This is me, missing writing about Lin Beifong and taking a crack at unraveling what made Kuvira do what she did.

Keep in mind, Lin is about 34 while this is all going on. That means Su and Toph are out of her life (Lin said they didn't see each other for twenty years before LOK Book 4)

oooooooooo

Chapter 1

"Good morning, Chief."

"Mornin', Chief."

"Chief."

Lin was making her way through the police station, politely nodding at any officer passing by. She arrived right on time, and not slightly early like every morning, since Tenzin insisted she eats her breakfast at home and not in the car as per usual.

"Good morning, Chief Beifong!"

"Morning, Officer Kun."

"You know, it still feels weird to say. It's like your old ma is back once again." the officer joked.

"It's been a month and a half already." she heard herself say already, when she actually meant only. Time did not fly by when you had this much work to do.

"I know, I just remember how you used to come here after school, so-"

"I'll have to stop you, Kun. Can we keep it professional?"

"Why do you think I called you Chief Beifong and not Teeny-Linny?"

"Alright… Where are we on the park murders?"

"I… Good. If you could be more specific…" he suddenly got a bit avoidant.

"The murders that happened in the park. It's… right there in the name."

"Sure, sure…"

"Did we arrest anyone? Find some leads?"

"Definitely. I arrested some gentlemen, but unfortunately I had to let them all go since all of them had alibies."

"Kun! The case is getting cold. I want something I can say to the press by the end of- Hold it right there!" Lin spotted a man trying to sneak past her while she was talking to Kun, "Detective Lan."

"Chief… I was just looking for you. Has anyone told you-" the young man was interrupted.

"The strangler downtown."

"Oh, yes. Of course. I found… Nothing. I found nothing."

"Well, that is unacceptable."

"It's not my fault, Chief. This case… It's unsolvable."

"I told you not to use that word around me. Nothing is unsolvable. This afternoon I will accompany you on the investigation to show you just that."

"Yes, thank you, Chief. There's also one more thing. There is a man in your office who demanded to see you as soon as you came in. Alright, I'll leave you to it." the detective said and tried walking away.

"Lan, wait! What did I tell you about this? Everyone wants the chief on their case, but I just don't have the time. You can't let anyone off the street just waltz in like-"

"He said it was a personal matter. Some family related business and I didn't want to pry."

"Family?"

"Yes. He asked for you personally, he wouldn't talk to anyone else."

Lin took a deep breath and dismissed the detective since she had no choice but to deal with the guest on her own. She assumed it was some old friend of her mom that needed a favor, Spirits knew that happened a lot. But whatever it was, Lin entered her office determined to get it all over with as quickly as possible.

She studied the face of the man she found sitting in her office, but she couldn't place him. He didn't look at all familiar and she rarely forgot a face. He didn't notice her at first, since he was cleaning his thick glasses, but when he finally did, he immediately stood up and extended a hand.

He had a messenger bag on him, loaded with papers, so he reminded Lin of those experts they had to hire to help with cases sometimes.

"Chief. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice." he muttered and sat back down in front of her desk.

"Well, I hardly had a choice, since you're in my office." she sat down as well, "You said this was a family matter?"

"Yes. It's about your sister, Suyin."

Lin sighed and took out a form of sorts, "Alright, if you wish to report a crime, I'll need your name and address."

"It's Baatar, but I don't think you-"

"I see, now just the address and the type of crime my sister committed."

"You really don't understand, I'm not from the city. I came here to find you."

"Sir, this is the Republic City Police Station. We deal with crimes committed in Republic City."

"No, you… Can I start over?" Baatar asked and took Lin's silence as a yes, "Good Morning, I'm Baatar, your sister's husband."

"Oh, Su…"

Lin had to admit, this was new, even for Suyin. Married! Who even was this doofus?

"We live together in Zaofu in the Earth Kingdom, but she went missing two days ago."

"With all due respect, are you sure she didn't just leave?" Lin asked.

