Quick beginning to an AU fic. R&R!

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The officer hesitantly knocked on her door again.

"Come in."

"Chief, she says it's urgent." She glared. This is the third time he had interrupted her work in an hour for this caller. "I could uh, tell her you're still out, ma'am?"

Lin pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to not take her frustrations out on the officer. She breathed deeply, before replying, "No, put her through."

The chief collected herself for the impending call. Lin waited until finally she heard her phone begin to ring. She looked at it, still debating whether she should let it go to voicemail before hesitantly deciding to pick up on the second to last ring. She barely got the receiver up to her ear before the familiar voice of her sister chimed over the line.

"Lin, I'll be in Republic City in two hours, should I meet you in the office or at home?"

The metalbender let out a deep breath, which she didn't realize she had been holding. "To what do I owe this pleasure…?"

"I have a favor to ask, is all! More like a proposition!" Great, Su has another one of her plans.

"…You know I am very busy, right?" She looked at the piles of paperwork surrounding her: incident reports, meeting agendas and other documents that needed her careful approval.

"Yes."

She huffed, Su had no idea really. She took another breath and shook her head to try and neutralize her frustration. "Make it quick."

"Oh no, this won't be over the phone. So, where can I meet you? Oh and I brought a guest with me, I hope you don't mind!"

"No, no, it's fine. Just stop by the office, you can drag me to get dinner and we can talk."

"Okay, see you soon!" The line went dead with a defiant click, leaving the Chief to wonder what her sister was plotting.

She looked over at her clock. Su had been waiting in the front office for five minutes, and Lin knew Su would grow impatient and burst through her office doors at any moment. There was no use in trying to clean up her desk, but she elected to at least have the courtesy to not let her sister and her guest wait much longer.

Lin felt her sister's footsteps towards her door. She heard an officer start to plead with the guest.

"Ma'am. Ma'am!"

3…

"You can't go in there, Chief Bei-"

2…

"-fong will throw you in a holding cell!"

1…

The heavy wood door flew open as Lin stood. "Lin, I have waited long enough. Come on."

The officer blushed hearing the woman address the Chief with such informality, and stood awkwardly at the door. "Chief, I'm so sorry- I…"

Lin waved off the officer, "It's fine."

A small girl, maybe eight or nine, stood behind Su. Her hair was braided and she held onto the older woman's coat, tentatively trying to peak out to look at the person they had traveled so far to visit.

Her eyes softened before kneeling down to talk to the little girl. She smiled and touched her shoulder, "Honey, I told you to wait in the front with the nice secretary. My sister and I have to talk for a few minutes and then we'll be out to get you." The girl looked away, discouraged by the light scolding. Lin gave the girl a questioning glare and walked towards the pair.

"Okay." The girl looked down, before slowly making her way out of the office; the officer escorted the young girl away from the door. Lin shut the door behind them, before turning to Su.

"Su, what is the meaning of this? Who is that? Why're you here?" The questions kept multiplying in her mind.

"Lin, sit down." Su motioned towards the pair of chairs, trying to get her sister to calm down. Lin had a tendency to ask questions before listening to an explanation. The older sibling planted herself behind her desk, crossing her arms and sitting back to cross her legs, deciding to entertain her sister.

"Okay. I'm sitting, now can you tell me what the meaning of all this is?" Su also sat, folding her hands in her lap.

"I need you to take that girl as your charge."

Lin interrupted her immediately, "No. I don't have time for a child and-"

It was Su's turn to shut her sister down, she stood and slammed her hand on the desk, "Stop. Just listen for a damn second. Spirits, you're so infuriating."

I could say the same for you, Lin thought. She raised her hand in mock defeat, electing to hear her sister out, if only to know what to say to systematically dismantle her younger sister's crazy notion that she could take on a child. She sat back again. "Go on…"

Su sat down again before continuing, "I have five children, Lin. I can't take on another. The twins just turned three and they're already starting to bend metal. Opal still can't bend, Bataar and Huan keep fighting, and I need help…"

"Why can't you just send her to an orphanage? Or a foster home, or somewhere else?"

"Lin, we both know how terrible those places are, the girl has been through enough."

"And you think I'm a solution? Why can't you ask Tenzin, or Katara or-"

"I wouldn't dare trust them with this as much as I trust you. Look, I know we've had our disagreements but please, hear me out. We both know you can provide structure. Just, give it a few weeks. Please. I'll take her back if it's too much, but she's a very talented bender, super independent. She needs someone like you. And you," Su motioned towards the piles of work on the desk, "need to get out more and have a damn life."

"I have a life!" Lin defended.

"After you and Tenzin broke up, you don't have a life. You just work all the time and it's depressing. You need someone to keep you on your toes, and this girl needs someone to look out for her to keep her out of trouble." She pointed back to the door. "Otherwise, you'll be arresting her in a few years and she'll be sitting in this precinct for far different reasons."

She contemplated the plea. The Chief could tell the woman was trying but simply couldn't take on another mouth to feed and care for. Suyin didn't often put her faith in strangers, so there must have been something special about the girl to pique her interests.

Lin tried to dismiss the idea of having a child – it was a dream she gave up decades ago when she learned that she was infertile after years of trying with Tenzin. But somewhere deep within hadn't given up on the notion. And that hopeful glimmer of normalcy softened the Chief's features. Maybe she could have a family, after all.

Suyin could tell that Lin was considering it, and left to fetch the young bender. She knew if Lin took a look at the girl's face, she might finally break her resolve. The two arrived at the entrance, and Su nudged the girl forward, keeping her hands on her shoulders.

"Lin, this is Kuvira. 'Vira, this is my sister, she's going to take care of you for a while." The girl gave a small smile and looked up at the accomplished Chief with hope in her eyes.

Lin knew she couldn't get out of this now.