A/N: So here's chapter 2 in my fic. Do enjoy yourselves.

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Aiko's eyes fluttered as she felt a hand shake her shoulder. "Miss…" She let out a big yawn and scratched her cheek as the hand kept shaking her. "Miss wake up." She opened her eyes and saw a metal building with a statue of a woman in its façade overlooking the space in front of it. She turned to her left and saw the driver smiling at her in a kind manner and said, "Miss, we have arrived in Republic City."

"Where are we again?" she asked groggily at the driver. "And I didn't get your name."

"We're at the Police Headquarters," he said. "And my name is Chong. What about you?"

"Aiko," she replied. "Can I ask you one thing? Since you mentioned that you're an Air Acolyte, who the hell is this Tenzin guy?"

The man chuckled and said, "Master Tenzin is the patriarch of the last and only airbending family in the world. He's also a councilman here in Republic City. I'm surprised you don't know him."

"Oh…wait, what's airbending?" she asked.

"The ability to manipulate the element of air," Chong answered her and looked at her in confusion. "You know that right?"

"Of course, I was…just testing you," she shot back trying to hide her embarrassment. "So where's his office?"

"In City Hall of course," the man said.

"Yes! Yes, the City Hall," she said and shifted in her seat. "Do you think he's in?"

"Well, it's four in the afternoon so yes, I think he's in City Hall," Chong replied.

"Say, where is the City Hall?"

The man looked at her again and shook his head. "Down the road," he said as he pointed in the direction to a building with a golden dome. "Just straight ahead."

"Thanks Chong," she smiled. "I'd best be off."

"Aiko, why are you asking about Master Tenzin by the way?"

"I'm applying," she answered the first thing that entered her mind. "Yup, that's what I'm going to do."

"Well, good luck," Chong said. She then gathered her backpack and got off the truck. She waved him a goodbye as the truck took off leaving her with a bit of dust. She strode to the front of the headquarters and saw some men in the similar uniform that her mother wears. She approached one of them and asked in her uncanny French accent that she used to pretend to be a tourist, "Excuse me. Officer, ees Lin Beifong een alrezy?"

The man looked at her incredulously and said, "Yes, she is. What do you want of her?"

"Oh nussing," she waved and walked away as fast as she could from the building. Great, her mother is already in the city and her doom is about to come when Lin gets a hold of her. Her mind was already filling with thoughts of a phoneless, moneyless life when she gets back to Napa. She half-jogged, half-walked her way to the City Hall and as she went in the building, she saw a plump woman by the reception counter and she approached the desk. The woman's back was facing her so she cleared her throat trying to catch the woman's attention. The woman didn't turn to her so she said, "Excuse me." Still no response, so she cleared her throat and said in a louder voice, "Excuse me!"

The plump woman slowly turned to her and she was filing her incredibly witchy bitchy red nails and was chewing a gum. "Do you need something?" the woman lazily asked.

"Is Mister Tenzin in?"

The woman scrutinized her before saying, "Do you have an appointment?"

"No," she answered impatiently. "But could I see him? It's quite important."

"No appointment, no Mister Tenzin," the woman shot at her. "City Hall rules."

"Can't we break it this time?" Aiko asked. "He's not in a meeting right now, is he?"

"He's not in," the woman answered and got back to her filing of her nails.

Aiko rubbed her face and noticed another woman approach the desk. She was wearing an orange dress robe with yellow trimmings and said to the receptionist, "Good afternoon Daleh, is Tenzin in?"

The plump woman's face shot up and she gave the other woman a fake sweet smile, "Yes Miss Pema. He's in his office."

"Is he busy?" the woman named Pema asked. "I brought him some snacks."

"Oh no, not at all," the receptionist waved her hand.

Pema left the desk and headed to the office of the councilman leaving an irritated Aiko who snapped at the receptionist, "Seriously?" The receptionist turned her back to Aiko so the latter followed Pema and hid behind a statue near the door of Tenzin's office. Pema went in and the door was shut. She mustered up a little courage and went to the door and knocked.

