A/N: I'm trying a new format for this story. So some chapters may be shorter, and some longer as they interconnect and weave, switching between characters.

This story isn't complete but I have a good chunk done (around 15 chapters so far), so I thought I would start posting and we'll go from there. Expect weekly posts, starting with Friday's but it may switch to Monday's in the future like A New Path was.

I hope you like this, its a lot more angsty than usual.

*Ages of the characters in 136AG will be posted at the bottom*


136 AG

Lin was checking the list of groceries she had written earlier that morning as she walked towards the market. It was a warm, spring day and she wished she could be spending it perfecting her metalbending forms and not doing the food shopping for that week. Usually Suyin came with her, but she was at a friend's birthday party today, so it left her to do the task alone.

She decided to take the shortcut she usually did when heading to the market. She knew it wasn't the best idea, but it easily cut 10 minutes off her route and was in a relatively safe neighbourhood. As she walked, she mentally was going over what order she would buy everything and which stalls would have the best produce or meat; she never noticed the shadows from above.

Lin heard someone hit the ground behind her, she quickly turned and bent a rock into her would-be attacker as she turned. He dodged it, just barely, and bent fire back at her. As they engaged in a fight and the longer it drew on, Lin had a feeling that something wasn't quite right. It was almost like he was distracting her. Her eyes narrowed at him, but before she could voice any questions, another pair of feet hit the ground behind her.

She attempted to turn to have her back against the wall, but she never got the chance. She was chi blocked as the person landed, causing her arms to go limp.

"What the flameo? What do you want from me?"

The firebender in front of her just grinned oily. "We have a friend who wants to say hi."

She was about to use her feet to earthbend the man into the next alley, when something sharp went into her shoulder. Then everything went dark.

"Chief Beifong speaking."

"Mom? Do you know where Lin is? She was supposed to pick me up from Xia's birthday party over an hour ago."

Toph frowned. "What do you mean, Suyin? It's unlike her to be late to anything."

"I tried calling the house but there was no answer. Can you come pick me up?"

"I'll be there soon." Toph hung up the phone. She muttered to herself as she got up from her desk where she had been going over the braille transcripts her assistant had typed up from the most recent cases. "That girl better have a damn good reason for wasting my time like this."

When Toph reached Suyin's friend's house, her youngest ran out. "Finally. Can we go home now?"

Toph rolled her unseeing eyes. "Let's go kid."

As they walked the few blocks to their house, Suyin looked at her mother. "Do you think Lin is okay?" The 10 year old asked.

"She probably just fell asleep on the couch or something. Teenagers, am I right?"

Upon entering the house, they found it dark and empty. Toph used her seismic sense to check the whole house, but there were no other heartbeats in the house.

"Maybe she went to see Tenzin?" Suyin suggested.

Toph went to the phone and picked up the receiver. She spoke quickly with the dispatch woman before she was connected through to Air Temple Island.

"Katara speaking."

"Look, Sugar Queen, I don't have time to talk. Have you seen Lin today?"

"No Toph, I haven't. I've been here all day, she hasn't come to the Island at all."

Toph frowned. "Are you sure? What about Junior, do you think he has seen her?"

"Tenzin went with Aang to see Zuko. What's this about Toph?"

Toph sighed. "I don't know. Lin never picked up Suyin from her birthday party. The house is empty. This just isn't like her…"

"I'll come by as soon as possible. I'll grab Sokka too. We'll find her. She'll be fine." Toph could tell that even though Katara was trying to be reassuring, she could hear the concern in her voice.

/

"Okay, let's walk through what she was supposed to do today." Sokka said, sitting beside Toph, while Katara sat beside Suyin.

"Well she dropped me off around 10 this morning at my friend's house." Suyin said, her voice shaking as fear crept into her heart.

Katara put an arm around the young girl and pulled her into her side. "Do you know what she was planning to do until she had to pick you up?" She asked gently.

Suyin thought for a moment. She gasped, remembering. "Groceries! Usually we go every Saturday morning to the market. Lin always makes sure we get the best deals."

Toph stood up quickly. "Let's go follow the route she takes. Maybe she got caught up at the market." Toph couldn't sit by and do nothing any further.

"Are we sure Suyin should go?"

"Auntie, I know the shortcuts Lin would take. I can do this." Suyin said, confident now that they would find Lin at the market.

