Week 1

A slammed door jerked Toph out of a light doze.

"I'm here! I'm here!" a voice called, followed by shushing and, "Oops, sorry," at a more moderated volume.

It was too late, though; the noise had woken Lin. Toph had barely sat up when there was a knock on the door. "It's open," she said around a yawn.

"Hey," Riju said when he came in. "Er, did I wake her up?"

"You sure did."

"Sorry. No, don't get up, I can get her," he said, crossing the room quickly. "Oh, wow, she's so tiny!"

"Just be careful with her head," Toph warned, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You act like I've never held a baby," Riju said with a laugh. "You may have handily avoided all the grody stuff with Bumi and Kya, but Katara made me help all the time."

"Yeah, because she's your mom."

"Hah. Shut up."

"You sure got here quick," Toph said after checking the time.

"Aang picked me up. I had a feeling something was going on, what with all the earthquakes. Not exactly normal for Republic City. Thought you still had a couple more weeks, though."

"Mm. Was a little bit of a surprise. Were you on duty?"

"Yeah. Captain Nato said I could go. And then everyone ragged on me about leaving early to go meet my 'sister'."

Toph snorted. "Sister? More like niece."

"Right?" he agreed with a chuckle.

It made her wonder how he actually saw her. She had always thought of herself as a 'big sister' figure to him. But...he had been so young when they'd met. Was she more like a parent to him than she realized? If that was the case, she knew he'd never admit it.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "You seem weirdly calm."

"I'm half asleep. I'm not even sure whether this is real life or a dream."

"It's real." He paced around the room a little. "Hm. I don't think she likes me much."

"She's only about an hour old. Pretty sure crying is something they do for fun, at this stage."

"Or she wants you."

"I'm sure she doesn't know the difference yet."

He handed Lin over and she almost instantly calmed down. "I think she does."

Toph found herself filled with both a warm contentment and inexplicable irritation. It took a few seconds for her tired brain to work out the root of it. How was it that he knew exactly what her child wanted, with so much confidence, and she was just along for the ride?

"You're the one who woke her up," she said belligerently.

"And now she's just about fallen asleep again. Guess being born must take a lot out of you."

"It was pretty tiring for me, as well," Toph said, another yawn driving home her point. "And you woke me up, too, by the way. Slamming doors and shouting. I hope your mom told you off."

"Alright, I can take a hint. I'll leave you alone. Now get some rest. I think you're gonna need it."

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Katara stopped suddenly, seeing Toph through the open door, sitting on the edge of her bed with an odd, blank look on her face.

"Toph? You alright?" When she didn't respond, Katara went in and shut the door.

"I don't get it," Toph said in a far-away voice.

"What?"

"I actually felt...good when she was born. Happy, even. now there's just...nothing there. It's like she's not even real." Her shoulders slumped but her face remained stoic. "I don't–" She shook her head slowly.

Katara sat down next to her and picked up her hand, not only as a gesture of comfort but because she knew it was the surest way to make her friend believe her words. "Listen to me. What you're feeling – it's normal. It's just your body being out of whack from the pregnancy, playing tricks on your mind. It will get better. I promise."

Toph stayed silent, her jaw clenched stubbornly.

"I need you to promise me something, Toph. If there ever comes a time when you feel this way, and you feel like you can't take it anymore and you start having dark thoughts, promise me you will put that child down and walk away. Just for a few minutes, to clear your head and calm down."

A hint of anger appeared on her face. "How could you think– I would nev–"

"I have been there. It happens. It doesn't make you a bad person, or a bad mother. It just means you're human. Promise me."

There was a brief pause, Toph's expression tight and pained. "Ok. I– I promise."

It happened only two days later, in the middle of the day when the house was otherwise empty. Lin was clean, fed, and tired, but she wouldn't stop crying.

"Please, I don't know what you want!" Toph begged, holding the unhappy child against her shoulder. But Lin just screamed and screamed. Toph lost track of the time passing. It was unending. Maddening. Pacing around her room, she tightened her grip and had a sudden, sharp urge to press Lin into her chest. To squeeze the air from her lungs to make her shut up for a minute.

