Pat. Pat. Pat.

"Mom, wake up."

"Mmmm."

Pat. Pat. Pat.

"Stop hitting me!"

"Mom, you have to get up like now."

"I'm not your mom."

"Okay, fine, Chief. You wanna hang out with us?"

"No."

"Too bad. You have to hang out with us."

Lin cracked an eye, the ebony hair of the younger son hovering in her view. She sent a sharp glare, pulling the blanket over her shoulders and scrunching her eyes closed again. "What do you want?"

Kang crossed his arms. "You're making kimchi with us."

"Why?"

"Dad said so."

"Uggghhhh, he's a pain in my neck." She rolled on her other side, grumbling into the pillow. A weight shifted on the bed and then it came rolling on top of her, pressing her into the mattress. Lin squirmed beneath the weight. "Get off of me!"

"No, you have to help us make kimchi," came the vibrating response muffled into the blanket.

"Get off of me before I throw you out."

"Why? I miss cuddling with you." His arms tightened around her, face nuzzling against her shoulder. "Can you hold me?"

Lin shook his head off her shoulder. "No. Where are your siblings?"

"Trying to wake up Mei."

She wiggled again. "Get off me!"

"Not until you say you're making kimchi with us."

"No."

"Moooom."

"It's Chief!"

"Chiiiiieeeef."

"Alright, fine! I'll help you guys. Just get off!"

"You're the best." Kang planted a kiss on her cheek and promptly jumped off of her before she could smack him. His voice trailed behind him as he slipped out of the guest room. "Love you!"

Lin sat up, glaring at the open door. Her face softened as a long, heavy sigh fell from her lips. Her fingers combed through her hair, patting down some of the unkempt strands. "It's Chief, you rascal."

Wide buckets, an array of radish, lettuce, cucumbers, and other bowls waited patiently in the shade of the open pavilion. The morning was off to a clean start with clear skies and soft breezes swirling around the island. If they completed the task early enough in the morning, they could finish by the afternoon and have some extra time to relax. Jin and Areum airbent another bucket with lettuce onto the ground beside the hose.

"I think that's everything." Areum knelt beside the bucket and tore off a piece of lettuce, quietly munching on the softened leaf. She studied the flavor and texture before nodding slightly. "This tastes alright, I think."

Jin joined her and plopped a torn leaf into his mouth, soft crunches as he conducted his evaluation. "It might be a little salty, but it should be okay."

"Dad had this pickled in salt overnight, right?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm, yeah should be alright then."

Kang and Mei walked over, both yawning and the eldest expertly braiding her hair and tying a ribbon at the ends. She smoothed out loose strays with her palms and cracked her neck side to side. Slightly dark circles surfaced beneath her eyes and became emphasized further from certain angles. "Alright, we're here."

"Where's Mom?"

"She's coming."

Jin raised a brow. "Are you sure you woke her up?"

"Yeah, she almost hit me."

"And she didn't fall asleep right after?"

"Talking about me?"

The four peered over at the woman approaching, clad in a dark tank top and light trousers.

"Oh, good. You're wearing dark clothes."

"Morning, Chief."

She crossed her arms as she joined them. "Where's Tenzin?"

"He's out in the city helping Korra with some things," Jin explained. "He told us to make kimchi for tonight."

"And he's not helping?"

"He normally does," Areum added. "Just not this time."

"Hmm. Do you four know how to make it?" All she got were amused smiles and short giggles. Lin surveyed the entire group, hands shifting to rest on her hips. "What's so funny?"

"If there's one thing the four of us know how to make, it's this," Kang said smugly, cracking his knuckles.

"Is that so?"

Mei placed a hand on Lin's shoulder. "You taught us how to make this."

Lin stared at her incredulously. "I did?"

"Mmhm."

Peering at the ingredients meticulously laid out, then the four young adults standing around her, Lin stuck a tongue against her cheek. "Alright…let's see how good I taught you then." Immediately, all of them held hands into a circle, the girls wiggling their hands out to Lin. The earthbender eyed the gesture. "What are you doing?"

"We're going to say a prayer to release any negative emotions," Jin said.

"You told us if we cook food when we're in a bad mood, then it won't taste good," Areum supplied, gently slipping her hands into Lin's.

She jumped slightly at the tender contact, but soon eased into the youthful touch. Lin gave a short nod and reached for Mei's hand. Damn, they have really smooth skin. "Well, at least you remembered that. You ready?"

