It was the middle of the night.
Toph groaned and shook Sokka's arm.
"Sokka, can you get me some water?" There was no answer. "Sokka? Sokka!"
Toph then heard a great big snore coming from his mouth. "Figures." She said under her breath. She groaned as she slowly forced her self to sit upright and stood. She slowly walked down the hall to the kitchen. Toph yawned as she reached for a mug off of the counter. Suddenly, she felt her entire lower body contract in seconds. He legs gave out from under her and the mug she was holding shattered to the floor.
"Ahh!" She shouted. Toph clenched her teeth and started yelling in pain. She gasped for air and sobbed. Doors slammed open and everyone rushed into the kitchen.
"Toph!" Sokka yelled and turned on the light. There he saw her on her hands and knees in the middle of the kitchen floor.
"Wait, stop!" he told Aang and Katara. "There's glass on the floor!"
Aang swirled the air around the kitchen and bended all of the glass into a corner. "Hopefully I got it all." Meanwhile Toph was taking very long vocal breaths amongst the glass shards on the floor. Sokka rushed over and put his hand on Toph's back.
She didn't move or say anything
"Youch!" Sokka yelled. He picked up his foot. "You missed a piece, Aang." he added salty. He glanced down and made sure there were no more pieces and knelt down by Toph, his foot still bleeding.
"Toph, what happened?"
She just shook her head with a pained look on her face.
"Hey, get me a towel too. The floor is all wet here."
Aang nodded. Finally, Toph took a sigh of relief. She turned and hugged Sokka.
"Hey, what happened?" Katara came in with a towel.
"The pain came so fast and I wasn't ready for it. That's the strongest one I've felt by far!" She caught her breath.
" And then you dropped your mug and slipped the water?"
"No, I never filled my cup. I don't know why it's wet here."
"Toph that means your water broke. Your baby will be here very, very soon!"
Katara sat on the floor. "Now Sokka, let me see your foot." She went behind him.
"Aang will you go get my tweezers? And a hot towel?" Aang nodded.
"Sorry, Sokka. I was half asleep when I cleaned the glass up."
"Aang, it's fine, don't worry about it, really." Toph lifted one of her hands and winced. There was blood dripping down her arm. "Uh Katara, Toph's got a shard in her pal."
"Alright, hold on."
"Are you ok?" Sokka gently asked Toph.
She nodded, "Are you ok?" she softly added.
"Me? I'll be fine!" Toph rested her hand on the backside.
Aang came back into the room. "next time tell me where you hide this thing. I just barely found it!" Aang handed Katara the tweezers. She rolled her eyes and started to work on Sokka's foot. Sokka could hear Toph whimpering and then loudly heard her cry out. With her glass-free hand, she squeezed the girth of her stomach. Sokka reached out to touch her back, but she brushed him away quickly.
"Toph, what can I do?"
She panted. "Nothing!" She managed to squeeze out through her clenched teeth. She continued to pant and groan.
"Ow!" Sokka looked back. "Gentle with my foot Katara!"
"Well I have to get the glass out! Toph remember to breathe deeply!" She then heard Toph take long, deep breaths just as she was told. After a few minutes, she put her head back. Sokka caught her shoulders. She leaned back into him.
"That was a strong one too." She sighed.
"Alright, Sokka I'm done with your foot. It may be a bit tender, but I wrapped a bandage around it. I think we need to move Toph into the bedroom now."
"I think so too." Sokka stood, but stumbled a bit. He winced.
"Toph, can you stand?"He held out his hand for her.
She looked up and grabbed it. She tried to stand, but then collapsed to the floor in pain again.
"Sokka, want me to carry Toph?" Aang offered.
"No, I got it." I'll do it for her. He bent down and struggled, but eventually scooped up Toph off of the floor. The bottom of her pajamas were wet, but he didn't care.
"Careful of your hand." he told her as he limped to the bedroom. Aang followed.
"Set her on the bed and then I'll look at her hand to make sure the glass is out. Then you'll get the have your baby!" Katara smiled at Toph as Sokka set her down onto the bed. Toph tried to smile through the pain. Sokka I need you to take of her pants and underclothes. Aang would you mind waiting outside to give Toph some privacy?"
"Of course! Good luck!" Aang stepped out a Sokka whipped off her clothes. Makes me think of just the other night. He smirked. He spread out a blanket on top of her bare legs while Katara finished wrapping Toph's hand.
