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

Truth is not always easy to face, and reality isn't always what we perceive.

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

Chapter 15

Brother's Love

"Why Toph? How could you betray me like this?" Katara asked of the new bride. They were once more in the side room they had stolen the moonshine in, but this time they were sipping their own drinks. "You knew about this! You knew he was… uh, screwing around with Princess Psycho, and you do nothing to stop it? I thought you loved Sokka! I thought you loved him at least almost as much as I do!"

Toph walked over to a chair and sat down. "Mind if I sit for a while. It's been a long day, and there is only so much crazy I can take in a day, Sugar Queen."

Katara's face warped into a deep scowl. "Crazy? Are you saying that I'm the crazy one here, Toph?"

"Hey, is there anyone else in this room but you and me," the earthbender asked with a quirky smirk. "Don't tell me you see ghosts, or do you have some imaginary friend now, Sugar?"

"The only imaginary friend I have is obviously you, Beifong!" Katara countered with a sneer. "I guess, I just imagined you were my real friend! Why'd you let him do this? Why didn't you stop him? I mean, Toph, those three tried to kill us all! Don't you remember that?"

"Of course I remember. I still think we could have taken them. Sugar, what makes you think I could ever stop that dimwit from doing anything?"

"Because he listens to you Toph, even when he won't listen to anyone else! If you had told him this was a bad idea, he would have stopped, and you know it!

"But I did warn him to be careful. I was worried about him! Suki, that bitch, she broke his heart... and you were gone doing whatever the spirit-damn thing you were doing! Toph screamed back. So don't put this shit on me! I was there for him, okay? I listened to him crying and calling that painted Kyoshi's wannabee's name over and over. I helped him home when he had too many, and I didn't complain if he grabbed my tit or my ass occasionally. And if you were this awesome loving sister, why didn't you come back when you knew! You knew he had to be heartbroken!"

"You sound pretty angry, Toph."

"Damn straight I'm angry! I'm mad at you, and I'm mad at the skinny, flat-chested whore who played with his heart like some frickin toy! Did you know, her and Zuko were having an affair for almost half a year before he found out! They were fucking for six months, Katara! Zuko wanted to tell him right away, but no, that sneaky slutty slut told him she would do it. Well, she never found the balls, and Zuko went ahead and told him."

"So she was doing both of them," Katara asked in shock.

The earthbender shook her head. "No, Suki was in the Fire Nation and Sokka here in Republic City. I think she avoided seeing him whenever he came to see Zuko and had a bunch of excuses why she couldn't come to see him."

"He had to know something was up, Sokka may be dumb but he's no idiot," Katara stated as she sipped her whiskey.

"He did suspect something was going on, but he never thought it would be with Zuko. The two of them didn't talk for a long time after he found out."

Katara slowly shook her head. "I can see why. Is Mai like a revenge thing? Is Sokka trying to get back at him? Toph, I thought Zuko and Mai were still a couple back then."

Toph shook her head. "Those two kept up appearances for a while, but they both figured out that they weren't right for each other, and that was way before he started dipping his royal scepter into that two-faced whore's hole," she explained, taking a sip of her ginger milk tea. "Mai and Sokka got together at an anti-terrorist meeting. She was sent to represent the Fire Nation. After a couple of days of boring meetings, they started hanging out. She laughed at his jokes, and he said he loved her… what was it, oh yeah, dark, sexy, mystique."

The waterbender rolled her cerulean eyes. "Oh yeah I bet. I can't see Mai laughing at anyone's jokes, and Sokka's are the worst!"

Toph chuckled. "I admit Captain Boomerang maybe comedy challenged at times, but she gets the biggest laughs from him. Mai talks about your brother as if he's the spirits' gift to women. When they started getting serious, she left the Fire Nation and moved to Republic City like that week."

"Was she really that needy Toph?"

"Like you're one to talk, Miss Fussy Britches. Remember how you were always traipsing behind Aang, like some lost raccoon-panda cub. I was wondering when you were going to get your own life."

