Author's Disclaimer: I don't own a thing belonging to "Avatar: the Last Airbender." I don't claim to own anything in "Avatar: the Last Airbender." Nada.
Author's notes: Here we go again :P Anything that comes from CharlieBarrow's talks and ideas came from her, rest I elaborated on. On with the show.
"Tumbling Boulder: the Toph Files"
Chapter ten "New Woman"
Toph wasn't expecting to walk into a retinue of Fire Nation soldiers, but there you had it. And then the chi signature flickering at their center that she knew personally.
"Zuko. You finally show," she said. Ire over her preconceived notion that Suki would only ever answer to HIM roiled through her. The earth rumbled beneath her bare feet.
"Hi, Toph! It's good to see you," Zuko said. He moved closer and Toph's shoulders tensed. She stomped a foot, making the earth jolt Zuko away from her. "What was that for? Did I do something to make you mad?"
"Fire Lord, stand back," one of the soldiers was saying but Zuko raised a hand. He was unperturbed to his old friend's anger and wouldn't back down.
Anger roiled through Toph's chi and she was pleased it made Zuko back off a step finally. "Well, where are your helpers? Where are the Kyoshi Warriors?"
Zuko, of course, misread her intent in asking. "I sent them to secure an island close to the Fire Nation. There was an uprising occurring and I couldn't leave the locals to violence. They'll report back with me in a few days, I hope."
Fear and anger roiled through Tophi. And Suki had gone with them of course. She always would put everything over their child! Never mind her! She hissed and columns of concrete rose up with her clenched fists. Zuko was tossed back like a rag doll.
"What in the!..."
"Fire Lord, get back! We'll protect you!"
"Naw, let him answer!" Toph yelled. She aimed a hip-high boulder at her friend and Zuko had the sense to dodge. A wave of flame burst toward her but Toph raised a wall of stone to deflect it. Picking off Zuko's soldiers and firebenders was a cake walk when she used the metal in their armor to smash them against each other. And then it was just her old friend.
"Whatever's happened, Toph, we can talk about it!" Zuko offered. "I'm not going to attack you!"
"What is going on here?!" Aang erupted into the hall, floating on a stream of air. His well-timed leaps and kick-offs of the Fire nation soldier's heads plopped him between Toph and Zuko.
"Aang! What is it?!" And Katara was rushing from the other end of the hall. The soldiers parted to let her in front of Zuko, knowing a master was present with the Avatar.
Toph lowered her fists. She reached to sock Zuko in the shoulder and his grunt of pain was satisfying. "Nothing! Just a small argument. That's all."
"Sure." Zuko sensed a reprieve. "Let's go have a drink over it, shall we?"
Toph felt pulled into a further discussion she didn't want but nodded. "Fine. It's on you."
"Of course."
Aang rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. "Well, we can't have brawls from the Chief of police. What if the townsfolk saw?"
Toph wanted to give a flippant response but inclined her head. "Sorry, Twinkle Toes. I'll keep it in line."
"What's gotten into you?" Zuko asked in a low voice as they walked away from their friends.
"A lot of shit. Hey, how's the wife and kid?" Tophi said to change the subject. Zuko laughed.
"Doing well so far. No more uprisings. Azula's on Ember Island and far from us. I heard you have a kid now too!"
Toph winced despite herself. "Yeeeeeah. Wanna meet her later?"
"Sure!"
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Toph leaned against the bar of the dance hall. Her dress uniform was tight and showed off her strong tall form, but she wasn't in the mood for being done up so fancy. Aang had called for a celebration for the city and the people were happy to participate. Sokka had gotten an advisory slot in with the Republic City Council, and Katara was busy with her own investigations with her officers.
Toph blew her bangs out of her eyes, sighing. Her nanny was looking after Lin, and she hadn't wanted to come at all. Aang had pleaded that the city deserved to see their Chief of police having a good time, so she'd relented. Only for an hour or two. Aang had joyfully agreed.
Aang's kids had been left with a sitter as well and Toph couldn't pretend to allocate her time in public with them. Lin did love being near them, and Aang as well. She liked him so much, that Toph had dryly told Aang that he couldn't have her kid.
It was all of Suki she had left. Toph swallowed a lump in her throat and signaled back behind the bar where she could read a chi signature. "Brandy, now."
"Coming up, Chief!"
Toph tried not to sigh with exasperation.
"It sure is a gathering here, huh?" The voice was feminine and close by her side. Toph shrugged in the woman's direction, reading her chi signature.
