A/N: Typical year time jump so age update: Tenzin (44), Lin (43), Jinora (13), Mushi and Ikki (11), Meelo (9), Kyoshi and Rohan (4).
Chapter 13
About a year ago, Toph Beifong announced her retirement from the police force and revealed that her daughter who, at the time, was a temporary officer, was going to take over her position. Although Lin was a Beifong, the general public and the police force saw her as just a mother and therefore, lacked the capability of handling the position. Those who doubted her, however, were completely wrong. Little did the public know, Lin Beifong never left her work completely and was always Toph's best officer, even if she spent a little over a decade focusing on her family. Even then, while she was focusing more on her family, she remained to constantly work out to maintain her figure and also helped her mother out with planning out secret missions.
Furthermore, to Republic City's surprise, Tenzin went back to work, too. After his father passed away, he shortly took the position as the Air Nation Councilman, but because he knew that he needed to focus on having a family more, he chose a skilled air acolyte to take the job. This air acolyte, however, decided to retire and for that, Tenzin, whose wife was going back to work, decided to return as well. Nevertheless, as a Councilman, one of the most important jobs is to attend council meetings with their fellow representatives every Tuesday. On these days, Tenzin went to work in the city while Lin would stay on the island with her and Tenzin's children, hoping that there wasn't any serious trouble that would call her into the city.
With all of this being announced, a certain someone was finally able to make a bulletproof plan to help herself out.
Well, well, well. I hope Chief Lin Beifong is ready for what I have in store for her.
Tuesday
Before Tenzin decided to go off the island and into Republic City, he wanted to greet his wife good morning. At this time, he was pretty sure that she was with all four kids in the dining room.
Right before Tenzin came into the room, Lin sensed her husband and stood up to walk to the door and smiled. "Good morning, Tenz."
Tenzin loved her greetings. It was always so expected, but never failed to surprise him. "Good morning, sweetheart." He hugged her and kissed her lips softly.
The two suddenly heard a few groans and sighs. "Ew, daddy!" Tenzin laughed, typical Ikki.
Lin laughed it off and lovingly looked at her husband as their kids continued to eat. "So, are you ready for your meeting?" Tenzin nodded. "I'll miss you."
He saw his wife frowning. "Hey, turn that frown upside down. I'll be home as soon as I can and while I'm out you can spend time with the kids." He always knew how to make her feel better.
"You're right. Thanks, sweetie." It was rare for Lin to use pet names with Tenzin, but when she felt sad, she relied on them. "Well, I'll let you go now. I'll hold the fort down here."
He chuckled. "Right, Lin. Good luck with that." He turned around to teasingly walk away a short distance, but walked back. "Don't worry, I didn't forget to kiss you goodbye."
Lin offered her cheek for him to kiss. "Damn straight, Airhead."
He used his thumb to guide her face forward so he could plant a lovingly kiss on her lips. "I love you, Lin. I'll see you later." Tenzin then backed up a little. "I love you, kids! I'll see you after work!"
They all looked at his father and they all, along the lines, said good bye to their father.
Lin sighed. Days without Tenzin feel like the longest.
A man in a familiar metal uniform came around the corner of a lonely street near the Republic City Police Department. "So what's the plan, woman?"
The woman knew who the man was, but as she turned to face him, he was facing a burning glare. "Hey, I'm paying you, you don't get to call me anything but my name, is that understood?"
"Yes, I understand. I'm sorry, Pema." He looked at the ground. "So what's the plan?"
"I need you to call Chief Beifong into her office. I need her to be distracted and I need both her and Tenzin off the island for my plan to work out." She looked at her watch. "It's almost nine o'clock so that means Tenzin has already left, now it's your turn to do your part."
"Uh… Pema… the Chief doesn't like getting called in and she doesn't come in unless it's a huge threat…" After Lin Beifong came to work, everyone in the city feared her, even with the slightest presence they tried to get near her.
"I'm paying you for a reason, if you don't do this, then the deal is off." She was offering to pay a lot of money just to be with Tenzin and she knew that this officer wasn't going to back out now.
He sighed. "I'll do my best. I'll update you if she decides to leave the island."
"Okay, good." Although she knew he wasn't going to back out, it was a relief actually hearing he was going to try. I can't fail to lose Tenzin again.