And then that horrible thought sunk in. What the fuck? Toph gasped for air, suddenly unable to breathe. It was all she could do to return a still screaming Lin to her bassinet and stagger to the bathroom, where she leaned against the wall and slid down. Head in her hands, she struggled for breath, horrified with herself. What the fuck is wrong with me?

For ten minutes she sat on the cold stone floor, shaking, trying to compose herself. Katara's advice two days earlier was the only thing that got her through it. If not for the reassurance, Toph thought she might have just given up then and there. Hopped on a boat and left Republic City for good.

You're not a horrible person. You're not a horrible mother. Even Katara went through this. She said so. She wasn't lying. Toph repeated those words to herself many times, the panic slowly fading back to numb nothingness, then picked herself up and went back to her daughter. She scooped Lin up and sat down, trying to forget what had happened.

"Look, kid, I get it. You're probably not too thrilled to have gotten me for a mom. I wasn't exactly ecstatic when I found out about you, either, so I guess we're even. But we're just gonna have to figure this shit out. Now please, please, for the love of the Spirits, just go the fuck to sleep."

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Week 2

Freshly diapered and seemingly happy, Lin lay quietly on the changing table while Toph just...stood there. Disconnected. A moment of intense despair gripped her, then passed. It was something she had grown used to in the past week; she'd learned to ignore it. In some ways, those brief moments of actual emotion were a respite.

A soft noise came from Lin and Toph reached her hand out, placing it flat on her child's chest. Feeling that heartbeat. Feeling the warm flesh and steady breaths. She had felt more bonded when Lin was still in her body, a squirming little shrimp. Now she had to keep reminding herself they were the same person.

With a weary sigh, she leaned forward and picked her up. It was a little better to feel that pulse against her chest. For just a moment, she let it envelop her and tried to feel something – tried to feel connected – but everything seemed so far away.

When was this going to get better, like Katara kept saying it would? She was so tired. Tired of not sleeping, tired of doing nothing but care for this needy creature every second of every day, but most of all, tired of feeling almost nothing. It was such a strange contrast from the violent mood swings of pregnancy. And it was worse. Way worse.

But Lin appeared to be content for the moment, needing nothing from her exhausted mother, so Toph set her in the bassinet in the hopes of getting a half-hour of sleep. Before she even made it to the bed, though, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Toph?" Katara said, sliding it open. "You have a visitor. Are you feeling up to it?"

"Who is it?" She was too tired to even try to make that determination herself.

"Um...it's Satoru."

"Yeah," Toph said dully, unable to summon the surprise she normally would've had at something so unexpected. "That's fine."

"Alright. I'll send him in."

Not long after, she detected his footsteps approaching. "Toph! It's great to see you again!" he said, carrying something in his arms. "I...uh, heard the news. Well, read it in the paper, actually." He gave a little awkward laugh. "Anyway, I thought I'd come over and offer my congratulations in person. Oh, and...I got you this. Er, well, it's for Lin, I mean." He thrust a soft object into her hands. It was some kind of plush toy.

"Thanks," she said, trying to figure out the shape.

"It's a stuffed badgermole. Maybe she'll have to grow into it." He cleared his throat softly and she couldn't help but get the impression he was uncomfortable. "Is this a bad time? I'm sorry, I guess I shouldn't have dropped in on you like this."

"No, it's fine."

"You just seem kind of..."

"What?"

"I don't know. I guess you're probably really tired, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty tired." Understatement of the century.

He took a couple of steps closer to Lin's bassinet. "She looks like you."

"So I've been told."

"Um...may I...?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Hi, there," he said softly, lifting Lin into his arms. She made a vague unhappy noise but seemed to settle quickly.

"Didn't know you were a baby person," Toph said.

"Sure. I hope to have my own one day."

The pressure of trying to engage in small talk with this man, whom she had not spoken to in years, was starting to weigh on her. She sat down on the edge of the bed, hugging the stuffed animal to her chest. Eventually, Satoru returned Lin to her bassinet.

