Just a heads up - quite a lot of time passes between some scenes. This chapter takes place over two years.

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A bead of sweat dripped down the back of Toph's neck while she waited for the bell. In the year since Sport Bending had been created, this was the toughest match she'd ever been in. Both of her teammates had been knocked out, and she was left fighting another earthbender and a waterbender on her own.

DING

The key was to keep moving. It was hard to anticipate waterbending attacks, especially without teammates. But Toph was undefeated in this ring. Losing wasn't an option.

The earthbender was good, easily dodging her attacks and patient enough not to do something reckless. He was unfamiliar – a wild card – so she was being cautious. Of course, if it were just the two of them, she'd take him out easily. The problem was that at least half of her attention was on the waterbender.

Small bits of the floor spun around in a protective band, allowing her to catch and deflect water attacks. She shifted sideways and threw several rocks in quick succession, but her opponents were unusually agile.

Dodge.

Twist.

Strike.

Neither team could gain any ground. The noisy spectators were just a dull, encouraging roar in the background, though Toph could easily pick out Kya's characteristic shrieking laugh. A surge in the cheering filled her with confidence, and she sent a ferocious attack at the earthbender.

And then...something...familiar happened - a bizarre vibration she had not felt in many years. It completely shocked her and for a moment she was frozen in place. A tendril of water snaked around her ankle and suddenly she was falling.

"Time out!" the ref called just as Toph caught herself on one hand – barely – and awkwardly twisted around to land on her knees. The crowd went deadly quiet. It was the closest she'd ever come to being knocked out.

"What– What is that?" the ref asked while a confused murmuring from the audience started up.

"Sun?" Toph asked tentatively.

"Was beginning to think you wouldn't recognize me, Sifu." The voice was vaguely familiar, but also very different. Deeper.

"You two know each other?" the ref asked. The three of them met in the center of the ring, with Riju trotting over as well.

"An old student of mine," she said. "I see you've kept up with your training."

"Was that...lava?" the ref asked.

"Yep," Toph said before Sun could answer. "He's a lavabender. And don't you fucking tell me that was a legal move!" She was nervous; normally, bringing someone to their knees would result in being pushed back a zone. And since she was already as far back as she could go (thanks to her useless teammates), it would mean a loss.

"He's not the one who got you," Riju said.

"That only happened because he blocked my move with lava! That's way too dangerous to be using in a match! It was a distraction!"

"C'mon, I know how to control it now. I wasn't going to hurt anyone."

"What's your call, Ref?" Riju asked.

There was a long silence.

"Draw," he said finally, much to her relief. "I don't like how it ended. I called the time out before she hit the ground, and I would have called it sooner if I hadn't been so shocked. We'll do a rematch tomorrow night, same teams. And no lavabending!"

"Yeah, I'll add that to the book," Riju said dryly.

They all cleared out to make room for the next match, Sun following behind Toph as she went to get some water.

"So how've you been?" he asked.

"Oh, you know. Busy. What brings you to Republic City after – fuck, how long has it been?"

"Thirteen years. I heard about Sport Bending and had to come see for myself. I wasn't at all surprised to find that you were involved with it."

"And undefeated, thank you very much."

"Well, before tonight."

"Hah, fuck off," she laughed, punching his arm. "It was a draw."

"Only because the ref decided it was on a technicality."

"I wasn't expecting lavabending, and neither was he. There are rules, you know."

"Spoken like a true Police Chief."

Toph sighed. "Look, it's a long story, ok?"

"Hey, no judgment. I'm only messing with you. I hear you've really made a difference here."

"Yeah...well. Don't believe everything you hear."

"What? Humility? You've changed, Sifu."

"Nah, I know I'm awesome and work my ass off for this city. But I'm only one person and it's virtually impossible to keep up with it all. But…whatever. What about you? What have you been doing with your life? Did you find a master?"

"No. I became the master. I've found a few other lavabenders, but it seems to be a rare skill."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Did you ever–?"

"No," she said shortly. "I decided to focus on metalbending. I had a lot on my plate, anyway, even before I became Chief. This city has always been a cesspool."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I don't think I could ever live here."

"C'mon, let's go sit down and watch the rest of the matches." She located Sokka and Rey, Sun following closely behind.

"I gotta say, T," Sokka said with a laugh, Kya babbling happily on his lap. "I do not regret coming tonight. Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

"Hah. Shut up. It was a draw, ok?"