Shortly after cleaning up the kitchen and dining room after her children's breakfast aftermath, Lin received a phone call. Great, someone's interrupting my day off. This better be good…
She sighed and forcibly grabbed the telephone. "Beifong speaking."
"Chief, we have a lead on where the Triple Threat Triad are hiding."
Lin groaned. "Okay, and why are you calling me?"
"We-well, I-I…"
Why do my officers always waste my time. "SPIT IT OUT"
"I thought you wanted to check it out."
"Are you guys implying that you aren't capable of checking out a lead?!"
"No, Chief. We are capable..."
Lin chuckled. "Oh really? I highly doubt that. Come on, Saikhan, you are the next person in line after me and you had to ruin MY day off for a stupid lead. After this, you are going to be demoted. Even a simple recruit knows not to call me for a stupid lead." She sighed. "I'll be there in thirty minutes."
Do they put just anyone to enter this damn police department?! I'm changing this damn system.
Lin knew she was going to have put Jinora in charge and called her over. "JINORA?!"
After a few moments, Jinora finally walked over. "Did I do something, mother? You sound mad…"
"Oh, honey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." She kneeled in front of her. "Can you get the main White Lotus members and come back with them?
Jinora was confused but listened to her mother. "Alright."
When Jinora returned, she came with three White Lotus members. Lin gestured for all four of them to sit down. "I got a call from Saikhan and he said that I need to come help them out." She moved back and forth frustrated, but stopped to go next to her daughter. "You know I hate leaving you guys without a trusted guardian, but I need you, Jinora, to take care of your siblings." She then looked at the White Lotus members. "I need you three to guard my children with your lives. I don't know how long both Tenzin and I will take, but I need to know that I have your guys' word that you will protect my children."
The three looked at each other and nodded. "We got this, Chief. We are capable and will seek to protect all four of your children."
Lin showed a small smile. "Thank you, I really appreciate it." She went back to Jinora. "Don't tell your siblings where I am, I'll be back as soon as possible." She kissed her forehead. "I love you, and I'll hurry as fast I can."
Before she ran off, she stopped and looked at the four of them. "I believe in you guys and I trust that you have it all under control."
They all yelled out, "We do!"
Little did Lin know, however, her daughter always feared when she left the house for her job. Be careful, mom…
When Lin hung up on Saikhan, he feared for his life. He did it for the money and he couldn't back down now, he was already getting demoted, he can't lose the tons of money that Pema was offering him. He decided to call her right away.
She picked up. "Hello?"
He never talked to the woman on the phone. "Pema?" He wanted to make sure it was actually her.
"This is she."
"It's Saikhan, the mission is a go."
She put on an evil smirk on her face. "You, Saikhan, will be getting a lot of money when this is over."
"I'll call you when the mission is over."
Tenzin is mine, Lin Beifong.
As she walked into the police department, Lin grumbled. No wonder mother left this dump, all these officers are idiots. After getting some of her equipment, she marched into Saikhan's office. "This better be damn worth it for me to be leaving my children at home, Saikhan." She felt his heart beat increasing. "You better be damn nervous. If I find out this is all a hoax, your career is over."
Saikhan began to sweat crazily. "I-I-I don't think it will be, Ch-Ch-Chief."
Lin was confused, he never acted this way when he was nervous. "If there something you want to tell me, Captain?" There's something up with him. I know how he acts and talks…
"No, nothing at all." His heart started to race even faster.
She began to focus on her seismic sense. Yup, he's lying. Is heart is beating as fast as criminals when they lie. How stupid of me to come here and believe this fool. She acted calm but after a few moments, she took her metal cables and tied Saikhan together. "I know there's something wrong, Saikhan," she began, "We aren't going anywhere until you confess what's going on." She tightened the grip of the metal cables. "I know when you are telling the truth and when you are lying, you know my interrogation strategies. You do not want to test me." She lifted him up and dragged him into the interrogation room. "Now you tell me the truth now or you will suffer your life in jail."
After Pema got the call from Saikhan, she changed into her old air acolyte clothes from over ten years ago. Surprisingly enough, the outfits of the air acolytes haven't changed at all, making her plan easier to plan out. Her first step was to take the ferry onto the island.
"Are you here to go onto the Air Temple Island?" Pema nodded. "Well come along, you are right on time for the hourly ride."
This is going to be easier than I expected.
Lin was furious. "Why did your idiotic ass call me into this nonexistent mission, Saikhan?!"