The group nodded collectively, bowing their heads, eyes closing, and deep breaths exhaling. A gust of wind began to swirl around the circle, beginning from their feet as Jin and Areum's voices harmoniously carried the powerful prayer. Not a single thought manifested into Lin's head as she grounded herself into the prayer spoken into the circle. As their voices escalated, the tornado of wind ascended until it was swirling above everyone's heads. It felt as if several thick cords were being cut from her and released into the floating ball cleansing their bodies. Their voices began to lower and draw into a slower tempo as the cloud of wind dissipated into a nothingness.

Everyone opened their eyes and Lin released the girls' hands. Her body felt much lighter, as if weights she didn't realize she was carrying had been lifted off of her soul and body. Her mind was transported into a space of clarity. How long has it been since she felt this way? Did she even remember? Was it…before Tenzin broke up with her? Lin shook the thought away as she and the others began to sit down around the ingredients, a large bucket settled in the middle.

First, rinse the lettuce and other vegetables.

Slosh. Slosh. Slosh.

"Did Dad piss you off?" Mei placed a few handfuls of salt between the layers of pickled lettuce.

Lin passed her another clean one. "Close enough."

Kang clicked his tongue, setting aside the washed and peeled onions. "We figured. We told him not to, but he doesn't listen."

"Typical of him," Lin agreed mindlessly. "He's such an airhead."

"Do you think he's worse or better than the one in your world?"

Tension collected in Lin's jaw and she rinsed out the lettuce with a hint more of aggression. "Tenzin is Tenzin," she started carefully. "He's full of air in both worlds."

"I can see that."

"At least he's better than this guy I went out with who used to bark in order to say yes," Areum considered aloud. Laughter instantly spread to the other siblings and Lin peered up at her.

"What?"

Jin squeezed out the excess water from the lettuce head. "Was that Hanta?"

The younger airbender sighed. "Yeah."

At the continuous giggles from the group, Lin raised a brow. "Do I even want to know?"

"You know how there's yes and no?" Kang directed at the woman who nodded, "Well, apparently, if he had to answer 'yes,' he would bark."

"No way."

Areum countered her with a nod. "He did. Dad asked if he would bring me home on time and Hanta barked."

"Hahaha!"

"Ugh, shut up!"

"That's bizarre," Lin commented delicately, making a face. "Where'd you pick him up?"

"The library."

Mei giggled as she reached for another lettuce head. "I wish I was there when you brought him to the house to meet Dad. He must have been wondering whether or not to say no to the date."

"I wish I was standing with Mom and Dad when they caught you—"

Her head shot up, daggers shooting through her gaze. "Shut the hell up, Kang."

"What happened?"

"She—"

"Shut. Up."

"Ease down, kid." Lin turned to Kang. "What happened?"

Kang sent Mei a smug glance before revealing, "You and Dad walked in on her hooking up with a guy at Jin's birthday party."

Lin averted her attention to the dark pink flush on Mei's face and pointed glare at her younger brother. "His birthday party? Really, kid?"

"I'm about to throw you off a cliff," Mei growled, throwing more salt into the leaves. Bowing her head low, she confirmed, "Yes. It was years ago. I was 16."

"What'd I do about it?"

"Yelled at me about sexual safety since he wasn't even my boyfriend. Dad almost committed murder, then yelled at me."

Kang tilted his head. "You were yelling back at them, too."

"Didn't Dad forbid you from dating for a year?" Jin piped up.

Mei shrugged. "That lasted like a month. He couldn't stop me and even Mom said that was excessive."

"Hmm…"

"Yep, can't forget that sis."

A sly grin curled on Mei's face. "I can't forget the time you were nine and—"

"Noo!"

"Let her talk, kid," Lin cut in, allocating her undivided attention to the eldest daughter.

Mei grinned, tongue tracing the bottom of her teeth. "Someone brought cactus juice to school and dared him to drink it."

"You're dead, sis," came a distant grumble.

Lin glanced at Kang, shaking her head. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I couldn't let Genji steal Yasu's heart!"

"You did it to impress a girl?"

"That's not even the kicker," Mei chuckled deviously. "Obviously, he got called to the nurse's office because something wasn't right. They pulled me in for a few questions since his mind was gone, and then they called you to school."

"Ah, this has to be interesting." Lin lowered the lettuce head back into the bucket, crossing her arms in intrigue.

"You were holding his hand while he was confessing his sins. His mind was so far in the spirit world."

