Severance

Epilogue -Lin

I didn't remember much about my mother. I hardly even remembered what she looked like, and if it weren't for one single picture, I wouldn't remember at all. My father would spend hours telling me all about her, how she helped save the world from peril with her witty remarks and quick thinking.
I wish I could've been around for that. Instead, she died when I was three years old. I had never been told how or why, yet I had never asked either.
I was fifteen now, and my younger sister was thirteen. I thought it was time that the both of us got answers.
I walked into my sister's room, and sat next to her softly. It was the middle of the night, though I couldn't help myself.
"Su... hey, wake up"
"Get... out..."
"Su, wake up, now"
She groaned, and turned at me. "Lin, it's the middle of the night. What's so important that you need to wake me up for?"
"I need answers"
"Answers about what?"
"About mom!"
"Oh my god, can't this wait until morning?"
Su was only a newborn when mom died, she'd never gotten to make memories with her. I, on the other hand, could remember things very vaguely.
"No." I stated, just staring into her eyes. She sighed, and nodded. She understood how important this was to me. We had spent multiple nights talking about this, and I just couldn't wait any longer.
We both stood up, and quietly made our way into our father's room. I knocked, yet received no answer, so we went in.
"Dad? Dad, wake up!" We both yelled, sitting next to him.
He sat up quickly, yelling. "Ah! What, what?!"
"Hey, chill out, nothing's wrong. We just want to talk"
"Oh no... I'm not ready for the birds and the bees you guys. Okay, but-" he started
"No! That's not what we're here for!"
"Oh... okay, what is it?"
"We want to talk about mom"
I watched his face go from tired and confused to wide awake.
"Girls, it's the middle of the night"
"Please..."
He sighed, and held his head in his hands. "Alright, what do you guys want to know?"
"The truth"
He looked at me, then closed his eyes as if trying to find a place to begin. "Lin, you know how much I love you, right?"
"Of course. Why?"
"I'm not your dad"
My eyes widened, and I just stared at him, not saying a word.
"Wait, if you're not her dad, then..." Su started.
"I'm your father, Su, don't worry. Just stay quiet and let me explain, okay?"
"Alright"
"You remember the stories of the war we all fought in? Well, after it was all done, we went our separate ways. I didn't see your mother for years... at your Aunt Katara's wedding, I met up with her for the first time in years. She was so beautiful, I couldn't take my eyes off of her"
"Oh come on dad, oogies"
"Right, sorry. Well, at the time she had a boyfriend. His name was Hina, and Lin, he's your father. She got pregnant as a teenager, and had you. She wasn't allowed to stay with you, though. Until you were about two, you stayed with your grandparents. Well, obviously your mom and Hina broke up because I came into the equation"
"Look at you being a heartbreaker"
"Definitely. So I came into it, they broke up, and your mother and I started dating. We both had loved each other for a while, so it was only a matter of time. But the problem was, I was already in a relationship"
"With Aunt Suki?"
"Yup. And I never told your mom that I was, she thought we had already broken up. Well, we spent a few months together and eventually I got caught up in my lies... and your mother left me, though at the time she didn't know she was pregnant. That's where you come along, Su. She hid the pregnancy from me"
"Why?"
"She didn't want to take me back, but of course she did eventually. Who can resist me? Anyways, after you were born her and I got together. We were all one big happy family..."
"So what happened?"
"Well your mother was chief of police before I was, and she was investigating a pretty serious case... the people she was investigating found her, they didn't want her ruining their plan. She didn't want to put you two in danger, so she gave the case up. Well, it wasn't enough. The day they went through with their plan, they came after you, Lin. We don't think they knew about you, Su, though we never confirmed it. Your mother died protecting you"
"Why would they come after me?"
"To take away the only thing precious to her. Girls, your mother loved you more than anything. She would've done anything to protect you two, and she did. Su, she blocked any access to your room. Lin, she used herself as a human shield to save you"
"So... it's my fault that she's-"
"No, don't you dare even go there. It wasn't your fault. Anyways, when I eventually got to the house, I found you all. Lin, I thought you were dead. You were in your mother's arms, and you weren't moving. Obviously you weren't though, and I took the two of you to safety. Your mother wasn't so lucky, and we tried everything to bring her back. It was no use"
I looked at my sister, not knowing what to say. Sokka wasn't my real father? My mother had died with me in her arms? I didn't even know what to say. How could he have kept this from me for so long?
I thought for a moment, and looked at Sokka. "So, if you're not my real father... then where is he? Hina, I mean"
"No idea. He abandoned you, Lin. I know I may not be your blood, but I hope that you can still see me as your father..."
"Of course, dad" I smiled, and hugged him. Su joined in, hugging the both of us.
"Girls, your mother was the bravest person I've ever known. She may not be here with you, but I know that she's watching over you, and she would be so proud of the both of you"
"Do you miss her?"
I saw the sadness in his face and immediately regretted asking. "Yes. Every day I hope she'll walk into the door, and all of this will have been a dream. But it never is."
"I miss her too... sometimes when I'm sleeping I dream of her. I remember a few things with her, though not very much."
"Well I hope you remember how amazing she was, and how much she loved you."
"I do"
"Alright girls, it's time to go back to sleep"
We both nodded, and stood up. Neither of us knew what to say, so we simply walked out and back to our rooms.
Laying down in my bed, I stared up at the ceiling. Even though I didn't remember her much, I could say that I missed my mother without hesitation. Yet, Sokka was right. I knew she would be proud of me, and I only hoped that I would always live up to her expectations. After all she did for me, I couldn't let her down now.