"I guess Aang was my life. I couldn't see past him, or a future without him," Katara conceded. "I was pretty pitiful."

"What do you mean was? Unlike you, Mai got a place of her own and a job. The three of them would…"

"Whoa, the three of them," Katara cut in.

"Yeah, at that time Ty Lee was so pissed off by what Suki did to Sokka that she left that little girl gang and came to be by his side. I heard they were like pals and sometime bunkmates. Mai knew about them before she started dating him, well, them."

"I never thought that a morbid girl like her with being friends, let alone partners with two goofy people like them. Now Sokka and Ty Lee make total sense," Katara determined. "So how did the lightning bitch get involved in this threesome?"

Toph took another sip from her cup. "When Azula was working with Jun..."

"Don't mean to cut you off, but Jun told me about how they met," the waterbender mentioned.

"Okay, but did she tell you that they met up probably a month after Suki dumped him? If anybody is the rebound girl, its Azula. They evidently were all about the sex at first. They had like these marathon sessions as to determine who could last the longest or who could cause the other to climax…"

"TMI, TMI, Toph! I don't want to hear all that! It's going to give me nightmares!"

"Oh grow up Sweetness. It started out about the sex, but Sokka being Sokka, just didn't leave it there. He asked her all kinds of questions about her life. He brought her gifts and took her on serious dates. That's also when he learned about how she was raised. I really shouldn't tell you Katara."

"Why not?"

"Because… it's bad, it's terrible, the most awful things I ever heard" Toph sighed in a choked voice. "It's no wonder she was such a… monster."

Katara's curiosity became piqued. "Can't you give me a hint?"

Toph thought for a moment. "Well, this is just an example, but it's a minor detail. When Azula was about five or six, she was recognized as this firebending prodigy. She was expected to train every day, like some machine. One day she did what most kids do, she went to play. When she got back, her father, Ozai, stripped her naked and beat her with his riding crop until she couldn't move. Azula had a pet dragon-cat she was very fond of at the time. Ozai had it prepared for her breakfast the next morning, and forced her to eat it while staring at its severed head."

Katara shuddered. "Oh Toph, that's horrible!"

The earthbender nodded, wiping away her tears. "And that's the light stuff. Ozai was a monster, and he was going to make sure she was one too."

"Sokka knows about all this?"

Toph nodded, "And probably more. Azi said she told him everything because she thought he would run away. She told me that she fell in love with him when he sat and cried with her. He was the first person to tell her she wasn't a monster, but a hurt child. Now, he tells her every day how wonderful she is and how much he loves her. Even when they argue, and boy they have some doozies, he never calls her a name or raises a hand. She didn't afford him the same in the beginning. Your brother got more than his share of bruises and burns," she elaborated.

The idea of Sokka being Azula's punching bag didn't sit well with his sister.

"If she was hurting him, why did he stay with her?"

Toph raised her shoulders. "He said because she's worth it. And I guess he was right. She so devoted to him it's unbelievable, especially coming from the Azula we once knew."

"Is Sokka why you chose the three of them as bridesmaids too, Toph?"

"Uh, no. Those three girls are my friends. There is nothing we won't do for each other. Once Azi saved my life from this crazy guy who was making people explode like bombs from the inside out. I thought I was a goner and then zap… he was ash."

Katara's brow furled. "How did Azula know about that guy?"

"I told Sokka, who told Mai, who told Azi. Azula then when to Sokka and got the details and came to my rescue. Aang thanked her like a million times. They not only help me, but they have helped to train my officers and supported Aang on some of his adventures."

"Aang too?"

"What can I say Sugar Queen, they're awesome now that they're on our side."

"Toph, if you're still so pissed at Suki, why is she here?"

"Even though she's lower than mud to me Sweetness, she's still family. We don't leave family out," the young bride said matter-of-factly. "Don't forget, I'm mad at you too."

The serious look in Toph's misty eyes relayed her emotions. "I can see why you're mad at Suki, but why me? You know the hell Aang put me through. It broke me Toph!"

