Disclaimer: Legend of Korra belongs to Nick. I'm not making money off of this.
Lin exhaled slowly, tipping her head up to expose her face to the heavy, fast-falling rain. She relaxed her shoulders, letting her arms fall to her sides. The rain soon soaked through her thin clothes, leaving her shivering in the cool night air. She dug her toes into the mud below her bare feet, using the tiny movements to trigger her seismic sense. The small quickly fading ripple grounded her in the present, keeping her mind from slipping back through the years to the night she'd lost her bending.
Around her Republic City thrummed with energy. Saitomobiles rumbled through the streets, older children and teenagers ran through alleys to escape the rain, shop owners invited pedestrians into the warm, dry interiors of their shops. Her city was safe, not perfect, there was still the Triad, the petty thieves, burglars, muggers, and the occasional murder but there was no great looming threat to her people or to the world. Amon had been captured, Unalaaq stopped, and Zaheer apprehended though at tremendous cost to Korra. The last two years had been moderately peaceful by large city standards.
Since Korra had restored her bending, every night that the weather resembled her greatest moment of weakness, she did this. She came defenseless out into it, embraced it, forcing herself to remember the consequences of complacence and to celebrate having overcome that dark time in her life. When she was shivering she slogged her way into the house, sighing gratefully as she returned to the warmth within. Kya popped her head out of the kitchen to scowl in her direction. "You could have at least stripped out there." Kya reproached.
"Dinner smells amazing." Lin replied, pulling her drenched shirt off and kicking out of her swamped pants. Kya disappeared back into the kitchen, though Lin could hear and to some extent feel her taking her frustration out on the cook wear. "Kya that stuff was my mom's, it's a miracle that it survived her, I don't think it can handle an enraged water bender," Lin called as she walked into her bedroom to dump the clothes and dry off.
"I'm not enraged, Lin." Kya punctuated that statement with a loud chopping sound, followed by a muffled curse. "I'm concerned. You're going to get sick if you keep doing that, plus it doesn't sound emotionally healthy." Lin chose to let the argument go and focus on getting dry.
She emerged from her room five minutes later, dressed in a dark green v-neck blouse and matching loose slacks. "You need help with anything?" She asked, still tucking damp strands of hair behind her ears. Kya partially turned to survey the kitchen, deciding if there was a task she could trust Lin with.
"Remember the way my mom taught us to make noodles?" Lin nodded. "All the stuff is on that counter, if you get them ready, I can focus on the broth and vegetables." Kya pointed with the knife currently clutched in her right hand.
Lin shrugged and padded over to the counter, haphazardly throwing the algae flower and salt together in a bowl, giving them a swish before cracking penguin egg and beating it into some water. She poured the mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt, grabbing wooden spoon and folding the dough until it was fully combined. She rolled the dough into a ball and placed it back into the bowl, putting the bowl into the ice box to cool. She grabbed more flour and a rolling pin, scattering the flour over the counter and rubbing it onto the rolling pin. Deciding that the dough had not had enough time to properly bind, Lin allowed herself a moment to watch Kya at work.
Her lover glided between stirring pieces of perfectly filleted fish into a rich, bubbling broth and chopping leeks, bamboo shoots, carrots, celery, and some kind of tuber into small bite sized chunks, humming 'Secret Tunnel' distractedly. Kya always denied it, but Lin knew she would've made a fantastic mother if she'd decided to settle down. The entire Water Tribe seemed to have great parenting abilities, regardless of gender. Not for the first time, Lin wished she would have pressed the issue more when they were young. Her mother had managed two girls while constructing and managing a security force, she should at least have been able to manage one. The kid could have gone on some of Kya's expeditions when she got older, would've been an adult by now.
Kya seemed to notice her gaze and put down the knife, turning to face Lin. "I think the dough's rested enough." She commented, noticing the wistful look in Lin's gaze. Lin didn't immediately return to her task so Kya stepped closer, her hands reaching out and capturing one of Lin's. She gazed down at their clasped hands, noting the differences. Lin's were scarred and rough from all the metal bending she'd done over the years while Kya's were noticeably softer, virtually callous free. Lin's skin was so light, fragile, the color of porcelain while her own was cool toned russet, not the warm toffee of pure blooded water tribe. She felt Lin's other hand snake around her waist, easing her closer so she tilted her head up expectantly. The metal bender sealed their lips together. There was no urgency in this kiss, just deep understanding, Lin was hesitant at first like she was hiding something or burying something that was on her mind.
