Takes place within the first week after Zuko joins the Gaang.

New Fears

She tossed and turned in her bed. She was having another nightmare. This was the third night in a row, but they never got better. Suddenly, she let out a scream, and instantly woke up. She wiped the sweat from her face, breathing deeply. It was just a dream, she kept repeating over and over in her head. After catching her breath, she jumped out of bed, feeling footsteps.

"Toph!" Aang yelped as he entered her room, aiming his staff and looking for the danger, "What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," she said quickly, "I just…I fell out of my bed."

"Oh," he said, lowering his staff and relaxing, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, you can go back to—" she stopped as she recognized a second set of footsteps. Just then, Zuko appeared in the doorway.

"What's going on?" he said seriously.

"Nothing," Toph insisted, "You guys can go back to bed now."

Aang nodded and walked back to his room. Before leaving, Zuko gave Toph a skeptical look, but unable to read the blind girls face, he shrugged and went back to his bed. Once the vibration ceased, Toph took a deep breath and got back into her bed. She closed her eyes and pulled the warm covers over her face. Her heart was still beating violently.

"Hey Toph!" Teo called down from his glider. Toph jumped as he called to her, dropping the bowl that Katara was filling with hot soup. The hot liquid spilled onto her feet.

"OW!" Toph screeched, "What's your problem, Teo?!"

"What?" he asked innocently, landing down next to the girls. Again, Toph jumped in surprise.

"Quit doing that!"

"Doing what?"

"Sneaking up on me," she explained, "Hello, I'm blind. Surprises don't exactly do well with me."

"Oh, sorry," he looked at her apologetically, then rolled away. Once he was gone, Katara looked at Toph suspiciously.

"What was that all about?" she said. Toph shrugged.

"What?"

"Why were you yelling at Teo?"

"He snuck up on me!"

"No, he just landed next to you. Usually you are okay with that," Katara said, then she looked at Toph closely, "Why are you acting all jumpy?"

"I am NOT jumpy! Jeez, why is everyone picking on the blind girl today?!" Toph threw her arms up in frustration and went to Aang.

"Come one, Twinkletoes," she said, grabbing onto his shirt and dragging him behind her, "It's time to practice your Earth Bending."

"Umm, okay," Aang said, taken aback by Toph's spontaneous demand. She spent the rest of the day in this grumpy attitude. Everyone was baffled at her behavior, but none of them knew what she was really feeling inside.

"Hey, Aang, got a minute?" Sokka asked. Aang nodded, and they both went into their shared room.

"So, what's up?" Aang said as he sat down on Sokka's bed.

Sokka sat down and asked the question burning inside everyone's head, "Aang, have you noticed that Toph has been acting…"

"Weird?" Aang suggested.

"Yeah"

"Well, now that you mention it, she has been acting a bit odd lately. One minute she's barking insults on my Earth Bending technique, next she's freaking out because I threw a rock at her in a practice duel. So yeah, she has been really weird."

"That's what I thought. I talked to Katara yesterday, and she can't explain it either. Although," Sokka added, "I did hear some murmuring from Toph's room last night. I didn't go in, because… well, Gran always taught me to never go into a girl's room at—"

"The point, Sokka?" Aang reminded him.

"Right. Well, it was pretty unclear, but I think I heard Zuko's name. I'm not completely sure though," he quickly added before Aang jumped to any conclusions. They were both silent for a moment, but then Sokka's eyes got wide. He began, hesitantly, "You don't think…"

"…she's dreaming about Zuko?"

"Oh. That's not what I was thinking. Yeah, that makes much more sense than…well, never mind," Sokka said, quickly. "Wait," he said, an idea hitting him, "Toph doesn't…you know…like Zuko, does she?"

"What?" Aang said, surprised, "She doesn't…she couldn't…but…she…noo. She wouldn't love Zuko. He's like, four years older than her."

"But if she's dreaming about him…"

"No way…" Aang said. Toph would never, in a million years like Zuko. Although, she was very keen on letting him join the group. "Well, what about the jumpiness?"

"Oh, come on, girls are always jumpy and nervous around guys they like. And she's been avoiding him. That's a classic crush symptom."

"Since when have you been a girl expert?" Aang asked, curiously.

"That's not important. The important thing is that Toph likes Zuko."

"WHAT?!" Aang and Sokka turned around to see none other than Zuko standing in the doorway.

"Zuko!" Aang said a bit fearful, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to tell you that Katara finished making lunch. But what's this I hear about Toph? She…likes me?" Zuko had to swallow hard after that last sentence. Most people would think it cute that a 12 year old girl would crush on a 17 year old boy, but when it's Toph that's crushing on Zuko; that was enough to make his stomach turn. "That's crazy," he said as he sat down on the bed.

"Sokka heard her dreaming about you," Aang explained.

"Yeah, I don't lie," Sokka said, as if it made a difference.

"But if she likes me… then—" Zuko paused, still trying to process the news. Before anyone could say anything more, Katara came into the room.

