Disclaimer: Ownership is nine tenths of the law, which leaves me with a tenth, that's shaky legal ground.

Faeriimerlyn thanks for the review, you asked for anything with Toph so here you go and thanks to everyone who reviewed if you suggested something don't worry I will get around to it have patience and I will put your name on it for suggesting it.

Big Brothers

Toph stepped gingerly in the doorway, twisting her long sleeves in her hands nervously. A flowing grass green kimono embroidered with golden flowers and tied with a shimmering emerald ribbon hung gracefully from her petit form. Ursa who stood behind her gave her a little nudge into the room "Well doesn't she look lovely" she said to the room in general. Iroh and The Duke both looked up from the Pai Sho table, Iroh was trying to teach The Duke how to play without much success.

"Beautiful" Iroh beamed.

"Wow, Toph" The Duke stared wide-eyed. Toph almost blushed, that is till Sokka spoke. He looked up from the latest invention he was tinkering with and his mouth practically hit the floor.

"Toph what are you wearing, you look like a girl" he shouted pointing a shaking finger at her. The room collectively inhaled, waiting for something bad to happen. Toph contented herself with throwing one of her sandals at Sokka's head.

"OWW, what did I say?" Sokka said rubbing the red spot on his forehead.

"Sokka your clueless I don't know how Suki puts up with you, Toph you look so pretty and grown up" Katara said.

"Indeed, very pretty but where may I ask are you going dressed so nicely" Zuko asked, looking up from his desk by the window.

"Out with a friend, we are going to get ice-cream" Toph lightly commented while Katara began fiddling with her hair.

"A friend and what would this friend's name be?" Zuko once again questioned.

"Ren" was her curt reply.

"Ren that's not a girls name" Sokka scrunched his nose in confusion.

"That's cause he's not a girl, snoozels" Toph was starting to get irritated by the questions.

"A date?" Zuko said, surprise and distaste creeping into his voice.

"Maybe, sheesh what's with all the questions, dad" Toph shoot out at Zuko.

"Never mind those two sour pusses Toph, come with me. I have a clip that would look perfect with that dress "Katara said leading her out of the room, followed by Ursa.

Sokka jumped up from his seat almost knocking over the small table at his knees, "A date? Toph has a date, but she's Toph" he yelled in a high pitched voice.

"It would seem so" Iroh laughed "Our little Toph is becoming a beautiful young lady, it's only natural she would have suitors knocking at her door".

"Suitors" Sokka nearly fainted.

A knock at the door interrupted Sokka's incoherent ravings about Toph and dates.

"That is probably the young man himself, I'll just get the door" Iroh ambled out of the room to open the door.

"What will we do? We can't let some brat take advantage of our Toph" Sokka was nearly in hysterics.

Zuko smirked, something that could rival a crocodile that had just spotted something small and distressed by the river banks.

"I do believe we should have a little chat with this young man don't you Sokka" he said, tossing Sokka his whetstone. Sokka may act like a fool but he caught on pretty fast and smiled evilly back at his partner in crime or as they saw it "looking after the best interests of their little earth bender".

Iroh walked in followed by a young man about Toph's age, he was obviously from the Earth Kingdom, he was slightly tanned with short brown hair and hazel eyes. He would be considered good looking, if you liked that kind of thing. But what really caught the two men's attention and that was not a good thing for Ren was that he walked into the room with an air of confidence bordering on cockiness even.

"Sit down and I'll make some tea" Iroh gestured to a chair opposite Sokka and Zuko.

"Don't be too hard on him" he whispered to Zuko as he walked past and into the kitchen.

Ren bowed respectfully to the two men opposite declaring that his name was Ren and he was very pleased to meet them. They did not return the bow or the pleased to meet you. Ren sat down uncertainly, slightly put out by the penetrating stares he was receiving. He tried to start a conversation "So how are you related to Toph?"

The older one wearing scarlet robes and a bone chilling smile answered "You could call us her……. older brothers" his tone was almost friendly but something about his amber eyes reminded Ren of an eagle- hawk. Yes an eagle-hawk right before it swooped down and attacked. He also thought it odd that Toph's older brothers as they called themselves were one from the Fire Nation and the other the Water Tribes.

"Toph's really great isn't she, really independent and fun despite…." he hesitated.

"Despite what?" the Fire Nation man asked, the Water Tribe one had not spoken yet and this unnerved him.

"Well you know……she's blind" he said nervously.

"Really, we hadn't noticed" still in that friendly tone but laced with sarcasm.

Ren decided to shut up and looked down at the carpet studying the dragon pattern embroidered on it. He glanced up when he heard a scraping metallic sound, the Water Tribe man was sharpening a long, black sword with a whetstone, he smiled at Ren. Ren swallowed loudly and wondered where his date was. This place was starting to get to him, in the corner a kid wearing a helmet was grinning madly at him from across a Pai Sho table; he seemed to be barely containing his laughter. The old man was taking an unusually long time to make that tea and the looks the two men where giving him made him place his hand on his neck protectively. Just then the old man entered with a cup of tea and a large cake.

