Hey. Thank you for reading. The story line is a little more complicated than any of the other parts, so if there is anything that isn't clear please pm me or review and I will try to make it clearer. So you can enjoy the story. I am saying this as I don't think I am a good enough writer to make my idea clear. I hope that you like it. By this point I think that you would have had to have read at least the part of the story before this one. For it to make sense.

Once Toph was strong enough to travel, and not just saying she was, Aang took them to the village at the southernmost point in the earth kingdom. They stayed there for almost half a year. Neither of them really wanting to be around people. They did have responsibilities that they couldn't stay hidden away from forever. There was a limit to how long two such important figures could stay away from the world from. That limit was starting to run out. Neither had said anything at first, but they both knew. Felt it, getting closer. Then day when they had to face it all.

"What can you see."

The sun had set over the horizon hours ago. Toph stood standing outside of the small house they were staying in. Her jaded eyes seemed to be focused on something on the horizon line, where the land met sky, but Aang couldn't see anything in front of her that would be of any real interest to her.

"There are two trees over there. Their root are intertwined."

The two intertwined trees had taken her interest, as they were both well over a hundred years old. They had seen so much, generations coming and going, war and peace. They had been connected, bound to each other for most of that time. Longer than any other living thing she ever knew of. There was something comforting in this connection. There was also something sad about it, something that she didn't quite understand.

As she had spoken she had become aware of Aang's arms wrapping themselves around her waist, and his head resting on her shoulder. This was the closest they had been in a long time. A shiver ran up her spine, as his chest rested against it. It was hard to tell if this was due to nervousness or excitement.

Aang didn't know what had made him do it, he just saw his wife standing in the moonlight, and he just wanted to be close to her. Especially after how distant they had been lately. "We need to sort out the rent, for this place. How much longer do you want to stay."

He wanted to bite back the words as soon as he said them. This was the closest moment they had had in half a year, and that was what he choice to say. Bring things back to reality. Why didn't he just say something like I love you, you look beautiful. Better yet he could have said nothing. Just enjoyed the moment, the intimacy.

Toph didn't answer right away as she took in the implications of what he said. The thought of having to face people again was not a pleasant one. She had been talked about since she became a known figure after the war, she was used to it that didn't make it any easier. This was so different too. People would no look at her with pity, like they used to, like her father looked at her.

"We need to face the world at some point. Better to get it over with."

Just like Aang, she for an unknown reason found herself acting without thinking. Crossing her arms, taking hold of Aang's arms, and leaning her head on his. Creating more of a connection, intimacy between them.

Aang turned his head to kiss her check. "If you're sure." She nodded a little, before leaning further back into his supporting presence.

They stood in the same position for a few minutes, neither wanted to lose their reacquired closeness. Toph felt his heartbeat against her back, which rested on his chest. With his hands resting light on her stomach, Aang felt every breath that she took in or out.

In bid to prolong this moment for as long as he could Aang spoke again. "Where should we go." He tried to make his voice sound as light as he could. Like it was a big adventure.

This question Toph answered almost right away "I need to go back to the academy, and the next meeting of the four nations will be held in Ba Sing Sa soon…."

"Are you ready for that, being there again seeing everyone." Aang tried to get a good look at Toph's face as she answered, but her hold on his arms held him in place.

"I have to be. I don't have a choice." She felt his eyes on her, so you turned in the opposite direction to avoid him seeing her face.

He released his hold on her waist, and lifted his arms taking hold of her shoulder. Slowly he turned her round to face him. Surprisingly she let him guided her movements. "You don't always have to be the strong one, you can fall apart too. I will be the strong one for you when you do."

She placed a quick gentle kiss on her husband's lips "Thank you...but if I stop, let myself fall apart ever...I won't be able to move on. Pull myself back together. I have to keep going, not let my..."

"That is what I am meant to do, I'm your husband. I should be able to put you back together."

For the first time in a very long time, a faint smile appeared on the grand master earthbenders face "You are the only thing that has kept me going this long, through everything."

Toph for only the second time in half a year placed a kiss on her husband's lips. This time it was deeper, and lasted longer. It was the first real kiss they had shared for a long time. As they deepened the kiss, Toph wrapped her arms around Aang's neck. Forcing his hands to leave her shoulders, and lower to wrap around her waist. He held on to her more tightly. No longer scared that she was going to break at the lightest touch.

When they slowly pulled apart, Toph placed her forehead against Aang's. Each letting out a small breath of air. She bit her lower lip, trying to stop a real smile from crossing her face. Her eyes, without her knowing gave him a look that he hadn't seen from her in almost a year.

"Are you sure."

"Yes."

They were a good mile away from anyone, and yet they found themselves whispering. They were both scared to speak to loudly, in case it broke the fragile intimacy that had been created between them. If one or eh other said to much, the wrong thing than they could end up undoing all the progress that had made just now.

"I want to be close to you again, I want to feel something. Instead of feeling numb."

The whole time she spoke Aang felt her heart rate getting faster, as she took a few small steps towards him. Till their chests were pressed against each other. He felt the same way she did. He just wanted to be close to her again, to feel alive, but he saw her more as a fragile flower, like her name now. If she ever found out how much he saw her that way, she would never forgive him. There where monument when he saw a spark of her real strength still there. They were what gave him hope.

Tilting his head up, he captured her lips in his. Lifting up a hand, her touched side of her face. As he pulled back, his hand ran through her hair. Her hands remained around his neck, holding tightly onto the neck of his robe now. Aang didn't say anything after that, her head moved slight again, towards his. He in one quick move, swept her of her feet and cared her back to the small house. They were reminded of their first night as man and wife. Toph rested her head in the crook of his neck, pulling herself closer. She was now able to hear his heartbeat clearer. Beating still in perfect rhythm with her own.