Chapter 26

- Thanks so much for all your reviews last chapter. I've had an influx of ideas for this story lately so hopefully all goes well and I can continue to get chapters posted semi-regularly for you. Can't wait to hear your thoughts and I hope you enjoy!-

It was around the time that the twins were half past two years old when Tenzin noticed Lin getting…well…strung out.

He wasn't sure what exactly the right term was, but something was…off.

She was trying to balance work and the kids and, while she was a great mother and a master juggler, she seemed to become more tense all of a sudden.

It had been tough for her when Ronen was a baby, separating work stresses from home, but with two more infants it was nearly impossible. Tenzin tried to do all that he could to make it easier on her, considering he only had to worry about work a few times a week, but it was difficult to soothe three kids on a good day, and Lin wasn't about to make him do it on his own.

When the twins woke in the middle of the night or Ronen crawled into their bed after a nightmare, Lin was often the first one to wake. Sometimes she'd already be down the hall soothing the twins back to sleep before Tenzin even managed to roll out of bed. As a mother, she was thriving, but as Chief of Police she was clearly wavering. She still did her job better than anyone else, but there was too much weight on her shoulders and Tenzin worried she might collapse. He was terrified that the depression that had plagued her for several months would return, perhaps worse than before, and he wasn't sure if they'd make it out a second time.

For a while he thought it was simply the lack of sleep that was getting to her, that the strain of working and being a mother to three young children was sapping the energy from her. He thought for sure that she would be fine so long as Tenzin continued as he was, being the best father and husband that he could be, sharing in the exhaustion and doing all that he could to help when Lin needed a break. They had always been a good team and he felt certain they would be now too. Raising three children was sometimes scarier than some of the things they had faced, but they always came out on top when they did things together.

But then Tenzin noticed that Lin didn't appear tired. She wasn't distant or weary as she had been when she'd first had the twins. She almost seemed to thrive off of the sleep deprivation, and she never once refused to do something for the children. Instead, she was almost overbearing, which was so unlike Lin that Tenzin was perplexed, even considering how protective she had been of Ronen.

She was so adamant that she take care of the kids that she was sometimes shirking her duties at work, so that Saikhan had started calling Tenzin to ask why Republic City's Chief of Police was an hour late to work. Tenzin had tried asking Lin about it, but it had nearly caused a fight between them.

"All these years you've been harping on me because I spend all my time at work and now you're nagging me because I'm late?!" Lin had shouted at him, and Tenzin had immediately dropped the subject. After all, she wasn't wrong.

But something was off about her. He knew her too well to think otherwise. She had been overprotective when Ronen was first born, but after the twins and returning to the island and whatever had gotten to her over the last few days, she was…well…stifling.

Tenzin was hesitant to say anything about it, though, because he wasn't about to piss off his wife for being cautious about her children's well-being, even if it did mean he had to keep answering phone calls all day while she was at work to reassure her that, yes, all three children were still breathing, and yes he was looking directly at them as he told her that. Except it was taxing on her, and she was going to snap if she continued to stress herself out so much. Although, Lin had been stressed since birth, so perhaps it was simply natural.

Fortunately for Tenzin, he didn't have to broach the subject himself. Surprisingly, it was Lin who brought it up.

After a few weeks of strange behavior, Lin had returned home from work one evening after being gone nearly twenty-four hours, and Tenzin had known instantly that something was wrong. She hadn't even paused to look at him, her expression weary and heavy-hearted as she strode straight past him. She went to where Ronen sat, playing with Sora, and gathered both children into her arms with what appeared to be great relief. Yunjin was in Tenzin's arms a few feet away, as he had been intending to get the toddler into a clean pair of clothes after spilling some juice onto his shirt. But after seeing Lin's entrance and sensing that something had gotten into her, Tenzin carried the boy back over to join his siblings in their mother's embrace.

