Beginning of healing for Lin and baby girl. Plus a visit with three unexpected guests.


(For context: baby girl was born around 4:30, Bumi was finally able to be with Lin around 7:30pm. It is now the middle of the night 30 hrs after Bumi fell asleep in Lin's room.)

Bumi spent the next 30 hours going back and forth between hospital rooms, not able to be away from either of his loves for long.

He was in with his daughter, talking softly with her and watching her little chest move with every breath. Her hands were balled up on either side of her head, and her legs curled up. The cloth they were using as a diaper seemed to still be too large on her. Every once in a while, she would stretch out an arm or a leg, or open her hand. Bumi just wanted to hug her to his chest and never let her go.

Mari came over with a new cloth to change the baby. "Okay, Daddy, go wash your hands really well."

Bumi looked up and frowned in confusion.

"I have to change her diaper, I figure you may want her to hold your finger for the moment. It's all I can allow, but she is doing so well. Don't worry, I cleared it with Healer Aala."

For the first time in the last 33 hours, Bumi's smile reached his eyes as he beamed excitedly. He quickly went over to the sink and dutifully scrubbed his hands. He made sure to wash how his mother and his training in the Forces told him. Once his hands were dry, he quickly went back over to stand beside the incubator.

Mari had already unlatched both sides of the incubator so that she could work from one side and Bumi could be on the other.

"I'm sorry it won't be long, but go ahead Daddy. I am sure our little girl here will be willing to hold your finger."

Bumi's hand shook as he moved his hand inside the incubator. He gently caressed his pinky finger along the spot where tiny fingers met a tiny palm. The hand instantly flexed, and next thing he knew, the tiny hand was grasping his comparatively large finger.

"Hi, little one." He sniffed, overwhelmed with the sudden overpowering feeling of intense love for this little being. It had been emotional with Haru; but with everything that had happened, and being so close and unable to reach out to touch his little girl, made this moment more intense.

He wiped tears from his eyes with his free hand so that he could see her better. He gently sat on the stool that he had been sat in previously, and gazed in wonder at his daughter. There was something about seeing her without a layer of glass. "You're doing so well, my little flower. So beautiful like your Mama. You continue to be strong like her okay? Daddy loves you so much." He said softly to her.

Mari let him be for another moment, before interrupting. "Sorry, Bumi. It's time to close the sides up again."

Bumi hesitated for a moment, before softly pulling his pinky free from the tiny hand. Before pulling his hand back, he used his index to caress the tiny palm. "Hang in there, my little love." It broke his heart watching the incubator walls go back up and get latched shut.

"Our girl is doing great. If she keeps doing so well, I imagine we'll be able to start skin to skin bonding in another 15 hours or so, depending on what the healer said."

"Thank you Mari." He tried to express all he was thankful for in those three words. She had done so much in the last two nights, both with taking great care with his daughter and with being a reassuring and steady presence that had helped keep him a bit grounded in this whole dilemma.

Mari squeezed his shoulder as she passed, understanding his meaning. "Why don't you go get some rest? You aren't doing your daughter or your wife any good if you run yourself ragged."

Bumi sighed and dragged a hand across his face. "You're right." He glanced at the clock, and saw that it read just shy of 2am. "I guess I'll go check on Lin and try and get a few hours of sleep."

He stood and said goodnight to his daughter. "I'll be back in a few hours, my little love. Be good for Mari."

Bumi headed up one floor to Lin's private room. He took a moment in the hall to gather himself. After a few minutes of deep breathing, he pushed away from the wall and quietly entered Lin's room. He paused in shock at the scene before him.

Kya and Tenzin were near the door, talking softly while his mother was bending water around Lin. She seemed to be finishing as he entered, as she soon bent the water to the sink.

"Mom?" Bumi asked.

"Oh Bumi." Katara said, as the three conscious occupants turned to look at him.

"How? How are you here?" Bumi asked, still in shock, gripping the handle of the door in his hand.

