Tenzin sat on his favorite outcrop on Air Temple Island, meditating under a flowering tree. He had set out a blanket and had prepared a picnic lunch of vegetable stew, dumplings, suncakes for dessert, and a canister of Lin's favorite tea. The fragrant afternoon breeze reminded him of another picnic very similar to the one in front of him.

Nervously he sat under the tree, fidgeting with his robes. Lin had turned seventeen in Gaoling a couple weeks ago when she and Naran returned for a spring vacation. He looked down at his gift, which was an intricately designed mahogany box with carvings of earth bending, Gaoling, and Republic City. He opened up the inside to find the betrothal necklace he had carved for her birthday last year. Picking it up, he shoved it into a pocket with a sigh.

"We're probably not ready yet," he mumbled, returning to meditation. It wasn't until a boulder struck him in the head that he noticed Lin had come.

"You're such an Airhead," Lin laughed before kissing him tenderly. "Hi."

"Hi," he said rather dreamily, playing with her long black hair. "Hope you're hungry-I made lunch."

He gestured to the spread of stews and wraps before them, with soups and teas in special canisters. The box lay behind Tenzin, just out of Lin's line of sight. Beaming, she snuggled into Tenzin's arms and started to eat.

"So how's your training going?" he asked. She had just been accepted into the training academy for the Metalbending police force, and was already turning into one of their best.

"It's going," she replied while sipping on her soup. "It's only basics, and since I learned those ages ago, it's kind of boring."

"You don't really have a choice, Lin."

"I know," she said, slightly pouting. "That's why I've decided to study on Kyoshi Island for a year."

He nearly spit his tea out. "What?!" he sputtered, wiping his mouth. "You aren't being serious, are you?"

"I am too! Mother has arranged for Aunt Suki to take me as soon as my class is over."

"That's in three weeks! When were you going to tell me any of this? Or were you going to tell me any of this? Why do you have to go away to study techniques anyway?"

"I have to do this for me, Tenzin! Don't give me any grief about it either, last time I checked you studied at all the temples when you were trying to master airbending! Since when do you get worked up about something like this? Usually you would be the one to push towards it!"

Tenzin blushed slightly. "I love you."

Lin's face softened. She opened her mouth to say something.

"I love you too Tenzin."

"Ow!" Tenzin exclaimed, shaken from his memory by a nicely placed rock to the head. Lin let out a hearty laugh.

"Good to know you're back with us," she smirked before giving him a quick kiss. "Hi."

"Hi," he replied dreamily. "Hope you haven't eaten yet, because I brought a lot to tide us over."

"Thank goodness, I'm starving!"

The two sat in silence as they ate their meal. Lin nestled into his arms, leaning her head on his chest. Soon she noticed him gazing at her, his eyes full of warmth and love.

"What?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"I'm thanking my lucky stars that I have you," he said before kissing her. "But in all honesty, I brought you here today because I have something for you."

"Really?" she asked, grinning. "What for?"

Tenzin produced from his robes a small rectangular box and offered it to Lin. She quizzically took and opened it. Upon seeing the contents, she gasped, taken aback by the present.

"Tenzin," she breathed, tears filling her eyes as she gently lifted the betrothal necklace out of its case. "Is this what I think it is?" When she looked back at Tenzin, he was on one knee and teary-eyed himself.

"Yes. Lin, I love you more than life itself. I've loved you since I was 13, and I'll love you for the rest of time. I tried thinking of one moment that made me realize that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you, but there isn't one singular moment; it's all of them. It's waking up to your gorgeous green eyes, it's dancing underneath the cherry blossoms in spring, it's how your smile can warm even the coldest of days. And just when I thought life couldn't get any better, we adopted our daughter and now we have three more children on the way. Seeing you with Korra, the way you take care of her, how you sing her to sleep with the same lullabies we used to fall asleep to—Lin, I couldn't wish for more in my life. What I mean to say, my love, is this: Lin Beifong, will you marry me?"

Lin faced the love of her life, tears of joy in her eyes falling freely down her face.

"Yes," she nodded, her voice barely audible. "I love you Tenzin."


