Disclaimer:I don't own atla or lok

"I want to join this investigation."

Toph didn't even make an indication of surprise. It may have had something to do with both Katara and Sokka present in her office. Aang eyed them.

"What are you guys doing here?"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "Same reason you're here. We want to join the investigation too."

"And guess what." The chief of police crossed her arms. "I'm still saying no. To all three of you now."

The triplet groaned.

Katara began scolding her like usual. "Why not, Toph? I'm sure if you can handle this job, so can we. We fought in a war together for spirits sake."

"I've had this job for the past couple decades now and you three finally ask what it's like to be chief of police? Late to the party much?"

The councilman decided to explain their situation. "Come on. We just want to understand your stress that comes with this job."

The master earthbender laughed sarcastically. Her eyebrow shot up. "Are you serious? What is this about you guys? I'm not stupid."

"We have nothing to do. Council is on break so Sokka is available. Katara doesn't have to go to the hospital. And I didn't get called for anything." The avatar tried convincing their long time friend.

"Plus all your kids are gone." The married couple nudged their brother in the ribs. The chairman of the council winced in pain at the double strike and looked at them for an explanation. Their eyes darted to Toph and Sokka realized what he said. "I mean, you guys have more free time."

The chief of police, like she had said, was not stupid after all. "I see."

There was a silence between the four of them.

After several seconds, Toph broke the tension. "I don't need you guys babysitting me. I'm fine."

After the whole incident with her daughters, Toph had thrown herself into her work. With nothing to come home to, she had no reason to leave. The only time she did was by demand of either Katara, Aang, Sokka, or all three of them. They were the only reason why she slept and ate. Toph was getting better over the months, but it was obvious that she had lost the lights in her life.

Since she loved staying at the station, the trio decided to try a different approach and instead of pulling her away from work, they would join her. Of course, the master earthbender was not going to make it easy on her childhood friends.

"I get it, alright. I scared you guys with the whole hurting myself thing again. But I'm doing better. You guys make sure I eat and sleep. Sokka is with me at the house almost every night." Her stern expression returned. "But when it comes to work, this is my territory."

The three of them wouldn't let it go.

"Take this as another adventure. We haven't gone on one of those in years. Before the city was even built." The water tribe warrior tried to convince her.

Katara also added. "Yeah, I definitely miss those."

"Come on, Sifu. For old times sake?" Aang prodded his old master.

The chief of police slowly planted both her feet onto the ground. The trio was glad to see her face soften into a less serious expression convincing them they may have cracked her finally. Toph rested her head on one of her hands and slowly closed her eyes. She cleared her throat before she answered.

"No."

The officers cringed at the sight of their boss stomping her way towards the home. Looking behind her, they bowed at the chairman of the council, master water bender, and avatar following closely behind her.

Toph talked through gritted teeth. "I am going to chuck all of you all the way to Ba Sing Se."

Sokka just laughed. "Sorry, Chief. You can't defy a council order."

The chief of police restrained herself from tearing up the streets. The four walked up to the door and was stopped when Toph turned around to face them.

"Alright, listen. When we go in there you guys have to try ad devoid yourselves of feelings. Nothing will get done if we are stopped by emotions. You said you wanted to know how my job works, you do as I say. Got it?"

"What are we exactly dealing with here? Robbery? Burglary?" Katara asked sightly excited. As much as she denied it, the water bender could get just as hyper as her brother.

Speaking of the devil. "Hostage situation?"

And lastly, the avatar's input. "Lost kid?"

Toph just sighed. This was one of those times that she hated being blunt. "A father killed his son."

Aang, Katara, and Sokka went wide eyed. The chief of police just opened the door.

The first room into the house was the living room where everyone was situated. Toph entered, hands behind her back and professional, while the other three practically tip toed in. Seated on the couch were two boys and who they assumed was their mother. Because she was blind, Toph was spared the bruised faces and arms before her, an unfortunate image for the rest. The mother huddled her boys closer into her embrace.

