Crossroads
AN: Another chapter!
Clearing the Air
It had to be love, she thought with a sigh. Her eyes were closed and all she could concentrate on was Zuko. She wasn't really paying any attention to what they were saying. Her thoughts were elsewhere. She heard her father clear his throat and she straightened her back. She tried to pay attention, but it was futile. Zuko's lips filled her thoughts and heart. Toph decided to used her seismic senses to make sure that her beloved boys were all right. She smiled to herself when slowly the images and shapes of Rae and Zuko playing contently on the floor in the room next to hers filled her mind. Her father's voice grew soft and now her parents were murmuring about her lack of disrespect for not paying attention; unaware that she could easily hear them.
"Toph, is something wrong?" her mother said in a quiet voice.
Toph turned her face to her mother's direction and again, pretended to pay attention. She hid a small laugh under an exaggerated cough, when she sensed Zuko tripping over something. She could hear Rae's infectious laughter. As much as she loved her parents, she wanted to be with Zuko and with Rae. In the short time they'd been together, they'd become a beautiful family. Zuko had been true to his word; they were the most imperfect, yet happy family. She was thankful that Zuko had agreed to put on the ring she'd earthbent for him. It wasn't valuable - not made out of gold or any expensive metal. It was a simple ring. She had divided the space rock that Sokka had given her years ago into equal halves. Rae, her precious son, wore his piece in the shape of a thin, scaly dragon-shaped bracelet. The other half portion, she'd turned into a ring in the form of a dragon breathing fire, which Zuko wore on the middle finger of his left hand. Toph had insisted they wear it. She felt at peace knowing that they had theirs on. The space rock enabled her to sense them anywhere withing a 500 mile radius.
"Are you all right? Are you coming down with the flu? It must be this horrible, rundown place," Poppy Bei Fong said in disgust. "We could be sick too."
"No, this place is not... I-I'm perfectly healthy," Toph said indifferently, resting her open palms on the arm rests of her chair. "Why are you guys here? I was told that you did not want to see me!" she said nonchalantly and played with her trembling hands. "I find it strange that you are here."
"We," she began and gulped, her eyes darting from her daughter and then at her husband. "Aren't we allowed to change our minds?" she asked snootily and then looked at her husband. He gave her an encouraging nod, urging her to proceed with the gesture. "We were a bit hard on you. We should have welcomed you. I understand we made a mistake once." She laughed nervously.
Toph suddenly wished that she had let Zuko joined her in this conversation. He'd been worried about her, but she had reassured him that everything was going to be all right.
"What made you change your mind?" Toph asked, raising a delicate eyebrow. "Why the sudden need to see me? Did you want to see how I was fairing?"
"I," Lao Bei Fong sighed. "Your mother pressured me in to coming." He lied. "I can't deny my precious anything." He said, giving his wife hand a gentle squeeze.
"It's good to know," Toph said sarcastically.
"Who was that young man that was with you out there?" Lao asked. "He took many liberties with you." He grudged. "He was kissing you when our carriage passed the one you were in."
Toph inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled. She needed to be strong, diplomatic, and polite. She didn't want her parents to think that she was disrespectful: a savage. She'd not seen them in almost eight years, so she needed to prove to them that she had grown.
"Um, you don't have to answer if you don't want to." Poppy Bei Fong began, looking around the room. "Toph,"
"Yes, mother?"
Poppy pinched her nose and looked around the small inn bedroom. "Why are you in such a room? Couldn't you have paid for something more... upscale? It's so dingy."
"Poppy, my dear," her father began. "Have you seen what our daughter is wearing. This is appropriate for her... um, lifestyle."
"Oh, honey," her mother lamented. "Did you come to us for money? We gladly help you out,"
"Mom," Toph raised an eyebrow and sat back on her chair. Her parents watched her. It was so uncomfortable in the room. It felt like the walls were closing in on her. She wished that she could run to the room next door and let Zuko's arms engulf her. She needed Zuko, desperately. She wanted to run away, again, but that was all she'd ever known. Her mother's tone of voice was pompous and irritating. She'd forgotten how high class her parents were. She decided to be herself. If they truly wanted to accept her, they had to accept for who she was. "Mother," Toph sighed loudly. She had to remind herself that people tended to be ignorant when they'd lived all their lives in luxury; unaware of some humans living conditions. They were unaware of things around them and didn't know how to commiserate with those less fortunate. "Unlike-,"
"Sweetie," her mother interjected.
