Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

A/N: This was written because Sokka needs his boomerang and space-sword back, and because even though I am a shipper of Tokka, I like Suki.

This is a gentler story than the last, but there are a few curse words.

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003: Weather

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Toph had always hated thunderstorms. As a child, they had driven her to the comfort and safety of her parent's room, and as the earthbending master of the Avatar, she huddled, uncharacteristically cowering, in her rock-tent until the storm passed.

She did not mind so much the rains. A light shower always strengthened her earthbending sight. And although the harder rains muddled her senses, they brought cool air and breezes, and always promised mud to play in and fling at Katara the next day. Lightning meant nothing to her, unless it was fired at her by a crazy firebender, because she could not see it. What Toph most feared was simple.

The booming, crackling, always monstrous thunder.

Thunder terrified her like nothing else. Even drowning seemed a small thing when compared to it. It always took her by surprise. There was no way for her to expect it, and prepare herself for the fear and shock the loud noise gave her. Thunder reduced her to a frightened, trembling little girl.

She did not cry as much as she had when she was much younger, but Toph always, always hid away and covered her head, shaking like a leaf in the wind, during a thunderstorm.

Preferably, of course, when her friends weren't looking. Toph was afraid of thunder, but she was also annoyed with having that fear at all, and refused to let anyone else know about it if she could help it. She suffered alone.

So why the heck was she out here in a fire-blasted wasteland, accompanied by Suki of all people, with a strong thunderstorm boiling in the distance?

Oh yeah, that's right. She liked it when Sokka was happy. Making Sokka happy meant doing stupid things, like wandering around the middle of nowhere, with his girlfriend, and braving her worst, most terrible fear.

I'm pathetic, she thought, rubbing a hand over her face. This is just almost too sad… A boom reverberated overhead, and Toph shuddered. Goosebumps prickled her flesh. I hate thunder…

"Toph…" said Suki. Her voice dispelled the spell the beginnings of thunder always promised to put her under. "I think it's about to rain."

"You think?" Toph's crankiness came more from her nervousness than actual animosity towards the Kyoshi Warrior. She actually liked Suki okay. She just also happened to be very jealous of her, too. "I know that."

"Well, it looks like it's going to be a pretty bad one."

"I know that too. It sounds like it's going to be a bad one." Toph scrambled down a rough slope. "We'll either have to suck it up and keep going, or find that toothpick before the storm gets here. This place is going to flood. Now's probably the last chance we'll ever have to find it."

"You don't know that."

"Do you really want to take that chance?" asked Toph. A little bit of bitterness and hurt made her chest tighten. "And aren't you and Sokka going back to your little island soon anyway? To help rebuild the village, or whatever?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Like I said, last chance."

Suki sighed. "I guess you're right. It's just-"

Toph heard her gasp and the tell-tale sound of crumbling rocks. Before the older girl could slide down the slope, and have a painful landing, Toph pushed her arm out and smoothed the path for her companion. Suki quickly regained her balance.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Really, don't mention it. "You were saying?"

"Huh?"

"Before you about fell on your butt, you were saying something."

"Oh. I was just going to say that we've been at it for a while now. We haven't found anything."

"Nobody said it was going to be easy. Sokka has no clue where we were when he threw it away." Now, was that really fair to say? He had sacrificed one of his most prized possessions to save her life. "It could be anywhere around here."

"But you'll be able to find it, won't you?"

Toph shrugged, and goose-stepped around an unstable plot of land. She waited on Suki to cross before moving on. The last thing she wanted was for Sokka to blame her for his girlfriend's broke leg.

"Maybe," she said. "But this is a pretty big place, with a lot to take in. His sword won't make that much of an impression. And it's always harder for me to make out something that isn't moving, or doesn't have a heartbeat."

She ground her bare feet into the gritty turf, and winced. "Ash has always messed with my senses too. It's like one big echo-effect out here. Really, finding that sword is gonna be like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"We can do it," said Suki, cheerfully. "We did find his boomerang."

"That doesn't count. We only got it because I bought it off the guy who had found it first," said Toph.

