The first arms to hold Lin Beifong were not her mother's nor were they her father's. They were Aang's. Well, technically she briefly passed through Katara and Yi-Lee's hands first, but in any subsequent retellings of the story on this point Aang was adamant; he was the first person to hold Lin Beifong.
Having to be outside the doors while such tortured cries came from inside was killing him. It made it even worse that he had to be outside the doors alone. Sokka was supposed to be here with him too but he wasn't scheduled to return from his trip to the Southern Water Tribe for another couple of days and the littlest Beifong had decided to make an early appearance. Zuko and Mai would visit, but only once Toph sent word that the child had arrived. That left Aang to pace alone outside of the occupied guest bedroom on Air Temple Island while Katara and Toph worked inside.
He worried about Toph. He'd been present to help Katara through the birth of all three of his children, a comforting presence, steadily by her side. The father of this child would not be present. Toph had made sure of that. His name had fallen from her lips only once when they were all at Ember Island together: throwing back cactus juice and remembering the good old days. Sokka, who typically went drink for drink with Toph, was quick to point out that her glass had remained uncharacteristically full. She'd laid out the truth for them that night, but then it was washed out like the tide against the beach, never to be spoken of again. She had already labeled the issue 'case closed' within her own heart and there was no other choice but for everyone to go along with it.
His name was Kanto. He was an officer in the Earth Kingdom's military and diplomacy dictated that he move through the social political circles of the Republic every now and then. Aang and the others had been only peripherally aware of his relationship with their favorite earth bender and not even Sokka, who was Toph's usual begrudging confidante, could tell them exactly when the relationship had begun or ended. It was difficult to discern who truly mattered in the comings and goings of Toph's discrete, romantic life. They had all grown accustomed to her fierce independence and did not want to have to face the barrage of earth that would undoubtedly follow any insinuation that someone had ascended to any level of importance in her life.
It hurt Aang somewhat to hear Toph's decision. He knew her well enough to suspect that her facetiousness towards the situation was simply a way to weasel out of risking rejection but had been trying very hard to respect her wishes. The earthbender had carved a permanent place for herself within their pack but was very much a lone wolfbat at heart. Still, he loved the charming ruffian turned chief so completely; he had a hard time imagining someone else wouldn't if given the chance. Aang ran into the man maybe two or three times after Toph's rapidly swelling abdomen had left her sequestered on an island of paperwork. With each encounter he felt an uncomfortable squirming in his stomach as the secrets he was privy to roiled there. He always offered the man a polite nod but the whole situation unsettled him. Toph had made it perfectly clear that she had no intention of telling, but Aang wondered frequently why Kanto didn't ask. He thought about his and Katara's life and how much they depended on each other. Even if Toph didn't think she wanted that sort of support, she and her child deserved it.
Another piercing cry resounded behind the doors followed by Katara's gentle yet confident mutterings. Aang leaned against the wall and sighed. He considered trying to meditate to help the time pass but the nervous twitching of his fingers would not allow it. It wasn't in his nature to be removed from matters involving his friends. The war had woven an unbreakable thread between them all. At a tender age they had routinely held each other's lives in their hands, known that life intimately, and protected it fiercely. How he longs to be able to protect Toph now.
He had been so excited when Toph had arrived at Air Temple Island before the sun that morning. After months of build up the newest addition would finally be here. Aang loved seeing all of their lives expanding to include new little ones and he spent more time than he cared to admit imagining the adventures of what Sokka affectionately deemed the Gang Babies, although Bumi and Izumi were now old enough to detest being referred to as "babies". He'd spent his life fighting for peace but it was only in recent years that he began to understand what peace truly meant to him. Peace felt like Bumi accidentally knocking him in the head with a boomerang while Sokka laughed uproariously. It sounded like Kya's shrieks of delight, her long, dark hair whipping around her face as he took her on a high sailing, loop turning, ride on Appa. It tasted like the joyous tears running down Katara's face when they realized Tenzin was an airbender. It smelled like the tiny piles of ash Izumi couldn't help but leave in her wake when she initially discovered her bending, to Zuko's absolute delight and Mai's chagrin. Peace looked like the wide smile on Toph's face, that showed the one dimple in the corner of her mouth, the first time Lin kicked. Despite the many credits to his friends' names he couldn't help but feel proudest of the little beings that called them Mom, Dad, Aunt, and Uncle.
