A/N: Well, Mike and Brian torpedoed, sunk and burned my favorite ships on the season's finale. They probably poured salt and brine over the remains, to ensure that nothing, ever, grows back. But of course, I thrive in the face of adversity so I have decided to continue this story, following canon until (probably) the Boiling Rock and then going AU. AU of sorts, because I am still keeping some stuff from the finale. Heartfelt thanks to AngelLite who volunteered to be my beta reader and who is keeping my grammar from doing naughty things.

VII. First Interlude – Research

Toph was taken aback by Aang's question. She had no idea what girls liked. Truth be told, all those romance scrolls that she just defended kept describing wimpy heroines prone to use any part of their anatomy except their brains, with an annoying propensity to faint as soon as the hero got close. The only reason she, the soldiers, and Uncle Iroh kept coming back was for the foot massage descriptions. She personally could not phantom real girls losing it completely as the scrolls would have you believe. On the other hand, she personally was not sure if she herself knew what she liked. But years training with an Airbender had taught her all about deflecting movements, which was probably the best policy in this situation.

"You mean, girls in general or what Katara likes?" He remained silent for a moment.

"Do you know what Katara likes?" He asked, real uncertainty in his voice. Before answering bananas, Toph shrugged her shoulders.

"Fussybritches likes cooking, telling other people what to do and being right." She said. He sighed, frustrated.

"I know. I meant, like-like."

"Like, in a guy?"

"Yes"

"Well, I guess you. Aren't you guys getting committed?"

"Yes. It is just that sometimes … she seems so far away. Almost like she's somewhere else."

"Well, she is always concerned about you. I mean, worrying about you, making sure you eat and go to bed on time. I guess she likes you."

"She does that for everyone. For her dad, for Sokka, even for Suki."

Toph thought about reassuring him with the formulaic "Of course she likes you, she wouldn't be doing this if she didn't" but her nature was not a prevaricating one.

"She loves you." She said, remembering the conversation from the night before.

Aang sighed.

"But does that mean she likes me?" He asked and suddenly Toph understood that he was not as clueless as she thought.

"Is there a difference?" She asked, knowing the answer. Toph realized suddenly that she had been sitting on the cold bamboo floor all this time and got up and sat on the bed. She could feel Aang's uncertainty, across from her. She extended her hand looking for his and he grabbed it. "Twinkle Toes," she said, "you know what girls like?"

"What?"

"Attitude." She said knowingly. "You need to start treating Sugar-cakes with some attitude."

"You mean, like ordering her around?"

"Not really, no. That is my attitude. I may put the A in awesomeness but I am not sure that is the approach we want here. Someone like her, she needs to feel like you know what you are doing. No hesitation, that's the way to get the upper hand."

"No hesitation." He repeated. "You mean, like grabbing her and kissing her when she is not expecting it?"

Toph thought about this for a moment.

"You have done that before, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"And how did it work for you?"

"Well, she usually just stays there, quiet. Almost frozen. She usually doesn't say anything."

"So the surprise kiss is not really working, isn't?"

"No, I guess not. Should I tell her that I am going to kiss her in advance?" Toph thought about the romance scrolls.

"That can be a mood killer T.T., unless you do it right."

"Right, how?"

"Right like, getting very close and looking at her lips and then telling her," Toph made her best deep voice, trying to do the husky thing, "Katara, I am going to kiss you like you have never been kissed before. And then, BAM, you kiss her." Somehow, the instructions sounded better in the scrolls than in real life and the hag in the back of her head seemed to be laughing at her now: The blind leading the blind, literally!!

Aang tried to do it.

"You mean like this?" He tried the deep voice. "Katara, I am going to kiss you like forever!"

"You sound like the Pebble on a bad day. Not good. Mood killer." She scratched her head. She wanted to tell him to try the Zuko voice, but somehow that felt like a betrayal. "Let's try something else. OK, get close to me and pretend that I am Katara."

"You are different."

"I know! Try to get pass that. Yes, I am not a hot looking water tribe wench with a mother complex, we all know that."

"No, you are a very hot looking earthbender girl with a warlord complex." He said suddenly. She stopped for a moment, but decided to let it pass.

"You are missing the point here. First, let's see what we are dealing with. More like a lesson, this is research. A diagnostic exercise."

"What kind of diagnostic?"

"Like a healer's test. To see if you need any improving. Maybe we can fix this 'likening' thing. Come closer. You cannot look me in the eye because I am blind, of course, but you can do something else. First, you need to create the mood. Jumping on a woman like a kissing ninja is not the best approach. Seduction is an art." Her mouth was running away from her, and she didn't seem able to stop it. To her horror, all those scrolls that had accumulated in her head started to bear fruit right there in the impromptu lesson that she was giving Aang. "So, grab my hand and tell me again."

