Have y'all gotten the hint yet? It ain't mine!

Aang held Toph's hand gently. It just didn't seem right seeing her laid up in bed like this. She had always been the strong one. The one he knew he could always rely on in any situation. He recalled the day that Katara and Zuko had "announced" their relationship to the world. He had been devastated. Well, sort of. He had been expecting it for a while but he still did not tell Katara how he felt. When he had left the Grand Hall his heart and head were in turmoil.

Why didn't it hurt more? Why didn't he get upset? Why had he been so okay with what happened? There were just too many things that didn't make sense at the moment. He needed to be alone with his thoughts. He planned on doing just that. Board Appa and go flying off to anywhere and everywhere he felt like.

Escaping into the first room he could find he unexpectedly saw Toph standing at the balcony. She had always liked balconies. Though she could not enjoy the view, she had once told him that the cold nighttime air on her face relaxed her as the vibrations from up high gave her a more unique look down at the earth below. Though he had thought he wanted to be alone, being with Toph sounded like a much better idea. He always felt stronger with her around.

Maybe that was why he had asked her to come with him. Maybe it was because he knew that she would enjoy resuming their world gallivanting rather than go back to the Bei Fong Estate where she told them suitors were lining up to marry into the prosperous family. Regardless of why he had asked her, he was glad that she said yes.

The journey had been so much fun with Toph by his side. Riding the mail shoots in Omashu, playing with the various animals they came across, even getting chased by that platypus bear near Gaoling. One of Aang's favorite memories was taking Toph penguin sledding. She couldn't see very well in the snowy fields of the South Pole which made it that much more entertaining watching her try to catch one of the penguins.

The two of them lived a fairly care free life of travel and fun with the exception of the Avatar duties Aang was responsible for. Toph never complained though and helped out whenever and wherever she could. She supported him. No, it was more than that. She pushed him. It had always been that way since the day they met. Whenever he felt or said "I can't" or doubted himself in anyway, Toph was right there to smack him in the head and push him forward. She helped him to discover things about himself he never even knew. For one thing, she showed him he was a lot stronger than he ever thought himself to be, both physically and otherwise.

As he gripped her hand tighter it finally occurred to him. That was what she was. She was his rock, his hard place. She was everything that he needed her to be. When he suffered, she was there for him. When he was happy, she was right there with him laughing and smiling. She was that much and more. Just like she had always been.

"I'm sorry I let this happen," he said to her. "I wish I could take it back, but I can't. Tell you what, next time we run into some of those renegades I'll let you have the first shot, okay?"

She didn't stir.

"Katara says that you're going to be okay, but she doesn't know when you're gonna wake up. I hope it's soon. There's still a lot of places I want to go with you. A lot of things to do."

The earthbender continued to stare up at the ceiling with closed eyes.

"I didn't tell you, but Bumi's having another one of his crazy theme parties that he invited us to. I was hoping we could go race on the mail shoots again. I still haven't gotten you back for earthbending me out of my chute the last time we were there."

Toph continued to lie there on the bed completely motionless. Even though Katara said she would be okay, it was hard to believe when the small girl didn't respond to anything.

"I'm glad you came with me," Aang said. "I gotta admit, it's really been a lot of fun these past two years and I don't think it would have been if it weren't for you. I'm surprised I hadn't really thought about it before, but I really don't know what I'd do if I hadn't met you. I don't think I would have had the strength to come as far as I have."

Aang bowed his head and rested it on the bed next to his and Toph's clasped hands. "I wish you would just move, or twitch or something. Anything to let me know you're just giving me the cold shoulder instead of just lying there like a vegetable." The tears started to flow freely down onto the soft red silk blankets that lay over her. "You need to wake up, Toph. I can't lose you."

Because his head was down, Aang never realized that a smile crossed Toph's features as the tears rolled down her cheeks.