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A week had passed since Unalaq's attempt at taking Korra. Lin, worried about potential threats against her family, increased the number of undercover White Lotus sentries around her mother's estate and set up a discreet cadre of guards for Tenzin in case he encountered trouble at work. Toph even changed out the gates surrounding her estate, changing the metal in her gates from difficult-to-bend titanium to impossible-to-bend platinum. Korra, thankfully, was oblivious to these changes. Katara had increased her time training, and as such the young Avatar had little else to focus on. Lin, deciding to treat Korra after her lessons, took the young girl to her office while she collected some case files to review at home.

"Isn't the city beautiful when it snows?" Lin said, noticing the source of her daughter's focused state. "I just hope your father's council meetings end before the roads get too icy."

Tenzin had been feeling the brunt of the fallout from Unalaq's visit, and had spent his time attempting to smooth Tarrlok's ruffled feathers. Tarrlok, who already disliked the Airbender, was nearly insufferable. As Unalaq's representative he eagerly carried out his boss's wishes for Tenzin; he had motioned three times already for Tenzin's resignation, and it was only through Tenzin's close relationships with the other Council members that he had been able to hold onto his position. In any case, he would be lucky to return home before midnight.

Korra silently nodded as she kept watching the scene before her.

Realization soon dawned on the police chief. "You miss it, don't you? The South Pole?"

The little girl looked up, tears in her eyes.

"Oh sweetheart," Lin said, pulling her daughter into her arms. "I'm so sorry. I should have known…"

Korra replied with a sniffle. The metalbender remained there for a while, rocking her back and forth. An idea popped into her head.

"Are you hungry, by any chance?" she asked the small bundle in her arms.

She replied with a small nod.

"Good, because I know the perfect place. Get your coat on, it's only a short walk away."

Ten minutes later, Lin and Korra were settled at a table at Narook's Seaweed Noodlery.

"Sokka and Katara used to take my family here when I was a kid. It's still one of my favorite places to eat in the city," Lin said as they brought out steaming bowls of seaweed noodles.

Korra eyed her noodles, then carefully picked up her chopsticks and sucked them in her mouth. A smile filled her face.

"Now that's more like it," Lin said, smiling as well. "So, kiddo, your birthday's coming up in a couple weeks. Do you want anything in particular?"

Korra thought for a minute. "When Grandma Toph first started my earth bending lessons, she used this bracelet to show me how to feel the earth. It was so cool Mama, it was squishy and Grandma formed it into all sorts of shapes!"

Hmmm, so she wants a meteorite to play with. Doubt mom will part with her bracelet, but Suyin collects them—I should call and see if she's willing to give Korra a piece. Maybe me too?

"I was about your age when I got my first set of rocks," Lin said, smiling as she momentarily reminisced. "Though mine were decidedly less 'squishy.' What else would you like?"

Korra's eyes brightened.

"So Daddy took me to the island a couple of days ago, and when I was in his study I found this really cool stick."

"A stick?"

"It wasn't just any stick, mama! When I reached for it, it fell on the ground and grew wings!"

Lin leaned back. She didn't want a stick; she wanted an air glider.

"I'll talk to your father about it," she said. "Is there anything else?"

Korra uncharacteristically hesitated. "Yes."

Lin arched an eyebrow.

"At the South Pole, we had these things called polar bear dogs, and they were big and fluffy and fun to play with! Everyone was scared of them, but not me! That's because there was a puppy who'd come play with me every day! Her name was Naga, and she was my best friend."

A polar bear dog?! She can't be serious! Those animals are notoriously aggressive, how on earth did she make friends with one?

The metal bending chief took a deep breath.

"Are you sure you don't want a flying lemur instead? I know you've made friends with a few of the ones on Air Temple Island."

"No, I want Naga!"

"I'm sure you do," Lin replied with a slight edge to her voice. "Come on, it's getting late—we should get going."

After paying for their meal and picking up some takeout for Tenzin, Lin and Korra left the restaurant only to find snowflakes drifting lazily around them, Squealing with joy, Korra began running around and throwing snowballs. When she thought her mother wasn't looking, she hit Lin square in the back. Lin fake scowled, only to throw a snowball at her daughter in response. Soon enough, the two were thoroughly engaged in a snowball fight that lasted the entire way home. Korra was thrilled by this development and babbled about her "epic" battle against the grand Chief of Police up until the minute she fell asleep. While Lin pretended that she had been harangued into throwing snowballs, it was easy to see how happy the snowball fight had made her as well.


Just as she expected, it was midnight when an exhausted Tenzin crawled into bed.

"Tarrlok wasn't letting anybody off the hook, was he?" Lin asked sleepily.

"Nope," Tenzin grumbled, reaching out for Lin. "The other members of the Council and I are at our wit's end, and are probably planning a coup at this point. I know that if I never have to hear about Northern Water Tribe family law ever again, it will be too soon. How are you, how was your day? I never get to see you anymore—I didn't think it was possible to miss someone you share a bed with, but I stand corrected."

Lin chuckled and drew herself into his arms. She told him all about her day, about some cases she was trying to solve, about her phone call with Suyin and how she was set to visit in two weeks for Korra's birthday, about Korra's sheer joy upon seeing other members of the Metalbending Police Force up close, and about her ideas for birthday gifts. Tenzin listened intently, a soft smile on his lips the entire time.

"Oh I forgot to mention one thing," Lin said, adjusting herself to face Tenzin. "I went to see your mom for a check-up during lunch."

Tenzin's smile faded. "Are you okay? Have the worst of your blood bending injuries faded, are you cleared to go back to work?"

"I am, thank the spirits, but I actually visited Katara for the babies' sake, not mine."

"And?" Tenzin asked, clearly anxious.

Lin reached for Tenzin's hand. "She said that she hopes you remember the names of the monks, as they'll come in handy for naming inspiration. We're having air benders!"

Tenzin sat up, incredulous. "Are you serious?"

Lin smiled and nodded, tears welling in her eyes.

Tenzin leaned over and kissed Lin ardently, only stopping to breathe. He gazed at Lin in wonder, her beauty made even more striking in the moonlight.

"Thank you," Tenzin whispered.

Lin's body stiffened in response.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's just—Tenzin, I live my life by duty. My duty to Republic City, my duty to my family. Getting pregnant is part of my duty to you and to the Air Nomads, but I don't want you to think it's the only reason I'm having kids. Tenzin, I am painfully in love with you, and I'm having these children with you because I want them just as badly as you do."

Tenzin, tears in his eyes, gently kissed his love. He placed his hand over her stomach, feeling his unborn children move beneath him.

"I can't believe we're going to be parents in four months," he breathed in wonder. "I wasn't sure this day would ever come."

"We're already parents to Korra, remember?" Lin said pointedly. "And besides, I would enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasts. If our daughter gets her way, we're also going to be parents to a polar bear dog puppy too."

Lin, upon noticing Tenzin's stunned expression, laughed and kissed the Airbender before settling into his arms for the night.

She hadn't ever thought herself cut for familial life, but this-this she could get used to.