He was right. I fucked up.

It had taken Toph the better part of a month and quite a lot of alcohol to admit it to herself. Sokka being with someone else had been unbearable. And now he was gone, back to the South Pole, and he hated her. She had royally fucked up, and it hadn't even been on purpose.

Shockingly, Katara had left her alone. No probing questions, no begging her to come over and talk. Maybe she hated her, too, for what she'd done. Toph was left to wallow in her misery, unbothered by whatever was happening outside of her job, her only companions the bottles of booze that had begun to pile up on her tea table.

Eventually, though, she got tired of it all, picked herself up, and headed over to Air Temple Island after a long day of fruitlessly interrogating gang members. The house was empty when she arrived, though she knew exactly where her friend was. Rather than chasing her down, she opted to doze on the couch.

"Toph?" Katara's voice pulled her out of her drowsing. "I'm surprised to see you. Everything ok?"

"Yeah." She sat up and rubbed her eyes, feeling the vibrations of Bumi being set down and scuttling across the floor toward her. He babbled happily, a few things sounding close to actual words.

"Aw, he missed you," Katara said as Bumi latched himself onto Toph's ankle. "So have I, for the record."

"Figured you were busy," Toph said shortly, actually a little hurt that she had been ignored for so long.

"I knew you'd come when you were ready." A high-pitched shriek began emanating from the child at Toph's feet. "He wants you to pay attention to him."

She turned to Bumi with an annoyed frown. "You want attention, you need to quiet down. Got it?"

"It's usually the other way around," Katara said, picking him up and promptly depositing him in Toph's lap.

"What–"

"C'mon, just for a few minutes. Please?"

"He's gotten bigger," Toph observed with a resigned sigh while Bumi climbed all over her.

"It's been almost a month. Babies grow quickly. His birthday's coming up, you know."

"I know." She grabbed him by the ankle and dangled him in front of her face, eliciting a squeal. "You gotta sit still, kid. We've been over this. My hair is not a toy."

"Toph…"

"What? I'm not hurting him. In fact, I think he likes it."

"Just don't drop him on his head."

"You really think I'd do that?"

"Not on purpose..."

Toph rolled her eyes and set him down on the couch next to her. "Any airbending yet?"

"Not that we've seen. He's still young, though. Plenty of time for that. Spirits, he's already exhausting, as it is– Careful!"

Toph's hand shot out and grabbed a handful of shirt before he could slip off the couch. "Relax, Sugar Queen. A few little bumps and bruises won't kill him."

"You want to listen to him cry for ten minutes?"

"Not particularly."

"Because that's what would happen."

Bumi flopped back over onto Toph's legs and she sighed, rapidly approaching the limit of her ability to tolerate grubby, grabbing fingers and knees jabbing into her ribs.

"So," Katara said. "How have you been?"

"Fine. Busy."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"How's Sokka?" she blurted, eager to just get it over with. The brief silence following the question told her that it had surprised her nosy friend.

"Well...it's hard to really tell through letters. I imagine he's probably just as depressed as you are. They didn't get back together."

"I'm not depressed."

"Sure you're not. You've just been drinking yourself into oblivion for the fun of it."

"Do I look drunk to you?"

"No, you look hungover. Spirits, Toph. You seem to think you're this stoic piece of stone, incomprehensible to anyone. I've got news for you: you're not that hard to read."

Toph clenched her jaw, already regretting this visit. "Been holding that in for a while, haven't you?"

"I… I'm sorry," Katara sighed. "I didn't sleep much last night. With Aang being away this week, I'm just exhausted all the time. But I worry, too, hence the not sleeping. I didn't mean to be harsh. I know this hasn't been easy for you."

"What do you want me to say?" Toph muttered. What will make this conversation end?

"You don't have to say anything. I'm just glad you're here."

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

Crunch-crunch crunch-crunch crunch-crunch

Sokka focused on the satisfying sound his boots made in the crusty, ice-covered snow. It was a sound he associated with his childhood. Right now, that was a welcome state of mind, because the present – and more recent past – weren't where he wanted to be. The future didn't look so great, either.

