Author's Note: Thanks to TBei15, tomboy 26, and trunksgirl85 for the reviews on Chapter 7! I have several more chapters written, it's just difficult to find the time to transition from what I'm able to put on paper at work to a word processor...I thought about just doing that at work, but then I remembered I deal with some serious high-security information and I have no intention of going to jail if someone catches me with a flash drive, regardless of how innocent my intentions may be. ANYWAY. Moving on. This chapter marks the first in a pocket of Chapters away from the main Storyline of Sokka and Toph, but really helps set the stage for the ending of the story, which I'm excited to say is still a ways off. These off-chapters are not in any particular order, just put in where I think there's a decent enough spot in the main storyline to toss them, but they are important. ANYWAY ONCE MORE, thanks for reading and any/all reviews are helpful and appreciated! ^_^

Disclaimer: Nay. Nay Avatar. Yay, but nay. Sad day.

"Stupid Sokka! Stupid stupid silly...!" Suki growled in frustration, and the training dummy she was currently attacking shook from the ferocity of the enraged warrior, and much to the dismay of the poor wooden man, she showed no sign of relenting.

Over and over she battered the dummy, raining heavy blow after heavy blow upon the carved assailant until a sharp wooden crack! Rent the air as one of Suki's strong legs came flying across, a perfectly executed attack followed by a loud thump! As the artificial enemy came clean apart.

Breathing heavily, Suki removed her headband and the traditional Kyoshi Warrior's garb, letting her long hair flow freely as she sighed with pleasure at the removal of the heavy armor. Looking up, she could just see the sun beginning to set over Kyoshi Island. Beautiful, as always, but unlike usual, it did nothing to brighten her mood.

She'd returned for a night to the home she and Sokka shared to find him gone, which wasn't so much of a problem until she saw the note. Even after that, she was fine, until she saw the giant hole in the backyard and had a miniature heart attack that Sokka'd been taken by the Dai Li again. Once her head caught up to her heart, she realized that was unlikely, but there was another answer.

Toph.

The very name sent quivers of anger through her, and just as quickly brought spikes of shame.

Why? I love Toph! Why am I so angry at her all the time?

Deep down in her heart, the ever-practical warrior knew the answer. She also knew, however, that that line of thinking was definitely not something she was prepared to deal with.

Sighing, and despite the heat, shivering a little in nothing her slip and breast wraps, she walked softly to the small beach outside of the Warrior's training dojo and sat down on the soft sand, bringing her knees up to her chest and closed her eyes. For several minutes she sat there, using a trick she learned from Aang to detach herself from her surroundings. The lapping of the waves, the soft cries of the giant Koi off in the distance, calmed her, bringing her inner peace back in balance. She was just about break her trance and head in when she felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump and her warrior instincts to kick in as she tried to grab the hand in an iron-hard lock. The hand danced away, much quicker than it should have, and it wasn't until a cheery, melodic voice called out, "Easy, easy!" That the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors relaxed, recognizing the voice as Ty Lee's, and she dropped her guard and let out a small smile as one of her dearest friends came and sat beside her.

As long as she'd known and loved the other Kyoshi Warriors, none of them could hold a candle to Ty Lee, either in fighting or friendship. The former circus girl was lightning-quick, agile, cunning, and wildly unpredictable. She'd managed to take out the entire set of Kyoshi Warriors, minus Suki, by herself. Only Suki had stood a match for her, but even though she'd held out longer, eventually she too succumbed to the powerful contortionist. As for friendship, there was nobody in all the nations that gave more of themselves to a friendship than Ty Lee. She loved openly, honestly, and with everything she had, and it was easy to tell with every breath that once Ty Lee loved you, nothing could be done to shake the girl's trust and devotion to you. For a girl who grew up during a very, very long war and spent the majority of those years protecting her island from any possible invader, the notion of being so open with people you hadn't known your whole life was foreign to her...Until Ty Lee changed that.

Over the ensuing months and years, the girls had gone from enemies, to comrades, to friends, to...Something else. Suki didn't know quite what it was, but she knew that Ty Lee was special to her in a way no one, not even Sokka, was.

"What's wrong sweetie?"

The question, so innocently asked with nothing but kindness and love in the other girl's voice, was simply too much for Suki to bear. Before she even knew what she was doing, she had grabbed on to the other girl and began to cry, hot tears spilling down her cheeks as she clutched Ty Lee for dear life. Ty Lee, even clearly not expecting the outburst, didn't say a word, just wrapped her arms around the sobbing warrior and stroked her hair softly, whispering words of encouragement in her ear as Suki cried out all of her pain and frustration into Ty Lee's soft...Warm...Bare shoulder?

