ok here's chapter 3!!! sorry i took so long, my exams are FINALLY over and SUMMER IS HERE! I also think this is my best chapter yet. Tell me if you agree. enjoy :)

WAIT before you read, i almost forgot two things:

1. the stupid friggin disclaimer : REMEMBER, blah blah blah i don't own anything concerning Avatar: The Last Airbender yadda yadda yadda don't sue me, kay? thanks.

and 2. I also just wanted to say THANK YOU for all the lovely reviews so far! It's nice to know that im fooling some people into thinking that im a decent writer! hahaha

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...ok....

NOW enjoy the next chapter :)

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The Lower Ring

The plan was in action: Katara and Sokka had "all of the sudden come down with terrible cases of Penta Pox", Judi was immediately summoned, and she was now in the midst of frantically calling in healers from all over Ba Sing Se to "heal the avatar's friends!" Her reaction to the call?—"Penta Pox! Oh yes, I think I've heard of that before! What an awful epidemic a few weeks ago in Omashu..." Her paranoia had kept her preoccupied enough to allow Toph and Aang to slip out the back door unnoticed in their disguises.

"I feel SO stupid. I hate dresses. Why did I let you talk me into this?!?", Toph mused bitterly. Aang smirked. He had insisted that if he had to wear a disguise so as not to be recognized on their trip to the lower ring, then so did she. That was the deal "if she wanted to come along." She had finally agreed, her desire to get out of the house winning her over in the end. Still, she put up a fight. She argued that the only other clothes she had were her "fancy" clothes from home that she had been forced to wear every day before she ran away. She had argued that they were way too expensive-looking, and they would "stick out like a ripe appleberry in a cabbage cart" in the lower ring, but Aang wasn't buying it, and in the end, she walked out of the house in the floor lenth green dress she had once worn under her "fancy" white skirt and a simple black cloak borrowed from Katara's belongings. The airbender had also insisted that her hair be down with the excuse that people would remember her trademark bun and headband. Aang, on the other hand, had gotten away with a simple pale green number and his straw peasant hat*, his new-and-improved Appa posters in hand.

"You KNOW how much I hate dresses, Twinkletoes.", She huffed, crossing her short, strong arms.

Aang turned his head and smiled his normal goofy smile at her. Most girls would say just the opposite. Toph, was a different story completely.

"Toph, I think you look..nice." he muttered and looked away, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, so as not to make things weird between them. The earthbender responded with a swift punch to his bicep, knocking him off step.

"Flattery will get you nowhere with me, Twinkles.", she grumbled. Aang rubbed his shoulder and grinned widely at her. He could've sworn he saw the faintest pink grace her pale complexion for a few seconds. "Sooo …where are we going to exactly?"

"Well, I figured we can start at the far side of the Lower Ring and then work our way across and just ask around about the black market as we go. Sound good?"

"Yep. Sure. Fine by me." The two kids walked in silence for a few minutes, neither really knowing what to say.

'Geez, I can't think of anything to say or ask this girl…' , thought Aang. 'I never get tongue tied around anyone.. this is so weird. Hm.. I can ask..no, no, she'd punch me for that..but then again, she'll probably find a reason to punch me anyways…GAH! What can I say??? Howabout..hm..well I've asked that before, but that's all I got.'

"Hey, Toph, uh, why did you hate living at home with your parents so much?", Aang blurted out.

Toph sighed, "We've been through this a zillion times, Twinkles..They smothered me non-stop and treated me like I was helpless. They didn't understand me or even try to understand or get to know the real me. It was getting old." Her head fell. Aang looked at his own feet, lost in thought. And by 'lost in thought' I mean, trying desperately to think of another question to ask her to keep the conversation moving.

He tilted his head to look at her, "How did they smother you?"

She sighed again. "Well, they made me learn all this high-society crap, and then I barely had any freedom. I didn't have any friends before you, and Sokka, and Katara. And then shortly before you guys showed up at Earth Rumble VI, they were starting to line up..suitors..for me! Can you believe that?? SUITORS. I'm TWELVE years old!", she shuddered, closing her sightless eyes tight at the thought. Aang's eyes widened, his heartbeat sped up.

"Wow..yeah, twelve.." He looked away quickly, praying to the spirits that she didn't feel his heartbeat pick-up. What was he thinking?! Why was just talking to Toph making him all of the sudden act so….. strange?? It made no sense! He struggled to regain composure. "Did you..like..any of the..um, suitors?" He asked quietly.

"Ugh, no! Aang, I do NOT want to get married! Can you imagine that?? Me..married?!?" she gesticulated wildly, Aang cringed in anticipation of being punched again. "I mean," she paused, her tiny arms and head falling once more, "I haven't even..uh, done any, um..normal girl stuff yet.", she muttered. Aang snapped to attention. He recognized her tone immediately: She was dancing around being vulnerable, as usual. Dancing around admitting to him what she had admitted to Katara last night. He egged her on and tried to ignore his now racing heart.

