Summary: Toph and Rohan and mud monsters on Air Temple Island
Author's Note: I make no claims as to the accuracy of three-year-old behaviors. Also, not as polished as other pieces, sorry.
"No."
"I haven't -"
"No."
Toph planted her fists on her hips. She threatened, "I could order you."
"Unless you want to promote me to Chief and retire, you technically can't," retorted Lin. "Yearly budget reports are the Chief's responsibility to review. Not the Captain of the Metalbending Taskforce's. The Council needs your signature and seal."
"You can fake the signature," replied Toph unconcernedly, with an imperious wave of her hand. "I know you can and I'll give you the seal."
"That's forgery," Lin pointed out. Seated at her desk, she picked up a detective's notes on the Bearclaw Triad, whose activities were beginning to cross borough lines and thus making them her problem.
Toph glared in her direction if not quite meeting Lin's eyes. She declared, "When did you become such a stick in the mud? Is this because you've got part-Tenzins inside you?"
"Mother." Lin thought herself justified in using the familiar tone as Toph had started it. Her gaze flicked down to the roundness of her stomach, her armor having been stretched to fit. "Being pregnant has nothing to do with it. Your force, your budget. Simple as that."
Huffing, Toph founded her arms. Lin considered the matter while Toph grumbled imprecations about the stupidity of this requirement and the Council who wanted the report. On the one hand, her mother was acting quite as childish as Sora or Rohan when it came to doing something they didn't want to do. On the other, a budget review proved especially tedious when you couldn't read the reports yourself.
"I suppose I could do a preliminary review," Lin said slowly, "and pull together a very abbreviated final report." Toph started to grin, but Lin continued, "With one condition."
"Which is what?" questioned Toph.
"A four-day weekend afterwards. You and Sokka babysit the kids," stipulated Lin.
"Why?" Toph stepped closer. She focused her seismic sense on Lin, able to feel her daughter's heartbeat through Lin's metal shoes along with the tiniest, faintest, sometimes there flutters of the babies'. "Is something wrong?"
"No, I'm fine. They're fine. It's -" Lin paused, sighed, and cleared her throat. "It's just that Tenzin has a conclave of Temple elders here in couple of weeks and after that's over, traveling will be harder and I - "
"Want to get away before the twins get here?" finished Toph.
"Yes, while I can still enjoy it," said Lin. She extended her hand. "Do we have a deal?"
"We have a deal." Toph shook on it. "I'll have Mizak bring everything here and he'll stay to help."
"Good."
As Toph nearly skipped out the door, Lin reminded herself she was getting an equal favor in return. When she saw the stacks and folders and boxes, Lin decided she should have negotiated for a full week off instead. However, she fulfilled her end of the bargain without too much griping.
…
Rather than attempting to pack up the kids and move them to either Toph's or Sokka's, the pair relocated themselves to Air Temple Island for the four days. Katara had departed on an expected visit to the South Pole which left Toph and Sokka in charge of the kids and the Temple's family quarters.
Lin and Tenzin departed Friday morning for a cozy oceanside cottage outside one of the smaller colonial cities. Sokka took the day off from Council to care for the kids while Toph worked although she left promptly at five which was odd for her.
At breakfast on Saturday, newly five-year-old Sora asked, "May we go to the library? Please?"
"Sure," Sokka replied happily. "How about after lunch?" Sora nodded.
Frowning at his oatmeal, Rohan complained, "I don't want ta." He mashed his spoon into the berries dotting the oatmeal.
"Well…ah…."
"You don't have to. Libraries are boring," drawled Toph. Rohan looked at her hopefully. "We'll do something fun together."
"Yay!" he exclaimed. Toph grinned. Sokka ruffled his hair.
"You don't have to sound so excited," complained Sokka. "Or I'll think you don't like me."
Rohan simply smiled, knowing his Uncle was joking despite being three years old. Sokka tousled his nephew's hair again and smiled back.
The four wiled away the morning playing games and telling stories with hand puppets. After, Toph and Sokka allowed the kids to help prepare a lunch of dumplings.
After lunch, Sokka walked down to the quai with Rohan balanced on his shoulders and Sora carefully carrying her three books. Toph strolled beside him, whistling tunelessly.
Setting Rohan down, Sokka boarded the ferry with Sora. The pairs waved to each other as the ferry started for Republic City.
"Monkey-back? Please?" asked Rohan, tugging on Toph's hand.
