Lin was stressed more than usual which was saying something. Today it felt like problems were raining down from the heavens sent here with the divine purpose to drown her. The quarterly budget report was the latest thing to stare her down refusing to work out in any way. A recent triad war had kicked up causing much of her trouble. That combined with several key retirements and too many kids on the force with no experience that she didn't dare trust with the problem was why the department was grossly over their allotted overtime pay four months into the year. To top it all off this week was the Avatar Aang one year remembrance, she grimaced at the thought. She personally thought, well she knew, Aang had wanted the world to move on after his death and personally the last thing she wanted to do to remember him by was being around every other snobby elite in the city at some somber ceremony. But Tenzin couldn't have told the council no it would have stepped on far too many toes. At least Katara would be there. She had recently told them both she wanted to move back down to the south polar when summer came. Lin didn't want her to leave the city, she'd miss the old woman who had been there for her like a second mother. It also meant Tenzin would likely ask her to move to the island. That was a question and conversation she'd like to push off too. He had been all over the place mentally since his father's death. Some days he was right there next to her laughing like they had since they were kids and others she wasn't sure they were on the same planet. She wasn't any better, Lin knew that like her with their parents gone the pressure of both of their legacies loomed like a sword over their heads. She knew they should talk about everything that had happened in the last year and its consequences. She had been meaning to for a while now, but when she did finally walk in the door. Tenzin had their favorite takeout on the coffee table and it was far too easy to curl up on the coach with the takeout and talk about the book she had finally convinced him to read. One that he now had admitted she was right and it was a good book. No she didn't want to ruin the night she'd push it off after all what's one more day.

This was the mantra she had told herself for the better part of the last year. Now a year has officially gone by since Aang's passing and almost two since her mother left. Lin wanted to stay in bed and not go to the stupid memorial this afternoon but that wasn't an option. So she groaned, dragging herself out of bed and headed over to air temple island before they had to face the city together. Tenzin was teaching a class when Lin arrived on the island Saturday morning she had opted to sleep in rather than going with him to meditate at the crack of dawn. She poked her head into the house but Katara wasn't there. She lazily used her semtic sense to locate her and walked to the garden where Katara was.

"Hello, dear." Katara said smiling at her, today the smile didn't reach her eye and the one Lin returned probably didn't either. Lin didn't bother asking her how she was. It seemed pointless instead she took the basket of vegetables from her. They walked in comfortable silence the entire island seemed to have a sense of melancholy to it given the day. Lin thought it was ironic considering anyone who knew Aang wouldn't have never associated the word with him even after Sokka's death. Aang had been the one to try and cheer everyone up. They turned the corner to see the main courtyard where Tenzin was leading his class. Most of the acolytes were in attendance including Leah and Pema. Lin had picked up that Pema liked him early on the night they had drank with Kya and Leah. It had been clear as the night went on, Tenzin predictably, was clueless about it. She had thought about spelling it out for him but decided not to that night. Maybe she had ought to watch the twenty something stare at him from the walk. She made her eye's keep moving although it didn't make the grimace stop.

"What's bothering you, dear?" Katara finally asked her, breaking the silence they had been walking in.

"Nothing," Lin said and meant to say more but Katara was already staring her down with a look that said 'who do you think I am'. "Really Katara, it will work itself out." Lin reassured her or at least tried to.

"Has he talked to you yet?" Katara asked.

Lin swallowed the irritation she had at her question. In truth it was one of several things that was bothering her today but she supposed that was also bothering every other day too recently. "Has he talked to you?" She returned.

Katara laughed. "My kids haven't talked to me since before they were teenagers, same for you too. No, Kya only recently started telling me what part of the world she's in." Lin thought silently nodding was her best bet on getting out from under Katara scrutiny. "Tenzin an airbender, he'll run from any problem he can and he can run from a lot of them because you are as direct as he is indirect. You face problems head on except when it comes to him. You love him but protect yourselves from this could hurt you both too." Katara squeezed her shoulder. "Believe me." her tone was darker and it surprised Lin as she watched her walk off.

