The first frost of the year landed on Toph's birthday. The air was cold and bitter- the same could be said for the birthday girl, who had no intention of celebrating this year. With Yakone still a free man, it didn't seem appropriate to congratulate herself for allowing another year to pass without locking him away. The papers were beginning to run editorials questioning the capability of the police force, citing the issue of organized crime as their most glaring criticism.
Prosecuting him was not as simple as many citizens believed. There were dozens of witnesses and twice as many victims that readily gave the police their testimony over the past few years, but every single one ended up recanting. They blamed poor memory, coercion, and in several cases- bribery by the police for their previous statements. Those in the know understood their change of heart was not brought on by any of those things, but by a man called Han.
Han was Yakone's right hand man, his trump card. Blood bending was feared, but there was one thing worse than feeling your veins constrict and bubble: death. Han was a petty criminal before he met Yakone. He was not one to murder freely, or even at all, but he was drawn to the salary of a hit-man and so he became Yakone's death dealer. If any small time criminal or pimp neglected to save a bit of their earnings for the city's biggest crime boss, they found themselves on the receiving end of a blood bending. If they spoke to the police, their family members turned up dead. The deaths were apparent suicides, but all were filed under suspicious circumstances. It was Han's way of making sure nothing stuck and it never did.
The days became shorter, along with Toph's temper about it all and before she knew it her fortieth birthday was looming. Amongst all the frustration, she just wasn't in the mood for a party. Unfortunately, she was dating Sokka.
The morning of her birthday she woke to the scent of fresh lilies filling her nose and Lin, jumping on her bed.
"Happy Birthday, Mom!" she shouted as she bounced.
"Don't remind me," Toph grumbled, rolling onto her side and pulling the blankets over her head.
"But you're really old this time," Lin returned, as she continued to spring back and forth on either side of Toph's prostrated form.
"Oh gee, in that case- let's party," Toph deadpanned from under the blanket. Lin bounced one final time onto her knees and crawled over to Toph's head, pulling the blanket back.
"I made you a present," she whispered, just as Toph felt something cold and metal being placed into her hand. She felt the object carefully, discerning it was probably a tea cup.
"Thanks, baby," Toph smiled, looping one finger through the handle.
"I bent it myself," Lin told her, proudly. Toph nodded and ran her fingers across it, feeling some indentation along the side.
"What is this?" she asked, holding it out.
"It says, 'My Mom is the best Mom in the world, love Lin' on it," she beamed, reading the crudely engraved writing aloud.
Toph smiled widely and pulled Lin's face in close for a kiss, "Only because I have the coolest metalbending kid ever," she returned.
Sitting up, Toph set the cup on her nightstand, bumping a vase as she did. She sighed, "At least you didn't get me totally lame flowers."
"For which you are very welcome," came Sokka's most sarcastic voice from the doorway.
Toph shrugged and turned in his direction with a laugh, "Its not like I can even see them, dummy."
"But they smell nice," he offered, entering the room.
"Fair point," she conceded as she felt the weight of him dip the bed slightly. He leaned in, planting a chaste kiss on her lips much to Lin's horror.
"Ewww," she groaned.
Sokka rounded on her quickly, "You better watch it, or you'll get it too," he warned, playfully grabbing her and dotting her cheek with quick kisses as he tickled her sides.
Lin giggled in spite of herself, wiping her cheek with her forearm and feigning disgust. She rolled off the bed and hopped in place enthusiastically informing her mother that breakfast was fully prepared as well.
"I guess that makes up for the flowers," she noted.
"That's not all I got you," Sokka told her defensively, "Go out into the living room and pick up the phone."
Her curiosity piqued, Toph pushed the blankets all the way off and left her bed with a stretch. She made her way to the telephone, lifting the receiver and putting it to her ear. Nothing had changed.
"What?" she asked, confused.
"Call someone," Sokka told her and she could tell from his voice that his smile was enormous. The corners of her lips turned up in response as she let her fingers fall to the dial, searching for the holes and finding none.
"What the hell did you do?"
"I modified it," he announced proudly, coming to her side. His hand covered her own and he guided her fingers gently over the raised buttons. "Each of these represents a number," he explained, "One bump for the number one, two for the number two and so on."
Her fingers grazed the numbers, identifying each clearly at her finger tips as her smile widened.
"Its not just the telephone," he said after a moment, "check out your clock!"
Toph crossed the room and reached down to touch the ticking clock that rested on a table beside the radio. The raised numbers dotted its face as the exposed clock hands wound around uniformly, stopping on the appropriate number.
"Its seven fourteen," she whispered as her hands ran across.
"It is!" Sokka confirmed, happily.
Toph turned to him, eyes glistening with unshed tears. For someone whose entire life had been a struggle to prove their independence, the simple ability to tell the time of day on her own felt like the greatest gift she'd ever been given.
"How did you come up with this?" Toph asked, sniffling lightly in an effort to hold her emotions at bay.
