Disclaimer: I don't own A: TLA, and as wonderful an idea as it is, I don't own Irohbucks either.
Tea: a necessary staple in the Blind Bandit's diet ever since the meeting with the Dragon of the West. Toph loved her ginseng tea, especially when it came from the only Irohbucks in Gaoling. She sighed and shifted her weight from one bare foot to the other. This line was far too long for her liking. As if he noticed her impatience, the person in front of her turned around.
"Are you the Blind Bandit?" He exclaimed softly. Toph nodded as if that were the most obvious thing in the world. "Would you mind if I bought your tea for you?" He asked eagerly. Toph nodded again.
"Just make sure it's ginseng with no cow-bison milk, no cinnamon, no ice, nothing fancy at all. Just the tea." She stated boredly, and plopped down into a chair at a nearby table. She drummed her fingers on the table as she waited, and as soon as the young man sat down in front of her, she snatched her tea out of his hand and took a long swig. "That's just the way I like it," She sighed gratefully, then brought her fingers up to her temples and closed her eyes. The young man's eyes glinted dangerously.
"Are you all right?" He asked cautiously. Toph nodded and waved it off.
"It's just a headache; it'll go away after a while." She responded, taking another sip of her tea. Her headache, however, did not go away. She finished her tea, and then stood. "See ya 'round." She stated, not really meaning it. She stumbled towards the door and pushed it open, but before she could take a step further, she passed out, right there in the doorway.
-The next day-
Toph groaned. "Where am I?" She muttered, trying to sit up. A splitting pain pierced her lower abdomen. "Ow... What happened?" She lay back for a minute before attempting to gather her strength and stand, albeit very gingerly. She hitched up her pants, which she noticed were sitting lower than she was comfortable with, and slowly made her way back to her house, where she was greeted by all of the guards on watch and very worried parents.
"Where were you?" Her mother shrieked. "You said yesterday you would be back soon, but apparently you were secretly meeting someone, because you didn't come back until now!" Toph's sightless eyes widened in shock.
"Mother! I am not like that!" She yelled, crossing her arms. Her father narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms in response to the yelling, though her statement was ignored.
"I guess we were wrong then, dear, when we decided to introduce this heathen to the visiting dignitaries tonight at dinner." He addressed his wife, who nodded, then turned to Toph, "You are no longer our daughter. Leave the grounds immediately." He turned and strode back into the large Bei Fong household, his wife following close behind. Toph stood there, stunned. A guard, not much older than Toph, tapped her shoulder.
"Uh, miss? We need you to leave, please." He requested firmly, but quietly. Toph nodded, then turned and walked away from the house she could no longer call home. She walked aimlessly around Gaoling, before deciding to go to the one person she would not have to cross an ocean to visit: Iroh.
She set off, arriving in the Fire Nation capital about a month and a half later. She barely made it past the open gates of the Fire Lord's palace before she was surrounded by the sentries on watch. They handcuffed Toph and dragged her roughly to the throne room before Iroh, who sat with a Pai Sho board on the table in front of him. He glanced up when he heard a retching and a splattering noise and the sounds of his guards grumbling in disgust.
"What is this? You bring me a young lady and don't alert me to her presence until she's sick?" He asked, amused. "You are dismissed." He commanded. The guards left, and Toph looked up and seemed to stare Iroh in the face.
"Sorry for puking on your rug, Iroh." He walked around her, careful to avoid the puddle of sick. He produced a ring of keys and unlocked her handcuffs. Toph massaged her wrists and made to stand up, but retched and heaved again. When she finished, she wiped her mouth off and stood up. Iroh smiled.
"It's just a rug. I was hoping to get a new one, anyways. Would you like to join me for some tea?" Toph nodded.
"Anything but ginseng, please. Last time I had ginseng tea, I got a heada--" She stopped and clapped a hand to her mouth, apparently set on not throwing up again.
"I understand. Ginger tea helps with nausea, if you would like some." Iroh offered Toph his elbow and escorted her to the dining hall, where, by the vibrations she felt, she could tell that there was a teapot and a few cups already waiting on the table.
"Were you like, expecting company or something?" She asked, her voice beginning to rasp. Iroh guided her to a chair, then sat down himself before answering.
"It does not hurt to be prepared." He busied himself with pouring two cups of boiling water, then added the newly invented teabags. He handed Toph's ginger tea to her, and she took a small sip of the mildly flavored tea.
