Suki stopped by the next morning.

"Where were you, anyway?" Toph asked Suki, doing a little bit of stretching in her room. Bending still gave her a fierce headache, so she'd bullied a servant into bringing her a staff to walk with, though she'd pretend it was for fighting and not ensuring she didn't walk into a wall. "I haven't seen you since I yelled at you just before the earthquake."

"I went with Aang and Sokka," she said. Toph could tell from her voice that she was leaning back against the wall with her arms crossed and one leg propped on the other, but that's only because she'd sensed that pose and that tone of voice together so many times from Suki. It was nice to be able to see through memory, if no other way.

"Oh, that makes sense. So they're back, too?"

"They just got in a few minutes ago," Suki explained. "Appa is exhausted, so I think they're taking care of him first."

"And then Twinkletoes and Sugar Queen will need a few minutes together," she calculated. "I guess I've got no right to roll my eyes at that anymore."

"You don't," Suki said, smug.

"Did you tell them?" Toph asked, narrowing her eyes in Suki's direction.

"What, about your dates? There wasn't really time, and I couldn't mention you without the two boys getting mopey. I swear, men have no faith. Katara and I never doubted you'd be fine."

Toph laughed. "Zuko was a fucking mess. I guess it was pretty sweet," she said doubtfully. She wasn't an expert on sweet; that was more Katara's expertise. "Anyway, I'm glad you're back. After I fight it out with the council today Iroh wants to throw a big stupid party and it'll be a lot better with the old gang. You know, people who don't have huge sticks up their asses. Plus, I need your help with meeting a few competent soldiers, but we can worry about that later."

"Soldiers? What are you planning? Does Zuko know about this?"

"It was his idea," Toph said dismissively, straightening up. Her body had stiffened up as well as atrophying while she recovered, and it would take a while to get backc on track. She reached for her staff. "Anyway, let's worry about that later, I've gotta—"

"SIFU BLIND-O!" someone shouted.

It took Toph a moment to realize that it was both Aang and Sokka shouting at once, their shrill male voices blending into one greeting. Sokka slapped her on the back and Aang probably bowed, judging by the rush of air and the angle of his voice.

"I hope you assholes didn't hold Suki back too much, out there," Toph said. "What's the situation along the coast?"

"There was a lot of damage," Aang answered seriously. "We were able to barricade a few larger cities, and rebuild some of the smaller villages, but we couldn't get to all of them in time."

"Of course," Toph said. "Well, Zuko is sending out a lot of his standing army to help with the rebuilding, so at least there's a silver lining to this disaster. Without a standing army there's less noise about invasion and Fire Nation superiority. Hopefully. I guess I'll find out today."

"What's happening today?" asked Sokka. "Katara said she had to go talk to Iroh about something, but she didn't say what."

"Oh, a council meeting I'm going to, then a party," Toph shrugged. Who knew which part Katara was preparing for? Knowing her, it could be either. "Are you going to the meeting?" she asked, turning in Aang's direction.

"If it's internal Fire Nation affairs, then no," said Aang, from an entirely different direction than she expected. Why did they have to move around so much? "I don't think it's right, unless Zuko needs me there. Why are you going?"

"How much of Yu Dao do I own?" she reminded him, frowning.

"Oh, right," he said. Judging by his tone, he was about to sheepishly scratch his bald head—and there was the sound.

"Anyway, you guys have got to come to the party, or I'll die. Plus, Iroh's hosting, so he won't take no for an answer."

"Sure," said Sokka, whose voice was now just beside Suki's. Toph knew Suki wouldn't move around much.

"Um," said Aang.

"What?"

"Since when do you go to parties?" he asked, as politely as possible.

"Are you going to make me say it out loud?" Toph asked, irritated. "Fuck's sake. Fine. Zuko and I are getting married."

"Um," said Aang, again.

"WHAT."

"When did this happen?" Sokka jumped in. "No, how did it happen?" He ticked off possibilities on his fingers. "You don't care about money, so he couldn't have paid you to do it. You dont' care about fame, so…um, yeah, what is it?"

"Ugh, don't make me say it." Toph sank into a chair, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her palms.

"Holy shit," said Sokka.

