Toph's jaw twitched in irritation as she and Teo followed Lao down a narrow hallway, guards on either side and behind them to make sure they didn't attempt to flee. As if their suffocatingly close presence wasn't enough to irritate her, the guard behind her was literally breathing down her neck, and it was trying her nerves.

After about 10 minutes of the trek – or it could have been 5; any time with Sir Pantsalot back there felt like hours – it seemed as if this hall was going on forever. Agitated, she stomped to get a better picture of where they were going.

The guards tensed and all turned at her in ready positions. She rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, relax, I'm just trying to figure out where you're really taking us," she mocked. Truthfully, Lao's office was located about 20 feet down the hall from the nearest turn. But she wanted to play with these guys a bit; keep them on edge.

The guards turned back to their original positions, but Toph could feel the heavy breather panting even harder on her neck. It was hilarious to see how nervous she made the grown men, but seriously, she would give anything to turn around and tell him to knock it the heck off.

"Hey," Teo pointlessly whispered from where he was creaking along beside her, " how much farther?"
"Not far," she said. "The main hall is just around the corner."

As she said this, the group turned the corner, and she could feel the guards gape at her in awe. She wanted to laugh at their shock.

Soon they'd reached their destination: the Bei Fongs' main office. When they entered, Lao walked to the back of the large, nearly empty room and sat down at his desk.

"Have a seat," he ordered, flicking his wrist to a few chairs in front of the desk. The guards shut the door but remained outside, at the ready the by the exit to prevent the pair from 'escaping'.

Teo wheeled his way to the middle of the room, closer to the desk, but Toph remained where she stood.

"Ahem," Lao cleared his throat. "I said," he repeated, "have a seat."

Reluctantly, Toph walked forward and stood beside Teo, but refused to go further. She was grateful to be out of that cell, finally, but she wasn't thrilled by the idea of sitting in the same room with Lao for hours while he shouted blatantly stupid demands that she was just going to ignore anyways.

She shifted her weight. Crossing her arms, she quirked an eyebrow, daring Lao to make her move further.

Lao sighed. "Very well…" he uttered reluctantly. "Let us begin."

Without hesitation, Toph, trying to sound calm – keyword, trying – blurted out "Why the heck are you so nuts?"

Teo sighed and shook his head in predetermined defeat, not even bothering to attempt holding her back.

A muscle twitched in Lao's jaw. "Excuse me?" He questioned.

Toph grit her teeth. "Why is all of this so important to you?" She demanded.

"Why is what so important to me?"

Toph dug her nails into her bicep. He had to be kidding… all he was doing was infuriating her more by pretending that he didn't know exactly why she was pissed. The man was definitely a raving lunatic.

"Don't you dare play dumb with me," she threatened. "Your desperation for a 'perfect' daughter has made you officially a heartless jerk!"

Lao simply blinked. "I am not desperate for any-"

"Yes you are!" Toph shouted, pointing a finger at him. "And you always have been! My entire life you've done nothing but force me into being this perfect little…priss!"

He folded his hands calmly in his lap, but she could tell by his breathing patterns that he was getting nervous. "I have done no such thing," he explained. "I have merely taught you how to behave in a proper societal matter."

Toph rolled her eyes. "Whatever. That's only a part of what you've done."

"Everything I have ever done was simply for your safety and wellbeing."

Toph clenched her fist. "I know that you're lying!" She yelled. "Don't even try to pull that 'for my own safety' crap with me. If you would just give up your little obsession for one second and saw me, you would see that my safety isn't an issue."

Lao opened his mouth, but it was cut off by Teo, who had pulled Toph down to his level.

"Toph, try to settle down," he muttered, exasperated. "Just let him talk. I know you don't want to listen to him, but if you keep arguing, we won't get anything accomplished, and just be stuck here longer."

He turned to talk with both of them at once, and Toph returned to height. "How about we just have everyone just say what they're upset about, and try to work something out," Teo suggested.

"That sounds appropriate," Lao said.

Teo smiled. "Good. Master Bei Fong, you start."

"Why don't we start with the fact that because of his 'protecting me', I just spent the last week in a prison cell!" Toph shouted.

