Incoming Baby Beifong!
A/N: Sorry for the late update on here, I updated on AO3 early last week, and forgot to update here. So I really do recommend reading on there as it is always the most up to date versions. Thanks for being patient though!
"Oogi, yip yip." Tenzin called out as he settled Lin down. He grabbed one of the spare blankets he kept in the saddle bag and covered Lin from the chill of the Spring air. Even though it was decently warm at ground level, once they got into the sky, he knew it would be a little cool.
"Just go steer him, Tenzin. I will be fine back here. Get us there quickly." She panted.
"Okay. Let me know if you need anything." He airbent himself to Oogi's reign and urged the air bison to fly quickly.
Lin groaned as another contraction started. They were coming too close together now, so she knew it was now only a matter of time before she would be pushing. She could only hope they made it in time.
They hadn't flown very far before Tenzin heard Lin let out a loud cry. "Lin? Do you need me to-"
"Just fly Oogi faster!" She snapped, cutting him off. "Whatever -" she let out a loud, pained groan, "- whatever happens to me, don't look back. No matter what sounds I make." She urged.
"Okay, okay. But please let me know if you do need my help. Oogi, you heard Lin, we need to get home as quickly as possible. I'll make sure there are lots of apples for you after." He said, patting the bison's furred head. Oogi let out a groan in understanding, and Tenzin could tell he picked up more speed.
Lin, meanwhile, hissed as she felt a ring of fire. She knew what this meant, and realized she had no option but to steel her nerves. Taking shuddering, but measured breaths in an attempt to calm herself, she pulled the blanket off herself. She then shimmied out of her loose pants under her knee length tunic.
She pulled herself up to her knees, gripping the sides of Oogi's saddle tightly to support herself as another contraction hit her. From having four birth's before, she knew what to do, and bore down with the contraction. The pain never got easier though. It also made her aware of how alone she was, despite now being home. She had hoped this time that she would have Kya and Katara, even her own mother in the room with her. But it looked like the baby had different plans.
As she pushed again, a cry of pain left her lips.
A pained cry tore from her throat.
"That's it dear, another push."
"I can't! I can't do it. I want my Mama, please. I want to go home." She sobbed in pain.
The midwife just patted her knee in an attempt to be soothing. "I know, dear, but the babe will be here shortly. Just a few more pushes now." The midwife heard these exact words often in her line of work, and didn't think anything of them having further meaning. "You can do this. Push! That's it!"
Lin couldn't help but to listen to her, and allow her body to do as it naturally knew what to do. Here she was about to be a mother at 16, and she felt so alone.
"Lin?... LIN?"
She was wrenched from her memory, and she glanced towards Tenzin. "Don't look!" She called out, voice raspy. Just in time too, as Tenzin had been about to turn to her, despite her request from before.
"Sorry, sorry. You just wouldn't answer me."
Lin hissed. "I don't want to alarm you, but this baby is coming now. Please, whatever you do, don't look back here." She said, between huffs of breaths, before taking another one to push again.
"Oh spirits!" Tenzin said in alarm. "Okay, okay, you can do this Lin. You are so strong. We aren't far now."
"Arrrgghhhh!" She cried out. She moved one hand from the side of the saddle and reached below her. She panted as she felt the baby's head.
A few moments passed as she took a moment to catch her breath and brace herself for the hardest pushes to come.
"Lin, the Island is close. We'll be landing in a couple minutes." Tenzin called back.
But Lin barely registered what he was saying, her focus on her urge to push again. It only took two further pushes before she caught her baby with both hands, having let go of the saddle just in time.
She brought her baby to her chest, allowing a sob to escape as she smiled and took in the small features. With one arm holding her baby, she reached for the discarded blanket off to her side and quickly placed it over the little one, protecting it from the wind. She eased herself gently to sit with her back against the side of the saddle, trying to catch her breath and at the same time take in the moment with her final child. She took the edge of her sleeve and wiped at the infant's nose and in the mouth, clearing it of the birthing fluids.
