Hi there! So as someone who watched ATLA and Korra for the first time this summer after Avatar dropped on Netflix, two of my main impressions after finishing both shows were 1. Wow, I really should've watched these when they came out, and 2. Suyin's dad is totally Sokka, right? It seems like Netflix might even agree with me based on a recent tweet, but regardless, I've been wanting to tell the story of Suyin's origins for a while now, in a way that fits into and respects the canon. I've seen a lot of people say that there's no way Sokka can be the father because he would never have let his daughter grow up without knowing him, and this story is my attempt to explain that seeming contradiction. My current plan is to tell it in four parts/chapters. But that's enough from me. Enjoy! (Also, cred for thumbnail art goes to lotuschai on tumblr!)

Best Left Unsaid

Part I: Allegro

Republic City, Downtown

25 Years after the End of the War

Toph Beifong had always despised the snow. No matter how thick and weathered the calluses on her soles grew, they could never fully protect her feet from the biting cold, or the detestable slushy, melting sensation that came from standing in one spot for too long. Even worse, it muffled and deadened sounds attempting to travel through it, obscuring her vision on top of all the other problems it presented. Back home in Gaoling, the climate was far too warm for snowy weather; she'd never experienced it firsthand until a short while after the end of the Hundred Year War, when Sokka and Katara took them all on a trip to visit the Southern Water Tribe. In the end, she'd spent most of her time there miserable, huddled inside an igloo warming her feet by the fire. Flying back home with the others on Appa, Toph had sworn to herself that she'd never voluntarily set foot in snow again.

And here I am two decades later, she mused silently to herself, her hands balled up in two frustrated fists as she stalked her way through a stretch of frozen slush, gritting her teeth at the bitter cold. Chief of Police in a city where it snows almost four months a year. The things I do for Aang.

"Come on, Twinkletoes!" She barked back at the airbender in question, not slowing her pace for a moment, even as the ice and slush gave way to full-on bank of snow reaching up past her ankles. "We're gonna be late for our reservation if you two lovebirds don't start double-timing it!"

Though her vision was somewhat dampened, she could still tell exactly what street they were on; the smell of freshly steamed sesame buns off to her right told Toph that they were just passing her favorite bakery, and the distant rumble of one of the city's brand-new streetcars informed her that the intersection they were looking for was just up ahead.

"Since when have you ever cared about being late?" Aang called ahead to her; she could tell from his tone alone that his usual goofy smile was painted across his face. "It's not like it's your anniversary we're celebrating."

"Who asked you to rub your happy marriage in my face?" She snapped back in mock anger, grinning to herself in anticipation of Aang's panicked response. "Is it really so terrible that I'm still single?!"

"N-No, that's not what I meant, you know that! I-I was just trying to-"

"Why don't you go ahead and quit while you're behind, dear?" Katara teased, chuckling as she clung tight to her husband's arm. "I have to side with Toph on this one."

"Thanks, Sweetness. I can always count on you, unlike this tattooed numbskull."

Moments later, the loud squawk of an ostrich-horse told Toph to take a few generous steps out of the road and onto the sidewalk as a carriage rushed past in a spray of frigid water and mud. A woosh of wind sounded from a few meters behind as Aang shielded himself and Katara, but as luck would have it, Toph's foot landed squarely on a patch of slick ice, shooting out from under her before she could right herself. Half a second later, her face was hovering inches off the ground, suspended only by a thin cushion of air.

"Whoa, careful there!" Aang shouted; there was a rush of footsteps as he and his wife darted forward to her aid.

"I was about to catch myself just fine!" Toph insisted, frowning as Aang and Katara each took one shoulder and helped her back to her feet. "Trust me, it was gonna be unbelievably graceful!"

