Life Goes On

The Office

One week after the celebration

Lin had taken a week vacation to Ember Island, with Su and the family, to relax and focus on herself after working tirelessly day and night for a year. Today she was back in the office. Lin had never felt happier, her city was in order, her family was in order and happy and she felt rested and renewed. She was doing paperwork in her office, looking over police reports. Republic city had been quiet lately, not that she was complaining but it just seemed so still and quiet. One of her papers caught her attention. The report was of triad activity. Lin sighed, "The criminals never give it a rest do they", she thought as she poured over the report.

Suddenly her office doors opened and Korra and Asami came in. Lin stood up quickly a smile breaking her usually stern face. "Asami! Korra! I had no idea you guys were coming back." Asami and Korra had traveled the spirit world and all over the four nations doing "Avatar Stuff". "Beifong!" Korra laughed as she came around to embrace Lin. The Chief was hesitant at first but threw out her usual coldness and embraced the young woman she'd come to love. "We've missed you Beifong! Look at you all mushy now, taking hugs!" Korra smirked as she pulled away. Lin huffed playfully, "Well that's the last hug I ever give you." Lin smiled at the pair genuinely happy to see them safe, "What brings you two back here?".

 Korra and Asami's smiles faded. "I wish only a social call, but I'm afraid we've been seeing some Red Lotus supporters popping up in the other nations, and we've traced the leader back here to Republic city. It's not a huge threat, but I think we should stop it before It gets out of hand." Korra said. "Hmmmm...", Lin pondered hoping this threat could be easily shut down, she wasn't ready for another big fight after the last one they'd fought with Kuvira. "I'll see what the department has heard about this and get some officers on the lookout right away.", Lin reassured the Avatar. "Thanks, Beifong", Korra said with some relief in her voice. They sat and discussed all they knew on the group and began prepping some officers to be on the lookout.

A week into looking for the Red Lotus supporters and leader, Lin had found quite a few leads. She was sitting in her office pouring over the leads trying to think of a plan of action, when the door to her office burst open. A very upset and red faced Tenzin blew in talking a million miles a minute at Lin. Lin Looked up at him briefly, slightly irritated that he thought he could just burst in like he owned the place, then continued reading the reports on the leads. Tenzin kept ranting and venting at the chief and then he finally realized she wasn't paying any attention to him at all. Even more infuriated he yelled, "Lin! How could you not involve me in this Red Lotus investigation, and why didn't you tell me Korra was in town?!?!" Immediately he knew he messed up with shouting.

 Lin looked up sharply from her papers and stood up, she said in a venomous voice, "Excuse me Airhead!!! This is my office in my department, you DO NOT get to march in here in a tizzy because I didn't involve you in MY investigations, and it is not my job to inform you when Korra is in town! I am not your personal chief of police who is there at your every beck and call!", Lin shouted right back at him. Tenzin sat down immediately blushing with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I was upset and flustered, and I took it out on you.", Tenzin apologized. Lin scoffed at him, "Typical." She sighed, "Get out."

 "Now wait, I had a right to know about the Red Lotus threats. I am a board member of Republic City.", Tenzin argued. Lin sighed again obviously frustrated with this handsome, lanky man across from her. She sometimes wished he'd just take his stupid goatee and leave the city, so she'd never have to think about him or everything he put her through again. Snapping out of her thoughts, Lin said, "I have a report being sent to the Island as we speak if you would just be patient. You aren't my first priority you know." Lin said the last part with a lot of venom in her voice at the thought of all this man had put her through in their lives. Tenzin visibly recoiled at the retort Lin sent back, he felt the sting of her words deep in his heart. This was not the warm, giggly woman he had held a few weeks ago. This was the cold, hard woman that encased that warm woman Tenzin thought sadly.

Lin saw Tenzin react to her words and immediately thought maybe she'd been too hard on him, reasoning that he had been flustered, yet said nothing. She would not grow soft in front of the man who had broken and demolished her heart, he would never hurt her again. "Anyways, Korra was staying at Asami's house last time I heard, now if you don't mind I have quite a bit of work to do if you don't mind", Lin said coldly, but careful not to pack any venom behind her words. Tenzin nodded and started to leave, but then suddenly he turned around and said with very sad blue eyes, "Lin, I thought we were becoming friends again? What's the matter? What did I do?"

Lin took a deep breath to keep from exploding either in anger or in tears. She had been through a lot of pain in her life and this man before her was the cause of a lot of it. This past year where she had barely seen him or thought of him had been her happiest. She was finally feeling like she could let herself be happy again, then Tenzin storms in and tears it all up. "Tenzin leave please.", Lin growled. Tenzin started to plead, "Lin..." 

Lin continued with pain in her voice, "I can't pretend nothing ever happened Tenzin. I love Jinora and treat her well, I put up with your crap, I even sacrificed my bending for your family once, what more do you want from me?", Lin said barely choking out the last part her eyes bright with tears but, refusing to let any of them spill. Tenzin's eyes filled with tears and he started towards her saying, "Lin I- ". "Get out.", Lin interrupted him, turning on her heel and walking out of his grasp. She stared out the window as the tears spilled down her cheeks and heard him quietly turn and the door quietly click behind him.

As Tenzin exited Lin's office, he caught a glimpse of Feng going into Lin's office quickly without knocking. Feng was a tall muscular man about the same build as Tenzin. Feng had a full head of wavy black hair and two stripes of silver along the sides. His eyes were dark forest green, and his skin was an enviable olive. Tenzin growled under his breath, wondering who Feng thought he was, and what his business was with Lin. Tenzin stormed out of the police department and headed home furious and confused. Once He got home he tried to meditate, but Lin's pained face with her tears making her eyes glow, and the pain in her voice as she choked out, "what more do you want from me?" all rang around in Tenzin's head. He felt terrible, and he didn't know how to fix it. He couldn't focus, Lin's face haunted his meditation until he finally gave up and went inside.

Lin stared out the window trying desperately to get the tears to stop flowing. Tenzin's sweet voice pleading her name rang in her head. She was so angry that she had let herself lose control of her feelings. She was so angry that she had let Tenzin rattle her, and he witnessed her being weak and vulnerable. Lin heard the door open quietly. She was about to beat the crap out of Tenzin up for coming back, but when she turned around it was Feng.

 She quickly wiped her tears and composed herself saying, "This better be important Feng." He quickly walked over and said in a knowing voice, "Lin." She pushed him away and said exasperated, "Not now Feng, I'm tired of feeling weak right now. Not at work." Feng quickly recovered from the shove and caught her hand in his and squeezed it tightly. "Ok Lin but I am here. You don't have to be tough in front of me" Feng said in a comforting voice. She squeezed his hand back and gave him a crooked smile, "I know Feng, thanks." So, they went to work on the Red Lotus leads.