"So that's a definite yes?" Ludo asked.

"Yes," Sokka confirmed.

"Alright, then. We'll need some time to deliberate. I'll send word when we decide."

As Sokka made the journey back to the Island, he wondered for the hundredth time if he'd made the right choice. After Toph had made it painfully clear that she was emotionally unavailable, the prospect of becoming a member of the United Republic Council had really started to grow on him. She had been right; almost overnight, he realized how badly he needed a real purpose.

But Ludo's conditions had been steep, and Sokka couldn't help but wonder if the sacrifice would be worth it in the long run. And if Toph would ever forgive him. He wasn't quite sure how to tell her.

After a week and a half of being put off, Councilman Ludo finally cornered Toph in her office. "We have to talk," he said firmly. "It can't wait any longer."

"Fine," she sighed. "What do you want?"

"Rinna, do you mind giving us a minute to speak alone?"

"Of course."

Once she was gone, Ludo said, "You've been avoiding me."

"I've been extremely busy. One of my lieutenants was kidnapped and nearly died. Twice. And I've had to send her away from the city just to keep her alive. There's a bloodbender running around Republic City, unbound by the full moon. And on top of it all, I have a ten-week-old. I'm exhausted, uncomfortable, and not in the mood for drama. Say what you have to say and let me get back to work."

"As I'm sure you're aware, we're still deliberating on a recent nomination. Before we can proceed, I must have your assurance that you will maintain strict personal boundaries with all members of the proposed Council. Including those you have previously been in romantic relationships with."

"Spirits, Ludo, you make it sound like I've made the rounds. With all due respect, please get your head out of your ass." An indignant bluster started up but she bowled right over him. "Sokka and I haven't been involved in six years. Ancient history. And I have a child. Even if I wanted to start something with him – which I don't – do you think I have time for that shit? I'm well aware of how public perception affects our jobs, and I have no intention of making things more difficult for either of us."

"It's not enough for you to remain platonic. I realize that you two have a long-standing bond, but the public will not be able to distinguish between a close friendship and an inappropriate relationship. It's a conflict of interests. There needs to be some distance."

Toph scowled at him, beginning to understand what he was saying. "Are you seriously telling me I can't be friends with him? What's next, I can't be friends with Aang, either? Fucking Spirits, Ludo, why not just cut off my entire support network while you're at it? Am I at least allowed to be friends with Katara?"

"I think you're being a little overdramatic," he said stiffly. "The Avatar and his wife have nothing to do with this. But it is my responsibility as Chairman of the Council to ensure that we are able to carry out our duties as efficiently as possible. We can't do that if the people have no faith in our ability to keep lawmaking and law enforcement from becoming entangled. You are the Chief of Police. Personal sacrifices must be made."

Though Toph made it home on time that night, she was in a foul mood from her conversation with Ludo. The nerve that man has! Trying to tell me who I can and can't be friends with! Ugh! Fucking prick! Forgetting herself, she slammed the door to the landing before letting herself in the main door, hearing Lin's cries start up as she did so. "Fuck."

Ying pushed herself off the couch to meet her. "Too bad. Only put her down twenty minutes ago."

"Forget it," Toph said shortly, blowing past her to get Lin. It became quickly apparent that she badly needed a new diaper. "Could've changed her first."

"I did," Ying protested. "She must've just done it."

"Right." It was irrational, she knew; Ying was being truthful, as far as she could tell. It didn't matter.

"You calling me a liar?"

"Just go home," Toph said as she took off Lin's soiled diaper, the foul smell assaulting her sensitive nose. "I've had a shitty day and I'm not in the mood."

"I spend all day taking care of your child, sometimes staying an hour or more later than agreed on, and you come in here and talk to me like that? It's not right."

Toph rounded on her angrily while Lin continued to scream. "I'm not late!"

"You're late more than you're not. And I'm tired of having my head snapped off! This just isn't working. You can find yourself another nanny to treat like dirt. I'm done!" With that, she grabbed her things and stormed out.

"Fine!" Toph yelled after her, though the door had already slammed. She finished changing Lin, put her in the bassinet, and fell face-first onto her bed. "Fuuuuck," she screamed into her pillow, just letting Lin cry. "Motherfucking bitch." Furious as she was, she didn't trust herself to try and settle Lin. Instead, she just lay there and waited, letting her mind go blank. Numb. Eventually, the cries petered out into nothing, allowing Toph to drift off into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, she rolled into work with Lin in her pram, parking it next to her desk. "I need you to write up an ad for me to run in the paper," she said to Rinna. "I need a new nanny."