"Well, anyway," he said, "I just wanted to say hi. I'll...uh...let you get some rest."

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Satoru whispered, emerging from the hallway with a concerned expression.

Katara nodded and beckoned him to follow her outside, already having a pretty good idea of what he was going to say.

"Is she...ok?" he asked. "I've never seen her look so...defeated."

"She's exhausted. She barely has time to eat and sleep, what with everything that goes into caring for a newborn. And yes, of course, I've tried to help her, as much as she'll let me. Which isn't much. The best I can do is bring her food and keep up with the diaper laundry. She's so stubborn, she's got it in her head that she has to do it all on her own."

"Yeah, that sounds like her," he said dryly. "But it was hard seeing her like that."

"Just give her some time. It does get easier."

"I know I probably shouldn't ask, but I can't help it. Where is Lin's father?"

"I don't know," Katara said with a tired sigh. "Toph has been very tight-lipped on the subject. But...it's her business, and she's made up her mind to keep it to herself. Whoever he is, either he doesn't know...or he doesn't care." And how could he not know, considering Toph's very public position? It made her blood boil whenever she thought about it.

"So...it's not Sokka?"

"No. He's been gone for three years. And we haven't even heard from him in almost two."

"Oh, really?"

"I think that's another thing that's weighing her down. She's been pretty worried. As have I."

"I'm sure he'll turn up when he hears about Lin. He's bound to, sooner or later."

"I hope so." If he's still alive, she added grimly to herself.

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Week 3

Lin's cries woke Toph from her nap and she groaned, rubbing her hand down her face. It was beginning to feel like she was living in a nightmare that never changed and refused to end, the same events repeating on an endless loop. The only good thing was that it had all become so routine that she didn't have to think too hard. It was all muscle memory, now.

But she had only just sat up when Katara let herself in without even knocking and picked Lin up. "Toph," she said firmly. "I want you to go take a bath."

"But she's–"

"I'll feed her."

"She's not your kid!" Toph shot back, a sliver of anger breaking through. "She's mine! My responsibility."

"I've had enough of this! You're not taking care of yourself. I've already filled the tub up – even heated the water for you. Lin will be fine. Now go, or I'll make you."

Inexplicably, Toph felt her eyes well up with tears, and she hated herself for it. Perhaps it was the knowledge that, in her current state, she would be entirely at her friend's mercy if it came to a physical fight. Not that she'd risk that with Lin around, but still...

Rather than give Katara the satisfaction of watching her fall apart, she stalked off to the bathroom. The air was thick and steamy – almost suffocatingly so – but it was nice, in a way. Distracting. She peeled off her grimy clothes and slowly lowered herself into the tub, letting the tears stream down her cheeks and drip into the water as the emotion ebbed away.

Sometime later, she blinked and realized she'd fallen asleep. The water was tepid so it must have been a while. "Lin!" she gasped, sitting up straight. Then she remembered that Katara was looking after her. It was hard not to rush out to make sure everything was ok, but she hadn't actually done any bathing yet and was likely to be sent right back in here if she left in her current state.

"How are you feeling?" Katara asked when Toph emerged.

"Hungry."

"Here. I made a plate for you when I cooked lunch."

Toph sat down at the kitchen table and ate in silence, focused on shoveling it in as fast as she could.

"What's the rush?" Katara asked.

"I dunno. Just a habit, I guess. I never feel like I have enough time to finish eating before she wakes up again."

"Well, I only just put her down about fifteen minutes ago, so you can take your time."

"Or," Toph said around a big mouthful, "I can eat fast and get some sleep."

"You were in the bathroom for three hours," Katara said with a light laugh. "Figured you had a good nap already."

"Three hours? Really?" But she had to admit she did feel a tiny bit refreshed.

"Mhmm. And what do you know, the world didn't implode. Don't you feel better, now that you've gotten to take care of yourself a little bit?"

