Chapter Text
“Lin!”
That was the last thing she heard before her vision was blinded by the light and darkness replaced the calming beauty. Did Tenzin try to hold her hand to keep her steady in the real world? How did he even manage to catch up to her when he was so far away from the portal? A sudden surge of energy pulled her deeper into the blinding lights and Lin surrendered to the unfamiliar terrain she risked her life entering.
Maybe going after Kuvira when she was still at the edge of the spirit portal wasn’t the best idea after all, she thought before numbness enveloped her.
‘What am I doing here?’
Her eyes cracked open more and the clarity began to settle, confirming her confusion. This certainly wasn’t her apartment. Why the hell would Tenzin bring her to Air Temple Island? He’s such an overbearing dunderhead. The only plausible reason she’s stuck in the dormitory is that her place was blasted into ash and dust from Kuvira’s super weapon. That should be fun to deal with.
But wait…
An aching pain limited her mobility, so her eyes conducted a scan of her surroundings and she almost shot up in alarm. This is too personal of a space to be the dorms, and based on the photograph frames resting in the distance, this is…
Lin’s jaw clenched and she forced herself in a sitting position, biting through the lulling pain. What was he thinking bringing her into HIS bedroom?! He’s a married man and for him to pull a stunt like this is extremely bold and stupid! ‘I’m going to kick his ass as soon as I get out of this bed.’ The moment she shifted, she let out a low groan into the room and settled back into the pillows to ride out the ache.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
Oh, no. Better not be Pema. She’s going to have a field day if she doesn’t already know her husband’s ex-girlfriend is recuperating in her bed. Well, she could still move her entire body so if she needed to engage in self-defense or be on the offense, Lin was comfortable in either strategy.
“It sounds like she woke up,” a voice rang out, closely approaching. Young. Male.
“I hope she’s okay,” a female voice responded. Also young.
“Of course she’s okay. Why wouldn’t she be?”
Hmmm…these voices are new. Probably just some acolytes. Maybe she can squeeze out some information from their intimidated peepers about why she’s been planted in Tenzin’s room and not a guest room.
“Good,” the young man greeted, a set of clothes on hand. “You’re not dead.”
The young girl beside him held a tray of water and a bowl with steam wafting in the air. She appeared to be around the male’s age and Lin noticed the similarity in their features, so they’re bound by biological relations. She didn’t appear scared or frightened or intimidated by Lin, but there was a flicker of worry or confusion in her gaze. If Lin examined them more closely, she thought she noticed some classic Beifong features, but quickly ignored the notion.
Lin sent them a flat look. “Who the hell are you? Some new acolytes or something?”
The boy just laughed, setting the clothes on the dresser. “Yeah, not falling for that one again.”
“Dad told us to get you some new clothes, water and a face towel,” the girl explained, lowering the tray onto the nightstand. “He’s talking to Aunt Su right now. He told us to check on you and make sure you're not trying to run around the island like you always do.”
“Seriously, who the hell are you two? I have never seen either of you in my entire life,” Lin retorted, impatience laced in her voice with the demand for answers.
“Kang and Areum,” they answered simultaneously, hoping the response would trigger a more positive reaction, but Lin’s expression remained unchanged. The twins glanced at each other, a seriousness suddenly clouding their gaze. Finally, Areum turned to Lin and added, “We’re your kids.”
Lin scoffed and shook her head. “That’s rich, kid. I don’t have any kids and I’m certainly not your mom.”
“She’s not lying,” Kang asserted, stepping closer to the bed. “I know we’re a crazy family, but we have our facts straight. If you think we’re lying, hold our hands and check our pulses.”
“I’m telling you I don’t have any kids.”
“And we’re telling you we’re your kids,” he insisted, extending his hand out with his sister.
Lin sighed, rolling her eyes. She grasped their hands wearily. “Okay. Talk. Now.”
“We’re your kids,” both stated.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump...
Truth.
Lin raised a brow. She could rationalize that both of them believed they were telling the truth when the reality was far from their own statements. But to have both steadily confirming their sincerity would be difficult to dispute, but not impossible.
“Mom, I know you can tell we’re being honest,” Areum said, her grip tightening around Lin's as if the statement would be absorbed and accepted into the woman's skin.
“For all I know, you could be some random kids who have this delusional belief that I could possibly be your mom!” Lin shot back harshly, releasing their hands and narrowing her eyes at the shocked expressions. “Even if I were your mom, who’s the idiot who turned out to be your dad?”
“Lin, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
Her glare redirected at the doorway, boring fire into the airbender approaching the bed. She pointed a finger at him. “What do you think you’re doing?” she growled between clenched teeth.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re still playing this game? Tenzin, why am I here?! I shouldn’t be here at all!”
“Of course you should be here. Why wouldn’t you be?”
“Because you’re married!”
“Uh, yes. I know that,” he said calmly.
“Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!”
“Lin, I know you’re probably still under some stress after—”
“Dad, something’s not right.”
Immediately, Lin froze from the acknowledgement and her gaze shifted between Tenzin and the new duo who were her supposed children. “What did she call you?” she asked, voice softer from the sharp tone moments earlier.
“He’s our dad,” Areum answered.