"This isn't good…" Katara muttered, her voice tinged with worry as her hands fretted about Toph's clothes. The waterbender had bought her out an outfit specifically for the occasion – apparently, it was a matching set with her own – but as usual, Toph could hardly care less what she wore. I had half a mind to toss that package in my closet and wear my police uniform. Would've probably been a hell of a lot more comfortable at the end of the day.

"Oh, what is it now?" Toph set her hands defiantly on her hips. "Is one of the cuffs wrinkled?"

"Well aside from all the mud that carriage got all over your coat, your qipao tore when you slipped. There's a huge rip between your legs now… I don't think we can cover it up."

"Ah, so that's why it's a bit breezier down there now. Well, that first problem's pretty easy to solve." Toph brought her hands together, then waved them out to the left, scattering a shower of mud droplets out into the street. Judging by the sound that followed, at least a few of them landed on another passing cart, and in the distance, a vaguely familiar voice groaned in despair.

"Not my cabbages…"

"See?" Toph turned back towards Aang and Katara and gave them a smirk. "Clean as a whistle. Now as for the second problem, who gives a rat's ass? You think Kwong's is gonna turn away the Chief of Police because her dress is a little ripped?"

"It's… a pretty bad tear." Aang offered meekly. "I mean, we obviously don't care, but I know Kwong's has a pretty strict dress code, so you might just wanna…"

"Oh, shove it, Twinkletoes. If they have a problem with it, I'll let them say it to my face. Now if you two would stop whining and let me be, the restaurant is just a block away! So let's get a move-on and…"

Still midsentence, Toph took a single step forward, then trailed off and swore viciously as white-hot pain lanced up her leg. Well, that's not good.

"Oh my god, Toph, your foot! It's bleeding!" Her motherly instincts on full display, Katara pulled her off to the side so that their trio wasn't in the way of other pedestrians, then knelt down to inspect the wound once Toph had taken a seat on a bench. "Did you cut it on that ice?!"

"Huh. I knew something was smarting, but I just chalked it up to the cold. My soles are pretty numb right now, to be honest."

"'Numb' doesn't cover it – your toes are showing early signs of frostbite! I should've never let you walk through all that snow barefoot… here, let me melt a path for you the rest of the way to Kwong's!"

"What, so I can get them covered in ice-cold mud? I've been walking barefoot in this city for twenty years!" Toph snapped back defiantly. "That means twenty winters, and not a single one of those toes has fallen off yet! I thought you would've learned by now- never underestimate my feet!"

"At least let me heal that cut!" Katara protested. "It'll only take a minute!"

"I'm not one of your kids, Madam Fussy Britches! I can walk it off, alright?" To prove her point, Toph shook herself out of Katara's grasp and started off down a newly snow and ice-free sidewalk, one limping step at a time. "If you insist, you can take a look at it once we get there, but not here. I've gotta project strength to all these citizens, it's part of my job description! Getting the mommy treatment in the middle of a crowded sidewalk doesn't exactly achieve that goal."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite police chief! I thought I heard those dulcet tones of yours." Puddles splashed off to the side as a familiar pair of footsteps made their way across the street towards their trio, and Sokka's warm, bemused voice cut through the clamor of rickshaws and passerby. "No one can talk back to Katara in quite the same way."

"Well isn't this quite the shocking development," Toph declared haughtily, straightening up her posture in an effort to conceal her limp. "You're actually on time to a social event for once in your life! And here I thought that was one thing the universe just wouldn't allow."

"Hey, your sister only celebrates her twentieth wedding anniversary once!" Sokka countered defensively, wrapping Katara in an embrace and pecking her on the forehead. "Trust me, I moved heaven and earth to wrap up my City Council meeting early."

Where's my hug and kiss? A faint voice in Toph's head asked, but she stifled it with a grimace.

"Alright, ya dunderheads, enough chatting- we can do that inside. Pick up the pace!" She started forward once again, only to be held back by an insistent hand on her shoulder. Toph knew instantly that it was Sokka's, and raised one eyebrow as he spoke up again.