There was no one out here. It was a solitary spot that he had claimed; the majority of people in the area knew not to disturb it, mostly because it was not so far away from another memorial site: that of the late wife of the Head Chieftain of the Southern Water tribe. Sokka's mother.

Suki was not buried here, but on Kyoshi Island. But Sokka had still made a special place to visit, to remember her and mourn. Six years to the day since she was taken from him. Most people he was close to seemed to think that he had moved on, fully healed, after falling in love with Toph – probably because he had done a good job of making it seem that way. Not that her presence hadn't helped, because it surely had.

Crouched down in front of the little stone circle, his head drooped, shoulders slumped. I don't want to think about Toph. This is Suki's day, and she never hurt me this badly. Not intentionally, anyway. Dying wasn't her fault. If anything, it was my fault.

He made no effort to stop the tears, or even the sobs. This was the one day that he allowed himself to wallow in grief. Get it all out to make it through another year. The rush of emotion was extra strong this time. It was hard to separate the sources of his pain, all of them mixing and blurring together.

Spirits, why do you feel the need to torture me? What have I ever done to you?

"Here," Hakoda said, handing Sokka a stack of rolled-up papers. "Have a look at these, let me know what you think."

"Ugh. This is going to take hours."

"Sokka, this is what you're here for. It's your job."

"I know, I know. Sorry. I'm just in a bad mood."

"When are you not?" Hakoda asked with a cocked eyebrow. Sokka scowled at his father, who sighed in response. "Look, I know it's been a difficult week for you, and I'm sorry. But you know, focusing on work does tend to help you, from what I've observed."

"I guess," Sokka muttered in defeat. "Alright, I'll get–"

The door suddenly burst open and they turned to see a dour look on the interrupter's face.

"What is it?" Hakoda asked.

"Sorry to barge in, Chief. An urgent wire just came in. Not good news."

Sokka's stomach clenched. Oh, please, no. Spirits, don't do this to me. Not again.

"Chief Arnook is dead. He was murdered."

"What?!" Hakoda exclaimed, the color draining from his face, while Sokka stayed silent, relieved and a little guilty about it. "What happened?!"

"Details are still coming in. I wanted to let you know ASAP."

"Alright, thanks. Keep me updated. And keep this quiet!" Once the man had left, Hakoda sat down and put his head in his hands. "I can't believe this. It– It doesn't feel real."

"I'm sorry," Sokka said, gripping his father's shoulder. "He was a good man."

"And a good friend."

Over the next half hour, more information arrived. While there was a pending investigation, it appeared that he had been killed in his sleep by an unknown assassin. With the line of succession unclear, the Northern Water Tribe was in an uproar.

"Dad! Listen to me! We need to increase security here. I've been saying this for years, and with what's happened to Arnook, it would be stupid to not take some precautions!"

"Sokka, I really doubt that what happened up there has anything to do with us. The Northern Tribe already has some authority over us. If this has to do with succession of power, killing me won't accomplish anything."

"Except give access to our supply of oil! Which is the biggest in the world! Stop being stubborn, Dad! I'm worried about your safety!"

"Alright, fine," Hakoda said with a weary sigh. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll hire a couple of extra guards."

"Thank you. That's all I ask."

"We need to prepare for some civil unrest here. Petty crime always increases when there's worry and panic."

Sokka nodded. "I'll write up some ordinances to pass on to the city guard. That should help preempt some disturbances.

"I'd also like you to coordinate with Ambassador Ninuq. If need be, would you be willing to travel to the North to help out there? I'm sure they could use your leadership."

"What?" Sokka said, shocked. "Really?"

"It's going to take some time for them to figure out who the next Chieftain will be. Likely a cousin of Arnook, but he has several. It's very possible one of them killed him, or at least hired someone to. In the meantime, they'll have to set up a temporary government, and you have a lot of experience helping me down here, as well as in Republic City."

