Chapter 4: The niece and the aunt

When Lin showed up at the Future Industries tower looking for Asami, she wasn't expecting to be pushed aside by a receptionist.

"Im sorry Chief Beifong, but Miss Sato has a busy schedule and if you don't have an appointment there is nothing I can do for you". Lin was starting to get annoyed by the situation.

"You don't understand, I need to talk to Asami, it's a family matter" the woman looked up, she pushed her glasses up and said

"Miss Sato doesn't have any family" Lin felt insulted at the statement, but of course there was no way for this woman to know that she was talking to her bosses aunt. When lin was about to start yelling, she was distracted by someone calling her name

"Lin" the voice called, she turned around to see the person

"Korra?"

"What are you doing here?"The young avatar asked, Lin turned back at the receptionist saying

"I'm trying to see Asami, but this lady is not letting me in" Korra walked closer to the desk and said

"Chief Beifong is with me, Im Avatar Korra and I have an appointment with Asami Sato at 6:00 pm" the woman checked a list of names on her desk and said

"Miss Asami is not expecting Chief beifong, but I'm going to let her in just because you are the Avatar" Korra rolled her eyes and pulled Lin's hand, guiding her to Asami´s office. Lin was surprised on how well Korra knew the place, like she had came here a million times before. They stepped in to the elevator, Korra pushed the button for the 47 floor. They started going up in silence until Korra decided to start a conversation

"So, Lin, what brings you here?" Lin crossed her arms, by the way Korra acted around her she guessed Asami haven't told her anything about the discovery of Lin´s father.

"I'm here for a… personal matter" The Avatar raised her eyebrows curiously, Lin only crossed her arms and continued

"I didn't knew you had to make an appointment" Korra snorted

"Yeah, Asami is always busy, since she started working on the city we don't see each other as often" Lin didn't say anything she knew Asami and Korra had something going on with each other, it made her smile, her niece´s life seemed to be on a good track. The elevator continued up until they reached their destination.

For Lin´s disappointment there was another receptionist in this floor, but this time the process was way quicker, after confirming Korra´s appointment the receptionist leaded them in to Asami´s office.

"Miss Sato, Avatar Korra has arrived"

Lin spotted Asami in the corner of the room, hunched over a table, she could hear the clicking of the letters on the typewriter. The head of Future Industries didn't bother to look up when she said

"I'll be done in a second Korra, just wait, I have to finish this before we can talk" The avatar laughed saying

"I will have to interrupt you this time, because you have another visitor" Asami looked up form her work, when she saw Lin her expression changed

"Oh, Lin, I wasn't expecting you"

"Yeah, your recepcionist made that very clear" she said laughig slyly.

"Spirits, I'm so sorry, I will have to do something about her" Lin smiled, Asami´s expression showed nervousness, but also a bit on embarrassment, as if the young woman felt a bit of shame in her presence.

"You won't have to do that" Asami got up from her spot and said

"Do you need something? I can ask my assistant to get you some tea, come on, take a sit" Lin couldn't help but stare at Asami´s face. At that moment Asami´s eyes meet with her´s. The girl was the living image of Yasuko Sato, but the hint of Hiroshi was still there, on the nose and on the shape of the face. that feeling she was becoming so familiar with reached back to her senses, Asami is her niece. Lin is now in the presence of the last blood tie she had with her father.

"It's okay Asami, I just wanted to talk to you about what you said the other day" she started, Korra looked at the scene in confusion, she saw how Lin looked at Asami and how different Asami acted around Lin.

"Okay, what's going on here? Did something happen that I don't know of?" the avatar asked, Asami broke eye contact with Lin and said

"Korra, it's a long story, I was going to tell you everything tonight" Korra turned to Lin in confusion

"You guys are scaring me" Lin chuckled, Asami laughed nervously

"Korra, Im sorry but I really need to talk to Lin right now, maybe we chat tomorrow? This is important" Asami said, Korra´s confusion quickly changed in to worry

"Is everything okay here? Are you alright?" she asked Asami, placing her hands on the other girl´s shoulder´s. Asami gave Korra a tranquilizing smile she grabbed borth on Korra's hands and said

"Yes, don't worry, I will tell you everything in detail, but for now I need to talk to Lin alone, it's a personal matter" Korra nodded, she exchanged her goodbyes to Asami, she threw an angry look to Lin and then walked out of the office.

There she stood, all alone with Asami. The girl that had been the starter of the most emotional tree day´s of Lin´s life. The Chief of police couldn't help but feel ashamed for not responding to Asami that day when the girl told her how glad she felt after knowing they were family.

"Asami, I'm so sorry for ignoring you that day at my office, I was… is just that…" Asami looked at the ground, embarrassed

"No Lin, I guess I shouldn't have said that, It was to soon" At that moment, Lin did something impulsive, she reached over and pulled Asami into a hug, this took the engineer by surprise

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything, and I also wanted you to know that I'm glad for the fact that you are my niece" Asami hugged back, pressing her head on to Lin´s chest.

"I'm so happy to hear that Lin, I was scared you wouldn't want to see me as family, especially because you are the only family I have left" Lin felt her eyes getting watery, but she didn't allowed herself to cry, Asami had been through a lot, and she was not here to give her niece another problem, she was here to be supportive, to stand by her side.