"I was not!"

"Now remember, don't tell my mom about any of this! She's gonna kick my ass and put me in the jail cell at the island for an hour and make me help Dad clean out the sky bison stables. She's gonna say 'what the hell's wrong with you?' then smack me on the head."

Lin's laughter mingled with Jin and Areum's voices at the imitation, while Kang's eyes narrowed into a glare and cheeks flushed red.

"I didn't sound like that!"

"You know, I love her because she's my mom. But sometimes she's crazy and she needs to calm down. Don't tell her I said any of this or else we're going to have a problem. I'm an earthbender and I learned from my mom and Toph Beifong."

"What happened after?" Lin peered between them.

"You beat his ass when we got home and he sobered up. And he had to listen to Dad lecturing for two hours."

"Ughhh, you're done, sis."

Lin offered a comforting pat to the earthbender. "Well, thanks for the laughs, kid."

Kang pouted. "You're welcome, Chief."

Next, cut the vegetables and prepare the chili pepper paste.

As the air kids mixed garlic, ginger, and sauces together with rice flour and water, the earthbenders began the task of cutting all the vegetables. Slosh. Slosh. Slosh. Chop. Chop. Chop.

Jin and Areum dipped a finger into the mix, bringing the dark red paste to their lips. They shared a glance. "Needs a little more soy sauce and something else."

Lin studied them critically, the knife narrowly missing contact with her finger. "Wait. Let me try it before you add anything."

"You don't want to wait until the end to see how our skills are?"

She stood up and reached into the bucket. "I'm not wasting any efforts on mediocre kimchi if I can help it." The taste swirled on her palette—spicy, salty, flavorful. Not bad. They got it pretty close to how she was taught, but they were right. It needed some adjustments to strike the correct taste. "A little sugar and soy sauce."

The duo added it and worked it into the mix. Lin sampled another taste, nodding gently. There it was. "Good. Now help us cut everything."

"Okay."

The rhythmic chopping created a soothing song as silence filled the void. It established a peaceful ambiance of comfort, familiarity, and unity. Although no one spoke, not an ounce of awkwardness entered the circle. Lin's attention was solely invested in slicing the radishes into julienne slices. Chopping, mixing, rinsing—these sensations carried her back to her childhood of Gaoling visits and bonding with Grandma Poppy and Grandpa Lao's chef, Gerel. After a day running around the gardens, she would sneak into the kitchen for a snack and catch the elderly woman preparing kimchi. Chef Gerel quickly became her confidante during the early struggles of her and Suyin's tumultuous relationship—offering an ear, advice, comfort, and food as the stress settled deeper and deeper in Lin's heart.

"So any of you four figured out how to get me home?"

"If one of us says yes, will they be your favorite?"

"No."

Kang shrugged. "Never mind then."

"We already know it's Areum," Mei remarked.

"No, it's not," the younger girl protested.

"Yes, it is," her siblings replied unanimously.

Lin continued chopping, ignoring the debate. "So? Any answers?"

"Well, all we know is there's a lesson to be learned. But we don't know exactly what," Jin answered.

"Jumping into the portal's not going to work?"

"Nope. Unless you want a broken bone."

"Great…"

Kang chopped the last of the radish and gathered it into the container. "Do you want to figure it out with us?"

"What kind of question is that, kid?"

"Just checking."

Her knife hit against the board loudly, more so than minutes earlier. "I'm just trying to get on with whatever the lesson is and get out of here. However that happens, so be it."

The four met each other's eyes as they observed the aggression seeping into her masterful skills.

She's closing up.

Don't press on about it.

Also, we can't let this kimchi be a failure.

Someone talk about something else.

Like what?

"You all doing that telepathy thing?"

Their gazes shot over to Lin who didn't stray from her task. "How did you know we do that?"

"I'm a detective," she said deadpan.

"I guess…"

She paused and looked up at them. "You did the same thing at dinner before."

"When?"

"Probably the first or second night."

"Ohh," Kang leaned back, "I remember that. We were talking about the acolytes hitting on Dad."

"Yeah, that night."

The four collectively sighed. "They can never beat you."

Thack!

"One did," Lin commented aloud.

"Well," Kang waved the knife in a circle, "even if that's the case, number one: that is Dad's loss, and second, you're still the badass who runs Republic City. Guys our age are constantly hitting on you—"

"Girls do, too."