The chief of police turned to one of her associates. "Where is the body?"

"It's already headed to the hospital for an autopsy."

She nodded. Her attention was then put on the family. "You are...?"

The woman hesitated which was understandable. "Fuun. These are my sons, Qing and Ping."

"We need to ask you a few questions. Are you comfortable speaking in front of the boys?"

Fuun shook her head. "I'd rather not. I don't want them hearing it."

Toph nodded. "Would you mind if my associates talk to the boys and keep them busy?"

The woman looked back and set eyes on the three war heroes. "I-Is that who I think it is?"

"Yes. That is the avatar, coucilman Sokka, and Master Katara. I promise you they are excellent with children. Your boys will be safe."

"Alright."

As Fuun talked to her boys, Toph took the time to explain the situation to the three behind her. "Alright. What I need you guys to do is ask the boys about their father without actually asking them."

Sokka gaped at her confused. "Wait, what?"

"Those children are traumitized, Toph. Abused. We can't do that." The water bender argued. "Those boys are only eight or nine years old."

"Just make conversation that eventually makes them talk about their dad. It wouldn't be good to bring them into the interrogation room."

"I don't like this." Aang confessed.

Toph just sighed. "I said no for a reason. That's fine. If you guys want to opt out. I understand."

The way that she had responded and turned back to the family stabbed the other three slightly in the heart. Even though she didn't want to bring them, it was obvious that Toph liked the company of her friends. Especially with how distant her family was. Sokka looked at Aang who looked at Katara who looked to her brother.

The chief of police approached the two boys and kneeled down. "My friends got some cold feet, so I'll talk to you guys before I talk to your Mom. Are you guys okay with that?"

The boys shook their head.

After several seconds, Toph smirked. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you guys I'm blind. So I can't see this." She shook her head. "But I assume you shook your heads?"

They nodded. She just raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." The boys answered in sync.

"Good. You guys catch on quick." She smiled at them, something very unlike her to the three behind. "What do you guys like to do?"

Of course, the boys hesitated before answering. "We can firebend."

The chief nodded her head. "I have a friend that can firebend. He can be kind of whiny some times. The avatar can firebend. Isn't that right, Aang?"

The master airbender stumbled a bit to answer. "Oh. Yes! I can."

Toph whispered towards the kids. "I bet you're better than him though."

"You think so?" The older of the two asked.

"Definitely." She confirmed the statement further. "I'm sure you had a better teacher than he did. Who taught you guys?"

"Dad." And that is when the boys shrunk back towards their mother. "Shin helped too when Dad was being mean."

"I see. Shin was your older brother?"

"Yeah." The youngest sniffled softly.

"He was a good teacher huh?"

"Yes."

"Was Dad really hard on you guys?" When Toph heard more sniffles, she carefully stood up and patted both boys on the head. She had reached their limit. "Well Dad isn't here anymore and we're gonna work hard to prevent him from being mean to you guys again. If you guys ever hear anything or need to tell me anything, you call the station and ask for the chief. I promise I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

The boys nodded and turned into their mother.

"Would you mind coming in for questioning in the next couple of days?"

Fuun agreed with the chief of police. At the snap of her fingers, the police officers filed out of the house.

"I thought you guys were leaving."

Katara, Sokka, and Aang looked back at her. Toph had her arms slung on the back of the saddle. The wind attempted to take her hair out of its bun.

The water bender crawled over to her. Toph turned in her direction. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

Sokka joined them. "That thing. Where you got the kids to talk about their dad."

She shrugged. "Ask them without asking them."

Aang came out of no where and floated down in front of Toph. He must have bent himself off Appa's head at some point. "You sounded so...delightful."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Toph scowled into the air. The other three couldn't help but chuckle only making the chief of police deepen her frown. "And what's so funny?"

The councilman let his laughter die down first. "Nothing. You're just acting like Toph."

"I don't get it."

"Its just that you switched personalities really quick. How do you know how to talk to kids like that? Especially victimized kids?"

