It's been longer then I'd actually wanted but I finally decided to post it... It's a little short right now but the chapters will get longer. It maybe a while before I can update this again, just a couple weeks. On another note, I get to go to Red, White and BOOM this year! wOOt!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Now, On with the story!

"SOKKA! WAKE UP LAZY ASS!" Toph screamed at the top of her lungs. The ground under Sokka's sleeping bag shot sky word and the sleeping warrior inside screamed. Once he hit the ground, right in front of her, he jumped up and, face twisted in anger, pushed the younger girl away from him and yelled,

"WHAT THE FREAKIN' HELL?!" Toph reeled back in shock. Her milky green eyes wide.

"S-sorry?" she stuttered, blinking, "Katara told me to get you up…" she trailed off. Turning away her face became stony again, the reality of it all sinking in, "Whatever. Next time I'll just leave your sorry ass here." she hissed.

In normal situations Sokka would've realized something was wrong, but anger was blinding him. Any other times he would've noticed her distant attitude. Not this time, not now. "What's your problem?!" he spat, fists clenched. Toph shook her head, her eyes narrowed.

"Nothing." came her curt reply. "Hurry up. We're leaving." At that she turned and left the fuming warrior there, alone.

"Why do you think Toph's been so distracted lately?" Aang asked, helping Katara pack everything on Appa for the trip back Ba Sing Se. Katara looked up and shook her head.

"I don't know." she lied. In truth she knew exactly why their blind friend was acting this way.

"Toph?" Katara walked up to her friend, who didn't seem to notice the water benders presence. Toph didn't answer, her unseeing eyes were glued to the ground in front of her. It was almost two years after the war 'ended.' All was well. Somewhat. There was still the problem of Azula's rising rebel's. Which brought them to where the group was now. Their camp was set up close to the old city of Haikaburi, and true to it's name the city streets were covered in black ash that came from a near by volcano.

The city was said to be the place that Azula had been hiding out in, which was the reason they were there. Problem was, when they got there, no Azula. "Toph? Can I talk to you?" Katara asked in persistence.

Finally Toph sighed, "What?" Still she refused to even turn toward her friend. Katara didn't mind, for the most part. After a minute of silence Toph sighed again, "Fine." she grumbled, standing up. Katara smiled and walked off, heading toward a small, slow flowing river close by. Sitting down, her bare tan feet dangling in the clear water, Katara patted the ground beside her. Toph hesitated before dropping down beside her friend.

"Toph… I know something's been bothering you. What's wrong?" Katara said, her voice soft. The blind girl turned her head away, she knew Katara was going to say something like that. All Toph wanted was to be alone, but no one granted her that pleasure. They never did.

"I'm fine Katara." That was another piece of evidence that something was wrong, Toph NEVER called Katara by her name, it was always sugar queen.

Katara pursed her lips and looked at her blind friend. "Yeah, and I'm a flying monkey."Toph let out a small laugh,

"Then Momo would like you… and Aang wouldn't be too happy." she joked, but it was hollow, no real humor was present in her voice. Katara didn't laugh, something was really bothering her friend, and she wanted to know what it was. She had a feeling what it was, she just hoped she was wrong.

"Toph. Don't change the subject, please I want to help. But I can't if you don't tell me what's bothering you." 'and don't say--'

"Sokka." Toph sighed in defeat, kicking her feet in the water absent mindedly. "I- I don't know…" Katara let out a long breath. 'Crap.' This is what she had feared. She had known of Toph's crush on her brother back during the war, she was hoping that it would have subsided, sadly it appears that it hadn't. "Have you ever had this feeling that everything you do, you do for someone else? Even when it has nothing to do with them?" Toph asked suddenly.

This caught Katara off guard. "What?"

"Do you ever feel like someone has this control over you? Like no matter what you do, it's for them?" She stopped as she bent a small pebble out into the stream and just as it was sinking she pulled it back, like a mini boomerang. Katara thought about it for a moment, but she still didn't understand. It didn't matter anyway Toph had already continued, still sending the rock flying, then pulling it back again. "For the longest time I've had this weird feeling. Like someone has this death grip on my heart, my soul, and they won't let go. No matter what I say or do."

A silence stretched between them. " You're in love."

"What?" Toph asked, totally confused, "I don't understand…" she trailed off, Katara bit her lip and said, understanding instantly dawning on her.

"Love. You're in love… with Sokka." Another silence.

"What." It wasn't a question, merely a realization. "I-I can't be." There it was again. Her tough as nails attitude, "Just can't…" And there IT was, the little love sick teen.

"You are." Katara stated softly, watching as the pebble Toph threw sank, forgotten by it's commander. Toph didn't say anything. After a while Katara sighed and stood up. "I'm going to start dinner." Again, no answer.

"Katara? Hello? You're spacing out again." Aang laughed. Katara shook her head, blinking. "You know something. Don't you?" The water bender looked at him sheepishly.

"Yes…"

"So? What's been up with her?" The avatar asked, jumping off of Appa gracefully and landing beside her.

"Sokka." Was all she said. Aang understood instantly and nodded. "She refused to admit it when I asked her what was wrong last year. Apparently her feelings are still getting the best of her." Katara sighed. "She seems frustrated, naturally. Sokka's still as oblivious to her feelings as he was 3 years ago."

Aang gave a small smile, "This is Sokka we're talking about. He's blind to anything that isn't food." Katara giggled nodding, agreeing with the shaggy haired airbender.