Toph frowned as she swallowed the last bite. "Rub it in, why don't you? You're Super Mom, who can take care of her own three kids and someone else's, doing all the cooking and cleaning, while I was drowning in my own filth just trying to stay alive. And I still couldn't do it. So yeah, Sugar Queen, I'm feeling loads better about myself."

"Stop being so hard on yourself. I've had a lot of practice being a mother. I have a good routine, Bumi and Kya are in school, and Tenzin is an easy baby. Yes, my life is busy and hectic, but I've been doing this for a long time. You've only just started, and you're taking great care of Lin. Give yourself a little credit. There's nothing wrong with taking a few hours' break to recharge."

But Katara's easy-going attitude wasn't making her feel any better. I'm supposed to be the 'chill' one, she grumbled to herself.

"Listen," her friend continued. "I was thinking – why don't we switch tonight? I'll take Lin and you take Tenzin. He rarely wakes more than once during the night, now. That way you can get some real sleep."

Toph sighed but she was too tired to put up a fight. "Fine. Whatever."

She went to bed that night with a feeling of mixed relief, guilt, and despondency. She'd handed her daughter off to a better woman, a better mother, and it made her feel like a failure. Taking care of Tenzin was the easy way out. At the moment, he was sleeping soundly next to her bed. She felt a pang of jealousy before the rational side of her brain reminded her that he was five months old, while Lin was less than three weeks.

She didn't even fully wake when, hours later, Tenzin started crying. While she changed and fed him, still half-asleep, her mind wandered through hazy thoughts that were more like dreams. When Lin and Tenzin grew up, would they be like brother and sister? She imagined them, years from now, joined at the hip. Best friends.

That thought made her mind go straight to Sokka. Again. How many times had she wondered where he was? Would she ever hear his voice again? If he ever came back, would he be the same person? Maybe he was out there, but with a new family. Maybe he'd fully moved on, his old life with her forgotten. Maybe he knew about Lin and just didn't care.

The next morning, well-rested but still groggy, she reached into the bassinet and was momentarily confused that the crying baby she had just picked up was way too big to be Lin. Once her thoughts caught up, an unexpected emotion pushed through. Disappointment. She was actually disappointed that the first thing her hand touched that morning had not been Lin. That was...new.

"Good morning," Katara said when Toph emerged with Tenzin. "You're looking a little more chipper today. How was your night? Did he behave?"

"Yeah," she said, handing him over. "Had some strange dreams. Where's Lin?"

"Sleeping. Though I imagine she'll be awake and hungry soon. Did you miss her?" Katara added, a smile in her voice.

"I dunno..." What was she feeling? Anything beyond the most basic, fleeting emotions was hard to decipher, these days. "I don't even remember hearing her all night."

"I'm shocked. She woke up four times."

"Guess I was just that tired."

"I've been trying to tell you. A good night's sleep can work wonders for your sanity."

Toph found she was right. When Lin woke that morning and she went to retrieve her, she pressed her face into the soft hair and basked in a faint and entirely inscrutable yet vaguely pleasant feeling. It was distant and hard to hold onto, trying to slip away, but it was there.

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"Ok," Toph said through a yawn. "Fuck, I'm having a little trouble focusing."

"Do you want to get some rest and we'll finish this tomorrow?" Yachi asked.

"No. Maybe if I just drink some water, that'll help." She started to get up from the couch, trying to not jostle Lin.

"I'll get it," Nato said before she could get far.

"Thanks," Toph muttered, still a little annoyed anytime someone tried to help her. While the last couple of days had certainly been better, with Katara's help allowing for actual, real sleep, she couldn't get over her loathing for being fussed over.

"So how is motherhood treating you?" Yachi asked with a chuckle, as if she already knew the anser.

"It's kicking my ass."

"You seem like you're taking things in stride, though. I'm sure there's an adjustment period for all new mothers."

"Honestly, I wish I could just skip ahead a few years. This sucks balls."

"I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that'll be just as hard, in a different way. Maybe harder."

"She's right," Nato said from the door.

Toph chugged the offered glass of cold water. "I don't care what you say. Anything will be better than having this kid fucking attached to me constantly, literally draining the life from my body."