Toph just quirked an eyebrow at Katara. "What are you talking about? I was just talking to them."

The avatar nudged her knee. "Oh come on. Did you really talk to Lin and Su like that?"

"Of course." She turned away, indicating that they had reached a sore spot. "It's usually how I got them to tell me what's wrong when they were younger. If that didn't work, yelling was effective."

"Remind me of one time you spoke to your kids that kindly." Sokka smirked at his best friend.

Toph snorted. "Alright, well maybe I was a tad more aggressive. But those were my kids. I was talking to some other person's kids."

The bison roared.

"Looks like we're back at the station."

Katara, Sokka, and Aang heard the police chief clear her throat. She had her arms crossed and was still facing the open sky. "Thanks for the ride. I guess I'm going to go interrogate the father by myself."

"You have him in custody already?" The three said in sync.

"I usually like catching the criminals, but I wasn't feeling like it today. I had my best team go and catch the bastard trying to escape past the border to the earth kingdom."

"We're coming with you." They spoke together again.

The chief of police sat up and faced them. "Are you sure? You didn't really convince me that you guys are worth bringing back there."

"This is different." The councilman in the group spoke with his hands like usual. At one point, Katara had to grab Toph and pull her down when her brother swung his arms out. "This man is at fault. So there is definitely no reason to be nice to him. I think in a situation like this, emotion actually helps. You don't know how pissed I am at this guy."

"I second that." Aang held up one of his hands. "How can someone do that to their own child?"

His wife latched onto his arm. "Definitely not us. I've never found a reason to even get close to abusing any of our children. Those people are shameful."

Toph sighed. She had seen too many cases. "Yeah, he's probably the worst kind."

The bison gently landed in front of the police station. Aang hopped off, his own wife in his arms. Sokka guided Toph towards the bison's tail and they slid down together. The four walked into the station and began navigating through its many hallways. The chief of police led them to the training grounds. Once there, the six officers using it at the moment stood and saluted. Their chief nodded and they relaxed. Many of them were getting checked medically, including a familiar face.

Sokka couldn't help but run up to her and give her a hug. "Lin!"

The police captain raised an eyebrow, mirroring her mother greatly. "Hey. What are you guys doing here?"

"We're helping your Mom out with the investigation."

"I see." Lin approached her mother and saluted. "We captured the boy's father. He's currently in a holding cell awaiting interrogation."

"Excellent." Toph nodded.

"There anything else my team can do, Chief?"

"Not presently, Lin."

"Are you sure, Chief? We can be ready in minutes."

"Lin, you guys just got back. Take a break."

"We are just awaiting your next order."

Mother Katara was only paying attention to the side of her face."Those cuts scarred. Sorry about that, Sweetheart."

The younger Beifong cringed. She physically froze causing the water tribe siblings to back away. Behind them, Aang was currently watching Toph's face contort in every which way.

"Scars?"

Lin glared at the other three while still looking scared. Her eyes turned back to her mother and she took in a deep breath of courage. "Yeah. What about it?"

"How did you get them?"

"I have scars everywhere. This is a tough job."

Toph didn't answer right away. She seemed to be concentrating. When she finally did speak, it didn't exactly boost Lin's confidence. "You're in uniform. Your entire body is covered right now. Except for your face."

The police captain fought the urge to signal defeat. "Its just a couple of scratches. It's nothing."

Everyone in the room flinched when the chief spun on her heel and gave her order. "Captain Beifong, in my office. Now."

With that, Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Lin followed the chief of police through the halls again, this time targeting the large double doors to Toph's office. Lin being the last person who entered, the door slammed shut on its own. The younger Beifong didn't even flinch.

Toph slammed her hands against her desk. "When did you get those scars?"

"A few months ago." Lin fought back. The remaining three in the room were beyond confused.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me. I obviously can't see for myself."

The young captain scowled. "Because it doesn't matter. So what if I have scars? It's nothing."

At Toph's next words, everybody in the room felt the tension rise far above the clouds. "Nothing? How stupid do you think I am? Su gave you those didn't she?"