"I'm just an ambassador, though. I don't know anything about governing a huge city."

"You know more than you think, son. I have the utmost confidence in you."

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

Toph suspended a little metal badge in the air, spinning it around lazily. Time sure does fly. Nearly a decade. Doesn't seem possible. An expected knock on the office door interrupted her reverie. "Come in."

"Morning, Chief!" Penga said enthusiastically.

"Happy birthday." Toph flicked her finger, sending the badge forward into the young woman's hand. "Lieutenant Penga."

"Wh–!? Are– Are you serious?!"

"What, did you think I was going to put you in with the rookies you trained?"

"Well, no," Penga said, still a little breathless. "I guess I was expecting detective."

"Would you prefer that?"

"Don't you think people will be a little upset about me being made a lieutenant?"

"They can get the fuck over it. And I didn't ask you what you thought everyone would think. I asked you what you want."

"Well... I think I'm better suited to bossing people around than sleuthing."

Toph smirked. "Agreed. Now get down to the armory to get fitted, then come back here so we can talk about the transition."

"Yes, Chief!"

Ten minutes later, there was another knock, also expected. Right on time. "Come in."

"Reporting for duty, Sifu. Er, I mean Chief!" Michi said in her chirpy voice. "Nice office!"

"Welcome to Republic City."

"I remember my first trip here!" she said with a laugh. "You were such a grump."

"Hate to break it to you, but I'm still a grump. Just an older one, with a lot more power. And you were an obnoxious brat."

"At least one of us had some personal growth."

"Hah. Yeah, you went from brat to smartass."

"I learned from the best."

"You sure as fuck did." Toph chuckled; sometimes Michi reminded her of a weird combination of herself and Ty Lee (as she had once been, at least): Indefatigably cheerful, with a sharp wit and a smart mouth, not to mention loads of potential. And while she wasn't the type to enter law enforcement, Toph thought she would fit in well here.

"So when do I start?"

"Penga's getting her armor and should be back any minute. I want you two to talk so she can go over the way she's been doing things. You're free to design your own classes, but I'd like you to make any transitions gradual for the existing trainees."

"Of course. I have so many great ideas! I think it would be so cool to have all the n-"

"Save it for Penga. My head is too full of stuff right now to process any of that."

The door swung open admitting Rinna, who slipped in silently as usual, with Penga right on her heels. "Oh, hey Michi."

"Hey, Penga! Nice armor!"

"That's Lieutenant Penga, to you."

"Pfft. I'm not a cop."

"Spirits, Chief. Everyone she trains is going to come out of there with an attitude problem."

"Michi, if you're going to work here, you have to use people's ranks," Toph said wearily.

"I was just teasing, Lieutenant Penga."

"Alright, you two. Penga, I've set up a meeting with Yachi and Nato for one o'clock so they can brief you on the position. You'll be shadowing them this week. For now, bring Michi up to speed on your system. Now get to work. I'm not paying you to stand here and bicker like kids."

"Speaking of getting paid…" Michi said.

"Yes, it's being taken care of, don't you worry."

Rinna chuckled after they left. "You've got your hands full with that one."

"Believe it or not, she's a lot better than she used to be."

By the end of the day, Toph was feeling very pleased with herself and the smooth transition. Then the next day came.

"With all due respect, Chief," Detective Chin-Li said, "it's insulting that I'm being assigned to this– this child's unit! I'm almost forty years old, and was told there would be no lieutenant positions available any time soon!"

"Child?!" Toph seethed. "You're really going to call her a child? Do you remember that I was your Sifu at fifteen and became your Chief at eighteen? The same age she is?"

"Wh– I didn't mean– It's not the same thing. She's not...you."

"And the reason there were no lieutenant positions available is because I was reserving one for her. And who the fuck do you think you are to question how I run my police force? I can promote whoever the fuck I want, whenever and however the fuck I want. And if you don't want to wake up tomorrow and find yourself demoted to beat cop, you'll suck it up and do what you're told!"