"—and they don't hide it. You can literally have any man or woman you want, and they would willingly volunteer themselves to be in your presence or get their asses kicked. That's how much power you have on the people. You have the best track record in the entire police department and you're the boss—as you should be. You're more than qualified for the position and you excel at your work while everyone else is slacking on the bare minimum. You're the most selfless and protective person ever. There's no hesitation on your part to protect the people you care about. Also, I'd like to point out that you never needed anyone to make yourself look good—Dad, Grandma Toph, Grandpa Aang—no one! You made yourself look good on your own and carved a spot for yourself in the world. That acolyte—whatever the hell her name is—who the hell is she? Just an acolyte. Dad is the one who makes her look good. You don't need anyone because you are memorable. So, if we meet Dad from your world, we're all going to beat him up."

"We're airbenders."

"Okay, then Mei and I will take care of him. But Mom, in the end, you don't need Dad in your world. Either way, you're the best person anyone can have in their lives. And we won't hesitate to throw hands for anyone who says otherwise."

Lin's jaw almost dropped and she swallowed the lump in her throat. A weight made its way into her heart, but it wasn't the type of weight that tortured her. It made her feel heard and seen. She gave a half-smile. How the hell were all of them so good at hitting a soft spot in her. This entire adventure must be a "try not to cry" challenge. She better hold it together in front of these kids or else there goes her reputation. "Damn, kid…I don't know what to say…"

Kang shrugged. "You don't have to say anything. Just wanted to let you know that you're a badass and very few can reach the level you are."

"Well…thanks. I do appreciate that." She smiled at him and the rest of the kids sitting around her. Yup, these kids are something else.

Finally, mix vegetables in the chili pepper paste and stuff lettuce leaves.

"Now the fun part…" Meilin muttered, placing gloves on and reaching for a lettuce head. "At the end of our struggles comes happiness."

A comfortable silence fell upon them again as they stuffed each layer with paste. Every once in a while, they would each take a bite of the vegetables and hum in contentment. Areum grabbed a small handful and walked over to her older sister, holding it in front of her face.

Meilin opened her mouth, accepting it gladly. "Thank you."

Another handful. She knelt beside Jin. "Thanks, sis."

Another handful. Kang leaned forward, but Areum withheld it. "Don't be rude."

"What do you say?"

"Why are you acting stingy with me but not with them?"

"Tsk, what do you say?

"Please."

Areum aggressively placed it in his mouth and she crept away before he smacked her with dirty gloves. Finally, she scooped a handful and settled beside Lin. The older earthbender looked at the seasoned lettuce, raising a brow. "I think I'm a bit old for you to feed me."

"You're never too old," Areum said sweetly, patiently hovering her hand before Lin. She smiled when green eyes met hers and nodded in approval.

A sigh. Lin leaned forward and welcomed the offering. Her head bobbed slightly as the perfect balance of flavors danced on her palette. Areum stood up, but Lin raised a hand. "Wait."

"Is it not good?" Areum knelt again, examining the fresh batch.

Lin scooped a handful and held it in front of Areum. "Your turn."

Grey eyes lit up in excitement and she leaned forward for her share, giggling. "Thanks, Mom."

Lin rolled her eyes. "It's Chief."

"Thanks, Chief."

"Hmm." Lin gestured to Kang, grabbing another handful. "Come here."

He didn't need to be told twice and rushed over, immediately eating the small roll of lettuce. "Can I get another one?"

Lin sent him a flat look. "You have hands." As he returned to his spot, she eyed the oldest airbender. "Jin."

"Thank you." He happily munched on the roll and walked back to his seat.

Finally, Lin motioned to Mei who came and knelt patiently. The woman placed the kimchi into the girl's mouth.

"Thanks, Chief."

"Sure."

Kang clapped his hands. "We forgot the pork belly!"

"Oh, yeah!" Mei gasped. "I'll get it."

Lin surveyed the group. "Why is she getting meat for kimchi?"

"You'll see." Kang pulled a separate container. "We'll put it in here so we know the difference between this one and the regular batch."

Mei returned with a platter of meat, settling beside Kang and Lin. She grabbed a lettuce head and placed a chunk of meat between the layers, rolling it securely.

"You're wrapping it together?" Lin observed curiously as Kang repeated the process.

"Yup. We're maturing the meat with the kimchi seasoning. This makes the best stew when you cook it later."

"Huh, that's pretty smart."