Aang, Sokka, and Katara practically suffocated from the dense atmosphere. There were several reasons to their confusion at the situation. Minutes ago, Lin was giving her mother the uttermost respect. However, the three realized that the young woman was just trying to impress thechief. Now that they were playing mother and daughter, the two Beifongs made a complete 180 degree turn in personality.

In conclusion, the three finally understood Toph's behavior for the last few months.

Her life was a mess.

"I told you I'm fine. They don't hurt. They don't sting. They're just there. Can I go now, Chief?"

Her mother scoffed. "Drop the act will you. We're talking about our family here. I knew you got hurt that day. But you didn't think it was important at all that your sister is the one that gave you those? It's like Zuko and his dad all over again!

"At least his father did it for duty."

This time all four of the war heroes yelled at her. "No it wasn't!"

And at that moment, Lin shrunk back and realized what came out of her mouth. She usually had better control of her words, but may it be the friction between her mother or the plain fact that being in the same room was something she couldn't handle when Toph was Mom and not Chief, Lin knew that that wasn't what she meant. In the five seconds that she spoke, she realized that the two situations were not one in the same. "I-I...didn't-"

"No. Nope. I'm done." Toph walked around her table. "Tell my second that he has to come in. Interrogate the guy, record it, and keep him locked in here. Do those things and maybe I'll actually sleep tonight."

"Mom-"

"Will you look at that, I'm Mom now. Haven't heard that in months." The chief began walking to her office doors.

The younger Beifong tried reaching out to the other three. "Uncle Sokka...Uncle Aang-"

Her mother didn't hesitate to interrupt her. "I want a drink. Who's coming."

The water tribe siblings were shocked to see Aang follow his former sifu in step through her office doors. The avatar gave Lin a stern look, but that changed into a more sympathetic couldn't stay mad at her. Everyone else trailed after the two.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking!"

"You got that right."

Katara and Sokka caught up to their friends with Lin chasing them. "Mom-"

When they were finally out of the station, Toph turned around and halted her daughter's pursuit. "Captain Beifong. Do as your chief tells you." She got extra close to Lin and spoke between them. "Do your duty."

Nobody questioned the single tear moving down Lin's cheek when she entered the station to do just that.

"I can't believe Sokka is still a lightweight after all these years."

Aang scratched his bald head and took a sip of beer. "Him and Katara are both pretty light drinkers. I had to tuck them into bed."

Instead of a laugh or phrase of sarcasm, Toph just drank. She swallowed the sip hard. "And then there's you. I've trained you to be pretty tolerant. And you're a monk."

"More or less. Probably less. I'm probably the first airbender to consume this much alcohol in their lifetime." At that, the avatar took a swig before continuing. "Wonder what Gyatso would say."

"Would you really like to find out?"

"No?"

"Keep drinking and you'll wonder less."

Their bottles clinked and they drank. It was maybe midnight and Toph and Aang were sitting around a fire Sokka had started. Something about the good old days when they didn't have jobs, or kids, or more responsibilities than saving the world. They laughed, they cried, they yelled, and they drank. Now, only two remained.

Aang decided to prod the elephant koi in the room. "You were...kinda harsh back there."

"Should I not have been?"

"I don't know." He played with his bottle. "Maybe, maybe not."

"You got mad too, Twinkle Toes. She was out of line. Su hurting her was not the same as Zuko's psychotic father burning him." The chief of police huffed and let her bangs hang more over her face.

The avatar leaned back on his hands. "I know that. That's why we all got mad. But Lin was also defending her morals."

Toph frowned. "That was her sister. Did she really think I was going to throw her sister in jail, my daughter in jail? What would you have done if you were in my situation?"

When no reply came from him, she crossed her arms in victory.

"Still." He started. "You can't live your life with this animosity between both you and Lin and you and Su. It's eating you up."

"I must be pretty tasty then since it can't get enough."

The avatar scowled.

Toph just closed her eyes. "I know you're making a face." Her speech was directed elsewhere. "Sokka, you touch me and you are going to end up in the bay."