Soon enough a small cry sounded from the tiny being, getting stronger with every breath. Lin made shushing, calming noises to try to soothe her baby.
"Is that? Oh spirits, the baby's here, the baby's here."
"Tenzin, focus please. I can't deal with you panicking right now." Lin called out, not taking her eyes off the tuft of black hair on the small head. She softened her voice as she started to speak softly. "Hello little one. You were so excited to come weren't you. Kya is going to be so sad she missed your birth." Her thoughts couldn't help but drift to the blue-eyed waterbender who had been her rock this whole pregnancy, even before the truth was revealed. "She is going to be so excited to finally meet you. Your grandparents and your big sisters and brothers too. You have so much family to love you." She leaned down and kissed the head, not caring about the lingering birth fluids.
Only a few moments passed before Oogi began his descent. Tenzin began calling out for his mother and Kya, which drew a crowd of acolyte onlookers.
"Master's Katara and Kya, Master Tenzin is approaching on Oogi and calling out for you both."
Katara glanced over at her daughter, seeing that she came to the same conclusion she had. Lin. Tenzin was supposed to be picking her up.
The two urged the children to continue practicing the motions they had been learning that day and left them under the watchful eye of Istas, who had joined them in watching her son learn from Katara.
They took off and made it to the courtyard just in time for Oogi to land. Tenzin quickly hopped off and landed in front of them. "B-baby! Lin!" He said between breaths.
Katara watched her daughter quickly look up at the saddle on Oogi's back, before she was climbing up the air bison's tail.
"Mom!" Kya called out when she got into the saddle. Katara watched as the brunette appeared, leaning over the side of the saddle. "We need to get Lin and the baby inside."
Katara's brows lifted in shock for a moment, before her training kicked in. She had an acolyte hand over their spare robe from the laundry pile, offhandedly promising a new one in its place later. "Tenzin, air bend me up. Just look away from Lin until I can cover her. Then I am going to need you to carry her to the healing room." When he didn't respond, Katara grabbed his face between both of her hands until his panicked gray eyes met her azure ones. "Tenzin, take a deep breath. That's it. Now, I need you to be calm. Good. Now, bend us up and look away until I tell you to."
When Tenzin airbent them up, Katara took in the scene before her. Kya was knelt beside Lin, brushing her hair from her face as Lin allowed herself to finally break down into tears. Her chest was covered by a dark maroon blanket, only a tuft of hair popping out over the top.
"You did so good, Linny. I'm so proud of you." Kya said, placing a kiss on Lin's head.
Katara felt like she was intruding on a moment between the two. She could see the way Kya had been looking at Lin, and she was a little worried. Once upon a time, she had noticed the lingering looks that the two had shared when younger, but at the time the age gap between them at the time hadn't been appropriate. They were older now, so that wasn't what concerned the mother of three. No, Katara was worried if Lin would even be able to handle being with someone else, ever. She loved them both and didn't want to see either of them upset or hurt. But she worried that they may be on the fast track towards disaster, and there was nothing she could do to derail it.
She shook her head to dispel the harrowing thoughts. Now was not the time for such worries when there were other pressing matters.
She approached with the robe and covered Lin and the baby in the large fabric, hiding Lin's state of undress and the umbilical cord from everyone's view.
"Hi sweetie. I see we had someone who was anxious to make their appearance." Katara said with a gentle smile. "I need Tenzin to carry you both, are you okay with that?"
Lin swallowed as her eyes met Katara's, Kya wiping her tears away. "O-okay." She said with a shaky nod.
Tenzin walked over, sidestepping the mess on the bottom of the saddle from the birth, and softly asked Lin if she was ready. Lin nodded and Katara watched her son pick Lin up carefully, like she was the most precious of cargo - which to all of them she and this newborn were. Kya quickly helped fix the coverings over the two in Tenzin's arms, before he carefully airbent them down.
