Thank you to everyone who comments! The more you do, the more I want to write. Please tell me what your thoughts are by commenting. This probably is going to be more than five chapters… it all depends on the feedback I get. Sorry I took so long! The usual excuses (homework, life, illness, blah blah blah…)

Enough from me… here's chapter 3!

The alarm blaring in his ear that morning nearly sent him over the side of his bed.

He hadn't been asleep, really. He was more in a confusing purgatory of slumber—he was dreaming frightening things, but he was fully aware that they were only nightmares. The night air was damp and cold until he bundled himself up in his quilt; then his skin would grow clammy and sweaty, sticking to the fleece.

When the sharp, jarring sound of his clock crashed through his thoughts, Aang felt as if he would throw up. The exhaustion was enough to make him want to call in sick again. this time for real. He dragged himself into the shower, hoping to wash away the painful memories and physical residue from the night before.

As he shaved his head, it became clear to him that Toph had enchanted him in some way. In only one day, she had enraptured him. Her blind eyes, her infrequent smile, her singing voice. Her nonchalant attitude and easy-going personality made her seem relatively normal. She would actually be extremely attractive, if she wasn't a criminal.

That word left such a bitter taste in his mouth.

Toph was a gang leader that simply preferred a more undercover approach, one that enraptured her prey and tricked them into thinking she was actually decent. She was underhanded and stealthy, a tiger's cub that elicited his sympathy until he realized how close he was to being bitten by what she really was. She was a siren, an illusionist, an enchantress. She completely defied every stereotype of what a hoodlum was supposed to look like, but that was partly why she was so dangerous. She didn't have a lopsided Chicago snapback cocked on her head, nor did she walk around with her pants hung down around her thighs.

And yet, she was more a thief than any else, no better than the lowlife scum that took his grandfather away from him.

x…x…x

"Aang!"

All thoughts of his grandfather and of Toph completely vaporized in his mind when he heard the sweet voice he wished woke him up every morning.

"I was worried about you yesterday. I heard you were sick." Katara tucked a strand of thick brown hair behind her ear, a small, shy smile on her plump lips.

Aang tried his best to keep his eyes on her face. Her navy blue pencil skirt perfectly accentuated her figure while still leaving much to the imagination. Everything about her was lovely without being perfect. She wasn't skinny, nor was she fat. She was very polished, but playful and bubbly. She was attractive, both with her personality and her physique, yet she wasn't looking for attention.

Trim. Inviting. Humble.

Stable. Her stability was probably what was most attractive to him, especially now after such a random and chaotic night. She was everything Toph wasn't in the best way possible.

"Yeah, I was sick with the flu." Aang rubbed the back of his head, a flush of pink dotting his cheeks.

"I heard it was a little worse than that. Something about spots and tremors." One of Katara's perfectly sculpted eyebrows arched in playful suspicion.

"You know how gossip is around an office." Aang shrugged as he gave a weak chuckle. "It spreads like wildfire."

"Uh-huh." A quirked smile ended their banter as Katara handed Aang a slim folder. "Mr. Roku wants you to have these filed in with the Turner case. He says they are two more witnesses from the thrift store robbery."

Aang's happiness sobered as he took the file, but he tried his best to plaster on a fake smile as he looked back into Katara's ocean blue eyes. "I'll get right on it."

As he turned to leave, Katara caught his wrist. "Hey, Aang, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. Shoot." Hope swelled in the young man's heart as he turned to face his secret crush once again. Her eyes were trained on him, but this time they looked sly.

"I was making a coffee run yesterday afternoon." Katara lowered her voice and dipped her head closer to his. Aang eagerly moved forward. "I found this really cool place, over on the corner of Daymond and Hue."

"The Jasmine Dragon?" Aang asked.

Katara's eyes lit up. "Yeah! That's the one!" Her lips contorted in a cheeky way. "I saw you there."

"Y-you did?" Aang's eyes widened.

"Yeah, with a short woman with black hair." She winked. "You ditched work to take a date day, didn't you?"

Short woman. Black hair. Ditched work.

Date.

"NOOOOO, no, no, no, no, NO. Ick, no. That's Toph. We're just friends well not even friends more like acquaintances actually not even acquaintances more like frenemies that don't hang out at all like ever."