"This reminds me of the old days in the Southern Water Tribe. The way we used to do mom and dad's job together in the village."
"Yes, me too." Katara smiled.
Toph was lying in the bed with her eyes closed. She suddenly tensed up. "Ahh!" She yelled and clenched her teeth. Her eyes were still closed and she was gripping the sheets beneath her. Katara and Sokka heard a loud crackling sound. Aang came rushing in.
"What was that?!"Aang glanced at the wall and a large, deep crack has appeared.
"Toph, you put a giant crack in our wall!"
Toph gave no response. She was heavily breathing through her clenched teeth and groaning loudly.
"Toph!" Aang said again. Finally, she gasped for some air.
"What? It's so tight!" She cried. Aang earthbent the crack to normal again, but then heard another crack on the opposite wall and this one was even bigger.
"Remember to breathe Toph!" Katara told her sternly.
"Ah ha-!" Toph leaned forward and tried to breathe through her contraction. Just as Aang was bending the wall back in to place, a piece of the ceiling crashed to the floor.
"What's happening?!" Sokka gasped.
"I think the pressure is too much for Toph. She's fighting it rather than allowing her body to release it. She's unconsciously earthbending. Aang, I'm afraid something bad might happen if she stays in here. I don't know if she even realizes what's happening." Just then another huge chunk of ceiling came barreling downwards towards Aang. He quickly redirected it and it crashed against the wall. Aang looked up.
"Dude, there's a giant hole in your ceiling! We have to do something!" The floor began to shake.
"We have to get her out of here! She can't stay inside!" Katara yelled. Sokka pried Toph's hands from her blanket and scooped her up out of her bed. The floor was still shaking and the walls were rumbling. Katara grabbed her bag full of supplies and followed.
"Where are we taking her?" he shouted.
"Outside away from any structures!" Aang yelped as another piece of ceiling fell to the ground.
"I'll fix this mess first."
"It's snowing outside Katara!"
"Well, then grab Toph's coat because we're going!"
Sokka and Katara ran outside just in time to see one of the pillars on the porch give away.
"Over here, we'll go to the meditation garden. There's no structures around there!" They ran over and set up.
Katara waterbent all of the snow away from a large rock. Sokka gently placed Toph beside some boulders to lean on. Once her feet touched the earth beneath her, she seemed to calm almost instantly and wake up from the haze that she was in.
"Aang!" Katara yelled. Aang came running up to them.
"Alright…" he huffed, "I fixed the ceiling. I just noticed the porch on the way here."
"Aang I need you to build a shelter around us. It's snowing for the avatar's sake! And maybe also build a fire!"
"I'm on it" While Aang worked on building them a shelter, Toph opened her eyes.
"Katara, this feels so tight." She panted. "I- I don't know what to do."
"Toph, when I was in labor, I liked having something to hold and squeeze through the pain. Maybe you do too."
"Here, have some rocks." Sokka put her hand on a boulder. She squeezed the rock which instantly crumbled into dust.
"Ah!" Sokka exclaimed. "Did you see that?"
Toph yelled again and pushed her hands into the rock beneath her creating two massive rock pillars just a few feet from where they were standing.
"Toph, you're starting to scare me now. " Sokka said hesitantly as he looked up. "Please don't fall on me." He begged of the pillar. Toph raised her hands and the two pillars shattered.
"Ouch! Sokka I need you to distract her with something. She's starting to endanger herself." Katara said as she rubbed her arm where a piece of rock had been flung at her. The ground was already slightly shaking.
"Um, here have another rock to hold." Sokka said nervously. He took her hands and put them both on top, but she grunted and it dissolved right then and there.
"Every rock she touches crumbles into pieces. She needs something steady to hold. Sokka give her your hand!"
"M-my hand?" He gulped.
"Yes, now!"
Sokka got serious. He took both of her hands in each of his.
"Toph, this is Sokka. You can do this! Focus on me, now."
She caught her breath for a moment and looked at Sokka.
"Hey, there." he said softly. "You're doing great." She slightly smiled. She let go of her left hand and rubbed her stomach with it, but continued to squeeze his with her right.
"Katara, I-I need to push! Aaah!" Toph sat up and started to bear down.
"Alright, slowly, yes you can push now." Katara was very focused at the foot of her friend. Toph earthbent some rocks near her feet for her to brace herself against. Sokka squeezed her hand tightly.