The two shared a tender kiss. After breaking away, Tenzin motioned for the necklace. Lin quickly gave it to him, and with a flourish and two knots it was safely and prominently displayed on her neck. She looked at it with wonder and was moving in for a second kiss when they heard a rustling. Lin was about to move towards it when Tenzin motioned her to stop. He silently airbended the golden flowers by their feet away to reveal the source.

"Korra? What are you doing here?" the couple said in unison.

The little girl simply giggled and ran towards her mother, interested in the shiny bauble that now adorned her neck.

"Mommy, what's this?" Korra said, her small fingers running over the carvings.

Tenzin and Lin gazed at each other, smiles lighting their faces."In your culture, men present the women they love with necklaces signifying their commitment to each other. Soon afterwards a wedding is held, binding the two in matrimony until they part."

"I don't get it daddy-what are you saying?"

"It means Daddy and I are getting married, water lily!"

Korra screamed out of happiness and tackled her father, who lifted her onto his shoulders and spin around in the flowers until they fell from dizziness. Lin watched with amusement, her hands resting on her rather large stomach. Katara and Toph sat on the porch, watching the happy scene playing out before their eyes.

"Spirits, it's about time they got engaged!" Toph exclaimed. "I was beginning to wonder if Tenzin was just humoring me."

"The confidence you have in my son is astounding," Katara replied sarcastically before turning back to the scene. "They make such a happy family, don't they Toph?"

"Yeah, they do," Toph said, looking into the distance. "So what do you have planned?"

""I have no idea what you mean, Toph Beifong."

"The earthbending master's eyes narrowed slightly. "Katara, I can tell when you're lying. How many different options are there?"

Katara sighed. "Well, I do have a few ideas. One of them's going to involve your metalbending skills, though…"

Toph was about to reply when they spotted Bumi running towards them. He soon appeared in front of the two friends, panting and red-faced from the run.

"Bumi, dear, what's going on? Why are you so red?" Katara asked her son.

"There are ships coming towards us!"

"I don't know if you've noticed Bumi, but this is an island. Ships come here all the time," Toph said sarcastically.

"Yes, passenger ships, the ferry, sometimes even cargo ships. Not metal sided battleships that aren't part of the forces, Aunt Toph!"

Katara's eyes widened. "We've got to get them off the island! Bumi, go get them and leave on Oogi. We need eyes in the sky to see what's going on. Toph, meet me down at the dock."

"Mom, I'm not leaving you!"

"That's not an option, that's an order!" Katara yelled, and then quickly softened. "Son, I need to know that you'll be okay, and that they'll be as well. Now go, you don't have much time!"

Bumi fumbled around in his pocket for an air bison whistle, and upon finding called for Oogi. In the meantime, Bumi ran to his brother and his family.

"Lin, listen to me very carefully," upon finding the chief metalbender. "The creepy bugmen who attacked the compound are on their way here right now. Go get Tenzin and Korra, because Oogi's about to take us back to the Beifong compound. Mom's already starting to bend an obscuring mist, and Tenzin's an airbender, so we'll be able to get there unharmed. Go, now!"

Oogi soon landed. Bumi and Tenzin helped the girls into the saddle, after which Tenzin jumped in front to lead. The United Forces officer settled himself in the back while Lin held onto Korra, humming a soothing lullaby until she fell asleep.

Katara and Toph had been holding their own, for the most part. The waterbending master had bent the mist long enough for her family to get away. Unfortunately, it had also obscured the enemy ships, and only now was it becoming apparent that they were far closer than expected. In fact, they could have swum to the island if they wanted to.

"Have any thoughts on what we should do, Sweetness?" Toph asked, dropping into her defense pose.

"I do have one idea-when was the last time you practiced sandbending?"

Toph moved her hands upward, her body shaking from exertion. Sandbars magically appeared out of nowhere, beaching the ships. With a single pushing motion, Toph pushed the boats out to see. The original metalbender stood up and wiped her hands off.

"Well, that took care of it," Toph said, and was about to walk back to the house when she heard the crackle of electricity behind her.