Chapter 11 is finally here. Unfortunately, I won't start writing the next one until mid December after finals. But I promise that I'll update more often at that point.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters. However, after Christmas, I do hope to own the series box set. -fangirl squee-

Suki's POV

"Suki. Suuukiii. Wake up."

One heavy eyelid opened to see Toph standing over me next to my bed and gently prodding my shoulder. I closed my eyes and groaned as she continued to whisper my name in an attempt to get me up for something. I clumsily pushed her hand away and pulled the blankets up over my head. But this did absolutely nothing to discourage the determined little earthbender.

"Suki. I need your help. Is Sokka in here?" This was the last day that we would be staying for the World Festival and I really wanted to enjoy sleeping in while I still could. Can't she go and bother someone else?

Too lazy to uncover my head, I answered her in a groggy voice. "No, he left to go visit Master Piandao somewhere in the city. What do you want?"

Toph uncovered my head. "I want you to help me pick out a dress."

My eyes flew open at the strange request. Toph never willing puts on a dress, much less go shopping for one. I sat up and faced her and was even more confused by her impish smirk.

"Who are you and what have you done with Toph?"

Toph just shook her head. "Not for me. For Sokka. Remember?"

It finally clicked in my head when her smirk widened. Hmmm. Sokka in a dress. Scary, but intriguing.

"Go on…"

"I need you to help me pick out the worst possible dress for him to wear. Preferably one with lots of ruffles and whatever else is extremely girly."

"Ok, count me in."

Toph left the room, and I quickly got up and dressed before heading to the kitchen to eat something. Katara was already up and munching on a moon peach.

"Morning, Suki. Do you have any idea as to why Toph looks so happy today? Last night she looked about ready to murder someone."

"She asked me to help pick out a dress for Sokka to wear."

Katara froze in mid bite. Her cerulean eyes stared at me in confusion.

"Ummm…why?"

"To make a long story short, Sokka lost a bet and now he has to wear a dress. Toph and I are going out today to get the girliest one we can find."

Then the strangest thing happened. An evil grin sketched its way across Katara's face.

"Well if you're looking for a dress, you'll need my help. You won't find one off the rack that will fit Sokka properly, so it'll have to be tailored. I know of this lady who owns a dress shop and is the best at tailoring."

I felt my excitement growing until I remembered one important fact. "But Sokka isn't here to be measured, and the only dress measurements I have for him is from when I forced him to wear a Kyoshi Warrior uniform four years ago."

Toph came out of her room grinning. "Let's go Suki. We'll try a few of the dress shops on the west side of the Upper Ring."

"Toph, wait. Katara is coming with us, and we need someone close to Sokka's size to try on dresses so we can get the tailoring right."

Toph raised a curious eyebrow. "Who are we going to get to do that? I can tell you right now that Zuko won't do it no matter how much force I use."

Katara got up to get another moon peach. "What about Terran? He looks close enough."

"I seriously doubt it. Plus, I don't feel like waiting for him finish his work shift. And Aang is out of the question. He's too thin to be used for comparison."

Katara rubbed her chin in thought. "Actually, Aang might work. He may be a little on the thin side, but I know my brother well enough to make a good estimate based on Aang's measurements."

Toph scoffed at Katara's suggestion. "That may be true, but even Aang couldn't be convinced to do that. He not that soft."

Katara just smirked at her. "You'd be surprised at what you can get guys to do if you know how to ask them. Watch and learn. Or listen in your case. Aang! Could you come here for a minute?"

Aang stepped through the open back door and walked over to Katara. "Yes?"

Katara used the sweetest voice she knew. "Aang, could you help us pick out a dress? I would be so happy to have your input."

Most likely thinking he'd get to see Katara in a new beautiful dress, Aang's face broke out in a wide grin. "Sure, I'd love to help!"

Aang's POV

'I'd love to help?' Note to self: stop mindlessly going along with just any request that Katara asks. Me modeling dress after dress wasn't exactly what I considered as "input". But I should have known something was up when I heard suspicious giggling behind me when we all walked into the dress boutique. Even after the girls told me what my 'job' would actually be after I suggested some dresses for Katara try on, I was still somehow convinced into doing it. But what could I do? It's almost impossible for me to say no to Katara's 'puppy face'.