Aang came closer and sat next to her. She extended her hand for him to grab, but he did something different. He cupped her cheek.

"Ok, that is good Twinkle Toes. That has potential. Sparky is right, you are a talented guy. Now, tell me again."

He leaned forward and in a very low voice, like a whisper, he said:

"I am going to kiss you." She was expecting the next line but it did not come. What came was a kiss. Actually, a real one. Soft warm lips, on top of hers. And they were parting hers, softly, with so much tenderness that she thought she would cry. She froze and then, straddling the line between shocked and curious, she opened her lips and kissed him back. After all, it was her first kiss and the fact that it was with a friend, a loved friend, made it so much better. The kiss deepened, and as it became more … intense? Yep, that was the word; he put a hand on her waist. When his second hand went from her cheek to the nape of her neck and caressed her, a very strong feeling that she could not place exploded on her chest and her first reaction was her usual one when she got nervous. Really nervous. She punched him. On the top of the head.

"Ouch!" Aang exclaimed, breaking the kiss. He then sounded alarmed. "Are you okay, Toph? You are blushing! Are you breathing? Toph?"

She stood up covering her cheeks with her hands, and at that moment the door opened and Sokka entered the room.

"Food!" He said happily. "I am telling you, after the conversation that I just had with Katara I need to eat something. Between her and Suki I am going crazy. Wow, spidersquid dumplings. I love these!" He stopped for a moment to look at the other two. "What happened to you, Toph? You are purple in the face!"

Toph stepped back and practically ran to the door.

"Where is Katara?" She asked, with the same hyperventilating feeling she would get back then, when receiving letters from her parents.

"Outside, talking to Zuko," Sokka said munching.

Aang tried to stop her.

"Toph! Wait!"

Toph turned to where his voice was.

"Twinkle Toes, you passed the test!" She answered hurriedly. "With flying colors!" And left the room. She could hear Sokka's voice trailing behind her. "What was in that fire whiskey? All these women are going bonkers!"

Toph ran through the corridor tracing her fingers against the walls, trying to place something or someone. She heard Katara's voice. It was coming from inside a room to her right. She stopped at the door trying to adopt a calm demeanor before entering. She caught part of the conversation.

"… not that I am apologizing or anything because of the way I behaved this morning. I was still drunk and acting completely out of character. But I understand that I may have made you uncomfortable. Hopefully we can both get pass it, and as you said there is right and there is wrong and …"

"Tara." He stopped her.

"Don't call me that. You have no right to call me that, not now."

"You don't understand. I am strong. Even if I break in pieces, if you are happy, I can see you marrying someone else. But I cannot, I will not, allow anyone to neglect you." Uh, uh, he is going to spill the soy beans!

"What are you talking about?"

"I cannot be whole if you are unhappy." He was saying, with depth and feeling. Toph nodded to herself. 'I knew it' she thought 'this guy is a natural.' She debated for a second between her own internal turmoil and giving them some privacy, but the decision was made for her.

"Toph!" Aang had followed her. She jumped and turned to him, and panicking because of the other two in the room and because of herself, she yelled.

"TWINKLETOES!" and then, "What's up?"

"Why did you run?" He asked and the door of the room was flung open. Even on ice she could feel Zuko and Katara's heartbeats, and even Aang's. 'This is a mess' the hag said and she assented.

"Sugar Queen!" She said shrilly. "I was looking for you. We need to go to the bath house. Now. I don't know where it is. I'm smelly. Need to wash. Now. Ah! … and we have to attend afternoon negotiations."

Katara was at loss.

"But Toph, you said that …"

"Kuei needs me. I need you. Let's go. Now." she grabbed her arm. She heard Zuko turn to Aang.

"Come on Aang, let's go eat."

Aang did not move for a moment. Then he said, slowly.

"You need to tell me about the flying colors, Sifu T. All of them."

"What's that?" Katara asked.

"Something Toph is teaching me." He turned to Zuko. "Let's go. Sokka is eating and you are not going to like it. He is destroying all your hard work from the last couple of days."

She heard them walk away. Katara turned to her.

"What was that about?" Toph steadied herself. She sighed.

"You don't want to know. Really, you don't. Let's go get Suki. I want a bath" She started walking. Katara breathed deeply.

"You are going on the wrong direction." She said finally, catching Toph's arm. "It's this way."