Thank you for reading. Hope you will like the newest chapter. I am sorry that I am late again with this chapter. I have had a lot of school work to get done over the last couple of weeks. I also had a little trouble coming up with an idea for this chapter. I know how I plan to end it, I just feel like there is a little to fill in before then. So any ideas are welcome. I plan to have this whole story finished by the end of the years. However it maybe be a little more than a week before I can up-date again. In about two weeks I should be able to start up-dating more regularly again.

HoneyC. Thank you for the reviews. I hope I understood you right. I have planes for a big gaang reunion in the next part. As for the badger moles. I forgot about then, dammit. I think I maybe still able fit them in.

The autumn wind was starting to pick up. It was now starting to get cold enough that you needed a light jacket or shawl when you went out. Suki had wrapped the boys up in scarfs and fingerless gloves before they went with Aang to the market to get food for the evening's dinner. They had been so excited to spent time with their uncle Aang that they moaned and complained the whole time she wrapped them up. Wanting to leave as soon as possible. Once they were wrapped up enough, she mouthed a silent thank you to Aang as the three of them left the house. She had a meeting and was grateful for Aang keeping the boys entertained. Sokka when left with them had a habit of getting caught up in their games as well. Leaving her with more cleaning up to do. Aang she hoped would be more grown up. It was also good practice for him.

It was a silent agreement that Sokka would stay behind to keep Toph Company. She sat on a chair by the back door of the house. When he went out to check on her, her head was leaning a little to the left with her eyes closed. He was about to reach down to pull the blanket that was thrown over her legs up a little to keep her warmer, when a faint voice rang in his ear.

"Are they gone."

He smiled a little as he pulled himself up straight again. "Yeah."

"Good." She sigh as she opened her eyes.

Crossing his arms over his chest he leaned back against the wall of his house. "Hey, why don't we do something. Go for a walk. Why should they have all the fun."

"I don't thing meetings and shopping count as fun."

"That is why we aren't doing either. Come on I'm bored."

"What are you five."

"No, but I have a five year old son." A faint laugh escaped as she moved herself to sit up a little further. "Come on." He smiled at her, and held out his hand towards her. She gently shook her head. Again she tried to sit up further, but did not show any sign of standing up. "Are you ok."

She nodded her head a little. "Just a little dizzy."

"But you're sitting down."

"And that would be the one reason why I am not throwing up or fainting right now. It's also why I'm glad Aang's gone out for a few hours."

Bending down next to her right side, he placed a hand over hers. "Do you need anything. Suki used to….."

"No I'm fine."

"Toph."

"I will be fine."

His hand squeezed hers a little. "This happened before."

"A few times."

"How many times is a few."

She was silent. He could just about see her mind work, thinking of the number she would say. She would most likely down play it all. So he could safely assume that he could add at least two may be three onto the number she told him. Sometimes it was so strange how she thought like a man sometimes. At least when it came to her pride. She was probably the most prideful person he knew.

"Three or four.

"So between five and seven." He muttered under his breath.

"What."

"Nothing. You haven't told Aang have you."

Again she was silent for a few seconds as she thought of the best way to answer. "There is no point. It's normal."

"Yeah, but…."

His unsaid words hung in the air between them. It had become an unspoken agreement between his family and his sisters that they did not bring up that topic with either Toph or Aang or any hint of it. He hated himself for his slip up. He knew that at some point someone would make a slip, it was always going to be him he realised.

"It's ok. Neither of us are going to break down in tears if you bring it up around us."

"Sorry." Moving a little so he was move comfortable, he looked her in the eyes. "It's going to be fine."

"Of course it is. The baby is kicking like crazy."

"Yeah." He nodded. "And you." For the third time in just over as many minutes she went silent. "Toph…."

She smiled weakly. "Don't sound all worried. I'll most likely be fine….."

"This is about your mother." He had just broken another unspoken rule. You didn't bring up Toph's real mother. Aang and maybe Zuko were the only people from the gaang that could do it and live.

"No it's not." She sighed. She understood why people would come to that conclusion, but it was still getting annoying. "It's just a fact."

"Toph…."

"Stop it! I really am fine. It's just…..this is hard." She laughed under her breath as she placed her free hand on her stomach."

