Well people I'm sorry to report but this is the last of the Toph/Zuko field trip arc (just the arc not the story) Personally I liked this arc and felt it was a good first run with this story but the story must move on. So to end this arc I made the last chapter with extra effort to wrap up the field trip and the Aang/Sokka talk you guys love (and laugh about) so much.

Plot twists, a wrong use of meat, flashbacks, fire lit talks, and break outs…..this chapter has it all.

Disclaimer: I hate doing this every chapter, everyone who's read the all the chapters of the whole story know I don't own Avatar. Geez.

Chapter Six: The Field Trip—Part Four

Zuko looked over at the young Earth Bender before him. She was asleep at the moment and looked quite peaceful at that but Zuko couldn't flash a smile of endearment this time, he was too busy worrying about what had happen prior to them camping.

Toph had kissed him.

It may not have been on the lips but the feeling was there enough that Zuko knew that wasn't as simple as the thank you she passed it off to be. He actually found himself blushing at the fact that Toph may actually have a crush on him. How would things with him and Mai turn out if he had Toph fawning over him twenty-four seven?

But she was only twelve. And was Zuko to break—and possibly damage—the heart of someone just breaking into the romantic world. Though she couldn't be that clueless even with her age, Aang had proven that a twelve-year-old can love just as hard as any other (possibly harder).

So what in the world was he going to do?

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"Man this is taking way longer than it did to get there!" Toph complained while draping her feet over the saddle. They had been flying way over the limit of time it took them to get there. They should've been back by then.

"Oh," Zuko remember he hadn't informed Toph of his change in plans. "I guess I forgot to tell you this morning," Toph raised a brow. "I wanted to make a stop along the way."

"And by a stop you mean what exactly?" Toph asked, obviously not amused. She only brought enough food for three days and they had just reached that limit.

"You'll see when we get there," he almost laughed at her impatient nature but then remember that kiss and saw her in the new light he discovered yesterday. She was a budding romantic who 

had obviously taken her first—or one of her first—loves out on him. Somehow hat made her all the more different.

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Aang scrunched his face together in both discomfort and disgust. Sokka's next lesson for him was how to use both mouth and tongue properly when kissing someone and not that Aang didn't want to learn it was just Sokka's teaching methods were…….unusual. He was using some bologna to represent the lips of the woman he was kissing (or in other words Suki) but the fact that Aang could see all of his tongue movements and slobber rolling of the cut of meat almost made him want to hurl. But Sokka seemed unfazed by his one man audience watching him immerse himself in a piece of meat.

"Now don't you see how when the bologna—or woman—turned its head to the right I went to opposite way? When kissing someone and they start to tilt their head you tilt it you're the opposite way to get the full effect and to keep as little nose contact as possible.

Aang just rolled his eyes. He had already learned the piece of information from Katara.

Katara backed away from Aang slowly when after she kissed him good morning. No one else was awake so she thought that she'd have some fun with him in their time of aloneness. But when kissing him again she found that he refused to work with her movements, which in truth she found a little odd. He had done it when they kissed on the balcony that night they had become a couple but maybe that was just the fact of that the two were pouring out their love so much it was that very energy that supplied their little knowledge on the topic to take them that far.

"Aang, are you nervous?" Katara concluded on, figuring that was the only way to explain this ordeal. She knew they had only been dating for two in half weeks but never had he been this stiff. Aang just look down and blushed. These were the times Aang wished he still had hair, he could hide his eyes behind it so much easier when looking down.

"No," he said so quietly it almost sounded like a whimper and Katara bent down so she was to his level.

"Aang?" She questioned, stroking his head lightly and Aang just blushed deeper. "Come on, you're not nervous are you?"

"Why would I be nervous?" He asked but the whimper and quietness stayed thick in his tone. "You're my girlfriend…….." He smiled half-heartedly. Whenever he said Katara was his girlfriend, to anyone, it made him blush and have an urge to pinch himself to see if it was all true.

"Well whether you're nervous or not it's okay, just don't fight every move I make." She placed her nose on one side of his, her lips just brushing his. She then tilted her head to the right and 

the hand she had placed at the nape of his head moved his face to the left. "See?" She dipped a little further and laid a light kiss on his lips then lifted her head to kiss his forehead. Aang then finally lifted his head, smiling at her in purity.