Sokka launched into a tale of his last trip around the Earth Kingdom, explaining that he had met a man in Omashu with a blind son. The man had taken to creating a code for his son, determined that the boy should function as his peers. He had coded the entire alphabet and showed Sokka around his small home, where the Councilman discovered every last inch covered in raised labels. Upon Sokka's return last spring, he began putting the same code into use, making labels for just about everything he could think of.
Last night, after waiting for Toph to fall asleep, he slipped out and woke Lin who assisted him in gluing the handcrafted labels around the house. Toph grinned and made her way into the kitchen, sliding her hands along every piece of furniture and feeling the tiny bumps on them.
"You're going to have to learn how to read it, but... I don't know... I thought it might be helpful," he finished.
Toph closed the space between them in two grateful strides, launching herself at him and kissing him full on the lips. Sokka's smile spread in response, so widely that it was only a few seconds before Toph was kissing his teeth.
She pulled back, "...thank you...just...I can't even think of what else to say."
"So you like it then?" he joked.
Toph nodded, "I love you."
"I love you too," he returned, pecking her lips happily.
"...are we going to eat or what?" Lin finally asked.
Toph's arms relaxed around his neck and her head turned in Lin's direction, "Give us a minute, Buzz Killington."
Lin rolled her eyes and filled her plate anyway, taking a seat at the table as her mother and Sokka continued to murmur against each others lips in the middle of the room.
The remainder of Toph's birthday was a mystery to her as they arrived at Air Temple Island to leave Lin in Katara's care. As soon as Toph stepped from the ferry she knew about the surprise party awaiting her at the top of the hill.
"A surprise party? Really?" she groaned, causing Sokka to shake his head in disbelief.
"I knew you would sense them," he mumbled, "but no, Katara had it all figured out..."
"I can feel Ho-Tun's enlarged heart, even through these leather soles," Toph confirmed, lifting one foot to wiggle before them.
"Try to act surprised at least?" Sokka pled.
Though Toph tried her best to act surprised when everyone in the house shouted it, none were convinced. Everyone laughed in retrospect about how difficult it would be to pull off, while Katara grumbled on the side that she figured Toph would think they were all Acolytes.
The party was a success, despite the rough start. The adults danced the day away, aided by the readily available alcohol and copious amounts of smoked and grilled meat. It was all smiles, though Aang did pause to comment that nearly everything currently taking place in his home was against his religion. It was a simple observation he used to further express his fondness for one of his oldest friends.
"Only for you, Toph," he beamed, then hastily added, "Or you, Sokka."
The sun set early as it always did in winter and as many of Toph's subordinates departed, several arrived marking the changing of their shifts. With the new guests, the party received a second wind and continued merrily until Katara began making anxious rounds, cleaning frantically as people left dishes lying about in their wake.
"I think the kids need to get to bed soon," she whispered to Aang, after he finished another demonstration of traditional Air Nomad dancing for a laughing crowd.
Though his first instinct was to encourage Katara to lighten up, he caught himself before verbalizing it. After fourteen years of marriage, Aang had learned a thing or two about holding his tongue in these situations. He gave her a reassuring nod and a soothing rub on the back before finding Sokka in the crowd.
"Mother hen is pecked," he said in a low voice, speaking in their code. Sokka nodded solidly and made his way to Toph. She was chatting, loudly, with some of her officers in colorful language that was earning her looks of rage from Katara. The men of the police force tended to speak in four-letter words in relaxed settings like these and they made no changes to their terminology to accommodate the ears of the youngsters among them.
At this particular moment, Officer Kato was regaling Toph and several others of an arrest he made earlier that day, "So, I'm looking at the perp and he sees me right across from him, and I shit you not- the mother fucker pisses his fucking pants. I'm thinking, 'are you fucking kidding me? Not so fucking tough now, are you, moron?'"
The group was in stitches, laughing to the point of near silence at his story as they held their sides and slapped their knees.
"Shut the fuck up," Toph finally choked out, wiping her eyes, "this is the kind of shit I miss on my days off!"
"Swear to the fucking spirits, Chief," Kato promised, raising his hand as seriously as he possibly could.
Over Kato's shoulder, Sokka could see his sister staring daggers at the red-faced policeman, the vein in her forehead threatening to throb right out of her skull. He gave her an a apologetic nod and put a hand on Toph's shoulder.
"You about ready to go?" he asked quietly.
"Hmm? Go where?"
"Somewhere more... alone-y," he replied suggestively.
Toph's eyebrow went up before returning her attention to her officers, "Ok nerds, I'm out of here."
A groan went through the group and the boys began hassling her, some chanting "drink" and others jokingly putting forth their resignations in protest. Toph waved her hand dismissively and shook her head.
"No, no. I understand you boneheads have nothing to do, but some of us are getting laid tonight," she laughed, sloshing the drink in her hand as she spoke.
Katara growled in exasperation, clearly hitting the maximum limit of drunk people in her home as she heard Toph's offhanded comment. Toph quickly remembered herself when she felt her daughter tugging at her pant leg. With a deprecating laugh she leaned forward to confide in her officers that she had, "completely forgot my kid was here, " before leaning down to address Lin.
"Mom? Are we leaving?" Lin asked.