"I was hired for a job, Chief…"
She glared at her so called captain. "You don't get to call me Chief. You don't get to even say my name. I know your history, Saikhan, I thought you changed. Are you really back to working for stupid criminal jobs?!"
He looked to the table in front of him. He felt ashamed of himself. I knew that I shouldn't have listened to Pema…
"WELL?!"
"Pema hired me."
No. Not her. What is this crazy bitch doing now? "You better tell me what she paid you to do. That woman is crazy, that woman is especially crazy for my husband!" Lin punched the hard metal wall, allowing the officers on the other side to peek inside. "I can't believe you turned your back on me. Both my mother and I gave you a chance from your horrible past and gave you a job that hundreds of men would kill for."
"I-I-I… I didn't know."
"You didn't know what? You didn't know that Pema was after me? You didn't know that it was Toph and I who helped you out?!" Lin spat out. "I'm going to be right back." She began to storm off to the nearest telephone. "You better pray to the spirits that Pema did not dare touch my children or it's off with your head, Saikhan." She opened the door and slammed it hard enough to the point where you had to straighten out the door to open it again.
While Pema was on the ferry, she began to think about her plan. She knew exactly where to go and she knew exactly what to do. This will get Tenzin to love me. I can't wait. Her thoughts, however, were interrupted by a man who cleared his throat. She turned around to see a familiar figure. Oh shit…
"Really, Pema, really?" The man was clearly unhappy.
I am so screwed… "Oh… Tenzin! What are you doing here?"
He was annoyed. "I should be asking you that, Pema. You know you're banned from the island, what are you doing here?"
"I, um…" Pema was interrupted as the ferry reached the pier.
To everyone aboard the ferry, they were surprised to many White Lotus members in fighting stance spread throughout the pier.
"You are in trouble, Pema. Lin must already know about what you're doing if most of the White Lotus members of this island are here. She's the only one who's capable of ordering them like this." Pema cried in defeat. "Can you guys hold her and watch after her, I must find Lin and check on the children."
One of the White Lotus members spoke up. "Master Tenzin, your wife is in Republic City with Captain Saikhan. She ordered for us to protect the children and just called a few moments ago to warn us about Pema. She also said to tell you that she'd be here as soon as possible."
"Okay, well when she gets here and is done talking to Pema, please notify her that I'm with the kids." They all answered to Tenzin. "Thank you."
With that, Tenzin walked off to gather his children into a safe room.
I hope Lin's okay…
After Lin got off the phone, she went back to the interrogation room that she held Saikhan in. "It's over, Saikhan. You are definitely fired and you are absolutely under the charges of attempted kidnap and murder." Lin slammed her fist on the table and moved her face closer to his face. "We gave you a chance, Saikhan, and now you have seventeen or even more years under your name. You will never get out of this easily, Saikhan." She knew she needed to go to the Island to talk to Pema so she rushed her exit. "I hope it was all worth it in the end."
As she exited the interrogation room, she ordered two of her officers to move Saikhan into a cell for those who could metalbend. They felt bad for the man, but if he was able to piss off the Chief this bad, he must have deserved the sentence.
Lin was still enraged and was too impatient to wait for the ferry so she took one of the Police Force's motorboat. In a fourth of the time, Lin arrived on the island where the White Lotus waited for her.
The head of the Order of the White Lotus on the island led her to a private room hidden in the island that was only accessible by earthbending. "She's in here."
"Thank you, I got this." Lin stared at the woman in front of her. "It's over for you, Pema."
Pema began to laugh. "Hmmpf, yeah right, Lin!"
She has definitely gotten worse in the past few years. "I'm sending you out of Republic City. You are no longer welcomed here and neither are you psychologically able to live here." She felt herself softening up her mood. "It isn't good for your health to stay in a city where you constantly see both Tenzin and I." She sighed. "This is best for you and my family."
"Please don't ship me off! My family is here! Tenzin is here!"
Lin had enough and earthbended an exit for herself, closing it quickly. "Send her to the prison that Azula, former Princess of the Fire Nation, was held after the war." She looked back. "She going to need a lot of help in order to get over Tenzin, the sooner the better."
She had enough of both Pema and Saikhan in one day, she needed to go to her family and feel safe again.