"And where do you think you're going in such a hurry? I saw what happened from across the street. All this ice on the ground can't be easy on you, huh? It's worse than usual this year."

"Not you too! I already told them, I just- wha!"

Before Toph could finish her protest, Sokka leaned down and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her princess-style as Aang stifled a chuckle behind them.

"Sokka's Luxury Taxi Corporation, at your service, Madam Beifong." Sokka launched into a posh, noble accent without a moment's hesitation, somehow maintaining a serious tone all the while. "What, pray tell, is your destination, my fair lady?"

For a split second, Toph considered chewing the council chairman out for disrespecting his chief of police, but the urge quickly passed. A wide grin on her face, she allowed herself to be swept up into Sokka's antics, wrapping her arms around his neck as her tone became that of a damsel in distress.

"Oh Mister Taxi Driver, you're my hero! Whatever would I have done if you hadn't braved this terrible snowstorm to rescue me?!"

As if on cue, a powerful gust of frigid winter wind blew down the length of the street, whipping at the group's clothes; Toph very quickly learned exactly where the tear in her qipao was, and shivered in Sokka's arms as her exposed legs took the brunt of the gale. Pressed against his chest, she could hear her chauffeur's heart rate suddenly quicken, and Sokka cleared his throat, his voice lowered so only she could hear.

"Yo, Toph, I don't know if you've noticed, but you've got this, uh… tear in your dress…"

"I'm blind, not an idiot! Of course I've noticed!" A sharp punch to Sokka's shoulder felt as satisfying as ever, but as he winced in pain, Toph changed her tune once more, and gave him a playful smirk. "What, is it too much leg for you to handle, loverboy?"

"Oh, come on," Sokka countered, already back to his customary jovial and carefree demeanor. "You know there's no such thing as that! Personally, I dig it from a fashion standpoint, and that's the only opinion that matters here, right?"

"Sure, keep telling yourself that," Toph replied, pulling her hand back to feign another punch and giggling as he flinched accordingly.

"Hey, you never know, maybe you'll start a new trend! If you do the modeling, I'll be your marketing guy."

"You, going into advertising?" Katara laughed aloud, stepping up with Aang to walk alongside them. "That's a truly terrifying thing to imagine."

Judging from the intoxicating smells currently wafting along the street, they had finally reached Kwong's, and once Katara had healed her cut enough to ensure that she wouldn't track blood all over the restaurant's floors, Sokka eased Toph back down to the ground as they entered the lobby.

"Ah, that's much better." Toph let out a loud sigh of pleasure as her feet met soft, cushiony carpet, wriggling her toes around in satisfaction. The cold wind of the street gave way to blissful warmth, and idle chatter from the other customers replaced the squawking of ostrich-horses and rumbling of streetcars. Just a few paces away, the hostess shifted in discomfort; Toph could feel the woman's unease as she approached them.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry, but... we generally require our customers to wear shoes. In addition, I'm afraid your dress is..."

"Oh, stuff it, sweetcheeks. Don't you recognize the Avatar's party when you see them? We're here with the Fire Lord, so take us to his table, unless you'd like to keep him waiting."

"Y-Yes ma'am, of course! I-I can take your coat first, if you'd like."

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure." Toph shrugged off the warm fur coat Katara had given her for the occasion and handed it over, glancing back toward the others as they did the same.

"See, I told you it wouldn't be a problem."

"You certainly have a way with words," Aang conceded.

"I'd forgotten how swanky this place is!" Sokka chimed in, giving a low whistle. "Remind me why we didn't just go to Norook's Noodles? My wallet hurts just looking at these chandeliers!"

"This is all Zuko's treat," Katara chided, "so remember to be grateful. No complaining about how small the portions are!"

"Yes, mom..."

Off to the side, the hostess cleared her throat nervously.

"I-If you'll follow me, ladies and gentlemen, your table is this way."