Chin-Li went quiet; Toph could tell how stiff his posture was. Judging by his breathing pattern and heart rate, he was feeling some barely restrained fury. And a little bit of fear, too. "Yes, Chief," he said through clenched teeth.

Once he was gone, Toph banged her forehead on her desk several times. "Don't say it," she muttered to Rinna.

"I wasn't going to say anything."

"You were thinking it." Since posting the reassignments that morning, he was the fourth member of Penga's newly-formed unit to come and complain. Penga herself was handling it well, which further assured Toph that she'd made the right choice. She sat up and checked the time. "Ooh, time for my patrol shift. Spirits know I need to get out of this place for a little while."

But she didn't even make it outside.

"Oh, that's her, right there," the receptionist said as Toph entered the lobby.

An absolutely livid woman stalked toward her. "Where is my daughter?!"

"Who is your daughter?" Toph asked slowly, her hackles up.

"What, you don't recognize my voice?" the woman spat. "You once told me you never forget a voice."

"Wait..." The part of her brain that dealt with connecting those sorts of old memories worked furiously. "You're... You're Michi's mother? Hualing?"

"Yes!"

Toph continued to be stunned at the woman's inexplicable anger. "Listen, lady, I don't know what kind of domestic drama you have going on, but I don't want any part of it. I'll take you to her, but you need to calm down."

"Calm down?! I'll calm down when I get a reasonable explanation for why my fifteen-year-old daughter is working in a police station in the center of a crime-infested city! You hired her, so I assume you're the one that can explain that to me."

Toph's nostrils flared. Fucking Michi. "Come with me," she said shortly, heading toward the training rooms.

"I won't be ignored! Explain yourself!" Hualing said, trotting to keep up.

"I'm not ignoring you. I'm taking you to your daughter, just like you asked. And you have a lot of fucking nerve, coming in here and yelling at me! Fuck, I see where she gets that mouth of hers."

"Wh– excuse me?!"

"For your information, I was under the impression that Michi had your permission to take this job. She's been teaching at the Academy for years, after all."

"Well then she lied to you! And it's not the same thing, teaching at a school and working as a cop!"

"She's not a cop! She teaches. Period. That's it!" Lied to me? She can't lie to me! What exactly did she say…?

The second they entered the large training room, Hualing stalked over to her daughter. "Michi!"

"...Mom?!" Her voice was faint, heartbeat erratic. Toph sauntered over at a more sedate pace, staying silent.

"What do you think you're doing?! You told me you were still teaching at the Academy!"

"Mom–"

"I specifically said you could not do this! Do you not remember that?"

"Mom, please, you're emb-"

"You're fifteen, Michi! You're a child!"

Those words sent Toph striding forward determinedly. "Hey! Time out!" she yelled, interrupting the argument. "Both of you! My office!" She thrust her pointed finger towards the door and waited, mother and daughter both bristling with palpable indignation.

"Now," she said forcefully once they were both in her office, Rinna having been sent away. "We are going to have a nice, calm discussion, like adults."

"Adults?" Hualing scoffed. "Michi is not an adult."

"I'm not a child, Mother!"

"I said calm!" Toph interrupted. "Michi, you told me you were going to run this by her."

"Well, I did… I never said she said yes…" she muttered, earning her a deep frown.

"This is ridiculous!" Hualing said. "We're going home! Now!"

"NO! I'm not going! I want to do this! I want to teach here!"

"You're too young to be working in a police station, Michi! This is not a discussion!"

"You're right, it's not! If you want me to come home, you're going to have to physically drag me, and I think we both know you can't do that."

Toph fell into her chair with a weary sigh, giving up and just letting them scream at each other. She had done this to herself, not following up on whether or not Michi had gotten permission. Too busy. And maybe a little that she hadn't wanted to deal with it.

"You see what you've done?" Hualing seethed. "You've turned my sweet little girl into this...this rude, disrespectful, rebellious-"

Unable to help herself, Toph actually laughed. "Sweet little girl? Lady, I don't know what planet you've been living on, but your daughter has always been this way, at least since I've known her. It's just a little more controlled, now. And I like to think I had some influence in that department."

