Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Previously:

            …I love you…

            Please wake up.

Owwwwww…

Spirits, why does it feel like I just went two cycles in a blender stuck on purée mode?

Struggling to lift my heavy eyelids intent on remaining sealed shut indefinitely, I’m barely able to flutter them open midway and even such a small feat is beyond exhausting, fighting to keep them ajar as my distorted vision gradually begins to adjust to the dim lighting flickering around me and when it finally comes into some sort of focus, I’m met with a massive Southern Water Tribe insignia carved into the wooden ceiling directly above me—fatigued eyes widening as much as they’re able to in their current weakened state at the rising possibility that I’ve somehow been relocated to the South Pole which is a sizable ocean away from Republic City…away from Lin, and my resting heartrate spikes at the thought of my earthbender because I can’t sense her nearby, I can’t sense anyone or anything in the immediate vicinity and that can only mean that my chi has been severely depleted—so much so that I’m unable to will my burning limbs to move on command which confirms that whatever injuries I’ve sustained are extensive and the kicker is I can’t seem to recall how I obtained them in the first place, the last thing I remember was the fire department requesting police backup and then arriving on scene with the Chief, Sergeant Jiao, and Song, but after that, my memory goes blank except I can feel something lingering in that perpetual darkness…that extended gap…something important my scrambled mind can’t quite reach beyond the void and it’s cavernous pull is similar to that of when I sense Lin’s in trouble…when she needs me—determined to find her despite my wounded state to ensure that’s not the case and force my achy fingertips to curl into the thin bedsheets beneath me, hardly able to get a secure grip on them to leverage myself into an upright position and my battered body strongly protests each time I try.

I’m coming, baby…

I’m coming.

Just…woo, just give me a second.

Sweet baby turtleduck that hurts.

What the hell did I do to myself this time, huh?

Get run over by a fire engine…twice?

Fucking hell.

1:17AM

RCPD Headquarters, Republic City, United Republic:

I can’t believe that pretentious prick managed to cram in additional seating when we’ve already reached the legal occupancy limit of the Pro-Bending Arena, but I guess if you’re the President you can decide to overlook that not-so-minor detail.

I mean, come on…monitoring an average of twenty thousand people during an ordinary low-level pro-bending match is already straining on the Department’s resources, but overseeing the facility’s maximum of fifty thousand and pushing a few hundred more?

Overwhelming the system is a vast understatement—not to mention borderline negligent if something were to happen due to overcrowding.

Shaking my head at our infuriating President’s greedy streak that’s hellbent on milking as much revenue as possible out of this highly exclusive championship match, I can only hope the silver lining of it all is that a majority of the proceeds will be substantial enough to lift the drastic citywide budget cuts that’ve made my job increasingly difficult as of late and hopefully before the Triads start to take notice of fewer and fewer officers patrolling their self-proclaimed territories, exhaling a frustrated sigh as I struggle to push through the few remaining pages left of the last minute Risk Assessment Raiko demanded I have completed and finalized on his desk first thing tomorrow morning—marking the main exits and potential escape routes in the event of an emergency when there’s a sturdy double knock at my closed office door, glancing up just as it clicks open a quarter of the way and quirk a curious brow when my Captain’s head pops in like the starting round of Whack-a-Mole, and she flashes me that gentle easy-going smile of hers I’ve come to enjoy being of the receiving end of, happy to see her for the first time today since I’ve been stuck in here catching up on various tedious paperwork all day and my tense shoulders run lax at the sound of her inquisitive voice, “a little fire-hawk told me you were burning the midnight oil?”

“Aren’t I always?”

Discarding my abused and overworked fountain pen due for another refill, I set my time sensitive duties aside and stand from my chair with an overdue stretch of my possibly fused vertebrae, entirely appreciative of the welcome and incredibly attractive distraction as it enters my office with a poorly concealed take-out bag secured behind their back—already smelling the faint aroma of my favorite seaweed noodles from Narook’s that I’ve been craving all week subtly wafting from it and my neglected stomach almost sends me lunging for the brown paper sack the second my intuitive firebender sets it down on the glass coffee table, reeling in my physical starvation for something I always seem to have a voracious appetite for instead and join my tempting girlfriend at the center of the room…wishing I had disposed of my obstructive armor prior to my advancement when her crimson leather arms wrap themselves around my steel waist and presses our joined hips together all while brandishing that playful one-sided smirk of hers as she feigns insult, “without me? That’s mighty rude of you, Beifong. You know I’m always available to lend our esteemed Chief of Police a helping hand…or two. I even brought brainfood for the occasion,” and normally, I hate our slight height difference because it forces me to look up at her when we’re standing this close, but I can’t say it doesn’t grant me certain advantages at times…like now, stepping further into her space so the length of our bodies are fully flush and slowly run my hands up underneath her infamous Captain’s jacket, battling the fatigue driven urge to rest my head against her burgundy shoulder as my roaming palms soak up the unnatural warmth seeping through her thin dress shirt—electing to take things up a notch since the bullpen is empty and untuck a portion of the fine obsidian silk from her crisp suit pants to gain access to her strong scarred back, pretending not to notice the blown pupils in those unblinking iridescent golden eyes boring down at me as I lightly rake my short nails along the raised grooves the way she likes in far more intimate settings and resist outwardly expressing my present amusement to goad her further, “I seem to recall in your medical file that you’re allergic to paperwork, Captain…I’d hate for you to spontaneously combust.”

That’s if you haven’t begun to already.

Somewhat proud of my vague Phoenix crack, I know it had a positive effect on her from the increased heat of her soft skin currently being mapped by my wandering fingertips and my naturally hardened Beifong exterior breaks when my firebender’s crooked grin transforms into her genuine megawatt smile that could dispel even the darkest of shadows, unable to suppress my own not nearly as bright or purifying and find myself chuckling at her obvious giddiness at being one-upped by me for a change—leaning into the warm hand that never fails to gently caress my marred cheek whenever it lays upon it and allow it to tilt my head up completely to truly bring me eye to eye with my Captain, basking in the small verbal victory even if it only last for a moment before it’s overtaken by one of her wittier quips, “I wouldn’t worry…I’m sure you have a fire extinguisher lying around here somewhere, beautiful,” and my insides come to an instant boil, still experiencing an unexplainable churning sensation in the pit of my stomach every time she calls me ‘beautiful’ regardless of how often she says it—desperately pleading to the Spirits my skyrocketing blood pressure hasn’t begun to reflect on my annoyingly fair skin since we’ve only got a hair’s breadth between us, choosing not to take the embarrassing risk at all and seal the minuscule distance with a firm kiss before she can detect her own effect on me, but her eagerness to reciprocate tells me this reaction was part of her nefarious plan all along, expelling a deep guttural hum when her hot tongue slips past my parting lips and entangles with mine—instinctively digging my nails deeper into the firm musculature of her lower back as she reacquaints herself with it and mine with hers, both forgoing oxygen for the sake of hedonism until our deprived lungs scream for it and pries us apart, and I bury my face into the crook of her neck while I regain my lost breath, holding her tighter as her inviting scent overwhelms my senses.

Why does it feel like I haven’t held her in ages?

As I continue to embrace my Captain in the middle of my quiet office, my mind suddenly recalls Meelo’s comment when he snuck into the city after she was called home to the Fire Nation so abruptly after neutralizing Amon and his Equalists, about how he’d miss her warmth more than anything while she was gone, and standing here now encased in that warmth breeds newfound understanding of what he truly meant, finally accepting she’s become my safe space too since her return to Republic City and I’m willing to admit it’s taken me quite some time to come to terms with that because I swore I’d never allow someone to have that much personal influence over me ever again—smiling into the rim of her collar when she reaches up and rests her hand on the back of my bowed head before placing a lingering kiss to the side of my hair as if telling me she’s somehow aware of the intimate thoughts invading my mind, wholeheartedly wishing I had the supernatural ability to make time stand still as her sincere voice filters into my ears and cleanses me of any lasting doubts, “you know I’ve got your back, right? Always,” and it’s the level of sincerity in her reassuring words that causes my entire body to deflate, melding deeper into her supportive arms without a single fear of falling victim to future deceits because I’m certain she means it—she’s proven as much over the course of our time together and there’s no one I trust more than her, exhaling a comforted sigh as I grant her a light nod, “I know…and I’ve got yours,” but as soon as those honest words leave my lips, a sharp and potent shiver shoots down the length of my spine, involuntarily shuddering against my firebender at the crude chill in the air when there’s hardly ever one in her presence—brows furrowing at the abnormal frigidness slowly encasing us and feel it strike my bones when my Captain’s once earnest voice runs cold, “liar.”

Wha—

Head springing up at her alarming insult, I nearly jump out of my armor and my goosebump riddled flesh at the frosted and cloudy golden eyes staring through me, reacting on basic impulse and attempt to shove myself away from this imposter, but their arms around me remain stiff and unyielding almost in an advanced state of rigor mortis refusing to bend at the joints, forced to observe up close and personal as the skin of this fraudulent variation of my loyal Captain drains of all color…going from healthy sun-kissed tan to deathly pale in the matter of seconds—firmly pressing my clenching fists against her frozen chest as the horror worsens and watch the fresh blood beginning to seep from her eyes and nose, leaning back as far as I’m able when she mutters hollowly, “I needed you. I needed you and you weren’t there…I should’ve known better than to put my faith in you…you’re not your mother—not even close. She saved the world, and you couldn’t even save me. She was right to favor Suyin…at least your sister made something of herself…”

“Get. Off!”

You are not my girlfriend.

She wouldn’t say such awful and hurtful things…

Contemplating stabbing this coldhearted phony in the gut with the meteor blade of my gauntlet for bringing my estranged family into this, I can’t bring myself to do it due to their identical resemblance and try one last time to pry her rigid arms from around my waist, struggling against her statue-like body when my entire office erupts into a five-alarm fire and the unexpected explosion of deadly orange flames causes me to jump—retreating closer to my Captain on natural instinct since she’s the master firebender between us and that’s when I hear it, a faint clink that prompts me to lean back again and when I check for the source, I discover a piece of jagged rebar protruding from her side, and everything comes crashing down on me at the gory sight of it tearing through her flesh, eyes watering instantly as the weight of what I’ve caused crushes me with horrible flashes of my unconscious girlfriend lying alone, cold, and dying in a pool of her own blood…blood now accumulating at our joined feet—it’s only then I finally feel her constricting arms release me…granting me freedom now that I remember my sins, how I didn’t have her back, that I am a liar…shuffling on my heels away from her and towards the edge of the blazing inferno as she pleads for an explanation of my betrayal, “why, babe?”

“I—"

“Why did you send me in there alone?”

“I didn’—"

“What did I do to deserve such contempt?”

“Noth—”

“What was my crime?”

On the verge of hyperventilating from the bombardment of accusatory questions, I continue to inch backward in an effort to escape them until I can’t any further, bumping into my charred and semi-melted desk and brace my unsteady hands against it unable to tear my troubled gaze away from my broken and pale girlfriend standing at the center of the fiery chaos—immobilized by her harsh words and unkempt appearance as she takes one eerie step after the other until she’s directly upon me again, hot tears breaching the surface at the lack of life in her normally vibrant eyes once so full of it…as if the profound hurt in her voice wasn’t enough to drive a knife forged with immeasurable guilt straight through my armored chest, “was any of it real, Lin?…Did I mean anything to you?” and her uncertainty of how I truly feel about her stings enough to snap me out of this horror show and lifts the paralysis bolting me to the scorched floor, gripping her soot-caked arms as my voice cracks, “you mean everything to me. Everything,” but it’s clear she doesn’t believe me and why should she, I sent her into a dangerous situation alone without second thought and you don’t do that to the person you love…you protect them at all costs and I failed to do that—no longer blinking back the fresh tears obscuring my vision as she completely shatters what little resolve I have left in me with just two questions, “then why did you send me to die?…Was burying me easier than loving me?”

*GASP!*

Jolting awake in a cold sweat and to a racing heart, my top half springs up from my cluttered desk at the nightmare unfolding behind my eyes, accidentally knocking over my stale coffee with my forearm mid flailing and watch its contents flood the occupied surface—the deep brown liquid quickly enroute on a destructive mission to stain my officer’s files stacked at the opposite end, jumping up from my chair as it spreads faster than I can react…envious of all waterbenders North, South, and everywhere in between as I curse panickily, “shit! shit! shit!” and I reach for the first thing I can find because Chief Beifong does not tolerate coffee-stained paperwork and she’s sure as hell not about to return her men’s pristine casefiles drenched with it, dabbing the center of my soaked desk with various pages of this evening’s edition of The Republic Reporter to officially clog the caffeinated torrent before any more clerical damage can be done when I see my girlfriend’s picture plastered next to Raiko’s on the front page with the bolded headline ‘HAS THE PHOENIX FALLEN?’ printed above them and I sit back down forgetting the mess in front of me—solemnly staring at her Captain of the Guard portrait the Press decided to use and manage a weak smile at her sharp Fire Nation armor, remembering the treacherous moment on the island when I saw her in it for the first time and recall thinking how beautiful yet fierce she looked…ready to rain hell on any Equalist who dared threaten the Avatar or ‘her kids’, but the fond memory is short-lived thanks to the reoccurring nightmare that’s been haunting me every time I close my eyes, even going as far as tormenting me while awake because all I hear is her final question echoing in my head over and over and over again—throat swelling at the incredibly real possibility that she’ll truly begin to doubt the depth of my affections for her when she wakes up and realizes I’m not there for her, which I’m sure will make her reevaluate our entire relationship if she wasn’t doing so already before the incident as a result of my distant behavior preceding it.

It's almost been seventy-two hours…

Three whole fucking days without word of her showing any obvious signs of waking…

And I want nothing more than to be there at her bedside when she does.

I just…

I can’t be.

If I let my personal feelings get the better of me and I go to her, then I risk making everything more complicated for us when she does regain consciousness.

To protect her livelihood in Republic City, I have to stay away for the time being, but to salvage our relationship, I have to be there when she wakes…

And I can’t do one without jeopardizing the other.

It seems irony is a cruel jester…

Gently running the fingertips of my bandaged hand over her greyscale photo that hardly does her features justice, mainly the indescribable hue of her warm eyes, eyes that used to turn over and greet me at dawn every morning…ones I miss locking onto across the bullpen everyday—tearing mine away from her printed gaze amplifying the heaviness weighing on my chest only for them to wander over to Raiko’s smug campaign picture directly beside hers and my consuming guilt, rising uncertainty, and overall concern for my girlfriend’s wellbeing shifts back into simmering rage the longer I stare at his slimy mug, re-reading the subheading beneath their joined photographs for what feels to be the millionth time tonight ‘President Raiko still refuses to comment on his champion’s condition after apartment fire turned deadly explosion’, and if I were a firebender, I’d have rendered the freshly printed newspaper into fine ash the moment that ridiculous statement landed on my desk earlier this evening—crumbling the thin paper in my tightening grip at the far-fetched insinuation that my Captain belongs to Raiko in any way or form when the reality is he doesn’t give a spider-rat’s ass about her except for all the money she’s promised to make him…if she wakes in time that is, and even then, I know he’s not above throwing her into the ring whether she’s fully healed or not.

I swear if I wasn’t Chief of Police with legal standards to uphold, I’d have decked him at the hospital—President of the United Republic or not.

Because of him, his greed, and his pettiness, I can’t see the woman I…

…I can’t see my partner when she needs me the most.

Seventy-Two Hours Prior:

Aang Memorial Hospital, Republic City, United Republic:

At least her vitals are steady.

“It’s alright, babe…I’m not going anywhere. We’re going to get you fixed up, and then I’ll find some way to make all this up to you…I promise.”

I’m going to take care of you…of everything.

*knock, knock*

Slipping my throbbing and blood crusted hand from my Captain’s limp one still incapable of producing even the slightest squeeze, I look to the door to see who it is entering her room and hope it’s the healer the trauma surgeon requested to treat her less severe external wounds, somewhat shocked to find Tenzin and Sabine filtering in together instead—especially when the latter would rather admit him into the emergency room herself than allow him to exist in the same space as me given her deep distain for him since our rather ugly breakup, an amicable and cordial display on both their parts—mainly hers—that raises an instant red flag…my voice coarse and grated from lack of use over the last several hours having been struggling to keep my more unsavory emotions in check because the only person I want to talk to is currently unable, “…I was wondering when you and your arrow would show up,” and my defensive curtness elevated by my present feelings of helplessness draws his engrossed attention away from the unconscious firebender lying motionless in the hospital bed and who’s serving as a barrier between me and my past, observing the hints of worry for his friend reflecting behind those light grey-blue eyes of his before they shift onto me and watch that concern morph into some sort of subliminal alarm the longer they take me in—fully aware of my less than lackluster appearance given the dried blood of the woman before us painting my scuffed and dented armor from when I held her last and the extended silence on his part makes it feel like I’m walking a tightrope between two summits, impatiently waiting for his ‘enlightened’ mouth to push me off said rope if he so much as attempts to interject himself into this situation or offer any unwarranted and unwanted suggestions of how to take care of my Captain since he seems to think he knows what’s best for her compared to others due to their lengthier history and he must detect the unspoken warning I’m emitting because he treads carefully right out the gate almost awkwardly which is highly unusual for him, “yes, well…we’re here…and how’re you?” and if people thought I had a low tolerance for stupid questions, then they’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Sabine Jiao or being stuck in a surveillance van for hours on end listening to talk radio with her—smirking slightly at her contemptuous nickname for Tenzin as she beats me to the punch, “oh, forgo the pleasantries will you, monk? We’re in a freaking hospital ward, and it’s not about to get any more pleasant after you tell her about the little deal you just struck.”