"You're staying here, kiddo. You get to have a slumber party," she explained, cheeks glowing.
Lin crossed her arms, "I wanna go get laid with you and Sokka," she protested, obviously unaware of the meaning of her words. Toph reeled back, eyes wide. She couldn't think of how to respond and luckily she didn't have to- it was then that Katara finally burst.
"Ok! That's it! Everyone out!"
The room froze, turning to the matriarch as she moved to stand on a low table, "Everyone, its time to go. Thank you for coming, but its time to leave," Katara ordered from atop her stand, moving her arms in an ushering motion.
Lin looked confused and embarrassed, turning back to her mother to ask what she had said that was so wrong.
Toph crouched down to her level, "Nothing, baby girl. I said something wrong, not you," she assured her as Sokka stood to the side, rubbing his temples. "Now, go on. Why don't you go set up your sleeping bag."
Kya appeared at her side, helpfully tugging on Lin's hand, "Come on, sis. You can sleep in my room." Lin gave in, turning back to Toph for a hug and kiss, wishing her happy birthday before disappearing down the hallway with Kya.
The guests filed out, each clapping Toph on the shoulder or pausing for a quick hug before exiting the main house. Katara's body seemed to deflate with relief as the last officer stepped out, leaving her home a complete mess, but mercifully empty.
Silence stretched around the four old friends as they stood in the stillness of the living room.
"Heh. Sorry about that," Toph piped up after a moment.
Katara waved her hand dismissively, "No, don't worry about it. Its your birthday...I'll just have to explain to my children what cock blocking is, no big deal."
Toph shrugged, "What can I say? Room full of off-duty cops."
Katara nodded absently as she began to collect the dishes littering the room, Aang moved in, wrapping his arms around Toph, "Happy Birthday, Sifu."
"Thanks, Twinkletoes," she laughed.
Sokka and Toph departed just long enough after the last guests that they had a ferry all to themselves. There was little debate on where to head from here. Sokka's apartment was in one of the first skyscrapers built in the city, offering a view that Sokka delighted in- particularly in the evenings when the streets were lit and sparkling, but city haze left enough darkness for the stars to shine overhead. Toph wasn't much interested in the view, but the proximity to Air Temple Island held appeal alongside the lack of stuffed animals and crayons littering the bed.
The couple stumbled through the threshold wrapped in one another as they slowly staggered far enough inside to close the door. Toph broke away first, giving Sokka a playful look and moving to enter his bedroom. She meant to be coy, but her act was interrupted by a desk she hadn't been expecting. She ran into it with a bang and cursed loudly at the throbbing in her big toe.
"Where the hell did that come from?" she grumbled.
"Its always been there," Sokka returned with a light laugh at her indignity.
"You need stone floors," she countered, folding her ams across her chest and tapping a foot along the wooden ground.
"Can't see, huh?" he asked, taking a step toward her and gripping her elbows to pull her in an inch or two.
"Oh no," she began with a pained expression, "I forgot to mention that I'm blind?"
Sokka laughed again, slipping his hands down to either side of her waist as he moved in for a kiss, "Oh don't worry. You mentioned it once or twice... but here- let me help you."
Sokka lifted Toph from the ground in one swift motion, gripping her waist and then moving his hands to her thighs as her legs settled around his hips. He smiled when he caught a look of surprise cross her face briefly, satisfied that he managed to catch her unawares. Toph pulled herself close to him, leveraging her body with the hands she'd clasped behind his neck and kissed him deeply. Sokka kissed her back and walked toward the bedroom with the small weight of her in his arms.
Settling her back on his bed he climbed over her, marveling at her truly feminine form. It was such great irony that the tank in their group happened to be one of physically daintiest people he'd ever laid eyes on. Her appearance belied the power within, offering little clue to the raw force that so easily flowed from a curled pinky or a sliding foot. Her personality matched her power, though, and Sokka was quickly reminded of that as he was flipped onto his back.
Within an hour, they were spent. Between the alcohol and the age, they were lucky to make it this long, but the resting was just as nice even if Toph was beginning to drift.
Sokka's lids were heavy, but he watched her through the haze of exhaustion, smiling to himself when he remembered their first meeting. He must have laughed a little at the memory because Toph's eyes opened slightly.
"Hmm?" she wondered.
"I was just thinking about how much I wanted the Boulder to wipe the floor with you," he explained.
A sleepy smile crossed Toph's face at the recollection of her days as the Blind Bandit and she blew a raspberry at the man beside her in protest, "Nobody kicks my ass."
Sokka traced a soft line down the length of her arm, "That's true."
"Damn straight," she confirmed with a yawn.
"Did you ever think we would end up like this?" he asked after a moment of extended silence.
"Like what?" Toph ventured for clarification.
"Together," he explained.
"No," she replied simply.
"Me neither," he sighed, pulling her closer, "but I'm glad we did."
"Me too," she responded, kissing his shoulder lightly.
"Happy birthday, Toph."
They fell asleep this way, only to be startled awake a few hours later by the sound of a pounding fist against Sokka's front door. Sokka woke first, jostling Toph awake as he sat up in bed. He wiped his eyes and managed to read the time on the clock as 2:45. Toph followed suit, sitting up and gathering a breath so that she may yell at the offending knocker, but Sokka hushed her before she had a chance to shout.
