Hey guys! Sorry for the delay, my academic life has been complete and utter hell. So as payback, I'm typing this during my free period instead of doing my history notes. SO HA! But anyway, prepare your feels because they have a high chance of perishing in this chapter!
Over the next few days, Lin recovered at a fast pace, but Katara condemned her to bed rest for the week, much to Lin's dislike. However, Tenzin was by her side much of the time, making sure that she stayed in bed and that she had someone to talk to during the long, boring hours of sitting.
Pema was furious that her plan hadn't worked. Lin was fine, and she and Tenzin were closer than ever. Lao was now in jail waiting for his trial where he'd be sentenced, but it didn't matter to Pema. He hadn't done any real damage to Lin and even worse, he had tried to kill Tenzin! Had she paid him to kill Tenzin? No! Had she paid him to kill Lin? Yes. Had he succeeded? No! Now she was stuck watching the couple talk and laugh together like nothing had ever even happened.
However, everything was about to change...
Katara knocked on the door to Lin's room before entering. Lin was lying in bed with Tenzin sitting beside her. They were laughing over something that Tenzin had just said and they were holding hands. Katara looked at the couple with a sad smile. She couldn't believe that she was going to have to tell her...
"Tenzin, can I speak with Lin privately, please?" She asked.
Tenzin nodded and rose to exit the room, closing the door behind him.
Lin looked at Katara with a smirk.
"So am I going to be able to get out of this bed anytime soon?" She asked.
"Yes, your leg and arm are just about healed, but you'll have to take it easy for a few days. That means no work."
"But, Aunt Katara..."
"No buts. They can survive without you for a few more days," Katara studied Lin for a second before sighing. "Lin, there's something I need to tell you."
Lin looked at Katara with puzzlement as Katara sat down on the edge of the bed where her son had once been seated.
"Lin, Tenzin told me that you two were talking about having children before the accident,"
Lin nodded with a small smile.
"Yes. I thought that it was time that we started a family and began a new chapter in our lives. I mean, I have secured my position at work so I can take the maternity leave. And besides, I love Tenzin so much. I just want to make him happy."
Her words made Katara's heart throb even more. How was she supposed to break this to her?
"I'm so happy to hear that, but..." She trailed off.
"What's wrong?" Lin asked, her voice tinged with worry.
Katara sighed and said,
"Lin, because of the injuries that you received, you will be unable to have children."
Lin felt like she was falling.
"What? No! I... I have to have children! Tenzin needs to repopulate the airbenders! H...he can't do that if I can't get... NO!"
Lin felt tears forming in her eyes, but she pushed past them.
He won't stay. He'll leave me. He needs to repopulate. Spirits why? Why when she had just agreed? Why when she had just realized how much he meant to her? Why now? WHY?
"Lin, I'm so sorry," Katara placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Have you told Tenzin yet?" Lin asked.
"No, not yet."
"Don't." Lin stated, flatly. "I don't want him to know."
Katara was taken aback.
"What do you mean? We have to tell him, Lin! This could be extremely bad!"
"I know, I know! I just can't lose him yet. Besides, if he ever found out, he'd leave me in a heartbeat."
"Lin, you have to let him go..."
"No! I won't!" Lin snapped. "I love him more than anything! I can't lose him!"
"But Lin..."
"Just let me deal with this myself. I can do this on my own."
Katara sighed.
"If that is what you wish..."
"Thank you." Lin said.
"I'll leave you alone then." Katara rose to her feet to leave the room. Before opening the door to leave, she said, "Be careful, Lin. The longer you wait, the more painful it'll be to let him go."
Lin looked away and refused to reply. Katara looked at her with an expression of sympathy. She felt awful that Lin wanted so much to make her son happy, but now, she was unable to do so. Opening the door, she exited, leaving Lin alone to finally release the tears that she had been concealing.
Meanwhile, while Katara and Lin were talking, Tenzin had gone outside to feed the sky bisons. Pema, seeing that he was finally alone, ran to catch up with him before slowing down to say his name calmly. She didn't want to seem desperate.
"Hello Master Tenzin."
He stopped to turn and look at her with a smile.
"Pema! How are you?"
"I'm great!" She lied. "How are you?"
"I'm better than ever!" Tenzin beamed, much to Pema's dismay. "I am so happy that Lin is recovering so quickly."
"Yeah, that's terrific." Pema said, forcing a fake smile onto her face.
"Can I talk to you about something?"
"Sure!" Pema replied.
Tenzin gestured for her to follow him and together they walked down the path to the sky bison stables.
"I'm so happy that we've become so close in the past few weeks, Pema." Tenzin began with a smile. "You've been so supportive of me and I can never thank you enough."
You can thank me by forgetting about Lin and replacing her with me. Pema thought.
"Oh it's no trouble at all, Master Tenzin. It's been nice having your company." She replied formally.
"Please, call me Tenzin,"
"Okay, Tenzin." Pema smiled. She felt like she could scream at the top of her lungs she was so happy.
They were quiet for a minute as they continued down the path.
"So what did you want to talk about?" Pema asked.
"Oh yes," Tenzin remembered why he had summoned for Pema in the first place. "I wanted to get your opinion on something."
"Okay," Pema replied eagerly.
"Before Lin's... accident," He stumbled over his words. "we were talking about the possibility of starting a family."
WHAT?
Pema's heart stopped, but she was careful to keep her shock positive.
"O... oh? Really? That's... wonderful!"
"Yes, but I was considering possibly asking her to marry me."
MARRYING HER?
"No! You can't!" Pema's words escaped her lips before she could stop them.
Tenzin stopped and stared at her with shock.
"What do you mean?" He demanded.
Pema felt her cheeks darken with embarrassment as she struggled to come up with a cover story. There was no possible way she was going to admit her true feelings, especially now.
"Well... I.. um... think that you should... um wait! Yes wait!"
"Why should I wait any longer when I know that I love Lin more than anything?" Tenzin stood before her looking outraged. "She could've died that day and she never would've known that I care about her so much and that I want to be with her for the rest of my life! What if she gets into another accident? What if something even worse happened to her? I'd never be able to forgive myself."
His words pierced Pema like a knife through her heart. She couldn't believe what he was saying. How could he possibly love a woman that he was not meant to be with?
"I'm... so sorry, Tenzin... I didn't mean to offend you. I was just thinking about how Lin... just had the... accident... and I think it would be ideal for you to give her a little more time to recover before you bring up... marriage and... children."
Tenzin stared at her for a minute and his face began to relax.
"You're right. I'm sorry, Pema. I didn't mean to lose my temper like that. It's just all the stress from everything that's been going on lately."
"It's fine. I understand," Pema replied, like it was no big deal. However, inside, she was sobbing.
"And you're right. I should give her the time she needs to recover." He continued. "It's what she deserves."
Pema nodded slowly.
"Well, I should get back to my duties. I'll see you later."
"Take care, Pema." Tenzin said.
She turned to go, but he added,
"Thank you,"
The sincerity of his words was shown in his face as he gave her a smile, which she weakly returned.
She turned to go, walking away slowly until she was out of sight. Then, she began sprinting back to her quarters where she locked herself in her room and cried. Tenzin's words echoed through her head.
He loved her more than anything.
He wanted to marry her.
He wanted to have children with her.
It was all too much. Her hatred towards Lin rose past her boiling point and she knew that she would have to do something so that she would be Tenzin's forever girl, and not that witch that he thought he loved.
Well, that's Chapter 10! More to come soon (if my homework allows it :P) As always, please review and until next time, stay classy Linzin shippers!