YO, this is not my first Fan Fic, but it is my first Avatar fan fic. This is a test story I thinking about running with, reviews will tell me if I should keep going or what. I am a big fan of the show. I have the 2 DVD collection of the show, and have been watching most of the new ones. I am playing along the line of everything that has happen after the Black Sun 2 parter. Though I am changing a few things, and I am not sure how much I will be following the new show that may come after it. I hope you like it, please review, please no flames...

Side Note: To anyone who has read my KP fan fic, its on hold until I have more free time, and can watch some more of the show for inspiration. Disney has still to box that series up for us all.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, but wish did.

Chapter 01

Failure… That was all that went through Sokka's mind, his plan of stopping the fire nation had failed. Though no one had blamed him, he knew that some where deep down when those who were taken prisoner would come to resent him for his failed plan. From what he had heard and seen, fire nation prisons were not very humane, and survival was a daily struggle.

Sokka slumped against a wall, he was getting tired, his eyes drifted to the young girl who he held in his arms. The blind earth bender had saved him while they had been trying to make their escape. The Fire Nation blimps had closed in too fast and they had fallen off Appa during the attack, they had been lucky in that they had not been far off the ground and had simply hit a roof of a house they had been flying over. Toph would not fallen with him if she hadn't been using him for support, she didn't deserve the same treatment his bad luck treated him, but here they were.

They had been running through the city streets when they crossed the path of some elite fire benders. If not for Toph's rock walls they would have been toast, but even stone walls have a limit. With one joint fire blast Toph's wall had come down, but the explosion had given them time to escape, or to be more correct Sokka time to make their escape. The explosion of rock had the ill fortune of Toph getting injured and blacking out. She still had a pulse but the wound to her head looked serious, it was too bad he did not have time to field dress it and take a better assessment of Toph's condition.

Sokka took a quick look around; the fighting had stopped or moved to some other part of the city. Sokka found himself in the lower class living district, seeing there was little activity he dared to enter one of the houses; a forceful kick opened the door. Seeing no activity and he assumed no one was home, entering the kitchen Sokka laid Toph onto the table he then moved to the door and closed it. Returning to better examine Toph's wounds, he was no water healer, but he had learned enough about field medicine that he hoped he'd be able to stabilize Toph.

…………………

Captain Faia-bara looked over her orders; her units had been given the task of clean up and aid. She crumpled the letter up into a ball, and tossed it into the air with a snap of her fingers the paper was incinerated. She looked to her squad commanders; they all looked to her for their next order. "Okay, lets start with section "D" it was one of the areas that was hit in the beginning of the raid. Our orders are to help the civilians, and capture any invader stragglers that might have been missed. Let's be professionals here, and not slack off, a cornered viper-mouse is still viper-mouse, but it can be more dangerous when it has nothing to loose. No one is dying on my watch, now move out!!" With that said her squads moved out. Faia-bara watched her people move out, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up that was never a good sign.

………………

Sokka adjusted the bandages on Toph, she was still out of it, but he felt a bit better knowing she was out of life threatening danger. Sokka caught a strange scent in the air it was sweet but it also burned. Running to the door he stuck his head out and looked around he didn't see anyone, but…. Sokka cleared his mind and just listened, at first all he could hear was the distant sounds of battle, but then it came to him the movement of feet, they moved with determination, and then he could make out voices just faintly but he could hear them. They were searching, Sokka's blood ran cold Fire nation troops were looking for enemies. Closing the door he moved back to Toph, there was no way he'd get far with her, he might be able to get away if it was just him, but he would never abandoned Toph. Sokka mentally kicked himself for even thinking that. He quieted his mind, until all he heard was Toph's rhythmic breathing, his eyes snapped open and he looked to Toph.

"I hope you can stay out of it enough for this to work."

With that Sokka looked around the house until he found what he'd been looking for, clothing for both himself and Toph. Dressing himself and going back to the kitchen he tossed what would burn into the stove and set what wouldn't into a pile he would have to hide quickly. He then moved to Toph, "Toph, I am sorry for what I am doing, if you can hear me this is to save your live as well. You can beat me up later if we both life through this." Sokka then went about undressing Toph and redressing her in Fire nation garb. He was careful to remove everything that would give them away as people not from these lands. He even placed shoes on Toph's feet, to see her well coated feet with dirt may draw attention to them.

He burned all that could be and hid what remained in the compost heap. Sokka then placed cuts in Toph's and his clothing where their injuries matched, made a light cut on his hand added the blood to his and Toph's clothing to make their injuries believable. He then went about making the house look like a battle had taken place. Walking back to the kitchen he was grateful Toph was still out of it.

Sokka picked up a frying pan and a wooden spoon, he bit down on the spoon and held the frying pan in both hands and braced himself. "I really wish there was another way." With that he slammed himself across the face with the pan.

………………

Faia-bara walked down the street as her squads made their way through the residential area, those she found had they moved to aid stations. She was still fortunate not to find any enemies.

