry you to the port, covered in beer, and then drive the damn ferry all the way back to Air Temple Island, it was still hilarious!" Lin half-shouted, oblivious to the effect her story had had on her drinking buddy.

"Wow," Kya mumbled, before forcing herself back to the party. "Still a lightweight, I see," she grinned, amused by how little it took to get Lin tipsy.

=x=

"I found a drink you really need to try," Kya told Lin. Throwing her arm around the Chief, she called over the barkeep, and asked: "Can I get two Falling Stars, please?"

After taking Kya's yuans, the guy behind the bar, barely 18, nervously pulled out several bottles of spirits and started to mix them. Lin turned to look at the woman holding her in a drunken embrace and was startled by how close that delightful face was to her own. Pushing such thoughts from her mind, she asked: "What the hell is a Falling Star?"

"Trust me, it's just the coolest thing," Kya answered.

Lin sighed, resigning herself to getting nothing out of the woman holding her so tightly. When the barkeep returned he brought two glasses filled to the brim with a strange grey liquid. Setting them on the table, he raised his hands, extending the first two fingers on each hand and curling the rest against his palms. Lin reached for her glass, only for Kya to grab the offending wrist with her other hand. "Wait," she breathed, keeping a firm grip on her friend.

Lin's breathing shook as she realised her companion was completely wrapped around her, barely noticing the twin bursts of fire the barkeep shot at the drinks. Lin did, however, notice the brilliant white flames with which they burned. "They put something on the top that burns white, like the tail of a falling star," Kya explained, releasing her grip on Lin's wrist, and taking her own glass in hand. Her left arm remained draped on the Chief's shoulders, however.

Lin eyed her glass dubiously before taking it. Blowing a small hole in the burning liquid at the surface, she took a sip. Cloying sweetness rushed into her mouth, making her gag. "Spirits, Kya," she cursed.

"Yup, lots of 'em!" joked Kya, earning a scowl from her once again sullen friend.

"This is so you, something sickly sweet enough that you don't notice how quickly you get wasted drinking it," Lin growled.

"Trust me, you'll get used to it," Kya implored.

And as the conversation proceeded, Kya's words turned out to have some truth to them after all. As Lin became acclimatized to the sweetness, it became almost pleasant, and before long her new-found enthusiasm for the mysterious cocktail was rewarded by an empty glass. Kya's mouth split into a huge, childlike grin at that, and she stood, removing her arm from Lin's in the process, making Lin almost disappoi-NOPE. Not thinking that.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, Kya called: "BUMI! GET YOUR DRUNK ASS OVER HERE!"

Lin facepalmed and demanded "What have I done to deserve that?"

"I'll explain in a minute," Kya responded, a touch breathless from her bellow.

Bumi stumbled along shortly after, nearly tripping over his own trench coat. "Wuh? What?" he slurred, confused, until he saw his sister. Letting out a mighty roar that would've had the average soldier running back to base for a change of trousers, Bumi launched himself at Kya, lifting her in a huge platypus bear hug. "KYA! YOU'RE THE BESTHT!" he exclaimed, alcohol impeding his words.

"Put me down, you idiot!" Kya screeched. Sheepishly he lowered her, then asked why he had been called, if not for one of his: "totally amathing hugths" as he put it.

"You owe me 100 yuans, she drank it!" Kya yelled gleefully.

Looking over at a very confused Lin, Bumi mumbled and grumbled and repeatedly swore as he dug out his wallet and shoved a bunch of notes into his sister's expectant hands. Muttering something about "shtupid shishtersh" and getting another drink, he slunk off, looking somewhat disgruntled. Lin cocked an eyebrow at her friend.

"You cheeky bastard," she remarked.

"You're one to talk!" Kya retorted, though with good humor.

=x=

A few more beers and shots later, a bearded bald monk with a blue arrow tattooed over his head cautiously approached. "Tenzin," slurred Lin, "For once I'm actually having a good time at one of these damn things."

Tenzin shook his head and calmly replied: "Just checking in, making sure you're alright. You seem to have drunk quite a bit."

"I don't need you checking up on me. Now get outta here, if it's not about saving the world or anything like that then I couldn't care less what you have to say," Lin viciously retorted.

Chastened, Tenzin backed away, remembering how much he liked his head being attached to his shoulders.

=x=

Later, a dark-skinned young woman with short black hair approached. "Lin?!" she exclaimed, astounded.

"What's the matter, never seen me let my hair down, Avatar?" Lin responded, amusement twinkling in her eyes.

Kya pulled the young girl in, seating her between the two drunk older ladies. "How're you doin', Korra?" Kya asked unsteadily.

"I'm fine. Good. Yeah, great. You two look like you're having a good time," Korra responded uncertainly.

"Yeah, Kya showed me this awesome drink. It's called a Falling Shot. Star. Not shot. What am I sayin'?" Lin stumbled.

"Honestly! Some women just can't hold their liquor!" giggled Kya.

"A-a-anyway, I was just heading out to get some air," Korra quickly put in, before the drunken banter could resume. Ducking out of the older woman's drunken hold, she mumbled something about how nice it was to see Lin enjoying herself, before darting away.

"What did I say?" Lin asked, looking crestfallen.

"I think," Kya whispered conspiratorially, "she might be trying to meet up with someone." The waterbender winked.

=x=

Shortly after that, the recently-promoted Detective Mako made his way over to his boss. "Chief," he began, not realising the depths of her intoxication, "Several guests are causing a nuisance. What do you want to do about them?"

Lin clumsily turned from the bar, some of her grey hair escaping her usually perfect bun, and shouted back: "Hey! I'm on a break! You can handle a few little drunks, can't you? Detective?"

