I just knocked off two chapters woooo. also i recently published a oneshot about Tenzin and Pema called Not One Regret. please check it out

Disclaimer: not claiming to own anything

Pema knew that her day wasn't going to be any fun. She had kitchen duty today and she was on cleaning duty tonight. All the acolytes took shifts on cleaning the temple. It was just a way to share the load. But she had been taking on an extra shift of kitchen work, as well as her stable chores so her friend Jin wouldn't get in trouble for lagging behind on her work. Jin was the one who usually worked with the cooks, but as of late she had been taking more and more classes, making it almost impossible to do her chores. Pema didn't want Jin to get in trouble because she was taking initiative to learn so she took on her shifts. She hadn't complained once. She believed that her friend should embrace her interest. But all the work was taking its toll. It was the equivalent of working two full time jobs at once. She would long for just a few hours of sleep or even just a warm bath most days. But tonight she was going to be up until the early hours of the morning mopping and dusting all corners of the temple.

She quickly finished feeding the bison and headed up to the kitchen a floor above her. Her morning was spent chopping vegetables and sweating over a hot pot of rice. She followed the cook's instructions and ran around the steaming kettles and pots. She felt the slim layer of grime, dirt and sweat settle on her body by lunchtime. She was running in-between the stables and kitchen at almost a full sprint. She needed to clean all of the stables, prepare one of the bison for flight, and brush the bison while prepping the fruit and vegetables, and wash the dishes for the whole kitchen. She dropped down into her seat at lunch. She breathed heavily from running up the steps to serve the food. Her hair was sticking up and fraying in her ponytail. She felt hay inside her robes and she knew that she most definitely smelled like a mix of bison poop and dirty dishwater.

She looked at her food and started eating happily. Jin was going to join her soon and she didn't want her feeling guilty. She had found something she really enjoyed learning about, and she had always been so supportive of Pema and her issues. She saw Jin enter at the other side of the dinning hall. She waved her aching arm for her friend to join her. Jin smiled and walked towards Pema.

"Hi, how was class?" Pema asked Jin pleasantly.

"Fantastic!" She held an excited tone in her voice.

"We learned about the air bending stances and mindset. Avatar Aang came in and showed us in person." She retold her learning's from this morning with interest and exaggerated enthusiasm. Pema smiled genuinely at her friend. She really was enjoying herself.

"But it's a shame I won't be able to go to the night seminar." Pema looked at her quizzically.

"Why not?"

"I'm on painting duty tonight." She sighed "I'm touching up the molding in the south wing." Her face fell, "They were going to introduce us to the arrow tattooing process." Pema felt bad for her friend. She was most interested in the master airbending rituals and the tattooing ever since the seminar they had attended together. She wanted to become a specialist in that area. It would be very important for her to attend the seminar. She remembered all the times Jin had held Pema while she cried and wept about her parents. She had been Pema's best friend for four years and always helped her when she needed it.

"Go to the seminar, hun. I'll take your night shift." Jin looked up at Pema with shock.

"Pema, I couldn't do that to you. You're already taking my kitchen job. You look like death warmed over and you've been working to the bone." Jin had always felt like she needed to care for Pema being that she was older, but Pema wanted to help her with her dream.

"Hun, you need to attend this night class. They only do one a year and its really important for your studies. I've been doing fine and one more shift won't hurt." Pema smiled reassuringly at her friend.

"Pema, you barely have time to breathe, let alone sleep or eat. It doesn't matter if I go tonight." Pema sighed.

"Sweetie you've been listening to my moaning and whining for four years. Let me do this. Its nothing compared with your studies. I know how much you love it and I'm not going to let you miss it tonight, so stop arguing." Pema set her face to a hard stare that couldn't be argued with. Jin looked gratefully at her friend. She hugged her and whispered thanks into her ear. So now not only did she have her night shift, but Jin's also. But Jin had been such a good friend over the years it wasn't any burden. Pema smiled they let a loving silence settle while they ate. Pema picked up the plate and tried to look at her reflection.

"Do I really look like death warmed over?" she asked. Jin giggled and nodded. Pema's chest fell. "I'll brush my hair before I go back to work." Jin nodded again, saying it was a good idea.