"Stay here," he whispered, leaving the bed.
Toph rolled her eyes, "Oh, big strong man going to protect his little woman?" she patronized as she pulled on a robe and followed him into the main room. Sokka shook his head at her before leaning against the door and peeking through the small peephole in the door.
"Its Aang," he told her, sounding rather surprised. Sokka swung the door inward to reveal the Avatar.
"Thank goodness you're here," Aang said, looking relieved.
Toph moved forward quickly, "Is Lin ok?" she questioned hastily.
"Yeah," Aang confirmed, "She's fine- fast asleep. Its Han."
"Han?" Sokka wondered, confused.
Toph's heart sped up, "Han? As in Yakone's Han?"
Aang nodded, "He's down at headquarters. Wants to talk to you."
Toph looked as if she'd just won a gold medal, screaming triumphantly and throwing her hands in the air, "Yes! Who arrested him?"
"He turned himself in," Aang replied and Toph began to hop in place excitedly.
"I have to get dressed," she realized after a moment of celebration, kissing Sokka quickly before darting back toward the bedroom, hitting the desk again, and finally disappearing into the room happily. The men met eyes and laughed.
It was freezing outside, but Toph was undaunted by the chilling air. She fought to remove the smile from her face as she entered Headquarters. It was quieter than usual this time of night, but she could hear the cursing of some unfortunate down the hall in the holding cells echoing around the station.
"Where is he?" she asked aloud to no one in particular.
It was Ho-Tun that answered, "He's in the interrogation room now. Won't talk to anyone else," her captain explained as he picked up the pace beside her and they made their way down the hall.
"Not a problem," Toph quipped, fixing her face with a no-nonsense scowl that she saved for moments like these, "Just make sure you're recording."
Ho-Tun nodded quickly, leaving her side to run around the interrogation room and set the record spinning.
With a curl of her fingers the intricate metal design on the doors slid over one another, unlocking and splitting open to reveal Han sitting back in a chair alone in the interrogation room. Toph stepped inside and slammed her foot on the ground, causing the walls to crash back together loudly. It was meant to intimidate, but Han's heart remained steady and his body was still.
Toph took the seat across from him and waited a beat before speaking, "You wanted to speak to me?"
Han nodded, sitting forward in his seat, "I'm not wasting my time with anyone else."
"Why did you turn yourself in?"
"I'm here to strike a deal," he replied cooly, "I give you information on Yakone and in return you take the death penalty off the table."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because you're desperate. Because none of your witnesses will testify as long as I'm free. Because I'm the best witness you're ever going to get," he explained.
"And why do you suddenly feel so helpful?" she returned.
Han sat back in his chair, flexing his fingers, opening and closing his hands slowly, "He blood bent me."
"And?"
"And we had a deal. He doesn't blood bend me, I take care of his dirty business."
"Which is...?" Toph led.
"I want your word. No death penalty and I'll talk. You know I'm not lying," he reminded her, setting his palms flat against the metal table.
"No death penalty," she confirmed. She might have talked this over with the Council or the Avatar, but she was fairly certain neither would have given her the authority to enforce such a penalty in the first place. She may be able to sniff out the truth, but Han didn't have to know when she was pulling one over on him.
"You have my word."
With a nod, Han began his lengthy tale. He told Toph about his humble beginnings. He listed each and every victim by name, giving details of their deaths including why they were ordered by his boss. He named Yakone over and over as the record spun, engraving each word with its needle. When he finished, the sun was up.
Toph stretched after she finished binding his hands. Ho-Tun entered on her cue and led Han to the cell that would become his temporary home. Penga was walking through the doors as she exited the interrogation room and her eyes bugged at the sight of Han being escorted in handcuffs.
"Penga," Toph began, "do me a favor and call a press conference for three o'clock."
"No problem, Chief. You going to announce Han's arrest?"
"No, we're going to have a lot of questions to answer after I arrest Yakone today."
Penga's eyes bugged further, but she simply nodded and ran down the hallway in her heels.
Officers criss-crossed the city, contacting the victims of Yakone's to speak to them about testifying. They all agreed to take the stand once they found that Han was behind bars. Their movements were kept as quiet as possible, careful not to alert Yakone to the new developments in the case against him.
Toph wanted it to be a surprise when she confronted him at lunch that day. Her body was exhausted, but her mind worked overtime. She called in her best officers to back her up, then had Ho-Tun and Officer Kato head up two separate teams that were placed in strategic points on the route to his jail cell, just incase Yakone put up a fight.
The sun was shining, but the air remained dry and cool that afternoon as Chief Beifong and her officers marched up the street to Yakone's favorite lunch spot. Han said he would be here, but there was one person in attendance Toph wasn't expecting.
"What are you doing here, Aang? I told you I have this under control."
The Avatar turned to her, "Under normal circumstances I wouldn't get involved," he began, "but if what those victims said is true we're not dealing with a normal criminal."