Clinging instinctively to Sokka's sleeve with one hand as he followed the hostess through the winding maze of booths and tables, Toph quickly sensed a familiar presence ahead, and felt a smile grow across her face. Shoving her guide out of the way as they neared the table in question, she darted forward and held out her arms for a hug.

"Zuko!"

"Long time no see, huh?" The Fire Lord chuckled and rose to his feet, returning her embrace eagerly. The prickle of a goatee brushed against her face as they broke apart, and she raised one eyebrow approvingly.

"Growing out the beard again, huh? I like it."

"Personally, I'm not so sure about it," Mai chimed in with an audible smirk, planting a kiss on her husband's cheek as she stood to greet the new arrivals. "I like him a bit better clean-shaved myself."

"I can give him a quick trim if you'd like," Sokka offered. Toph could hear the rustle of clothes as he stuck a hand into his tunic, and seized him by the wrist before he could produce what he'd been reaching for.

"Sokka, as your police chief, please tell me that you didn't bring a weapon into a restaurant."

"Uhh… Sokka wasted no time retracting his hand, and Toph could feel his pace quicken through the veins in his wrist. "…not unless you count my stunning good looks?"

They all let out an exasperated groan at that, then quickly resumed their greetings. It had been over two years since Zuko and Mai had last visited Republic City, though it felt like far longer; he'd apparently been preoccupied with Fire Nation business as of late, just as Aang had spent most of the past few months traveling between the Air Temples and training Tenzin, his youngest son and only airbender child. Katara had been equally tied down with the other two, just as Sokka was busy with the City Council and Toph was slammed with police work. It had been ages since the old Team Avatar had last been in the same place at one time, and Toph felt the stress of the last few weeks' cases slowly melt away as they all sat down and began to chat like nothing had changed.

"Ah, I nearly forgot!" Zuko suddenly exclaimed a short while later, clapping his hands together. "Some gifts for you all, from the Fire Nation."

On cue, two of the Fire Lord's attendants stepped out of a curtained backroom to the left of their table, bearing several heavy packages in hand if the sound of their footsteps were any indication. A round of drinks had just been served, and Zuko stood, raising his glass of wine as two of the bulkiest presents were set down in front of Aang and Katara.

"Lest we all forget why we're here, twenty years ago today, the Avatar and the finest waterbender I've ever known pledged their lives and their futures to each other. I couldn't be happier to call you two my friends, and I look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries together in the future. A toast, to Aang and Katara!"

A round of 'aww's went around the table at that, and Toph could tell from Zuko's rapid heartbeat that he was blushing redder than a fire ferret as they all sipped from their drinks.

"That was even sappier than all the times you rehearsed it with me," Mai teased; Toph was the first to snort in laughter in reply, spilling beer down her chin in the process.

"For Aang," Zuko continued, persevering through his embarrassment, "a custom-built air bison saddle, designed by some of the finest engineers in the Fire Nation, and a tapestry woven by the Fire Sages, depicting the rebirth of the Air Nation with the birth of your son, Tenzin. For Katara, a new set of waterbending flasks and a whalebone hair comb, carved with the finest…"

The gift-giving continued for some time after that, as Zuko ensured that no member of the group was left empty-handed: Toph received a hefty chunk of meteorite to metalbend with, a set of badger-mole paperweights for her office, and a bag of green tea from Iroh's gardens, while Sokka became the proud owner of a compendium of haiku poetry and a pair of custom-forged shortswords from Master Piandao.

"I've… been meaning to ask," Zuko began hesistantly, once Sokka had finished fawning over his new blades and Toph had convinced him to put them back away. "I was hoping she was just running late, but… where's Suki? Mai brought some new makeup and custom-made fans for her…"

Toph could feel Aang and Katara turn towards Sokka in unison, and joined in with them by delivering a swift kick to his ankle under the table.

"You dunderhead, are you saying you never told him?! It's been almost a month!"

