Pema turned over and mumbled as someone shook her bed in an effort to wake her up. As she quickly became more aware she found that after the first rumble, her bed continued to shake, only a little less violently. It felt like an earthquake. Unsteadily, she ran out of her room where she was met some other acolytes running into her home, telling her to go back in her room and hide, Lin Beifong had made a bridge to the island and would be at the doorstep within a minute.

Panic filled the house as they looked out the window and saw an earthbender in the distance riding a wave towards them. All of Pema's caretakers scurried around like catmice. She did as she was told while they piled everything within reach against the door. With no decent place to hide she slid with her back against the wall. Her mind pondering the big questions, 'why this was happening, why couldn't that bitter woman just leave them alone? Why did Tenzin insist on leaving. Why hadn't he reported that...that vile woman and have her arrested for assault? Why hadn't she?'.

"Stupid, childish oath." She grumbled to herself. Now their baby's life could be in danger! Shouts were heard as a cloud of dust came through the window she'd left cracked open because of a heat flash, soon followed by the sound of someone trying to break down the door. The expecting mother knew she should stay put, but as the dust cleared she edged over to the other side of her room to get a peek of the crazy woman. And what see saw made her heart stop.

"Let her in!" She hollered at the top of her lungs, "No stop! It's okay." she yelled taking a man by the name of Deshi by the arm before he could add a small table to the pile. Everyone looked at her in shock, but only for a moment before taking her word and swiftly moving everything out of the doorway. Just as the last table was moved the door came crashing open. Luckily everyone managed to get out of the way as the Police Chief rushed past them holding a little boy in her arms. She came to a halt in the sitting room where she placed the child on a cushion.

"Medic!" She yelled, but in vain as the physician was already on her way.

"What happened?"

"He's too cold." Lin replied, half-extending a forearm blade and cutting the boy's wet clothing off.

"Hypothermia." Boa-yu called over her shoulder, "Bring blankets and warm water!"

"I'll get the blanket." Pema volunteered going back to get the one off her bed. In the kitchen the banging of pots could be heard as her caretakers frantically got water over the stove, "Here you go." She handed the thick cloth to Boa-yu. Lin glanced at her, but quickly turning her attention back to the little boy, helping the physician bundle him in the large blanket. Seeing that there was nothing else she could do, Pema rejoined the crowd at the door and watched. When the water was warm, Boa-yu filled waterskins and placed them in strategic areas of his body.

"Now we just have to wait."

"What?" Lin roared, causing several people, including Pema, to flinch, "The only reason I brought him here because you were the closest medic! There has to be something else you can do for him!" Fortunately, this wasn't the first frantic woman Boa-yu ever dealt with.

"I know how frustrating this is, but all we can do is gradually warm him up and hope for the best."

"Eurgh, that's not good enough! I-" She clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles were turning white, "I...understand. Will you stay with him?" She barely waited for conformation before getting up from her position and storming out of the house.

Awhile later, Toph Beifong showed up unexpectedly, announcing that she'd come there in case the boy woke up before Lin got back from work. Pema put on some tea and they sat down at the dinning room table.

" 'Sup." The older woman said finally to break the tension.

"Oh, just a full morning, I guess. With...Bolin right?" Toph nodded, "And Lin. You know," she chuckled nervously, "we all thought that Lin was coming to get me." she chuckled again at the silliness. But surprisingly, Toph did not seem amused.

"Naw, you're safe. You're hubby on the other hand, is a dead man."

"Excuse me?"

"Lin's gonna kill him." She shrugged it off.

"Do you mean, really kill him?"

"Well, Twinkle Toes Senior made her promise not to kill either of his sons. But you still might wanna make sure Tenzin stays out of Lin's seismic range for a year or so until she calms down enough to remember that."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Oh don't thank me, I just don't wanna visit my daughter in prison." then she took a sip of her tea, "And believe me when I tell you that if Lin calms down enough to give the airhead the beating he deserves without killing him, I will gladly hold Katara off while she gets in a few good whacks." Pema opened her mouth to voice her outrage, but before a sound could come out Toph interrupted her,

"Believe it or not, kid, I like you." What did that have to do with anything? "Firstly because you put the moves on Baldy, no dropin' hints or sneakin' around, you did it head on like an earthbender. Anyone who does that to my girl's man is either very crazy or very brave. But most importantly, you saved my girl from becoming a caged airbender broodmare. But you're going to lose a few marks in my tally book if you try to tell me Tenzin doesn't deserve a black eye for what he's done."

"No one deserves-"

"Oh, yes, sweetheart, a lot of people deserves." She sat up straighter and pointed in the general direction of the sitting room, "From the sounds of it, that boy in there was 'bout twenty minutes from becoming a little iceberg. And why? Because Tenzin and the rest of those self-righteous windbags on the council decided to take the kid away from the only adult he trusts. And another thing," Toph turned the finger at her, "acolyte or not, don't sit there and tell me you wouldn't fly off the handle if some idiot nearly got your kid killed." Pema didn't say another word.

