Lin was infuriated. She left Air Temple Island in such a fury. She had caught Tenzin in the act with a young acolyte. Lin felt her eye's sting. They stung so badly. In her head she kept repeating words of comfort. She even repeated that she wasn't going to cry. It was the last thing she wanted, especially, in public. As the boat docked back into Republic City. Lin had a very erratic stride. A stride that made people wonder what was wrong? She hurried herself, she wanted to scream, she wanted to punch someone, and she wanted... There were so many things she wanted to do but the one thing that hurt her most was catching Tenzin in a lip lock with that... Thing.

She was fumbling with opening her door. She got fed up and used her bending. Upon slamming the door behind her, knowing that this would upset her neighbours, at the moment Lin didn't care. Lin placed her back against the door. Letting her whole body slide against it. She stared off into the distance.

"I'm..." Lin hesitated at what she was going to say. Words didn't slip out. Only the tears that had been stinging her since she left the island. Only the last memories of her enraged self-remained. Only the image of her ex-lover and a child lingered. Lin let out soft sobs at first. Which turned into loud ones.

"Why?" Lin asked.

"WHY?"

Lin had spent the whole night crying away the pain. Crying away on how her relationship ended. Everyone she cared about had just left her alone. This had hit her hard, really hard. She hadn't moved from the spot that she had been on. She didn't feel the need to move. Lin's body was in a state of paralysis. Lin fell asleep, she was hoping for it to be just a mere dream that Tenzin would come to her. She dozed off in her fragile state.

It had been months since she last saw Tenzin. He hadn't come to her as she was expecting it to be. He left for a child. It was hard for Lin to accept that he was gone. She hasn't cried since that night, since she caught him with "it".

Lin was in her office. She had become cold. She didn't do any of the things she had once done in a previous life. There were unfortunate outcomes; Lin couldn't run away from Tenzin. She had to see his face whenever there was a meeting or at an event. It only enraged her. However, it also made her want to kiss him. Her body wanted him, yet her mind didn't want to accept him back.

Lin pinched the bridge of her nose. Tomorrow... He shall be a married man.

"He'll be tied down; he'll be able to repopulate the air nation... I've got a different legacy to up hold." Lin said softly to herself. As she rose from her desk. Taking paper work with her and taking the rest of the day off to wallow in her lonely life that no longer revolved a lover, a friend. She had no one. It only revolved work.

'It seems that I have been held in some dreaming state, I twist in the waking world, never quite awake. No kiss, no gentle word could wake me from this slumber...'

Lin had been sitting at the table reading all the papers she needed to look at and sign. It was giving her a headache but it distracted her from thinking. She hadn't been paying attention to the time, not even realizing that someone was at her door. Her eyes were opaque, the vividness that they once had, deteriorated. She only looked up and stayed as quiet as possible. She looked back at the papers that needed to be signed.

"Lin, I know you are in there. Open the door...Please." Tenzin pleaded behind the door.

Lin stared at the door. She got up and mumbled curses under her breath. As she opened the door and her face was scarlet.

"Go away." Lin hissed. She was going to slam the door only for Tenzin to wiggly his way in.

"I didn't invite you inside, go home Tenzin, I don't want to be a "burden" to you. As you can see I'm quite busy. So if you would kindly, leave me be to my work. I would greatly appreciate it." Lin said with a tone of hate.

Tenzin sighed. "We need to talk."

"Talk? Talk about what? There's nothing to talk about, Tenzin. You've perfectly moved on." Lin began as all the blood in her body started to rise.

"Lin, hear me out." Tenzin said as he approached her.

"No, get out before I arrest you, just like with what I did to that thing." Lin retorted.

Lin began to walk back to what she was doing only to be stopped by Tenzin.

"If you don't leave now, I swear I'll..." Lin was saying until Tenzin cut her off. He wasn't the type to do that. He would listen and then reply, like the sissy that he was.

"Until you'll what? Run away without letting me explain. Arresting someone for no reason, for our relationship to be a mess?" Tenzin retorted angrily.

"Oh, cut the crap, Tenzin." Lin hissed.

"You decided to speak to me after months. Well, here I am. I've always been "here"; "Lin's breathing was heavy. She didn't want to look at him or hear him for the matter. She'd been fine. Drowning herself in work to avoid him. She'd send one of the officers to those meetings. Just to avoid the pain.

"I believe it's been you who have been avoiding me. As you probably know, I'll be married soon. I just thought I should come to check if you were all right." Said Tenzin calmly.