"That's the problem! You have influenced her far too much!"

"Why can't you just see how much I've grown up, Mom? I'm not in any danger here."

"Not in any danger?! This place is full of criminals!"

"And it's full of cops, too! The best metalbenders in the whole world!"

"And she's one of them," Toph interjected.

There was a brief silence.

"You– You really mean that, Sifu?"

"You think I would hire a teenager to run my police academy if I didn't think you were the most qualified person? C'mon, Michi, you're smarter than that." She turned to Hualing. "Look. I know it might be hard for you to see, but she is the best person in the world for this job. Nothing you say is going to change that, and if you don't want her to walk out of your life, you need to accept it. Trust me. I'm speaking from experience."

"You're far too young to have a child do that to you," Hualing said belligerently.

"Other way around." Toph's words were met with a tense silence.

"Mom… Please…"

"I– I can't deal with this. I don't know why I even came down here. You don't listen to anything I say. You haven't for years." She then turned on her heel and stalked out.

"Michi…" Toph said with a sigh. "This isn't good."

"That's just the way she is. She'll get over it."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, either she will...or I'll just move out and never speak to her again. Just like you said."

"Come on… You don't really want that, do you?"

"That's rich, coming from you. When was the last time you saw either of your parents?"

"That's none of your fucking business. You're not me. And your mother doesn't live on the other side of the Earth Kingdom."

"I was being sarcastic about moving out," Michi said with exasperation. "Where would I go? You gonna let me stay with you?"

"Uh, no. You need to work things out with your mom. And you shouldn't have tricked me. I don't appreciate having people come into my station to yell at me."

"Would you have let me come, otherwise?"

"It could have been handled better," Toph hedged.

"Yeah, well, you're welcome to 'handle it' your way, if you want to so badly."

"You need to watch that smart-ass mouth of yours. My patience has limits, and it's just about used up for today. And you know what? I'm starting to question whether you're actually mature enough to handle this position."

"Wh- Seriously?" There was more hurt in her voice than anger. "After you just told my mom I was the most qualified person for this job? Now I'm an immature child?"

"I didn't say that," Toph said, rubbing her temples. "But you're playing the part of volatile teenager pretty well here. Are you 100% sure you're up for this job?"

"I already told you I am! You spent an hour going over the responsibilities. Penga did the same earlier."

"We can't have you and your mother getting into screaming matches in front of the trainees. It's not a good look. You need to deal with this issue."

"I will."

"Fine. Now get back to work."

With the drama finally over, Toph was finally able to get out for a little while to decompress. Of course, as soon as she returned from her patrol, Aang paid her a visit.

"Ugh! What now!?" she grumbled. "Spirits, I can't catch a break today!"

"Uh...nice to see you, too."

"Cut the garbage, Aang. You don't come here unless you either have bad news or need my help with something."

"I wouldn't say it's bad news…" he said slowly, sitting down.

"What, then?"

"The Council told me today that this year's Unification Day festivities are going to include a special ceremony. I assume it hasn't escaped you that it's the ten-year anniversary?"

"It has not."

"Well, anyway, they wanted me to let you know ASAP, since it's going to require some extra planning that will involve you."

"Super. More work."

"You having a bad day or something?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," Toph sighed.

"Why don't you come over for dinner tonight? Relax a little."

"Your house isn't exactly relaxing, these days."

"Hah. Ok, you've got me there. But it still beats working late just because you don't want to go home."

Toph pressed her lips into a thin line. Katara sure had rubbed off on him lately. "I'll think about it."

"We'll set an extra place just in case. I'll even take you home afterward so you don't have to ride the ferry." He stood and started to leave. "Oh, I don't know if you're wanting updates on You-Know-Who-"

"You can say his name, Aang. What are you, twelve?"