Then he kissed her. This time minding what he was doing enough to not fight her when she moved her head. His nervousness about screwing anything up just seemed to vanish when their noses bumped into each other in the midst of their passionate morning kiss.

That is until Suki came inside and spit her drink all over the floor.

Aang always smiled at their early relationship memories, when everything felt so surreal and dream like. But then he snapped back to Sokka who had been trying to get his attention for the past three minutes.

"Huh, what?" Aang stuttered, scratching his head.

"I said do you have any question, for the millionth time?" Sokka screamed, throwing his arms up.

"Oh, sorry Sokka. Um, no don't have any questions." Sokka then nodded and took a deep breath.

"Then we move on to our final topic….." He paused and took another deep breath; this caused Aang to feel a little uncomfortable.

"What?" Aang asked shakily.

"Sex."

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"Alright Toph we're here." Zuko announced getting off of Appa. "Sorry Appa but you'll have to stay here." Appa just groaned and gave him a small lick. Toph jumped off next curling her toes to see where they were only to find that she had no clue.

"Okay, where are we?" Toph asked; crossing her arms as she always did.

"The Hoi-ten mental health facility." He responded flatly.

"Mental health facility?" Toph repeated, raising her eye brow quizzically. "What are you planning to do here?"

"I need to visit someone." He said again; just as flatly.

"Who could you possibly be visiting at a ……no way." Toph stopped in realization only to be pulled by Zuko the rest of the way.

"Oh, you wish to see Miss Azula?" The guard asked. Ever since Katara defeated her in the Agni Kai she had been shipped and stuck in the Hoi-ten mental health facility and was watched twenty- four seven.

"Yes," Zuko said firmly. "Is that okay, is she available?" The guard just dropped his head.

"I'm sorry Fire Lord Zuko but your sister has escaped from the facilities. She's been missing for at least a week." Zuko's eyes widened.

"What!" Toph screamed; beating Zuko to the punch. "How could you let her escape?"

"Well I wasn't on duty at the moment but I heard she used a very well thought out plan to escape."

"Sounds like Azula to me." Zuko mused. "Do you have any idea where she's heading.

"Why even ask." Toph spewed. "Obviously she's going to the Fire Nation to take the throne away from you, that's what she's so power hungry for." Zuko rubbed his chin in thought for a moment and the Guard just looked between the two in anticipation.

"Well she left a week ago so she might already be at the palace." A hint of worry was in Zuko's voice. "We need to get back there, now."

"Right-e-o Mister Fire Lord. " Toph saluted and followed him as he walked out the door. "Thank you for the information." Toph thanked for both her and Zuko before she left.

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"Now assuming that you know at least a third of this information I'm going to-"

"Actually Sokka I don't know anything about….um, that." Sokka's mouth almost flew open.

"You don't?" Aang just shook his head.

"You know, I was living in a monk's temple and then being around you guys when you don't talk about it I shouldn't know about it right?" Sokka wavered over his words and then just nodded.

"I suppose." He said. "So now I have to tell you everything?" Aang smiled nervously and shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, boy. Okay, Aang, let's start out with knowing when you're ready."

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It was late and the ride back to the Fire Nation would take about a good couple more hours, but Appa was tired so they thought they'd just knock out the final hours of flying the next day.

"Is there a reason you're staring at me, I can tell which way your head is turned." She smirked and bit into an apple Zuko had found in a nearby tree. Since they were out of food it was all they had for the night.

"If you have something to tell me you know you can tell me right?" Zuko finally responded, but Toph just snickered.

"You sound like Katara when she talks to Aang about his problems." She laughed and took another bite of her apple.

"Toph I'm serious." He wished she could've seen the serious look on his face but knowing she couldn't he bent down and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What do you think I have to talk about?" Toph asked; a little more carefully. Zuko sighed but spoke regardless of the fact that at the moment this conversation was going nowhere.

"Why did you kiss me yesterday Toph?" Zuko asked firmly but his face softened when he saw Toph drop her apple in shock. Her eyes widened and she turned her head in Zuko's general direction.

"It didn't mean anything," She whispered now and she began to twiddle her thumbs. "It was just a thank you, I-I didn't know it meant that much to you." She blushed moving her hand slowly over to Zuko's. But he pulled it away making Toph frown.

