A/N: Sorry it's so long! I actually had to keep telling myself to shorten it because I could've gone on forever. This is the last chapter, though. Enjoy!

Toph's single act was enough to start the fight and Katara was already prepared. Traveling the world with the earthbender meant always being ready for the unpredictable and, in this instance, the element of surprise was appreciated.

Katara whipped her water out quickly and as she attempted to direct the streams towards five of the shinobi advancing towards her, she heard Kakashi yell, "Katara, ground!" Instinctively she twisted her wrists, redirecting the water in a downward motion, creating a shallow puddle that touched all five shinobi. In the same moment, Kakashi released some sort of lightening attack from his palm directly into the water. Three of the five shinobi were immediately electrocuted and Katara saw them fall, all the while questioning how Kakashi could release lightening without fire.

The two shinobi who had leapt out at the last moment separated, one heading for Katara and the other towards Kakashi. She pulled the water back and created a whip. As she knocked the shinobi backwards, a cage formed around him, made of dirt and rocks. Although he punched them, the bars wouldn't bend and Katara didn't have to look to know who was aiding her in battle. The two had fought together long enough for Katara to trust her friend.

Toph heard the snap of Katara's water, felt the attacking shinobi's feet leave the ground the pressure and motion of his feet giving her a clear vision of his path, and as she shifted her feet, she brought up the earth to cage in her friends attacker. All that happened in mere seconds. While the larger group had numbers, the smaller group had Toph. As they covered more ground, she had the sense to know where exactly they stood. Anticipating their movements was almost too easy for her. Well, for most of them anyway. A few of the shinobi were very light on their feet. She smirked, thinking of Twinkle Toes, and then immediately sent a chunk of rock hurling towards the man approaching Kakashi.

This was her in her element, literally. The draw to wrestling when she was younger, it wasn't about the rebellion. It may have been at first, but she eventually learned this was what she excelled at. She could think quickly, anticipate moves and counter appropriately. For all the ways in which she could be crude or unrefined, Toph's ability in battle overshadowed them all. Still, her nerves weren't made of steel. The terrain was still new and people here didn't fight so predictably. While her pulse quickened at the excitement of the fight, she had to remind herself to remain calm. Feel, sense, touch every noise, sound and motion. She refused to be a weak link. She was already furious that she was the one they'd captured like some damsel in distress.

She felt two men falling down above her. The must have thought a sneak attack would work. Not when she could feel the change in the air and hear the rustling of their clothes. Before she could act, she heard the shifting of sand. It was Gaara, it had to be. He'd protected her and she felt herself blushing. 'Not the time,' she thought to herself. 'Save your feelings for later when you're all still alive.'

"I really hadn't wanted to kill them," Kakashi muttered as he searched another body for more information on the rogue group.

"They didn't give us much of a choice," Toph added.

"Besides," Katara jumped in, sounding awfully cheerful, "two are still alive so we can get more information out of them. See if there are others out there, what attacks they're planning."

"Were you ever a war advisor, by chance?" Her casual response had left Kakashi questioning how much he knew about the waterbender.

"You can't go into a battle without knowing your enemy," Katara explained.

Toph snickered, "you can if you're strong enough."

Kakashi clapped his hands together. "Regardless, I think we're done here. Let's head back." He grabbed one of the unconscious men that was still breathing and tossed him over his shoulder. Gaara followed with the other. His friend had been uncharacteristically quiet, almost as if he had reverted back to his former youth. The silence was concerning only to Kakashi, it seemed. Then again, Toph and Katara had never seen him in action… back when his soul was still tortured and he lived to kill. It wasn't bloodlust Kakashi felt, but something was certainly off. He would make sure to ask later.

Kakashi glanced at the page in front of him, making sure it was the proper article to be signed and filed. The fight had been almost too brief. He missed it. The challenges of battle, thinking and reacting with a moments notice and changing tactics to adapt to one's surroundings… now it was all paperwork. An incident report. A file for each captive. Interrogation requests. Intelligence sharing initiatives with the other villages. He thought of completing missions again, this time with a certain waterbender at his side. He'd been impressed at her ability to read a situation, her seamless knowledge of when to partner up attacks or act alone. She was a natural warrior. How could someone so gorgeous be so deadly? And why was that thought so arousing?

A light knock on the door captured the Hokages attention. "Come in," he said.

He didn't bother looking up. He immediately knew who it was. "The girls are in my room resting. I think you know it's not a good idea that I stay here any longer."

