After a day of nonstop running, Team Toph with the addition of Ty Lee stopped at a Fire Nation colony that was on the fringes of Fire Nation territory. Thankfully, June had a few connections in the rather large colony, and they managed to sneak the four fugitives into a hotel without the Fire Nation noticing.

"Have I mentioned how happy I am that we added you to the Team," Toph asked as she fell back into a chair.

"I'm sure you are," June replied, not really paying that much attention. "Only two beds? Really?"

"Anything larger in a hotel like this would be a bit suspicious don't you think," Kegare asked. June shrugged in acknowledgement as Ty Lee jumped flat on the other bed.

"It's so soft!"

"So it's decided: Earthbenders sleep on the floor," June proclaimed.

"What?"

"Works for me."

Kegare snapped his head around at Toph, "You're only saying that to vote against me again!" The blind Earthbender grinned mischievously, confirming the former soldier's accusation. "Why don't I get a bed?"

"Girl," June stated pointing to herself. The bounty hunter's finger then moved to Ty Lee, who looked over and smiled with a curious gaze in her eyes, "Girl."

"Doesn't chivalry go out the window when one of the girls can whup my butt?"

"If you'd rather fight for the bed-,"

"Forget it!" June smiled in satisfaction as she crossed her arms.

"Thanks for being so understanding Kegare," Ty Lee said.

"It's alright Ty Lee," the Earthbender replied in defeat. The boy turned his head and muttered under his breath, "At least someone thanks me for my sacrifices on this team."

"Quit whining," Toph snapped.

June groaned in disgust as she slowly pulled something out of her hair. A decent sized beetle moved its legs about, trying to get away before June flicked it at the nearest window. "Why couldn't it have just flown down my throat? I don't wanna know how many more of those things are in my hair."

"That's why I like to have mine braided," Ty Lee said as she sat up in her bed. "That and it doesn't get in my face when I'm standing on my fingers when I'm upside down on the balancing rope or when I'm fighting."

"I don't mind it when I'm fighting, but I didn't think bugs would make a home for themselves after we ran however many miles away from that damn circus."

Kegare quickly reached back and started combing his fingers through his ponytail to make sure there weren't any unwanted guests in his hair as well. "Maybe we should all take a shower," Ty Lee suggested. "Just to be safe. Then I can make double check to make sure that you guys got everything out."

"Yeah, but the only problem is this hotel isn't exactly extravagant," June said. "They have a timer on the showers. You only get about five minutes before the water turns off, and there's at least thirty minutes between each shower. That's two hours and twenty minutes I don't feel like wasting."

"Then you'll go first," Kegare suggested.

"I was thinking of pairing up," June replied. "Ty Lee and I, you and Toph."

"WAIT—WHAT! WHY?" June leaned back a bit as both Earthbenders shouted the exact same thing at her for the umpteenth time since she's been on the Team.

"Toph is blind. She can't see any of your 'goods' Kegare." Both Earthbenders blushed and widened their eyes in outrage at the bounty hunter.

"I don't need to take a shower thank you very much! I like being covered in dirt and filth!"

"Yeah, well you don't exactly scream peasant. Your skin is too pale and fair looking, your hands, while tough, aren't blistered or rough with manual labor. So an average looking girl, covered in dirt and filth. Kinda seems like an Earthbender profile if I were an observant Fire Nation soldier."

"Well good for us none of those exist!"

"You're taking a shower," June ordered. Toph scowled, the blush on her face darkening.

"Well why does it have to be with Man-Boy! Can't all the girls take a shower together?"

"Three people in one small, cheap shower? Doesn't seem like it'd be productive."

"Can't I find a river or something," Kegare questioned.

"Yeah, so I can hold his head under water and wait for the bubbles to stop," Toph added.

"Hey, I'm not the one who suggested this!" Kegare blinked a few times as he observed Toph's face. "And why are you blushing!"

"Cause it's embarrassing you idiot!"

"Has nothing to do with the fact she likes you," June murmured smugly.

"Shut up June," Toph and Kegare shouted together. The bounty hunter's smirk grew with satisfaction.

'Can't put a price on how easily annoyed they get,'June thought to herself.

"Can I make a suggestion," Ty Lee asked. The three Earth Kingdom residents turned their heads to the young acrobat. "Why is Kegare going to the river a bad idea?"

"Because if by the off chance the Fire Nation catches up with us or follows our trail, he won't be able to fend of a legion of Firebenders by himself," June stated.