"What do you mean by 'normal girl stuff'?", he pried innocently. At this, Toph's own heartbeat sped up. She did not like the direction in which this conversation was taking a turn. At this rate, she would end up feeling all mushy and vulnerable around Aang within the next few minutes.. And she was NOT about to show any weakness around her pupil… 'No matter how cute he is…well, at least he sounds cute..wait..what?! NO. I DO NOT like Aang! No, Toph, stop this right now! You are Toph Bei Fong: Greatest Earthbender in the World and you show NO WEAKNESS. ESPECIALLY for stupid, sissy boys like Aang who like floozies like Sugar Queen.' It had taken a lot of courage for her to admit that she'd never been kissed to Katara. There was NO WAY she was about to admit that to Aang. She reacted to his question defensively.

"What do you mean by 'what do I mean'?!?!? I said 'girl stuff' and that's what I meant, Airhead, so just drop it! Okay?" She yelled and sent another fist flying towards him, but before it could make contact and bruise his arm further, he caught it, catching the blind earthbender off guard, and using it to drag her into a deserted alley they had been walking past. He shoved her up against the wall of the alley and she struggled against him, but he had her pinned.

"Why do you always DO that?!?!" He yelled furiously in her face, "EVERYTIME someone tries to get to know you and try to find out what you're all about, you get all defensive and yell at them and punch them! You said that your parents never tried to get the know 'the real you' and here I am wanting to get to know you, Toph, and the second you feel even the tiniest bit vulnerable you get all defensive and yell at me and hit me!" At the sudden outburst, Toph's face softened from rage to…fear? Her sightless, sea foam eyes filled to the brim with tears and she bowed her head in an effort to still hide her emotions as Aang continued to yell. "You put in so much effort trying to act so tough all the time, well you know what?? I know it's an act, Toph, I know you are a real person who feels real emotions like everyone else. I know you just act tough all the time to hide your lack of self-confidence. So why don't you just STOP being so INSECURE and let people get to know you for once!"

Aang's chest heaved and adrenaline raced through his veins after exploding at Toph. His face softened as he realized the extent of the effects of his temporary loss of self-control and looked at her as she lifted her head to 'look' him in the eye. He braced himself for abuse, but none came. Tears were streaming down her porcelain face, covering it with red splotchy paches. Her face showed no anger, no fury, no desire to retaliate. Just defeat. He had stripped her bare, seen right through her. He backed away from the wall, releasing her, regretting what he had just done immediately. She fell to her hands and knees and let out a sob. Aang had never seen her like this, it made him…scared..to see his friend so vulnerable.. He rested a hand on her back as she sobbed uncontrollably and within the minute had gathered the hurt earthbender into a tight, sincere, kneeling hug. Ignoring the stares from passing refugees, Aang shushed her, rubbed her back in circles, and repeatedly whispered how sorry he was that he lost control of himself like that in her ear. He realized how thin she really was as her small frame shook with violently with sobs and her breaths became ragged and labored. Finally, she calmed down enough to begin wiping the tears from her face. 'Spirits, even when her face is all red from crying she is still beautiful…' Aang thought freely, not bothering to suppress his thoughts at the moment.

"Toph, I am so, so, so sorry. I had no right—"

"No…Aang. You're..right. I want you to get to know me and I—" But before she could say anything else, the area around her face had become very warm and it wasn't until he breathed that she realized that Aang was inches from her face. Instinctively, she backed her head into the wall behind her, but Aang's followed. He was moving closer and closer..his heartbeat sounded like a drum corps in her ear and before she could ask him what in the name of the Spirits he was doing, she felt something hot and soft on her lips. Aang was..kissing her. Something came alive in her chest as she instinctively began to move her own lips in synch with his. Aang's hands found her face and pulled her harder onto his lips his head exploding with passion. Then, something occurred to Toph and all of the wonderful new feelings she was experiencing suddenly disappeared. She earthbended Aang off her and pinned him to the opposite wall, glaring in his face.

"HEY! You knew I hadn't been kissed, didn't you? You were eavesdropping on Katara and I yesterday, weren't you?!? WERE'NT YOU?!?!???" she spat. Aang, froze, he knew it would be useless to try and lie in a situation like this, she had him pinned to a wall for crying out loud. He smiled the goofy, guilty smile she knew so well and within a matter of seconds and without a word, he had airbended himself from her clutches and was sprinting for his life towards their home fighting laughter.

"COME BACK HERE TWINKLETOES AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN!!!! OOOH WHEN I CATCH YOU.. YOU, YOU AIRHEAD! YOU ARE DEAD!! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?!? DEAD!!!!!!!"

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haha aw ya gotta love Taang

*Aang's peasant hat: you know, those weirdish cone hat thingys.. apparently they are called "coolie" hats.. i would post a link but for some reason it's acting all funky. just google 'chinese hat' or 'coolie hat' and you'll get a pretty good idea of what i'm talking about.

thanks for reading, stay tuned =)

love, Mallory