"I understand. An attack on any of the kages is reason for concern. You need to get back to your people."

Gaara nodded and Kakashi finally looked up. "Are you ok?"

"Of course."

"No," Kakashi glanced to an empty chair in front of his desk then back to Gaara. "Have a seat. Something happened."

"I can't waste any more time here."

"Prioritizing one's mental health is not a waste." Kakashi intended to mean it as a strong shinobi should be mentally sound, but he briefly thought of his father and pushed the thought away.

Gaara moved quietly to the chair and sat, staring at his friend. Kakashi knew this would be a challenge, but it was important.

"What happened back there?"

"We won."

"You know what I mean."

"We rescued the earthbender."

"She has a name and you know damn well what it is," he realized his voice had taken on a serious tone and he tried to regain his usual calmness. "Tell me what happened, Gaara. I saw it. You nearly lost control. I haven't seen that look on your face in years. You can't keep holding everything in. You don't have to do that anymore… what was going through your mind?"

Gaara clenched his jaw and looked away. When he spoke, the sound was hushed. Kakashi wondered if it was shame he felt. "I wanted to slaughter them. All of them."

"We slaughtered most of them," Kakashi offered a gentle smile only detectable from his eyes.

Gaara turned to face him and angrily started shouting, "They came for us and they'll come for our villages and-"

"They took Toph…"

"They could've killed her! What if we had taken too long? What if she had gotten hurt? Kakashi…," he seemed to be calming down. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't keep her safe. Then all I could think was I can't watch someone else I care about die." When Kakashi's eyes widened, Gaara's cheeks turned red. "I didn't mean-"

"It's fine."

"No, I really-"

"I am not here to judge."

"Shut up."

The hokage sighed. "Alright, first, you just met the girl. Second, she's not dead so get that thought out of your mind. Third, she's tough. She had our backs out there and we had hers. Have a little more faith in her fighting abilities."

"I should go."

"Are you going to tell her goodbye?"

Gaara smirked. "I hated Naruto… for so long. I hated everything he had and everything he fought for. Having anyone precious to you was a weakness. He said it made you fight harder. Gave you a reason. And now…" his voice was growing silent again, "now I don't know what to do. If I leave her, I can't stand the thought she might get hurt and I won't be here to protect her. If I take her with me, does she just become my weakness? A liability? A target…? And then I'm only putting her in danger for my own selfish desire, for wanting to keep her near."

Kakashi listened silently, knowing the questions were Gaara's way of venting aloud.

"I worry if I go to tell her goodbye, I'll falter. I'll beg her to come with me, to have her by my side always. To satisfy my need is never having to worry where she is or who she's with. I could make her happy, Kakashi. I would cook for her every night and read her all our stories. I could teach her everything about being a shinobi, the tailed beasts, the great ninja wars. She would want for nothing and I would be content just knowing that.

But…"

"But?"

"If that's not what she wants, I don't know that I could handle the rejection. My entire life has been rejection. Now that I actually enjoy someone's company, I don't think I could stand to hear her say my feelings weren't reciprocated."

"Gaara… I don't think I've ever heard you talk so much."

"I knew this was a waste." Gaara turned to leave.

Kakashi chuckled. "Wait, wait." His friend turned around with a less than amused look. "In all honesty, you might not get another chance. If we find a way to send them home, she may be gone before you step foot in Konoha again. If you feel this strongly after such a short amount of time, maybe she does too. Worst case? She rejects you and you never see her again. Best case? She goes with you and you get to spend every moment with her until she leaves-"

"If she leaves," he clarified.

"Right…" Kakashi couldn't bring himself to push the truth he believed, that Toph may very well leave if given the chance. "Stay for a little longer. We'll order some food and discuss this rogue shinobi issue. That'll give you time to consider any other… personal… matters."

"Wow, that's heavy…" Katara commented after Toph finished relaying the kages conversation to her. "But why would he say all that? I thought he knew you had heightened hearing."

Toph sighed, "I don't know. I'm sure he underestimated me."

"Well whether he intended for you to hear it or not, he obviously wants you to go with him." When Toph didn't responded, she dug a little deeper. "How do you feel about it?"

"How am I supposed to feel?"

"Huh?"

"Honestly, Katara. What am I supposed to think of all this? I just got here. I only know you. We hardly know these guys. What if we never find a way back? And what if we do? Would you leave without me?"

"Of course not!"

"Then I'm going."

"Wait, what?"

