"Sokka, please! Don't do this!"

"I have to, there's no other choice. Now go!"

"Suki, c'mon! Let's go!"

"NO! I'm not leaving you Sokka!"

"You have too! I'll only slow you down, at least this way you can have a head start." Sokka reached over and kissed the Earth Kingdom girl, holding her tight to him. Wishing things had ended differently. Before his mind could change, he pushed the warrior into the bender.

"Toph, take her as far away from here." The blind girl nodded, hooking her arm around Suki and led her away. The older girl struggled the whole time.

"Please—don't Sokka! Please!"

"I said GO!"

Picking up a large knobby branch, the wolf warrior stumbled his way towards the oncoming Fire Nation soldiers. Held back by Toph, Suki shrieked as the earthbender put distance between them and the battlefield. Sokka looked back a moment, fighting back tears.

There was nothing Suki could do but watch as Sokka held his ground. Connecting a few well aimed hits. It wasn't long however until he was overpowered. A cry pierced the air, thanks to a soldier viciously striking the Water Tribe boy's injured leg. Plummeting to the ground in a heap.

"SOKKA!"


"NO!"

The girl shot out of bed. She clenched her chest, her heart racing. Gasping, she looked around her surroundings only to see familiar cave walls. The young woman gave out a deep sigh as her breathing steadied. It had been a while since she had that nightmare.

She sat there for a few minutes, playing the scene once more in her head. Tears dripping.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." she whispered.

Slowly, the warrior got up. Rolling her mat, she placed it with the other fourteen mats that laid against the cavern wall. Close by were the supply bins; filled with water, food, fire wood, and anything else they found useful on their travels. Reaching in, she pulled out a peach and a small piece of cheese.

Voices and the sound of children echoed through the cave. Making her way out, late morning light welcomed her. Feeling rejuvenated by the crisp fall air. The clearing ahead was full of children; the young ones playing various games, some of the older boys were sparing, earthbenders taking lessons from the one they called 'The Blind Bandit'.

Eating her peach, she watched a small group of girls practicing stances the Kyoshi Warrior had taught them. It wasn't long before the master earthbender realized she was there.

"Hey sleepy-head, you're up late."

Looking blankly at her students, Toph gave them instructions and walked over.

"Yeah, sorry about that," the older girl replied, "I didn't sleep well."

The blind girl stared at the ground, "I know what you mean. Hard to believe it's been three months already." She shuffled the dirt under her, "Hey—at least you're not sick anymore. What do you think you had?"

Suki coughed, choking on the food in her mouth, "Um...I don't know...probably some sort of bug."

The teenager looked away from the girl. She knew that behind those pale green eyes, even though the bender could see nothing, she knew everything. Sensing her friend's avoidance, Toph changed the subject.

"Could you fix my braids? I think they're starting to fall out again."

"Of course."

Sitting next to Toph, Suki recalled the first time she asked her...


"Um...Suki?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know how to braid hair?"

Suki looked at her confused, "I know how, why?"

The earthbender kicked her foot across the ground, "I was thinking...we haven't hear anything from Zuko or Katara, so it's most likely they're...anyway—I wanna do something to remember her."

She paused for a second and continued, "I decided to wear a braid in her honor." Pausing again, the girl smiled, "I was thinking about wearing her hair loopies, but they're so annoying! I can't stand them. No idea how she could."

Suki laughed at this, the first time in weeks.

"Okay then, come here."

Taking a seat next to her, Toph could feel her hair falling from it's usual bun, relaxing at the gentle tug and pull. A couple minutes passed.

"Finished." Suki told her.

Lifting her hand up, the blind girl checked her work. It wasn't what she expected. Toph assumed Suki would put all of her hair into the braid. Instead, the warrior made a small one that laid across the left side of her face, the rest hung loose. She loved it.

Smiling, Toph tilted her head toward the older girl, a hint of tears in her eyes, "Thank you."


"Done."

Placing her hands on the braids, she inspected them. Her black hair had grown slightly in the three months since Sozin's Comet, falling above her lower back. And now she wore two braids, one on each side of her face.

Satisfied, they sat in silence, observing the children around them.

"So...do you wanna talk about it?" Toph asked, "About Sokka or...anything else?"

Suki didn't move. So much was going on in her head, she didn't know what to do. The teenager had a feeling the girl knew her secret, she'd been told many times of the earthbender's abilities. There was no doubt in her mind that whenever Toph focused on her, she could feel her heartbeat—and that of the little life inside her.

Carefully holding her stomach, the mother-to-be looked at the girl next to her, "How long have you known?"

Toph leaned back, her hands behind her head, "About a month or so. Wasn't sure if it was really there or not, then it started to get stronger." She paused, tilting her head towards Suki, "Did he know?"

Tears formed in her eyes, "No...I didn't even know until two weeks after...after that day."

A small smile appeared as she thought of that night. It was the night before Katara left to find her mother's killer. The air was warm and calm. Earlier that day, Sokka asked her to come by his tent not long after sunset. As she made her way to him at the designated time, the Earth Kingdom girl bumped into Zuko, who wanted to speak to Sokka.

Embarrassed, Suki let Zuko through and went back to her own tent. Twenty minutes passed before going back out, this time with no issues.


"Sokka, are you there?" she whispered.

Within seconds, Sokka's head popped out and quickly waved her in, "C'mon! Before someone else shows up."

Once inside, she was awed at the candles and petals scattered all over the tent floor. Sitting across from her, the Water Tribe boy was full of jitters, brushed his hair aside and blushed.

"The reason I asked you here was...um..." fumbling around he mumbled to himself, "Where...is—ahh!" Finding what he was looking for, he took her hands gently in his.

"During my stay in the Northern Water Tribe, I learned about a custom my tribe had forgotten." Reaching behind him, his hand clutched something tightly.

"When couples are in love, the men would carve a necklace for the one they wished to marry." At this, Sokka opened his hand, revealing a jade carving attached to a blue-teal ribbon. Suki's eyes widened as he presented it to her. "And in turn, the women would wear it as a sign of their betrothal and marriage."

Blushing even more, the nervous boy continued, "So...I guess what I'm asking is...Suki, will you marry me?"

Suki stared at him in disbelief. Watching her, the boy hoped she'd say something, anything. The silence was killing him.

Taking a deep breath, the girl pulled her hands away, "Sokka, I don't know what to say..."

Discouraged, Sokka looked down in embarrassment. Then he felt the necklace leave his grasp. Jolting up, the face looking at him was a smiling one, the necklace already tied around her neck. Laughing at his confusion, Suki hugged him.

"Sokka, of course!"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him. Surprised, it took a moment before he kissed her back, pulling the fellow warrior closer as they tumbled to the ground. They wrestled a bit before Sokka managed to get the high ground. He looked at the girl underneath him lovingly, brushing her auburn hair out of her face.

"I love you." he said softly.

Smiling, she reached up for a kiss, " I love you too..."


That night was their first, and only, time. A time she'll never forget. A tear ran down her face as she thought of of the precious memory.

"Do you think you can tell me if it's a boy or a girl?"

Toph thought for a moment, "I think so. I can't right now because it's so small, but probably in a couple of months."

Suki smiled, lightly touching the jade pendant, feeling the fan and sword engraved into it.

"Thanks Toph, that'd be great."


Hey there! Hope you didn't mind all the flashbacks, the next couple of chapters won't have so much