Disclaimer: I STILL own nothing..

Enjoyy!

The group stared at the girl, who was still struggling against Zuko.

"Hey, calm down!" he shouted.

"No! Put me down!" she yelled. Anger and a slight bit of terror was evident in her voice. Aang walked over to her and Zuko and held onto her shoulders, as if to steady her.

"It's okay, we're just trying to hel-", he began, but got cut off.

"NO! Don't touch me! St-stay away!" she screamed, close to tears.

"Please, listen to us. We really are just trying to help. Can you just calm down, everything will be alright", Katara said in a soothing voice. The girl froze. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were still shut.

"You…you're a girl?" she asked. Katara nodded in confusion. She was thinking the same thing as everyone else: Why does it matter if Katara is a girl?

"Well, obviously. I mean, just look at her", Sokka said. "Does she look like a guy to you?" The girl was quiet for a moment.

"Err…yeah. Ha…uhm, no, I guess not", she mumbled out. Suki and Katara exchanged glances.

"Can you put me down now?" the girl asked Zuko. "I'm not going to run, I promise." Zuko shrugged and set her on the ground. She picked herself up and held her head high.

"Who are you?" Aang asked. Sokka clapped slowly.

"Beautifully subtle, Aang" he said. Aang shot him a glare.

"No, it's okay. I'm Number 52", she said.

"Number…fifty…huh?" Sokka asked.

"You asked who I was. I'm Number 52", she repeated. The whole group was looking at her as if she was insane.

"That's silly; your name can't be a number", Suki said. The girl shrugged.

"It's what I've been called since I was ten." The glances exchanged by their little group went unnoticed by the girl. She looked so young, but acted as if she had seen to much. Her head was held high, and her raven black hair covered her eyes. She looked like a little porcelain doll.

"What were you called before then?" Zuko asked.

"Uhm…Toph", she said, as if the name sounded foreign on her own tongue.

"Well, Toph", Katara began, "you're welcome to stay with us for as long as you want." Toph smiled slightly. Not knowing what to do, the little group slowly drifted off. Sokka and Suki went to do God knows what. Katara went to go cook food while Zuko followed after her like a lost puppy. Soon, only Aang and Toph were left, alone by the tents.

"I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm Aang", he said, taking a seat across from her. She nodded. "The one with the scar was Zuko. Sokka had the ponytail and boomerang, and Suki had short brown hair. The one with the long braid was Katara."

"You don't say", Toph said quietly. Aang thought he heard a bit of longing in her voice, but he couldn't place why, exactly. Maybe, he thought, it's because she's so far away from home. Yeah, that's gotta be it.

"Everyone's really cool, even Zuko, but it takes some time to get used to him. Me? I'm the Avatar, but I honestly don't want to be", he said truthfully.

"Why not?" Toph asked.

"People expect everything from me. It's stressful, knowing the whole world is counting on me to take down the Fire Lord. And then there's the fact that I care about everyone to much to see them get hurt because of ME. They're the only family I have. I can't lose my everyone I care about all over again." His voice had taken on a quality that hinted at strength and determination. Toph was impressed that this boy, no older than herself, had the fate of the world balanced on his shoulders, and still managed to keep a care-free and optimistic attitude.

"So what's you're story?" he asked. Toph tensed.

"Oh…well, I was part of a…traveling group. There were a lot of us, that's why I was a number. Nobody had time to learn names. Anyway, we were traveling through this swamp, and a huge storm swept through our camp. Number 53, a dear friend of mine, tried to help me after I was thrown into a tree. That's when I felt myself rising. Then I woke up here", she said

"That's a really neat story. How were the people? Were they friendly? I'd like to meet them someday", Aang rambled, oblivious to the tense girl sitting in front of him.

"No. You wouldn't want to meet them", she said. All the things they did to her, the nightmares she went through every night, fearing that it would happen again any second. She shivered, imagining the sight it must have been, her screaming, unable to do a thing, the boys cruel faces as they leered over her, 53's face, with his eyes hidden and ears covered, trying to erase the memory of what went on almost every night.

"I'm going to bed", Toph said suddenly, getting up.

"But it's the middle of the day", Aang said.

"I know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was dark, and the other people in camp were asleep. Number 52 lay wide, awake, hearing the boys in her tent stirring. Dread and fear were the only two things on her mind.

"52, daaarling", she heard 54 drawl next to her ear.

"How are you doing on this fine night?" 51 asked. Toph didn't respond. Instead, she prayed that they thought she was asleep.

"We know you're up, 52", 55 said quietly. The small girl shivered.

"Guys, leave her alone. You're all disgusting", Number 53 said angrily.

"Oh, shut up, 53", Number 54 said. "We all know you want some of this." He gestured down to Number 52. Number 53 opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Number 55.

"Seriously, man, just butt out. Or we'll make you", Number 55 threatened. 53 paled, and, giving 52 a look of regret that she couldn't see, turned over in his cot.

"So, sweetheart, let's get back to it", said Number 54. Number 51 grabbed her hair and pulled her head back, earning a sharp cry from 52. She wanted to try to get away, but she knew it was useless. Every time she resisted, they just made it more painful. Number 55 took her arms and held the behind her back. 54 slid her white dress off her body, pulled down his own pants, and swiftly entered her. She cried out again, more harshly this time.

"No-not again…p-please st-op", she yelled, tears streaming down her face.

"No…stop…can't…hurts…NO!" Toph shot up to hear pounding from outside her earth tent.

"Toph! Hey, Toph, are you okay?" she heard Aang shout. A small hole was made in her earth tent, and it quickly crumbled with a few more blows from Sokka's boomerang. They sure were a sight to behold. Aang with a worried look on his face, Sokka and Zuko panting from trying to break down solid earth, and Katara and Suki rushing over from the small stream. Toph herself was sitting up, breathing in short gasps and drenched with sweat. Aang was the first one to speak.

"Toph, I think it's about time you tell us whats going on."

Welp, that's chapter 3 for ya. R and R, per favore!

And have a Merry Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/Boxing Day and all that jazz