Sokka leaned back in his chair and pouted as laughter burst from the commissioner's office. Three days. They had been laughing at that damned interview video for three days and it had been grating on his nerves.
"Sitka," he sat up and turned around at the sound of the commissioner's voice "not gonna lie, it's funny as hell." June Amaha sat down on the edge of Sokka's desk and wagged her finger at him and wagged her finger at him "but you'd better be thankful that she didn't file a complaint or I'd have to send your ass to sensitivity training…again."
"I said I was sorry about that. It's been two years, are you ever going to let that go."
She stood up "No." And walked away.
Sokka groaned and put his hands up to his face. When he heard the clacking of high heels he thought that June had turned back "What now? Did you forget to call me stupid?"
"You mean I haven't done that yet today?" He slouched with a huff. It was the public defender, Mai Wu "Stupid is just the first in the myriad of things I could call you, but since I'm here for work I'll stick to being professional."
"Gee thanks." He stood up and crossed his arms "So, is he going to pled guilty and save the tax payers some money, or what? It would be nice to get this over with."
"Why would he do that?" she adjusted her purse strap on her shoulder and switched her briefcase to her right hand "He's not guilty."
"Come on Mai, this is an open and shut case. All that evidence, how can you say he didn't do it?"
"Evidence that could have easily been planted." She shook her head "Look, as much as I enjoy arguing with you, I've got things to do."
He reached over and grabbed his jacket and his car keys "Yeah, I gotta go too. I promised my niece and nephew I would go to their bending thing today."
She looked at him with a raised eyebrow and they started walking "What a dutiful uncle you are."
He smiled "I know, right."
Sokka walked into the Republic City Academy stadium a spotted his sister, Dr. Katara Sitka-Kahm waving at him from her seat on the other side. He made his way there and hugged her, then spoke to his brother-in-law, Aang.
"Did I miss anything?" he asked as he playfully squeezed himself between his sister and his sixteen-year-old nephew.
"Naw," Bumi answered "The other pee-wee team didn't show, so they're putting together spars so the runts get to play."
"That's good. I know Tenny was looking forward to his first game."
A woman, Coach Morishita, walked out into the center of the floor "Parents, family and friends, thank you for your patience. Because the opponents were unable to attended and the little ones were excited to show what they know, our Wolfbat Cubs will now preform a series of sparring matches." She looked around the room and smiled as the people clapped and hooted for the children. "First up we will have our youngest team members. They're small, but they're mighty." She raised her right hand "Tenzin Kham who will be bending air." The little first grader walked out to the center of the ring with his head held high and his helmet under his arm as his family jumped to their feet, his father waving a sign he'd made for the occasion. Tenzin stopped when he reached the woman who smiled down at him then switched hands. She gestured to her left "And bending earth, Lin Devi."
Sokka's grin dropped at the last name and he looked at the little girl who walked out. Her name was the same as his suspect, but it had to be a coincidence.
She was about as tall as Tenzin with her hair pulled back into a tight, black ponytail that trailed down her back. He noticed her scan the crowd then smiled when her eyes landed on someone. Sokka looked in the same direction and saw Toph Devi sitting there.
After the match Sokka made his way over to where Toph was sitting in the front row. He noticed her reach down and slide her shoe onto her foot.
"Hello Mrs. Devi." He said as he came to a stop next to her."
Toph scowled at the sound of his voice "What's your deal cop?" She said the last as if it were the most disgusting word in her vocabulary "Are you following me?"
"Not at all. I came here to see my niece and nephew play. I assume the young lady who just finished sparing against my nephew is your daughter."
Toph rolled her eyes "Score for you Sherlock."
Sokka brushed the comment off and stuck his hands in his pockets "I gotta admit, I didn't expect to see you here."
Toph grabbed the backpack from her side and stood up "Why?" she snapped "Because there's no way my broke ass could afford to send my kid to this ritzy school for stiffs?"
Sokka lifted a finger and opened his mouth, about to say that that wasn't what he was going to say, then he thought better of it "Well, actually, yes."
Toph smiled. She liked his honesty "Well Kanto had two jobs, and I work, and my mom helps with her tuition." She felt Lin step beside her and take her hand "Now, if that's all you need, me and my kid'll be hitting the road. We gotta get walking."
The kindergartener pouted and looked up at her mother "Aw Mom. I'm tired. Can't Ty Lee come and get us?"
Toph held her head down "No Kiddo. She's at work already." She smiled "How'd it go?"
The little girl looked up at her mother with her eyebrows knit "Mom, you-" Toph leaned her head slightly to the side and Lin looked up at Sokka and an understanding look came over her face "I won." She said happily "That airhead was tough, but I got him."
Sokka frowned at the little girl "That's quite a mouth you've got on you missy."
"Yeah. So?" the little girl said, looking the strange man up and down.
"So, that airhead is my nephew."
"Apologize to the detective Lin." Toph scolded.