Lin let out a long sigh and followed her back to the house. Lunch was a very heavy silence that did help stop all the thoughts Katara had put in her head on top of what was already there. Tenzin was off in his own world like he had been the last two days and neither her nor Katara had the spirit for conversation. Lin wished she did but she had never been one for small talk like Bumi, Kya and Su were. Lin swore time started to tick slower after lunch, it would be her luck that the universe had decided to take its time with the memorial and prolong all of their suffering, even the short fly on Oogi felt at least twice as long. The memorial wasn't only technically a public event only the social elite were in attendance but it was also broadcast on the radio. Her and Tenzin took their position on either side of Katara during most of it. The council member made their speeches with more fallacy than she could keep track of and then Tenzin spoke to finally wrap things up and put them all out of their misery. There was however a cocktail event after that they were required to at least make an appearance at. Lin idedly wondered how short of appearance they could get away with without offending people. Tenzin's face was stoney as they walked into the hall, but his eyes flashed with emotion. He was no happier about this than she was and she slipped her hand into his as they walked. They made it into the hall and almost to a secluded corner before one of the other council members called out to Tenzin. He squeezed her hand and nodded at her silently telling her to go on with his mother. Lin took Katara's arm as the pair found their way to the little corner table. Lin offered to get her a drink but the older woman declined. Lin wasn't in the mood for talking and neither was Katara; they watched the party from their corner until an older man came up to them. He was about Katara's age and she seemed to know him although Lin only found him vaguely familiar.

"Hello Ty," Katara said to him, offering him a small smile and clasping his hand for a moment.

"Hello Katara, I hope this isn't too painful for you but I imagine it is." the man said smiling he offered her a nod and a hello which she returned. Lin learns that the pair did know each other apparently. Ty had been in the city for quite some time although Lin didn't know. Lin half listened to them and half watched Tenzin have to talk with nearly everyone. Part of her thought she ought to go save him but she also knew he had to do the politicking even given the circumstances.

"Your son in law seems to be making a name for himself." Katara was saying.

Ty huffed. "yes, Sato is quite ambitious." Lin eyed the man with new interest that why he looked vaguely familiar. He wasn't the best businessman in the city but he did own a successful store chain which wouldn't normally make him invited to all of the highest of high society events in the city except for the fact that his daughter married Hiroshi Sato and currently everyone wanted to get Sato's money on their side after the sato mobile took off the last few years. Lin listened in more closely after that and asked a few questions. She found out that Ty had apparently known her mother too as well as Aang and Sokka and that he had helped them in the city's early days. She actually enjoyed listening to him and Katara reminisce on the city's beginnings. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Ping the fire nation representative and the most annoying person in the city heading towards Tenzin and figured they had been here long enough and it was time to save him. She sidled up next to him and touched his arm. "sorry to interrupt but your mom was asking for you."

Tenzin nodded. "yes of course. excuse us." he said to Ping and flashed Lin a grateful look as soon as they turned away but Lin's brow drew together at the exhausted look on his face. Luckily Katara saw it too when they came over.

"I suppose we can make our escape now." she said, she turned to Ty one more time. "we should have lunch before I leave, one last time."

"Yes it would be a pleasure. Take care, Katara." He said his goodbyes. They all let out a collected sigh of relief when they were on Oogi and out of the hall. Tenzin dropped his mother off on the island before they headed home.

Tenzin hadn't said more than two words to her since they left the hall. His face was still stoney and more unreadable to her than it had been in a long time. He sat on the couch staring at the wall blankly. He hadn't touched the leftover she had warmed up for them. She had known something was off since she had rescued him from Ping earlier that day. He had been quiet on the ride home which she had expected but there was something off about him that went beyond that. He hadn't wanted to stay on the island that night when his mother had offered them dinner. Lin thought that was odd of him because he would have normally wanted to stay with her given the day. She had almost undercut him on that too, but there was something in the way his eyes churn like a stormy sea that made her let it go. Since then her worry had only grown but she didn't know what to do about it. Maybe he was just grieving his father again and she should let it be but maybe not.

"Come on Ten, let's go to bed." She finally said when it got late. He didn't respond and she had to pull on his arm to get him to come with her. He laid down staring up at the ceiling this time still completely lost in thought. Lin scooted over to him and wrapped her arm around his waist and kissed his shoulder.

