oh yeah. .sorry i haven't updated in a while. writer's block is about to his me i can feel it. so if you want more stories hit me up with some prompts or reviews because they are amazing motivators. hope you enjoy this whopping 3,000+ word long story. pleas R&R enjoy.

"Lin, what are you doing out of bed?"

Lin looked at her aunt, pulling her tank top over her head with a grunt, causing Katara to immediately aid her in the task. "I'm fine. Besides, we have that trip to Ember Island tomorrow."

Katara looked at the ground. "We're not going to Ember Island anymore."

"What?! But Bumi and Kya came home just to go on this trip. It's tradition."

Katara let out a sigh. "You're right. But you're still injured. The bruises on your ribs and back haven't healed yet and neither has the stab wound on the side of your stomach."

Lin growled in response, not happy at being the reason to have their trip cancelled. "We are not cancelling the trip. I'll have you and Kya to help me if the wound opens and I promise not to exert myself."

Katara knew that the trip was important to Lin, if she was begging. She threw her hands up in the air out of frustration. "Fine. If you feel any discomfort or pain you get me, or Kya. I don't want to do a healing session and find that you tried dressing the injury yourself. Deal?"

Lin put her hand out for Katara to shake. "Deal."

"I've got your bag Lin."

"Thanks Su. Tenzin you mind helping me onto Oogi?" Tenzin put an arm around her waist, mindful of the injuries that littered her body. He jumped with her onto Oogi's back. "Thank you."

Bumi plopped down next to her, placing an arm around her shoulders, causing her to wince. "Sorry, I guess you're still a bit tender."

"You think? So how is the United Forces treating you?"

"It's great! I've seen so much and I get into all sparing matches with different benders. Though none of them bend as well as you do."

Lin let out a small laugh. "Oh how I've missed your flattering compliments."

The adults got on Appa, indicating that they were ready to go.

A few hours of flying had passed. Kya and Bumi were playing thumb wars, whilst Su was asleep on her sister's lap, letting Lin run her fingers through her hair. Kya flicked Bumi on the forehead, indicating that she had won. Kya turned her attention to Lin. "So Lin, how are you feeling?"

"Physically fine. Mentally, a bit annoyed."

Kya cocked her head to the side. "How so?"

"Well, every time I wake up, I find Su in my bed. Do you have any idea how much I need my space? I've woken up a few times to find Katara standing over me, which is a tad frightening. And Tenzin and I haven't had a night to ourselves in months."

Hearing his name, Tenzin turned around from his position on Oogi. "Did you say something Lin?"

"No."

Bumi stood up, moving to sit next to Tenzin "Look! Land ho!"

Lin shook Su's form. "Wake up. We're here."

Su wiped the drool hanging from her mouth. "What? Are we there yet?"

"Yes. Also on the way back, sleep on Kya. My pants can only handle so much saliva."

Su smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

The two bison came to land on the sand. "LAND!"

Lin looked over her shoulder, shaking her head in disapproval, at the sight of her mother, face first in the ground. "Tenzin. Little help."

He brought them down onto the sand. "I take it, this will be my job for the week?"

"I know you love carrying me around everywhere."

"It's the only time I get to show my masculine side."

"SPARKY!"

Zuko groaned at the old nickname. "Sokka, just once I'd like you to call me Zuko."

"And just once I'd like Toph not to punch me hello but that's not going to happen."

As if on que, Toph punched both Sokka and Zuko in the arm. "Hello Sparky."

"Toph, it's nice to see you to." Zuko greeted the rest of the group with various handshakes and hugs, though when he came to greet Lin, she backed away. "You're not going to hug your uncle hello Lin?"

"Sorry uncle but I'm-" Too late. In an effort to stop Lin's protest, Zuko lifted her off the ground, giving her a tight squeeze. This caused Lin to cry out in pain.

Zuko released her quickly. "Are you okay?!"

Lin straightened up, keeping a hand on her side. "I'm fine. Just, shake my hand in the future."

Katara stepped forward, placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "She was in an accident on the job. She'll be fine. Now why don't you show us to our rooms so we can get dressed and hit the beach."