.

Lin Beifong rummaged her little closet in her office to change into her fresh clothes underneath her uniform. After a few minutes Saikhan went in her office and said, "There was a strange girl looking for you outside just a while ago."

"And?" Lin asked without looking at him.

"She had a funny way of speaking," Saikhan said. "When I told her you were in she hurriedly walked away."

Lin looked at him and asked, "What? How does she look like?"

"She was wearing these little short pants and a tank top with shoes made of cloth," he answered. "It was pretty strange, actually."

"Aiko," she muttered. "Damn it. Where did she go?"

"I don't know," Saikhan replied. "Looks like she was headed somewhere near City Hall." Lin opened her drawer as she dismissed Saikhan and got the cell phone Aiko got her and dialed her daughter's number. Good thing there was an unexplainable reason why she still has AT&T reception even when she was in FN so she waited for Aiko to pick up her phone.

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Pema greeted her husband and gave him a chaste kiss on his lips as she said, "I brought you some snacks. How was your day, dear?"

"Much better now that you're here," the man said and pulled her in a proper kiss. "So, I can't really fully enjoy snack time with you because I'm really busy." Pema frowned and sat on one of the chairs in front of his desk. Soon, they heard a faint knock and Pema went for the door. When she opened it, there stood a teenager with a bit messy ponytail with auburn highlights against her black hair, standing around five feet, five inches. She was wearing a white tank racer back, short pants just above knee and a pair of odd-looking shoes that says Sanuk on its tag. "May I help you?" she asked the girl. She looked at her big almond blue-grey eyes, her slightly long nose and her thin lips.

Aiko stared at the woman who answered the door before regaining her voice. The woman looked young, in her mid-thirties and had odd bangs, or so she thought. "I'm looking for Mister Tenzin."

"Do you have an appointment with him?" Pema asked Aiko.

"No," the teen answered. "But can I talk to him anyway?"

"Just a moment," Pema said and peered at the door. "Dear, a girl wants to see you." She turned to Aiko and said, "Are you here to apply for something?"

"No," Aiko answered. After a few seconds the man which Aiko concluded to be Tenzin stood next to Pema and smiled at the teen.

"Can I help you?" Tenzin asked.

Aiko's mouth went dry and before she could answer her phone rang and Psy's Gangnam Style sounded. "Oh shit," she muttered as she took her phone from her pocket. It says that the caller is Lin and her eyes widened in fear. "Um, could you hold one moment?" she told Tenzin. She stared at her phone and tapped 'answer.' "The number you have dialed is not yet in service," she pretended to be a recording as Lin ranted. "Please try your call later." She then turned her phone off. "Sorry about that."

"What is that?" Pema asked.

"An iPhone," she said softly. Tenzin looked at her curiously as she turned her phone completely off and returned it in her pocket.

"Do you need something miss?" Tenzin asked her again. Aiko looked at Tenzin with wide eyes again and swallowed hard.

"Ah, I'm Aiko," she said. "I'm your daughter." A moment of shocked silence passed by as Tenzin's eyes narrowed at Aiko's face.

"Impossible," he said.

"Absolutely insane," Pema snapped. "Tenzin's married with me and I assure you, whoever your mother is might not have even met my husband."

Aiko looked hurt and said, "I'm sorry but my nanny said it's you…"

"You might have mistaken me for some other Tenzin," he said. His mind wandered to the piece of paper Lin handed him eighteen years ago but he shook his head and dismissed the thought. She couldn't be Lin's daughter, is she? "No, it can't be," he repeated.

Aiko looked down and held back tears that were trying to fall out of control and said, "I'm sorry…I must have made a mistake," she said softly. "I'm sorry if I wasted your time. I think I'll just leave."

"That would be for the best," Pema said and Aiko gave them a short nod. She walked away shaking her head when she heard Tenzin call her.

"Aiko, is it?" he said and she nodded. "May I know who your mother is?"

