Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender. No profit is being made from the posting of this fanfiction.

Summary: Two-shot sequel to 'Letters'. Toph's reconciliation with her parents after the war.

POPPY

Poppy Bei Fong had all but choked on her tea when Toph had actually introduced her parents to her companions. The Dragon of the West was notorious throughout the Earth Kingdom, and Poppy's mental picture of him was of a huge and terrifying man, spouting fire and bellowed commands. Whatever the imaginary image of the legendary Fire Nation General, it didn't really match with the kindly-looking older man who waxed lyrical about the proper way to serve and prepare tea, and who charmed every lady he came across.

They had heard little of the Fire Lord, other than that he wanted peace between the Nations, but again, they had not expected a young man only a few years older than Toph, who accepted and returned her teasing like an indulgent older brother.

The Water Tribe boy, Sokka, they had brushed off as an idiot, but was apparently an occasional genius. Poppy could see the remains of Toph's first serious crush, but she seemed to have resigned herself to, again, the role of a sister, this time the sister who hides her affection behind antagonizing her unfortunate brother.

Aang filled a similar role to Sokka, the prodigy younger brother who tried to be mature, but frequently lapsed into the behaviour of the child that he was. Poppy thought that the world was in for a very interesting time with that boy as the Avatar, at least until he grew up and actually did mature.

Katara's role was an interesting one. She was the oldest sister that Poppy and Lao had seen in some of the lesser-ranked families, where the older girls took on or assisted in their mother's duties, to prepare and gain experience for when they had families of their own.

A family that Toph had built for herself, in the absence of the family that Lao and Poppy should have been for her.

Well, Poppy had been given a second chance to make things right with her daughter, and she had no intention of wasting it.

Poppy had been planning, and Lao, very aware of how dangerous his wife could be when she had her mind set, was keeping a carefully appropriate distance.

The Earth King was throwing a party in celebration of the end of the Hundred Year War, and the Avatar and his companions were to be the guests of honour. Toph did not see why they had to "get all fancied up to parade around a bunch of overdressed snobs, and if those girls from that day you dragged me to the spa are there, I'm leaving!"

Any chance of getting Toph properly dressed up (and Poppy's plan of introducing Katara to a nice Earth Kingdom boy – Toph was still a bit young to be thinking about match-making) would take long and careful planning. Poppy's daughter was a tomboy, but even the most determined 'non-girly-girl' could be encouraged to dress up nicely, if you knew how to persuade them.

Planning to get Toph to dress up was a dangerous operation that had so far taken several weeks to perfect. Poppy was just putting the finishing touches to it when there was a loud yell, and Toph's panicked voice. "Mom, help!"

Years of worrying kicked in, and Poppy all but flew in the direction of her daughter, joined by her husband, only to skid to a stop in shock and amazement. Toph was in a sling of ice, being carried by Katara as she determinedly made her way to the bath house. "Not going to work, Toph. You're having a bath for this party if I have to scrub you down myself!"

Poppy had to admire the technique, even as she marvelled at the strength and determination it must have taken to get Toph in this position, if the large bruise on Katara's arm was any indication. Toph, however, was not giving up without a fight. "Sokka, rescue me from your crazy sister! Sparky, are you going to let her do this?"

Fire Lord Zuko and Sokka were following at a respectable distance, and answered simultaneously. "Yes." "Hey, I stopped getting in the way of a determined Katara when I was ten. You're on your own here."

Poppy decided to intervene. She had been trying to take a more active, and less overbearing, role in her daughter's life, and now was a good time to show that she didn't plan on making Toph's decisions for her any more. "Toph, if Katara puts you down, will you come to the bath house? We won't make you stay long, just long enough to get clean. And you can choose how to style your hair tonight. Is that an acceptable compromise?"

Toph considered it. "Fine, but I get to choose my dress, as well."

Poppy decided not to point out that Toph couldn't see the dress, but decided that they would simply try on all of the dresses until Toph found one that she liked. Katara narrowed her eyes, "Not your travelling clothes, and we have a deal."

From Toph's quickly hidden pout, Poppy had the feeling that Toph had tried that before. "Fine. Now put me down."

The ice melted, and a coil of water set Toph gently down on the floor. Katara nudged Toph gently, prompting her, and Toph sounded unusually hesitant. "Mom, would you come with us? Katara doesn't know the Earth Kingdom styles, and it's been a while since we did anything together."

Poppy practically danced forward and took her daughter's hand. Behind them, there were two yelps as two stone blocks suddenly appeared, sending Sokka and Zuko flying.

Toph had forgotten how soothing it was to just sit and have her mother brush her hair. Her mother would hum to Toph in time with the brush strokes, and talk to her in a low, soft voice. Sometimes she wondered how much of her deviousness, how she knew how to bargain, bluff and impress, came from those quiet sessions.

It had seemed impersonal, before, as though Poppy were fulfilling an obligation to her helpless, blind child, but her travels with the GAang had shown Toph that just because she and Sokka tended to bull their way through things, didn't mean that everyone did.