"Here you go, I'll just get Toph now then" he shot a warning look at the two men who managed to look as innocent as a tiger-cat with a mouse-shrew tail sticking out of it's mouth.

"Here let me cut a slice of cake for you" the Water Tribe man finally spoke. He raised the sword and brought it down on the table, cutting the cake and the plate in half, he picked up half of the plate and offered it to Ren who looked at it in horror.

"Perhaps it's too cold" The Fire Nation man commented and set a small burst of flames, heating up the plate. Ren dropped it in shock.

"O dear the carpet" the fire bender furrowed his brow, "well I'm sure you'll get used to our little bending displays, once you join the family that is"

"J..J..Jion the family" Ren stuttered.

"Yep, almost everyone in it is a bender except me of course, I am a master swordsman" said the Water Tribe man skilfully twirling his sword.

"It would be a very bad idea to hurt a member of this family, it could become rather…………… painful" the fire bender added, playing with a flame in his hands.

Ren stood up so fast the chair fell back and hit the ground, at the same time Toph, Katara and Ursa entered the room. Ren looked panic-stricken as his eyes darted between the sword, the flames and the door.

"Ren, are you okay? I'm ready to go now" Toph said walking towards him. He backed away slowly towards the door "You know what Toph I don't think I can go to get ice-cream with you tonight, I just remembered I'm allergic, yep completely lactose-intolerant" he quickly said.

"Well we could just go get some tea then" Toph was starting to get worried now.

"Nope I'm moving, yeah that's it I'm moving to the North Pole, mmm, tonight in fact, for good, bye I'll write" and with that he ran out the door and down the street as fast as he could bumping into a monk in orange robes in his haste to get away.

"What was that about" Aang asked walking in and shutting the door behind him.

"Another one of Toph's dates jut suddenly had to leave" Ursa told him.

"That's the third time that's happened this month" Katara said "I wonder why they all do that"

"O I have a pretty good idea why" Toph replied darkly and turned to the grinning Sokka and Zuko "What did you two do?" she yelled.

"Nothing, we were just being friendly, right Zuko" Sokka said.

"Right, he just started acting oddly and then ran away, The Duke was here he saw it too" Zuko replied.

"Yep, they didn't touch him" The Duke said and then started laughing so hard he fell off his chair.

Toph let out a shriek of irritation which due to her earth bending skills shook the entire house before she stomped into her room and slammed the door. Ursa and Katara both glared at the two men "Well" they said in perfect unison. Sokka merely sat stubbornly on the couch and crossed his arms. Zuko rose from his seat, shot Sokka a glare and walked to Toph's room.

"Badger-mole, come out and talk to me please" he said to the door.

It was roughly yanked open to reveal a seriously annoyed Toph, Zuko felt sorry for the doors hinges and himself.

"What?" she seethed, you could have sworn she was the fire bender from the flames coming from her eyes.

"I just want to talk" Zuko said in a tone usually reserved for hostage negotiators to use on dangerous criminals or zoo-keepers on deranged elephant-rhinos.

"Talk, fine start talking, why have you and meat head out there been scaring away my dates?"

"We were simply making sure that they are suitable for you"

"Then why did they run?"

"They were not suitable"

"Over-protective jerk" Toph huffed.

"Yes, my little badger-moles, it's an older brother's job to be an over-protective jerk" Zuko smile and kissed the top of Toph's head. She wrinkled her nose and pretended to pout at him despite the smile creeping on to her face.

"I still want ice-cream" she said childishly walking back into the parlour with him.

"Aang, do you want to get some ice-cream" Zuko asked the young Avatar.

"Sure" he replied with a goofy grin.

"Good, take Toph then" and he pushed her towards Aang.

Toph stuck her tongue out at Zuko and punched Sokka on the arm before leaving with Aang.

That night when they got back, Toph found Zuko still doing paperwork. "Go to bed Sparky or you'll burn out" she scolded.

"You sound like Katara, how was your date by the way?" he smiled getting up and walking towards the bedrooms with Toph.

"It wasn't a date I as with Aang, you scared of my date remember"

"O yes" Zuko smiled "not a date, yes indeed"

"Just go to bed"

"Alright stop nagging"

"That's a little sister's job" she smiled mischievously.

Just as Zuko was about to shut his door she called across the hall" Hey if a Big Brother's job is to be over-protective, is that why Sokka never leaves you and Katara alone together?"

AN: I think Toph won that one don't you?

I only allude to pairings, if you don't like any of them ignore and read it without putting the parings in.

And if you want me to do a one-shot for your favourite paring, just ask ; p

These are just my favourites hinted at.

okay I have to admit this is just my sense of humour, I really like this, I smiled all the way through writing it, it reminded me of the time my aunties threatened my cousin's boyfriend by asking if he had ever seen Misery and saying the scene with the sledgehammer would be reapeted if he hurt her ; p my familiy's a little crazy (if you know the film or book you know what I'm talking about, bye bye ankles)