He'd felt that same excitement when Toph had waddled into their home unannounced and cursing through clenched teeth. But a long and difficult birth had effectively sapped the excitement from the room, transforming his anticipation to apprehension with every passing hour. It had been morning when Toph's labor began and it was now well into the evening, his own children had been put to bed hours prior.
Suddenly, a markedly different cry permeated the room. Relief would have flooded him but the sound was immediately followed by Katara's voice calling out his name urgently.
He pushed into the room, not stopping to ready himself for what he was about to see.
Yi-Lee shoved a screaming bundle into his unprepared arms.
"Take her," was the acolyte's rushed explanation as she flew past him out of the room. But he could barely register the baby in his arms. His eyes zeroed in on Katara still working diligently at the end of the blood soaked bed.
"Toph! Toph, stay with me. Listen to my voice, okay?" She kept intoning sternly, hands moving furiously.
Toph had paled to a sickly gray hue and her sightless eyes drifted around the room hazily while fighting drooping eyelids.
"What's wrong with her?" He asked.
"She's losing too much blood," Katara's reply was clipped.
Aang noticed how shallow Toph's breathing had become and his own hitched in his throat. He slipped one hand into hers, holding tightly to her newborn with the other. His heart sank when her clammy fingers did nothing to move around his.
Yi-Lee re-entered the room with a fresh basin of water to replace the blood tinged one. Katara took the basin and set it down on the floor, handing off her rag to the acolyte with orders to keep the pressure. Katara guided the water, which took on an ethereal glow in her capable palms, out of the basin and ran it over Toph's abdomen, trying to staunch the internal bleeding.
"You can help her right? You can fix it?"
"I'm trying," she answered hastily but her focus had already turned back to Toph, "Keep listening to me Toph! Don't stop..."
"Katara-"
"Aang, please take her out," his wife's voice rose in a way he'd never heard before, "I need to focus…" she finished harshly.
Aang suddenly became aware that the bundle in his arms was wailing at decibels that would make Momo's ears twitch and fold down tightly against his head. The sound made his entire focus realign. He began to gently bounce the infant up and down in his arms ever so slightly as he headed for the door.
He paused in the doorway and looked back. Toph looked small and young in the large bed, as if she was barely older than the day he'd first seen her. He wanted to linger longer but he knew there was nothing he could do. Toph was in Katara's hands now and the daughter she'd begun calling Lin as her due date approached, was in his. With a deep breath he pushed through the door, sliding it closed behind him with his bending.
He leaned against the door briefly and tried to block out Katara's orders from inside. He looked down at the little, squalling, being in his arms. Her eyes had were open despite her crying and seemed to be locked on him with surprising focus. They were a startling shade of green, the color he imagined Toph's would be were they not covered by the milky film of blindness. Thick dark hair was matted to her tiny head and, even from his few encounters with the man, Aang could see the beginnings of Kanto's facial structure just beneath the newborn pudge. She was beautiful. The baby continued to whine uncomfortably, shaking him from his moment of reverie. She was still slick with blood and uterine fluid. He moved into the washroom and carefully laid Lin down on the countertop. Keeping one hand on her, he grabbed a soft cloth and soaked it in warm water. Tenderly, he wiped the mucus from the infant's chubby body, revealing the soft skin. Her high sobs began to wane into soft gurgling noises, apparently enjoying the feeling of warm water running over her. He picked Lin up and tucked her tightly against his chest, careful to support her neck and head, with all the expertise of a father of three. He barely rested his cheek against Lin's downy head, inhaling that distinctive newborn smell that took him back to the first time holding all three of his children.
Fear constricted his throat, what if Toph never got this moment with her daughter? What if she didn't get to experience the joy of holding new life in her hands? Even in his hours of nervous pacing he'd never imagined that this particular sort of tragedy could be possible. He'd worried for Lin, for the possibility of Toph ever being able to have more children. But he hadn't worried about Toph. She was the greatest earthbender in the world. Something as natural as childbirth couldn't possibly take her down.
