Ok, I know this isn't what most you guys want to read, but one of my pet peaves is when people ship Zuko and Katara together and kinda pretend that Aang doesn't like Katara at all or pretend he doesn't exist. So I wrote this chapter for Aang. I figured that even though he got on everyone's nerves in the last chapter, he desearved to be able to show how hurt he is. After all, Aang is a person with feelings too isn't he? Ok I'll stop arguing with myself and let you read. :P

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Avatar

As Momo played in the tide pools, Aang watched the sun disappear into the ocean. Every other minute or so, Momo would try to win Aang's attention with some cute gesture or trick, but Aang's mind was elsewhere.

After he practically walked in on Zuko and Katara, he could feel his heart break. 'Heart ache' turned out to be an accurate description because he felt a throbbing pain in his chest every time his heart pumped blood through his veins. After catching them, he didn't know what to do. He couldn't go with his original plan which was asking Katara to go flying with him. He had never been more humiliated in all his life.

He finally decided to go find Momo, like he said he would in his lame fabricated excuse for disturbing them. On the way, he passed Sokka and Suki cuddling by the camp fire. He could barely stomach the sight of them. It was like there was a monster in his gut that clawed and tore at his insides. Seriously! Why don't they just get a room?! They seemed oblivious to his disgust which only served to worsen his frustration and provide further incentive for the monster to continue ripping his insides apart. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him and nearly flew to the tide pools. Now here he was; just him and his pain. And Momo.

He felt a huge disappointment, hurt, and betrayed. At the invasion, Aang kissed Katara just in case he never saw her again, but also to lay his claim to her. By kissing her, he had hoped to distract her from all other guys by letting her know how he felt about her. But it didn't work.

How could Zuko be so inconsiderate? Wasn't it obvious enough that Aang liked Katara? Who did he think we was, barging into the group and stealing his girl right from under his nose? And what about Katara? Didn't she know how this would make him feel? Aang had shown Zuko nothing but kindness and acceptance since he joined them, and this is how Zuko thanked him for his charity. Yes, betrayal was definitely what he was feeling the strongest.

The monster inside him seemed to growl in anger. He didn't understand it. Katara hated Zuko only a few days ago. Aang found himself defending Zuko against Katara's unjustified hate multiple times. Now he wished more than anything that he never bothered. Now he felt that Zuko deserved every last insult, dirty look, and every little bruise he ever got from Katara a thousand times over. He wished he never let Zuko join their group. No, he wished Zuko had never been born! He wished he had never been born! He wished he never met Katara and he wished he was still stuck in that stupid iceberg!

Something must've happened on their little mission that brought this on. What were they doing the whole time anyway? Kissing and making googly eyes at each other? Maybe there was no mission. Maybe it was just a way of being alone together without anyone knowing about it. It was Zuko who found Katara after she went off by herself. He was the one who knew just where to find her, because that was probably where they always went to be alone together when no one was paying attention. Aang couldn't believe he didn't see the signs sooner. The monster continued to tear is insides to ribbons and he wanted to scream.

He felt Momo climb on his leg. The lemur looked at him expectantly and clicked. Aang wanted to shout at him for interrupting his black mood swing, but immediately felt guilty for considering doing so to an innocent animal. He sighed and started to pet him. "You're not the only one who feels ignored around here." The lemur clicked at him again. "Yeah I know. It's hard when the people you love most don't seem to care about you too."

"Sounds like someone's got a major case of blind self pity."

Aang jumped and Momo cocked his head. He studied the lemur for anything out of the ordinary. "What did you just say?" he asked.

"Stop talking to the lemur, stupid, I'm right here," said Toph, "and I think you heard me just fine."

Aang jumped again and looked around him to discover Toph standing several feet behind him. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to get tired of all the sulking." She walked up and sat by him. Her unseeing eyes looked in his direction, but not at his face.

Well that's just great, he thought, just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, here comes Toph to tell me to suck it up and get over it.