How many times had Toph found herself or the others doing as Katara said, before they even realized that she had been giving out orders? How many times had Aang conveyed a piece of Airbender philosophy, or Sokka or Zuko 'casually mentioned' an idea, and they found themselves going along with it?

How many times had her parents demonstrated that they loved her and wanted to keep her safe, that she misinterpreted as distant, overprotective or believing her weak and helpless?

Going to the spa with Toph, Katara, and the Kyoshi Warrior, Suki, had been an experience. Toph had submitted to the pedicure with limited grace, then made up for it by using her bending to make the mud-mask twist and billow over her face, making her look like some strange creature from the Spirit World and scaring the attendant out of her wits.

It had been sort of beautiful, watching Toph tap the bench in the sauna, and sending a rock flying onto the brazier, followed by a ribbon of water as Katara languidly waved a hand, resulting in a fresh burst of steam.

There had been a low point, when a rude receptionist loudly inquired why a blind girl would be at a spa, when she would never appreciate the effects. Poppy had just started to launch into a tirade at the receptionist and his manager (who was tripping over himself to make amends when he realized who they were), when a brush of a little foot against the ground had sent the rude receptionist flying into the rafters.

Toph was a powerful Earthbender, but the demonstration of how subtle she could be when she wanted to made Poppy feel slightly better about not catching on until Lao found Toph in the Earth Rumble ring.

Now, they were at the Earth King's party, and Toph was sweeping her bare feet back and forth, picking people out through their vibrations. She perked up suddenly, a mischievous look flickering across her face, before coming back to camp there. "Is that Mr Moustache?"

A sigh, and the tone of one who is repeating something for the fiftieth time, yet doesn't hold much hope of being more successful now than any of the previous times. "Don't call him that, Toph. Besides, he shaved it off."

A Wicked giggle. "I know that, Sugar Queen. It was right after you said it didn't suit him. Are you sure you didn't have a secret thing together?"

A near-growl as Katara stalked away to greet the tall Earth Kingdom boy and his near-giant of a father. Poppy sighed. Well-intentioned or not, she and Lao had never really considered what would happen after Toph no longer had to be hidden away. They had made sure she knew polite behaviour, but with a lack of friends or anyone outside of deferential servants, it had left their daughter woefully unprepared for basic interaction. "There is a difference between teasing your friends and deliberately antagonizing them, Toph. If Katara doesn't want to talk about it, then please try to respect that."

A brief pause, and a faintly guilty look from her daughter. "Oh. Sorry Mom."

A raised eyebrow, even though she knew Toph wouldn't see it. "I'm not the one you need to apologise to, dear. Now, who is this young man?"

Toph laughed again, though she tried to keep it discreet this time. "He's a boy from an Earth Kingdom village that Katara, Sokka and Aang rescued while on the way to the North Pole, before I joined them. Then he came to help in the Invasion on the Day of Black Sun, and came with us to the Western Air Temple after it failed. He likes Katara more than he'll admit wherever Sokka might hear."

A nice Earth Kingdom boy who already had a crush on Katara? This might turn out even better than Poppy had hoped. Toph caught that vibe. "Mom, you're not looking for someone to match-make me with, are you?"

Poppy laughed at the apprehensive note in her daughter's voice. Toph was only twelve, after all. "No, Toph, you're still a few years young for that, and your father and I don't plan on doing that without your input."

Poppy was still getting to know her daughter, but she could tell that an arranged marriage would be a natural disaster waiting to happen. It wouldn't be the first time Toph had moved the Earth to escape from an unwanted situation (the gardens and the back wall of the Bei Fong estate would never be the same) and was it so wrong if Poppy wanted a few more years with the little daughter she barely knew?

Knowing that she wasn't about to be on the receiving end of her mother's romantic notions perked Toph up very quickly. "Oh, good. I want a few more years with you and Dad first." Her tone turned a bit too casual. "You know, Katara likes Haru more than she'll admit wherever Sokka might hear, but Haru's an Earthbender, too, so I can't just trap them in a cave and not let them out until they admit that they like each other. What do we do in that situation?"

'What do WE do.' Something girlish that Poppy and Toph could do together to help others, and Toph knew Katara better than Poppy did. It wasn't quite one of the things Poppy had planned, but it would do.

A week later, the entire house heard Sokka shrieking about 'Betrayal of friendship' and 'Defiling my little sister', after he walked in on Haru and Katara kissing. On the other side of the house, safely away from the commotion, Poppy showed where Toph had inherited her usually-well-intentioned meddling and Evil Smirk from as she and her daughter congratulated each other on a job well done.

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A/N: I'm planning to do something with Lao and Toph in a second Chapter, but that will be the end. You can blame SCWLC for inspiring me to do a final 'what-happened-next'.

I'm going away for Christmas on the 22nd, and won't be back until after New Year, so I'm posting several updates now to tide you all over. Reviews make wonderful Christmas Presents!

Thanks, Nat.