Aang giggled nervously, hoping his explanation was convincing, but Katara's lips curled into a knowing smile.

"It's totally okay, you know." She stood upright again. "I won't tell anybody. I actually think it's sweet, letting her know your job doesn't mean as much to you as she does. I hope I can find a guy like that."

"No, no, it's not that! Really, I was sick! A-and she's just someone I met yesterday. I don't know if you noticed, but she brought a guy with her."

"Well, either way, I think it's sweet that you took time to see her. I'm actually heading back there after work if you want to come with. I'm meeting up with someone at four, but we could at least have a coffee before they get there."

Aang anxiously rubbed his bald head again. "Yeah, that sounds—"

"Then we'll see you tomorrow." Jet's words echoed in his ears. If Aang didn't show up behind the building at five, a whole gang would be there to beat him up into a bloody pulp.

But, then again, this was a coffee date with Katara. He couldn't pass up the opportunity. If they had coffee at four, that would give him at least an hour to relax before having to meet up with them in the back lot.

"Sure." Aang smiled.

"Awesome! I'll meet up with you after work." Katara titled her head as her eyes drifted down to Aang's wrist. His light orange sleeve had ridden up his arm a smidgen, partially exposing a streak of blue on his wrist. "What's that?"

Aang yanked his cuff down, his face turning red. "It's nothing."

"What is it? It can't be that embarrassing."

"I-i-it's not embarrassing, it's just we're n-not supposed to show tattoos in work…"

Katara giggled softly. "It's not like I'm going to turn you in to Mr. Roku. I just want to see. Don't you trust me?"

Aang, wanting to prove his comfort with her knowing his secrets, slowly rolled his sleeve up to reveal the arrow with the words Help Always scrawled across his wrist. Katara's eyes widened and her fingers stretched out to trace the ink. Heat shot up his arm from the trail of her touch.

"That's so cool! Do you have any others?" Her look of genuine curiosity melted him from the inside. He opened his mouth to respond, but she suddenly shook her head and closed her eyes. "Never mind, don't tell me. We can talk about it later." She straightened, her face becoming professional again. "Until then, Mr. Twinkle." Her voice glittered playfully as she walked away, holding her file close to her chest.

Aang could only watch as she glided away to her cubicle, mesmerized by her smooth stroll. He suddenly felt like a kid again, blushing and beaming and totally smitten.

He made his way to his own workspace, a fresh enthusiasm coursing through his veins. Gosh, is she amazing or what? And we're going out for coffee! You smooth guy!

He winced as his shoulder collided with the wall of his workspace, interrupting his internal praise. Perhaps he could save his sappy thoughts for later. The young man had somewhat forgotten about the file he had in his hands, but as he sat at his desk his face drooped.

Another case. Another criminal. Another injustice that he had to face.

Usually, Aang loved his job as a lawyer-in-training at R.L.F.S. (Roku Law Firm of Seattle). At this stage, he was only receiving calls and clerking files, but his first big case was hopefully on the horizon. His dream was crystal-clear in his mind: he would be standing before a black-robed judge in a huge room smelling of wood polish, his persuasive tone convincing the honest jury whom the guilty criminal was, and watching the gavel descend upon its circular mark and therefore sealing the end of a delinquent and the preservation of justice.

Aang's fantasies supplied him with the motivation he need to drive him towards achievement, and it didn't take long for his boss, the head of the firm Mr. Roku, to notice him. Aang had studied at the University of Seattle for his law degree and was ready to put it into practice. Starting from the ground up with a smile on his face, Aang worked happily, pleased at his ability to make a positive difference for people who had been victimized. His enthusiasm and remarkable talent was surprising to everyone and Aang sensed a promotion somewhere along the horizon.

Today was a little different.

Haphazardly thumbing through the Turner case, Aang's heart began to harden. Amazingly enough, he felt guilty himself for whatever crime he held in his hands. He had spent time—and had actually had fun with, much to his chagrin—a criminal that could have very easily committed the offense represented in the manila folder.

