Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar but I use the characters for my own entertainment. O_0

Aang's pov

I woke up with crust around my eyes and dried snot under my nose. My head was pounding and my body ached. When I opened my eyes partially, the first thing I noticed was the blinding light, and then the blinding pain tore through my head. I groaned and turned away from it only to greet the cold floor with my face. My first impression was that I didn't want to meet it again any time soon.

"Ow," I muttered to myself.

My body felt too heavy so I just lay on the floor, wishing that I was somewhere else. Wait…where was I? I pressed my cheek to the floor and looked around, squinting from the light. I didn't think I was in my room because my room had carpet. From somewhere footsteps sounded but I couldn't tell where they were coming from.

"Dad?" I called out.

"Just a second!" he answered back from somewhere. Then I heard a sizzle the smell of bacon filled the air. For some reason it made me really nauseous.

"Dad," I called out again.

"Yes?" he answered from a closer perspective. "What are you doing on the floor?"

"Can I have cereal? I'm not in the mood for meat. Actually, I think I'm gonna become a vegetarian. Meat isn't a pretty word." I'd never been much of a meat-eater and it had never really appealed to me much before so it was probably the next best step to become a vegetarian. It didn't sound like a bad idea.

"Alright…so why are you on the floor?"

"Because I'm not on the couch," I muttered, a bit put out.

Tired of being on the floor, I pushed myself up and dumped my body unceremoniously on the couch. My muscles tingled with the sudden movement, expecting exercise or some stimulation, but when I gave it none they just fell like lead.

"Here," his soft voice sounded from above me. I could smell the herby smell of fresh tea calling to me. I pushed myself up, my body still tingly, and gracefully accepted the steaming cup.

I blew on the top and breathed deeply the vibrant scent of what I recognized as lemon tea. I could already feel myself starting to wake up. But that didn't mean I wanted to get up.

"Thanks," I croaked. I set it down on the coffee table and slumped. My head was between my legs and my arms hung limp with the back of my fists resting on the cold floor.

"I take it you're not feeling better," my dad said mildly.

He sat down and my body skewed a bit to my right from his weight. I shook my head limply. He sighed heavily.

"Well," he said, "after all that I heard last night I couldn't expect you to. You fell asleep before I even got to give you any advice," he complained but I could hear the smile in his voice. His arm encircled my shoulders and he brought me close.

"Thanks for listening," I said, truly meaning it. "Oh, and the ice cream. That was a nice touch."

As he chuckled his chest moved up and down, moving me with him.

"Look, why don't we get some breakfast and talk this over," he offered. I looked up to him only to see his eyes narrow and his mouth purse. "But clean up your face first. You look unhealthy."

He stood up and fast-walked to the kitchen, muttering about his burnt bacon.

"Thanks Dad," I said to his back as I got up to use the bathroom and clean myself up.

"Only here to help son!"

"So, you never told me what you thought about…everything." I was playing around with my cereal, eating bits and pieces but not really into it. Last night felt really good. It was just a great relief that I didn't have to carry this burden alone. I could share it.

I mean, I knew my dad was always going to be there for me. But I didn't bother him with my troubles because I didn't want him worrying about me when he had his job to worry about. He had adult troubles to worry about and I didn't need him to think anything was wrong. I hated having him think that there was something wrong. I knew this was irrational but I wanted to protect my dad from bad. I wanted to prove that I could take care of myself, which is exactly what I told him when he asked, "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

He answered to my pathetic explanation by saying, "I am your dad Aang. I love you and I accept you and your faults. If you have a problem…I don't want you to protect me from anything. That's my job, not yours. If you have a problem, come to me."

"If you had a problem would you come to me about it?"

He paused. "If it was a big enough problem to interfere with the time I spend with you, then yes, I would come and talk to you about it. I see no need to hide things from you."

I looked down, a bit ashamed of myself, but looked up when he came around and hugged me. I hugged him back fiercely.

"I'm sorry dad. I–it was stupid not coming to you when I had a problem."

"It's fine. The important thing is that you did come to me. Granted, you were an emotional volcano erupting in my lap... But I love you just the same."

"Volcanoes and all?" I asked quietly.

"Volcanoes and all."

He let me go and I wiped some falling tears from my eyes as he sat down on the chair next to me. He was really great with words and he always managed to make me think objectively about things in order to get a good perspective about the situation and not freak out.