Katara motioned to Tenzin. "Thank your brother. He was at the Southern Air Temple when Pema called him. He left right away and picked me up. We came right here." Katara approached her eldest and placed a weathered hand on his scruffy cheek. "She's going to be alright, Bumi."

A tear slipped down his cheek, which she wiped away. He then fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around his mother's waist. She held him to her, kissing the top of his head as he let out small sobs.

"I was so scared I lost them both."

"I know, baby." Katara said softly. She held him till he calmed and pulled back. She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his cheeks. "Come on, go sit with your wife for a bit and then you need to sleep."

Bumi lightly grunted as he stood, his knees not appreciating his extended kneel on the floor. He kissed his mothers forehead, before turning to his siblings. He pulled them both into a tight hug. "Thank you both, so much. I-I love you guys."

Kya kissed his cheek and Tenzin patted his back. "Of course. You are family; and so are Lin and the baby." Tenzin said, quickly wiping his own tear from his eye, thankful his siblings didn't see it as he didn't want to make this about him. "Don't worry about Haru. He'll stay with us as long as you need him too."

Bumi pulled back and gave his younger brother a small, grateful smile. "Thanks, Tenzin. I'm going to try and call later this morning after I get some sleep. Can you give him a hug from us though? It's the longest he has ever been away from us."

Tenzin squeezed his brother's arm. "I am going to take Mom up to the NICU. She's going to do her own check up."

Bumi went to speak but Katara moved over and took his hand. "It's okay, you stay with Lin and get some rest. Someone will get you if we need you, but I am just going to do a small session. I've heard she is doing quite well." She pulled a vial out from around her neck. "I brought some spirit water from the Spirit Oasis. Chief's Eska and Desna were kind enough to allow me to visit it again when I joined you all a few years ago. Tui and La allowed me to take a handful of vials this time."

"Thank you for using one on my baby."

"Oh sweetie, she is my granddaughter, of course I would use it for her. I also used one on Lin. The damage from the surgery is completely healed, though a faint line from the cut remains. I'm confident she'll wake soon." She squeezed his hand. "I'll see you again later. Go be with your wife."

Bumi watched Tenzin attempt to escort their mother from the room, only to have her bat his hand away. "I know my way around this hospital better than you, Tenzin. I'm young enough to still walk on my own, thank you very much." Bumi and Kya snickered at hearing their mother tell their brother off.

Once they had disappeared, Kya turned to Bumi. "I brought in a cot for you to sleep on. Don't stay awake too long, you need your sleep too. I'll check in myself in a few hours, but the nurses know to get me if you need me." Kya hid a yawn behind her hand. "I'll just be down the hall in the healer's overnight room."

"Thank you, Ky. For everything. I love you."

"Love you too, big guy." She lovingly punched his shoulder, not enough to hurt - that was for Beifong's, or when she was mad.

After Kya left, Bumi went and kissed Lin's forehead, pleased to see that she had finally completely lost the greyish tinge to her skin. Her cheeks even had a hint of rosiness to them, even though she was still pale.

"Hi, love. I got to touch our daughter today. She grasped my pinky while Mari was changing her. It was an incredible feeling. I wish you would have been there to see it and feel for yourself." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that had come loose from the new braid he had given her when he helped Kya clean her up yesterday morning. "Mom said you'll wake up soon. I hope so. I want you to be the first to fully hold our daughter. And we need to give her a name, we can't keep calling her baby girl." He placed another kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Lin. So much."

He turned and pulled the cot up close to her bed. He removed his shoes before laying down and pulling the blanket up. He rolled to his side, facing her bed and moved his one arm up so that he could hold her hand. He didn't care how awkward his arm felt or how sore it would be when he woke. He just needed to touch her, to know that she was still there.


Lin felt like she was floating. She had never felt this before and wondered if this was how airbenders felt.

She didn't know how long she had been floating for, but eventually she heard a noise. It sounded like bells tinkling in the wind. She looked around and saw a path below her.

