Sorry for slight delay. I had a ton of school work... still do actually, but am perfecting the art of procrastinating. Please let me know if any sections are a bit dodgy, or if spelling is off! I do my best to edit it, but some things go unseen as I am blinded by Author's pride (wink teehee) But here it is!

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Chapter 10: Those that fall behind are left behind

It was dark and raining. Perfect weather for losing your sister, or so Sokka would have you believe. Walking along behind Toph, Aang and Appa, he hung his head; shoulder's slumped as though the weight of the world was upon them. He pulled out his boomerang and looked at it, stroking it mindlessly. It had helped him out so many times… but this time it could not. He had no foe to throw it at… Katara was gone and he couldn't do anything about it. Looking up he saw the back of the bald monk's head… and lobbed his boomerang at it. Yep, that made me feel good, he thought to himself as Aang fell flat on his face. Laughing hysterically, Sokka didn't notice his boomerang coming back. He joined Aang in a face-plant on the ground as he too was whacked on the back of the head.

"INSTANT KARMA!!!" Toph yelled pointing at Sokka as he struggled to stand.

"Shut up you." Rubbing his arm he scrambled to his feet and continued walking without a glance at the others. "We have to find Katara." Toph shook her head. She had seen this coming. The obsessive, brooding teenager was oh so predictable. The question that kept playing through her mind was, how on earth would the find Katara? She could be anywhere. For all they knew, they could be walking in the opposite direction. She voiced this to Sokka, and was not surprised by his response.

"INSTINCT!!" Aang too shook his head, for two reasons: a) his head was still throbbing and b) he knew how unreliable Sokka's instincts could prove to be. "Maybe we should just go back to our original campsite and just wait there for her to find us?" he ventured, but regretted it as Sokka sent him a withering stare. Without warning, Toph brought her foot down hard on the ground, forming an earth tent. Retreating into it, she brought her hands together, forming two panels that slid together roughly – much like a sliding door. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired, and not walking any further." Her voice was muffled, but no less welcome to Aang's ears. He too flopped down onto Appa's tail with a groan of relief. After a while, he felt the presence of another seated beside him. Propping himself up on his elbows, he looked over to see Sokka, his face expressionless. "What's u - "

"What are we going to do Aang?" Sokka asked, turning to face Aang. Aang had never seen Sokka look so serious.

"Don't worry. We'll find Katara. She's a powerful bender. She'll - "

"No." Aang stared at Sokka, dumbfounded.

"What?"

"I said no." Hearing it twice made it no more clear to the Airbender what exactly it was that Sokka was 'no-ing' about.

"What are you saying no to?" Sokka hesitated, looking up at the dark clouds above them.

"I said no, we're not going to find Katara." Aang was in shock. What was he saying? This was Katara's over protective brother… suggesting to leave her behind?

"Are you crazy? Leave her alone out there? Abandon her?" Sokka winced.

"It's not that… I know my sister. I know she would have wanted me – us – to keep going. You still need to learn firebending, as well as all the other things we have to work out and plan before you can take on the Fire Lord. I know Katara would have wanted this." Aang looked at him, wide eyed and confused.

"You talk like she's dead or something." From how the older teenager cringed, he could tell it was a bad choice of words. Desperately, he tried to rephrase.

"Not dead…but…not coming back." Sokka looked back at him, his blue eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Maybe she's not. But my instincts tell me that she's ok… wherever she is, and that we should go on."

"Not meaning to be disparaging to your instincts, but they have been unreli - "

"Don't doubt me. We need to believe – I need to believe that I'm right on this. I'm telling you, Katara is fine. We need to get ready to take on the Fire Lord. I'm going to bed. Goodnight Aang." With that, Sokka upped and left before Aang could say another word.

From her rock hut, Toph had heard the whole conversation. She could feel from his vibrations that Sokka was as unsure of leaving Katara as Aang was. She could see that the decision was tearing him up inside, but agreed that it was necessary. Secretly, in the seclusion of her stone refuge, she both admired him and felt sorry for him. She could feel how hard it was for him, leaving his baby sister, the one he had promised to protect, behind. She was roused from her broodings by light footsteps coming towards her, and an even lighter knock on the stone door. "Toph?" Aang's voice was so small and pathetic; she just had to take pity on him. Opening the door, she let him in before closing it again. "What's up Twinkletoes?" She asked him as kindly as she could manage. This was usually up Katara's alley, comforting people and what not. It had never before fallen to her to act motherly or kindly to another in their time of need, and she had no idea how to go about it. Making a mental note to ask Katara how to do this kind of thing when she next saw her, Toph did something she often saw Katara do. She pulled Aang into a hug. A somewhat awkward hug – but she was trying. "We're leaving Katara Toph. We're leaving her. I know it's for the best but - " Toph winced. She knew what was coming. "You love her. Of course it's going to hurt." Every word she spoke tore at her heart. Closing her sightless eyes, she wished he would stop hurting. She hated to see him sad – not to mention it was really awkward. Why did Katara have to leave her to this? This was her job! Stupid Katara…Mentally she kicked herself. She was part of the reason Katara was gone after all.

"It's not that." Toph's ears perked up.

"What's that Twinkletoes?"

"I don't love her. I just feel… don't you feel… bad? You know, abandoning her like that? After all she's done for us… we're just going to… leave her?" She did feel bad. She felt awful. And she told him so.

"But Aang, we have to keep going. It's going to be tough. We're going to have to be like the rock to get through. You're the Avatar, aren't you?" She asked, pushing him out of the hug. She knew this was probably hurting him, but it was the only thing she could think of doing to get him out of his mood. "Aren't you the Avatar? You're supposed to save the world, bring balance. How can you bring balance when you're off centred yourself?" she demanded, emphasising her point with a small shove that sent the Airbender sprawling. She was now too far into her pep talk to notice that his vibrations were ones of great distress, tears now coursing down his young face. "You need to hold it together! If not for yourself, then do it for Katara! Do if for the world? Do it for Momo, Sokka and Appa! Do it for me! But you need to PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER! You couldn't master fire bending at this. You'd be lucky to earth bend a pebble at this rate! Now get up Aang! Get up and be what you need to be!" Aang stood shakily, looking away from the fierce young girl. Now finished her speech, Toph had cooled down enough to notice the change in his vibrations. She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug again – albeit a brief one. "It's going to be ok Aang. You've got us behind you all the way. You've got a warrior, a flying bison, a flying lemur and the world's greatest earthbender. We'll get you through." Aang nodded slightly. Toph was right. He had enough to get him through. He had to pull himself together. "Thanks Toph. Goodnight." With a wave of his hand he left the tent. Toph called after him. "OI! Twinkletoes!" Turning around, Aang looked at her quizzically. "Yeah?" Toph grinned.

"We'll find her afterwards. She'll be back and bossing us around before you know it." Aang grinned back. Flopping onto Appa's tail once more, he felt, for the first time since Katara had left, like everything was going to be ok, with or without Katara. Aang blushed. And who knew Toph could hug?

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There you go. A wee bit of Taang happening. May be a little out of Character – I do my bestest to keep them like they are on the show, promise! But my imagination can get the better of me. Any ideas of what you want to happen? I haven't fully decided, and am open to all suggestions or challenges. Slight writers block. Have a good one! And please Review. It does my little heart good – and inspires longer chappies xx