sorry it took me awhile but i hate this chapter. it was a pain in the ass to write because i find it hard to be touchy feely. tell me what you think anyway and let me know if you want to see anything in the next chapter.

Lin walked into Police headquarters at eight in the morning, with a coffee in her hands. When she reached her desk, she found Su scribbling on a piece of paper. "You're here early."

"What are you on about? I never left. Mum said I should learn what she has to go through three times a week. Every time I think it is safe for me to get a few minutes of shuteye, she screams 'rock eyes' in my face. Is that coffee?"

Lin silently handed the liquid to her sister. She felt sorry for the kid. Even her mother slept on the job. "Is she in her office?"

"Yeah. Hasn't come out in a few hours."

"I'll be back." Lin silently opened the door to her mother's office, shutting it behind her with all the stealth in the world. She looked up to find her mother asleep in her chair, with her feet on her desk. Perfect. Lin strode over to her desk and levelled her face to her mothers. With all the volume she could produce, she screamed. "ROCK EYES!" Lin smirked as her mother fell back off her chair in surprise.

"What the fuck was that for?!"

"Language. And that is payback for Su. You're asleep in here and she is struggling to stay awake."

"What ever." Toph picked up her chair and then sat down on it.

"So what is the plan for today?"

"It's Su's last day of work experience, so you let her decide. And then get back here for tonight's raid."

Lin walked out of her mother's office with a smile on her face. "Su, mum said you get to decide what you want to do." If she were lucky, they would go to a café and relax.

"I want to go on patrol." The universe hated her.

Lin let out a sigh. "Okay. Grab your belt and badge and lets hit the beat."

"Can I drive as well?"

"You haven't slept in twenty four hours. Not a bright idea in my book."

Su relented, she would get her chance one day. They drove through Republic city, waiting for a call to come through the radio. "Attention all units. Robbery at Dragon flats. Those responding identify."

"Can I?" Lin gave her a nod. Su picked up the radio. "Unit three responding."

"You know the drill Su. You follow my lead, no using the cables and you cuff them and read them their rights."

"I know, I know. Just step on it."

Lin smiled as she accelerated to the location. Looks like my little sister might join the family business after all. They came to a screeching halt at the scene of the robbery. Su metalbended her cuffs onto one of the three offenders as Lin did the same to another perp. She turned her attention back to the third criminal, who was currently running down a narrow alleyway. Lin gave chace with Su running a few meters behind. "Su, stay back."

"I've got this."

"Su-" Too late. Lin let out a scream as Su's metal cables clipped her face on the way to its intended target.

"Lin!"

They rolled up to police headquarters with the van carrying the criminals in tow. "Lin, I'm so-"

"Forget it Su." She was about to retort but knew it was against her better judgement. "This is what we are going to do. We will not be telling mum of this incident. We will not talk about this ever. We will forget about this."

Su nodded her head. "Okay. But what about the other officers?"

"They won't bring it up. They're too afraid of me to question it. But if they do, just say there was a default with the spools."

"What about Tenzin an-"

"Su! Just, stop. Please. I will handle it." Lin got out of the car and strode into the station. Shoulders back and face forward with her usual scowl. She went straight to the female's locker room where she kept a first aid kit. She looked in the mirror and sighed. No point seeing Katara to get these healed. They're already going to scar. She grabbed a cotton square and tapped it to her jaw. She put her med kit away and walked back into the office suit, only to be met with a large commotion from fellow officers. "What's going on?"

Toph was at her side in an instant. "We're doing the raid now. We just got a tip saying they are moving their goods in an hour. We need to make our move. We're ditching your plan and going in head first."

"Yes Chief."

"Everyone! Move out! Where do you think you're going?"

"On the raid."

"No you're not. I have more than enough officers for this. Do something with Su. Last chance to get any hurt on her before she finishes today."

Lin growled in annoyance. "Fine." She found Su in the break room asleep on a chair. She placed a hand on her shoulder. "Su, lets get you home."

Su yawned and stretched. "Okay."

Lin pulled up next to the curb. "Take care Su. And don't forget to hand in your health homework."

