Comfy

A/N: Avatar the Last Airbender is wholly owned by Nick.

How far will one person go to regain what they hold dearest?

(This was meant to be a one-shot but it's evolved.)

Chapter 12

Flirting

"You do. You really do truly care for him, don't you Toph?" Katara exclaimed as if experiencing an epiphany.

"Duh, that's what I've been saying all this time Sweetness. Were you doing that, 'waiting to answer rather than listen,' thing again Sugar Queen? Aang married me because he finally figured out he couldn't exist without me. Sorry, Katara, but you came in second, Why don't you get real with yourself and especially Teo. He's a nice guy, but you're still going to have to show your true Fussy Britches face at some point," Toph explained with a smirk. "You keep trying to be what people think of you. Why not just be you?"

"What if they don't like me, Toph? What if people find out that I'm not… you know, well, not that nice," Katara sighed chewing her lip.

"Let me tell you a secret Sugar Queen. Some people, already know that and pretend they don't. Other folks, dumb and stupid people I'm talking about, believe that your shit doesn't stink, you piss holy water, and the meanest thing you've ever said was monkey feathers. While the rest of us know the truth about you and still love you, so, Sugar Queen you just need to get your act together and follow your heart as I did," Toph told her with a big smile.

'You know Toph, I'm still mad at you for stealing Aang away from me, but no sense crying over spilled koala-goat milk. I think that maybe I'll try it your way.

The earthbender smiled. 'That's my Sweetness!"

"Your Sweetness, Toph? I guess that's okay because I just get myself confused and to tell you the truth; I haven't been happy for a very long time. It feels like I'm not even myself anymore! That woman... eh, the person, I see in the mirror, I can barely recognize her Toph. I don't like her anymore either. Just not happy with myself," Katara confessed placing a hand on the new Brides shoulder.

"Well, I hope you find yourself Katara, and do it quickly, because you never can tell when that 'Mister Right,' is going to come along. If you don't have your shit together, then he just might pass your crazy ass bye," Toph said with a cheesy grin. "And it would be your own damn fault. You've got to know when to let go, Sugar Queen."

Katara sighed deeply. I know I was just a special guest at my pity party. If I'm honest Aang and I was drifting apart even before those acolyte nymphos got involved. Even though we didn't fight a lot, we didn't talk a lot either.

So what are you going to tell Teo, Sweetness? I mean, for what you've told me, he's gone ahead and asked your father to marry you, thinking you guys were in love. I think most people felt the same until you told us differently. Do you have the guts to break his heart, Sugar Queen? Toph asked in a serious tone.

Katara 's eyes shift it up. "I'll have to find that courage Toph. It won't be easy, and I do like Teo, but just as a friend. I can see any long-term relationship would just be a disaster waiting to happen for the both of us. I can't be his healer and his lover, all at the same time. I think when I tell him, he won't want me being either. Zuko mentioned that they have some pretty impressive medical advances in the Fire Nation dealing with back trauma. A lot of Fire Nation soldiers were hurt fighting you earthbenders with those big heavy rocks."

"That makes sense," Toph replied nodding. "Just like the Earth Kingdom employing so many Water Tribe Healers to treat all the burns that the Fire Nation inflicted on so many."

"I heard especially in Omashu. They're supposed to be paying you a pretty good wage and throwing in housing. I've been giving it a lot of thought," Katara espoused with a thoughtful tap of her chin. "I also got offered a job working at the South Pole teaching young Healers. You know it might be nice since my father is the chief."

Aang chuckled along with both Toph and Katara. "I thought Wang Fire also offered you a job," he added. "You are his number one wife."

Katara smiled as her auburn cheeks tinted red. "How did you know about that Aang?"

"Sokka told me himself. He told me he was really worried about you, and that your reputation was being questioned in that area you lived. He heard some bad stuff and how they said you were a loose woman. I think your brother is just trying to look out for you like he always does," Aang filled her in.

Katara dropped her head. "I've caused my big brother more than a little bit of trouble. You see, Teo isn't the only guy I've been keeping company with. When I left you Aang, I started drinking a lot more. I thought I could forget about you and everything that happened on Avatar Island if I just kept my mind a blur. It worked for a little while where I would go to the neighboring towns and get smashed and sometimes laid, but when my healing business began to grow, well, some of my, ah, acquaintances, showed up at my clinic for various reasons. I had a few rather embarrassing run-ins. You know, a few, well not so few married guys began to come, with their very pregnant wives. It's terrible getting hit on when a guy's wife is in heavy labor. I felt lower than dirt, no offense Toph. I had to cool off some of them when they decided to get more aggressive. A cold blast right to the nads!" she told them.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Aang retorted.