"Look, Aang," she started, "the universe isn't always going to hand us what we want on a silver platter. I know how you feel. It sucks. But we have to learn to accept it. "

Yeah, that's exactly what he expected her to say. His internal demon roared in frustration, and he couldn't stop himself from shouting at her. "Well what you do you know about it?! NOTHING! Your life is perfect! You've gotten everything you've ever wanted your whole life! What gives you the right to say you know how I feel?!" He raised his fists and a violent gush of air shot out of his mouth as he screamed at her nearly blowing her over. Momo scurried away and hid behind the closest rock.

Toph stomped her foot and Aang was surprised to suddenly be shot five feet in the air by the ground he was sitting on a just a moment ago. He landed awkwardly on his back with his head between his knees. "Will you stop blowing me off the cliff and listen to me?!" she shouted. Aang grumbled. "Good. Now as I was saying, I know you like Katara. I may be blind, but I'm not blind. And I know that she's getting a thing for Zuko. They both have been acting twitter-paited all day. So I see the reason why you're up here having a pity party."

Aang blew a gust of wind through his nose in frustration. "Great! You know! You've figured it out. You're a genius! Now go away and leave me alone!"

Toph raised her arms for emphasis. "Seriously, Aang! Will you act your age and hear me out?" Aang was silent, so she continued. "Ok, Aang, how long have you liked Katara? Pretty much since the first day you saw her. Ok, now ask yourself this. Why do you like her?"

Aang thought about it, "She's beautiful, smart, talented, kind, caring-"

"Yeah yeah," Toph interrupted, "now tell me what you don't like about her."

Aang thought long and hard. "I can't come up with anything."

"That's the problem," said Toph, "You've been in love with her for so long, you see her as the perfect girl for you and you can't see that, like all girls, she has flaws. You don't see Katara for who she really is. The Katara you think you know is nothing but a fantasy that you've been holding onto for way too long."

Aang wanted nothing more than for her to be wrong, but he knew she was right. Therefore defending himself would be futile. Toph continued, "Think about it. Being in love with something requires at least two people doing the loving because that's basically the definition of the word 'with'. So you were never in love with her. It was more like you were in love at her. And you were so blinded by that love that you couldn't see that she didn't feel the same way."

Aang hugged his legs and rested his chin on his knees, but still said nothing. He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that hadn't noticed that the sun had set and the stars were coming out. He watched Momo try to catch something in a tide pool as Toph continued with her speech. "I know you must feel like there's not a soul on earth who cares about you, but I'm here to tell you there is. Sokka, Suki, and I care about you! Even Katara cares about you, just not in the way you want her to. And yes, Zuko cares about you too. Why else would he give up everything, his title, his reputation, his whole life to come and teach you fire bending? "

Aang never considered that before. Zuko had everything he ever wanted back. His father's love and acceptance, his respect. And now he was a wanted traitor despised by his own people. If Zuko no longer had the respect of his people, then the least Aang could do would be to offer him his. His stomach turned at the thought, but he knew Toph was right. Zuko did deserve his respect.

"I hate to admit it, Toph, but you have some really good points," said Aang.

Toph nodded, "I knew you'd see it my way, Twinkle Toes." She affectionately punched him in the shoulder. Aang winced but couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sorry I got so angry with you," he said.

"Don't mention it, Twinkle Toes," said Toph, "I got even with you by kicking your butt up in the air." Aang grinned and rubbed his sore backside.

A thought just occurred to him. "By the way, what made you come out to find me? I could've been out practicing my fire bending or something."

Toph shrugged. "Sokka and Suki said you took off running and you looked pretty upset."

"Ok," said Aang still a little puzzled, "then why didn't one of them come after me?"

Toph scratched the back of her head and tilted her head up toward the stars. "Well, we kinda sorta drew straws to see who would be the one to go after you." She laughed nervously.

Aang waited for her to continue. "…….And?"

"And," continued Toph, "I lost."

Aang laughed despite himself and Toph soon joined in. Although he seldom admitted it to himself, he was grateful for Toph's friendship, and her seemingly endless wisdom never ceased to surprise him. After considering what Zuko had been through and taking a walk in his shoes, Aang then knew what he had to do.

Ok I hope you guys liked the ending for this chapter. It made me giggle while writing it. :P I plan on making the next chapter pretty short so it won't take long for another update...hopefully. please comment!