Toph relented, having to admit that if there was any kind of push back from Yakone, she could be in trouble.
"Fine," she sighed, waving him on, "follow me, Twinkletoes."
"Toph, I'm forty years old. Do you think you could stop with the nicknames?" he lamented as he followed her inside.
"Afraid not," she replied airily, as if she weren't about to arrest the most feared man since Firelord Ozai.
The restaurants owner, a cowardly man called Shu, saw Toph approaching through the front window. Quickly, he moved outside to deter her.
"Sorry, we are closed. We open again at five," he explained in a panic, taking in the crowd of officers and the Avatar.
"We aren't here to eat," Toph told him plainly, as one of her men held out a warrant.
They continued past Shu and into the empty restaurant, finding only one table occupied in the far corner. Yakone sat alone, save the thugs standing by his side for protection.
"It's over," Toph told him as she pointed one accusatory finger in his direction, "you're under arrest, Yakone."
The crime boss looked up at her, "What is Republic City coming to? It used to be a man could enjoy his lunch in peace."
Sufficiently annoyed by his attitude and eager to have him behind bars, Toph deployed one of her metal cables. It sailed across the room, wrapping Yakone's wrist tightly before Toph yanked it back, hard. The force of Yakone's body knocked the table forward and the large man stumbled toward them.
"What's the big idea?"
"We have dozens of witnesses, Yakone. We know what you are," Aang provided as Toph's officers moved to apply a set of handcuffs around Yakone's wrists.
"Take him away," Toph commanded.
Yakone chuckled derisively under his breath, "I've beaten every trumped up charge you yahoos have brought against me," he reminded them in his cockiest voice, "and I'll beat this one too."
Aang stayed with her all the way back to Headquarters. Their journey was without incident and they were able to usher Yakone into a holding cell without attracting the attention of the gathering journalists at the front doors by going around the back.
Sokka was waiting in her office when she and Aang walked through the doors.
"How did it go?"
"We arrested him," Toph said simply. That was about as much information that was allowed to pass between them on the matter. Her position as Police Chief and his as a member of the Council was precarious. He would be one vote on a panel deciding the fate of Yakone, should he go to trial this time. Any information Toph was privy to was not to be said outside the courtroom. They both understood this, but it was terribly inconvenient for their relationship.
The press conference got underway on time, but ran short. The reporters were still clamoring with unanswered questions when Toph left the steps and made her way back inside the building. The lack of sleep was finally catching up to her. She snuck out with Aang and Sokka, via sky bison, leaving Ho-Tun to field any lingering questions.
Aang landed Appa in Toph's front yard, explaining that he was happy to watch Lin at his place so that Toph could catch a few solid hours of sleep. She gratefully accepted, sliding off the bison and making her way to her bedroom with Sokka in tow. After sweeping the stuffed animals and crayons onto the floor Toph climbed in, breathing a sigh of relief as she finally rested her bones.
"You don't have to stay," she told Sokka with a yawn. He settled down next to her on the bed.
"I know, but I'm pretty tired myself," he replied. She knew he was lying. He was worried about her. Every other arrest of Yakone she'd made came with some kind of retaliation. She'd had a close call with Han on more than one occasion.
"Planning on getting lots of sleep?" she asked, drifting.
"Oh yeah," Sokka affirmed.
"Then why are you holding your sword?"
Sokka deflated, "How did you know?"
"I always know," she told him lightly as she rolled over to kiss his cheek gently, "but thank you."
The following months flew past in a blur. Toph's daily routine changed from working out of Headquarters to spending most days at City Hall. She stood stoically by as witnesses testified against Yakone. Each witness described a similar situation, the horrible feeling of blood bending and how they were still haunted by their experience. Their words sent a chill up her spine. She was the only one of the group to escape the wretched will of Hama in their war years. When the topic came up, they all went quiet. It was uncomfortable and terrifying even to this day.
Across the pillow one night Toph finally asked Sokka about his experience. He didn't answer immediately. There was a pause and when he finally spoke, his voice hitched as if he were overwhelmed by the memory.
"It was the single most terrifying thing that has ever happened to me," he explained. "When my village was attacked by the Fire Nation I was so scared, but I could move. I could run, I could act, I could shout. When Hama used her blood bending on me, there was nothing I could do. It was just this searing pain that seemed endless and I was helpless."
Toph reached out and touched his face softly, "I shouldn't have asked."
"No, it's ok," he assured as he gathered her hand in his own and pressed gentle lips to her rough fingers.
As fate would have it, Toph wouldn't have to remain curious about blood bending for very long. The day started off well enough. She sent Lin off to school without incident, checked in at Headquarters and made her way to City Hall. She was confident that the Council would condemn Yakone this afternoon. The defense was standing on nothing but the notion that blood bending was impossible outside of a full moon. It was a weak argument. The case against Yakone was overwhelming and there were a handful of benders known for pioneering bending sub-skills. Toph stood to the side, her presence a reminder of this flawed argument.
The Council called a recess after the closing arguments. It was thirty minutes long, exactly. Their decision was quick and it was unanimous. They filed back into the courtroom, each member taking their seat, except Sokka who remained standing to address the court.