'How do I land?' she thought, but as soon as the thought finished, she noticed she was gracefully floating down to the path. Once her feet touched the ground, she heard the tinkling again. So she followed the path, each step the sound became louder.

Eventually she realized it wasn't bells, but a musical sounding laughter.

She noticed the path opening up to a little grove. All around were bushes of jasmine flowers. In the middle, there was a blanket set up. Sitting on the blanket was a small tea table. She noticed with shock that there were three men seated there that she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Lin, so glad you decided to join us." Iroh said warmly, his face lit up in a warm and welcoming smile. "I made your favourite tea. Or should I say our favourite." He chuckled.

"Thought we were going to have to drag you here ourselves. Had enough wrangling Beifong's to do things when I was living. Thanks for not making me do it here too." Sokka said, with a cheeky grin as he polished his boomerang.

"Oh hush Sokka, Lin has never been as bad as Toph." Aang said, smiling. "Welcome Lin, or should I say daughter? I'm glad I can finally call you that."

"How… How are you all here?" She had a flash of remembered pain. "Am I dead?"

She heard the tinkling laugh again and swung her head to her right. She didn't see anything. She then felt a tiny hand slip into hers, and looked down beside her.

"Silly Mama, of course you aren't dead. I'm not either. We're both getting healed though. So Grandpa, Uncle Sokka, and Uncle Iroh decided we should have a tea party. Grandpa made me this flower crown. Isn't it pretty?" Adorned on the top of her head was a braided crown made of white and pink jasmine flowers.

Beside her was a little girl of about 6, with long wavy black locks. She was very pale like Lin, and had very similar green eyes to herself too. The girl very much also looked like Toph had in pictures Lin had seen at her grandmothers. Her hand flew to her stomach, but found it flat again.

"Your…"

"Your daughter." The girl grinned up at her, eyes twinkling like Bumi's did when he was amused.

"What happened?"

"You will find that out when you wake up, Mama." The girl tugged her hand, as she stepped towards the three men. "Let's have a tea party."

Lin let herself get absorbed into listening to her daughter - her daughter - talk with three of the most important men she had had in her life. She was in disbelief at how beautiful this little girl was, and couldn't stop watching her.

"She is precocious just like you were as a child." Iroh whispered from his spot beside her. "She will bloom into her own stunning flower, just as you did."

Lin frowned at his words. "I don't feel like I have grown much. Many times, I still feel like I will wake up and find myself back in the monotony of loneliness that shrouded my life for many years."

"Just because it took you a little longer to fully bloom, does not make the beauty of your petals any less than someone else's." He patted her knee. "What bothers you right now?"

Lin glanced over to her daughter, who was excitedly talking with Aang and Sokka. The events flooded back to her, causing her to sigh. "I was so upset with Bumi that I left to go for a walk. I-I got us hurt. I risked my child's life to save a little boy. I don't regret saving him, but at the same time, I regret leaving and putting my daughter at risk."

"The burden of regret can weigh us down heavily on our spiritual journey. The best way to release regret is to forgive ourselves." Iroh responded wisely. "To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness." Iroh continued. "Forgive yourself. It already sounds like you have forgiven Bumi."

Lin pondered his words. "I suppose I forgave him as soon as I left. However, it doesn't stop the pain."

"No, it doesn't, but sitting down and talking will help. A nice cup of tea to go along with it will too." He winked at her.

"It is nice to see you again, Uncle. Even if this is only a dream." Lin said, her hand coming up to rest on his.

A soft cough interrupted their conversation. She looked up to find Aang looking at her. "Who said this is a dream?"

Lin frowned at him. "What else could it be?"

"My darling sister may have used some spirit water to heal you and to help our little one here get stronger. It allowed this bridge of sorts to connect us all."

"So we're not a figment of your imagination." Aang said, a twinkle in his eyes.

Lin gaped at them. "Are we in the spirit world?"