"Fine. Sokka's still up north. Looks like he's still going to be there for a while. Though I imagine he'll probably come for Unification Day."

"Don't hold your breath."

"Why wouldn't he come?"

"Same reason he didn't stop to visit on his way there." And that reason is me. Wouldn't be surprised if he never wants to see me again.

"You can't compare the two things. He said–"

"I know what he said. Now if you don't mind, I have a lot of work to do."

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

"Anything?" Toph asked when Aang returned to the ground, tapping her foot on the Island's dock impatiently.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't see anything out there. I guess he's running late."

"Ugh. I don't have all day."

"Maybe he was delayed," Katara murmured.

"Hold on… What is that?"

"What?" the two women said together.

"It almost looks like…"

"Is that...an airship?" Katara asked.

"I think it is."

"Huh? I thought he donated all his airships to the United Forces?" Toph said.

"Maybe he had some new ones made."

"That would violate the treaty."

"Well, maybe he got special permission from the Council to have one for personal use," Aang allowed. "I mean, wouldn't you rather fly here than spend a week on a ship? Especially with a pregnant wife. Though I'm not sure why I wasn't told about it, if the Council did ok it…"

"Is it close?" Toph asked briskly.

"Yeah. I think it'll be here in a few minutes. We should go up the hill to meet him."

His prediction turned out to be true. By the time they made it up the hill, Toph could hear the whirring of the airship's propellers.

"Wow!" Katara said. "It's so fancy!"

"You know Zuko. He's got a flair for the dramatic. I'm sure he likes to travel in style and comfort." A sudden metallic clang rippling through the earth made Toph nearly jump out of her skin until she realized it was a ramp connected to the metal beast in the air. "You're right, Katara. That thing is fancy."

"Zuko! Mai!" Aang cried, rushing forward as they disembarked. "It's so good to see you! It's been way too long!"

"No Sokka?" Zuko asked once the initial greetings were over. "In his last letter, he said he was going to wait and see if he'd be able to come."

His question was met with an awkward silence. Toph crossed her arms and made an effort to keep her face blank.

"Er, yeah, apparently things are still pretty crazy up north," Aang said. "I don't think he's going to make it."

"Oh. That's too bad."

"Nice ride, by the way. How'd you manage that one?"

"Actually...it's not mine."

"Oh, you're borrowing it?" Katara asked.

"Sort of. It's...well, it's for you. Both of you."

"What?!" Aang, Katara, and Toph all blurted together.

"It's a gift. One day that family of yours is going to be too big for Appa to cart around everywhere. And I think it adds a certain...gravitas. Plus, it's pretty fast."

"I...wow," Aang said faintly. "I don't know what to say. Thank you!"

"Don't thank me. It's from the United Forces. I'm just delivering it. And, well, I also had it outfitted to be a little more comfortable."

"Are we allowed to have an airship?" Katara wondered. "What about the treaty?"

"Already taken care of," Zuko assured her. "The Council approved it ages ago. I told them I wanted it to be a surprise."

"I guess that means you'll be taking a boat home," Toph said dryly, directing the comment at Mai.

"Ugh," she groaned. "Don't remind me."

‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›‹¤›

"Welcome, citizens of Republic City!" Councilman Ludo roared in his deep basso. "On this auspicious day, we celebrate the end of the Hundred Year War that countless people of this world suffered through. More importantly, we celebrate the heroes that delivered us into this era of peace exactly ten years ago. You need only look around you to see what has been accomplished in the last decade!"

Standing up on the stage with her friends, Toph suppressed a grimace while the crowd cheered. This crime-ridden city wasn't exactly a shining example of the fruits of their war efforts, nor was it something for her to be proud of personally.

"Today we honor those heroes, whose names every man, woman, and child now know. Whose names will go down in history books for all to know their deeds in the years to come." The Councilman paused for another round of thunderous applause. "Avatar Aang. Master Katara. Toph Beifong, our very own Chief of Police. Fire Lord Zuko. And Ambassador Sokka, who was unfortunately unable to be here today."