Lao stood and slammed his palms down onto the desk. "Why don't we start with your temper!" He snapped. Although she was still seething, it gave unspoken pleasure to know that she'd gotten Mister 'High Society' to lose his cool like a child.

Before she could let another quip fly back at him, Teo had expertly wheeled himself between the two, skidding to a sideways stop with his hands outstretched in either direction.

"That's enough." He asseverated. "Obviously, the imprisonment is only the carapace of the problem at hand; there's way too much hostility between you two!" He took a breath, shifting his gaze between them. "You are father and daughter! This kind of hatred is not healthy. Unless you two will just be civilized enough to have an adult conversation and work something out, you're going to make yourselves miserable forever. "

Teo glared from Toph to Lao again. His outburst partially shocked Toph; not just because of his quieter nature, but because it was true.

"Fine…" she grumbled.

Lao seated himself once again. "I'm surprised somebody is able to talk some agreement into her, but glad nonetheless," he stated. Toph had to bite her tongue.

"Alright," Teo began again. "Lao, you can speak first.

Toph tensed, but begrudgingly resisted the urge to protest and focused on Lao, who gathered his breath.

"Ever since Toph was a little girl, I've worried endlessly about her. Her mother and I were almost certain that we were unable to have children, and when she was born, although blind, it seemed as though by miracle." Toph rolled her eyes, but was surprised to find he w telling the truth. "Unfortunately, because of her disability, we've always had to take extra precautions to keep her safe. Underneath it's polished surface, the world of politics is a very turpitudous and insatiable place; men will do whatever it takes to claw their way past one another. A helpless little girl would be a pristine candidate for being kidnapped and held for ransom. In attempts to keep this from happening, I've had guards by her side at every moment, and even decided to keep her existence hidden from the world.

"Then, when she was about five, a pebble flew at her mother while she stomped her feet around in a tantrum. "He chuckled. "Poppy still complains about her favorite teacup being shattered," he said with an uncharacteristic grin. Lao shook his head. He quickly regained his stone composure. "That day, I didn't know what to do. She was an earthbender. I t was such an amazing ability with outstanding possibilities. My heart ached knowing that she would never be able to reach a full potential, but I hired Master Yu, the best sifu in Gaoling, to teach her. Unfortunately, without the ability to see the targets, her ability presented a danger to herself and others. So I had Yu keep her at a level consisting of just basic stances, with little progression. I spent five years protecting her from the dangers of the outside world, and I'd never even fathomed that she'd have the ability to harm herself.

"When she was six, one of my worst nightmares became a reality. Shunsui, one of Toph's main guards, came into my office just before noon, informing me that Toph had gone missing. After an unsuccessful sweep of the entire estate grounds, I began to panic, and ordered the guards to search the town. This was a difficult task, however. In order to keep her existence hidden, the guards had to be discreet, and the search took nearly three times as long as it normally would have.

"Finally, at dusk, Naozumi returned with Toph half asleep in his arms. He told me that they'd found her just outside of town, in a cave full of beasts. The poor girl must have been frightened out of her wits. Relieved that she was safe, I too her from Naozumi's hold and tucked her into bed. Immediately afterward, I doubled the number of guards patrolling the grounds, to be sure nothing happened again."

Lao sighed. "Unfortunately, my efforts weren't enough. Everything seemed to be going smoothly for the next few years, and she began to blossom into a beautiful young lady. Then, one day, the Avatar randomly arrived at our doorstep, and things took a turn for the worse.

"My fears were realized yet again when I stepped into the courtyard for an evening stroll and found a ransom note from a man named Xin Fu. He had the Avatar, and Toph, and was demanding a thousand gold pieces for her safe return. I immediately complied with the terms, already prepared for such a situation, and brought the money to an illegal earthbending stadium. He released her, and I was beside myself to see that she was unharmed. But moments later, when a dozen large, angry men charged in right towards her, I nearly fainted. I could just sit back and watch helplessly as she had to fight them all off herself. The Avatar was useless. Toph denied his assistance not to trouble him, and he listened, leaving her to fend for herself. Though my jaw nearly hit the floor to see that she was able to fight them away.

