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Chapter 35

Being a Father

Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Something was horribly, terribly wrong and Lao did not know what to do about it. Ever since he and Huiliang had returned from their second honeymoon, Lao had made the resolution to spend more time with his family. As part of this resolution he shared dinner with his wife and daughter every evening since he had gotten home. At first it was going splendidly. Toph would tell him of her day at school and how things were progressing with her club. She was particularly excited about an upcoming tournament. Then for some unknown reason she became nearly silent during meals. And every other part of the day too. Lao knew his daughter to be many things: strong willed, determined, outspoken, but silent was not a description that ever came to mind.

When it first started, Lao had assumed that it had just been a bad day at school. After the second day he was sure that it had been more than that. Not knowing what else to do, he called Hakoda to see if he might know what was wrong. The only thing that Hakoda could tell him was that Katara said Toph had not been sharing breakfast with her friends the past few days. After a full weekend of the unsettling quiet Toph, Lao decided that he should call Iroh. Iroh was little more help than Hakoda. All he said was that Zuko told him that Toph was not going to club meetings anymore.

First, she was not speaking to anyone. Then she was avoiding her friends. Now she passes up chances to take out her aggressiveness on others? This was worse than Lao had imagined. It had been just over one week since this behavior began and Lao was still no closer to understanding what was wrong then when the problem first started. There was only one thing left for him to do.

"Kuzon, I need to see you in my study."

The two men shut the door behind them and Lao took his seat at his large desk. Kuzon simply stood across from him, waiting for his employer to speak. It was evident just by the look on his face that Kuzon knew what Master Bei Fong had wanted to speak to him about. When Lao did not speak, Kuzon began the conversation for him.

"Is there something troubling you, sir?" he asked knowingly.

"Have you perchance noticed that Toph has been behaving strangely as of late?"

"Indeed I have, sir."

"And do you happen to know why this is?"

"I do not, sir," Kuzon answered. "However, when Aang tried to visit a few days ago, the young miss had me turn him away. Both have seemed rather distraught over it."

"So it does have something to do with him," Lao sighed. "I thought that things were going well between them? What happened?"

"If I may be so bold, sir," Kuzon commented. "If we knew that, then you and I would not be in your study right now."

"Yes, you're right," Lao agreed. "What should I do?"

"I believe that right now Toph needs someone who will listen," Kuzon said. "Someone who will not get upset about the problem, but try to help her through it."

"Right. Tell me how that goes."

"Sir!"

"I know! I know!" Lao said, his hands shaking nervously. "I'm just not any good at that sort of thing. If Aang did do something to upset her, I'm not going to be able to be objective about it. Maybe I should ask Huiliang to do this."

"She needs her father, Master Bei Fong."

Lao sighed and placed his face down in his palms. Being a better husband and father was something that he had decided he wanted to be. How was he supposed to be that kind of father if he avoided the difficult parts of the job? Kuzon was right, as he always was. Toph needed him right now, so he was going to be there.

"How do I know what to say?" he asked.

"Your heart will help you find the words," Kuzon told him.

Rising from his chair, Lao made his way for the door. Kuzon stepped aside and gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder as he past. His heart was racing as his jumbled mess of a mind tried to determine how he would approach the situation. What would he say to start the conversation? How would he get her to open up to him? How would he even get her to open her door? After the short walk down the hall, Lao stood before Toph's room still completely unprepared for the conversation he was about to have.

This should not be so difficult, he told himself. It's not as if I'm talking to her about sex. Oh dear. What if that is what this is about?

His nerves were failing him. The idea that his daughter might have had sex with Aang, or anyone at all for that matter, was definitely not something he was prepared to handle. Why could she not just stay young and stop growing up? Things would be so much easier that way! Be that as it may, his daughter still needed him right now and it was too late to turn around. He rose his hand to knock on the door, but before he could Toph called to him.

"Come in, Dad."

Surprised by his daughter's keen senses, Lao almost forgot to open the door before stepping inside. She was lying on her bed with her hands behind her head and her leg hanging off of the side. He was surprised once again to hear her stereo quietly playing a flute melody rather than the upbeat, loud guitar music that usually emanated from it. Taking the chair that sat in front of her desk and placing it at her bedside, he sat down and studied her face.

