~Chapter 4~

~The Living Daylights~

The Police detective glared across the table at the water tribe woman who was returning the glare. The detective sighed. "Ok, miss Ajdar."

"Mrs. Ajdar."

The man rubbed his temples. "Look lady can you please just tell me what you were doing in General Iroh's apartment, more specifically his bed, this morning?"

"Sleeping. I know a revolutionary concept." Korra leaned back. Of the many things she and Iroh had talked about last night the one thing they had gone into great detail was Iroh's current job. So she knew that eventually, Director Sozza would appear to clear everything up, all Korra had to do was stall and while not lying or compromising his mission. She looked over at the man and smirked.

The detective looked back at his file. "Ok, what were you doing before that?"

"Guess, use your imagination if you like."

"Just tell me what you did last night."

"Iroh."

"Not who, what."

"Same thing."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"Were you and him…"
"Well aren't you nosy? Rough estimate about an hour."

"A whole hour?"

"Give or take fifteen minutes. Iroh was quite, enthusiastic last night."

The men made a face. "We'll come back to that later. Do you know what General Iroh does for a living?"

"Yes, do you? It's kind of implied in his name if you need a clue."

"Look I'll ask the questions here. How well do you know the General?"

"Intimately."
"Do you know if he's a bender or not?"

"I'm not sure how that's a relevant to the conversation." Korra crossed her arms. What does that matter? Why are they asking that?
"Just answer is he a bender or not?"

Korra smirked. "Well he was doing some impressive bending last night."

"Can you be more specific?"

"Well I could but that's getting into some really privet information and I don't like to brag. But damn fire nation stereotypes aren't baseless."

The man looked like he was going to rip up the file in his hands. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Ok, let's try this again. Can you in good faith say General Iroh was with you between 2A.M. and 3 A.M. last night?"

"Oh yes, with out a doubt." Korra gave the detective a wolfish smile. "I know exactly where he was between those hours."

"Where were you?"

"In bed."

"And during that time what where you two doing?"

"Well we weren't asleep and at that hour there's only a few things couples do in bed at that hour."

"And what is that?"

"Guess."

The man glared at her. "This is serious lady what were you and General Iroh doing during the hours of two and three last night in the general's bed?"

Korra raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the man's hand, which had a ring. "Detective, you're a married man I don't think I need to explain and if I do maybe you and your spouse should seek couples counseling."

"Just answer the question."

"Why? You're secret porn stash just not doing it for you anymore?"

Clearly aggravated the detective stood up and leered down at Korra. "Listen here lady, I don't know who you think you are but I am an officer of the law and you will answer my questions, and answer them without being difficult or snarky. Your husband is in a lot of trouble little lady and you can be too if you don't cooperate. Understand?"

Korra stood up and mirrored the detective's stance. "You may know who you are but you have no idea who I am. You wake me up, drag me down here, ask me questions like you're some Sam Spade, arrest my husband, and now you threaten me?" She sat back. "Don't kid yourself you don't have the pay grade to do something like that and now you've pissed me off so I'm not saying another word until my lawyer gets here or I'm allowed to leave." She crossed her arms.

.o.

Lin looked up from her desk right at the Director of the United Forces Operations Director. Tall, slender, golden eyed, with black hair that was just now showing silver by her temples, the woman dressed in inky black looked down at her. Lin took a deep breath. "Director Sozza, to what do I owe the visit? Is something wrong?"

"I'm here on business." Sozza closed the door and sank into a near by chair. "Some of your people have collected one of my people and charged him with murder."

Lin rolled her eyes. "And let me guess he didn't do it."

Sozza smirked. "But of course, except in this case he really didn't do it, it's impossible."

"Really?"

"Yes, for a number of reasons but mostly we were about to recruit the dead guy to help in a mission. His death just made my goals a lot harder." She pouted. "And you know how I despise hard things."

"I'm well acquainted with your tastes." The police chief crossed her arms. "And what are your goals Sozza? I'm never really sure what side you and your little gang of spies are on."