"Ma'am, we have another house that looks like it was forced into."

Faia-bara looked to the young female soldier, "Proceed with caution, Rin go with her." She signaled to one of her sergeants. The woman followed the soldier in.

"MEDIC!!" came a call from inside the house, a few moments later.

Fearing the worse, Faia-bara moved into the house one of her field medics' right behind her. The noise came from the kitchen; she entered to see her two soldiers helping a young man to his feet.

"Please, please help my wife, those invading bastards attacked her too." The man started sobbing, "They attacked her even though she was blind and unarmed, please…"

Faia-bara looked to her medic who was looking over the young woman, "Well how is she?"

The medic looked up at her captain, "She'll live, but I am not sure how badly she's been injured to the head until she wakes up, or one of the doctors look at her."

Faia-bara clenched her fist in anger, this made her blood boil, "What did they want, did they take anything, do you remember what they looked like?"

The man touched the side of his face where a large bruise had formed, "I don't think they took anything this is not our home, we were on the street we ducked in her to escape them, but they followed, I tried to fight them, but what is a sword to an earth bender. As for what they looked like, it happened so fast I am, I am not sure." His eyes went to the floor in shame.

Faia-bara bent down a placed a hand on the young man's shoulder, "Its okay, we'll take you some place safe, and we'll do all we can to help you and your wife. My name is Captain Faia-bara and I give you my word we'll make those who did this pay."

Faia-bara stood and looked to Sergeant Rin, "Sergeant get these two to safety."

"Yes, Ma'am"

…………………..

Sokka sat next to Toph in the aid station; he could see all the innocent people who had suffered through his failure. The thing that hurt him the most is that they would most likely see more pain before this war ended.

"ah…urg…my head." Toph started to wake.

Sokka looked around and could see that no one was coming there way, he moved his face so his cheek brushed Toph's lips. "Toph…First sshh… Second we are still in the Fire Nation, third make sure you call me Lee, and fourth….your my wife."

Toph's eyes shot open as her face went red, "WHAT!" As Toph sat up, hitting Sokka's head, but when she sat up the color in her face drained and she fell back. Sokka caught her and gently placed her back down.

"Arg…Sok…Lee…what?" Toph tried to form an understandable sentence but seemed to still be confused.

Sokka leaned in close and cupped her head in his hands and brought his face close to Toph's once again. To anyone looking on it would look like a husband kissing his injured wife. "You have to play along, or we'll end up in a jail if we are lucky. My name is Lee Ember; you are Toph Ember my wife. Try and play along, and if anyone tries asking you questions say you are having trouble remembering because of your injuries, and no bending." Sokka sat back up, he was just in time a doctor was coming their way.

He place a reassuring hand on Sokka's shoulder, "See Mr. Ember, your wife will be fine, it's just going to take time." He bent down a started looking over Toph, "Mrs. Ember what can you remember?"

"It's fuzzy…I don't remember much of the battle. I know…my husband is here, but is he okay?" Toph was doing her best to stay calm in this situation, her head felt like Appa was sitting on it, she kept running what Sokka head told her through her mind.

The doctor smiled, "Yes, Mrs. Ember, with a bit of rest he will be fine, you however will require a lot of rest. If there is something you and your husband need from your home I would be glad to send one of the soldiers to fetch it for you."

"Well…" Toph was unsure what to say, she was lucky Sokka was there to save her.

He cleared his throat so he got the doctor's and Toph's attention, "I didn't want to tell this to you until you were better, but our home was destroyed. We've lost everything…" Sokka lowered his head in shame.

The doctor looked shocked, "I am sorry…Your home must have been in district "A" those Earth nation scum came through there first." He held Toph's hand, "I am truly sorry for my rudeness, I will do what I can to see that you and your husband are looked after until this mess is sorted." He put Toph's hand down and stood and looked to Sokka, "Again I am sorry for my comment, I will look on you two later." With that the doctor walked off.

Both Toph and Sokka let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding.

"Well snoozeles…what do we do now."

"Well first off, you rest, and let me handle things for the time being."

"Great…" Toph got comfortable and closed her eyes, "your wife huh, well remember I am still not doing your laundry." A small smile crossed her face as she let sleep take her.

Sokka looked on as the young earth bender slept, he would do what ever it takes to see they both made it out safely.

……………

Faia-bara looked over her report she was preparing to hand into her superior, her mind drifted back to the young couple that had been found. They had been the most severely injured her squads had come across. The two of them were so young to be married, she frowned she wasn't sure why she was still thinking about them. She got this strange feeling from them, maybe she would have to look in on these two.

Standing from her desk she looked to Rin, take over the rest of the work here. I have a feeling; I need to be some where else.

Rin sighed, "Yes, captain." She cleared her throat, "That young man is cute, but he is married…"

Faia-bara gave her subordinate and friend glare, but went on her way.

A/N: Well thats the first chapter, tell me what you think, ideas are always helpful. AND PLEASE NO FLAMES

TTFN