Author's note: Hey there! Here is part two! Just to give you a heads up: Rating M! That means thar be smut, not hardcore smut, but still smut. I think its absolutley hideous in every way possible, but it's up to you guys to decide I guess. I also wanted to say that I've had a lot of influence from other fanfics that I've read on this chapter, you may recognize a thing or two. Ugh, I'm not satisfied with this at all, but I'm never pleased with my own stuff, so what the hell.
I imagine that inbetween Katara's healing session with Korra, and Korra meeting with Aang and getting her bending restored, like one or two days pass? Or this chapter wouldn't have worked. Sorry if there are some spelling mistakes.
I do not own these characters, AtLA or LoK!
When the darkness had engulfed her, Lin felt safe. She felt safe and there wasn't any pain. No sorrow, no lost bending, no loneliness and no her disappointing everyone. It was quiet, peaceful. She tried to enjoy it while it lasted, because she knew it wouldn't be for very long. In the back of her mind something already called for her. No… I don't want to go back there, leave me alone! She screwed her eyes shut harder, trying to escape back to her numb existence, but now she heard the voice clear, and she knew that the person it belonged to knew she was awake.
"Lin? Lin honey? How are you feeling?"
Katara. Lin groaned and turned over with stiff limbs, burying her face in the pillow like a child. She noticed that there wasn't any metal that stopped her from doing so, and realized that she wore a pajama.
"Lin, please stop behaving like a child."
Lin sighed into her pillow and turned around a little, glancing over her shoulder to look at the old woman that was sitting next to her on a chair. Katara had a caring, worried look in her eyes. Lin most certainly could expect a lecture, so she sighed heavily again and sat up. It didn't matter that she was 50 years old; Katara scolded everyone if the need should arise. Lin leaned back on her pillows against the bedframe, trying to get rid of the tangles in her long, grey hair.
"Lin, why didn't you tell anyone you were injured? Your left knee is severely bruised, I almost had a heartattack when I saw your back and your shoulders, and you have aslight concussion."
"I didn't know it was that bad." She said and concentrated on hair, trying to avoid meeting Katara's gaze, but she could see the woman glaring at her from the corner of her eye.
"It's true! And besides, I wasn't priority number one, Korra was." She also added: "No one cares about me anyway." Muttering under her breath, but Katara heard her and looked at Lin with a new revelation in her eyes. Damn it! I can't hide anything from her, can I?
"Oh Lin!"
Katara launched forward and hugged Lin tight.
"Of course we care, we all care! You're family!"
When Lin didn't reply, Katara said:
"Tenzin cares too, Lin. He's never stopped. He still calls me, worried to death, whenever he finds out that you've gotten injured."
Lin's gut wrenched at the woman's words. Tenzin still cared? She pulled back from Katara's arms and pulled her legs up under the blanket, wrapping her arms around them and rested her chin on her knees, feeling little again. There wasn't any point in trying to be hard in front of her almost second mother.
"So." Katara stated. "How are you?"
Lin let out a bitter laugh, sighed and shook her head with a sad smile on her lips.
"I'm just terrific, actually. I'm no longer Chief of Police." That earned her a surprised look from Katara. "I've lost my bending. My mother is dead, I've lived alone for 20 years, and will so do until the day I die. I've failed myself, my mother and my city."
She'd tried to stop the tears from rolling down her face, but Katara saw right through her, and so she let them fall freely. She cried in silence, making no sound and just stared at the wall in front of her. Katara took Lin's left hand and held it in both hers; stroking one comforting thumb back and forth over Lin's scarred skin.
"Your mother would have been proud over you, Lin. You haven't failed."
With the tears wetting her cheeks she answered in an upset, slightly higher voice:
"Katara, I failed! You don't understand… Can you…" Sniff. "Can I just be alone for a while?"
She pulled her hand back and dried her runny nose with the sleeve. Katara looked heartbroken, but nodded and left the room. Lin let out a breath of relief and dried her tears. She curled up under the blanket and closed her eyes. She was tired.