Sozza sighed. "As always Lin I'm on the same side and team as you. I'm not my mother after all."

Lin snorted. "I'm not so sure about that. You can be quite the terror when you want to be."

Sozza waved off the comment. "Either way I guess I can read you in on this mission since with councilman Tarrlok's little task force is mucking up the works I need all the help I can get."

"Oh? Director Sozza Ajdar, queen of secrets is going to read me in? I feel special."

"Ouch so catty today. It's because we all forgot your birthday isn't it? That's why you're being so crabby? I said I was sorry and I'm sure the boys will soon."

Lin glared at Sozza. "No, I just had an hour conversion with my ex about his missing avatar! I'm not in the greatest mood, Sozza."

Sozza pouted. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that jackass Lin. Anyway I need my agent back as soon as possible." She sat up. "I am currently running an investigation in to the United Forces' First fleet. There have been reports that mid to high-level officers have been making life a living hell for non-benders. My man met with Captain Ling-Tu last night and was given a hefty file detailing a lot of the events. I needed Ling-Tu as a witness and now he's dead and my man's in your interrogation room not doing his job."

Lin leaned back and sighed. "I really should have known Iroh was one of yours. I'll call down stairs and get him out and have the file of the arrest sent to you." She said picking up the phone. "Is there anything else you need director?"
"If you would be so kind as to also release his wife too, that would be great." Sozza stood up. "And not to state the obvious but you look stressed, maybe you should treat yourself get a massage or something."

Lin looked over at Sozza and raised an eyebrow. "Do you have anyone in mind?"

"I do, but she's very exclusive and very good." Sozza started to walk to the door. "You know my number call me later and I'll make an appointment for you." Sozza winked before walking out the door.

Lin shook her head to call down to interrogation to release Iroh and his wife and bring her the file. She waited about ten minutes before two detectives came up to her office holding the files she requested. One of them looked angry, aggravated, and flustered and the other just looked aggravated. The calmer looking one of the two spoke first.

"I hope you have a good reason for letting the General walk, I almost had him talking."

Lin raised an eyebrow. "Almost had him talking? Did he speak at all?"

The men sighed. "No, he did not."

The other detective crossed his arms. "Well that's a whole lot better than dealing with the wife! Spirits! She is a bitch! She acted like some snarky Princess whose only goal was to aggravate me the entire time! She wasn't concerned for a second."

Lin sighed. "Well if that was her goal, I think she achieved it. And if she is married to General Iroh prince of the Fire Nation she is a princess."

.o.

Korra walked out of the police station and onto the street, Sozza had grabbed Iroh so quickly Korra was just able to wave goodbye before he got pulled down a different hall. Korra sighed and headed toward the docks and Air Temple Island. This was not going to be pretty.

It wasn't, of course, and Tenzin lectured her for a good hour before letting her get a word in edge wise which didn't amount to much as she was so ticked off at that point all she did was yell. "If you want to know whom I was with look it up!" Before storming down a hall to lock herself in her room. To which he announced that she was grounded and had her telephone, task force, and probending practice rights revoked. Something Korra was unsure of whether he could or not seeing as she was a legal adult but the resulting three days of quiet seclusion gave her time to think.

The fact that the detective had asked Korra if Iroh was a bender bothered her. Why did it matter and why would a detective ask her? Surely Iroh could answer that himself. She thought back to the Councilman's task force and how at least until last night she had see the issue as strictly a one sided issue with the nonbenders joining Amon as the enemy, but now she wondered whether she had down played the part benders had played in the unrest as well. Yeah the criminals in the city were dead give a ways but the troubles in the United Forces wasn't because of the Triad.

Korra frowned, the waters were getting muddied again as more players joined the game. She would have to be cautious not to become a pawn again. She looked out the window at the bay, somewhere out there Iroh was doing his job, risking his life to help nonbenders during a time when being one made people automatically assume you were an equalist. She'd have to have his back a well.

.o.

