A/N: An early birthday/unbirthday gift for my Beifong counterpart who loves this ship hope you like it. 3 (side note it has been ages since I have seen season one so forgive that and any inaccuracies) it's a gift not my top pairing or anything-not against it though I think with how much they hate each other it would be interesting to see their interactions. She prefers a nicer side of Tarrlok-I think- but this one is well…*directs reader to the title* ...but anyways….LINUMI FOREVER!
Rated: T-language
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Tarrlok didn't like not being in control-He was in control of everything in his life. Republic City had been young, fresh, and his for the taking which he ruled over like an art. He had the entire council under his control with the exception of Tenzin but he was of no consequence because in the end his lapdogs outnumbered him so any disagreement with a decision he sought to make was pointless on the airbender's part. He had the newspapers in his pocket and had an idea for putting together a task force as well. He controlled everything…except her.
He remembered the first time he saw her well. He was next to speak after that old codger he had never bothered to learn the name of but who still followed everything the waterbender said anyways. It was like something out of a foolish romance novel he heard people talk about but he had never read. Everything in the room seemed to vanish as she moved past him in slow motion while taking off the armored helmet he had seen several officers wear looking tired with flushed red cheeks from chasing criminals no doubt. Her silver hair tumbled almost down to her shoulders in soft waves and he only caught a glimpse of emerald eyes as she passed. She had taken a position beside Saikhan crossing her arms and standing tall and straight, alert and prepared should for some strange reason anyone be in danger. He stood up and approached the podium aware she was leaning on a wall behind him not far from where he would be speaking. He kept his emotions under control but it was difficult when he seemed to catch the almost non existing smell of vanilla and earth- he might have imagined it though. Tarrlok was still new to the city, he hadn't met everyone yet but as a representative for the Water Tribe he was given a high seat as soon as he arrived and had already made a nice place for himself in the month he had been here. Who to approach to ask though? Would it seem suspicious he was asking after her?
He had returned promptly to his seat after finishing, not paying attention to what anyone else said taking a discreet yet thorough inventory over tented fingers of the vision in front of him. She might be a little older but she had a warrior type beauty about her, she emanated an air of power and power was a lust he was drawn to. Her scars might scare some away but many tribes would hold her prowess in high respect. The scowl on her face oddly amused him as if she thought she had better things to be doing than standing around and he agreed. A monthly recap to someone who had been there all month was pointless. He moved down her face to the black armor she wore; it had a thin golden trim around the high neck and designs that went from her shoulders to her hands with the shine of a gold buckled belt which hung loosely to the side of her hip. The rest of the suit showed her body in a terribly flattering light leaving not much to the imagination as far as shape went. Was it the goal of these idiots to disable their criminals by distracting them with the female officers' figure?! Or was that just her? His eyes were quickly pulled up to the crest on her chest-it was the symbol for the chief of police. Wonderful! He had just about everyone else in his pocket, combining them with his task force idea killed two birds with one stone.
He had been wrong-he did not like being wrong either. Catching her out of the corner of his eye he got to see her staring him down like one would examining a cockroach. She had turned away not satisfied with what she saw and headed towards Tenzin. Damn it! Just when he underestimated that monk he swoops in and steals what the waterbender decided was his! Tarrlok waited in the shadows glaring at Tenzin until he noticed another woman approach him and stood beside the man wearing air acolyte robes and was holding her swollen stomach. How amusing! Later gossip from that unnamed older council chair seemed to unwittingly tell him everything he needed to know with little prompting. Lin Beifong-daughter of Toph, one of his father's enemies. He did not mind this. She and Tenzin had a relationship but he left her for that child the old man said was Pema. That idiot! He left that woman for a…a..broodmare! It was sickening how idiotic it was, but because of that fool Lin was single and thus he didn't need to get his hands dirty removing competition.
One of the few things his father actually did that wasn't for his own advancement was one day simply for fun taught his sons how to walk in the shadows. Every shadow he followed her in brought him closer as she walked on foot despite the distance to the station. Councilmen had access to files, he knew more about her than even Tenzin he would wager. She and her mother apparently would get into quite a bit of trouble when the two had been younger, and what he didn't know from files he learned from another officer. Saikhan was a very useful ally, power hungry like him. The man had been all too happy to divulge information yet unlike him Tarrlok had true power. What he didn't have however was her.
She hated him with a passion, able to see through his charm and deceit and made no secret of it. He didn't like her denying him, no one denied him. She liked her power and her position and if he wanted to bring her to heel he needed to take those away-he needed to ruin her. So his task began: speeches given in public with scathing jibes as to the job the police were doing (added bonus being the promotion of his task force further coming to into fruition) newspapers making a large deal every time a criminal got away or even to supposedly 'dissatisfied cops' in her unit.
It still didn't work. How did she do it?! He painted her an incompetent brutal pariah and she was still in charge with criminals still shaking at the mention of her name and aside from those few serving him the rest of the police were loyal to the point of laying down their lives! Damn that temptress! She wanted to play from her high tower he would simply knock it down. She was a challenge and he liked those.
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A/N: Tarrlok you devil! For those who liked this comment! (waiting for your reply twin :D ) to those who think I am a crazy loon who made a crazy fic with bad grammar and a crazy pairing, BE GONE! Haha tah for now.
-Priestess