Sorry that it has been a little longer for me to up-date. I hope that you like it.

"Toph, how many people can you bonebend at the onetime."

This was the first time Zuko had made any comment about bonebending at all, it took Toph by surprise. Aang turned to look at his wife, to see what her reaction was going to be, she hated having to use bonebending, and never talked about it herself. He saw her let out the breath that had caught in her throat when Zuko asked his question.

"That is a last resort. We have the fire lord and the avatar here, we can take them."

Both of the male benders noticed the slight smile that was now on Toph's face. That smile worried Aang. From her that kind of smile only meant one thing. This was going to be the first real bending she had done in a long while. He knew how much she pushed herself, she was going to do the same here to let him know that she was fine, to stop people worrying about her.

Before Zuko or Aang could say anything more, Toph bend a circular wall of earth about ten feet around them. "Mud wall, without the mud."

She was talking to Aang. In the time they had travelled together they had come up with a number of bending moves, mud wall was just one. A few seconds later, the wall started to spin round. Once the six attackers where close enough, spikes appeared around the cylinder. The spikes where then sent out, forcing the attackers back.

Zuko had planned their next move. "Shield Toph." Aang knew what he was planning. He wrapped one arm around Toph's shoulder, pulling her down to a kneeling position with him, then bent a consent stream of air around himself and Toph. Zuko bent a stream of fire that filled up the whole cylinder, and was sent out the holes that had been left by the spikes. When the cylinder was clear Aang dropped the air shield.

"Good thinking sparky."

"How many are left" Aang was addressing Toph.

Toph was silent for a second while she concentrated "Two out, one disappeared and three left. One each. No need for sharing." The evil grin was now present on her face, but it was too dark for anyone to see it clearly.

As Aang brought the cylinder down, they all tried to forget about the one that got away. Zuko took his opponent down with little effort, a fire ball to the chest and he was down. Aang was having a harder time with his fight, as he wasn't giving it his full attention. He was watching Toph from the corner of his eye the whole time. Every time she was almost hit, he almost ran to her. If she knew what he was doing, she would kill him herself, when she had finished with that guy, so he had to focus.

The attacker Toph was fighting was a non-bender. She had a horrible affinity for ending up fighting the non-benders. He had now pulled out his sword, in an attempt to intimidate her. Which if she could see it may have done. Toph was bending a stream of dust from her hand, blocking his attacks as best as she could. If she was honest with herself she would admit that she as tired. Her right shoulder ached from the constant movement and strain she was putting on it to maintain the stream of dust. She was rustier that she had taught.

When Aang caught sight of this, the memories of when Toph had been stabbed ran sharply through his mind. He lost control back then, but now he was only just able to hold himself back. She really would kill him if he lost it again. In one quick move he sent a wall of fire at his opponent knocking him into a tree a few feet behind him. Now that he had ended his fight he ran towards Toph. He sent an air swipe in-between the two of them. The attacker was knocked out and Toph was knocked to the ground.

Aang quickly ran to her side to help her up. She leaned on her right arm to push her up. Aang when he reached her took hold of her left arm to pull her. As he was about to pull her into his arms. A gesture he knew she would not be that grateful for, but would return anyway, he saw a patch of red blood forming on her right side. The red stood out on the yellow embroider Top she was wearing over a short sleeved white cross over top. He froze, his mouth half open. The words not again running through his head.

Zuko now joined them to see what was going on. Something was clearly not right. Aang had frozen to the spot and Toph looked unsteady on her feet, like she might fall back onto the ground any second. The first then he saw when he looked at Toph, wasn't the blood, but the make-shift dagger she held in her right hand. It had been made from the bracelet she had been wearing, when her opponent had gotten closer than she liked. She was not a close rang fighter. Preferring to keep people, in general at a distance. He then saw the growing patch of blood, and figured that she must have fallen onto it when she was knocked to the ground by the air swipe.

The ground that was normally so steady under her feet and her control seemed to be spinning. It didn't feel like a serious injury, but as the blood slowly seeped from it, she felt he energy going with it. As her knees buckled a little, Zuko caught her and helped her stay on her feet. He gave Aang a look of disappointment. It wasn't till Toph was back on her feet, and had dropped the dagger to the ground that Aang pieced together what had happened. He had done it again. She had gotten hurt because of him.

"Toph, I am so sorry..." He whispered.

"Isn't this touching." A louder voice broke the tension. "She really dose suffer because of you doesn't she."

The voice came from behind them. Where they had all been ignoring for a few minutes. The two males turned around to see who was there. Thou there was no really reason, they all recognised the voice all to well.

"Yet she will never be able to be free from you. She is bound to you. That is what fated spirits are meant to..."

"What are you doing here." Zuko was the first to regain his voice. Though it came out through gritted teeth. Toph could feel his heart racing as he stood facing his father. She also felt his hold on her waist to keep her standing tighten.

"I still have supports that wish to see the fire nation regain its former glory. For that I need my bending returned to me." Oazi's amber eyes where now focused on Aang.

"I will never..."

He was silenced by Oazi's laugh "I know you would never do that." His eyes where now looking Toph over. "But her on the other hand." If she had been able to see the look he gave her she would have killed him for looking at her like that. Like her father had done, like she was a helpless doll that he could control.

Aang was still in a rage from what had just happened, this made him even more protective of Toph. She was not going to be hurt because of him again. He stepped in front of her, taking a stanch for the most powerful attack he knew "Stay away from her."

Oazi kept laughing under his breath. "Or what, you will kill me. Do you have it in you this time."

Toph didn't understand what they were talking about, but she could feel their heart beats. Something that was clearly important was going on, that she had been kept out of. The fact that it clearly involved her and she had been kept out of it annoyed her. This annoyance was cancelled out as she was worried for her husband and friend. This was obviously as a more important deal for them than it was for her.

"No! He want kill you. He is too good for that. But I have no real morals, or problems with killing someone like you." she had now moved out of Zuko's supportive hold to stand at Aang's side. Now feeling more steady on her feet.

"You haven't changed. That is just going to make this all the more fun."

He pulled a small box out the sleeve of his robe, and threw it towards the three benders. Zuko guessed what was in the box. "Duck" He ducked and covered his head with his hands. Aang pulled Toph to the ground, shielding her with his body as best as he could. Two seconds later the area around them was covered in smoke. When it cleared, and they were on their feet again Oazi was gone.

Aang pulled Toph into a hug. "Are you ok, how is your cut." His words bleed into one another.

Toph let her husband hug her, but she didn't hug him back. "It's just a scratch." He now pulled away, still with his hands on her shoulders "We have more important things to talk about." With that she walked away, followed by Zuko.

This was what he had been dreading, her finding out from someone else. He wasn't sure how much she had really picked up on from what had just been said. He was hopeful for a second before he realised that this was Toph, she could read people, and situations better than anyone. He was going to have to tell her everything, if only to keep her safe.

I am sorry, I know that wasn't that good of a fight. I am really not very good at writing fights. I don't know what move Aang was going to make at the end that's why I didn't say what he was planning, I hope that worked ok. I also need a way to get Oazi away, he really just had to come back here to get Aang to have to tell Toph what is going on. I think the smoke boom works at least I hope it did.