Lin remained in that spot with their children for most of the evening, playing with them until it was time for supper and then bath time and bed. Tenzin waited patiently, concerned, but also certain that his wife would explain once the children were in bed.

Ronen and Yunjin fell right to sleep, but Sora was fussy and clinging to Lin, perhaps sensing her mother's troubled thoughts and reacting accordingly. Tenzin ensured the boys were all settled in, while Lin went for a short walk to soothe their daughter.

A few minutes later, Tenzin found them outside in the middle of the courtyard, Sora fast asleep and Lin starting up at sky. It was a sure way to get Sora to sleep during the warmer seasons. Something about the fresh air and the soft moonlight calmed her down every time. It appeared to have also soothed Lin, who was still swaying on the spot and rubbing Sora's back, her head tilted back and her eyes closed.

Tenzin approached quietly, careful not to disturb either of them as he sidled up next to them. They stood in comfortable silence for a few minutes, and Tenzin let his mind wander as he gazed up at the stars.

Lin broke the silence, her voice a gruff murmur as she said, "Don't worry. I know I'm being crazy. I'll be fine soon I just…"

She trailed off, and Tenzin guessed, "Work has been particularly bad the last few weeks?"

Lin heaved in a deep breath, her eyes still closed. Sora didn't stir. "The worst," she whispered.

She opened her eyes at last, and though they were fixated on the moon above, Tenzin could see the haunted look in her gaze. He frowned, reaching out to rub the knot he knew would reside between her shoulders, and was briefly surprised at how tense she was, even after being home for several hours.

Tenzin knew that his wife's job was sometimes dangerous and always unpredictable. She encountered some of the greatest and some of the worst parts of life nearly everyday, and though she tried very hard not to bring any of it back home with her, she did not always succeed. Lin had built a wall around herself from a young age, and that wall had only grown taller and thicker over the years to protect her from some of the horrors she was faced with as Republic City's Chief of Police. However, some things were harder to shut out than others, and every once in a while something would slip through a crack.

"It isn't crazy to be affected by your work," Tenzin soothed in a low voice, his mouth close to her ear as he came to stand directly behind her, hovering by her right shoulder. Both hands kneaded her tense muscles, mindful of Sora's little head resting on her other shoulder. "It would be crazier not to be affected. You're only human, Lin."

She sighed heavily, no doubt used to his usual spiel and also aware that he was right. She turned her head slightly and rested her forehead against the side of his jaw, breathing in his scent and then letting out a shuddering breath. Tenzin wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and held her tight against his chest when he felt her trembling slightly.

Whatever had occurred that day and over the past several weeks must have been particularly bad. Considering that one of the worst nights of work had been the night her mother died, then whatever was on par with that must have been awful. He wished that he could protect her from such things, even though he knew his wife was more than capable of taking care of herself. It still provoked in him a primal burning in his gut that would spurn him to move the spirit world and earth to keep her from such horrors, if he only possessed the ability to do so.

When Lin next spoke, she was so quiet that Tenzin almost didn't realize she was speaking. "We'll never be able to protect them," she was saying. "No matter what we do, no matter how hard we try…we can keep it from them for a while, sure, but one day they will be forced to face the horrors of this world…I fear that day, Tenzin, more than anything else. It'll come too soon, like it did for us."

She was talking about their children, who were so young and carefree and full of life. They did not yet know of the tragedies of the world. They did not know how cruel life could sometimes be, and Tenzin had every intention of keeping it that way for as long as possible. Lin's own mother had not felt the same. Toph had never sugarcoated anything, and Tenzin's parents had tried to some extent, but Kya and Bumi hadn't hid the truth from their younger brother, and being one of two Airbenders in the world didn't allow for much sheltering. Both Lin and Tenzin had known the world and all its flaws as soon as they were old enough to understand it. It was an eventual part of life, but children that grew up too soon often had a more cynical view of the world and, if they were like Tenzin and Lin, were too serious to relax.

