A/N: Avatar Nick wholly owns the Last Airbender.

Having your cake and eating it too, may result in unforeseen consequences.

(This was meant to be a one-shot, but it's evolved. One more chapter!)

Chapter 19

Surprises and Consequences

"So, how do you like married life?"

Toph leans back on the examination table as she thinks about the question's true intent. "The sex is good, better than I expected."

The blue-eyed healer frowns slightly. "I didn't ask you about your sex life, or how good it is or isn't Toph."

"But isn't that what you really wanted to ask, Sugar Queen?"

"Uh, ah, no - uh maybe. Damn your mind-reading tricks Toph."

The police chief smiles at the flustered woman with a hint of mischief. "It's not a trick Katara. People normally change when their lying, except for Azula. She's remarkably steady, that is unless she's around Sokka. He just has a way of getting to her that nobody else does."

"No joke. I was over at their house, and she was acting all high and princessy until my goofy brother walked in the door. I've never seen someone go from an adult to a blushing little school girl so fast. She started pampering the doofus like he was some king or something."

"Jealous?"

"Hells no I'm not jealous of those three floozies. Just because Mai and Ty are knocked up, doesn't make me jealous in the least."

Toph turns her face away. "So, Azi – she still can't…"

Katara sighs deeply. "No, there's just too much damage to her ovaries from all those battles. She looks young on the outside, but inside, well, she's technically sterile. I suggested going to the North Pole, you know the Spirit Oasis, but she doesn't think Tui and La would appreciate that."

Toph's brow furrows. "Why not, I think it's worth a try."

Katara leans closer to Toph. "Don't tell anyone, especially Sokka, but Yue came to see her. Warned her not to even go near the pool or the North Pole. She also told her how much she hated her because she was with her beloved. Somehow everything will be fixed once Sokka passes over."

"Wow, that was harsh. I thought spirits were supposed to be these benevolent beings, you know, forgive and forget." Toph shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head.

Katara nods her understanding. "I guess even though Yue is a spirit, she's still a girl at heart."

Toph drifts in thought, cleaning the inside of an ear with her pinky. "I guess."

Katara looks with wonder at the oblivious woman. "So, Mrs. Avatar, what brings you in to see me?"

Toph shifts her mental focus. "Uh, you know, well, I've been getting a bit, sick, whenever I get around certain foods. It's not every time, just once in a while, like at breakfast."

Katara stares at the earthbender with a lifted brow. "So, certain foods, in the morning, makes you feel how?"

Toph feels the intense gaze, and it makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "Well, it feels like I want to throw up or something."

The healer nods to herself. "Toph, you said this only happens in the morning? How long have you felt like this?"

The earthbender pinches her chin in thought. "Eh, I think it's been about, well, three weeks or so."

"Any headaches, Toph?"

"No."

"How about your tummy? Does anything hurt after you eat or before?"

The earthbender shakes her head with a long exhale.

Katara places a hand to Toph's forehead. "Well, you don't have a fever either. When was your last period?"

Toph's mouth twists at the personal question as her cheeks flush slightly. "I missed last months. It usually comes like clockwork. I can almost tell you the day it's going to begin, normally."

The healer moves to the side of the table. "I'm going to check your stomach Toph, so just relax. I have to lift your blouse to do this. There's no funny business." Katara bends water from a nearby basin and warms it as it begins to glow around her right hand. With her left, she raises the bottom of the earthbender's shirt. Toph jumps slightly as the water makes contact with her skin. "Relax."

"I'm trying to, Sweetness."

A few minutes pass and Toph fidgets each time she hears Katara mummers or sighs.

The waterbender removes her wet hand and then uses a towel to dry off the earthbender's abdomen. She then goes over to a desk and writes down a few notes with her quill pen.

"Don't leave me hanging here, Sugar Queen. How serious is this?" Toph screams as the tension of not knowing overwhelms her.

"Oh, this is quite serious Toph. How long have you and Aang been married? It's only been what, eight or so months?"

"Yeah, about that, I guess. Don't tell me I'm going to die?" The panic in Toph's face is a pleasant surprise for the waterbender. It's not often the stalwart police chief is shaken.

Katara snickers. "No, you're not going to die. This is something that happens to a lot of newly married couples."

"Is going to pass then?"

"Oh, it'll pass, in about seven or eight months, Toph."

A puzzled look crosses Toph's face. "Seven or eight months? Why that long, Sweetness. Can't you use some of your, healing mumbo-jumbo and fix me up? I have a lot of work to do. Most of those idiots on the force won't know their, assholes from a hole in the ground, without me."