Suki giggled. "You threatened him with bodily harm if he didn't turn it over to you."

"Your point is?" Toph, for the first time since this expedition began, flashed a toothy grin. "He was going to cheat us anyway, I could tell. Besides, it's not like you're a guiltless angel, honey. You had to be glaring over my shoulder at him or something."

"I was. I wanted to get that boomerang just as much as you did. It's important to Sokka. It was his first weapon, you know."

And, just as soon as it had appeared, Toph's smile vanished without a trace. "I know."

A booming crack resounded overhead. It was loud and sharp, and had snuck up on her completely. Toph yelped and stumbled back into Suki. Both girls almost toppled to the ground.

"Are you okay, Toph?" asked Suki. She sounded worried.

"I'm fine." Another roar of thunder blazed around them, and Toph barely suppressed a frightened squeak. "I'm fine."

Suki patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. It's only the thunder."

Several more bellows rang out, as the thunderstorm drew closer to the stretch of ashy, broken land. "Yeah, just the thunder," mumbled the shivering earthbender.

"Toph… Are you…are you afraid of thunder?" said her companion.

"No!" Toph said, much too quickly for it to sound even close to the truth. Her face burned with humiliation. "What kind of question is that? Why the heck would I be afraid of some stupid thunder? Ha! Only little kids and jelly-boned wimps are scared of thunder. Nope, I'm definitely not scared of it."

Way to sound convincing, Toph.

She expected Suki to make fun of her or, much worse in her opinion, play the pity card and assure Toph that a lot of people were scared of thunderstorms. To her surprise, and eventually gratitude, Suki did neither, and only said, "Okay."

Toph decided that she could try and be nicer to Suki.

A few minutes later, the storm came on in full force. It did not take long until both girls were soaked to the bone and covered in mud from head to toe. The wind picked up, its breath tugging at their clothes and hair as it howled across the land. Thunder, louder and louder, horrible and growling, seemed to tear the skies in half. It was all Toph could do not to pull up an earth-tent, then and there, to avoid it like she had done all her life.

"Maybe… Maybe we should find some shelter," she said, at once point. Toph was glad the screaming weather hid the tremble in her voice.

"I'm willing to keep going if you are," said Suki.

And, just like that, her courage returned, and Toph decided to keep going, to keep searching, no matter what.

She had to find that stupid sword for Sokka.

"Okay. We still have some time before the worst of it gets here."

Mud and wet ash sucked at her bare feet and Suki's shoes, and their progress was very slow. They huddled together for protection and warmth, but they both knew that they would have to leave sooner or later. The small ravine they now found themselves in was flooding, fast, and lightning always posed a very real danger.

C'mon, where could it be…?

Toph stopped, Suki running into her back. "I think I might have found something."

"Really, where?" said Suki. The girl's voice was close to her ear. It was hard to hear with the storm blowing.

Toph closed her eyes, focusing on her surroundings, and hoped that she had not made a mistake. It would be pretty easy to do, as jittery and scared as she was by the continuous peals of thunder that almost made the earth shake. Or was that her imagination, too?

No, she had not made a mistake. Something stuck out and had she not really been "looking," Toph knew she would have passed by it without a second thought.

"Over there. Come on!"

They pelted down the small path, created by forces known only to the bridge between the Spirit World and their world during a fierce battle, and came to a stop just as the gravely area angled up towards level ground. Mud and water pooled, but most of this place was shattered and broken stone.

Toph knelt down and patted the earth beneath her fingers. "Right here, it's not too deep."

"Then let's get digging!" said Suki.

"I'll do that. You just pull it out when we get to it."

"And pray that it really is…?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice too."

Moving her arms in a circular motion, Toph stood with her feet shoulder-width apart. Once she had a rhythm going, she starting pulling her arms back, until her elbows were tucked neatly against her sides. The wet earth, ash, and muck responded, and slid away from the spot.

She did this again and again, making sure that the hole did not fall in on itself. Even with the conditions, which were a little bit better here in the ravine, it was not hard work. She had done stuff like this plenty of times. What made it difficult for her was the thunder. Now, as then, it came up behind her, screamed and pounded and roared, and broke into her concentration.