Mei smiled, another successful wrap completed. "We'll make it for you before you leave."

Lin's eyes cast down at the bucket, stuffing another lettuce with the paste. "Ah, right…sounds good…"

Lin slipped off her slippers before stepping onto the wooden floors of the meditation pavilion. The moisture from a refreshing shower and slightly damp hair glued the top half of her blouse to her skin. With short hair, it doesn't take half a day for her hair to dry luckily. The breeze can comb invisible fingers through the lighter ends and leave it dry within thirty minutes. Lin sat along the railing with a knee propped up, back resting against the pillar. Gazing out at the ocean in silence placed her in a state of rare peace and clarity. After the breakup with Tenzin, this had been one of the views she missed dearly. Peering out of the apartment window on a rainy day doesn't compare to the freedom the island offered.

Although she didn't want to admit it, making kimchi with the kids wasn't as bad as she thought it could be. They're a pretty fun bunch and they do have entertaining stories, and they're not annoying. Except for the fact they always call her "Mom," not a single complaint could bud in her evaluation of them. But Kang jumping on her in bed might be a strike. Her hand ghosted over to her cheek, the memory of the morning distantly resurfacing.

"Love you!"

Lin scrunched her eyes closed and dispelled such a memory and appreciated the yellows, pinks, and orange hues stroked against the sky.

Thud. Thud.

Lin looked back, curiously surveying the intruder. "What's that?"

Areum handed her a plate with sliced moon peaches and ginger. "Trust me."

"...I'm fine."

The airbender moved out of reach to avoid Lin from returning the plate. With nowhere to rest it safely, Lin frowned at the realization that it would need to remain in her possession unless she moved from her comfortable spot. "Just trust me."

Her gaze flickered between the fruit and Areum, who simply nodded. Gingerly, Lin grabbed a slice of moon peach and ginger, and plopped it in her mouth quickly. She held her breath in to lessen the taste as much as possible. As she chewed, the tension on her face slowly relaxed as the strange combination began to introduce itself. Areum smiled smugly, instantly recognizing the woman's expression and took one for herself. When Lin was sure the girl's attention wasn't focused on her, she grabbed another moon peach and ginger slice. "This is weird."

"I told you to trust me," Areum giggled, plopping herself on the floor with a notebook and pencils. "May I sit here?"

"You already are."

"Well, can I sit here with you then?"

"You gonna babble my ear off?"

Areum shook her head. "Just going to work on some sketches."

"Don't you want to go closer to the edge? Somewhere with a better view? Literally anywhere but here?"

"No. This is fine. And I don't want to sit in the sun." The girl crossed her legs and reached for a pencil. "I'd rather sit here by you."

Lin swallowed and hardened her resolve. "Just go by the edge. You'll get a better view. What are you going to see here? The railings?"

Grey eyes remained focused on the soft strokes marking the paper. "No. Don't worry, I won't talk. I'm more concerned about getting the forms right than small talk."

"Hmmm, I still think you can pick a different spot."

"This is my favorite spot."

Lin gave up trying and simply returned to studying the ocean. As long as she doesn't hear a peep from the girl, then she'll probably forget that she's even sitting there. The only sound filling the distance between them was the rustling of leaves, chirping of birds, and faint crashing of waves. Every once in a while, the smooth sound of a hand swiping across the paper rang out. The earthbender peered back, glancing at the edge of the paper. Areum was too preoccupied to notice the alternate version of her mother attempting to catch a glimpse of her art.

"You…"

Areum broke the gaze from the paper and met Lin's. "Hm?"

"Nothing," Lin dismissed.

"Oh, alright," she responded casually, returning to the sketch.

Lin chewed on her lip before finally saying, "You and your sister…it looks like you have a good relationship."

"We do." Areum smiled in confirmation.

"That's good…better than fighting."

"I mean, we do argue sometimes. And she comes after me when I borrow her clothes or jewelry."

Lin smirked, immediately visiting the endless times she chased after Su when something of hers went missing. Su would egg her on to force Lin's hand so that she could convince their mother that Lin was the villain. "I know exactly how she feels."

"MeiMei's a good sister," Areum supplied, lowering her face to clearly capture a specific detail. "She takes care of us."

"All big sisters try to do that," Lin said distantly.

"You know she saved my life."

Her attention heightened, ears perking up. "She did?"

"Mmhm. She saved me from a burning building. I got knocked out and the building was collapsing. MeiMei got hurt, but she still…" Areum inhaled deeply, lips pursed inwardly, "she still got us out."