"It did mean something and you know it!" He placed his arms firmly on her shoulders and shook her as he screamed she just refused to face him. "Now tell me Toph this is more serious than you think. I have a girlfriend I just can't let random girls kiss me."

"Oh, so that's what I am to you? A random girl." Toph crossed her arms although Zuko's were still on her shoulders. He just sighed again.

"Of course you're not a random girl, I'm sorry I worded that wrong. It's just it makes me feel uncomfortable to have anyone kiss me no matter where or what the reason was because well my heart belongs to Mai." Toph now faced downward and look of pure hurt that Zuko had never seen before. He suddenly had the feeling that he had broken her heart, the one thing he never wanted any girl to experience because of him.

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Aang's eyes were wide at all the things he had to remember in order to just make love. How was he supposed to remember all of that when the night finally came?

"Yeah I had the same face when dad told me at your age." Sokka laughed and he sat next to the stunned air bender. "Don't worry I'm sure you'll be fine when the time finally comes."

"Really?" Aang beamed.

"Sure, you wait it may seem hard now but once you get into the swing of things the only thing you have to worry about is whether you're hurting her or not." Sokka winked but then stiffen. "So I've been told when my dad gave me this talk of course."

"Hurt her?" Aang repeated, only envisioning Katara's pained screams that he would be making her cry.

"Well yeah, everyone says a woman's first time hurts a little, so you have to be careful." Aang gulped once again and feel back on the bed his breathing becoming irregular.

"I don't know if I can do that Sokka." Aang finally agreed on. "The thought of hurting her when I feel so much pleasure just makes me feel so…..low."

"Aang that's a long time away, you don't have to worry about that now."

"But when the time does come the matter will still be the same, I could still hurt her and I don't think I'd be able to do that. No matter how good it feels." Aang turned his head do it slumped over into the sheets and Sokka just stared at Aang as if he'd never seen him before.

"You really love Katara don't you?" He asked, smiling fondly. Aang just turned his head over to face the older boy and closed his eyes.

"I love her more than anything." He said simply. "And the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt her when I'm supposed to be showing her how much I love her. Maybe we shouldn't……"

"Aang it's not like you have a choice whether you can or can't." Aang looked at Sokka quizzically so he elaborated.

"Aang you're the last air bender you have to have an air bending child or there won't be an air bender to train the next avatar. If you and Katara get married you both are agreeing to fulfill that responsibility."

"I don't know if she knows that."

"Well you better make sure she knows. It's your duty Aang, I think she'll understand." Sokka felt a little weird talking so openly about Aang and his little sister having a child—they'd only been together for a few months—but somehow marriage for those two seemed almost unavoidable.

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"Stop acting like this is a big shock to you Toph," Zuko continued. "Mai and I have been involved for a long time now and you know that." Toph was just determinedly turned toward the heat of the fire her lip poked out and her arms crossed.

"Alright I get it you're dating, just stop rubbing it in my face." She sucked her teeth but other than that stayed in the same position.

"I'm not rubbing anything in your face I'm telling the truth, Toph. I'm flattered that you like me but we can't-"

"I don't like you!" Toph's breathing was heavy and she looked as if she was on the verge of tears but the fluttered blinking of her eyes prevented the tears from falling. "I-I hate you!"

"Toph," Zuko sighed, he knew this was going to happen. His grip tightened on her shoulders but she just stood and walked far away so that the heat from the fire wasn't on her anymore. She then formed an earth tent and crawled into it, stumbling all the way on a count of her body racking from her sobs. "Toph," Zuko repeated his hand still in mid-air from when she pushed away.

If only she had known that there was a shy butler around the same age as he was who would love to have this same conversation.

It was a long quiet ride back to the Fire Nation on Appa the next day. Toph sat in the saddle just fiddling with random items in the cargo while Zuko steered. He occasionally looked back to see if Toph was okay which he was relieved that she could see what he was doing in mid-air. She looked hurt and Zuko knew there was nothing he could do that wouldn't hurt his relationship with either Mai or her so for the time being he let her grieve, putting on his protective gear for the harsh storms of her grievances.

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It was a fine morning in the Fire Nation capital palace and the entire group was enjoying a peaceful breakfast. All except a young air bender who was walking into the dining room at that very minute. He smiled after rubbing his eyes at the sight of his girlfriend cutting open a grape fruit for him as she always did.