"What happened to Ying?"

"She quit."

"Oh, no! Why?"

"Well, I guess because I'm a raging bitch and I'm always late. So make sure you put that in the ad so anyone who applies will be forewarned."

Many people came by that day with poor excuses to interrupt her. "Can I hold her?" the receptionist, Lanfen, asked tentatively. The young woman was always nervous around Toph, which was usually amusing, but just annoying at the moment.

"Fine. Just be careful. She can't hold her head up yet."

"Oh my goodness, aren't you just the cutest thing!" Lanfen gushed. "I could just eat you up!"

It didn't take long for an unhappy whine to start up. Lin was not fond of strangers holding her, and she had to tolerate it repeatedly over the course of that very long day. When it was finally over, Toph went home, gathered the necessary items, and headed to Air Temple Island with Lin in her sling.

Katara was in the kitchen cleaning up from dinner when she arrived. "It's nice to see you, but what are you doing here?" she asked as Toph plopped down at the table to eat the takeout she'd grabbed on the way.

"Ying quit," Toph said around a mouthful of food. "I've put an ad out for a replacement, but it'll probably take some time. Do you think you and Sokka could look after Lin this week?"

"Should be ok, but check with him first because I know he's been back and forth with the Council. He'll need to be here in the afternoons when I go pick up Kya and Bumi from school."

"You talking about me?" Sokka said, coming into the room.

Toph frowned and stood up. "We gotta talk, Meathead," she said, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him back towards the bedrooms.

"Yeah… I guess we do."

"Had a nice chat with Ludo today," she said once they were alone. "How long have you known? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You told me to accept this position. You convinced me that it was the best thing for me, and I agree with you. I want to do this."

"It's not the job, it's the conditions of it. What happened to 'You and Lin have my full attention'?"

"That hasn't changed. I'm not going anywhere."

"He made it very clear that we are to maintain distance from each other. As in, not be friends."

"I think it's probably best if we do what he asks for a little while. But once I'm settled in, I'm sure we can bend the rules a little. He can't possibly expect us to not be friends."

"It sounded a whole lot like that's exactly what he expects. Glad to know you're on board with that."

"Would you chill? You're upsetting Lin." It was true; she was starting to thrash and whine."I wasn't exactly happy with their terms, alright?" Sokka continued while Toph tried to calm Lin.

"But you still agreed."

"I overheard part of your conversation with Katara. Seems to me like you were about to ask for a favor, not yell at me, so I'm a little confused why you're acting like this."

Toph gritted her teeth in annoyance. "I promise I won't take up any more of your time once I find another nanny. You can ignore me all you want, after that."

"T, c'mon, you're being ridiculous. I don't have a lot of options here. What do you want from me?"

"Look, I've had a long day. I'm hungry and tired. I just want to eat and get some rest. Can you look after her for a few days or not?"

"Of course I can. I'll take her now. Go finish your dinner."

For three days, the arrangement worked well. On the fourth day, Toph received a telegram from Katara just past noon. 'Sokka got called into a meeting with the Council. I really need you to pick Bumi and Kya up from school at three o'clock. Please let me know.'

Later that day, Rinna interrupted her in the middle of a meeting. "Chief, it's almost three-thirty!"

"Fuck! I have to go. I'm sorry, Mr. Chun, but we'll have to finish this tomorrow. Rinna will set up the details." The last few words were spoken as she flew out the door. Even using her cables, it took another ten minutes to get to Bumi and Kya's school. She found them waiting in the Head Teacher's office.

"Ugh, finally!" Bumi complained, grabbing his bag. "We've been waiting for an hour!"

"It has not been an hour, Gremlin. C'mon, let's go."

Katara met them at the ferry, unamused. "I'm trying to help you out here, Toph. I only asked for one little thing. I was worried sick."

"I'm fucking doing my best," Toph said, feeling a sudden irrational rush of emotion. She clenched her jaw and pressed her palm against her forehead in an effort not to show it.

Katara sighed. "Aren't we all."

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Sora took a deep, bracing breath as she followed the young officer down the hall. She had heard rumors about how the woman whose office she was approaching could sense people's nervousness using earthbending and wondered if it were true. They stopped at a door with a gold placard reading 'Chief Beifong'.