"I see…" Something in that answer held a hidden weight that seemed to call to Lin, and she couldn't help but feel drawn to uncovering the unspoken connection. It felt slightly off and Lin was unsure how to decipher the underlying meaning in those words. She plopped another moon peach and ginger slice in her mouth as she pondered the vague response.

"Oh, you two are eating your snack."

Lin stared at the other airbender. "What?"

Jin stopped at the foot of the pavilion, resting a hand against the wood. "You and Areum are the only ones who eat moon peaches and ginger. That's your special snack."

Lin peered over at Areum for confirmation who simply chuckled. "That true?"

"You used to eat this when you were pregnant with me and Kang."

"Oh…"

"But for some reason, he doesn't eat it." Jin shrugged. "Anyway, it's time for dinner. Dad says to come inside."

Lin slid off the railings and made her way to slip on her slippers. "He better do the dishes or something for all our hard work making kimchi today."

Jin chuckled. "He said he'd do something to make it up to us."

Tenzin placed his chopsticks down, smiling around the table. "Well done, kids. The kimchi turned out amazing, just like Lin's."

"Thanks Dad. We had some help."

Jin took a bite from the small dish. "It's not exactly like Mom's."

"It's close," Lin piped up. "You guys did pretty good."

"Learned from the best," Kang remarked and Lin took another bite of tofu to keep the corners of her mouth from turning up.

"Since you worked so hard today, I'll clean everything up after dinner," Tenzin declared.

"You don't have to."

"We can help, Dad."

He shook his head. "No, it's alright. I'll do it."

Lin lowered her chopsticks on the table and wiped at the corners of her mouth. "I'll help you."

"It's fine, Lin."

"I didn't ask." She rose and began to collect empty dishes, walking into the kitchen.

Tenzin released a sigh, then addressed the rest of them. "You all go on. We'll handle this."

Although they didn't need to wash or clean anything, the kids stacked the plates, bowls, and utensils together. Tenzin gathered it and transported the short piles to the kitchen, the sound of running water, clanging dishes, and gentle scrubbing greeted his ears. Their eyes met, then averted elsewhere.

Lin nodded to a spot beside her. "Lay it down there and dry it when I'm done."

He stood bride her, arms touching, and reached into the sink. A current of electricity raced down their limbs, unbeknownst to the other, but neither addressed it aloud. "Let me do it, Lin."

She jerked the bowl away from him. "It'll take forever if you do it all. Just dry them. You're pretty handy with that."

"Lin—"

"Dry this one." A white plate was thrust in front of his face, dazzling clean and dripping with warm water.

He sighed and air dried it, gently placing it aside. Another bowl was placed into his care. "Lin…"

"Hm?" She didn't turn or look, gaze stuck on the soap suds lining the edges of the bowls.

"We need to talk."

She inhaled deeply and nodded stiffly. "We do."

"I want to apologize again for my behavior the other day. That wasn't fair to you and I understand that any gestures of affection on my part may make you uncomfortable while you're here."

"Thank you…"

"But…"

Lin looked at him at the shift in his voice, turning off the water. "What is it?"

"I believe you're supposed to let us in."

"Why? That doesn't make sense to allow you a spot in my life when you'll be gone anyway."

"I know it doesn't, but not everything has to make sense."

"It does to me."

"I know, Lin." Gently, he grasped her shoulders, forcing her to face him. Searching her eyes for the softness he knew was within her, his voice lowered into a murmur, "Don't fight us, Lin."

A heavy sigh slipped from her, head bowing slightly. "Why do you want to torture me?"

"We want to love you."

Lin blinked back the sting in her eyes, shaking her head. "No. Don't tell me that."

"It's true and you know it."

She scowled, jaw clenching. "Don't tell me how I feel."

"Lin, don't fight it. Let it flow."

"I don't even know what 'it' is."

Tenzin's grip tightened around her shoulders and his stare deepened in her eyes, hypnotizing hers as the world slowed around them. He held his breath at the almost innocent quality clouding the jade. "We love you."

"No, you don't."

"We do."

"I'm not your wife," she said firmly. "And I never will be. So don't treat me like her."

"Why am I not allowed to love you, whether you are my wife or not? You are her."