They lingered there for a few moments until Kya pulled back searching Lin's rich green eyes. She exhaled softly, a smirk curving one corner of her mouth as the chief of police turned away blushing. "Yeah, the dough." She mumbled, facing the ice box and retrieving the bowl. She pulled a lump off the ball and kneaded it out flat, then rolled it as thin as she could get it. Behind her Kya was dumping the vegetables into the broth, so she quickly and tightly folded the sheet of dough into a one inch wide rectangle and began cutting each slice about a quarter of an inch thick.
She prepared the whole ball rather quickly, setting the noodles back into the bowl as she finished with each block. A minute after she finished and was cleaning the flour off of the counter, Kya retrieved her bowl of noodles and dumped them into the stew. "Can you watch the pot while I set the table?" She asked, getting a nod from her lover. Despite her confidence in Lin's ability to recognize the signs of scorched soup Kya set the table in record time, though as she was dashing back into the kitchen Lin came out with the pot and ladle, preparing to serve from the table. Kya patted her arm, ducking into the kitchen for two wine glasses and the mulled elderberry wine she'd brought back from the Northern Water Tribe nearly fifteen years before.
Lin had served both portions as evenly possible, though Kya noticed that she had taken most of the fish for herself, leaving her with most of the leek. She passed Lin the wine bottle and settled into the chair opposite her at Lin's tiny table. It really wasn't as much of a table as a salvaged work desk that she often worked from home with, though she had many of her meals sitting at it.
"How's Korra?" Lin asked as she twirled a noodle between two chop sticks distractedly.
"Not much better than my last visit. She still can't bend. Not like she could before. I think she's planning on coming back to Republic City soon. My mother's done everything she can." Kya replied, scooping some leek into her mouth. She chewed and swallowed before continuing. "It's killing her really. When she was younger she could heal anything, but these new attacks are really outside of her ability range, she feels useless."
Lin grunted. "She's not useless; she's at least done something for Korra. Your mom is amazing; I wouldn't have half of my face if it wasn't for her." She motioned to the scars on her cheek before tossing a bit of fish into her mouth. "Besides I thought that the weird visions she was having were causing half the problems." She continued around the food.
"Yeah, but mom thinks that it's some kind of negative chakra effect. She explains it better." Kya waived her hand flippantly, bowing her head to slurp up more soup. "How've you been doing? I've missed you a lot."
"The city keeps me busy most days, Mako has impressed me with his police work so on my days off I shadow him. I don't drink as much, I'm eating better, and I feel better. I'm doing great. I miss you every day though." Lin reached out a hand to lay a hand over Kya's.
"You haven't had any problems with our new arrangement lately have you?" Kya intoned, her thumb stroking Lin's.
"No, I'm doing okay. I have my moments but that stupid whale bone works pretty good when it becomes unbearable." Lin replied, turning her attention back to her food.
"What kind of moments?" Kya pressed.
"What'd'ya mean what kind of moments?" Lin replied warily.
"Do you like just get horny or do you like see someone you like then… y'know?"
Lin took a moment to compose herself before replying. "Why does it matter? I'm controlling it."
"I just… I can't help but think that maybe you'd be better off with someone else. If you find someone else you want more than me, I don't want you to resent me for keeping you from them."
"Kya, I wanted to be monogamous, remember? I love you, just you. If I get a little randy I can take care of it on my own. I'm a big girl." Lin squeezed Kya's hand, looking up from her bowl. "Unless there's some water tribe stud you want to get under?" She suggested with a grin.
Kya laughed. "As if! I baby sat most of those 'studs'." They finished their meal in relative silence, both rather hungry from the long day without lunch after a skimpy breakfast. Afterwards, they cleared the dishes together and moved to Lin's spartan living room. There was an old comfortable sofa and a radio in one corner, a beautiful fireplace that Lin kept lit the entire time she was in the house. Lin sat on the sofa, inviting Kya to rest her head on her lap. Lin pulled a book out and started reading while Kya closed her eyes and snuggled close. "Y'know, the idea of you masturbating with that scrimshaw is pretty hot." She mumbled.
"Is it?" Lin asked, reaching down to run her fingers through Kya's bangs. "It's not that much fun for me. Especially with you here."
"What's that mean? You don't want to put on a show for me?" Kya opened an eye a crack, and for a second Lin saw Avatar Aang's mischievous smile playing across her face.
"Definitely not." Lin replied with a frown. "How was your day?"
"Pretty ordinary, I got to spend some time with Pemma, Rohan, and Ikki. Jinora was busy terrorizing some Air Acolytes with a technique she's developing, she's so much like my father it's uncanny. Spirits, do you remember the time he was trying to figure out that levitation trick that Zaheer used?"