What? Since when did she and Tenzin have two grown children? As their supposed mother, wouldn’t she have known if she gave birth to them? Maybe they’re adopted. But that doesn’t account for the features that mirror hers…and Tenzin’s. Is this Tenzin’s dream? If it is, this is some sick joke from the universe. This can’t be real. She’s obviously stuck in some weird scenario and none of this is real. Any moment now, Korra or Su is going to shake her from whatever coma she’s been forced under for jumping into that stupid spirit portal.
“Kids, go and check on your siblings. I need to talk with your mother,” Tenzin said softly. The twins nodded, sending Lin an uncertain look before leaving the room. He settled himself at the edge of the bed, pain filling his eyes as Lin shifted to the farthest end of the bed away from him. “Lin…”
She draped one arm over her middle protectively. “You tell me what’s going on. Right now.”
“It may be more helpful if you tell me what you last remember. Anything from or before today. Then I can fill you in. How does that sound?”
Lin exhaled heavily and crossed her arms, leaning back into the pillow. “Korra got Kuvira out of that spirit portal and yet Kuvira still had the nerve to try and attack her. So I took a shot at her and got sucked into the portal. Then I woke up here in your bedroom. The end.”
Tenzin nodded, absorbing the information. “Do you remember who was there? When we were fighting?”
“Yeah. You, Su, Korra, Mako, Bolin, your kids—”
“Our kids.”
“No. Your kids.”
“Our kids.”
“Your kids.”
Tenzin conceded. “Okay. And who are my kids?”
“Jinora, Ikki, Meelo, and Rohan. But he wasn’t there.”
Tenzin jolted in his spot, startled at the names revealed to him. He made a face and instantly asserted, “Those aren’t my kids.”
“Yes, they are. I knew you always had a signature cut-and-run style, but I never pegged you as the type of man to reject your own children.”
“Do we have other kids?”
Lin threw her hands up. “No! We never had kids! That’s exactly why you broke up with me and married Pema!” she exploded.
“What?”
“You marr—” Lin swallowed before continuing, sniffling quickly and trying to even out her breathing. This was not a conversation that she wanted to have, especially when she had locked it away and tried to bury it from her mind and heart. Yet, even if she didn’t want to discuss everything that had gone wrong, the pain and sting in her eyes resisted her logic. She quickly wiped at her face and turned away, avoiding his gaze. “You have four children with Pema. Honestly, Tenzin, the past is the past and I don’t understand how talking about it has anything to do with me being in your and Pema’s bedroom. And the fact that there are two kids who think I’m their mom.”
She continued to avoid his gaze, still in the midst of gathering her own emotional bearings. Spirits, over a decade later and she’s still this worked up over everything? Pathetic. And now she will have to deal with Tenzin’s pity and him attempting to butter her up with some soothing words that will do nothing to heal or comfort the scars he inflicted on her.
“...because this is our bedroom, Lin…” he professed softly.
Lin laughed, sniffling and wiping away at the new trail of crystal water spilling at the corners of her eyes. “Yeah, maybe when we were teenagers. But that’s no more.”
Tenzin’s voice grew firm and he uttered, “Lin, you’re my wife.”
“...what?” Finally, her gaze averted and met his. Grey and green.
“We’ve been married for 29 years. We have four children—Mei, Jin, Kang, and Areum. The two who came in are our twins.”
“Hold my hand and tell me that.”
Tenzin reached for her hand and repeated all of his statements, truth flowing in his palms to hers. Lin’s grip loosened as she sat in her own pool of shock over the revelations. The airbender stood and ventured to the dresser, grabbing a photograph frame. Softly, he said, “These are our kids.”
There it was in black and white. She and Tenzin sat together in the middle with four attractive young adults standing behind them. One of the other children who had not walked in had his hand resting on her shoulder. All of them beamed with pride, confidence, and wisdom. Lin’s thumb ghosted over the loving family portrait as the sting in her eyes made itself known again.
“I thought for a moment you may have lost your memory…” Tenzin explained softly, studying the earthbender, “but this is something different entirely.”
Lin broke her gaze from the photo, meeting Tenzin’s with a glassy filter. Neither said a word and Lin wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad sign. A million thoughts and questions thrashed around in her head and she had no idea where to begin. Tenzin and those two kids were truthful in their statements and had evidence for it. What did she have? Emotional anguish over the past. That’s some real solid proof. No matter how deeply she searched for a response, she failed to reach an answer that could clearly explain the predicament she was in.
“Where’s Tenzin? I have to tell him something!” a familiar voice echoed down the hall, paired with heavy footsteps gaining traction as the figure arrived.
“Korra, what’s going on?”
“I want answers, Korra.”
“Yeah,” the Avatar panted, leaning against the doorframe as she took a few moments to catch her breath. “It’s exactly what you’re talking about.”
“Which is?”
“When Lin entered the spirit portal, it seems like an alternate version of her entered our world,” Korra explained.
“Yeah, the one where Tenzin broke up with me and had four airbending kids with Pema,” Lin remarked bitterly.
“Who’s Pema?”
Tenzin dismissed the question with a hand wave. “Long story. So if this Lin is from a different timeline, where is my wife?”
Korra took a deep breath. “I think she’s in that alternate universe.”