Disclaimer: I do not own the following show used, Avatar: The Last Airbender nor do I own it's plot and it's characters. I am merely a fan who writes and authors fan based stories about said subject. This story is in no way profitable and is not rightfully mine to make profit from. So, as a mere fan who does not in anyway own said show or make money from, obviously, I can toy with, tamper, create and destroy ANYTHING of the original I please because it in no way effects the actual product. Any thoughts against this, please, do tell.

Author Notes: Tokka fic.

Affair

Chapter One: Four Years Later

Birds chirped loudly, their sweet morning song echoing off the walls and waking Toph from her deep slumber. The day was warm for autumn with only a crisp breeze billowing in through the small cage-like window.

Even though she was awake Toph continued to lay in her large cushioned bed and merely opened her useless eyes to stare unblinkingly at a ceiling she could not see.

From across the room a creak sounded on the hard wooden floors of her parents new mansion. The creaking of footsteps continued until her door opened slowly and in stepped her hand maid to help her prepare for the day.

The footsteps stopped at the end of her bed before gentle, timid hands helped Toph sit up. "Lady Toph, it's time to get up for the day." Toph did not respond but let the maid continue her work.

"It's a beautiful day today, Mistress." The maid sung as she placed silk slippers on Toph's feet.

Toph did not respond and only winced as the maid helped her into the soft silk shoes. Her small, dainty feet were bound by tight white ribbons that confined her bending.

Once the slippers were on, the maid helped Toph stand and brought her to the closet where she helped Toph into elegant robes of silk before letting Toph sit on a small wooden stool.

"Today is a big day..." The maid conversed quietly as she brushed Toph's long ebony hair into a refined, fashionable style. "Guests will be arriving today and for the following week."

Toph stayed completely still as the maid finished her hair and moved to stand in front of her. Toph barely flinched as the maid took her hands into her own, but her pale eyes widened to feel a gold hair pin between them.

"It is a special pin, one my sister wore with her as a symbol for freedom even as she faced the very challenge you do. I'm sure she would want you to carry it now." The maid whispered, her cheerful voice completely gone and sobered.

Toph held the pin and fingered the gold piece delicately. It was shaped as a feather... and for the first time that day Toph smiled and nodded.

The maid placed the pin into Toph's silken strands and stepped back to apply red paint to Toph's full lips. As she finished she placed a hand around Toph again to help her stand. "Your mother wishes you to join her in welcoming the guests."

As they both stepped to the door Toph stopped suddenly and a tear made its way down her cheek. "Meilin..." the maid held her tighter, slightly shocked. "Thank you." Toph stated quietly before burrowing her head into the maid's shoulder and crying.

"Anytime my friend."

Aang jumped off Appa and hurried to help Katara down from the bison's sattle.

On the other side of Appa, Sokka and Suki were taking some of the groups things down from the sattle and trying to hold Momo from flying off to the mansion ahead of them.

"Wow, it's really different then the other one..." Aang commented as he stared out into the vast countryside.

The Bei Fong family mansion was in a new area located in the middle of a large desert in a city owned by a solitary Earth Kingdom. This kingdom was outlawed by Ba Sing Se and Omashu.

It was a beautiful albeit deadly area to live in and full of people who were either wealthy or poor but always questionable.

The Kingdom was called Shangri La and was looked after by the Li royal family. The castle stood off in the distance further located in the desert. It was made mainly of sand and that was a mystery in itself. The sand continued to shift and move and formed the magnificent castle with towers topped by roofs of gold and lined with wood. It was beautiful.

Most of the buildings in the kingdom were made of the same materials, moving sand and wood. They were shaped like flat sided cones and the residents called them Pyramids.

In the upper part of the kingdom was a large pyramid building and was the most beautiful there. It was the new home of the Bei Fong's.

Katara let a frown over come her face. "This place is rather exotic and beautiful but I don't see it as a place Toph would willingly settle..."

Aang and Suki nodded but Sokka only furrowed his brow and frowned deeply.

"Let's go, we don't want to keep Toph waiting... it's a special time for her and the invitation said we were honored guests." Katara murmured as they began to head to the Bei Fong's new estate.

"Yeah, big change to being unwelcome guests the last time we were here." Sokka stated sourly, clearly remembering when they first met Toph and how her family had kicked them out forcing Toph to run away with them.

Suki hit him and he scowled deeper before nodding.

"Toph must have requested our appearance, she must have really fought hard to get her parents to agree." Aang suggested with a shrug.

When they made it to the grounds of the mansion they were amazed by how large the building was and how different from the other pyramids it was. Rather then one cone it was made of ten small cones and was only one floor instead of many with the exception of a giant pyramid in the center.

Sokka looked around in awe and placed his hand on the wall to feel the sand shifting and moving so it merely seemed sturdy. It was loose and shifty but his hand couldn't penetrate the wall.

