Hey up in only a week :-D

Oh and to answer Snow. There is one in the works (I'd told you I'd have Zutara. YOU DARE DOUBT ME!)

So anyway I would have gotten it sooner but...ah who cares? Let's get to the story.

Enjoy.

Betrayed and Loved

After the initial awkwardness of the first lesson, things went pretty smoothly the next few days. Toph learned a few more strokes: front stroke, backstroke. She was actually beginning to enjoy swimming; the feeling of weightlessness as she floated on top of the water. It was so relaxing to her. She almost hated herself for not learning this sooner. She also kept her hair down. Not for any other reason other to make Aang happy. She found herself doing a lot of things to make Aang happy that she normally wouldn't do. At first, she thought it was because she was trying to be nice being his 'only friend left', but she could feel it was something else she couldn't put her finger on.

Between swim lessons and earthbending practice, Aang had finally decided to try to find Toph a nickname. Taking on this task, Toph called him "bold…and very, very dumb". If she thought the name didn't fit her right, Aang would have to try again. Which he did… several times…

"How about 'Rock Foot'?"

"Um, no."

"Beating Drum."

"Where didja come up with that one?"

"Big Black Locks."

"What?"

"You know, like your hair."

"…What is it with you and my hair?"

"Nothing. Do you like the name or not?"

"Mmmmmmmmm…" Toph tapped her chin.

"Wow she's actually considering it." Aang beamed.

"No."

Aang snapped his fingers. "Oh so close." "I got it, 'The Almighty Shrimp'.

Toph paused a moment, then stuck her hand in the ground in front of Aang and catapulted him into the air. She heard him yelling right before he landed in the lake with an almighty splash. Aang resurfaced and spat out some water.

"I will come up with a good one!" Aang yelled at her from a distance.

"Fat chance." Toph yelled back. Aang growled at her challenge.

It was after dinner and they had finished cleaning up. Aang was rewrapping Toph's bandages.

"Why isn't this thing healing? It's been 3 days and it hasn't got any better." Toph said very annoyed.

"I don't know." Aang was just as confused as she was. "Maybe… How about we go into town together tomorrow and find some medicine? See if that'll work."

Toph smiled. "That'll been nice."

Aang tied the bandage off (without hurting her this time) and put the rest away.

"Hey you up for a late night swim?" She asked nonchalantly. "The water feels nice on my burn."

"No thanks." Aang rubs his shoulder. "You worked me pretty hard during practice today."

Toph chuckles. "Yeah I did. Well I'll just go by myself then, I'll be back-"

"No Toph."

"What? Don't worry Twinkle Toes." She said reassuringly. "Considering you let me go while I was practicing and swam all the way to the end of the lake without even knowing it, I'll be fine."

"No I don't want you swimming by yourself." Aang said sternly.

Toph started to get angry. "And why not?"

"It too dangerous for you to be swimming alone." He stated.

" 'For you' he says." "FINE THEN!" She yelled. "WHO AM I TO DENY THE 'ALL POWERFUL' AVATAR." Her voice dripped anger and sarcasm as she stomped off.

"Toph wait." Aang started to chase after her. Toph dropped to a sit and threw up an earth tent. He groaned and massaged his forehead with his thumb. Walking over to Appa he was thinking. "She'll cool off in the morning." He slumped on his bison's tail to go to sleep. "…I hope."

Later that night

Toph's tent door lowered and Toph creeped out already in her swim outfit. She tip-toed though the campsite trying not to wake Aang. She was almost in the clear when she felt something land on her shoulder. She gasped thinking it was Aang, who somehow hid from her detection. But it was just Momo. Toph signed heavily and shooed Momo away.

She brought a finger to her lips. "Sssssssssssh." She directed at Momo.

She continued down to the lake still fumming. "Who does he think he is? I don't need him telling me what I can and can't do."

Toph dived in backstroking out to the middle of the lake. "I'm not helpless. I can take care of myself." She ignored the cooling feel on her foot, still being mad at Aang.

She continued floating around for a while before deciding she had enough for one night. She swung her legs in the water to swim forward. Knowing that if she swam forward long enough she'd bottom out somewhere via her first experience. She started to kick but her foot stopped. It was caught in some very thick seaweed, but she didn't panic.

"Ok, no problem." She said calmly.

Toph padded backwards rapidly trying to pull free, but it didn't let go. When that didn't work, she jerked her leg, trying to break the seaweed. But when she did, she pulled herself under, taking a gulp of water in her lungs.

A regular swimming would have been able to break the seaweed by swimming back alone, being an amateur swimmer, Toph couldn't. Now she panicked.

Toph coughed up the water and yelled as loud as she could. "HEEEEEEEELP!"

She tried to stay above the water, but fatigue set in quickly. (Turns out Aang wasn't the only one tired from training). She kept going under and kept coming up to cough up the lake water she kept swallowing.

"SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEEE!" Toph was calling for someone, anyone, to help her. Even Aang, as much as she hated being told 'I told you so', she hated drowning even more.

Her head started dunking and inhaling water faster than she could cough it up. She wasn't even able to yell any more. Going under again she tried to pull herself up, but she didn't resurface. She could feel water filling her lungs as she floated down. Not even enough energy to struggle, she felt herself slipping away. As she heard the last bubbles of air leave her mouth she could tell she hit the bottom.

"Someone please help me." She didn't even have the ability to cry.

Right before she slipped into unconsciousness she could have sworn she heard a splash right above her.

I wonder if blind people can see the light before they...wait what am I saying!

Okay some things I notice about my writing that pisses me off.

1. I start sentences with He/She waaaaay too much.

2. I almost always call the characters by their first name or third person (he, she, it.) which bugs me.

3. My lack of vocabulary, and my typos.

I'm trying to find a betareader who can help with this but no one is answering me.

I any offers or help would be greatly appreciated.

Please review. Oh and thank sunnyvibes, that was very nice.