Chapter 11: Closing the Wounds

Toph slowly opened her eyes, not that she could see, but to signify to anyone in the room that she was conscious. As it were, she had a feeling that Aang was there-she could smell the distinct scent of Appa-and she could sense someone continually shifting-the rustling of their clothes reached her ears-but that was it. She couldn't smell the faint scent of meat that Sokka carried, or the smell of the ocean that was ever-present on Katara.

Aang touched Toph's shoulder and smiled.

"How are you feeling?" He asked. Toph touched her chest, which still hurt a fair amount, and shrugged.

"I'm fine. Who else is in here?" Toph asked while struggling to sit up. Aang glanced around the room, and then smiled.

"It's just me and Mai. Katara and Zuko went to find Sokka, and Ty Lee and Suki left already. They said to give you their best wishes for a full recovery." Toph rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, did you tell Suki that she had my best wishes to get-" Toph began, but a deep voice interrupted her.

"Toph! You're up!" Toph tilted her head towards the sound, not fully believing her ears. She struggled to sit up, and Aang offered his hand. She grabbed his forearm and pulled herself into a sitting position, releasing his hand quickly.

"Dad?" she asked, her voice unsteady. The man stepped into the room of the infirmary, his eyes filled with tears, despite his regal appearance.

"Toph, my daughter, I am so sorry for the pain I have caused you." He knelt before his daughter, his head bowed. "I never truly understood your strength, and for that, you have my sincerest apologies." He bowed deeper, and Toph aimed a hand in the direction she assumed his shoulder was in.

"Father, I'm not mad at you. I understand that you didn't get me, and I'm not mad." She said, and her father stood and hugged her gently. Toph smiled as he pulled away. "Tell me that you didn't come all the way here to apologize." Her father's expression changed and he blushed.

"Well, yes and no. You see, when we found out that you had been injured, we wanted to ask you to come back and live with us. I promise that we will not treat you the same way we once had." Toph could hear the raw emotion in her father's words, but...part of her still wanted the freedom she had gained. Toph's father continued to speak. "But, when your Water Tribe Warrior met me at the station, his words convinced me that you are in good hands here." Toph's eyes widened. Her Water Tribe Warrior? He couldn't be referring to Sokka. Toph chose her next words carefully.

"What words?" she asked.

"You did what?" Katara cried. Sokka raised his hands in the air as if it would placate his sister's anger.

"Look, Toph's father wanted to take her back with him. I just did her a favor." he said, rationalizing his irrational behavior. Katara took a step towards him, and Zuko stepped between them.

"Sokka, I don't know that Toph is going to see you asking her father for her hand in marraige as a favor." Zuko countered, agreeing with Katara. Sokka waved away Zuko's words.

"Hey, in a couple of weeks, once her father is safely home, she can just say that something happened and she changed her mind. That way she gets to keep her freedom. Toph will totally go for it." Sokka justified, his voice filled with conviction. Katara snorted.

"She's totally going to kill you." She laughed. Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Look, how do you think her father is going to react when he finds out that you lied. That's going to make you look bad, and he'll probably cage her just to keep her away from you." Zuko added, his eyes looking skyward. Sokka's face fell.

"I hadn't thought of that." he said, his voice pained. Katara dropped her smugness and put a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"We'll work it all out." She said, her face contorted into a look of motherly concern. Sokka snapped his fingers.

"Or, I can convince her to marry me for real!" Sokka said, his eyes alight with excitement. Zuko slapped his forehead and Katara's jaw dropped.

"Have you lost your damn mind?" Zuko questioned. Katara rounded on him, her face contorted with anger.

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't just suggest that. For Toph's sake. Not yours. You spent the majority of your friendship hurting her because of how much she loved you. For Spirit's sake, she took on a deadly mission to get away from you and the hurt you were causing her. And now, now you're going to suggest getting married. Have you completely lost it?" Katara yelled, her heart going out to the young Earthbender. Sokka froze, his expression a mask of his pain.

"Katara, I realized a while ago that Toph and I are like two parts of a whole. We are meant for each other. I know that I have hurt her, and I'll be damned if I don't regret it. But I know now where we belong, and that's together." Sokka said, tears filling his eyes. He turned away from his sister and sighed. Katara's face softened, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Zuko stared at the two, and then cleared his throat.

"We should probably go talk to Toph before her father gets to her." He added helpfully.