Up ahead at the entrance were many guests piling into the large building.

As they made their way up they saw Poppy Bei Fong at the door greeting guests and beside her they saw Toph.

It had been four years since they last saw her and they were all surprised by how different she looked.

Sokka looked at her awe struck. She looked so different but she was still recognizable, still Toph.

She was taller then when she was twelve but was still rather petite. Her skin glistened in the hot desert sun and she seemed to stand apart from everyone with her creamy snow white complexion.

Her hair seemed darker then before, it was cleaned from all the healthy coating of earth she used to love and glistened exotically. It was much longer then before and reached her mid waist, half of it falling in soft smooth waves down her back and the other piled high in elegant curls and buns with a single golden pin shaped like a feather by her dainty ears. Her long bangs were brushed to one side.

She wore a silk robe that clung to her womanly curves and pooled around her feet, it was a pale green color that matched her unseeing eyes. A large ribbon was wrapped tightly around her waist to show off her slim and slender waist and tied in a large bow in the back with the tails trailing on the floor in a dark tanned color. At the ends of the skirt were gold and pink petals sketched into the silk material.

Lastly, her lips were painted a deep red to draw the attention of any man to her full pert lips. A tease to remind them she was no longer available...

She was beautiful, even as she stood there with a small frown.

"Something seems odd." Katara spoke, nudging Aang.

Aang blushed and looked at Katara frantically, "What? Odd? I've seen her dressed up before..."

Sokka broke his stare away from her and rolled his eyes.

Suki took a closer look as Toph greeted the guests.

There was a maid at Toph's side, helping Toph every so often when Toph would bow and topple slightly. The maid held onto Toph's arm protectively and Toph was leaned closer to the girl.

The girl was dressed rather well for a handmaiden. Her robes were made of cloth and bits of silk. The robe was a plain dark tan with an apron of white silk. The brown robe was outlined in green silk and the maids hair was a dark brown color and placed in a high braid that fell to her mid back. Her eyes were a startling ice blue and she was no older then Toph.

"That girls from the Water Tribe." Sokka stated shocked.

Suki ignored him and continued to eye Toph, watching as she was turned by the maid to where the next guest stood.

"She can't see."

Katara nodded having also figured it out.

"Well... this is the desert and their mansions floors are made of wood." Aang said, pointing to the platform the guests entered on.

As they made it to the top of the line, the maid gasped and Toph turned her head to her in confusion.

Poppy smiled condescendingly to them and only bowed her head lightly, a show of smugness. "Welcome."

Aang and Sokka both resisted the bait from the disrespect but Katara and Suki showed they were indeed insulted. Momo chirped lowly, almost growling while being held tightly by Suki.

Toph's ears perked at the sound Momo made. Meilin moved Toph to where they stood and Toph bowed lowly.

"Welcome." Toph called as she stood again. Her voice was low and held a strong womanly accent. Soft but loud, sweet but oddly defiant and so fitting for a woman like Toph.

Sokka stared into Toph's eyes that were focused on the ground and was lost to the pale, green pools of her eyes.

As if she could sense someone was staring into her eyes, she immediately brought her eyes up and they connected with Sokka's with impossible accuracy.

Suki watched as this happened and frowned, something about the way their gazes met seemed so right and it unnerved her.

Poppy looked between both Sokka and Toph with an unpleased expression. "Avatar Aang and guests, we are are so glad you could make it. It would be horrible if you could not attend Toph's wedding."

Toph's eyes widened and Sokka's eyes narrowed in slight anger as he turned to Poppy. Her tone was smug and cocky and it angered him even though he didn't know why.

Katara looked at Poppy's smug stance before turning to a confused and slightly horrified looking Toph.

Poppy lifted her hand daintily towards the maid, "Meilin."

Meilin frowned so slightly it almost went unnoticed. "Come Miss Bei Fong. We will show your guests to the gathering room."

Toph's eyes narrowed and she nodded, her surprise wiped from her expression to leave a bitter look in her already dead green eyes. "Yes. Follow us please." Her tone was no longer obedient but sharp and edged.

As they left Poppy at the door, Katara and Aang watched all this confused. Something wasn't right and tensions were running high.

Sokka eyed Meilin as she helped Toph walk. Toph stumbled a few times and it didn't seem like it was only because of the sand and wood beneath her feet. Something else was making Toph stumble...

"I don't understand... you did invite us, right Toph? Why did you seem so shocked?" Suki asked suddenly, Momo chattered and struggled to jump to Toph but Suki held the animal back. Toph seemed to overwhelmed as it was, it would be best to take things slow.

Toph let out a small gasp at Suki's voice and her eyes narrowed further... drifting to a time four years ago. So it's not just them... she thought as she continued to recall memories better left to be forgotton.

The Fire Nation had been over thrown and the war was won, after hundreds of years it was finally over.