"What are you guys doing?" she said, irritated, "Lunch is ready and we are all waiting…" she paused, seeing their faces, and assessed that they were talking about something serious, "What's going on?"

"We think—" Sokka and Zuko slapped their hands over Aang's mouth before he gave anything away.

"N-nothing," Sokka rushed, "We were just talking about…guy stuff," Even Sokka furrowed his eyebrows, wondering why he chose those words.

"Okay…" Katara said, not really wanting to question anything more, "Well, just hurry up with your…guy stuff."

"Okay, thanks for stopping by!" Sokka said cheerfully, anxious for his sister to leave.

Once she was gone, Zuko whacked the back of Sokka's head, "Way to keep it cool, Sokka."

"Sorry, I panicked," he said, rubbing his head, "And it's Aang who almost slipped up."

"Well excuse me for being honest," Aang defended, causing the other two to roll their eyes, "Why can't we tell Katara about this?"

"Because," Sokka said, "Katara is a girl. And so is Toph—"

"Barely…" Zuko said under his breath.

"—and when girls find out a secret, they tell other girls about it; especially if it's about a guy."

"Oh…"

Zuko was pacing back and forth in his room. He had just come back from lunch, and he noticed that Toph avoided him again. Of course, he was avoiding her too, but it didn't make a difference. He looked at her all through lunch, but she never once looked in his direction. He knew, from being around Mei all the time, that girls often try and take a peak at their lover. So, what was wrong?

A lot of what Sokka and Aang said was true, but some of it just didn't make sense. Toph supposedly had this huge crush on Zuko, but she was never 'flirty' and she never looked at him. The whole avoiding part was true, but it was too true. Zuko put his head in his hands. Just trying to figure this out was giving him a headache.

Well, it was possible that Toph didn't like him, wasn't it? Maybe she was avoiding him for a different reason. Maybe she was mad at him. Zuko frowned, remembering Sokka's comment about her dreaming about him. Usually, one doesn't dream about a person they are mad at. But then what could it be?

Zuko was thoughtful for a moment. There were so many aspects to this scenario, it was hard for him to process it all. Suddenly, he remembered something and slapped his forehead.

"She's blind!" he said, feeling stupid, "No wonder she never looked in my direction; she can't even see me! Wow…"

"Toph, can I talk to you?" Zuko asked, hesitantly.

Without looking up, Toph responded, "Umm…okay."

Zuko stood in her doorway awkwardly. He wasn't sure if he should sit on her bed or not. That's where she was sitting, and with any other girl, he would sit next to her. Although, Toph was not like any other girl. He could sit next to her, with the risk of being thrown out of the room, or he could stand in her doorway like an idiot. He decided to risk it.

"Well, Aang, Sokka, and I were talking…" He started, not really knowing how to come about the topic, "And they told me…umm…"

"What?" Toph said in her "not really caring" voice.

"I…uh…was noticing that you were acting…a bit strange, and I was wondering…if it was because you had certain…feelings for me…?" Zuko mentally kicked himself. He was making this so awkward.

"Excuse me?" Toph said, not really believing that he just said those words.

"I was..uhh...getting the vibe that you liked me…"

"You think I WHAT?!" Toph said, immediately standing up, "Where did you get an insane idea like that? I don't…ugh!" Toph shuddered. How could he possibly think that she liked him?!

"Well, Sokka said he heard you say my name in your sleep, and—" he said quickly, standing up.

"Sokka?" Toph was still trying to grasp the concept, "I'll admit I may have been acting a bit off, but that doesn't give you guys the right to watch me while I sleep! And that doesn't mean I—" she paused to swallow, "like you! Now get out!!"

"Nice going, Sokka," Zuko said, barging into Sokka's room, "Toph now thinks I'm some kind of creep."

"So you talked to her?"

"Yes, I talked to her, and—"

"Oh, so are you two a couple now?"

"What? Ugh, no! What I've been trying to tell you is that you and Aang were wrong." he said loudly to catch Sokka's attention. Sokka looked up. "When I asked Toph if she liked me, she openly said no and kicked me out of her room."

"Well, how do you know she wasn't lying?

"Believe me, she wasn't," he said, assuring Sokka. Sokka shrugged and went back to polishing his sword. Zuko stood there thinking. Sure, he was glad that Toph didn't love him, but something still didn't fit. If that's not the reason why she was acting all weird, then what was? She even admitted to acting odd, but she still won't say why.

"Hey, Sokka," Zuko started, as an idea formed in his mind. When Sokka looked up, Zuko continued, "You don't think Toph is…afraid of me, do you?

"What? No way. Toph's not afraid of anything…well, except drowning. But you're the opposite of water anyway.

"Seriously, think about it. She's been acting all jumpy and preoccupied. She's obviously scared of something. And the way she's been avoiding me? Remember when I accidentally burned her feet? I think I really scared her."

Sokka's face slowly turned from confused to understanding. "Wow, Zuko. You're right," he said, "Toph…is afraid of you."