"Sure, sure."

"You remember Sun?" she asked as they sat.

"I thought that might be you," Sokka said. "It's been a while. How have you been?"

"Good. I see you've got a family now?"

"These are my sister's kids. I'm babysitting so she can have a date night with her husband. This is my girlfriend, Rae."

"Nice to meet you," she said. "That lavabending was incredible! I was so shocked!"

"That's what I was going for!" Sun laughed.

Toph rolled her eyes. "It was very distracting. Even more than this noisy little banshee. I could hear her over all the cheering."

"Yeah, try having it right in your ear," Bumi grumbled. "That lavabending was cool, though. Not even you can do that!"

She frowned at him. "I can, Gremlin. I just choose not to."

"Really?" Rae asked. "You can lavabend?"

"I haven't done it in a while," she admitted, really wishing someone would change the subject. As if it wasn't hard enough that she had to sit here and pretend to be friends with this woman...

It didn't matter that it had been almost two years of single life. Sokka was around, constantly now, and Toph had accepted that she would never be completely over him. So yes, she was bitter. Bitter and jealous of their happiness. It was a fact that she had learned to live with. Her existence was perpetual survival mode, at least when she was around them. "It's really dangerous, and I just don't have the time or space to devote to practicing."

"She's right," Sun agreed. "I spent a lot of time around volcanoes where I didn't have to worry about hurting anyone. If I had an important job like Chief of Police, I wouldn't be anywhere near where I am today with my lavabending."

Kya suddenly let out an excited scream, making Toph wince. "What's she so worked up about? She doesn't even understand what she's watching."

"Actually I think she's probably hungry," Sokka said.

"I'm hungry, too," Bumi chimed in. "Can we get snacks, Uncle Sokka?"

"Alright, I guess I'll go get something from the concession stand."

"Get me something, too, Meathead."

Rae got up to go with him and Kya was promptly deposited in Toph's lap.

"Guess that makes me the babysitter," she grumbled as they left.

"I don't need a babysitter," Bumi said.

"Wasn't talking about you, Gremlin." Kya turned around, stood up on Toph's thighs, and laid a sloppy, wet kiss on her cheek. "Gross," she complained, trying to wipe her face, but Kya had locked her little arms around her neck, making it difficult. "I swear, you better not make that banshee noise in my ear!"

Sun was laughing heartily. "Ladies and gentleman, the world's toughest earthbender, inventor of metalbending, Chief of Police. I can see she's really intimidated by you."

"What does intimidated mean?" Bumi asked.

"Means to be scared of someone."

"Aunt Toph's not scary. She's just grouchy sometimes."

"Oh, I know. She used to teach me, you know? When we were teenagers."

"Are you her new boyfriend?"

Toph scowled, opening her mouth to protest, but Sun didn't miss a beat.

"Nah," he said. "I'm just here to visit my old friend."

"Oh, ok. I just thought that might be nice, since Aunt Toph has–"

"BUMI!"

"I think you better leave it alone, kid. Otherwise, you're gonna see just how grouchy she can get."

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While the crowd wasn't as big as it had been for the ten-year anniversary of the war's end, it was still pretty impressive. Behind the rows of full chairs set up in front of the low stage, hundreds of pairs of feet shifted idly. A fine, misty rain cooled the summer air, a welcome relief from the previous week of scorching temperatures. Even so, Toph was still sweating profusely inside her armor. It was uncomfortable enough that she was barely paying attention to Councilman Ludo next to her and kept tuning in and out.

"...ten years of hard work and self-sacrifice…trials and tribulations with...constant uphill battle…"

Normally, she loved hearing people sing her praises, and there was no reason she could think of that she shouldn't be enjoying it now. But it all felt so...hollow. So empty. Ludo was among her harshest critics, so it was a little strange to hear him say those things. Well, he was a politician after all, and it was just a speech.

"I present to you this new badge, a mark of your dedication and unwavering service."

He stepped forward and replaced the one that she kept pinned to her headband. The crowd cheered, which at least served to improve Toph's mood a little. It was nice to be appreciated, even if they were just getting caught up in the pomp. She doubted any of them actually cared about her police work.

