I am such a procrastinator.

I basically waited till' the last moment to write this chapter for no particular reason. This weekend has been a fun and big weekend for me. Catching up with friends and I went to two party's. No t that you guys care. You're probably waiting for me to get on with the story. So… your wish shall be granted!

Chapter 4

.: Midnight :.

With Aang, Sokka, and Zuko

After Aang and Katara caught up with the others, they all went their separate ways. Hakoda told them dinner would be sent to their rooms, and Aang happened to be relieved. He didn't particularly like eating at a humongous table with people he had just met. Right now they were just sitting in their area of Sokka's room. Talking about what to do.

"I'm sick of this place already. There's nothing to do here." Zuko tapped his foot and looked around the room. Actually, in truth, there was a lot you could do. Just nothing that interested him at all.

"That didn't take long. You've been here for half a day." Sokka sighed.

"Well, you could watch this trick!" Aang dug in his pocket for whatever he was looking for while Sokka sat up to get a better view. Zuko looked at him, obviously hoping that whatever it was, it was good.

Aang brought out three marbles from his pocket and spun them in midair, "Ta Da!"

Zuko groaned and collapsed back on his couch, "That was amazing!" His voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Sokka was about to say something when there was a knock on the door," Dinner, your highness!"

"Finally!"

He jumped off the bed and ran to the door in three seconds flat. A servant rolled in a cart filled with three silver trays. "Enjoy…" He bowed and left the room.

"Hope you guys are hungry… because I'm starving!"

With Ty Lee and Mai

They had just gotten their food and were in the middle of eating when Ty Lee spoke up, "Why do you think Aang and Katara were so far behind us?" If you could see her face you would think that she was wanting to ask the question forever.

Mai sighed; she was just enjoying the silence when Ty Lee had to say something, "Don't know. Don't care."

"Oh come on! Aren't you the least bit curious?" Ty Lee scooted closer to her, a big grin on her face.

"Nope."

"I think something's going on between them. I was watching Aang during dinner, and his eyes kept going over to Katara. I think he likes her."

"He just met her." Mai popped another piece of roast duck in her mouth.

"Sooo…remember when we first met Zuko. You like, totally fell in love with him!"

Mai stopped chewing and looked straight at Ty Lee, she was smirking victoriously, "You don't know that."

"Oh please!" she sighed and rolled over on her bed, "you blushed when he even looked at you! Blushed! You never blush Mai."

"I thought- I thought he was looking at me cause'- cause I looked weird, or something like that." Mai stammered and pushed her plate away.

"Suurrreee, whatever you say Mai." Ty Lee rolled her eyes and put her plate on the table next to her, "But just to let you know," she got up and made her way to the bathroom on the other side of the room. Right before she went in she finished her sentence, "You're a really bad liar."

With Toph and Katara

"Sooo… how did you guys get caught anyways?" Katara said, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Caught doing what?" Toph looked over at her with surprisingly good accuracy, considering that her feet were only halfway on the ground.

"You know…stealing." Katara shifted uncomfortably on the couch in her room. Toph had said that she would sleep on the ground, that it was no big deal. But Katara wouldn't have it, she let Toph have the bed and she took the couch.

"Oh. I don't know really. We've done these thousands of times before. Zuko tripped on a rock, I think he grabbed the thing nearest to him, which happened to be Mai's arm. And all the sudden weight must have brought her down with him." Toph rolled over so that her head was on the end of the bed, closest to Katara.

"So you, Aang, and Ty Lee could've kept running?"

"Yup"

"Why didn't you?" Katara was really interested now. The only contact she had had with kids her age had been snotty, high-class brats from the other nations. Not once had she ever got to learn something interesting about people's lives.

"We're a family. Family sticks together."

"How did you guys meet? I know you're not biologically related, you couldn't be. You guys look nothing alike."

"Well, let's just say our lives are horrible to put it bluntly. We are all orphans. We all have to steal for food. We make just enough money to pay for the house bills. And we are only in our mid-teens. We all have a lot it common. When we met each other, we became really good friends, and now we sort of just. Depend on each other." Toph finished her sentence and laughed at Katara's reaction, "Don't worry about us though. We're just fine on our own."

Katara was about to open her mouth to say something but somebody knocked on the door, "Your highness… dinner."