"Now look, I am disappointed in you because you continued with a plan to basically sabotage your friend. That was a bad decision," he began another of his long lectures.

I scoffed. "No kidding?"

He frowned at my lame attempt to dig myself out of the sinkhole I was currently drowning in.

"And the fact that you didn't tell her about it after you stopped helping that kid–Jory–was procrastination and bad judgment on your part. The next time you see her I want you to make me a promise that you will tell her everything. She deserves to know." I was thankful that he didn't say her name. I still wasn't ready for it.

I cringed. "Are you sure? She might kill me."

He laughed at that. "I'm sure she wouldn't if you explain it rationally to her."

I gave him a dry look. "She doesn't do rational."

"Either way she deserves to know. Women are irrational but in time she'll forgive you. You have to trust her."

Immediately I felt an intense, furious anger course through my veins. I slammed my fist on the table.

"Trust her? Dad, I told you what happened at that party. How could I trust here when she didn't even trust me? How could she not tell me! I can't believe I was stupid enough to think that she was different. She's probably laughing right now with her parents and drinking tea and crumpets." More tears fell as I thought of that humiliating, heart-wrenching moment. And it was salt and lemon in my wounds when I thought about her having a laugh at my expense.

"Calm down."

I flexed my hand, feeling a slight dull throb going through it.

"Now," he said, "you don't know the whole story. You think she might have known. And if she did there was probably a reason that she couldn't tell you. What you two need is to talk things out. There are too many unknowns here and you've always been a creative kid. I mean, my company doesn't make a decision without knowing every single little detail and percentage of a product or idea."

He was right. Or at least, I hoped he was right. Melody said the same thing too. That I wasn't the only one suffering. But I could hardly see Toph suffering from anything other than Jory's incessant "I'm number one" talk. Actually, now that I thought about it that could be considered a form of torture.

"Okay," I resigned myself and felt the anger fading. "I'll try to talk to her and tell her."

I probably should have done that before, but I was too scared that she wouldn't accept me, or that she'd kill me if she found out. So I didn't tell her. In fact, my stomach coiled just thinking about tell her. For some reason, disappointing her was worse than disappointing my own father. But I promised my dad and I don't break promises. I try not to.

"It'll all work out."

I gave him a small smile. "That sounds nice, but it's hard. How could I face her about this? About what I've done?"

Even from inside the kitchen I could hear the rolling waves crashing on the shore. Seagulls cried loudly in the morning calm. I glanced at the ship steering-wheel looking clock on top of the door and it said it was only nine in the morning.

"There's nothing worth having if it's given to you."

I sighed and slumped back in my chair, exhausted from last night and my angry outburst. I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep but I understood where he was coming from.

"You mean I have to fight for what I want because otherwise there's no sense of reward."

He stood up and clapped me on the back. "That's right. Now finish your meal, you can't afford to lose weight because I might get sued for underfeeding you."

I waved him off. "I have muscle, dad. Those weights down in our basement are getting put to good use. Maybe you should do the same. I think I'm starting to see some flab under your chin."

He stuck his tongue out at me as he dumped his plastic plate in the trash.

"It's not flab. My skin is sagging with age. There's a difference," he said indignantly.

I smiled. "Yeah…that doesn't sound too good either. I think you're better off going with the flab story."

Then there was this tense silence, where I knew he was going to keep going with his lecture. I ate my cereal as I waited for him to continue.

"Now, about this other girl. Melody. There's something you should say to her if you see her again. And by "if' I mean, find her and tell her you're sorry. I'm sure she was only trying to help."

I ran a hand through my hair. "Yeah, I know. But if she was trying to help did she have to do it in such a contradicting way?"

"Women," was my dad's smart answer.

"Yeah, they really screw us up." I chugged down the remaining milk and licked off the milk moustache on my upper lip.

"And just think," Dad added cheerfully, "you have your whole life to deal with women."

After I pushed away the bowl I slammed my head down on the table. "Thanks dad. Like I'm not confused enough."

"Well," he said. "That's exactly what you're going to do when we get back to our house and you go back to school. You're going to un-confuse yourself because I can't afford to be known as the father of the confused."

I lifted my head to show him my rolling eyes. "Wouldn't want to destroy your street cred. But I guess all this would be so much easier to deal with if I wasn't so confused." Then I paused. "Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think that she'll forgive me for being such a jerk to her? I mean…I've never really talked to girls enough to have any problems with them. There's this one girl at school I greet sometimes but that's because her locker's next to mine. Everything was so much easier when I didn't talk to them. I don't know what they think…will she forgive me?"