"When I was finally able to get her safely home, I was overcome by the severity of the night's events; she could have been severely injured, or worse! I doubled the guards yet again, and sent the Avatar, who'd put her in such danger, away from my property. Toph left the den to prepare for bed, refusing to speak to me after hearing about the security increase. I myself was angry with her disobedience, and made no effort to summon her back. I had no idea that would be the last time I'd see her for nearly three years.

"When Shunsui went to check on her in the night, he discovered her missing. After just getting her back from a monster hours beforehand, I was devastated again. This time, I sent her recent kidnapper and Master Yu after her; the two knew her well enough to be able to track her location, and now that she was undoubtedly with the Avatar, they would hopefully be powerful enough together to rescue her from his clutches.

"After about a month without any sign of her, I was informed that a Bei Fong seal had been used multiple times in Ba Sing Se. I was glad to finally at least know her location. After checking her room to find her emergency pass card indeed missing, I sent news to the search team to change course to the great city. They returned weeks later, but unfortunately without my daughter. The two idiots arrived sealed into the very metal compartment that they'd been sent to bring her home with! At first I'd thought that it was the Avatar's doing, but I was astonished to hear that it was Toph herself who could bend metal. Bringing her home had gotten a hundred times more difficult.

Lao paused for a breath and took a sip of his tea. The clink of the dishes sliced through the silence as he put his cup back onto the table before continuing.

"It was another three months before information was received again. This time, a hawk flagged with the Fire Nation insignia arrived at my window, carrying a letter. Upon reading its contents, I fell to my knees. "

He opened a desk drawer and pulled out a sheet of parchment, which he handed to Teo.

"Imagine my horror! My little girl, whom I'd spent twelve and a half years keeping out of harm's way no matter what the cost, was off fighting in the war; she could be killed! But by now I knew it was hopeless to go after her; she was Nations away, with no news of her exact whereabouts. I sent a letter back with the hawk, in hopes it would reach her, but it simply returned here.

"Just two weeks later, word spread throughout the Earth Kingdom about a failed invasion of the Fire Nation capitol. There was no knowledge of any children amongst the surviving rebels being held in prison. All I could do was hold her mother as she cried, distraught. I felt completely helpless.

"The news that the war had been won a month later brought little joy, until Qing, one of our kitchen suppliers, brought a newspaper in to me. I took one look at the article, interviewing the heroes of the war, and was overwhelmed to find that Toph was a live; proven by a portrait of her with the Avatar's gang sitting outside of a teashop in Ba Sing Se. I was beyond relieved, and showed Poppy immediately.

"Figuring that now that the war had been won and she was no longer of use, and her rebellious streak over, we waited anxiously for her to return home. But she never did. She was almost killed, and now she could be putting herself in even more danger again, with me having no way of knowing what she was up to other than the occasional word or news segment.

"Although we were both strongly against it, Shunsui convinced Poppy and I not to summon for her, and allow her to grow out of this phase on her own. I begrudgingly accepted, assuring it wouldn't take long, and she'd be home in a few months. But she wouldn't.

"By the end of the second year of her absence, I was mad with worry. With little to no contact with her, I'd never know if Toph could be severely injured, or worse. And now that she was so publicly known, she was at risk. Instead of politicians, razed admirers or vengeful Fire Nation revolters could come after her. I had to find a way to get her home.

"I contacted officials in Ba Sing Se, summoning or her, but each time she refused to come home. I didn't know what to do. As I dug deeper into the social leaders of the city, I discovered a force of men who excelled in the art of maintaining peace, somehow turning even the most stubborn of men into a complying, obedient citizen. It was exactly what I needed. I hired them immediately.

"After meeting with their leader, I was informed that their work revolved around hypnosis and mind control; they would use a lamp to draw the troublemaker into a trance, and then they would plant the new behavioral concepts into their head. This sounded perfect, except for one factor. Toph was blind; any form of optical control would be completely useless. We worked together to meld their visual techniques into audio, devising a complex decibel system, using the chords or a standard harp, that would alter different portions of the brain- let it be for hypnosis, the blocking of chi paths, or even rendering the recipient immobile or unconscious- while the agent at hand would wear earplugs, safe and unaffected. It took almost half a year to design this new form of hypnoses, but it was brilliant.