"I-I thought you told him!" Sokka cried in defense, whimpering in pain from the blow.

"Me?!" Toph snapped back indignantly.

"No, not you! I'm pointing at Aang! You met with Zuko at the Western Air Temple a few weeks ago, didn't you?! I just assumed you told him then!"

"Why would you assume that?!" Aang replied, panicking. "I didn't think it was my business to tell him!"

"Tell me what?" Zuko cut in, confused.

"Go on," Toph urged, raising her fist towards Sokka's shoulder again. "Spill it."

After a deep, dramatic sigh and a long sip from his beer, Sokka finally began to speak, his voice low and deflated.

"Suki and I are… going through a bit of a rough patch right now. We got into a fight about a month ago… a big one. She took her stuff and moved back to Kyoshi Island, says she needs some time to cool down with her friends and family before she can see me again. So… yeah. She wrote the other day, by the way. She wanted me to tell you all that she's sorry that she's missing this, but… in the end, it's my fault she's not here. I screwed things up, big time."

Sokka slumped down to the table, and Zuko reached a hand over to pat his back.

"That sounds… rough, buddy. I'm sorry to hear that. But no matter what you do, if you want her back, you can't let yourself get stuck in a rut of self-pity and despair. It took me over a year to win Mai back after she dumped me, but through all that time, I kept moving forward, and never let myself lose sight of my goal."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it," Mai interjected. "You wouldn't believe how many cheesy poems and packages full of flowers and tea this dork sent me. What was that one you wrote, the month after we broke up? 'My dark, fiery rose, I wither without your pure black flame…'"

"W-We don't need to bring that up," Zuko stammered, but it was far too late by then; Toph and Katara smelled blood in the water. The Fire Lord's love life became the primary topic of discussion as their meals arrived and the drinks continued to flow, though by the time they finished their main course, it had shifted to romance in general, and Toph found herself on the defensive.

"So, how's the Republic City dating life been treating you these past few years?" Zuko was asking, his demeanor rendered considerably less formal and stuffy by half a bottle of wine. "Have you been seeing that one guy again? What was his name… Banto? Danto? Lin's father."

"Kanto, sweetie," Mai corrected, her wine sloshing in its glass as she pulled him close and planted a kiss on his cheek; Mai was an affectionate drunk, as they'd all learned the night of her wedding to Zuko. "A rather uninteresting man, as far as I recall."

"Nah, I haven't," Toph replied, gulping down another swig of beer as Aang and Sokka both attempted to stifle their laugher, neither very successfully. "Trust me, I'm with Mai on this one- I realized pretty quickly that he and I weren't gonna be long term. He was a nice guy, but… not long-term material. Not in my book, at least."

"That's right," Sokka chimed in, "no man can tie our feisty little free spirit down! Isn't that right?"

Another contagious peal of laughter on his lips, he leaned in towards Toph and wrapped a wiry arm around her shoulder, sending an involuntary shudder coursing through her from head to toe Straightening up her posture in surprise, she felt her face flush red and her heart speed up, and scowled at her body's sudden betrayal.

Ugh, you've gotta be kidding me. What am I, twelve? He's been married for fifteen years- I thought I was past this by now.

The pounding in her chest clearly indicated otherwise, though, and her frown grew even deeper. In the years since the end of the war, Toph had gradually moved past her lingering childhood crush on Sokka, but under the right circumstances – usually involving alcohol – it almost never failed to resurface. Even now, on her friends' anniversary, it was threatening to humiliate her; unlike her own heart, Sokka's was beating at a steady, normal pace, a clear indicator that between the two of them, she was the only one whose body seemed to be interpreting this gesture in a romantic light.

"Y-Yeah, well it's not my fault that no man's ever been good enough to date me!" Toph finally managed, concealing her embarrassment the best she could behind her mug of beer and hoping to the spirits that he others didn't notice. "Half of them are too scared to even approach me, thanks to my position. Bunch of friggin' scaredy-cats… what do they think I'm gonna do, bite their head off? I'm the nicest girl they'll ever meet!"

