Chapter Twenty
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Breakfast
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Katara had run off without properly thinking things through. It had become very late, and she had originally intended to stay the night at the Bei Fongs' after the party; but now she was roaming the streets, trying to figure out a new plan. By the time she finished blowing off all the steam from her argument with Aang, it occurred to her to try to find an inn or hostel in which to stay for the night, but they had all closed some hours before. She finally accepted that she had no choice but to return to the Bei Fongs' and hope they would not turn her away.
As she tried to find her way through the streets, the brisk night grew brisker as a cold rain began to fall. Hands above her head, Katara Waterbended it away from her as she went, but she still shivered; in her hurry to leave the party she had forgotten her coat. Her stomach rumbled audibly, and she cursed herself for worrying so much about finding Aang that she neglected to enjoy the Bei Fongs' buffet. Thoroughly miserable and exhausted in body and spirit, she stumblingly retraced her steps back to Toph and her parents.
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Sokka woke nice and early with a splitting headache and a sore neck, and he considered staying in bed all day if consciousness was going to be such torture. However, one of the servants came by to inform him that a full breakfast would be served shortly, so he quickly rose and spruced himself (or as much as he could, anyway, considering his cast-bound leg and the bandaging at his throat). When he entered the hallway, the servant bowed and escorted him to the dining room, with which he had become familiar as a dinner guest some five years ago.
This morning, though, he did not expect to see so many familiar faces seated at the table. Nor did he expect most of those present to look as angst-ridden as he felt.
Toph sat quietly near her parents, Stonehenge chewing on a piece of toast beside her. Aang fidgeted to the left of Lord Bei Fong, and Meng sat sullenly beside him, not meeting anyone's eyes. Two more chairs waited to admit posteriors, and Sokka chose the one beside Meng and across from Stonehenge. With a glowering expression aimed at the other side of the table, he sat down heavily and brooded. However, he let no one's bad mood, least of all his own, deter him from falling hungrily upon the assorted breakfast dishes.
"Lord Bei Fong, Lady Bei Fong," Aang began, nervously trying to fill the awkward silence. "Thank you so much for your hospitality. It was very kind of you to let all of us spend the night."
Meng glared over at him as he said 'us.'
"The party was everything Toph deserved, and we're all so glad we could be here for her on her special day."
Three pairs of eyes around the table rolled at this, and Stonehenge merely stifled a yawn.
"Avatar Aang, Public Relations Expert," Sokka grumbled to himself as Meng bristled at Aang's use of the first person plural personal pronoun 'we'.
"Avatar Aang, it was an honor," Lord Bei Fong nodded politely. "Besides we have issue to sort out with this young man here." He pronounced issue as "issyoo" and gestured to Sokka.
"He has broken one of our most cherished vases," the lord elaborated.
"Dad, we have a million of those," Toph muttered, turning red with embarrassment.
"It was part of a set!" her father snapped. Then with a look of displeasure, he said to Sokka, "I will expect full compensation for both the vase and the peacock feathers."
"What?" Sokka shouted, but Aang jumped in before a heated argument could take place.
"I'll take care of it, sir," he said. "I'll take responsibility for my friend's actions."
Meng snorted, and Aang shot a tense look at her.
"Before you take responsibility for his actions," Meng said, nodding in Sokka's direction, "you should first take responsibility for your own."
"Meng, not here," Aang said in a low voice, pain etched across his face.
Just then a servant entered the dining room and cleared away the other table setting, then came back and whispered something in Lord Bei Fong's ear.
"Fine. Send for a doctor if she worsens," the lord replied and dismissed him.
"Dad, what's going on?" Toph asked worriedly.
"Your friend the Water Tribe girl came back late last night seeking shelter after walking about in the rain for some hours. We provided her a room where she's sleeping now, but it seems she's developed a slight fever and will not be joining us for breakfast."
"Sir, where is she?" Aang asked, jumping to his feet.