"It's my own damn fault. Nobody forced me. But, I've even been tempted to drink on the job, but fortunately, I haven't yet,' Katara confessed with a tight grin.

"Yeah, you shouldn't Katara, because you're rather a mean and violent drunk," Toph advised.

"And extremely promiscuous," the waterbender added herself. "There were times I woke up with people, and I didn't know where I was, or who they were. Including some not so attractive. How we got there is anybody's guess, but I could tell that we had done more than just talk. I stopped knowing that person in the mirror in front of me, and now I kinda think that maybe I should get to know her again," Katara sighed with a weak smile.

"That's probably a good idea Katara," Aang agreed, returning the expression. The Avatar was shocked and dismayed to hear such a blunt confession coming from his ex-fiance. He also felt quite guilty about how he contributed to her downfall. "I think you could get work here in Republic City with the Healer's Guild, your reputation, I mean the good one would be more than enough to make you a member. They are always looking for top quality healers. Well, that's if you wanted to hang around," he threw out as a suggestion.

The waterbender crossed her arms looking from Toph across to Aang. "Are we three going to hook up? I'll make it worth both your whiles."

"No," both Aang and Toph answered simultaneously.

"Then you have my answer as well," Katara announced with a wink. "I can't go back with Teo either. I've made a mess of that for sure. If Sokka heard about my issues, from just visiting, then my reputation is toast, and I mean burnt toast, not the light, crunchy kind," she sighed. "Maybe that's why Teo wanted to marry me so fast. He probably wanted to fix this fallen woman," she said reflectively.

"I think he loves you Katara, even if you didn't… you know, did what you did," the new bride expressed. "I don't think he would ask your dad and Snoozles if he wasn't concerned."

Katara nodded in agreement. "I figured that too. But I don't love me, and how can I love someone else, if I don't love and respect myself, Toph? It's not your fault either Aang. If that's what you're thinking, then stop. I lost sight of myself trying to please everyone else. I should have told you to send all those flying floozies away, but then again, I wanted to be nice, and have everyone like me. Truth is, I hated every one of them, but in the end, I hated myself more. That's why I'm so La-damn jealous of you Toph! You held true to yourself instead of trying to fit into someone else's plan or mold, as I did."

"I think my girl is still in there," Toph stated as she patted the waterbender in the middle of her chest. "I like the steamy you the best Sweetness. You really don't do the drunken slut thing too good. Maybe you should go home to the South for a while. Get your head on straight and start over. All that ice should cool you off, maybe even meet some nice Water Tribe guy and kick out a dozen kids."

"Dozen kids? Is that what you and Aang plan to do Toph?" Katara shot back. "I'm not trying to rebuild anybody's nation anymore, not even my own! Two, perhaps three, tops is all I want. What about you, Toph? Do you plan to be 'kicking out,' a dozen sceaming, flying brats?"

The earthbender's eyes widened. "Oh earth no! This girl's poonany isn't going to be a baby-making tunnel! We discussed that we'd maybe have two or three kids too, eventually, after a couple of years. I still have the police force to whip into shape and Twinkle… I mean, Aang has a lot more of those Avatar duties he has to sort out. I'm not raising our children by myself," Toph insisted.

"I'll never leave you alone Toph, They will be our kids, together," he promised. "I really didn't have a dad, but I'll be damned if my kids don't!"

Katara lightly applauded his short speech. "I wish you would have said that to me Aang. Maybe fate was doing me a kindness through all of this. Just think about how screwed up our kids would have probably been," she chuckled sadly. "Well, I should go in and get this over with."

"Do you plan on talking to him now? Why not wait until after the reception?" Toph suggested. "You guys can talk alone then."

Katara shook her head. "No, if I wait till then, I'll probably lose my nerve. Right now I'm still drunk enough to have the courage, and I'm sober enough to know what to say. If I don't do it now, well, I might get more practice at being a drunk slut. You know I'm a perfectionist," she added sardonically.

"Since you won't be going back, where will you be staying Katara?" Aang asked with concern.

"I can always crash at my big brother's place. Have you seen it? It's huge, and he lives there by himself. I'm sure he wouldn't mind some company and a real home cooked Southern Water Tribe meal."