"Did someone tell you it would be easy" He looked her right in the eyes. "Cause they were lying. If they also told you it got easier once they are born. That was a lie to."

Toph scoffed under her breath. "Thanks."

"For what." He asked confused.

"You could always make me laugh."

"At me right." He grinned a little.

"Right."

He was about to laugh a little when what she had just said fit him. Could, she said could. She added the word, putting what she said in the past tense. A part of him had not taken her truly seriously before. Now he did. She was really thinking that she might not be around much longer. He was no stranger himself to lose, but he could not get his head around the thought that Toph, someone younger than him dyeing.

"Could." He said in a low voice.

The expression on her face changed from almost laughing to worry. Worry that he was not going to let this go. "Yeah. You're not as funny to laugh at anymore."

"Toph." He said her name in his best authoritative voice. The one he used when he tried to get the boys to wash or eat vegetables and go to bed.

"Sokka." She matched his tone. "Don't."

Giving up he let out a sigh. As he did pushed himself to his feet. She was not going to talk to him. It wasn't him that she needed to talk to. He just hated that a friend was in pain and there was nothing he could do to help. The best he could do was leave her to deal with it. He was about to turn and walk away when he felt her hand lightly take hold of his.

"I'm not giving up….."

"Seems like you are." He had planned to pull his hand from hers, but couldn't bring himself to. "And it's not like the Toph I know."

"It's not giving up. It's accepting, making peace with morality. That there are things that even I can't control."

"That doesn't sound like you either."

"I know, I grew up."

"When did that happen."

"About the same time we all did." She felt him holding his hand a little tighter. "Specifically, when I gave in, and let Aang take the lead."

"When you ended the fight."

She nodded a faint smile forming at the memory. "He clearly had something planned. I wanted to know what it was. So I went along with it."

"Not case you loved him."

"Not then."

He smirked as he nodded. "That's right you were in denial."

She didn't reply right away. Though he was sure he saw her blush a little. He didn't even know she was able to blush. "It was always expected I would marry someone older. He is one hundred years older than me, so it made sense….to fall in love with him."

He choose not to say anything about what he had just realised. Aang had already lived for a very long time. That must have taken up a lot of his energy. Being older than everyone in their family group, except Zuko Sokka had just never thought about anyone of them being gone. He was no stranger to lose, he just never thought about it in regards to any of them. Maybe he had just always thought that he would be the first to go. It was all starting to seem a little unreal now. Made more so by the fact that Toph had just said that she loved Aang. She never said she loved anyone or anything. Except earthbending, in a genuinely sincere way.

He felt he hold on his hand tighten as she pulled herself up from the chair. "Toph…."

"I'd like to take that walk now."

A faint smile crossed his face. Her other hand held his arm by the elbow. When they took a step forward he noticed her stumble a little, so he placed his hand not attached to his right arm that she was holding over her hand. She in response squeezed his arm and rested her head on his shoulder for a second. Expressing her gratitude for his support and not fussing, asking if she wanted to sit back down.

The walk was a short one. Toph couldn't walk very far with starting to feel a little dizzy. As they walked back to the house she almost wished she could have morning sickness rather than this dizziness. Everyone was back making dinner by when they got back. Toph was forced to sit down at the large table while everyone moved around her. Once the meal was finished she went to the guest room to sleep.

Sokka made a big deal about him and Aang doing the dishes while Suki got the boys ready for bed. He normally had to be forced to wash the dishes. He became very defensive when Suki brought this up, in the end though he got his own. Way. He didn't say anything to the avatar as the washed up for the first few minutes. Then when they were almost finished, he turned to his friend.

"I think you need to speak with Toph."

"What about." Aang asked confused.

"Just walk to her."

He placed a hand on his friends shoulder as he took the towel from his hand with the other. He tried to not let any of his worry he was slightly feeling come through in his voice. With a shrug Aang turned to leave.

The guest room was dark, this side of the house didn't let any light in the evening. Toph lay on her side of the bed, the one closest to the slightly open window, with her back to him. Moving quietly as only he could towards the bed, he saw her turn over on her back so she was facing him, as he lay down on the bed next to her.

"Sokka says I should talk to you."

Her eyes opened, solely for his benefit, as she nodded that talk.

Thanks for reading. Hope you liked it. I look forward to hearing what you think. All comments and input are very welcome and slightly need at his point.