Toph lay flat on her back, little rocks poking painfully into her naked flesh. She didn't really notice the pain however, as her mind was still focused on what had just happened. Beside her Ren lay curled up in a ball, her breathing relaxed and steady as she slept. Toph still had one had resting on Ren's body and she could feel Ren's heartbeat slowly returning to normal. It made he smile to know that she had gotten Ren's heart beating so fast, though it was still somewhat shocking to think that they had actually done it.

It was, of course, this shock that was keeping Toph from sleep. Her mind was simply too full of questions for her to find that inner calm and she doubted she would sleep again until she'd answered at least a few of those questions. The most pressing question was, how had this happened? After everything she and Ren had been through recently what had led them to admit their love for one another? Toph was certain it had something to do with her inner sight leading her to that realization, but why had she acted on the desire so impulsively? That wasn't like her and she wondered if something had happened to her in the last few weeks. Had Ren possibly done something to her to make her act this way? Or was she finally accepting something that had always been a part of her? It was true that she wasn't nearly as patient as most earthbenders, but she had never been this impulsive before, even when she had willfully disobeyed her parents and ran away from home. Still, it was obvious to her that something had changed within her, she just couldn't figure out what. Ultimately she supposed it didn't really matter. All that mattered was that she and Ren seemed to have both found what they were looking for in each other and that was good enough for her.

With that question finally settled Toph closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, only to be roused moments later by Ren poking her in the ribs. "Ow!" she yelped. "What is it Ren?"

"Nothing." Ren answered, her tone apologetic. "I was just checking to see if you were still awake so we could talk."

"There are less painful ways to wake a person up, you know." Toph said, her tone somewhere between amusement and annoyance. "And talk about what, exactly?"

Ren was silent for a moment, as if she was trying to decide how to phrase her response, and then she spoke. "I was hoping we could talk about what just happened between us." she said, her tone slightly uncertain, as if she feared how Toph would react.

"Oh, okay." Toph said. "I was just thinking about that actually."

"You were?" Ren asked, surprised by Toph's candid response.

"I was." Toph replied. "And I was thinking maybe...I don't know, maybe we should step back and examine this a bit before we move forward."

"Why do you say that?" Ren asked, honestly confused.

"Well, given everything we've been through together I think we need to ask ourselves why this is happening." Toph answered. "See, I've never really been in a romantic relationship before and I just want to make sure there's not something else at play here, you know?"

"I don't think I do, actually." Ren said. "Are you telling me you don't love me now?"

"No, no, of course not." Toph said. "I love you, I'm just trying to figure out why."

"I still don't understand." Ren said. "What do you mean why?"

"Well, think about it this way." Toph said, doing her best not to show her annoyance with Ren's seeming inability to follow what was a fairly simple concept. "We still barely know each other. It's only been a few weeks since we first met, so why are we suddenly so convinced we love each other? Why are we suddenly so physically attracted to each other?"

"It goes back to what you said earlier." Ren said. "We were meant to meet each other. You said you didn't know what the reason for our meeting was, but that we were destined to meet each other. Well, maybe this is the reason. Maybe we were meant to fill a hole in each other that we couldn't fill on our own."

Toph took a moment to consider Ren's words. Ultimately they did make sense and she couldn't think of a better explanation. Perhaps Ren was right and they were simply filling holes in each others lives. Love was unpredictable like that, Toph supposed. Or at least that's what Katara had always told her. Still, she wondered if there was something else at play here, some little thing beyond her and Ren's control. She had never been all that spiritual for a bender, but she found herself wondering now if the spirits had a role in her and Ren meeting. Ultimately she decided it didn't matter and turned her sightless gaze towards Ren, who seemed to be awaiting her response.

"I guess you're right Ren." she said. "We were just meant to be together, I suppose."

Ren smiled and nodded, glad that Toph had accepted her explanation. Content, Ren lay down and gestured for Toph to follow suit.

Sensing Ren's desire Toph lay down beside her companion, a smile cracking her serious expression. She wrapped her arms around Ren, her fingers again tracing the scars on Ren's back, and then they were kissing again, both of them surrendering completely to the passion, Toph glad she finally had someone to lay with.


