Crossroads
AN: Another chapter. I hope that you like it. I love Rae even more! I hope that you do enjoy it...
Rae
"Let me help," Zuko said worriedly and got on his hunches beside the collapsed Poppy Bei Fong and effortlessly scooped her off the floor. He got up and started walking toward the lounge chair that was on the far side of the room, only to find his path obstructed by the short, lanky, and white haired Lao.
"How dare you touch my wife?" Lao snarled furiously. "Give her to me!" he demanded, moving closer to Zuko.
"Sir, I can easily take her to the chair, where she can rest peacefully," Zuko said regally, not bothering to look down at Toph's father.
"No, I'll do it myself," he spat, and made a failed attempt to snatch his wife out of Zuko's arms.
"Father," Toph said irritated. "He can manage. Let Zuko take mother to the lounge chair. He can carry my mother to the lounge chair, where she can rest. Why do you have to be s-so," she stuttered the last word, when she felt Rae's nails digging in her shoulder. The child was trembling, on the border of tears. "Everything is fine, son." Rae nodded, but his mother's words didn't convince him. She closed her eyes and inhaled. She needed to calm down for her son's sake. "Fire Lord Zuko, she said respectfully. "Please, hand my mother to my father. He'll take care of her."
"Are you positive? He doesn't seem to be strong enough... to handle her," he said, his blazing yellow eyes focused on her face. Toph nodded and he did as he was told. Quietly, he placed the woman in her husband's arm. He watch Lao grunted, struggling with the added dead weight of his wife's body as it bombarded his old joints. He cursed under his breath, but managed to hold on tightly to his wife. She was a bit too heavy for him... What an idiotic idea! He wasn't youthful or strong anymore. He should've let Zuko carry her to the chair. He was more capable of handling Poppy's weight all on his own.
"I don't need your help carrying my wife," Lao grunted through clenched teeth, as he took one step after the other. The joint at his knees popped with every movement. "I rather die than trust anyone from the Fire Nation! The Fire Nation brought destruction to the world. I don't trust the Avatar, either! He will regret trusting the Fire Lord! The Fire Nation will bring back their tyranny and this time, the Avatar won't be able to stop them. They're going to do a surprise attack!"
"Sir, I guarantee you that-"
"Shut up!" Lao spat.
Zuko inhaled calmly, not showing his anger and remained watching as Lao struggled to carry his wife. He kept close, just in case that Lao couldn't handle the task. Toph also remained closed to her parents, and near enough to Zuko. He'd tried to be a gentleman, but Lao Bei Fong had stopped him. It was obvious that Lao didn't have the youth or the strength to carry a plump Poppy, but he was stubborn. Toph wanted to punch her father for being such an ass.
Lao continued insulting Zuko, calling him all the bad names known above and below the sky. Toph listened in horror as her father kept on with his rant about hating everyone in the Fire Nation. It bothered her to know that this was her father... insulting the nation that the man she adore was from.
"Father, just shut it!" Toph threatened. "I won't stand here and listen how you insult the Fire Lord of the Fire Nation..."
"It's all right, Toph," Zuko said softly, placing a hand over her shoulder. "I understand that not everyone will like the Fire Nation. My ancestors did many things... They made mistake after mistake. It'll take many years... maybe even a few Fire Lords for my nation to earn the respect of the other nations..." he said gravely, his eyes focused on Rae.
How the Fire Lord wished that the Fire Nation was looked upon with respect when Rae became their Fire Lord.
"Your people brought this upon themselves," Lao continued to mutter expletives left and right. Toph tried to get him to stop, but in his blinded anger, he couldn't stop. He'd forgotten that his young daughter and a child were present in the room. All he cared about was his Poppy. His beautiful wife had fainted so easily. He feared that the news that Toph had shared with them hadn't harm her frail heart.
"Make him stop!" Rae said slowly. He was too appalled to hear anymore of the degrading words that were being said towards his father. His father wasn't any of those words. Zuko was a great father. He was a peaceful man and ever so kind. Zuko was Rae's world. Everything the kid aspired to be! Zuko had put Toph and Rae's safety above his own. He'd proven to be trustworthy. Rae's little mind knew that Zuko was everything Lao wasn't. "Papa, is not mean!" Rae whimpered. "Momma, I want him," he said, pointing at Zuko.
The Fire Lord felt a mixture of emotions. Rae had never addressed him as 'Papa'. He was proud of his child... but it distressed him watching his son's discomfort. He didn't know if Rae understood what was happening around him... Something told Zuko that he did. Rae had never been exposed to such blatant hatred. The few months that he'd been with his son, Zuko had noticed that Toph was a loving mother. She'd constantly protected him from situations like this one and strove to surround their son with nurturing love, compassion and understanding. The child didn't need to be in the same room as the disrespectful Lao. Rae's golden eyes were moistened with unshed tears, his small lips quivered as he forced himself to hold his father's gaze.
"Zuko, he wants you," Toph whispered, her voice was strained.
