Disclaimer: I don't own these shows.

"Alright. I think she should be fine now. I suggest you stay here for the night just in case she freaks out again." Katara informed Lin.

The waterbender had been working for about an hour and a half. Due to Toph's abrupt actions, she had almost broken her ribs once again. Thankfully, Katara's expert healing saved the earthbender from more pain. Also, thanks to the red medicine, Toph had stopped shaking and her body calmed down. Now, she had been sleeping for about an hour.

"Don't worry. I am." Lin answered her Aunt.

Katara gave the young woman a warm smile. "Well, at least we know she is slowly coming back." Lin returned the smile.

Katara started heading out to allow the two some privacy. Just as she was to close the door, Lin yelled out to her. "Can you get my dad? I'm sure he is worried sick." Katara nodded and exited the room.

Lin returned to look at her mother. The earthbending prodigy had been trying to figure out why her mother was freaking out so bad. Why she was calling her name. It must have been some nightmare. Toph had removed her hand from her daughter's cheek but still kept contact. Her uninjured hand was grasping onto Lin's right hand. The woman looked scared to let go and Lin was able to feel it in her grip. Lin stayed, to sooth her mother's wishes.

The young adult heard the door slide open and turned to see her father huffing. "Were you running here?"

"Of course! Once I got the green light from Katara, I sprinted over here." Sokka said between breaths. Sokka regained his normal breathing and made his way over to Toph's bedside. She looked peaceful sleeping.

"So what exactly happened?"

Lin stared at her mother as she retold what she had witnessed earlier in the day. "She started to groan and shake her head. She looked as if she was trying to run from something but her injuries prevented her from thrashing on the bed. It must have been quite the nightmare."

"Why did she yell?" Sokka asked intrigued.

"I suppose it's because her nightmare was getting worse. She said my name and it took a lot of time to finally wake her up. When she did, she shot up but quickly regretted it as the pain from her injuries just hurt her again. Katara started doing her healing and then you came in." Lin informed her father.

Sokka remained silent. He had a look of slight anger on his face, scaring Lin a bit.

"She is fine now. At least we know she is waking up."

"I should have been there." he said quietly.

Lin stared into his eyes that were looking towards the floor. They were filled with regret, deep regret.

"What's wrong?" Lin asked.

Sokka grabbed a nearby chair and sat himself down next to his daughter. "Before Yakone bloodbended the entire room, we had a recess. I was talking your mom and unintentionally called her helpless, not that I meant it. She got mad and was still mad after the recess. That would have been our last conversation."

"But it won't. She is waking up. You will get to make it up to her." Lin comforted her father. "The necklace. You are going to make it up with the necklace."

Sokka reached into his shirt and pulled the beautifully crafted necklace. It still looked brand new and stunning at that. "She was supposed to be wearing it around her neck by that evening. Then we would have celebrated the next day." He continued to stare at the necklace.

Lin moved over to her father and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And we will. Don't worry." Sokka returned the embrace happily.

Cough. Cough.

Toph started to cough which quickly captured the attention of the two seated by her bedside. Lin and Sokka stood up and watched her intently just in case anything happened. Toph tried sitting up but felt a twang of pain run throughout her body. Two arms came upon her back and the back of her head and helped her down to the pillow she had been lying on.

"Take it easy, mom."

Toph opened her eyes slowly and found that she couldn't see anything as her feet were off the ground. Quickly, she reached out for the nearest body and grabbed equally calloused hands. She sighed in relief. Lin.

"How are you feeling?"

Toph answered her daughter weakly. "Thirsty."

"Dad, get Aunt Katara. She can bend the water for her so that she doesn't have to sit up."

Toph heard heavy footsteps speedily leave the room. Sokka.

Finding her voice again, Toph spoke. "How is someone suppose to get sleep around here with you two talking."

There it was. The abrasive attitude that Lin missed all too much. "Sorry, mom." she answered with a small chuckle. Sudden realization hit Lin. "Wait, you heard what we were talking about?"

"No. I couldn't make out what you were saying. But I could definitely hear annoying mumbling." Toph informed her daughter. "Someone's got a secret."

The taunt caused Lin to cringe slightly. Toph caught it and tried her best to smirk. Her ears picked up two figures coming towards the room. The door creaked open.

"Good morning Toph! Er, actually it's night." Katara said happily. She moved towards a jar filled with clean water and bended it. "Open your mouth."

Toph did as she was told and the waterbender bended the water into her mouth and down her throat. "That's the stuff." Toph said satisfied.

"Lin, let me get to your mother to check her injuries." Lin moved and observed from the end of the bed just like her father. Katara quickly checked the not so long ago wrapped bandages and decided she was ok. "Alright. You're good. I'll leave you to these two." Just like that, Katara was gone.