"Please don't fret over this, Lin," Tenzin implored her, squeezing her tight against his chest, the side of his face against hers. "Whatever happened today, don't let it cloud your vision. We'll keep the children as safe as we possibly can, for as long as we can, and that is all we can do. No matter what, they will know that they are loved, and that the world is not so bleak all of the time."

Lin heaved a heavy sigh, too proud and accustomed to heartbreak to cry, but struggling to hold it back nonetheless. She swallowed and took a deep breath, and then she muttered, "A kid died today…along with one of my men." She seemed hesitant to tell him, but she knew he had seen the same horrors in his own work and when he had spent time working with her under Toph's police force. He shuddered at the thought, but otherwise kept his emotions in check. "I wasn't able to stop it, and I know it isn't my fault, but…dammit I just wish I could have done something. Seeing that…it makes me sick."

"I know," Tenzin said sympathetically, more understanding than most. "I know. It isn't fair, and it's scares me too, to even imagine for a second that something like that could happen to our kids…but if all we thought about were the could be's we'd be living in fear."

"I know," Lin murmured with a heavy sigh. "Of course I know that. Like I said…I'll be okay, I just…need to be with them."

"Take all the time you need," Tenzin soothed, pressing a kiss to the back of her head and getting a faint whiff of odorous smoke in her hair. He was careful not to let her see his frown as he thought back to something he'd heard on the radio the day before. Something about rapid spreading fires and the Agni Kai Triad setting the homes of their foes ablaze in retaliation for testifying against some of their members.

Tenzin had known that Lin would be in the thick of it, but had hoped she was directing her officers from a safer distance. It was fruitless for him to ever hope for such a thing. Most leaders sent their troops into battle, coordinated from a distance, so they might better understand the situation, and also to not get themselves killed, so that they might continue to lead. But Lin had never been like that. When a call came in she was one of the first on the scene. Her mother had been the same, so it was of no surprise that Lin had followed that path.

With age and wisdom and a family waiting for her at home, Lin had at least cut back on throwing herself into every dangerous situation presented, but she was still not content to sit back in her office while her officers risked their own lives. It was one of the things Tenzin simultaneously loved and disliked about his wife. He'd never want her to change, but he worried so much, even while knowing how strong and capable she was. Accidents could happen so quickly, so easily. The idea of her running headlong into a raging fire was…well…entirely unsurprising.

"Would you like to put Sora to bed?" Tenzin suggested, voice still low. "Or do you need this a bit longer?"

"Just a few more minutes." Lin breathed in deep and relaxed back against her husband's chest, holding one of her kids close, her senses on the other two in their beds.

Tenzin held on tight, pressing soft kisses now and then, silent as they stood there together beneath the moonlight, a solid presence to numb her worries and fears for the time being. In the morning she would return to work and to being a stern, courageous leader. But for tonight, Tenzin would be her strength, would hold her up and make her feel secure.

Ronen was six years old when he came to the realization that he would never become a bender like his parents and his siblings.

Lin was so busy juggling work and a family that she almost didn't notice the change in her son. It was so subtle that Tenzin never even caught on until his wife pointed it out. Ronen's inability to bend hadn't been an issue they'd discussed in so long they almost forgot that it was an issue. It wasn't an issue, not to Lin and Tenzin anyway, but it eventually became one for Ronen. His parents had always been very open on the subject with him. They had gently informed him, from the day he started asking about it, that he would not be able to bend like a lot of the people in his family did. He did not seem particularly bothered when he was younger, but when he finally grew old enough to understand completely what it meant, he became withdrawn.

When Sora and Yunjin began manipulating air and asked why their older brother could not, Ronen stopped attending lessons. At first, Tenzin had forbid Ronen from quitting, insisting that the boy needed training regardless of whether or not he could airbend. When Lin found out, however, she went to talk to Ronen herself. It was then she noticed just how upset the young boy was, but he did not wish to discuss it with either of his parents. That was when Lin told him he did not have to attend lessons with his father if he did not want to, and when Tenzin found out he was not particularly happy with her.

