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Chapter 4

Help Yourself

Aang smiled as he sat with his friends at one of the many large tables in the city's park. Zuko and Katara were leaning against each other as Katara told everyone how things were going at school. Suki was listening intently while Sokka seemed to be distracted by the bugs that kept trying to get near the meat on his plate. Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee were off in their own world talking quietly about something else entirely. Then of course there was Toph who was just sitting there not really saying or doing anything.

"So how have things been here in town?" Katara asked.

"More or less the same with the exception of an increased income," Suki told her. "Oh, wait. Your brother hasn't blown anything up in over a week."

"It's true," Sokka said proudly as he focused on one of the flies on the table. He slammed his hand against the table in an attempt to crush it only to land himself a splinter in his palm.

"Congratulations," Zuko said sarcastically. "I've managed to get a regular patrol route with a partner."

"Is it that tall guy from training?" Katara asked. "What was his name again? Haru?"

"Yeah, that's the guy," Zuko said. "Talks too much sometimes, but he's reliable enough."

"What about you two?" Katara asked Aang. "Anything new going on with you?"

"Not really," Toph answered.

"That's not true," Aang smiled. "Toph's got a secret she's not sharing. She goes out every other night and doesn't tell me where she's going."

"Oh really?"

"Yup. And I can usually find fresh bruises or sore spots on her the next morning."

"Sounds like she's just going out for a good time to me," Zuko said.

"It's nothing," Toph said sternly.

"I have to ask you one thing," Aang said. "I know that you're probably getting into fights. I also know that you're probably winning these fights. So there's just one thing I want to ask you, Toph."

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"

Aang could see the shock on everyone's faces. Sokka actually stopped mid-bite at the question. Ty Lee and Katara's faces were lit up brighter than any fireworks display Aang had ever seen. Even Mai looked like she was suddenly interested in the conversation. Unfortunately, Aang got just the answer he was expecting to get.

"How many times to I have to tell you no!" Toph groaned as she punched his arm.

"Come on!" Aang laughed. "You have to admit that was pretty good. It was completely spontaneous and you weren't expecting it."

"So not the point, Twinkle Toes!"

"Wait a second, Toph," Katara interrupted. "Are you seriously turning him down?"

"For about the hundredth time!" Toph moaned as she pressed her head to the table.

"You've proposed before?" Zuko asked.

"And you keep asking?" Sokka added.

"Yeah, but she's exaggerating," Aang explained. "I've only asked her once every day since we got back from vacation. That's only what? Sixty? Seventy times tops?"

"Can we change the subject, please?" Toph asked. "I get enough of a headache every time he asks without getting into a conversation about it."

"Then how about we play a game?" Aang asked as he pulled a ball up from under the table. "I don't think most of you have gotten to play yet."

"I'm not interested in playing any games," Azula answered.

"Come on," Zuko said. "You could stand to have some fun once in a while. Besides, it's a pretty intense game."

Aang did not wait for them to decide whether or not to join him. He threw the ball out onto the grass and began kicking it up and down the field. Sokka followed after him wide eyed and full of curiosity. Eventually the others slowly joined until it was just Toph and Zuko sitting at the table.

"What?" Toph asked.

"Why not?" he replied.

"Cause I don't wanna."

"Okay," Zuko shrugged. "And the real reason?"

"What is this, an interrogation?"

"No. I haven't started breaking things yet."

"I just don't want to yet, okay?"

"Suit yourself," Zuko said. "Makes no difference to me what you say to him, but you really ought to think about why you're really saying no."

"Shouldn't you be out there protecting Sugar Queen?" Toph asked venomously.

"I would," Zuko added with a slightly distanced voice. "But I'm a little distracted right now."

Toph felt what he was talking about almost immediately. Someone was running across the grass towards them. Someone Toph almost recognized but could not quite place. As the vibrations moved closer, Toph could feel everyone leaving the game behind them and joining her and Zuko with their visitor.