Lin was walking towards the main building of the island when an acolyte came up to her. "Master Tenzin informed us to tell you that he and the kids would remain in the family room until you arrived." The air acolyte showed a small smile to Lin then walked away. With that, so did Lin and by the time she got to the doorway of the family room she heard Ikki.
"Daddy, when is mommy coming home?"
Lin giggled. "I'm home, kids." All of her children cheered and ran up to her. Meelo was the first to talk to her.
"Hi, mom! Did you kick some criminal's butt."
"I suppose you can say that." From the corner of her eye, she saw her husband's worried eyes on her. She knew she had to talk to all of them as a family. "That reminds me… There's something we all need to talk about." She looked down to the floor. "Can all of you sit down?"
It took a while for everyone to settle down, but they all sat in some sort of circle where they were able to see each other's faces.
"I need you kids to listen to every word I say, I will answer your questions when I'm done." She guided her hand into Tenzin's and gave him a short look. "Today, someone attempted to come to our house and kidnap you all in order to take your father away from me." They all looked confused. "That isn't the point. The point is that Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo are the only airbenders excluding your father. Along with that, Mushi, Kyoshi, and Rohan are the only ones who can take the Beifong estate which costs a lot of money. Furthermore, you are all related to Avatar Aang, Katara, and Toph Beifong, meaning there is a lot of motive to take advantage of you." She looked at each of them in their eyes. "You six are all special in your own way and unfortunately, like today, your father and I won't always be able to protect you and the only ones looking out for you are each other and maybe even some of the White Lotus." She sighed. "I guess I'm trying to say that we all need to begin our bending lessons so that we can protect ourselves and others against harm."
Surprisingly, the only child to speak out was Mushi, the quietest of the six. "Are you okay? After what happened today?"
"Yes I am. I guess I especially feel okay knowing you're okay."
All of the kids looked at each other. "Momma?"
Lin lifted an eyebrow. "Yes, Kyoshi?" Besides Mushi, Kyoshi was the shyest.
"If we wearn how to bwend, will you be okay and swafe?"
Both Lin and Tenzin smiled. But before Lin could speak up, Tenzin went first. "Yes, honey. We all will be okay and safe, that's why your mother is hoping we start training now."
The kids all huddled up, making quiet noises, making it hard for Lin and Tenzin to hear what they were saying. "As the oldest, I've decided to speak for all of us. We decided that we will begin training, but under the conditions that you two will begin to cut your work hours and enforce stricter rules on the island."
Lin and Tenzin laughed and looked at each other, both speaking up. "You got it." They really are our kids.
"So, what do you plan on doing to make things stricter on the island, mommy?"
She looked at Tenzin. "Hmm, I think we're going to enforce identification checks at the pier for the ride towards our home as well as changing the air acolyte clothing." She sighed. I'm exhausted, I can't even think of anything to protect my kids.
Tenzin squeezed her hand. "I think your mother's ideas are a great start, what do you kids think?" All six children nodded approvingly. "We'll be fine, kids."
Lin opened her arms to gesture her family for a family hug. "We will be okay. I will do everything in my power to stop all criminals that come in our way and I will do everything in my power to teach you all self defense." She embraced them even tighter. "I love you all so much."
In hopes to cheer their mother up, they all let go and lovingly tackled their mother to the ground."We love you, too, mommy!"
Lin tried to get out of their tackle by tickling them. They all laughed hysterically. "You guys make me happy, you guys are my world." When all the laughter died down, she got up from the floor and hugged her husband. "I was so scared, Tenzin."
Tenzin hugged her back with a tighter hold. "I know, sweetheart. We're okay now. We'll change things and make everything safer for the kids." He cupped her face so she could look at his eyes. "I love you and the kids just as much as you do, okay? I will protect you and our family with every living breath that I breathe. I am here, Lin."
"I'm here, too, Tenzin." With that she was just about to wipe her tears off her face until she felt a tugging at her pants. Funny enough, she looked down to her youngest son, Rohan.
"Don't cwy, momma. We'll be swafe!"
They all laughed together and for one last time, all gathered around for another family hug.
A/N: I wrote this chapter because someone mentioned Pema in a review so I thought that I might as well write a Pema chapter. Anyways, I'm sorry if there are a lot of grammatical mistakes, it took me about three hours to write this and I stopped rereading and revising halfway. P.S. This may be my last update until next weekend, I'm sorry! P.P.S. Please review, I really need some criticism/suggestions so it's very appreciated!