"Yes I remember trying to follow him on the ground while he jumped off Oppa's back without his glider. Tenzin was never good enough with the gliders to get his own, so he ended up stealing the Avatar's and then crashing into a cliff."
"Dad was so upset. That glider was over a hundred and fifty years old, and he had no idea how to make more. But Mom was furious with Dad once she figured out why Tenzin crashed into the cliff. I still remember the look on his face as she threw the broken pieces of the glider at him. 'You mean to tell me that you're upset with our son for crashing your bundle of sticks while he was trying to save you from falling off a cliff because you 'wanted to levitate'.' She was mad at him for weeks."
"Tenzin tried for years to build another glider. It was hopeless though, he was much better with the animals, Sky Bison especially. Mechanics were never his strong suit."
"No definitely not. Meelo takes after Tenzin in that regard. He was with Kai training the baby bison."
"So what was Jinora developing?"
"She wouldn't tell and I couldn't figure it out from watching beyond that the movements are similar to the water whip. It'll probably be very inspired and change the face of air bending with the way she was working on it."
"Probably, those kids are all geniuses. Meelo met the old criteria to be a master before he was toilet trained. With the new system your father designed, if he ever sits down and actually learns the cultural side of the Air Nomad lifestyle, he'll get his tattoos by fifteen."
"Yeah, at the latest. These kids make me feel so old. Korra largely taught herself bending before she was ten. We showed her how to refine the stuff she learned on her own, but she was a force of nature. I spent a month teaching her stuff that my mom worked for years to develop, moves that took me years to master, but she just soaked it up. Jinora is already a master, Ikki is starting to understand old Air Nomad engineering to the point that she could actually become the leader of the first Nomadic Air benders since the Hundred Year war, Meelo will probably take up Bison Husbandry after he gets his tattoos. I miss the days when ten year olds competed by throwing mud balls at each other."
"Kya our parents over threw a tyrannical government and established world peace when my mother and your father were twelve. I think we were just the uninspired generation that couldn't come up with anything better to do than fling mud."
"Tenzin is the head of a cultural renaissance, you revolutionized metal bending with that cable system of yours, Bumi retired as a General, and I forced a bunch of uppity Northern Benders to teach women combat medic skills. I think we left our own mark on the world so I wouldn't call us uninspired. This generation was just forced out of childhood before they even knew they were supposed to have it. It's almost sad when you think about it." Kya sat up and reached for her wine glass. She took a tiny sip before continuing. "It makes me want to have kids of my own. One chance for a little kid to grow up carefree like I did."
"I think you're letting the nostalgia blind you. Our childhood was full its own pressures, Tenzin felt the squeeze of being the scion of the Air Nomad culture, Suyin and I were the heirs to a metal bending legend, you were the Avatar's daughter."
"We were still kids though, kids with bigger expectations but no one expected Tenzin to teach a whole generation of Air Benders at ten. Korra's still little more than a child but she's already lost her bending twice."
"She's the Avatar, comes with the territory." Lin put her book to the side and gave Kya her full attention. "I can't really disagree with you though. Tenzin and Suyin's families have definitely sparked something maternal in me. I've taught people metal and earth bending for years, but it's almost always adults or older teenagers. The idea of teaching a small round nugget of my own blood is becoming appealing."
"You're not fooling me Lin. I remember the way you used to fuss over the babies when we brought you to the South Pole in your twenties. You've always wanted kids, but you felt that your career would distract you from them. The fact that you're talking seriously about kids now means that you're thinking of retiring."
"Well it was just a thought. I'm getting old and Mako is a promising successor, I was going to train him over the course of five years. I'm going to have to adopt so I figured I'd find a kid with bending potential, adopt it, and then raise it in Republic City before bringing it to the South Pole to be with you and Katara. Maybe in the future you could show us some of your favorite places. The kid would definitely be one of a kind, Earth bender born in a cultural melting pot, raised among water benders, then living the Air Nomad life." Lin shrugged. "I guess it's stupid though. I've made sense for years though; it's my turn to do something stupid."
"So how old is the kid?" Kya sipped at her wine again.
Lin nearly choked on hers. "What makes you think that I already found one?" She asked, wiping tears out of the corner of her eye.
"You don't make plans like that unless you've got something to guarantee them on." The water bender replied. "So tell me about the kid."