The sun had set by the time Lin got back to the island. She'd only worked an eight hour shift for once, but then she had to pack up Bolin's cloths from the overload cell, stop by her house and grab and change of cloths, then stop by the Beifong estate to do the same. She and her mother would be sleeping in the guest room tonight. She vaguely wondered if someone told Tenzin's wife about this, but as she unceremoniously dropped the bags and bended off her uniform, she realized that she really didn't care.

"Oh hey, Pup, what took ya?" Everyone was eating supper by the time she arrived. And every person (except the blind one, naturally) stared at her arrival. It could have been that she looked like she hadn't slept in days, it could have been that she hadn't put anything over her tank top before she came to the table, but the most likely reason was the object that she'd carried with her.

"What is that?" The man knew very well what it was he just couldn't believe he was seeing Lin Beifong carrying one.

"What is what?" Her mother asked reaching up and feeling for...whatever it was, "Hey it's Rumble, isn't it?" She snatched the object out of Lin's hands, "How you doin' buddy?" She asked the stuffed badgermole, "Did your friend dig you out of my storage room?"

"Mother." she seethed through clenched teeth, "I thought Bolin might want it."

"Boy, Lin used love this thing." Toph explained her antics, "She'd carry him around and talk to him." Her tone simply reeked of loving memories, "She'd cuddle with him while she slept. We'd try to put her to bed but she wouldn't let us leave until we tucked him in and kissed him goodnight too." The caretakers and acolytes all mysteriously started coughing. Lin felt her cheeks turn red.

"I was four!" The younger Beifong pinched the bridge of her nose as she defended her dignity, but she knew it was a lost cause. Her reputation as a badass...ruined. "How's the kid?"

"Medic's giving him an examination now. C'mon, eat something while you wait."

"Fine." She sat down in the vacant spot at the end of the table.

"You're not gonna try to feed your veggies to Rumble again are you?"

"Shut up, Mother."

Finally, after Lin endured her fill of humiliation at the table, the physician came out of the room.

"So what's the verdict?" her mom asked quickly. Lin just looked the other woman over, part of her dreading an answer.

"Well, he's awake. He isn't out of the woods just yet, but...as long as we keep him still, and warm, he should be just fine in a few weeks." A breath of air that she didn't even know she'd been keeping escaped her lips. When she saw the boy the in the dumpster that morning, she wasn't sure if anything would be enough to save him.

"Well, let's pay the kid a visit, c'mon Pup." Toph lead the way and she just followed wordlessly. But then it happened, she took one good look at the boy and saw his red skin and pale lips, and her blood just started to boil. All the pent up worry and frustration came out.

"What were you thinking?! Running out in the middle of night. In the winter no less, no coat, no idea where you're going. Then you decide to play hide and seek in a dumpster?! If that storekeeper hadn't notified the police you could've-" She felt her mother's hand on her shoulder and stopped her lecture. Some how she manged to miss the little boy slowly disappear further and further under his blanket until only shaky ball of fluff remained. She took a few breaths to clam herself, "Alright," she relented, "I'll yell at you tomorrow. Just get some rest."

"Forgetting something, Pup?" The older woman asked as Lin felt something soft hit her in the stomach.

"Right. Uh, here kid, thought you might want this." She held out the toy. His eyes got bright as stars as he reached for the animal.

"Bolin this is Rumble." Toph made the introductions, "Rumble this is your new master, Bolin." The boy squeezed the badgermole close to him, "Lin named him after the Earth Rumble tournament in Goaling. Ever see one, Kid?" Bolin shook his head 'no'. Lin translated for the blind woman, "Well, we'll have to go to the tournament next spring then. G'night, kid." She gave the boy a kiss on the forehead and she left for the guest room. Lin's eyes narrowed at her retreating form.

"Get some sleep, boy." She saw Bolin shake his head frantically, "What?"

"on't weave." Apparently he was still having trouble speaking. Lin never thought she'd say this but she wished the kid could get his voice back.

"What?"

"n't mo." That one came through clear enough. She considered her options. On the one hand she really wanted to smack her mother upside the head, on the other hand if she didn't stay the kid would waste his much needed energy crying and might try to leave. Not that he could in his present state but he could hurt himself trying.

"Fine." He smiled, "But only if you promise to stay here while I'm at work tomorrow. Deal?" He agreed and she pulled a cushion up next to him. Last thing she saw as she laid her head on the make-shift pillow was Bolin snuggling with his new toy.

As the morning sun began to rise, all was peaceful on Air Temple Island...except for maybe one or two Beifong women.

"What did you think you were doing, telling that kid that we'll take him to the tournament?! He's going to be in an orphanage by then, Mother."

"Don't get your bloomers in a knot." Toph said from the guest bed, leaning against the wall, "Come here, sit."

"Mom." She almost whined, almost.

"Come on." Toph insisted. Lin had to admit defeat, after she was comfortable, her mother started the conversation with a question, "Did I ever tell you what I did when I found out I was pregnant with you?"

"Actually," as much as it surprised her, "no."

"Well you're about to find out."