"Then why didn't you come to me!" Toph yelled throwing her cup across the room as it shattered against the far wall. "I love you Katara, and when you up and leave without a word! Well, that hurt! It hurt a lot! You were my closest friend, no, in fact, you were my sister! I love you more than my own flesh and blood and...and you left us! You left me, and you left Snoozles! I tried to take care of him, love him like you would."

"So why didn't you marry him?"

"Because sister, sisters don't marry their brothers in this world. I truly think of Sokka as my brother."

"But, he's not your blood brother Toph! You could have married him and then he… he would be safe," Katara whimpered.

Toph ran a hand over her closed eyes. "We went on one, what you would call, a real date. Snoozles tried to be all gentlemanly and ended up making a fool of himself, and that was the good part. He talked about you and the good old days, like we were all ancient or something. He tried to avoid the whole Suki issue but after a couple of drinks… well, it was a catastrophe. We ended up getting a hotel room, and he passed out after puking a bunch. I spent the rest of the time listening to him calling your name, Katara. He was crying like a baby," Toph expressed tearfully. "I never want him to feel like that again, Sweetness! I know you hurt him a lot more than even Suki. Whatever you may think I am to him, he loves you more than anybody else; that I can guarantee you!"

"I'm sorry," the waterbender whispered.

"What was that?"

Katara exhaled. "I said I was sorry, okay Toph," she shouted

"You are sorry. A sorry sister and a sorry friend," Toph jibed. "But Sweetness, I still love you and people may question my…"

"Sanity?"

"I was going to say choices,"

"Oh, that makes sense," the waterbender agreed,

"Listen, Sugar Queen, by the time I found out about all the stuff Sokka was involved in, I thought about telling him to stop, but he seemed happy doing what he was doing. It seemed far better than him moping around here and crying all the time. I did tell him he needed to be careful when it came to Azula, but he would say, 'what's the fun in being careful.' I figured they got along so well because she's sadistic and he's more than a little masochistic, thanks to you Sweetness. A perfect match made in the Underworld.'

"That's not funny Toph."

The blind woman crossed her legs and sighed. "Do you hear me laughing, Sugar Queen? I didn't see it as a joke then, and I absolutely don't now. I remember everything you told me, Sweetness, everything. All about how your mom gets taken from you when you were only eight, and then how you're dad emotionally checked out too."

"So?"

"So, he not only left you, but he left Sokka too. So what does your big brother do, well, we play dad, or tries to? And then you two only have each other…"

"Uh, Gran-Gran was there for us, Toph. She made sure…"

"Made sure of what Katara," Toph asked. "From what you told me, she was at a loss when it came to you two. You guys lived on your own, and she would check in on you, am I right? She probably thought it was only a matter of time before you two figured out what those parts between your legs were for and put them together."

"Gran-Gran would never think that!"

"Oh, you don't think so Sugar Queen? Then why did she leave adolescent kids, a boy and a girl too, live alone? I mean, she could have shared her hut, cottage or whatever you called it with the two of you. Katara, you told me yourself that she had you cleaning, washing, cooking and all that other wifey stuff."

"I was expected to do that for him!"

"Why? Why were you expected to do all that when your grandmother was right there? Did she help you take care of him?"

The waterbender thought back. "I… huh, can remember her telling me what to do and showing me stuff. She told me that I should make his favorite meal for him, especially after a day of hunting and fishing."

"So, she didn't help you cook or mend his nasty socks?"

"No, but she was very busy taking care of the other women, and you know, she was the only midwife in the village."

"In a village of no men, how many babies were there Sweetness?"

Katara started to squirm. "Well, before the guys left to fight in the war, they, well, made sure that, okay, most of the women were pregnant. That means they also all gave birth around the same time, so we had a pack of really young kids."

"How many others were you and Sokka's age?"

"You know we were the only ones, Toph. I told you there were a bunch of older women, some married, some widowed, but much older than us. And then the rest were those little kids."

"Katara, did you ever consider waiting for one of those little kids to grow up to become your husband?"

"No, I would be too old by then. Why all the questions Toph?"