The Chief of Police stood up and crossed to her bookshelf. She pulled a plain leather bound book off a high shelf and returned to the couch, inviting Kya to sit close to her. She opened the book and revealed the picture of a tiny infant. "Her name is Tobba. Both of her parents were on the Police force, they died during the Equalist attack. This is the picture I took off of her father's body. She's nearly four now. She's living with her maternal Aunt, who has eight of her own children. The rest of her family isn't able to take care of a child. I've talked to her Aunt about adopting her. She's not against the idea. Being a Beifong is never a bad thing. By the time I finish training Mako she'll be old enough to travel." Lin flipped through the pages in the book; there were pictures of the girl's parents at various ages, the occasional picture of Tobba being held by an older cousin, she'd grown quickly as a toddler she looked like a five year old. Her most recent picture, taken on her third birthday showed that her growth had leveled out but she was still very tall for her age.
"Why this one?" Kya inquired. "She doesn't look like an earth bender; she's slimmer than most earth benders."
"Have you ever seen Su?" Lin shot back, mildly amused. "Her grandmother was a third generation Lava bender, her grandfather on the other side was a Sand Bender. Both married Earth benders and both of their kids were metal benders. Genetically she's a mine of bending talent. Also I visit often enough that she's taken a liking to me. How do you feel about being a mother?"
"So I get a say?"
"Of course, if I'm spending my life with you I have to make sure you're ready to raise a kid with me." Lin said matter of factly.
"What if I told you I wanted to adopt a water tribe orphan?"
"Two kids? It'd be difficult for them to be siblings raised apart for five years, but it could work."
"What if we raised them as siblings but took turns parenting? Spring and summer in the South Pole, then fall and winter with you. We'd spend two weeks of each season together."
"That'd be unfair to Tobba. She's spend half the year away from… well earth." Lin protested mildly.
"She'll only be nine by the time you leave Republic City. That's enough time to learn bending, especially with you teaching her."
"Have you found an orphan then?" Lin closed Tobba's book.
"Yes. He's a distant cousin. One of the rare male southern water tribe benders, he just started bending. He's six. My mother is currently teaching him the healing arts, but I'll take over in a few months if his aptitude holds out. We lost his parents to Unalaaq."
"I'm going to see Tobba in the morning. You can come along if you want." Lin offered.
"I'd love to." Kya replied.
XXXXX
Kya could hardly believe she was actually seeing this. She'd been in this setting many times, seated in an uncomfortable folding chair watching a fold out stage as Lin addressed the crowd from a cheap podium. However she'd never thought she'd be sitting between her children shushing them as they wondered aloud why their Bei-Bei was not in her uniform. They were right, Lin was for the first time in probably forty years wearing a dark green modestly cut gown that harkened back to the old pictures her mother had kept of Poppy Beifong.
Directly in front of her, Tenzin and Pemma sat with Rohan and Meelo between them. Meelo was fresh from his tattoo ceremony a week before so his scalp was sporting a bit of stubble over his new arrows. His older sisters Jinora and Ikki had left Republic City to lead the North and South Air Temples. Korra and Asami were directly to their right, the Engineer sporting a metal engagement necklace that the Avatar had presented her with nearly a year ago.
To Lin's right was Mako. He'd grown to his full height and filled out considerably with the demands of police work and his improved eating habits, he looked positively gallant in his fresh pressed black formal uniform. After a few moments of preamble Lin moved into her planned speech, "Republic City I have served you for years, quite happily, but I must admit that as I age, I find myself less capable than I was in my youth. Less capable than the officers I have been training to take my place as your Chief of Police. So it is with great joy that I turn over leadership of this organization to Mako." As the crowd tore into raucous applause she stepped to the side and allowed Mako to take the podium. When they quieted Mako himself made a short speech.
"I am honored to take over this esteemed position from a woman that taught me a lot, and about more than police work. I only hope I can live up to her example and wish her the best in her future endeavors." Kya decided that she liked that most about cops, they were succinct.
A few more people gave short speeches after Mako. The longest was Bolin's, he spent ten minutes gushing about his brother's zeal and prowess before surrendering the microphone to Korra who wished Mako luck in his new position and congratulated him for impressing the most jaded woman she'd ever met. Then the official gathering was dismissed.
Tobba and her brother Sulak jumped up to find Lin, leaving Kya to mingle for a few moments before they drug her wife back to her. Asami found her first. "Korra did a great job on that necklace." Kya commented approvingly.
"Yeah she did. I never expected it. I was carving a gear into some whale bone when she proposed. I'm still working on it to give to her for our wedding. I'm sure the Water Tribe has had other weddings with two brides but not enough for there to be a standard procedure for it so we're winging it. Lin's workmanship is impeccable on yours though. The wings on that flying boar are very detailed. How long has she been practicing?"
"Since we were twenty." Kya answered truthfully. "She refused to improperly carve the Beifong Crest and give it to me."
"Good on her too, or I would have disowned her." Toph cut in. "I may not have been thrilled by my parents as a child but I'm proud to be a Beifong and so should she."