"I HATE HIM!" Came a loud screech from behind them. Toph came storming into the camp, fists clenched, unseeing eyes narrowed, yet both Katara and Aang could hear the pain in her voice. Toph marched past them without a word. She fell down beside the smoldering fire. The two knew instantly that something had happened; both of them had seen the tear.

Neither said anything though, they merely continued packing in silence. 15 minutes later Sokka came wandering into clearing, his sleeping bag slung over his shoulder. What Aang and Katara noticed was the distant, almost sad look on his face. "Where are we headed?" Sokka sighed.

"Huh? Oh… Kasai." Katara said, tossing her brothers sleeping bag up to Aang. Sokka nodded, climbing up Appa's tail. Katara straitened herself and turned to Toph as Aang bent himself up on the bison's head. Appa gave a low growl and stood. "Come on Toph. We're leaving." Still, Toph didn't move. Didn't even seem to notice the water bender said anything. Katara sighed and looked to Aang and Sokka for help.

"Toph get your earth loving ass up here right now so we can go." Sokka barked, the sympathy that was normally present in his voice for the young girl had disappeared. Everyone noticed. Toph's lip trembled slightly, yet again the reality of her unnoticed feelings came crashing over her.

"I'm coming 'Tara." Toph sighed, rising to her feet. She didn't say a thing to Sokka, as she silently made her way up Appa's tail. The warrior narrowed his eyes at her and turned away, crossing his arms over his chest and slumping over. Toph hesitated at the edge of the saddle. Katara noticed this and grasped the girls shoulder, steering her toward the other side of the saddle, away from Sokka.

"Appa, yip, yip"

For about an hour or so they traveled on in silence. Toph still distant, Katara was lost in her thoughts, Aang tried to get a conversation going, only for it to settle into an uncomfortable silence, Sokka wanted to say something. His eyes we're glued to the little 15 year old hanging onto his sisters arm. He wanted so badly to say he was sorry, to tell her that this wasn't what he wanted; but he couldn't. she probably wouldn't even listen to him. "We need to stop soon for the night." Aang said suddenly, many hours later as the sun started to set.

Everyone, save for Toph, who at the moment was curled up in a little ball asleep, Katara's hand resting on her slumbering form, looked up at the airbender. "I think you're right." Katara agreed. Sokka nodded, sometime during the journey he had given up being mad at everyone and moved over so he now sat on Toph's other side. His hand laying close to her arm, very close. This didn't go unnoticed by their companions, but neither said anything.

"There." Sokka said, pointing over the edge of Appa's side, pointing to a small clearing in the middle of a large forest. Appa started descending. Once they hit the ground Katara instantly started barking orders,

"Aang and I will go look for fire wood and dinner. Sokka, you stay here and set up camp, when Toph wakes up then she can help. Don't, I repeat, DO NOT wake her up. No excuses. We don't want her in one of her moods again." At that her and Aang headed off into the thick green bushes and trees that surrounded the clearing. Sokka unpacked the bison within 10 minutes.

The whole time his mind was on the sleeping teen close by.

"When do you think Sokka's going to realize Toph loves him?" Aang asked, climbing out on a tree limb and picking a few of the purple fruits on the end. Katara shook her head as the strange fruits dropped into the basket in her arms.

"I can honestly say, I don't know. As you said earlier this is Sokka we're talking about, could be a long time, or it could be soon, who knows." The water bender said as she moved to another tree, this one had bright pink banana shaped fruits. Aang jumped into it and grabbed one of the bright bunches.

Dropping it in to the basket Aang sighed, "It's depressing seeing her this upset… this distant." Katara nodded, a pained look on her gentle face. "But hey," Aang said, trying to lighten the mood, "Toph knows how to keep everything in check… Sokka wouldn't hurt her… would he?"

Katara didn't answer.

"Toph?" Sokka asked softly, crawling up a sleeping Appa's tail. His call was met with silence, save for the girls soft snoring. He looked at her a soft smile gracing his face, to him, the blind girl looked like an angel when she slept, though he'd never tell her it. Now was not the time for him to think about that though. He needed to speak to Toph now while Aang and Katara were gone, and who knew when they'd be back.

The girl stirred slightly as Sokka came over to her and gently pushed the hair out of her eyes, "Toph… wake up please. I need to talk to you without them here." Again Toph stirred, but still didn't wake, that's what Sokka thought at least. "Fine," he sighed, continuing anyway, "I guess your still asleep. Anyways I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you… it's just… I don't know…" He trailed off as he sat beside her. "Sometimes you get on my last nerves, but… I don't think I'd want you any other way…" Toph smiled, though it went unnoticed by Sokka. "Well…I'm just sorry…"

"Apology accepted." Toph laughed. Sokka fell backwards in shock, this added to Toph's laughter. "Idiot." Sokka's goofy grin came across his face, looks like things were back to normal, for now.

"Wait. Are you saying Sokka could hurt her? Her? Toph? The Blind Bandit? Kick ass earthbender? He couldn't." Aang stuttered, falling out of the tree in the process. Katara sighed,

"He very well could."

Again sorry for it being a little short, I'm just trying to get this up off the ground first then the chapters will get longer and more interesting. promise. Review on your way out.

Translation-

Kasai-- Fire (in this case Fire city)

Haikaburi-- ash covered