"I have here a list of Chief Beifong's most notable accomplishments, not just in the last ten years, but her lifetime." There was a rustle of paper as he cleared his throat. "Competed in and won her first Earth Rumble tournament at the tender age of eight. Invented metalbending and contributed to the end of the Hundred-Year War at age twelve. Founded and managed a metalbending academy at age thirteen. Became an executive partner at Earthen-Fire Industries at age fourteen. Co-led a task force to combat crime here in Republic City at age fifteen. Founded the world's first metalbending police force at age eighteen.

"Quelled the Daiwan Riots without loss of life. Solved the case of the Baytown Butcher. Saved hundreds of lives during the Leech Street bombing by holding up a shattered building, at great personal cost. Helped negotiate peace during the labor strikes. And finally, sponsored the founding of the massively popular Sport Bending."

During the reading, Toph's chest had grown tighter and tighter with pride. Well, fuck, I really am awesome, aren't I? The crowd was silent, seeming to hang onto his words, but he wasn't done.

"She has perfected the arts of earthbending, sandbending, and metalbending to a peerless degree, and overseen the training of at least eight hundred metalbenders. In the last ten years, despite accepting only a meager salary, she has worked an average of eighty hours per week, participated in over 3,000 interrogations, and written or reviewed more than 35,000 reports."

There had been an odd quality in his voice at the end, as if he were unsure of what he was saying. He paused for a moment.

"Truly, Republic City owes you a great debt, Chief Beifong. Thank you for your service."

His words were utterly sincere, and Toph couldn't prevent her eyes from burning as the crowd exploded with deafening cheers. It was quite possibly the proudest moment of her life.

"Would you like to say anything?" Ludo asked quietly in her ear.

Toph just shook her head, mouth shut tight. Instead, she faced the crowd and offered a formal bow. She wasn't sure why; it just seemed like they were expecting something from her.

After that, it was her job to present several medals to various officers for their achievements, as well as announce Nato and Yachi's promotions to Captain alongside several new Lieutenants. When the ceremony finally ended, an old friend found her as she left the stage.

"Hey, Toph. Congratulations," Satoru said warmly.

"Thanks. I'm...surprised you came."

"I wouldn't have missed it. And I'm glad I didn't. Were those tears I saw in your eyes?" he teased.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well, anyway," he said with a chuckle. "I'm glad you got the recognition you deserve."

"Fuck, me too. Ludo's usually coming down on me harder than anyone. Well, except for that asshole Amaruq, but he doesn't count."

"I got the idea the Councilman didn't write that list. He seemed...I don't know. A little surprised. Like he hadn't read it beforehand."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was strange. I was right up front, so I could see his face."

"Huh. Probably was Rinna. Don't know who else would've known all those numbers."

"Yeah, maybe." He was quiet for a moment; Toph didn't really know what else to say to him. They hadn't spoken at all in two years. "Well...I just wanted to say hi. Also, uh, I wanted to let you know I'm getting married."

"Really? Congrats. Same person as before?"

"Yeah. Liu. But anyway, I should get going. It was really nice seeing you again."

"Yeah," Toph murmured. "You too."

As if that encounter weren't depressing enough, Sokka took her aside for a quiet conversation no less than three months later. "So...I've got some news," he said, a smile in his voice.

"It's a fucking epidemic," Toph muttered under her breath, having a pretty good idea what he was going to say.

"What?"

"Nothing. What is it?"

"Well...I asked Rae to marry me. She said yes."

Toph plastered a big, fake smile on her face. He was the only person she had ever been willing to do that for. "Congrats."

"You don't seem surprised?"

"That's because I'm not. And it's about time. You're no spring chicken. I mean what are you now, forty?"

"Forty? Really? Do I look forty?"

"...Was that a joke, or did you forget I was blind again?"

He suddenly grabbed her hand and put it on his face. "Do I look forty?"

For just a few seconds, Toph allowed her fingers to lightly graze across his familiar features, ignoring the stabbing pain in her chest. Why was he doing this to her? Did he think she was over him, the way he was so obviously over her? "Much more wrinkly than I remember," she said snarkily, pulling her hand away.

"Wow. Rude," he laughed.

"Hey, someone's gotta give you shit. Just fulfilling my role as best friend."

"I'm glad you feel that way."

"Aw, c'mon, don't you get sentimental on me, Meathead. We've always been best friends. I'm not gonna let you getting married change that."