"Uh, sure." Zuko led his guests into the large beach house. "Toph, Sokka, you two are in this one, next to you is Su. Tenzin will be across from Su's room and Lin will be in this one-"

"Actually uncle Zuko," Tenzin stepped forward fiddling nervously with his fingers. "Lin and I will be sharing a room. We're both twenty and have been with each other for a few years. It only seems, well, appropriate." In a move to ignore the protests that were about to come their way, he grabbed their bags and led Lin into the room, closing the door behind them.

"Well Airhead, that took guts."

"Umm, thanks, I think."

Lin began to undress, more than happy to rid her body of her sweat soaked clothes. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, it's just, umm, that's a lot of purple."

Lin placed a hand on the left side of her ribs, feeling the bruise that covered the front half of her body. "Does it look bad?"

He walked up to her, placing his firm hands on her waist "No, it makes you seem, colourful." He ran a light thumb over her bandage. "Is this going to scar?"

"Yeah. It will be the fifth scar since I started on the force." She leaned her head on his chest, as he trailed his fingers over the two scars that ran parallel on her shoulder blades, down to the two on her lower back. "We better get dressed, they're going to wonder what's taking us so long."

Lin walked out onto the beach, dressed in a dark green bikini, with small board shorts that had a white stripe on either side, arm in arm with Tenzin, who was wearing plain orange board shorts. Kya came bounding up to the duo "Tenzin mum wants your help with something"

Tenzin walked off to find his mother mumbling something under his breath about not getting to spend any time with his girlfriend. "She's going to ambush him with sunscreen, isn't she?"

"Yup. She told me to apply yours when I finish your healing session."

"lets get it over with then." Lin laid her towel out on the sand plopping down on it with a huff. She felt a hand void of any water, run itself over her back "uh, Kya?"

"Sorry." Kya pulled water out of the damp sand next to her, and began to heal Lin's back. "So what gang tried to take you on this time?"

Lin let out a moan as the water washed over her body. "Red Monsoons. We were ambushed during a raid and we were out numbered. Earthbender got the better of me. We managed to round them up in the end."

"Sounds nasty. I've finished with your back." Kya removed the bandages on Lin's stomach, proceeding to push her down onto the towel to allow her better access. "This looks much better then what I thought it was going to look like. I think after this session you won't have to worry about it opening, which means you can go swimming. I'll leave the bandages off for now but I want to redress it before dinner."

"Thanks Kya."

Tenzin stormed up to Kya and Lin, covered in a white cream from head to toe. "She ambushed me!"

The two girls laughed at him, finding the whole scenario hilarious. "You shouldn't laugh Lin, I still have to apply your sunscreen."

Lin groaned at Kya's words. But sat up for her to apply the offending cream. Once she was done, Lin stood up. "I feel like I'm five again."

Out of nowhere, Su ran behind them in an effort to hide from a prowling Katara. "Su, just wear the sunscreen and I won't bother you for the rest of the day."

"Aunt Katara, leave Su alone. If she gets burnt, she gets burnt." Lin smiled down at her younger sister.

"Fine. But don't come crying to me, or Kya for that matter, asking us to heal you when you get burnt." With that, she walked off, on the prowl for her next victim.

"Thanks Lin."

"You better hope you don't get burnt. So what's first on our to do list?"

"Ice cream? I'll go buy it and then we can go swimming or build sand sculptures."

Kya wrapped her arms around Su. "You're my favourite Beifong. You know that?"

Lin scoffed at hearing this. "Do you have any money?" The younger Beifong shook her head. "There is twenty yuans in my beach bag. Who's your favourite Beifong now?"

"Your mother."

"WHAT?!"

"She's the one who gave you the job, so she inadvertently pays you."

"You're lucky I like you or I'd earthbend your sorry ass to Ba Sing Se. Su, go get the ice cream please."

When Su returned with the four ice creams, she found Kya buried up to the neck in sand. "I'm not going to ask. Here." Su bent Kya out of the ground, handing her a cone. They finished their treat within a few minutes.

Bumi ran up to them, a huge grin on his face. "You guys wanna play volleyball? Parents verse kids."

They all agreed, walking over to the volleyball court. "Are you coming Lin?"

