Aang's POV

I feel so depressed lately. But that's because all of a sudden, Hanako wants to know about her real dad. I guess I can't blame her for that, but it still hurts. Toph's not helping with this either. Every time I try talking to her about it, she just tells me that Hanako loves me no matter what.

There's a knock at the door and I go to open it. A man hands me a scroll. It's addressed to Toph.

"Toph! You got a letter!" I call out to her. She comes into the room looking disordered. Her hair is out of its normal bun, her raven locks of hair going in every way possible. She's wearing her usual outfit that is similar to the one she wore when she was twelve, though she didn't put the yellow part on yet. And, of course, her feet are bare. Some people still think that's gross for a seventeen year old girl to do, but I think it's cute.

Toph sits down on the table top. "Do you want me to read it to you?" I ask her. She glares at me.

"How else am I supposed to know what it says Twinkle Toes?" she asks snippily. She's been like that lately…well…more so than usual.

I open the scroll and read it over to myself first. "Well?" Toph asks impatiently.

"It's from Katara. She's invited you to spend a 'weekend with the girls' with her and Ty Lee," I tell her. I look up from the scroll to Toph. Her nose is scrunched up.

"Do I have to?" she asks as if she was the little kid, not a mom. I laugh. In the five years I've known her, she's never liked, as she calls it, 'being girly.'

Putting the scroll down, I sit down next to her and put my arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "Why not? You haven't spent much time with either of them for quite a while now. You deserve a break. I can take care of Hanako by myself for one weekend," I tell her sweetly.

Her shoulders drop in defeat. "Fine, I'll go. When is it?" she asks, looking up at me. I pick the scroll back up and scan it for a date.

"This weekend. And it's in the Fire Nation, so don't bring any heavy clothing," I tell her while smiling.

She leans into me and I hug her tighter. I kiss her head.

"Ew! Mommy, Daddy, why do have to do that while I'm here?" Hanako calls from the doorway. I let go of Toph and open my arms for Hanako. She runs up and practically tackles me.

"It's because we love each other Kitty," I say. I tickle her sides and she laughs.

"Now Sweetie, this weekend Twinkle Toes is going to be looking after you by himself because he's making me go the Fire Nation for a weekend with my friends. Promise me you'll be a good girl, 'kay?" Toph says to her, winking.

"'Kay mommy," Hanako says. I put her down and she runs back to her room.

"What was that about?" I ask Toph confused. She laughs at me before also leaving the room.

&&&&&&

I now know what Toph meant. Taking care of everything by myself is hectic. Sure, I'm usually the one who does the cooking and any cleaning that needs to be done, because Toph really couldn't care less about cleanliness, and she can't cook to save her life, but Hanako is a handful. I can't believe I never realized how much Toph does to keep her in check.

I collapse on the couch, exhausted. I'm just about to drift off to sleep when I feel a tug on my tunic. It's Hanako. I groan inwardly.

"What is it Kitty?" I ask her, not moving, only opening my eyes. I look into her eyes. They look like her father's, a dark brown.

"Daddy, can you tell me what happened to him?" she asked, not really naming anyone in particular, but I know who she's talking about.

"You mean your father?" I ask her. She looks down and nods. I sit up and pull her into my lap.

"I really don't know what happened to him. He disappeared," I tell her.

She looks up at me. "Can you tell me about him? And how come mommy won't talk about him?"

I frown, but continue to talk anyway. She deserves to know. "His name is Jet. He has your eye color and hid hair is a lighter color brown. He was a rebel leader determined to wipe out the Fire Nation as revenge for killing his parents," I tell her, taking a pause.

"Was this back during the war?" she asks. I nod. "Then that's a good thing… right?"

I shake my head. "No. See, you have to understand that loosing his parents caused him to become a little… crazy. He was willing to kill and destroy anything and anyone in the process of defeating the Fire Nation."

"Anyone?" she asks warily.

I nod again. "Yes, anyone. He once tried to wipe out a whole village by flooding it to destroy a few Fire Nation soldiers."

She looks down. "Is that why mommy won't talk about him?"

"Yes… and no. See, he was willing do anything to get what he wants, and he hurt your mom in the process. He forced her to do some things she didn't want to do. So, the reason your mom won't talk about him is really because, even though she won't admit it, she's scared of him," I say slowly.

She looks up at me, surprised. "Mommy? Afraid of anyone? But she's not afraid of anything."

"Kitty, your mommy is just like anyone else when it comes to fear. She's scared of your father, she's scared of thunder, she was scared when we faced the Fire Lord to end the war, and she's always scared for you. She just has a hard time showing it," I explain.

Hanako leans up and kisses me on the cheek. "I love you daddy," she says as she hugs me.

My heart swells as I hug her back. "I love you too baby." I set her back down on the ground. "Now no more talk of unhappy things. Go play with your toys."

"'Kay," she says as she happily runs off. I let out a sigh of relief and fall back onto the couch and drift into a dreamless sleep.

A/N- Please review.

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