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Chapter 23

Her Way

Toph's feet were bouncing to the beat of her headset as she sat lazily in the armchair of the living room. She had to admit that the long skirt she was wearing was more comfortable than she would have thought. She had decided to try to get used to the whole idea of wearing one for the wedding. Of course since Aang also preferred her hair down she planned on wearing it that way at the wedding for him, so she was doing that too. It swayed over the arm of the chair as she swayed her head with the rhythm.

She was only vaguely aware of Aang and their parents as they discussed plans for the wedding. The last time Toph had paid any attention to what was being said they were debating something about the color scheme. Like she cared about that. It was not until something was thrust into her face and a pungent aroma assaulted her nose that she pulled off the headset and started paying attention again.

"What the heck!" she yelled as the offending object was pulled away.

"Honey, we need you to pick one," her mother told her. "Which do you like better? This smell? Or this one?"

Toph could barely tell any difference between the two scents as her mother continuously pushed one under her nose and then the other. After the third cycle of "this one or this one" and too many face fulls of whatever her mother kept shoving at her, Toph grabbed her mother's wrists and pushed them away.

"Look, I don't care," she answered flatly. "I already told you that all I want is an outdoor ceremony. Everything else you guys can figure out."

"I'm still against that," Lao interjected. "What if it rains? Or the wind is blowing too strongly?"

"Then we'll deal," Toph replied. "Rain won't kill us and the worst the wind could do is blow some stuff over. I already caved and let you invite all your business partners, so you're gonna let me have this. Okay?"

"Alright, dear," Lao conceded. "But at least try to help your mother."

"What do you think, Twinkle Toes?" Toph asked. "Which one of those do you like better?"

"Huh? What?" was all that Aang managed.

"Are you all right, Aang?" Gyatso asked as he pat his son on the back.

"I'm fine, Gyatso," he told him. "I just need-"

"Some air," Toph finished quickly as she grabbed his hand. "We're gonna go out for a bit. You guys go ahead with the whole planning thing and don't call us if you need anything!"

With that, Toph rushed out the door with her fiancé in hand. It was kind of cool to think of him in those terms. Her fiancé. Toph had never really thought about marriage as a reality before. Sure she joked about it with him back during Sokka and Suki's wedding, but she had never really thought about it before. The only thing that could prevent it from becoming a reality now was just a few days away though.

"You're worried, aren't you?" she asked when she finally started to slow down.

"Aren't you?" Aang asked. "I mean this is the Fire Lord we're supposed to be going up against. He single handedly brought Serpent's Pass to its knees a few years back and it only took his name to get everyone to cave to him when he got back."

"Not everyone," Toph pointed out. "And aren't you the one that made the big speech about fighting back?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think that I'd be doing it so directly," Aang admitted. "I figured . . . I don't know what I figured."

"So what're you gonna do?" Toph asked. "You gonna let your fear of someone getting hurt stop you?"

"People are going to get hurt whatever I do," Aang stated evenly. "It's what's expected of us that I'm afraid of. Zuko's insisting on fighting, and everyone says there's only one way to stop the Fire Lord. Everyone says he has to die. They want either me or Zuko to kill his dad."

Toph lowered her head solemnly. Of course she could never empathize with something like that. She knew her old man could be an incredible pain in the butt, but looking back on everything it was nothing compared to Zuko's dad.

"Even if Zuko's okay with doing something so drastic, I don't think he could handle it," Aang continued. "He's already a man teetering on the edge of what he's going to become. He's so afraid of turning out like Ozai that he's pushed himself in the opposite direction. It's a good thing, but there are still dark places inside of him. If he thinks he has to kill someone to bring about justice, what's he going to do to the next person who manages to worm their way through the system? Zuko could end up a violent mess and go vigilante or something."

"I hadn't even thought of that," Toph admitted.

"And it's not like I could ever kill someone," Aang went on. "You know me, Toph. I feel guilty if I realize I've stepped on an ant colony. But if I don't do something, Zuko will. I love the guy like a brother and everything, but I don't have confidence in him to not be warped by an experience like that. Every second that I think about this I feel more and more like it's supposed to be me in Zuko's place, but I don't know what I'm supposed to do when I'm there."

The two of them walked in silence for a long time. Toph held Aang's hand tightly, refusing more with each step to let go. She knew that he was going to come to this conclusion eventually. He was not the kind of guy to let others throw themselves into danger before him. He cared so much about so many people she was surprised his heart had not shattered into a million little pieces by now. All she could do was be there for him in these last few days before everything came to an end. Before she and all of her friends were potentially-

No.

She refused to think like that. Nothing was going to happen to her friends. She was going to be there. She would make sure of it. Just like Aang was going to make sure that the Fire Lord could not hurt anyone anymore. But how was he going to do that? How was he going to stop the Fire Lord without killing him and losing himself in the process? Was it even possible? No matter how much she dwelt on it, Toph continued to come to the same outcome. Either Aang would have to kill Ozai and be forever changed by the experience, or he was going to lose. Either way, she would lose him.

"Let's get married," she suddenly said.

"We are getting married, Toph," he smiled weakly. "Our parents have had us couped up in your house for the last three hours arranging it, remember?"

"I mean right now." She felt Aang stop dead and could not help but smile. "Seriously, Twinkle Toes. When's the last time you saw me looking this girly?"

"Probably not since the dance a couple of years ago," Aang admitted.

"Exactly. And do you really think I want to be surrounded by a bunch of old business men that we don't even know when we get married? I'd rather it just be the two of us, maybe our friends. I want to do this on my own terms, not Dad's."

"What about all the stuff our parents are planning?" Aang asked.