"Aang, are you almost done in there?"

I looked down at the current dress I was forced to try on and cringed. "Umm…wouldn't it be better if you just looked at it in here? Where other people can't see?"

I heard Katara sigh just on the other side of the curtain that separated my changing area from the rest of the shop. "Aang, everyone knows the dress isn't for you. Now come out of there so we can see it."

I hope this place doesn't have too many windows. I slowly pulled the curtain back and stepped out in front of Katara, Suki, and Toph, looking around nervously.

Toph smirked when she sensed my elevated heartbeat. "So how does it look on him?"

Suki looked a bit disturbed as she took in the sight of me wearing a red satin dress that was obviously way too short for me. It was then that I realized just how tall I had gotten since I was 12.

"Toph, do you really want to subject Sokka to this kind of treatment? I mean, this is wrong on so many levels."

I looked incredulously at her. "Ohhh no. As much as I think Toph shouldn't have made that bet in the first place, Sokka had better wear a dress at some point in time. People have already seen me, and there is no way I did this for nothing. Toph, is this the one you want or not? I really want to get back in the changing room. People are pointing and staring at me."

Toph looked at Suki. "What do you think? Humiliating enough?"

Suki looked thoughtfully at me. "No, it could definitely get much worse than that. And it's satin. Much too delicate for Sokka to wear. He'd probably ruin the material within the first five minutes. Aang, get back in the changing room."

I more than happily flew back behind the curtain that seemed to be my only friend right now. A few moments later, a tiny hand appeared with a mass of pink fabric.

I sighed, put it on and stepped out to be judged. Suki and Katara instantly broke out into a fit of giggling, and Toph grinned at their reaction.

I blushed as I noticed the other shop patrons staring at the all-powerful avatar wearing a dress. Some little kid even asked his mother if I had gone insane.

Seeming to be satisfied with the people's reactions, Toph nodded her head. "This one. Definitely this one."

I breathed a huge sigh of relief and turned around to go back into the changing room when I felt a hand tug me back. I turned around to see Katara position my arms out on either side.

"Katara, what are you doing?"

Katara pulled out a tape measure and measured my waist. "Taking measurements. We don't want Sokka to accidentally rip the dress, do we?"

By now, I had learned to block out the colorful comments I was getting from the other shoppers. I looked down at the dress I was currently wearing and instantly felt bad for Sokka. It was bright pink with long sleeves and ruffles at the bottom. It had a moderate neck line with a beautiful cream colored swirling pattern on it and was supposed to stop just above the ankles, though on me it stopped just below my knees. On an actual girl, this would have looked very nice. On me and Sokka, it would look like something comparable to a horror novel.

"Katara, seriously. Are you almost finished? I'm the avatar. Little kids look up to me. How do you think I look to them wearing a dress?"

"Aang, from the way you behave, half the time those kids think you're one of them."

Once Katara was finished and I was back in my regular clothing, she grabbed the dress and brought it up to the front along with the measurements and spoke to the lady standing there. She then returned smiling.

"Ok. The dress will be done in about an hour." Suki looked at her in disbelief. "I told you that lady was the best in tailoring. So anyway, Aang, you stay here and wait for the dress while the rest of us go get Sokka. Toph, do you know where he is?"

Toph shook her head. "Only that he's visiting his old sword master somewhere. We'll have to search for him." She smirked. "But that shouldn't be hard."

Toph's POV

We left Aang in the shop and headed out to the streets. I grew annoyed as Suki and Katara crowded ever closer to me as they waited for my response.

"Hey, back up! You're messing up my concentration."

Once they backed up and gave me some breathing room, I stomped on the ground to send out large vibrations. As I sifted through all the vibrations of the people crowding the streets, I finally found Sokka's vibration signature about a half mile away and locked onto it.

"Come on. He's this way."

Sokka's POV

"Sokka, I must say, I am impressed with how much you have improved since we last met. At this rate, you'll be an even better swordsman than I am."

"Thank you master. But to be honest, a lot of my improvement came from Toph and my sister constantly picking on me."

Master Piandao chuckled as we stopped to look at some pottery at a stand. "Some of the best lessons are those we learn from others."

I was examining a nice purple vase when I heard Suki's voice from among the stands somewhere.