He stroked Lin's soft curls. She'd calmed significantly even though he knew she must be hungry. Perhaps she'd be able to fall asleep for long enough to be able to wake to a meal from her mother. And if not, then… he pushed the thought from his mind. Katara was an amazing healer, she loved the rough around the edges earthbender, she wouldn't let her go.
Lin squirmed a bit.
"I got you, Uncle Aang's got you," he murmured into the baby's ear followed by soft, soothing noises.
She quieted once more.
It seemed like a cruel premonition now that only three weeks ago Toph had turned up with an attorney following behind her. It had caught Aang and Katara completely off guard. They hadn't been expecting Toph to come by and especially not with a stuffy looking gentleman in tow. Katara had graciously shown them all into Aang's study trying to conceal her confusion with the situation.
"This is my attorney Lu Xing," Toph had introduced politely, "he's here to finalize incidental paperwork for the assumption of parental rights." The sophisticated legalese rolled off Toph's tongue gracefully in one of the moments that made them remember their crude little friend had been raised amongst high society in the Earth Kingdom.
"Parental rights?" Aang had repeated. He wasn't surprised exactly, it just demonstrated a foresight he didn't generally associate with Toph. She threw herself into danger at every turn and Katara had often shook her head proclaiming that Toph Beifong must believe herself immortal.
"Yes," Toph said surely, "I know that in my job things can happen...and they can happen fast. Just in case, I… I don't want there to be room for anyone to question my wishes."
Katara and Aang nodded in understanding. Toph had long ago confided in them her concern that her parents might try to wrangle for custody of her child. Even then Aang doubted such a struggle would be profitable. Just her mentioning that she'd considered the possibility showed a burgeoning of protective maternal instincts that convinced him Toph would make a lovely mother. But if, spirits forbid, something did happen to Toph it would certainly give the Beifongs some leverage.
"I thought about it a lot," the earthbender continued graciously, "and I would really like the two of you to take care of Lin in the event of my death. If you'd be willing to…"
"Toph," Aang started, still taking in the news.
"You're two of my best friends and Katara's really bossy in a good way," Toph continued rambling in a way that sounded much more like the Toph they knew, "and I know I give you shit all the time but I think you're both great parents. And you know you've kinda got a brood going on anyway so I figure what's one more-"
"Toph, Toph," Katara repeated in rapid succession, getting their friend's attention, "we completely understand," she took Aang's hand, "we'd love to be Lin's guardians."
"Are you sure? There's no pressure if it's going to be a hassle."
"Toph, you're our family and Lin will be too. It won't be any hassle," Aang intoned, a wide smile on his face.
The earthbender let out a deep breath.
"Okay then."
"Okay then," Katara echoed.
"Lu Xing, could you…"
The man cleared his throat and passed Aang and his wife some well annotated paperwork, indicating the major points and pointing to all the places their signatures were needed.
They bent over the paperwork, signing their names with flourishes. They got it. It was why similar paperwork for them sat at the council hall bearing Zuko and Mai's signatures. It wasn't something any of them wanted to think about but it was something they'd had to take into consideration in the wake of their own growing family and spent many days mulling over what was best. Should their children be kept in Republic City? Maybe Kya should be with other water benders? So many things to consider. In the end they'd decided that if something should ever happen to them. Sokka and Toph, no one else, were to take the children to the Fire Nation as soon as possible.
Lin had fallen asleep. He could feel the even, little puffs of moist breath against his neck. He moved to the nursery where Tenzin, just a couple months past a year old, still slept in the large cradle suspended from the support beams running across the room's ceiling. Slowly, he eased Lin Beifong into the cradle as well, laying her tiny form down next to his sleeping son. His arms now free, he sank into the nearby rocking chair. He felt emotionally exhausted on this peaceful night. Outside the window, the moon shone bright and full and a warm breeze made the flowering tree branches dance. He raised his hand and released short wisps of air from his palm, causing the cradle to sway dreamily and tried not to think about whether it was good or bad that Katara had not sought him out yet. It'd been an hour. Surely whatever was going to happen would've presented itself by now. She was either stabilized or…
"Dad, where's Mom?" A small voice asked from the doorway.
"Bumi," Aan turned to face his oldest son, "she's still working."