Sokka scratched his head. "I think we are, or at least some type of version of it. Thinking about it too much gives me a headache. Who knew the spirit world to be so complex?" The others just laughed at him, but he joined in.

Lin looked at the little girl. "So you really are my daughter?" She asked, voice getting a little choked up.

She just grinned and nodded.

"Do you have a name?"

Her daughter let out another tinkling laugh. "Daddy said he had to wait for you to wake up so I can have a name. He visits me a lot, when he isn't with you. The room is less scary with him there. He has a nice voice."

Lin smiled at her. "He does, doesn't he. I'm glad he has been there as much as he can with you."

Suddenly the girl turned and smiled at something Lin couldn't see. She turned back. "Mama it's time to go back. Time to wake up."

Lin stood and took a moment to hug each man, who in many ways were father figures to her.

"We will see you again, but you have more life to live now." Aang kissed her forehead. "Say hi to my family for me, tell them I love them so much."

"Yeah, give Katara a big smoochie from him." Sokka snickered. But he pulled Lin into a tight hug. "Only joking, but… do tell your Mom I forgive her for not being there in the end. I know it still weighs on her heavily and it's been enough time." He kissed her cheek. "I'm so proud of you kiddo. Your family is beautiful. Especially your lovely, little girl here."

Before Lin could respond, she was pulled by a small hand. She barely had time to wave back at them before they disappeared from her sight as she was led down the path again.

She felt that floating feeling come over her again and looked down to see her feet off the ground. The only thing tethering her was the little hand in her own.

"Let go, Mama. Time to wake up. You'll see me soon." With that the little hand let go of hers and she started floating further up, watching the ground fade from beneath her. The last glimpse she had of her daughter was the jasmine petals in her hair, her tinkling laughter lulling her to sleep.


Lin realized she must be coming out of her dream or the spirit world, or whatever that was, as she felt heavy. Heavy limbs, and heavy eyelids that didn't want to open. She felt something on her hand and tried to move her fingers. After a few tries, she succeeded in flexing them. She realized that it was another hand holding hers when the person attached shifted. She moved them again.

"Lin?" Bumi, it was Bumi's hand on hers. "Can you hear me? Wiggle your fingers again." She did so, and heard him whoop in joy. "Oh love, thank the spirits." She felt a kiss placed on her forehead. "I'm going to go grab someone, I'll be right back."

Lin wanted to call out to him to not leave her alone, but she could get her body to cooperate.

It felt like hours, but she was sure it was only a few moments before footsteps approached the room.

"Alright, Lin, can you squeeze my hand?" Lin recognized Kya's voice and a slim hand slipping into hers. She tried to grip the hand, but she was sure it wasn't too strong of a grip. "Good job, Linny. I'm going to see if I can help lift the fogginess I am sure you are feeling." The hand left hers, and then her head was encased in a cooling sensation that felt good. The heaviness seemed to lift.

Lin was eventually able to open her eyes, she caught Bumi's first and gave him a small, tired smile. She suddenly remembered her dream, and her hand flew to her stomach, finding it flatter than it had been only a few days ago.

Bumi grabbed her hand. "It's okay love, she is okay." He raised a hand and brushed away the tear that had escaped her eye. "She's incredible. I finally understand Uncle Zuko's logic that girls are like little flowers. She is so delicate and beautiful, but resilient."

Lin smiled at him, and went to reply, but ended up coughing a bit from a dry throat.

"Here, Bumi help her to sit up and I will raise the bed to a sitting position and we'll get you some water, Lin." Kya said.

"I wanna see her." Lin said softly once she had sipped some water.

"Soon, Lin. I just want to check you over now that you are awake to tell me where it hurts. Mom healed you with some spirit water, so you should be healed, but it doesn't remove aches and stiffness."

"Wait your Mom? She actually used spirit water?" Lin frowned as she ran a hand into her hair. "That wasn't a dream?" She mumbled the last part more to herself.

"What dream?" Bumi prompted her, hoping she would tell them what she was talking about.