"Well, you've seen me. Now get the hell out. I don't care if you're getting married. Go and have as many kids as you want with that floozy." Lin exclaimed as she walked right past him. Only to be stopped by his hand around her arm whirling her to face his enraged face.

"Why are you behaving like a child, Lin?" He asked as his chest was heaving.

Lin scowled and glared at his hand on her arm.

'...Until I realized, that it was you who held me under. Felt it in my fists, in my feet, and the hollow of my eyelids. Shaking through my skull, through my spine and down to my ribs...'

"Let...Go." Lin said softly.

"Not until you listen." Tenzin reclaimed.

"Just stop Tenzin. I'm just a mere fragment of the past. I'm nothing." She stated.

"And clearly you haven't left yet." She added. Trying her best to wiggly out of his grip.

"No, I haven't and you aren't anything, you're my friend." He replied.

Lin knew he was telling the truth but it hurt her so much. She didn't really say goodbye to him. They stood there silently; the only noise that was around them was of the grand clock.

Lin felt the moisture in her eyes. She didn't want a repeat of that night. Tenzin seemed to realize the moistness of her eyes. Lin couldn't hold back anymore. The tears fell down. She didn't make a noise; she just let them flow out.

Tenzin brought her closer to him. Using his thumb to rub them away.

He wanted to take all the pain away but he knew he was the one that was causing her to be in pain. He pulled her in closer and tighter causing Lin to sob harder. Making them both fall to the ground.

' No more dreaming of the dead as if death itself was undone, no more crawling like crow for boy, for body in the garden, no more dreaming like a girl so in love, so in love...'

Lin breathed in his scent. This was probably the last time she'll breathe it in. She gripped tightly at his robes. Her tears didn't stop. She needed him but she didn't want to see him. It was a day before his wedding and here he was pitying her. She pushed him away. Inching back and rubbing away the salty tears.

"I think its best that you leave." Lin croaked.

Tenzin stared at the fragile woman in front of him. He inched forward without thinking he placed his lips on hers.

Lin's eyes widened. She wanted to push him away, but her body desired this kiss for so long that she gave in. Their kiss had been chaste, after a few minutes it became very passionate and heated. Eventually they both broke apart for air. Their lips were swollen. Lin slapped Tenzin across the face.

"Get out, I don't ever want to see your face here again." Lin croaked with tears beginning to swell up.

Lin stood up stalking off to her bedroom and locking it. Waiting and breathing, listening to see if he would leave. After a good five minutes, Tenzin shuffled around leaving Lin alone. Lin slid against the door wallowing in her pain, knowing that he wouldn't be hers anymore. That tomorrow he'd be married and belong to another.

'And I could hear the thunder and see the lightning crack and all around the world was waking, I never could go back. Cause all the walls of dreaming they were torn wide open and finally it seemed that the spell was broken, and all my bones began to shake, my eyes flew open...'

"You no longer exist. You're just a dream that I once wanted, that I once had. You're just a part of a child's wish." Lin whispered to herself.

Lin lightly opened her bedroom door. As she made her way realizing that she still had paper work to do, she inwardly groaned. She quickly went through each paper and signed them.

She clenched and unclenched her writing hand. She stood up and made her way to the kitchen to make herself some tea. Without thinking she placed her fingers around her lips. She instinctively placed her hand to her side. With Lin being Lin, she had nearly destroyed herself. Taking out criminals, getting a few cuts and bruises, some were turning into scars. Lin was little by little killing herself. She had lost all that she had but it was for the best to push Tenzin away. She could kill herself with work. Whilst he can splurge himself with children and a wife. Lin scoffed. It was time for her do something productive, not wallow over Tenzin's happiness. As she walked by the table she realized one last paper. She lifted it to get a better look at it. It had familiar writing.

Lin,

The one thing I ask of you is for you not to be sad or lonely. Please know that you are always welcome to visit the island. I still want us to be friends but I'll understand if you do not come.

Don't do anything reckless.

Sincerely,

Tenzin

Lin crumpled up the paper in a ball and threw it in the trash. She left out a deep sigh. 'Who does he think he is? Does he think I'll spend time with his soon to be baby factory? To hell with him and his invitation to being still friends, it'll only cause more damage then there is. All of this can go down the drain.'

Lin stood there thinking. 'It's for the best, he can live his life with peace and love, while, and here I am bringing down the criminals.'

Lin sighed.

"Perhaps... In the next life, we'll be together, but for now, we no longer are or were, from this day forth, you're only the "councilmen" and I'm the chief of police. Until then, you live your life and I'll live mine."

'Someone's stitching up the circuit boards, someone's slipping through the hidden door...'