"I'm so glad you guys are here." Toph recognized the voice of the quiet girl Leila had brought to see her a few days ago at the club. Anji was her name. Her voice sounded desperate and pleading. "Please, can I hang out with you guys for a while?"

"Of course," Aang said consolingly.

"What happened?" Katara asked. Toph felt her friend gently take Anji by the hand. Anji winced noticeably.

"Nothing," she replied. "Just a little accident."

"There's nothing little about this," Katara told her. "Sweetie, your hand is broken."

Toph heard the change in her breath and felt the increase of speed in her heartbeat just before Anji started to cry. Katara put her arm around the girl as she guided her over to the table and helped her to sit down. It took a while for her to calm down, but Anji finally took a drink and managed to get herself under control.

"Thank you," she said. "I think I'm okay now."

"Anything but," Aang said. "You need to go to a hospital and have that taken care of."

"How did this happen?" Katara asked.

"It was an accident."

"You said that before," Zuko said. "What kind of accident?"

Before Anji could answer, a small black car pulled up to the side of the road along the field's pavilion. The driver side door opened quickly as an older boy practically jumped out before slamming the door.

"There you are!" Toph heard Hide yell. "Come here, Anji!"

The girl stood up and began to step backwards. She bumped directly into Aang who placed his hands gently on her shoulders. When she looked up at him he had a soft smile on his face that filled her with a comforting calm. He patted her once and then began to walk towards Hide.

"Hey, we're borrowing Anji for a little bit," Aang said politely. "Her hand looks a little messed up so we're running her to the hospital."

"No need for that," Hide said menacingly. "I'll take her. Let's go, Anji. Now."

"It's no trouble," Aang continued. "Besides, we're a little worried about her and want to make sure she's okay."

"She's fine!" Hide yelled. "It has nothing to do with you!"

"When a friend's in need it has everything to do with me," Aang replied. Still smiling. Still polite.

Hide made an effort to punch Aang's face, but was left swinging at air. He tried again only to have the same result. When he tried to find where Aang had moved to, he felt the edge of Aang's hand touched him between the shoulder blades. No matter where or how quickly he turned that hand never left him and he could not get Aang within his sight. Finally, he felt another hand push the hand and himself away from each other. When he turned around he found Aang standing next to Zuko.

"Is there a problem here?" Zuko asked, eyes narrowed.

"Butt out! This is none of your business!"

"I'm making it my business." Zuko's voice escaped like poison from his mouth as he quickly pulled out his wallet and stuck his badge in Hide's face. "Now you have two choices. You can either get back in your car and drive away, or you can stay here and be arrested for assaulting my friend here. Either one is okay by me."

Toph could feel Hide grappling with his decision. She was hoping he was one of those stupid people that was just stupid enough, but in the end he proved to have some shred of intelligence in his head. He turned around cursing loudly before he climbed back into his car, slammed the door, and screeched away.

"Thank you," she heard Anji say through tears.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" Zuko asked. "If he did this, then I can have him brought in."

"No," Anji replied quickly. "I mean yes. I mean . . . It really was an accident."

"What happened?" Toph asked. "No excuses, no letting him off. What happened?"

"We got into an argument," Anji finally admitted after a long pause. "I don't even remember what it was about. I told him I didn't want to fight because it was getting us nowhere and I tried to leave. He grabbed my wrist and I did what you told me to do."

"Good girl," Toph said proudly.

"He didn't like it very much," Anji continued. "He grabbed my hand when I tried to walk away again and he wouldn't let go. I tried to pull free and I told him it hurt. It felt like he was stacking my knuckles on top of each other."

"Doesn't sound like an accident to me," Ty Lee said.

"You should have punched his throat," Azula added.

"I didn't want to hurt him," Anji sobbed. "I just don't want him to hurt me."

"I'm calling this in," Zuko said.

"No!" Anji cried. "No! I won't press any charges!"

"You can't be serious," Mai said.

"I agree with Zuko," Aang said. "Anji, you can't let him treat you like this. If you don't do something now, then it's just going to get worse."

"And if I do something then it'll be worse than that when he gets out," Anji replied.