Deal?

“What deal? What the hell is she talking about?”

*terse silence*

“Tenzin.”

“…Raiko’s outside.”

“Cue the unpleasant part.”

Ignoring Jiao’s smartass and snide remark, my entire face runs hard at the mere mention of that insufferable jackass, fists immediately clenching at my girlfriend’s side as a potent spike of adrenaline floods my veins because there’s nothing anyone can do or say to convince me that Raiko’s here solely for an update on the Captain’s condition or to offer any helpful assistance out of the goodness of his politically motivated heart, responding through gritted teeth to avoid producing a downright snarl, “and?” but when I finally turn to Sabine to gather some clue or insight as to why he’s here, she quickly averts her gaze to the floor and crosses her arms tightly along her chest—inadvertently telling me that Raiko has an underhanded agenda at play that I’m certainly not going to like and my suspicions are confirmed by Tenzin’s inability to look me in the eye for more than a handful of seconds at a time…eventually clearing his throat and gathering the balls to relay the news of this so-called deal that’s been concocted without my prior approval, knowledge, or input, “President Raiko and I spoke briefly outside, and he’s agreed to let me take the Captain back to the island with the assistance of his medical team to have her healing be overseen by Korra rather than have her remain here at the hospital where you and I both know she’d rather not be,” and ordinarily, this arrangement would be preferable and even something I would consider myself since I know my firebender would conduct any means of escape the moment she awakens due to her hatred for healing and hospitals but the fact that Raiko’s involved in suggesting her relocation to Air Temple Island and offering a medical transport to boot makes it all the less appealing and all the more suspicious—eyeing Tenzin warily because even if I trust his motives to do what’s best for the Captain, I sure as hell don’t trust that sleazeball’s spontaneous altruism one bit…not after our heated confrontation at the scene earlier, “uh-huh…what’s the catch?”

There has to be a catch.

Raiko was livid earlier…

He wouldn’t send what he deems to be his most valuable asset away and out of his immediate reach after all that’s happened unless he’s obtained something in return.

“…Members of the RCPD are not permitted to accompany us to, or on the island…and that includes you.”

“Excuse me?”

What the fuck did he just say?

Rising slowly from the uncomfortable rock-hard chair stationed at my injured girlfriend’s bedside, the one I’ve been sitting in for hours just to catch a glimpse of her eyes again, eyes I regret not looking into before I sent her into that damn building without backup…without me—rounding the corner of her bed with my Beifong scowl trained on Tenzin, ultimately giving him a sparing moment to rethink or perhaps rephrase his ludicrous statement just now that essentially bars me from taking care of my girl like I swore I would…stalking towards the unbelievably daft airbender across the room who’s already raising his hands up to his shiny bald head in surrender, “please, just listen before you say anythi—” but the tightrope I’ve been walking since he entered has officially snapped because he’s doing exactly what I feared he would, butting his fucking nose where it doesn’t belong, “—have you lost your damn mind!? You must’ve if you think I’m not overseeing her transfer, or her care. How the hell could you agree to that, Tenzin!? What the fuck is wrong with you!?”

“Li—”

“NO! I’ve had it! You think because you’ve known her longer than the rest of us that it automatically gives you seniority to decide what’s best for her!? You don’t know shit. I work with her every. fucking. day. She’s my p-Captain—my responsibility, and you-you—YOU come here and have the fucking nerve to go over my head with Raiko—”

“—I didn’t go over your head! He came here to take her! I did it for you—for her!”

What?

Chest heaving and cement fists shaking at his audacity, I pause at Tenzin’s rare outburst overriding my own and immediately look to Sabine standing uncomfortably beside him for confirmation because she wouldn’t dare lie to me right now, not with what she’s come to know about the Captain and I from my own admission, and she understands what I’m asking for right off the bat, dropping her hyper-aggressive and sarcastic façade with a somber yet faint nod indicating what Tenzin is saying is true—that Raiko’s main objective here tonight was to swoop in and steal my Captain right out from under me only he’s gotten my freaking ex to do it on his behalf, jaw clenched and dual scars aching as Tenzin takes a deep calming breath like he used to do during our more heated arguments to re-center himself…something I’m physically incapable of doing at the moment because there’s absolutely no way in hell I’m letting them take her away from me…not now, not like this, “…if I hadn’t agreed to close off the island and to keep (Y/N) from participating in police affairs during the duration of her recovery, up until the completion of her match—which unfortunately includes you being the Chief of Police—then he was going to take her into his custody on the account that she’s an injured, and therefore, vulnerable foreign representative under his presidency. That means he’s responsible for her safety for the time that she’s here, and he was insistent on relocating her to a private non-disclosed medical facility until I offered to take her to the island instead where he’d bear no responsibility for her health or security being that Air Temple Island is deemed neutral territory, but he was adamant—no RCPD interference whatsoever or he’d make the executive decision to take her into his care tonight. Why he was so set on that, I don’t—”  

“—Because he blames me for this! All of this! He’s pissed I allowed his ‘prized fighter’ to get hurt on my watch before he got the chance to bleed her dry, and he hates the fact that she refuses to answer to him without my say-so. It’s why he wants her as far away from me as he can get her—so me and my ‘questionable’ orders can’t screw with his ‘precious Phoenix plans’ any more than they already have…he’s doing this to get back at me, Tenzin, and you’re letting him.”

“Lin-I…I was just trying to help…”

Fuck!

Leave it to my meddlesome ex-boyfriend to appoint himself my secret girlfriend’s savior.

Pinching the bridge of my nose as I exhale an exhausted and irritated sigh, I aim to reel in my volatile temper after hearing the undertone of hurt lacing Tenzin’s voice because I know he isn’t intervening out of spite or without a valid reason and is truly trying to help navigate this delicate situation the Captain and I have found ourselves in, it’s me who’s the problem right now having been on edge since the collapse and now I’m projecting the heavy angst swirling inside me along with the evolving anger I have towards myself and Raiko onto him which isn’t something he deserves—roughly rubbing the inner corners of my fatigued eyes at a loss of what I can do to stop them from taking my girlfriend away from me or at least come up with some sort of compromise that’ll allow me to stay with her, unable to think of anything substantial I can offer Raiko that’d he'd accept or even agree to based off the outrage he exhibited towards me earlier and that’s when Sabine steps in between Tenzin and I to administer a hefty dose of blunt and crude honesty I don’t necessarily want to hear right now, “alright—listen up, Beifong, ‘cause we’re running out of time here…I know this isn’t ideal or what you want, but this is the best option—hell, the only option you’ve got right now. To put it mildly, you’re on Raiko’s shitlist until he decides otherwise, and it was pretty clear out there that he’s not fucking around. You may not be able to see her for the time being, but at least with Tenzin in charge of Cap’s care, you’ll receive updates. If you fight this deal—challenge Raiko—he will take her into his custody tonight just to prove he can, and then you won’t hear shit for who knows how long. For her sake and yours…you gotta let her go, Lin,” but the mere thought of relinquishing her to someone else while she’s in this compromised state pivots me on my heels, eyes watering and back facing the pair of them in cahoots for once as I interlace my fingers atop my head and stare at the source of my happiness and present turmoil…someone who could stop all of this if she’d just open her eyes and vocalize what she wants—now in all-out war with the voice of reason strongly siding with Sabine because I’m downright selfish when it comes to my Captain and I want it to be me she sees when she awakens, entire body tensing when Tenzin’s hand lands on my steel shoulder and damn near break every tiny goddamn bone in it as he tries to encourage me to surrender my girlfriend to him with the worst sentence imaginable, “please, Lin…let her wake up surrounded by the people she loves and who love her—not strangers.”

I love her!

What’ll she think of me when she wakes up and I’m not there…

*BANG! BANG!*

“Oh, look—President Douche is back.”

“Sabine, please—not now…so…what’ll it be, Lin?”

Pulling myself together in a span of a microsecond from decades of practice, I refuse to let anyone witness the pure aggravation and upset ripping me apart from the inside out, struggling to swallow the massive lump sitting in my throat and hope my voice doesn’t waver because of it—spitting crudely to avoid displaying any semblance of weakness, “doesn’t sound like I have much say in the matter, does it?” and I yank my shoulder out from under Tenzin’s unsolicited hand, walking back over to my unconscious girlfriend’s bedside and death grip the metal railing boxing her in as I overlook her battered body one last time before she’s hauled off against my wishes—nearly bending the thin bar into a deformed horseshoe at the foreboding sound of the hospital room door opening behind me, fingers curling and conforming to the smooth silver alloy when I hear Raiko’s arrogant voice directed towards me, “step aside, Chief. We’ll handle things from here,” but the headstrong Beifong stubbornness I inherited from Toph Beifong herself clashes with the rigid professionalism drilled into me over the course of my lengthy career, leading me to physically biting down on my tongue to avoid telling my boss and the leader of the free Republic to kiss my metalbending ass—turning around to face him for the second time this dreadful evening and every single frayed nerve in me runs taut as I stare him and his pathetic two man security team down, simultaneously observing the three female nurses accompanying them from my peripherals, all of whom seem to be of Water Tribe descent from their bright ocean-blue eyes and darker complexions so I’m betting they’re medically trained healers as well, and yet none of that split-second intel appeases me one bit…refusing to stand aside and choose to dig my heels into the shiny linoleum instead because Beifong’s never back down…ever.

He can punish or threaten me all he wants, but he will not use the woman I love as a means to do so.

I won’t allow it…

Not after everything she’s done for me, and for the people whose lives she helped save today at the risk of her own.

…it’s not right.

“Master Tenzin, I thought we had come to a reasonable accord?”

“We have, Mr. President…haven’t we, Chief?”

Reasonable ?

More like infantile and petty.

Or perhaps small-minded like what’s hidden beneath his fucking trousers.

Narrowing my trained eyes at the smug four-eyed snake before me, I retain my habitual silence when pissed well the fuck off all while Tenzin tries to play the peacemaker like his pacifist father and if that isn’t a short sum up of our entire relationship since we were children, then I don’t know what is—shooting down his last ditched effort to convince me to play along for now by flat out snubbing his entire existence because this is between me and Raiko, but it seems, the President mistook my seething silence for passive acquiescence—side stepping him to cover more of my Captain’s bandaged and exposed body with the width of my own as he advances forward to obtain a better look, having half a mind to smack that pretentious smirk off his face when he emits a subtle internalized and offended scoff at my defensive reaction to his increased proximity…albeit a subconscious one and I have to refrain from balling my fists as he begins to speak as if I’ve consented to this absurd deal, “I’m sure Master Tenzin explained the situation to you and disclosed the conditions I agreed upon should he assume responsibility for the Phoenix and her general welfare, but just to make things absolutely clear, Chief Beifong—to convey my seriousness on this sensitive matter—if you so much as attempt to make contact with the Phoenix before she can make good on our agreement, then—" 

“—Then what? You’ll have my job? Fine—take it, ‘cause this? All of this, is downright bullshit.”

“Lin.”

“Back off, Tenzin.”

Internally fuming at Raiko’s quick-to-threaten manner, I’m even more furious at him continuously referring to my girlfriend as ‘the Phoenix’ like that persona is all she is, a public face for him to exploit for fat wads of civilian cash when she’s so much more than that—she’s the purest and kindest spirit I’ve ever known since Aang passed and I’ll be damned if I let anyone’s twisted intentions distort or take advantage of the compassion she gives so freely, she didn’t have to come out of retirement and sign up for this stupid fight, but she did so because of me…for me…to help me protect this city she knows I love just as much as she does the Fire Nation, and if Raiko can’t see that or past the money, then he’s blind to what really matters to this city and that’s the people who defend it and sacrifice for it so other’s living within its borders can feel safe and protected…if it wasn’t for her and her selflessness, numerous citizens would’ve perished tonight and he’d be dealing with the public outcry over such a devastating tragedy—a preventable one if he had the stones to implement a crucial safety law forcing oil conglomerates to process their unrefined oil prior to it leaving their refineries and onto city streets, and make it a standard regulation before accepting outside surplus through our harbors.

I blame him for this!

That proposal has been sitting on his desk from the start of his term, and he refuses to sign it because he doesn’t want to risk ruffling the feathers of the oil trade.

He’s the reason my Captain was blown up and buried alive—that explosion never would’ve been so severe if that oil had been purified before hitting the streets.

It would’ve been easier for the fire department to contain, which means they never would’ve had to call us for backup, and I never would’ve had to send her in there!

It’s his fault we’re in this fucking mess!

He forced my hand, and my woman paid the price!

Primed and ready for a goddamn fight, I’m far too tired and beyond the realm of heated to give a single flying fuck about job security, seriously reconsidering my future as Chief if this is the type of person I have to answer to for the next four years until his term comes to an end and is put up for re-election—practically vibrating from the unfathomable rage consuming me while I await his response and his calm unaffected demeanor only magnifies the wrath bubbling inside me, sensing every bit of earth hiding in this Spirit-forsaken room and it takes the last ounce of self-control left in me not to bring them together at his outrageously expensive black ostrich-horse leather shoes to provide a grim visual of what it means to fuck with a Beifong…feeling each knuckle in my shaking fists crack in unison when he steps closer in that fancy opaque violet suit of his and maintains a level of composure I wasn’t expecting considering how he popped off at me earlier, chalking it up to there being multiple witnesses present this time around and continue to stand my ground, “yes…your job. It’s true I’ve considered relieving you of duty after today’s events, but fortunately for you, I’ve come to accept that replacing my Chief of Police isn’t suitable to the City’s needs at this time. However, replacing a Captain is another matter, or should I say, returning one?”

What?

He can’t—

“—I understand you two are friends beyond the badge, having gone through quite an ordeal together during Amon’s uprising, but I can’t have personal alliances interfering with my Chief of Police’s integrity or judgment, and I certainly can’t have it interfering with her commitment to the city she’s sworn to protect and serve above all else. So, here’s what all this boils down to, Chief—if I find the Captain is becoming more troublesome than she’s worth, which is looking to be the case from your blatant disregard for the chain of command that starts with me, then I’ll have no reservations terminating her contract with the United Republic, an agreement that permits her to operate as a Fire Nation liaison within the RCPD by allowing her to serve under you as one of its officers. Without it, she’ll be sent home indefinitely, for she is not a legal citizen of Republic City. Understood?”

You son of a bitch.

Gulping roughly, I’m almost certain all the remaining color has drained from my face at the credible threat he’s just made towards the life my firebender’s barely begun to create here, create with me—my once boiling blood transmuting into pure ice from shock alone and unintentionally sever our locked stare caught in the battle of stubborn wills since he arrived, eyes flicking over his broad shoulder towards Tenzin and Sabine both appearing equally as stunned as I am to hear Raiko’s bold attempt to strongarm me into conceding to him by throwing extradition of my best officer on the table…making him a true politician, and my focus reverts back onto my boss who’s somehow closed the healthy distance between us in the span of a few seconds, meeting him face to face like before in the medical tent when he first confronted me about my Captain’s MIA status and I weld my jaw shut to avoid pushing him further than I already have—kicking myself for not heeding Tenzin’s clipped warning a minute ago to mind my tongue and for allowing my Beifong temper get the best of me when Raiko has all the power and leverage to unknowingly screw with my relationship, struggling to regulate my harsh breathing as he twists the knife with a firm recap to ensure my full compliance, “she has a contract to uphold—one that supersedes the arrangement she made with the former Council…mind you, an arrangement I grandfathered in after they disbanded to usher in a new era of sovereignty as a sign of good faith and respect for their years of dedicated service. That being said, her contract with me is lucrative enough to clear our current debts, but she can’t help do that if she’s following reckless orders from you on the streets. She needs to focus on her match and only her match, and quite frankly, a Chief of Police that doesn’t follow orders is hardly a prime example for her officers and certainly of no use to me—especially one who refuses to take accountability for her actions that put her own officers’ life at risk and by extension, the entire city. Now isn’t the time for opposition, Chief Beifong—it is a time to display contrition and to offer restitution on behalf of the Republic City Police Department in the form of obedience. So, I’ll reiterate again—to prove your commitment to this city and to ensure its financial future, you will have no contact with the Phoenix until further notice. You will not leave city limits unless authorized to do so. Any correspondence with the Phoenix will be met with her immediate expulsion from the United Republic upon the completion of her match, and it will be a direct result of your insubordination. In turn, freeing you from any personal burdens obscuring your allegiance to Republic City. Are we clear?”

Fuck you.

“……”

“I said—are. we. clear?”

“Yes.”

“‘Yes’, what?”

“Yes. Sir.”

