Chapter 10: Mr. Right

"Hey sugar queen." Toph teased over the phone, making Katara roll her eyes. "You seen my kid anywhere?"

"Lin or Su?" Katara questioned.

"Linny."

"I haven't seen her today, no. Why?"

"I got a call from the school saying she wasn't in class today. I was wondering if she had skipped with one of your kids." Toph sighed.

"Let me ask." Katara soothed. "Tenzin? Kya? Bumi? Come here please."

Her kids made their way from the living room, where they were conversing with their father.

"What's up?" Bumi replied, grabbing an apple from the counter and taking a large bite.

"Have any of you seen Lin today?" Katara wondered.

Bumi and Kya both looked at Tenzin expectantly.

"Well, lover boy? You're closest with her." Bumi teased.

Tenzin rolled his eyes at his brother, ignoring his comment. "No I haven't seen her today." Tenzin replied to his mother. Then he added angrily, "She is probably with Kwai or something."

Katara turned her attention back to the phone. "Toph, they haven't seen her."

Toph audibly sighed. "Great. Missing kid then."

"I wouldn't worry, Toph. Lin's a smart girl." Katara comforted.

Toph exhaled deeply. "Yeah. Well, let me know if she shows up."

"Will do." Katara nodded.

Tenzin looked to his mother, "Something wrong?"

"Lin apparently skipped class today, and Toph can't find her. Let me know if she contacts you kids."

The three nodded in unison.

Something was wrong, Tenzin thought to himself. Lin never skipped class, especially now that she was at the metal bending academy. They hadn't spoken much since Tenzin found out Lin was dating Kwai about a month ago. They had seen each other at dinner pretty often but their conversations tended to be short and awkward.

But, Tenzin still worried about her, even if he did think she had poor taste in boyfriends, so he decided to search for Lin for himself. He slipped out the front door quietly, and began searching the island.

There was a place on the island that he knew Lin went to in order to be alone. It was a tiny cave at the foot of the cliffs, that had a good view of the bay and the city skyline. He remembers when she would go there to get away from her mother or Su or even himself once when they had gotten into one of their rare squabbles. He grabbed his glider and flew off the edge of the cliff, navigating down to the secret cave, where sure enough, Lin sat skipping rocks across the bay.

"What are you doing here, airhead?" Lin angrily skipped another rock as Tenzin landed beside her.

"Your mom couldn't find you. She was worried."

Lin scoffed. "Right. Like she ever worries about me."

"Your mom loves you, Lin."

"Yeah. That's why she just ignores my feelings most of the time. That's why she lets Su get away with anything she wants. That's true love." Lin quipped sarcastically.

"I think your mom is just trying to give you the freedom she never had growing up. The freedom she had to fight for." Tenzin analyzed, sitting down beside his friend.

Lin rolled her eyes. "I don't need this much freedom. I mean, Su is twelve and practically lives on the streets. I'm sixteen, an age at which most parents would be sure to keep an eye on their kid 24/7, making sure they don't stray or get hurt or get into trouble. My mom doesn't know I'm gone until the school calls her. She doesn't notice or maybe she doesn't care when I'm hurt. It's just... frustrating." Lin threw a rock so far, Tenzin couldn't see where it landed.

After a minute, Tenzin looked at her. "I have a feeling this isn't really about your mom."

Lin sighed deeply. After a moment, she admitted, "Kwai and I broke up."

Tenzin felt a wave of emotions, elation being one, but then sympathy for Lin, and then guilt for feeling happy that she was heartbroken. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Lin shook her head. "He wasn't good for me. He was only interested in one thing, and when I didn't supply, he got angry and left."

"Well, he's an idiot. And an ass."

Lin laughed. "Tez! I didn't know you even knew that word!" She laughed.

"Please, I'm best friends with a Beifong, I know all the dirty words. But don't tell my mom I said that." Tenzin joked and smiled comfortingly at her.

Lin returned his smile. They looked out to the bay for a minute, until Lin took Tenzin's hand in her own, making him blush. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Kwai." She apologized dejectedly. "I just didn't know what to really say."

"What do you mean?" Tenzin prodded.

"Well," Lin blushed, "I don't know. You're my best friend, and I feel I can tell you anything, but..." Lin looked to him sheepishly.

"But, what?" Tenzin pried.

"I don't know. I guess, sometimes I feel..." Lin threw up her hands in exasperation, falling onto her back. "I suck at feelings."

Tenzin laughed, and laid down next to her. They stared at the roof of the cave, watching the water drip down from the stalagmites.

"I guess..." Lin continued after a moment. "I didn't tell you because I felt... wrong."

"Wrong?" Tenzin mused.

"Like I was making a mistake. That I was with the wrong guy."

"The wrong guy? So, who is your right guy?"