"No argument there," Aang offered meekly. "There's no competition."

"You said it, Twinkletoes. The other half is even worse, though- they all wanna tie me down, make me 'their girl', provide for me so I don't have to work so hard anymore. What a load of bullshit – all they want a pretty little porcelain doll to put on their shelf. They're just like my parents."

Toph felt Mai lean across the table towards her; the Fire Nation's first lady grabbed hold of her hand and squeezed it in commiseration, swaying slightly as she spoke.

"Trust me, babe, I know how that feels. Fuck shitty, controlling parents."

"Does one shitty, controlling parent count?" Zuko asked, prompting another round of laughter. "But alright, if we're getting into this, I think it's about time to break out the good stuff. Do you still have the bottle, darling?"

"Oh, I've been waiting for you to ask," Mai answered eagerly, setting something heavy and glass on the table; Toph could hear liquid sloshing around inside, and raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Another present?" Katara sighed in exasperation. "Zuko, you've already given us more than enough!"

"Well this one is for all of us to share," Zuko declared proudly, pulling out the bottle's cork with a satisfying pop. "Vintage fire-whiskey, barrel-aged. Only the best for an occasion like this."

A strong, pungent scent filled Toph's nose, full of spices and toffee and woody undertones; she quickly grew accustomed to it after the initial shock, and held out her empty glass eagerly.

"Alright, Mr. Connoisseur, hit me with some."

"Hook me up too, buddy." Leaning over to pass Zuko his own glass, Sokka finally took his arm off of Toph, and she found herself blinking in surprise at the sudden loss of warmth on her shoulders.

Oh, come on now. What am I so disappointed about in the first place? Get it together, Beifong.

Once Zuko had poured some for everyone at the table aside from Aang – the Air Nomads generally frowned on the consumption of alcohol – Sokka stood and raised his glass high.

"A toast, to Zuko's shitty dad- he may have been a real jerk, but without him and all his jerk-like evil plans for world domination, Katara and I might never have found Aang, and we certainly wouldn't have met any of the rest of you. Odds are, we'd still be stuck on the ice floes down at the South Pole, leading two blissfully boring lives full of salmon and sea prunes. So while I'll never forgive your dad for everything he did, Zuko, I do still feel obligated to thank him for rescuing us from that terrifying fate. To that, I say cheers."

"Cheers," the others repeated, then drank in unison. True to its name, the fire-whiskey left a burning trail down Toph's throat – beside her, Sokka began to cough, but to her satisfaction, she managed to keep herself composed, with only a small grimace to betray her discomfort. Interesting. It's rough at first, but the aftertaste is actually pretty nice.

"You think that sounds bad?" Once she'd recovered from the liquor, Toph sighed and shook her head, clapping Sokka on the back as he continued to hack up his fragile lungs. "I'd probably still be suck in Gaoling, married off to some snobby noble's son for the sake of 'political influence'."

"Actually," Katara cut in with a chuckle, "I highly doubt that. I bet you would've run away from that place way before it came to marriage; it's not like you couldn't make it on your own. You could've gone full-time with your fighting ring career – or at scamming street performers, for that matter."

"Who knows," Mai added, her tone genuinely amused for once, "you might've even joined Ty Lee's traveling circus, started up a two-woman act."

"How's she been doing lately, by the way?" As she replied, Toph nudged Sokka in the ribs and gestured wordlessly in the general direction of the bottle; moments later there was a slosh of liquid as he refilled her glass, and she felt herself grin in amusement. I guess he's not such a bad manservant after all, she reflected, before turning her attention back to Mai. "I feel like I haven't heard from her in at least a year or two."