He woke his wife at an unsavory hour the following morning, having been awake early for morning meditation with the kids. Lin thought it was barbaric to wake their three year olds before the sun, but she wasn't an Airbender so she let Tenzin handle it as he chose to. If nothing else it put the kids into a routine and they were always ready for a nap by lunchtime, which allowed Lin and Tenzin the alone time they so rarely received. Normally, Lin would wake to the sounds of Tenzin and the kids returning home around six a.m., or on a good day they stayed out a little later so she could get some extra sleep on her days off.

On that day, Lin awoke to her husband stomping through the house and calling her name before he even reached their bedroom. Lin squinted in the darkness, one eye only half open and her surroundings blurry. She could see no sunlight shining in through the windows, and a quick peek at the clock informed her that it was barely half past five. She groaned, snuggling deeper into the blankets that were already half-covering her face and praying her husband would leave her alone.

No such luck.

Tenzin stormed into the room and yanked the blankets off of his wife's form, apparently too angry to fear for his life.

Lin's eyes went wide, the force of the blanket being ripped off of her rolling her onto her back, so that she was staring up into Tenzin's narrowed eyes. Once recovered from the shock, she let out an outraged huff, sitting upright and reaching out to grab hold of her blanket. She pulled on it, but Tenzin tugged back just as strongly.

"What the hell is your problem?" she hissed, voice still hoarse from sleep.

"Did you tell Ronen he didn't have to attend meditation any longer?" Tenzin demanded, cutting straight to the point.

"So what if I did?" Lin muttered, yanking on the blanket again with no results. Tenzin could be irritatingly strong when he wanted to be.

Tenzin looked aghast. "So what? Lin, not only did you go behind my back and singlehandedly ruin my relationship with my son, but you never even bothered to inform me!"

Lin rolled her eyes. "Don't you think you're being a little over dramatic, Tenzin? I didn't ruin anything, and I didn't see you long enough to tell you about it yesterday. Your relationship with your son hasn't changed just because he no longer wants to rise at the ass crack of dawn -"

"Oh come on, Lin!" Tenzin cut her off, throwing the blanket back down onto the bed and folding his arms across his chest. "You cannot seriously think this has anything to do with the early hour."

"No, it doesn't," Lin conceded, "but it hasn't got anything to do with you either. This is Ronen's choice, and he can have whatever reason he likes." With that, she flopped back down on the bed, curling up on her side and recovering the blankets that had been stolen from her. She could feel Tenzin's hand near her shoulder again, and she clenched her fists tight around the fabric covering her as she warned, "I swear, Tenzin, if you rip this blanket off of me one more time there will be one less Airbender on this Earth."

Tenzin stilled, but let out an irritated huff. "This is a serious conversation, Lin, and I'd appreciate it if you'd treat it as such."

Lin growled, throwing the blanket from herself and rolling off the bed, sensing she wasn't going to be getting anymore sleep. She turned to face her husband, teeth gritted and scowl in place. "What do you want me to say, Tenzin? I've just told you my reasoning, what else is left? Tell me, why is it such a big deal to you that Ronen doesn't want to train with you anymore? Would you rather he suffer than be honest with us?"

"Of course not," Tenzin scoffed. "And quite frankly I'm insulted that you think I'm making our child suffer."

Lin sighed, rolling her eyes again and walking away from her husband, in the direction of the bathroom. "This isn't about you," she said as she went. "Why are you not understanding that?"

Tenzin hurried to follow her, arguing from behind her. "If it's about our son then it's about me too. He's going to feel left out if I continue to train Jin and Sora but not him."