And yet, she knew it wasn't the same as it had once been. Those were just brave words. The truth was that the more serious his relationship with Rae had become, the less Toph saw of him outside of work. With his responsibilities focused on domestic issues here in the city, his trips abroad being few and far between, they interacted professionally quite often. But they rarely had chances for this sort of casual, almost flirtatious banter, and it was no accident. She avoided him, plain and simple. The hard part had been hiding the fact that she avoided him, and even now she wasn't sure her efforts had been a success.

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Since the labor strikes last year, Toph had attempted to adapt to the idea of a 'weekend', as it had come to be called. Not that she had allowed herself to actually partake. Five days a week was just not enough for her to get everything done, especially at first when she was bogged down with restructuring every single officer's working days. For several months, she'd had to completely forego her usual patrol shifts – which were the best part of her job – just to get it all sorted out.

In fact, things had only just begun to calm down when a peculiar development interrupted her valiant attempt to take an actual day off. Even worse, she had stayed up very late the night before with a bottle of fire whiskey, celebrating the announcement of Sokka and Rae's wedding date, which they had finally decided on after months.

'Celebrating'. At home. Alone.

When an officer came to fetch her at some ungodly hour of the morning, she was dead to the world. For how long that determined young woman pounded on her door, Toph wasn't sure. All she knew was that the noise eventually woke her from a pleasant dream. Extremely annoyed, she tottered out on unsteady legs and probably not enough clothes.

"What?"

"I'm so sorry, Chief," the rookie officer mumbled, actual fear in her voice. "Captain Nato needs you. He said it's urgent."

"Great. Wonder who died," Toph said fatalistically, definitely still a little drunk. "Tell him I'll head over once I figure out how to put my armor on." With that, she slammed the door and stumbled back to her bedroom. After throwing on something a little more socially acceptable, she stood in front of her wardrobe for a second, said "fuck it", grabbed her cable harness, and headed out, for once not even bothering to tie her hair up.

"Ok, what's the big emergency?" she demanded once she found Nato.

"Uh...did you forget your armor?"

"It's still sleeping. Didn't want to wake it."

"Are you drunk?"

"It's my fucking day off, Nato. Do you know how long it's been since I had a day off? Because I sure as fuck don't. Now why the fuck am I here?"

"Well...I was going to ask you to help me question a witness, but now I'm rethinking that. Let's, uh, go talk in your office."

"So no one's dead?" she asked as they walked, relieved enough to momentarily set aside the fact that she'd been disturbed for something so trivial.

"Not that I know of. But this is still pretty serious. In retrospect, maybe it wasn't quite serious enough to interrupt your...relaxation. But I really thought you'd be upset if I didn't tell you about this ASAP, and you're here now, so…"

The door clicked shut and Toph leaned against her desk, grateful for the support it provided. "Spit it out."

"There's a man here who claims to have been bloodbent."

It took a second for her to process what he was saying. "Blood...bent…?"

"Yeah."

"But that's illegal," she blurted, knowing how ridiculous and idiotic the words were the second they crossed her lips.

"Well...yeah, obviously."

"Um…" She shook her head briskly, trying to clear her thoughts. "Ugh. I know. Can't think straight." There was a sound of water pouring, then he handed her a cold glass. "Thanks. Ok. So...bloodbending. Is it…a full moon?"

"No. Not even close."

"So he's just lying, then? Or is this something that happened during the last full moon?"

"No, he said it happened last night."

"Right. You need me to see if he's telling the truth."

"I'm not sure I have a lot of faith in your ability to do that at this very moment."

"Hah. Fuck. You may be right." She suddenly remembered the water in her hand and chugged it down in one breath. "Fuck, I'm going to have one hell of a hangover."

"What's the occasion?"

"None of your fucking business."

"Alright, alright. Keep your secrets. I guess you might as well go home and sleep this off. You're useless to me like this."

"You keep talking to me like that, you're gonna see just how useless I can be."

"I'm...not sure what that means."

"I don't fucking know. I'm going home. Make sure we've got that witness' info on file, I'll track him down tomorrow."

And she did try to, but found nothing but an empty apartment. After a few days of that, they had cause to look around inside. No sign of a struggle. Mostly empty drawers. It was like he'd packed up to go on a long vacation.

They watched the building for weeks until finally, Toph had to admit defeat and add the file to the ever-growing stack of cold cases.