After the meal, Jin returned to her class while Pema picked up the dishes and washed them down in the sink. Then she had a good two hours before she had to be back in the kitchen to return to the chaos of cooking dinner. She went to the stable to catch up on her stable work that she had missed that morning. She changed the feed and water for the bison. Raked the two stables she missed and cleaned Appa's and Oogi's horns. Appa had nudged her tired body once or twice with love, nearly knocking her to the ground with the littlest effort being as she was ready to fall over her self. The time came for her to start up to the kitchens. She had one of the other stable workers haul in the hay for her. They all were so nice to her during this crazy work period of hers and obliged to her kindly. She sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She rounded the corner and collided with something at full speed. A blur of orange and red crossed her vision. The ground came up beneath her and hit her side hard. Her arms and legs fell on something soft. Papers were scattered all over the floor and a grunt sounded from the thing she had hit. Her head snapped to look at the object. To her horror, it wasn't a thing, but a person. It was Tenzin. Her arms and legs were entangled with his. Her side was in contact with the ground. But for the most part, she was lying on top of him.

She had had a dream like this once. Of course they were on a bed, not the floor, and she was not as embarrassed as she was right now. She pushed her head off of his chest and sat straight up.

"Oh, my spirits. Tenzin, I'm so sorry. I-I was going to the-the kitchens and I-I wasn't looking. Are you Ok? I'm so sorry." She was rambling her apologies while picking up all the papers she made him drop. He seized her actions by putting his hand on her arms. She looked into his eyes to see them smiling. Her stomach dropped out at their contact. The warmth spread through her body from where his hands were, and for a second she forgot how tired she was or how overworked she was. He was looking at her and smiling. She sighed.

"I'm sorry I ran you over. Are you ok?" She asked more slowly this time. She held his elbows since his hands were still on her biceps restricting her movement.

"I'm fine, Pema. Are you ok? You took quite a fall as well." She smiled

"I'm fine. Just my dignity is wounded." He laughed.

"I hear it's over-rated anyway." He helped her stand, still holding her arms.

"Thank you." She said when she stood. She handed him the papers she had gathered.

"Why were you going to the kitchens? Father said he saw you with Appa just this morning." She looked down at her feet.

"I'm just covering for a friend today." She explained. Tenzin held a questioning gaze on her.

"Just today?" he asked.

"Why do you ask?" She wanted to avoid the subject of her friend's absence.

"Just that you've been looking tired lately, and I see you helping after and before meals, as well as in the stables." A quick answer didn't come to her. All she could think was that he had noticed. He noticed how tired she was and where she was working. She hadn't even seen him for the last couple of days except at meals.

"I-she-well-" She couldn't think of a lie fast enough to cover for her friend.

"She's been taking some extra classes and I offered to cover for her." She explained the truth. He nodded in understanding.

"I see. Well, I'll escort you to the kitchens so no one else falls victim to 'Pema the Speed Demon'." He joked. She met his gaze again with a smile.

They fell into step with each other and walked toward the kitchens.

"So, are you participating in the annual cleaning tonight?" he asked.

"I'm overlooking tonight, so I'll make sure you don't hit someone with a feather duster or fall off a ladder." He smiled down at her.

"Yeah, I'm on tonight. And I won't fall off a ladder. I'm not that clumsy."

"I don't know. You're a danger to your own and everyone else's health around here." She glared at him as they approached the door to the kitchens.

"Well thank you, Master Tenzin, for ensuring the safety of those around me." They smiled once more at each other and she entered the kitchens. As the door closed behind her she heard him call to her.

"See you tonight, Pema." A warm shiver ran through her spine. She suddenly had the energy to make it the rest of the day.

Tenzin was smiling widely as he walked away from the door. He had been just thinking of the bright eyed girl when she quite literally knocked him off his feet. Despite her collision with him, he couldn't help but smile at her. She was redder than a tomato and was franticly gathering his papers and apologizing. There were dark circles under her eyes and she looked worn. He had suspected she was working double shifts but was surprised to hear her reasons. She was doing a favor for someone. She was putting her health on edge for a friend. She didn't complain or give a hint of exhaustion. She was doing above satisfactory at both jobs and was keeping up just fine. She was a tough spirit to break. She was working tonight as well. He made a note to look after her with an extra special eye.

A/N: Don't forget to Review (please) :D also thanx to all of those who already reviewed. you guys make my day. and finally thank you to FooFooCuddlyWHAT for beta