Tucking the file away, Aang breathed in and out slowly, refocusing his energy. Toph and Jet did not need to be on his mind at all, not until much later.

x…x…x

The day's passing was confusing to Aang. The more time he spent at work, the closer the hours drew to the end of the day when he could sit down and have a one-on-one, non-work chat with his crush. On the other hand, every minute that ticked by led him closer and closer to Toph and Jet.

There were very few calls. There was a man who rang in with a wrong number, and a woman who was wondering what Aang could do to get her another kitten since her other one ended up running up a tree and was carried off by a hawk. Being a vegetarian (and an avid cat lover himself), Aang was truly sympathetic towards the woman, but there wasn't much he could do since, as he reminded her, "This is a law firm". She hung up, mumbling about such bureaucratic goons.

Agonizingly slow, yet overwhelmingly fast, the seconds floated by until the clock struck three-thirty. Aang casually walked to Katara's cubical, his jacket already in hand. Upon seeing a note deliberately stuck to her computer screen claiming she would meet up with him, he immediately turned around and made a bee-line for the elevator.

The walk to the Jasmine Dragon was beyond euphoric. Worries about Toph and Jet receded to the back of his mind, replaced by visions of enjoying a hot cup of Joe with his adored coworker. Fantasies evolved in his mind of them having coffee every day after work, perhaps eventually even advancing to lunch dates, and then dinner. And when he proposed, he would do it at a beach, like the ones Katara had on her computer's screensaver.

Okay, maybe that was a bit hasty, but this was his chance! A chance to show her his worth as a boyfriend. A chance to be someone she would want. A chance to be a normal adult.

By the time he had stepped over the threshold of the café, Aang was over cloud nine with hope. The familiar bustling sounds of a restaurant seemed so ideally domestic. The clattering of plates, the hum of the ceiling fans, the whir of the coffee makers as they spit hot liquid into porcelain cups… it was the perfect location for a first date.

Wait.

Was this a date?

Aang was suddenly on edge, his feet turning to ice in his socks. What exactly was this? She said they could get coffee before she had to meet someone. That was dishearteningly casual. But then again, maybe she wanted to make sure he would say yes by making it seem as nonchalant as possible.

Aang glanced down. He was still in his work clothes— a light orange shirt with a white tie and black pants. It usually didn't feel uncomfortable, but now it felt like the collar was choking him. He loosened his tie and undid the shirt's first button to allow himself some breathing room. He rubbed his shaved head, smoothing down whatever inconspicuous peach fuzz was left there. He rolled up his sleeves a little, exposing the heads of his arrow tattoos. He glanced around for onlookers, then subtly pulled the chair positioned skew to him so it was now facing him dead-on.

Might as well make this as easy as possible.

Aang quietly observed the people around him to keep his mind occupied. Bits of conversation weaved in and out of his ears. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee beans wafted into his nostrils. Upbeat, jazzy music slid out of the speakers in a smooth rhythm.

The young man spotted Zuko a few tables over, setting a drink down in front of a man typing away on his laptop. As he stood to serve another order, Zuko spotted Aang. His good eye lit up.

"Hey, Aang. What's up?" He walked over to the young man and they clapped hands.

"Nothing much, I, uh… just have a date." Aang grinned smugly as he sat down.

Zuko flashed him one of his rare smiles that lit up his scarred face. "That's great. Who is she?"

"A friend from work." Aang shrugged in an attempt to disguise his excitement.

"Are you two official, or is this a one-time thing?" Zuko folded his arms in interest.

"Well, I don't think we're dating, per se. This is our first time meeting up outside the office, so I'm not really sure what this is."

Two hands covered Aang's eyes from behind. "Guess who?"

The bald young man jumped in surprise, but a grin presently spread across his lips. "Hmmm… it's a wild guess, but I'm gonna say 'Katara'?"

"Who?"

Aang frowned as he concentrated on the voice. It sure wasn't Katara's. This woman had a sarcastic, mocking tone that wasn't nearly as sweet or smooth as his beloved's. These hands were cold and small, not long and warm like Katara's.

"Guess again, Twinkletoes."

Aang whipped his head around and could barely hold back the groan bubbling up in his throat. Zuko, a puzzled expression twisting his face, slowly backed away after assessing the awkwardness of the situation. He scooted off to help another customer.