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The lights of Republic City at night made it all look much prettier and cleaner than Sokka knew it was. It was the main reason he'd made sure to get an apartment with a balcony. He loved standing out here to look and think. So many memories in this city, good and bad, but the night seemed to soften everything.

"Aren't you cold?" Rae asked from the open door.

"Nah."

She came over and wrapped her arm around his ribs, leaning her head on his shoulder. "What are you thinking about?"

He didn't want to tell her. There was something on his mind that he desperately wished he could get rid of. A seed of doubt had sprouted after announcing the engagement, then steadily grown during the intervening months. Now it was monstrously heavy, tendrils wrapped all around his mind and heart.

"I need to tell you something."

"...What?" The wariness in her voice made him cringe.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, afraid of what this would mean. "I'm...not over her."

Rae's head pulled away from his shoulder, though her arm remained, hand tightly gripping his shirt. "Will you ever be?" she asked after a long silence.

"I…don't know."

"You told me before that you know you don't have a future with her."

"It's still true. But I can't change how I feel. I don't know how to. I wish I did." He turned to face her, gripping her arms, thumbs tracing up and down her smooth skin. "Please...I– I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do."

"I think you already know the answer."

"But I don't," he said desperately, terrified that she was seconds away from walking out on him. "Please…"

The pain in her eyes was more than he could bear, so he focused on the hint of anger surfacing. She was such a level-headed, analytical person, but would eventually work herself into a fury when provoked.

"Have you known all along?" she asked. "And were just hiding it? Or did something change? Did something happen between you two?"

He knew exactly what it had been, though he'd tried hard to forget about it. He'd seen the pain on her face when he announced the engagement. Toph was never one for fake smiles, and it wasn't very convincing. But that, he had expected to some degree; it was what had happened next that now tormented him. That innocent moment of friendship, her fingers lightly skimming across his face, was no different than anyone else looking at him with their eyes. But he had seen something on her face that he was sure she hadn't meant to show, a truth that he had convinced himself was no longer there.

And knowing had made all the difference.

"Nothing happened," he lied. How could he tell Rae any of that? "I barely see her outside of work. I think she's been avoiding me."

"And it kills you, doesn't it? To watch her life pass by without you being part of it."

She was right, he realized. Never had he been able to articulate it so succinctly.

"I…" But he didn't have a clue what to say.

"As long as she's within reach, you're never going to get over her."

Sokka blinked, a little taken aback by her implication. "What are you saying? You want me to completely cut her out of my life? I thought you said before–"

"I know what I said," she snapped, lower lip trembling. "And I was naive. I know you can't help how you feel, but neither can I. If this is going to work between us…" She took a shaky breath, jaw clenched. "...you need to cut the cord between you two. I'm not saying it has to be forever, but at least for a while."

He let her words roll around his head for nearly a minute, weighing the options. Toph…out of his life for an indefinite period of time. Or…losing Rae forever. Any chance of love, a happy marriage, kids…all of that out the window. "Let's go," he said quickly before he lost the nerve. "Away from here. We can start a life together with no distractions."

Rey's eyes widened. "You– You'd really do that?"

"Isn't that what you want?"

"I thought you'd say no. What about your family? You'd miss out on Bumi and Kya growing up."

"I'll miss out on a lot more if we stay. And like you said, it doesn't have to be forever."

"I want to," she murmured, her eyes locked on his with a spark of hope.

"So let's do it. Let's go. Tonight. I'll send a message to Katara, then we'll hop on a train. Or a ship. Whatever you want. What do you say?"

Toph noticed Katara approaching her office with a determined stride. "Come in," she said before her friend even had a chance to knock.

"Hey, do you have a minute to talk?" Katara asked, an edge to her voice.

"Sure. What's up?"

"Did you get a message from Sokka?"

"No. Why?"

"Really? Nothing?"

"Really." She was starting to get impatient with her friend's cryptic behavior. "Did something happen?"

"They left. He and Rae. They left in the middle of the night."

"Huh? What do you mean? Where did they go?"

"I don't know. I woke up to a telegram. It didn't say much, just that they were leaving and to cancel the wedding–"

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. I just spoke to Councilman Ludo, though, and apparently Sokka quit his job."

It was making less and less sense, and Toph was starting to get worried. "Why would he do that?" she muttered, half to herself. "I thought he was happy here, with his important job, about to get married. But they left together, so obviously they haven't broken up. Right? They did leave together?"