"I can hold her when you're done feeding her, if you like."

"Yeah, sure," she replied absently, trying to clear the haze and refocus herself on work. "Anyway. What were we talking about?"

"The Honghui Hotel case."

"Um...burglary, right?" Busy as she was with Lin, she was unable to refer to her stack of files. "Remind me why I'm supposed to give two shits about that? Should be cut and dry."

"I only brought it up because the owner of the stolen valuables – Qin Zhen – is causing a fuss. She seems to think that you being a Beifong means you'll personally handle the case."

"Pfft. She can get the fuck over that. I don't care how much the stolen goods were worth, or how important the Zhen's think they are. It's a low priority. If she has a problem with that, she's more than welcome to march her high-society ass over here so I can tell her personally."

"Oook," Yachi laughed. "I'll keep that suggestion in mind.

"What else?"

There was a weird silence. "Well, um, actually…"

"Yachi," Nato said shortly.

"You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"Yes, I do. I thought we agreed on this?"

"It's been long enough."

"What the fuck are you two going on about?" Toph snapped. "What are you hiding from me?"

Nato sighed. "We just didn't want to bother you with this yet."

"Bother me with what?"

"Well…a couple days after Lin was born," Yachi began, "we had another witness come in that may have been bloodbent."

"What?! Are you fucking kidding me? That was more than two weeks ago! Why am I just now hearing about it?!" Her agitation must have upset Lin because she started screaming. With an annoyed huff, Toph stood up and started pacing to try and calm her down.

"Look, I know you're mad," Nato said firmly, "but we all talked about this and decided it was best to let you recover and rest for a little while before burdening you with it."

"I'm still your boss! Just because I'm not physically there doesn't mean you get to pick and choose what to tell me!"

"You put us in charge, Chief, and it wasn't a decision we took lightly."

"Ugh. Forget it," Toph grumbled, knowing that Lin probably wouldn't calm down until she did. Besides that, being angry required way too much effort. "Just tell me everything you know."

"The man's name is Chuanli," Yachi said. "Late forties. He owns a butcher shop in Red Hand territory. Said that a man came into his shop and tried to extort him. It wasn't the first time, apparently. But this time, in the middle of the night, he said he woke up to his body moving on its own. He described it as being 'horrifying and extremely painful'. After being made to unlock his front door, he passed out and woke up back in his bed the next morning. Half his stock and all of his cash on hand were gone."

"He didn't see who was doing the bloodbending?"

"Unfortunately not. He didn't even call it that. We just put two and two together."

"And you said it happened right after Lin was born?" Toph asked with a frown.

"Yeah."

"That can't be a coincidence."

Nato sighed. "We thought so too. But there's another thing. Just like last time, there was no full moon that night."

"How is that possible? Do you think the witness was making it up?"

"No, he seemed genuine. And I don't see how or why he'd make it up. I guess he could just be wrong. Maybe he had a bad dream and happened to get robbed the same night. But..."

"That seems unlikely."

"Yeah."

"So." Toph let out a long breath. Lin had stopped crying but she just stood there for a minute, lost in thought. "Assuming whoever this person is has the ability to bloodbend without the full moon, they decided to wait until I was out of commission and busy with a newborn to risk exposing themselves. "

"That's the conclusion we drew, too," Yachi said. "I don't mean to rush you, Chief, but I hope you're able to come back soon. It seems you're the only one he's afraid of."

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Week 4

"So, Ying, tell me a little bit about yourself," Toph said to the woman in front of her. After weeks of interviewing people that just didn't feel quite right, she was nearly at her wit's end.

"Well, I've got five kids. My youngest is mostly weaned, and my oldest is all set to care for him while I'm looking after your little one. You're lucky, with the timing and all. I was fixing to quit nursing my son. Aren't many wet nurses around these days."

"I know," Toph agreed. "I wasn't too hopeful, so I admit I was a little surprised when you responded to my listing."

"I understand you have a demanding job. What kind of hours are we talking about here?"