"I'm so glad you're awake!" Lin embraced her mother, careful not to touch her injuries. Toph, however, grabbed her daughter with her good arm and pulled her closer, loving the smell of her daughter's hair.

Sokka all but watched as the mother and daughter were reunited once again.

Comfortable silence filled the room. Lin was barely able to keep her eyes open and went off to one of the other rooms to sleep, leaving just Sokka and Toph. Surprisingly, the earthbender continued to stay awake claiming that she had been sleeping for days and deserved some time awake. Sokka didn't complain.

"Come here." Toph demanded.

Sokka was confused by her request. "Um. I'm already right here. Next to your bed."

Toph gave a slight growl. "No. Come here and lay with me."

"But there isn't enough room on the bed and…"

"Move me!" Sokka didn't ask any further questions. The water tribe warrior delicately picked up his lover, causing a slight groan of pain to erupt from the earthbender's mouth followed by many "I'm sorry's" to come from him. He gently placed her body closer to the wall that the bed was set against. Sokka layed himself down on her left side, one leg on the floor to keep himself from falling off the edge.

Toph scoffed. "You really need to stop whining and listen to me sometimes."

Sokka chuckled. "Oh really now? Why so grumpy?"

"I feel so stupid. Needing someone to do things for me. I can't even move myself. I feel so…"

"Helpless?" Sokka finished for her.

"Yes. And if I could move my arm, you would have gotten a slap on the chest." she informed him rudely.

"Toph, you practically had every bone in your upper body broken. You have an excuse to be helpless."

"Stupid Yakone. Once I get my hands on him I'll bend a rock so far up his…"

Sokka interrupted her before she could finish. "Aang took care of him. Took away his bending."

Toph hesitated before answering. He always found the avatars special powers quite amazing, although she wouldn't admit it. "Good. We need less people like him in the streets. Or rather the world."

The two laid in silence. If it had been any other day, Sokka and Toph would be laughing it up, pulling pranks and insulting each other in a somewhat loving way. However, with the state that Toph was in, Sokka felt as if that was all gone. He was sure Toph felt no change as they lay there, but he did. The girl that needed no help from anyone, refused it actually, was next to him being fragile and powerless. This wasn't her. No her at all. And he hated it. She had almost died and he hated himself the entire time that she lay on the bed unconscious. Throughout those days, the last conversation they had had that day rang through his mind. The way she looked hurt from him implying that she was weak against Yakone. The way she turned away from him, not wanting to face him any longer, as if she didn't want him anymore. Those would be the last images of her that he would have had if she had perished that day. The regret swallowed him up and he acted different. Serious and distant. That was definitely not him. He wished he could take everything he had said back and do it differently. Although he couldn't travel back in time, he was sure to make the future brighter.

"I missed you." He said quietly. He turned his head so that he was looking at the left side of her face. Still beautiful.

Toph remained silent. She didn't have to answer because he could feel the same emotion coming from her silence. That was all he needed. To add to that, she was grasping his hand harshly. Not wanting him to leave her side. Ever.

He continued. "I was terrified. I thought I would lose you with your last memory of me being mad at me. I'm sorry." He made his way and kissed her on the cheek. Afterwards, he laid his forehead on the side of his face, enjoying the contact. Toph soon started to nuzzle her head next to his. She enjoyed his comfort just as much as he did. Just for him, her walls crumbled and every bit of emotion poured over her.

"I should have listened to you. I was careless and now I'm broken." She was whispering. Sokka felt something damp hit his face and new right away she was crying. He only came closer.

"I'm so stubborn and it gets me into the worse situations. My stupid pride…"

All the sadness she felt, he could see it as clear as day now. He saw rare times when she would become vulnerable. Never, however, had she seen her so upset that she would talk down about herself.

"Look at me. I'm finally what my father said I was. Small and helpless. Unable to do things herself and have to rely on other's for the simplest things." Sokka grabbed her, careful not to hit her injuries but still affectionate enough that Toph stopped talking.

"You are a brave and strong woman, Toph. No matter if you are standing up against a monster or lying in bed suffering injuries that reflect your promise to protect the people you care about. Don't you forget that."

Toph turned with all her might and took the pain so that she was facing Sokka. She talked into his chest. "I was so scared. I couldn't see. I was really blind. That monster…he took everyone away from me. Right in front of me. Never again…please."

The nightmare. Sokka instantly thought. He allowed her to express all her emotions. "He won't hurt you anymore."

And just like the night he confessed his love for her, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

I think we are in need of some happy chapters. Writing away! (x