"Sit up Toph." Katara helps the petite woman turn her legs to the side of the table. She takes a seat next to her, placing an arm about her shoulders. "Listen, Hun. You're going to have to let them find their own assholes, for a while at least."

Toph's misty eyes widen. "I am dying!"

Katara hugs her tighter. "You're not dying Toph. You're just a bit, uh, pregnant is all."

"PREGNANT – I can't be pregnant, Katara."

"I think you can Toph. You said yourself that you've been having sex, regularly I assume? Even more than me."

The earthbender nods. "Three, maybe four times a day when he's home - sometimes more."

Katara breaks out into a coughing fit as she stands to clear her throat. "Three or four times a day? When do you have time, Toph? I thought you were working like all these crazy hours training your people," the healer barks, still trying to clear her throat from the initial shock.

Toph takes in a deep breath. "Let's see. There, of course, is morning sex. He's hard as a rock first thing unless we went at it hard the night before. And then there is breakfast sex. Sometimes before, sometimes during, but mostly after. If we have honey, definitely during."

Katara stands, her mouth agape as Toph explains her sex life in greater detail.

"I have to get to work, and he takes me on his glider. I like it better than going on Appa, and it's faster than a carriage or walking. We sometimes do it again."

The healer's ocean-blue eyes double in size. "In, in the air, up there? How?"

The corner of Toph's mouth lifts. "It's a little tricky, but that's why I wear skirts a lot. I just carry my gutchies and shorts in my bag until I get to work and clean myself up. Lately, though, I just have a change of clothes at the office."

Katara's breathing becomes shallow. "Marry me, Toph."

"I already told you like a thousand times Sugar Queen. I'm not going to marry you or anyone else. I don't share."

"Selfish." The waterbender crosses her arms over her chest as she scowls.

Toph's wide Cheshire Cat grin spreads across her beaming face. "Why are you asking me again to marry you, Sweetness. I thought that nonsense ended months ago. Aren't you seeing The Duke now? He's tall with muscles to spare. He's younger and head-over hills crazy about you. I thought he was doing it for you."

Katara plops down next to the earthbender once more. "He's handsome enough, and he's, uh thick, in all the right places. But we maybe make love, two or three times, a week. He's so busy protecting the president and is working all these weird hours. There are times on the weekend that we can bump it out, three times in a day, but we haven't done that in a while."

Toph delivers a sympathetic look Katara's way. "Oh, I didn't know we were counting times per day. I guess that changes the total, doesn't it?"

Katara's right eye begins to twitch violently. "You, you guys, climax, more than once at a time?"

"Doesn't everybody, Sweetness? Aang can fill me up twice normally before we take a break."

Katara starts to grumble. "That includes, foreplay, right Toph? Tell me that includes foreplay."

Toph once more becomes reflective. "If you mean, what we do before he puts it in, Sweetness, then no. I'm talking about when he's doing me. It feels like he can go on forever sometimes, making a river of that gooey stuff inside of me. It drives me crazy too."

"I hate you, Toph."

This time the earthbender places her arm about her sullen friend. "I know. But I still love you, Sweetness."

"Then why won't you marry me? It's obvious that Aang can easily handle the both of us, and besides, I'll teach you about the softer side of life."

"I'll pass."

"Come on Toph, what if he wears out your little coochie? You know, we women just aren't designed to take that type of pounding indefinitely. Everything will start to loosen up, and you'll start to be, ah, less, well, sensitive down there."

Katara's warning leaves the earthbender unphased. "I'll take my chances. I figure he's like this because we're newlyweds."

"Seriously Toph, this may be normal for the Avatar, but not for everyone else. Okay, perhaps Sokka, but he's not even close to normal. That's why he has three wives, two of them pregnant, now. At least he's distributed the workload."

Toph pats her shoulder. "Then there's still hope for you Katara. If I start to loosen up, you'll be the first to know."

"Don't tease a desperate woman Toph. I'll do you, right here, right now, girl."

"Oh my, Katara, you would do that to a pregnant woman?"

Katara gazes into the blind woman's eyes. "Like digging into a bowl of sea prunes. I won't leave you unsatisfied, Toph. I promise."

A greenish tint appears on the earthbender's face as she projectile vomits on the floor.

Katara shuffles back from the heaving woman. "What's wrong Toph? It's mid-afternoon. Is it still morning sickness?"

Toph shakes her head as her stomach releases another round of 'guess that meal'. "You said- (wretch) sea – ugh- prunes."

