Thank you for reading. I hope that you will like the second to last part in the story. As this part is not a rewrite, it may take a bit longer to up-date. However it does mean that if you want to you can tell me any ideas that you would like to see in the story. As I don't know much about this subject any help is very welcome.

The sun beat down on the water as it slowly moved further up the beach. Soon it would be high tide and the water line would come all the way up to the edge of the veranda. Many of the houses on the far side of the ember island were build right on the edge of the water for this very reason. The sliding door onto the veranda that made the whole of one of the four walls of the bedroom of the house was opened fully. On the far right corner of veranda, Aang sat crossed legged. He sat at such an angel that he could watch the water lapping at the last few inches of the beach and the figure that lay in the large four poster bed to his left.

Sheets of red tinted seer material hung around the bed. Through this Aang from the corner of his eye watched the rising and falling as the figure breathed in and out. He had left his seat by the bed to sit on the veranda with the intention of meditating. This plan had quickly been given up on. Try as he may he could not help opening his eyes a little and turning to watch her. Giving up a few minutes ago he remained on the veranda as the slight breeze was a welcome change to the stuffiness of the room. Even with the door opened all the way the room still felt like it got no air running through it.

He was a little surprised that she was able to sleep in the bed in the heat of the day with even sheets pulled tightly around her, even if they were rather thin. After just an hour of arriving here Aang quickly remembered why he tried his best and had been very successful in avoiding the fire nation in the height of summer.

It wasn't like he had had much of a choice in their stay her. Toph had not had much of a say either. After she was sick for the third time in just over an hour over the side of Appa's saddle she had no ground left to stand on, figuratively speaking, about being well enough to keep traveling. The trip in the first place had not been their choice. After word had spread only a few days after Toph and Aang found out about the sudden major change that was about to happen, they had no choice but to visit their friends. They had demanded it. Sokka and Suki were the closest and therefore first stop.

A few days before they left to visit Zuko and Katara, Toph had started to feel unwell. She was sick in the morning, as was normal. Over a few days it got progressively worse. At first she would be fine by around midday. Then around lunch. Now she didn't seem to get better. She couldn't keep anything down, which left her tired and weak. All of this they were told was normal. Some women just had morning sickness worse than others. It should pass in time. I around two months from now. Normally two months didn't seem that daunting, but now it seemed to stretch out in-front of them.

After stopping in the ember islands and finding somewhere to stay the next thing Aang did was send a message to Zuko and Katara letting them know what had happened. He had received a message back from Katara that morning. She told him that she was leaving immediately and would be with them in about a day and a half. That meant she should be arriving here before the end of the day.

He had not told Toph about this as she went straight to sleep once they arrived. Once awake she had tried to eat some soup and spent the night bring it up. Now she was asleep. So he never had a chance to tell her. He knew she wouldn't be that happy about having Katara coming to look after her, and the sooner he told her the better it would be. He just couldn't bring himself to wake her up to tell her. When she was sleeping it was the only time when she didn't feel unwell.

Taking his eyes off the waterline as it final reached the veranda, he turned to fully look at her. Her back was turned to him, but just as his eyes landed on her she rolled over onto her back. Even without the sheet pulled over her, it would be impossible to tell she was pregnant. It had only been a month, but he still assumed she would be one of the women they had heard about that never really seemed to show. She was so small and slit it was hard for him to imagine her with a large stomach. He did a little want to see her like that. It would be such a change.

She seemed to be waking up and her hand that rested by her head twitched a little. Pulling himself on to his feet he was about to go and get her some bread and water. He hoped she would be able to keep it down, she must he hungry. He only made it two steps into the room when the candle on the bedside table closest to Toph burst into life.

"Toph!"

Quickly the earthbender shout up. Pushing the sheets off of her. The full force of the heat of the room and the fire burning next to her hit her fall force. The flame from the candle sprung up in a straight line that just touched the roof above. Then just as suddenly as it had burst into life it died away.

Aang moved quickly to her side sitting on the edge of the bed with his hands on her shoulders. "Are you ok."

Her bright eyes had widen in shock. More to do with Aang's sudden presence by her side than the candle exploding to life, because of course she hadn't seen that. "What happened."

Aang felt himself relax a little. "I think you just firebent the candle by the bed."

"What….how is that even possible." She felt his head lowering. Slowly she lifted her hand and placed it on her still flat stomach. It still amazed her that a new life was growing inside there. "That makes less sense. "You are alive, and you had better be for a very long time. I am not doing this on my own. It is all your fault anyway…."