"Unlike you and father, I have lived in luxury and in poverty. I have adapted well to my environment. I am very comfortable with my economical status. This inn, is perfect and comfortable for me. I won't be staying her for too long. I know it's moderate," she paused and brushed her bangs away from her eyes.
"Is - this is only temporary, right?" Poppy interjected. "Toph, this is not a place for a Bei Fong!"
"Mother, this place is fine. The people are polite and I feel at home since Rae, Zuko and the others are with me. I'm not alone!"
"What do you mean?" her father asked, leaning forward in curiosity. "Who is Zuko? Is he the man that was with you early? And who is Rae and who are the others?"
"My friends and my-"
"Your lover?" Poppy shouted in disbelief.
"What?" Toph exclaimed confused.
"This is what happens when you run away from a loving and wealthy family," Lao Bei Fong said angrily. "Why did I have to come, Poppy? So I can see my daughter living in sin with a man."
"What the hell? What?" Toph said puzzled. "You-"
"Can you see that this ungrateful child doesn't want us?" her father cut her off and angrily stood up.
"Lao," Poppy said through clenched teeth. "She's our daughter!" Poppy fumed. She got to her feet and placed her perfectly manicured hands on her hips. "You promised me! You promised me that you would not lose your temper if we came here to see Toph! She's lived away from us for many years. She's not our little girl anymore. She is an adult."
"But, sweetheart!"
"We aren't here for you! Stop making everything about you. Let our child explain herself!" she hissed and sat down. Lao remained on his feet, glaring down at Toph. "Sit,"
"No," he shook his head.
"I said sit," she growled very unfeminine and pulled the waist of his robe and forced him to sit down. She then turned to her daughter and adjusted her hairdo. "Oh my, I apologize for my harsh tone of voice, Toph. I rarely use it. But it comes in handy." She said sweetly and cleared her voice. "Where were we? Oh yes, Toph, you were going to tell us about your guy friend."
"Um," she stuttered.
"Don't be shy, darling," her mother said sweetly.
Toph recalled her mother's sweet tone and something inside her moved. It was a mixture of tenderness and nostalgia. Perhaps she'd been a fool for not trying to rekindle her relationship with her parents. They weren't so bad. She closed her eyes and studied her mother's face. It took all her effort, but she could tell the outline of Poppy Bei Fong's face. She wanted to touch her mother's face and engrave the contours in her memory. Who knew when she would be with them again? Who knew how they would take the news that they were grandparents?
"I don't know why I didn't have an obedient daughter!" her father grumbled.
"Dad," Toph said and began laughing. "You don't change, do you? I can hear you,"
"Impossible," he said.
"I'm blind. My other senses are sharp. I can hear perfectly. Now I know where I get my no-nonsense attitude." she laughed.
Her parents stared at her uncomfortably and waited until she stopped laughing. Suddenly, the knowledge that they would never have a harmonious relationship sank in. They may be relatives, but they didn't know Toph. The reality hit Lao the hardest. The little girl he'd carefully raised to be well-mannered, well-behaved and conducted herself properly and with dignity was gone. The Toph that sat before him wasn't their little girl. Yes, she had the same demeanor and facial characteristics that he remembered, but that was as far as the similarities went. His daughter was unrefined. He could tell that she'd struggled with life and the simple thought of seeing his lovely daughter hurt him so much. It caused his heart to ache for the hundredth time that day He'd regretted letting her go. Toph didn't look defeated. She looked healthier, older. He could see the wisdom painted on her tired looking face. Toph was a woman. How he wanted to see his darling angel tucked protectively behind the Bei Fong mansion's walls.