When she woke up, her room was empty, and she could see her armor in a heap in the corner. It looked like it had been pried off with a crowbar. It was in shreds. Good. I don't ever want to put it on again. On the chair Katara had been sitting on, a set of clothes was neatly folded. Lin looked out the window and figured it was late afternoon, a light snowfall hid the spectacular view she knew was out there. She was stiff and sore in her back and shoulders, but otherwise she was fine. Her body felt relaxed and her head was clear. She got up from the bed, slowly, to avoid getting dizzy, and put on the clothes someone had left on the chair. It was the brown cargopants and white tank top that she used to wear under her uniform, but someone had washed them. A black cardigan and warm skin boots with fur inside was with them. She put it all on and braced herself before leaving her room. She took a left turn in the corridor, making her way towards the dining room where dinner seemed to have been served. It smelled amazing and her stomach growled. How long had it been since her last meal? When she came in, everyone looked up from their food and stopped talking, not that anyone had been talking a lot. A dreary air filled the room; no one was very intent on conversations about cheerful stuff. Even Ikki and Meelo seemed a little down; they kept quiet to Lin's relief.
"It's nice to see you up Lin." Katara said. "Would you like some dinner?"
"Yes, thank you." Lin walked around the table, passing Korra, Mako, Asami and Bolin to the only empty seat. She sat down next to the young earthbender. On the other side of the table was Tenzin, the children, Pema, Bumi and Katara. Bumi had a mischievous smirk on his face, and wiggled his eyebrows at Lin when she raised them in question. He cleared his throat.
"Alright people! I officially declare this dinner dead-boring. That's why I brought something to make it a little bit more fun!"
Everyone looked around at each other, trying to figure out what Bumi meant. Tenzin had become stiff, wondering what mischief his older brother had decided to operate this time. Lin had her suspicions, and was, spirit's forbid it would ever leave her head, grateful. Her suspicion proved to be right when Bumi fished up three big bottles of a clear liquid from under the table. Tenzin, who had just took a sip on his tea, spat it out all over his food, furious. Katara just shook her head at her eldest son, Team Avatar looked curious and Lin's corners of her mouth twitched in amusement.
"Bumi! What on earth, there are children here!" Tenzin shrieked.
"Pema, it's getting late, don't you think? Maybe the children would like to go to bed?" Katara offered.
"Uhm, yes. Come along kids, listen to Gran-Gran." Pema said and hushed the children out of the room.
They groaned in disappointment. Korra was surprisingly, next to speak up.
"Can we taste it too Bumi?"
"THAT IS OUT OF THE QUESTION! GO TO BED, ALL OF YOU!"
Tenzin was very upset and shot daggers at Bumi, but Bumi just smiled. He was in his right element.
"Now, now, Ten-ten. They're old enough. Uncle Sokka was much younger when he drank cactus juice for the first time." He joked.
Tenzin looked like he was about to strangle his brother when Pema came back in. She walked up to her husband and put a hand on his chest.
"Please, calm down dear. I'm sure they'll be responsible if they get a bottle. They've had a rough time too, they need to have some fun." Pema said and glared at the teenagers. They all nodded in excitement. Tenzin groaned loudly and gave up. Meanwhile Lin had gotten some food in her system and was fed up. Katara started to take the dishes away.
"Let me help you with that!" Pema eagerly said and left with Katara, arms full of dirty plates.
Lin decided it was her time to leave, so she stood up and walked over to Bumi. Her heart was beating fast against her ribs because of what she was about to do. She hadn't done it in 15 years. When she came close and stood above him he looked up at her, wondering what she was up to.
"Can I have one?" Lin said and pointed at a bottle. She had tried to sound a little seductive and flirty, but felt like she had failed immensely. She felt absolutely ridiculous, but Bumi didn't seem to notice.
"Of course, Chief." He handed her one.
She accepted it and walked past Tenzin, not saying anything. When she reached the end of the room, Tenzin called after her.
"Since when do you drink Lin?"
She didn't bother answering him.
Lin had left the building and walked outside, wandering around in the now dark yard. She took a deep sip from the bottle from time to time and the content slowly disappeared. She was a little unsteady on her feet when she came across the Bison stable. By then, even if she had a warm coat on her, she was freezing and trembling, her teeth rattling against each other. She pulled the heavy door open and walked inside. Two bisons, Oogi and another one, was sleeping inside on a thick layer of straw. It was warm inside there, so she decided to finish her bottle, away from prying eyes. She wanted to cry in peace. She shut the door behind her and placed herself a few feet away from the sleeping giants. She sat down against a pole that supported the roof and made herself comfortable. She took a long draft from the sake and the liquid made its way down her throat and ended in her stomach. It was good stuff. It burned and was so strong Lin's eyes teared. It spread through her body and warmed her nicely. Lin had of course been drunk when she was young, but never with Tenzin. He took his lifestyle as a monk very seriously, except for when it came to Lin, perhaps. She missed waking up next to him and making love before going to work. She didn't drink when they lived together because she didn't have a reason to do it, Tenzin was always there to comfort and support her when her days on the station had been rough. When he left, it was easy to drown her pain while at work, but not when she was home alone. She wasn't an alcoholic, far from it, but she had gone to work with a hangover a few times the last 20 years. Her officers never say anything, but they could tell because those mornings she was extra grumpy and easily annoyed.