"Sorry Tez. I promised Katara I wouldn't exert myself. I'm lucky that I'm allowed to go swimming. I'll watch from the sidelines."

"Okay."

Twenty minutes passed and the parents reigned victorious. "Suck it Su!"

"Why couldn't you be one of those encouraging mothers?"

"That's why?" Toph pointed to where Katara was currently kissing a 'boo boo,' on her twenty four year old son's knee.

"I think I love you even more after seeing that."

Toph smiled triumphantly. "Damn straight you should. Now allow me to proceed with being a good mother, by beating yours and everyone else's ass in a sand-sculpting contest. Lin, get your lazy ass off that towel and get sculpting."

Aang walked over to the trio, rubbing his neck nervously. "Umm, Toph, I think if we're going to make this a contest, you and the girls should be, graded, uh, separately from the rest of us."

Toph punched him in the arm. "Whatever you say Twinkle Toes, as long as I show bagermole and Su that I'm better than them, I'm happy."

"You're an inspiration to all mothers out there Toph."

Everyone got to work on his or her sand sculptures. Zuko decided to play judge, proclaiming that it would be his 'honour.' "Three, two, one, stop sculpting."

He walked up to Sokka's sculpture first. It was large mound with a smaller mound at the front and a mouth made of little pebbles, but that was it. "Umm, Sokka what is it?"

"It's Toph! Obviously!"

Toph walked up to 'feel' the sculpture for herself. "If that's what I look like, I'm happy I can't see. I'm guessing the stones are my mouth, but where are my eyes?"

"You wound me woman. You can't see, so I thought it would be poetic to not give the sculpture any eyes."

Zuko shook his head in disapproval, moving onto Katara's and Aang's sculpture. "This is nice. You have the whole family in here, even Appa."

Katara began to well up. "They are my life."

He quickly walked over to Bumi's piece of art not wanting to see Katara cry. "This is amazing!"

"The finest ship in the United Forces fleet!" He boasted. "I even sculpted a little me at the helm."

Zuko clasped him on the back. "One day Bumi, one day."

"Tenzin, nice sculpture of Lin, though the air staff is an unusual accessory."

"Thanks uncle Zuko."

When he looked at Kya's, Zuko let out a sigh. "Nice sandcastle Kya."

"I try."

"But I think Bumi wins this round. So Toph, what did you make?"

"Check it. I made a complete replica of Republic city."

"It's nice."

Toph looked incredulously at what Zuko had said. "Nice?! No, Katara's and Aang's sculpture is 'nice,' this is pure talent."

Zuko ignored her, moving onto Lin's sculpture. He laughed at the image before him. It had Lin in her metalbending uniform with a foot on Toph's back. A position he had seen many hunters pose with their slaughtered prey. "You are an artist Lin."

"Thanks uncle Zuko but I see it as me predicting the future."

Toph came to 'see' the 'future,' for herself. She punched her daughter in the arm. "You are a smart ass."

"I learn from the best."

Zuko walked over to Su's artwork, finding a sculpture of Lin in her uniform, standing at perfect attention. "Do you like it? I thought I'd do a sculpture of my hero and Lin was the first thing that came to mind."

Lin pulled Su into a tight hug, as much as her injured body would allow. "It looks amazing."

"Thanks Lin."

"Well I think it's obvious who wins," started Zuko, "congratulations Lin. I think I speak for everyone here when I say I hope that your version of the future happens. Now lets head back to the house for dinner. Bumi and Lin get extra desert for winning."

Bumi walked next to Lin as they headed back to the house. "We're in our twenties and we get rewarded with ice cream. On the ship, we get an extra bottle of sake."

"Please. At the station we get rewarded with a week vacation and my mother pays for our drinks at the tavern. None of us want the week off though."

They sat down at the table, as servants placed their meals in front of them. They were all served koalasheep with a side salad. Tenzin leaned over to his father, a frown on his face. "Dad, there's meat on our plates."

"I known son, just try to, uh, ignore it."

Lin overheard the conversation between the two airbenders, so she took the offending piece of meat off Tenzin's plat,e onto hers and replaced it with her salad. "You're welcome."