"Oh, you know her – always hard to keep pinned down. Another trip across the world to 'find herself', another new boyfriend, another two martial arts championships under her belt…"

"She did stop by Capital City a few weeks, ago, though!" Zuko cut in. "She ended up staying a few days in our guest quarters; it was nice to catch up with her. Apparently she's thinking about going back to Kyoshi Island, to help them train the next generation of… ah, sorry." The Fire Lord trailed off sheepishly, and Toph could feel him radiating embarrassment from across the table. "That's probably a… sore subject."

"Oh come on, Zu-Zu, you gotta give me a little more credit than that!" Sokka protested, prompting drunken giggles from Mai and Katara. "The situation sucks, sure, but I'm not gonna burst into tears if you so much as mention Suki's hometown!"

"Says the guy who cried at his own thirtieth birthday party because the penguins Katara drew on his cake were 'just so cute'!" Toph countered smugly, elbowing him once again as their feet bumped together under the table, and her leg came to a rest against his own. One eyebrow cocked in surprise, her first instinct was to pull the leg away, but two pints of beer and a glass of fire whiskey had dulled her reflexes, and for one reason or another, Toph decided to leave it in place, pleased with the additional source of warmth. Even as he straightened up to answer her accusation, Sokka didn't budge either, a curious development which very nearly distracted her from his response.

"That doesn't count, those were happy tears!" Unlike the rest of the table, Sokka managed to hold back his laughter at Toph's comment, and quickly went on the defensive. "And for the record, they were adorable! The way she drew their little feetsies… Oh spirits, I'm gonna get choked up again just thinking about it! Back me up here, Aang!"

"They were pretty cute," the Avatar replied, the pleasant aroma of his cup of jasmine tea drifting all the way over to Toph as he paused to take a sip. "And in your defense, I think you were also about two bottles of wine deep by the time the tears really started to flow."

"Oh, don't remind me," Katara sighed, and shook her head in exasperation. "You weren't the one who had to waterbend all his puke into the toilet at the end of the night."

"Oh, I remember now!" Toph cried gleefully, slamming her palm down on the table as another sip of fire whiskey set her throat alight. "I think I passed out right after he started to get sick, but it's all coming back to me!" She turned towards Sokka, and gave him her smuggest grin. "You really can't hold your booze, can you, princess?"

"Well, now." Sokka straightened up once more in reply, and from the warmth of his breath she could tell his face was just inches from her own. Once again Toph felt her cheeks flush involuntarily, but she managed not to flinch away, still grinning as he continued. "That sounds like a challenge to me."

"You're damn right it is," Toph declared, doing her best to project her usual confidence even as another shiver ran up her spine. The sensation faded just as suddenly as it had arrived, though, the moment she turned away to face the rest of the table. In its place, Toph's competitive instincts surged to life, and she clapped her hands together eagerly. "Ladies and gentlemen, watch and learn. This'll be over before dessert comes out."

"Oh, that's adorable." Sokka let out a haughty chuckle, and there was another splash as he refilled his glass. "My drinking powers have doubled since we last met in battle, Melon Lord."

"Hmm, that's funny." Toph struck a contemplative pose, her hand on her chin. "Because last time I checked, two times zero is still zero."

Zuko and Aang both snorted with laughter at their respective ends of the table, and Toph crossed her arms in satisfaction as Sokka fumed next to her, struggling to put together a comeback.

"Well, no, actually… You fail to see that, uh…"

Moments later, he was spared by Katara, who rose to her feet and cleared out a large swath of table in front of the two competitors in a symphony of clinking glasses and plates.

"If you two are really doing this, then spirits help me, you're going to do it properly. Sweetie, do you want to help me judge?"

"Wouldn't miss it!" Aang cried excitedly, scooting his chair along the floor to join them. "So what are the rules?"

"Well we don't want them to drink themselves to death, and I don't intend to clean up any vomit tonight, so hard liquor is off the table." Katara took another step towards them, followed by an audible swish of liquid; it only took Toph a moment to realize that she had waterbent the whiskey straight out of their glasses, but by then, it was too late to protest. "Zuko, could you be a dear and go grab a few pitchers of beer from the bar?"

