"Hello dears," Katara said, smiling at them as they came in and hugged them both, "Lin, it's good to see you again." as she welcomed them in.
"Hi mom." Tenzin greeted her, "How are you?" Lin asked as they headed towards the kitchen.
"Oh I'm fine enjoying being semi-retired. Kya's already here, I think she's asleep. She flew in early this morning." Katara said to them. "Help yourself you two know where everything is." It was Chirmas tomorrow although Lin didn't celebrate and Tenzin wouldn't if he didn't have kids. Katara didn't either, growing up inuit in Alaska the holiday was never a big deal for her, but she used it as leverage to get all of her children to visit her now that they were scattered across the country.
"How have you been Lin? Tenzin says you're pretty busy at work but doing good by all accounts." Katara asked her.
"Yeah well no such thing as a day off at this level." Lin told her.
Katara laughed "You love that though you always need to bring doing something you never could stand sitting around."
"I could do without the bureaucracy bs and paperwork." Lin said dryly.
"Couldn't we all." Katara nodded in agreement.
Lin looked over at Tenzin. "It's all people like you fault." A small smirk playing on her face.
"My fault?" Tenzin asked indigently.
"Yeah you and your policy law you need three different forms to use a pen never mind getting anything done." Lin told him sarcastically, throwing an almond from the counter at him.
He glared at her but didn't respond as Katara was laughing at him. "Sorry Son but she is not wrong, the hospital is just as bad."
Tenzin has a gleam in his eye that told Lin he had a good comeback but was cut off by. "Well, well, well, Look who's here, Lin!" Kya greeted her excitedly coming down the stairs into the kitchen.
"Hey Ky." Lin said back
"Hey Ky, that's all I get. I haven't seen you in like ten years and that's all I get." Kya ribbed her.
"Well if you let me say something I would have added how are you." Lin smirked back at her.
"Ah well you certainly never change." Kya sighed dramatically.
"Eh, if it ain't broke…" Lin shrugged.
Tenzin chuckled silently, happily sitting back and listening to his sister interrogate Lin about the 15 years of her life. It was surreal sitting here in the kitchen he had grown up in back with Lin and Kya and his mom. It felt like he had just stepped twenty years back in time. Most of the time they had hung out here rather than Lin's house with Su and Toph always around and always an annoyance to Lin. He shared so many memories here with her and his family.
-20 something-ish years ago
Tenzin heard the back door open and looked up from the book he was reading. He saw his mom dressed in scrubs walking towards him and Lin and he put the book down. Lin hadn't moved from her position, laying half on top of him asleep. "I'm leaving for work soon," She said when she got near them. "I got 12 hr shift at the hospital so dinner's in the oven and you'll have to fend for yourself for breakfast" Katara told him.
"Yes mom." Tenzin said dutifully.
His mother nodded absently rifling through her pockets in search of something. "Oh, Lin can stay the night, I don't want her sneaking home at some ungodly hour." His mother said, giving him a pointed look that said, 'don't even deny it, I know all.'
"Oh uh yeah mom okay." Tenzin managed not to completely stutter out. His mom bid him goodbye and goodnight before heading back inside. Tenzin was still half frozen in mortified shock at what she had just said to him.
"Well, that went better than I expected." Lin mutters from her place half on Tenzin's chest.
"Speak for yourself, I nearly died from embarrassment." Tenzin muttered, picking up his booking again to continue reading and try to forget what just happened.
"Hey look on the bright side, I get to sleep in now." Lin quipped back at him. Tenzin pinched her ribs lightly at the tease and Lin flinched away from him grumbling. He kissed her forehead, he knew she would likely get him back later but would enjoy the temporary victory for now.
Bumi was worthy of a reality TV show. He was late as per usual coming in in his normal slightly crazy, eccentric fashion just as they were sitting down for Christmas Eve dinner. It started with, "For the record Lin, Kya and I told mom we should disinvite Tenzin and keep you cause you're more fun." Bumi told her, sliding into a seat at the kitchen table.
Lin didn't need to look over at Tenzin to her left to see him roll his eyes. "What makes you think I'd come?" She asked smirking at him, Bumi was as fun as Tenzin to tease with the added bonus of actually being funny in return. "Maybe I only came because of him."