"I love you"

"Umm, Lin, if I say I love you, will you take my meat?" They looked over to see Aang, a pleading look on his face as he held up his plate.

"Sure."

The meal was filled with laughter and conversations. Lin poured herself a glass of sake, when she felt a hand tap her on the arm. "What can I help you with Su?"

"Well, I was hoping you'd be cool and pour me a small glass of alcohol."

"Too bad I'm not cool. Hey mum?"

Toph put down her own glass of liquor, her trademark smirk playing on her lips. "What's up?"

"I was wanting to know, because it's a special occasion, can Su have a small glass of sake?"

"As long as it's a small glass, sure."

Su had a look of bewilderment on her face. "How did you get her to agree to that so fast?! I've asked mum in the past a bunch of times and always got a no."

Lin poured her a small glass of sake, giggling as she did so. "Because, I'm the no nonsense cop, who is a stickler for the rules. So mum knows I'm going to stick to our agreement."

Su took a sip of her drink, immediately coughing as it ran down her throat. Bumi clapped her on the back as though it would help the young girl out. "Take it easy Beifong junior, that has to last you until bed time, which for you is in ten minutes."

"Haha Bumi, you're so funny."

"I find it cute that you think I'm kidding. Hey aunt Toph, it's nearly ten o'clock."

"Go get ready for bed Su."

Su glared at Bumi before turning her attention back to her mother. "But mum!"

"No buts. Now get to bed, or would you prefer I tuck you in."

Su groaned as she trudged back to her bedroom, leaving a table full of adults laughing at her predicament. Feeling bad for her little sister, Lin stood up. "Well Tenzin and I are going to bed too." Tenzin opened his mouth, ready to argue with her. "Unless he wants to sleep on the couch tonight." She raised an eyebrow, daring him to challenge her. He stood up as Toph to made a whip sound effect with her mouth, complete with hand gesture.

They entered their shared bedroom, not bothering to turn on the lights, as they got dressed into their pyjamas. "Damnit."

Tenzin pulled his pants on as the word left her mouth. "Are you okay Lin?"

Lin sighed in annoyance. "Kya forgot to bandage my wound and I promised your mother I wouldn't do it and I can't be stuffed going out there in my pyjamas. "

Tenzin rummaged through her bag, remembering that he saw a bandage in there earlier. Once he located the object, he pulled it out with gusto. "I could do it."

Lin nodded her head in agreement, letting him manoeuvre her so he was sitting on the edge of the bed, with her standing in between his legs. He closed his legs as he admired his work, what he didn't expect was for Lin to sit on his lap and begin kissing his neck. "So much for not exerting yourself."

"It's been over a month, forgive me if I'm taking a risk in an effort to have an intimate moment with my boyfriend." Tenzin fell back onto the mattress, moving them so they now lay in the middle of the bed, covering them in the expensive blankets. He shuddered as she ran her fingers over his chest. Working her way down to the hem of his pants, when the door creaked open. Lin rolled off of Tenzin. "Shit."

"Lin?"

"Yes Su?"

"Can I uh, sleep with you guys?"

Lin pulled back the blankets in response. Su jumped in the bed, instantly clinging to her sister's side. "Umm Su, I know you're a cuddly person but you need to sleep with your limbs to yourself."

Su quickly caught on, remembering that her sister was injured. "Sorry. Are you sure you and Tenzin are okay with me sleeping in here?"

Out of nowhere Tenzin let out an audible oof. "Tenzin and I don't mind at all but when we get back to Republic City, we're going to get you sleeping in your own bed again."

Su let out a sigh. "You know why I have nightmares Lin. I can't help it. I'm not like you. I can't shrug this off like it never happened. What if next time you don't come home."

Tenzin propped his head up on his hand, looking in the direction he guessed Su to be. "Su, you have to understand that Lin is very capable in her line of work. She has other officers watching her back and they've recently added two waterbenders to every squad to handle injuries. I was apprehensive at first, when she joined the force but trusting her abilities helps me sleep at night. If you feel like you still can't sleep, you are more than welcome to meditate with me about it."

"Thanks Tenzin." Su yawned, closing her eyes. "Goodnight." The trio slept in peace until the late ours of the morning.