Snapping to attention, Mako responded: "Yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am. Consider it done." Walking away, Mako tried and failed to comprehend the fact that his boss – a record-breaking hardass – was as drunk as Bumi. Could this evening get any weirder? He wondered, reaching for the cuffs at his belt.

=x=

The older ladies were giggling like crazy over another round of Falling Stars when an Air Acolyte with a mischievous grin approached. "Hey, ladies, sounds like someone's having a good time," Kai opened smoothly.

Kya grinned cheekily as she responded: "Yeah, you could say that." Clearing his throat, Kai continued: "Some of the other airbenders aren't having such a good time, but I think I know exactly how to put some life back into the party."

"Oh?" Lin responded, eyebrow raised, certain she knew exactly what was coming next.

"I don't suppose I could trouble you lovely ladies for a few beers, could I?" he asked. Suddenly Lin let out a guffaw of laughter, shocking everyone in the vicinity.

"Could you trouble us for some beers?" she spluttered in between laughs. "Yeah, real good idea, kid, try and get the damn Chief of Police to enable underage drinking!" Howling, she and Kya returned to their drinking and joking. Kai let out a frustrated sigh, and went off to pester Suyin instead.

=x=

Things were starting to quiet down a little after midnight. At this point, the happy newlyweds meandered round to greet the last few guests who had yet to offer them congratulations. Stopping at the bar, Varrick proclaimed: "Kya! Lin! Why did I get a sneaking suspicion I might find you two here!"

Kya immediately smiled and threw herself at the couple, bunching them up in a hug. "I'm so happy for you both!" she proclaimed in a giddy voice. Lin merely glared at Varrick.

When Kya released them, Lin huffed: "Well, I suppose this is the part where I congratulate you. Well, congratulations, Varrick. You got a far better woman than you had any right to expect." Turning to Zhu Li, she continued: "Whatever it is you see in him, the rest of us don't. But, whatever, he's your problem now!" she concluded, cackling.

Astonishment and outrage showed in equal measures on Varrick's face, while Zhu Li blushed and muttered that perhaps Lin was a bit too drunk.

Kya was also stunned. "Alright, that's enough, Lin," she snapped, trying to recover the situation. "I think you've had enough, let's get you off to bed."

Lin shrugged and allowed herself to be led along by the waterbender, wishing she could feel the arm holding her up by the waist. Damned armour, she cursed internally, as Kya half-walked, half-dragged her up to one of the many guest rooms in the Temple.

=x=

"That was unnecessarily mean, what you said to Varrick," Kya spoke, softly but sternly. Lin was sat on the double bed, head in hands, while Kya stood in front of her, looking down on her.

Lin sighed and responded: "Huh... You're probably right."

The older woman was taken aback – Lin, apologising? Well, not apologising, but acknowledging she said something harsh. She must be drunker than me, she thought to herself. Externally, however, she remained stern: "Yeah, I am. And you're going to apologise to them next time you see them." Lin groaned. "Aren't you?" Kya insisted.

"Fine, fine, whatever," Lin slurred.

Kya paused, then went to sit next to Lin. Gently resting her hand on Lin's shoulder, she asked: "Are you gonna be okay with that?" She gestured at Lin's police armour.

Lin staggered to her feet, and clumsily moved her arms in a crude approximation of proper metalbending stances, untidily peeling off the layers of hardened steel to reveal a simple tank top and trousers. Leaving the metal where it fell, Lin stumbled back towards the bed and landed on Kya, pressing their bodies together.

Kya's breath caught in her chest. First the view of Lin's scarred, muscular arms, and now this? Totally unfair. However, her breathing problems were not only caused by her excessive enjoyment of being underneath the too-drunk Chief, but also because the angle of her fall had Kya pinned most uncomfortably, and was making breathing even harder.

The waterbender rolled Lin onto her side, so that they lay facing each other, Lin's emerald eyes hazy but not quite asleep yet.

Time enough for one more question.

Don't ask that, you'll give yourself away in a heartbeat, she thought. Another side of her replied. Why not? She won't remember.

This internal wrestling match proceeded while Lin's eyes, locked onto Kya's face, drifted towards closing.

Eventually, Kya plucked up the nerve and asked the question that had been on her lips since Lin recounted the tale of her failed attempt at beerbending. "How come you remember all the times we had when we were young?" she asked.

She knew her own reasons for remembering them all – she was young, in love, and every moment spent in the gruff, but ultimately kind woman's company was a moment she cherished, but she couldn't fathom how Lin's memory was so accurate also.

Probably just cause she's a policewoman, attention to detail and all that, she though sluggishly. But a faint spark of hope had been lit when she heard that story. Maybe, just maybe, Lin had enjoyed their time just as much. Maybe she even felt the same way…?

Stop it. Stop. It. You're only gonna get yourself hurt if you get your hopes up. What are the chances she bends your way?

Her train of thought was scattered by Lin's response: "Of course I remember them. They…" she trailed off, to Kya's frustration.

Once again she was surprised by what Lin did next.

The younger woman's arm slid around her waist, pulling her close. Lin's forehead pressed against Kya's as she continued: "Those times... They... You made me really happy back then. I never forgot any of them."

At that point, Kya could see the Chief's realisation at what she was saying across her face, embarrassment colouring her cheeks. Lin turned her head down and broke eye contact.

Softly, Kya put her arm around Lin, finally reciprocating the embrace. Lin's admission had filled her with joy and hope, and she pulled the younger woman tightly into her. She gently pressed her lips against Lin's forehead, and whispered: "Thank you." Soon both women, exhausted from a night of rowdy drinking, were asleep.