"Momma, I want Papa," Rae whispered, a silent tear rolling down his precious face. "Please,"
"Come here, kid," Zuko said softly, stepping closer to Toph. He kissed Toph's forehead and effortlessly took his son in his embrace.
Rae sobbed and welcomed his father's opened arms. He clung tightly to Zuko's torso. He desperately needed to feel the protection Zuko always provided him. Lao Bei Fong finished placing his wife on the lounge chair. Rae watched as the white haired man studied his wife's face. Rae wanted to leave the room. He wanted to be with playful Sokka or soft-spoken Katara, anywhere but here.
"As soon as she wakes up, we are leaving," Lao said in a rasp voice. His heart was beating too fast with the fear of losing his wife. Poppy had always been delicate of health. With the passing of the years, she'd developed a weak heart and he feared that he would lose her. He couldn't bear to be without her. He'd lost a daughter before. He didn't want to live the rest of his life without his better half.
"If anything happens to my Poppy," Lao began. "You'll pay for it, Fire Nation scumbag,"
"Dad, you are making things worst!" Toph shouted annoyed and walked up to him. "You have to stop hating Zuko!" she said, jabbing him on the chest. "He's the father of my son! Rae has Fire Nation blood coursing through his veins. He's also a Bei Fong!"
"I... I don't want to be near anyone from the Fire Nation. They are all... They are mean, hateful beings,"
"My Dad isn't mean!" Rae shouted furiously from his father's arm. "You are mean!" he yelled at Lao. "You are a mean ol' man!"
"Son," Toph chastised, as she walked back to her son.
"Rae, son, you don't speak like that to your grandfather," Zuko reprimanded.
Rae shook his head. "No, Zu- Papa," he pouted. "He's mean. He says bad words to you. Momma doesn't allow me to say bad words. Momma pull his ears! He shouldn't say bad words in front of you. You're a lady!"
Toph smiled. Zuko had taught Rae not to be disrespectful in front of anyone, especially a lady.
"He's right, Toph. You are my Fire Lady," Zuko nodded approvingly. His son would be a perfect gentleman when he grew older. "Your father did disrespect us."
"Did he..." Lao chuckled. "He thinks of you as a lady?"
"Yes, she is, Mr. Bei Fong," Zuko said seriously, his forehead furrowed.
"Rae and Zuko are gentlemen. They have very strong in his conviction," Toph interjected. "Can you please, stop saying so many expletives? Our child doesn't need that type of behavior. We try to provide a clean, respectful environment and you've just... you understand, right?"
"I... sorry,"
"We don't curse in front of Rae," Zuko explained.
Lao's eyes darted from Toph, Zuko and then at the child. Rae grimaced, shaking his head in disapproval. The kid held his gaze. Lao's eyes scanned Rae's small face. He had to admit, the child had inherited most of his facial features from his father. Rae's dark black hair could easily have been past from Toph or Zuko. He also had pale, just like his parents. But he could see small similarities Rae shared with Toph. They both had pinkish, soft, pouty lips. His furrowed eyebrows were identical to Toph. Lao's heart fell in his chest. He'd always wanted a relationship with his daughter, but Toph had always been so independent. There'd been a few times that she held him just the way Rae clung to Zuko. He's never been a great father, either. He'd put his duty as the heir to the Bei Fong fortune before anything. He took a step forward, but stopped when he heard Poppy mumbling and shifting.
"Sweetheart," he breathed, kneeling beside his wife. He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Poppy, wake up, please."
"I am awake," she said, her eyes were closed, but she had a small smile on her lips. "I'm very much awake."
Lao sat beside her and placed her head on his lap. "Can you sit?" he said carefully.
She nodded and he assisted her up. She smiled grateful at her husband, and then turned to face Toph, Zuko and her grandchild. The simple thought of being a grandmother filled her soul with glee. She smiled widely and sighed, her gaze finally falling on Rae.
"What is his name?" she asked softly.
Toph inhaled deeply. "Rae..." she trailed off, still holding her breath.
"His name is Rae. He is the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation," Zuko added.
"A prince? He's an interesting name," Poppy smiled to her daughter. "Is he... um," she paused and gnawed at her bottom lip.
"Blind?" Toph scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Yes, that," Poppy gulped uneasily. "Is he blind?"
"No," Toph answered curtly.
Zuko shook his head and in a diplomatic voice spoke. "Lady Bei Fong," he began, "we are thankful to the gods that our child is very healthy."
"Oh, my," Poppy said, batting her eyelashes. "I'm so happy." she said in sheer happiness.
"He's our joy," Toph said, relaxing against Zuko's upper arm.
"Thanks heaven the child is healthy," Lao said dryly. "Another blind person in..."
"Shut up, Lao," Poppy grunted annoyed. "Were you scared that he would be-" she paused distraught.
"Mom, you can say the word!" Toph said irritated. "What's so difficult about saying the word blind? It's not a sin! There's no shame in being blind. There are many people that are blind throughout the world! That doesn't make them any less important than someone that can see! They have feelings too. They are people and they deserve the same life as those that can see!"