They broke apart from the hug and standed there just looking at each other, Asami smiled sweetly at her saying

"There some more things I have to tell you, see, I made some research by talking to some of the older mades at home and I found a bit more information about my grandpa, I can tell you if you want" Asami waked to her desk

"Of course I would like to know" Lin answered pulling the chair to sit, but Asami didn't sat as Lin expected, instead she grabbed her car keys

"Also, there is a place I would like you to see"

Lin followed Asami, the girl took her in to her car (The latest Sato Mobile with a special chrome red color, the only one in existence Asami explained). Asami didn't say were they were going, instead she drove calmy, telling Lin everything she knew about Satoru. Apparently Satoru´s wife didn't know about the fact that he had a daughter until way later, wen Hiroshi had Asami. At the moment, wen he held his granddaughter Kanto accidentally said aloud that Asami reminded him of his daughter, that's when the problems started, he divorced from his wife and latter on he died wen Asami was 5 years old, his wife died a few years later.

Lin looked out the window of the car, Asami pulled over a place that Lin was not so familiar with, the Republic City cemetery. Lin had only been here a couple of times, she only came to support co worker´s on family member losses, but never for a family member of hersel (her uncle Sokka was buried in the Avatar memorial just like Avatar Anng, and when the time comes for her mother Toph and her aunt Katara, they would be buried there two).

The sun was starting to set, making shadows along the tombstones. Asami lead her to the west side of the cemetery, the place reserved for the wealthy citizens. She followed quietly until Asami stopped in front of a mausoleum.

"Here we are, Lin, I present you the place were all my family members are buried" Asami said, her voice was low but she sounded well collected, Lin inspected the tombstones, almost immediately she spotted her father´s. She took her time to read the inscription

"Satoru Kantoshito Sato, working man, loving father, rest in peace"

Lin kneeled down in front of the gravestone, she took off the police badge form her uniform and placed it on the grave whispering "I'm sorry I wasn't able to meet you, rest in peace old man". Wen she stood up she noticed how all the graves were clean and had fresh flowers placed in a base, by the way Asami behaved in the place she could tell she probably came here regularly, it made Lin´s heart twist. That's when she saw Asami, she was looking down straight to her father's grave. Hiroshi Sato had died a hero of Republic City, but judging by Asami´s face she probably didn't felt that.

"How was he with you?" Lin asked, making Asami snap out of her thoughts.

"Well, my grandpa passed away when I was young so I really don't remember much, but I hear father said he was very strict" Lin looked down at Hiroshi´s grave.

"I wasn't asking about my father, I was asking about yours" Asami´s shoulders dropped and Lin could feel how the atmosphere changed

"He… wasn't what I thought he was" Asami commented, but she wasnt melancolic, it was more like she was angry. Lin inspected the grave stones, by Hiroshi´s it was Yasauko´s, she saw how Asami eyed her mother's grave

"My dad wasn't good with emotions, ever since my mother died he wasn't sure on how to raise me so he gave me what he could, all the luxury any child could want, the best education a parent would give, private engineering classes, toys, dresses, jewelry, but there was one thing he never gave me, his time" Lin saw how Asami tightened her fist

"He was always busy, he never had time for me, that's why I always do everything I can to make time for the people I love, even if it's just a few minutes"

Lin stared at Asami´s gaze realizing that this wasn't the same little girl that sobbed in the courtroom. Asami was over everything life had thrown at her, disappointment, death, sadness, hate, she was over all of it, all that was left was a strong young woman with great ideas and a strong will to make a bright future for herself and those around her.

"He was so strict with you when you were little" she commented, Asami nodded

"Yeah, he was very strict, but he loved me Lin, I know he was not right all the time, but I accept that, he was still my father and without him I wouldn't be where I am today"

Lin stared down at the headstones. Satoru Sato, his wife Misato, Hiroshi Sato and his wife Yasuko, all buried here. Asami was looking at her mother's gave, the young girl wore a sad expression in her face but she was still strong. Lin on the other hand felt like crying. She couldn't help but feel angry, it was all really unfair, Asami was a sweet young woman, why have all this horrible things had to happen to her?

A few tears escaped Lin´s eyes. She walked closed to Asami, placing a hand on her shoulder she said

"Listen Asami, I know that after everything that happened with Opal I dont have the best record as an aunt, but I will try my best to be there for you in anything you need me for" Lin´s voice cracked

"I promise you that with me by your side, I won't let anything make you suffer anymore". Asami's eyes started to tear up and she threw her arms around Lin

"Thank you Lin"

"You can call me aunt if you like" Asami laughed, wiping a few tears away with her palm

"Thank you aunt Lin"

Autor´s note:

Should I make another chapter? Would you guys be interested on reading it? I have a few Ideas on Lin wanting a photo with Asami to display in her office.

Anyway´s, my final thought on this fic, Toph´s version on the ordeal is left out for you guys to imagine. Was Kanto a bad man? Why would Toph push him away from Lin? You are free to answer those questions.

Also I wanted to show the more sensitive side of Lin with her protective and motherly side, I don't know if I pulled it off well, but I did my best.

With Asami I tried to keep it simple. I placed little hint of her relationship with Korra on this chapter but I didn't wanted to expand to much on it, since everything is on Lin´s perspective I didn't wanted to go to far from that.

This is probably the last chapter on this fic unless you guys want more. Thanks for reading and thanks to Brike for providing us with such great character´s.

All characters and settings belong to Brike and Nickelodeon, I own nothing.