As the city skyline came into view, Sokka was filled with nostalgia and anticipation. And no shortage of apprehension, too. Three long years, he had missed. Would Bumi and Kya even recognize him? It was hard for him to find words for why he had done it, though deep down he knew that self-pity was a factor.

Unfortunately, disconnecting from his family and even his identity hadn't helped. Running away with Rae hadn't made him get over Toph. Drinking in the South Pole hadn't done the trick. The last two years as 'Li' the sailor, the fisherman, the United Forces volunteer, the rogue, the hermit, the mysterious lover who left in the dark of night – it had all been one last-ditch effort to reset himself. And while it had helped him to find some clarity, the problem remained unsolved.

He was still in love with Toph. Worse, he had probably destroyed their friendship, or at the very least severely damaged it. Thinking about his last letter to her made him cringe: A cold, taciturn acknowledgment – no more, no less. He didn't even know what was going on with her life and job, thanks to how carefully he'd avoided any form of chatter or news from Republic City in a futile attempt to get her out of his head. It was only dumb luck that he'd heard about Katara's new baby.

For the most part, Sokka was done trying. True happiness was a myth, he'd decided, and his new goal was bland contentment. Gone were his dreams of settling down, living that proscribed domestic life. Often, he had wondered why he wanted it so badly that he'd traded happiness with Toph in the hopes of one day finding it. He was nearly thirty-six years old now, which admittedly wasn't too old to start a family, but he was just...so tired of trying and failing. At this point, the idea of living a quiet life on Air Temple Island and being the best uncle ever didn't sound so bad.

But what to do about Toph? He chewed his lip pensively and drummed his fingers on the rusty rail, hoping that he would figure it out once he saw her again. Did she hate him? She would undoubtedly be angry, but would it fade and allow him to fix things? Was there even the faintest hope for something more, if he promised not to put any pressure on her? Did he even want to go down that road again, even if she were willing? How many times had he asked himself those questions? Hundreds, he was sure.

After what seemed like an eternity, the steamer pulled into the docks of Republic City. For a brief moment, he was tempted to go straight to the police station. He needed to see her, needed to talk to her and have his questions answered. But...maybe a public reunion wasn't the best idea. And anyway, she could be out doing fieldwork. Instead, he headed for the ferry, catching it just before it left.

The house was quiet and apparently empty upon arrival. Well, Bumi and Kya were probably at school still. But where was his sister? She supposedly had a newborn, so it was probably best not to make too much noise.

One of the bedroom doors – the one Toph had always used – was shut, which in this house meant it was occupied. Had it been commandeered for the new baby? Was his youngest niece or nephew sleeping in there? Overcome with curiosity, he slid the door open and peeked in. Yes, there was indeed a bassinet in there, as well as other nursery-type furniture. He stepped inside and had a little bit of shock.

Toph…! There she was, right in front of him. She was sound asleep, wrapped up in thick blankets, face tucked down with her messy hair hiding it. What in the world is she doing here? He tiptoed across the room to have a look inside the bassinet; a tiny, sleeping face framed with dark hair peeked out.

His attention drifted back to Toph, who was apparently on babysitting duty. Sleeping on the job again, he thought with a smile. Work must be kicking her ass. Was she actually taking a day off? Was that why she was here in the middle of the day? Or were Katara and Aang just that busy?

"Toph," he whispered, crouching to gently shake her shoulder, desperate to hear her voice. "Toph. Wake up. It's me."

She made a sleepy noise and shifted slightly, then abruptly flung her arm up and punched him in the nose.

"Ow! Fuck! Spirits, T."

"S-Sokka?!" she stammered, just ahead of a shrill cry starting up from the bassinet. "Ugh, great. You woke her up. Thanks a lot."

Sokka rubbed his face, eyes watering. "Think you broke my nose."

"Well you fucking deserve it!" she snapped, pushing past him to collect the unhappy child. "Where the fuck have you been?!"

"Just...traveling," he said, watching her curiously. Clearly, she'd gotten better at the baby stuff. How had Katara managed to wrangle her into diaper changes?

"Traveling? That's it? That's all you have to say? Two fucking years of nothing, no letters to anyone, and you show up here and say you've been 'traveling'? That's the best you can come up with?"