"Still? Is everything okay?"
"I hope so," Aang replied, trying to keep his voice light.
The little boy made his way into the room, his hair stuck out at wild angles and he rubbed at his eyes with a stretched out pajama sleeve. Aang stood and hugged his little boy tightly, feeling so grateful that his family was healthy and whole.
Bumi accepted the hug but then peered around his robes at the cradle.
"Is that the new baby? Can I see her?"
"Yes, be careful though. She's sleeping."
Bumi approached the cradle and looked in.
"She's pulling on Tenzin," he laughed a little.
He was right. The two looked like a pair of hibernating squirrel chameleons. Tenzin had instinctively curled around the smaller child in his sleep and Lin had a fistful of his pajamas clenched in her tiny hand.
"She doesn't look very much like Aunt Toph."
They both looked at the child's elongated face, more sloping nose, and delicate lips.
"I think she probably looks more like her dad," Aang answered.
"Where is her dad? Is he going to come see her?" Bumi asked with honest inquisitiveness. Aang had been waiting for this to come up. At ten Bumi was old enough to be curious about such things.
"I don't think so Bumi," Aang replied a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Why not?"
"Sometimes things don't always work out between moms and dads. and when that happens sometimes the mom or dad has to do things on their own," Aang examined Bumi's face, trying to gage his understanding.
"Oh, well I think she's going to be all right anyway," Bumi responded assuredly.
"Is that so?" Aang asked already smiling at his son's optimistic attitude.
"Yeah, Aunt Toph can do anything a dad can do," Bumi shot back matter of factly. Aang had to laugh at that but tried to muffle it so as not to wake Tenzin and Lin.
"That's very true Bum."
"And besides Aunt Toph won't have to do things on her own anyway because she's got a whole family to help her."
"You're right, we'll do everything we can to help."
"I know, Aunt Toph says you guys are nosy."
A shudder ran through Aang knowing the feisty woman who pretended to abhor their involvement in her life might take her last breath here in his home. He's not sure it would ever feel the same again if that happened.
"She's going to be all right Dad," Bumi said, turning his bright eyes on his father.
Aang wasn't sure if he meant Toph or Lin, but either way he appreciated it. Bumi grinned up at him with the lopsided smile he recognized as his own and couldn't help but hug him again.
Bumi went back to bed not long after and Aang went back to waiting. Every now and then Lin would start to sputter again and he'd lift her from the cradle to pace the floor, rocking her in his arms. The night slipped by while he and Lin kept vigil for Toph and it felt like both an impossible task and an incredible honor. The first rays of light were just beginning to peek over the bay when Yi-Lee came to retrieve him.
His heart stopped hearing her approach but when he turned to face her she was smiling.
"She's awake."
When he entered the room Katara was sitting at Toph's side and he was glad Toph couldn't see the shock on his face when he noticed that she was letting his wife hold one of her hands. There was still an unnatural pallor to her skin but she was awake and immediately aware of him having entered the room.
"Sweetie, come on in," Katara brightened seeing him. She looked just as exhausted as Toph. Deep, purple half moons lay underneath her eyes and sweat had erased any sort of style her hair had previously held.
"How do you feel?" Aang asked Toph good naturedly.
"Like shit, now would you give me my baby," her voice was hoarse but just as fiery as ever.
He approached the bed and slid Lin into Toph's waiting arms which had since released Katara's hand.
"Toph, meet your daughter."
She cradled Lin in one arm, and ran her feather light fingers over the infant's tiny face.
"She's beautiful."
"She really is," Katara agreed as he moved to sit in the chair next to her's. Katara leaned into him and sighed happily as his arm came up to encircle her shoulders. He felt the tension drain out of her and he rested his head against hers, depositing a kiss into her hair. They both breathed a sigh of relief. They both watched their brash friend for a moment. She was totally enraptured by the beautiful child she'd created. Holding her hands, tracing her tiny ears, inhaling the smell of her new skin.
"You did good, Toph." Aang said so quietly he wasn't sure Toph had heard him.
Their family was whole still. Lin, now an inseparable part of it. Years later he'd still think about that night; for the first five hours of Lin's life, he'd held Toph's heart in his hands.