Positive I’ve chipped a molar or several, I force myself to stand down for the sake of my girlfriend who’s sacrificed far more for me than anyone else ever has and focus my dead eyes on the starch white wall past Raiko’s fathead in fear I’ll throttle him if I see any traces of triumph on his arrogant face knowing he’s achieved in getting a Beifong to heel…for now, unable to stomach the sight of him as he peers over his shoulder and gives his medical team a single firm nod, granting them the go-ahead to proceed with the start of my Captain’s transfer—drowning in unfathomable malice when they bypass me and I involuntarily cringe at the high-pitched alarm mimicking that of a patient flatlining when they unhook my girlfriend from her monitors, a gut-wrenching sound that renders me numb…barely registering Sabine now standing at the door with a sour expression on her face as she props it open with her foot seeming to anticipate what’s to come next and her intuition is as sharp as ever, “your presence is no longer required here, Chief Beifong—you and your officer are excused,” and I’m tempted to shoulder check Raiko as I pass to obtain some sort of personal satisfaction, resisting the powerful urge to dislocate his rotator cuff whilst stomping towards the exit when every bone in my body is pulling me in the opposite direction and just as I clear the doorway, I hear Tenzin quickly and all too politely excusing himself from the room—already halfway to the elevator with Jiao on my six when my wrist is seized mid swing, effectively stopping my hurried stride and I run stiffer than a marble statue as he mutters as apologetic as ever, “Lin, I’m sorry it has to be—” but I’ve exhausted all my patience for everyone and everything in the immediate vicinity, losing my hair-trigger temper again as I rip myself from the airhead’s loose grasp and slam his tall frame into the wall beside us—having lost all sense of composure and decorum as I pin him to it with the length of my steel forearm pressed across his chest, ignoring the various soft gasps and indecipherable murmurs coming from the handful of hospital staff lingering around the nurse’s station…my voice low and laced with undeniable rage as I lean in near his stunned face, “you better take care of her and keep me updated, or I swear I’ll make tearing up the island look like children playing in a fucking sandbox.”

I’ll fucking bury you if she takes a turn for the worse, so don’t fucking test me.

She means more to me than you ever did.

Pushing off his sternum tempted to tell him as such, I deny him the opportunity to respond or exhibit any sort of confirmation he understands because I’m sure he recalls from personal experience that I’m not messing around in the slightest and that he’ll be met with a worse side of me if he dares to forget or neglect to keep me informed about my Captain’s condition from here on out—an unforgiving side he’s seen once before, one that nearly decimated his childhood home due to his carelessness and disregard for me as a person who had an undeniable right to know the truth about his affair with Pema just like I deserve to know everything that’s going on now concerning my girlfriend’s medical care, and for a split second on my way towards the elevators, I contemplate turning back and disclosing the true extent of mine and the Captain’s relationship to Tenzin, but that impulsive thought leaves as quickly as it manifested because the very last thing I need is to hear his judgmental opinions on my love life or for him to potentially get pissed off at me for dating his friend behind his back and create another problem for me when he’s the one charged with overseeing my firebender’s safety and wellbeing—aggressively punching the down button on the wall with my throbbing fist wishing it was Raiko’s face in its place and cross my steel-clad arms along my bloodstained chest plate as Jiao slides up beside me, staring ahead and waiting in clipped silence for the elevator doors to open when my old partner tries to cut the thick tension with her canid humor, “…I can’t believe I voted for that guy.”

*DING*

Side-eyeing her poor attempt to lighten the mood as the silver doors slide apart, I’m too wound up to find humor or lightheartedness in anything right now and she damn well knows it, catching the soft sigh she emits as I step into the lift thankful that no one else is in it and wait for Jiao to press the number for the first floor—fighting the urge to breakdown once the doors shut because there’s still plenty of work to be done but Sabine knows me better than most, shutting my stinging eyes overflowing with frustration as she tries to reassure me that I did the right thing, “hey—come on. Chin up, Beifong—it’ll be alright. Tenzin might’ve been a shitty boyfriend, but he’ll take good care of her on airbending principle alone. That’s something we can count on,” but all I can do is shake my head, feeling more and more like an absolute failure and utter disappointment with each level we descend on our way to the ground floor—unable to recall the last time I felt this defeated, muttering lowly as the elevator comes to a bumpy stop, “it’s not his job to take care of her…it was mine—so who’s really the shitty partner here?”

I am…

Present Time:

RCPD Headquarters, Republic City, United Republic:

I’m the shitty partner.

I left her in that burning building when I told her I’d pull her out, and then I left her at the hospital when I promised I’d stay by her side…

Maybe Tenzin was right all those years ago…

Maybe I’m not meant for relationships.

“I’m worried about Lin.”

Slowly leaning over with Rohan cradled in my arms, I place him back into his portable red oak bassinet decorated with traditional gold Air Nation runes gifted to us by the Captain herself shortly after his birth and make sure my youngest’s light squirming is a means to adjust and not fussing himself awake like he has been lately, having had trouble getting him to sleep through the night which is why his father and I decided it’d be best for everyone if we took the nightshift watching over our injured firebender currently housed in Katara’s retired healing room next door—softening my footsteps as I quietly make my way over to Tenzin sitting at the small round table and retake my seat next to him to continue helping him prep clean bandages for the Captain as directed by the head nurse who left us an ungodly amount of seemingly never-ending surplus, carefully rolling the gauze strips he’s cutting in equal lengths before securing the soft circular wads with a square piece of medical tape and repeat the process as my husband voices his concerns for our Chief of Police…mindful of the fact that their last encounter has been gnawing at him since then due to Lin’s forced departure, “you should’ve seen her at the hospital with Raiko…I mean, she’s always had a defiant streak since we were children, assertive and opinionated, but it’s always been indirect—restrained even, but this…this was different, Pema. She was furious and made it abundantly clear to everyone in the room. She put her job on the line—everything she’s built and worked so hard for since her mother left—by resisting him, and that in itself is highly unlike her…I just…I don’t understand why she reacted in such a hostile manner and put herself in a contentious position with Raiko—a person she answers to now—when the Captain’s situation is only temporary. From her behavior, you’d have thought Lin was under the impression she’d never see her again which is absurd and illogical, and Lin’s always been rational—too rational sometimes,” but if Tenzin knew what I do or if he’d simply open his eyes to the obvious attraction between the two women whenever they’re together, then he wouldn’t be wracking his brain around Lin’s aggressive behavior at the hospital because we’re both highly aware of the Chief’s terrifying possessive streak when it comes to the people she deems important in her life and (Y/N) is without a doubt the most significant person at this point in time which only amplifies whatever feelings she’s experiencing at the moment and my heart truly breaks for her since she’s already been through so much personally over the years…and we’re partially to blame for that.

Our choices cast her guarded heart further into the depths of distrust and loneliness…

I love our life together, our children, but I’ll always have a sense of shame about how we got here.

Fear and love drove us to lie and hide…

Lin deserved better from us.

So now we must make amends.

Setting the rolled bandages aside as we move onto creating a fresh batch of Katara’s healing paste via Korra’s instructions to prevent any infections from taking root, I place the freshly picked herbs from my mother-in-law’s garden into the stone mortar and firmly grind down the various leaves as I mull over the safest way to respond to Tenzin’s worries without outing the girls entirely because I feel the best way to make amends to Lin and to build some sort of genuine trust between us is to protect her closely guarded secret and to offer moral support when she decides she’s ready to reveal her romantic relationship with the Captain to the world—figuring it’s probably wise to try and get Tenzin used to the idea that Lin has finally and willingly opened herself up to someone other than himself since their separation, “…I’m sure it was quite an uncomfortable sight to see Lin so affected, but I think it’s a reflection of how much she cares for the Captain,” and as much as I love my husband, he has the occasional propensity to be just as rational and hardheaded as he claims the Chief can be, almost to the point of naivety which I find incredibly ironic since airbenders are supposed to be adaptable and carefree like the wind they bend—curious how he’d truly react to the Captain and Lin’s courtship given his sensitive personality as I scrape the thick and rather unpleasant smelling balm out and carefully transfer it into the porcelain bowl he’s holding steady for me to avoid any unnecessary waste, covering the pungent and gunky ointment with a plate to give my nose a break and it time to set properly before we change our patient’s dressings in a few hours…sitting back while I listen to Tenzin equate Lin’s level of affection for (Y/N) to that of our own, “we all care a great deal about her.”

Yes, but loving someone and being in love with them are two entirely different aspects derived from the same complicated emotion, and Lin’s most certainly in love with the Captain…

Even if she may not see it, or be willing to admit it yet.

“We do…but I think Lin cares more about the Captain than she lets on. Their meeting and relationship was forged during a chaotic and traumatic time. (Y/N) witnessed Amon strip Lin of her bending—her identity essentially—and then Lin was forced to watch helplessly as his misguided henchman took the Captain’s own weapon to her flesh because she’d humiliated and tricked him, all in a place she used to call home. They’ve gone through much together, sweetheart…we can’t overlook or omit the vulnerability they’ve shared when trying to wrap our minds around the foundations of their relationship. The way I see it, the terrible encounters they’ve faced and overcome together in the short amount of time they’ve known each other have bonded them in unforeseen ways—ways we may never comprehend or have a full understanding of. Which is why I believe that the unique bond they share is the basis behind Lin’s uncharacteristic display at the hospital—she was defending her partner.”

I can’t be any more transparent than that, honey.

I’ve laid it out in full.

“Hm…I suppose I haven’t thought of it that way before. Probably because Lin’s always been stubbornly independent, even when we were together she was always resistant to my help and insisted on handling things on her own—so it’s difficult to imagine her actively relying on someone other than herself after all these years. Although, I will say that they do make a fearsome team, but I guess it’s hardly surprising since (Y/N)’s always been easily impressed and empowered by strong-minded women such as her mother and Izumi, whereas Lin has always appreciated resourcefulness and integrity—both are strong qualities that reside in the Captain. Perhaps that’s why they get on so well together—they’re compatible in a sense.”

Oh, sweetie—you don’t know the half of it.

*THUMP*

Rising from the table alongside Tenzin at the alarming and solid thud coming from the next room, we exchange similar looks of confusion when we hear another and hurry past the maroon privacy curtain separating us from the comatose Captain, and in the midst of our urgency, I accidentally collide with my husband’s solid back just beyond the fabric threshold due to his abrupt halt and quickly peer around him to see the cause of his frozen state—following his wide-eyed expression and latch onto his robes equally as stunned to find the once occupied twin bed empty, feeling the panic setting in as Tenzin’s head darts back and forth overlooking every corner of his mother’s candlelit healing room in frantic search for the missing firebender and we exhale a collective sigh of relief when we hear a pained and muffled grumble emanating from the other side of the bed, “…ow,” and we don’t hesitate to run over to the hidden source, practically on my husband’s heels again as we clear it and clutch my racing heart at the concerning sight of our closest family friend sprawled out face first on the hard wooden floor no doubt aggravating the deep wound on her side that hasn’t begun to fully heal yet—springing into action as we kneel down on opposite sides of her heavily bound torso and slowly lift her from the ground by her underarms in an joined effort to get her upright, careful not to put too much pressure on the raw scrapes along her wrapped biceps as I lay her right arm along my shoulders to support her better and adjust my awkward hold on her swaying body…urging her to lean her surprisingly dense weight onto me while Tenzin attempts to control her disoriented fidgeting and guide her back into bed where she should remain until Korra can do a proper evaluation of her concussed head now that she’s regained consciousness, but getting her to follow our simple instruction is easier said than done, impressed with the amount of strength she has to actively resist us considering she’s unable to stand on her own two feet and I nearly topple over with her when she tries to step forward unsuccessfully—barely catching her from collapsing onto the floor again thanks to Tenzin’s swift reflexes and my stomach drops at the sharp hiss she makes in the process, overhearing my frazzled husband suck the air through his teeth as his hand recoils from the Captain’s stitched side as if burned and listen to him mutter apologetically, “sorry-sorry. Come on, easy. Lean this way so we can get you back into bed.”

“Te…Tenzin?”

“Yes, it’s me, and Pema. You’re on the island. Now, please—you mustn’t move around too much. You’ll reopen your stitches.”

“The island?…How—mmm—…how long?”

“Tenzin, she really needs to lie dow—"

“—How long?”

“…Three days.”

Continuing to support a majority of the Captain’s nearly deadweight while Tenzin keeps her steady, the news that she’s been unconscious on the island for several days serves as prime kindling for the smoldering fire deep inside her and bestows upon her some renewed strength, gasping aloud when her limp arm comes to life around my neck and squeezes hard enough to have me reconsider offering myself as a voluntary crutch for anyone exceedingly taller than me in the foreseeable future because now I’ve become an actual living crutch in a rather uncomfortable predicament—gripping the flexing forearm gradually compressing my carotid artery as it’s incredibly determined owner insists on pushing herself beyond her current physical limitations and stumble along with her as she attempts to walk on shaky legs for a second time, only to fall victim to buckling knees one and a half steps in and I reactively lock mine to keep us vertical while Tenzin takes the firebender’s full dipping weight off of me and onto him…extricating myself from her loosening grip and witness the unmistakable sadness filling my husband’s tired eyes as he hugs her sagging body to his chest, gently pleading with our friend to settle for her benefit, “(Y/N), please…you’re hurt…I can see on your face you’re in tremendous pain…let us help you…you’re safe here…there’s no need to fight…,” but she shakes her head against his sternum almost in a drunken manner, still refusing to listen to reason as she tries to push past him despite being on the verge of losing consciousness again—getting nowhere in her severely weakened state and her labored breathing only grows more erratic the harder she struggles until she’s forced to give up, unsure of what’s got her in such a desperate state of mind that’s telling her she must leave and my confusion dissipates when she stands up almost at full height and groans hoarsely, “the Chief…W-where is she? I—mmph—I…I gotta see her…,” and now everything is beginning to make sense, she wants Lin—locking eyes with Tenzin the moment she mentions the earthbender and we’re committed to tense silence, uncertain of what should be said since she’s clearly in no state to learn that Raiko has prohibited Lin from leaving the city or making direct contact with her until further notice…blurting abruptly when I see my husband’s mouth starting to open, “honey, go wake Korra. I’ll handle this.”

“I—are you sur—”

“—Yes. Go.”

Wedging myself between Tenzin and the injured Captain, I take over his supportive embrace before he has a chance to object further and essentially kick him out for the time being in fear (Y/N) will accidentally reveal her and Lin’s romantic relationship due to her disoriented state, extremely thankful he agrees without complaint and watch him rush out of the healing room to retrieve Korra from the women’s dormitories across the courtyard—leaving me to put my maternal arm strength to the ultimate test and readjust my secure hold around her just below the deep wound on her side and hoist the near limp firebender onto the edge of the bed with a victorious grunt, pushing down on her bare shoulders to force her to lie back and quickly swing her hanging legs over onto the thin mattress before she finds the will to try and sit up again, but it seems she’s exhausted herself completely, her entire body running flaccid the moment her head hits the pillow and I don’t know whether to be concerned or grateful she’s finally stopped resisting—returning to the head of the bed to check if she’s fallen back asleep only to be met with piercing bloodshot eyes peering up at me and fighting to stay awake at any cost, gently stroking the top of her dark raven hair in an effort to subdue the silent war raging on inside her that refuses to let her relax and whisper consolingly, “easy…easy, Captain…your body’s been through much…it’s okay to rest…you’re allowed to rest…,” but apparently she disagrees, starting to worry if the severe concussion she sustained is having lingering effects such as agitation and confusion from the intense look in her bright gold-leaf eyes—gradually starting to see the signs of her beginning to black out again when she manages to summon whatever strength left in her reserves to speak, although winded and broken as she pants, “L-Lin…where—mmph—where’s, Lin? Is-is she here?…I—mmm—I can’t sense her…I-I need to see her.”

Staring down into her pleading eyes, I wish I could convey the whole truth to her but now isn’t the time to get into the specifics of everything that’s happened, not with her in this fragile condition and my own eyes begin to sting as I watch her grit through the obvious pain consuming her…clearly hanging onto a sliver of hope that she’ll see Lin if she manages to stay awake just a little bit longer, even if that means subjecting herself to physical agony—getting choked up at how devastating it is to witness the deep yearning she has for the banished Chief and feel like an absolute traitor at having to lie to her knowing that the woman she loves isn’t anywhere nearby to grant her the peace of mind she so desperately requires right now…avoiding the butterfly bandages keeping the gash on her edge of hairline closed as I continue to slowly run my fingers through her thick locks, “ssh—it’s okay. Lin’s okay. You’ll…you’ll see her soon enough. You just rest now…save your strength,” and my words of reassurance seem to calm the stubborn Captain to a degree, immediately noticing her labored breathing falling into something more natural once I confirmed Lin was okay and it appears that’s what she needed to hear from a trusted voice, but the hot tears I’ve been suppressing have successfully breached the surface as my friend starts to lose her fight with the darkness again, nodding at each incomplete and jumbled sentence she musters to appease her and show her I’m listening to every broken word—all while she gradually dips in and out of consciousness up until the very end where she gains a split second of heartbreaking clarity, “L-Lin…she’s safe?…I…tell h—…mmm…I-I need t—…she need…kno—tell…I’m-I’m coming…I’—here. I’m………hers…”

“Yes…yes, you are.”