"He already feels left out," Lin countered. She had reached the bathroom, but did not turn to face Tenzin as she spoke. She turned on the sink and splashed water onto her face in an effort to wake herself up. While dabbing the moisture from her face with a towel, she continued, "He can't bend like his little brother and sister can. How do you think that makes him feel? If the kid doesn't want to learn the same as them then what's the harm?"

"You and I both decided he needed some sort of training," Tenzin pointed out, while Lin was tying her hair up. "Why has that changed all of a sudden?"

"Because he doesn't want to anymore," Lin responded, finally turning to face him again. "I agree that he should have some kind of training, but maybe turning him into an Acolyte isn't the right choice. We said we weren't going to force our kids into doing anything they didn't want to, and Ronen isn't an Airbender so he'll be just fine without it. We'll try something else, maybe let him decide."

"So that's it? We just let him quit?"

"I still don't understand why you're so upset about this!" Lin exclaimed, exasperated now. "Don't you want your son to be happy?"

"Of course I do," Tenzin sighed, looking deflated. "I just didn't realize his happiness meant spending less time with me."

"Is that what this is about?" Lin said in disbelief. "He isn't doing this because he wants to get away from you, Airhead! He doesn't love you any less. He's finding his way. He needs space. Something we were never granted as kids. You don't want Ronen to feel suffocated like we did, do you?"

"No," Tenzin relented, leaning heavily against the door frame. "I just don't want to lose him already. He's still so young. He doesn't know what he wants."

"You aren't losing him," Lin reassured him a bit impatiently. "What you should really be concerned about is Ronen's feelings right now. We thought this might be a problem someday but we never discussed how to handle it. I don't want him thinking he's less because he can't bend."

"You're right," Tenzin murmured, looking guilty. "I never even asked him why he didn't want to train with me anymore."

"He probably wouldn't have given you an answer," said Lin. "He wouldn't tell me, but I have a feeling he'll want to talk about it soon."

"Then we'll be ready," Tenzin asserted.

"We should invite Sokka over for dinner tomorrow evening," Lin suggested.

"That's a wonderful idea, but why not tonight?" Tenzin said eagerly.

Lin shook her head, covering a yawn with her fist. "I've got a court hearing this afternoon and I'll have to stay late tonight at the station to finish some overdue paperwork."

The transition was instantaneous. Lin coming home late from work was not as often of an occurrence as it had been in the past, but still frequent enough for Tenzin to know the drill. "Should I wait up?" he asked.

"Nah, better you get your beauty rest," Lin replied with a smirk, reaching up to teasingly pat the side of his cheek. "You're a bit of a grouch in the morning when you haven't gotten enough sleep."

"Oh, very funny," Tenzin deadpanned. "That's very much the pot calling the kettle black, Lin."

"I'd be much happier in the morning if my dear husband refrained from tearing the blankets off of me before I've even had my morning tea," Lin muttered.

Tenzin rolled his eyes but didn't argue the point. "I'll leave dinner in the oven for you."

"Give the kids a goodnight kiss for me."

"Of course. How much longer do you have before you go?"

Lin checked the time and replied, "About an hour or two."

"The kids are with the bison," said Tenzin. "Should I bring them in?"

"No, I'll go out," Lin told him, brushing past him to return to their bedroom, where she changed out of her night clothes. When she went to leave the room, Tenzin tried to kiss her, but she gave him a light shove and snorted, "I don't think so, Airhead. I still haven't forgiven you for the way you woke me."

Tenzin pouted, but conceded, "I suppose I deserve that."

"You deserve a good backhand," Lin countered as he followed her down the hall. "If you were anyone else that's what you would have gotten."

"Being married to you does have its advantages," Tenzin muttered, sarcasm dripping from every word.

Lin whirled on him, eyes narrowed and lips pursed into a scowl. Tenzin nearly ran straight into her, but sucked in his gut and flung his arms out to balance himself when he lifted up onto his tiptoes to avoid crashing into her. He smiled sheepishly while settling back down onto his feet. Lin poked a finger into his chest and said, "And don't you forget it, Twinkletoes Jr."