The commotion dies down, and Katara is able to bend away, with the help of more water, the remains. "I guess that spoiled the mood, a little. Heh, Toph?"

"Hate to disappoint you, but there was never a mood to spoil, unlike my lunch, Sugar Queen. Aang is all I need."

"But will you always be what he needs, Toph?"

"What do you mean, Katara?"

"You're pregnant Toph, but I haven't told you the good news yet."

"What good news is there?"

"You're going to have triplets!"

Toph's face blanches. "Triplets – as in – a – three. Three kids, all in me?"

Katara smirks. "I guess, three times the fun, three times the consequences. Marry me, and I can help you. As a waterbender, I can make sure I won't get pregnant until we get you all settled, my dear. Just think. While you're nursing your three little bundles of joy, you won't have to worry about a horny hubby seeking pleasure elsewhere."

"How do I do that, Sweetness?"

"Do what Toph?"

"Nurse three babies. I only have two tits, after all."

Katara becomes excited and fans her hands in the air. "Oh, wow, I can help you. I know how to bring my milk in. We can take turns feeding the babies. I know we'll get a lot closer. I'll love them as if they were my own."

"Doesn't that mean you'll have to stop drinking alcohol, Sweetness."

"Hey, I haven't touched a drop of the stuff in almost six months. I only drink sweet (non-alcoholic) wine now. You see, that doesn't matter anymore, Toph."

"What about marrying you, Katara? Will that be necessary?"

The waterbender sighs but looks victorious. "I figure, if we can spend more time together, you'll naturally fall for me, Toph; just like what happened with you and Aang. You had that kiss with him on that beach; we had our little mud romp. I think we're about even. I just want to be closer to the both of you, is all. Get to understand one another."

Toph face grows serious. "Swear, by Tui and La, Sweetness, that you won't put the moves on Aang? He is a man, and I won't be able to please him, as I do now for - for a while. He'll be especially weak to your wiles since he's already had a taste of the goods, so to speak. Can I trust you, Katara?"

Katara smiles as she hugs Toph. I won't do anything with Aang, not even kiss him until all three of us are in wedded bliss, I promise you, by the laws of Tui and La. Is that good enough for you Toph?"

Toph not only hears but senses her sincerity as they hold one another.

"You know Toph, it's customary to seal an oath with a kiss, especially to Tui and La. Spirits get very fickled about this kind of stuff."

Toph could almost hear the waterbender drooling. "When you made an oath with your brother, did you kiss him back then?"

"Kiss him. We promised to be together forever. Do you want me to show you all the things we did, Toph?"

The earthbender's freakiness radar goes full blast. "No, never mind Sugar Queen, that's territory I think I would rather not know about."

"I don't mind telling you, honest Toph. We shouldn't have any secrets between us."

Toph steps back from the intensifying embrace. "I think, in this case, Sweetness, some things are better left unsaid, for my own sanity."

"So, what about that kiss? An oath really isn't valid without a smooch."

Toph rolls her big expressive eyes. "Alright, it's not like we haven't done that before, but no hands. I know you like to get real - touchy and I don't want you to…"

Katara steps in close with her hands behind her back, placing a smoldering lip-lock on the startled earthbender. Toph reciprocates out of rote, her eyes half closing from the sensation. As they separate, Toph tips forward, following Katara's retreat before coming to her senses.

"Hmm, yummy. Even though you threw up earlier, you were still quite, delicious Toph. You sure we can't do that again, just to be sure?"

Toph places a hand over her mouth. "And you're gross, Katara." She backs up into the exam table, feeling trapped. "I -I think that was surety enough, Sweetness." I'd be breaking my vows if that went on any further. That girl does know how to stir my pot.

"So, getting back to what started this all, you're carrying the Avatar's kids, a whole litter."

Toph returns a harsh glare at the waterbender's attempt at humor.

"Sorry, I was just trying to be funny, Toph."

"Remember Sweetness, I do funny, and Snoozles does funny, even Aang kind of does – a little funny, but you don't do funny."

"Okay, okay, humor just isn't my forte. But with your small frame, you'll be on bed rest about halfway through this pregnancy. So, you'll need to take a leave of absence from your job. I'm sure you have a couple of capable people."

Toph chews her bottom lip. "There's a couple. But you know how I am Katara. That job is like my baby too. I just don't want to leave one of these greenhorns in charge. It was chaos when I got back from my honeymoon, and we were gone for less than two weeks. Any longer and this city might have fallen apart."

"You can't worry about that now Toph. I thought you guys were going to wait a couple of years before having kids. Aren't you on the herbs?"