"Yeah."

"Well… It's not the first time he's checked out. Maybe they just got sick of the city and need a break."

"But why not wait until after the wedding? They were both so excited about it. I don't get it. And he didn't say how long they'd be gone, just that it might be a while. What does a while mean? Weeks? Months?"

There was a not-so-small part of Toph that was relieved she was going to be spared the trial of sitting through Sokka's wedding. Thinking of that, unwanted thoughts began to wiggle its way into her awareness: Why had he left without warning, without saying goodbye or even letting her know? It was insulting and hurtful. Wasn't she supposed to be his best friend? It was hard not to feel like this had something to do with her.

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The rainy weather seemed more than apt for this day, Toph mused to herself, standing erect at the back of the small gathering. People always said rainy days were gray and gloomy. She didn't understand color metaphors, but she could feel the drops running down her face like tears, so she supposed the gloomy part made sense.

Not that she was remotely upset enough to cry. The rookie that had lost his life under her command was nothing more than a symbol of her failure to protect. She hadn't known him personally. His death did not affect her day-to-day life in any significant way, besides the extra paperwork. She felt horrible thinking of it that way, but it was the truth. This pain she was feeling was not grief, only stubborn regret for something she didn't have enough control over.

Barring any emergencies, Toph always attended these funerals, standing silently in the back in her metal uniform. Sometimes the families spoke to her; usually, they did not. She supposed they probably blamed her. That seemed to be the case, this time. But not showing up would be worse, right?

And it was absolutely garbage timing. That kid had been nineteen years old, just getting started with life. He was cocky, they said. Too confident in his own abilities, very much like someone else she knew. Someone whose eighteenth birthday was only a few weeks away, who had dreamed of being a cop since the first time he metalbent her meteorite bracelet. Maybe even before.

Almost without thinking, she reached up to the spot on her bicep where it lurked under her armor and shirt. Two months ago, she had dug it out of her drawer, where it had sat for almost three years. Two months ago, when Sokka had disappeared from her life.

The days passed and she tried not to think about either Sokka or Riju. At her request, Rinna pulled out all of the earliest cold cases, some of them nearly a decade old. It was a distraction, and a welcome one. Every night, she was in her office until nearly midnight, then back at it again the next day, seven days a week. She redid the patrol rotation, accompanying rookies nearly every day.

And then one morning he appeared in her office. How had the days passed so quickly?

"Don't ya know what day it is?" Riju asked cheerfully.

"Of course I know what day it is," Toph replied with a weary sigh. "Twelve years' worth of birthdays, and you think I'd forget?"

"So? Where do I sign up?"

"What about Sport Bending? I understand that's become a full-time job. You can't do both."

"Have you not listened to anything I've said in the last six months?" he asked incredulously. "I have a business partner now. He's going to take over most of it. Where have you been?"

"I...vaguely remember you mentioning something about that. But I never approved you handing it all over to him! I was the original investor, you know. I should have some say."

"Why– Why are you mad? Surely you knew this was coming. Why are you acting like I blindsided you?"

"Because I don't want you to become a cop!" she spat, suddenly furious, her hand hitting the table with a loud slap.

"Wh– But–" he stammered. "I've been talking about this for years. You always knew I was going to. Why don't you want me?" For a moment, he sounded like a timid little kid again. "I'm a good metalbender. I know I need to practice more, but I'm still better than most new recruits."

"I don't have the budget for any more new officers."

"That's a fucking lie. I know one just–" he cut off suddenly and was silent for a moment. "Oh."

Toph rested her elbows on the desk and pressed her palms against her forehead. "Rinna, can you give us a minute?"

"Of course."

"Sifu," Riju said, surprising Toph. He hadn't called her that outside of training sessions in years. "You can't treat me different just because you've known me longer. Any earthbender could walk in off the street and get recruited for training without even having to talk to you. It's not fair. And you can't protect everyone, either. People die. It happens. Every single one of your officers knows that, and they want to do this job anyway. I want to make a difference, just like you do. How can you do something every day and tell me I can't?"

"You're not just another officer, Riju. Just another name attached to a voice that I barely know. You're..."

"What?"

Why was she fighting so hard against this? He had made some good points. What was she trying to say? "Family."

"You think I don't worry about you, doing this job? Remember when you almost died three years ago? You were so upset about Sokka that you didn't even notice that…" he trailed off, voice full of bitterness.

