DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the characters from Avatar. They belong to Nickelodeon. I do however own Katara's nickname as well as the other nicknames in this story. If anyone wants to use them, please ask me first.
May the light of God shine upon everyone and keep them safe as well as the power of water be with everyone always.
Lauren
A/N: I want to let everyone know who reads this story that while Toph may seem a little ooc, I wrote her that way for a specific reason. Like Toph, I am also visually impaired and very stubborn, so I like to reflect myself in her when I write Avatar stories. I see myself in her when I watch the show. I'm just letting everyone know that right off the bat, so they can enjoy the story while still understanding why I did it this way.
"Let Me See What You See"
Katara sighed as she rolled over, trying to get some sleep. She was having trouble and it didn't' look like the young waterbending master was going to get to sleep anytime soon.
As Katara rolled over for the umpteenth time, she noticed that she wasn't the only one awake.
"Toph?" Katara asked, sitting up on her elbows and glancing over at her little sister, "Toph, are you okay?" Katara's concern quickly switched from her insomnia to the blind bandit.
"Uh-huh." Toph replied, but she knew that Katara wouldn't buy it.
Katara smiled knowingly in the moonlight and patted her lap.
"Come here. Come and lay with me."
Toph took a few minutes to think about this. She could either lay there and try in vein to sleep, or take Katara's offer and have a cuddle with her big sister. Toph weighed the decision in her mind for approximately three minutes before getting up and joining Katara.
As Toph sat down, she felt Katara put an arm around her and pull her close.
Toph snuggled in and rested her head against Katara's shoulder. She had always wanted a big sister and Katara was a great big sister figure for her. But as Toph lay there, feeling safe and loved, she realized that she had become a part of a new family. She missed her parents, but she had gained another family. A family that consisted of an annoying brother, a best friend and an over protective, but sweet older sister who would do anything for her. And as this realization hit Toph, she smiled and sighed contentedly.
"Toph?" Katara asked, starting to stroke Toph's hair.
"Yeah?" Toph asked, relishing in the safety she felt whenever she and Katara had cuddle time together.
"Why couldn't' you sleep?" She asked, starting to pat Toph's shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Toph nodded.
"Yeah. I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep I guess."
"Well," Katara said, musing this for a moment. "How about a story?"
Toph scoffed and let out a giggle.
"I'm too old for a bedtime story," she said, giving Katara a Look.
"Who says?" Katara countered, pulling Toph close. "You're never too old for stories. I still love listening to Bato's stories as well as my grandmother's."
"Whose Bato?" Toph asked, curiosity in her voice.
Katara smiled fondly.
"Bato is my…he's my…my father's best friend. He's the best. He tells the best stories and gives the best cuddles and he always listens."
Toph nodded.
"He sounds cool."
"He is," Katara confirmed. "Believe me. And hopefully, after the war is over, you'll be able to meet him."
"I hope I do," she said.
There was a few minutes of silence before Toph broke it.
"So what story are you going to tell me, oh wise waterbending master? I'm all ears."
Katara play swatted Toph in the arm for her comment and Toph giggled.
"Well, listen my child and lend me your ear." Katara said, her voice taking on a low and mysterious tone.
This got them both giggling.
After the giggles had stopped, Katara reverted back to her normal tone and continued.
"Did I ever tell you about the first waterbenders?"
"No," Toph replied, truly intrigued now. "Who were they?"
Katara smiled lovingly down at Toph as she began her tale.
"Well, my grandmother used to tell me stories about them. The very first waterbenders were the ocean and moon spirits. They pushed and pulled the water as one, taking turns in their water dance. Soon, when Humans came, the moon and ocean spirits taught them the art. And thus, waterbending was born."
"That's cool," Toph said, truly impressed. "So where do the waterbenders get their power from?"
"Strength," Katara corrected, patiently. "Strength, not power."
"Strength," Toph repeated.
"And to answer your question, squirt, the waterbenders get their strength from the moon. We get it from the ocean as well, but the moon and the ocean work together, so they both help."
Toph nodded and grinned. She hadn't even noticed that Katara had used a nickname for her.
"I liked that story," she said, closing her eyes softly. "When you were describing how the ocean and moon spirits worked together, I could picture it in my mind's eye. I saw it happening and it looked so beautiful."
Katara nodded and took in what Toph had just said.
"So you could picture that all in your mind and see it like Aang and I see? Only in your mind's eye."
Toph nodded.
"Yup."
"That's amazing." Katara said, truly amazed by Toph's ways of getting by without eye sight.
A few minutes of silence passed between the two before Toph broke it once again.
"Thanks, Katara." She said, smiling sincerely.