"It's alright." Toph was surprised when her hand was taken to shake. Sometimes people took advantage that she couldn't see, and it rankled her. She flared her chi to read the woman's movements further. "Hey now…."
"Changying. Pleasure to meet you, Chief Beifong."
Toph shrugged. "So you know who I am." She really couldn't be surprised. She and her friends held important positions in the budding city and a lot of people knew who she was. Nothing new there.
"I do. It's hard to get a minute alone with someone of your stature."
Flattery. That was her way in, huh. Toph shrugged. She couldn't be swayed just with pretty words. "So you say. Why am I that important?"
"You keep the peace of the city. That requires a thank you now and again." Nimble fingers tugged at the crook of her elbow, running over her dress uniform sleeve. "Let me buy you a drink, Chief."
Toph shrugged, the bartender handing over the glass she'd ordered. She heard the plunk of where it was set and picked it up easily. "I have a drink."
"But not one from me! We'll have to have more than one," Changying insisted. Her chi fluttered against hers in subtle and non-subtle waves. Toph raised an eyebrow despite herself. Having Suki leave to run back to the Fire Nation had been the hardest thing she'd had to endure. She did her best looking after her child, but she was only one person. She feared she was mucking up the child-raising as it were, never mind her baby's mother had fled. It honestly felt good to be wanted.
"Knock yourself out."
"Come, sit with me…."
As the hours went by, Toph drank abit more and was pleased at the attention Changying gave her. She proved a good conversationalist, peppering her stories with wit and fun. Toph laughed quite a few times and shared a few tales of her own. Aang had come around to introduce himself but Changying's full attention was on her. It honestly puffed Toph's pride. Most people fell all over themselves to meet Aang.
She was surprised to find herself staggering when they left the banquet hall. It was getting on late and the waiters were politely clearing the tables and urging the stragglers to leave. Twinkle Toes and Katara had left hours ago; so had Sokka. Good. Now Toph could be alone with a pretty girl. At least she thought she was pretty. She was certainly vivacious enough.
Changying pressed into her side, ducked under her arm and Toph leaned on her. She gave a rare grin suddenly as curves pressed into her torso. "Hey, easy now…."
"Whoa, we should sit down or something, we had a lot to drink," Changying giggled. Her steps were more sure than Toph's, so the earthbender followed the pattern she set into the gravel. Toph opened her eyes to realize she'd had them closed, and was leaning against a counter as Changying talked to someone behind it. There was a jangling of keys and the girl was taking her arm, leaning up to press kisses along the line of her neck as they walked. Toph huffed, blood surging south and she tugged at her uniform collar, exposing herself further. She couldn't even find it in herself to complain when Changying pressed her to the wall and pressed full up against her, grinding steadily. Toph was too drunk and aroused to protest her shift pushing out against the girl's lower half. She widened her thighs and leaned against the wall.
"Fuck," Toph muttered aloud after another long kiss. Her hands went due south and cupped Changying's ass through the silk of her dress. Changying giggled and her hands were everywhere, cupping between her legs, stroking her through her trousers. Then a nearby door was opened and Toph fell over onto the rug, dragging Changying with her.
"Oh, you want more," she giggled, and the sound somehow made the hairs rise on Toph's arms. But she slammed a fist against the floor, jutting a line of earth at the door to close it. Then she pushed Changying onto her back and climbed on top, tugging at her trousers, at her dress. Her erstwhile companion helped as best she could, and Tophi couldn't help the loud moan as she pushed in, encased in silken wet walls. Her head tilted back as she braced on her forearms, trying to get her bearings. But it had been too long.
Changying gave a sigh beneath her as she came abruptly, hard and fast. Toph's hips jogged quickly and she grunted, face contorting with pleasure. Changying's smooth thighs tightened around her hips. A flash of blurriness and Tophi groaned as she was pushed to her back and mounted. The girl moving on her length was eager for it, coaxing her with clenches and sighs as her hips rolled on top of Toph's. Toph's hands moved up to her hips, to her breasts, squeezed, and went ack to her hips to hang on. Her head thumped back on the rug as she was swept away on a tide of passion.
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Changying looked at the damage to her dress. The chief had torn it in her haste to get to her and it was a pity. It WAS rather expensive. She moved around the hotel suite, looking for her handbag. Locating it, she fished out her cigarette case. A moan from the floor and the half-naked alpha stumbled to her knees, trying to push up. A good few hours had passed and Changying had made sure she'd had a VERY good time. But she didn't want to leave just yet. Not when there were a few more tasks to achieve success….