"Keep up. Look, you know my home never felt like home. Being hidden from the world, I just wanted to explore and see more of it. I've done so much and this feels like another adventure. I can't turn it down. Just promise you won't leave me alone here… you're my best friend."

"Are we sure this is safe…?"

"They've had every chance to kill us and they haven't taken it and let's be honest, we can be pretty exhausting."

Katara gave Toph an annoyed glare, "I'm gonna let that one slide because you're having a sincere moment of clarity, but watch it."

Toph laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Now onto the real issue, are you gonna be ok without me?"

"Hmm… yeah, I think so. We'll still visit each other and I'm sure we can call…"

Toph nodded slowly, "I haven't noticed a single phone, though. Am I literally just not seeing them?"

Katara shook her head then answered out loud, "no, you're right. Which is crazy because I've definitely seen power lines. I know phones are still not in every household yet back home. Maybe it's about the same here?"

"No idea," Toph responded. "We'll find a way to communicate, though. I'll come visit often and you do the same. This is our next big adventure, Katara. Let's enjoy it."

"Agreed," Katara was smiling as she reached out to hug her friend. "Can I take you shopping before you go?"

"He might not even ask me to come," Toph mumbled into her shoulder. "But fine, I guess that's not the worst idea."

Katara and Toph carried their bags back to Gaara's room. Kakashi had given Katara a large sum of money to "take care of herself" while he worked. He had far overestimated how much she needed; she'd survived on much less. As it were, the girls grabbed a few necessities and a couple outfits still keeping well within a small budget. She also made sure to grab groceries anticipating Kakashi was in for a few late nights. She would handle the cooking.

When they finally were safely inside, Toph started packing a bag she'd picked up while they were out. Gaara still had not approached her and Katara was sure Toph was worried he'd leave without telling her. She focused on putting the groceries away and let Toph pack her bag in silence.

When Katara came out of the kitchen, Toph was gone. She was sure she knew where she'd run off to. Waiting for the fallout of good or bad news from her best friend, she started prepping dinner. Toph would either be elated or broken hearted and either way, Katara would be supportive.

Toph climbed the stairs to the rooftop, her backpack slung over her shoulder. She had tracked him easily enough. He seemed to just be sitting outside, enjoying the view of Konoha before he took his leave. She silently wondered if he was still debating on asking her to join him. Lucky for him, Toph had no problem making the first move.

"Sandman," she called out as she opened the door to the rooftop. The setting sun provided little warmth and she rather enjoyed the coolness that accompanied it.

"Toph," he said calmly, not bothering to turn around. He sat on the ledge, facing the sunset. She dropped her bag and approached him.

"You're leaving," was all she said as she sat on the ledge next to him, letting her bare feet hover off the edge of the building.

"Soon," he admitted.

"When will I see you again?"

"It's a three days trip from Konoha. I'm sure Kakashi can escort you for a visit once he's caught up on his work."

His monotone voice irked her. He was showing little to no emotion compared to how he'd spoken with Kakashi earlier. "And if I don't want that?"

She felt him tense before he answered, "no one is pressuring you to visit me, Toph. If you want to never see me again, you can pretend I never existed."

She didn't do well with this type of cryptic communication. "So you're really that dense, huh?" She felt him turn to look at her, but she continued before he could cut her off. "I hope you know I don't just kiss every guy I meet. I don't want you to leave. I know you have to. And I know we just met, but I'm not ready to stop exploring whatever-"

He kissed her. A gentle hand on her cheek as his lips pressed against hers, taking her breath for the moment. Her mind short circuited as she realized what was happening. She returned the kiss, attempting to convey all her emotions in that single act. It was desperate and passionate and pleading.

He pulled away and rested his forehead against her own.

"Come with me, Toph." His voice was low, as if he were worried the idea would scare her away. "You don't have to answer right now-"

"My bag is literally packed sitting by the door. I wasn't planning on letting you go so easily," she smirked and then felt his lips on hers again.

"You're so different," he said, pulling back again to admire her.

She blushed, "yeah, I get that a lot. Sure you won't be ashamed to be seen walking around with me?"

"Never. A strong, beautiful, empowered woman like you? I can't understand why you're even spending time in my presence. You have an entire world you could charm and you're asking to stay with me? Toph," his hand gently cupped her chin, his thumb brushing her cheek, "I would have you by my side, always."

