In this chapter I'll try to go a little over what happened between Toph and Sokka. Like so said before I don't own ATLA or most of the characters in this story. Enjoy!
"Ugh! I forgot how much I hate flying," Toph complained. "Hey it's not so bad now is it? You get to hold on to me," Sokka said with a grin. "Okay but that's the only good thing. Okay I think I'm going to puke."
Sokka handed her a bag that he invented for whenever Toph got airsick. Toph didn't want to admit it but it was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever done for her.
"Hey, I was thinking and I realized that we might run into Suki while we're at the Fire Nation palace," Sokka said with a worried voice. Toph looked up after throwing up in the bag. "Oh yeah, I didn't think about that. Do you think she's still mad?" Toph asked.
"Maybe, I don't know. She did almost try to kill me last time we saw each other. But it's been like 6 months so maybe she's not as mad," Sokka said.
Sokka then went to the front of Appa's saddle. "Hey any idea how much longer till we get there?" Sokka asked Aang and Katara.
"Well that's it over there," Aang said while pointing up to the Fire Nation Capitol. "Oh yeah, I forgot to even look where we were." Sokka said.
Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph landed in front of the palace and were soon greeted by Zuko and Mai.
"It's good to see you guys again." Zuko told the group as he hugged each one of them.
"Mai you look great! How far along are you again?" Aang asked. "About 5 months, but it feels like 5 years! I just want this thing out of me already." She complained as she pointed to her pregnant belly. "Anyways, how was the trip?" Mai asked.
"It was good, it's just that Toph kept getting airsick and grossing us out." Sokka jokingly said and was the hit in the arm by Toph.
They all then began to enter the palace. "So, any word on Azula?" Aang asked hoping that she had maybe already been captured.
"Nothing yet, but we have soldiers all over the Fire Nation and we have alerted the Earth Kingdom and Watertribes for them to keep an eye out." Zuko explained.
"We believe that she hasn't left the Fire Nation yet since it would be hard to get out without getting noticed," Mai explained to the group.
"We wanted you guys here in case she tried to come back. We recently found a list in her cell. It contained the names of everyone who had something to do with her demise. And we're all in it." Zuko let out.
All of their eyes widened. "Is she going to try to take us out one by one or something?" Toph asked. "We don't know for sure but most likely." Mai said. "With all of us here together we can protect each other so no one gets hurt." Zuko said.
"Or just makes us one big target and makes it easier for her to kill us all quickly," Sokka said. Katara then hit him in the arm. "What? I'm being serious! This just makes it easier for her to get us all at once!" Sokka let out.
"We can't think like that. There's one of her and 6 of us. Plus all the guards. How could she possibly come here and not get captured." Aang said. "Um, she's Azula she thinks everything ahead of time!" Toph exclaimed.
"Do you forget that she's lost her mind? She's not the same person she used to be." Katara said. "Actually," Zuko said as they all turned to him. "What?" Katara asked with a worried look on her face. "We have reason to believe she might have been faking all of that." Zuko said.
"Oh spirits! We're all screwed aren't we!" Sokka let out. Katara then hit him in the arm again. "If one more person hits me in the arm again I'm gonna," Sokka exclaimed and was then cut off by Katara. "You'll what?" Katara asked while raising an eyebrow at her brother. "I'm gonna, I'm gonna be very angry!" he exclaimed. "Ok I'll take my chances with your anger," Katara teased.
"For now all we can do is stay on alert for Azula. You guys should settle in your rooms now. Dinner will be served in about an hour or two." Zuko announced. Aang then turned to Katara, put his arm around her and whispered in her ear, "An hour or two huh? That gives us plenty of time to finish what we started 6 mornings ago." Katara giggled to his comment.
While Toph was taking a bath, which she became accustomed to after Katara practically forced it on her, Sokka decided to take a walk around the palace. He was looking at some of the painting on the walls and then turned the corner.
But when he did he bumped into someone and they both fell to the floor. "Ow," the girl complained and once she spoke Sokka knew exactly who that voice belonged to. "Suki?" he let out. "Sokka!?" she let out.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Well you know that Azula escaped and well Zuko asked us to come here to help look for her." He explained as he got up. "Oh yeah, that makes sense," she said with a frown on her face.
"So how've you been?" she asked him. "Um pretty good, and you?" He asked back. "Good I guess," she responded. There was an awkward silence that was then broken by Suki asking, "Is Toph here?"
"Oh yeah, she is. Actually I should be going back I was waiting for her to take a bath so that we would go eat dinner," Sokka replied. "So I'm guessing you two are still together," she said.