"No, my Su wouldn't do something like that."

"You didn't have a fight the day before? A disagreement? Because my sister can be-"

"No! She's my wife, we're in love, we have two beautiful children and a third one on the way… She did not leave us!" Baatar raised his voice, before realizing how rude it was, "I'm sorry… I've been under a lot of stress. I'm scared for Su, that's why I came."

"Su? Two kids?" Lin felt like they were talking about two entirely different people.

"Yes, she sends you letters all the time… Unless, you don't open them." he stopped and looked at Lin's face expression, "Oh, Spirits you really didn't read any of them?"

Baatar unbuttoned his bag and dragged out several photos to show Lin.

"This is our oldest, Baatar Junior and this little guy is Huan…" Baatar pointed to the photos, "And this is the most recent photo I could find of Su. It was the day we found out about our third."

"Wait, wait!" Lin pushed the photos away from her, "I appreciate that, but if this alleged crime happened in this Zaofu you mentioned, I don't see how I can be of any help."

"I came to you because Su talked so much about you and what a good cop you are." he took out another stack of photos and started looking for something, "I need help because I think I know where Su is. This is Zaofu."

He placed another photo in front of her, showing a couple of really tall, metal skyscrapers.

"We started building it almost nine years ago, but now we're expanding. Suyin purchased the land fairly, but there is a neighboring village that claims it's rightfully theirs. We've been quarreling with them for some time now. They've robbed us multiple times since that, vandalized our buildings, but never something like this."

"Let me guess, you can't prove any of it? That's why you can't report them?"

"Exactly."

"And your people haven't done anything to retaliate? Anything that could cause this sudden change in tactics?"

"No. Not except for a few heated arguments. And this…" Baatar put another photo on the desk, this time of a little girl, "That's Kuvira. She's an orphan from that village that we took in a few months ago. She was severely neglected when she came to us, but I think they might have understood that as us stealing their people."

"That's a reasonable theory, but you don't have any proof." Lin shook her head.

"I know, but I don't want them on trial. I just want Su safe home."

"If you're looking for someone for a rescue mission, why didn't you contact my mother? She'd be perfect."

"No one knows where she is... And we only met once… And she scares me." Baatar reluctantly admitted, "I also thought about asking the Avatar, but everyone knows he's been sick for a while now. Unless, you know how to find Toph?"

"No. No… I haven't talked to her in a few years."

Ever since Toph retired from the force, she's been roaming the world. She would resurface somewhere occasionally, but most of the time no one knew where to even begin looking for her. No, this man was right. Lin was all he had.

"Fine." Lin said after a pause, "I'll go to Zaofu with you."

"Yes! Thank you! Thank you so much…" Baatar stood up to shake her hand again.

"But I'll go there to gather evidence that will help you present your case to the proper authorities. There will be no amateur rescue attempts, or anything similar. Understood?"

"Yes, crystal clear. Thank you."

oooooooooo

"Are you sure you don't want me there with you?" Tenzin asked, while helping Lin find her passport in her office. He ran down to the station as soon as he heard she'll be leaving.

"I'm sure." she reached behind the couch and pulled out the piece of paper, "Got it!"

"Alright, I accidentally have mine with me too. Let's go."

"That's sweet, but I know you have to be here for your dad." she walked to him and put her hands around his neck.

"You're right." he pulled her closer to wrap his hands around her waist, "But I'll miss you. You call me if you need backup"

"Backup…"

"What? Isn't that how you say it?"

"It is. But this is Su. She probably just got involved with some bad people and it's come back to bite her. Wouldn't be the first time… I took three vacation days, should be all done by then."

"Spirits know, you have vacation days to spare…"

"And what is that supposed to mean, Tenzin?" she smiled, "You feeling left out?"

"I might. I just want to see more of you, is that such a crime?"

"Not a crime, no. I'll tell you what… When I come back, we're going somewhere for a few days. Wherever you and Oogi want to take me. Sounds good?"