"Councilman Sokka will now deliver the verdict," the bailiff informed the room.
Toph could sense his heartbeat, steady and sure.
"In my years, I have encountered people born with rare and unique bending abilities," he began seriously, "why, I once bested a man with my trusty boomerang who was able to firebend with his mind."
Toph had to resist rolling her eyes. This was by far one of Sokka's favorite tales of their war years and if he could find a way to work both his favorite thing in the world (his boomerang) and his defeat of Combustion Man into a conversation, he certainly would. Sure, it happened to be applicable in this case, but Toph was fairly certain Sokka was simply running down a list of things he loved.
"Why, even metalbending was considered impossible for all of history until our esteemed Chief of Police, Toph Beifong, single-handedly developed the skill," he continued.
This time it wasn't a roll of the eyes she fought, but the blush threatening to creep up her neck and color her cheeks. Ultimately, she managed to suppress her reaction and remain outwardly unaffected, but she decided she would have to give Sokka a good, hard punch for that comment and kiss him in equal measure.
"The overwhelming amount of testimony and evidence has convinced this Council that Yakone is one of these unique benders and he exploited his ability to commit these heinous crimes. We find Yakone guilty of all charges and sentence him to life in prison," Sokka stated with finality as he slammed the gavel down with conviction, officially ending the trial.
Toph's felt herself relax. It was finally over. She sensed the rest of the room, breathing a sigh of relief that rivaled her own and the small bounce of a crumpled ball of paper hitting the ground, thrown by Yakone's lawyer in petulant disappointment.
She went to take a step forward and felt as if both her boots had been filled with sand, weighing her down and making her sluggish. The sensation was alien to her and for a brief instant, she wondered if she were having a stroke. Before she could finish her thought, Toph heard a strangled cry from Sokka tear across the room confirming that what was happening to her, was happening to them both. This was blood bending. In less than a second she became aware that she was still able to move the rest of her body. With a gasp at her discovery, Toph deployed a metal cable in Yakone's direction. It fell short of contact and suddenly her entire body was engulfed in white hot agony.
Her blood changed course and every cell in her body screamed for it to stop. The pain was sharp in some places, dull in others- undulating throughout her body like a flag waving and snapping in a gale. She twitched and contorted, grunting as she felt her blood rush from one area to the next. Her fingers tingled as they pulled the keyring from Officer Kato's belt against her will. The blood swirled through her body, suddenly rushing upward and she could swear she were no longer on the ground at all.
It filled her head, her shoulders. It was swelling behind her eyes and fighting for space against her skull as all her other organs pled for a drop. The small of her back felt scorching hot as her kidneys were drained, and she could feel that there was a minimal, torturous amount pumping through her seizing heart, just to keep her conscious.
This is it, she thought.
Lin.
That name was the only thing keeping her from begging for death. She repeated it over and over again in her mind. If she stopped fighting now, today would be the last time she brushed her daughters hair. Today would be the last time she kissed her daughter's cheek. Today would be the last time she heard the sweetest sound in the world; Mom.
Death beckoned her, drawing her closer with each passing second until finally some of the blood rushed from her head and into her arm. She felt the tingle in her hand again as she slid the key into Yakone's handcuffs, turning it quickly with a pop that surely meant a broken wrist.
Lin.
That is when all the blood left her head, forcing its way back into her toes. The world spun. Unconsciousness overtook her as her limp body crumpled to the ground without ceremony.
"Race you to the dock," Bumi shouted when the ferry dock at the edge of Yue Bay came into view. Instantly, Lin and Tenzin took off behind him sprinting with all their might as their school bags banged against their sides. Kya gave her mother a desperate look upon their departure.
"See, they are all kids. I should be allowed to walk home with my friends," she argued, thrusting one hand in the direction of her siblings and Lin with indignation.
Katara laughed lightly patting her oldest child on the shoulder, "Kya, you are still a kid too."
"I'm twelve. That's how old Dad was when he defeated Firelord Ozai," she grumbled, crossing her arms, "and I'm not even allowed to walk home alone."
"Ok, ok. Dad and I will discuss it," Katara sighed, seeing her point.
There was a part of Katara that held out, loathe to watch her children grow and become independent. These were moments she loved, walking her children home after school each day, having them close. It would be a difficult adjustment. She looked toward the dock, spotting Bumi as he won their race, nearly slamming into one of the Acolytes, Ying. As Katara got closer, she began to notice the pained expression on the Ying's face, then she noticed the giant lump of fur off to the side. Appa stood along the water, saddled and attentive.
The women met eyes and Ying waved to Katara with an urgent hand. Katara's stomach sank, aware that today was the day Yakone would receive his judgement. Her pace quickened until she was in full sprint.
"What is it?" she shouted as she came closer.
"You are needed at the hospital," Ying told her.
"What happened?" Katara demanded. Ying looked at the children, indicating she'd rather not say in their presence.
"Avatar Aang phoned, he was very concerned that you be there as soon as possible," she replied cryptically.