"She is in no danger," Lord Bei Fong replied evenly. "You may sit and enjoy your meal while she rests."
"But, sir—"
"Sit down, Aang," Meng snapped.
I won't have you run out of the room on me again for her, she thought bitterly.
Though still concerned for Katara's wellbeing, Aang listened to the unspoken plea he understood Meng to be making and for her sake sat back down.
"So, Toph dear," Lady Bei Fong began cheerily in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Did you meet any young men you liked last night? Did you dance with anyone?"
Toph blinked. "I met lots of young men," she said.
"Yes, but did you like any of them?" her mother repeated curiously.
"No, I didn't. None of them."
"Toph!" her mother exclaimed. "You'll have to try a little harder than that if you want to find a husband!"
"But I don't want to get married right now, Mom," Toph explained angrily. "I'm happy being single and Earthbending and meeting people at bars and clubs and stuff."
"But, dear, are you really happy? You seem so down when we see you," her mother declared.
"Well, yeah, I'm not saying I don't have any problems to weigh me down, but getting married isn't going to solve any of them," Toph argued. "The only problems it would solve would be yours." She directed this at both her father and mother.
"Our problems are your problems, Toph," Lord Bei Fong interjected. "When you are married, we can all be at peace."
Clenching her fists in her lap, Toph bit her lip and offered nothing further.
"I will arrange for you to see a matchmaker," her father continued. "Perhaps with such help we can find someone suitable to our tastes whom you like as well; and if we all work very hard on this together, we may very well hold a wedding reception here this same time next year, if not sooner."
Toph's angry silence continued. Sokka scowled at his host.
"Toph, stand up for yourself!" Stonehenge said suddenly. "You're the toughest Earthbender out there—you can't let them treat you like this!"
"Stay out of it," Toph said darkly.
"No, this is ridiculous. I've seen you take on some of the strongest fighters out there, and you're just rolling over to your parents? They don't ever care about y—"
With a swift slide of her foot, Toph jarred his chair forward, sending him face-first into his plate of food.
"What the hell?" he sputtered, eggs and bacon and bread crumbs slathered across his face.
"Stop acting like you know me," she snapped, then shoved her chair back, stood, and left the table and the dining room altogether.
Upset by her daughter's departure, Lady Bei Fong broke into sobs, and Lord Bei Fong reached over and patted her hand with his.
"There, there," he said. "Once we find her a husband, all of these mood swings and Earthbending tendencies will be ironed out."
"You don't get it!" Stonehenge cried, suddenly upset and beyond his usual control. "You've got a beautiful, talented daughter with the strength to overturn anyone inside or outside the ring, and you're trying to make her be something she's not. How is all her success not good enough for you?"
"Silence, young man," Lord Bei Fong warned with a deadly glare.
"You're horrible parents," Stonehenge persisted, standing to his feet and readying to leave the room. "You don't deserve her."
"Hey, Pixieshit," Sokka said, also rising and bounding over to the Earthbender.
"What do you want?" Stonehenge asked, pausing and turning to face Sokka.
"Nothing. I just wanted to say…"
And he delivered a swift right hook to the side of Stonehenge's head.
Stonehenge dropped to his knees and fell forward, barely catching himself from falling face-first onto the floor.
"Didn't see that one coming, did you?" Sokka said coldly, rubbing his fist and wincing.
"Thanks for breakfast. Really hit the spot," he called over his shoulder to his host and hostess.
And with that he hurried out after Toph.
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To be continued…
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A/N:
Aw, Stonehenge got hurt. /sad/
But Sokka kicked butt! /happy!/
I'll warn you all now that you can be expecting two major reconciliations in the next chapter! /wink/ And maybe a surprise romance will pop up randomly, though not between the two you might guess. Heeee
Thank you so much for reading, and reviews are so very welcomed and looked forward to! /grin/
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P.S.
I do not own Avatar or any of the characters therein. I do own Stonehenge and his messy breakfast face, though. Heh heh