"It's not like we'll skip out on it," Toph told him. "We can still do that too. We'll just already be married by then."

"And who's gonna be the one to tell them that?"

"Not it!" she replied quickly as she raised her hand. Aang groaned as she smiled at him. "You won't even have to do it until after anyway."

"You sure this is what you want?" Aang asked her.

"Of course I'm sure," she replied. "When have you ever known me to be wishy washy?"

"All right," Aang smiled. "But how are we gonna do this?"

"I've got a pretty good idea. I know some people. I'm a Bei Fong after all."

"Okay, but we've gotta take a side trip first."

Toph had to hand it to Twinkle Toes. He had thought of something that had completely slipped her mind. Or rather something she had not bothered to think about from the very beginning. So here she stood in a jewelry store while he looked over the selection of wedding rings that were on display. She heard him asking some questions, but did her best not to bother paying attention. It did not matter to her what kind of ring she wore and he knew it. The only reason she was agreeing to this was because as fun as the idea was, she was not going to pick out a ring for him only to find out that it was something that did not look right on him.

"Yeah, that's definitely the one," she heard Aang say.

"Are you quite sure?" she heard the salesman say. "I don't often sell that particular style, sir."

"You're not getting me some huge rock are you, Twinkle Toes?"

Toph heard a strangled snicker and smiled inwardly at the salesman's reaction to Aang's nickname.

"No, Toph," he replied with a sigh. "I think I know you just an little bit better than that."

"It's just that it isn't very traditional was all I meant. Will you be choosing a ring for your fiancé, miss?" the man asked. She could still hear the laughter in his voice.

"Not too good in that department," was her reply. "Just get him whatever he picks out."

"So two of those, please," Aang added.

"You're gonna wear a woman's ring, Twinkle Toes? I didn't think you'd want a diamond of your own."

"It's not a diamond," Aang told her.

Toph felt Aang follow the man to his register before making the purchase. The amazed sound that escaped the clerk must have been from however Aang was paying. She was a little curious herself how he had come into enough money to pay for not only one ring, but two. His after school job could not have been all that lucrative. Especially since he had not been to it since the incident.

"Here, feel this," his voice came as she snapped out of her thoughts.

It was perfectly smooth to the touch, and cold as well. Very plain with no engravings or patterns that she could feel. She ran the tip of her finger through the interior of the ring to feel it was just the same as the exterior. All in all it did not feel like anything special. Perhaps it was some sort of vibrant color or something.

"It's neon colored isn't it?" she joked.

"Not at all," Aang replied.

"Gold? Silver?" she asked, though it did not feel that soft. "White gold?"

"Tungsten."

"Tungsten?"

"Tungsten carbide."

"And what made you pick that?"

"It's your ring," Aang answered. "Trust me. It's a ridiculously strong metal that I doubt even you could manage to break. You can be as rough with it as you want and not have to worry about it. Not only that, but it doesn't have any frilly girl like qualities to it like the rest of the jewelry you hate to so much to wear."

"And what did this particular ring set cost?"

"Does it matter?" Aang asked.

"Not really," she admitted. "Just curious how you paid for 'em."

"Honestly, I didn't plan on getting rings until closer to the wedding date, but since someone decided to move it up I had to change my plans. Your dad did say I could use it in emergencies."

"You used the Bei Fong card my dad gave you?" Toph laughed. "You're making this day better and better, Twinkle Toes! Now let's get going. Gotta see a guy about a marriage."

Aang still could not believe where he was standing. Without even having made an appointment. Toph's family had a lot of money, that he knew, but he had no idea that the Bei Fongs had this kind of influence on the city. An unscheduled meeting with the mayor himself, and all she had to do was say that she Toph Bei Fong and she needed a word with the mayor. The office was huge!

"Nice to see you again, Toph," Mayor Bumi greeted with a chortle. "And you too, Aang. I hope this isn't about you know what, because I'm not supposed to be involved in that. Although by saying that I've probably already said too much about what I shouldn't be talking about."

"Nothing like that," Toph said. "I just need you to do us a favor. And keep it quiet."

"What kind of favor?"

"Marry us."

"Well that's very sweet and all, Toph, but I'm not interested. Besides, polygamy is illegal."

Aang tried not to laugh as Toph's hand rammed into her own forehead.

"No!" she shouted. "I mean marry me to Aang and Aang to me. Not you marry the two of us!"

"Oh!" Bumi said with sudden understanding. "That makes much more sense. Yes, I can do that. You have a witness?"

"Witness?" Aang asked. "I hadn't thought about that. Any ideas, Toph?"

"None that would keep this quiet," she answered.

"No worries, my friends!" Bumi announced. "I've got you covered."

With that, Bumi made a hasty exit from the office. After a minute or two of wondering where the insane old man who ran the city went, he returned with a man in tow who looked just as confused as they were. He took one glance at Toph and his eyes went wide.

"Y-y-y-you're Toph Bei Fong!" he nearly shouted.

"Yes, yes, heiress of Bei Fong Industries," Bumi said in a bored tone. "Now we have a marriage to get done so you just sit right there nice and quiet and sign some forms for me when we're through, okay?"

"Marriage?" the man repeated. "This is incredible! No one's going to believe me when I tell them!"

"You're not going to tell them," Bumi informed the man. "You are going to remain absolutely silent about this or I'll be forced to revoke your license, do you understand?"

"But then I wouldn't be able to . . ."

"That's right," Bumi grinned wickedly. "You'd never be able to sell your precious produce again."

"But, my cabbages," the man nearly wept.

"And now, let's get you kids married!"

A/N: The beginning of the end starts in just three more days. Are you ready?