What he was saying made the air feel suddenly very thin around her. Fuck. He was right. She'd basically ignored him, avoiding the Island for months. "So is this punishment, then? You want to put me through that same worry?"

"What? No! That's not at all what I'm saying. Fuck. I'm not that petty."

She winced, regretting her impetuous words. "When did you become so foul-mouthed?"

"Since I got my own place," he chuckled. "Without worry of Katara's wrath, all the years of your influence finally came out."

"Can I ask you something?" she asked, a sudden thought diverting her.

"What?"

"Did you ever think of her as your mom? I mean, I know it's been a running joke, but seriously. I'm curious."

"She is my mom. I never called her that, but she is. I know I was a brat about it."

"Well look at you," Toph murmured. "All grown up."

"But don't you ever tell her I said that! I'd never live it down."

"Oh, don't worry, I intend to save it for a special occasion," she said with a wicked grin.

"Ok, so now that I'm being all mature and honest, can you please at least consider letting me join? I really want to do this. I always have. I think I'd be good at it. And I promise I won't be stupid and reckless."

Toph sighed, defeated. "Go see Michi."

"Michi?"

"She trains the recruits. C'mon, you know this."

"But...I already know how to metalbend."

"Yeah, but you don't know how to be a cop. What, did you think you were gonna get your armor the day you walked through the doors? You wanna join, you gotta go through the program just like everyone else. Trust me, they'd hate you otherwise. I'm doing you a favor. Now get the fuck out of my office before I change my mind." But she said it with a crooked smile, an unexpected swell of pride blooming in her chest.

"Yes, Chief."

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

Dear Sokka,

I heard from Katara that you'd gone back to the South Pole. I don't really know why I'm writing this letter. I guess it's just weird not having you around, and I'm frankly pretty pissed that you left without even saying goodbye, and that you haven't written me at all.

All that aside, I'm sorry things didn't work out with Rae. I really thought you were finally going to get everything you wanted out of life and it honestly makes me mad to think of how you keep getting the short end of the stick. You're a good person and you don't deserve the shit hand you've been dealt.

I hope you find your way back home soon. The guy that replaced you as the ambassador for the United Republic is a prick and I hate him.

Your Friend,

Toph

Toph,

Just wanted to let you know I got your letter. Don't feel too sorry for me. I'm not so innocent. I've made a lot of mistakes and been the cause of my own unhappiness more often than not.

I don't have plans to return to the city any time soon. The cold here is oddly refreshing.

Stay safe.

Sokka

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

"So I was thinking," Katara began. "You're thirtieth is coming up."

"Believe it or not," Toph said dryly, "I was aware of that."

"I thought maybe we could have a party here. Invite some of your officers. Maybe we could even convince Sokka to come up for the occasion."

"I'm not sure why you think that." She tried hard to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

"Haven't you two been exchanging letters?"

"One letter. I sent him one letter. And his reply didn't exactly invite any continued conversation. Fuck, it would almost be better if he'd just ignored me."

"What did he say?"

"It's not important. Just forget it."

"Well, if it's any consolation," Katara said, "he doesn't give me much, either. I still can't get him to tell me what happened with Rae." She made a soft, frustrated noise. "Anyway. Whether he comes or not, I still think it would be nice to have a party."

"Why? Why should I celebrate being old?"

"Thirty is not old! You're in the prime of your life. Not a gray hair in sight. Unlike me, by the way."

"That's 'cause I don't have to chase around two little gremlins. It's your own fault."

"Please. Your life is at least as stressful as mine. Probably more. You're just lucky. Nature has been kind to you in the aging department. You could pass for a twenty-year-old."

"If you say so. I wouldn't know, or care."

"Anyway, my point is, it's not celebrating getting old. It's celebrating all the life you've lived. Your twenties were a wild ride. You've been through a lot. You've loved and lost. And here you are, on the other side of it all, and I think you're doing pretty well."

I am, aren't I? Toph mused silently. I have the life I want. Crime is down. I have my independence. Things are going well. Maybe not easy, but that would be boring. So why do I feel this way? Why do I feel so...numb? What do I even want?

"It doesn't have to be a big party," Katara continued, oblivious to her dark thoughts. "But I won't let this day pass without at least a nice dinner. What do you say?"

"Sure, Sugar Queen. Whatever you want."