Once the Captain’s body reverts back into it’s still and unconscious state, I finally let the silent tears stain my cheeks and keep my watery gaze on her pale and slumbering expression when Korra and Tenzin come running into the room a few moments too late, hastily wiping away any evidence of personal anguish when I hear the familiar patter of my children’s feet stampeding down the hall not far behind them…refusing to worry them any further than they have been by exposing them to the scene of their mother crying over their injured hero—chest tightening when all three come bursting through the open sliding door expecting to see their favorite person up and moving, closing my burning eyes when their collective excitement falls short once they comprehend that’s not the case this time, “CAPT—!…Captain?” and as I turn around, I witness the hope drain from their innocent faces alongside their normally over-the-top uncle’s standing in the doorway behind them—stepping aside to give Korra and Tenzin access to the drained Captain and focus on Meelo who idolizes her the most, his small fist curled into Jinora’s pajama bottoms as he holds his stuffed winged lemur to his little chest with far too much concerned displayed on his face for a six-year-old…shifting the apprehension I have for the firebender onto my children as their equally anxious father calls for his big brother to assist him, “Bumi, come help me,” and he does so without any goofy or smart remarks, granting him an appreciative smile when he gives my shoulder a light squeeze as we pass one another and pray this situation doesn’t bring forth too many painful memories of him since he still carries a lot of guilt for what happened with Akeno in the Earth Kingdom—ushering my kids out of the room as their father and uncle lift the Captain from the bed and walk her over to the healing tub at the center of the room, all three of their heads craning back to watch them carefully lay her onto the table immersed in fresh untainted water…leaving only her mouth and nose exposed for air as Korra sits at the pool’s edge in the lotus position with her eyes shut in meditative preparation, “come on, kids. Let’s give the Captain some privacy.”

And your father…

Please be okay…

Rear facing the door and sitting back on my knees near the edge of the pool opposite of Korra, the calm clear water begins to glow a magnificent blue signaling she’s begun her examination and even though the rational part of me knows she’s a skilled healer qualified to treat such devasting injuries, her youth makes the emotive and less sensible side of me wish my mother and sister were still here to tend to my best friend’s wounds instead since their years of healing experience combined surpasses any medical professional claiming to be the best in their respective fields…their presence would bring me immense comfort at the moment—balled fists clenching atop my thighs as I anxiously watch (Y/N)’s neutral expression contort with considerable discomfort beneath the watery surface the harder Korra tries to manipulate whatever remaining chi she has and guide it throughout her damaged body, noticing the beads of sweat forming on the young Avatar’s forehead as her circular movements start to become rigid which tells me she’s struggling to maintain the flow of energy within the Captain’s body because the art of healing is supposed to be smooth and fluid…just about to ask if everything’s alright when she pinches her eyes closed and grits to herself in deep concentration, “stop fighting me, Cap…why’re you resisting?…how?” and I refocus on the submerged firebender in front of me, startled when her entire body seizes beneath the surface that causes the cool water to slop over the pool’s rim and consider pulling her out when the most extraordinary thing happens…the shimmering liquid flashes with sporadic waves of current similar to that of a school of electric eels defending their territory against predators—leaning over in awe at the unnatural phenomenon commencing before me and feel my eyes widen as the dancing bolts render me in some sort of mystical trance, captivated by the deadly beauty for a fleeting moment before I’m harshly reminded of its source by a bloodcurdling scream…jumping up as my best friend thrashes violently in the illuminated water and shout at Korra for she must been doing something terribly wrong, “STOP! STOP!”

You’re hurting her!

Without thinking it through, I punch my fist out in front of me and send a gust of wind in Korra’s direction before she even has a chance to register my panicked words, a steady stream not anywhere near powerful enough to harm her but strong enough to push her away from the healing tub’s edge and force her to stop whatever she’s doing to provoke such a frightening sound from the Fire Nation’s toughest Imperial who’s been heavily conditioned through controlled means of physical and psychological torture to never exhibit fear nor pain—impatiently waiting for the sloshing and conductive water to subside to avoid getting electrocuted only to disrupt the calm waters as I step into the shallow pool to retrieve my friend from the immersed table keeping her afloat and carefully lift her top half from the now lukewarm water, gently clearing the soaked strands of hair obscuring her face that’s thankfully fallen back to its previously undisturbed expression and swallow thickly as I hug her close to my chest…cradling her concussed head to it in silent apology as her pained scream echoes in my ears, “no more…no more healing,” and I refuse to budge on the matter from this point forward and I’m certain Lin would agree if she were here, tightening my protective hold on the young woman who saved me all those years ago…someone I’ve vowed to watch over for the remainder of my life to serve as a constant reminder that no matter where she is or how lonely she finds herself, she’ll never be alone and will always have a home—recalling the lost teenager I encountered and who’s broken heart grieved so deeply for her murdered mother that it began to blur the line between serving justice and passing merciless judgement on behalf of victimized innocents, me being one of them.

I owe her my life…my children’s lives.

If it wasn’t for her, I’d have failed my father’s dream of restoring the Air Nation…

We’d have truly been extinct.

Exhaling a shaky breath at the dark and distant memories that feel as if they’ve happened only yesterday, I look up at my big brother standing at the pool’s edge and wait for him to tell me I’m overreacting or mock me for being too sensitive and to let Korra finish what needs to be done for the Captain’s sake, but much to my surprise, he doesn’t do either—instead, he steps into the shallow water with me and wades through the small waves he’s creating with each purposeful step until he reaches her legs, following his silent lead when he begins to lift them like before and I’m thrown off by Bumi’s unusually tame demeanor as we walk her out of the water and gently place her back into bed since he’s always been so erratic even during heavy situations like now, and his peculiar behavior compels me to really take a moment to observe him, realizing we have something in common for once when the grave look in his sunken eyes deepens into a grim seriousness I’ve never seen in him before and I think this is the first time I’ve truly understood my brother on some level because I too feel responsible for her, but before I have a chance to call out to him and pull him back from the brink of guilt and culpability, Korra comes forward and bends the water from the Captain’s minimal clothing and then from ours…stepping aside as a sense of shame overcomes me for having airbent at her when I’m supposed to be the composed one being her airbending master and spiritual advisor, “Korra…I apologize for—” but she waves me off with her hand and flashes me an understanding smile, minimizing my actions, “it’s alright, Tenzin. Don’t sweat it. We’re all under a lot of stress right now,” and I grant her an appreciative nod even though I feel obligated to express my regret for letting my emotions get the better of me, missing my chance as she walks away and disappears behind the curtain into the next room—beginning to succumb to exhaustion due to the lack of sleep these last few days between tending to (Y/N) and my infant son while also doing my upmost best to avoid provoking Lin’s wrath.

I call her twice a day—sometimes three just to show her I got her message at the hospital loud and clear, but I hate not having good news for her.

…I can hear the stress and disappointment in her voice increase every time I’m forced to tell her the Captain’s condition hasn’t changed.

I wish she’d just let me handle things here, and focus her time and energy on taking care of herself since I’m positive Raiko has become more overbearing…

…and if there’s one thing Lin detests more than my face…according to Sabine—it’s being micromanaged.

Bringing a loose fist up to my mouth as I try and fail to stifle a cavernous yawn, a substantial part of me is incredibly relieved to finally have a positive update for Lin even if the Captain isn’t entirely out of the woods yet and genuinely hope the news of (Y/N)’s minimal progress will provide our overworked Chief with some sort of reprieve from the pressure she’s been under lately, rolling my stiff neck in an effort to dispel the fatigue and stress weighing me down when I hear my brother’s voice grow closer, “go on, T. I’ll take care of things here. Check on the kiddos…I’m sure they heard some of the commotion,” and my chest constricts painfully at the thought of my small children overhearing their Captain’s agonizing scream, a sound so profound it’s already left a lasting impression on me so I can’t even begin to imagine how terrifying it must’ve sounded to them—quickly making a break for the exit to check on my family when Korra comes in from the joined room carrying a tray of clean bandages and the healing ointment Pema and I had prepped prior, stopping just before the doorframe preventing Bumi from sliding the bamboo screen shut and turn to my big brother on a whim…contemplating whether or not to ask him something I know will cause him discomfort and eventually decide I must if I’m going to gain any insight on how to best help my friend, “Bumi, tell me…has she ever done that before? You know…when she was injured in the Earth Kingdom?…Am I overreacting? Should we continue with her healing sessions as planned?”

I’ve never seen someone react to healing that way…

I don’t want to do more harm than good.

Despite Bumi’s childish personality that annoys me more often than not, I know he’d never do anything to harm (Y/N) nor would he allow any to come to her in any capacity should he be given the opportunity to prevent it, just like how he used to tell our parents that he’s the only one allowed to mess with me and Kya as justification for terrorizing us when we were children whereas if anyone else decided to pick on us, they’d find themselves on the receiving end of one of Uncle Sokka’s stink bombs—patiently waiting and hoping he’ll give me a straight answer and I find it strange he’s thinking before speaking for once, watching him stroke his beard in pensive contemplation with his far off gaze aimed at the ground obviously sorting through the sensitive memories I’ve forced him relive…deciding to backtrack and tell him to forget I even asked when he looks at me and the haunted glint in his eyes makes me regret inquiring about their time together in the Earth Kingdom, “…no, Ten…you weren’t overreacting…I had a similar reaction the first time she did that with mom and Ky…Iroh and Izumi too. Shit, Izzy damn near ripped Kya’s head off…it’s scary and upsetting, I know—but…if mom and Kya hadn’t drowned out her screams in the beginning, then I doubt she would’ve survived…we don’t know why she reacts that way—she just does…more so when her injuries are on the extreme side, otherwise healing’s just uncomfortable for her. It’s why she doesn’t care for it and would rather deal with the pain and recover on her own when given the choice…but I should’ve warned you the screaming was a possibility. I’m sorry—that’s my bad,” and it seems I’m at a loss of what to say because I had no idea this was something she struggled with, I’d always assumed she refused healing treatments as a means to punish herself or to appear tough being an Imperial Guard but now I understand it’s because the act of healing hurts her to a degree—overwhelmed with strong emotion at my lack of insight into this critical issue when I’ve known her for years and even more disturbed at Bumi’s barefaced openness, equally alarmed at hearing him apologizing to me since that’s a rare occurrence in itself and I’m somewhat shellshocked by it all if I’m being completely honest…snapping back from my psychological haze when he gives my arm a reassuring slap, “she’ll be alright, T. Go be a dad. I got this,” but now I don’t want to leave, I want to help him…I want us to help each other like brothers are supposed to do—morally torn between being there for my brother or taking care of my family waiting for me outside, leaning back slightly to peer down the long corridor only to find my wife kneeling in front of my huddled and concerned children on the verge of tears and the heartbreaking image decides for me…solidifying where I’m needed most right now, “thanks, Bumi. I’ll take over first thing in the morning.”

“You’ll take over when I say you can…besides, Cap’ll kill ya if she finds out you put her above the kids, and I ain’t got any fancy bending to save your ass from that firecracker. One barbequed airbender coming right up if you step foot in here before noon.”

Smirking lightly at my brother’s creative imagery, something tells me he’s using the Captain’s threateningly caring nature and deep love for my children as a hidden ploy to protect me from witnessing her healing session from now on, an event that’s supposed to occur in the mornings and evenings or on an as needed basis like now per the head nurse’s instructions—internally grateful that Bumi’s elected to oversee (Y/N)’s treatments with Korra because I don’t think I have the stomach for it after tonight’s fiasco and his surprisingly mature decision to help his little brother out without provocation certainly makes me appreciate him a little more since sitting through such an ordeal is obviously hard on him too even if he won’t admit it outright, somewhat glad he decided to move back home after his retirement from the United Forces, and it seems everything that’s transpired over the last few days has only reinforced what my father used to say during periods of great stress and even profound happiness, that everything happens for a reason.

I know I’ve always been hard on Bumi, but…

Maybe it’s time to cut him some slack.

I’m sure it wasn’t easy growing up the eldest son of the Avatar born without bending.

Empathizing with my brother’s hardships probably a little later in life than I should have, I will admit he’s always had a certain knack for finding light and humor in most situations and it’s a coping mechanism I normally find irritating because it’s often at mine or other’s expenses, but now I guess it’s kind of comforting in a way—finally stepping out of the room to leave him and Korra to tend to (Y/N)’s injuries without any more of my emotional interference and inhale a steadying breath as Bumi slides the door shut behind me, slowly coming to terms that I’ve failed to take care of the Captain like I promised Lin I would due to unforeseen personal challenges preventing me from being present during her treatments and ultimately forcing me to leave our friend in the capable hands of two people we trust when it should be me leading her recovery…deciding to take myself where I know I’ll be more useful and approach my worried family at the end of the hall, but they don’t wait for me to reach them, bending over as Jinora meets me halfway with Meelo’s hand firmly clasped in hers and I pick them up together—securing one on each arm while Pema joins us with Rohan and Ikki situated in hers and I’m eternally thankful we’re all together and healthy even if we may be a little sad during this trying time, kissing the crown of my eldest daughter’s head as she wraps her arms around my neck and asks nervously, “is the Captain going to be okay? She looks worse than last time…sounds worse too…”

They did hear her…

“Yes, she’s going—”

“—Are you sure, daddy?”

Smiling softly at Ikki’s quick mind and even quicker tongue cutting me off, I look to my son hugging his stuffed animal to his chest and who’s trying his hardest to fight back his tears of worry, adopting (Y/N)’s signature aphorism knowing he can’t resist finishing it—none of them can, “I’m sure, sweetheart—and you know how I’m sure? Because the Phoenix alwaysss…,” and without missing a single beat, my girls perk up and Meelo clears his stuffy nose with a rapid airbent sniffle before lifting his winged lemur into the air as high as his small arms can reach—cheering alongside his sisters as predicted, “rises!” and I squeeze them tighter knowing my children’s spirits are strong and can’t be broken so easily much like their Captain, their resilience only brings me further comfort during this stressful time that’s had me riddled with doubts and uncertainties the last few days—empowered by their perseverance and my desire to keep them close, I direct my reassuring words towards all three….mainly my son who falls on the sensitive side like his father and who requires affirmation the most amongst them, “that’s right. She rises. Unfortunately, it’s taking a little longer this time, but we must be patient. If we are, then she’ll reward our patience and understanding with her presence when she’s ready, and hopefully, soon. Until then, the Captain needs rest—we all do. Now…would you three like to sleep with your mother and I tonight?…If your little brother agrees to let us, that is.”

Please, son…let your mother and I sleep.

We beg of you.

As they mull over my offer, all three of them stare at Rohan sound asleep in their mother’s arms for now and silently consider the possible consequences of sleeping alongside their fussing baby brother for the night, eventually agreeing as a whole and I set my children back onto the ground, “Jinora, take your brother and sister to our room please. Your mother and I will be along shortly,” and my little bookworm who’s growing up far too fast does as she’s asked, taking Meelo and Ikki’s hands in hers before leading them down the long corridor giving Pema and I a moment alone—reaching for my infant son cradled to her breast to grant my incredibly understanding wife a much needed and well deserved break from childrearing since I’ve been busy with the Captain lately, but when I put my hands out to take him, she pulls away from me and prevents me from retrieving him which worries me into thinking I’ve done something to upset her—relieved to discover it’s quite the opposite when she cups my face in her soft hand and smiles lovingly at me like she always does when she knows I’ve had a bad day, leaning into the small comforting gesture and listen to her putting others above herself as usual and it’s one of the many things I’ve loved most about her since the moment I met her…her kind and generous spirit, “honey, I think it’s best you call Lin before we turn in for the night. We finally have some good news for her—even if the Captain only awoke for a moment, she’s talking and moving on her own. That’s a great sign given the head trauma.”

I know I have to call Lin, but I don’t know if I have the energy to make that call right now…

I just want to be with my family.

“Perhaps I should wait until morning…It’s the middle of the night, and I don’t want to disturb her with a minor update if she’s resting.”

The Captain finally waking up is hardly minor, but we don’t even know (Y/N)’s true mental and physical condition yet because she wasn’t awake long enough to properly determine them.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself and end up giving Lin false hope.

She has enough on her plate as is…

“Sweetheart, I can guarantee she isn’t resting…just as I’m sure she hasn’t had peace of mind for three days, and it’d be cruel of us to keep the peace to ourselves for another moment—even if it’s only a sliver. Call her. Be her peace.”

I doubt Lin will ever associate peace with me again after how badly I hurt her in the past, but Pema’s right…

It’d be wrong of me not to call right away.

I gave her my word that I would in the event of any changes.

I just hope she’s not in one of her more unsavory moods…

I hate fighting with her.

2:10AM

Don’t fall asleep…

You can’t fall asleep.

Bracing an elbow on my cluttered desk, I prop my chin on the palm of my hand to keep the weight of my bobbing head from bowing forward and smacking nose first onto the hard metal surface as I dip in and out of consciousness unwillingly, resisting the strong urge to pass out even though my entire body is pleading for some sort of mental and physical reprieve because I’d rather face the consequences of extreme sleep deprivation than subject myself to that disturbing nightmare again—which officially makes it day three with little to no sleep and it’s starting to catch up with me in the form of crossed eyes and doubling vision, massaging them vigorously enough to produce a galaxy of dancing stars behind my eyelids and hope in doing so it’ll rub away the fatigue causing them to water and disrupt my perfect 20/20 vision, but when I reopen them, I continue to squint at the soft white light overhead that illuminates my office and it appears blinding hypersensitivity is the first step in transforming me into my mother—discarding the bulk of my heavy armor onto the floor beside me with a reverberating clank before resting my forehead against my folded forearms on my desk, shielding my optical nerves to prevent them from disintegrating entirely because Spirit’s help me if losing my eyesight somehow triggers the desire to bear two daughters only to favor one while snubbing the other…scoffing at my rather dark humor since it’d be near impossible to get pregnant at my age let alone by my girlfriend no matter how hard she’d try with our strap-on if given the chance, smirking for the first time in seventy-two hours at the thought of her laughing hysterically at the hairbrained idea of trying to knock me up without the proper ‘equipment’.