Toph squatted and invited, "Climb on."
She helped Rohan wrap his arms around her neck, and then tucked his legs against her sides and gripped his feet with her hands. Rohan giggled all the way back up the path as he bounced on her every stride.
"So what do you want to do?" asked Toph when they reached the top.
"Hide n' seek!" cried Rohan. He pointed towards the nearest grove of trees.
"Hide and seek, it is," replied Toph. She carried him over and knelt to let him scrambled down. "I'll hide first."
"Okay!" Rohan clapped his hands over his eyes. On each breath, he counted, "One...two...three...four...five...I'm seeking!"
Thirty minutes later, a sudden shower interrupted their game. Scooping up Rohan, Toph dashed inside, the both of them laughing the whole way.
When Rohan rubbed his eyes, Toph decided a short nap was in order for him. She took him to his room, telling him tales of her adventures until he slept. He woke, refreshed and re-energized, shortly after the rain ended.
Outside tempted them, Rohan delighting in splashing in puddles. Toph squished the mud between her toes.
Splat!
Rohan giggled.
Toph smirked, her fingers scrubbing at the mud on her tunic. She growled playfully, "I wouldn't have done that if I were you."
She twitched her right foot. Mud sprayed over Rohan in a fine mist. Rohan seized another handful and lobbed it at her. Mud flew, back and forth, until Toph tackled Rohan. She twisted to land on her back with Rohan on top. She tickled him.
Very quickly, mud coated them. Rohan sprang up, a figure dripping with muck, and raced off as fast as his little legs could go. Toph gave chase.
"I'm going to catch you," she called.
"No!" shouted Rohan. He rounded a corner of the main temple.
"EEK!"
Toph rounded the corner to find an acolyte leaning against the wall, hand pressed to her chest.
"It's me, Jinpa!" exclaimed Rohan as he attempted to wipe mud from his face. He only succeeded in smearing it further.
"Oh...hello…" stammered the acolyte. She glanced at Toph, at Rohan, and darted inside. Toph guffawed, joined by Rohan's higher pitched chuckles.
"Again, again, again," he whispered. Toph grinned.
Together, they snuck around the outsides of the buildings. They hid behind the dormitory doors, at the entrance to the main temple, along the covered pathways linking the buildings, and at the side of the steps to one of the meditation pavilions. Each time, Rohan would jump out and startle a passing acolyte. The reactions were always enjoyable - screeches and gasps and leaps backwards and dropping whatever was in their hands.
…
A group of acolytes, a senior acolyte from the island leading four visiting ones, approached the Airbending gates. Attentive and eager, the visiting acolytes fixed their eyes upon the relic.
"As you can see, these are the Airbending gates. They were found at the Southern Temple, brought here, and restored. They are one of the first training tools for - "
"Yiyiyiyiyiyi!"
Screeching, waving four arms, a monster rushed at the group.
Shrieking, the acolytes flung themselves aside. Three landed on their butts in the dirt.
"Yiyiyiyiyiyi!"
The monster hurtled through them and away.
…
Toph lifted Rohan from her shoulders and set him on his feet. They high-fived.
"Good job!" Toph congratulated her grandson. "Did you see how they scattered?"
"Yes!"
The two laughed.
"They were like this!" Pretending to be one of their victims, he screeched and tumbled sideways.
"Oh yeah," agreed Toph. "Top-notch scaring job." Her grin cracked the drying mud on her face. So did Rohan's.
Regretfully, Toph sighed. "I think it's time we got cleaned up though."
Rohan wrinkled his nose. He whined, "Do I have to have a bath?"
"Probably," replied Toph in a tone of resigned distaste. "I'll have to have one too." The pair trooped to the family quarters. Toph halted them outside.
"Now, shake," she instructed Rohan. The boy wiggled; Toph waggled her fingers at him. The mud flaked off which left him still in need of a bath but not likely to drip mud over the floors. She performed the same operation on herself.
Toph saw Rohan bathed and redressed first, then tracked down an acolyte to watch him while she showered and changed. By the time she emerged clean, Sokka and Sora had returned.
Over a dinner of spicy noodles, Sokka asked, "What did you do this afternoon?"
Rohan broke down into laughter while Toph grinned. She said airily, "Oh, nothing much."
Sokka eyed her. "Why don't I believe you?"
"I have no idea," she declared. She and Rohan smiled at one another. With a shrug, Sokka let the matter rest.