"Oh come on Linnny," Bumi said, matching her tone and using the nickname she hated. "You can't tell me you wouldn't have enjoyed it." he said, spreading his hands.
"I enjoyed the bars in Tel Aviv more." Lin drawled, leaning back her chair and Tenzin arm.
"Maybe your taste has improved!" Bumi ribbed her again. "They got great women."
"Bumi!" Kya exclaimed, smacking her brother in the arm as Lin laughed and Tenzin rolled his eyes at their interaction.
"Oh come on Kya, don't act all innocent." Bumi teased her.
"Read the room Bumi christmas eve dinner isn't the place." Kya tried to argue but a smile played on her face at her brother's goofy look. Katara silently laughed at all of them. Lin always liked the older woman. She had been strict when they were kids but had never once stopped them from being kids and having a good time teasing each other.
"I'll go to church." Bumi waved her off dismissively.
"Ha" Tenzin scoffed. "You haven't been to church ever in your life."
"What was that? Did mister serious just laugh?!" Bumi shot back sarcastically. "Mom, write this down, Tenzin laughed for the 5th time today." Kya and Lin both laughed at Tenzin's expense this time even if Lin could feel Ten bristle beside her. He had always been sensitive to his older siblings teasing.
Katara may have sensed it too or she was just being nostalgic because she changed the subject, "You remind me of my brother and I. He said that to me on many occasions, Bumi." There was a distant smile that played on her face. Sokka had died years ago now. "Dr. Serious, he used to call me. He had a whole routine with it, made your father die of laughter half the time."
"I remember Uncle Sokka always trying to talk me into getting dad with pranks or getting him in trouble with mom." Bumi said.
"You remember when you guys put baking soda on his cookies instead of powdered sugars when we made christmas cookies one year." Kya asked.
"Yesss!" Bumi exclaimed. "I've never seen a human turn that shade of red"
"I thought he actually had choked." Katara laughed.
"I don't remember this…" Tenzin said, confused, his brow furrowed.
"You were too young maybe, I think I was like six at the time." Kya said, waving away his concern. They went on talking about the prank and Aang's attempt at a revenge prank to try and get them back but Lin tooned it out. Tenzin's brow was still furrowed and he was thinking hard trying to remember what they were talking about. His dad was something of a soft spot for everyone in his family but Tenzin perhaps more so. Lin squeezed his knee under the table, she knew not remembering something about his dad bothered him more than he would ever admit. He wished he had more time with him Lin knew and still missed him alot. Growing up Aang had been Tenzin's hero always travelling in Asai and Tibet his home trying to help his people their, but it had been at the cost of his not being around much for any of his kids but Tenzin had wanted his dad's approval and praise more than his siblings and had never resented him for being away.
-20 yrs ago
Lin looked over all of the broaches that she had picked up at the career fair. She really didn't want to apply to MBA programs or Law school like Tenzin was. But that was what her grandparents were pushing for. They wouldn't like it and they wouldn't fund or support her if she didn't follow that path. She could make it without that though, and they were distracted with other things right now. Su had recently moved to China to live with them and to start college there in the fall after she had been arrested for a DUI. It was that she disliked the course work; it was that if she ever had to practice law it would kill her. Just sitting in an office all day going over spreadsheets and business proposals sounded like torture. Maybe one day she'd suck it up and do it but she didn't want to do that right now. In her 20s she wanted to go out and do something tangible with her hands. Tenzin on the other hand had actually enjoyed his internship working in the local clerk's office filing papers which was beyond Lin.
They were good though, she was happy with where they were at. She didn't know what her reservations about staying here after she finished undergrad would mean for them. She did want to see the world a little and she didn't know what she wanted to do with her life yet and she didn't think it involved LA or California. She did want it to involve Tenzin though and that was the sticking point in her head.
"I'm going to the kitchen. Does anyone want refills?" Kya asked, getting up.
"Get the bottle of tequila I bought." Bumi said. "Let's do some shots."
"Bumi no," Tenzin sighed. He still hadn't finished his second glass of wine they had had over dinner.
"I'm on call." Lin said, holding up her hand. "I can't get drunk drunk in case the world ends." She had only had one glass and barely touched the refills Katara had handed her.