She was smiling and couldn't help by tease him after that admission. "I'm not a housewife ya know…"

Gaara smiled as well and she could feel him relaxing now, "oh I'm well aware. We'd fight side by side in battle, and walk arm in arm through the streets. I mean it, Toph. I want you with me. I've never felt this way about anyone before. No one has ever treated me the way you…"

He trailed off, struggling to find the words. She interrupted to end his suffering. "I feel the same." She gave him a quick kiss and then jumped up. "Let's go tell our friends goodbye and get out of here!"

After they had said their goodbyes, the two had started the long trek back to Sunagakure. By the third day, Gaara was carrying Toph on his back. The journey had been uneventful, but they had only briefly stopped to rest once and his little earthbender was exhausted.

"I can walk," she mumbled.

"I know," he said, smirking.

"Then put me down," she said sleepily before yawning.

"No," he said, knowing they were close to home. "Besides, you're keeping my back warm."

"Mm hmm," she agreed, "whatever you say, weirdo."

He stifled a laugh. Even when she was barely coherent, she made him smile.

As they approached the entrance, he debated on letting her walk in or continuing to carry her. She was a proud woman, though. Maybe her first entrance into the village should be on her own two feet. He stopped far enough away to let her down gently.

Another large yawn and then she straightened her clothes. He removed her backpack and carried it over his own shoulder.

"So what's the story? Konoha thinks we're engaged. Should we tell people here I'm just a new person? A fugitive? An escaped criminal," she mused.

"And I'm the weirdo?"

She laughed. "Why can't we both be?"

"Fine," he smiled. "Alright, the story is… fiancé. If you're still ok with it…"

She blushed and he felt his heart pounding in his chest. Would she agree? Was he moving too quickly?

"I promise I'll make a proper proposal eventually," he added quickly. He just couldn't stand the thought of anyone trying to take her from him. He wanted to stake his claim, but only if she agreed.

"No, no, it's fine. Fiancé is fine." She was still blushing and he reached out his arm to to link with hers, just as they had before Konoha.

"Don't be overwhelmed, I'll guide you."

"I'm not helpless," she sounded disappointed.

He could only grin in response, "I know. You've said before, though, that new places give you sensory overload. I don't want you trying to keep track of me while taking it all in. Let me guide you and take your time exploring the area with your other senses."

She only nodded and then took a deep breath. When she seemed ready, he led the way… with her at his side.

Toph had been living in Sunagakure for two weeks now and she was enjoying every minute of it. New sounds, new smells, new places to explore. She had already asked Gaara about getting a job and they both agreed something in construction (or demolition) might play to her strengths. He promised to look into it for her and she was excited to start this new life.

She had been busy talking to Katara on the phone when Gaara arrived home.

Sitting on the couch with her short black hair down, wearing sweatpants and a tshirt, she was definitely getting comfortable here. "He's home, yes, love you too! Bye!"

"How're Katara and Kakashi doing?" He asked as he walked over to join her on the couch.

"They're doing well. Katara wants to visit soon. How was work?"

"Good," he smiled as she cuddled up next to him. He ran his fingers through her hair. "I don't feel like cooking tonight. Do you?"

"Not really," she admitted.

"Then let's go out for dinner."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Consider it a celebration for your new job. You start next week."

"What?" She sat up excitedly. "Really? Already? That's awesome!"

He was grinning as she jumped up from the couch, but his eyes widened the moment she started pulling off her clothes.

"Well I certainly can't wear this outfit," she muttered to herself, tossing each article of clothing on the floor as she removed them. He had kissed her and held her hand since they arrived in his village, but not much else. Katara had enlightened Toph on how little convincing Kakashi had needed. Maybe Gaara needed more?

"Toph… I-I know you're blind, but I'm not."

She scoffed, "I was kinda counting on that, sandman. You want to celebrate with food, maybe I want to celebrate with something else. How about a compromise?" She stood before him in just a pair of silky panties. She could feel him staring, hear his heart racing, and noticed the intensity of his breathing as he watched her.

Her height hadn't changed much over the years and she was far shorter than him by comparison. Her muscular form still held a great deal of femininity. Curves that accentuated her raw strength and honed muscles. She knew her worth, standing proudly before him, and she appreciated that he recognized that… in the form of quickened breathing and a rising body temperature.

"I promise," she said, her voice more sensual than normal as she approached him, "to let you buy me dinner." She climbed atop his lap, straddling him with a leg on either side. She placed one hand on his shoulder to maintain balance while the other reached down to massage his throbbing erection through the front of his clothes. "If you let me ride your hard cock until I cum all over it."

His reaction didn't lie and Toph was smiling so innocently, knowing he had no desire to turn her down. "I…" he struggled to get the words out as she continued to massage his length, "yes.. that's… it seems like a fair compromise."