She’d probably make some stupid joke about it, or try to coax as much sex as possible out of me under the guise of trial and error.

‘You never know if we don’t try, babe.’

‘Maybe it doesn’t work in the missionary position—turn over.’

‘Third time’s the charm?’

Silently chuckling at my internal rendition of my firebender ‘cause she’d totally say that shit, it feels weird to laugh without her, almost wrong since she’s normally the one to cause it and my weak smile slowly fades at the realization that she’s the only person that can make me laugh…and I mean really laugh—even now when her voice and humor are nothing but a figment of my perverse imagination, she still manages to find some way to make me smile when I have no rhyme or reason to, and her unique ability to do that from afar through sheer thought proves how much of an influence she has over me and acknowledging that truth worsens the endless yearning I seem to have for her lately…I miss the banter, the cheesy puns, even her infuriating fondness for technicalities that often turns me into the losing party, not to mention her cooking…she’s an amazing cook.

I miss my Captain.

*RIIIING*

Head springing up from my desk at the high-pitched sound cutting through the deafening silence I’ve been marinating in for hours on end, my starch white bandaged hand shoots out and snatches the receiver of my phone faster than my firebender’s lightning because there’s only one person who’d be calling me at two in the morning right now, not even entertaining the likelihood of it being Dispatch or that selfish four-eyed weasel on the other end of the line when I answer, “Tenzin?” and on any normal given day, I’d be disgusted with myself for sounding so eager to hear from him but the possibility of there being an update on my girlfriend’s condition makes all those decade old thoughts and bitter feelings I have reserved solely for him seem trivial and insignificant, the only thing that matters to me these days is my Captain and I don’t care how desperate I may come across if it finally means hearing she’s okay, “Tenzin, is that you?”

“Uh-yes…how’d you know it was me?”

“Never mind that. Why’re you calling? Is the Capt—”

“—She’s fine…sort of.”

“Sort of? What the hell does that mean, sort of?”

“She’s finally woken up, but it was only for a short while…she-uh…she fell out of bed trying to get up.”

“Tenzin! You’re supposed to be taking care of her! Not letting her give herself another concussion!”

“I was prep—!…Lin…it’s late and I’m exhausted. I’m calling with developments—good or bad—just like you asked. So, please…can we not fight?”

Leaning back in my black leather chair, I slump down in the worn padded cushions and rub my stinging eyes again, silently agreeing to a temporary truce and to keep things civil tonight on the account of my own exhaustion—holding the receiver to my ear as I take a moment to process the news that my Captain has finally come to and you’d think I’d be overjoyed to receive such a positive update considering we were beginning to doubt if she’d wake at all given her extended state of unconsciousness, instead this cavernous and empty pit that’s been growing in my stomach ever since the hospital only burrows deeper and before now, I wasn’t entirely sure what was causing it but I’m starting to wonder if it’s a manifestation of dread and fear…dreading how my girlfriend will react once she realizes I’ve abandoned her on the island and fearing she’ll hate me for it to the point of permanently ending things between us, and my heart races uncontrollably just thinking about it, somewhat afraid to ask the next logical question expected of me and hesitate before I find the nerve to do so, “…how is she?

“Weak—incredibly weak. She could hardly stand. Honestly…it’s…I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so—…I’m not going to lie to you, Lin—she’s in a lot of pain…a lot of pain, and that’s not something to take lightly when it comes to her…I’m actually glad you aren’t here to witness it…it’s not an easy thing to watch—a friend suffering.”

Slouching further down in my seat, I don’t know why half of me presumed she’d wake up from the world’s longest recorded nap and bounce back like nothing happened as if she wasn’t just blown up and buried by eleven floors of rubble, probably because ‘weak’ isn’t a word I’d ever associate with her since she’s always masked the pain of her injuries so well which makes it easy to convince oneself that she doesn’t feel any or is damn near indestructible when in reality she’s human and bleeds red like the rest of us, and since I’m the one who ordered her into that building without backup, that makes me primarily responsible for the blood she’s shed and just knowing that and being reminded of it in the pitiful faces of my sorry officers sneaking glances at me every fucking time I’m forced to leave my office just…just magnifies the nauseating guilt suffocating me and warping my once pleasant dreams of her into torturous nightmares, unable to shake that haunting image of her curled up at the bottom of the crater or forget the sickening sensation of her cold and broken body lying limp in my arms, but to hear Tenzin’s deep voice waver and confirm that the woman I’ve come rely on—the woman I’ve come to love and trust more than I have anyone—has awoken in agony without me by her side makes everything I’ve been feeling a thousand times worse, refusing to respond in fear my voice will falter like his and give away the angst causing my throat to swell shut…blinking back the saltwater overtaking my already compromised eyes when his softspoken voice comes over the line again, “she did ask about you though.”

“Me? She—…she asked about me?”

“Yes. She kept asking us where you were and that she needed to see you. I’m not sure why, but she was quite agitated about it. I got the impression she was concerned for you, but it could’ve been the concussion talking—confusion and mood changes are often symptoms during recovery, and I assume the last person she was with before the accident was you. Her mind may be trying to focus on that—what she remembers last to process what’s happened to her.”

“Yeah…that’s probably it.”

Or she’s wondering why her girlfriend isn’t there taking care of her like she should be…

Reaching up to my exposed and unprotected neck, I trace the sterling silver chain hanging around it with my fingers until I come upon the matching rectangular pendant resting above the crevasse of my bound breasts and run the pad of my thumb along the custom RCPD design by memory since I’m the one who forged it, ghosting over the hidden mechanism that grants the true wearer unfettered access to my heavily guarded life and agonize over whether or not it’s rightful owner will forgive me the next time I see them—pressing the cool metal to my lips hoping they’ll want it back…want me back.

I just need a chance to explain myself…

To explain everything.

Once she hears it from me—

“—What do I tell her, Lin? She’ll demand answers once she’s coherent. Do I tell her the truth about why she’s here?”

“No!-no. You can’t tell her the truth. She can’t know Raiko is the one pulling the strings right now. We don’t know how she’ll react, and the last thing I need is her provoking him—no matter how honorable her intentions may be. You heard him, if she starts to become a problem, then he’ll terminate her contract with the United Republic and ship her home. If she shows up halfcocked and confronts him about the little stunt he pulled at the hospital, she’ll become a problem—a problem he doesn’t need after he gets his money. Raiko’s got beef with me, so let’s just keep his focus on me, alright.”

“I don’t know. Not telling her about what’s going on doesn’t feel right…I don’t like keeping things like this from her.”

“And you think I do?”

“That’s not what I mea—”

“—It’s not your ass on the line, Tenzin. It’s mine and hers.”

“I know that…I do. I just…how’re we going to explain why you haven’t checked in on an officer injured in the line of duty as is expected of a commanding officer? She reports directly to you making you just that. If she doesn’t hear from you, I’m positive she’ll try and go into the city the first chance she gets to uncover why, and Raiko was clear—absolutely no conta—”

“—I know what he said! Just…distract her, okay?…It’s only a week until the fight.”

“Distract her? You realize who we’re talking about, right?”

“Are you telling me you can’t handle one injured woman?”

“Yes! That’s exactly what I’m insinuating. (Y/N) is not one to be tamed or handled. The last thing she is or ever will be is a submissive personality.”

She is with me…sometimes.

“Alright-alright—don’t blow your arrow off. How ‘bout this—we use the Captain’s military background to our advantage. She’s been conditioned to follow orders whether she likes them or not, so simply relay to her that I’ve placed her on paid medical leave, and she’s been given strict orders to remain on the island until Korra clears her fit for duty. That way, the kid can stall for us in the meantime. Mandatory medical clearance plus direct orders from me should keep her curiosities bay until the match, and maybe giving her a goal will help keep her focused on recovering instead of questioning what’s going on here since she’ll be under the impression she has to convince Korra she’s ready to come back to work.”

“An unattainable goal…that’s manipulation, Lin—we can’t do that to her. It’s wrong.”

“I know that, but I don’t hear you coming up with any brighter ideas, or have you figured it all out in the last thirty seconds and refuse to clue me in?”

“You know I haven’t.”

“Okay then—my plan it is.”

“Fine, we’ll do things your way for now…but for the record, I have a bad feeling about this.”

That makes two of us…

Hating myself even more, something I wasn’t aware was possible until now, I know what I’m doing and forcing Tenzin to do on my behalf is wrong on multiple levels, that my strategy to keep my girlfriend preoccupied and away from all this political bullshit is deceptive and dishonest, but I can’t have her finding out Raiko is using her as a means to punish me for jeopardizing his financial plans for the city or as an underhanded tactic to get me to fall in line, he’s trying to make an example of me and if I don’t comply for now then I risk both us being relieved from duty indefinitely—she mustn’t know the finer details until I have chance to talk to her face-to-face because if she’s made aware that he’s threatened me and my standing as Chief, she’ll without a doubt see it as flagrant sign of disrespect on his part and that deeply ingrained Fire Nation heritage of hers built off of unwavering loyalty and unquestionable integrity will demand rectification of the situation…she ripped the former Council a new asshole when they offered her my job right in front of me and Izumi after we regained control of the city from Amon and his Equalists, and that was before we were officially anything, so I can’t begin to fathom how she’ll react to what’s happening now nor can I predict what she might do if she she’s told Raiko has prohibited me from interacting with her in any capacity to test my commitment to Republic City—she needs to focus all her time and energy on getting better, not spend it worrying about me.

I can take care of myself—have been for over thirty years.

Her?

If Tenzin says she’s severely weakened, then that means she’s not at the top of her game, and her fight is only a week away…

She needs all the strength she can muster before stepping into the ring, or she’ll only get injured again, and I can’t…

I can’t stand by and watch her get hurt on my account.

Not again.

“Lin? Are you still there?”

“Yeah…yeah, I’m here.”

“…I know my words may not mean much to you anymore, but I’m always here if you need me—even if it’s just to talk.”

Leaning forward onto my desk with the receiver pressed firmly to my ear, I stare down at my girlfriend’s greyscale portrait in the paper again and consider ripping the band-aid off so to speak by finally revealing the truth about us, only I don’t because there’s an old part of me, a part buried deep within that still cares for him from where we were children growing up on the island…training together and looking out for each other—it’s a sentimental piece that doesn’t want to hurt him even though he’s hurt me which I find extremely annoying, often suppressing it whenever I see him because that time has long since passed and some things can’t be forgiven or forgotten so easily, but if I put his infidelity aside, I know I can still count on him for certain things, like now with the care of my Captain or when he was on the Council, we could put our personal differences aside and work together because most of our ideas and outlooks on how to best protect the city and its citizens aligned a majority of the time, but when it comes to myself, I just can’t trust him anymore—not completely—and he’s not the only one over the years, it wasn’t until a young bright-eyed and smart-mouthed firebender was forced upon me last year that I begin to trust someone with aspects of myself again.

She’s all I need or want.

There’s no denying that anymore, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready for the world to know how I feel…

Especially him.

Settling on personal confliction and the preference of privacy being the main reasons why I can’t and haven’t divulged my romantic relationship with his friend to him, I decide it’s in everyone’s best interest not to create unnecessary emotional waves since I’m almost certain he won’t react to the news of our courtship very well and take Tenzin’s offer to talk openly with a grain of salt as usual, extending an olive-branch—albeit an incredibly tiny one—to placate him for now, “I’ll keep that in mind,” but I miss what’s said in return, lowering the receiver from my ear at the faint sound of creaking wood coming from the bullpen beyond my locked office door—a bullpen that should be quiet and still enough to hear a pin drop since all the metaphoric bulls have clocked out for the evening, turning my head slightly in the opposite direction to determine if I’m hearing shit due to sleep deprivation and push my chair back when I catch clearer sounds of someone rummaging in the next room…cutting Tenzin off and the already length call short as I go to stand, “—I gotta go. Keep me updated.”

*CLICK*

Checking the ticking clock hanging on the adjacent wall, it reads a godawful half past 2AM which officially puts me on high alert seeing as how nobody except my miserable self should be lingering around the office this late at night unless they’re working an active high-profile case and there’s no pending investigations aside from my own that’ve been authorized for any overtime thanks to our lovely President, quietly bending the top half of my armor back onto my person along with a swift retraction of the metal soles of my steel boots to silence my footsteps as I approach the exit and lean against the wall beside it for coverage in case there’s an actual threat looming beyond the threshold—slowly turning the knob with my metalbending until the locked mechanism releases and carefully pull the door open a crack to peer through to the darkness on the other side, scanning the immediate vicinity for any moving shadows when I see a light reflecting in the windows across the way…peeking my head out past the doorway to track where it’s originating from and when I do, my entire body unstiffens and calls off the internal warning system sending my adrenaline and blood pressure into overdrive.

Mako.

Rolling my eyes at the obvious paranoia and distrust afflicting me lately, he’s lucky I recognized that spikey hairdo and red scarf draped around his neck or he’d be hanging upside-down from the ceiling like a damn possum-bat right about now, leaning against the doorframe as I watch his hunched over form scribbling away underneath the dim yellow lighting provided by the small desk lamp sitting on the corner of his workstation and wonder what the hell he’s doing here so late—exiting my office entirely to find out, but just as I come up behind him, the floorboards creak under my added weight and the ominous foreboding sound nearly sends the young rookie into full blown cardiac arrest, almost severing his spinal cord doing a full one-eighty swivel in his seat and witness the pure terror overtake his tangerine eyes before they register it’s just me…somewhat enjoying the horror induced spectacle as he clutches his chest in dispelling fright, “Spirits, Chief!…You almost gave me a freakin’ heart attack…what-uh—what’re you doing here so late?” and I cross my steel-clad arms over my chest, clocking him with a raised brow of suspicion when he slides over and eclipses whatever he’s working on with the width of his upper body—although not in a very smooth or subtle manner which tells me he’s hiding something and there’s rarely ever a good instance or outcome when cops start concealing their actions from their superiors, giving Mako the benefit of the doubt for now since he was an asset in helping take down Amon which also happens to be the main reason why I gave him a chance as one of my officers despite his previous criminal associations with the Triple Threats…hoping he’ll come clean on his own, “funny—I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

Don’t make me regret hiring you, kid.

“Oh, um—I’m just—you know…gotta put in the work if I’m gonna make detective someday.”

He expects me to buy that lame ass excuse?

Guess it’s time to be the Chief.

“Cut the crap, Mako. What’re you really doing here? Your shift was over hours ago, and don’t even think about lying to me again, or you can hand over your badge right now.”

Intensifying my already steely gaze to ensure he understands that this is his final warning to tell me straight or there will be consequences, the former Fire Ferret’s body deflates as he exhales a defeated sigh or perhaps it’s a physiological reaction to getting caught red-handed, still standing over him when he turns his back to me similar to how I found him initially and follow his tentative movements as he scoops up the various papers spread throughout his disorderly desk…tapping them upright on the cleared surface a couple times before lifting the short stack above his shoulder to relinquish them to me, and when I take them from him, he calmly clasps his hands together in front of him and stares blankly ahead at the muted darkness cloaking the empty bullpen refusing to look at me while I comb through them—familiar with the forms that so happen to be his end-of-shift reports and they’re timestamped with yesterday’s date which means he didn’t turn them into Jiao like every beat officer is required to do before they clock-out for the day, flipping through a few more pages of his patrol logs and then what appears to be an impressive amount of arrest reports for a rookie…only the deeper I dig through the pile, the more confused I become because a majority of them—if not all—are either incomplete or downright messy when they’re usually pretty orderly…whereas these ones are filled with spelling errors, crossed out words and sentences, improper penal codes listed for some of the arrestees and their corresponding charges…officially and utterly puzzled at what the hell I’m looking at here, “Mako…what?—What’s going on with these reports? Are these yours?”

This can’t be his work.

“Yeah…I was trying to finish them before Sarge came in.”

“And they’re incomplete because?”

“Because…because Cap usually helps me with them.”

She does?

For fucks sake, who doesn’t this woman help?

Me.

Song.

My detectives.

The cadets.

And now Mako?

Is there anyone who doesn’t take her for granted around here?

Do I have to put her in a glass box with a sign that says ‘break open for emergencies only’?

As I give Mako back his unfinished paperwork, there’s something about his coiled body language and avoidant eye contact that convinces me he’s withholding vital information, seeming almost embarrassed at admitting the Captain has been helping him finish his reports which begs the question as to why she’s assisting him in the first place when they’re solely his responsibility—determined to get to the bottom of this unknown collaboration and reposition myself on the side of his desk to better gauge his responses, arms remaining crossed and voice even as I try not to jump to any far-fetched conclusions that would require disciplinary action…like my Captain completing his work for him, “helps you how?” and my follow-up inquiry prompts a quick side-eye from the clearly uneasy firebender before they return to the items in question collected in his hands, focusing intently on them instead of me as he hesitates and I notice his shoulders dropping lower with each passing moment he refuses to answer me—witnessing a flash of frustration overcome his previously stoic features as he flips the papers over and smacks them facedown onto his desk…then I hear the shame, “you know my story…Bolin and I grew up on the streets after our parents were killed…I…I didn’t exactly have time to go to school after that—kinda hard to go when you have no home, no family, and a little brother to keep safe and who’s counting on you to eat…most days we didn’t until I started picking up odd jobs for the Triple Threats…Street smarts I got, Chief, but book smarts? Not so much. I knew enough to get by in the Academy, but if I ever want to make detective someday, I gotta get better…the paperwork has gotten harder to understand and complete since Jiao’s given me more responsibility. Bugging her for more work kinda bit me in the butt, but I’m trying…Cap, she…I asked her for help ‘cause I knew she’d understand where I was coming from…that she wouldn’t laugh or judge me for not being on the same level as everyone else. I do what I can on my own, underline what I don’t get, and then turn them over to her for correction…” and as if I couldn’t be more pleased with who my girlfriend is or who I chose to be my right hand every day on the job, Mako opens the bottom drawer of his desk and proves me wrong—accepting the set of thick books he pulls out and offers me to look at, seeing one’s a beginners dictionary and the other a updated version of Republic City’s Penal Codes, “…she bought those for me along with a few others I keep at home to study. When she returns my reports, she’ll circle words I messed up and write them down in a list for me the right way, then I look them up on my own to practice. Same with the legal stuff I don’t understand—it gets really confusing ‘cause so many of the laws sound the same sometimes. We’ve been working through the textbook to help me get a better grip on charges. Here, I’ll show you.”