"Aw, Sifu Toph is in love!" said Aang. "I knew it."

"If you want details, you're going to have to ask him," she replied dryly. "I refuse to share that kind of information with you morons."

"So the party is for your engagement," said Suki. "That explains why Iroh is so happy."

"I'm pretty sure he set us up, but I didn't realize it until I was already engaged," Toph admitted.

"That sounds like him," said Sokka.

"So when's the big day?" said Aang.

"Not for a while. I have things to do first."

She could feel them all looking at each other, confused. "Okay, everyone out," Toph snapped, making scooting motions with her hands. "I've gotta get changed for this stupid meeting. Tailor's showing up in a little while. Fuck off. I'll see you all tonight."

Her friends weren't great at taking hints. She had to physically shove them out of the room.

—-

"We'll throw you a crazy bachelor party," said Sokka, perched on the edge of the Firelord's desk.

"Tasteful," Aang interrupted his brother-in-law. "We can have a band playing traditional fire nation songs!"

"With traditional fire nation dancing girls," Sokka added. "And booze!"

"Sokka," Zuko said, tired. "You knocked half my papers to the ground, and Aang—you're standing on them. I'm glad to see you're back, but this council meeting is very important, so if you'd just let me—"

"Oh, you've had plenty of time to prepare," said Sokka, spreading his arms wide. "You probably live in this closet with your papers, don't you?"

Zuko didn't want to admit to that. "No." His voice was sullen, even to his own ears.

"If you can't take joy in a wedding, then you're definitely out of balance," said Aang.

"Are you trying to play the Avatar card to get me to ignore my work?"

Aang shrugged, half-grinning. "Maybe."

Zuko put down his pen, not that that meant anything when his papers were scattered all over the room. "That's not going to work."

"I'll transcribe more things for Toph," Sokka offered. "Whatever you want. I'm pretty fast now. Just let's have a fun party for the guys after this meeting and stuff."

Zuko considered that for a moment. "How about a road trip instead of a party? There's somewhere I've been meaning to go, and once Toph leaves, I'll be free." He paused. "I don't want her to go alone, either, so maybe Katara could go with her. Suki would have to be here guarding Uncle, of course," he added apologetically.

Sokka shrugged. "What can I say? She loves her work. Not a big fan of travelling. Ha! Big fan."

Aang made a face. Zuko rolled his eyes.

"A trip sounds good," Sokka finally admitted. "Are you going to tell us where?"

"Nah," said Zuko. "But I'll give you a hint: Aang and I have been there. You haven't."

—-

Toph had never really cared about how she looked. When she was a kid, she'd rather enjoyed being filthy and ripping up the nice things her parents gave her, a not-so-passive rebellion against rules and refinement and being treated as a breakable object.

But she also hated doing things by halves.

"I'll borrow something for today," she told the tailor, sitting in her chair and rolling her walking stick between her palms. "Extremely formal. I'm attending the council meeting."

The older woman, whose name was Kiyo, made a humming sound as her pen scratched across paper, making notes.

"Take my measurements now. I'll be gone for a few weeks, but when I get back, I would like two or three sets of clothing appropriate for travel or combat, similar to what I'm wearing, but in fire nation colors and style. Make it as fashion-forward as you can without impeding movement. The Firelord's steward will give you the exact date I need these things ready."

"Very good, Lady Beifong," the woman murmured.

"I heard you're very creative," Toph said offhandedly. She'd asked a few of the soldiers who designed their commanding officers' wardrobe. "Don't hold back. I'll pay you well."

—-

Zuko had delayed this meeting for two weeks while Toph recovered, attending to pressing matters that followed the earthquake before he gathered up all of the talking heads of the nation to yell at him about his latest questionable decision. He didn't want to argue about marrying Toph without her present. She'd hate that.

Sitting cross-legged on the Firelord's traditional pedestal, his uncle at his right hand, he almost didn't recognize her when she walked into the room surrounded by elderly nobles. In demure, formal robes in deep red and rust, with her hair hanging down to her waist and braided back from her face, she looked like a different woman. She appeared so delicate, he almost laughed. She was the least delicate person he knew, both in spirit and in combat, but she certainly knew how to play the part. Her beauty and her grace made his heart swell with pride.