"One or two wouldn't kill you. You can still drive, besides we wouldn't be here for new years. Celebrate a little early." Bumi said. "Tenzin can drink for you after that."
"We're playing some game aren't we?" Tenzin groaned.
"Well, don't sound so excited." Kya said dryly, returning with the bottle and shot glasses.
"I'm serious Ky, I can't get drunk." Lin said, pushing the shot glass back.
"Oh come on one, Lin." Kya protested. Tenzin shared a look with Lin who shurgged at him, it was the holidays right?
.~.~.~.
Lin pulled on a t-shirt Tenzin had brought and crawled into bed exhausted.
"I was going to wear that." Tenzin half whined at her.
"Don't 'sides you love when I wear your shirt." Lin said tiredly, stressing out. He did. He loved the way his shirt hung on her petite frame. He thought she was so cute in the oversized shirt.
"Mmh you're beautiful." He crawled over hovering over before kissing her, it was a little sloppy from the alcohol. He didn't miss how her face still flushed ever so slightly when he told her that. When they had first gotten together she'd turn red everytime he complimented her and he didn't understand how she couldn't always see that back then. Idly he wondered if she still thought that way.
Lin made a face. "Ew you taste like tequila."
"Mmh that's your fault." Tenzin mumbled lying down on top of her.
"Me? You're the one who couldn't keep a straight face." Lin retorted.
"Yeah well I was drunk." Tenzin defended himself.
"You better not throw up on me if you're going to sleep there,'' Lin warned him as she ran her nails up and down his spine.
Tenzin raised his head. "That was one time! and I was 17" He said indignantly.
"It was still gross," Lin reminded him.
"You threw up on me twice." He shot back.
"I warned you both times." Lin argued.
"Yet you still did it."
Lin flicked him in the back of the head. "Go to sleep," she muttered.
Tenzin kissed her chest, "love you," he felt her grip on him tightened as she hugged him closer and pressed a long kiss against his head instead of voicing it before her finger continued their trips up and down his back, occasionally venturing up to his head. The sensation always put him to sleep, Lin holding him always gave him the best sleep. He didn't like actually falling asleep on her a lot. He always thought he was too heavy no matter how many times she said otherwise and they proved otherwise by sleeping like this.
"Merry Christmas Gran Gran!" All three kids cheered when Katara opened the door to them.
"Why, Merry Christmas to you too." Katara replied to them.
"Gran Gran! You gotta look at what we got from Santa" Ikki bounced up and down.
"I will. But why don't you go put your jackets away first." Katara suggested.
"Is Tenzin around? I would like to speak to him for a minute." Pema asked her.
"I don't think he's up yet." Katara admitted. "Lin, Is Tenzin up yet?" Katara called over her shoulder.
"Lin!" Ikki and then Meelo shouted when they saw her come around the corner from the kitchen.
"Hey kids." She said gruffly to them, catching Meelo when he jumped at her. She put him back down and walked over to Katara and Pema. "No, none of them are up and probably won't be for a while." Pema eyed her; the two had yet to meet and this was probably as close as they were going to get. Lin didn't have any problem with her. But she didn't like people to begin with so she saw no reason to want to know Pema. Lin was aware that the kids had talked about her to Pema and that she was aware of her presence in her kids life from what Tenzin had told her.
"Yes, I do fear it would be best to let them sleep. Is there anything I can tell him or do you want to leave him a note?" Katara said to her. Pema looked like she was about to decline when Meelo butted in.
"Where's Dad?" Meelo asked, the kids had followed Lin back over to the door. "I wanna see dad."
"Alright." Lin shrugged a slight smirk pulling at her face. "You wanna come torture your father?" Hungover Tenzin was probably Lin's favorite version of Tenzin to annoy and she planned to do that alot today to both him and Bumi.
"Lin, let them sleep." Katara told her, knowing full well how grumpy all of her kids would be. "Meelo, you can see your dad when he wakes up okay? Let him sleep right now."
"But it's almost lunch time." Ikki said, wrinkling her nose.
"Yeah it is. Come one kid, let's go eat lunch. We can torture your father later and you Aunt and Uncle too." Lin said walking to the kitchen with the three kids quickly following her.
"Dad!" Ikki squeals as Tenzin catches her.