"No, I'm not! I am not the woman you married! She has all her problems sorted and I…don't. I'm just a lonely, bitter wo—"

His finger pressed against her lips, effectively stopping the last of the sentence from being spoken into the tense air surrounding them. Tenzin leaned forward slightly, but held back. He tenderly ran a thumb across her lips, traces of pink smearing along his fingertip. Swallowing, he tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears. "I told you not to speak down about yourself."

"Can't help it," she murmured.

"You have to."

"Tenzin…" Lin avoided his gaze, revealing the twin scars. "You don't love me the way you love your wife. I just remind you of her by looks."

"No." Tender fingers pulled her to meet the shining grey eyes. "I love you as my wife and not."

"I have problems."

"I know you have repressed traumas, but that doesn't change my love for you. I love you, in spite of that. I love you with and without your scars."

Finally, the tears spilled. "Stop making me attached…please." She could feel the warmth of his breaths coming closer to her lips and she began to lean into it, an irresistible spell that left her body falling under.

"Let it go, Lin," came the loving whisper as his hand slid to her neck, still warm against her chilly skin.

Just as their lips were centimeters apart, Lin froze and shook her head. "I have to do the dishes."

Tenzin pulled away, shoulders sagging as she wiped her tears and the sound of dishes clanging resumed. "Lin…"

The water cascaded more loudly as Lin worked attentively. "If you're not going to dry the dishes, then go away."

He remained planted in his spot for a few moments before accepting the newly washed dishes. Silence divided them, only filled by the sound of water, breezes, and dishes clanging gently.

Lin sighed in relief as the cool water coated her throat, quenching her desperate thirst and hydrating the dryness in her throat. She should just leave a thermos of it by her bedside so she doesn't need to sneak into the kitchen in the middle of night and risk bumping into another night wanderer. The tightness in her back from making kimchi early in the morning returned and she twisted side to side, small cracks releasing tension in her spine. She sagged with that little semblance of relief and made her way out, tiptoeing through the corridor. Along the way, she noticed someone sitting near the pond. Squinting her eyes, she could only make out a light blue blouse and long dark hair with the person's back to her.

Who the hell would sit out here at one in the morning?

Lin pursed her lips together. Should she go and check on them or just leave them be? A slight shiver ran up her spine at the chill of night. Before she could make a logical decision, her feet began to move on its accord toward the person in question. 'Well, I guess we're doing this.'

"What are you doing out here by yourself, Mei?"

She turned around, a slight pink on her cheeks. Ah, Lin knew what that could be from. "Mom?"

"How many times do I have to tell you kids?" Lin crossed her arms, rubbing a hand against her brow. "It's Chief."

"Sorry, Chief. Just a habit." Lin's attention averted to the small pot and cup beside the girl, confirming her theory. Mei lifted it up to her as an offering. "Want some?"

"Rice wine?"

"Yep."

It's the middle of the night. She should say no and just go back to sleep. "Sure, why not?"

As Lin sat beside Meilin, she waited for the young woman to pour a cup. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Lin knocked it back in one shot, the subtle warmth travelling down her throat and then her chest. Ah, no wonder the girl wasn't as cold. She returned the cup and Mei promptly filled it again. "You alright?"

"I'm fine."

"I know that voice." Another slow shot.

"Nothing is really going on," Mei started, "I just woke up because of a dream, so I walked around to help me relax."

"And rice wine helps, huh?"

"Definitely."

Lin hummed in agreement. "I see."

Mei studied the woman's face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

No, she is not fine. Does the girl know? Probably. Lin barricaded herself from any thoughts of Tenzin—the soft touches, the closeness of their breaths mingling moments before their lips could meet, and the tender, considerate quality in his eyes whenever she spoke. Yeah, coming out here from some drinks was definitely a good idea. Maybe she can forget about it all with something stronger, but rice wine is a nice touch to ease into the mood.

The younger woman suppressed a chuckle and nodded. "I won't press on about it."

"Thanks, kid." She gave Mei the glass, who poured wine for herself. Studying the steady motions and gentle sighs, Lin allowed herself to observe the oldest child. Then, Mei began to slowly roll her left shoulder, softly pressing a couple fingers into the joint. "I heard…"

Mei stopped probing her shoulder and focused on Lin.

"I heard you saved your sister's life."

"Ahh," she half-laughed and slowly rolled a few more circles into the shoulder before stopping completely. Her gaze shifted to the empty cup. "I don't know if I would call it saving her life."

"Areum thinks so," Lin said casually, leaning back on her hands. "It was a burning building. That's no small feat, kid."