"I'll help him carry them!" Aang shot up to his feet, his voice full of childlike enthusiasm; had she not known from smell alone that he'd been sipping Jasmine and Oolong all night, Toph would've readily believed that he was as drunk as the rest of them. Or maybe he's really been slipping something into that teapot all this time? Questions for later.

By the time the Avatar and the Fire Lord returned minutes later with enough beer for a small army, the stage had been set, and the nature of the challenge had been decided: in order to minimize chances of disastrous vomiting, it was to be a contest of endurance, not speed – a marathon, not a sprint. As for rules, there was only one: the first to forfeit by not finishing their beer was the loser. They'd also repositioned themselves; Toph and Sokka were sitting directly opposite each other now, with Mai and Zuko off to one side and Aang and Katara on the either. Toph couldn't help but notice that her feet were still bumping up against Sokka's under the table, but she did her best to ignore that fact as Katara poured out the first two mugs, and Aang set them down in front of the contestants. Come on, come on, keep your head in the game. Winning is the only thing that matters right now, not… not whatever this is. Unless… A half-formed idea flickered to life in Toph's slightly inebriated mind, but before she had the chance fully think it through, their judge's voice dragged her back to reality.

"Ladies and gentlemen, here it is, the showdown you've all been waiting for!" Katara had taken on the tone of a fighting announcer, corny accent and all, and seemed to be having as difficult a time containing her laughter as everyone else. "In this corner of the ring we have our reigning champion, the Blind Bandit, once a hero of the Hundred Year War, now the Police Chief of Republic City, a legendary pillar of the sport who needs no further introduction!"

Their audience, which by now included Zuko's attendants and a curious few spectators from among the restaurant's other patrons, clapped enthusiastically, and Toph stood to wave in the direction of the applause, a wide, nostalgic smile plastered across her face. Spirits, I forgot how good it feels to have fans cheering for you. I should hire a few of these people to clap for me every time I solve a case.

"And in the other corner," Katara continued, "we have her challenger, a relative amateur who I've frankly never heard of before. It says here that his fighting name is… let's see… the Weak Wimp?"

"White Wolf!" Sokka cried indignantly over the chorus of rowdy laughter and cheers that followed. "It's the White Wolf, come on! This is biased commentary! Ah, whatever." With a dramatic sigh, Sokka turned his attention back to his opponent, reaching across the table to pat Toph on the arm.

"Don't take it too hard when I destroy you, okay? It's nothing personal."

"You're so cute when you're wrong." A surge of drunken confidence swelling up inside her with the support of the crowd, Toph laid a comforting hand on Sokka's arm in return, then shifted her leg beneath the table to hook one of her ankles around his own. "Hold in those tears – I'll try my best to be gentle."

A shudder raced up Sokka's leg in response, and once again, Toph could feel his heartbeat begin to quicken. No one else could see what she'd done, but Toph found herself wishing desperately that she could watch Sokka's expression as Katara began the countdown. Just as before, though, he kept his leg rooted exactly where it was, his calf pressed up against her own. Interesting. Very interesting. But there was no time left to ponder his thought process, as Katara's announcer voice quickly reminded her.

"…three… two… one… and, start! Let the battle begin!"

Hope you all enjoyed! As an author, it was a really cool challenge writing from Toph's perspective, because I had to try my best not to describe things purely visually whenever possible. I'm most likely going to stick with her POV through the rest of the story for narrative reasons, but I might try and throw in some Sokka scenes if I can. As for Part II, I'm most likely going to jump back over to update my two My Hero Academia stories before I can get to it (shameless plug), so it may be a while until it drops, but I've already got a bit of it written, so hopefully not too long.

If you like the story so far or even if you don't, don't forget to leave a review letting me know what you think, it means a lot!