Unwilling to be here today, Toph corrected silently while yet another roar of applause reverberated through the square. Chief Beifong chased him away, and now, six months later, he's being childish and petty about it. With an effort, she shook herself out of those thoughts and tried to enjoy her adoring fans. It did feel good, being on display and celebrated.

The Councilman then spent the next half hour regaling the crowd with their adventures during the war - some of which were grossly exaggerated when not outright wrong. Where was he getting this information, anyway?

"And now Avatar Aang would like to say a few words."

"Thank you, Councilman Ludo. And thank you all for being here today to support us. As your Avatar, I will continue to strive to bring peace and balance to not only this city, but the whole world. In this time of prosperity and progress, it's important to also remember those that perished during the war. Many lives were lost, not just in battle, but in the turbulent years that followed the war's end. One of those lives was a dear friend of mine, Suki of Kyoshi Island, a brave Kyoshi Warrior who fought alongside us to defeat Fire Lord Ozai. After this ceremony, a special memorial service has been planned to honor not only her but all the other brave souls who are no longer with us. I hope you will join us in celebrating their memories. Thank you."

By the end of his little speech, Aang's voice had started to catch with emotion, and Toph could hear Katara sniffling faintly. She herself was taking slow, deep breaths to keep her face blank. It wasn't right that Sokka wasn't here. How could he justify missing this?

Unexpectedly, Zuko then stepped forward to speak. "Greetings, Republic City. As you know, the Fire Nation has a complicated history, and I have spent the last ten years trying to repair our relations with the other nations of the world. To show my country's dedication to maintaining peace and balance, I am sponsoring the creation of a statue of Avatar Aang, to be built in Yue bay near his home on Air Temple Island." Both Aang and Katara's hearts stuttered at this announcement; Toph herself was quite surprised. "He didn't know anything about this until just now," Zuko added with an awkward laugh. "As anyone close enough to see his face can probably tell." There was a ripple of laughter from the crowd.

Where's my statue? Toph mused to herself with a twisted smile.

The Councilman wrapped things up pretty quickly after that and the celebrations began in earnest. To escape the throng, the five old friends sought the relative privacy of a nice restaurant to enjoy a quiet dinner. It was blessedly child-free, Bumi being looked after by the air acolytes for the evening. Well, mostly child-free; Katara wouldn't stop pestering Mai about baby stuff.

"Good grief, Katara, leave her alone," Toph said while they were having dessert.

"Oh, shush. Just because you're a cynical baby-hater doesn't mean everyone is."

"Actually, I'm pretty cynical," Mai drawled. "Being pregnant is the worst."

"But it's so worth it!" Katara gushed.

"Hey Sparky," Toph said, deciding to tune out their conversation. Or steamroll right over it. "What gives with all the Avatar love? Where's my statue, huh?"

"Er...well…"

She grinned at his obvious discomfort. "Relax. I'm just giving you shit."

"I'm sure you'll get a statue one day," Aang assured her.

"Yeah, when I die," Toph replied with a dramatic eye roll.

"Don't be such a grump, Toph," Katara said. "You just got to stand up in front of thousands of people cheering for you. This is supposed to be a happy day."

Her words only served as a sharp reminder of who was missing. "Yeah. Happy. Hooray for us."

Later that night, when the fireworks were due to start, Toph slipped away from her friends to find a quiet place to be alone. This part of the celebration was always especially difficult for her, and not just because of the noise. One of her most bittersweet memories had occurred three years ago, up on the roof of the place she spent most of her time. It was the night she had finally admitted to herself that she was in love with Sokka. She still was, of course, but it didn't matter.

Sitting in a small park, well away from everything, she still couldn't escape the spiraling whines and subsequent booming, making her whole head vibrate. She pressed her palms against her ears, trying to block it out. I should have just gone home. Why didn't I just go home like I usually do? Familiar footsteps approached before it was over. "Satoru?" Toph said, surprised, during a brief lull.

"Hey, stranger. What are you doing out here all alone?"