"Ehh…"

"Hey," at the slight firmness in Lin's voice, the earthbender's attention returned to her, "that says a lot about your relationship with your sister."

A small smile curled on Mei's face. "Thanks."

Lin nodded and reached for the glass, calmly accepting the full cup and savoring the sweet warmth.

"Any special reason you're out here, Chief?"

Lin shrugged. "Woke up. Got thirsty. Now I'm drinking rice wine out here with you."

Mei hummed in thought, wiping at the corners of her lips. She opened her mouth, eyes flickering from the pond to Lin's green eyes. "Do you…know?"

The whisper of the voice caught Lin's attention. "Do I know what?"

An emotion filled those familiar grey eyes that Lin couldn't decipher, but it was neither positive nor negative. "The story about why there was the burning building to begin with."

Lin shook her head.

"It's actually part of the reason why I'm awake," Mei explained. She paused, silently debating in her head. "Would you be open to hearing about it?"

Was she? Earlier she had this urge pulling her into a story she was clueless about when Areum mentioned it, and here was her opportunity. But if this is going to be some long babbles, then she is going to sign off. Just because they were both trying to hit the sauce didn't mean Lin wanted to have some girlish bonding session in the middle of night in a foreign reality. A feeling in her chest, though small, already began to answer for her.

"Is there a point to your story?"

Mei registered and processed the question, head nodding as the conclusion finalized in her thoughts. "I think so and it might help you with whatever lesson you need to learn."

Lin threw her hands up in surrender. "Then sure. If I can use it to go home, I'll take what I can get."

"Alright, let's go to my room then."

"Why?"

Mei stood up and gathered the wine pot and glass cup. "It's more comfortable and I'll show you something."

Lin sighed exasperatedly and rose, dusting off any remnants of dirt that caught on her pants. "Fine."

For the most part, Mei's room was fairly clean and tidy. Except for the small pile of clothes on her chair begging to be folded and hung up in the closet. Small picture frames adorned the dresser, along with a few glass bottles—probably some fragrance. Lin caught a few glimpses of the faces beaming behind the clear glass, some unfamiliar until she noticed toward the end, one with her in it. She recognized herself because of her metal armor, but could barely make out the moment captured. It seemed like a group photo as Tenzin was also present, but Lin redirected her attention away from it. The less she sees, touches, hears, and feels, the better off she will be. Mei's room was cozy like any other on the island, except personalized by her touch.

"You can sit on my bed. It's more comfortable."

"We sat on the dirt."

"Ah, let me lay down a towel and we can sit on that." Mei fetched a large red towel roll from the closet and laid it across the bed. She smoothed out the large wrinkles of her bed sheets before doing the same with the towel. "There we go."

Lin sat down, the urge to sit criss-cross on the bed burning deep in her muscles. She resisted as the young earthbender searched around on her shelf for something. Mei opened a folder, flipping through the pages, then returned it. Another one. Another one. Another one. Her eyes widened and she nodded. "Got it."

Slowly, she moved to the bed and sat beside Lin, instantly sitting criss-cross. At the girl's lead, Lin allowed one leg to rest beneath her thigh. She can pull the other leg up as they continue on. "You okay?"

"Yes." Mei matched her tone, but rested a protective hand across the brown folder. "I won't go into heavy details on the background, so this should help. But I think what happened after may be helpful to you."

"Alright…" Lin peered between Meilin's face and the folder. The seriousness in the girl's tone did not go unnoticed and it raised a small alarm in Lin's mind. Yet, as she considered her body language and the steadiness of her voice in breaching this topic, Lin found little reason to adopt an overly serious demeanor. "Look, if you don't want to share, then it's fine."

Mei shook her head and gave an empathetic smile. "I do want to share it with you because I think it's important and...I trust you," she said softly, sliding the folder gently into Lin's awaiting hands. "Plus, it happened a while ago, so it's not fresh on my mind."

Lin opened the cover.

Immediately, she noticed an article with a front page photograph. Fresh tears streamed down Lin's face as she screamed while a younger Mei and Areum laid unconscious in her lap. Dirt and soot streaked across the girls' faces and clothes. Upon further inspection, Lin noticed that Mei's left shoulder appeared heavily distorted. She didn't see any external injuries on Areum and a cloud of relief settled in her heart.

Then, Lin read the title.

Courthouse Attacked During Chief of Police's Daughter's Testimony Against Serial Abuser