She was interrupted in her thoughts when a tall man full of snow opened the door and came inside. Lin suspected it was past midnight and briefly wondered what anyone would be doing out here at this time of night. When the man pulled his hood down, she noticed the goatee and the blue arrow immediately. What was he doing out here? Why could she never just be left alone? Tenzin noticed Lin too and walked up to her, airbending the snow away from his cloak. He stopped when he stood right in front of her, clenching his hands behind his back.
"Lin. What are you doing out here?" he said in his official voice.
"I might as well ask you the same thing, airhead." Lin had the sake in her system, so the old nickname had slipped out without her being able to stop it.
Tenzin sighed.
"May I?" he gestured to the spot beside her.
She shrugged of pretended indifference. The truth was, she had just remembered what Katara had told her. 'Tenzin cares too, Lin. He's never stopped'. She didn't want to believe it, didn't want to let this man into her heart more than he already was. Her heart beat angrily against her chest. She could only blame the sake and cursed under her breath that she'd started drinking. It clearly clouded her judgment and thoughts. Tenzin sat down beside her and looked at the bottle in her hands.
"What does it feel like?" he asked her.
She raised her eyebrows in question, wondering what was going on in his bald head.
"To drink, I mean." He explained.
"Oh." She hadn't been expecting that one. "It eases the pain. The loneliness, the emptiness,the guilt." A little, but not nearly enough. Why was she telling him this?
"Can I try it?"
At this Lin laughed out loud and nearly dropped the bottle.
"Do I have to remind you that you're a monk! You're not supposed to be drinking!"
"I'm not supposed to do this either."
And then Lin could feel Tenzin's warm lips lightly brush against hers. She'd closed her eyes the moment of the contact and her heart jumped up in her throat. It beat furiously and she could feel her pulse in her entire body. Her lips burned and her hands trembled. Tenzin pulled back a centimeter, heavily breathing the same, warm air that Lin did.
"Tenzin…" she whispered.
She didn't know if it was the pain, or the recent loss of everything, her lonely heart, the sake or her instincts; but she slowly leaned in and kissed him. This time Tenzin didn't pull back, and neither did Lin. She dropped the bottle and turned a little, placing one hand on Tenzin's shoulder to pull him closer and the other one behind his neck. His hands snaked around her waist and pulled her over him so that she was sitting across his lap. The kiss became more intense and Lin could feel heat starting to spread downwards from her stomach when Tenzin's tongue slipped inside her mouth and started to fight with hers. Lin moaned into his mouth and a shiver shot up her spine when she could feel something stiff brush against her thigh. She furiously kissed back, fueled by the contact and drowning in the sensation of his lips against hers. With one hand on her hip Tenzin buried the other in her long, silk hair and locked her lips to his, while she started clawing at his robes, trying to find his chest somewhere inside the fabric. When she did she broke the kiss and pulled the garment over his head, leaving his chest bare. He attacked her mouth once again, and she had one hand on his neck while the other one trailed downward, feeling his well-muscled stomach. She felt Tenzin shiver, and she gasped when his hands found their way in under her tank top and started caress her own well taut torso. They were all heat and lips and tongues, passion making the warm air thick and hard to breathe. They were both enchanted with their long lost love and 20 years of held back lust. Lin felt so unbelievably alive, adrenaline and warmth living their own lives in her body. She had unconsciously started to grind against Tenzin's stiffness when he'd cupped her breasts over her bindings, and it was her turn to drown his moans with her mouth. Feeling the friction she could barely restrain herself. Soon she released her lips from his, gasping for air while she pulled her coat off, and then her top. Tenzin froze for a second, taking her curves in, that hadn't changed much the last 20 years, before attacking her with his mouth and hands again. When they slammed into each other Tenzin grabbed her waist and rolled around so that he was on top. Apparently he remembered how much Lin loved not being in control in the bedroom.
