I own no one but Mizuki. If only I did…

So how about Comic-Con? Next season is going to rock!

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Enjoy this chapter :)


The clock had just struck noon when Lin woke up.

Stretching, she walked over to the closet and threw on a green top and a loose white skirt. She let her hair down, taming her waves with a simple headband. After slipping on some comfortable dark green flats, she headed over to the market and bought some jennamite candy, vegetable dumplings, bean curd puffs, and a doll. With that she was ready to pick up Asami.

She found the little girl playing in the headquarter's nursery. Lin had trouble finding it; she had never had a reason to go there before. Asami put down the book she was reading and ran towards her, burying her face in Lin's neck.

"Auntie," she wept, wrapping her arms even tighter around the metalbender's neck.

"Shh, shh, shh, I'm here Asami," she comforted, her heart breaking for her goddaughter. "I'm right here."

Asami's body heaved with her sobs.

"Sweetheart," she said. "I know you're scared. I am too. But we have to be strong for your mama's sake, okay?"

Lin rocked her and rubbed her back until her crying became nothing more than spastic sputters.

"I bet you're hungry, aren't you?"

The little girl nodded.

"Well, we're going to go back to my home, okay? Since it's 1, they'll be making lunch there."

Asami simply nestled deeper into her aunt's grasp, her eyes drooping.

"That's what I thought, kiddo. Come on, let's go."


Saikhan's version of minor injuries is obviously different from mine, Lin thought. She had expected bumps, bruises, maybe even a broken bone. She didn't expect the gashes, the broken ribs, or the internal bleeding.

She definitely didn't expect to hear that Yasuko had been unconscious most of the day.

"Katara, what's going on?" she asked the master waterbender.

"She was in critical condition when she came. Apparently she was so bad off most didn't think she would make it. Thankfully she's expected to make a full recovery, but it's going to take a while."

"How long?"

"Her ribs will take about six weeks to heal. We have the internal bleeding under control, so that's good. The gashes will take a couple weeks to heal, maybe a bit faster with the amount of attention we've been paying attention to them. She'll be reeling from the aftermath of the burns as well."

"She was burned?!"

"They weren't very deep, but they were extensive. Almost completely burned through her clothes. We're still in the process of healing those, so don't be surprised by her bandages when you see her."

"Spirits," Lin said, sitting down and dropping her head in her hands. "Is she in pain?"

"We kept her sedated for most of the day. She should be coming to right about-"

"Hello?" a small voice said.

"You should go in," Katara said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I'm right here," Lin said approaching her bedside. "How are you doing? Wait, no-forget I said that."

Yasuko painfully smiled. "Only you would ask that."

The duo fell into silence.

"I brought food. Your favorite-vegetable and Komodo chicken dumplings with bean curd puffs and maybe a bit of jennamite for dessert."

"Really? I've been starving!"

They happily munched on their goodies. When they were done, Yasuko laid back as comfortably as she could.

"How is Asami?" she asked, her eyes filled with worry.

"She's okay. She wasn't hurt at all in the break-in, thanks to Pema's quick thinking," Lin said begrudgingly. "Asami was scared for you, but after a small bag of jennamite, a backrub, and a doll she's fine now."

Yasuko carefully eased herself back into a resting position, her worries eased.

Lin hesitated. "Yasuko, I'm so sorry that I have to ask you this, but do you remember anything that happened?"

Yasuko took a deep, shaky breath. "You haven't been here more than 10 minutes and you're already taking a statement. I really should know better by this point, though I can't say I'm surprised."

"I didn't notice anything fishy when Hiroshi and I came home for dinner. We hosted Pema as Tenzin had called ahead to let us know that the ferry between the island and the city was down. After I showed Pema to one of the guest rooms, I put Asami to bed and after that retired to my study at—that probably would have been 10? I just organized some shipping receipts and then I joined Hiroshi in our bedroom, that would have been at about 11.

"Next thing I remember I was woken up in the middle of the night by some clanging; I originally thought it was the chef, he's been waking up early all week to smoke some fish for a Water Tribe businessman who's visiting us next week for negotiations on a contract. But then I heard glass breaking, and people charging up the stairs. I figured it was one of the maids until I felt a fire whip aimed at my head! I remember unleashing a fire whip myself, but the next thing I remember is someone hitting me on the head while Hiroshi was throwing something. Spirits, Hiroshi, is he okay?"

Lin looked away for a moment in order to compose herself. "I'm so sorry, Yasuko," she said, her eyes filling with tears.

Tears managed to find their way down Yasuko's face. A few soon turned into a river.

"No," she whispered. "No, no, no! Please don't let it be true!"

The metalbender gingerly held her friend as she wept.

Lin wept openly for her friend. Hiroshi wasn't her favorite person, but he meant the world to Yasuko. The last thing she wanted for her friend was this, anything but this.

"Can you promise me something? Can you look after our Asami while I'm here?"

Lin held her friend's hand and smiled. "She's already at my house."

Yasuko fell back, exhausted and wincing from the pain.

"Thank you."