"I love you."

"yeah, love you." the half hearted response she got back, his voice was so distant it sounded like it was on the other end of a phone call from the other side of the world. She sighed, tomorrow she promised herself they would finally talk tomorrow.

The next day he almost escaped before she could confront him about it. He had still been distant all day and she had been working up to talking about it. He tried to duck out the door brushing her off saying they could talk later as both she and he had done so many times before now. But Lin was done with this. "No Tenzin," she shook her head. "We need to talk."

"Lin, I really gotta go. I have-" Tenzin argued tiredly.

"Tenzin this isn't you. We need to talk-"

"I'm fine Lin. We can talk later." Tenzin said impassively, trying once again to brush past her.

Lin grabbed his arm, stopping him and stepped back, staying in front of him. His non responsiveness was currently getting on her nerves better than most things he did. "I can't see you like this anymore. You think I don't know you hated yesterday. I do, why do you think I wanted to get us out of there so fast." Lin nearly exploded at him, having enough of both of their cowardliness on this issue.

"It was to honor my father we should have stayed-" He said in an almost robotic voice.

"Bullshit, it was to honor who they thought your dad was. Ten, you know damn well you dad wasn't that man. He was far more than that." Lin argued, she was going to switch subjects back on to him but he cut her off.

"It's my responsibility." There was a certain finality in the way he said as if it would end the argument right there, that made her want to strangle him.

"It doesn't matter." she gritted out stepping towards him. "Spirits Tenzin you were a shell last night it scared the shit out of me."

"So what?" He said, finally upset. "I can't hide from it can't pretend it's not there." He said agitated.

Lin was a little confused as to why he was suddenly latching on to this. "I don't want you to, but-"

"I'm an airbender that's what I am. I need to be an airbender." Tenzin said emphatically.

Which confused Lin even more and she resisted the urge to say no shit to him. Instead she said, "Tenzin you're doing great with the air nation and the acolytes-"

"It's not enough though. I'm not doing everything. I need to do more." Tenzin argued wringing his hands.

"You can't do everything, Ten. You got the Abbot's and everyone helping you too. Don't forget about that." She tried to reassure him.

"No they can't help me. Don't you see? I'm failing, I'm the last." Tenzin said pacing a little.

"Tenzin what are you talking about?" Lin sighed trying to follow his thought.

Tenzin stopped facing her. "I'm the last..." he let his voice trail off the implication clear as day.

Lin let the words die in the silence that followed after all what else was she going to say to that.

"Yeah that's what I thought." Tenzin said more to himself than to her.

Lin gritted her teeth. "What do you want me to say?"

"I don't maybe that you're open to it, maybe that you'd talk about it or that you'd consider it." Tenzin scoffed.

"Open to what?" Lin exploded at him. She didn't appreciate being jumped like this on this subject of all things after he just tried to brush her off. "We haven't talked about marriage since we were 25 and you said the old air bender never married and you were okay not getting married and even preferred it if we didn't have to go though what Izumi did!"

"Yeah well I was foolish to think that." He shot back.

"And what if I'm not changing my mind?" Lin said tiredly rubbing her head trying to stave off the headache coming on.

Tenzin didn't say anything, didn't argue it just looked away. Lin sighed again, she'd gotten that look too many times to count over the last day. He had already checked out of this conversation. "I loved your dad, Tenzin and I love your mom but sometimes I wish you were never their child."

Tenzin looked at her blankly and Lin wished he was mad at her. "But I am"

"Yeah well I wish you weren't." She half growled at him this time, getting angry with how aloof and detached he was being about this whole thing.

"And I wish you weren't like your mom." Tenzin shot back but still without real emotion in his voice. "Or maybe I wish you were more like her because at least she had you."

"Yeah well, good cause I don't want to be anything like that bitch." Lin growled at him fully now. Tenzin just looked at her and she looked at him back. This time when he made to leave she didn't stop him. When he was gone she grabbed a glass and hurled it against the wall, watching it shatter, needing to let some of her anger and frustration out before it consumed her even more.