They operated like a well-oiled machine. No one who saw them could have believed that they hadn't been together for nearly two decades. Lin was impatient like always, but this time Tenzin was too, so it didn't take long before Tenzin's hand slipped inside Lin's pants to find the place he was looking for. When he started to stroke her over her warmth he could feel the shivers rolling up her spine. In return Lin reached up to kiss and bite at his neck while his fingers pushed the fabric away and boldly let one finger slip inside of Lin's wet heat.
"Ah… Tenzin!"
Lin's head fell back against the straw and he watched closely as she closed her eyes and bit her lip in pleasure as slowly moved his finger in and out of her, before adding another one. She squirmed under his other hand that held her down and gasped for air as he continued to work with his fingers and teasing her clit. When it became impossible for Tenzin to continue with his administrations, because of his now painfully pounding erection, he pulled his fingers back and dove in for a deep, breathtaking kiss. Lin refused to break the dance of their lips as she tugged at his pants. When she finally got them down and his erection broke free she grabbed it and Tenzin's breath hitched at the sensation of her slender fingers against his sensitive skin. Her handiwork was executed perfectly, as always, and it almost pained him that they knew each other's bodies so well. He reached down and moved her hand away before it became too much for him and leaned in to kiss her as he pushed her pants and undergarments away, including her bindings. She now laid free before him and he gulps at the sight of her. She was breathing hard, enough to make him crazy without doing anything else, her curves somehow more beautiful than ever, her scars glowing pink beside the unmarred pale porcelain skin, her long, wavy silver hair floated free around her, her abused, swollen lips, rosy cheeks and glittering eyes. He didn't understand or remember how he could ever have left this woman. The woman that was as hard and unbreakable as stone, that was a soldier who fought for what she believed was right, that was so painfully brave, intelligent, caring, bossy, funny, beautiful and protective. On top on all of this they'd known each other since they were born. All of this rushed through his mind in a matter of seconds before both his need to fill her and Lin's need to be filled overpowered them and sent Tenzin burying himself inside Lin's tight heat. The feeling rose in both of their chests and Lin weakly circled her arms around Tenzin's shoulders, digging her nails in them for support as she rested her head in the crook of his neck, just gasping, occasionally whispering his name and kissing his neck as he mercilessly pounded into her, without any sort of control. He held her with both arms around her back, hard, and grunted of satisfaction when he could feel her nails clawing at his shoulders. Even if they both tried to hold it back it soon became too much. When Tenzin released one hand and used it to lift Lin's upper back a little higher, he reached that spot were Lin always used to crack. They reached their peaks in almost perfect synchronization and Lin tried to moan out loud but Tenzin captured her mouth with his, forcing her to make some sort of sound into his mouth instead, while on the same time desperately trying to kiss him back. He rolled his hips a few more times, prolonging both his and her orgasm and felt forceful shivers roll up Lin's spine and down her legs that she had locked around him to keep him in place. When he stopped and exited, he collapsed on top of her, covering her body with his and rested his head on her shoulder, breathing into her neck, as she placed a hand on top of his head. Lin felt star-strucked, the little she saw in the darkness danced before her eyes and her head pounded in the same pace as her heart. Her mind was in a euphoric state but on the same time there was a nagging voice in the back of her head whispering 'This is wrong.' She pushed it back as far as she could; she just wanted to stay in the bliss and feel Tenzin hold her and warm her a little bit longer. It all felt like a dream, really. Tenzin's beard tickled her neck and his breathing gave her goosebumps.
"I love you Lin." He affectionately whispered into her ear.
This is wrong; it's not supposed to be like this. The voice broke through her pink, fluffy state of mind. Maybe it was the sake's effect that was starting to wear off. Maybe he still loves you, but you could never be together. He has a wife that he loves and four children, he'll never leave them for you. He can't be unfaithful to Pema and besides, the guilt would eat you alive eventually, you need to leave. You need to leave now! Lin suddenly felt cold. It was true, what the voice was saying. This was a mistake. No matter how much they loved each other, it was wrong. It was so wrong, on so many levels. Tenzin looked up at her, noticing that she'd tensed and stopped reacting to the loving kisses he'd placed on her neck. The sad look on her face made him terrified.
"What's wrong Lin?"
Lin sighed and smiled a tiny, sad smile, looking into his eyes and placing a tender hand on his cheek. She looked into his grey eyes and saw the truth. He really did love her, and that he was worried and scarred because of the look in hers.
"I love you too." Relief replaced the fear, and it broke her heart. "But we can't do this, Tenzin. It's wrong. We're not the same anymore, it would never work, everything's changed! You have a wife, you have children."