"Oh, Aang, good morning. I cut your graph fruit." She lifted the fruit up which Aang took but only sat it down on the table again and grabbed both sides of her face. Normally they wouldn't have a morning kiss if there were a whole group of people around but nonetheless Aang kissed her with as much passion as if they were alone. He mostly did this to practice all the things Sokka had taught him during their talk and it seemed like the right time (well, to him it did).

Zuko dropped his chop sticks.

Mai laughed a little.

Toph looked around unfazed and a little confused about why everyone was so quiet, and why she could only hear Aang smacking on something.

Suki, other the other hand, just crossed her arms over her chest and looked at a stunned Sokka who was witnessing Aang's listening tetchiness in full effect as he treated Katara just as he had treated the cut of bologna.

"Sokka," Suki started. "This looks like your handiwork." She smirked over at him, but he didn't even notice he was too busy trying to use all his will power no to scream in agreeing to teach the little runt how to kiss his sister……like that.

Yeah, I know it's weird but I always envisioned the end of this arc going like this. As for the Sokka using the Bologna thing that's just a scene from the old nicktoon "Doug" that somehow stayed in my head all these years (and I finally had an excuse to use it!). Oh, and yes Azula escaped but don't worry I have no diabolical plans for her, her issues are more internal and will be exposed later on in the story. I actually planned for Zuko to go see his mother but then I learned that he had already (or was supposed to) reunite with his mother in the finale so this new idea came to mind. But Ursa will make her appearance in this story, you are not to worry.

To add a little more enlightenment on the Aang/Sokka talk some people feel Aang should have some knowledge on the matter of sexual activities but I really don't think so. He's lived with monks all his life who obviously didn't instruct him on the matter and it's not like when he joined Sokka and Katara that that's all they talked about. This pretty much provides Aang with no knowledge at all really, well except for instincts.

Review Responses:

SilvrImage—I hope that this portion of the Aang/Sokka talk was funny enough for you, and yes the Toph/Zuko tension is here my friend.

Aangsgirl—Woot Toko!

kataang013—thank you

Neon Straz—yeah, I really had no intension of breaking up Mai and Zuko but I felt the Toko friendship hints in the last episodes of the show were too good to pass up.

General shadow wolfsbane—I wouldn't give up hope on the mini episodes. The debunked thing was just an internet rumor right now no one really knows whether it's going to happen and the only legit source says it hasn't been confirmed yet so…..don't give up yet. I'm glad you feel I'm balanced because I always think I over do it on one matter and not enough on the other.

Nutshak—whoa, dude, sorry about your stomach I hope this chapter didn't make you laugh too hard. Awaiting your next review.

rawrtastic—thank you.

Vanille Strawberry—I could picture it too, so cute. As for Sokka taking his own advice…all shall be reveled soon.

TallyInTheGreen—Um I really don't plan for Mai and Zuko to faze over this, I don't even really plan to for Mai to even know about Toph's crush on Zuko but don't worry Yuexi will play his part in Toph's life. As for Sokka and Suki let's just say they better slow down before something bad happens.

Xeaphon—Yeah you defiantly won't find any scripted talks on nick like this which is one of the reasons why I think Mike and Bryan are a little hesitant on whether to have those mini episodes or not (because it might be a little iffy). But anyway I was just like Toph at twelve pretty much in the emotionally unstable part here feelings are still developing so she's bound to get a crush and/or cling to anyone who shows her affection which right now happens to be Zuko.

Awaiting My Prince—thank you very much, I tried to make the talk as funny as possible so I'm happy I succeeded.

avatar209—Yeah Yuexi was a spur of the moment character but I liked the way he turned out. And Aang is hot in his cute little way isn't he?

the super ninja writer—Yeah I felt Sokka's reaction was appropriate as for the lemon there will defiantly be some in this story (with which couples I think is self-exclamatory) but whether I choose to actually describe them or not is undecided but that won't be for a while so I'll probably ask the readers whatever makes them more comfortable. Plus I don't think I'm that good at explaining lemons since I've never done that before….being only fourteen and all.

ibroughthomeababybumblebee—Yeah poor Toph but she'll find love eventually.

Thank you for all the reviews.