Toph sat on her bed, fuming. How could Zuko think she liked her?! She was never flirty, never giggled like a stupid airheaded girl, never did anything to give the impression that she liked him. He was seventeen for crying out loud! Toph groaned loudly. This was just another thing to add to her list of problems.

"Is this a bad time?" Sokka asked, then entered her room without receiving a response.

"What is it, Sokka?" Toph said, annoyed.

Sokka sat down next to her and asked, in the most comforting way he could, "Toph, is there something going on with you and Zuko?"

"Oh, you mean the fact that he thinks I have a huge crush on him, then yeah," she said, nearly yelling. Then she added, "And I got a problem with you too. Since when is it okay to listen to me while I'm sleeping?"

"I was worried about you!" Sokka defended, "So is everyone else. You've been acting weird for the past week, and we were just wondering what's up."

"Well, that's none of your business, now is it?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. Katara tells me about how you yell at Teo, and Aang said that you were being really tough on him. Whatever issues you have with Zuko, you need to let go of it."

"You know what, Sokka? I—" she snapped, then paused, trying to find the right the right words, "I—" Sokka looked at her, curiously. Her normally unreadable face looked different, as if she was contemplating something. Finally, in a very quiet voice, she whispered, "I can't" She sounded like she was on the brink of tears.

"Oh, Toph," Sokka said, putting his arm around her. Of course, she pushed it away.

"It's just, I've never been burned before," she said. She already was breaking down, so she might as well tell Sokka the whole story, "And Zuko burned my feet. I've never felt so vulnerable before, even when I'm in the water. I know it was an accident, but living the life I have lived, I learned that mistakes can always happen; I just won't be able to see them coming. The fact that Zuko is living with us, the fact that he can attack me at any time and I won't see it coming, that's what scares me."

"But you can feel him, can't you?"

"Yes, I can feel Zuko, but I can't feel the fire he's bending. Fire doesn't make vibrations. I can feel the heat, but by then it is too late. Most people think drowning is my worst fear, but it's fire. And there's a fire bender living in the next room. I just feel so…unprotected."

"Toph, Zuko is our friend. He would never attack you. He may have tried to hurt us in the past, but he would never even think of it now. You have to believe that."

"I do, Sokka," Toph said desperately, trying to make him understand, "But the fact that he already did it… I can't forget about it. I've never really complained about it before, but for the first time, being blind is scaring me. If Zuko is holding a fire ball in his hand, all I'll see is him holding his hand up. It feels so risky being around him."

Sokka sat there, next to Toph, trying to figure out what to say. He was never really the advice giver. Katara had actually said that he was rather bad at it. But with Toph, Sokka had never seen her so distressed. As he had said earlier, he never knew her to be afraid of anything. Seeing her like this, he felt as though he had to say something. But what does one say to a blind girl afraid of fire?

"Toph, Zuko will never hurt you. He told me about when he burned you, and he felt really bad about it. You should give him a chance to prove himself to you. And you should also learn to get used to him, because he's going to be here for a long time."

"Thanks Sokka," Toph said, partially meaning it, "I guess your attempt at advice helped a little."

"Any time Toph, any time."

"Hi," Zuko said quietly. Toph didn't respond. "Sokka told me about what you talked about." She still didn't respond. Zuko, not really sure where to put himself, walked in front of the bed so he was facing her. Once he thought about it, it didn't really matter where he stood. Still getting used to Toph different abilities, he realized that she would be able to "see" him, no matter where he stood. Nonetheless, once he was right in front of her, he began "Toph, I'm truly sorry about burning you. I hope you'll forgive me."

Toph sighed, "Zuko, it's not that I don't forgive you. I do. It's that it's hard for me to trust you, or rather be around you."

"I know, and I guess I deserve that. If I really wanted to prove myself to you all, I shouldn't have fire bended. It's just I thought you were fire nation. I am wanted, you know."

"Yeah, I guess I understand. I still feel uneasy though."

Zuko thought for a moment, then said, "If it helps, you could sometimes watch me and Aang practice?"

"How would that help? I would probably be terrified to death!"

"Well, you could…I'm not sure how to say this, but you could try 'feeling us' really hard, and see try to tell the difference between fire bending and just fighting. I'm not sure there is a difference, but I'm sure you can find one. You are the greatest Earth Bender I know." It seems like that did the trick, because Zuko saw a smile form on Toph's lips.

"I guess I could try…" Toph's thought for a moment, then brought up her worry again, "But what if you guys mess up or something? What if fire accidentally comes in my direction? I won't know until I'm burned."

Zuko put a hand on the young girl's shoulder and assured her, "Toph, I promise I will do whatever it takes to make sure you never get burned again."

Again, Toph smiled, "Thank you, Zuko." Then she did something Zuko didn't expect at all: she leaned over and gave him a hug.

"I thought you didn't hug?"

"Stop ruining the moment!"

The End!

Just a message to you all: This was NOT Toko! Some parts seem like it, but in my mind, Zuko is more of an older brother to Toph. That ws the message I was trying to get at.

Thanks so much for reading!