The memories were faint, but they were still there.

Even some forty years later, Bumi could remember the whispered conversations between his parents.

"Toph's been acting kind of… weird lately, don't you think?" Katara said softly, carefully mending one of her traditional water tribe fur coats.

"I'm not sure. It's been pretty hard recently for the police force, after the attack," Aang said thoughtfully.

"And she's been acting extremely weird around Sokka. For a while I thought they were together."

Aang looked up, surprised. "Toph and Sokka? Didn't see that coming."

"You didn't?"

Aang laughed. "Ok, I see what you mean. I wonder… is Toph…?"

Bumi tread on an obnoxiously loud floorboard before he could find out what Toph was. Cursing his clumsiness, he casually walked out, feigning a look of tiredness. Katara and Aang had gone silent and turned to stare at him.

"Oh… hey mom… dad… I'm just going to the bathroom…" Bumi yawned, hoping they couldn't see right through his lie.

He remembered a lot of things all of a sudden. Mentions of visits, furtive looks, wide smiles. Su innocently calling him "dad", causing Toph to get all flustered.

He had been old enough to remember around the time when Suyin was born, and the realization washed over him. How hadn't he noticed? All along, it had been right in front of him. He had been right in front of all of them.

He wondered if the others knew. Would they? He found it hard to believe that his parents had known all along and didn't let on at all. They never seemed to betray even the slightest bit of secretiveness when the topic came up, but he knew it was a very touchy subject for the Beifongs, so perhaps they had just learned in time to act normal.

His curiosity got the better of him, and perhaps with a degree of recklessness, he approached Su one day. She was just about to leave; the funeral had been a week ago and she was expected back in Zaofu. After a week together, the family had just begun to heal from the Sokka-shaped hole in their hearts, and maybe it was completely out of line for him to do this, but when did he ever worry about such trivial matters?

"Hey. Su."

She looked up from her seat. The metalbender was staring into space from a porch chair, viewing the glowing skyline of Republic City. Her face was turned towards the wind, apparently unbothered by the biting chill. "Oh, hey Bumi."

"Aw, don't sound so disappointed."

"What are you doing here, Bumi?"

He raised his eyebrow at the slightly aggressive-sounding remark, but ignored it and plowed through. "I just wanted to know how you were doing."

Su gave him a look before replying. "I'm doing alright."

"It's like losing a dad, isn't it?"

Su seemed startled at his choice of words. "Uh, yes."

"Shame he didn't have any kids. Sure, he wasn't the last of an entire race of anything, but..."

Su smiled ruefully, an odd look in her eye. Bumi continued on, as always. "You know, I don't think he left without any children. A guy like him… he would've been really good at being a dad, too."

"He was," Su said. She seemed shocked by her own insinuation, and sat up suddenly. "I mean…" Bumi gave her a knowing smile. Su deflated, seeming almost relieved.

"He was my dad." It was a statement, yet it sounded like a question, hopeful but not wanting to hear the answer.

Bumi just shrugged. "You'll have to ask your mom."

"And get buried in the yard? No thanks."

"She seems to be in a good, er, comparatively better mood today," Bumi said plainly, hoping Su would follow his lead.

"You know what? Maybe I will," Su said, getting up with a slightly less hunched posture than before, a new purpose in her gait. Bumi grinned as she passed him and tugged open the door to the kitchen.

Su turned around suddenly with wide eyes. "That was all a set up, wasn't it?" She accused.

Bumi shrugged. "Maybe."