"How long was I out?" Toph grumbled as she tried to rebutton her uniform shirt. Half of the buttons had been torn out and she sighed, tucking in the shirt into the hem of her trousers. She hunted around for her shoes on her hands and knees. Nonliving things were so hard to find and couldn't reverberate a chi signature and Toph wanted to hiss when it took too long to locate just one. Changying moved lithely across the sitting room and nudged her other shoe toward her.
"Not long."
Toph took it with a grunted thanks.
"So uh, do I ….." Toph was about to ask if she owed her any fare. There was no other explanation for waking up on the rug of a hotel with a pretty girl who'd fucked her into oblivion. Changying laughed. She opened her cigarette case with a clack and hunted for a lighter. She was slightly miffed when Toph didn't make any moves to light her cigarette for her. Oh well, there was nothing for it. It wasn't like she could see where to light.
"I ain't no call girl, sweetie. I just wanted a good time with you," Changying said blithely. Toph exhaled a sigh of relief.
"I didn't…I didn't hurt you or anything did I?" Toph wondered. She could only remember snatches of what had happened before and while her shift was sated and retracted down, she wondered what it had taken to get to this level of satiation. Changying chuckled.
"Oh no, you were just fine, sweet thing."
Toph blushed as she refastened her fly and pulled her dress uniform coat back on. Her fingers noted one of the large buttons was missing, no doubt torn off. She sighed.
"Yeah, well, I aim to please…." Toph was starting to feel out of her element and just wanted to leave. What the bloody time was it? She had Lin's nanny watching her, but she had been due back at least for hours! Toph cursed herself in her head and made her way to the door.
"Can I see you again?"
Toph paused, surprised. "Sure, I guess. I should go."
"Have a good morning, Chief."
Toph hurried out of the hotel and made her way down the somewhat quiet and deserted downtown. It had to be an early hour, hardly a soul was out on the streets. The nanny must be freaking out, wondering who she should call when a policeman went missing. Well, her comrades of course. But still, the irony had Toph's mind churning as she hurried along.
Unlocking the door of her apartment, Toph was greeted by a hushed hiss-whisper from the sofa.
"Where were you?! I was going to call your station!"
Toph sighed. After a probe, she felt her child's chi, still and silent as she slept in a basket by the nanny. Obviously, she had been too distraught to put Lin down in her cradle as she had waited for her. At least Lin was able to sleep.
"I'm sorry, Sen. I didn't intend to be out so late…" Toph walked to her bedroom and went through her envelope of spare cash under her mattress, coming back out with a large tip for the nanny. She DID need to keep her services, after all. Sen huffed, but accepted it.
"I can get Madame Yuri's dumplings first thing. I'll beat the crowd," she said, won over. Toph's mouth cracked open in a wide yawn.
"Go on, kid. And thanks. I'll see you after today, take the rest of the day off."
"Thanks, Chief Beifong."
Toph made a mental note to get up later that morning to use the communal telephone in the lobby of the apartment building and call in herself a day off. But after locking up after Sen, she carefully collected Lin's basket, carrying her as silently as she could to the bedroom. She set the basket on the floor by her bed and hastened in the washroom. She was barely awake enough to swipe a warm washcloth over important areas, cleaning around her retracted shift of any mess of her escapade earlier. She should shower but Toph wasn't certain she could stay awake long enough for one.
So she scrubbed between her legs, and washed her hands and face, and swiped a toothbrush through her mouth. Toph stumbled into her bedroom, yawning. She collected Lin out of her basket and the baby only gave one small wail before she fell asleep against her breast. Toph lay back on the bed and tugged one of the sheets over her legs, holding one hand securely over the baby's back. And she was out like a light.
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Snuffles and wails on her chest woke Toph abruptly and she groaned, rubbing Lin's back.
"Oh, sorry, baby, hungry?" Toph mumbled. She flared her chi in protective strokes and Lin's small feet stopped kicking, as she hiccupped with her cheek against Toph's night shirt. Then another wail and Toph sat up. Diaper check. Got it.
After changing her child, Toph juggled her in the crook of one arm as she padded, long legs bare beneath her night shirt as she made her way to the kitchen. A few gropes in the fridge told her Sen had at least made two bottles from formula during her worried wait last night. Bless that kid. She was going to be keeping her for some time. Toph heated up a bottle and spoke in low croons to Lin. The memories of what had gone down last night made her somewhat uncomfortable even though she'd gotten off. And suddenly she missed Suki with all her might.