"Toph, I think we should take over from here. There are way too many stands and shops here with wooden floors."

I turned in the direction of her voice and saw Toph emerge from the sea of stands, followed by Suki and Katara.

"Yeah, I guess so. I've lost track of him, so he's probably standing on wood. Spread out and search. Sokka is somewhere in this area."

Looking at the ground, I realized that I had indeed stepped onto a wooden platform. Judging from the way they were searching for me, it probably wasn't a good idea for the girls to find me. However, just as I turned to make myself scarce, someone hugged me from behind and almost knocked me forward. I twisted my head to see that it was Suki.

"Sokka! There you are. Toph, Katara! He's over here!" Suki turned back to me and smiled. "Sweetie, would you mind coming with us for a while?"

Under normal circumstances, I would have happily gone with Suki. But seeing them search for me like I had committed a crime made me suspicious of her intentions. I narrowed my eyes at the seemingly innocent girl clinging to my waist.

"Why?"

"Just… you know…to spend some time together."

"You're not fooling anyone. What's the real reason?"

Suki's smile faded as Toph and Katara took positions on either side of me. Toph grinned and eerily locked her eyes with mine.

"I believe you have a promise to keep. A certain promise that we agreed was my choosing as to when you fulfilled it?"

My eyes widened as I remember the bet I lost a few days ago.

Toph grabbed my arm and pulled. "Now Snoozles, you can make this easy and come quietly or you can make this difficult and we'll drag you off kicking and screaming. I'd suggest that you choose the easy way."

I knew there was no way I could talk my way out of this. So I gave the next plan a try.

"Master Piandao! Could I get some help over here?"

But I hadn't expected my master to have heard every word said. "Sokka, if you made a promise, you should honor it. A good swordsman always honors his promises."

"But…but…"

"No buts, Snoozels. Don't make me have to use force."

Seeing no other way out of my predicament, I made ready to go with them peacefully. Until I realized that the area we were in was very crowded and there were plenty of wooden platforms for me to walk, or, you know, run on. I looked around and saw a small opening in the crowd for me to disappear into. Without saying anything else, I roughly shoved all three girls away from me and made a run for it.

I heard Toph's surprised voice call out behind me. "You coward! He's escaping! After him!"

But my head start was short lived. I looked back to see them chasing after me with Katara and Toph weaving through the crowd and Suki jumping from roof to roof.

Making sure to stay on wooden floors, I ducked in and out of stands and other shops and buildings until I had somehow got them off my trail. For the moment. I climbed out the window of the building I was in and onto the roof top. A few minutes later, I hid behind a corner when I heard Suki's voice below me.

"Guys, I've lost track of him."

Toph stomped the ground. "And that little skunk-weasel is staying on wooden floors so I can't see him. We'll have to split up. He can't hide forever."

I shuddered at Toph's words, mostly because she was right. I couldn't hide forever. Katara picked up some of my tracking skills over the years, Suki is a freaking ninja (A/N: I think the Boiling Rock proves this), and Toph could see me within a 2 mile radius from her if I even so much as breathed on anything made of earth or metal. They will find me eventually. But I could still savor every moment that I didn't have to spend in a dress.

I waited a while after they dispersed, then carefully jumped from roof to roof taking care not to make too much noise or stay out in the open lest I run into Suki up here. But my heart nearly popped out of my chest when I ran out of roofs to jump on and realized I would have to run an extended distance on the ground to reach my destination: the roof top of the Fancy Lady Day Spa. The last place they would think to look for me. I took a deep breath, jumped off the roof and sprinted for my hide away. I nervously began looking around me for any signs of Toph. Not seeing any, my excitement grew as I neared the "safe zone". Come on, almost there… CRASH! I tumbled to the ground as I slammed into a fellow pedestrian.

"Hey, can't you watch where you're going! I could've…Sokka? Why are you running through the streets?"

I looked up to see Terran get up and dust himself off. He held his hand out and helped me up.

"Terran! I… uh… was running from some people. Let's talk over here."

I pulled him the rest of the way to the day spa and forced him up onto the roof.

"Sokka what are we doing up here? And why do you keep shushing me?"

I looked at the street below us then looked back at him. "Toph, Suki, and Katara are after me, ok?"