It was early morning when Iroh arrived at Air Temple Island. He hadn't heard from Korra and was starting to get worried. It wasn't out of her character to go incommunicado but as they were so close geography wise Iroh hoped to have a little more contact with her especially after that night. To his surprise he was met at the docks by Tenzin who bowed rigidly once he was close enough.

"Prince Iroh of the Fire Nation, welcome to Air Temple Island."

Iroh bowed back to show his respect. "Master Tenzin, I am honored by your welcome." His posture relaxed. "But we're family surly there is no need to be so formal."

"We are not family your highness." He turned. "Come this way and as we walk you can explain why you are here."

Iroh fell into step with Tenzin. "Your uncle was my grandfather, I believe that would make us family regardless of the bad blood between you and my father. I'm surprised that after all these years you seem so bitter." Iroh looked away. "I had hoped you had forgiven my father, it's been over twenty years now."

Tenzin stiffened. "Karrem abandoned his role as Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. He put his desirers above his duties and cut all ties doing so."

"True but he did mend most of those ties later on and Tonraq is a great chief. I don't believe there is another person more fit for that job. Besides there were other factors then just my mother involved."

Tenzin paused. "Please tell me you're not here to try and fix my relationship with my cousin."

"I'm not, but the fact you still have bad blood saddens me."

"Well I would hate to make you sad your highness." Tenzin sighed. "I'm sorry, it's not your fault there was a fallout between your father and the rest of his family. So why are you here?"

"I came to see Korra."

Tenzin raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't aware that you two knew each other."

Iroh chuckled. "Oh, yes we have known each other for years. We're quite close but I understand if you didn't know Korra is a bit lacking when it comes to communication sometimes."

Tenzin nodded. "Yes, she can be quite reserved with information and quite cryptic when she wants to be. A few nights ago she spent the night with some man she refuses to name. All she tells me is to 'look it up' whatever that means."

Iroh made an amused face. "Well I've never known Korra to be a fan of riddles but if I may give you a hint the news papers from the Southern Water Tribe and Fire Nation from about six years ago may give you the answers you seek."

"Do you have to be so cryptic too?"

Iroh shrugged. "What can I say? I do enjoy riddles." He looked over spotting Korra doing her morning stretches. "She's up this early?"

"Yes, I've had her getting up early for her air bending training."

Iroh nodded. "Well I think you need an award for just a achieving that."

Tenzin sighed. "If only that was all I was tasked with teaching her. Well I guess I'll leave you here to talk with her while I go look up those old news papers." The Air Bending Master turned to leave but stopped. "By the way how is your father? I haven't heard from him in quite awhile."

"I'd be surprised if you did. He's been dead for ten years."

"Karrem's dead? How?"

"Cancer. He was told by a healer around the same time I was born he was sick and living in the warm climate of the Fire Nation could help prolong his life for a few more years ad he wanted to spend that time with his family." Iroh's eyes became misty. "He died when I was twelve, five years longer then the doctors thought he would." He gave a small laugh. "Only Great Aunt Kattara and Grandpa Sokka came to the funeral. I always thought it had been because you all were still so angry about the whole affair but now I'm wondering whether any of you even opened the letter." He left Tenzin standing there as he walked down the path to Korra.

She looked up at him with a smiled that faded quickly. "Are you crying?"

Iroh wiped his eyes. "Maybe a little, I just had to tell another bitter family member my father's dead." He took a deep breath. "So on to more pleasant topics it's been three days and you haven't called me. What's up?"
Korra gestured up to where Tenzin had been moments ago. "I've been grounded."

Iroh tilted his head. "He does know you're an adult right?"

Korra stood up and kissed him. "I don't think he believes I am." She looked Iroh who was wearing clothes that could be construed as 'work out' attire. "So did you drop by here on your morning run?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much."

"Would you like to join me for the rest of my warm up stretches?" She moved back to her spot. "After wards we could go for a run around the island and then get breakfast. Pema makes a really good breakfast."

He smiled. "Sure, that sounds nice."