"I will and I'm sorry."

Lin looked away with a squint, before taking off to her own home.

Lin opened the door to be met with a walking Hakoda and Tenzin acting as a spotter. "Please tell me this is his first time walking."

"It is!"

Lin held her arms open for him to walk into. Picking him up, she hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. When she pulled back, she saw that Hakoda was beginning to cry and struggling in her arms. She set him back down on the ground. "Did I do something wrong?"

Tenzin picked him up and bounced him lightly until he stopped crying. "I don't think so." He then looked at Lin, taking in her appearance for the first time that day. "What happened to your face?"

"It's nothing. Just an on the job accident. I'd prefer not to talk about it." Tenzin knew better than to argue with her about her job. She moved to take Hakoda into her arms but was met with a slap to her injured cheek and a wail. She tried again and the same thing happened. Giving up, she headed in the direction of her bedroom with her head hung low. "I'm going to take a nap. Please don't bother me. And don't tell my mother," she gestured to the space around them, "about this."

It was nine o'clock when Toph got home. "Su! I'm home. How was your last day at head quarters?" When she didn't get a reply from her usually chatty daughter, she began to worry. She walked upstairs to Su's bedroom and opened the unlocked door to be met with sniffles. She took a seat on the bed that her daughter was occupying and placed a gentle hand on her back in comfort. "What's wrong Su?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you." She said with a few hiccups.

"Is it about Lin's injury?"

Su quickly sat up in surprise. "How did y-"

"A few of my officers told me, after the raid, that she had some cuts on her face." Toph let out a sigh. "That kid never liked telling me when she was hurt and that continued when she entered the force. When she first joined, I asked a few officers to tell me if she were hut and I let her decide if she wanted to tell me unless it was serious."

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh. So I'm guessing that those cuts she got today had something to do with you?"

Su hung her head in shame. "We were going after some burglars-"

"Lin!" Toph burst through her daughter's house.

"Aunt Toph?"

"Go fly around junior. I need to talk to Lin."

"She's not even talking to me right now. What makes you think she is going to talk to you?"

Toph had her hand poised to knock on her daughter's door. "Because unlike you, I can kick her ass." Tenzin walked outside, glider in hand as Toph was granted entrance into Lin's room. For the second time that night, she was met with sniffling. "Lin, we need to talk."

"He's scared of me."

Toph was taken aback by the statement. "Who is afraid of you?"

"Hakoda. Every time I try to pick him up, he cries and slaps my face."

Toph laid down on the bed next to her, blowing the bangs off her face. "It gets better."

"What do you mean?"

"You and Su both did the same thing to me when you realised that I was blind." Toph pulled Lin into her embrace as though she were five years old again. "I came home one day and you were only a year old. I had my feet up on the coffee table, because they were sore, so I couldn't feel you playing on your mat. You tried to get my attention through gestures and you being the smart kid you were, realised I was blind. I picked you up that night to put you to bed and you began screaming bloody murder. I didn't know what was going on until you slapped my eyes. It really hurt my feelings. But after a few weeks, you began to understand that my blindness was something that would never leave. Give Hakoda some time and he will understand."

"I had no idea I did that. I'm really sorry for hurting your feelings."

"It's okay. I got over it. But Su is really upset. She thinks you're angry at her."

"I'm not. I mean, I wouldn't be in this position if she had listened to me, but I moved passed it. I'm just upset that now I have something to remind me of the incident for life." She felt her mother's hand on her face, closing her eyes as it touched every indentation on her face. It paused when it touched the bandaged portion of her skin.

"Do they still hurt?"

"The pain has dulled but it really hurt when it first happened."

They laid in each others embrace until they felt the need to pull away. Toph stood up from the bed and walked to the door. "One more thing, I don't care how many times I told you to be tough, when you get hurt on the job, I want you to tell me. No ifs, no buts. And call Su, I think she needs you to tell her you're not angry."

And with that, she was gone. Lin rolled over and picked up the phone. Three rings and she heard her sister's small voice. "Hey Su-"