"Why are they after you?"

"Look, let's just say that horrible things will happen to me if I get caught. Will you please help me?"

"I don't know…"

"Come on, us guys gotta stick together, right? Think about it. Toph's annoying hijinks could be directed at you the next day, and you would want me to help you, right?"

"I guess so…"

"Great! Then you understand?"

Terran smiled at me. "I understand completely."

At that point, I felt something wrap around my wrists and ankles. It was then that I realized the shingles on the roof were clay and Terran had just bent them into shackles. He then pushed me over onto my side and yelled down to the streets.

" Hey! I got him! He's over here!"

Next thing I knew, Suki had jumped up on the roof and helped carry me down, but not before snickering at the condition she found me in. As soon as she and Terran set me down, Toph ran up and sunk me in the ground up to my knees. All I could do was stare at Terran in disbelief.

"Traitor! How could you?!"

Toph hugged on his arm and smirked at me. "Oh shut it, you big crybaby. Terran never betrayed you. I saw him just after we lost track of you and he agreed to help us catch you. He was working for us the whole time."

I narrowed my eyes at the traitorous earthbender standing there all smug. "Oh, so that's the way it is, huh?"

Terran just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Sorry, but seeing you in a dress is too priceless to pass up."

Toph grinned evilly and poked my head. "And just wait until you see the dress we picked out for you. We even had it specially tailored. Hope you like pink ruffles."

My eyes widened in horror. "PINK RUFF- mphh!"

Before I could finish, Katara froze my mouth shut with water from her pouch. As I continued my pathetic struggling, Toph freed me from the ground, and Suki and Terran carried me off behind Katara. We stopped in front of some dress shop where I could see Aang waiting out front with a large decorative box. I was set down and immediately encased up to my neck in rock. However, when I saw Aang take the dress out of the box, I couldn't help but struggle a little against my rocky prison even though I knew it was pointless. I was finally released from the rock and clay shackles, but then four huge walls surrounded me and the dress was thrown over.

"Get dressed, Snoozles! And don't even think about pulling a fast one on me."

Grumbling, I changed into the pink dress and threw my clothes over the wall. I heard giggling on the other side before the walls lowered back into the ground. There was a moment of stunned silence before everyone burst out laughing. I just stood there and silently cursed everyone involved in this madness. I glared at Katara and pointed to my still frozen shut mouth. She melted the ice away and I could finally speak.

Toph smirked at me. "So Snoozels, how ya liking the dress? I do hope it's pretty enough."

Terran's face had turned red from laughing so much. "Hey Sokka, what's it like wearing a dress?"

I turned to my two least favorite earthbenders at the moment and growled at them through my teeth as I struggled to keep from attacking them. "I'm going to kick. your. ass."

Toph got behind me and started pushing. "Yeah yeah. Vengence shall be yours and all that crap. Now let's go. I think the public deserves something exciting to look at, don't you?"

With the dress I'm wearing, I think I'm going to mentally scar the public instead of entertain them. Fortunately, I was allowed to keep my shoes, though that probably only made the outfit look even worse. At least it fit properly.

Aang hooked Katara's arm in his. "You guys go on. I don't think I can take another minute of looking at Sokka dressed that way."

They went off down the road and I groaned at Toph. "Toph, how far do I have to walk?"

Toph just smirked and prodded me forward with a long stick she found lying on the ground. "As far I want you to walk. Now get!"

I yelped when she poked me hard in the back. Not wanting to upset her by running off again I sighed and trudged forward on my long walk of shame.

We walked all through the streets of upper and middle Ba Sing Se, Toph poking me every time I stopped. I think my cheeks will be forever red from all the comments and stares I was getting from the curious onlookers. Wait a minute. I just have to wear the dress. That doesn't mean I have to be miserable. I should do what I do best: comedy.

"Hey ladies, I can totally see why you all love to wear dresses. Look at all the attention it brings! But seriously, folks. A real man can wear whatever he wants and still feel comfortable with himself."

Some guy in the crowd started jeering at me.

"Uh oh. Looks like someone isn't a real man."

The guy scowled at me. "I'm not the one wearing some stupid dress!"

"Woah, hey. Chill out, buddy. You know what? I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you feel so insecure about yourself that your manliness is defined by the clothes that you wear."