Ying had a short, brusque way about her. But, then again, so did Toph. It was oddly refreshing. Maybe they'd get along well.

"Eight to five-thirty, five days a week. If I have to go in on the weekends, I can take her with me."

"That sounds doable."

"I'm looking for someone to start ASAP, but just part-time for now. Two or three days a week, from about nine to two. You would have to come here, though. My house is being renovated. It's probably going to be another few weeks until it's ready."

"I'd need a few days to get some things sorted at home, but yeah, sure. That's not a problem."

"Alright, good. She's asleep right now, but I can introduce you," Toph said, getting up to lead Ying to her room. "So, here she is," she whispered, gesturing to the bassinet. "This is Lin."

"How old is she?"

"Three and half weeks."

"Premature?"

"Yeah."

"Thought so. She's real small."

Toph couldn't help but feel a little defensive. "She's healthy. And a good eater. Feels like that's all she ever does, sometimes."

"Well, I don't want to wake her," Ying said, heading back to the hall.

"She's a light sleeper," Toph said once she'd shut the door. "It can be challenging with Katara's kids running amok once they get home from school. They're really loud, but she tries to keep them out of the house as much as possible. And of course, she has her own baby, too. He's about six months."

"Heh. A full house is nothing new to me."

"Right, I guess not." Five fucking kids, Toph mused silently. Why would anyone do that to themselves? Even Katara only wanted two. "So do you have any other questions for me?"

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Sokka didn't think he'd ever get tired of watching the sun set over the endless ocean, and he was so entranced by the play of colors on the water that he almost missed the snippet of conversation passing by behind him.

"...another one. Wonder if this one will be an airbender."

He whipped around. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"Huh?"

"You said something about a new airbender?" Had Kya started airbending?

"Dunno if it is. Heard from a fisherman this morning that the Avatar's got another kid. After two duds, makes you wonder, eh? Kinda think he should just go out and spread the love, if ya know what I mean."

He and his buddy laughed heartily but Sokka was not amused.

Two duds? Seriously? "When did this happen?"

"...This morning," the man said slowly, like Sokka was some kind of idiot.

"No, I mean when was it born?"

"How should I know? What's it to you, anyway? You know them or something?" Both men laughed again and kept walking.

Sokka took a deep breath, the guilt he'd been ignoring for months pushing itself forward with a vengeance. This is what I get for avoiding people and newspapers. He couldn't help but see this as a nudge to finally go home and reclaim his old identity. Well, maybe more of a forceful shove than a nudge. Boy, am I going to be in trouble.

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Week 5

"I'll take good care of her, don't you worry," Ying said.

"I should be back by two," Toph said, chewing her lip. The whole situation felt…weird. She'd been so looking forward to getting out of the house, but now that she was about to leave, that eagerness was slipping away. Halfway out the door, the unease spiked to real fear. What am I doing?! I barely know this woman! She turned on her heel and stalked into the kitchen where Katara was. "Can you...you know...?"

"Don't worry," Katara said with a light laugh. "I'll keep an eye out, I promise. Lin will be fine."

"Ok. Thanks."

Feeling marginally better, Toph tried to regain that sense of relief as she headed to work. It was so bizarre. She wanted a break, desperately. More than anything. It had been four solid weeks of doing nothing but taking care of a newborn. The numbness had more or less faded but she couldn't claim to enjoy the time she spent being a human milk machine, among everything else. No, it wasn't fun, and it was still hard to see her daughter as more than just an inconvenient burden.

But...Lin was also a part of her. Literally a piece of her that had been ripped from her body to be subjected to the dangers of the real world. So small and helpless. How could she not worry about Lin's safety? It was exhausting, constantly waking up in the middle of the night to make sure she was still breathing, and it was ten times worse now that they were separated.

"Well, well, look who it is," a detective said when she arrived at Headquarters. "All slim and trim. Glad to be back in your armor, Chief?"

"More than you can imagine. Still doesn't quite fit right, though." I swear to fuck, if he says one word about my tits, he's getting earthbent across the room.