"Sounds great." he leaned forward and kissed her.

Lin was the one to pull away since she noticed Baatar in the hallway waiting for her.

"I love you, but I gotta go." she whispered, still in his embrace.

"Love you too. Go get them." Tenzin took a step back and handed her the suitcase.

"Alright, Mr. Baatar, if we want to make our boat I suggest you get going." Lin said, walking by Su's husband, "Are you alright?"

He just stared at her with a really unusual look on his face for a few seconds before saying, "You're different."

"From Su? Yeah, a lot. It's hard to imagine we're even related." Lin started moving down the hall and he followed after lagging his bags.

"No, I meant different than what Su described."

"Well, I can't imagine she had anything nice to say about me."

oooooooooo

"…and the dining hall is through here. Our chef is one of the best in the world. But you'll see that for yourself as it is lunch time." Baatar insisted on giving Lin a tour of their city and their manner. It was all very impressive, Lin had to admit, but that was not why she was here.

"Thank you, but I think my time would be better spent talking to the guards."

"Alright, then. I'll show you to one of our most spacious rooms, you'll unpack and then we'll see about gathering all the guards."

"Again, thank you, but I just need a room where I can interrogate guards and write reports, like an office."

"I could give you Su's office. It's connected to one of the guest rooms."

"Perfect, lead the way."

"But don't you want to eat first? And the boys are probably there as well. They're going to be so excited to meet their aunt." he noticed Lin looked away, "You do want to meet them, don't you?"

"I do. The thing is… I'm here to work and find Suyin. Maybe it would be best if no one knew who I was." Lin didn't feel good saying it, but it needed to be done.

"But it will take ten minutes… You're family."

"This is not a social visit. Now where can I find the office?" Lin could sense she hurt him in some way, but his feelings were not what mattered at that moment.

Baatar showed her where she'll be working and she instructed him to send in all the guards, one by one, starting with the ones who say Suyin last.

The interviews didn't take long since none of the people she met knew anything of value. The three guards that saw Su last were perhaps the most useless of them all, since they were supposed to secure her on her morning walk, but failed to keep visual contact at all times.

Lin asked to talk to Kuvira next, hoping the child might have some information about the village that could be useful. For some reason she was expecting a shy kid, hiding behind Baatar's robe, but Kuvira was anything but.

She entered the room after Baatar, closed the door, sat directly in front of Lin's desk and made direct eye contact.

"Kuvira, this is my friend. She's a police officer from Republic City and she has a couple of questions for you." Baatar stood next to the girl in case she needed support, but she didn't look like she would.

"A police chief, actually." Lin corrected, "I just need to know some details about how you ended up here, Kuvira. When did you first meet her, Baatar?"

"Um… It was a few months ago… I was really busy working on the domes…"

"Three months, two weeks." Kuvira interrupted him.

Lin wrote it down. At least the child was useful.

"And how old are you?"

"Eight years, six months."

"I see. And when did you get the papers approved, Baatar?" Lin asked, but got only some incomprehensible mumbles as an answer, "Baatar, focus. Can I see Kuvira's adoption papers?"

"We don't… Exactly have those…"

"What do you mean? You said you adopted her."

"No, I said we took her in."

Lin couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Kuvira, would you please go get yourself something to drink and then come back here?" she said and the little girl nodded and obeyed, confused as to why the situation got so tense.

"Are you serious?!" Lin stood up when the girl left, "You didn't adopt her?! You didn't check with anyone before taking a little girl into your home?!"

"She's an orphan. She needed our help." Baatar backed away a few steps.

"I should have known… This has Suyin written all over it! This is not the glory time of Avatar Aang, it is 153, you cannot take children just because you want to! There are laws against that and people who will throw you in prison for it."

"I… I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, be better than that! Do you understand that if we report those people there for taking Su, they can report you for this? You and Su could be going to prison and Kuvira would be forced back to wherever she escaped from."