Some of the people chuckled at him as he continued to scowl, only now with a light blush. I noticed Toph looking very confused. Ha! I had found a way to turn her little shame game on it's head.

"Ok everyone, I want your honest opinion. Does this dress make me look fat?" I asked, striking a few silly poses.

Some people were laughing and holding their sides. But a group of girls didn't look amused at all.

"What's the matter ladies? Jealous? Don't hate me 'cause I wear this better than you ever could."

The girls turned their noses up in disgust and stalked off.

"Yeah that's right, just walk away. Ya'll haters know you can't touch this! I look damn hot in this dress!"

Now Suki and Terran were enjoying the show, and everyone was roaring with laughter. Toph didn't look too happy about her plan not going the way she wanted, but even she cracked a genuine smile.

But I could tell that this wasn't over. Toph marched up and pushed me through the crowd.

"Nice show, Snoozels. But I'm not giving up that easily."

I groaned from the soreness of my feet. We had been walking for quite a while, and though everyone else seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves at my expense, my hurting feet and the hot summer sun was starting to get to me.

"Toph, can't we stop for a while? I need to rest for bit." I tried looking pleadingly at her until I realized it would have absolutely no effect. But for once for that entire day, someone was on my side.

"Toph, let him rest. We can't let him collapse from heat exhaustion, especially since we're the ones who made him wear long sleeves in the middle of summer." Suki said, giving me one of her fans so I could cool myself.

Toph, knowing that Suki wouldn't give in, pointed toward a large fountain. "Fine, we can rest over there."

Not wasting any time, I rushed over to the cool, refreshing water and splashed my flushed face. I honestly don't understand how I'm the only one who is uncomfortable in this heat. And the stone streets didn't make things any better as they only served as giant reflectors. But then again, the people currently with me were all from the Earth Kingdom and probably used to it.

Toph sat next to me, and, in my haste to cool off, I accidentally splashed her with some water. Toph shrieked and promptly shoved me backward into the fountain and moved away from me. Despite it being humorous, I didn't dare splash her with any more water for fear of becoming part of the fountain. I climbed out and started wringing the water out of the dress. Good thing this wasn't made of anything delicate. Suki was currently occupied with some children who were very interested in her metal fans. I smiled as she showed them how the fans were used, gracefully executing a string of attacks that looked more like a dance. It's moments like this when I realize just how lucky I am.

"I am not afraid of water!" Toph's voice ripped through my thoughts. I turned back to her and found Terran now sitting next to her.

"Then why did you shriek like that and back away from the fountain like it was some sort of monster? Even now, you're shaking and you're only sitting on the far edge."

Toph crossed her arms and scowled. "I'm not scared. I'm just…very careful around it. You know, because I can't 'see' very well in water and this fountain is deep. Very…very deep." One didn't need Toph's special sensing abilities to know she was lying. But even when she turned her back to Terran, he simply smiled and wrapped one arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him. Ever the stubborn one, Toph wriggled and squirmed as she tried to free herself. But Terran held her tightly.

"Let go of me Book Worm!"

"No, not until you admit that you have a fear of water. It's perfectly ok to be afraid of things, and the first step to overcoming that fear is admitting that you even have it."

Toph let out an exaggerated sigh and turned her head toward him, all the while keeping her eyes hidden behind her bangs. "Fine! I guess I…well…sort of…haveafearofwater."

"I'm sorry, what was that? Little clearer this time."

Toph elbowed him in his chest to make him back up. "I have a…fear of water."

Despite the bruise that would most likely form, Terran just hugged her to him again. "See, was that so hard? Now I can help you."

She leaned her back against him, crossing her arms and blowing a strand of hair away from her face. "Good luck with that. Sokka and Aang have been trying to help me for years. I think I'm actually more afraid now than I was before they started."

"Why are you so scared? Water gives life."

"Every element has its bad side, and water can take life just as easily as it gives it. I almost drowned in the Serpant's Pass and I've been scared ever since. I even fell in this same fountain about two years ago, but since it was in the middle of the night, there was nobody around to pull me out. I thank the spirits every day that someone heard my yells and came to help. It's a miracle that I can even still come near this thing." Toph turned her head away from Terran to hide the blush creeping across her cheeks. "I must sound ridiculous. A powerful earthbender like me…afraid of something as simple as water."