Where does she find the time to do all this?

Handing the kid back his books, I’ll agree that the legal lingo and longwinded laws can be tough to comprehend and remember let alone implement properly because even for me it took years of studying and practice to memorize them all, repressing the slight smirk coming through when he cracks his textbook open to the Crimes and Punishments section and proudly points to my girlfriend’s self-defining and horrendous chicken scratch filling the margins to prove to me he isn’t lying—somewhat coming off as a mixture of my Captain and Song, prideful and eager to please, “see? We’ve been hard at work, Chief. No cheaters or slackers here,” but Mako’s moment of fire fueled conviction extinguishes almost as quickly as it ignited and falls into a sense of unfiltered modesty, finally locking eyes with me as he lets his walls down ever further which is difficult for him and I know this because it’s an attribute we share—relaxing and uncrossing my arms to dial down my intimidation factor since he’s being so forthcoming and honest, totally caught off guard by what’s said next, “school was the last thing on my mind growing up, but then Korra happened…you happened. You gave me a chance to be something more than a street rat, and I just knew I couldn’t let you down—screw up this chance you gave me when you didn’t have to. Bolin and I have a roof over our heads and food on the table now because of you, Chief. That’s why I asked Cap for help ‘cause like her and everyone else around here who respects the hell out of you—I didn’t want to disappoint you, but now…now that Cap isn’t here, I’m struggling not to do that,” and I don’t know if it’s the lack of proper sleep or his heartfelt words of admiration for me as someone who helped him get off the streets that makes my tired eyes sting even worse than before, verbally frozen and thoroughly stumped on how to handle this delicate and incredibly personal situation he’s opened up to me about.

What the hell do I say to that?

Knocking heads, I’m excellent at.

Playing political Pai Sho, I’m decent—though some might say otherwise due to my current shitshow with Raiko.

But emotions and dealing with them?

Especially those of others…highly lacking the proper toolset for that.

My mother didn’t do emotions.

It was either square up or suck it up.

“—Sorry, Chief. You don’t need to hear or deal with this right now—it’s late and you’ve got enough going on already without me adding to the mix. This is my problem, and I’ll deal with it. You have my word. I won’t let you down.”

“…You haven’t disappointed me, Mako, but you should’ve come to me if you were having trouble.”

“…I wanted to show you I could hack it.”

Seeing a bit of my younger self in him as his head slumps forward, I too have always been very resistant to asking for help and even categorized it as a sign of weakness until very recently, always choosing to power through each and every obstacle presented to me on my own rather than rely on the help of others because at the end of the day all we’re left with is ourselves, but again, like me…he probably realized he bit off a little more than he could chew this time around and decided to swallow his pride long enough to turn to someone he trusts without fear of judgement and that person just so happens to be the same someone I’ve come to rely on these days…maybe a little too much—unsure of what else I can say to convince Mako he’s got this even if that means he has to put in more work than the rest of his comrades which will ultimately make him a greater officer than all of them down the line, his perseverance will take him far here and in life…leaving me only one option left in a complex situation like this, and it’s act, taking a page out of my girlfriend’s book of altruism and give the kid some of my time since I’m no good at offering uplifting words of encouragement or reassurance like my Captain is—dragging the nearest chair from the closest workstation up to Mako’s and snatch the paperwork from his desk as I plop into it for the long haul, “alright, let’s start from the beginning.”

“What? No—no-no, Chief—it’s super late. I can figure this out on my own. You don’t hav—”

“Zip it, and give me a pen.”

Holding my hand out face up as I cross one leg over the other, I catch an obscure one-sided grin creep onto Mako’s face as he reaches across his desk and obediently retrieves the writing utensil I asked for from an old chipped RCPD coffee mug, granting him a single nod of mutual understanding from one self-reliant individual to another when he places it in the center of my palm without further protest and click it open before slapping his paperwork onto the bulk of my thigh—looking them over with stern scrutiny and go about marking a couple grammatical and spelling errors here and there on the first few pages when I notice the angsty firebender wringing his hands together from my peripherals, visibly self-conscious about his work being overlooked and edited by a superior officer when he shouldn’t be since he had no control over the circumstances that led to his lack of a proper education because some murderous lowlife took that opportunity and much more away from him…he prioritized his brother over himself and I respect that, offering some well-placed advice to try and cut the tension radiating off of him because I can feel his high-strung anxiety from here and I have enough of my own to deal with thank you very much, “a little pro-tip for you, rookie—take the time to create a month’s worth of filled in arrest reports. The first ten pages is all the arresting officer’s information followed by the Department’s—the perp’s info, and the charges filed against them are the only things that change after that. It’ll save you time at the end of your shifts and prevent early-onset carpal tunnel syndrome. Ask Sergeant Jiao if you don’t believe me—she has a wrist brace in her office for a reason,” and my minor attempt to get him to loosen up seems to have worked to a degree, confirmed by the soft and lighthearted chuckle he emits as I continue to read over his patrol logs—relieved to hear it because that means I’ve said something right, turning to the next page when he leans forward onto his desk seeming a little more relaxed than before, “that’s helpful, Chief…thanks. I’ll make sure to do just that when I get the chance…Looks like being the big boss means you know all the shortcuts when to comes to paperwork,” but even if that may be true, he has no idea the pain and suffering I endured to discover them serving under my mother all those years—recalling the countless sleepless nights I put myself through trying to keep up with my casework and hers since she neither reads or writes for obvious reasons, huffing lightly at the decades old memories of failing to please my unpleasable mother, “who do you think did the Chief’s paperwork on top of her own workload until the day she retired?”

The day she resigned and abandoned everything she built cause of Suyin…

Abandoned me.

“Retir—oh! You mean your mom. Huh—I never even thought about that. I guess there’s some perks to being blind—you get to avoid the boring part of the job and get to focus on kicking ass instead. Cap on the other hand—when I asked her for help, she straight up told me to burn everything in sight and tell Sarge that I’m allergic to paperwork.”

“I’m sure she did.”

That woman would burn the entire contents of the records room if I allowed it.

Shaking my head at my girlfriend’s deep-rooted detestation for anything paper and ink related, I can’t help but crack a small grin at the irony of it all because you’d think someone with such an intense hatred for paperwork would absolutely refuse to help the kid with his when she barely finds the will to complete her own in a timely manner on a regular given day, only doing so cause she knows she’d get an earful from me if she didn’t and even then, she makes sure each file she submits meets my high standards and is above reproach so I don’t have to worry about finalizing hers like I do my other officers not nearly as thorough—pen halting mid correction when it hits me that she does a lot of things for my benefit and to lessen my stress levels here and outside of work, like making sure I eat breakfast in the mornings before coming into the office, buying me my favorite coffee throughout the day to keep me energized and focused, massaging the aches and pains away in bed with her heated hands after a long day in my armor…a series of silent and unsolicited acts that I’ve never truly thanked her for, and now that they’re gone or on pause, I wonder if I’m the one who’s been taking her for granted more than anyone else lately—something I never intended or wanted to do which makes me less deserving of her than I already am, lost in my self-depreciating thoughts again when Mako clears his throat, “hey-uh, Chief?…I’ve been meaning to ask—have you heard from Tenzin or anything about Cap? How she’s doing? I tried going to the island on my day off the other day to see Korra and check in, but Raiko’s goons wouldn’t let me pass. He’s got that whole side of the dock crawling with security for some reason. Maybe so the Press and Phoenix fans don’t try to bother Cap while she’s recovering for her big fight—which I get, but it kinda sucks I can’t see my girlfriend ‘cause of him.”

I know the feeling, kid.

“She’s on the mend.”

“Oh man, that’s great to hear! I was starting to worry ‘cause I hadn’t heard anything from anyone, but hey, what was I concerned about? She’s the Phoenix and she has Korra there to heal her. Who better to treat Cap than the Avatar herself, right?”

Right…

Although Korra might need some healing of her own by the time she’s through with my firebender…

My girlfriend has this strange aversion to being healed for some reason.

It’s like trying to give a feral cat a bath.

Two Days Later:

High Noon:

Air Temple Island, Republic City, United Republic:

Ah…

A nice fresh cup of calming Jasmine tea.

Just what I needed.

“KORRA!”

Annnd it’s ruined.

Setting my steaming cup aside before I can manage to take a sip of its rejuvenating contents or enjoy it’s relaxing mediative properties, Korra comes barreling into the dining room in a desperate attempt to find sanctuary from the frustrated Captain hollering for her outside and nearly topples over Pema breastfeeding my infant son in the process, frantically tripping over the large area rug upon entry and narrowly avoids flattening my wife and child with a last-second airbent push to the side to redirect her clumsy staggering—muttering a winded apology to them both as she regains her lost footing before breaking out into an awkward overzealous speedwalk since there’s strict rules about running in the house, continuously looking over her shoulder for the highly-trained firebender chomping at her fast moving heels…wide-eyed and begging as she closes in on me, “Tenzin, I know I’m doing you and Beifong a favor, but please—please get her off my ass. She’s fucking relentless,” and if this were a theatre performance, the Captain would be right on cue—storming in hot in her preferred black training shorts with her arms, hands, and majority of her torso still heavily bound with ointment caked bandages since she vehemently refuses any further alternative treatment, although looking and moving a lot better than she did forty-eight hours ago…seemingly recovered enough to stalk the fleeing Avatar skipping and shuffling around the table like cornered prey, “what do you mean you’re not going to clear me for duty!?” but Korra continues to do as she promised she would despite her current predicament and stands her ground against the irritable firebender hunting her, still playing it smart by maintaining a safe distance from the Captain as she shouts back at her across the room, “what part of—‘I can’t in good conscious as a healer give you the all clear’—don’t you get!? Is your concussion making you daft!? Your wounds haven’t even begun to scab over yet! Now, if you’d let me try and heal them again, then the process might go a hell of a lot faster, but you won’t let me!”

“I don’t need to be healed! I can walk! That’s good enough!”

“Oh, really?”

Refusing to get involved in their childish squabbling to see how Korra handles herself when faced with rising conflict, I take the opportunity to sip my tea before it runs too cold and hope the young Avatar in training will find a way to use her words to deescalate the situation rather than her fists that she often resorts to, slowly slurping the flavorful brew while I observe the two strong-willed women go at it and watch Korra become fed up with having to retreat around the table like she’s part of a merry-go-round—firmly planting her feet allowing (Y/N) to catch up to her and get within physical reach before jabbing a set of index fingers into the Captain’s deepest wound on her side that instantly has her doubled over in agony, exhaling a sigh of disappointment at my airbending protégé taking the violent route and add the Avatar’s short temperament to the long list of things we need to work on over the course of our vacation to the other Air Temples…calmly setting my teacup back onto the table as the Southern Water Tribe native’s tone grows snarky, “yeah, you look real fine to me, Captain. Totally one-hundred percent and ready for active duty,” but my stubborn friend merely shoots her a deathly glare, bent over and clutching her side trying to breathe through the sharp pain—gritting through her clenched teeth and refusing to listen to reason like she has been since she fully awoke, “a minor setback. I could still kick your ass, Avatar,” and now it’s time to intervene, experiencing a strange sense of familiarity when Korra gives her a ‘bring it on’ gesture with her hands and it’s then I realize they kind of remind me of Lin and Suyin going at each other’s throats growing up, although with less rock—speaking to both of them ready to duke it out in the middle of my dining room, “alright, that’s enough you two. (Y/N), come—come sit. Enjoy some tea with us. Pema just made a fresh pot.”

Relax before my wife and child get caught in the crosshairs of your frustration.

“I don’t want freakin’ tea! I want to go back to work.”

“I’m well aware of that, but Korra’s right, you’re in no condition to return to active duty. Your body needs more time to heal, which means you must be patient.”

Not your strong suit, I know…

Signaling for Korra to leave us as the Captain resorts to her Fire Nation histrionics, the Avatar makes no objections and forgoes house rules by sprinting outside to freedom like a wolf-bat out of hell while her distracted tormentor tries to gouge her eyes out at having been advised to exercise patience, overhearing Pema’s light snickering across the way as our dramatic friend lets out a prolonged and annoyed groan while her bandaged fingertips claw down her lightly tanned cheeks—leaving identical dull red streaks in their wake as she becomes increasingly grumpy and melodramatic by the second, clearly suffering from cabin fever or I guess island fever…grinning along with my highly amused wife until the Captain brings up a rather complicated subject that I’ve been doing my upmost best to dodge the last couple days, “go ahead—laugh it up you two. At least Rohan’s here to back me up—right, buddy? No? Too busy sucking on titties? I get it—priorities…Speaking of topics of great import, what’s the Chief have to say about you keeping her most valued officer hostage? I’m sure she’d be willing to pay the hefty ransom seeing as how I’m her backup since Saikhan can’t even find his own ass if you handed it to him—that’s assuming you’ve spoken to her since you keep telling me she’s ‘busy’ or am I mistaken, and you’re full of Meelo farts cause something sure stinks around here every time you open that mouth of yours. Can I interest you in a breath mint?”

My-my, isn’t she eloquent.

A grandmaster of fire, lightning, and sass.

Sipping my warm tea unbothered by her ceaseless prodding, thankfully I’m familiar with her provoking tactics as to not fall victim to her verbal bait and wise enough to maintain a level head when dealing with her persistent nature, the key is refrain from taking anything she says to heart and to respond with short basic answers most similar to the truth to obscure any false truths from being detected by her energy sensing capabilities—treading carefully because I’m not sure if they’ve returned yet or to what extent and would rather avoid being caught fibbing, subtly regulating my breathing with my airbending and therefore keeping my heartrate steady as I answer coolly, “I have spoken to Lin, and she agrees with Korra and I—that you’re not ready,” but as expected, the tenacious Captain pushes for more detailed information—her piercing golden eyes narrowed and trained on me from across the table, almost sounding hurt as she rants, “oh, yeah? And how would she know? She’s not here to evaluate me. Hasn’t even bothered show up—not once. And if she’s sooo certain I can’t do my job cause of a few scrapes, then why the hell can’t she tell me that herself? What’s with the silent treatment, huh? Is it because I fucked up? She’s pissed at me for letting the place blow?”

Not in the slightest, my friend.

If it were up to Lin, you’d still be in the city under her care.

I know she was deeply hurt by what happened at the hospital—whether it be her pride that was bruised or the sense of responsibility she has for her officers that was disregarded.

Either way, she felt attacked.

And the more negative emotion Lin feels, the more explosive she becomes because anger is easier for her to cope with than the pain and upset that comes along with the others.

I knew from the moment she slammed me up against that wall that the devastation and worry she was experiencing was profound.

Lin doesn’t lose her composure like that so easily—especially in public.

It’s how I know she’d be here if she could…

I wish I could tell you that.

“I can’t speak for Lin.”

Wrapped arms flinging into the air in avid exasperation, the Captain immediately regrets her animated decision and curls into herself again, cradling her stitched side once more and wincing at the obvious bodily pain occasionally reminding her of what she so miraculously survived with each aggressive or overexerted movement she makes—though in spite of the physical trauma she’s endured, her iridescent gold-plated eyes only seem to sharpen with each day that passes and even more so now as they stare me down…her voice low and unwavering as she erects herself upright and calls me out on my less than forthcoming behavior as of late, especially when it comes to the topic of Lin, “all you’ve been doing is speaking for her. You say she’s busy—believable. She’s the Chief of Police without her Captain. But then you say she’s fine and there’s nothing to worry about—now that’s questionable. You know why? Because you won’t even allow me to use the phone to confirm that for myself, and don’t think I haven’t noticed the ferry anchored offshore…the only transportation to and from the city floating aimlessly in the middle of the Bay tends to raise suspicion. One might even begin to wonder if there’s an act of collusion behind all the inconsistencies around here…I know you’re holding out on me, and the only reason I haven’t shocked the truth out of you is because; one—you’re my friend. And two—I don’t have the juice right now to do it…So, I’m going to ask you one more time, Tenzin—what aren’t you telling me? And what does it have to do with the Chief?” and I’ll admit I’m incredibly relieved to hear her more intimidating abilities haven’t returned to full strength yet because that means there’s less likelihood of being tazed for what I’m about to say next, tasting the ugly bitterness on my tongue as it lies knowing it won’t be believed, “nothings the matter. Lin simply stated she wanted you to focus on your recovery undisturbed—by her or anyone else. Hence, the lack of phone access and available transportation into the city. You’re on mandatory medical leave, remember? Or do you wish to defy orders given to you by the Chief and your doctors? To add onto Lin’s stress by not adhering to them when she has other responsibilities that require her full attention? All because you cannot exert patience?”

