Tenzin is going to kill me.

"Let's see…multiple counts of destruction of private and city property, not to mention evading arrest...you're in a whole mess of trouble, young lady."

Korra grimaced beneath the heated glare of the woman. "But there were some thugs threatening a helpless shopkeeper, and I—"

"Can it! You should have called the police and stayed out of the way."

"But I couldn't just sit by and do nothing. It's my duty to help people. See, I'm the Avatar." That should work. She'll totally buckle knowing that.

"Oh, I am well aware of who you are. And your Avatar title might impress some people, but not me."

Or not.

"All right, fine." If she's not willing to work with that, then time for a new strategy. "Then I want to talk to whoever's in charge."

"You're talking to her. I'm Chief Beifong."

The hardened look in the Avatar's eyes immediately dissipated at the name rolling off the woman's tongue. Her brows creased and heart dropped in a beat. "Wait, Beifong?" she asked more softly, "Lin Beifong? You're Toph's daughter."

"Indeed." Lin raised an inquisitive brow—a silent sign for the teenager to continue talking.

"And…Master Tenzin's wife…"

"What of it?"

Slipping out of this one seemed to move farther and farther out of Korra's grasp. But she could always pull the sentimental card. "Well then, why are you treating me like a criminal? Avatar Aang and your mother were friends. They saved the world together. Also, Tenzin is supposed to teach me airbending and—"

"That's ancient history," Lin cut her off sharply. "And it's got diddly-squat to do with the mess you're in right now. You can't just waltz in here and dole out vigilante justice like you own the place!"

Korra opened her mouth, but was interrupted by a new voice from outside. "Chief, Councilman Tenzin is here."

"Let him in," Lin grumbled, rising out of her seat and standing at full attention as the doors opened to allow their newest arrival into the interrogation room.

Why didn't Tenzin mention that Lin was the Chief of Police? That piece of information would have made her act a little less aggressive with those thugs if she had known that…maybe. She knew that Lin worked in a vital role for Republic City as did Tenzin, but she never bothered to ask what type of position it was. Getting arrested by her airbending master's wife was not how she intended to make her first impression nor was it part of her persuasion strategy to stay in Republic City for training. It was supposed to be: 1) arrive in the city, 2) persuade Tenzin and Lin to stay, 3) stay in the city, and 4) train and be the most badass Avatar in history.

"Tenzin, sorry...I got a little sidetracked on my way…"

With a deep breath, Tenzin put on a relaxed smile for his wife. "Lin, I hope everything has been going well at the station today."

"Don't start with me, Tenzin. Why is the Avatar in Republic City? I thought the arrangements were made clear once you left the South Pole."

"They were." He glared at Korra before turning his gaze back to Lin. "I'm not sure how this came about, but I assure you, I have everything under control. If you would be so kind as to drop the charges against Korra, I will take full responsibility for today's regrettable events and cover all the damages."

Lin crossed her arms, expression still not budging from the pressure of her husband's professionalism. "Simply paying for the charges teaches nothing to the one who caused the damages," she pointed out.

"I'm fully aware of that, Lin and I agree with you," Tenzin recognized, matching her tone. "But for now, I'd appreciate it if this is dropped for now and we continue this discussion after business hours."

Peering between the airbender and Korra, Lin bit her tongue and released her own heavy sigh. With a flick of the wrist, she unlocked the cuffs. "Fine. This discussion is not over, Councilman. "

"Always a pleasure, Lin. Let's go, Korra," Tenzin urged more firmly, leading the young teenager beyond the metal doors. As she followed him, Korra peered back at Lin who silently gestured "I'm watching you." It took every semblance of control within to resist shooting back the same petty gesture at Beifong, but she knew that doing so would only worsen the first impression. With that, she silently followed Tenzin until they reached the receptionist desk at the front.

"Tenzin, please, don't send me back home," she pleaded.

Without missing a beat, he retorted back, "You blatantly disobeyed my wishes and the orders of the White Lotus."

"Katara agreed with me that I should come. She said my destiny is in Republic City."

"Don't bring my mother into this!" Tenzin fumed.

A huff. "Look, I can't wait any longer to finish my training. Being cooped up and hidden away from the world isn't helping me become a better Avatar. I saw a lot of the city today, and it's totally out of whack. I understand now why you need to stay. Republic City does need you. But it needs me, too."