Her confidence wavered.

Ignore it, ignore it, ignore it…

"Toph, I see something!"

Dig, dig, dig.

"Just a little more."

She sensed Suki pushing and pulling at the dirt with her own hands. "It's a hilt! A sword hilt! Toph, we found it!"

"Well, grab it, and let's get outta here, dammit!"

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A few days later, they were back in Ba Sing Se, and leading Sokka to his "surprise."

"What is it, what is it?" he said. Toph thought he sounded a lot like an excited little kid. It would have been hilarious, if he and Suki weren't so close to one another. "C'mon, Suki, tell me!"

He had already forgotten that she was here, too. Figures…

"It won't be a surprise if we tell you now, silly," said Suki, giggling.

Toph grumped.

She knew the exact moment that Sokka saw his space-sword and boomerang. He gasped like a little girl, hopped up and down, and his heartbeat skyrocketed. "That's-!"

And then he ran to the table, where the weapons set, and started sputtering with shock and pure, undeniable happiness. "You found them! Boomerang! Space-sword! You really found them!"

"And it was hard work, believe me," said Suki. Toph could not miss the pleasure in the older girl's voice. She liked making Sokka happy, same as Toph herself. "You owe us big."

Sokka whirled around and pulled Suki into a hug. There was a moment of silence, and Toph realized that they had to be kissing. She flushed and backed away, certain that they would not want her here right now. It wasn't her place. She didn't belong.

"Thanks, Suki," she heard Sokka say. "Thank you so much!"

Toph silently beat herself up, face and useless eyes burning, as a whirlwind of emotions rattled within her. Had she really thought he would notice her while Suki, the perfect girlfriend, was around? It had been stupid to ever think he would thank her for braving thunder, her worst fear, just to make him hap-

"Actually," said Suki, "it was Toph who found them. And it was her idea to look for them in the first place. If it hadn't been for her, you probably never would have gotten them back, Sokka. I just tagged along to help."

What. The. Hell.

Suki was giving her all the credit? Why would she…?

The next thing she knew, Sokka had taken her up into a hug. That icy, leathery, earthy smell she had always associated with him flooded her senses. Toph stiffened, at first, out of shock and disbelief, but soon melted into his arms and enjoyed the small moment of bliss.

Thanks, Suki.

She would really have to reconsider how snippy she was with the Kyoshi Warrior now.

Maybe.

"Thanks so much, Toph," said Sokka, ruffling the bun on the back of her head as he let her go. "This… It means a lot to me. You didn't have to… You're amazing, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know," she said, hoping her face was not as red as it felt. She suddenly felt like doing something really dumb and girly, like giggling. Thank whatever spirits were watching, she kept up her game-face and popped him in the arm with a fist, "And don't you forget it, either, Sokka."

He suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and, unless she missed her guess, he had done the same thing to Suki. The Water Tribe warrior dragged them both out of the house and into the streets of the Earth Kingdom capital.

"I'm going to treat my two favorite girls to a big dinner!" he said, gleefully. Toph could just imagine that he was wearing the biggest and stupidest grin ever. "My treat! This calls for a celebration! We're going to the best place in the world, trust me!"

"Let me guess," said Suki. "Shin's Meat Hut?"

"Where else? No meal, no celebration feast, is complete without meaty goodness."

"Perish the thought!" snickered Toph.

"At least you're finally starting to get it," said Sokka. He started rambling, still in that excited tone he had fallen into after seeing his sword and boomerang, about the menu at Shin's Meat Hut, and how they just had to try this, and that, and so on.

She had braved nasty weather, a thunderstorm, the one thing in the universe that could take her down for the count, for this?

His hand, his hand, held hers. She heard him laugh and carry on, as if this was the best day in his life, and felt his entire being practically thrum with joy.

Toph smiled.

Yeah, it was definitely worth it.

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A/N: Next time, I promise, there will be more Tokka fluff. Thanks for previous reviews, and I appreciate any and all that come!