Kya turned to give her mother in law a hug. "Toph." She said warmly. "I didn't know you'd be here."
"I got bored at Su's. She used to be the interesting one but these days it's just her and her twins getting into sparring matches. You can only ruin a child's self esteem so many times before they get crabby. How're my newest grandchildren?"
"Oh, they're great. They couldn't wait to see Lin after this stretch without her. Tobba especially, she's just started to crack some of the more advanced earth bending moves and can't wait to practice again."
"So what's the plan now? You guys planning on seeing some Air Temples, or something?" Asami asked.
"Well since my mother passed away in summer we've been planning a trip to the North Pole to visit the Northern Tribe. Sulak is excited to meet another male water bender. After that we might tour the Fire Nation, we haven't decided."
"Asami and I were planning on visiting the North as well." Korra announced as she walked up, giving her fiancé a quick peck on the cheek. "Good to see you Toph and Kya." She shook hands with the two older women. "Lin's caught up with Meelo, he's showing the kids every air bending move he knows."
"So how's Future Industries doing these days Asami?" Kya asked politely.
"Quite well actually, Varrick and Zhu Li's mover industry has been using us for most of their complex machinery." The engineer answered modestly. "Bolin helps out some, but he's mostly free lance these days. Lava bending is surprisingly useful."
"Very useful." Toph agreed cryptically. "I'm going to go heckle Twinkle toes III." She said by way of salutations leaving Asami, Korra, and Kya alone.
"You said you were visiting the North Pole Korra?"
"Yeah, never really got a chance to visit with all the Avatar stuff going on. Now that I've got a handle on things, I want to see it. I've spent the last two years traveling the rest of the world, getting face time with as many people as possible. The Northern Water Tribe are the only ones I haven't seen yet so I sent a letter to Deska and Eska asking if they would receive Asami and I. After that we're getting married on Air Temple Island and settling down somewhere, I haven't decided where yet. The South Pole is too isolated to be acceptable so I might end up finding deserted island to set up as my Avatar compound." Korra replied. "Lin is finally joining you on your life of adventure, huh?"
"Yes, and I'm glad we waited. We both lead great lives and we're going to end them with a beautiful nomadic family." Asami was about to respond when a loud screech and crash followed by a cackle brought the entire gathering's attention to Toph and Meelo. The Air bender was lying flat on his back clutching his chest while the original Beifong hefted a melon and boldly declared herself Melon Lord. Lin was looking at her mother with a combination of exasperation and confusion before turning away and walking back through the crowd, her children obediently dogging her heels. Korra wondered aloud where Toph has found the melon.
The three of them found Kya nearly an hour later, talking to Tenzin about Ikki and Jinora's progress with their Air Temples while Bolin, Pemma and Rohan discussed upcoming movers. Sulak and Tobba swarmed Tenzin and Bolin immediately, hugging them tightly about the waist before dragging Rohan off to play. Lin made an impatient noise as she watched them go.
"Those two need discipline." She grumbled at Kya.
"Oh hush, they're excited to see their Bei-Bei." Kya admonished, wrapping her arms around Lin. Lin kissed her chastely for a few seconds before pulling back from her wife's embrace. "I'm excited to see my Bei-Bei as well. It's been a hard year." Kya grabbed Lin's hand.
"Yes it has. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more." Lin began apologetically.
"Don't start Lin." Kya warned her, giving her hand a squeeze. "You're done here now. We can be together and I don't want you apologizing for the life time we were apart."
Lin exchanged hugs with Tenzin, Pemma and Bolin before launching into a discussion with them. "Korra and Asami are visiting the North Pole with us, and it's been awhile since Avatar Aang's family had a vacation. What do you say we all get together? We're all about to get very busy with our lives so why not take a big one?" Lin suggested.
"I could write the girls and see if they could spare a few weeks. Bumi is in the Fire Nation right now but he'll return soon enough." Tenzin assented. "I know I could use it. Meelo just about killed me getting ready for that Master's exam. Plus he could use a reward for what he's accomplished."
"I'm open to it." Bolin said. "I wasn't planning on working this whole year anyway; I'm using some of my cash to build houses for my family in the Earth Kingdom."
"So it's settled, family vacation time." Kya said eagerly.
A/N: So I plan on rounding this series out with a third installment. However I'm unsure of whether this third part will be a one shot, or a multichapter fic. So if you could leave a review of your opinion that'd be great. The one shot would probably focus on life after either Kya or Lin's death. A multichap would have at least three chapters and would probably end up with me compiling Guilt, this fic and the following chapters into one fic.