Mothers

"Chief Beifong, there's someone here to see you."

"Who is it?" Toph asked her secretary, not bothering to take her hands from behind her head or her feet off the desk, "I thought I didn't have any appointments today."

"You don't Chief, but there's a woman here who'd like to speak to you."

Toph groaned. This was the first time in three days that she hadn't been completely busy. "Can't the lieutenant handle it?"

"No Chief, she insists on talking to you. She said if you're busy she can come back another time." the woman answered.

"Okay, okay. Send her in." Toph relented.

"Professor Shima, Chief Beifong will see you now."

With that, Toph sat up straight in her chair and placed her laced fingers on top of her desk. Shima walked in and the secretary closed the door behind her. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice." she said to Toph.

"No problem," the metal bender answered, "I'm in the middle of a lull in my day. Have a seat. What can I help you with?"

Shima sat down in the chair that sat across from the police chief's desk, "My daughter is quite enamored with all of you, Especially your daughter. She speaks very fondly of your little Lin."

"She does?" Toph asked, knowing full well that Shima was fishing for information.

"Oh yes. Kimi has claimed Lin as her sister."

"Is that so?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Yes. She's totally in love with the child. She says that Sokka is helping you raise her."

"He is. And so is Aang, Katara, Zuko and Ty Lee." Toph was growing annoyed with Shima's attempt to trick information out of her, "Look, I know you didn't come here to gush to me about the girls, so could you please just get to the point."

"Okay," the tribeswoman said, "getting straight to the point. Kimi won't tell me and I want to know. Is Sokka Lin's father?"

"Not biologically, but yes."

"So, you two are together."

"You say that as if you already know the answer." Toph said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Oh, I knew the first time I saw you. I saw it in the way he looks at you. I used to wish he would look at me that way." Toph fought back a gratified smile, "Too bad that it is wasted on you. Being blind you can't appreciate the way he looks at you."

Toph fought back a second urge, the one to call her a bitch and punch her in the face, "And how does this concern you?"

Shima didn't answer immediately. Feelings that she had stuffed down decades ago had resurfaced when she saw him again. He was more handsome than she remembered. Sokka had gone from a silly young man to a distinguished councilman and his confidence exuded sex appeal. Shima felt that all that eye candy was wasted on this blind woman he was in love with. "Oh, I just wanted to know the type of situation my daughter was becoming involved in. I'm guessing this relationship is not public knowledge."

"I tend to keep my private life private." Toph said stiffly.

"I understand," Shima said, "It must be hard living your life in front of prying eyes."

.~.~.

For the first time in weeks, Aang and Katara were alone in the house. Zuko, Ursa and Kyu had gone back to the fire nation, Bumi was at school and Kya and Tenzin went into the city to do some shopping.

Aang startled Katara when he eased up behind her and slipped his hands around her waist. She swung around and hit him with the empty clothes basket she was carrying back to the house.

"Ow!" he yelled out, rubbing the side of his face.

"Serves you right," she laughed, "I told you to stop sneaking up on me. I'm glad you're here though, I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure." he said, dropping to the ground with his legs crossed. He reached up and pulled her onto his lap and she came down with a surprised yelp.

"Well, you know the White Lotus has been trying to get me to join for years."

"Umhumm." he said as he nuzzled his face into her neck.

She giggled, "Aang, I'm being serious."

"I am too." he said, nipping at her ear, "I'm listening."

"Okay, they want me to join, but I've been putting them off because I was busy with the kids and making sure things on the island went right."

"Yes." he murmured, finding a place on her other side of her neck.

"And since Sokka became a Grand Master, he's been trying even harder to get me to join." he hummed his agreement, "Well, they're starting a new White Lotus Guard and they want me to go to the North Pole to train the water benders. Aang, I think that's the thing for me to do."

Aang looked up into his wife's smiling face, "What was that now?"

She smiled bigger, "I'm going to the North Pole to train White Lotus Guards."

He furrowed his brow, "I don't think that's a good idea. What about the kids."

She was confused by his expression, "What about the kids, they can take care of themselves. Beside-"

"But what about all the things you do around the island?"

She was getting irritated, "With the amount of acolytes that are here now, there really isn't much for me to do around the island."

"I still don't think it's a good idea."

Katara crossed her arms and huffed. She almost got up and walked away, but then she said, "NO! I'm not letting this go that easy," she turned and poked her husband in his chest, "Let me tell you something MONK." it was then that he knew he was in deep trouble, "I've given everything to you and the kids and this island for most of my life and now that I want to do something for me it's 'not a good idea'. What?! Did you think I was going to spend my entire life catering to you?! You didn't even let me finish. I'd only be gone during the summer. You are so SELFISH!"

That instant she jumped up and stormed into the house. Aang groaned and got up to follow her. He stopped short just in time to keep from being hit in the face by the slamming door.

.~.~.

Ursa's grandmother and Kyu's mother were driving the princess absolutely batty. They were both entirely too eager to start planning the wedding. Ursa and Kyu told them that they would not be getting married for another two years because Kyu had joined the United forces, but the two women said that it just gave them more time to plan the royal event.

She tried to enlist the help of her aunt who was in the Fire Nation for a visit. "Aunt Azula, they are making me absolutely crazy." she paused and looked at her aunt wide-eyed because of her bad choice of words.

Azula just laughed, "I'm sure it's not all that bad. Take it from me, I know crazy."

Ursa smiled at her aunt, "Grandmother has set up a meeting with the seamstress already and Madam Ling is talking about flowers and guest list. Every time I see them it's all they can talk about."

"I'm sure they're just excited for you Love." Azula said, placing her hand on the young woman's shoulder.

"I'm excited too Auntie, but they're going overboard."

"Love, you have to understand, Lady Ming has no daughters, she only has Kyu. I certainly will not be getting married and you are ZuZu's only child, so this is Mother's only chance to have the mother-of-the-bride experience."

"I understand, I guess." she paused, "Aunt Azula, could you do me a favor?"

"What would that be?"

"Leave the abbey and get married so you can take some of this pressure off of me."

Azula smiled, "Sorry love, can't help you."

.~.~.

Aang eased in the door just in time to see the tip of Katara's braid slip around the corner. He followed her down the hall knowing he had to tread lightly. "Katara," he said as he poked his head through the bedroom door, "can we talk about it?"

"That's what I was trying to do."

"I know, and I'm sorry I jumped to conclusions. It sounds like a good opportunity."

"It is," she said, still agitated from his initial reaction, "and Tenzin will be with Dad for most of the spring and the whole summer. Kya's grown. And although he doesn't act like it sometimes, Bumi's almost there."

"I'll miss you." her husband admitted in a childlike tone.

"Well then you'll know how I always feel." she said sadly.

He rubbed the top of his head, "Look, I'm sorry about what I said. All I heard was you say that you were going away and I just reacted. I guess I've just gotten use to you always being here when I came home."

"You think?" she said snidely.

"Yeah, I know." he went to her and pulled her into his arms, "You'll make a wonderful teacher, Sifu.