"Toph, that's not the way a proper young lady laughs," Poppy shivered at the drastic change in her daughter's attitude and silently blamed the Avatar for stealing her from them. He'd turned her daughter into a commoner. She had no class.
"Sorry," said when she noticed the change in her mother's composure and lowered her laughter. "I know that I'm not as refined as you remember..." she sighed. "To be honest," she sighed, causing her bangs to fly from her forehead. "I only remember our servants raising me." she said honestly. "All I remember was when you hid me from guests or shooed me away from your presence. I don't remember a lot of fun times. I had more fun fighting the Fire Nation's soldiers during the 100 year war than at home. I don't regret my decision. I believe that the destiny I chose was the correct one."
"What are you saying? We are aristocrats. We gave you the best. How can you be so selfish, Toph?" Poppy said nervously. "We had maids to watch and care for you when we were unavailable. The best tutors were always selected to provide you with the best education. Only the best for you. We protected you from the cruel world. We were right, you chose wrong! Look how haggard and and and," she repeated, a silent tear rolling down her face.
"I'm not here to accuse you," Toph said, scooting closer to the edge of her chair. She played with her hands and wished that she could feel Zuko's arms around her. "I just think..." she paused. "I think that children need to be raised by their parents, regardless of their economical situation. Parents need to be there for their children. I needed my parents love. I wanted to be needed, protected and wanted. I didn't need all those maids, servants and tutors. I needed my parents' love. I didn't want to be locked inside four walls. I was born to live in the world. I wasn't meant to be caged like a bird. I only wanted to be accepted with all my flaws. I never felt loved." Toph choked.
"How dare you!" Lao said and stood up. "Is this why I came, Poppy? To be judged by my own daughter?" He said in disdain and looked down at his wife. "What do you know about being a parent? You are not a mother,"
"How can you say that, child?" Poppy said, a trembling hand over her heart. "You don't know how difficult it is to raise a child with, um,"
"Disabilities?" Toph snapped. "Is that what you wanted to say, mother?"
"How dare you speak to your mother in that tone?" Lao shouted. "Poppy, we have an ungrateful child. She never saw the sacrifices we made for her! She didn't think for a second that we were protecting her from this cruel world. And your actions are why we never wanted anyone to know that you were alive! You've been contaminated!"
"Oh, please," Toph laughed curtly. "Don't come here with that excuse,"
"Toph, you don't know how hard it is for a mother to raise a child that is blind. We needed to take extreme care of you."
"No, you needed to make things as normal as you could for me," Toph said. "You needed to teach me that I was normal despite my inability to see. Instead, I was shun from the entire world!" Toph screamed, angry tears streaming down her face. "I do know how hard it is for a mother. I know about sacrifice!"
She stood up from her chair and walked over to the door. Her parents' eyes followed her and stared quizzically at her. "Where are you going?"
"Out for air! This room is suffocating me. Don't go anywhere!" she shouted. "I'll be back," she said angrily, opening the door and slamming it after herself.
Her parents were baffled at her attitude and turn their heads back to where Toph had been sitting. "I wonder where she's going?" Lao asked irritated. "I hope she cools down."
"I don't know, darling," Poppy said and placed her hands on her lap. "She has your temper."
"Mine? Huh, please," Lao said and folded his arms over his chest.
Toph paced the length of the hallway. She could hear her parents conversing in low voices. She'd really lost it. Her temper was flaring and her outburst had been worst than Zuko's. She took a deep breath and knocked softly on the room next door.
"Come in," Zuko's husky voice called from the other side of the door.
She slowly opened the door and poked her head inside. "Can I come in?"
"Momma!" Rae shouted excitedly. "Are you done with your meeting?"
"Hey, sweetheart," she said and the words sounded strange on her lips. She'd never called her son that. It's true. Rae was the light of her sightless eyes. He was the sweetest part of her heart. He was her world. But to her, those words were meaningless, until this very moment. Her words had been true. Zuko and Rae were the sweetest part of her heart. The purest, most amazing thing that she'd ever had. Her anger slowly subsided.
"I missed you," Rae said and waved at her from where he stood.