"Uncle Iroh, and Sokka, and your Dad were there. We had tea, well it was there, I don't remember drinking any… They told me your Mom had used spirit water on me and - our daughter, I met our daughter. She was so beautiful, Bumi. She looked like my mom and I, but she still had the same twinkle in her eyes that she got from you and your Dad."

Bumi glanced at Kya and they shared a look. They weren't sure if Lin had been knocked on the head or if the blood loss had caused this or if she was telling the truth.

"I know, it sounds crazy, but I swear it was real. Our daughter said your Mom used spirit water to heal us both, and Uncle Sokka said it created a bridge to the spirit world which is how they were able to visit." She grabbed Bumi's hand. "Our daughter also said you visited her a lot, and she liked listening to your voice when you spoke to her. I asked her if she had a name, but she told me that you had refused to name her until I was awake."

Bumi's face was slack in shock. "You really saw them?"

Lin nodded.

Kya seemed to be in as much shock, but was able to shake herself from it quicker. "Let me go see if I can arrange a visit with your baby."


Lin felt her breath catch in her throat as she was wheeled into the NICU room housing her daughter. There in the middle of the dim room was an incubator with a tiny baby inside.

"You must be Lin. I'm Mari, the night nurse that has been watching over our bravest little patient. She was doing great on her own, but when Master Katara came in with the spirit water, she is now almost at levels with babies born weeks later. Healer Aala just gave me the go ahead to remove her from the incubator." The young woman said cheerily, giving Lin a bright smile. "Now, why don't you get settled into the rocking chair in the corner, and I will bring her to you."

Bumi helped Lin to sit in the plush rocking chair, her body still achy and weak despite the healing. She couldn't help the slight nervousness she felt in holding a baby so tiny, but she also felt a great amount of anticipation. She diligently watched the nurse gently pick up her baby and wrap her in a soft green blanket.

"Alright, here you go Mama, here is your baby girl."

Lin accepted the baby into her arms. She stared down at her daughter in awe, tears welling in her eyes. She could see some of the features she had noticed on her daughter in the spirit dream, obviously just much tinier and less pronounced. Her skin was still fairly red, which Kya had warned her before coming in that most preemies had such translucent and sensitive skin, that it would be reddish for a few weeks to a few months. But Lin could already see creamy white skin appearing, most likely due to the spirit water. She was completely bald, but Lin didn't care.

Lin didn't hear the click of a camera that captured her first moment with her daughter, she was focused on the little hand that escaped the blanket. She nudged the hand with her pinky, and smiled when the tiny hand gripped her finger. The baby's eyes opened blearily, but for a moment, Lin swore there was a knowing glimmer in them, but it was gone quickly.

"She is beautiful." Lin said softly, still unable to look away even to glance up at her husband.

"She is." Bumi agreed, he sat on a stool close to them. One of his hands on Lin's knee, and the other cupping their daughters head. "We should probably figure out a name for her."

Lin thought about it for a moment, and remembered the jasmine grove from her dream. "Airi. It means love, affection and white jasmine." Lin finally glanced up at Bumi and saw his gentle smile.

"It's perfect; she's perfect."

Lin held her, speaking softly for a little while longer, before reluctantly handing her to Bumi to hold for the first time. She watched with tears in her eyes and he held her tiny body in both his big hands.

This time she heard the snap of the camera and looked up to see Kya with tears streaming down her face and Mari holding the camera. Lin gave them a soft smile, before turning back to the sight before her. She knew Bumi and she would need to talk later, but she could wait, she just wanted to memorize this moment forever.


A/N:

Airi is pronounced Eye-Ree.

Airi - From Japanese 愛 (ai) meaning "love, affection" combined with 莉 (ri) meaning "white jasmine"

Quotes I used for Uncle Iroh, cause I am not that profound:br /

"The burden of regret can weigh us down heavily on our spiritual journey. The best way to release regret is to forgive ourselves." - James Van Praagh

"To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness." - Robert Muller