Toph clenched her teeth and yelped. Sokka stared at Toph intensely. He was going to help her in whatever way he could. He leaned to his side and stole a towel from katara's bag. He folded it with his one hand and placed it on Toph's forehead.
"Toph, stop pushing."
"Stop?!" Sokka and Toph both gasped. "I thought that was the whole point!" She huffed.
"You're going too fast! But you're doing a great job." She sounded very serious.
"Ahhh I have to push!" Toph gasped.
"Fight it! Toph breathe with me." The two started breathing in unison together. Toph wheezed.
"Alright, now give me a big push!" Toph took in a huge gulp of air and bared down. She shut her eyes and gripped Sokka's hand.
"Aarrgh!" She groaned. Sokka reached behind her and rubbed her shoulder.
"Yes, Toph," he encouraged her. She stopped pushing and began to pant quickly. She leaned over to the side where Sokka wasn't standing and coughed up some of her dinner on the ground nearby.
"Uh, Katara?" Sokka asked.
"She's fine, don't worry. Toph you can start pushing again when you're ready."
"I-I don't want to!" She began to cry. "Ahhh!" She wailed. She swallowed hard, still panting. They heard some more crumbling sounds coming from rocks nearby.
"Toph, you're the strongest person I know! You can do this! This is nothing compared to what you've faced. I believe in you." Sokka looked her dead in her faded eyes. "Ok, ready?" he said. She shifted in her seat, gripped Sokka's hand and squeezed her muscles. More rocks around them began to crumble.
"Aaand push, Toph!"
"Baahhhrrg!" She groaned and tensed up at the end.
"The head's out! Now I need one last final push and your baby should be here!" Katara said happily. Toph nodded. She once again, took a deep breath in and interlaced her fingers with Sokka.
"I'm over it!" She yelled into the night. She pushed her legs against the rocks and slowly panted until she heard Katara say, "It's a girl!"
Katara waterbent the baby's nose and mouth clear of any blockage.
Toph collapsed back onto the rock she was leaning on.
"You did it!" Sokka exclaimed. He brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. Toph took a deep breath.
"Is she alright? Why can't I hear her?" Toph said worriedly. She suddenly sensed that the little heartbeat inside of her was gone and she felt a little empty.
Katara finished wrapping her and patted her a bit. The baby started to cry.
"There she goes." Katara handed her over. "She's perfect, Toph!"
Toph held her little crying baby in her arms. She was crying happy and relieved tears that it was all over. She put her cheek on her little girl's forehead.
"Wow, she's so tiny." Sokka said softly.
"She does feel really small." Toph smiled.
"What's her name, Toph?" Katara asked as Aang walked up beside her.
"I've decided to name her Lin. Lin Beifong." she replied sweetly.
The gang fell into a comfortable silence as they watched the little girl squirm around.
"Should we go back inside?" Sokka asked.
"I don't know. It's up to Toph. It stopped snowing at least."
"I'd like to stay out here a bit longer." Sokka and Katara relaxed a bit and awed at the tiny baby.
"Oh, look at the sky!" Aang said as he saw beautiful colored lights dancing among the stars. But Toph didn't hear him. Her only focus was on her little girl.
They all awed over the rainbow lights in the sky for a bit.
"I'm going to take some things inside. Aang, will you carry this?" She handed him a stack of supplies. He nodded an they both walked toward the house.
"Remind me why we're having another one?" Katara asked as they stepped inside. "The pain is now fresh as ever in my mind." She sighed and put a hand over her eyes.
"Because we love them, and because I love you." Aang slipped a hand over Katara's stomach and held her shoulders tight. She put her hands over his.
"I love you too, Aang." Sokka popped his head in, "Toph is getting cold so we're going to come inside."
Moments later, Sokka came in carrying Toph and brand-new baby Lin into the bedroom. He took off his shoes and sat down next to them. Aang and Katara came back in.
"Gosh, I felt so much better after you had moved me outside. I just couldn't center myself in the fluffy bed. " Toph stated to the gang.
"You should have seen it, Toph! There were a bunch of cracks on the wall and then the ceiling started coming down! I was so confused." Sokka laughed.
"I'm so sorry. I just couldn't control it. My mind was in a totally different place."
"It's alright." Katara reassured her. I'm just glad everyone is safe."
"I'm so proud of you, Toph! Look at what you did!" Sokka laughed and cradled the two of them closer.
"Thank you Sokka. Thank you for everything you've done for us."
The End
There you have it folks. You'll have to leave the rest to your imagination. Hope you liked the story! :)