But while it was much easier to just not speak to anyone, now that I have I had no idea how I could go back to just not speaking to that green eyed girl. I couldn't see it.

At that he chuckled. "Which one?"

Well, glad he was getting a laugh out of this. "Both."

"I think," he said, coming to sit back down with me, "that they will both be very angry and wouldn't want to speak to you for a while but they'll come around. The important thing is that you're taking a big step in the right direction."

I sighed heavily. Then I heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get that."

"Oh, by the way Aang. Have you packed yet? We should be leaving soon."

"Um…I'll finish packing in a bit."

"Thanks!" he cried.

I could hear my dad washing something in the sink as I opened the door. The face that greeted me was not one that I was expecting to see soon.

"Melody?"

"Aang–" she said rapidly, but I cut her off.

"Melody, please, listen to me. I'm so sorry about everything I said to you. I'm so sorry for being a jerk. I'm sorry for spitting. I usually don't do that because it's kind of gross but it was just a thing of the moment and–"

"Aang!" she screamed. It was then that I noticed the look in her eyes. She looked tired, fidgeted a lot, and her hair wasn't as put together as it usually was. Silly me, but I thought she just woke up with it beautiful.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "Toph ran away."

I felt like I had just jumped off a swing at high velocity. Time stopped and I was moving slowly towards the ground, bits of dirt and gnats gliding by my head sluggishly. I wondered for a moment if I had fallen but I knew I hadn't. Her words finally sank into my brain and I was able to form a coherent phrase.

"Uh…what?" Well, partially coherent.

"She ran away. I mean that's pretty cut and dry isn't it?"

Immediately my mind flew a million miles a minute. "She ran away? Have you gone to the police? We should go to the police. Why are we still standing here? Let's go. I'll take the car. No, we're about to leave for home in a few minutes. Oh man. Oh man. Why aren't we looking for her right now? Why are you laughing? What's so funny?"

"Whoa," she said. "Slow down Aang you're going to have a panic attack."

I looked at her in utter confusion. Girls. Women. I didn't understand the female gender in general!

"Aren't you worried at all?" My voice sounded hysterical.

I was so worried that my mind, although I knew it wasn't logical, was beginning to see Toph in the most horrible situation imaginable. And having had a creative mind since childhood was really catching up to me now. I could just see her in an abandoned subway tunnel – no, at an abandoned warehouse – with rats scurrying along the floor, squeaking at her whenever she stepped on their tails, and a leaky roof and creaky windows. Everything would be all dark because there would be no light, and she'd be huddled in a corner freezing because she forgot to bring a jacket.

If I was ever tortured for information, anything they do to me would be nothing compared to what I could come up with inside my mind. Why must I torture myself? I shook my head and closed my eyes tight to get rid of that pathetic image. But I still couldn't stop worrying like crazy. Until I saw her with my own eyes healthy and sarcastic again. I'd been too long without seeing her and hearing that she'd run away wasn't helping my hysterical mind much. If they didn't find her...when would I see her again? I didn't think that I could handle that.

I mean, it was easy ignoring her when I knew where she was because I knew she was safe. Now, I had no idea where she was or any idea if she was safe or not. I couldn't ignore her after this. It seemed like only yesterday that we were working on our Mayan project and she was maniacally laughing as she dubbed herself Melon Lord. A strong pain stirred in my chest at the thought of her silky hair gliding over my fingers, the feel of her hands in mine as we danced. And now she was just gone, her presence suddenly diminished into a ghost-like echo that scared me like nothing before. I didn't want to lose her. Suddenly, my second thoughts about telling her everything were gone. I wanted to tell her everything. But first I had to get off the steps and find her.

"Of course not."

My God this woman was confusing. I was about to call her out on all her sister crap that she was talking about yesterday but I stopped thinking at all when she said, "I know where she is."

A/N:

Hey guys, sorry I've been absent for weeks. I've had no time to work on anything. But luckily, or unfortunately depending on how you see it, I was sick on Thursday night so I missed school on Friday and spent the day working on this story. I proofread it today so I hope there are no grammatical errors.

Hope you guys enjoyed, the next chapter is going to be cra-a-azy!

Love: Lola of the Peaches

=]