"Oh, that stuff? I didn't -uh- didn't like the after-taste, so I skipped a few days- maybe a week…"

A loud snort upended Katara's laugh. "I figured you'd do something like that. You were never one to do something you didn't like."

Toph blushes. "Good thing I like sex, or Aang would be in trouble."

Katara chortles once more. "I think he could 'handle' it. Get it, Toph, 'hand – dull' as in masturbating." The waterbender's smile drops in the awkward silence that fills the room as Toph's blank eyes reflect her image. "I get it Toph, no more jokes. Sorry."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Sweetness, a joke you have to explain isn't going to be funny, ever. It's sometimes hard to believe you're his sister. Hakoda is hilarious too. I guess it only runs down the male side of the family."

The waterbender swallows her denial, not letting it get past her lips. "Now we know how this happened, Toph, when are you going to tell him? Is he back in town?"

Toph nodded. "We already made love, four times this morning – oops, make that seven times, if you only count him finishing. I just lose track after going through all my fingers and toes. They get all curled up anyway."

Katara crosses her arms over her chest. "Now you're just bragging."

Toph delivers a toothy grin. "Maybe just a little. But I did have honey for breakfast. Honey, my Hunny, get it Katara?"

"You're right Toph, a joke that has to be explained isn't funny in the least."

Toph sits back up on the table. "Hey Katara, do you think Aang will be happy? He'll probably be shocked at first. I didn't tell him I was skipping my herbs, so he always just assumed it was safe to drop it all inside."

"You should have told him Toph whenever you were skipping. That way, you both could have decided whether to take the risk or abstain. That would have been fair."

"You're right Sweetness, but whenever he starts kissing me, I just lose my mind. You'd be surprised how many places we've done the deed."

Katara shakes her head. "I must admit that one about flying through the air is still a shocker. I just can't figure how he'd keep from crashing, or maybe dropping you."

"We've come close to doing both a couple of times, in the beginning, Sugar Queen; but now it's pretty routine."

"Aren't you worried about if somebody sees you two, Toph? There are airships, you know."

The earthbender's face grows hot. "Never thought about that. I hope Aang has considered that possibility. I'm sure he wouldn't want a cabin full of people to see me being humped."

"I hope so too." Katara goes back to sit at her desk. "What were you saying before we got sidetrack Toph. Did you want to ask me something?"

Toph runs a hand over her head. "Do you – eh, do you think he'll be happy, Katara? Three kids, wow, I never expected that development. I know twins run in my family, but I didn't even consider it since I was an only child. Thought it ended with me."

"Toph, I can tell you that you brought it back with a vengeance. And I'm sure Aang will be happy too."

"Do you think so? I just don't want him to be disappointed in me, or our kids. We've talked about if I could only have diggers. He said he'd be fine with it, but I know he wasn't being completely honest with himself. He wants to see somebody like himself in this world. Did you know, he's still trying to find people that even resemble the Air Nomads, Katara?"

Katara clicks her tongue. "I know. He's never given up on that. But now that he has kids, maybe he'll get a new perspective, a new purpose."

"I don't think anything will stop him from wanting more airbenders, Sweetness." Toph rubs her stomach as she ponders Aang's possible reaction.

Katara moves to stand in front of the apprehensive mother-to-be. "Don't worry Toph. I'm sure Aang will be a very proud father. Besides, he's no longer the last airbender."

Toph's big muted jade eyes glisten as tears streams down her apple-red cheeks. "I'm carrying; I have, an airbender in me?"

"No Toph, you have three airbenders in you."

Toph jumps to her feet. "Are you sure, Katara?"

"I triple checked each one of them myself. They all have the air affinity and a slight talent for earth as well. I don't know how that will all blend, but we'll see," Katara reassures her.

"I have to tell Aang; he's got to know right away." Toph frantically paces the floor. "Where is he now? Uh, Katara, what time is it? I was supposed to meet him at that salad place over on Bumi Way across from the park. Why don't you come and join us? We can tell him together and…"

"Woah, slow down, girl. Try taking in a few deep breaths and think about this for a moment. Do you really want to tell Aang with me there? You do realize I was almost his wife."

Toph rubs her brow with her fingertips. "Oh man, that was insensitive of me Katara. I know you dreamed of a future with him and then I came along and ruined all of it. You must want to slap me or something."

Katara lifts Toph's hand and places it in the center of her chest. "Trust me Toph; I couldn't be happier for you both. I'm going to treat them as my own. That way, when we do marry Toph, they'll already see me as part of the family."

Toph laughs as she hugs Katara. "Keep dreaming Sweetness, just keep dreaming."