The day was a little cooler than the other days they had spent in Ba Sing Sa. The summer was coming to a end now. The perfect time of year to be going to an air temple, the start of autumn. Aang and Toph where loading their small amount of possessions onto Appa's saddle. Aang was organising thinks in the saddle, with Momo on his shoulder. While Toph was repacking her pack, to fit in the new supplies she was taking with her. Despite the still warm weather they were both dressed in a few more layers than was normally for late summer . Aang wore a white tunic under his robe. Toph wore the same Green Tunic she had worn most of their stay here. This time with a white long sleeved top underneath, and brown trousers tucked into brown boots.

They hadn't spoken very much. They sat on the roof till the sun had fully set. Aang bent them down to his window on a air stream. Toph seemed a little reluctant about this at first, but she never said anything. She just went along with it. They didn't speak as she left his room for hers. She hadn't said anything at breakfast with the earth king. Aang did most of the talking. He told the king that they where going to leave as soon as they were packed, to take care of the jade bandit. As they felt to start packing Aang told Toph his plan. In a few days time he would send word to the earth king to let him know that the jade bandit was dealt with. This meant that Toph could no longer go by that allies. She took this surprisingly well.

"Lady Toph."

Toph had been kneeing down while she repacked her pack, and now lifted her head to face the voice of the person that called to her and was walking towards her. Aang from his perch on Appa's saddle watched the young man a few years older than them getting closer. He recognised him from somewhere, but couldn't place him.

"Lord Toro." That was it, lord Toro. The guy that Toph had spent the majority of the banquet talking too. That was one part of what happened that she hadn't said any more about the other night. He guessed that that was because there was nothing more to say, she had told him all he needed to know about that when they fought about it that night.

Toph pulled herself up as she spoke, and lord Toro reached a spot a little in-front of her. Her open pack in between them.

"How are you." while he waited for an answer, He looked over to Aang. Who quickly turned away. Busying himself with some supplies while he listened in. He wanted to know what they could really have to talk about, now that she didn't need to know how much he knew about the actions of her allies.

"I'm well, You." She was being a little overly polite. She had used his position as having taken over the job of lord Hong, so she owed him at least this civility.

The young lords light brown eyes were now set firmly on Toph. He was no longer distracted by Aang's presence. "Well, thank you. I was hoping that we may be able to have some tea together."

Toph felt her breath catch a little in the back of her throat. She never expected him to ask her something like that. All that Aang had said about him liking her, ending his engagement because of her, came flooding back to her. She had forgotten all of this. Seeing him only as a nice man that was one of the few lords that she could count on to be on her side in meetings. "Um...We're actually just leaving now."

"We." He said this very quietly, but she heard, they both did. Aang moved a little closer to the side of the saddle that over looked the lord and lady. Not wanting to miss the rest of the conversation. "When will you be back." He wasn't sure but Aang was sure he heard Toro but a little emphasis on the saying of the word you.

Toph was silent as she thought about her answer. She lifted her shoulders a little as she finally thought of her answer. "I don't know. Not for a while."

"Ok." Toro took in a deep breath as he averted his gaze from Toph to the ground. "I guess I'll just have to say what I wanted to say now then." His heart was racing and he was fidgeting a lot. Toph was not used to people acting like this when they where talking to her, except if she was trying to intimidate them. Even then they never acted like this.

"Are you ok." she reached out to place a had on his shoulder. This kind of show of affection was still new and a little uncomfortable for her.

He lifted his eyes to look at her again. "Yes, I'm fine honestly. Just a little nervous that's all."

"Nervous." Like him saying we, more to himself then to her, she did the same now. What was coming was making her uncomfortable. Her hand feel from his shoulder now.

"I'm sure you know...that I like you. I like you a lot actually." He was now pulling a very small green velvet bag from his pocket. "I want you to have this."

Toro held the small bag to Toph. Who slowly lifter her hand to take it from him. Just as slowly she opened it, and pulled out a silver bracelet with very intricate engravings on it. The centre pieces of the engravings was a lotus flower. "It's lovely. Really lovely." There was a dreamy guilty in her voice, neither man had heard before. "But I..."