The airbender opened his mouth, but instead released a heavy sigh and gently shook his head. "I understand your point," at those words, Korra perked up in hope, but Tenzin raised a hand to continue, "but this is not only a decision I can make on my own. If you stay here, I need to discuss this with not only Lin, but also my family. It's only fair to them."

"Fine," Korra conceded with her eyes glued to the floor and shoulders slumped slightly.

Tenzin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and Korra peered up at him. Rather than a stern or cold look in his eyes, it was replaced with sympathy and kindness. Gently, he said, "Come on, you can come meet some of the kids back on the island."

As they walked out, Korra caught sight of a flyer hanging on the wall of a young woman with blue eyes and black hair styled in an elegant updo. She was captured in the middle of a dance move, dressed in a cheongsam. At the top of the flyer, the text read, "Be Dazzled By Republic City's Rising Star, Jade!" With a quick glance, one might think it could be a relative of Beifong, but there's no way it could be.

Beifongs are strong, stubborn, and fiery warriors. They don't engage in the arts. They're too powerful for that.

"Who keeps eating my egg tarts?!"

A boy walked by with a half-eaten egg tart in his hands and crumbs decorating the corners of his lips. He smiled mischievously and shrugged. "Oops."

"I was saving that for after meditation, Kang!"

"Oh, well looks like I was saving it for during your meditation, sis," Kang smirked, slipping the last of the tart into his mouth. "But I guess meditation didn't work too well if you're still dishing out sass."

"That was the last one!"

He shook his hand dismissively and gently pounded against his chest as the last of his snack got caught. "Ask mm…ask Mei to make you more."

"I can't believe we're related," the girl mumbled, aggressively taking out a mango instead.

Tenzin raised a brow as he entered the kitchen. "Everything okay in here?"

"Hi dad," the duo said in perfect unison.

"You two okay?"

"Kang ate my last egg tart."

"Areum's being overdramatic."

Another exhausted sigh escaped Tenzin and he shook his head. "Well, I'd like you both to come and meet Korra."

"We're going to the South Pole?"

"No, actually Korra is here…in the family room."

Kang leaned against the counter. "I thought she was staying in the South Pole to wait things out a bit until you went back to teach her airbending?"

"That's what we're all going to discuss tonight. It seems there might be a change of plans," Tenzin clarified. "Anyway, both of you should come out. It's not polite to keep a guest waiting."

"You guys go first," Areum said, fetching a knife and another mango. "I'll cut some up for Korra and all of us."

With a soft smile, Tenzin nodded. "Alright, come out when you're done."

Korra leaned back on the floor, fingers spread out against the wood. Time to go over the persuasion strategy again. Things didn't go as smoothly with Tenzin or Lin and that needed to be fixed. Now she was about to meet some of his kids and if she could shift them into her favor, then she could set a course for Operation: Airbending. All she needed to do was avoid offending any of them and it should be smooth sailing from here. Yeah, that shouldn't be too hard. Korra was not only a Southern Water Tribe young woman, but she was also the Avatar! Surely, for someone bestowed with such a responsibility can easily handle a situation as minute as this. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

'I wonder what their kids are like.'

How many did Tenzin say he had? Five? Three? Something between those numbers. With Master Tenzin and Chief Beifong as parents, the personalities of their children are unpredictable. But considering how patient and calm Tenzin is, wouldn't that help ease the hot-tempered blood of the Beifong family line? 'Oh, I hope they like to have some fun. Tenzin and Beifong are really…serious. And strict. Hopefully they're not a buzzkill. Maybe some of them are into probending!'

"Korra." At the sound of her name, she stood up immediately to address Tenzin and the young man beside him. While Tenzin wore typical Air Nomad robes, this one wore earthly tones. Probably an earthbender, unless he just enjoys wearing Earth Kingdom attire. He seemed a bit older than her by a couple of years and looked like a perfect mix between Tenzin and Lin. Jade eyes and black hair from his mother, but the softer jawline and nose from his father. Korra wasn't sure if it was his eyes or the gaze within it that screamed Beifong, but she felt like she couldn't hide from the truth or deceive him. "This is Kang. He's one of our twins."