"Come in," a voice called from inside the room after a brisk knock.

"Chief, your two o'clock is here."

"Send her in."

Inside the office were two desks and two women. The legend herself sat behind the stately one in the middle of the room, a much more petite person than Sora had been expecting. Next to her was a pram, presumably with a baby in it, though she couldn't quite see.

"You must be Sora," the Chief said, her voice stronger than the fatigue on her face would suggest.

"Yes. Pleased to meet you."

"Have a seat."

It was common knowledge that Toph Beifong was blind, but even so, some people believed it was an urban legend. After all, how could a blind woman be the Chief of Police, even with earthbending? She certainly didn't act blind, and supposedly had no trouble reading and writing. Seeing her up close, though, Sora could tell it was true, not just from the cloudiness in her eyes, but in the way her focus remained locked on some point far in the distance.

"I was just going over your resume," the Chief said, running her index finger across a paper in front of her. "I understand you're from the Northern Water Tribe?"

"Yes. I was born there, but my parents moved here when I was seven, so I've spent most of my life in Republic City."

"Katara recognized your name from her waterbending classes."

"Really?" Sora said, pleasantly surprised. "I hope I made a good impression."

"She said you did well."

"I– Thank you." Why did I say that? What an idiotic thing to say.

One of the Chief's eyebrows lifted slightly, but she continued on. "You seem to have a good bit of experience for your age. Tell me about your most recent job."

They talked for several minutes, Sora answering fairly standard and expected questions. This isn't so bad. She seems friendly enough.

"I'm going to be blunt with you to avoid wasting both our time," the Chief said at one point. "I chased off my last nanny. I can be a difficult person. My job is very stressful and often puts me in a bad mood. There'll be times that I snap at you when you don't deserve it, and I'm not great at apologizing. Do you think you can handle that?"

Sora blinked nervously – she wasn't a fan of confrontation – and couldn't help but think that the warning showed an odd brand of self-awareness. But...she wanted this job badly. The advertised pay was too good to turn down, and getting an 'in' with Toph Beifong? That was a big deal. "I think I'll be ok," she said bravely, hoping it was true.

"Don't worry," the woman at the other desk said. "If you stick it out long enough, you'll find out she's actually a big softie underneath the gruff exterior."

A scowl spread across the Chief's face but her secretary didn't seem perturbed. In fact, she gave Sora a sly smile.

"This is Rinna, by the way," the Chief said, gesturing. "I've known her for close to fifteen years, and she got real bold once she entrenched herself deeply enough in my life that I became utterly dependent on her."

Sora couldn't help but laugh. Toph Beifong was said to have an exceedingly dry sense of humor; clearly, that rumor was true.

"Aw, I'm touched," Rinna said.

"Anyway," the Chief continued, rolling her eyes, "from what you said, it sounds like you don't have a problem with long hours?"

"No, that doesn't bother me," Sora said. "I don't have any other commitments."

"Good. You'll need to be flexible for this job. Mornings will be consistent – ideally eight o'clock – but I rarely leave here on time in the evenings. The goal is to get out by five-thirty, but things come up all the time. Or I get side-tracked. So I need to know you won't get upset if I don't make it back at a specific time."

"As long as I'm paid for the time, I don't mind."

"Of course. So as I mentioned in the listing, it's five days a week, but sometimes I have to work unexpectedly on the weekends. If you're available on those days, all the better, but it's not a requirement. You'll be bottle-feeding with formula, which I will provide, as well as preparing meals once she's old enough for solid food. When she starts school, we'll revise the terms if I haven't scared you off and you want to stay. It would be more part-time, then. You'd pick her up from school and stay until I get home. How does all of that sound?"

"Pretty standard. Are there any other duties, beyond childcare, that you expect?"

"Laundry and dishes. And cleaning up any major messes made throughout the day. I have a cleaning lady that comes once a month for the rest." She opened her mouth as if to continue, but stopped short and closed it. A moment later, there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

"Sorry to interrupt, Chief. Do you have a minute to assist with an interrogation?"

"I'm a little busy."

"I promise it'll only take a second."

"I can hold her while you go, if you want," Sora offered. "Like a little trial."