The girl sighed and gave a begrudging "Sorry."
Toph reached out for Lin's hand and the girl took it "We better get going. I don't want to be late."
"Well, if you don't hate me too much I could give you ladies a ride." Sokka offered "I'm guessing it's going to be a while before my niece's round comes up."
"No, we'll be fine. It's not too far." Toph answered and started to step away but Lin didn't move.
"But Mom," Lin whined "I'm tired and I'm hungry. We could get there fast if he takes us."
"Oh, okay." Toph resigned.
Lin sat forward in the middle of the sport car's back seat "Hey Mister, I like your car. Mom, can we get a car like this?"
"Sure. Well make it happen one day."
Sokka smiled at how Toph was with her daughter.
"So Mister," the little girl leaned forward a bit more "Tenzin is your nephew?"
"Yep." He answered simply.
"You got kids?"
"Nope."
"You don't like kids?"
Toph turned in her seat a bit "Lin! What did I tell you?"
The girl pouted and flopped back in her seat "It's not polite to ask people about their personal lives."
Sokka glanced up in the rearview mirror at the grouching child and laughed "I like kids, I'm just not all that lucky."
Lin couldn't help but crack a smile at his answer "Oh. Then good luck Mister."
Sokka got quiet. Who would have thought that such a simple sentiment from a five-year-old would mean so much? They rode quietly until Sokka parked in front of the Up All Night coffee shop.
Lin grabbed the backpack and jumped out of the car "Thanks Mister. You're nice." She started to walk away, then she turned back "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure kid."
"Could you tell your friends to let my daddy come home? He's really a good guy."
Sokka was shocked, but before he could try to stutter out something Toph responded."
"Lin, you can't ask him to do that. Go get Ty Lee to make you something to eat."
"Okay." The girl said and started walking away.
"And no sweets until I get in there!" she yelled behind her daughter.
Lin turned with a glower and stomped her foot before she went inside.
"Sorry about that." Toph said turning back in Sokka's direction "She's a smart kid, but she doesn't really get why Kanto's in jail. Hell, I don't think I get it myself." She sighed "Hey, come in and 'll get you a coffee and some pastries for the kids."
He smiled "You don't have to do that. I'm just glad I can help."
An unbelieving look crossed her face "Nobody does anything out of the kindness of their heart."
Sokka was taken aback "Is that want you really think?"
"Yes. Especially when I'm talking to the cop who's trying to put my man away." She felt around until she found the car door's handle "Now shut the hell up and come in so I can pay you back." She opened the door and stepped out and huffed "Fuck."
"What's wrong?"
"I left my damn cane at home because Lin and I were together." She turned a bit "How far did you park from the door?"
"I'm right in front of it." Before Toph could stand up she heard the other door close. Sokka ran around the car "Let me help you"
She stood up "I can do it myself."
He stepped in front of her "Are you really that stubborn? Let me help you."
Toph's face knotted and she held her hand up "Fine. Whatever."
Sokka took her hand and wrapped it around his arm.
He walked her into the coffee shop. It was simply decorated but nice. There were lots of deep browns and a single nice piece of art on each wall. Small round tables for two or four were sparsely spread across the floor.
Lin sat at one of the small tables near the counter, happily eating a sandwich, and a woman in pink walked by with a steaming hot coffee cup and saucer in her hand which she took to a woman with dark cropped hair at a table on the other side of the space.
Once they got to the counter Toph put her hands on the top and followed it around. The woman in pink came back.
"Oooh, Toph, you found us a new customer." She smiled, settling across from Sokka at the counter "And he'd cute too."
"Not a customer," Toph corrected "That's the asshole cop. He gave me and Lin a ride."
Sokka frowned "I'm right here you know."
Toph pursed her lips "Like I haven't called you an asshole before."
He slid a hand into his pocket and shrugged "True enough."
"Oh." Ty Lee cooed as she leaned on the counter "So you're the nice guy with the fancy car."
"Guess so." Sokka extended his hand to offer her a handshake "Detective Sokka Sitka."
Ty Lee shook his hand "Strong hands. I like that." The shake lingered on "If I do something wrong, would you come and arrest me?"
He smiled and leaned closer to her, his voice lowering just a bit "Depends on what your crime is."
Her smile widened and her eyelids lowered "Well, if you're the one coming to arrest me, maybe I can make it something lewd and lascivious."
Toph rubbed her forehead in disgust "oh shut the hell up already. We get it you're both hot and hot to trot. You're making me sick."
Ty Lee stood up "Sorry." Then she winked at Sokka who bit back a laugh.
"Could you pack him up something to go. Like a box of stuff that kids like. Oh, and make him one of the specials."
Ty Lee started walking "Gotcha Boss."
Sokka watched Ty Lee walk away for a moment, then looked back at Toph "Boss?"
"Yeah. I'm the manager here. I keep these jerks in line."
Sokka shook his head "I'm impressed."
Toph smiled "You should be."