"Nice to meet you, Korra," Kang said, reaching out to greet her in a standard Southern Water Tribe gesture.

"Nice to meet you too, Kang. So you have a twin?"

He nodded. "A sister. She'll be out soon."

"Cool. I have twin cousins."

Kang pressed his lips together and nodded, as if unsure what to do with that information. "Nice..."

"Our oldest two are usually in the city, so they won't be back until later," Tenzin explained. "Have a seat, Korra."

"Here are some mangoes," a gentle voice called out from behind the father-son pair. Korra leaned out to see a female wearing Air Nomad attire and walking towards them with two plates of perfectly sliced mangoes organized in the shapes of flower petals. Unlike her brother, she had dark brown hair and grey-blue eyes, but the equal resemblance to Tenzin and Lin remained. "Hello. My name's Areum. Here are some mangoes as a little welcome to our place," she said, carefully setting the plates down on the small table.

"Oh, thank you."

"We didn't expect to see you here," Areum started carefully as everyone sat on the floor and she distributed the toothpicks for everyone. "Since you're from the South Pole, I'm sure being in a new place is a little overwhelming. Do you like Republic City?"

Korra picked at a mango slice. "It's really different from the South Pole and it seems really exciting." She eyed Tenzin and she could see that he was scrutinizing every word she said. "But there's something off happening here and...as the Avatar, I feel like I need to get up to speed with my airbending so I can bring balance to the city."

"Why are you in such a rush to master airbending?" Kang asked without hesitation, poking at a mango slice and staring directly in the teenager's eyes.

"Uh, what?"

"Kang…" his father warned. Even Areum glanced at her brother, knowing full well that there is little that can stop him from vocalizing his opinion. Especially when he feels that the person needs to hear the honest truth.

"Because I'm the Avatar," Korra retorted. Isn't the answer obvious? "I already mastered the other three and airbending is the last one. Once I have that down, then I'll be a fully realized Avatar."

"No, you won't be."

Anger began to quickly heat her blood and she could feel her cheeks going red. "What do you mean I won't be? Who are you to say that I won't be a fully realized Avatar?" she shot back.

"Korra, Kang, settle down," Tenzin interjected, taking a deep breath to maintain a sense of diplomacy between two fiery benders.

"First of all," Kang started with a tone so clear, it could cut paper. Areum silently cursed as she awaited her twin to deliver a striking blow, "just because you're the Avatar doesn't mean that your presence alone will restore or maintain balance to all four nations. It is a collective effort of everyone to work towards maintaining peace or restoring it. Second of all, I didn't say you'll never be a fully realized Avatar. But just because you master all four elements doesn't indicate full mastery of your role as the Avatar. Even a nonbender can tell that you currently lack the spiritual and emotional intelligence necessary to discern what course of action you should take in de-escalating conflicts. Instead, your emotions cloud your judgment and you react as opposed to responding to the situation at hand. Also, you react by fighting, but that is not a cookie-cutter answer when dealing with conflicts, Avatar Korra."

"You don't even know me!" Korra barked back, fists clenched tightly and heart rate accelerating faster than an armadillo-bear stampede. "And frankly, I don't need your opinion to–"

"ENOUGH!" Tenzin slammed his fists against the table and a strong whoosh of air pushed everyone back into their seats. Another gust of wind swirled around them as his patience reached its limits. "Both of you need to calm down. It's obvious that you both have different opinions and it is completely normal and fine. Although some emotions are running high right now, this is also an excellent opportunity to reflect on how we can diplomatically express ourselves without upsetting others. At some point, there needs to be closure from this conversation. Would you like to do that now or at a later time?"

Never, Korra wanted to say but she simply crossed her arms and watched Kang's reaction.

"Later," both of them ended up grumbling.

With a curt nod, Tenzin clasped his hands together. "Alright, we'll do that later when you're both in a state of clarity. Thank you both for bringing an opportunity to our attention to use as training for all of us."

Korra simply sat in silence, but was surprised when she heard Kang quietly say, "Thank you for guiding us in a moment of anger, Dad."

"Yeah, thanks Tenzin…" Korra followed quietly, trying to maintain some composure. 'Beifongs are a hard crowd to please and negotiate with.'

"By the way," Tenzin cleared his throat and reached into his pocket. He passed a familiar sheet of paper to Korra, "we're going to see a performance on Friday."