"Your ma said she'd be back. Well, where is she?" Toph mumbled to her child. Her baby latched onto the bottle's nipple and she rocked her slowly as she made her way to the couch. After grabbing a few bites of cold breakfast snatched from leftovers from the fridge, Toph pulled some trousers on and a loose tunic, collecting Lin up in her basket. She made her way to the lobby of the building and toward the communal telephone.
A grunt told her she wasn't alone, and Toph read the agitated chi signature. Short and squat with a perpetual cough. The building's manager.
"I wrote a few messages for you, Chief Beifong! You might want to check in with your officers. Shouldn't you be at work?" A slap in the air as a few sheets of paper were pressed at her, then the manager remember she couldn't read them and took them back. Toph allowed a small smirk.
"I will. Can you dial for me?" she asked. The manager worked the rotary wheel and soon the line was clicking, waiting for the other end to pick up. The manager leaned down to tut at Lin in her basket and Toph leaned against the wall, waiting. She rubbed one bare foot against her shin.
"Downtown police station."
"Hey, Mituki. How goes it."
"Chief!"
Toph reigned in the conversation; she was still the boss after all. She opted for the day off, of course, and promised to be back tomorrow morning. She got a few updates on some cases then said goodbye and to keep vigilant.
"Well, take it easy, Chief," the manager said, rising up from her heels where she'd been talking to the baby. Toph leaned to pick up the basket and gave a nod.
"You too."
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As promised, Toph went back to her usual schedule of work. The days passed without an indicator to tell that the night of the banquet was anything other than a fluke chance meeting. And Toph was fine with it, no matter how her blood boiled remembering the heated kisses and thrusts. Well, no matter. She'd gotten her fill and she should be good for awhile.
Then there was a knock at her apartment door one evening while she was heating up soup on the stove for her dinner. Lin was laying in her basket, playing with a toy that Aang had made for her, babbling softly. Toph turned the stove off by touch and set the pot to the back burner, making her way to the front door. If it was Sokka, she was gonna leave off for the evening. She toiled with feelings of guilt and annoyance with his very interest in her child. The child she'd gotten with his ex-girlfriend….
"Please don't be Sokka, please…." Toph mumbled as she unlatched the door. The problem with not seeing, she had to admit almost everyone to see who was knocking. She could take care of any trouble, but her child WAS right behind her. Toph's stance tightened as she opened the door a crack.
"Well, hi there, Chief!"
"Changying?"
"Well, yeah. I thought you'd want some company for dinner."
A rustle of bags and Toph had the feeling she'd brought some over.
"How did you find out where I live?" she asked suddenly and wanted to kick herself. Some things didn't need a blunt approach. The girl was gonna tell her off next, just wait…
"Your station told me. I said you were missing your coat and wanted to return it." Changying sounded as cheeky as she must look. Toph admitted a smile and allowed her in.
"I gotta feed the baby and put her down first. If you want to wait…"
There, an erstwhile test. Toph was ready for any response instead of what she got.
"Oh, she's so cute! Looks just like you."
'I wouldn't know.' Toph had the grace to keep that to herself as she plucked Lin from her basket. She listened to Changying putting something together. Toph allowed herself a few moments to rock Lin after her feeding, and when she nodded off, went to put her in the cradle in her bedroom. When she came back out to the living room, dinner was offered, and then a surprise touch that led to more.
Toph didn't feel snared, not really. She was controlling the encounter, her thrusts moving the girl back and forth on the rug, but Changying only laughed at her motions. So this was alright, wasn't it? Toph banished any bad encroaching thoughts and tried to enjoy the moment.
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"So. Heard you met the Chief of police."
Changying grinned as Hama's blood benders checked on her chi, her vitals, and offered her tea. "That I did. Had us a good time already."
"It's got a double boost of fertile roots. You might want two cups," the old woman said as Changying took the tea. She sipped eagerly, making a face at the taste.
"Damn. Why did I ever doubt you, kid?" One of the older men gave a grin and a wink. Changying pursed her lips at him and winked back. She took another sip.
"You shouldn't. I always get what I set out for."
"So, we're replacing Beifong as Chief of police once you get all good and settled. GOOD. One peg down," one of the women said.
"Hama would be pleased with you, kid. You're doing great."
"Just need some more visits with her. Then all will take, I hope," Changying said. She rubbed her roiling belly as the tea made its way through her system and she forced the rest of the cup down. Another steaming cup was pressed into her hand and she sighed. A little help was never going to be denied by her nature, after all.
End for now
End notes: Like it, leave a review! Always welcome.
Pen 3/7/2020