Chapter 21: Crumbs and Kisses

Although she usually wasn't one to complain, considering the circumstances and Toph's absense (the usual complainer), Katara couldn't help asking in a tedious tone:

"How much longer?"

Zuko sighed in response, not from annoyance, but because he was tired as well. "We never found out how far out the temple actually goes, we stayed near the opening for a quick escape. When Toph made the tunnel it only took her a second…it can't be much longer."

Katara nodded, biting her lip as she allowed for a prolonged moment of silence.

"I'm sorry," the two said simultaneously, stopping in their tracks at the surprise of the other's apology.

"What are you apologizing for?!" Zuko asked, confused.

"The way I've been treating you, you don't deserve that. You saved my brother, father, and Suki. I should be thanking you."

"Hardly," Zuko mumbled, shifting the flame in his palm from one hand to the other.

"I've deserved everything you've thrown at me," he said, avoiding Katara's gaze as he spoke. "After what I've done—"

A cold touch surrounded his empty palm, and he stopped midsentence as he stared at Katara's hand in his.

"We all make mistakes," she whispered, obviously hesitant. "But all those mistakes brought us here."

"Yeah, on the death-bent end of Azula's hunt."

Katara shook her head with a laugh, squeezing Zuko's hand in her own.

"We've escaped both you and your sister a thousand times. Its barely a challenge anymore."

"Hm," Zuko replied, not as optimistic. He lifted the palm holding the flame above their heads, lighting the entire pathway. Not that they needed the light any longer.

"We're here."

"Welcome to Ember Island," Iroh said, motioning towards the beach house they'd be staying in as they landed.

"Great. Now that we're here, who's ready to go back to the temple?" Toph said, lying back on Appa's saddle as the rest of them jumped down.

"Toph…" Aang started, but a boulder in the form of a handprint covered his mouth. He didn't even try to remove it, knowing Toph had a second hand prepared.

"I'm not here on vacation, Twinkletoes. Especially while Sugar and Sparks are in a mile radius of Crazula. So let's go!"

"Forget it! Why should we risk us, risk the Avatar, for only the two of them?!"

All heads turned towards Mai, who was red in the face with anger.

Aang peeled the stone from his lips, threw it to the side, and stared at Mai with a look of surprise. "What?!"

"This isn't about them; this war, this new Avatar. It's about you. So quit being selfish and only concerned with the people in your little Avatar gang—"

To this Sokka mumbled something that sounded like "Team Avatar."

"—and consider the thousands of people, within each of the four nations, that need you. That are depending on you to change their lives for the better, that are—"

Toph cut Mai short, throwing another earth glove with frustration. The earthbender jumped down from Appa and stood in front of Mai, bending the sand beneath her so the two met in height.

"You don't know half of what Aang has to deal with, Needles," Toph spat, getting in Mai's face. Despite the earth convering her mouth a snarl was still formed on her lips. "So why don't you just learn to shut it. We don't have to keep you or Pins with us. I'm sure Azula would love to have her bestest friends back."

Toph bent the sand beneath her back to ground level and walked towards the beach house with a huff, the others watching her from behind.

"Now you've done it," Sokka said, shouldering his bag as he and Suki followed Toph path. Iroh shook his head with disappoinment and followed suit. Ty Lee looked between her friend and the group moving towards the building, unsure of herself.

"Toph's right," Aang said, staring Mai down as she pulled the earth glove from her mouth and tossed it aside. "We don't have to keep you with us."

Aang slamed down his staff and flew off, quickly catching up with the others.

"Great!" Ty Lee cried, annoyed. "They're never going to like us!"

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked, adjusting the flight height of the balloon with his bending. Katara had been quiet the entire time they'd been in the air, which seemed like hours. Only ten minutes had pasted since they'd left both the temple and Azula behind.

Katara turned around to face Zuko, her elbows resting on the edge of the basket. "Why'd you kiss me?"

"What?"

"At first I thought it was a dare; seems like something Toph would do. But…" Katara touched her fingertips to her lips, hesistant to continue.

"Why'd you slap me?" Zuko asked, leaning against the opposite side of the airballoon. Their eyes never met as they spoke.

"Instinct?"

Zuko looked up to see Katara standing in front of him, a blush formed across her cheeks.

"What's instinct tell you now?"

A smile crept across Katara's face, as Zuko's lips slowly met hers.

"You have good instincts," Zuko said, forming a smile of his own as they pulled away.

Katara laughed as Zuko brushed the hair from her eyes, enoying the scene around them as they held each other. The clouds around them were shaped oddlying, reminding Katara of the fortuneteller.

"Wait!" she said, pulling away and staring at the clouds around them. "Look!"

"Breadcrumbs."

"Nice," Suki said, taking a look around the beach house. She and Sokka took a seat on one of the couches, snuggling together close.

Toph rolled her eyes, mumbled something inhonerant, and took a seat in a far corner.

"So whats the plan?" Aang asked, closing his staff and taking a seat beside Toph. The two looked over towards Sokka, waiting for an answer.

"Why do I always have to come up with the plan?" Sokka complained.

"Cuz you always volunteer for it, Snoozles. Now we know the quasi-Avatar is somewhere here. If you were hiding out, waiting for a chance to attack, where would you be?"

"You're asking the wrong person, Toph," Sokka said, looking towards Aang.

Aang sighed, thinking things over.

"Close enough to watch over the palace, but somewhere I couldn't be seen."

The four looked towards Iroh, questionably. He carried a tray of teacups and snacks, set it on a table in the living room, and took a seat beside the others. No one asked where Mai and Ty Lee were.

"There's a temple, dedicated to the dragons that bent the first flame, that over looks the palace," Iroh said, taking a sip of his tea. "Only women and firebenders are permitted to enter the temple. She's likely staying there."

Aang nodded, looking around at the others. Sokka stared and Suki, while Aang glanced at Toph.

"What?" Toph asked confused by the silence.

"I'm not going to put her in jeopardy, Aang. I just got her back" Sokka said, shaking his head.

"Toph might be at risk, especially since her blindness is practically her trademark. If anyone gets so much of a hint that it's her…"

"Then we wait for Katara."

"You'll put your sister at risk over your girlfriend?"

"Don't we get any say in this?!" Toph and Suki yelled over the boys, both agrivated that they were being treated as though they weren't in the room.

"Men," both girls said, with a roll of their eyes. Toph pushed away from coach and headed outside, while Suki headed in the opposite direction, upstairs towards the rooms. Sokka sighed and followed after Suki, while Aang ran through the backdoor.

"I guess we'll complete our plans tomorrow," Iroh said with a nod, refilling his cup with jasmine tea. "My favorite."

"Toph!" Aang yelled, running after the earthbender as she headed towards the shore.

"Back off Twinkletoes."

"Toph!" Aang reached forward, but she hit his hand away.

"You don't get it. Sparky is out there, who knows where, we have no idea if Sweetness got our message, let alone understood it, and now you want to send one of us undercover. Oh, and you're getting ready to find to the death with the Fire Lord. Maybe you can see why I'm stressing out right now, Twinkletoes."

Aang stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Toph, surprised when she didn't pull away. Tears streaked her face, and Aang lifted his hand to brush them from her face.

"Shh. I'm sorry Toph. I'm sorry." He kissed the top of her head and held her, the moonlight reflecting off her cold, gray eyes. Aang stared down at her, and although she couldn't see he felt that Toph saw more than anymore.

Aang leaned forward and they kissed, their lips lingering before Toph pulled away.

"You hear that?"

"It's Zuko."