Korra pursed her lips together. "Huh, well…uh…that's nice. I didn't really think you guys were into seeing these types of performances."

"Why not?" Areum asked innocently.

"Because it just doesn't seem like a show the Beifongs would see for a night on the town. I mean," Korra turned the page back to her hosts, "who could imagine the Air Nation and Beifong powerhouse sitting in a theater to watch a flapper girl? At least with probending, there's action and excitement and you don't know what to expect! This, on the other hand, just…doesn't seem like any of your cup of tea. I feel like even Chief would rather be stuck at work than go to one of these jazz shows."

"Sorry, we're late, Dad. Things ran a bit late at the studio," a new voice cut sharply from the back of the room. As Korra's gaze settled on the three newcomers, that familiar drop in her chest tumbled through her ribcage. Republic City's esteemed Chief of Police stood with her weight slightly resting on the doorway, with a young man and woman by her side. Lin could easily intimidate anyone with a simple glare, stare, and roll of the eye. The natural ease and ability to command attention and respect would be more than enough to leave a stranger on their best behavior.

But it was the young woman next to her that almost forced the young Avatar to choke on air. A mirror reflection of the gray-blue eyes and long ebony black hair from the flyer stared back at her. The pamphlet failed to capture the exact features she shared with Lin. Based on her slightly raised brow and the deep gaze as she scanned the guest up and down, Korra could only guess that she was unimpressed.

"That's alright," Tenzin coughed slightly as the trio made their way closer to the table. "Kids, come introduce yourselves to Korra."

The young woman bowed her head slightly. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Meilin, but you can call me Mei," she said, voice steady and neutral. If Korra hadn't seen the scrutinizing scan a minute ago, she would have thought that the girl was just being polite and professional.

Please don't be their daughter.

Almost as if Lin read her mind, a smirk cracked on the woman's face. "She's our first kid."

Greaaaaat. This day can't get any worse with them.

"And this is our second born," Lin added, turning to the young man beside her. He stood tall with dark brown hair and green eyes, almost an exact twin of Tenzin. The main difference is that he wore spectacle glasses and dressed in a white button-down shirt and brown waistcoat. If Korra fixed her sight hard enough, she could see the muscular outlines of his arms stretching beneath the fabric.

"Hi, I'm Jin. Welcome to our home."

The gentleness in his voice forced her out of the unexpected daze and she straightened herself. "Heh, t-thanks," Korra managed to say as her hand automatically rubbed the back of her neck. A subtle warmth began to flush on her cheeks and she hoped that a blush wasn't showing on her face.

For now, she wasn't sure if she made the right decision to go to Republic City. But deep in her soul, she had a feeling it was. She just had to be patient and open to the lessons this experience would bring her.

"Do you think we made the right decision?"

Lin peered at her husband through the reflection of the mirror as her hands worked to expertly remove the pins from her hair. The exhaustion and uncertainty written all over his face pulled at something within her. He avoided eye contact with her, instead eyes fixed on nothing. She was only about halfway through the pins when she finally said firmly, but with no malice, "I told you how I felt."

Now he met her face in the mirror. "You and Kang resisted the most…Mei is mostly leaning towards you two, but you have good reason."

"Tenzin," Lin turned to face him from the vanity, "I can say whatever I want, but the final decision rests in your hands. You're Korra's airbending master and if you think this is the best decision, so be it. It's not like I've ever been able to stop you before," she emphasized with a slight smirk.

He sighed and rested his face in his palms. "I know," he groaned against his fingers. "But the timing of everything—if the Equalists find out that Korra is in the city, who knows how that will affect the revolution."

With the last of the pins finally released and the natural weight of her hair relaxing from the pressure, Lin made her way to the bed and stood by her husband. Without hesitation, he encircled his arms around her waist and settled his head against her stomach. Her fingers rubbed small circles at the nape of his neck before making bigger ones as she felt him relax further under the soothing touch. "I disagree with it, but that doesn't mean I won't be by your side. Tenzin," like a small child, he looked up at her with peace and adoration in those grey-blue eyes, "I'm glad you said 'we.'" The silence after that statement began to throw her off a bit and she tilted her head. "What?"