"For what?" Katara asked, taken aback.
"Thanks for the story."
Katara nodded.
"It's okay. Believe me, it's my pleasure. I like spending time with you, squirt."
.Toph smiled.
"Me too, Tara," she agreed. "Me too."
Katara grinned.
"Tara, can I ask you something?" Toph asked, a little unsure of herself.
"Sure," Katara replied, getting a little more comfortable.
"Can I touch your necklace?"
Katara was silent for a long time. She had to really think about this and choose her words carefully. Her mother's necklace meant a lot to her and she wanted to keep it safe. At the same time, she wanted to give Toph the opportunity to learn about her past. They were family after all.
"Katara?" Toph asked, still feeling unsure. "Tara, it's okay. I don't have to. I-I'm sorry I asked. It was rude."
"No," Katara said, finally coming out of her thoughts. "It's okay. Just be really careful, okay? This necklace is very special to me."
Toph nodded and reached her hand out. She hesitated, her hand outstretched. She didn't want to hurt Katara's most cherished possession.
"It's okay," Katara assured her, her tone gentle and reassuring. "You can touch it. Go on." She placed Toph's hands gently around the band of it and watched as she felt every inch of the fabric, right down to the carved waterbending symbol that hung from the neck.
"It's beautiful," Toph said, taking her hands away carefully. "Thank you for letting me feel it. If you don't mind me asking, who gave it to you?"
Katara became silent at this. She missed her mother very much and the subject was always hard for her to talk about. But she decided that Toph had a right to know.
"My mother gave it to me." Katara replied, her voice soft and a note of tears in it. "My mother was killed in a fire nation raid when I was eight."
Toph was speechless. She had no idea and now that she knew, she felt a pang of sympathy in her heart for the waterbender. She still had both of her parents and she couldn't imagine what losing them would be like.
"Katara, I-I'm sorry," Toph said, her voice quiet and pensive. "I didn't' know."
"It's okay," Katara assured her, wiping a few tears away from her eyes. "I miss her a lot, but she's watching over Sokka and I now."
Toph nodded, but she still felt bad. She was about to change the subject when another question entered her mind.
"What about your father?"
The instant the words left her mouth, Toph sensed Katara's mood change from sad to slightly irritated.
"My father's fighting in the war, along with Bato." Katara replied, stiffly.
Toph nodded. She had noticed when Katara had mentioned Bato, she had sounded worried, even concerned. But when she had mentioned her father, she had spit out the word like it tasted bad.
Toph wondered why this was, but dared not ask.
Katara was too quick for the blind bandit though and practically read her mind.
"Toph, it's okay. I'm not mad, at least not at you. You can ask me whatever you're holding back."
Toph gasped.
"How did you…I mean I wasn't even…" Toph's voice trailed off as she stared at Katara in amazement.
Katara laughed softly.
"It's called ESP, squirt. Extra sisterly perception."
Toph giggled.
"I like that," she said, pushing a lock of her jet black hair behind her ear. "All right, what about your father?"
Katara became quiet at this, but she knew she had to answer. She sorted out her thoughts and chose her words very carefully. She was very angry at her father, but she needed to express her feelings in a way that wouldn't' scare Toph or make her resentful of Hakota when she, Toph, met him.
"My father wasn't there for me," Katara started, her voice as sad as it had been when she had told Toph about her mother. "After Mom died, he started neglecting and ignoring me. He didn't even…he didn't even say good bye to me when he left for the war. Bato did though, but he didn't' leave for four months after my Dad did."
Toph nodded.
"That's rough," she commented, not knowing what else to say. "And I complain about my Dad being there for me too much."
Katara patted Toph's shoulder reassuringly.
"It's okay. You didn't hurt my feelings. I promise. Bato was there for me though and I consider him my Dad. I don't call him 'Dad, or anything like that, but we're really close. He also calls me, squirt."
Toph nodded. She then asked, "Why do you think your father did that to you?"
Katara sighed.
"I'm not sure. I think it's because I look a lot like my Mom. A lot of people in my tribe and even at the North Pole, said I was the spitting image of her."
"Katara, can you tell me what your mother looked like, please?"
Katara was silent at this, which lead Toph to believe that she had asked the wrong thing.
"I'm sorry. Just forget it."
Katara shook her head.
"No. It's okay. I don't mind describing her for you."
Toph smiled.
"Thanks, Tara."
"Let's see…where do I begin?" Katara thought aloud, trying to figure out where to start.
"Just describe her as you remember her. Help me to see what you see when you remember her."
Katara nodded and tried her best to do as Toph requested.
