Toph Bei Fong had a depressed look on her face, as she always did recently. She seemed to gaze into the distance, even though she was blind. Toph never knew when the group turned their heads watch her melancholy sighs from a distance.

Although Aang was concerned for Toph, he often seemed just as concerned with his Katara problem. In his head, he always went over what he thought he should say to her. I love you Katara, even if you don't feel the same way back towards me. Every night, he thought about whether or not he should tell her, and worried about what she would say.

Aang perched himself atop Appa, waiting for Sokka and Katara to come back, much more the latter than the former. They had gone to hunt and prepare food while Aang remained lookout, hoping for the siblings to return. He looked around surprised see the bitter look on Toph's face.

"Hey Toph," he said just after he arrived on his air scooter, "How are you?"

"Walk next time, so I can hear you coming."

"How are you?" Aang repeated.

"Go away Twinkle-toes, we can talk another time," she said, temperature rising, and rock bending the earth beneath Aang to push him away.

"Oh, OK… Sooo what's wrong," He persisted.

"Why do keep asking?!" Toph's voice elevating.

"I just want know!" Aang complained.

"Then want to know when I'm not trying to sleep!" she shouted

Aang hesitated,"…But you're not trying to sleep, you're just sitting there." He whispered.

"Then maybe I'm trying to think!" She screamed, while she made a large rock tent knocking Aang onto his back.

Just then, Katara came running, "I heard something-Aang are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said while getting up, "I just fell"

Sokka soon followed screaming, "Katara! Make a fire! I got a fish!"

While Aang and Sokka stuffed their faces, Toph sat in front of the fire, merely eating bits and pieces instead of the usual eat 'till you drop. She seemed almost distracted.

That night, while Sokka snored and Katara lay peacefully, Aang contemplated on whether or not to tell Katara about his feelings the next day. What if she rejects me? What if she feels the same way? That's unlikely. What do I do? Aang looked around in despair, surprised to see Toph out of her rock tent, and decided that she could help.

Aang walked over to her, but was interrupted before he could speak.

"Aang," she said, "I know you're coming to continue asking me what's wrong, and I'm sorry about earlier. I wasn't thinking straight. I just feel so guilty. I've never had a friend before. Someone treating me like an equal is pretty nice, a friend is great, but a friend who treats me like an equal is spectacular. You guys took me out of hiding from the world, and gave me a life, a strange life, but still a life. I just have nothing to repay you with."

"It's OK," Aang comforted, "just being a friend is good enough, plus, you're Sifu Toph, being a teacher is more than a payment, that's like giving me a big favor," he said, seconds before delivering a toothy smile.

"Come sit down," she said, patting the spot beside her.

Aang sat down beside her, trying to think of a way to present his problem.

"Y' know, Twinkle-toes," Toph whispered, "You always were a good student, no matter how much of a terrible wimp you started out as." She started to lean in a bit closer. "And when you weren't being a student, and knocking Fire-Nation heads, you did pretty good for an Air-Bender." She was way too close now, but Aang didn't do anything to stop it. "Aang…"

Their lips were barely touching when he pulled away. "I'm sorry Toph, I just can't let go of Katara."

"Katara? She-"

"Please," Aang interrupted, "I know the ages twelve and fourteen may seem like a big difference, but what about thirty-two and thirty-four? I mean… I even kissed her once."

"What! Oh, so you're the shallow type? I'm right aren't I?"

"No," Aang was starting to sound like he was whining, "She's just always been there for me."

Toph was steaming now, "And what about when I saved you from all those Rock-Benders?"

"That was…"

"Was what? Different!" She was shouting now, in an all out rage, but Sokka continued to rest, undisturbed.

"I'm sorry Toph. Good-night," Aang said sadly, turning around to leave.

Suddenly, a rock hit his back with enough force to knock him off his feet. Just as he was rising, another rock came flying, only it was skinnier and sharper, piercing the back of his right shoulder, and protruding from the other side.

Idiot! Toph thought, thinking about herself, What was that for? Just injure your best friend because his idea of your relationship is different? "Katara!" she yelled, holding an unconscious Aang in her arms.

Katara was reluctant to get up at first, but when she realized what happened, she could only scream out in horror, "What did you do!?"

"It was an accident, can you just heal him, Sugar Queen?"

Upon returning with some water, Katara continued to rant, "What is your problem? Do you even have control of your bending? Of course you do… Why would you try and kill him? He's the Avatar! Our only hope!"

"I didn't try to kill him! I already said it was an accident"

Katara sighed, obviously trying to contain her anger, "I'm not a professional healer, so internal wounds could still be there. Hold onto his while I go and get some blankets. Don't move him, keep him warm, and try and hold off the rock-bending."

While Katara ran off, Aang started to moan, then, a word came, "Katara?.."

Toph did something she hadn't done in several weeks. She cried.