"So are you officially back, then? You wrangle the Avatar into looking after your kid?" He laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd ever said.

"I hired a nanny. And I'm not going to be here all the time yet. Just a few days a week."

She could hardly go anywhere that morning without having similar conversations with just about everyone. Penga was aghast when they crossed paths.

"Chief! I had no idea you'd be back so soon! Why didn't you tell me?! I was going to throw a little party for you."

"I don't have time for parties. I have so much fucking work to do."

"Yeah, no kidding," Penga said grimly. "I don't know if Luon, Nato, and Yachi have had the balls to admit it yet, but we are...struggling. I don't think anyone quite realized just how much you actually do around here.

Toph couldn't help but grin; it was immensely gratifying to hear that. "Did ya miss me?"

"I really did. But I'm surprised you're back so soon."

"Soon? I haven't set foot in this building in seven weeks. Felt like seven years."

"How is Lin? Are you going to bring her in for a visit?"

She wasn't the first person to ask that, but Toph was reluctant. There was something about removing Lin from the safety of the Island that didn't sit well. She wasn't even a month old yet. And every few minutes, Toph had to shake herself out of that feeling that she'd forgotten something important.

Lin is fine. She's being looked after. This is something I'm going to have to get used to. "Just come to the Island if you want to see her," she said aloud.

"Really? I can? I didn't want to impose."

"No guarantee she won't be sleeping. And that's not an open invitation for everyone else here, by the way, so keep your mouth shut about it."

As soon as she could, Toph accompanied Detective Yuka to the residence of Chuanli, the man who had been allegedly bloodbent. A nervous thrill shot through her; this case had the potential to become a monstrous pain in her ass and she really didn't know what was about to happen, especially after the last witness had disappeared. More than three years had passed since then and the case was as cold as ever.

Chuanli barely cracked the door open when they knocked. "What do you want?"

"I'd like to ask you a few questions about your testimony."

"Dunno what you're talking about."

Toph sighed in frustration; this was a common problem with witnesses who had been extorted by one of the gangs. It wasn't a good sign. She put her hand firmly on the door before he could shut it.

"I know you're lying. C'mon. You came to us for help. Do you want it or not?"

"I don't want help. Just leave me alone."

But Toph wasn't having it and forced her way in. It probably only worked because he wasn't expecting it. Her muscle tone was not what it used to be.

"Chief!" Yuka exclaimed.

"Hey! You– You can't do that! This is a private business!"

"Yeah, well, maybe I want to buy some meat!" Toph shot back.

"My shop is closed right now!"

"Why won't you talk to us?!" She could feel a wave of irrational anger bubbling up.

"What are you going to do? Arrest me?" Despite his challenging words, he was quaking in his boots.

"Maybe I will!" On some level, she knew how ridiculous she was being, but this whole situation was just pissing her off.

"Chief..." Yuka said quietly behind her. "Maybe we should go."

Toph whipped around furiously. "You don't tell me what to do, Detective," she seethed. No one spoke for several long moments, then suddenly Toph's anger evaporated into mild annoyance – mostly with herself. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Great. Looks like I'm back to mood swings. Maybe I wasn't ready to jump right back into this stuff. "Ok. We're going. If you change your mind, you know where to find me."

After that, she decided she'd had quite enough police work for the day and hurried back to the Island, desperate to feed Lin. Her armor wasn't helping with that problem one bit. Besides that, the entire day had just been such a strain – certainly not as relaxing as she'd hoped. Her new life kept incessantly tugging on her, unwilling to let her step back into her old life. There were now two distinct – and utterly opposite – versions of her: She was Chief Beifong, but now she was also...Lin's mom. And they were not playing nicely with each other.

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"C'mon, Milk Breath," Toph said, sitting on the couch with Lin on her legs. "Don't go to sleep yet. Your grandmother will be here any minute and she's going to want you to be awake when she meets you."

But Lin was full and sleepy; Toph could feel her breath and heart rate slowing, her legs ceasing that incessant kicking they usually did when she was more alert. Any second now she'd start up with her annoying whine that almost always preceded sleep.