Tenzin smiled and held her tighter. "I love you so much."

"Do you?" she teased.

He pulled her into his lap and planted gentle kisses on her forehead, nose, and finally her lips. "There's no beginning or end to my love for you," he murmured before brushing his lips against hers again.

"You're such a sap," Lin whispered back, smiling as he captured her in another gentle kiss. Tonight felt different. The warm breaths tickling her cheeks and soft movement of his teeth gently grazing her lips reminded her of their first kiss–the first of millions to be shared in their lifetime. There was no rush. They just wanted to slowly savor a taste of love for a moment in a mad world swirling around them. Tenzin pulled her closer to him–never breaking apart from their kisses–and Lin felt a wave of protective warmth fill her heart. When they parted, their foreheads rested against each other and subtle pants exhaled in perfect harmony. A few loose tendrils of hair framed the double scar and Tenzin gently tucked it behind her ear. Lin moved closer so their noses touched. "I love you, Tenzin."

"I love you, Lin." He laced his fingers between hers and moved it over his heart, knowing she could feel the life and love beating in his chest.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Lin sighed, reluctantly distancing herself from her husband to settle herself on her side of the bed. "Come in, Mei."

The door slid open halfway, but their firstborn daughter never ventured in. Instead, she gave a small smile. "Just came to say good night."

"Good night, sweetie. We love you," Tenzin said, mirroring her smile.

"Love you, too," she repeated gently and continued to stand there for a few more moments.

Lin eyed her with a hint of more concern. "Is something wrong?" This time, Meilin walked into their room and approached Lin's bedside. Slowly, she sat down and reclined back, the nape of her neck resting across Lin's shins. The woman wriggled her legs with the hope that the movement would kick out a response from her daughter, but Mei remained silently stubborn. "You're gonna have to use words, kiddo."

"Are you upset?" Tenzin asked and felt relief wash through his bones as his daughter shook her head. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Mei took a deep breath. "I just…felt like being here."

"That's fine, too."

"How's your ankle? It hasn't gotten worse, right?" Lin asked, leaning toward the edge of the bed to catch a glimpse of the deep purple coloring almost the entire half of her daughter's foot. "You need to keep it elevated and keep it on ice."

"I know. I am, mom. Don't worry." Mei reached for Lin's wrist and gently patted her for extra reassurance. "It looks worse than it seems."

Lin leaned further for a closer view without falling out of the bed. "Just because it looks worse than it is doesn't mean you can keep dancing and jumping around on it. It still looks swollen, so don't do anything to make it worse. You're lucky you only sprained it."

"This sounds very familiar," Tenzin teased.

Lin rolled her eyes. "I'm a police chief."

"Mom, you do the exact same thing," Mei pointed out matter-of-factly, then added in an operatic voice, "Practice what you preach, dear mother."

"Don't be stubborn and don't call me 'mother.'" The woman shuddered as the last word rolled her tongue. "You're only singing this weekend, right? No dancing or hoops or aerial ropes."

"Of course."

"I can tell if you're lying, you know."

Mei turned to look at her mother, resting on her elbow. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it, Mom. I know my body and my limits. If I jeopardize my health, then I risk a career doing what I love."

"She's your mother. She'll never stop worrying about you and you have to accept that, sweetie." Tenzin began to chuckle as a memory from earlier in the day resurfaced. "By the way, Kang ate your sister's egg tarts, so you might have to make more for them."

A scoff. "Riiiight, I'm not going to make egg tarts so Kang can mooch off of my hard work. He can make it himself."

"Hey, you're about to make my legs fall asleep." Lin wriggled once more to stimulate more blood flow in the compressed area.

"Sorry." Mei shifted slightly and began to move one leg onto the bed, but paused before her other foot could leave the floor. "My twin is coming and I think Areum's with him." She turned completely and laid beside her mother, waiting for confirmation on the accuracy of her seismic sense.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Areum peeked through the door, followed by Jin. "Good night, we're going to bed," their youngest daughter announced before pausing as she noticed her older sister. "Are you sleeping here, Mei?"

A shrug. "Maybe. Are you?"

"Maybe." Both Areum and Jin walked inside their parents' room and leaned over to gently kiss their mother on the cheek and went over to their father to do the same.