"Then why doesn't someone go with him," Ty Lee suggested.

"I'm NOT going with him," Toph protested loudly.

"You don't have to. I'll go with him." Kegare raised a questioning brow as his cheeks reddened worse than before. "If you're okay with that?" Ty Lee's face became stern as she held out her finger, "And you gotta promise you won't spy on me."

"O-okay," Kegare stammered.

"Well…I dunno. Toph's ability to feel vibrations through her feet would be useful for lookout while Kegare is cleaning himself," June pointed out.

"No, no, no, NO!" June laughed at Toph's flustered protests.

"I'm kidding! Calm down. Ty Lee, you and Kegare by all means go to the nearest river if you really want to." Ty Lee smiled and nodded before hopping off of the bed.

"I've gotta get some stuff though from the market, like soaps and shampoo. Spare some money?" June reached for her wallet and pulled out eight copper pieces, four silver pieces, and one gold piece and tossed them to Ty Lee. "Thanks June! Come on Kegare."

The young Earthbender groaned as he sulked forward, completely embarrassed by this whole idea. "I think I am cursed…"

June smirked when she heard that and closed the door behind them, "Alright so-,"

"Why'd you let them go off like that," Toph demanded.

"Beg pardon?"

"You left Man-Boy alone with some Fire Nation hoochie! How do we know she's not a spy who'll kill him with his pants down?" June's face twisted as she tried her best not to laugh. After a few seconds, and a few weak, stifled laughs, she gave in and exploded with amusement. Toph narrowed her blind eyes and put her hands on her hip while June continued to laugh at her 'legitimate' reasoning.

"You're joking right? If you're that jealous than just go after him and trade Ty Lee places."

"I'm not jealous," Toph swiftly snapped, her cheeks becoming a faint shade of pink.

"Or would you rather me go trade Kegare places so you two can have some 'alone' time?" June grinned, knowing she plucked the right strings as the blind girl became more embarrassed. Toph huffed and turned her head away, closing her eyes and hoping her bangs covered her blush.

"I don't care either way. I just don't want to lose my punching bag."

"You're so adorable," June muttered smugly. "Come on girl, strip down and get wet." Toph's blush spread faster as she stomped her foot on the ground and gave an upset look at June. The bounty hunter grinned as she removed her arm covers and dropped them on the bed.

"You're heading straight for beat-down central you know that?"

"Love you too Toph," June said jokingly.

Kegare wondered to himself how his face hadn't self combusted at this point from all of the blushing. Ty Lee's bright smile never wavered for a bit as she bought a few soaps, conditioners, and shampoos. Kegare however, couldn't keep eye contact with any living creature he happened to pass. The two headed out of town towards a nearby river which was hidden by trees thankfully.

The Earthbender looked everywhere to make sure there wasn't anything with eyes around except him or Ty Lee. He wished that even the latter wasn't here right now. The acrobat turned around on her heels and smiled at Kegare, making him even more nervous than before.

"Alright, you can go on the other side of the river and get ready. I'll set out all of this for you, kay?"

"A-alright..." Kegare slowly made his way though the river and quickly scampered behind some bushes. Ty Lee hummed merrily to herself as she started to lie everything out on a small rock next to the river.

The acrobat smiled as she gave a nod of approval to herself before moving towards the nearest tree. She got on the other side of the tree and sat down, looking out in the direction of the town. "You can come out whenever you're ready now. I'm not looking." Ty Lee's response was a quick splash, causing her to giggle a bit. "Is it really that big of a deal?"

"Well yeah! I don't mind a little dirt, but I haven't been naked out in the open like this before! Isn't it against the law or something?"

"Public nudity? Yeah, a little bit I think."

"A little bit," Kegare repeated as he started to scrub his side vigorously. "How is something a 'little bit' against the law?"

"Just bathe," Ty Lee playfully replied. Kegare muttered to himself before he started to quickly clean himself before anyone showed up. Ty Lee lifted her leg up in the air and fastened her shoe to her foot. "So how long have you been a draft dodger?"

The Earthbender shifted his eyes towards Ty Lee, blushing slightly at the thought of making small-talk while he was naked and shampooing his hair. "Technically I guess I'm not a draft dodger in the typical sense. I'm more of a fugitive from Long Feng and the Earth Kingdom."

"How come?"

"It's a very long story and I feel kinda awkward talking about it while I'm naked," Kegare stated quickly. Ty Lee giggled before lowering her leg back on the ground.