"Oh?" She responded. "Then why are you still dressed…?" She stood now and he followed as he hastily rid himself of all clothing. She wanted to laugh at his eagerness, but she also didn't want to discourage him. The way he wanted to respect her boundaries was certainly appreciated. She was ready for more, though. The earthbender just needed to nudge her new fiancé apparently.

He seemed to warm up to the idea rather quickly as he lifted her up and over his shoulder. "Gaara!" She laughed as she called his name. She was wearing nothing but panties still and he was completely nude.

He gave her backside a quick smack and she giggled. Having been so respectful of her since they met, it was nice to see him get excited and take the initiative.

When he tossed her gently onto the bed, she couldn't hold back a grin. He was so incredibly sexy to her. As he climbed onto the bed and stared at her as though he were ready to devour her, she knew she'd made the right decision. She quickly slid her panties off and tossed them aside.

"Toph," he whispered her name as he closed the distance between them. "You're mine."

"I really hope so, Sandman, or I've been reading you all wrong." She reached out to caress his cheek and could feel the smile on his face.

He kissed her and she returned it, feelings of excitement and lust fighting for dominance within her. So this was what it meant to be with someone you loved, to know they felt the same and wanted you as badly in return.

She felt his hand trailing along her side as he made his way closer to her entrance. He slipped a single digit in and she gasped into the kiss. His only response was a smirk as he slid that same finger in and out, painfully slow, before adding another.

"Mmm… Gaara," she moaned softly against his lips.

"You said you wanted to ride my hard cock… I'm simply making sure you're well prepared," he said, as he began kissing down her neck.

She bit her lip as felt him touching her. It was pure bliss. As he reached her breasts, his tongue flicked out to tease a hardened nipple. She moaned again and he took it into his mouth, sucking then biting as she dug her nails into his back. Or at least tried to. She felt sand between her fingers and groaned.

"What the hell, Gaara?"

He laughed, "sorry, bad habit. You can touch me, but try not to maim. I'm a bit distracted so shutting it off is hard." She couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Great… so no kinky bedroom play then?"

He added another finger and she arched her back. "Only," he whispered, "if I'm the one in control. Do you think you could handle it, my little earthbender? Or are you worried I'd be too harsh?"

He already seemed to know her too well. A challenge? And sex? And a power struggle? She really had found the perfect man.

"I can take whatever you're willing to give, Sandman," she teased.

He removed his fingers and began stroking his cock as he rubbed the swollen appendage against her slick entrance. "Including this?"

"Mm hmm…" she could only nod.

She felt him slowly push himself into her and she had underestimated how full she'd feel. When he didn't stop and she finally felt his hips flush against her own, she reached for his shoulders to have some sense of stability.

"Fuck, Gaara," she said, breathing heavily, "you're huge!"

He chuckled, "sorry, Toph." He pulled out and then thrusted back in, causing her to gasp. "You're just so damn sexy… I can't help but get excited."

Her grip on his shoulders tightened and she found she had no smart remarks for what he was saying. She was too overwhelmed to think of a comeback, her senses on overload in the best possible way. His scent, his touch, the feel of him inside of her, his voice… all of it was hitting her and when he started a steady rhythm, her only response was to moan and arch against him.

"Fuck, Gaara," she ground out when he picked up the pace. Was he trying to kill her? He had hooked an arm under each of her thighs and lifted them, giving him full access to the most intimate parts of her. Her hands moved from his shoulders to the sheets, where she gripped them tightly.

"Touch yourself," he said, his voice thick with lust.

She reached one hand down to her swollen clit and began rubbing it gently at first. That combined with his cock filling her was enough to have her whimpering beneath him. She heard his breathing become heavier and she knew then what the sight of it did to him. She couldn't help herself when she reached her other hand up to cup and squeeze her breast. The way he thrust into her harder now seemed to mean he approved of her little "show" for him.

"Faster," he said and she knew what he was referring to. She rubbed herself quickly, feeling the sensation building within her. "I want you to come, Toph."

She could only whimper and then arch her back again as she felt her release getting closer. He was pushing her legs so far back it was almost painful, but she couldn't bring herself to care. The sudden change in his breathing and movements and she knew he was close. Within seconds he groaned as he filled her and she cried out as she came on his throbbing cock.

They had laid together for a while before cleaning up to grab dinner. As the two of them walked towards the restaurant, arms linked as usual, she thought there was no place she'd rather be than beside the man she loved.