Sometime later, after hours of passionate lovemaking, Toph and Ren collapsed in an exhausted heap on the ground. Both of them were breathing heavily, though Toph could tell that they had both enjoyed the experience. She was certain she could sleep now, though strangely she did not feel tired, as though the sex had somehow reinvigorated her.

The same could not be said of Ren however, as she seemed to have passed out from the exhaustion. But just as Toph began to drift off to sleep she felt Ren stir again, as though Ren sensed Toph's inability to sleep.

"Toph, can I ask you a question?" Ren asked, her voice sending shivers down Toph's spine.

"Yeah, sure." Toph answered. "What would you like to know?"

"What do you miss most about the world before?" Ren asked, her tone suddenly sad.

Toph froze, taken aback by Ren's question. It wasn't something she had thought about a whole lot since the end of the war, but she was certain there were things she missed. Her friends, obviously, but she wasn't sure if she could admit that. It was still too painful to think about them in the context of the past. She had spent so long hoping that they were still out there somewhere that she hadn't given much thought to just how much she missed them. But there wasn't really anything else she could think of and she could tell Ren was expecting an answer.

"The little things." she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I miss the little things."

"Such as?" Ren asked, hoping she wasn't pushing things too far.

"Things like General Iroh's tea." Toph answered. "And the way Avatar Aang could make people feel calm and relaxed, even in the midst of battle. And watching other earthbenders pick up the art of metalbending. Things like that."

"That sounds nice." Ren said. "I never got a chance to try Iroh's tea, though I always heard it was very good."

"It was the best tea in the world." Toph said, her tone sad. "The first time I ever had some I had just been a big fight with my friends and Iroh told me that I can rely on others, that I have people who care about me and want to help me, not because I'm blind, but because they genuinely care. That was the first time anyone ever explained that to me."

"That sounds like Iroh alright." Ren said, her tone sympathetic. "I never met him, but I knew of his kindness and desire to help people."

"He certainly had that." Toph said, with a small smile. "Iroh, Zuko, and you Ren are proof that not all citizens of the Fire Nation are like Azula. And for that, I am eternally grateful."

"I appreciate that." Ren said, smiling. "Truly, I do."

Toph nodded and for a moment they lapsed into silence before Toph asked, "What about you? What do you miss from before?"

"Well, not to steal your thunder, but I to miss the little things." Ren answered. "Things like my mother's cooking and training with my father. Those are things I will never forget and memories I will always cherish."

Toph sensed sadness in Ren's tone and moved to comfort her companion. "Hey, don't cry. We'll avenge them, I promise."

"It won't bring them back though." Ren said, her tone choked with emotion.

"No, it won't." Toph agreed. "But at least we can honor their memory and ensure that they are never forgotten. And we can make sure their deaths weren't in vain."

Ren smiled and nodded, wiping away tears as she did so. "Thank you Toph." she said. "Thank you for reminding me why we're still fighting. It's so we can get those little things back and restore the world to its proper order."

"Exactly." Toph said. "Though I think we have another reason to fight now."

"And what's that?" Ren asked, more curious than confused.

"This." Toph said, as she planted a quick kiss on Ren's lips. "We now have each other to fight for as well. Our future together deserves a world in which we can still enjoy the little things that brought us happiness before Azula's rise. So let's make a pact right now that we'll never stop fighting until we've reclaimed the world from Azula."

"Agreed." Ren said, grinning. "And may I just say that I love it when you talk like that. It makes me really hot."

Toph chuckled at that. "Thanks for sharing that." she said. "Now let's get some sleep so we don't collapse and die of exhaustion on the way to Ba Sing Se."

Ren nodded and kissed Toph again, before the two of them lay down to sleep, Toph still thinking about the little things they had lost and how those things now served as the greatest inspiration to keep fighting no matter what the cost.

A/N: And that's chapter 16. As with AFCF, sorry for the delay. I was on vacation and then I got sick, so I was a little less than inclined to write. Anyway, I'm back now and things should start picking up again, I hope. Sorry this chapter is so short, by the way. I was hoping to make it longer, but I couldn't think of anything else to write, so here it is. There's not really anything else to say, except that we're getting very close to finding out exactly what happened to Toph's friends and she and Ren are definitely in a relationship now (as if that wasn't already obvious). Anyway, that's all for now, hope you enjoyed.