"Did you follow me?" she asked instead of answering.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"I dunno. Guess I was curious why you were going off alone on your big night."

"Too much noise." Her words were accentuated by an especially loud series of ear-splitting bursts.

"Not a fan of fireworks, huh?"

"Not really, no."

She lay down flat on the ground and put her hands back over her ears. It wasn't worth trying to have a conversation, and she wasn't in the mood anyway. Satoru seemed to take the hint and simply sat there in silence until the show was over.

"Aside from the obvious, did you have a good time tonight?" he asked in the growing silence.

"Sure. Had a nice dinner with the gang."

"I enjoyed hearing about your adventures, as told by the Councilman," he laughed.

"Heh. Yeah, that was something. Kinda reminded me of a play about us on Ember Island back in the day."

"I, uh, couldn't help but notice Sokka didn't make it. Is he ok?"

"Yeah, he's still up north dealing with political bullshit," Toph muttered, waving her hand dismissively.

"Have you talked to him yet?"

She sat up and scowled. "You think I want to talk about that right now?"

"Sorry," he sighed. "I'll mind my own business. We can talk about me instead. I actually have some really good news."

"Yeah?"

"I finally convinced your father to let me invest some company funds in my generator project. Tomorrow I'll be pitching an idea to the Council to make a power plant for the whole city."

"Wow! That's great!" Toph said sincerely, glad to have the subject changed. "What changed his mind?"

"I don't know. He just sent me a letter the other day. I'm not going to question it."

"Best not."

"Anyway, if the plant gets approved for construction, I could really use your help building the generator parts, if you're up for it."

"Absolutely. I miss that kind of work, honestly."

Eagerly discussing the logistics of the project, they eventually wandered back to the celebration, which was in the process of winding down. Downtown was rapidly emptying of its noisy crowd, the streets littered with used food cartons and empty bottles.

"Do you want to try and find Aang and the others?" Satoru asked.

"Nah. They probably already went back to the Island, anyway. They've all gotten old and boring."

"Well, they do have a young child. I'm sure they don't get to sleep in much these days."

"Their loss. Hmph. Not that I get to sleep in, ever."

"Where exactly are we going?"

"I dunno. Nowhere. I'm just wandering around."

"Looks like you're wandering right to your job."

Toph stopped, realizing he was right. "I can't escape from this place, can I?"

"Do you want to?" Despite the bantering tone, it seemed like a sincere question.

"I don't know. Sometimes. But what else would I do?"

"You have lots of skills and talents. I have no doubt you could do whatever you wanted."

"You think I should? Would Republic City be better off without me?" Toph mused, feeling fatalistic.

"Wh– No! That's not what I meant. I didn't mean to–"

"Relax. I'm not as depressed as I sound. I'm not going anywhere. It's just…" She trailed off, trying to organize her thoughts.

"What?"

"It's impossible to make any progress here. One step forward, two steps backward."

"I'm sure you've made lots of progress," he said placatingly. "You do so much for this city."

"I know. Trust me, I know." She crossed her arms unhappily. "Not enough, apparently," she muttered.

"Wait..."

"What?"

"Is this about Aang getting a statue?" Satoru asked with unveiled amusement.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not that childish."

"Hm…"

Toph rolled her eyes. "What?"

"I was just thinking. I really like the architecture of the Police Headquarters. Especially that little flat, empty bit right in the center there. It's so...wonderfully severe, just like a police station should be. It would be a shame if someone carved out a little alcove and, I don't know, put a statue of themself there."

"You're crazy," she laughed.

"The revelers are almost all gone. This place will be empty soon."

"I've got officers on duty all night."

"So? You're the Chief of Police. Tell them to take a break."

"...You're actually serious?"

"Why not? I've got plenty of scrap metal back at the refinery. Any statue of the Legendary Toph Beifong should be made of metal. I've no doubt you're up to the task."

As Toph considered his ludicrous suggestion, she began to realize how much she needed it. "You know what? Let's fucking do it."