The disgust in her voice was fully expected and well-deserved, but Sokka found he didn't even care. He was still too busy watching her and just let her rant without interruption.

"I'm gotta say, T, I am impressed," he said when she was finished. "That was...very efficient."

"Dunno why you're so surprised," she grumbled, returning to sit cross-legged on the bed, her back against the wall with the calmer but still fussy baby in her arms. "You obviously knew about her. I'm assuming that's why you finally decided to drag your sorry ass back here."

"More or less–" The words had barely passed his lips when she lifted her shirt and attached the child to her breast. "Wait...what–? What are you–?" Finally, it all clicked, though he couldn't make it make sense. "She's... yours?"

"No shit, Captain Obvious. You just told me you came back because you heard about her...?"

"I heard that Katara had a baby. I thought she was hers... I didn't hear anything about you." He actually felt a little light-headed and sat heavily on the edge of the bed, unable to take his eyes off her. "I– I'm speechless, T," he choked out.

"How could you not have heard?" She seemed more confused than angry now. "She's a month old. Tenzin is six months old. Have you been living under a rock?"

Sokka pressed his hands against the sides of his head, trying to force himself to comprehend what he was looking at. Toph was sitting right in front of him. With a baby. A baby that was hers. Nothing could have prepared him for this. Was this even real? Was he dreaming?

"What– What the fuck happened? How did this happen?"

"How? You really need me to explain it to you?"

He wasn't put off by the mocking scorn in her voice. Disbelief was rapidly transforming into anger and betrayal. "Yes. I do. I need you to explain to me why you threw away a life with me because you refused to even consider having a child – ever – despite knowing how much it meant to me, and now here you are with another man's baby."

Her mouth twisted with disgusted fury. "Do NOT call her that! She doesn't belong to anyone but ME! And don't you dare fucking come in here after three years and judge me! You have no idea what I have been through in the last year, because you fucking vanished and we were left here to wonder if you were ok and if you were ever coming back. Fuck you.

All of the shame and guilt came crashing down around him, the weight of it making his shoulders hunch and quashing his anger. He glanced up to see tears in her tired eyes and a familiar stubborn set to her jaw.

"You should have been here," she continued in a quieter, unsteady voice. "I needed my best friend and you weren't here. I was pregnant and miserable and you were the only person in this whole goddamn world that could have made it all just a tiny bit more bearable and I didn't know if I'd ever hear your voice again or if you were even still alive."

He slowly ran his hand down his face, her pain making his chest ache. "I'm sorry…" he muttered, swallowing what was left of his pride. All he wanted in this moment was to see her smile again, and he searched for what words he could possibly say. Nothing felt right.

Then he realized he knew her to her very core. The best thing he could do right now was distract her from becoming more emotional, so he scooted back to sit next to her and looked down at the small face pressed against her breast. "What's her name?"

"Lin."

"Lin Beifong. Has a nice ring to it." One of her tiny hands was clutching Toph's shirt. "I can't believe you're a mom, T." Even through the guilt, it was impossible not to feel sorry for himself. How had they ended up here?

"I still have trouble believing it myself, some days."

"So…you got all fat and everything?" he asked in a valiant attempt to lighten the mood.

"Obviously."

"Wish I could've seen that."

"You still can," Toph said with a sigh. "Katara made me participate in a family photo event after Tenzin was born."

"Speaking of my dear sister," Sokka said, making a mental note to ask her about that later, "where is she? Am I going to be in big trouble?"

"I didn't realize she'd left." Her fingers brushed across her watch. "Oh. I guess she must be picking Bumi and Kya up from school. She'll probably be back soon. And yes, she's going to–" Lin suddenly turned away and started crying. "Really? That's it? You're done?" Toph said with exasperation, fixing her shirt and shifting Lin to her shoulder. "Fuck. She's been doing this shit all week. Feels like my tits are going to explode."

Sokka couldn't help but smile. Same old Toph. "Can I hold her?"

"Sure."

"Shh," he crooned, taking Lin. "It's alright. Uncle Sokka's got ya. Sorry I woke you up earlier." His voice seemed to make her curious; she calmed down and blinked at him with familiar green eyes, though hers were brighter and clearer. Part of him still couldn't believe he was holding a child that was Toph's, but not his. "She looks just like you. I feel like I know her already. Not sure how I didn't notice that when I first walked in here and saw her."