"Hm. Alright," the Chief said, standing. She lifted the baby out of the pram and handed her over. "I won't be long, so don't you two talk too much shit about me, because I'll probably hear it."

Rinna chuckled softly but didn't say anything as the Chief left.

"Her name's Lin, right?" Sora asked.

"Yeah."

"She's super cute." She had Lin flat on her knees and was currently getting kicked in the stomach. "And feisty."

"Oh, I know. She's a kicker. Small but strong."

"How old is she?"

"Eleven weeks."

"So what do you think?" Sora asked quickly, wanting to get the question out before the Chief came back. "Am I in the running for this job? I must be one of the younger applicants."

"Honestly, that'll probably work in your favor. Seems like most of the others have families of their own. She really needs someone who's flexible on hours. And you having trained healing under Katara is a big plus."

"Well, I'm still pretty new at it," Sora admitted. "But I'm eager to learn more. It's not easy to get a spot in Katara's classes."

"If you're offered this position and you accept, you'll definitely have more opportunities. The Chief wasn't lying when she said she can be difficult, but if you can put up with it long enough to earn her trust and respect, you'll become part of the family. I myself have been invited to gatherings at Air Temple Island many times over the years."

For just a moment, Sora was extremely tempted to ask about Lin's father. But it seemed like an unnecessary risk, considering Rinna would likely tell the Chief after the interview. Instead, she returned her attention to Lin, who now had one of her feet in her mouth, and silently pondered the question. What man had been brave enough and bold enough to impregnate the legendary Chief of Police, and what had his punishment been? It was a tantalizing mystery, and one she suspected Rinna knew. Secretaries always knew things.

"Can I ask you something?" Sora said.

"Of course."

"Is– Is she really, totally blind? Or can she see light and shapes?"

"She's completely blind, and has been since birth."

"But…how does she manage so well? I mean, I've heard the stories. She uses earthbending, but I don't understand what that means."

Rinna opened her mouth but then glanced behind Sora at the door. A moment later, the Chief breezed back into the room.

"It means I can see everything that's happening in this city for hundreds of feet in every direction. Guess that's why they asked me to be the police."

"I– I'm sorry–"

She just smirked and sat down. "It's fine. I love getting the chance to talk about myself, don't I, Rinna?"

"No comment."

"Hah."

Sora hid a laugh in her hand, not entirely sure what to say to any of that. This interview wasn't at all what she had been expecting. It was almost like the Chief wanted people to think she was immature – childish, even – but surely someone with such an important job must have some degree of maturity. Right?

"Anyways…" she continued. "Lin must like you. Normally she cries when strangers hold her." She leaned back and crossed her arms behind her head. "I've completely lost my train of thought. While I try to find it, do you have any pressing questions? About the job, I mean. Spirits, if I had a yuan for every time I asked that and got hammered with personal questions, or questions about Aang or Sokka or Zuko, I'd be fucking rich."

The remark struck Sora as strange. Weren't the Beifongs one of the wealthiest families in the Earth Kingdom? If not the wealthiest? Did that speak to a potential rift between the Chief and her family? But before she could come up with a question to ask aloud, Lin started fussing. Sora bounced her on her knees a little in an attempt to calm her, but the Chief got up.

"She's probably hungry," she said, taking Lin and sitting back down to feed her.

"Is she used to a bottle from your last nanny?" Sora asked, relieved to have thought of a relevant question.

"Unfortunately not. My last nanny was a wet nurse, so it'll probably be a challenging transition. But I tend to get so uncomfortable that sometimes I come home in the middle of the day to feed her."

"Oh, do you live close?"

"Yeah, only a few blocks away. Oh, right, I wanted to mention something about my house. The living space is on the third floor, so there are a lot of steps to hike up and down every day. But you're young, so I doubt you'll have any trouble."

"What's on the other two floors?"

"Nothing. I knocked everything else out to use for earthbending training. Yes, my neighbors already hate me."

Sora laughed. "Did they get the police to come give you a warning?" she asked with a grin.

"Heh. Something like that."

"I wonder if Lin will be an earthbender."

"She better be, if she knows what's good for her." It was said mildly, though, with a jaunty smile.

"Would be pretty funny if she started water or firebending one day," Sora blurted, not thinking her words through. She immediately clamped her mouth shut, face heating in embarrassment.

The Chief cocked an eyebrow at her, though there was some amusement in her dry expression. "Don't hold your breath," she said finally.