"W-wh-what are you doing here?!" Aang sputtered, a strange mix of anxious feelings swirling in his stomach. He felt like he might throw up.

"I can't have coffee like everyone else?" Toph plopped herself down in the chair opposite of him and propped her feet up on the coffee table. She had only just gotten there and she was already disturbing the whole atmosphere.

"Please, I'm about to have a d—… meeting with someone." Aang pleaded. "I already dealt with you last night. Please, just let me be. I'll see you in an hour."

"Ahhhh, so Twinkletoes has a date, huh? Who's the lucky guy?"

If he had been drinking coffee, Aang would have spit it out at her.

"You mean you're not gay?" Toph's eyebrow arched at the silence. "You're more in touch with your feminine side than about 90% of the guys I've met."

"Her name is Katara and she's from my office." Aang glared at her while emphasizing the feminine pronouns.

"Haven't you heard dating a coworker is dangerous?" Toph shook her head.

"Look, I don't need this. I'm meeting up with a friend, and I don't need you messing anything up. I'll see you in an hour and you can do whatever while I'm there, but just let—"

"Aang?"

Aang jumped again at the sound of a woman's voice; this one, though, he had actually wanted to hear.

"Katara." He breathed, his relief evident on his face.

Toph's expression changed when she heard the woman's name, and a sickly sweet smile plastered itself across her lips. "Why, hello! You must be Katara. Twinkletoes has told me all about you!"

Katara's eyebrows lowered curiously, her small smile genuine. "Has he?"

Toph turned in the direction of her voice and Katara let out a small gasp at the sight of her clear white eyes. Aang wanted to hide under his chair, but all he could do was burrow further into his chair.

"Sweetie, why don't you introduce me to your friend?"

Aang's head snapped to Toph, appalled. Had she just called him… sweetie?

"I'm Katara Waterman." Katara extended her hand in response to Aang's shocked silence, but she quickly shoved it back to her side after realizing, like Aang had when he first saw Toph, that the woman in front of her was blind.

"Toph Green. Nice to meet you." Toph nodded, her sugary smile still fixed on her lips. The bald man caught the mischievous undertone of her words as she turned to him. "What's wrong, boo? Cat got your tongue?"

She and Katara laughed at her quip, but Aang sat frozen stiff in his seat. He didn't exactly know a word extreme enough to describe his feelings. Angry? Nah, that wasn't the correct word. Infuriated? Irate? Enraged? Fuming? Ready to pull out someone's nose hairs with red-hot tweezers? Yes, those were better.

"Aang?"

Katara's voice rang in his ears. "W-what?"

"I asked you if you wanted to reschedule, since you're obviously busy." Katara's lopsided grin expressed something that Aang couldn't quite pinpoint: it was something between disappointment and embarrassment.

"No!" The force and volume of the words attracted some irritated attention, causing Aang to drop his voice to an appropriate decibel. "Toph was just leaving."

"I don't want to intrude—"

"He's right, I was leaving." Toph smiled. "Please, sit down. I'll be meeting up with my boo later anyway. You two have fun." Aang thought maybe he had imagined it, but Toph's grin faltered as she rose.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely." Aang cut in before Toph could rethink her presence.

"I'll see you guys around. Well, not see you, but you know what I mean. Later, Twinkletoes." She blew a kiss in his direction before ducking out, not even having to feel around for the door.

Aang didn't quite know how to react, so he settled for staring out after her. She casually rounded the corner, her eyes gleaming with humor.

"Your ears are all red." Katara pointed out,giggling.

Aang's hands shot up to his ears. Heat steamed out of them and he could have sworn they were smoking. "Heh, sorry. It's j-just a quirk of mine."

"No doubt brought on by your nickname." The mocha-skinned woman tucked her pencil skirt beneath her legs as she took her seat. "'Twinkletoes, huh? What kind of pet name is that?" It pained Aang to hear the playful interest leave her voice.

"It's not a pet name." Aang insisted, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"I thought you two weren't dating." A dark eyebrow rose.

"Seriously, we aren't. She's just being stupid, messing around. You know how friends are, always embarrassing you in front of important people."