"Yeah, me neither. I couldn't believe how thick you were being. I mean, this is my room after all. Has been for years. What were you thinking?"

"I don't know. I feel like an idiot, now, of course. I just wasn't expecting..."

"Yeah. I know."

Sokka took a deep breath, both curious to know more and dreading hearing it. "It should have been me," he said softly, Lin's tiny fist gripping his thumb.

"You left," Toph replied firmly. "I know I pushed you away, but you agreed with me in the end. And then you cut me out of your life. You don't get to be mad at me for moving on."

"I'm not." Hearing her say that aloud hurt a lot more than he'd thought it would. "I'm just saying... In a better world, this would have happened to us, before everything fell apart."

"You're wrong. I resent that this happened to me. I don't blame Lin for existing, but I absolutely blame the man responsible. If it had been you, I would feel the same way."

"You don't think that our long history and shared bond would have made a difference at all?" he asked, deciding not to comment on the obvious unfairness of her implication.

"It would have made a difference," she said quietly, "but not enough of one." Her expression said she wanted to say more, and he waited for it, but she stayed silent.

"Is her father in your life?" he blurted, just to get it over with.

"No."

"He's not around at all? Not even for her?"

"Nope. And before you start feeling sorry for me, I'm fine with it."

Sokka thought back to what she had said before – about being upset and alone during the pregnancy – and a picture began forming in his mind: A long day at work, followed by a night of heavy drinking at the bar. A man she had just met and never saw again, then an unwelcome problem a couple of months later.

Whoever he was, did he know he had a daughter? A perfect little girl with pale skin and black hair, the spitting image of her legendary mother. "I'm sorry I wasn't here. I would have held your hand in his place. Whatever issues we may have between us, I would have been here for you if I'd known."

She sighed softly, though her face was obscured at the moment. "Aang had to pick up your slack."

"Really? You actually let him in the room?"

"I didn't have a choice. I nearly earthquaked the whole island apart. He had to go into the Avatar state."

"Well, fuck. I can't believe I missed that."

"Why did you? I'm still waiting for an explanation."

"It's...complicated," he muttered, the brief flare of amusement evaporating.

"I've got time." She pulled her legs up and rested her chin on her knees.

Sokka contemplated how honest he wanted to be. "I just needed to figure my life out, away from everything and everyone. I know I should have written. But I…" He trailed off, conflicted.

"And was it worth it? Did you figure your life out?"

"Not really. I guess it helped a little, but it was hard not to think about everything I was missing. What day is it? Have I missed Kya's birthday?"

"It's next week. She's a waterbender, by the way."

"Oh, really? Is that why they had another kid?"

"Actually, I think Tenzin was a tiny bit of an accident."

"Katara said that?"

Toph shrugged. "Just my hunch."

"Maybe they just wanted another one. I always figured they'd try and have as many airbenders as possible."

"Personally, I can't imagine why anyone would be willing to go through that more than once, much less three times. Or more.

"What? You don't want to give Lin a sibling one day?" Sokka joked.

"Um. No. In fact, I've sworn off men for good."

"Please," he chuckled. "I know you better than that."

"I'm serious. I won't risk going through that shit again. No fucking way. I'm done."

Despite the lightheartedness of the banter, her words caused a painful twinge. It was starting to become clear that Lin's existence had made a faint hope blossom within him. Toph now had what he wanted. Here was this little family, right in front of him, with a space that he could fit into so nicely. It wasn't exactly what he had wanted, but it was the next best thing.

"I guess that means there are no openings for the role of step-dad?" he muttered before he could stop himself.

A long silence followed his question.

"Are– Are you fucking kidding me?" Her tone and what little he could see of her face leaned far more towards disbelief than anger, though there was some of that, too.

"What?" he said, wounded by her reaction. "Is it really so unbelievable to you that I might want that? After everything we've been through?"

She seemed to be struggling for words. "I don't– Are you actually– You– You made it glaringly clear that I was the root of your unhappiness. Did everything you could to remove me from your life. And now you're saying you want to pick up where we left off six years ago? Because I have a kid now? Suddenly that makes it all ok?"

Before Sokka could fully process her words, Lin scrunched up her little face and started crying again.

"Give her to me," Toph said with a weary sigh.

He silently handed her over, trying to sift through what Toph had said while he oriented himself to face her.