Trying to move past the awkward moment, Sora searched for another question to ask. "So...I assume you're looking to hire someone as soon as possible?"

"Yes. Bringing her to work is not ideal. Katara's been looking after her, but I brought her today so you and the other applicants could meet her. Anyway, I think I've covered everything on my list. Do you have any more questions?"

"I don't think so."

"Alright. I expect to make a decision within the next couple of days. I'll let you know."

"I'm going to offer her the job," Toph said once Sora had gone.

"Really? Why didn't you tell her?" Rinna asked.

"I didn't want to seem desperate."

"What about the rest of the interviews?"

"Eh, too late to cancel them. I'll go through the motions. I guess there's always a chance someone will impress me, and then I'll have a hard choice to make. But I really feel like she's a great fit."

"She looked a little wary when you warned her about your...personality."

"Oh, I know," Toph said with a smirk. "Her heart got all jumpy. But I think she can handle it. At least she's been forewarned. She knows what she's getting herself into. For all I know, she won't even accept the job."

"I think she will. She seemed pretty keen."

"Oh, yeah? What did you two talk about while I was gone? Besides my blindness."

"We talked about Lin a little, then she asked me if I thought she had a chance of getting the job. She seems really interested in continuing her training with Katara, so I think working for you might be a big perk for her."

"Hah," Toph barked. "Sneaky. But understandable. Katara is in high demand. Anyway, I guess it's in my best interest for my nanny to be a competent healer.

"In any case, she seems to be more than qualified, based on her experience. Spirits, if she could handle twins, she'll have no trouble with Lin."

"Fuck, I can't even imagine two at once. What a nightmare. How does anyone do that?"

"I'm sure not having a full-time job helps," Rinna said dryly. "And Sora said she was only there four days a week. It's likely the family had a second, or even third nanny, for the other days and probably the nights, too."

"And what about women who aren't rich?"

"I guess they just suffer. And hope their husband is willing to help."

"Fuck, I'd probably just give up and marry the closest willing person," Toph said off-handedly.

Rinna was quiet for a second before responding. "...Is that a possibility?"

"Hah. No. Don't go there. I can handle Lin on my own just fine. Anyway, I was kidding. Marriage would only lead to more babies, compounding the problem."

"Is that why you've avoided it in the past?"

The question surprised Toph a little. They had talked openly about many personal subjects over the years, but Rinna had rarely pried into her relationship with Sokka. Clearly, she had deduced the truth.

"You could say that," Toph murmured, catching Lin's hand as it smacked against her chin, little fingers trying to dig into her mouth. "Ironic, isn't it?"

A few days later, on the first of the next month, Sokka was formally inducted as a member of the United Republic Council. There was a press conference afterward that Toph was expected to attend, though, of course, she kept her distance from him.

"Congratulations, Councilman," she said formally after they finished up and the press drifted away.

"Thank you. I should get going, though. Gotta pick up Bumi and Kya from school."

"Yeah. Sure." She knew it was all for show, but couldn't shake the feeling that the chill between them wasn't rooted in something deeper. And despite the fact that she had encouraged him to take this job, she was still annoyed with how quickly and easily he had accepted Ludo's terms. Whatever he said to the contrary, she clearly wasn't his priority anymore.

The following week was somehow both stressful and unsatisfying. Sora accepted the job and was so far proving very reliable, arriving promptly at eight o'clock each morning, though Lin usually had Toph awake for an hour or two (or three) before that. Meanwhile, no progress was being made on what was now being called the Yakone case. He'd always had his own case file, but it was now a monster that encompassed all activity related to the gangs he controlled, as well as all reports of bloodbending, despite the fact that there was only vague evidence that it was connected to the rest.

At the moment, Penga was the only viable witness, and she wouldn't be of any help until an actual arrest was made. If she would even be willing to testify. She was currently sequestered away on Kyoshi Island, living under a false name.

On the first day of that long week, Toph got her usual takeout for dinner on the way home, arriving around seven and falling heavily onto the couch. "How did Lin do with the bottle?" she asked.

"She pretty much hated it," Sora admitted with a laugh. "But we got there in the end, with a little persistence."

"Any other issues?"

"No. I put her on her belly and she actually pushed herself up and looked around for a little while."

