Chapter 4: Maybe
Two Years Later
The twenty three year old war hero had never been more terrified in his life. Here he was, standing in his sister's garden, fear engulfing him like never before. Katara stared at Sokka in utter annoyance.
At twenty one, Katara had filled out to be quite the heartbreaker. Not that it mattered though; she and Aang were happily married. She was dressed in a blue tunic and skirt, much like the outfit she once traveled in, and had her long hair pulled into a bun.
Aang stood beside her. At nineteen, he had finally grown into his reputation. He was muscled enough to fit his role of Avatar. But, everyone who was close to him knew that he was still a teddy bear.
Their daughter was nestled between them. She had short brown hair, halfway pulled into a ponytail. She had her mom's blue eyes, and her father's smile. She was three.
Sokka had Aang beat by far. He was broad-shouldered, and muscled. His hair was grown out and fashioned like his father's, and he had a small goatee going. Sokka wore a blue, sleeveless tunic, and dark pants. On his chest, above his heart, he had a tattoo of the face of a badger mole. He liked to tell people that he was wasted when he had gotten it. Only he knew that it served as a daily reminder of the woman that used to be his best friend.
Though she hadn't spoken to him since their fight, she frequently wrote to Katara and Aang. She even sent Kira souvenirs from the various places her mission took her. After two years, she still hadn't reached the Boiling Rock prison.
Sokka stopped his self-destructive train of thought and glared at his sister.
"Why didn't you tell me that she was so close?" Katara put a finger to her lip in mock thought.
"Oh gee, could it be because she doesn't want anything to do with you? Could it be that she took on a deadly mission to get away from you because you're insensitive? Gee, I wonder." Sokka sighed; Katara blamed him for Toph leaving, and she worried about Toph constantly. It wasn't as though Sokka didn't care about Toph. He thought about her every day. But one thing after another had come up, and he had never been close enough to apologize face-to-face. Now, his sister was telling him that Toph was less than a week's journey away by ship. Sokka just happened to own a ship. A few actually, but that was beside the point.
"Where is she staying at?" Katara's eyes slowly changed. She sighed.
"She's staying at the palace in the North Pole." Sokka's blood chilled. It would hurt him greatly to be in the same place he had lost Yue. Sokka scolded himself mentally; he needed to make things right with Toph. He glanced at his niece and smiled.
"I thought that was a Water Tribe necklace she was wearing. How long is Toph staying there?" Katara and Aang exchanged a glance.
"You just happened to be passing through the area and stopped by the palace to see how Chief Arnook was doing." Katara stated. Sokka rolled his eyes and nodded.
"I take it I can catch her if I leave now?" he asked. Katara nodded slowly and glanced at Kira.
"Give uncle Sokka a hug and kiss. He has to go now." Kira toddled to her uncle and he picked her up.
"Bye uncle sock." She lisped. Sokka kissed her forehead and set her back down. Sokka turned and embraced his sister.
"Thank you Katara. You know how much this means to me." Katara gave him a pointed look.
"I don't know what you're thanking me for. I didn't tell you anything." Sokka rolled his eyes and hugged Aang.
"Take care of my niece. I'll be back soon." Sokka turned and headed away from them, determined to get to the North Pole to make things right.
That night, he dreamed of Toph. He dreamed about their fight, and he could see how cruel he was to her. Yes, the timing was terrible, but she was still his friend. He could have handled things differently. The past two years had been brutal; he had lost his best friend. His days seemed empty, and he began traveling with his father in hopes of filling the void. He had quickly assumed a high rank, but he still felt lonely. There were times when he would turn to tell Toph a joke, only to be reminded that he had driven her away. Hakoda had treated Sokka with understanding and kindness, and Bato had offered his own insight, but nothing helped. Sokka still felt empty and foolish. Toph was right; he missed her terribly, in a way that he probably wouldn't had she been Suki.
A/N: I know this was a short chapter, but I sensed a finality in that last sentence that would have been diminished had I kept typing. I have a few things to do, but will most likely have another chapter up tonight. Thanks for reading, please review. ~Kirsten