The adults followed Suyin as she led them through the route the Beifong siblings used every Saturday.

The sun was starting to set now, so they walked quicker. They turned down the alley that Suyin said Lin usually would cut through, when Toph made everyone stop.

"What is it?"

"Can't you see the disturbance in the ground up ahead. I can feel chunks of rock out of place. One hit the side of the building. There was definitely a struggle. Sokka I need your eyes. Is there any personal artifacts on the ground or something that could tell us who was involved?" Sokka stepped forward, listening to Toph's request. "And don't disturb anything, just in case."

Sokka approached the scene and saw something white under a piece of rock. He bent down and looked at what looked to be a note. He realized it was a grocery list and was definitely Lin's handwriting. He glanced around to see if there was anything else and saw the black messenger style bag that Lin liked to use.

He closed his eyes, trying to brace himself for what he needed to tell the women behind him. When he stood and looked up, he could tell Toph had felt the change in his heartbeat. Her face was a mix of grief and hardness.

"Sokka?" Katara asked when she noticed his hesitance.

He swallowed past the lump that was quickly gathering in his throat. "It's uh.. Lin's bag is here, along with the grocery list."

Toph slammed her foot on the ground, trying to feel if Lin's heartbeat was around. But she couldn't feel it, and she knew her girls' heartbeats as much as she knew the feel of the earth below her.

Her shoulders dropped, along with her chin, hiding her face behind her bangs. "Sokka. I need you to call headquarters and have any available detectives and my deputy come."

/

The RCPD detectives confirmed the signs of a struggle. They also found a needle with what they assumed to be shirshu sedative residue on it.

The Police's own shirshu was brought in quickly, as they were also widely known for their ability to track and they didn't want to lose her scent. It led them to the docks, but unfortunately that was where the trail went cold.

Katara took Suyin to Air Temple Island, promising Toph to keep an eye on her.

Katara sighed after setting Suyin up in the living room near the fire with a mug of hot cocoa. She took a moment to escape to her office, dreading the call she needed to make.

She gave the dispatcher the code for the direct line that Zuko had given to his close friends, and waited while a servant rushed to get the Fire Lord.

"Katara? Is everything all right?" Came Aang's voice, though she could tell that Zuko was beside him.

She held back a sob at hearing her husband's voice. "I-It's Lin-" her words caught in her throat.

"What happened? Is she alright?" Came Zuko's own voice, tinged with concern.

"Sh-she's missing. Please come quickly. We think she has been taken. Her scent led the shirshu to the docks. Toph and Sokka are trying to find her. I have Suyin here, she's so upset. I don't know what to do…"

"Just stay with Su, she needs you right now. Tenzin and I will leave as soon as we can pack." Aang said. "Lin's strong. We'll get her back if it's the last thing I do."

"I'll be coming too. I am sure Mai and Izumi will come as well. Now is a time for family." Zuko replied as well.

/

"Toph, please have a seat and eat something. You need to keep your strength." Sokka pleaded with her. He watched as she continued on to the next ship to search for Lin.

"Sokka, I can't stop. Lin could be anywhere right now. I need to find her." He caught the tremble in her voice, and the way she faltered slightly in her steps. So different from the usual confident demeanor the earthbender wore like a second glove.

Instead of responding, he stopped her and pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. She struggled for a moment, before a heartbreaking sob escaped her as she shook in his arms, clutching his shirt in her fists.

"I can't lose her Sokka." She brokenly whispered.

Sokka placed a kiss on her head. "We'll find her. We'll find her." He kept repeating that as he held her tighter. He looked out into the dark night watching the waters of Yue Bay, tears in his own eyes. He needed to believe that he was right. Lin was like his daughter, both the girls were, and it broke his heart knowing that Lin was out there, all alone. Please Yue, help us find Lin. Bring her home. Keep her safe. He sent the silent plea up to the Moon above. Hoping the Moon Spirit heard him.


Ages:

Lin - 16

Toph - 49

Suyin - 10

Poppy - 72

Zuko - 53

Mai - 52

Izumi - 26

Iroh II - 2

Sokka - 53

Katara - 51

Aang - 49 (149)

Bumi - 23

Kya - 20

Tenzin - 17

Sukki - 53

Uncle Iroh - 91 (He is mostly just going to be mentioned in the story, not really in it)