"With this option, I could even give her a whole new life, transforming her into the young woman she was always meant to be. When I summoned for her again and, miraculously, she came, it was the perfect opportunity to begin. She was taught to stay indoors, respect her guards, and behave, all without using any form of punishment. I gave her a new name, to be sure that word didn't get around that she was the same girl from the capitol. The last thing needed was for both worlds of dangers to combine; it would totally defeat the purpose of bringing her home again. The agents also said that any familiarity that wasn't specified in the hypnosis could trigger her old behavior again, and changing her identity helped with this factor as well.

"I also moved the family to a new estate. This one was made entirely of would, to be sure that she wouldn't earthbend her way out, in the event her behavior should return. Of course, they had to replace her memories, to be sure that she could have a full transformation, and they removed the knowledge that she was a bender as a precaution. But although the brainwashing was effective, it was only temporary. To secure that the effects didn't wear off, the agents returned each night to reprogram the new memories. It was extreme, yes, but finally, Toph was safe.

"Everything seemed to be going well for about a year. She was happy, healthy, and the family was back together. Then, she started taking more notice of the guards. She grew restless, and even as Sadako, I thought she'd try to run away again. I tried to reinstill understanding of the guards, but the resentment was set too deep for even the Dai Li to lock up. That's when I decided to decrease the guards instead, replacing them with one, qualified guard that she could see more as a friend. I sent out forms for applicants, listing the occupation as a servant to mask her existence further. We know what happened next; the Quey-Rin boy – eh hem, Teo – applied, and was hired. He seemed fit for the job, and because of his own disability, the situation was almost perfect. Not to mention, I'd heard his name somewhere before.

"A few months later, I realized why the name had sounded so familiar. When Sadako spoke of a dream, the boy's reaction told me everything I needed to know: it had been a memory. Teo was a familiarity that was slowly undoing all of our careful work.

"It would have been too suspicious to simply get rid o the boy offhand, but I had to do something to get him away from her before he unlocked her rebel years, or discovered who she was." Lao sighed. "Although it pained me greatly, I decided that the best option would be for her to get married. She was coming of legal age soon, so it was an opportunity to eliminate contact from the boy. And though it was one of the reasons I'd kept her hidden for so long, it was standard for the daughters of noble families to be married as soon as they reached age, to form alliances with other families. The solution would eliminate other problems that would arise. I would have insurance that Toph would be taken care of after I was gone, and it would also solve the complication of needing a male heir;, she could still keep her inheritance if it was given to her husband. Eventually, I began to rely on her marriage not just as an escape, but as security for her future.

"As discreetly as possible, I interviewed suitors from all over the Earth Kingdom. I decided that Adesh Chaw-Hsu, a boy from Makapu, seemed like the best candidate. He was a strong young man, about sixteen himself. He was from a respectable family, but wouldn't try to be overpowering. I bean conjugal arrangements, and informed Teo of the circumstances. He was accepting, and continued to work as if nothing had changed, not slacking in his last few days.

"But the second night after I'd told him he would be leaving, I was awoken in the dead of night to be informed that he did, with my daughter in tow. I would have had to have been a fool to think that it was kidnapping this time; somehow, unbeknownst to me, he'd unlocked her rebellion, and helped her run away again.

"After her escape there was absolutely no contact; she was totally under my radar. It took me a year of sending agents all throughout the Earth Kingdom to find her again. I'd originally avoided search of Ba Sing Se, figuring that she was wise enough not to return to the same place, but as it turned out, it was exactly where she had gone.

"In her time back in the city, she made knowledge of her identity quite widely known, which eventually led to our finding her. Though my source thought it was only an impersonation; she acted nothing like one from a noble family. In her time away, she had transformed herself into a ruffian. She was beginning to disgrace the Bei Fong name. I could no longer make deals with investors in the area of the city, due to them no longer having professional respect. Even the Chaw-Hsus were repulsed, and pulled back their agreements, nor did any other family want to make any offers for her hand.

"Out of options, I had the cell constructed in the basement to contain her until she agreed to behave. The agents were then sent out to capture her.

"It gave me some home that she was beginning to come around when I was told that she'd been taken from a high end dress shop, but the fight she put up and her behavior upon arrival told me otherwise. My agents also took Teo, who she was surprisingly still traveling with, with the intention of punishment, but my mindset on that has been changed; he appears to be a kind young man. I hope he allows me to stay in such an opinion, since it is a rarity.