"Sorry about that. I just want to get to know everyone a little better is all. I mean you all offered to help me, and all you knew was that I'm from the Fire Nation and I was apart of the circus."

"Yeah, we seem to pick up a lotta strays on this haphazard 'Team.' Uh…no offence."

"None taken," Ty Lee replied with the smile on her tone still evident. "I'll just take your history as 'I've got one and I don't like to talk about it,' kay?"

"Sheesh, the way you and June make it sound I'd think I have a stick up my butt," Kegare muttered with a pout.

"It's not a bad thing to keep to yourself I guess." The acrobat pulled her legs up and hugged her knees to her chest. "I mean it took forever for Zuko to tell me everything that'd happened. I already knew most of what happened, but I wanted him to trust me enough to tell me, ya know?"

Kegare looked down at the water, seeing his own reflection staring back at him, "Trust huh…"

Ty Lee looked up at the sky and sighed thoughtfully before whispering to herself, "I wonder where he is now?"

The Earthbender blinked himself back to reality before he dunked his head into the water to scrub the shampoo out. Kegare threw his head back, watering flying out from his wet strands of hair. The former soldier took a small breath of air before looking off to the side to make sure Ty Lee wasn't looking.

"Alright, I guess I'm done," Kegare said cautiously.

Ty Lee reached to her right and blindly tossed a towel towards the river. Kegare quickly shifted his stance, bringing up a chunk of rock which propelled the towel towards him. He quickly jumped out of the water, grabbed the towel in mid-air and wrapped it around his waist. The former soldier landed on his feet and secured the towel around his waist.

"Whew…okay, I'm decent now."

"My eyes won't erupt in flames if they catch something they're not supposed to will they," Ty Lee asked mockingly.

"Oh, ha-ha, you've got me in stitches over here," Kegare replied as he grabbed his shirt. Ty Lee giggled before she stepped out from behind the tree and took off her shoes.

"Oh-ow-ow, these rocks are hard and rigid." Kegare turned his head as he saw Ty Lee bouncing from one foot to another.

"Heads up!" The Earthbender motioned his entire body down, sending a small wave of earth across the river. Ty Lee sprung into the air and wrapped her legs around a tree branch above her. The earth ran over the rock and smoothed the top out for Ty Lee. The acrobat fell from the tree and landed firmly on her feet.

"Much better," she proclaimed.

"Sorry, I kinda forgot you weren't an Earthbender." Ty Lee sat down on the edge of the rock and rested her toes in the water.

"It's alright." Ty Lee started to kick her feet back and forth gently in the water, looking down with a smile at the ripples. "So you and Toph really aren't an item?" Kegare visibly twitched in irritation before he whirled around, and pulled his arm through the sleeve of his shirt.

"NO! Why does everyone think that? Just cause we're both the only Earthbenders of the group?"

Ty Lee giggled a bit more before leaning back, "No silly. It's cause you two always seem to be thinking the same thing, or at least know what the other is thinking." Kegare narrowed his eyes, pouting a bit in defeat as a blush worked its way on his face. Ty Lee tilted her head to the side a bit, gazing off into the sky. "She speaks her mind whenever she wants, and you're a bit more reserved. Opposites attract you know."

"So that's why you've got a thing for the hot-headed thief-prince?" Ty Lee sat up angrily, balling up her fists as a blush came over her face too.

"I don't have a thing for Zuko!" Kegare grinned and chuckled cruelly. Ty Lee caught onto the Earthbender's tactic and quickly turned her head, crossed her arms, and huffed. Kegare stepped behind a tree to put his pants on. "Sorry…" The Earthbender froze in his place before snapping his head out into the open, giving a puzzled stare at Ty Lee. "What…?"

"That's…not a word I haven't heard in a long time. Kinda weird I guess…" Kegare moved back behind the tree and finished fastening his pants.

"Well…I feel like June would be the type of person to apologize for a mistake she's made. But harmless fun…well she seems like the type of person to just keep going with it." Kegare hummed softly to himself before he leaned back against the tree.

"What about Toph? You think she's the type of person to apologize for anything?"

"If she thinks she's made a big mistake, then yes. But she has to think it. Not you or anyone else telling her she's made a mistake."

"Yeah, right," Kegare stepped out into the open with his hands on his hips, "like she'd admit she's make a mistake. Her head is so big I'm surprised she hasn't beaten me with it yet."

"You'd be surprised," Ty Lee replied, her face hardening a bit. "Her aura wasn't one of complete self-confidence." Kegare blinked a few times as he stared blankly into space before turning his head to stare blankly at Ty Lee. "What?"

