Chapter 4: Not weird...

"Wait!" Aang called suddenly, getting up from the bed and rushing over to where I stood. The officer stopped in the middle of attaching my handcuffs.

"What is it, sir?" the police asked.

"You can't arrest this man," Aang said, grasping me by the shoulder. Once again, my ability to determine what's happening thrown way out of whack.

"Why not?" the police and I asked at the same time.

"Because- because-," Aang stammered. He seemed to be having a hard time coming up with an important-sounding excuse.

"Because," Zuko interrupted, stepping into the conversation, "He has been declared officially immune by order of the Fire Nation."

So maybe I'm a little harsh on the guy… Okay, he totally saved my pathetic butt. But that still doesn't mean I've got to act particularly friendly towards him!

"Yes!" Aang exclaimed, catching on to the idea, "And by the Avatar as well!"

Behind me, I heard Toph's mother whisper to her, "Can they do that?"

"I have no idea," Toph replied quietly, "But they might as well try."

"Yes, well," the police stammered. He seemed to have been backed into a corner, unable to find a way to take me away now.

"Just let him go," Zuko said, sounding exasperated. The police sighed.

"Very well, your majesty," he replied. He bowed to each Zuko and Aang, and backed out of the room.

"May I escort you out?" came the a servant's voice from the hall.

I exhaled, and realized that I'd been holding my breath the whole time. Relief washed over me, and I felt myself smiling.

"Thank you," I said to both the men who had just saved me from a very nasty situation.

"Any time, Sokka," Aang said with a grin. He then hurried back over to his wife and son. I saw Katara laughing quietly and shaking her head.

"Officially immune?" I repeated to Zuko, just now realizing how ridiculous that sounded.

"It's the first thing I could think of," he replied.

"Yeah, well, I guess I owe you big time now," I told him.

"Not really," he said. I raised my eyebrows. What he'd done seemed to require pretty big payback in my mind. "I just want to know why you were attested in the first place."

"Oh, that," I said.

"You might as well tell him, Sokka, we're all going to find out sooner or later anyway," Katara said.

"Yeah, but it's not really something to be proud of," I muttered.

"You mean it was that bad?!" Aang asked, looking horrified.

"No," Toph answered for me, "He probably means that it was such a pathetic reason that he can't even brag about it."

Everyone laughed, though I knew what she'd said was not far from the truth. I also knew that if I didn't tell them the whole story first, town gossip would get around and everyone would find out anyway. Although if it were to become a huge game of whisper down the lane, the story might become a bit more dramatic than, well, what actually happened.

"So what did you do?" Mrs. Bei Fong asked, somewhat suspiciously if you ask me. I guess I can't blame her; I'd want to find out the story behind my future son-in-law's arrest if I were in her shoes.

"Well it started with Katara," I told everyone. She looked curious, so I continued, "You know pregnant women and their weird cravings, well, she wanted some honey-roasted leche nuts really badly. She kept insisting that I go out and get her some; so I was on my way to the market to find some honey-roasted leche nuts, and well, there was this old woman crossing the street next to me. And I, being the good guy I am, offered to help her cross the road. But she was almost deaf, so she misunderstood me and thought I was trying to steal her bag. So then she started whacking me with her cane, and it really hurt! Anyway, I was getting beat up by this old lady in the middle of the sidewalk, and it was making a huge scene since she was screaming that I was trying to mug her, so these policemen come running over. Of course, I started thanking them for saving me from this crazy old lady, but they thought I was attacking her. And then, well, I was arrested for harassing and beating and old woman."

As I expected, my story was responded to with a roar of laughter from everyone who'd heard it. And although it didn't do anything to boost my self-confidence, I did allow myself to grin a little at my rotten luck.

"Sokka, only you would get smacked down by and old lady," Aang laughed.

"She was vicious! She probably could have taken you, too!" I exclaimed.

"You just keep telling yourself that," Toph told me with a grin. Once again, she was at my side, hugging me around the waist. It felt a lot better now that I knew I wasn't going to be dragged off to prison at any given moment.

"Well not to break up this happy moment," Zuko interrupted my thoughts, "But we've been awake for twenty-four hours, and I'd personally like to get some sleep before I get back to my wife."

"So you did marry Mai after all!" Katara exclaimed happily, Zuko nodded proudly.

"And I really think Katara and the baby deserve some sleep," Aang added. To emphasize his point, it seemed, my nephew yawned largely and stirred in his mother's arms.

"That is a good idea," Mrs. Bei Fong agreed.

Everyone took their turns congratulating Katara and Aang- probably for the second time, but I wouldn't know, since I'd been unconscious- and saying "good morning" before leaving for bed. I was the last of the visitors left in the room, and approached my family slowly.

"I just can't believe it," I admitted to my sister, looking again at the tiny baby. She smiled at me again, and I realized that she looked really tired.

"Well, goodnight Sokka," Aang said. He seemed so content where he was, next to his beautiful little family.

"Thanks again," I told him. I had a feeling I'd be doing that a lot, especially as the wedding got closer and I realized how lucky I was to not be in jail, "Goodnight."

I leaned over and kissed the top of my sister's head, then softly petted my nephew's thin brown hair. With one more nod to Aang, I left the room. Toph must have been waiting for me, because she was still standing right outside the bedroom door. I grabbed her hand, and we started walking down the hall toward our rooms.

"It's just so weird," she said to me quietly.

"What is?" I asked.

"Everything," she replied, "This day! I mean, you getting arrested and Zuko showing up and then the baby and Aang coming at the perfect time and- I mean, I would have never expected so much to happen all at once."

"I don't think it was weird at all," I told her. And it was true, this day had been different, but, as far as my life goes, not really weird.

"And why not?" she asked.

"Because," I replied. We'd come to a halt outside her bedroom door. My mind quickly flashed back to earlier in the day, and in the same second, a million other times when my life just seemed to be out of control. It's funny, really, how fast your brain can work. But I guess that's not really my point…

I couldn't keep a grin off of my face as I concluded, "Things never goes as planned."

Fin.

Author's note: Yeah, I probably should have put this at the beginning, but: I don't own Avatar (I wish I did) or Sokka (I really wish I did) or anyone else from the show, etc. etc. etc. So, there you go. Thanks for reading! Reviews appreciated!