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so insensitive," Poppy muttered. "Is that how you felt? Were we so ignorant about your condition?"
There was an awkward moment of silence. "Yes," Toph said flatly. "This isn't about me."
"Then?" Lao said.
"We want Rae to meet his grandparents," Zuko said serenely. "I understand that I will never be welcomed in to the Bei Fong family, due to the fact that I am from the Fire Nation," he stopped placed a hand over the emblem he wore on his necklace. "Toph does want our son to know of his heritage as an Earth Kingdom citizen."
"You wanted him," Poppy said breathlessly, "to know us?"
"Yes," Zuko responded and scooped Rae in his arms, kissing the child's temple.
Lao glared at Toph and Zuko. Occasionally, his eyes fell on the child. He felt the oddest temptation to hold the child in his arms. He watched Rae shift in his father's arm. Rae whispered something to Zuko, which caused him to laugh. Zuko nodded and placed him on the floor.
"What does he want?" Poppy asked puzzled.
"He wants to meet you," Toph answered.
"Us? Really? Oh, my, please. That will be amazing," she said, sobbing. "Our daughter Toph gave us a grandchild, Lao." she said, turning to face Lao.
Rae took a step forward, but stopped when he noticed that Lao and Poppy were staring attentively at him. His chubby cheeks flushed with embarrassment, so he returned back to where his parents stood. Zuko encouraged him to go and greet his grandparents.
"Go and introduce yourself, son,"
"I will," Rae said, his little shoulders moved as he inhaled and exhaled. He moved closer to the lounge chair and stopped a few feet away. "My name is Rae." he said, bowing in respect.
"He's such a little gentleman," Poppy mused.
"Can you tell the mean man not to say bad things about my father, please?" he asked politely to Poppy, again, taking a respectful bow.
"You will stop speaking ill of the Fire Lord, Lao Bei Fong," Poppy said, frowning.
Lao arched an eyebrow and glanced at his grandson. "Um," Lao muttered. "I-"
"My Mama and Zuko are very very kind people," Rae continued, scratching behind his right ear timidly. "Please, be nice to them. If you are nice to them... I'll be nice to you."
"Lao, you better promise to not be mean to Zuko!" Poppy grinned and stood up from the lounge chair. "You better be nice to the kids, got it? They are our family. Toph is our daughter." She said sternly and sprang to where the child stood. She was careful to approach him. The young child took a step back, his little arm stretched back, making sure that he was able to touch his father's leg. "I won't harm you, child. My name is Poppy Bei Fong. I am Toph's mother."
"I know," Rae smiled. "You are my grandmother."
She gave Rae one of the flower she had decorating her hairdo. "Here,"
"What is this?"
"It's a flower," Poppy said, kneeling in front of the child. "When Toph was small... she asked me for one. I never gave it to her."
"Why?" Rae asked curiously.
"I don't know," she cried. "I never noticed how precious she was to me."
"Mama is beautiful," Rae said proudly.
"Yes, she is..." she smiled rueful smile. "And so are you, son. You remind me of her."
"But I look like Zuko,"
"You do," Poppy said.
Toph listened as her mother and son exchanged words. Her heart soared with happiness. This was exactly what she wanted. She needed her family to accept Rae. Poppy continued talking, but stopped when she heard Rae's contagious giggle.
"What is so funny, child?"
"Him," Rae laughed, his soft lips parting in a wide grin as he pointed at Lao. "You look like my Mama." He shrugged and continued smiling.
Toph's heart soared in her chest. It was surprising how simple a child saw the world. Poppy began to smile and cried when Rae let her carry him. She wept tears of joy, frustration and for all the years she'd lost with her daughter. she'd been given a second chance to share the joy of having Rae in their life. Lao watched as Poppy whimpered in happiness. Afterwards, she placed the child on the floor and introduced him to Lao.
Lao kept his distance from the child, but his eyes followed Rae throughout the room as he played.
"Tell us all about your life, Toph," Poppy said seriously, catching Lao's attention.
Toph and Zuko sat across from them. Rae would often come and ask Toph to bend the bracelet she'd given him. She smiled at him and gladly bended the metal bracelet into different shapes and sizes, surprising her father. He' d heard from many people of Toph's masterful skill as an earthbender. Now that he'd witnessed it, he was sure that those people had been right. Not only could she master earthbending, she had the skill to sandbend and metalbend. No earthbender had been known to do such things.
"My, you had a wonderful and adventurous life together," Poppy said excitedly, as tears ran down her face. "When did you fell in love?"
"L-love?" Toph stuttered.
"We were always in love," Zuko said stoically. "Our son is a manifestation of our love for one another, right, Toph?"
"Yes," she said dreamily.
Lao narrowed his eyes. He wasn't so convinced about letting someone from the Fire Nation raise his grandson, but it was obvious that Zuko adored his child. He watched them carefully. He noticed how Zuko glance at Toph as she spoke. There was no confusion, the young Fire Lord loved his daughter.