“Let me talk to her, and if she tells me to stand down herself, then I will. You’ll have a model prisoner after that.”

“You’re not a—”

“—Tell that to the ferry offshore and my lack of phone access, warden! Next thing you know, I’ll be afraid to drop the soap in the bathhouse!”

“Oh, don’t be absurd…we use plant-based liquid soap. Better for your skin and the environment."

“Tenzin!—”

“—Please forgive the intrusion Master Tenzin, but you have a visitor.”

Visitor?

I’m not expecting anyone.

That was the whole point of closing off the island.

No one in or out.

Acknowledging Yee-Li’s message with an understanding nod, she’s one of our older and longstanding air acolytes who’s also been Pema’s outstanding midwife during her last three births, standing from my square cushion as she bows lightly and steps aside to allow whoever it is to enter my home—somewhat grateful for the sudden interruption since I absolutely loathe being caught in the middle of such a sticky situation, one that’s constantly forcing me to choose between putting my best friend’s mind at ease or keeping my word to Lin when I wish she’d come to her stubborn Beifong senses and accept that the Captain will sniff out the truth sooner or later so it’s best to fess up now…pushing those tiring thoughts aside as I straighten out the front of my robes and prepare to welcome our unexpected guest, but when I see the tailored pantleg of that identifiable dark lavender suit cross the threshold, my entire stomach twists into a series of sickening knots and sends my blood pressure through the roof—widening eyes landing on my wife still seated at the table and securing our sleeping son to her chest, both of us wearing similar expressions of shock and concern as the last person we expected nor wanted to show up greets me with his artificial smile, “good afternoon, Master Tenzin.”

Monkey-feathers!

What the heck is he doing here?

I’ve been keeping him updated like I have Lin so he wouldn’t show up.

Raiko?

What the hell does he want?

And why doesn’t Tenzin look very happy to see him…

Observing their initial interaction closely as President Raiko approaches Tenzin with an outstretched hand, I don’t need my energy sensing capabilities to detect the generally composed airbender’s heart going into overdrive because the physical evidence is written all over his flush face, an indication that there’s been a sudden increase in blood flow and not to mention his delayed reaction to accepting Raiko’s handshake when he’s normally so eager to play host to anyone who comes to the island as is expected of an air nomad since they’re supposed to be all-encompassing…another bright red flag to add to the growing list in my head titled ‘what the fuck is going on around here’, and even though Raiko’s probably only here to make sure I’m fight ready or to go over some mind-numbing details pertaining to it, I can’t help feel disappointed and a bit hurt that out of all people, he’s the one who’s managed to find the time to come to the island to personally check up on me when it should’ve been Lin days ago…she wasn’t even there when I woke up and I’ll admit that stung—wondering if her refusal to see me is related to her avoidant behavior recently or if she’s truly upset with me for not being strong enough to keep the explosion from happening, two potential problems I can’t begin to address let alone fix because fucking stuck here on Air Temple Island Penitentiary and it doesn’t help that the gnawing feeling I had when I regained consciousness—that Lin’s in some sort of trouble—is growing more intense with each day I go without seeing or hearing from her…clenching my bandaged and stinging hands in hopes my evolving anxiety is misplaced when Raiko finally turns his sights on me and there’s something about his polite smile that makes my skin crawl, “hello, Captain. You’re looking well. Far better than our previous meeting at the hospital—though primarily one sided I’m afraid. Nevertheless, I’m relieved to see my decision to have you transferred to the island has benefitted you.”

His decision?

Tenzin told me it was Lin’s…

“You ordered me here?”

“Yes. Master Tenzin didn’t tell you? I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed to recover from your unfortunate accident. The island is far more peaceful than a bustling city vying for a glimpse of their one and only Phoenix. I had you transferred here to avoid unnecessary obstacles in your recovery. Tenzin was gracious enough to welcome you into his home at my request.”

Then everything Tenzin just told and has been telling me was a lie.

Staying put on the island wasn’t Lin’s idea at all…

It was Raiko’s.

“And Chief Beifong agreed to this…isolating arrangement?”

“Not at first, but I managed to convince her otherwise. Sometimes the only thing earthbenders respond to is a firm hand. Chief Beifong is no exception.”

*steaming teapot on the table starts to scream*

I beg your pardon?

I better have misheard him, or he’ll be introduced to my firm hand.

Securing my curling fists behind my back to shield them from view, a nervous looking Tenzin startles at the high-pitched sound and rushes to silence the screeching teapot on the table before it’s trembling top blows by yours truly, relishing in the all-consuming sensation of my dormant lightning finally returning as it’s deadly untapped potential courses through my damaged body and collects in the palms of my burning hands—it’s restoration is something I’d very much like to confirm on Raiko right now by turning him into a far less impressive version of the Harmony Tower by pumping his chest full of it for admitting to me of all people that he had the audacity to use his political status and authority over my earthbender to strongarm her into forced compliance when Lin only disobeys for legitimate or justifiable reasons, like giving up her badge to help take down Amon on her own terms because she knew she couldn’t do it within the law and she would never disgrace the RCPD and everything it stands for by breaking them while brandishing a gold shield on her chest.

She lost her bending for the sake of Republic City and its people—benders and non-benders alike…

And you dare disrespect her and by extension, her sacrifice?

Inhaling deeply through my nose to regulate my rising temper, my stitched flesh cries out at the tender stretch as my lungs fully expand, sensing the polluted energy in the air thickening as a powerful wave of déjà vu washes over me as if Raiko and I have been through this song and dance before—trying to place where this unexplainable dislike for him is stemming from when someone else comes scurrying in from outside, recognizing them by their affinity for geeky sweater vests along with the thick black rimmed glasses sliding down the bridge of their narrow nose as they set their tan leather briefcase down in the entryway…pushing them back up and untangling the twisted strap of their bulky camera hanging around their neck as they catch their breath, “oh, gosh—forgive my dawdling, sir. I just had to stop by the Air Temple and take a couple of pictures for my students—its architecture is absolutely phenomenal. This whole place is. I can’t believe Avatar Aang built it himself—there’s such refined detail everywhere you look.”

“Captain, you remember Professor Tran?”

Greeting the fairly young Dean of Republic City University who also happens to be Raiko’s on-call Public Relations aid and Phoenix expert with a faint nod, I don’t pay him much mind at the moment because I can’t seem to shake this bubbling vexation I have for the President which is damn confusing since we’ve barely interacted face-to-face and from my recollection, each time we have it’s been strictly professional and even if it wasn’t, my self-restraint is far more developed than your average firebender—so why do I want to shove my lightning down his throat for one measly ego-driven wisecrack about handling my Chief when I’ve heard exceedingly worse comments from others like Khan and still managed to keep my cool, snapping out of my heated tunnel vision when I feel something drape over my bare shoulders and glance behind me to find Tenzin covering me with his flowy ruby-red Air Nation robes having completely forgotten about my current state of undress…not that it matters to me much to begin with, but I know it does to him and it would to Lin too if she were here, accepting the additional thin layer to obtain some semblance of decorum and allow him to wrap it around me—flashing him a small smile in thanks even though I’m still determined to figure out what he’s hiding from me and what it has to do with Raiko, witnessing a tiny speck of relief overtake his light-blue eyes when I do and watch it fade as his face contorts with palpable distrust when Raiko addresses him again, “Master Tenzin, would you excuse us for a moment? Professor Tran and I would like to speak to the Captain privately,” and Tenzin’s hands resting atop my covered shoulders tighten considerably in response to the President’s request for a private audience, almost protectively and I’m somewhat surprised to hear the underlying harshness in his deep voice as he adamantly refuses—especially since it didn’t sound like Raiko was truly asking for his permission, “absolutely not. The Captain is under my roof and my care. Anything that needs to be said can be said in the open.”

Something weird is definitely going on…

Tenzin’s not the type to butt heads with political figures being one himself, and he sure as hell knows I can handle myself—injured or not.

In addition to that, his entire demeanor changed the minute Raiko showed up unannounced…

Probably because he knew his presence would reveal the lies he’s been telling me—which it has.

And now Tenzin doesn’t want me talking to him alone…

There’s obviously something he doesn’t want me to know, and I intend to find out what that something is, but I can’t do that if he’s here redirecting the conversation in an effort to obscure the truth.

I need him gone.

“It’s alright, Tenzin. I’ll be fine. You can go.”

“Are you sur—”

“—Yes. I’m injured, not cognitively impaired.”

“Of course…I’ll be right outside if you need me.”

I won’t.

Declining to speak any further until Tenzin leaves, I keep my fixed attention on Raiko’s own locked in gaze as my friend walks around the large square dining table and helps Pema—who’s carrying a full-bellied and snoozing Rohan to her chest—up off the floor like the doting husband and father he’s always been, smirking lightly at Professor Tran’s nerdy awkwardness unfolding in my peripherals as he quickly picks up his forgotten suitcase blocking the exit and hugs it to his sternum—hastily stepping aside to allow the current and next generation of air nomads to pass and gives each of them a full ninety-degree bow as Tenzin pulls back the maroon curtain barrier and leads his wife through the doorway with a guiding hand resting on the small of her back, patiently waiting for the thick fabric to swing back into its original hanging state before motioning for Raiko and my little fanboy to make themselves comfortable on the matching cushions closest to the door…purposefully keeping them at a respectable distance and skipping the customary offering of fresh tea as a traditional host would to impart on them—mainly Raiko—that we are not friends here, a subtle but effective tactic to set the tone and it’s something I learned from observing Izumi and Zuko growing up whenever they found themselves in the presence of those they disliked, distrusted, or suspected of having underlying intentions, and it’s a method that stems from the old aged saying to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, only the Fire Nation likes to do things their own way and created their own variation of said proverb, you keep your loved ones close and potential enemies a fireball’s width apart, or in Izumi’s case, a throwable distance for the various lethal kunai hidden up her sleeves to do some real damage—deciding it’s in my best interest to approach President Raiko as a worthy adversary due to this enigmatic distain I’ve felt for him since the moment he walked in and because of Tenzin’s internalized disquiet that manifest in his unexpected presence, mentally clocking in as I feign general politeness since he’s still Lin’s boss and I don’t want to cause anymore unnecessary trouble than I already have by letting myself get injured this severely, “so, gentleman—to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? Surely, the President of the United Republic has better things to do than look in on little ol’ me.”

“On the contrary, Captain—you and your health have been a top priority as of late. You can’t fight if you are unwell. Isn’t that right, Professor?”

So he is here about the fight—hardly shocking.

Sitting down on my own cushion at the same pace they do, I conceal the painful tugging of raw flesh caused by my stitches rebelling against the stretching movement quite effortlessly as I’m trained to do and welcome it like an old friend instead, refusing to appear weak or vulnerable in any capacity lest they think I can be manipulated or taken advantaged of—expression set, legs crossed, and internal wheels turning as Tran nods in avid agreement, enthusiastically jumping into the conversation to speak on Raiko’s behalf as he was obviously signaled to do, “President Raiko is right, Captain. You and your health are the primary reasons for our visit today. We’ve actually spoken in great length about this little hurdle we’ve encountered, and by hurdle, we mean the tragic incident that’s left you significantly injured so close to our event date. Concerned about the timing, and more importantly, your wellbeing—we’ve thought things over, crunched some numbers, and well…we think it’s best you don’t attend the Phoenix Banquet this coming Friday. We’d much rather you have an additional day of undisturbed rest before your match to ensure that we’ve given you as much time as humanly possible to recover from those terrible wounds you’ve sustained. Luckily for us, your reputation as the Phoenix precedes you, Captain. Your obscurity from the public eye after succumbing to such a horrific ordeal is making daily headlines and bringing exceptional attention to this event—the people are watching and wondering if the Phoenix will rise again, and what better way to make a comeback from your heroics than to show up primed and ready to defend your undefeated non-bending title? Shock and awe, Captain. Shock and awe,” and as much as I’m inclined to agree to this unforeseen development since it frees me from my contractual obligation to mingle with Republic City’s loaded stiff upper lips for an entire dragged-out evening, accepting this suspiciously considerate change in itinerary means adding another day until I can see Lin again and that’s entirely unacceptable because I need to figure out what the hell is going on with her lately—which makes this whole not-so-impromptu visit for naut since I’d happily suffocate in a room full of stuffy socialites if that meant seeing my girl sooner and making sure she’s okay because I know—I know in my bones—that somethings wrong, addressing Raiko directly as I play guest advocate to see if I can persuade him with reason to stick to the original plan, “and what of those who’ve paid to attend this banquet in my honor? I’m sure we can all agree that they’re not attending for the food and drink provided. I’d hate to disappoint them with my absence.”

They want to see me.

What’s a Phoenix Banquet without the bloody Phoenix?

A rip-off is what it is.

“We’ve thought of that as well, and rest assured, Captain—Professor Tran and I will be keeping the disappointment to a minimum. Those who have purchased a ticket to attend the gala will be compensated fairly—whether it be a full reimbursement, or upgraded to a VIP section during your match. We anticipate most will choose the latter if they haven’t acquired such tickets already. Yes, we’ll take a small hit in profits, but not nearly as much if we cancelled the banquet altogether. It’ll also allow Chief Beifong to pull some of her officers and reserve them for the following night to guarantee everyone’s safety at the Pro-Bending Arena. The RCPD is already stretched thin so we must coordinate our resources wisely, and utilize them to the fullest until I can get things back on track.”

Yeah, he’s not budging.

Switching strategies.

“I see…and you’ve run these last-minute changes by Chief Beifong? I’ll have to clear any modifications to my schedule with her befor—”

“—You needn’t worry about Chief Beifong—I’ll handle her if push comes to shove, but I’m sure she’ll be more than cooperative if it means securing her funding. It’s been a main concern of hers during our most recent meetings this week. And in the interest of full transparency, Captain—financial gain is why she agreed to let me take charge of you and your care at the hospital. Actually, she was quite insistent on it. She knew what was at stake should you be forced to forfeit due to medical reasons—her funding. Quite a substantial amount, in fact.”

“Excuse me?”

“Have I said something wrong?”

“Oh, not at all—only it sounds like you’re suggesting Chief Beifong transferred her authority over me to you for the sole purpose of money. Which is laughable if you really think about it because she wouldn’t do that—not in a million years.”

“I know it may be difficult for you to comprehend, let alone accept given your personal outlook and values surrounding undying loyalty, but it’s the truth, Captain. A sad and ugly truth, but a truth nonetheless. Chief Beifong has betrayed the fealty you’ve so graciously sworn to her—all to secure her future funding.”

Bullshit.

She wouldn’t trade me or what we have for something as trivial as money…

I have to believe that or else…

Or else she’s just been using me this whole time for her own gain.

And that’s not the Lin Beifong I know and have come to love behind closed doors.

She’s not like that…

Not one bit.

I’d have sensed it at some point—her insincerity and duplicitousness.

Not to mention, I find it pretty damn convenient for Raiko that I’m getting all these different sides of the story casting Lin in a negative light when I haven’t even heard the most important side—hers, and I sure as hell don’t think it’s a coincidence that she’s the only one I can’t get ahold of these days to obtain it.

Which means we’re being played, and I have a strong inclination that the mastermind behind it all is sitting right in front of me and lying through his perfect white teeth.

Something went down at the hospital that night while I was unconscious because nothing is making a lick of sense.

It’s like I’m in some twilight zone.

Raiko sending me to the island under the pretext of concern when he has no authority to do so—only to sit here now and tell me the Chief sold me out for money.

Tenzin’s strange behavior and excuses—his lies when he never lies to me.

Lin’s absence and radio silence when she’s always been by my side.

No one is acting like themselves which leads me to believe unknown external factors are applying extreme pressure somewhere, and there’s only one person in the city who has the power and influence to create the necessary pressure it takes to sideline Lin Beifong, and that’s Raiko.

He’s trying to create a wedge between us.

I don’t know why, or what his motivations are…

But I can feel it, and my instincts are hardly ever wrong.

So, I’ll play his little game for now…

Until I can get confirmation on a few things.

“—I know it’s hard to hear, Captain, but think about it…I mean, has she even bothered to check in on you since you awoke? She’s been putting in a lot of hours at Police Headquarters. I don’t see where she’d find the time.”

He’s keeping close tabs on her.

Not good.

“…I hate to agree with President Raiko on this, Captain—no offense, sir—but I’ve been working very closely with the RCPD this week to ensure your match goes off without a hitch, and well…her car is there from sun up to sun down…I don’t think she—”

Shutting up Professor Tran aka the President’s pocketbook calculator with a steely side glance, I understand he has a job to do—which is getting me onboard with their plans by any means necessary—so I don’t take him colluding with Raiko personally, but being employed by the most powerful man in Republic City doesn’t give him the right to aid in the spreading of absurd lies about my girlfriend’s character and it certainly doesn’t gain him any brownie points with me, essentially defeating the purpose of him tagging along on this little field trip since I’m positive he’s supposed to be the ‘good cop’ in this scenario seeing as how he’s the one who convinced me to revive the Phoenix for one night in the first place when I initially declined—somewhat regretting that decision now as I refocus on my true opponent straight ahead, one who’s massive ego engulfs this entire island and ruins it’s peaceful ambiance…reeling in my lingering temper since it won’t do me any favors when dealing with someone as scheming as him and fight fire with fire by making it seem like he's made some headway in getting me to believe that Lin has betrayed me, “maybe she hasn’t found the time to check in yet because she’s overwhelmed with the workload that comes with being short a Captain. I’m sure she’d swing by if she could…but then again, a would’ve settled for a phone call…”

Expressing trace amounts of denial or doubt about Lin’s absence could make Raiko more confident and possibly get him to show his hand…

There has to be an underlying motive to why he’s here because I’m not buying this banquet excuse anymore…

It hardly seems worthy of a trip to the island, and it’s definitely something that could’ve easily been relayed via phone or Tenzin.