"I know. This kind of gift has an important meaning. This doesn't have to though. It's just a gift, because I care for you. It doesn't have to mean that I am showing my intention to ask you to marry me. Though I would be lying if I said that wasn't where I hoped it would lead. This is a new time, we can make our own traditions, out own meaning."

Despite herself Toph found a smile working its way across her face. She never thought that she would react like this to this kind of conversation. She felt happy. She didn't know why, it was such a girly way to react. It was just what he said. Sure he was being very traditional in giving her a bracelet like this, but he was also open minded. Not stuck in the past. He wasn't like the over lords that she knew at all, or like Aang. He was a balance between the order of the world she knew, and the freedom of the life she had when she was with Aang. She couldn't except the gift in its traditional meaning, but she wanted a little more than what he had said it could be. This realisation shocked her a little.

"Why don't we take it to be a gift, that could mean a lot of things. When we see each other again, we can find out which one it dose mean."

Toro now had a huge grin on his face. Toph had a smaller smile on hers. "I'd like that."

Very quickly before he could change his mind, or she could move. He took a step towards her. One hand rested on top of hers, that held the bracelet. He placed a chased kiss on her right check, before puling away, and walking back into the palace as quickly as he could, while still walking.

Toph stop from a few second in shock, holding the bracelet in her both hands now. Momo who had been on Aang's shoulder the whole time, leaped from his perch onto Toph's shoulder. She tilted her head towards her small furry friend. A little smile still in place on her face. Letting out the breath she had been holding she finally slipped the bracelet around her left wrist. She became aware on the other bracelet she always wore. The one Aang had given her here, in Ba Sing Sa five years ago. She ran her fingers over this bracelet, before she bent down picked up her pack. Then bent a earth platform to take her and Momo to the saddle.

Aang didn't say anything. He walked from the saddle to Appa's head, took up the rains, and they where off. He wasn't sure what he should say. Things were still a little awkward between them. He also wasn't sure what had happened. He knew that lord Toro liked Toph, he was a like impressed that he had had the guts to tell her. It was the way she had reacted to it that he didn't understand. He had heard a story from Zuko of how the duke had given her a gift at Sokka and Suki's wedding. She thanked him,but told him that she didn't feel the same way. He thought that she would have done the same with lord Toro. That was about four years ago though, she had grown up since than. Also the duke was younger than her, Toro was older. Sokka, Jet and Zuko were also older than her, and she had had a crushe, a fling sort off and a very close friendship with all of them,. This made a little sense. He had always thought that Toph would end up with a older man, if she ever choose to settle down with someone. Where did that leave him though.

This thought he pushed away. He was just feeling a little left out, Toph had someone, sort of. Sokka and Suki had a life together, a family. Zuko and Katara where together. He was alone. He had Toph,. But he didn't really have her, have anyone. He reminded himself that he was a monk., first and foremost, before he knew he was the avatar. He had stopped thinking like one when he met Katara. He would just have to go back to thinking like one. It was going to be hard though. After all, all of his friends had settled down, or may do soon. He was also travelling with a pretty girl his own age. She was Toph though, his friend. They would be fine.

He couldn't wait to see the southern air temple again. It had been so long since he had been back, he had avoided going back after the war when he was travelling alone. He didn't think he could face it alone. He wasn't alone now, he had Toph. He felt read to face it again. Deal with his past and finally put it behind him, the guilt and the loss.

Important note I have put up links to the outfits and object used in the story on me profile. I have mentioned this before, but have had no feed back. So I would like to know if anyone had used them. If I should keep adding them, or is it a waist of my time, if no one is using them. Than you.

Once again thank you very much for the reviews and for reading. I hope you liked this part of the story. I really enjoyed writing it. I am also really looking forward to rewriting the next part. If you have read it already you will know why. If not I hope you will read it as it is up-dated.