"What did I do that made you think you were the reason I was unhappy?" he asked finally, once Lin was back to her noisy suckling.

"Hm, let's see… How about how you took off right before your wedding without saying goodbye? Or even leaving me a fucking message? How about that pathetic excuse for a letter where you said 'I've made a lot of mistakes that led to my own unhappiness, and the only way I can be happy again is to waste away in the South Pole and forget I ever knew you.' How about–"

"I never said that!"

"I was paraphrasing, and maybe making some inferences there at the end. But the first part was true and the rest of it seemed obvious, based on what you did."

How could she be so right and so wrong at the same time? He pressed his fingertips together in front of his face pensively, trying to organize his thoughts. "Ok, let's get something straight here. I do not regret being with you. I wouldn't trade those memories for anything. I admit that, during some of the darker days, I wondered if you and I messed up, rushing into things when I was still grieving. Maybe it was unhealthy. Maybe we should have waited longer. But–"

He cut off when she suddenly reached over and took hold of his wrist. "Tell me the truth. Did you and Rae break up because of me?"

Well, I guess I should have been expecting that. He took a deep breath. "Yes. We broke up because I had unresolved feelings for you. She couldn't get past it."

"I didn't know," Toph said unsteadily. "I thought– I figured it was her having a problem with me. I thought you'd moved on."

"I tried. I tried so hard to make things work with her. And I made a real effort to keep the truth from you, at the cost of avoiding you. I didn't want to make you feel like it was your fault."

She let out a hollow, humorless laugh. "You thought you were protecting me? You thought that ignoring me for months, then disappearing for two years, wasn't hurting me? C'mon, Meathead, I know you're not that stupid."

He winced at the venom in her voice, but it made him feel a surge of stubbornness, too. "I did the only thing I could do, the only option left to me. I was a fucking broken disaster, and I needed some distance. I really hoped that, with enough time away, my feelings for you would be tempered and we could coexist peacefully.

"It didn't work," she said flatly. It wasn't a question.

"Not even a little bit," he confirmed, relieved to finally get it off his chest.

But Toph pulled her hand away. He blinked, hurt that his confession had made her break contact. The silence stretched on and he began to understand.

"It's gone for you…isn't it?" he asked in a miserable whisper, dreading her answer.

"I...think I've finally realized the difference between us," she said slowly.

"What?" he said after a moment of waiting for her to continue, trying to understand the odd, strained look on her face.

"You've lived your whole life in search of 'happiness'. Trying to squeeze as much of it from life as you can. But me? I'm just trying to survive. I think maybe we're both in the same boat, but you're standing at the front looking for signs of land, and I'm huddled in the middle just grateful that it's not sinking."

Sokka was shocked. He had never heard her talk like that. Toph was upfront, direct, and in your face. She said it like it was. She didn't beat around the bush or speak in riddles and metaphors. And frankly, he was having some difficulty deciphering this one. "Don't try to tell me you weren't happy when we were together," he said, her implication filling him with bitterness. "Because I know you were."

"That's what you got out of what I just said?" she snapped, looking exasperated. "Fuck, Sokka. Obviously, I was happy. Happier than I've ever been. That's my fucking point. I came out of that experience accepting that I'd hit the high point of my life and I just needed to find some way to struggle through the rest of it. Unlike you, I'm not trying to be happy. I'm just living. Surviving."

She stopped and took a long, slow breath, then continued in a calmer voice. "And I'm definitely not willing to risk having my heart broken again, especially now that I'm responsible for this extremely needy creature that requires all of my attention."

Well, that was a little more on-brand for her. Blunt and clear, though...surprisingly emotive. Motherhood had obviously had a profound effect on her, further evidenced by how she was now idly rubbing Lin's back. It was such a warm, maternal gesture, and seemed almost unconscious. Was that the real difference between them now? Was her heart so full that there was no room for him, despite the fact that she apparently did have some lingering feelings?

"I could help, you know," he said, in too deep now to stop himself. "I'd be a good dad. Do you really want to do this alone?"

"Who said anything about alone? Aang and Katara have been a huge help, and I'm sure you will be, too."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Weren't you fucking listening?" Though the words were sharp, she kept her voice even. "I just said I don't want to put myself in a position to be hurt again."