"I have yet to know whether or not my last attempt at reaching Toph has been effective, but my suspicions would be that it has not. You should be aware of everything since that point."

Toph blinked, stunned to silence. "Wow…" she eventually uttered out, "You really are as conceited as I thought."

Immediately, Lao stiffened. "Everything has been done with your own protection in mind!" he defended. Shifting her weight, Toph balled her shaking fist in an attempt to keep from lashing out. Lao softened. "You were just a little girl. It's my job to keep you safe."

She shook her head blankly. "When's it gonna occur to you that I'm not a little girl anymore? I'm seventeen; an adult! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and have been for years!" She protested.

Lao sighed. "Toph," he said, his voice barely audible, "you're our only child. If anything happened to you, your mother and I would be devastated."

Toph scoffed. "Really? Because your attempts at restraining me have been about as bad as anything some 'kidnapper' would do, if not worse."

Lao rubbed his forehead. "I suppose I have been a bit extreme. But you must understand, I was only acting with my best parental interest at heart."

"Parental interest?" Toph laughed. "You've been anything but a parent to me my entire life. I was raised by guards and servants. If I had a nightmare when I was little, where were you? It was Shunsui who would come tuck me back in. It was Misante who brought me breakfast, Naozumi who read to me. They were the ones who actually cared about me." She looked down, hiding her face in her wild, scraggly hair.

"My job is very busy, and requires a lot of my attentions. It's not that I don't care about you; I do! It's just that-"

"Just what?" She interjected. "You say that you cared, but you didn't. You were never even proud of me. I've been reigning champion of Earth Rumble for almost a decade straight, I discovered metalbending, and I helped defeat the Firelord and end Sozin's War, and none of that makes a difference to you. But that doesn't matter. I don't rely on your approval, or anyone else's." Toph straightened her shoulders, solidifying her point.

"But I am proud of you," Lao started. "So very proud."

He registered as no lie, but Toph refused to believe it.

She glared. "Don't pretend to be something you're not. You've never once did anything to show it. In fact, you've done the opposite. You were so ashamed of me that you changed every aspect of what makes me… me. You took away who I was, and I will never forgive you for that." Toph took a deep breath and faced him. She'd somehow managed to keep her voice from cracking apart.

The room was silent. Nobody moved. Lao looked down at his desk, solemn.

"…I'm sorry…" he said quietly, after what seemed like ages. He didn't look up.

Toph held her chin up. "I'm not looking for an apology," she said coldly.

Teo took a deep breath. During Lao's speech, he'd worked his way back next to Toph. He wheeled back, indirectly between the two again. "Well, now that everything's out in the open," he stated cautiously, "Things can only get better from here."

Lao sighed. "We can only hope…"

Toph rolled her eyes and sat boredly. She did not want to have to say that she forgave him. Luckily, she was saved from the silence when Teo gasped suddenly.

"What day is it?" he asked.

Lao blinked, surprised. "The twentieth, why?"

Teo's head snapped up. "Oh no… Toph, the wedding!"

Toph's eyes popped open again at the realization. "Shit! Katara's gonna kill us!"

"Sir, can she please get going?" Teo asked. "I'll stay and try to finish up, but she really has to go. She can't be late."

Lao scrunched his eyebrows, confused and taken off guard. "Um… what?"

Teo shook his head. "She's a bridesmaid in our friends' wedding. That's why we were in the dress shop last week. She's going to be late if she doesn't leave right now." He explained.

Lao looked at Toph, who was leaning towards the door. "I suppose…" he said, still bewildered by the sudden turn of conversation.

"Thanks dad," she uttered, before bolting out the door.

"So, while I'm here…" she heard Teo saying as she ran down the hall. His voice faded out as she turned the corner.

Toph quickly navigated the house, which was set up similarly to the old estate. Rounding into the entrance hall, she barely had time to thrust open the heavy front doors before launching herself off on earth skates.

It was going to be a long trip to the city, and she had to move fast.

Whew! THAT took a long time!

Hopefully a doubly-long chapter makes up for my lack of updating lately? :)

Reviews, please! I have chapter 9 written, but I'm only posting it if you do