Katara sighed and walked towards the door, "Well. Maybe we should talk about something more… happy." She opened the door and took the two trays that were handed to her. She set Toph's down in front of her and went back to the couch and started to pick at her food.

"Sooo…Do you like Aang?"

Katara chocked on the rice she was eating and managed to spit it out it, "Umm. Yeah I like. He seems nice. A good friend."

Toph smirked and slurped up some noodles, wiping her mouth her sleeve, "Nooo, I mean do you like him, like him?"

Katara looked down at her plate, "No. Why do you say that?"

Toph shrugged and took another bite, "I don't know. When we were practicing, I thought I felt your heart skip a beat a few times. And at dinner your eyes kept drifting over to him." Toph swallowed and shrugged, "But maybe I'm wrong."

"Well, yeah. I think you are. No offense or anything."

"None taken. It's just…" Toph shifted on the bed and looked at Katara dead on, "I'm never wrong."

With Hakoda and Long Feng

Hakoda was sitting down at the desk in his room, signing warrants from people in the city. He was just about to retire to bed when there was a knock at his door, "Your highness?"

"Come in!"

Long Feng walked in the door and stopped right in front of him, "Could I talk to you?"

Hakoda nodded and waited for him to go on.

"About the children. I had some soldiers do some research about them. And it turns out that they're orphans. They live all alone in a shack on the outskirts of the city. I think we should keep them here, for at least another month. Give them their own rooms, make them comfortable, and make it so they don't want to leave."

Hakoda furrowed his brow, "Why would we do that?"

Long Feng smirked and looked out the window that overlooked the city, "The Fire Nation."

"The Fire Nation?" Hakoda was more confused then ever.

"I will tell you the details when the time comes. Get some sleep your highness." And with that Long Feng was out the door.

He scratched his head and walked towards his closet. The Fire Nation?

11:45

Almost Midnight.

Katara had managed to tiptoe into the closet and put on a black cloak and tiptoe back out towards the door without waking Toph… or so she thought. Right before she opened the door she heard a voice, "Where are you going?"

She spun around to face Toph, who was smirking and walking towards her.

"Umm…just down to the…umm…the kitchen! I'm going to the kitchen. To get a drink." She stammered.

"Oh really? At twelve in the morning with a cloak on?"

"How did you kno-"

"You're about 10 times heavier."

"Oh…"

"So where are you really going?"

Katara looked down at the ground; there was no way she could lie to Toph now. In fact, Toph seemed to know everything.

"To meet Aang"

"You're going to meet Twinkle toes?"

"Just to teach him waterbending! That's all."

"Sure you are…"

"No! I swear!"

Toph laughed, "Don't worry Sugar Queen I'm just giving you a hard time." Toph turned and walked back towards the bed.

Katara sighed and turned back towards the door, but paused right before she opened it, "Sugar Queen?"

All she heard was Toph laugh as she silently walked down the halls and out the back entrance.

12:00

Midnight

At first, Aang had no problem sneaking out. The light footsteps of an air bender gave him an advantage. He was doing fine until he ran into a bunch of dinner trays they had left on the floor. He froze completely, waiting for Sokka or Zuko to ask him where he was going. But soon after he heard Sokka snore again and he kept on moving. He managed to make it out the door and was now navigating through the palace, trying to avoid any noise possible.

As soon as he stepped outside, he scanned the grounds, looking for Katara. When he didn't see her he started walking and calling out her name softly. He was just about to raise his voice when two soft hands clamped over his mouth from behind.

"Shhh!!! Somebody might hear you!"

He relaxed when he knew it was Katara and turned around to face her, she looked beautiful in the moonlight. The moon light reflected off her eyes perfectly, and she seemed to glow in even the darkest corners.

"I came.." Aang mentally slapped himself. That came out so wrong! Of course I came I'm standing right here!

Katara smiled, "I can see that. I wanted you to come here so I could teach you waterbending. You need a teacher, and I want a student."

Aang smiled, "Guess I'm glad I was brought here then…"

Katara laughed, "I guess you are. So… back to work. Show me what can do."

Aang nodded and got into the only waterbending stance he knew, "Here goes nothing…"

Ooo…sort of a cliffhanger.

What will happen next!?!? I don't even know. I'm making this up as I go. It's turning out ok though. I'm going to try and get the next chapter up in the next week. Review please! Oh…and expect more Tokka in the next chapter!