Hey, sorry it has taken so long to up-date. As I said on the part of the story before this one, I am also writing another story at the same time as I am rewriting this one. I'm trying to do one chapter of one then the other story, so they both are up-dated regularly. I did also say that I would feel more inclined to up-date a the story that is getting more feedback, sooner. That is what has happened. The other story is getting a lot more feedback, three reviews a chapter. Which for me is great. I normally get one review a chapter, if I am lucky for this story. So far I have had no reviews for the part of the story at all. The one review it has was from when I posted the story the first time, over a year ago. That is why I up-dated the other story first, and why it has taken longer to up-date this one. Again I am not telling you this to get you to review, if you don't want to. I just feel I should explain why it has been longer in up-dating, and why it may take longer to up-date the story form now on. I will finish the whole story, all 20 parts, it may just take me a little longer. Thank you.

Zuko made his way to his favourite place, the balcony at the front of the palace. Where he could talk to Toph in private. When he reached the balcony, he looked out at the fire nation capital, and waited for Toph to join him. She was surprisingly light on her feet, for an earthbender, she had picked up a few of Aang's mannerisms in the time they had spent together. She didn't say anything, as she walked over to stand by his side. Casting her sightless eyes over the city in front of her and rested her arms on the railing, Waiting for Zuko to finally speak.

He slowly pulled out a piece of paper from his robe, then turned and faced her. Forcing the letter into her hand, that rested next to him on the railing."We found this in his room after he left." He never saw her, but she rolled her eyes at this. Aang had done this once before, the last time he left, left her a note. Zuko had no idea how she was going to take this, did she hate him so much that she didn't even want to think of him again, or would this just make her want to have him back with them more. He cared about Aang, but like Sokka viewed Toph as a little sister, so he worried about the affect Aang's unreliability had on her, and hated him a little for it.

She ran her fingers over the ink, taking in the earth in the ink so she could read it. One side of the paper only had one word written on it, her name. Unlike the last letter he had left, this one was just for her. She dropped her left hand, the one she had read her name with. She stayed frozen for a few seconds. She was clearly coming to an important decision. Her right arm moved up, almost forcing the letter back towards Zuko.

"Burn it."

He tilted his head to look at her eyes, to make sure she was sure about what she had just said. He couldn't tell if she really meant it. "Are you sure."

"Please Zuko, burn it."

She never let the letter go, so he held it just above her hand. The paper burned quicker than he had expected. He let go, but Toph held on to it, till the ash had blown away into the air. He was sure she had burned her hand, but she didn't even seem to notice or care. She then calmly turned back to face the city, leaning forward on the railing. He was going to leave her when she spoke "There is something else you want to talk about, so just spill it." As he looked back at her, she was facing him, with an all knowing smile on her face.

There was something else that was on his mind, that he wanted to talk to Toph about, two things really, but the way she had reacted to the letter stopped him from voicing it. Now she seemed to have put it behind her. He knew that was just an act, but if that was the way she wanted to handle it than he would let her. So he told her what was bothering him. "I don't know if this is really what Katara wants, to marry me." He had moved over to the railing again, and was looking down at the cold hard ground below him as he finished speaking.

Toph felt a laugh building up, but she suppressed it, and spoke as calmly as she could. "Yeah, I'm sure your right. I mean after putting the fact that you are from the fire nation, who she has been fighting ageist, who killed her mother and took her father away from her when she needed him most, And of course that you tired to kill her best friend, countless times. Putting all of that behind her and moved on and trusts you .So yeah I am sure she really hates you. Marrying you is the last thing she wants."

Zuko could almost taste the sarcasm in her voice. "Ok, ok your right."

"Really. You really should have figured out that, I am always right by now. I am disappointed in you, sparky."

He chose to ignore her last comment. This was Toph you had to expect a hard edge from her. "It's just that I love her. I really do and after Mai and all we've been through I don't want to do anything to mess this up."

Toph felt a warm sense of love come over her, she had never really felt anything like that before. She was so happy for her friends, that two of the people she cared about the most in the world where so happy, and had someone that they could rely on, that would never let them down. There was also a tinge of jealousy along with the love and happiness. She wished that she had someone that felt that way about her, that she felt that way about someone. Though she knew she wouldn't cope well with that. The idea of really loving someone like that scared her more than anything else. When you love someone like that, you trust them with your most fragile possession, your heart. She could read people to well to ever really trust someone that much. Once he finished talking she pulled him into a hug "You are going to be fine. You two love each other more than anyone else I know, and you have been through enough to get here. Just enjoy it."

He hugged her back. He had never known her to be so overly caring and supportive. He knew that she was one of the most understandings, nurturing people he knew, but she never showed that in this way. She must really mean what she was saying. He couldn't help but think that part of what she had said wasn't quit right, of all the people he know Toph and Aang had been through the most, but hadn't gotten very far for the trouble, a part of him hoped that they would work it out soon, but the rest of him worried about the pain Toph was in now because of Aang. They pulled apart and she gave him a warm smile and a kiss on the check, just under his scare.

"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about. Ask you really."

"What." there was an odd tone in her voice. Like she was close to being annoyed.

Zuko glanced back at the city, before he went on. "I, there's no one else I can think of really...since Aang's not here. Or my uncle. So would you be my best man tomorrow."

Toph was a little shocked. She didn't answer at first. She tried to think of anyone else that would be better for the job than her, but she couldn't. Katara was being walked down the aisle by her father. Sokka and Suki had been meant to walk in-front of them and in-front of them Toph would walk out first. Aang was meant to be Zuko's best man. With Suki having to stay at the south pole, and Aang not coming, Zuko had no one to be his best man. Sokka should stay with Katara, she should have her family with her, that only left Toph. The more she thought about it, the more the idea appealed to her. She would much rather spend the hours before the wedding, drinking with Zuko and the other guys, than with Katara and the other girls talking about make up and hair. "Does that mean I don't have to wear the dress."

"Afraid not. Katara agreed to the idea, only if you still wore the dress she had made for you."

"Well, since I'm stuck with the dress anyway. I'll be your best man." Toph was about to move to give him another hug, very unlike her. When a voice called to them.

"Are you two done talking yet. Dinners being served." Sokka held back at the open doors of the balcony.

Zuko gave Toph's arm a light squeeze, as a sign of thanks, before he moved away to go to dinner. "Yeah we're done Talking, lets go eat."

Toph was just about to move too, when Sokka spoke again. "Before we go, there is something I need to give Toph." Like Zuko he pulled out a sheet of paper from his robe. For a brief monument she was worried that Aang had also some how given Sokka a letter for her too. "Suki said you had to have this. It's a list of things you have to take care of as the maid of honour tomorrow."

"Wait I cant..." it suddenly became clear why Zuko had been a little nervous about asking her to be his best man. She had been tricked into doing double duty. "You knew about his didn't you." She turned to face Zuko. "I have to do both don't I."

"There isn't anyone else. All you have to do is help Katara get ready, then stand with me at the alter. That's it."

"why can't I stay with you guys and drink tomorrow. I case you forgot I'm not going to be much help, with the whole make up and hair thing. I'm blind."

Sokka moved towards Toph. Slipping the letter into her hand, as he wrapped the other around her shoulder. "Come on Toph. I won't be that bad." He then pulled her away with him as he moved back into the palace.

"That is easy for you to say."

They joined Zuko at the door to the balcony and mad their way to the great dinning room for that pre-wedding feast.

Thank you for reading. As the story is more than half way done, this being part 11, I just wanted to ask those of you how have read the whole thing from the start, what do you think of it all as a whole. I would really love to know so please review and let me know, it would really help with writing the rest of the story.