"I heard you the first time, but I don't get it. Things are different now. I would love Lin as if she were my own. I wouldn't ask you for more." It occurred to him that he was getting dangerously close to begging, which hadn't been his intention at all. Looking at her impassive face, he could see this particular conversation was over.

Then he remembered something she'd said earlier and couldn't help himself from blurting, "Hold on. Are you just being stubborn because you're worried about getting pregnant again?" He meant it half-jokingly, trying to lighten the mood a little, but her reaction wasn't what he'd hoped for. "Because there are plenty–"

"You know what?" she seethed, looking truly pissed off. "I'm done. I'm done trying to explain myself. That was the most words I've strung together in months, and I'm just too fucking tired, especially since you woke me up while she was napping, which by the way is the only time I get to sleep."

"Ok, who are you, and what have you done with Toph's sense of humor?" Surely that would elicit at least a derisive eye roll.

Wrong again.

"Why are you being such a fucking jerk?" she spat, her voice catching.

"What? I was just trying to make you smile. We've always talked to each other this way. I'm not used to you being so…sensitive." But he knew the moment the word left his mouth that it was a mistake.

"Sensitive? Sensitive?! I just had a fucking baby! I'm hormonal and exhausted and still trying to accept this life that I never asked for. So excuse me if I'm a little sensitive."

Unsurprisingly, Lin started crying again. Toph clamped her mouth shut, a frustrated puff of air leaving her nose. Once she managed to convince Lin to calm down and resume eating, Sokka reached for her free hand and pressed his palm against hers, wanting her to feel his sincerity.

"For what it's worth, I think you're doing really well. I've only been here for a little while and I can already tell that you are a great mom. I always knew you would be."

Once again, she surprised him. Her hand pulled from his grasp to cover her face, features contorting as raw emotion took over.

"Hey, hey," he said gently, scooting back to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Spirits, I can't get anything right today, can I?" He glanced down at Lin, held snugly against her mother's body. "I meant what I said, though. You've always poured your whole heart and soul into everything you do, even when you didn't want to. It's one of the things that–" He stopped, not wanting to upset her further, and chose different words. "That I've always admired about you."

She took a couple of sharp, shaky breaths. "I'm not as pathetic as I seem," she said in a tight voice. "It's just the mood swings. I can't help it. And I'm too tired to try."

"Well, I'm sure things will even out soon."

"Not until I'm done with this"–she gestured at herself–"bullshit. According to Katara, anyway."

"You mean breastfeeding? Really? I didn't know that."

"Neither did I. One of the many super fun things I've learned in the last few months. I was also entirely unprepared for just how much I would need to eat. Fuck. If I'd known that beforehand, I'm not sure I would have given up my apartment to stay here."

"You gave up your apartment? Wait, what does that have to do with eating?"

"The food, Meathead. It's weak and bland and boring. I'm hungry all the time."

"Well, don't you worry. I'm here now and I'll make sure you get the greasiest, tastiest, meatiest dishes Republic City has to offer. I know I have a lot of best friend stuff to make up for." And I'm going to do whatever it takes to regain your trust, he added silently. Because I know I fucked up. I might have too much pride to say it out loud, but I know it.

"Ok, I have got to know," Sokka said to Katara later that evening, after all the initial greetings and profuse apologies for his absence were over with. He'd waited until Toph was asleep to broach this subject, not wanting to risk being overheard. "What is the deal with Lin's dad? Surely you know something ."

"She didn't tell you anything?"

"Only that he's not around. And that she's 'fine with it'," he added with air quotes. "Was she involved with someone? Or was it just a one-night stand and bad luck?"

"Oh, no, she was definitely involved with someone."

"Really… Was it serious?"

Katara narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Why do you care?"

"I don't," Sokka lied, shrugging. "But can you really blame me for being curious? I didn't think she was interested in being in a serious relationship."

"She wasn't. And I really don't know that much. She wouldn't even tell me his name. But…I think maybe she was a little more attached to him than she meant to be. It went on for about a year, as far as I can tell–"

"A year?"

"She said he traveled, so I don't think he was around all the time, but I could always tell when he was. I'd go weeks without seeing her at all, then she'd show up here all mopey and lonely. I think she was really depressed when he took off for good."