"Man, the original Iroh is better than Irohbucks." She commented jokingly, then furrowed her eyebrows. "Where's Sparky?" Iroh laughed at the nickname.
"So that's what you call my nephew! If I remember correctly, he is currently visiting Avatar Aang and those lovely Water Tribe siblings. He should be back within the week." Iroh took a sip of his own tea before continuing. "Is there any particular reason you decided to grace me with your presence?" Toph winced slightly and brought her cup to her lips.
"Um, yeah…About that…I was wondering if you could let me stay here until I find a place of my own, because I kinda got disowned and I don't know why." She set her cup down and propped her chin in her hands. Iroh reached over and patted her shoulder lightly.
"You are welcome here as long as you need." They sat in silence as they finished their tea.
When they finished, Iroh stood and motioned for Toph to do the same, before remembering she was blind. "Please, come with me," he requested, before leading her down a series of hallways. Toph memorized each step they took until they stopped in front of a door. Iroh pushed open the door. "This is the room you will be staying in for now." He explained. Iroh wished her goodnight, then turned and tramped further down the hallway, disappearing behind a door of his own. Toph walked into the middle of the room and noted where each piece of furniture felt like it was before collapsing on the bed and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.
-The next day-
Toph was brought her breakfast by a maid that she guessed was younger than herself, and by the way her vibrations felt, she set something bowl-shaped down next to the bed.
"Miss Toph? Fire Lord Iroh said to bring you your breakfast. He said you might not be feeling well after all of your traveling. This bowl is for in case the nausea overpowers you again. The palace healer should be coming to see what's ailing you later." She turned to leave, but Toph reached out and caught her shoulder.
"Tell Iroh I said thanks for all the hospitality." She rasped, having lost her voice overnight. The maid curtsied then left, leaving Toph with her breakfast of toasted bread and a steaming cup of ginger tea. When she brought the almost burnt bread to her mouth, however, she was overcome by the urge to vomit, though she had almost nothing in her stomach. She tossed the bread back onto the tray and leaned over the edge of the bed, but the splattering on the floor told her she missed the bowl entirely. As she sat up and ran the back of her hand over her mouth, the door opened with a bang and someone wearing metal-plated boots stomped in. "Hey, Sparky," She croaked. Zuko stormed over to the bedside, ignoring the protests of his uncle.
"Why weren't you at your house when I went to visit you yesterday? And what are you doing here, of all places?" he raged. Toph crossed her arms and opened her mouth to answer, but Zuko continued. "When I asked for you, the butler said," Here, he took an irritated sounding squeaky voice, "'I am sorry sir, I do not know who this Toph person is. You had best try somewhere else.'" Toph held up a hand to keep him from continuing.
"First, I was disowned, and I have no idea why. Second, Ido not like crossing oceans, and third, I'm—" She gagged, and Zuko toed the bowl over the fresh puddle of sick as she retched so she didn't miss again and further mess up the carpet. There was a knock on the open door, and a tall woman poked her head in the room.
"Miss Toph, are you up to seeing me? I'm Kelde, the palace healer." Toph nodded, and the woman stepped through the doorway then addressed Zuko, who's face hardened at seeing her. "Highness, I need to ask you to leave, please." She bowed lightly and moved out of the way of the door. Zuko obliged, albeit stiffly and almost too formally, and stepped out of the room, hands clasped behind his back. Toph felt the bed dip down near her feet as Kelde made herself comfortable.
"Fire Lord Iroh told me you were feeling nauseous last night, and I can tell you still do, am I right?" Toph nodded slowly. "How long have you been feeling like this?" Toph thought a moment before answering.
"About a month. I had to stop a lot on the way here to heave. If I wasn't sick, I would have been here earlier than yesterday evening." Kelde nodded and made a note on a piece of parchment.
"When was your last monthly bleed?" Toph's eyebrows scrunched up in thought as she struggled to remember.
"Two months ago. Why are you asking me these questions?" The healer made another note.
"Just for precautions. Do you have a significant other?" Toph shook her head.
"Are you saying I'm—" Toph began, but Kelde shook her head and started talking again.
"I don't know. I'll have to check up on you every once in a while. I just have a bit of advice for you: until your nausea and vomiting go away, keep drinking liquids. It wouldn't be good to be dehydrated, with child or not." Kelde stated before standing and leaving the room.
A/N: If I am flamed, I don't care. I will laugh and feed them to Hopeh-wa. She likes them flames. (Flamers, too! She eats them for breakfast.) Thanks for betaing, Chibi Muffin!