"Sokka said that you would say that, but not till…..ouch."

He was silenced by a light punch to his arm. Removing his hands from her shoulder, he rubbed the spot she had just hit. Even though it didn't really hurt. It was more of an involuntary action. "This is not the next avatar, and it can't be a firebender."

"I know…." Another thing he had been told from Sokka was not to say what he was about to, but he didn't see any other way to explain what he thought was going on. "I think…maybe it's your, maybe….ouch."

Again he was stopped mid-sentence by a light punch to his arm. "I get it. You could have just said that."

"I was told not to."

"I thought you would have learned not to trust everything Sokka says by now."

Neither laughed, but they each smiled a little and let out a breath. Relaxing a little. "Do you want me to talk to Ro…."

"No. I think the less that I know the better."

He knew she didn't just mean about the spirit world stuff, she meant about the pregnancy as well. Taking it all as she came was the way she dealt with things. It had worked out fairly well for the most part up till now. As long as she talked about things if she had a problem. Then he didn't feel the need to push her to change.

He gave a small nod. Realising that the time had come to tell her. "Well, Katara should be here…"

"Katara!"

"Yeah, she'll should be here by the end of the day."

"Katara."

"I had to tell them what happened. Plus she is the best healer in the world. I know a little, very little…"

"I don't need someone babying me."

"She won't baby you."

"It's Katara."

"I know…"

"It's Katara. You do remember her don't you. I can't descript her other than she is taller than me. Has two children and likes to Mother everyone." Her voice rose a little as she went on.

Aang laughed a little under his breath. Toph got a crease between her eye brows when she tried to stop her voice from getting to loud when she was angry, like she had just been doing. Despite the fact that she only did this when angry, normally at him, Aang thought it was cute.

"If you want I can let her know not to come." He used his most gentle voice.

"How are you going to do that. She'll already be more than half way here by now."

He let out another nervous laugh while rubbing the back of his neck. "Um…I could take Appa and meet her half…"

This time he was silenced by a quick kiss. "You're kind of cute when you're nervous like that."

"How would you know." He laughed.

She smiled as she pulled back a little. "I don't. I just hope you are. I may not see you, but everyone else sees you, and I'm seen with you."

"I didn't know you were so vain." She shrugged a little. Relaxing and feeling better as they talked and joked. "Good thing your beautiful then isn't it." He crossed the gap between then, kissing her. "And, I am cute."

She smiled and rested her forehead against her. "Thanks."

He slowly moved his forehead from hers. He did this reluctantly. Her forehead was hot and a little sweaty. That of course was to be expected. A sly grin crept across her face as he got an idea about what he could do to help her. Cool her down.

Moving off the bed he quickly took hold of Toph. One arm around her back and the other under her knees. She called out his name in shock but didn't put up any fight. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled at this small gesture. She trusted him. Trusted him to lift her off the security of the earth.

Walking over to the veranda he stopped for a second on the edge. Looking down at the cool bright blue water below. Holding her a little tighter he bent his knees and jumped into the water. Toph let out a small yell as she felt Aang take off into the air. The next thing she felt was the water splashing up into the air and touching her hot skin. When he straightened up his legs she felt the bottom of her white nightdress being weighed down a little from the water.

"Airhead." She breathed out through a wide smile.

Matching her smile, Aang dropped his arm that held up her legs. She let out a small yell as her legs up to her knees were immersed in that cool water. His other arm remained wrapped around her waist. As did hers around his neck. Lifting his now free hand he took hold of the side of her face. Tilting and lowering his head he leaned in to kiss her.

His hand ran down through her hair, till it met his other hand. Once hands had been joined, and their lips had parted, he lifted her up. Out of the water and spun her round. Her hold tightened as she fought back a laugh. When he stopped spinning her round, he still held her up and kissed her again.

A little while later then moved back through the water and sat on the edge of the veranda. Feet hanging of the edge touching the water as they swung their legs back and forth. Toph lay her head on Aang's shoulder. This comfortable position lasted for a few minutes till all of the sudden movement forced Toph to bring up all that was left in her very empty stomach. Aang spent the rest of the evening till Katara arrived apologising. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time.

I hope that you like the chapter. The candle thing I wasn't to sure about, I just need a way into the conversation they had to have. As I said before any ideas that you have are very welcome.