"Tenzin, don't tell me you believe her," Pema said.

"Her name's Lin, she's a policewoman here in the city," Aiko answered. "Lin Beifong."

"Oh dear," Tenzin muttered. "Come in my office, we need to talk."

Pema looked questioningly at her husband but didn't say anything else as Aiko went in Tenzin's office and sat on a chair in front of his desk. "Your office looks nice," she said.

"Thank you Aiko," Tenzin accepted the compliment. He sat behind his desk and looked intently at her and said, "You look like your mother…but those eyes…"

Aiko smiled a bit and said, "I really feel awkward, no offense." She looked at Pema who looked at her in a worried way. She scratched her brows and chattered her teeth. A very long silence followed as Aiko kept on chattering her teeth and Tenzin kept staring at her.

"Will you stop that?" Pema suddenly said which prompted Aiko to stop.

"Sorry," Aiko muttered. She waited for Tenzin to say something else but no sound came from the man. She then unconsciously picked her phone from her pocket and turned it on. As it came to life, her phone rang again prompting the Korean rap song to emanate in the office. She tapped the answer button and said, "Mom?"

"Do you have any idea how worried I am right now?" Lin's angry voice made her jump. Pema and Tenzin just quietly observed her. She turned away from them and said, "I'm sorry."

"Aiko, tell me where you are?"

"Ahhh…in City Hall in Tenzin's office," she answered nervously.

"Just what I thought," Lin said and a knock was heard. Pema rose to open it but Lin waited for no response and barged in.

"Lin, what a surprise," Pema snapped.

"You," Lin pointed at Aiko. "In the hall. Now."

"Please don't kill me," Aiko said fearfully. Lin ignored the married couple in the room and grabbed her daughter by the arm and as they reached the hall, she let go harshly and said, "Now that you met him, let's go back to Napa."

"But-

"No buts," she snapped. "You're coming with me and don't you dare—

"I want to get to know him," Aiko said. "Please mom. Just this time." Lin stared at her and another moment passed, Tenzin came out of his office. Lin tried to ignore him as much as possible but the man talked directly at her.

"Lin, I would like to invite her to dinner at the Island," he said. "I believe Aiko and I have a lot of catching up to do." Lin didn't answer so Aiko asked her, "Mom, can I go?"

"No," Lin snapped.

"But I'm already eighteen," Aiko protested. "And I'm an official voting citizen of the United—

"Fine," Lin said, cutting her short before she reveal more information about the Parallel. "On one condition."

"Keep talking," Aiko said.

"You'll go back to Napa after this dinner and never talk to this man again," Lin told her.

"No way!"

"That's preposterous, Lin!" Tenzin exclaimed. "You kept my daughter away from me all her life and then when we meet, you take her away from me again? No way Lin."

"You are not in the position to decide for her well-being," Lin snapped.

"But I have the position for my well-being," Aiko argued. "What are you gonna do about that now?"

"I agree with Lin," Pema said out of nowhere. Lin gestured at Pema who pursed her lips.

"Oh come on lady," Aiko exclaimed. "You're not even part of this conversation."

"I have every right!" Pema shot at her. Aiko made a mental note that Bangs McGee over here makes her blood boil. After a few more moments of arguing, Tenzin and Aiko won their case since the teen walked out and Lin gave in.

.

During dinner, Tenzin and Aiko interviewed each other. Tenzin told her about his culture, his personal life, relationship with Lin and his airbending; while Aiko told him about her taekwondo, trombone and her relationship with her mother which Tenzin found very amusing and curious. "And when I was nine, I advanced to first dan. I was youngest in our dojang to be Boosabum," she said proudly.

"Aiko, do you know what kind of bender you are?" Tenzin asked.

"No," she admitted. "I'm not interested in your manipulation of elements thingy. I'm completely contented with my taekwondo and my 5th dan rank."

"You might be an airbender for all you know," Tenzin said sofly. After their dinner, Aiko helped Pema with the dishes where she felt the woman's cold demeanor toward her. She didn't say anything about it until Pema said, "You're too young to break a family apart."