Tenzin frowned at the nickname he had essentially inherited from his father, but on instinct only. He had hated that nickname as a child, but he hadn't heard it in so long he had nearly forgotten the slight rush of warmth he felt when one of the Beifong women affectionately called him that. It had always been more Aang's name than Tenzin's, and Toph said it more so than Lin, so neither Lin nor Tenzin wanted to hear it spoken much after their deaths, but it had been long enough now that it no longer brought with it a pang of pain or sorrow. Idly, Tenzin wondered, if Toph were still around, if she would have called Ronen or Yunjin Twinkletoes the Third. He liked to think that she would have.

"Yes, dear," Tenzin said at last, smiling brightly despite the argument they'd had first thing in the morning.

Lin let out a long-suffering sigh, as if her husband was the most exhausting human being she'd ever had to deal with. That might have been the case, if not for all the people she interacted with in her line of work…or their children for that matter.

"How you can be so cheerful at this unholy hour I'll never know," Lin said with exasperation, turning her back on him and continuing off in the direction of the kids. Tenzin followed close behind without saying another word, a smile still plastered to his face, one that grew as he watched Lin go to their children.

Tenzin knew he'd never tire of watching his four favorite people interact. Lin had worried about being a mother, but she was a natural and the kids truly loved her. They hated when she had to work, but she always devoted the rest of her free time to them. She made them feel so loved and cherished that Tenzin did not foresee any of them holding any resentment for her in the future as Lin sometimes had with her own mother. Even as young as they were, all three kids seemed to understand that their mother's work was important.

Sora so clearly admired her mother, always clinging to her as if worried that Lin might float away if she were to let go. Sometimes she spoke rapidly without stopping for breath, eager to tell her mother everything about her day. Other times she was quiet, eyes wide and bright, staring up at her mother in awe, her tiny hands wrapped tight around one of Lin's bigger ones.

Even when absorbed in whatever one of the boys was saying, Lin would idly stroke Sora's hair, or lift the girl into her arms and hold her tight. Lin had been so concerned about having a daughter, worried that somehow she wouldn't be as good a mother to a girl as she had been with Ronen. She had never really had female friends in her youth, had never cared for the sort of typical things girls did. She'd had a horrible relationship with her sister and a tumultuous one with her mother, and therefore had little experience to pull from when raising a girl, yet somehow she made it look easy.

Lin and Sora had a bond that Tenzin didn't think would ever be broken. It probably helped that Sora was less like her mother and more like her father in many ways. She wasn't brash and stubborn, but mild-tempered and sweet. Tenzin thought that might have been the problem with Lin and her sister and her mother. The three Beifong women were too much alike for their own good, and had subsequently butted heads over everything. Sora and Lin likely would not face that problem quite as often.

Yunjin, on the other hand, was as obstinate as his mother. He was brazen and independent and, despite being only three years old, could argue with Lin for hours if she'd let him. He was wild and carefree and could not be tied down long enough to pay attention to anyone, but he sought his mother's advice for nearly everything, rushing back and forth between her and whatever new adventure he was in the midst of. He would bring Lin bugs and dirt and rocks to examine, asking her opinion, sometimes scoffing at her opinion, but eager to hear it anyways.

Yunjin liked to regale his mother with stories of his day like Sora, but his were always told with far more drama. He often acted out moments for her, and most of the stories were extreme exaggerations of the truth. Lin never discouraged him from dramatizing his stories, but she'd told Tenzin once that if their son turned out to be a liar when he was older she was blaming it on him.

The twins were still young and learning to use their bending properly, but they were both making quick strides. Sora was far more advanced in airbending when it came to meditation and discipline, but Yunjin had accomplished more physical feats, which included his proclivity for leaping up onto his mother's back, a startling thing for Lin that she had taken in stride far more easily than Tenzin could ever have guessed. The first few times it had happened, Tenzin worried she might become severely irritated, but she had only gently requested to Yunjin that he not fly into her so fast, out of fear that they would both end up hitting the ground if she was caught off guard. Yunjin had given into her request without much of a fight, and now when he perched himself onto his mother's back she didn't even flinch.

