Six months ago, Avatar Aang died and Avatar Korra was born. The world had yet to meet his successor, and those who were closest to Aang were still reeling. Katara had moved back home to the Southern Water Tribe and Kya had followed her. She knew her mother needed someone, and with her brothers too busy working, it would have to be her.

When Aang passed unexpectedly, Tenzin was a mess. He assumed he had at least 10 more years with his father. He had shown no signs of illness, but being frozen for 100 years had finally caught up with him. "His body just gave out," the doctors had told him.

Lin had been his strength, getting him up in the morning, literally pushing him out of the door to get him to work. "I loved uncle Aang like a father, but we have to keep going, Tenzin. He wouldn't want us to just crumble. He would want you to keep living."

Tenzin grunted, but he continued to work on Republic City. There was so much to do.

Six months later, however, Tenzin had another responsibility he wanted to work on. "When are we having kids Lin?"

She didn't know. "Do we have the time? You're always going on about the Council. Crime rates are soaring now. The criminals aren't afraid of an infant avatar. Who is going to raise them?"

"Can't you just retire?"

She looked ready to grow a second head. "You think I should retire? Who's going to be Chief, and how would turnover right now help the city at all? Why not just say, we closed the police force, everyone for himself?"

They argued about it every day.

"I'm the last airbender. I need to continue my father's legacy."

"News flash Tenzin. We all are trying to do important work for the world. Your father dedicated his life to peace and harmony and that peace is breaking. I can't just leave the city in disarray. How would that honor his legacy?"

To make matters even worse for the couple, Bumi paid an unexpected visit. "They won't let me work until my arm heals," he showed up with it in a sling, "so I guess I'm stuck with you two."

Tenzin could hardly stand his brother. He just showed up whenever and mooched just to take off leaving a mess in his wake. How was he so damn irresponsible? "Great," he said dryly before he left the room.

"What has his panties in a bunch?" Bumi questioned.

"He didn't get his way," Lin said bitterly.

While Tenzin read reports in his office, Bumi pumped Lin for details.

"He wants me to quit working so I can have airbenders with him."

"The city's a mess right now. How is that supposed to work?"

"You tell me. I asked him and he just threw a tantrum. He didn't even try to look at my point of view."

"Maybe he just misses dad. Airbending was how they bonded. He probably wants a child to try and get that bond back."

"He never tells me stuff like that. I would at least understand, even if I couldn't give him what he wanted immediately. He just says he has to do it, implying that I have to do it too. I'm not the Avatar's son, but I have my own responsibilities. He acts like what I do doesn't matter at all."

"Do you want kids?"

Before she could answer he said ….

"Take Tenzin and airbenders out of it. If you had it your own way, would you have kids?"

Lin thought. "I don't know. I don't know if I could be a mother. My mother could barely handle it. She just worked all day and let us do whatever. My father, whoever he is, didn't bother to stick around. I don't know if I could be the primary caretaker for them."

"What if Tenzin raised them and you worked?"

She laughed. "He'd never agree to that."

"Why not? He wants airbenders. He needs to teach them the culture. You want to work. No offense to him, but it would be easier to find a competent new politician than a metalbender who can kick ass like you."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Lin said.

"Just talk to him. Maybe you two can find a middle ground."

Later that night, after a drink, Lin asked Tenzin if they could talk.

"You want to talk now?"

"We keep having the same argument Tenzin. I think we should try to resolve it instead of going in circles."

"Okay."

"I know you need to have airbenders. I also see why you're in a rush. No one saw your dad passing, and it was a wakeup call to how short life can be. You don't want to wait until it's too late and I can appreciate that, but I can't just drop everything I'm doing indefinitely and raise them. I have my responsibilities too, and we have to both be willing to give up some things if we want to be able to make this work."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Maybe I could take maternity leave to have children and then go back to the police force when the kids are old enough."

"Who would raise them?"

"You."

"What about the Council?"

"Can't you just endorse one of your staff to run and take your place when your term ends? You talk about how great that Jing guy is all the time."

"You want me to leave the council?"

"I don't think I can raise them by myself. My parenting examples are Toph and 'insert blank name.'"

Tenzin tried not to laugh, but she had a point. "I guess we could work with this."

"Good, now let's get to bed. We both have to work tomorrow."

Tenzin hit the lights.

Over the next few weeks, Lin and Tenzin made a plan. Since the month the child was born could influence his or her bending, they would try to conceive between December and February to try and get an autumn baby. It was June, so they had six months to try and get the city back in order and for Lin to try and interim chief before they started trying to have kids.

It was during the summer when Pema told Tenzin she was in love with him.

"I appreciate your honesty, but I love Lin."

"But she hasn't had any children with you, and she hardly seems like the mothering type."

"I know. She isn't, but we managed to find our own middle ground."

Pema knew it was lost and left before she started to cry.

Tenzin felt bad for the girl, but he knew he made the right choice for him. Pema was young. She would love again, but Lin had his heart for too long. He wouldn't be able to pry it back from her dead cold fingers.

Six months later, Lin was puking. "Airhead, I'm gonna kill you!"

Tenzin came running in. "What did I do?"

"You knocked me up you jerk!"

Tenzin grinned. "I could just kiss you."

"I just threw up."

Tenzin made a face. "Do you think it's an airbender?"

"Let me check my crystal ball?"

He frowned in confusion before he realized she was mocking him. "Haha."

"I doubt we'll be able to tell. It's like the size of lentil right now."

"A lentil?"

"It was in my parenting book."

"You have a parenting book?"

"Bumi sent it to me."

"Really?"

Lin showed it to him.

Bumi had written a message in the inside cover

"Hey Linny. I saw this in the market and thought you could use it, well if Tenzin ever unwraps his pecker and learns how to use it. Maybe you could give him a good lay. He's so stressed out. If you have a boy, you should totally name him after his favorite uncle. Tenzin will love that."

Bumi

"I'm going to kill him," Tenzin growled.

"Then I'll name the baby Bumi in his honor, even if it's a girl."

Tenzin's mouth dropped.

"Just kidding. Mom already told me if I name my baby after a family member, it better be Toph."

"She would say that."

"She also said if I have an airhead, she's going to call it Twinkle Toes III and I'm going to be Mrs. Airhead Bei Fong."

"Does that make me Mr. Airhead Bei Fong?"

"Would you take my last name?"

"Would you marry me?"

"Maybe."

"Then maybe I will."