With a start, Suki realized that Ty Lee was wet, and not just from her tears. The girl was clad in a tightly wrapped cloth towel, and her hair was wet and bedraggled.

She must have taking a swim, she thought, sitting up.

With the fading light coming behind them and the close proximity, Suki couldn't help but notice (and be secretly jealous of) how absolutely breathtaking Ty Lee really was.

She was the very definition of gorgeous. Ty Lee had a body that anyone would be jealous of, a combination of good family lines and back-breaking hard work that left her with curves that looked like they were sculpted from the purest marble; Her hair was long, silky, and accented her tanned skin perfectly; Her large, almond shaped eyes fit the rest of her beautiful face to a tee, and came together to make the girl into such a classic beauty Suki almost couldn't breathe. While she admitted to herself she was little jealous of Ty Lee's looks, it was her kindness and loving nature that Suki truly treasured, though, it certainly wasn't the first thing people thought of when they saw the gorgeous young woman. Ty Lee had sworn off boys when she joined the Kyoshi Warriors, determined to create a new, less attention-dependent version of herself, and as far as Suki knew, she'd stuck to it, even though every eligible male on Kyoshi (and a few not so available) had tried.

Shaking her head to clear the post-cry mist from her eyes, Suki hiccuped, and was about to say her thanks when Ty Lee shushed her, and dried her eyes with a corner of the towel she was wearing, re-wrapping it as she got comfortable beside her friend.

Suki, drained from the ordeal and her earlier workout, rest her head once more on Ty Lee's shoulder. Ty Lee wrapped her arm around the other girl, and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Tell me what's wrong honey." It wasn't a question, but it was far from a demand.

Suki hiccuped once more and spoke, "I don't know. Something isn't right with me and Sokka, and every time I hear Toph's name now I get really...Angry. I don't know why. It's just so easy for them, they don't have to work at being together like me and Sokka do...Or did, I guess. Those two being together is like...It's like..."

"Being with you?" Ty Lee replied, smiling down at her.

Suki looked up, and realization cause a smile to spread across her pretty face.

"Yeah. It's like something is missing, something I keep trying to put my finger on, and the harder I try to find it, the further it pushes us apart."

Ty Lee began to laugh, not in an unkind fashion, but the other girl was still hurt nonetheless, and Suki tried to stand up and leave before Ty Lee squeezed her tighter and sat her back down.

"I'm sorry sweetie, I don't mean to laugh. How many relationships have you had?"

"Just the one, really. Sokka's been the only serious one."

"Well, I know what's happening. You may not know it, and he may not know it, and I do know you won't like it, but I know what it is." She grew serious for a moment.

"You two just broke up."

Suki sat up, alarmed. "What? But I love..."

Ty Lee held up a finger to shush her once more. "I get that, I do. You love him, and we know he feels the same way, but that doesn't change the facts. Something missing? Being jealous and angry of his best friend, who he's never shown even a teensy bit of romantic interest in? Honey, believe me. I don't doubt the love is there, but sometimes love just isn't enough. You're not happy, it's pretty clear, and you better believe Sokka is smart enough to pick up on that, and I'd bet he's not happy either. I'm sorry sweetie, but you did. You broke up with him just now."

Ty Lee's gentle, but confirming speech broke through to her, hard. Ty Lee was right. It was going to kill her, and her heart was breaking thinking about what it was going to do to Sokka, but she felt in her heart the other girl was right. Something wasn't right, and it was getting worse, not better.

She cracked a watery smile as fresh tears welled up. "Thanks Ty Lee." She whispered." My heart is breaking, but you're right."

Ty Lee smiled, a soft, comforting one. " I know sweetie."

Suki wiped her eyes again and sniffled. "I must look like such a mess right now."

Ty Lee surprised her by taking her face in both of her soft, warm hands, and looked deep into her eyes.

"Suki, you have never looked more beautiful that you do right now. Your aura is...glowing. Even after everything that just happened, you're still just so strong. Unbendable. You're just...Radiant. The sun should be so lucky."

Suki smiled, a real, genuinely warm smile. "Ty Lee, I-"

Ty Lee couldn't help it anymore. The feeling was just so overwhelming, the other girl's aura just wrapped around her like a warm, bright cloak, and she couldn't stop herself. Softly, ever so softly, she pressed her lips to Suki's, hands still softly holding Suki's face to meet her own...And Suki didn't pull away.

In that moment, everything became clear.

In that moment, Suki understood, absolutely, what was missing.

This.