"Well, I look a lot like my mother, actually." As the words left her mouth, Katara blushed and made a weird sound that told Toph she was embarrassed for saying it that way.
"Katara, it's okay. I know what you mean. Go on. I'm listening. Come on, sis. My mind's easel is blank. Paint a picture for me."
Katara smiled, feeling relaxed as she started describing her mother to the blind bandit.
"Well, we're both tan skinned and have blue eyes. My mother had beautiful brown hair that she always wore in a braid. It flowed down her back like the rippling waves. My hair is the same color as well. I wear my hair the same way too."
Toph nodded, fully immersed in the picture Katara was creating for her.
"My mother always had the most beautiful smile," Katara continued, smiling herself, at the memory. "Her smile could light up a room and it always cheered me up whenever I was upset or in a bad mood. You could never stay mad when you were with my Mom."
Toph smiled.
"What about her personality?" Toph asked, wanting to know as much as she could about Katara's mother.
Katara smiled.
"Well, her personality is a lot like mine. But without the temper." Katara giggled at this, as did Toph. "I got that from my Dad."
Toph nodded in understanding.
"My Mom was always ready to help anyone with anything they needed. She was always ready with a hug or a comforting word or advice. She was the best. I loved her so much and I miss her a lot."
Toph nodded. She had one more question for the young waterbending master.
"Did your mother have a special name for you?"
Katara nodded.
"Yes. She called me her precious angel. I never forgot that name and when I have a daughter, I'm going to pass it down to her."
"Thank you, Katara," Toph said, truly moved by what Katara had just described to her. "You really helped me. Thank you for letting me see your mother through you. I know it must have been hard for you to tell me that and I want you to know I really appreciate it."
Katara nodded and gave Toph a hug.
"No problem, squirt."
The two embraced and Katara gave Toph a kiss on her cheek.
As the two sisters pulled away, Toph got a sly smile on her face and play swatted Katara in the shoulder.
"What in the whole South Pole was that for?" Katara exclaimed, giving Toph a Look.
"That was for calling me, squirt." Toph said, her smile widening. "We're gonna have to work on that nickname, sugar queen."
"Oh, we are, huh?" Katara asked, a sly grin crossing her face.
Before Toph could make any moves to defend herself, Katara had launched a tickle war on her.
"Stop! Stop! All right! I give up! I give up!" Toph exclaimed, giggling so hard, she had started to cry.
"What are the magic words?" Katara asked, laughing herself.
"Katara is the best waterbending master in the whole world!" Toph shouted, still laughing.
"Nice try," Katara said, letting up a little bit, but not entirely. "Try again."
Toph knew what Katara was getting at and decided to play it safe.
"Katara is the best, bravest, wisest and prettiest big sister in the world!"
"That's more like it," Katara said, ceasing her tickle attack. IT was only when she stopped tickling Toph, did she realize Toph had added two more things to the list. Usually, if Katara and Toph had a tickle war, Toph only said that Katara was the bravest and wisest big sister in the world.
"Okay, Miss Toph, what do you want?" Katara asked, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm down.
"What do you mean?" Toph asked, trying to play innocent.
Katara narrowed her eyes, but she was smiling.
"We all know that when you compliment me like that, you want something. Now out with it."
Toph still refused to admit what she wanted, forcing Katara to assume a tickling motion again.
"Okay, all right, you got me." Toph said, not wanting to be tickled again for awhile. "I wanted you to sing to me."
Katara nodded.
"Why didn't you just ask me?" She wondered, patting Toph's shoulder. "I would have been happy to do that for you. I don't mind at all."
Toph nodded and shifted uncomfortably.
"Sokka said that I was too old for lullabies."
Katara glared over at Sokka, who was sleeping soundly as usual.
"He's wrong. You're never too old for lullabies. Come here, sis."
Toph did so and laid her head in Katara's lap.
"What songs do you know?" Toph asked, closing her eyes and getting comfortable.
"I'm going to sing you a song that my mother sung to me every night since I could remember. And before you say anything, I'm okay doing it. I enjoy sharing my mother's traditions with family."
Toph nodded and grinned.
After Katara was done singing, Toph was almost asleep. She had one hand at her side and she was holding Katara's right hand with her left one.
"Thanks, Tara." Toph said, her voice full of sleep. "That was…pretty."
"Shh," Katara soothed, stroking Toph's hair and planting a kiss on her cheek. "Shh, just try and sleep. Sweet dreams, Toph. I love you." With that, Katara patted Toph's shoulder, closed her own eyes and fell asleep to the sweet sound of her element in the distance. She and her family were safe and one of the three most precious people in her life was safe and sound in her arms and Katara wouldn't have it any other way.
THE END