None of this was what Sokka wanted to hear. It hurt to think of her forming a long-term attachment to another man, as irrational as he knew the feeling was. He would have preferred to think of Lin's father as a random nobody that Toph never spared a moment's thought for. The idea that she might have actually loved him was much harder to cope with.

"So he did take off, then? When she told him about Lin?"

"I mean, she didn't say it outright, but what else? Either he knows and doesn't want to be involved, or he's a special kind of idiot to not put two and two together. And I don't see Toph involving herself with someone like that."

"Yeah, me either."

"Please don't bring it up with her. She's acting all tough and strong and independent but I think deep down, she's really hurting. This hasn't been easy for her. Did she tell you about being on bed rest for three weeks?"

"Toph? In bed for three weeks? No way."

"Oh, it happened. And trust me, it was a challenge for all of us. It was supposed to be six weeks but she got sick of it and took a walk down to the beach without telling me. That ended with Lin being born a few hours later."

"No wonder she's so small. I had just figured it was because Toph is small, too."

Katara rolled her eyes. "She's only a couple inches shorter than me, you know. She's basically average size for a woman. Lin is small because she was premature."

"But she's healthy?"

"Yeah."

"I guess that's something to be grateful for. I'm sure Toph would've been devastated if she'd come too soon and not survived."

Katara gave him a weird look. "Is that sarcasm?" she asked hesitantly and with much disapproval.

"What? No! Why would you think that?"

"Well…it's no secret that she didn't want this, and never has."

"Well, yeah, but… She's not heartless. She was really upset when–" He cut off, realizing what he was about to say.

"It's ok," Katara said softly. "She told me."

"Oh."

"I'm really sorry."

Sokka shrugged, not eager to talk about it. "It's fine."

"I know all of this must be hard for you, coming home to find her with a child. I don't want you to think it was some deliberate thing she did just to spite you."

"I don't think that."

"For what it's worth…I wish it had been with you."

He let out a bitter laugh. "I said the same thing to her. Didn't go over so well."

She fixed him with a penetrating look. "Are you–"

"No. We're not doing this again. I'm here, and I'm staying. I just want to be a good uncle and live my life in peace."

"...Ok."

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

"Mr. Sokka is here to see you, Ma'am."

"Thank you. Send him in."

Sokka strode through the door into Councilwoman Mauja's stately office. They sure had upgraded this place since his last visit. She was dressed in the typical formal fashion of his people, her silver hair tied back in looped braids. It was a familiar look.

"Thank you for coming," she said, gesturing to a chair in front of her desk. "Please, have a seat."

"What can I do for you, Councilwoman?"

"I have a proposition for you, though first I will ask a question."

"Alright?"

"I know you haven't been back in the city for very long, so tell me – do you intend to stay, or is this merely a visit?"

"I'm staying."

"Good. So here is my proposition: How would you feel about taking my place on the Council?"

Sokka's eyebrows shot up. It was the absolute last thing he had expected her to say. She'd been the Southern Water Tribe's representative for seventeen years, after all. "Are you serious? You're stepping down?"

"I'd like to. I've been here long enough and I want to go back to the South Pole, where my family is. In the last few months, I've been putting out feelers for a replacement. Your father hasn't been able to find anyone qualified, though he did say you might be willing, if you ever turned up."

"Huh. Wow. That's... I mean, how does it even work? Doesn't there have to be a vote or something?"

"The other Councilmembers will vote, yes. You're more than qualified, and they know you well from your ambassador days."

"I just got back," he mused, feeling a little overwhelmed. Did he really want to suddenly take on such a huge responsibility? The whole point of coming back was to spend time with his nieces and nephews. And yet...it would be nice to have such an important, fulfilling job. Something to distract him from wanting things he couldn't have. "I'll need some time to think about it."

"Of course, I assumed as much. Take as much time as you need. Within reason. But in the interest of full disclosure, because I don't want to get my hopes up for nothing, I need to give you a very blunt warning. Your history with Chief Beifong is well-known. As a Councilman, it would be entirely inappropriate for you to engage in any kind of romantic relationship with her. Should you choose to accept my nomination, the rest of the Council will require you to convince them that your relationship with her is – and will remain – purely professional."

Sokka let out a bitter laugh before he could stop himself. Well if that doesn't fucking take the cake. Toph shut me down, and now even if she changes her mind down the road, I'll be shit out of luck if I accept this position. "That's not an issue," he said in a tight voice.