"Alright, hold up," Aiko snapped. "It's not my fault the guy's my father. I don't even have any intentions of breaking your family apart."

"Yeah?" Pema questioned her. "Then go home. Do what your mother says and stay away from my family."

"I'm not going anywhere," Aiko said firmly. "You can be cold all you want but I ain't going anywhere."

"Why don't you just go back to where you come from?"

"Why don't you find a hairdresser that won't make you look absolutely ridiculous?" Aiko retorted. With glaring eyes, Aiko eyed Pema so menacingly that the older woman winced before walking out of the kitchen.

After Pema got married to Tenzin, she still had doubts if the man really loved her. She saw how damaged he was when Lin broke up with him after she kissed him that day. She felt Tenzin's avoidance for four years before actually talking to her again, but this moment with Aiko around, she felt that familiar feeling of competition and her insecurities are being awakened. She can't let him slip away.

.

The next morning, Pema found Aiko by the kitchen counter of their residence eating a small piece of fruit pie from last night's dinner. "You're up early," Pema said in a bitterly surprised tone. "I thought being a spoiled brat you sleep until lunch time."

"Oh hey Pema," Aiko said cheerfully. "I thought I heard the deafening sounds of your stretch marks rubbing against each other." 'Aiko: 1, Pema: 0' the teen thought. Tenzin went in on them in dangerous glares and he cleared his throat.

"Is everything alright in here?" he asked.

"Oh everything's fine," Pema said as she strode over to him and kissed him full on the mouth knowing that Aiko's staring. The teen made a gagging expression before saying her remark.

"Aw…that reminds me so much of a movie I watched the other day," she said. "Yeah, the title was "Confessions of a Gold Digger."

"Aiko, that's enough," Tenzin said softly. "Can't you two get along?"

"Nope," Aiko snapped and walked out of the kitchen before Pema could retort.

"Just ignore her dear," Pema said, trying to sound pitiful. "She's just a kid after all."

Tenzin shook his head and went out to find Aiko. He saw her by the temple stairs bobbing her head to the music playing in her small electronic device. "Quite ingenious, your little device there," he said which startled her.

"Oh, it's you," she snapped before continuing to sing and looking at her father in the eyes, "Don't speak, I know just what you're saying, so please stop explaining. Don't tell me 'cause it hurts. Don't speak, I know what you're thinking and I don't need your reasons, don't tell me 'cause it hurts." She lowered the volume and looked at Tenzin intently.

"Was that song directed at me?" Tenzin asked her.

"Depends," she said. "Did it hit you?"

"Just brought back a few memories," he said as the memory of Lin giving him the laboratory report flashed back.

"Why did you choose Pema?" Aiko asked him. "I mean, no offense to you or anything, but I think you could have done better."

"Pema was there when Lin was not," he said softly.

"Girly, my nanny, was there when I received my first taekwondo award when mom wasn't," she said. "But I didn't choose Girly over mom. I guess you could say that I did that because she's my mom. But to me, I could say that you didn't try hard enough to save your relationship with her."

"You don't know what happened," Tenzin's voice was raised.

"Oh, believe me, I do," she said as-a-matter-of-factly. "She saw you making out with some girl. Was Pema that girl?"

Tenzin's mouth went dry as Aiko stared at him, her eyes demanding for answers. "Yes," Tenzin admitted.

"I see," Aiko said softly. "Well, I guess you wanted someone younger. But damn!" Aiko shook her head at the thought. "It must have been a very big slap to mom-scratch that, it's like a forty-five-degree kick across her face."

"I know that I've hurt her more than I thought I did," he said. "But we're okay now."

"Keep saying that," Aiko said. "You just don't know what the lady keeps calling you and your bit-wife."

"Until now?"

Aiko looked at him and exclaimed, "Oppa Gangname Style!" before she walked away leaving him wondering if Lin's still mad at him.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to leave your reviews.

Until the next chapter
-Peachy :D