NOTE: I've been on a huge hiatus, due to work and school taking over my life, but now summer is here and I finally can get back to writing. I apologize for all you "Healing Session" and "Excavation Point" followers! My computer's been nuts - let's just say you should ALWAYS back up your files - and so a lot of my previous work has had to be rekindled through memory. I have a good idea of where I want those stories to go, but in the meantime... I've written something for Kataangers!

This is a small add-on scene to "The Runaway" episode, back when Katara and Toph were trapped in the wooden prison. I felt that this was a good time for the girls to talk about deeper stuff... and for some reason, I had an inkling that Katara was jealous about Toph's fun and carefree demeanor... for one particular reason. =)

Don't worry, Zutarians. You're next!

-MM

"I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time, too," Katara finally said as they parted from their hug.

"I guess it doesn't matter anymore, does it?" Toph wiped the tears from her eyes sloppily as she said so, moving herself back to the restful sitting position against the cell wall. "But... thanks."

From inside those wooden blocks, the two of them could hardly hear anything. Not a single voice or commotion seemed to come from outside, much to their surprise... as if the village had been intentionally evacuated for a certain event. Or a battle. Katara's eyes were suddenly glimmering in tears, hoping to Tui and La that Aang wouldn't do anything reckless as a means to finding her.

...or Toph... she dully muttered in her mind, feeling her heart sink.

The minutes were passing on and on like hours in that cell, and the idea that Aang probably wasn't searching for her as much as he was for Toph was finally chewing at Katara's stomach.

She needed to say what she felt.

"Toph, I know it wasn't my business to tell you what to do about these scams. It's just..." Katara winced, looking elsewhere nervously and she pressed her palms onto the wooden floor. "Well, it didn't bother me at first, but I noticed he was having more fun with you. I saw how the two of you kept laughing together, having a good time... and the next thing I knew, I was yelling at you to stop and-"

"What?" Toph's eyes were completely dried up by this point, and she grabbed Katara's shoulder to keep herself from getting more confused. And more blushed. "Wait a second, hold on... Are you talking about TwinkleToes?"

Even though Toph was staring directly at her chin, Katara couldn't help but look elsewhere, completely out of her comfort zone as she quietly said, "Yes..."

"How the Laogai did TwinkleToes fall into this conversation?" Toph's blushing had ceased, but yet she was still gripping Katara's shoulder.

"I..." Her voice felt rigid, almost defensive at first, as she glared at the shorter girl in front of her, but Katara knew it was no use lying at this point. She closed her eyes and breathed. "I guess I felt a little... jealous... that he was spending so much time with you."

Toph finally let her grip go, and her arms held her frame at the sides, in shock.

"You were jealous?... Of me?"

Katara sighed in defeat, which was enough for Toph to confirm the answer as a 'yes.' The little gil couldn't do anything except stare wide-eyed at the ground, attempting to compose herself for a second until all those little thoughts and explanations finally connected in her head. Toph felt her mouth chuckle, but then it just kept growing until she burst out into laughter... almost too loud for those wooden blocks to contain.

One of Katara's eyebrows rose, her cheeks blushing embarrassingly. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry, Sweetness," Toph said between small laughing breaths. "That had to be the most ridiculous thing I ever heard! You seriously think that Aang and I are...?"

It could've just as well been the heat, but Katara felt sweat trickle down her face just then.

And the little girl pursed her lips, still dumbfounded.

"Katara, we're friends!" she clarified with a sly grin. Toph immediately fell into a casual slouch as she tried to explain further, holding an arm out with sarcasm. "I mean, yeah... we like to cause trouble, and we goof around a lot... but that's it! There's absolutely nothing weird going on."

As Toph made another small giggle, she noticed how Katara's face still seemed to be frozen in place, almost not breathing.

"Why?" Toph's curiosity didn't seem to be leaving at all. "Did you think that I was starting to look at him... differently?"

The other kept her voice rigid, quiet as the words "well... are you?" fell from her mouth, and Toph sat herself upright. She amusingly brought her face towards Katara's general direction again, this time focusing on her left ear.

"Trust me, Sweetums," the little girl's eyes narrowed, amused. "You've got nothing to worry about."

Katara stared at the girl's insistent face, feeling her blue eyes glimmer with a familiar sense of hope now that whatever it was she felt about Aang... it could still be possible. A smile formed on her face.

"Okay..." came her quiet, yet very self-assured response. Katara returned to hugging her knees and keeping an ear out for a familiar voice from outside, but as a few more seconds passed, it was Toph who couldn't help but keep staring over to Katara's direction.

"Not that it's any of my business..." Toph smirked as she felt Katara's head make a slight jerk of annoyance, "... but why didn't you talk to him about it?"

The waterbender felt her stomach tighten from the inevitable question thrown at her, but she sighed after a moment's thought, holding her forehead again.

"I don't know... it's just... complicated, right now."

"You do know he likes you, right?" Toph grinned suggestively, and even felt Katara blush a little as she nervously began to tug on her long hair. "Personally?" Toph continued. "It doesn't take much to figure out why his pulse jumps every time you sit close to him."

"Ugh... I know," Katara buried her head onto her knees again, frustrated and blushing. "And sometimes I feel awful, because I really do care about him. I care about his feelings."

Katara bit her lip slightly, realizing she was talking faster than usual. She calmly took another breath and spoke again, drawing her fingers along the wooden floor to gather her thoughts.

"It's just that... well... a lot of things have happened since the South Pole, and now we're all trying to get away from who-knows-what-that-Third-Eyed-freak is... so, I don't know." Katara shook her head slightly to no one. "Maybe something else is there, but... I just don't think I'm ready to admit to anything. Not yet."

The little Earthbender smiled, "Katara, it's okay. He understands."

Her honest, yet simple delivery of those words made Katara look up from the floor curiously.

Hopefully.

"He does?"

"Hey, I'm just calling it how I 'see' it," Toph wiggled her toes in reference, amusingly. "And from what I can tell... Aang's waiting for you."

Katara felt her stomach suddenly lighten, as if there were tiny little fly-moths now fluttering inside. It didn't stop Toph from continuing what she had to say.

"Trust me. He wants you to be ready, Sweetums, and it doesn't matter how long it takes."

The waterbender felt the blood run smoothly from her toes all the way to her cheekbones, giggling almost ridiculously, and almost sorry that Toph couldn't see how happy she had just made her to be. Funny, how that conversation had found itself behind the walls of a wooden prison cell, unaware if Aang or her brother were out there trying to locate them yet. Be that as it was, with all of those feelings and worries finally out of her system, something new had formed inside Katara.

A new sense of determination.

"C'mon," the taller girl immediately brought herself up, assessing the prison's surroundings. "We have to find a way out of here..."