"Yeah, we are. We're really happy, actually," Sokka said with a small smile on his face as he taught about how good they actually were. "Well that's great!" Suki said sarcastically.
"Suki, you can't possibly still be mad over what happened." Sokka told her. "Oh really? Cause you basically left me for her!" she let out.
"I did not 'leave you for her'! You and I were already broken up. And our relationship was dead. We hardly saw each other anymore and when we did would spend all that time arguing. You wouldn't take any time to come visit me! It was always me who had to come to you! So don't give me some crap about me being the reason our relationship failed. Cause you had a big part in that too." Sokka let out.
Suki looked down at the ground, "Well could you at least not have gotten together with Toph of all people! I always told you there was something between you two and you always denied it. But the second you and I break up you go running to her!" Suki shouted.
"For your information we got together about 3 months after you and I ended. And when we were together, you were the only girl for me. Maybe Toph and I had a really good friendship but it didn't go any deeper than that till after you and I broke up. So please, can't you just try to be happy for me?" Sokka said.
Suki just looked at him with a look filled with hatred. She didn't say anything and just walked away.
Sokka let out a sigh and went back to his room. He saw the bathroom door open and walked in to see Toph bathing in the tub. He just stood there and admired her. Her long jet black hair was down and it fell perfectly across her shoulders. Her pale skin that was being massaged with a sponge.
"Why are you watching me bathe, weirdo?" She teased. He then came towards her, put his arms around her and began to kiss her neck gently. Toph let out a small moan and began to stroke his hair with her hand. He continued to kiss her neck and wouldn't stop till his tongue had touched all of her upper body. "Not that I don't want to right now, cause I really do, but we're gonna be late for dinner if we do," Toph told him.
"So what?" Sokka said and continued to suck on her neck. " 'So what?' you never pass on the opportunity of food," she said. "You're way better than food." He said as he turned to face her and then kissed her passionately. After they broke from the kiss Toph said, "That may be one of the sweetest and yet dirtiest things you've ever said to me," she said with a chuckle. He laughed and then looked at her beautiful face, "I love you." She smiled to this, "I love you too, Captain Boomerang." They continued to kiss and proceeded to bathe together. They eventually agreed to go get food so that they could have energy to do more of that.
Aang and Katara were laying in bed naked. They were just holding each other and stealing kisses every now and then.
"Okay I think it's time for us to get dressed," Katara said finally broke the silence. "Yeah you're right." Aang replied.
They got up and began to put their clothes on. "Hey so it's great that Zuko and Mai are having a baby," Aang said.
"Yeah, they look really happy," she replied.
Aang took a deep breathe before saying what he was about to say,"How long do you think till we have one of those?" Aang asked with a smile on his face.
Katara's eyes widened at his words. They had sometimes had conversations about getting married and having kids but it was never really that serious. But this conversation felt serious. She never really mentioned this but she was a little hesitant of doing that. She loved Aang more than anything, but he was always so busy with his Avatar duties. And it wasn't just that, with him being the last airbender that meant he was supposed repopulate his nation. And if he married her that would be her task too. She was scared she wouldn't be able to do that. There was so much pressure and responsibilities that would fall under being his wife. She was frightened that he would regret choosing her to do that with.
"Well we would have to get married first and that's like a long time from now, you know and how do we even know we're gonna marry each other at the end?" Katara tried to stall. However she regretted saying those words.
"Wait, what did you just say?" Aang asked her with a more serious and insulted tone.
Katara turned to face him and could see the hurt on his face. "Aang, it's just that. You know, you and me we could end up with, other people and not each other. We don't know what could happen."
"Are you saying that there's someone else?" He confronted.
"What! No! That's not what I said!" She exclaimed.
"Do you really not believe that you and I could get married? When you picture yourself in 40 years from now do you not see me by your side?" He asked with hurt filling his words.
"Aang, I don't know." That wasn't true. She did know. But she didn't want to say. In that moment Aang could feel his heart break.
"Well, I know! And I do, Katara I love you more than anything in the world! And I want to be with you and love you till the end of my days! And it hurts me to know that you don't feel the same way." After saying that a single tear fell from his eye and he then left the room and headed towards the dining room.
Katara then slapped her hand on her forehead, "What is wrong with me!" she let out. "How could I say that when it's not even true! Stupid!" she then hit herself in the head again.
After dinner, Aang went back to his and Katara's room while Katara sat outside by the turtleduck pond. He then sat on the bed and reached into his pocket. He took out a watertribe betrothal necklace with an air nomad symbol carved on the stone.
In that moment he overheard a loud bang.