"Meelo! Get down from there this instance! I swear if you wake your brother after I just spent an hour getting him to fall asleep I will-"
Lin was cut short by the young airbender hopping down from the roof and landing, very expertly, on Lin's shoulders. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth got very thin in obvious annoyance. Meelo crossed his arms on the top of her head and rested his chin on them.
"Where are your sisters?"
"IKKI, JI-"
Lin's hand shot up and quickly covered the airbender's mouth.
"What did I just say about waking your brothe- ugck!"
She pulled her hand back down, shaking it furiously.
"Did you just lick me?"
He giggled in response, thumping his heels against her metal chest plate. Having had enough, she grabbed him by one ankle and pulled him from her shoulders so he was hanging upside down in front of her. He laughed uncontrollably and she lifted him up so she could look him in the eye.
"Now you listen to me. We're going to find your sisters and then it's time for you all to go to bed. Do you understand?"
"No!"
He wriggled against her grip and Lin felt her stomach drop for a moment when he slipped out of her hand. It was short lived, however, as she was quickly reminded that he was an airbender. He merely twisted around mid-air, landing on his feet like a cat before immediately taking off in the direction opposite the house.
Lin let out a loud groan, throwing her head back in frustration. How did she EVER let Tenzin convince her to babysit his herd of brats. He and Pema had wanted to have night to themselves for the first time since the kids had been born and somehow they had thought she was the best person to keep the children in line. They had sent Meelo to try and sweet talk her and she cursed herself for being unable to say no to his toothy smile as he fed her some bull about her being his hero or something.
As she watched him running farther away from her she made mental note to never fall for his antics again. Deciding that it was best to act before he was completely out of her range she stomped her foot to the ground. Too distracted to be paying much attention to his surroundings, Meelo quickly found his entire lower body encased in earth, his hands trapped by his sides.
"No fair!"
Lin couldn't help but smirk as she slowly sauntered towards him.
"Meelo, what did you do?"
"She said we have to go to bed!"
"But I don't want to go to bed!"
"Ikki, Meelo, the sun is setting. You know that means it's time for bed."
"Jinora, just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you're the boss of us!"
"No, but I am."
Jinora and Ikki were walking up one of the grassy paths when they came across their trapped brother. Lin put her hands on her hips as she approached in an attempt to look more intimidating. She could regularly make grown men nearly wet their pants with a single glance but these kids weren't even phased by her general authoritarian demeanor.
"B…but Aunt Lin! Why do we have to go to bed?"
"Because I said so. And don't call me that."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm not your Aunt."
"Why?"
"Because I'm not."
"Lord Zuko isn't our dad's uncle but he still calls him that. And he calls your mom Aunt Toph."
"That's because he had a close relationship with both of them growing up."
Lin released Meelo from his earthen prison and made a motion for him to reclaim his perch upon her shoulders. He squealed with delight before launching himself back up, squeezing his legs tightly against her neck.
"No fair! I want to ride on your shoulders. Meelo always gets to!"
"Meelo, stop squeezing so hard. Ikki, you can ride on my back if you want, just don't knock your brother off."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Ikki jumped into the air and latched herself onto Lin's back. With Meelo on her shoulders there wasn't much space for Ikki to hold on so Lin flicked her hand so one of her cables wrapped around the girl's behind and crisscrossed over her back like a harness.
"Let's go!"
Lin looked over to Jinora with what she hoped was a sympathetic look.
"Sorry, I don't have any other body parts for you to climb on, kid."
"EW MEELO FARTED!"
Lin stumbled a bit as she tried to stay upright while Ikki struggled against her back. Meelo was laughing hysterically and kicked his legs hard against her chest. She and Jinora shared a look, both deadpan and completely done with the younger airbender's antics.
"It's okay. I prefer to walk."
Twenty minutes later Lin had managed to get them all into bed. Not their own beds because apparently that was asking too much. Instead she had convinced Jinora to share their parents' bed with her younger siblings. Lin had formed a silent alliance with the girl and she hoped she'd be able to keep them in line should they decide to rebel against bedtime… again. She carefully pulled the blankets up over the trio, pleading silently with the universe that they'd just go to sleep.
"Now, you all go to sleep and no getting out of bed. Or else."
"Or else what?"
"Yeah! Will you throw us in jail?"
"Oh! I've always wanted to see what jail is!"
"Me too!"
Meelo was already halfway out of bed when Lin finally lost her temper.
"NO! You. Get back in that bed right now."
She really did try to not use her police chief voice with the kids but she was just so exhausted and wanted nothing more in the world than for them to go to sleep. Then she saw the looks on their faces. Meelo was frozen, eyes wide as he stared at her. She hadn't meant for it to come out so abrasively but then Ikki started to cry and she actually felt bad.
"Ikki, don't cry. I'm sorry. I got a little frustrated."
"It's okay. We have been kind of bad, haven't we?"
Lin, once again, felt bad for making the kids feel like she was upset with them. They definitely were a burden but she didn't need to make them feel bad about it. They were children. She spent every day dealing with adults who behaved more poorly than Tenzin's kids, she supposed she could give them a little leeway. She sat down on the edge of the bed and smiled at them.
"No. You haven't been that bad. I'm just still getting used to looking after you. I don't have much experience with kids."
"That is painfully obvious."
Lin looked to Jinora in surprise and found the young girl giving her a cheeky smile. Oh, she most definitely was becoming Lin's favorite.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, kid. Now, back into bed. You really do need to go to sleep."
"B..but I'm not even tired."
Meelo yawned, not fighting Lin as she covered him back up with the blanket. Ikki already had her eyes closed and she walked around to the other side of the bed, making sure Jinora was comfortable as well. To Lin's surprise the girl sat up and wrapped her arms tightly around her neck.
"Thanks for watching us tonight, Aunt Lin."
Lin didn't correct her this time, giving her a quick pat on the back before Jinora nestled back into the bed. She surveyed the three of them for a moment. They're much cuter when they're quiet. She quietly walked to the door, thinking she had finally achieved the impossible when…
"EW! MEELO!"
Ikki was yelling again while Meelo waved the blanket up and down wildly.
"I'm sorry, I can't help that I'm so full of air. It just has to come out."
Lin felt like crying. She really did. They had been so close.
"Meelo, Ikki, lay back down. There, the smell is gone."
Jinora had taken control of the situation before Lin even had a chance to turn back to them. Sending a jet of air around the room to clear it of any unpleasant smells produced by her disgusting little brother. Ikki was still pouting and Meelo gave Lin one of his signature, toothy smiles.
"Sorry."
"It's fine. Just… just please go to sleep now."
"Wait!"
"What is it Ikki?"
"Tell us a story!"
"It's way too late-"
"I'm sure we'll all go right to sleep if you tell us a story."
"Jinora, I thought you were on my team."
She looked at her innocently and Lin let out a long sigh.
"Fine. I'll tell you a story my mother used to tell me and my sister when we were kids."
They all look very excited as Lin sat on the edge of the bed again and cleared her throat dramatically.
"The cats nestle close to their kittens,
The lambs have laid down with the sheep.
You are cozy and warm in your bed, my dear.
Please go the fuck to sleep..."
A/N: Excerpt taken from "Go the Fuck to Sleep" by Adam Mansbach