"No, that can't happen…"

"But it will, Baatar. If we don't do something…" Lin rubbed her forehead, "If I don't do something."

"Please, fix it! We have to find Su! She's pregnant and-"

"Shh." Lin shushed Baatar and made a bending move to open the door. It reviled that Kuvira was on the other side listening with a glass of juice in one hand. Never try to eavesdrop on an earthbender…

"Kuvira, you shouldn't be here." Baatar said.

"You said find Su. Is Su lost?" she asked and Baatar just froze in place.

"I'm here to find her." Lin said all of a sudden, "We don't know where she is, but I am good at finding people."

"You said she was on a trip." the little girl looked to Baatar.

"I didn't want you kids to worry."

"So I shouldn't tell anyone else? Like a secret?"

"Exactly." Baatar smiled down at her.

"I do still have to ask you about how your parents died." Lin cut in.

"Don't you think we shouldn't press that issue?" Baatar asked.

"Baatar, I have to know." Lin sat back down and readied her paper, "How did you lose your parents, Kuvira?"

"I never met my dad. He died when I was two. And my mother… A year ago she got really sick and her heart stopped working…" the little girl explained.

"I understand. And then I presume you were put in some kind of a children's home?"

"Yes. There's an orphanage… There were a lot of kids there, too much, but none were earthbenders like me. And one day this older boy asked me if I knew why that was. And when I said no, he told me how all the earthbenders were sold to go defend the king…"

"The Dai Li…" Lin accidentally said aloud.

"So I got scared and I ran away…" Kuvira finished and looked down at her shoes.

"And who found you?"

"Our son did. Junior." Baatar cut in, "Maybe this has been enough questions for one day…"

Both adults noticed Kuvira suddenly became a bit unresponsive, so they decided they would continue this another day if it was necessary. Lin, of course, wanted to ask a lot more questions about the village itself, but decided it wasn't the right time.

oooooooooo

Lin went through all the statements she took that day and didn't even realize as the rest of the day flew by. She was still no closer to finding her sister, but sometime around midnight she decided to pick it up again in the morning. She started putting away her things, but noticed the desk was cluttered with various documents Su left behind.

Lin picked one paper up and immediately recognized Su's handwriting. How could she not? She was forced to help her with homework for years, since their mom couldn't. No one ever asked Lin if she wanted to spend hours looking at Su's girly handwriting.

What was this?! Was she missing that brat? Oh, no…

Lin put the letter down. If this was a real missing persons case, she would certainly go through the victim's home and her belongings looking for clues. Yes, that was what she was doing… Looking for evidence.

As far as Lin was concerned it wasn't her sister, it was just some woman. Some pregnant mother of two…

Lin moved her gaze to the shelves. As expected, they were filled with books just for show, with a few that actually looked like they were used, and small metal figurines Su probably made with her bending. Lin remembered her sister always liked to make those to decorate her room.

But every police officer knew the most important thing to look over were the photos and Suyin had plenty on display. A few with friends, some of them clearly pirates. A couple of photos from Zaofu's first days. But mostly they were family photos. There was no Kuvira, but there were a dozen framed photos of both Baatar Jr. and Huan. At least Lin knew her nephews' names now... And of course there was a photo of Su's wedding and a photo of the whole family.

Lin found all of that to be too much and moved over to the desk to keep doing police work, not pining over how she never went to her sister's wedding. Sadly, nothing she found gave any clue as to where Su could be. Lin was ransacking the furthest drawers when she came across a familiar photo.

She remembered exactly where and when it was taken. Su's first day of school, Katara showed up at their place with a camera and took this in front of their apartment. It managed to capture all three of the Beifongs with matching scowls on their faces, as none of them wanted to take that picture.