Aang and Katara stood by Zuko, the new Fire Lord and talked about the future of the Fire Nation and all four nations as a whole.

Sokka was standing in the corner away from the crowd next to Toph and the two had been talking calmly for a while.

"Sokka..." Toph started a bit timidly and scowled at herself for sounding so weak. Her face was a bit flustered.

"Yeah, Toph?"

"I...I really like you..." Toph began nervously, "I think I... love you."

Sokka's eyes widened and he looked down shocked at the young girl, "What?" he squeaked out, caught off guard.

Toph blushed deeper, not surprised by his startled reaction. "I have liked you for a while now... and I wanted to tell you."

Sokka stood upright as the news settled in, shock gone and replaced by a more sober reaction. Suki was across the room with Ty Lee and Mai. Turning back to the twelve year old girl his expression seemed regretful. Rejection hurt and he hated to have to be the one to break her heart, "Toph I... wow. I'm sorry but Suki..."

Toph's blushing subsided just a bit and she turned away sharply. "Oh... I didn't mean you had to answer me, meathead. I just wanted to let you know... I knew nothing would come of it, I'm blind not stupid." Toph forced out sharply, laughing as if she had turned Sokka down and not him to her.

Sokka reached out to her but she pulled back and fled. For the next few days she didn't speak to Sokka and ended up leaving to meet her parents with an awkward goodbye to him as she also bid Aang, Katara, Iroh and the others farewell.

Sokka looked away and Suki's eyes seemed to shine in understanding. Her lips formed a straight line and her eyes lowered to a more somber look.

Toph brushed her bangs out of her eyes and took hold of Meilin's arm, her nails biting into the maid's flesh through the thin cloth. "To be honest." Toph started, her tone sharper, "I had no idea you were even invited."

Katara took a step back, hurt by the revelation. "But... we're your friends Toph."

Toph nodded and gripped Meilin's arm further. "You are, but this is not a time I am proud about and certainly not something I want my friends to witness."

"It's your wedding." Aang stuttered, he could be confused but he thought weddings should be a joyful occasion. Especially to the bride...

Another maid passed by them and Meilin handed Toph off to her, giving Toph's arm a gentle tug. Toph got the message and let the new maid lead her back to her room. "I need to rest. Meilin will take care of you."

When they attempted to follow, Meilin put her arm out. Once Toph was gone Meilin's cold and stern expression softened. "Miss Bei Fong is very dear to me. I know she is dear to you too."

Suki eyed the girl suspiciously. "You don't seem like a normal handmaiden."

Meilin nodded. "I am not. I am Water Tribe nobility. I ran away and met Toph out in Goaling. We became close and I consider her as dear to me as my sister was. When the Bei Fong's announced they were leaving to move here I offered my services to Toph as her personal maid and guard. It was to be approved by Lao and Poppy and I was allowed. Other nations aren't allowed to live here, only to visit... The kingdom of Shangri La is very traditional and not all the traditions are good."

Katara looked at Meilin with compassion. "You ran away? Where is your sister?"

Meilin gave them a sad smile. "My sister was trapped in an arranged marriage for years, she could not escape from it. She did not love the man she was wed to and chose to meet her true love in secrecy. It was an act punishable by death... I would have suffered the same fate of an arranged marriage. My sister told me to escape before it came to that and I did."

Katara gasped and tears formed in her soft blue eyes. Killed because of love even if it were legally infidelity. She turned and hugged Aang tightly, his taller frame wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. His expression somber as well.

Suki bowed her head in respect. Her eyes lingering on Sokka's features as they formed a scowl before letting her head fall even lower.

Sokka narrowed his eyes, a memory of Yue flashing before him. "What does this have to do with Toph and why doesn't she want us here?"

Meilin looked at him a bit crossly and Sokka figured if they were as close as Meilin said then she would know that Sokka had rejected Toph's love years before.

"The Lord and Lady Bei Fong invited you out of spite and are using this as way to keep you away from Toph. You see, if Toph is married and has other engagements and responsibilities then she can not go off and be free to explore and adventure."

Sokka's face contorted into a tight frown and he took a sharp step towards her. "What are you saying..."

"The gathering you are here to pay witness is not of choice. You are here as guests to Toph Bei Fong's arranged marriage."

"What..." Katara gasped, covering her lips with her hands. Aang held her tighter, both disbelieving and horrified. It couldn't be so... Toph would never allow it but it made sense, everything they saw and heard today.

Suki's face was void of emotion as she watched Sokka's face darken and his thoughts clouded.

End of Chapter

Wow, finally managed to write an A:TLA story.

This is mainly a Tokka fic, and there are other couples but you'll have to read to find out. Not everything is as it seems. Sokka is with Suki right now. I like Suki, she's a great warrior and she's witty and smart. That's why I'm having her figure out Toph and Sokka even before they themselves do.

More chapters to come.