so i wrote this for the probending circuit week one. for any judges or refs out there, remember i have Uk(ish) spelling and grammar so be mindful. anyway, my prompts were:

Earthbender: Write about the first time someone had to make a very important decision.

6. (location) Ember Island

7. (genre) Friendship

10. (quote) "The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have" - Vince Lombardi

and thank you to clock work for the cover art.

read and review.

"Come on Tenzin, you know you want to come to the beach with Jinora and I." Lin trailed an index finger down his arm, trying to persuade him in the best way she knew how, by using her womanly charm.

Tenzin pulled her into his side, placing a hand on her swollen stomach. "Or we could stay in bed cuddling."

"Ha! Nice try Airhead but I promised Jinora we would go to the beach today. This is a family holiday, not a second honeymoon."

Tenzin released her and groaned. "I don't want to go to the beach."

"Why not? The beaches of Ember Island are perfect at this time of year. Cool water, warm sand and hot husbands walking around in shorts."

"Remember when Bumi buried me in the sand for an hour?"

"I got you out didn't I?"

"What about that time Kya also buried me in the sand?"

"Tenzin, I will always be there to dig you out."

"What about that time you buried me? I'm not going."

"Tez, you will get your ass out of bed or," She jabbed a thumb at her stomach, "I won't let you name this kid either."

Tenzin thought this over. They had discussed names since Lin hit the fourth month of her pregnancy and she was now in her seventh. They had gone back and forth on the name of their unborn child and every time Lin said no. She had finally given him the power to make an important decision in their relationship and all he had to do was get some sand in places he didn't no he had. "Can I have an hour to think about it?"

Lin threw a pillow in his face and walked out of the room to get little Jinora ready for the beach. She pushed open the door to the room Jinora was staying in, to see her little girl trying, and failing, to put on her orange swimsuit. One leg was where the arm is meant to go and an arm in the leg hole. Lin couldn't help but laugh at the site. So much for her toddler wanting to be independent. "Need some help kid?"

"No! I can do it."

Lin shook her head in amusement and pulled Jinora into her arms, helping her put on her bathers. "There you are."

"Where's dad?"

"He might come down later. He's still really tired." Jinora frowned, eyes beginning to well with tears. Lin began to panic, she had never been comfortable with people crying, and she wasn't about to start. "But that's okay, we can have a girls day out and we can get ice cream."

Jinora sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Okay."

"Okay. Let me just get the picnic basket." Lin grabbed the basket containing their towels, food and umbrellas, then took Jinora's little hand in her own, leading them to the beach. She found an empty spot on the sand amongst other various families.

"Can we play in the sand?"

Lin placed a hand on her lower back as she stood back up from rolling out their towels on the warm sand. "Sure" She followed her daughter to a spot on the sand near the water. Lin eased herself down, hand on her stomach in a protective manner. "What do you want to make?"

"Umm, The Temple!" Jinora began collecting the sand around her into a large pile, pushing it into the middle of them. She then dug a moat around the pile of sand. "We need water."

"Give me a sec." Lin manoeuvred herself to face the ocean. Flexing a hand at the sand leading to the water, she created a pathway to allow the water to flow into the makeshift moat. "How is that?"

Just as she was about to show her gratitude towards her mother, the temple collapsed into the moat. "Oh no! Fix it!" Lin quickly pushed a hand into the sand, stabilising the 'sculpture.' "It looks terrible!" Jinora stood up and kicked it over with all the force a three year old could manage.

"Jinora! Just because you aren't happy with something, doesn't mean you should kick it over. Your grandpa Aang once told me, 'the measure of who we are is what we do with what we have.'"

Jinora cocked her head to the side in confusion. "That's dumb."

Lin glared at her. "No it's not."

Jinora returned a glare to match her mother's. "Yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"Yes it is!

Just as it was about to escalate into a screaming match between a full-grown woman and her daughter, a sexy bald man only clad in shorts, with his six-pack glistening in the sun interrupted them. "You two sound like two immature friends bickering over nothing."

"It's her fault!" Lin looked shocked at being accused. Nothing was ever her fault and no three year old was going to change that. She slammed a foot on the sand, causing it to wrap around Jinora and harden into earth. "Let me go!"

"Make me."

"Lin."

The thirty-year old woman who just encased her daughter in sand, looked up at her husband innocently. "Yes Tez?"

He let out a sigh at seeing this level of immaturity come from his wife. "Let Jinora go."

"When she apologises, I'll think about it."

Tenzin looked at his daughter expectantly. "I'm not saying sorry." He stared her down until she recoiled away from him, as much as she could anyway. "I'm sorry for saying what you said was dumb."

Tenzin looked at Lin, waiting for her to accept the apology. She rolled her eyes like a child. "I'm sorry."

"Friends?"

Lin released her, still pouting in annoyance. "Friends."

Tenzin smiled at having resolved the situations. "Good. Now hug each other."

Lin wrapped her strong arms around Jinora and squeezed. Jinora tried to do the same but Lin's protruding stomach stopped her. "Ow!"

Lin laughed as her daughter backed away from her, rubbing her face lightly. Lin patted her stomach with a huge smile on her face. "This baby plays for my team."

It was around two o'clock when the two Beifong women tuckered out and fell asleep on the one towel next to Tenzin, who was desperately trying to keep the sand away from his body. He looked to his left and grinned at seeing Jinora snuggled into her mother's side, with a tiny arm wrapped Lin's pregnant belly. Tenzin outstretched a hand and placed it next to Jinora's, feeling the unborn child kick lightly. "Only two more months and you get to join this crazy family. I know that your mother and sister will love you and you three will be the greatest of friends. Though fair warning, when going up against your mother, keep your feet off the ground. I learnt the hard way, and so did Jinora."

He retracted his hand when Lin's head rolled to the side, an eye cracking open to look at him. "I think it's time we go back to the hotel."

"I think you may be right." Tenzin picked Jinora up as he came to stand. He looked back down at his wife to see her trying to sit up. He desperately tried to hide the laughter that was making its way into his throat as he spoke. "Do you need some help?"

"No, no. I've got this." Lin commanded the sand under her and inclined it until she was at an angle to stand. She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to challenge her method.

"I'm not going to say anything. I'm wiser than that."

They walked back to their hotel room in comfortable silence. Lin made her way into their bedroom as Tenzin put Jinora to bed. She slipped out of her shorts and light long sleeved top and into one of Tenzin's shirts, before flopping onto the bed. Just as she was about to drift off into the land of fairies, the door opened and closed, indicating her husband has returned. "I hate the beach."

Lin let out a sigh. No way was he going to let her sleep until he talked to her about this. "Why?"

"Because I always get sand in my beard."

"You're kidding?"

"I'm not! It is the most annoying thing in the world."

"You could always shave it."

Tenzin narrowed his eyes at her. "It took me years to grow facial hair. I'm not getting rid of it."

"Fine. Come here."

Tenzin sat down next to her on the bed, flinching when her hands reached for his face. He quickly relaxed into her gentle caress, watching as she stroked his beard once, bringing with it granules of sand to which she flicked out of their open window. "Happy?"

"Very. Thank you." She reclined onto her back as Tenzin leaned over her, mischievous smirk in place. "So, do I still get to name our child?"

Lin let out a laugh. "You wish!"