Toph delivered Aang a shot in the ribs at the waterbender's comment. "Ah, seriously, I would talk to him first Sugar Queen. He is a grown man," she explained. "He's not always alone... even here."

"Huh. I know that Toph. I wasn't just going to show up and throw myself into his arms… and ask that he just hold me, and make everything better, like he used to," Katara softly choked out.

"Liar, that's exactly, what you were planning on doing, Sweetness," Toph countered kindly. "And I think that's a great plan! If some slutty floozy is in there, just kick her out! You're his little sister, and you should come first before any crazed sex trollop! He only has one," she pointed out.

"You're right Toph! He only has one sister, and that's me! He said if I needed him, he'd be there for me. Unlike Aang, he's never lied to me, ever," Katara declared with a fist pump heading rapidly for the reception hall. She suddenly stopped and spun back towards them. "Is that no about hooking up like a no, no or a no, maybe later?" she asked.

"It's like a no, never gonna happen, no, Sugar Queen," Toph confirmed also throwing in an obscene finger gesture.

Katara smiled. "Okay, then I'll take that as a maybe," she replied as she headed at full speed for the party and her brother.

"That was an Earth-damn, no fucking way, Sweetness!" Toph yelled after her. "That woman just doesn't listen Aang."

"Your loss," the waterbender replied waving back over her shoulder. "That goes for you too Aang. Like Toph said, I'm as freaky as they get! I can make any part of me to glow and hum, as long as it's wet. And trust me, darling, I get extremely wet!" Katara replied in a low sexy voice.

The reality of what Katara said made Aang's jaw drop open.

Toph elbowed her groom in the side. "Don't even think about it, flyboy. I don't care if she could play the Tsungi horn with her twat, my answer is no! Got that?" she reiterated with a stern look.

Aang rubbed his sore side. "Yeah, yeah, I got it," he replied watching the saucy waterbender swing her hips all the way to the entrance of the reception hall.

"Then why are you drooling and staring at her ass, Aang?" Toph asked in a threatening voice.

"Uh, sorry, Toph. Hey, how did you know I was…"

"Because, you moron, you just told me!" she yelled, delivering another well-placed elbow, making him wince.

"Ow, honey, that really hurts. One day you're gonna end up breaking a rib or something," Aang pouted, continuing to massage the injured place.

"Well, I could have kicked you in the nuts. Which would you prefer, husband, just for future reference."

Aang chuckled nervously. "What's a little nudge or two in the side when you're in love, honey, sweetie pie."

Toph turned and planted a sopping wet kiss square on his mouth. He could taste the lingering alcohol as well as the slightly pungent remains of the throw-up. He thought for a second to break the kiss, but then what she was doing with her tongue made his toes curl. He also noted that she was also humming!"

When they broke for breath, Toph smiled. "See, husband, you don't need any fancy glowing light show. I'll give you a hummer you'll never forget, right now!"

Aang's heart started to beat wildly.

"TOPH! There you two are!" Poppy yelled as Aang's heart sank. "You're pretty little Water Tribe friend told me I could find you guys out here talking. But you know Pumpkin, it's not polite to ignore your guest, no matter how handsome, virile, strong, tall, powerful…"

Toph rolled her sightless eyes, "Okay mom! Don't forget he's your new son-in-law and you're already married and way, way, way older!" she shouted with a stomp of her foot.

"Poppy batted her long lashes Aang's way. Forgive her, Avatar Aang. She is given to exaggeration. Toph, you know I had you at a very young age. There is barely a gap between your generation and mine. In fact, most people think I'm her older sister, " she bragged taking Aang by the arm. "My, don't you have some impressive big, hard muscles," Poppy seethed, feeling Aang's bicep. "Are all your… muscles, this big and hard, Avatar?" she asked in a low, husky voice.

"I… I… I… don't… uh," he stuttered, feeling her ample bosom on the back of his arm.

Toph quickly took his other hand and pulled her new husband away, pulling him towards the grand ballroom. "C'mon Aang, it would be rude to ignore our guest, just like mother said. Besides, I think our dear, old, mother needs a moment or two to come back to reality. It so hard watching an extremely aged, haggard, sagging, housewife, forget herself, don't you agree Aang/" she added with a curt laugh. "They do go senile so quickly these days. perhaps the stress of all those bygone years."

"I am not sagging!" Poppy yelled after them.