Lin took a deep breath. "I think... I think it's you." She closed her eyes, prepared to be laughed at by her best friend, but Tenzin remained quiet. "Tez?" She opened one eye to see Tenzin beaming at her. "What?" She sat up, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'm your right guy?" Tenzin's eyes sparkled.

"Ugh, don't let it get to your head, airhead." Lin blushed as she attempted to wave him off.

Tenzin laughed and then stood up, offering a hand to Lin. She took it, and slowly stood up to face him.

"So, if I am your Mr. Right, can I ask you on a date, now?" Tenzin asked warmly.

"I mean you can try." Lin teased.

"Lin Beifong." Tenzin began dramatically, rewarded with an exasperated eye roll from Lin. "Will you do me the honor of going on a date with me?"

Lin shook her head in disbelief, and then leaned in to kiss her airhead on the cheek. "I would love to." She replied.

After she kissed him, Tenzin grabbed a hold of her tightly and created a gust that blasted them both high into the air, nearly touching the cave's roof.

"Don't make me change my mind, Tez!" Lin half screamed, half laughed.

Tenzin landed them back down safely. "Right. Sorry." He rubbed his neck sheepishly.

"Well. I guess I should go check in with my mom." Lin smiled brightly at him. She began to walk away, a light air in her step. "Call me, so we can plan our date?"

"Of course." Tenzin couldn't contain his excitement as he watched her climb down to the docks and board the island ferry. When she was well out of sight, he hopped on his glider and cheered, flying up fifty feet in the air.

Tenzin returned home with a broad smile plastered to his face, and he could barely keep his feet on the ground. When he entered the house, his parents were sitting at the kitchen table drinking hot tea.

"Well, someone looks to be in an exponentially better mood!" Katara noticed.

"I found Lin." Tenzin explained. "She's headed back to her mom now."

"Oh good! See I knew she wouldn't be too far." Katara smiled.

"MmHmm." Tenzin rocked back and forth on his feet.

"You alright, son?" Aang looked him up and down. "Wait a second." Aang studied him for a second longer. "You have a date!" Aang exclaimed.

Tenzin turned beet red, answering his fathers inquisition inadvertently.

"You do!" Aang laughed.

"How did you-" Tenzin started, holding his robes close, as if he was hiding something within them.

"Oh I know that look anywhere! When you have your dad's face you can't hide anything!" Aang quipped jovially.

"Tenzin, is this true?" Katara questioned, a bit of mirth in her eyes.

Tenzin held his breath. "Yes." He finally answered, smiling. "I have a date. With Lin."

Aang nearly crushed his son in a hug, picking him up and twirling him around. "I knew it! I knew you two would end up together! Oh, I'm calling everyone I know! I win all of the bets! Ha ha! Way to go, son!" Aang beamed.

Katara laughed at her husband's antics, "Aang, stop getting ahead of yourself. They have a date! They aren't engaged! Let them be kids and enjoy themselves." Katara pinched Tenzin's cheeks.

Aang blatantly ignored her, causing Katara to roll her eyes and laugh.

"Oh tell me everything!" Aang exclaimed with excitement. "I want every detail! Oh oh! Start from the beginning, when did you realize you had feelings for her. Did you-"

Tenzin spent the rest of the night being bombarded by questions from his father, and occasionally comforting his mother when she would start crying and saying her baby was all grown up. He hoped across the bay, Lin was having a better night than he was.

"Hey, mom!" Lin chirped as she entered the Beifong residence.

"Don't 'Hey mom' me. You skipped class today?" Toph started.

"It was a one time thing, I promise. Besides, you don't give Su these lectures when she skips." Lin's mood couldn't be brought down, even by her mother.

"Well, a warning might be nice. You made me look like a neglectful mother when the school called and I didn't know where you were." Toph huffed.

"Fine." Lin rolled her eyes at her mother's petulance. "But there won't be a next time. I only skipped because I didn't want to see Kwai." Lin collapsed next to her mother on the couch.

"Boyfriend troubles?" Toph turned her head towards her daughter.

"Not anymore. He broke up with me."

"Oh. I'm sorry kid."

"Don't be. He was, as Tenzin said, an ass."

"Twinkle toes junior said that?"

Lin chuckled. "Yeah. I think he spends too much time around me. Although I suppose now that will only get worse."

"And why is that?" Toph inquired.

"We're dating." Lin smiled.

"Oh no." Toph pinches the bridge of her nose.

"What?" Lin scrunched her eyebrows.

"Now I owe Twinkle Toes a bunch of money." Toph admitted.

Lin rolled her eyes at her mother. "Really, you bet on your own daughter's love life?"

"You couldn't have waited three more months could you?"

With that remark, Toph and Lin shared a hearty laugh.