Ronen had struggled at first, when his brother and sister had begun demanding his parents' attention. He and Lin had always been close, so much so that Tenzin had even felt some jealousy over the bond the pair had. It was part of the reason he had reacted as he did when he discovered that Ronen no longer wanted to learn airbending. He was slowly coming to terms with the fact that his bond with his firstborn was always going to be different than the one he had with Lin, but still just as meaningful.

Lin always made a concerted effort to include Ronen even when her attention was so clearly divided by the twins. She did it so effortlessly at times that Tenzin had made it his mission to observe and learn from her.

Lin might not have wanted children before, and if she'd never had them Tenzin would have loved her just the same, but he also couldn't deny that seeing her become a mother only made her more radiant in his eyes. With other people's children she was sometimes stiff and awkward. Never cruel, but clearly uncomfortable. With her own kids, however, she absolutely glowed. Pregnancy had not suited her, but once her children were born she had cherished every moment with them. There had been difficulties immediately after Yunjin and Sora were born of course, but once Lin had recovered she had jumped right back into motherhood as if she had never left.

Tenzin was enthralled by her abilities. Despite the fact that he stayed home with the kids far more than Lin, he was still navigating his way through parenting just as she was. They were both great at it in some ways, but they were not perfect. There were still moments where they doubted themselves, moments when everything seemed to go wrong.

Some mornings Sora refused to get out of bed, screaming and flailing and crying until they left her alone. In the evenings, Yunjin often refused to go to bed, sneaking out after his parents left his room and getting into so much mischief that Lin had suggested locking him in his room at bed time – Tenzin's only response to that was to roll his eyes. Ronen was less of a troublemaker but he still had his moments, as any child did. He'd been a bit spoiled by his parents as the first born, and sometimes he thought he was entitled to more than his younger siblings. The house was always a mess and Tenzin couldn't remember ever being so disorganized in all his life. Lin and Tenzin had always been so structured and clean and meticulous about everything. Now there was chaos and uncertainty and there was hardly ever a quiet moment in their house.

Parenthood had forced them out of their comfort zones, but Tenzin couldn't imagine going through it all with someone else. He was still so glad every single day when he woke, knowing that he was married to his best friend – a woman he still loved and longed for with every fiber of his being – and that they had three perfect, beautiful children that he was so very proud of. Despite all the sorrows they'd faced and the people they'd lost, they had gained so much, and Tenzin would do anything to protect his family.

He hated that Ronen felt left out because of his lack of bending. It made him feel like a failure as a parent, even though it was something mostly beyond his control. It made him suddenly think of Bumi, and Tenzin wondered if his older brother had ever felt left out or discouraged by the fact that he wasn't a bender like Kya or Tenzin. If he had, he had been very good at hiding it, because Tenzin only remembered Bumi as a force to be reckoned with. He had strutted around the island like he owned the place, and now he was leading soldiers into battle. Tenzin thought for a moment that perhaps he should keep in contact with his brother with more than a stray letter twice a year, but Katara had always made sure he knew what was going on with his siblings, and Tenzin had too many not so fond memories of his childhood. While he loved his siblings, his interactions with them sometimes felt forced, and he vowed to never let his own kids ever feel the same about one another.

So he would stop lamenting the fact that Ronen no longer wanted to learn Air Nomad customs from him, and accept that his son had his own wants and needs. And that did not mean he wanted nothing to do with his father, only that he had his own personality. Like how Lin and Sora were polar opposites in most ways, and yet it did not diminish their closeness. Tenzin could bond with Ronen in some other way. It might be challenging, but it was a challenge worth facing. For his son.