A faint blush spread across Katara's cheeks and Aang suddenly felt incredibly sheepish. She was definitely important, but saying it out loud made him sound like a besotted schoolboy. Instead of looking repulsed, though, Katara looked flattered, and Aang felt himself relax against the back of his chair.

"Want something to drink?" The young man looked over her head to find Zuko. He found his friend pretending to wash a cup a few feet away, scrubbing while keeping a wary eye on the way things panned out from behind the counter. Aang waved him over.

"Well, this is a coffee date, so I guess some coffee would be a good idea."

At the word "date", Aang felt his already chili-pepper-red ears burn viciously. Zuko weaved his way in and out of the tables, a small notepad and pencil in hand.

"Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. What can I get you?" Zuko's good eye snagged on Katara for a brief moment before forcibly shifting to look at Aang. His expression seemed impressed.

"Caramel macchiato, please." The bald man beamed, the tension melting away as pride swelled in his heart.

"You're kidding, right?" Katara's eyes widened.

"I changed my mind. Mocha chip frappe, please." Aang immediately corrected his order, despite not knowing what was wrong with it. "

Zuko stared at him in disbelief, crossed out his previous order, and jotted down the new one.

"You didn't have to change it." Katara laughed, her expression soft. "I said that because that's exactly what I was going to get."

Aang felt his face turn the same shade of crimson as his ears. "Heh. Funny." His hand instinctually found its way to the back of his neck.

"Caramel macchiato for you, then?" Zuko looked at the woman before writing anything down. Taking her sweet smile as a sign of approval, he scribbled her order onto the notepad and nodded at the two of them. "I'll be right back with those."

As soon as he was out of Katara's peripheral, Zuko gave Aang a thumbs-up and mouthed "Nice job".

"So, I've been dying to hear about those tattoos." Katara leaned forward, the curiosity returning to her tone.

"Oh, right!" Aang was glad for the change in conversation. "Well, I have one big one that kind of branches off into a few small ones."

"Where are they?" Ocean blue eyes glimmered in front of him, drawing him in.

"The ones on my arms kind of twist," Aang traced his sleeve to demonstrate the winding pattern. "They go under my arms to my chest, and in the back they meet in a big arrow below my neck."

"Are they all blue arrows?"

"Yeah, all of them."

"Do they mean anything? I mean, a tattoo that big must mean something, right?"

Aang hesitated, feeling the cloak of sadness weigh on his shoulders. "I… I got them after my grandpa died. He always said to think of myself as an arrow, always moving forward."

Katara's face softened in sympathy. She reached out and touched his hand lightly in comfort. "I'm sorry. You didn't need to tell me what it meant if it made you uncomfortable."

Aang flinched at the contact, not used to having a woman touch him anywhere. "It's really no problem. It's been a while." His eyes shifted down to the arrows on his hands. Katara's eyes slid down as well.

Zuko arrived then, dropping off their drinks. He avoided eye contact with Katara as he set them on the table between them, and only muttered in response when he was thanked. He swiftly glided back into the kitchen.

"I noticed you have words on the arrows." She pried gently. "What do they say, if you don't mind me asking."

"I don't mind." Aang's reassuring grin felt so natural despite the heavy topic. "The ones on my wrists say 'Help Always'. There are words on my neck one, too, that say 'Think Always' and the one on my heart says 'Love Always.'"

"'Help Always', 'Think Always', 'Love Always'… what's that from?"

"From grandpa. That was his life's motto." Aang smiled sadly.

"Wow." Katara closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

"Too much?" Aang's voice betrayed him as it rocketed into an alarmed tone much too high for a male adult.

Katara laughed a happy tinkling sound that melted the bald man in the chair across from her. "You're like a kid sometimes, the way you get flustered so easily. I think it's amazing and… really powerful." She smiled somewhat shyly. "I have a tattoo, too."

"Really?" Aang's eyes widened. "No offense, but you hardly seem like the kind of person to get one."

"Neither do you." Katara winked, sending red-hot shivers down Aang's spine. "Mine's small thought and I can't even see it without twisting myself around."

"What's it a picture of?"

"A wave, like the ones I used to surf when I lived in Hawaii." Katara's big blue eyes slid shut, a sigh escaping her lips. "Those were the days. The sun was hot, the water was clear, and the sand was soft. Everything was warm and inviting. Then I moved here, where it rains nearly twenty-four seven and it's almost always cold."