She was unreadable. Lao prided himself on being able to read the faces and movements of his clients, partners, and competition in order to determine the best course of action to take, but his daughter was impassable. It was an unpleasant sight. She was usually so lively, as readable as an open book. Now she was like a series of blank pages.

"Did you want something?" she asked.

"I just . . . wanted to check up on you," he said.

"Check up on me? Why?"

"You just don't seem yourself lately. Honestly, it has me a little worried. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I guess."

She rolled over on her side, turning her back to him and curled her legs up into her chest.

"You're anything but fine," Lao said. He placed his hand on her knee and pulled her legs off of the bed easily. She turned once again and faced him with downcast eyes, sitting on the edge of the bed. This was worse that he had thought. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Toph." Lao placed his hand on her chin and lifted her head. He moved his hand around to the back of her head and pulled her into him. He placed his face gently next to hers and spoke softly into her ear. "Let me be here for you. Tell me what's wrong."

Then something happened that Lao had not experienced in many years. His daughter wrapped her arms tightly around him, holding him fast and strong. Had it not been for the fact that she was also crying softly into his shoulder, he would have told her that it hurt and was making it hard to breath. He pet her hair tenderly and just continually whispered into her ear "it's okay" as he did so.

"This sucks," she mumbled into him.

"What does?"

"All of this crap going on."

"It would help if I knew what this 'crap' was," Lao said. Toph laughed just a little bit. An action that let him know that he was doing things right so far.

"I don't think you'd want to know," she told him. "It has to do with Aang."

"I kind of figured that much out," he smiled.

Toph loosened her grip and pulled away from him. As her hands traveled down his arms, they stopped at his hands and took hold of them instead.

"Another girl kissed him," she said. Lao's hands tightened on hers. "It's not what you think. I was there, I know what happened, and it wasn't his fault. He really didn't do anything wrong. But still, even knowing that, I feel horrible. It hurts. It hurts so much that I can't even talk to him. But I get this feeling that it won't go away until I talk to him. But then, whenever I think about talking to him I get this feeling it's going to hurt even more when I do talk to him about it. It hurts to be around him, but it hurts when I'm not around him too, and it sucks! I've never felt like this before."

"And how exactly are you feeling?" Lao asked.

"I don't know," Toph answered, becoming frustrated with herself.

"You're not mad at him?" he asked.

"No. I don't think that's it."

"You're not sad, or depressed that he was kissed by someone else?"

"That's not it either."

Lao smiled again as he released on of her hands and gently held the other in both of his.

"There's this odd sensation in the pit of your stomach. It's like everything is swirling around in there, and the whole time your stomach feels like it's getting tighter and tighter. At the same time, it's like someone is reaching inside of you and just squeezing your heart in the palm of their hand. It hurts so bad that you wish that your heart would just burst."

"Yes!" Toph answered. "Yes, that's exactly how I feel! What is it?"

"I can't tell you that," her father said. She ripped her hand away from him and narrowed her eyes angrily.

"If you aren't gonna tell me, then why are you even here? I thought you wanted to help!"

"You and I both know that I'm not the greatest father in the world, but even I know that there are things that you must figure out on your own. I think this is one of them. There is one person who can help you figure this out though. You know who it is too."

Toph hung her head again. Of course she knew who it was, she just did not know how to speak with him. She had been since it all happened last Wednesday. That was eight days ago. How was she supposed to even approach him?

"Thanks, Dad," she said.

"For what?"

"For this," she answered simply. She leaned forward and gave him another hug, this time without the tears. "You know, you're not as bad at this as you think you are."

"I have to admit, I'm a little proud of myself right now. You haven't hugged me since you were a little girl."

"Really?"

"You know what else you used to do when you were little?"

"What?"

"You used to call me 'daddy'."

Toph smiled a smile that she knew her father could not see.

"Don't push your luck, old man."

"There's my girl," he laughed.

A/N: For some reason, the ideas are flowing from Kasamari like a man with a bladder problem that drank way too much water. Another update should be coming soon if you review for him! For Kasamari, not the bladder problem guy.