Lin always thought Katara kept it, it made no sense Su ended up with it. Lin remembered everything about that morning perfectly. Before they stepped out the door and into Katara's photo trap, they were all eating breakfast together and Su asked about a million questions in the span of ten minutes. Lin also remembered their mother giving her a lecture on how she needs to look out for her little sister in school. Protect her from the older kids, show her around, make sure she didn't get lost…

Lin felt her throat tighten. She was fighting back tears when a knock on the door snapped her out of it.

"Come in." Lin said and watched as Kuvira peeked just her head in through the door. The girl's long black hair was now out of her usual braid and reached all the way to her waist.

"Did you remember something you want to tell me, Kuvira?"

"No."

"Well, it's late, you should be sleeping." Lin was disappointed.

"I know. I'm just scared… Can I be here with you, please?" Kuvira still didn't enter.

"I gave the guards detailed instructions on how to secure the building, I assure you we are as safe here as we are ever going to be…"

"I'm scared for Su."

"Oh… Go on then, come in."

Kuvira closed the door after her and walked to Su's desk to see what Lin was up to. She was still in her pajamas for the failed sleep attempt.

"Did you find out where she is yet?" she asked.

"Sadly, no. Not yet. But I'm working on it."

"Why are you going through Su's things?" Kuvira asked before thinking about it, "You're hoping she left something here that will tell you where she is!"

"Yes, I'm looking for evidence."

"Can I help?" Kuvira's face lit up and she started looking around, "What is that in your hand?"

"Just a photo. Not helpful." Not helpful at all, Lin thought.

"I know that one." Kuvira pulled the photo from Lin's hand, "This is Su and this is her mom, Toph Beifong, the Mother of Metalbending and the best earthbender in the world. And this is Su's sister Lin. She's a police officer in-"

The little girl suddenly stopped and stared at Lin. Then at the picture and then finally at Lin once more, while a huge grin appeared on her face.

"Yes, it's me." Lin couldn't help, but smile slightly, seeing how excited the girl was at her revelation.

"You're Su's sister?! You're Toph's daughter too?! Oh, man, you are going to find Su in no time! And she'll be so happy to see you! And, and…" Kuvira got really excited, but then noticed the expression on Lin's face.

"I'm sorry. You must miss her so much…" Kuvira sat down opposite Lin, "She told me you two didn't see each other for ten years."

"That's… True." Lin didn't like how prying the girl was.

"Why?"

"We fought a lot."

"You could always apologize to each other."

"No, I don't think that'll happen. But I'll still do anything I can to find her." Lin put the photo back where she found it, "I'd like it if you didn't tell your brothers who I am."

"They're not my brothers."

"Of course." Lin sighed, "Would you please return to your bed now? I'll go talk to people in the village tomorrow. You don't have to worry."

"But I wanna stay here and hear stories about when Su was little." Kuvira begged.

"What's there to tell? She was a pain in my butt. She loved dancing, drawing and girly stuff like that. She always had a lot of friends and an incredible talent for getting into trouble…"

Kuvira chuckled at that. Lin wished she was joking, but Su did always manage to find trouble wherever she went. When they were kids at least Lin was always there to bail her out. And the one time she wouldn't, their mother did.

And who was going to bail her out this time?

oooooooooo

Alright, so we have Linzin at their peak, Lin Beifong on a case and a slightly troubled, but still cute little Kuvira. Yeah, that's the gist of it. There will be four chapters, I have them already they just need a quick grammar look-see.

Anyway, I wanted to write this because I've been thinking about what a shame it was that we never got to see a Kuvira flashback. So here is one. They gave us one about Amon and one about Unalaq, so why not the Red Lotus and Kuvira... Villains are so much better with context.

And about the adoption laws…I have no idea about them in the real world. I just know the society got way closer to ours in LOK. They had to bring order to things by setting a few new laws. And I think that would probably include taking care of orphans as well. In ATLA people like Jet made it seem kids who lost their parents were on their own…

But all the laws are relatively new, so Lin was the only one that thought about it. Again with Lin being the only adult…

Reviews will be appreciated :)

And I'll try to update soon.