"Oh, yeah?" Toph said with an unexpected twinge of regret. Not having to be around Lin all day was making motherhood bearable, but she couldn't help but wonder how many things would she miss over the years. First steps? First words? She found herself a little surprised that she even cared about that stuff.

"She'll be crawling before you know it."

"Sooner she's a little more independent, the better," Toph said, pushing her dark thoughts away.

At the end of the week, she was so exhausted from her day that she completely forgot to grab dinner on the way home. "Fuck," she grumbled, realizing it as she stumbled through the door.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked.

"Forgot to get food."

"I made a little extra dinner, if you want that."

"Sure."

"Alright, be right back."

When Sora returned from the kitchen, Toph took the plate apprehensively. "You are being extremely nice and helpful. Should I be worried? Is there something coming?"

"I swear I don't have any ulterior motives," Sora said with an awkward chuckle. "But it's my first week, so I guess I'm trying to make a good impression."

"So are you saying your helpfulness will wane as time goes on?"

"I'll do my best to continue to be helpful. It's no trouble for me to make extra when I fix my dinner, if you get tired of takeout. Though I don't know if you'll like everything I cook."

"I'm not picky. I approve of this arrangement. I'll make sure to get enough when I do my grocery shopping. Just make me a list."

"You know, I'm happy to do that during the day if you don't mind me taking Lin out. It's nice to get some fresh air."

"Hm." It was a tempting offer. Toph often struggled to make herself spend what little time she had off on the weekends doing obnoxious domestic crap like shopping, when she could instead be training. "I'll think about it. Maybe I'll send an officer or two along with you."

The next day happened to be one of those weekend days, but instead of having the privilege of loading Lin into the pram and schlepping around the city, she got called into work to deal with a dispute between a court representative, Councilman Amaruq, and several of her officers.

Sokka stopped by that afternoon to get an update on the incident. "Did everything get settled?" he asked.

"Not really. Whatever. I'll deal with it."

"Where's Lin?"

"In my office with Rinna. Where else?"

"Oh, well, I thought you might have taken her to the Island, or gotten your nanny to come over."

"Not enough time for either."

"Are you heading to your office now? I don't get to see her much these days."

"Oh? Aren't you worried you might get caught fraternizing with me?"

He suddenly stopped and grabbed her arm, pulling her into a nearby empty room.

"Wh-! Sokka!"

"What's your problem, T?"

"I don't have time for this." She tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her.

"Look, I get that this situation has been hard on you. It's been hard on me, too. I miss coming over to hang out with you and Lin. But you don't need to treat me like crap. It's only going to make people think there's something weird going on between us."

"How am I treating you like crap? I'm just trying to do my job and you're the one making a big deal out of all of this, pulling me into rooms to have secret conversations. You want to go see Lin? Fine. You know where she is."

"I don't deserve this," he said in a dangerously quiet voice. "You had your chance for things to be different between us. I respected your wishes. I have been nothing but helpful since I've been back, looking after Lin anytime you asked. Not once did I get a sincere 'thank you'. And Katara? Fuck. Do you have any idea how much she's done for you? With three kids of her own, including a baby?"

"She offered her help. When I got pregnant, she promised she'd help me any way she could."

"She doesn't owe you anything, T. It's not her fault you got pregnant."

"It might as well be!" Toph shrieked, shoving down the small voice that told her she was being irrational.

"That's the dumbest thing I have ever heard you say." He was openly angry now, too. "Your choices are yours and yours alone. It wouldn't kill you to be a little grateful to the people who are bending over backwards to help you. Or are you too selfish to care?"

"You know what?! I said from the beginning that I didn't want to rely on anyone else! So if I'm so much of a fucking burden, then fine! I'll be just fine on my own! I wouldn't want to interfere with your new job, after all."

She didn't give him a chance to respond to her tirade, stalking away to the closest ladies' room to dissuade him from following. Locked in a stall, she made a huge effort to compress the anger and hurt before it overwhelmed her.

Ten minutes later, fully composed, she returned to her office and sat down to deal with the administrative fallout of the day's events. Fuck them, I don't need them, she thought stubbornly, idly moving the pram back and forth with her foot to quiet Lin, who was currently fighting sleep. Last thing I want is for people to be holding favors over my head. I don't need them.

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A/N: Ok, so I know it seems like I'm dialing the drama up to eleven again (and, I mean, fair), but please don't take Toph's tantrum too seriously.