“Not even a phone call? Well, that’s truly unacceptable for someone in her position—perhaps Chief Beifong doesn’t share the same views on loyalty as you and I do. Personally, I never would’ve sent you into such a dangerous situation without backup, or at all for the matter. It seems to me from how she handled things then and now, that you’re no more than a blunt instrument to her—disposable after maximizing its usage. Whereas, when I look at you, Captain—I see quite the opposite. I see someone irreplaceable.”

Ugh, someone gag me.

Is this how he won office?

Kissing ass and brass.

Go figure—elections are just glorified popularity contests.

Scoffing humorously to silence the gut-wrenching gag fighting to dispel the bile of disgust overtaking my throat, I force myself to play into his insincere sweet-talking and wave a dainty ‘oh, stop it’ gesture in his direction, bracing my elbows onto the low wooden table before bringing my wrapped hands together in front of my bandaged and semi-concealed chest—overlapping them to create a perfect triangle and resting point for my chin as my nonexistent bashfulness turns almost condescending and not by choice, it’s my natural reaction when confronted with loads of piping hot bullshit…unintentionally mimicking my bold mother’s mannerisms and ‘cut the crap’ attitude, “oh, now you’re just buttering me up for a bigger ask—aren’t you, Mr. President? Shame on you for misleading the injured and vulnerable. Go on—tell the Phoenix why you’re really here wasting her valuable me time,” but Raiko doesn’t appear to find my third person sarcasm as amusing as I do, finally getting somewhere with him as his previously neutral expression runs the tiniest bit serious and its nearly imperceptible to the average person untrained in the art of analyzing body language—exceptionally proud to be putting my years as an Imperial Guard to proper use today and continue to study him closely as he folds his hands neatly on the table, seeming to drop his benevolent façade when he turns to the fidgeting scholar sitting beside him and excuses him, “Professor, why don’t you join the others outside. Maybe you can persuade Master Tenzin into giving you the grand tour.”

What do you think this is?

An amusement park?

Step right up—for five yuans only, you can ride a flying bison!

Oogie would never allow himself to be sold for such cheap labor.

Now, if you have a handful of watermelons, then you’re speaking his language and mine.

We’re a couple of sorry saps when it comes to that delicious fruit.

As one would expect, the meek professor does as he’s told without argument and stands from his cross legged position almost immediately, gathering his things before giving both of us a full bow like he did earlier with Tenzin and his family as a sign of upmost respect, only this time he maintains it while he walks backward through the curtained doorway—leaving Raiko and I to talk one on one, and I bide my time, not wanting to make the first move since he’s holding a majority of the cards here today—hell, he’s probably stacked the whole deck in his favor and I don’t intend on playing into his hand, especially since I’m sure he organized this entire visit specifically around Lin’s absence to prevent her from interfering with whatever plan he’s concocted because it feels like he wants me isolated from her—to doubt her—and getting hurt has gifted him a prime opportunity to try and convince me of that…I wouldn’t put it pass him to blame Lin for what happened when we were just doing our jobs, protecting the public by any means necessary, but if that’s true and he finds her at fault no matter how ludicrous that would be, then that might explain why she’s been keeping her distance because I’m his injured golden goose and she’s on thin ice with him, or maybe he used my accident on the job as the perfect excuse to question her standing as Chief which would definitely get Lin to back off temporarily because she loves her job despite how much of a headache it can be sometimes—either way, I can’t wait to hear what he has to say next, witnessing his own cognitive wheels turning behind those hollow pale blue eyes of his as he ponders over how best to handle me when the jokes on him cause there’s very few that can and he certainly isn’t one of them, “…it’s not considered flattery when it’s fact, Captain. Unlike many in this world, you are truly one-of-a-kind, and I believe your untapped potential goes far beyond that of an RCPD Captain. So much so, that I’ve come here today with a proposition for you. After this championship match is all said and done, come work for me as a senior member of my Presidential Cabinet—”

—HA!

I'd rather become a vegetarian.

Wait—no, too far.

I’d rather brush my teeth with a nail filer for the rest of my life.

Maybe give myself a few fangs for the onslaught of meat I’m going to devour when I’m done serving my time here at Air Temple Island Penitentiary.

Spirits, I miss meat—bacon most of all.

How am I supposed to heal to full strength eating rabbit food!?

I should take it up with my warden.

“—Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t do politics. I became a soldier for a reason, and that’s not to be a glorified paper-pusher behind a desk.”

“I urge you to reconsider, Captain.”

“And I urge you to take the hint, Mr. President. I work for Fire Lord Izumi or Chief Beifong—no one else. Now that that’s all cleared up—don’t let the curtain hit you on the way out.”

He’s got some fucking nerve coming here acting like Lin sold me out to try and manipulate me into working for him.

As if I’d believe that for a split second.

I know my girl…

She may be a bit abrasive and rough around the edges, but she’s not greedy or selfish, and she certainly isn’t a traitor.

Pushing off the table to help my aching body stand, Raiko remains seated even though we’re officially done here by my account, seeming unfazed by my rather crude dismissal of what he considers to be a highly generous offer on his part because who wouldn’t want to rule the United Nations by his side—me that’s for damn sure, adjusting Tenzin’s lengthy full-bodied red robes doubling as a king-sized summer blanket on my smaller frame to refrain from making an absolute fool of myself by tripping over it after such a clever clapback in my personal opinion…sweeping it aside like an oversized cape as I turn towards the door directly behind me, one that leads to the rest of the house since I refuse to cross physical paths with him and only get a few steps in when the idle President’s once level and unperturbed tone adopts an air of mock disappointment, “well, that is unfortunate to hear…considering I’m searching for her replacement. After last week’s debacle and mishandling of the apartment fire that nearly killed you, it’s evident Chief Beifong has lost a step or two—so I think it’s probably in everyone’s best interest if she retires and moves on to greater things. Which begs the question—who would you work for then, Captain? Or would you be forced to return home to your previous employer?” and I stop in my tracks at his less than veiled threat to force Lin into early retirement should I refuse his proposal, feeling weak bolts of lightning dancing along my hanging fingertips as my anger flares at his impudence and quickly snuff them out to avoid appearing overly affected—refacing him in my Captain’s stance, burning hands clasped behind my back and bare feet a shoulders width apart…exhausting every ounce of self-restraint within me not to fry him to a crisp where he sits as his set lips run crooked and smug, “yes, I thought that information might grab your attention.”

“I’m listening.”

“It’s simple—I’m willing to allow Chief Beifong to remain in her current position if you come work for me instead. Your formal educational background at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls and military experience as a decorated and highly respected Imperial Guard would make you an exceptional Fire Nation consultant. As I’m sure you’re aware, the United Republic collaborates heavily with your Nation’s armed forces and conducts frequent trades with the Fire Islands—in turn, promoting economic growth and mutual wealth for all parties involved. And the position itself wouldn’t come without its perks—your salary would triple and it would even grant you more opportunities to return home. I’m sure you miss it from time to time, and I’m sorry to say, your revered mentor Lord Zuko isn’t getting any younger. Serve as my bridge between the Fire Nation and the United Republic, and everybody wins—I will have my advisor, Chief Beifong will retain her position as Chief of Police, and you will be able to divide your time between here and home—allotting you additional time to spend with your firebending master and his family.”

Jaw clenching and blood boiling at Raiko’s exceedingly low and underhanded reference to my aging master, I don’t need this manipulative asshole to state the obvious to me nor do I need him banking on my unconditional love for Zuko or using it as a sick play on my emotions to entice me into working for him, growing even more enraged that he’s threatening my girl’s career—something she’s dedicated her entire life too—as a revolting means to get what he wants when there’s no better Chief of Police for Republic City than Lin Beifong, and if he’s so quick to cast her aside without second thought, then he’s not above putting unreasonable amounts of pressure on her—perhaps even going as far as setting her up to fail somehow and I won’t let that happen in any capacity, it’s obvious he’s trying to make a name for himself like most ego-driven individuals new to positions of power do and I’m sure being elected the first president of the United Republic has only amplified that urge and sent him on this dark quest for glory, but I’ll be damned if I allow him to turn Lin into collateral damage in the process of cleaning house, mind reeling and going into overdrive on how to prevent that from happening without having to submit to his conditions when Raiko finally stands from the floor—my eyes narrowed and elevated body temperature on the rise as he adjusts his tacky suit jacket, acting like he’s already won when this war he started has barely begun, “think it over, Captain. Matter of fact, go ahead a give me your final answer after your match this Saturday so we can add another win to the list, hm?”

Oh, you’re one arrogant son of a bitch, aren’t you?

Visualizing him engulfed in my deadly cerulean blue flames as he exits the room and regroups with his associate outside, I know I was taught that violence is rarely the answer to resolving major conflicts but it’d sure feel good to unleash a giant can of whoop-ass on his pompous ass right about now, firmly rubbing around the small square bandage on the side of my forehead as the slow healing gash begins to throb again—no doubt triggered by this problematic visit today when I should be focusing on regaining my strength and getting clearance to return to work, only now that I think about it, is that something I actually need or is it another lie to keep me here?

I need to talk to Lin.

To get her side of things.

And she definitely needs to know what Raiko’s up to because I’m not working for the slimy jackass.

But most importantly, I need to make sure we’re okay…

And the last thing I want to do is doubt or question her, but she was growing distant before all this went down, and I have to know why…

If I said or did something to cause it because…

She’s my badgermole…

I don’t want to lose her, or worse—not be given the chance to fight for us at all.

Which means I’m escaping this island one way or another.

It’s time for a jailbreak.

I need watermelons…

Lots of them.

Following Night:

Tuesday:

11:58PM

Lin’s Apartment, Republic City, United Republic:

I couldn’t do it—

I couldn’t.

I could not power through another late night at the office with sludge disguised as stale coffee.

Nope.

That, and I desperately needed my liquor cabinet.

The cheap bourbon in my desk just wasn’t cutting it anymore.

This diesel engine needs the good stuff tonight.

Kicking my apartment door closed behind me with the heel of my steel boot, I lock it down for the night with my metalbending before tossing my keys and briefcase onto the dining table a few feet away like I always do when I get in first thing, not even bothering to turn on the lights as I bend off the heaviest portion of my armor and let the majority of it fall to the foyer floor with a series of hollow and resounding clanks—rolling my stiff shoulders as I abandon it in the dark walkway and cut through the shadowy kitchen by memory, heading straight for my fully stocked liquor cabinet stationed above the built in bar overlooking the near pitch-black living area that hardly gets used unless my Captain’s around to enjoy the fireplace with, but I push those peaceful memories from the forefront of my exhausted mind as I yank open the glass cupboard overhead because all they do is cause me more pain and guilt, aiming to drown them all out tonight with my secret weapon hidden in the far right corner, one I only whip out in emergency cases or rare celebratory ones and that’s a bottle of single malt Yamazaki, aged twenty years at least—grabbing it and a lone crystal tumbler, and use the waning moonlight streaming in from my balcony to pour myself an overly generous amount, letting it and myself breathe before bringing it up to my lips and knock back nearly all of it when a quiet unsuspecting voice emanates from the darkness ahead, “burning the midnight oil, I see.”

OH, WHAT THE FUCK!?

Dropping my almost barren glass as I clutch my eroding throat, fortunately it’s high-quality crystal that bounced off the granite countertop instead of the tile floor or else I’d be finding shattered pieces for days, flicking on all the main lights with my bending as I choke on the flammable liquid searing a hole in my esophagus similar to that of the dreadful Fire Whiskey my girlfriend drinks like it’s ice-cold lychee juice on a scorching summer day—eyes watering profusely at the unrelenting sting in my chest while they frantically search for the sultry voice I’ve missed hearing on a daily basis and they finally locate the owner sitting in my living room chair with one crimson leg crossed over the other, obviously lying in wait for me to return home and who knows for how long…knees locking in place at the surge of anxiety ripping through me at her familiar words, fearing I’ve fallen asleep again and this is just another sick variation of the dreaded reoccurring nightmare following me wherever I go—somehow managing to utter, “…you’re here,” and I wait for my apartment to burst into inescapable flames and for my firebender to accuse me of failing her, only her understandable and justifiable rage never comes and that’s how I know this really isn’t a dream—noticing the crisp white bandages peeking out past her unbuttoned collar and beyond the cuffs of her obsidian sleeves as her wrapped hands grip the chair’s armrests when she goes to stand, her movements sluggish and deliberate suggesting she’s still experiencing uncomfortable pain from her injuries…then there’s her hypnotic gold-leaf eyes that haven’t changed, rounding the bar as their brilliant luster draws me in and join my Captain in front of the dead fireplace…itching to reach out and touch her, but I stop myself from doing so unsure if she wants me to or if I’m even allowed to at this point, heart racing with anticipation and from her piercing gaze as we stand before each other in thickening silence—except there’s no anger in her haunting stare only gentleness and maybe longing, lungs failing as both reflect in her soft voice, “…I’m here, Chief.”

“You shouldn’t be.”

Spirits, why the hell would I say that!?

“Yeah, I picked up on that a few days ago……Be honest with me, Lin…do you still want this? Me? Us?”

She has been doubting my feelings…

As she should—I haven’t done anything to prevent that, only aided in it.

“…Of course I do.”

“Then tell me why you’ve been pushing me away—”

—It’s not that simple.

“Lying to me…making Tenzin lie to me—”

—I didn’t have a choice! Raiko was going to send you away!

“Show me you still want m—”

*MMPH!*

Nearly knocking teeth with my firebender’s as I seize her smooth lips mid-sentence, I curl both fists into the fine silk fabric of her thin dress shirt to keep her from pulling away as I pour everything I’ve been feeling into it since I was forced to leave her at the hospital and I mean everything—the guilt, the rage, the uncertainties, but most of all…the misery of being a short ferry ride away and unable to board it when she needed reassurances from me more than she ever has.

I want you…

You, and only you.

Eyes pinched shut and hungry lips moving in tandem with my Captain’s, I release the front of her wrinkled button-up and run my hands up her slightly craned neck just to feel her movements again while her heated tongue works overtime to overpower mine, letting her take what she wants from me as my roaming fingers get tangled in her smooth raven locks and generate a muffled sigh of relief when her strong arms interlock around my unarmored waist—flashing back to our first kiss in the South Pole instead of the horrible nightmare that’s been plaguing me as she uses her secure hold on me to slowly turn us in place and guides me backward on my shuffling feet until I hit the sturdy balcony glass, humming at her evolving tenderness bordering on roughness as she presses me up against it with the length of her overheated body and I savor it's return before I’m compelled to pull away for air…pleased to see her lungs weren’t damaged in from the toxic smoke as our hot and heavy breaths mix, leaning my forehead against hers as I slide my palms over her firm shoulders and settle them on her heaving chest, and take comfort in the solid heartbeat racing underneath and in sync with mine, recalling how weak it was when I found her in that ashy crater on the brink of bleeding out and pray I never have to relive it—sealed eyes brimming with uncontrollable moisture and not from the booze this time, gripping the expensive handstitched fabric again as I find my voice and hope she truly hears me when I say, “I’ll explain everything—I will, just…don’t think I don’t want you, or us. Don’t question that…please. You can question everything else, but not that…okay?”

Don’t make my nightmare a reality.

Afraid of what I’ll be faced with if I reopen my stinging eyes, I keep them shut as I wait for my firebender to respond and prepare for her to tell me that’s not good enough before walking away like everyone else has done in the past, unable to fight the lone tear from escaping when she embraces me without second thought instead and holds onto me tighter than she ever has—returning it with equal vigor and allow myself to meld into it, soaking up her soothing warmth until she leans back and cups my scarred cheek with her gauze-wrapped hand…her tender and missed touch granting me the courage to meet those intense gold-plated eyes of her again, and I force myself to stare directly into them as her thumb gently wipes away the wet streak staining my face, her penetrating gaze lacking a single trace of pity or judgement when she does—only witnessing acceptance and honesty reflecting back at me, and it’s reaffirmed by her softspoken words, “okay…okay, I hear you, and I see you…so I won’t question that, but we seriously need to talk, and I’d greatly prefer it if you didn’t shut me out this time—alright, Chief?…You’re also going to tell me who you sucker punched hard enough to warrant this nifty bandage of yours. I didn’t expect us to be twining this evening,” and I can’t suppress the weak roll of my tired eyes as she shoots me a playful wink, smiling when she lifts my mostly recovered hand between us to give it a thorough inspection and chuckle quietly at her cheesy charm as she flips it back and forth a few times like one of her famous hotcakes—feeling lighter than I have in days when she leans overs and places a lingering kiss on the top of my protected knuckles, shaking my head as she pops up and rubs it in with her own bandaged fingers…apparently fancying herself a healer now, “there. All better?”

“Yes, Captain…all better.”

…Now that you’re here.