Crack.

The distinct sound of cracking knuckles.

"Whaaaat? You wanna take me on?"

Swiiish.

The faintest whisper of her bare feet brushing the earthen terrain.

"Ha! Ya just a girl!"

Wheeew.

'Take a deep calm breath, and ready your horsestance' rings in her head.

"I don't care if ya mum is the greatest earthbender in the world! Yer not her! Stand back boys, this is gunna be easy."

Slowly she eased her mind into battle, tuning out the painful bruise forming on her face. She'd show him. She'd show them all.

Inhaling again, she focused on becoming more intoned with the world around her, hesitantly trying to listen to what it was trying to tell her, waiting for the right moment to reply.

Silence.

Only the distance chirping of grass hoppers and the land's strange assortment of morning bird calls pierced her hearing, making her frown deepen.

Talk to me already.

Foot lightly tapping the dirt, she waited for that familiar tickling sensation to rise through her toes. All she felt was soil, still warm from the previous summer day. Cursing under her breath, Lin frowned, concentrating harder. She had to stay focused. She had to-

"You know kid, you look kinda constipated doing that."

Sokka winced as Lin let out a startled yelp, jumping at least a foot in before crashing painfully.

"Owww." She groaned as she tried to sit up, rubbing her sore shoulder and face comfortingly as he hurried over to her, feeling guilty. She squinted up at him through the morning sunshine, displaying a look he commonly saw on her mother's face.

"Uncle Sokka. Why'd you go and do that for?" she growled as she reluctantly let him help her up.

"Sorry Lin, but when an opportunity presents itself like that, I just can't resist its calling." He shrugged, before taking in her appearance with a small frown. "You got a nice bruise forming there kid. How on earth did you manage to get that?" he asked, reaching out to gently touch the dark splotch beneath her left eye, seeing her grimace at his touch. Pulling away she looked down at her toes, still rubbing her shoulder tenderly.

"It's not important. And don't," she snapped, sensing his reply, "don't try to question it. It's my business. Now, can you please, just leave? I need to go back to my training."

She would have liked to have left it at that, but she should have remembered her uncle and his tendencies to be a pain in the ass. Especially when he wanted answers. True to his nature, Sokka settled down on the compacted earth with a sigh, pulling out his boomerang from it's casing on his hip. Holding it up to the light for inspection, he murmured casually, "You know, there was a time your mum thought she could do everything by herself as well."

"And she still can."

"She likes to think she can." He corrected, flicking a piece of mud of the sharpened metal, "But even the mighty Toph has to ask for assistance from time to time. Sure, it's not in the most obvious or customary way, but she still does."

In her defence, she really tried to ignore him. But there's something about his voice she can't block out, especially when discussing her mother. Struggling to maintain her barriers, she huffed indignantly, strengthening her horsestance.

"So?"

"Sooo, you're just like her Lin. Even if you don't think you need help or want it, it is always available to you." He soothed, running a thumb over the edge of the boomerang carefully.

"I'm not like her."

"Yes you are."

"No, I'm not.' She snapped, sending a piercing glare his way, "I'm nothing like her."

Very aware of the clumps of rock levelling with his head, Sokka slowly tucked the weapon away again before fixing her with an appraising look.

"And why would you even believe that?" he asked softly. Surprised by his question, Lin lost control of the earth around her, letting gravity greedily suck it back to its encasing. She was silent for a while, trying to think of an explanation, which he used to assess the bruises covering her face, arms and legs. The poor kid had taken quiet a beating recently, and if she was anything like her mother, she was probably too proud to admit her loss. Heck, she probably didn't even confine in her mum.

"I'm, I'm not like her. I…I'm just not." She stammered feebly, her defences weakening under his knowing gaze.

"I doubt that." He snorted in amusement, watching as she crumbled even more. "Now tell me the truth."

He was surprised when her bottom lip trembled, even more so when she tackled him in a desperate hug, sobbing uncharacteristically into his shoulder.

"Because they said I wasn't. They told me I'm nothing like my mum." She cried.

"Who did?"

"Some stupid boys." She mumbled tearfully, and if he was mistaken, a little resentfully as well. Smiling slightly, Sokka patted her back comfortingly.

"What did you do?"

"I challenged them to a fight."

"And…?"