"But water doesn't have to be a scary thing. Here, let me show you…"

My heart sped up when I saw Toph panic and try to pull away from him. "What?! I'm not getting in there! Are you crazy?!"

Part of me wanted to run over there and smack Terran across his face and ask him the same question. It took every ounce of control that I had to stay where I was and remind myself that Terran wouldn't hurt her…at least not intentionally. Still, it was hard to see Toph in that kind of distress.

"Toph, I'm not going to put you in the water. Why would I do that?"

Toph finally stopped struggling, though she still looked at the water in the fountain like it was going to reach out and pull her under. "…because everyone else did. I know they meant well, but it didn't help at all."

"Well, I'm not going to do that. I think the best approach is a gradual one."

Terran then took her hand in his and dipped it in the sparkling water in the fountain. "See? The water won't reach up and grab you." Their hands slowly swirled the water around.

Even from where I was sitting, I could see Toph very noticeably shaking, however hard she tried to suppress it. She tilted her head up. "No, I can't see, and it could grab me if Katara or Aang were- Ahhh!"

Toph jerked her hand back, but Terran caught it and put both their hands back in the water. "Relax, that was just a koi fish that brushed against your hand."

Toph's face changed back to its usual slight frown. "Well, how was I supposed to know? I can't 'see' anything in that water, remember? Besides…it felt slimy. This may be hard to believe, but I don't do slimy. Unless its earthworms."

Terran smiled and gazed at the small white and red fish picking at food on the water's surface. "It may seem gross to us, but fish have that coating of slime to survive."

"Can I have my hand back now?"

"Yeah, if that's what you want." As soon as he let go, Toph flung her hand out of the water, sending a good amount toward an unsuspecting Terran, and soaked his clothing. A small koi fish was left flopping around on the top of his head, and Terran grabbed it and shoved it down the back of Toph's shirt. I had front row seats to watch Toph get up and jump around as she tried to get the slimy fish out of her shirt. Toph finally got the fish out and wildly flung the poor creature back into the water. She grabbed Terran, who was laughing his head off the entire time, and flung him in the water as well.

She's right, you know.

Right about what?

That you didn't help her much by simply dunking her in the river by the palace.

Well how was I supposed to know? She didn't say anything to make me stop. Besides, Toph always says to face things head on, and when it comes to fears, I completely agree.

Terran seemed to know right away that a gradual approach would be better. You're her best friend. Shouldn't you have known that as well? Didn't you see how she let him put her hand in the water even though she was scared? And in the very fountain that she almost drowned in. I haven't seen her trust anyone that much since…well, since you. And she's only known him for little less than a week.

So he gained her trust quicker than I would have guessed. So what?

So she also seemed to be a lot happier playing around with Terran instead of you. Every time she throws a rock at you, you take cover and whine like a small child for her to stop. Face it, Terran is more her speed.

No he isn't. Who's the only person allowed to come even remotely close to her feet? Who does she feel most comfortable talking about her problems with? Who is, by far, her main partner in crime when she pulls pranks on people? Who does she come to to raid the kitchen with her for cream pastries in the middle of the night after she has a horrible nightmare about the night her parents kicked her out? Who carries her back to her room once she has gone back to sleep? That's right, me. I'm the one who helps beat up the guys who poke fun at her and I'm always there when she needs someone. So shut up, because Terran has nothing on me.

And how long do you think your "special place" will last? It's not like you and Terran are that different. Both of you are goofy egghead geniuses to name one example.

A lot you know. There are plenty of differences.

Oh, you mean like he's a super cool lava bending earthbender and you're not? He's just like you, only better.

Shut up!

Ok, but don't say I didn't warn you.

I don't need warning about anything! Toph and I are…friends…and we always will be.

You hesitated.

No I didn't.

Yes, you did. In fact I'm a little suspicious of everything you do for her.

What for? Those are things that any good friend would do.

It's also what a good boyfriend would do.

Wow. Serious drama. For those who haven't figured it out, Sokka is inwardly arguing with himself. Please review. You have no excuse now. The button is in plain view and has the words 'Review this Story/Chapter' in big green letters. Push the button. It only takes a few minutes at the most.