"I don't care Lin! I love you! We'll make it work, I promise! I'm never letting you go again!" She opened her mouth to protest but he stopped her.
"Don't try to deny it Lin!"
"Tenzin! We can't! The guilt would kill me one day! What if anyone found out!? Spirit's!"
Lin pushed Tenzin off of her, grabbing her clothes that had been thrown everywhere. She started to get dressed. She felt a panic attack nearing; she'd had one or two of those many, many years ago. It wasn't pleasant, and the last thing she wanted was Tenzin seeing it. He'd started to get dressed too, suddenly aware of his nakedness in front of the now awake Skybisons. Lin was just about to run out the door when Tenzin caught up with her.
"Lin." She stopped and looked back at him when she heard his voice. The heartbroken look in his eyes made Lin's eyes flow over with tears and they fell down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry Tenzin." She whispered and walked out in the empty night, soul crushed and her heart in a thousand pieces, again.
She'd somehow made her way back to the room she was staying in and crawled into bed because when she woke up, she could smell something delicious that was waiting for her in the dining room, but then she remembered what had happened a couple of hours earlier. She felt... No, there wasn't any words for how broken she was. Her heart ached and yearned after Tenzin, she could still feel his lips against hers and smell him on her skin. Her completely relaxed body was a painful reminder of what hormones had been released in the night, on a bed of straw. She couldn't sit in front of him, eating breakfast with all the others, she just couldn't. And she probably looked like a disheveled mess. She had a hangover, a destroyed heart, no job and no bending. What a great way to start a new day. She got up from the bed and put her boots on, not caring to change her top or her pants, they weren't dirty. She placed herself in front of the small mirror and pinned her hair, she'd found some in the pocket of her pants. She put her coat on a left her room. When she walked past the dining room Katara called after her.
"Lin! Where are you going? It's breakfast!"
"I'm not hungry!" She yelled back and went outside. She stopped and stood still for a while on the porch, breathing the chilly air and feeling the warm sun on her face. Everything around her was white and right in front of her she could see the ocean. Despite her mood she enjoyed the silence, the nature and started walking. She didn't stop until she reached the edge and leaned forward a little. She was staring down on the blue water. She briefly wondered how long she would be falling before she hit the surface. She sat down, right there, letting her long legs dangle of the edge. And then she let her tears fall. They were the loud, ugly, choked ones and she sobbed, coughed and cried and just couldn't stop. Her heart was beating in overdrive, her body trembled and she felt a black, solid mass starting to eat its way through the back of her mind. How easy wouldn't it be to just take an extra step and be reunited with her mother again? Uncle Sokka would be there, Aang would be there and there wouldn't be any pain anymore. She could spend all day, everyday sparring with her mother and Aang while Sokka watched and made jokes and told stories about the group's adventures. How easy…
"Beifong!"
A voice yelled at her and Lin turned her head. A young woman with dark hair and blue clothing was running towards her. When she got close enough Lin could see it was Korra. The girl had transformed. She was smiling a wide smile and her eyes gleamed with excitement.
"We've been looking for you for hours!" she said and stopped to catch her breath.
"I've been out here for hours?" Lin said, a little surprised.
"Yes!" she answered, but then she shook her head. "But that's not the point! I came here to tell you that I can restore your bending!"
Bam. Lin just gaped at the Avatar. She would have been less surprised if she'd been hit by lightning. Korra could restore her bending? But… how? Korra must have seen the doubt on her face because she just laughed and started tugging at Lin's arm.
"Come on, everyone's waiting!"
She almost couldn't believe it, but yes, she could feel the tiny vibrations in her feet. She could hear the earth sing its quiet song. She raised her arms over her head, lifting all of the huge rocks up in the air. She held them there for a few seconds, marveling in the feeling. She lowered her arms and the stones fell back down. She opened her eyes.
"Thank you." she said to Korra, who was standing next to her with a satisfied look. She put so much feeling she could into it without starting to cry, because she really meant it. With her bending back, perhaps she could go back to Republic City and get a job as an officer. Maybe even get her position as chief back, since Saikhan had been criticized a lot during the war. He was a good officer, but weren't made for being boss.
Tenzin walked up the stairs.
"I'm so proud of you, Avatar Korra."
Author's note: I'M SORRY THIS IS A CRAPPY CHAPTER! *crying* Just tell me how I did... Please?