"Mom? What's going on?" Tenzin wondered, looking sufficiently scared by their exchange. The children stood together, eyes wide, expressions solemn.
"You'd better take her," Ying told Katara as she placed a hand on Lin's shoulder and moved her forward, "I'll take the kids up to the house," Ying offered with a bow.
Katara nodded once, as Lin's head snapped back and forth between the two women.
"Why am I going?" she asked.
"Don't worry, sweetheart. Let's get going," Katara insisted as evenly as possible as she took Lin's hand to steady her as she climbed onto Appa's back. Katara followed, taking a seat at the helm.
"Yip, yip."
Appa kicked off the ground and Lin looked over the saddle at her friends worriedly. She caught Tenzin's eye as they sailed skyward, distance shrinking her best friend and his comforting face in her perception.
By the time she lost sight of her friends entirely, the hospital was in view. Appa banked quickly, landing on the hospital's roof. Below, Lin could see the street teeming with reporters, looking very much like a colony of sparkling ants as their camera's snapped. Katara disembarked and assisted Lin, running toward the door.
It swung open as they approached, revealing the Avatar. Katara moved into his arms and he kissed her cheek.
"What happened?" she asked again. Aang pulled back from her and spotted Lin over her shoulder, looking downright terrified.
"Go downstairs. They will take you to Toph," he told her quietly, "I'll stay with Lin."
"Yakone...?" Katara questioned as she moved past him.
"...is no longer a bender," Aang finished for her as she disappeared down the stairwell.
Finally, he turned his attention to Toph's daughter who stood lamely on the rooftop. He dropped to one knee and waved her over. Lin did not hesitate to run to him, just as Katara had done. She was crying by the time she reached his arms.
"Shhh. It's okay," he whispered as he rubbed her back. "Your Mom was hurt pretty badly today," he explained, "but Katara is down there helping her get better right now, okay?"
Lin nodded against his shoulder, though the pit her stomach remained. Aang stood, dropping his hand for her to grab.
"Want to go see Sokka?" he asked, as cheerfully as possible. She nodded again, sliding her shirt sleeve under her nose.
Two flights of stairs led to a large room, filled with chairs and no people. Aang led Lin through this room and into a smaller one, finding Sokka speaking with a nurse.
"I'm sorry sir," the nurse was saying, "We can't let you back there just yet."
"Sokka," Aang said, announcing their presence. He spun around, looking immediately to Lin.
If she wasn't scared before, she certainly was now. Lin had never seen Sokka looking quite so weak or so worried. His eyes were a dull red, his cheeks were raw, and the pallor of his skin indicated his trauma nearly as well as the bandages that encircled his right arm. He moved toward them, reaching down to Lin with his left arm and lifting her just enough to place a kiss on her temple.
"Is my Mom going to die?" Lin asked, finally able to say her worst fear aloud.
"Your Mom?" Sokka repeated with a small chuckle, "Never."
"How did she get hurt?"
"A very bad man used some illegal bending to try and escape today," Sokka began to explain.
"Yakone used his blood bending on her?" Lin asked for confirmation. Sokka and Aang met eyes, momentarily surprised by her knowledge of the situation.
"She's really got to stop having you read those police reports to her," Sokka grumbled, shaking his head in disapproval.
"I want to see her," Lin stated with certainty. Now that she was informed the fear was beginning to subside. It occurred to her that if she spoke calmly and directly, adults seemed more apt to listen.
"We can't right now," Sokka told her, "but we can wait out here. We'll be able to see her when Katara is done healing her."
Lin relented with disappointment but understanding. She followed Sokka and Aang back out into the large room with the chairs and laid across two with her head in Sokka's lap. Patience wasn't one of her strongest areas, but when she began to fidget or feel the urge to whine, she heard Toph's voice clearly in her head reminding her to, "listen and wait."
So, she did.
The first thing she heard after an hour of listening was the sound of the double doors swinging out, revealing an exhausted but happy Katara.
"She's going to be fine," she announced from the doorway. Aang's head dipped back in relief as his smile spread and Sokka let out a breath he'd been holding for what seemed like years.
Lin stood, eager to see for herself, "Let's go."
"She's not awake yet," Katara explained, delicately.
Sokka stood as well, coming to Lin's side and picking up her hand, "Come on, I'll take you back."
When they moved forward Katara reached out to grip Sokka's good arm, "Let me look you over."
Sokka waved her off, "I'll be fine."
Her eyes pled with him, but he continued down the hall with Lin's hand in his to find Toph's room.
Sokka opened the door slowly, careful not to disturb Toph's resting body. Lin had other ideas. She ran toward her mother, slamming against the side of the bed and gripping her arm.
"Mom! Mom!" she cried as she shook Toph's arm insistently.
"Shhh. Careful, Lin," Sokka instructed in a hushed voice. Lin turned to him with frustration written across her face. The moment she did, Toph's eyes shot open and her arm struck out with a scream that rose from the depths of her body. Her thrusting fist missed her daughter's face by a millimeter and a section of the hospital floor broke open and rose in response to her command.