The airbending master looked behind them and found the water tribe warrior stuck in a position with his hand mid touch to Toph's shoulder.

The chief of police warned him again. "Snoozles, you lightweight. Get your hand away or I'll shove it up your-"

"Aang!"

He was surprised when Katara leaned against him. He carefully guided her until she was sitting in his lap. Her head stayed laying on his shoulder.

"Why was I in bed? I don't want to be in bed."

Aang rubbed her arms. "Sweetie, you're drunk. You should go to sleep."

"We aren't tired, brother." Sokka did the unthinkable and plopped himself onto Toph's lap. Aang could have sworn he saw a blush creep up on her cheeks. Either that or it was the glow of the fire. "We can be up all night."

"Snoozles. Get off will ya. You're heavier than a badgermole."

He gasped. "I am not fat."

She continued to try and push him off. Aang shook his head and held his wife. Katara was carefully being lulled back into dream land.

On the other side, Sokka had latched himself on to Toph's neck. "Remember? I promised you that I'd be with you every night. Especially when you have nightmares. Or when you cry. You've been crying a lot lately. Not sobbing like wah, wah, wah. But just little drops."

The chief of police just got more frustrated. "Shut up."

"Tophy you gotta let yourself go sometimes! You're pissed all the time. And I don't know at who! Not me, not Aang, not my sister, not Lin, not Su."

"Shut up." She said it softer this time.

"I mean, you don't even want to have-"

Aang gawked at his former master. She rubbed her forehead irritated. She had just headbutted her best friend. Said best friend was unconscious in her arms.

"Toph-"

"Just drop it, Twinkle Toes. I don't want to hear a word."

He watched still in slight shock as she repositioned Sokka. He was now laying on the ground with his head in her lap. He didn't hesitate to ask her again. "Are you guys together?"

"I'm pretty sure I said drop it just second ago."

Aang couldn't help but chuckle. "You are so lucky Katara is asleep."

Toph just looked beyond annoyed.

The two of them turned back towards the fire. Their shadows flickered in the distance, distorting as the fire continued to burn. Aang observed as Toph's face relaxed into indifference. It was a perfect place to begin again, this time asking the better question.

"Does he make it better?"

She flinched at how deep his voice sounded. "What?"

"You know, does he help you cope? Prevent you from doing something stupid?" He kissed his wife on the forehead and continued to rock her gently.

Her breathing was audible. And she stayed like that for a couple of minutes. A lot of minutes. It was near 1:30 in the morning when she finally answered again. By this time, Aang was laying down on the ground of the island, Katara close to him to keep her from the cold. Toph laid on Sokka's stomach, his limbs always sprawled when he slept.

Toph caught Aang right before he could fall asleep. "We've been close. But we've never done it. I wouldn't let him. Even if it's impossible for me to have more kids at this point, I couldn't go through with it "

"And the answer to my question?"

She cleared her throat. "He does. He really does."

Aang nodded. "Good. That's really good."

The two yawned.

Toph chuckled. "These two are going to have a hangover tommorow."

"We just gotta take care of them. They've been doing it for us for years. I'm sure we can return the favor this one time."

"Even with the kids out of the house, we still got people to take care of. It never ends."

His answer sounded happy. "That's the best part. It never ends."

Before his eyes closed again, Toph brought him back to consciousness. "Listen, I appreciate you guys coming with me today. Although it wasn't as exciting as our younger days, it still felt great going around together."

"I think you're drunk. You're being nice."

"And my efforts are totally pushed to the side."

Aang acknowledged her kind words. He continued to scold her. "You need to sleep. You're gonna have a hangover."

She rolled her eyes. "Pfffff. Please. There is no way in hell that is going to happen. I'm a heavyweight unlike these weaklings. And you know what?"

"What?"

"You're one too "

For the first time in a long time, they laughed themselves to sleep.

Together again. It may not have been an all too exciting day, but the four of them know it's just great to be together. Thanks for reading!