Katara and Kya slid down Oogi's tail, and then the elder waterbender led them all to the healing room.
Once there, Tenzin laid Lin down on the waiting bed. He went to move away, but Lin grabbed his hand.
"Thank you, Tenzin." She said quietly, but her green eyes met his gray ones, burning in the intensity of her gratitude.
"Anytime, rocky." His response got the effect he was aiming for, when her lips lifted in a small smile. "I'll go check on the kids, so don't worry about them right now." He left the room, leaving the three women and baby.
"You did so well, Lin." Katara said as she came over after grabbing everything she would need. "Now, we need to look after you both, would you like myself or Kya to take care of your baby?"
Lin held her baby a little closer to her, not wanting to separate. But she knew it was best. "K-Kya pl-please."
Kya beamed down at Lin. "We'll give you an extra minute while we prep the umbilical cord for cutting, okay?"
Lin nodded shakily, and then moved her eyes back to the baby in her arms. She noted that this baby was the first one to truly have black hair like herself; Nuna's was dark, but it was still brown. Her hand shook as she lifted it to lightly trace over the now slumbering infant's face, taking in the new delicate features. She didn't even know if this little one was a daughter or son, but either way, her heart was filled with love for them.
Lin was pulled from her thoughts and hesitatingly tore her gaze from her newborn. She found Kya smiling down at her.
"May I take them now to get all cleaned up and looked at, while Mom helps you with the afterbirth and get you cleaned up?"
Lin nodded shakily, but when Kya bent to try to pick up the baby, the young mother couldn't help but hold them closer.
Kya switched gears and brushed the hairs that had gotten plastered to Lin's forehead. "Hey sweetie, look at me okay? I know today has been a little shocking and a little traumatic. Let's breathe together and calm down a little, okay? In one, two, three…"
Lin followed Kya's guiding words, having not realized how worked up she actually had been. When the shaking had settled and her breathing fairly normal, Lin nodded to Kya. Kya slowly, and gently lifted the baby, still enveloped by the robe and blanket.
"We'll be back soon, Mama." Kya said, holding the baby so Lin could see their face a little more clearly.
Lin smiled slightly, then followed them with her eyes as Kya took the baby over to a padded table off to the side.
"Kya will have your baby back in just a little while, my dear." Katara said, patting Lin's hand. "Now, let's get you all sorted, shall we?"
Soon enough, Lin found herself cleaned up and changed after Katara helped her deliver the afterbirth and heal her. She was propped up on the bed, feeling much better. Lin couldn't help but allow her gaze to fall on Kya's back. She watched as the waterbender cooed at the baby as she was finishing up her own session. Lin didn't think her heart could feel any more full, but the sight of Kya with her newborn baby made Lin feel warmth and content fill her; gone was the panic and distress of earlier.
"Alright, Mama, I think we have someone who wants to be back in your arms." Kya said, as she lifted the baby and walked over to Lin. "She's a beautiful baby girl, Linny."
"A girl?" Lin's eyes filled with tears. Kya placed the loosely swaddled bundle in her arms. "Hi little one." She raised her index finger and gently touched the small hand that was peeking out. Those tiny fingers wrapped around her larger one. "You made quite the entrance, didn't you?" She cooed softly.
"Do you have a name already for this precious little one?" Katara asked, taking a seat at the end of the bed, as Kya sat right beside Lin.
Lin looked up when Kya let out a laugh. "It's a very fitting name, Mom." Kya said with a twinkle in her eye.
Lin smirked herself, and nudged Kya. "Go on, you can tell her. You did suggest it."
"And you loved it." Kya teased back. She used her own finger to caress the small knuckles that were still wrapped around Lin's finger. She then smiled at her mother. "Mom, meet Ume Beifong. Isn't she just as sweet as a plum?"
A/N: What do you think of her name?
How do you think the kiddos will react to their new sibling? Or Toph to actually holding the first grandchild as a newborn?