Mei chuckled. "Do I get a good night kiss too?" she joked, but flinched as soon as her sister hovered unexpectedly to her. "You know I was just kidding."

"Do you really want one?" Areum asked sweetly, jade eyes genuinely waiting for permission.

Tenzin giggled from his spot. "Just give your sister one…both of you."

Areum waited until she saw her sister visibly relax and give her a nod of permission. Setting herself back on the floor, she planted a gentle kiss against her sister's cheek and crawled on the bed to hug her. Instantly, the older sibling returned the embrace. "Love you, Mei," Areum muttered.

"Love you too, Areum." Mei tightened her arms around her younger sister, closing her eyes to enjoy the moment. As it passed, she turned to her brother with a playful smirk. "Your turn, twinsie."

"We're not twins," he replied.

Meilin rolled her eyes. "You're so serious. We're basically twins."

"I'm surprised you and Kang aren't twins," Lin commented as she glanced at her oldest daughter.

"Hurry up, Jin, don't ruin the moment," Mei urged with a rising impatience in her tone.

"Alright, since you're being so patient. " Jin quickly kissed Mei on her forehead and twirled his hand as he moved back. A slight gust of wind swirled around the crown of Mei's hair. "There."

"Hey, you're going to make my hair tangled!"

"Say 'I love you,'" Lin ordered before the bickering escalated into a mini sparring session in her bedroom.

"I love you."

"I love you." Jin yawned and lazily waved a hand. "Good night."

Areum perked up from her spot. "You're not going to stay with us?"

Jin raised a brow. "I wasn't planning on it…"

"This is a rare family moment, twinsie."

"Just come and lie down with us, son," Tenzin encouraged with an amused tone. "If your mother hasn't kicked out your sisters, then why not?"

Lin turned to Tenzin. "Since when did you speak for me?"

"I'm just saying." He raised his hands up in defense. "And having the kids in bed will be like old times."

Any semblance of annoyance immediately melted from Lin's face and was replaced with nostalgia. "Like old times."

"Well…" their oldest son rubbed the back of his neck, silently debating whether to leave or stay. His resolve began to lessen with each passing second and he released a defeated sigh. "Alright."

Tenzin shifted aside so his son could sit beside him and lean back on the headboard. He almost jumped as a cold foot brushed against his calf. "Spirits, Jin! Your feet are cold!"

Lin leaned back into her pillow as her daughters cuddled closer to her. "Now the only one missing is—"

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.

"Good night, Mom! Good night, Dad!" The door slid open once again and Kang placed a hand on his chest. "Wow, thanks for inviting me to your cuddlebug party."

"It's not what it looks like," Jin said calmly. "This just sort of happened."

"And I feel so included." The younger earthbender made his way and plopped on the bed over everyone's legs, only to be met with a collective "Ow!" He sent them a look. "It's not like anyone moved over for me."

"This is so sweet," Areum commented giddily. "We're all lying on mom and dad's bed."

"Too bad no one's here to take our picture."

"I just got here, so don't ask me to get one."

Jin began to relax further as he scanned the bed. "Yeah…this is pretty nice," he agreed quietly. "But how does mom and dad feel about it?"

"Well it's better this time around because you four aren't kicking me while I'm trying to sleep," Lin answered, peering over at Tenzin. A knowing smile began to curl on their faces and they reached for each other's hand beneath the sheets. Tenzin's thumb rubbed over her knuckles as their children's commentary began to slowly deafen in their personal space. In that moment, although their physical space was filled with their children, their eyes were locked on only each other. Jade and gray. In the distance, they could hear the laughter of their kids and some shifting weight against their legs, but they ignored it.

Their childhood, first kisses, arguments, proposals, and milestones before they decided to choose each other forever began to flash through Lin's mind. At the time, she could barely imagine a life where her career ambitions and Tenzin could coexist with marriage and family. How would she ever balance all of that? Toph always said "my children are a blessing," but those were empty words that Lin could never grasp. Until it happened to her. Fear of failure within the realm of family was one of her biggest obstacles that she struggled to overcome on her own. But the one who stood and supported her through that fear was the son of Avatar Aang. Although yes, new fears emerged with the emergence of her family, it was more than worth it knowing she had the love of her life at her side through it all. Past, present, and future.

"Lin…"

"We made the right decision."