"At the very least you should get some kind of restraining order against him," Katara said.

"Or beat him to a pulp next time he touches you," Toph said. "Self defense."

"You mean you'll teach me?" Anji asked.

"I'll teach you as much as you need to deal with him," Toph told her. "But it's going to be up to you to do that. If you keep protecting him like this, no one is going to be able to stop him when he attacks you."

"I know," Anji said quietly.

"You're really going to teach her?" Aang asked as Katara and Suki took Anji to the car.

"I said I would, didn't I?" Toph answered. "And just because I said I would doesn't mean that she's going to show up. I think it'd be best if you came around the club a bit more often for a while if she does though. If that guy shows up I'm not sure I'll be able to hold myself back."

"I can do that," Aang smiled. "Did I tell you I got a job interview lined up?"

"Job interview for where?" Toph asked with a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"It's a daycare center over on the west side of town. Apparently they're really hurting for people right now, especially on the weekends. They called me up the day after I turned in the application."

"So I'm assuming your principal doesn't mind you working then."

"Nope!" Aang grinned. "He's pretty close to letting me take my hat off at school too."

"I still can't believe that," Toph sighed. "It's your choice whether or not you have a tattoo. Why can't they leave it alone?"

"Their hearts are in the right place," Aang said.

"Even if their heads are up their own butts."

* - * - * - * - *

"She'll be here," Aang said as he rubbed Toph's back. Toph was tapping her foot heavily and impatiently. Clubs had started twenty minutes ago and Anji was nowhere to be found.

"For her sake she'd better be. People like her boyfriend piss me off, but people like her are even worse. They let themselves get put in these positions and then they won't leave them!"

"It's not her fault," Aang said. "Abuse isn't the way a relationship starts out, Toph. Most of the time a couple is fine at first. Then someone starts wearing down their partners self confidence and value. Once they start believing what their told about themselves is when the physical stuff usually starts. By then their spirits are so low and worn they really believe everything that's being said to them. They become afraid that their so useless and pathetic that the only person who ever could care about them is the one that beats them. They just hope that today they won't be in a bad mood."

"How do you know so much about this?" Toph asked, concern lacing her voice. "You weren't ever abused, were you?"

"No," Aang smiled softly. "But I did grow up in a system where a lot of abused kids end up. They'd talk to me. Confide in me. It hurt just to hear a lot of their stories. All we can do right now is be there for Anji and hope she makes the right choice for herself."

"Speak of the devil," Toph smirked.

The door of the Martial Arts Club room opened up slowly and Anji shuffled in quietly.

"Let's get to work!" Toph grinned to her.

Toph barely gave the girl enough time to get used to her surroundings. In no time at all the girl was forced into protective gear and staring Toph in the face trying to learn how to block a punch.

"Stop flinching!" Toph groaned.

"I can't help it," Anji whined. "I'm doing the best I can."

"It's not good enough!" Toph barked as she punched towards Anji's face. For the fifth time since they started, Anji's eyes shut and she pulled back in anticipation of the hit. "How many times do I have to say that I'm not going to hit you?"

"Maybe if you weren't so convincing," Anji suggested meekly.

"Bei Fong!" a boy hollered from a few paces away. "Quit torturing the new girl and get over here!"

"Shove off!" Toph replied.

"Captain Leila left me in charge today," the boy said smugly. "That means you have to do as I tell you."

"That doesn't apply to me," Toph warned him. "If you wanna boss me around, then come and make me do what you want."

The boy only took a few steps before Toph's blind glare convinced him to rethink things. He turned on his heels and went back to whatever it was he was doing.

"That's how you put your foot down, Tiny," Toph explained to Anji. "Don't let people walk all over you. Don't let them think that they're in control. You are the only person in control of you."

"Yes, ma'am," Anji replied.

"One more time," Toph ordered. "And stop calling me ma'am!"

A/N: Since I'm having so much trouble keeping myself on schedule, I may begin posting more frequent yet shorter chapters. Let me know what you think of this idea and be sure to check my profile page for updates too.