"Good to know. That's all I have to say, so please do think on this and let me know."

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

"Wow, this looks great!" Sokka said enthusiastically as he strolled through the open space.

"I haven't been here in weeks," Toph said. "I'm pleased with how it turned out. It'll be so nice to have a place to train at home."

"You think Lin will be an earthbender?"

"Yes." She wasn't entirely sure how she knew, but she felt it in her bones. She took Lin from the pram and they headed back into the hallway that connected the front door to the staircase. The steps wrapped around to the long side of the house, going up to the back of the property where there was another door and a small foyer.

"Looks pretty much done, except for furniture," Sokka said.

"We can start furnishing tomorrow, once the paint's had time to dry." Just inside the front door was an open space that she meant to use as an informal living room. On the left were two bedrooms; to the right, a hallway led to the rest of the house.

Sokka went past her, poking his head into one of the bedrooms. "Is this your room?"

"Yeah."

"And Lin's there, I guess."

She followed him down the hall opposite the bedrooms, taking in the vibrations of her steps on the cool stone floor. Strangely, it already felt like home. Lin was squirming fitfully in her arms, wide awake. And probably about to take a massive shit, Toph thought grimly, based on how long it had been since the last one.

"Why in the world do you need so much counter space?" Sokka said with a laugh upon entering the kitchen. "You don't cook!"

"My nanny will. And who knows, maybe I'll learn a little bit. Ying won't be around on the weekends. I could be wrong, but think it's frowned upon to feed kids takeout for every meal."

"I can teach you what I know, if you want."

"Sure," she said absently, wandering into the formal living/dining room. She hadn't been entirely sold on the necessity of this space, but Katara had convinced her it was worthwhile, especially if her parents decided to visit.

"What's this room for?" Sokka called from the hall. "Spare bedroom?"

"Office."

"Right. I should have guessed that."

"I am so ready to move in. There's always so much happening on the Island. I miss the peace and quiet."

"Just to clarify – you do mean to bring Lin with you, right?" he teased.

Toph rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant. Just me and her. No Bumi and Kya running around, disturbing her naps. Or mine."

"You sure you'll be alright on your own?"

"I'm not incompetent," she replied with a scowl.

"I didn't say you were. It's just a lot for one person to do, especially with you going back to work full time. Doesn't she still have to be fed every couple of hours?"

"Yeah, but she's sleeping a lot better now. Only wakes up two, sometimes three times during the night. I can handle it."

"I know you can. Just don't be too stubborn to ask for help if you need it, ok?"

"You want to help? Here." She held Lin out, an unpleasant smell now emanating from her. "She needs changing."

"I can tell," he replied, taking her. "Hm. Guess it's the floor for you, kid."

"There's a mat in the bag."

While he did the dirty work, she wandered back into the hall, pausing at the door to the bathroom. Some might guess that her favorite feature of this house was the office, but that wasn't true at all. Using her low salary as leverage, she had convinced the Council to splurge on an expensive modern luxury for her plumbing: hot water. Baths had never been something she cared for, but that was because they were usually cold. A hot soak, on the other hand, was an entirely different story.

"Spirits, kid, what have you been eating?!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Hey, you're the one that brought me those spicy kabobs last night," Toph said from the door.

"Do you think what you eat makes the milk taste different?"

"Yeah. I can tell, from the way her breath smells."

"Does she like it, you think? Spicy milk?"

"Well, I craved spicy food the most when I was pregnant, so I'd say she probably does."

"You've always craved spicy food," he said with a laugh.

"I know, but this was different. It was just on a whole other level. And shrimp, too."

"Sounds like the makings of a good nickname."

"That's what I called her, actually, before she was born. But it doesn't seem to fit anymore, so now I call her Milk Breath–"

"Hey! I think she just smiled at me!"

"Oh?" Toph said blandly. To her, a smile was just a reflex, a byproduct of happiness or amusement. When it came to other people, she could feel it if she happened to have her hand on someone's face at the right moment, but that was it.

"I'm sure she did," he insisted. "But now she's just sticking her tongue out at me. Typical Beifong. Bet you're gonna grow up to be just like you're mom, aren't you? You'll be swearing like a sailor by age two."

"Heh. Probably."

"Katara will love that, I'm sure."