Footsteps approaching the house caught Toph's attention. "She's here."

Katara left to answer the door and Toph bounced her knees a little to try and keep Lin awake and happy a little longer.

"Mrs. Beifong," Katara could be heard saying. "So wonderful to see you again. Please, come in. Toph is just in here."

"You have a lovely home."

"Thank you. Please, make yourself comfortable," Katara said as they entered the living room. "Would you like some tea?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you."

"Hi, Mom," Toph said from the couch.

"It's so nice to see you again, dear. You're looking well."

Toph didn't quite understand the compliment. Between lack of sleep, poor personal grooming, and now work stress, she didn't see how it could possibly be true. Was it simply her mother's high-society manners? "Thanks," she said, standing. Unfortunately, the motion apparently made Lin realize that she was tired. "It's a shame you didn't get here ten minutes ago," she added over the shrill cry. "She was in a much better mood then."

"May I hold her?"

"Sure." She handed Lin over and returned to the couch with a weary sigh while her mother made gentle crooning noises. Then Poppy began humming softly, which was something of a surprise, and Lin gradually calmed down. "What is that?" Toph asked. "That song?"

"I don't think it has a name. Just a melody from a music box I had when you were young."

"Sounds really familiar."

"I'm not surprised. It was one of your most favorite things. Then one day you knocked it onto the floor and it broke. You were inconsolable for days, but you calmed down when I hummed the tune."

Toph wasn't sure what to think of that little story. She wasn't accustomed to having those sorts of conversations with her mother. The letters they exchanged never covered old childhood anecdotes. "I guess Lin likes it, too. Is she asleep?"

"No. She's watching me."

There was a heaviness behind her words that Toph understood. Poppy had probably been wondering if Lin was blind or not. The letter announcing her birth, with an invitation to visit once Toph had had a few weeks to settle in, had not included specifics on that point.

"She's the spitting image of you, when you were this age."

"Hm. I've been hearing that a lot. Though I guess you're probably the most reliable source." The couch cushion sank a little bit as her mother sat next to her. "So...I guess Dad didn't come to the city with you?"

"Well, he's been very busy."

But Toph could guess the real truth. He was probably struggling with the shame she had brought on the family and had made himself busy.

"I know he'll want to visit with the two of you next time he's here."

Lin started fussing again and Poppy went back to humming. Toph leaned back and closed her eyes, listening. It might be helpful to remember this tune more fully; Lin was obviously responding well to it. For a minute or so, they just sat like that. It was an oddly peaceful moment. Then Toph realized she was about to doze off and sat up, unable to stop a yawn.

Her mother chuckled. "You two are just alike."

"Heh. Dunno if this city can handle two of me."

"Well, I'm sure she'll have gotten a little of her father, too."

Toph rolled her eyes. Father. Lin didn't have a father. She had an unwilling sperm donor. "Yeah, well. Who knows." It wasn't something she had given much thought to, beyond worrying that Lin would inherit his largeness, making childbirth dangerous. Fortunately, that had proven not to be the case, though admittedly she was a leggy little thing.

"I'm not trying to upset you, dear, but you can't blame me for being a little curious."

"You and everyone else," Toph grumbled. Why were people so obsessed?

"Is he a good man?"

The question threw her. Most people wanted to know the obvious stuff – his name, how they'd met, if he was going to be around. But this was something she could actually answer. "He is. And for the record, I'm fine with being on my own."

"If you say so."

"I know you're concerned, but I have Katara and Aang. Lin won't want for anything."

"Toph, I was never worried about that. I know she will be well taken care of it. It's you I worry for."

"Why?" she asked, genuinely curious. "I've proven time and time again that I can handle whatever the world throws at me."

But her mother just laughed softly. "You'll understand soon enough, now that you have a daughter of your own to worry about."

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A/N: It may not have escaped you that, lately, Toph has been playing jump rope with the line between brash confidence and crippling self-doubt. It's intentional. She's a mess right now, but she's trying, bless.