"Be patient Katara; I have one more."

"Okay, but just one more. Honestly, I feel very confused,"

"Last one Sugar Queen. Did you and Sokka always sleep in the same bed or did you have separate…"

"I… I don't like this Toph! I don't like what you're suggesting!"

"And what am I suggesting Katara?"

The waterbender swallowed hard. "You're suggesting that my brother and I was… was having relations, aren't you?"

"Were you two having relations Katara," Toph asked somberly. "I mean, two healthy kids, with only each other…"

"NO! No, we… we loved each other. Tui and La, Gran-Gran said they're brother and sister and husband and wife. She said it was okay to share our mat and to keep each other warm. It was my duty to… to, share my warmth with my… brother," Katara stated as she began to weep.

"If it was okay Sweetness, why are you crying?"

"He never… entered me. We touched and kissed, but Sokka would never make me his wife. He said that he loved me and would never use me unless we had dad's blessing. I wanted him so badly. I steamed for him Toph."

"By steam, I gather he made you horny, Sweetness?"

Katara closed her eyes, drifting back to that time in her mind. "Yeah. I would watch him bathe, and I couldn't wait until he got into bed. He smelled so good, like the lye soap, all clean and fresh. There we would cuddle up, and I could feel his touch. For such calloused hands, he had such a gentle way. He made sure my stirrings were stilled before he slept."

"What about, his… uh, stirrings Sweetness? Who took care of those? Was it mutual, or did he force..."

"He would never do such a thing!" Katara snapped. "Once, he thought he hurt me. He was just excited. He didn't come to our bed that night; he felt so bad. He slept on the ground, shivering, so I joined him. I told him it was okay, to… kiss me, in those places, like that… and…"

The waterbender felt her younger friend hugging her as she opened her eyes. She began to tremble as her words faded into loud, staccato sobs.

"I know you love your brother Katara, but you're not Tui and La. You're not two lonely kids, stuck in the middle of nowhere having to rely on each other for comfort. It wasn't right that your dad would leave you or that your grandmother would tell you that you should be your brother's wife. I know her intentions were good, but the results, not so much," Toph whispered to her crying friend. "You saw a lot of Sokka in Aang, and that's what attracted you, wasn't it? Ah, girl, you're such a mess. Now that Aang is no longer available, you're trying to recreate that past, but Sugar, that was a bad past."

"Then, what, am, I, going to do?" Katara stammered through her sobs.

"Don't make him choose between you and his wives, Katara. He loves all three of them, and it's changed all of them for the better, including me. He told me if I loved Aang, don't let what happened with you stop me. Truthfully, I was afraid until Sokka told me to set that dude straight, and if he loved me back, then he would listen. That's good advice."

"Yeah, sounds like Sokka."

"So let me give you some advice Sweetness in return. Be his sister, and don't try to be his wife or mother. There's somebody who is going to love and cherish you out there. But if you're holding on to the past, you're going to miss them. Katara, you're going to have to change. People change all the time."

"I don't know Toph," she sniffled.

"Just look at yourself. You said you have your own business and people relied on you."

"But I'm a terrible person. I want to sleep with my brother and… and have his babies!"

"Yeah, that's pretty sick, I must admit Sugar Queen, even for you," Toph quipped. "I think you just have a lot of regrets and want him to comfort you. You have to see that Sokka sees you as his little sister and not like… well, Azula, Mai, or Ty Lee, and that's a good thing.

"But I'm all alone!" she wept, hugging the earthbender tightly.

"You don't have to be Sweetness. We're all here for you, including Aang. You just have to give it time, and I bet, Mr. Right isn't that far away."

"You really think so Toph?"

"Definitely Sweetness. You know, I wouldn't want to have to rely on the current you if I was stuck in that desert again. The old Katara didn't give up, and she was always moving forward. Somewhere along the line here, sister, you stopped moving. I think it's time you start moving again."

"Will you help me, Toph?"

Toph smiled as she looped her arm through the waterbender's. "Of course, what is a sister for!"