He didn't realize he was staring at her, dreamy-eyed, until his uncle poked his arm. He blinked, and realized that the avatar's entire gang had lined up along the back of the room to watch. Assholes.

He cleared his throat, and the nobles turned toward him attentively.

"Today's meeting will be short. I know we're all in the midst of rebuilding and regrouping, and for now, that is the most important thing for us to do as the wardens of our nation." He met each of his council's eyes, and glanced out at the gallery full of lesser nobles, as well, hoping each understood how pivotal their reaction to the quake would be. "I have summoned you today to honor the earthbender Toph Beifong, who saved countless lives and changed our geography on the day of the disaster. I have asked Lady Beifong to marry me, and she has accepted."

He waited.

"An earthbender cannot be your wife, Firelord," General Verai stammered. "What if your heir was an earthbender? It is unthinkable. The Firelord has always been a firebender."

"The Beifong family supported Ba Sing Se against both of our seiges," Lord Hashi rumbled.

"They supported us, too," said Lady Li. "They're duplicitous. And there isn't even a daughter in their family. I've never heard of one."

"Have any of you met this young lady?" General Shurai interjected. "She saved the city, and the people out on the streets love her."

"When did you meet her?" Lord Hashi asked gruffly.

"I helped train her students, weeks ago. This is the same woman who singlehandedly invented metalbending. If any earthbender is worthy of our Firelord, Toph Beifong is the one."

"What about Lady Mai?" said one fat old man whose name Zuko always forgot. "She came from a good, loyal family. The daughter of the governor of New Ozai, wasn't she?"

"She's married," Lady Li informed him. "And there haven't been any steady prospects since. Let's face the fact that our Firelord needs an heir."

Zuko didn't like the direction this was going in. "Enough." He stood up. "The decision is made, and it's a suitable reward for the lady who saved our city." He almost gestured at the gallery, and then realized he would have made an idiot of himself in front of half the nobles of his kingdom. She was blind, she couldn't see his stupid hand movements. He stepped down from the dais and went to her, people parting and bowing before him as he passed. He extended his hand to her and drew her beside him.

She didn't say a word, and carried herself with such natural poise that he almost thought he'd grabbed the wrong woman out of the crowd. But no; those eyes, that hint of a sardonic smile, the rebellious set of her jaw as she walked into certain disapproval. He guided her carefully up the dias, and she took her place beside him, opposite Iroh. When she sat down, her dress folded perfectly and symmetrically under her. How did she do that?

"The wedding will be in six months' time," he said evenly. "That is plenty of time to allow for recovery and reconstruction in the city, as well as travel and planning. Any question of earthbenders inheriting will be addressed as it arises." It may never be a problem, he thought to himself. "We are entering a new age as a nation. This era will be defined by cooperation and progress, not brute force. This marriage is a symbol of cooperation. It is also a love match." He met the gazes of everyone around the table evenly, just waiting for someone to challenge him. Come on, he begged them with his eyes. Say something. Just try it.

His anger remained unleashed, tightly controlled, like a storm in his belly. He parted his lips to exhale, and his breath was unnaturally hot, though there was no flame. The silence extended, and to his surprise, no one said a thing. Not even Toph.

But if he thought she'd stay silent for long, he was wrong. They moved on, with little trouble, to the issue of the roads leading into and out of the city. They were backed up for miles in both directions.

"I feel partly responsible for that," Toph interjected. "But now that I know it's a problem, the Avatar and I can fix it in the next few days."

No one knew how to react to her speaking. Luckily, Iroh helped out.

"How long will it take?" he asked.

"Best guess, a day or two of solid work," she answered easily. "I suggest we get some of the engineers in the military to design pulley systems to bring cargo up to the city, as well. That slows down traffic."

"My son is head of the design corps," said General Shurai. "I can tell him to bring you some plans."

"Have them sent to the Firelord," Toph said.

Zuko was impressed that she didn't make a joke about being blind. She could have gotten in a good one if she'd wanted to, though.

She seemed to have a clever suggestion for everything, and slowly the council relaxed a little. Zuko expected some nasty tactics from them, especially since some of them had daughters around his age, but for now, at least, there was a tentative acceptance. It was happening. He was getting married.