"Are they gone? I heard shouting coming from the room next door," Zuko said and took Rae's hand. "Hold on, Toph. Rae," he stopped and shook his head. "Like this, silly." Zuko demonstrated how to position his hands for a basic firebending move. "If you leave your fingers open, the flame will absorb too much energy and it will blow up on your face."
"Like this?" Rae asked, his eyes fixed on his tiny hands.
"Yes," Zuko nodded. "Keep practicing. I'm going to have a quick chat with your mom."
"Okay," Rae said excitedly and continued practicing his moods.
Zuko walked to where Toph was standing and encircled her waist with his muscular arm. "You don't look so good. Were you crying?"
Toph shook her head and rested her cheek on his chest. "You are an amazing father, Zuko," Toph said.
"I am?"
"Yes," she said softly against his robes. "You are the best friend I've ever had, too."
"I am?" Zuko smiled. "Do you need a hug, my princess?"
"I do," she sobbed, opening her arms widely and welcomed Zuko's strong body against her. He wrapped his muscular arms around her and eased her worries. "I need you so much."
"You have me, Toph. I'm yours," he whispered against her hair. And she knew that he was saying the truth. She felt it in his hugs, kisses and in everything that he did for her. Zuko loved her and it was both fascinating and scary to her.
"I know," she smiled behind her tears. "I want my parents to meet Rae," she said against his ear. "Do you think that I'm doing the right thing? Someday, he'll," she stopped, pointing at their son. "Someday, he'll ask me about them. Why not show him who his grandparents are, right?"
"You are doing the right thing," he reassured her and lowered his head to give her a kiss on her cheek. "Just one moment," he said and pulled away.
He walked over to their son and knelt beside him. "I promise to teach you how to firebend as soon as we get back from Toph's meeting, okay?" He waited for Rae's response.
"Okay,"
"In the meantime," he said, turning to face Toph. "Mommy wants to introduce you to someone," he said.
"Okay," Rae said, looking at his hands. "Can you tell me more about the story of firebending, Zuko? I don't want to wait until I go to school." the child pouted.
"Fine, anything for my Crown Prince."
Zuko hurried and dressed his son in a more appropriate attire and combed his raven hair. He smiled at Rae, as he watched the child move his hands. He was proud of his son. He was certain that Rae was going to be an amazing firebender. He was a smart child and already could wield blue flames. With a proper education, Rae would be a great ruler of the Fire Nation. When Zuko and Rae were finished, the three of them exited the room and entered the room where Toph's parents were waiting.
"Mom, Dad," Toph stopped.
"What is he doing here?" Lao spat.
"Dad, don't interrupt," Toph snapped. Zuko inhaled deeply and braced himself for the moment. His future father-in-law was staring daggers at him. He placed a caring hand on Toph's shoulder and felt her relax. "This man here is," she paused, and he urged her to continue. Rae hid behind his father and clutched tightly at his mother's hand. "This is Zuko."
"Hello," Zuko said, bowing his head politely.
"What are you to her?" Lao asked, sizing the young man with his eyes. He cringed at the unsightly scar that graced the young man's face. Suddenly, he remembered. "You are the Fire Lord! You are responsible for the-"
"Father," Toph hissed. "This is no time or the place for that! If you want to know about my life, then you will not speak until I am finish. If you interrupt me... I will leave and you will never see me or know about my life."
Poppy glared at her husband and he sulked. Her eyes fell on the little boy that hid behind her daughter's skirts. Rae looked frightened. She felt the need to protect the child. Poppy stood up and everything made sense.
Toph was in love. The man holding Toph so gently, encouraging her and obviously, giving her strength meant a lot to her daughter. Poppy looked down at Rae who was crying and saw his daughter in him.
Rae was confused. He didn't like to see his mother angry. He felt lost in the room filled with strangers. He moved closer to Toph, searching his mother's protection and his father's security.
"Oh, no, son," Toph said softly and scooped her son in her arms. "Don't cry, Rae. Momma's right here." She said softly, pulling him closer in his arms. "You are fine with me. I won't let nothing bad happen to you."
"He is your... You have a son?" Poppy shouted and collapsed on the chair.