Sokka leapt forward, pulling Lin back quickly from the line of fire as bits of stone flooring came falling back to the ground. He spun her around, placing her behind his body protectively before he reached out and gripped Toph's arm.
"Toph, stop. You're safe," he told her.
Her chest was heaving and she didn't seem to process his words because another chunk of floor rose violently as her fingers curled.
"It's me," he told her, reaching across her body to grip her shoulder, "Baby, stop. It's me."
She heard him then, dipping her head which fell heavy with medication. He caught her chin in his hand and lifted her face delicately, pressing his forehead against hers. Toph tentatively reached one hand up and placed it on his cheek, her fingers gliding across his features as she began to sob.
"Sokka?" she managed to choke out, "He got away."
"No, no," Sokka assured in a whisper, "Aang stopped him. His bending is gone. You're safe."
Her feet moved slightly, her toes wrapping around the soft sheets, "Where am I?"
"The hospital."
"Where is Lin?"
Lin ran forward, pushing herself between them and wrapping her arms around Toph tightly. She winced from the pain, but felt a sense of peace when she registered her daughter's touch. Toph kissed her head as tears poured from her eyes.
"Stop crying," Lin whispered. It unnerved her to see her powerful and indestructible mother looking so frail.
"They're happy tears, baby girl," Toph sighed with a hint of laughter, "just happy tears."
Lin looked up at her, but noticed Sokka's eyes were brimming with moisture as well. He pressed his lips to Toph's temple, closing his eyes, overwhelmed by relief.
"I love you so much," he murmured against her skin as the worry drained from his body.
Toph smiled, "Are you crying?"
Sokka straightened out, "Hey. Men are allowed to have happy tears."
Toph laughed, "Lin. Can you tell me if I'm doing this right?" she asked as she pointed one finger at her rolling eyes.
"You got it," Lin confirmed. The three of them laughed on the hospital bed, safe and together.
Toph remained in the hospital for nearly a week. The doctors and healers were concerned that her blood bending could result in delayed organ failure or even an aneurysm. She was kept under close watch for days, though her strength and humor returned almost as quickly as her need to get up and go. She was becoming stir crazy in that small room, but her absence did give Sokka plenty of time alone with Lin to talk over an important issue.
The day of her release Aang landed on the roof of the hospital on Appa's back. He offered his sky bison services to the recovering Chief of Police so that she may avoid the photographers stationed outside the front doors. She graciously accepted his offer, though she took issue with the lack of attendees at her release party.
"Nice of one of you to show up," she grumbled as Aang helped her onto Appa's back.
"Sokka's pretty tied up with work," Aang defended, "but he said he'll be over right after his meeting."
"Yeah, yeah. And my own kid," Toph growled. Aang smiled to himself, but said nothing.
"Yip yip!"
When they landed before her house minutes later, Toph brushed his offer for assistance aside and slid off Appa on her own. The door to her home swung open and Lin came bounding out, unable to contain her excitement.
"Mom!" she shouted, running straight into her arms.
"Hey punk," she greeted Lin, stepping forward with one arm around her shoulder.
"Come inside!" Lin insisted, pulling away from her embrace and tugging on her hand, "Hurry!"
"Oh man," Toph sighed, "not another surprise."
She allowed Lin to lead her into the house, stepping through the doorway only to be assaulted by the familiar scent of flowers.
"Again?" she asked with as much sarcasm as she could muster, "it smells like a rosebush sharted in here."
She heard Sokka's laugh in the hallway, "Ladies and Gentlemen," he announced to a nearly empty room, "the comedic stylings of my future wife."
Toph guffawed, "I've told you before I'm not into fl-"
Her sentence ended sharply, cut in half by realization, "Your what?"
"Only if you want, of course," he replied, stepping toward her. He reached forward to take her hand, carefully placing a small stone in her palm, ribbons hanging from either side. Toph ran her thumb over the stone, which was engraved with a design she could never fully appreciate. Her fingers curled around the stone.
"Toph," Sokka began, "I know we haven't really talked about it, but I've been thinking about this for a long time and-"
"This is becoming a habit," Toph remarked, cutting him short.
"What?"
"Me asking you what the hell took so long," she told him, a smile spreading across her face. It was the question she asked after their first kiss, over three years ago. He recognized the joke and smiled in response.
"Mom," Lin groaned from somewhere below, "you're supposed to say yes or no."
"That's a yes," Sokka confirmed without taking his eyes off his fiancee.
"Damn right," Toph agreed as Sokka leaned in for a kiss. Lin hopped and hollered in celebration just as they broke apart. Sokka drew Toph into a hug, resting his chin on her head happily before opening his eyes again.
"Don't look at me like that," he commented.
"I'm not looking at you like anything, I'm blind," Toph retorted.
"Not you," Sokka sighed, "Aang."
Over Toph's shoulder, the Avatar stood in the doorway with joyful hands clasped together, smiling blissfully like a child on Christmas morning. Sokka laughed at his teary eyes and pulled back, carefully taking the betrothal necklace from Toph's hand.
Brushing the stray hairs from her neck he clasped the ribbons together behind her, leaning in to place a small kiss on her lips, "I love you."
"You are such a lady."