"Yeah, well, Lin's not her kid, so she'll have to get the fuck over it."

"Ok, all done. You go back to your mom–" He stood and handed her over. "–and I'll dispose of the toxic waste like the good uncle I am."

Toph settled Lin into the crook of her arm and traced over the small face with her free hand. You gonna smile for me, too, Milk Breath? But Lin just whined a little and turned her head. "Gonna go sit on the stairs to feed her," Toph called from the hall.

Sokka found her a minute later and sat down on the step above. They had their backs against opposite walls, facing each other with legs stretched out.

"So, uh, I wanted to talk to you about something," he said.

"Sounds serious."

"I guess," he chuckled. "I have a big decision to make. Been thinking about it for the last two weeks. I'm interested to hear your perspective."

"Shoot."

"Mauja wants to nominate me to take her place on the Council."

Initially, Toph was surprised, but after a second she realized actually made a ton of sense. It was the perfect role for him. What was more surprising was that he'd been holding onto it for two weeks. "Huh. That's a pretty big deal."

"Yeah. Big responsibility. And you know, politics. Blech."

"You've been a politician for the better part of your adult life."

"Yeah, but I wasn't a...lawmaker. Big difference."

"But it sounds like something you'd be good at. Anyway, what else are you going to do? Live on the Island and do nothing for the rest of your life?"

"I could be a stay-at-home uncle. Bumi has expressed great interest in learning the ways of the boomerang."

"You'd be bored. Maybe not at first, but eventually. Especially once Tenzin starts school."

"If I take this job, we'd have to be very careful not to give the public any...scandalous ideas. She was pretty blunt about that."

So that's what this is about, Toph thought, wincing internally. She could guess what he really meant. If he accepted this position, any hope he might have of one day charming his way back into her heart would evaporate. And if she gave any indication that such a thing was possible, he'd never say yes to the job.

So, basically, he was asking her what she wanted. What do I want? Spirits, but it would be so easy to fall back into old habits. While the initial shock of him suddenly being back in her life had worn off, it still felt a little surreal at times. But she remembered the promise she'd made to herself after suffering through the trauma of childbirth: No more men. No more reckless behavior. And I'll be damned if I let him rip open old wounds that finally managed to heal.

"It would be a conflict of interests," she said, holding her ground. "Makes sense. Well, I'm sure we can convince the Council that we have the ability to keep it in our pants. I'll just bring Lin along and show them how exhausting she is."

Sokka laughed, though it sounded a little forced. "I know you're joking, but I have a feeling it might actually come to them sitting us down for a good talking to, based on what Mauja said."

"I think you should accept the job," Toph blurted, not willing to let him say anything that would crack her resolve.

"Really?" The disappointment in his voice was clear.

"If you say no, you might lose the chance forever and regret it once you get bored doing nothing."

"And if I take it, I'll probably be stuck doing it for the next twenty or thirty years."

"That's a little overdramatic." But at least there would be some incentive to avoid temptations. "And I gotta say, it would be nice to have an ally on the Council."

"Anything to make your life easier, Chief," he joked.

"Hey, I'll take what I can get. I thought my job was stressful before... It's ten times harder now."

"Why? Are you that behind from your time off?"

"Well, yeah, but it's not just that. When I leave Lin with Ying, I'm so relieved to have a break...for a little while. It's hard not to worry, or have all these obnoxious intrusive thoughts about everything I do, every decision I make about her. It takes a lot out of me. Drains me. That's not something I ever had to deal with before. Work was work, home was home. Except when I brought work home, and then it was just work. But I never had to bring home with me to work, if that makes sense."

"Somehow, it does."

"And all this shit with the bloodbending is compounding the problem. The witness still won't talk. We've been keeping a close eye on him, but we have to be careful. Last thing we need is for him to wind up missing. Or dead."

"You know, if I'm on the Council, you probably won't be able to talk to me about this stuff anymore. Not outside of official meetings."

"Yeah," she said, a little depressed about it. "I know."

"You still think I should do it?"

"I really do. You thrive on having purpose. Just like me." She had been referring to her job, but it occurred to her once she'd said it that Lin fell under that heading, as well. And the fact was that before Lin came along, work was starting to feel a little...stale. She didn't want to be a mother, to have that inescapable burden, but at the same time...it was nice to be needed.