"Hey princess" he said picking her up
"I'm surprised you're up" Lin smirked lightly at him.
"Haha, Kya's up too just hasn't made it down stairs." Tenzin said sarcastically, letting Ikki down.
"Ah" Lin says as Tenzin stops behind her and tilts her head back so he can kiss her.
"Good morning" he says smiling down at her before moving to the door to talk to Pema.
"Lin, Lin, Lin guess what I got for christmas!" Ikki said excitedly to her.
"What?" Lin asked. The rest of the day was spent being entertained by the kids and Bumi. Lin couldn't remember the last time she had spent this much time with any family members, probably sometime before she left for college and her sister left for China. It was a pleasant surreal feeling of enjoyment that came with the day and Tenzin family that she never expected.
.~.~.~.~.
Tenzin dropped the kids back home with Pema after dinner that night. Pema opened the door and met him on the steps. "So when are you going to ask her to marry you?" she asked after the kids had ran inside.
Tenzin spon back around so fast he nearly fell over. "What?" he stuttered. "No I'm not going to."
"Why not aren't you guys pretty serious now? It's Lin, Tenzin." Pema shrugged. She had known enough from quizzing Tenzin about his previous nine year relationship with Lin.
"She wouldn't want to get married," Tenzin shook his head, "to anyone. Besides, that sounds much easier to me."
-30ish years ago
The story of how her mother knew Tenzin's family was long and complicated and one that neither Lin nor Tenzin had ever gotten the full story. It started simple enough, Toph had met Sokka Tenzin's uncle when they were both in the military. They had become friends, apparently Tenzin dad's Aang had met Toph sometime after Bumi was born. Aang was from Tibet originally and was an activist for Tibet's independence. The Beifong family had connections with the Chinese Government from their wealth. Toph had apparently helped Aang out on more than one occasion with phone numbers or locations that he needed. Lin could only think of one time in her childhood where she had seen her mother and Aang talk conspiratorially.
She, Tenzin, and Bumi had been playing catch with a football one afternoon when she had scraped her knee but it was pretty bad.
"Don't worry mom's a doctor, she'll fix it." Bumi had said to her as she did her best not to cry in front of the two boys. They had gone in and she had been surprised to see her mother still there in the kitchen talking with Aang quietly. Both adults straightened when they entered, Aang closing a notebook they had been talking over.
"What happened guys?" Aang asked kindly. Aang had always been nice to her and would joke around with her and Tenzin everytime he was home when she was over. He wasn't home a lot though he travelled for work she had known.
"It doesn't look that bad." Aang had told her, examining her knee.
"Here you go." Toph said, handing Aang a damp cloth to clean the knee. Lin had hissed in pain at the soapy wet cloth. "You think you'll be okay kiddo?" Her mother had asked her.
"Yeah." Lin said stubbornly about the pain and the injury. Part of her wondered if they had been playing for long because her mother never stayed when she dropped Lin off. But she could have sworn that it had been at least an hour since she got here. At the time she had thought it was weird but there had been other times looking back on it during holiday or birthday parties when Toph and Aang had been talking in the corner clearly discussing something private Sokka would sometimes be included in those conversations but never anyone else. She had been too young and later been too much of a teenager to care about what had been said. Nor had it occurred to her that it was weird that her mother had known Tenzin's parents before her. Now Aang was dead in a plane crash in Nepal and her mother was definitely bothered by it more than Lin thought she was supposed to be.
Tenzin was upset about his father's death as he should be. Lin knew that the pair were close in traditional ways. Tenzin still looked up to him and Aang had been a fun dad when he was around. Bumi and Kya had more complicated relationships with their father; neither were as passive about his absence as Tenzin was. Lin knew that it did sometimes bothered Tenzin but he thought more highly of his father's work for Tibet than his siblings did. Lin spent most of her time with him and his family the next week. Kya had confided in her that it felt spookily normal like she could just pretend Aang was still alive in Nepal. Lin felt the same way about it all; it was too surreal. Bumi and Katara were the one grieving the most noticeably but Tenzin was withdrawn. They hadn't really talked about it much. She wasn't good enough with words or emotion to communicate everything to him, how sorry she was, and that she was there for him. Mostly they just lay together. She'd thread her fingers through his hair while the TV was on in the background although neither of them were watching it.