This is so short, but it's been so long since I updated I decided to just upload what I have so far anyway...it has been way too long and I apologize. So I hope you enjoy this chapter! :)

hugs and reviews

~comeontwinkletoes

I woke up the next morning to the sound of cleaning, I nearly jump off the bed when I realize it's probably just Lily.
"You're finally awake Miss. Toph," she says and I wonder how she could tell, it's not as if you could see it in my eye.
"Yeah, I feel so exhausted although I slept for hours," at least I think I slept for hours, time was not the easiest thing for me to figure out while in a house.
"Well its very early in the morning, the sun is barley out," she tells me and I immediately throw my pillow over my face, a strange instinct I suppose.
"Too early, what time does the party start anyway?" it was official I hadn't been sleeping for hours like I had hoped.
"It's starts in mid-afternoon but your mother & father would like to have an early breakfast with you and Mr. Sokka," I let out a loud sigh of relief, Sokka wouldn't want to wake up at 6 am, impossible.
"Let us get you into the bath, which I have already filled so that you can get dressed and down to eat," Lily says practically rolling me out of bed, I get out slowly standing on my feet and feeling my way to the bathroom. Once I get inside I start to strip down out of my clothes feeling a little uncomfortable, it had been years since someone saw me naked. I stand there naked waiting to get inside when I hear Lily push the door open coming inside, "here let's get you in," she says gently lifting my shoulders, I throw my foot over the side and step inside feeling the water on my feet instantly, I nearly fell out.
"it's so cold," I cried trying again to get inside and get comfortable Lily laughs behind me.
"It was a little warmer but you hadn't woken up yet," she says as I start to relax in the water, "so I have to ask but you and Sokka, are you guys together?"
I slip a little bit thrown by the question, "no we are just really good friends, he is in love with someone else," I admit softly not wanting to think about Sokka and his feelings for Suki.
"Oh I know exactly how that feels," she tells me scrubbing my arms, I try my hardest not to hit her; I stop and think about what she just said, she must mean Dante, I knew there was something there when i was little not that I could understand it at that age.
"What do you mean?" it slips out before I even realize I was being noisy, she doesn't let on she just laughs.
"It's a long story are you sure you want to hear it?" she asks before moving on to my other arm, I nod my head yes, "you asked for it," she laughs as she begins to scrub:
"Ever since I was a young girl actually even before I was born I had always been promised a job here with the next descendants to the Bei Fong family, my mother worked for your grandparents and her mother worked for your great grandparents it had always been that way, so when I was 15 it was announced that your mother had given birth to a baby, typically you don't start working until you are 16 but I was going to be moving in at 15," she moves on to my legs, "I hadn't known I would be moving in so soon, I was out playing with the neighborhood kids, some of them were earthbenders, and when it was time to go in I went home and discovered my few belongings were completely packed,
"I had been very upset, I had just met a boy, an Earthbender name Yip, and I had been hoping to one day marry him, but nothing ever works out like I want it to, so I was upset, I had cried the whole carriage ride there and it's not that I was upset about going with your family, I just didn't really want to be a maid anymore I wanted to be a wife a mother, " her voice shakes at the words wife and mother I want to reach out and squeeze her hand but she moves away from me too quickly.
"My parents dropped me off and left, I was so confused, my mother had no longer worked for your parents so they decided to leave Goaling and find somewhere else to live, so they took my brothers and sisters and were gone, I would never see them again," she starts to scrub my hair, it feels nice having her massage my scalp, maybe she should rub my feet.
"I was lost and frankly I was scared so when the elderly guard Pascual, came to guide me inside I didn't want to go, I wanted to be nowhere near these people, if it wasn't for them I'd probably be able to be home with my family, I was taken to the back house where I met the other maids, some where nice to me, some not so nice and some didn't even speak to me, and it was like that for weeks until I met Dante," she coughs violently for a few minutes before I feel her hands going into the water, if she was 15 all those years ago she was a lot older then I had originally believed, which means Dante was also older, "he was the only person to talk to me besides your mother of course, although the other maids would not allow me to even touch you which made me feel even more alone, I was given the job early to take care of you and I wasn't even going to be able to it didn't feel fair, so after a month I decided to run away, I got my bag packed and started my plan to runaway," the story surprises me so much I let out a gasp and she laughs, "are you getting bored?" she asks and I shake my head no quickly, I wasn't bored with this at all, I was very interested in all this, I never knew anything about the people who worked for me.
"I'll continue then it's getting to the good part," she laughs moving from my hair, "stand up please." I stand up and I feel her run the sponge down my whole body, "I luckily got out of the gates and was so close to making a run for it when I was caught by Dante, he was as young as I was but he looked older, like he was 18 years old, he grabbed my arm and said, 'don't leave, I need a friend,' his words took me by surprise, I was so surprised that I decided to stay with him, I let him lead me back to the house,
"After that we would talk all the time, I began to take care of you and I had begun to be accepted by all the people, when you turned 5 we began to date, but it was in secret no one would know," as she begins she starts to scrub my feet, although she does it gently I fight the urge to kick her in the face, "it lasted about a year until someone caught on and threatened me, either I stop what I am doing or I will tell Sir Bei Fong and you will be let go."

Her voice is so sad as she stops scrubbing my feet, as if she's going off in a daze, she doesn't say anything for at least 5 minutes; we both just sit there in silence until I start to feel cold, I stand up.

"Oh Miss. Toph I am so sorry here let me help you out," I hear her drop the soap in the tub moving quickly to help me out, once I can stand on my own she must grab my towel because a few minutes later it's wrapped around my body.

"It's okay," I say holding the towel to my body as I walk out of the bathroom and into my room, "is there a robe for me to put on?" I ask knowing I have one…somewhere.

"Of course, let me grab it for you," I stand still for a few moments before she nudges me to drop the towel, I do, next thing I know there is a robe wrapping around my body; a silk robe.

'How long before it's time for breakfast?" I ask realizing just how hungry I was, the taste of rice filled my mouth and it began to water.

"I'm not sure, here have a seat," she grabs my arm and drags me to what I think is the vanity chair, that vanity served one purpose and that was for my maids and mother. Once I'm seated I hear the door open and close leaving me alone as I wait for Lily to come back.