"Why'd you leave?" Aang pressed forward in his seat, forgetting all about the coffee he had ordered.

Katara gave him a sad sideways smile. "That's another thing you and I have in common: we both lost someone we loved, and now we're here."

x…x…x

That precious hour passed way too fast for Aang: every minute was a second, ticking away until the coffees ran cold from neglect. The conversation flowed easily and they exchanged small quips. Everything was so natural, so easy, that when Katara stood to leave Aang nearly started crying. It had been the longest anyone had talked to him in one sitting since… forever.

"I had a great time." Katara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the same one that popped out every few minutes. Aang desperately wanted to reposition it for her, but he made a conscious note to keep his hands at his sides.

"I did, too."

"We… should do this again, sometime. If you want?"

"Is that a date?" The words had escaped right out of Aang's mouth before he had a chance to think about them. Blood pumped to his face and his heartbeat resounded like a tom-tom in his ears. So long Katara. I'm gonna go jump off of a bridge now.

The question had apparently surprised Katara more than it had surprised Aang and a steady blush crept to her cheeks. A school-girl smile wobbled onto her lips. "Well, I'm not sure about a-a date, exactly, but… we'll see how this goes?"

Aang's heart just about leaped out of his chest as Katara waved goodbye and walked out of the door. He caught her biting her lip as she disappeared around the corner in an attempt to keep her grin from breaking out.

It took all of the young man's strength to keep from pumping his fist into the air.

With a dazed, dreamy expression on his face that can only be described as puppy-love, Aang plucked the two half-empty coffee cups from the table and deposited them into the nearby trashcan. He stumbled out of the café.

We'll see how this goes… we'll see how this goes… we'll see—

"How'd it go?"

Aang jumped three feet in the air at the sound of the nonchalant voice that would no doubt haunt his dreams for years to come.

"Toph! Jeez, you scared the hell out of me!"

"I'd say I'm sorry, but it's so funny when you're scared that I can't help but like it." Toph pushed herself off the wall and walked towards him. Aang felt the vague irritation she brought upon him slowly creep up his neck. "Have you seen Jet?"

Aang shook his head. "No, I haven't. Have you?"

Toph punched his arm. "I can't see at all, dumbass. When will you ever get that?" She sighed. "None of the gang has seen him either. Speaking of, it's time for your assignment."

"Fine. What is it?" Aang shoved his hands in his pockets, the old familiar feeling of dread making the miniscule hairs on his neck bristle.

"Come on." Toph began walking. It amazed Aang how steadily she placed her feet, stalking off without needing to feel around or grasp his shoulder. She was more independent and stable than he was. He followed hurriedly after her, hoping whatever torture she had in store for him was quick.

The walk was brief, only a block and a half down from the Jasmine Dragon. They ducked into a dimly lit alley. Aang instantly felt grossed out by the conspicuous evidence of mice among the smelly piles of trash haphazardly thrown into surrounding the dumpsters. Why can't thugs be clean for once?

Toph walked all the way to the back wall before stopping only about two feet away from the cold stone. Aang suddenly felt stupid for following a blind girl.

"Toph, I think you're confused—"

"Shut it, Twinkletoes. You're the one who's confused." The young woman placed her palms on the wall. "Is there anyone coming?"

Aang looked behind him. "No, you're all clear."

With a devious smile, Toph slammed her hands against the wall twice, balled her fingers into tight fists, and raked them across the bumpy bricks. The wall shook slightly, and then, to Aang's utter amazement, began to move.

A rectangular slab of the wall slid to the side, revealing a small passageway. "Get in, Twinkletoes, before someone sees." Toph grabbed a fistful of Aang's shirt and hauled him into the hole. She ran in after him, and then did the exact same motions as before, this time sealing the wall back into place.

"What the…Toph, how did you do that?!"

"You can drop the games now, Twinkletoes. You can do what I just did." Her grin stretched from ear to ear. "And so much more."

Hope you guys don't hate me too much for using such tacky last names… they're the only things (hopefully) that are tacky about this.

Please F/F/C!

~KEEP CALM, LEAF ON~