"You said 'her aura?' What's that mean?"

"I can feel people's auras when I'm close to them," Ty Lee explained. "She tries to exert an air of confidence and self-assurance, but that's just to put up a front." Kegare sat down on the edge of the river across from Ty Lee, listening to what the young acrobat. "I mean she is a great Earthbender, and to have gone this far by yourself when you're blind is an impressive feat. Think about how many people she's had to lie to and use as a draft dodger. After awhile, lying and putting up some type of well crafted façade becomes second nature. June probably noticed that about Toph too, but just chose not to confront her about it. Toph just acts the way she acts to hide the fact that she's actually self-conscious about her impaired sight."

"She…really…?"

"That's what I've picked up at least," Ty Lee answered truthfully with a shrug. "I'm sure June would probably think the same thing. I bet she's really good at reading people."

"Okay so…what kinds of aura do June and I give off?" Kegare asked the question slowly, almost reluctant to have his 'aura' read.

"June exerts a lot of self-confidence, but it's not to hide anything," Ty Lee said with a smile forming on her face. "She knows she's tough, but she also knows she's not invincible. She's cautious, always ready for the bad-guys to jump out of the walls and surround her. Probably because she's been in that situation a couple of times." Ty Lee giggled while Kegare smirked and huffed. "But she also has this…special attitude I don't see a lot of. Has she been with you and Toph a long time?"

"Less than a week," Kegare replied. "But Toph offered to help June find her parents since we weren't on some special quest to save the world, and we were already on the run from the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom regardless."

"That's it then," Ty Lee exclaimed happily as she snapped her fingers. Kegare tilted his head to the side. "She kind of sees herself as your and Toph's guardian in a way. She's older and she's probably done more than her fair share of dirty jobs as a bounty hunter. When it comes down to it, she has more experience in the ways of the world than you, Toph, and I put together. She doesn't think of herself as your guys' mother, but she definitely sees you and Toph as people she wants to protect, because you're her friends."

"Wait, really?" Ty Lee smiled and nodded, causing her braid bouncing up and down. "So…what type of aura do you pick up from me?"

"You're…a nice guy. Kind of conflicted about something…lots of things actually. Your aura is all over the place to be honest. It kinda reminds me of Zuko's." Ty Lee giggled a bit and rubbed her arm in embarrassment. Kegare offered a smile to Ty Lee. "Auras like your guy's is hard to read sometimes."

"Sorry about that," Kegare apologized.

"I do know you're really embarrassed about having taken a bath in such close proximity to me though." Kegare's cheeks burned red, causing Ty Lee to giggle again. The acrobat sprung up to her feet and pumped her fist in the air, "Alright, time to head back."

"Wait, you're not going to take a bath?" Ty Lee spun around, a very stern look on her face as she put her fists on her hips.

"You just wanna spy on me don't you, you pervert?" Kegare nearly fell over in complete shock, but quickly caught himself. Rendered flustered and completely embarrassed, Kegare started stammering hysterically to try and come up with some type of excuse to prevent Ty Lee from paralyzing him and leaving his sorry butt by the river. A smile soon crossed Ty Lee's face as she leaned back and laughed, "I'm only joking." Once again, Kegare nearly fell over in disbelief. "I figure by the time we get to hotel, Toph and June will be done showering, I can do everyone's hair, and then it'll be my turn to shower."

"So…I'm going to be the only one who bathes in the river like an animal?"

"Sorry," Ty Lee playfully stated. Kegare wasn't sure how to feel about that sorry, since she didn't sound it.

Back at the hotel, Ty Lee was the first to enter the room, "We're back!"

"How was the bath," June asked as she sat on the edge of the bed to clip her toenails.

"Not too great," Kegare murmured.

"Probably because you didn't see anything Man-Boy," Toph muttered.

"Excuse me what? Your insult was rather quiet for your usual abusive behavior." Toph glared her unfocused gaze ahead. Kegare narrowed his eyes skeptically. "Okay…you're surprisingly…passive."

"She's just embarrassed," June said.

"Shut up Sweet 'n Sour!"

"Why's she embarrassed," Ty Lee asked.

"She slipped and I caught her," June replied simply as she clipped another toenail. "And her face fell right into my boobs."

"Oh my," Ty Lee whispered, covering her uncontainable smile with her hands.

"Oh this is too rich," Kegare said with a sinister edge in his tone.