Aang stepped to the side as Sokka and Katara entered Toph's room, Zuko hot on their heels. Mai sighed and tossed Kira up and down, producing a laugh from the young girl. Katara took up a position next to her daughter, and Sokka moved to Toph's side. Toph was sitting in her bed, her face composed into a look of utter calm.

"Sokka," she said, her voice even. Katara glanced at Mai and mouthed, 'She's gonna kill him'. "I just spoke with my father, and he's under some weird notion that you and I are getting married." Toph continued, her vacant eyes settling on him. Sokka glanced around the room and cleared his throat.

"Could you guys give us some privacy?" he asked. Slowly, the others filed out of the room, and once they were a fair distance away, Sokka turned back to Toph. "I'm sorry I lied to your father. It's just that he was going to take you back with him, and I know how much your freedom means to you." He said, his voice quiet. Toph rolled her eyes.

"And you think that marrying me is going to give me my freedom." She concluded. Sokka shifted, unsure of her words.

"I figure that you can talk to him in a few weeks and tell him that things didn't work out, if you don't want to be with me." Sokka looked away from her face as he spoke, inwardly awaiting some form of violence. Toph snorted.

"If I don't want to be with you? Are you serious Sokka?" she asked, her voice ringing with annoyance. Sokka slowly nodded.

"Yes, if you don't want to be with me." He said, his voice dropping even lower. Toph laughed dryly.

"Really? Because, if I am remembering this correctly, I fell in love with you when we were kids, and I asked you to be with me. You rejected me, and then I took on a very dangerous mission with a possibility of death just to get away from you. And then, you track me down, lie to me about Zuko sending you to help me, and nearly get me killed twice! And then, oh it gets better, you lie to my father, my father Sokka, and tell him that we're getting married. And you expect me to just hop into your arms all sissy-like?" Toph ranted, her face filled with rage. Sokka stared at the ground for a long time, silence engulfing them in a thick shroud. Finally, he looked up and stared into her milky eyes.

"Toph, I love you. I should have realized it a long time ago, but I didn't and I hurt you. I'm sorry Toph." Sokka began, and Toph cut him off.

"Sorry doesn't mean shit Sokka. Sorry doesn't change what's happened to me because of you." Toph glared at him, tears filling her eyes. "Sorry doesn't change the past." Toph continued. Sokka stared at the floor again, but pressed on.

"Toph, I want to be with you. You were right and I was wrong. I'm sorry, okay?" He tried, his own eyes filling with tears as well. Toph snorted.

"If you want to be with me so much," her voice broke with the weight of her tears, and she began again. "Then why were you with Suki the other night?" she asked, although she didn't really want to hear his excuses. Sokka stared at her for a moment, confusion seizing him, and then the pieces clicked into place.

"Toph, I wasn't with Suki. She asked me how to get you to talk to her, and I told her that you held a grudge. I went to bed. That's all." Sokka reasoned, but Toph shook her head, her mind made up.

"Yeah, right Sokka. I'm so sure. Look, why don't you just go? I'll handle things with my father, but I never want to see you again." Toph yelled, finally reaching her breaking point. The tears began to fall, and Sokka stared at the Earthbender and saw something that he never would have seen coming; she was lying to him. It was evident in the way she cried, not out of anger, but out of pain.

Sokka stood pinned Toph's wrists to her sides, and leaned down. He captured her lips in a kiss so sweet, there was no denying that it was right. Toph pulled away, her expression a mixture of shock and confusion.

"I love you Toph, and you are all that I want. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Toph struggled in his hold, but he kissed her again, and she kissed him back, her body betraying her words.

"Don't touch me," she whispered, and he kissed her again. Toph kissed him back and pulled away. "I don't want to see you again!" she yelled, and Sokka held her close. Toph pounded her fists into his chest, each hit lighter than the previous, until she sank into his embrace. Toph moved her arms up, and returned his embrace. As tears slipped down her pale cheeks, soaking her long bangs, Toph tilted her head towards his. "Don't you ever leave me again." she begged, and Sokka pulled her tighter against him.

"I promise Toph, I won't ever leave you again. I love you so much." He buried his face in her hair, and held her tight. Toph nodded slowly, and sighed.

"I love you too."

A/N:

I know that this is another short chapter, but I had to go see a doctor. Anyway, here's this one. I'll try to get another one up tonight, but no promises. Thanks for reading, and please review. Thanks to all of my reviewers, you guys are awesome! ~Kirsten