Pulling away from him, Lin glared in annoyance, emphasizing her bruise. "And what? Hello, bruised face. I got my butt served to me like Ozai's prison meals. It was nasty." She spat. Chuckling, Sokka clambered to his feet, pulling her up with him.

"I can see that Lin. I meant, and how did all this happen? Why didn't you unleash your awesome earthbending skills on them and be on your merry way?"

Something in her expression told him the truth almost immediately. And people said he wasn't observant.

"It wasn't a bending duel was it?"

She shook her head sadly.

"They ruled it out straight away. They were non-benders, and declared that if I was so determined to prove myself, then I'd fight fairly. Then, and only then, would they believe I was Toph's daughter and not some bastard child. It was all a big trap. And I fell for it…big time." She sighed.

Yup. Hot tempered like her mother. Sokka thought, echoing her sigh mentally.

"Come on, chin up." He instructed, before glancing around the courtyard thoughtfully. "You've learnt your lesson I believe?"

"Yeeeeaah?" she drawled, wondering what he was getting at, watching as he removed his cloak and rolled his shoulders experimentally.

"Well then, if you are anything like your mother, which I strongly believe, then you're dying to get some revenge. Correct?" he grinned at her guilty blush.

"But how? I'm useless in fights. Look, I've got multiple bruises to prove it!" she growled, indicating to her multi coloured skin in frustration.

"But you haven't gone to Aunt Katara or another healer to heal them, or worn anything to cover them up. And judging by the looks of them, they're a couple of days old. Wearing them as a badge of defeat, or a constant reminder of how badly someone damaged your ego isn't enough. Come on." He said, adopting a fighting stance, waving for her to follow his lead, "I'm going to teach you how to fight."

Lin was quickly reminded why he was her favourite uncle. That, and he was completely nuts.

It wasn't until much later, after much taunting, grunts of pain, fists flying and feet lashing, most of which ended up with her connecting with the earth again and again, did she start to question her sanity as well. Too many times to count, she wanted to admit defeat, to slink away to some dark dwelling and lick her wounds in shame, but he wouldn't let her. Every time, Sokka encouraged her to get back on her feet with his words of wisdom, or reminding her of what she was fighting for, enticing an enraged right hook or a few left jabs, blocking each blow effectively, before turning the tables on her. Slowly, she began to get the hang of it, learning to anticipate his movements before he struck.

By midday, she finally managed to land a hit.

Panting hard and smelling of sweat, dirt and blood, Lin stared at him in surprise, before looking from her bunched up fist, to the way he was clutching his arm.

"Nice job kid. That actually hurt." Sokka chuckled, rubbing the old sore spot tiredly. Seeing her open mouthed gape, he smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair. "You catch on quickly. Those bullies won't know what hit them if you used that kind of attack."

Relaxing, she grinned at him in triumph before hugging him tightly.

"Thanks Uncle Sokka."

"No problem kid." He smiled, patting her shoulder. "Now go get cleaned up before your mum catches you. She commented about your limp last night before her shift, and was going to interrogate you about it today."

She cursed loudly, causing him to laugh as he shoved her in the direction of the house. Taking the hint, she ran off towards her room, chuckling quietly to herself. "Bumi is so dead."

Watching her go, Sokka grinned when he heard his nephew's name pass her lips, his suspicions confirmed. The grin quickly faded though when something forcefully connected with an old bruise on his arm, causing him to yelp painfully.

"Toph! Why?" he exclaimed, turning to see the tired Chief of police beside him, his hand automatically reaching up to rub his sore arm.

"That's for teaching my daughter to fight Snoozles." She huffed, but he could see the smile stretching itself across her face. "Thanks. I think she needed that."

Smiling in return, he slung an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. "No problem."

The front door banged open, revealing a freshly scrubbed Lin as she hurried past them, buckling her cloak around her neck as she ran.

"I'm going out for a while. I've got some, uh, business to attend to on Air Temple Island. I'll be back before dinner!" she shouted over her shoulder, waving goodbye before disappearing off down the road.

"Bumi?" Toph questioned curiously.

"Bumi." Sokka agreed, watching as the young girl's cloak flicked around the far corner.

"Ah, figures. That girl's a fighter." Toph yawned sleepily, crossing her arms as she leaned against him. Glancing down at her, Sokka couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, just like her mum."