"I can make you shut up you know," Toph threatened. "Just say the word and I will bury you underground Man-Boy." Kegare merely chuckled as Toph's blush spread across her whole face. Ty Lee tried her hardest to suppress her laughter into stifled giggles. June merely smiled and moved her eyes to the others before looking over her shoulder to Toph. "Screw you guys, I'm going to bed!" Toph jumped down off of the bed and lied down on the ground.

"You almost got to screw me," June whispered to herself. Toph swung her arm back and hit the bed behind her. Whether from sheer strength of Earthbending nobody knew, but the bed slid across the room and slammed into June's bed, nearly throwing the bounty hunter onto the ground. June simply glared back over her shoulder, "Okay, throw a little hissy fit then."

"I'm NOT throwing a hissy fit!"

Kegare, who was a bit worried, leaned back to Ty Lee who was a bit frightened, "What's her aura like now?"

"Mad..." Ty Lee replied.

As it started to get late, the Team started to head to bed. Ty Lee took a shower before jumping into the bed which was practically now adjoined to June's bed. Kegare lied on the ground. He made sure to stay out of Toph's striking distance for safety's sake.

Kegare was woken up in the middle of the night when he heard the door close. The groggy Earthbender looked over to the side to see that Toph was gone. Kegare groaned as he gently bonked his head on the floor. The former soldier got up and quietly followed after the Team captain.

Out in the lobby, Kegare found Toph sitting by herself at a table with her toes touching the ground. He knew by this point Toph had to know that he was there. "Can't sleep?"

"Not really," Toph answered. Kegare walked up to the table and sat across from his blind companion. "What about you? I didn't wake you up did I?"

"My, was that a sign of concern," Kegare mockingly asked. Toph smirked a bit before swinging blind at her partner.

"Smart-ass. But seriously, I didn't did I?"

"Maybe a little," Kegare answered truthfully.

"Sorry." Kegare was once again rendered dumbstruck by hearing that word.

"Seriously, is today opposite day or something? All the girls of the world be nice to Kegare for a day?"

"You complaining?"

"Not at all," Kegare answered. "I like this change of pace." Toph stuck her tongue out at her fellow Earthbender who returned the favor, though he knew she couldn't see it. "So…aside from the accident, how was your shower?"

"I hated it! I'd much rather have a nice, light, healthy coating of earth around me instead of this 'clean' crap everyone goes on about."

"Yeah, basic hygiene is so overrated," Kegare sarcastically agreed.

"Another thing? Don't EVER bring up the 'accident' again, got it?"

"My lips are sealed," Kegare assured her.

"I mean if I knew I was going to fall in the stupid shower, I'd much rather have taken one with you!" Toph caught herself and immediately pressed her lips shut, and Kegare incidentally did the same. Heat started to rush to their faces as they looked away from each other in awkwardness. "I-I mean just so I wouldn't be face first in another girl's boobs is the only reason I'd want to take a shower with you," Toph quickly defended to 'save' herself.

"Well yeah," Kegare agreed with an uncomfortable chuckle.

"Then again, knowing you, you'd 'fall' just to get your face in some girl's boobs wouldn't you Man-Boy?"

"N-no you pervert!"

"I'm the pervert? You're the one thinking about falling into girl's bosoms!"

"And you're the one who actually did it," Kegare stated with a heavy dosage of smug in his tone. Toph blushed furiously and glared her unfocused eyes on her partner. Using her Earthbending, Toph pulled Kegare's chair forward violently, causing her fellow Earthbender's face to smack hard into the table. Kegare groaned in pain as Toph pushed the chair back away from the table.

"You said you wouldn't bring up the accident," Toph pointed out.

"My bad," Kegare replied as he rubbed his now throbbing face. Toph got out of her chair and walked next to Kegare.

"Need help getting back to the room?"

"No I'm good…whenever I find out which of the three of you is you." Toph rolled her eyes and smiled before she helped Kegare out of his seat.

"Sorry about smashing your face in," Toph apologized.

"Thanks for caring enough to apologize…I think…" Toph smiled as she and Kegare continued down the halls back to their room.

Ahh, filler. Can't you just smell the filling goodness? Filler-rific. Okay, enough with the beating you over the head with the fact this chapter is very obviously filler.

Sorry for the Team not finding Zuko this chapter guys, but I got this idea in my head of all sorts of awkward situations, and ran with it. So you get Man-Boy bathing a few feet away from Ty Lee, and Toph falling into June's bobs (yes, I called them bobs). Awkward central! Next chapter should be less awkward…and less filler.