AN: Just wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful reviews, for continuing to read and adding to favorites and all that good stuff! You rule! Seriously. =D
Ch 15- Sokka and Suki
"Aang, what do you think? What would you do?"
He wanted to be helpful, he really did, but Katara was putting herself in a tough situation. She wanted to do two things at once and be in two places at the same time, which was impossible. She wished to continue helping Zuko deal with the problems he was having with the Earth Kingdom and his own people and she also wanted to help her brother and future sister-in-law with their wedding preparations.
"I don't know, Katara," Aang replied, shaking his head, "Sokka and Suki are only getting married once."
Katara plopped down on her chair behind her desk. "I know," she sighed.
"But then, establishing good relations between the Fire Nation and every other nation is so important. Especially right now."
Katara made a face. "Yes, Aang, I know. That's why I was asking what you thought I should do?"
"Heh, sorry," he smiled sheepishly and took the seat across from her desk. "Sifu Hotman will tell you to go."
Katara closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to keep herself from drowning the Avatar because that would solve nothing. "Which is why I'm not asking his opinion!" she said, her voice escalating with each word.
"Okay, okay!" Aang held up his hands. "When is the wedding again?"
"In six months."
Aang stood up and paced around Katara's office.
Her office was located in the second floor of the Palace. The Earth Kingdom's Ambassador to the Fire Nation, the former General How, had his office located across the hallway to hers. Aang had spoken to him earlier on his way in to see Katara and How was still the same good man Aang remembered, he only wanted what was best for his nation and the world.
Ceasing his pacing, Aang stared up at the portrait of a very regal looking Zuko up on the wall. "Hey, has this always been here?" he asked, absently. Katara shrugged saying it had been there since the office was assigned to her.
During Ozai's reign, every single room in the main Palace contained a portrait of the Fire Lord, but Zuko spurned the idea, insisting it was not necessary to do the same for him. Toph was the one that convinced him otherwise.
"You have to put the fear of you in people, Sparky," she had told him.
"I don't want people to be afraid of me," he argued. He didn't want anyone to look at him the way he had looked at his father. Wasn't it he who spoke of a world of peace and love?
Toph shook her head. "It's not just about you. People need to know that this is your home, your country, your rule. They need to know you're not someone they can push around because trust me, they're all going to try."
It was then that Zuko agreed to have a portrait commissioned and placed in the rooms used for official state purposes only.
Aang looked away from Zuko's picture, he needed to focus. Okay, a wedding required lots of planning, that much he knew. It's about all he knew, actually. Six months seemed like a long enough time, however.
"What if you stay here for four and then spend the last two in the South Pole?" he smiled. That seemed like the perfect solution!
"Because I'm Suki's Maid of Honor and whatever she needs, I have to help."
Aang cocked his head to the side. "Well, I'm the Best Man, don't I have to do the same for Sokka?"
She sighed, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "It's not the same thing."
"Why not? It should be," the Air Nomad insisted. "Look, I can do whatever Sokka and Suki need me to do while you're helping Sifu Hotman here in the Fire Nation. Then, a few weeks before the wedding, you return home and take care of anything you think I might have missed."
Katara raised her head, looking hopeful for a second.
"You think they'd be okay with that?"
"Definitely!" Aang smiled more confidently now. "You're doing important work here, Katara. Zuko needs you. They'll understand."
The waterbender stood from behind her desk and moved to sit in the empty seat next to Aang. "And, you wouldn't mind running all over the world getting anything and everything they'll need for the wedding? Because trust me, you'll need all six months," she added with a laugh.
Aang couldn't wait to get out of the Palace! During the Peace Treaty talks, Katara and Zuko argued like no one else he'd ever seen. It was like Katara and his earthbending master fought back when Toph first joined the group, only worse! Katara and Zuko argued about restitution (whatever that was!), education, trade, taxes, employment opportunities, and well, everything else imaginable.
Zuko would accuse her of trying to fix the whole world and she would accuse him of being a true Fire Nation snob concerned with only his people. When Aang would try to mediate, the Fire Lord would call him a goody-goody and storm off, while Katara would tell him his peaceful approach to everything wasn't always the solution. Then, after a few long days passed where each complained to the young monk about the other, one would find a subtle way to make a peace offering and they'd move closer to a resolution. Things would remain calm for one or two days, then the whole thing would start all over again. If Katara would let Aang overlook his responsibilities for a while (and miss those headache inducing meetings in the process) to let him travel all over the world again, she'd be doing him a favor.
The only thing holding Aang back was that he'd have to leave How to endure the meetings alone. And, since Aang really liked the Earth Kingdom Ambassador, he felt bad doing so.
"What about Ambassador How?"
"What about him?" Katara chuckled, surprised. The young Avatar still managed to surprise her with his thoughtfulness. "You worry too much, Aang. I promise we'll be nice to him. We'll all be fine," she added with a smile.
He smiled back. "All right, I'll do it!" he laughed. "Where should I start first?"
...
Aang couldn't stop smiling even though the trip from the Fire Nation to Kyoshi Island had been a long and lonely one. It had been years since he had to travel alone. Well, with no one besides Appa and Momo. Sure, they kept him company, but it wasn't the same as having someone who could actually talk back whenever he said something. He couldn't wait to pick up Sokka and Suki to begin their new quest. Maybe they could stop by Gaoling along the way...
"There it is, buddy!"
Momo jumped on his shoulder as Appa flew lower towards the small village of Kyoshi.
...
"Well, then maybe I'll propose to a different Kyoshi Warrior…"
Suki raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to get on my bad side again?"
Sokka smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Only if it's your bad-girl side," he whispered.
She smacked her fiancé playfully. When Sokka started kissing down her neck, her head fell back with a contented sigh. Suki opened her eyes expecting to see clear blue skies, but saw a flying bison instead. "Hey look, that's Appa!"
"...Man!" the Water Tribe warrior whined. "I was about to get lucky."
Suki giggled. "If you behave you might get lucky later," she whispered. Sokka's grin was huge, from ear to ear. "Now, come on, we better get to Aang before the rest of the village knows the Avatar has arrived."
Sokka trailed behind his future wife. He couldn't wait 'til it was later.
...
"Thanks so much for offering to help us out, Aang!" Suki said, hugging the young monk as he jumped off Appa.
"It's no problem."
"Hi, Momo! Hi, Appa! You guys hungry?" she asked. And it was obvious they were. "Come on, we have special treats just for the two of you."
"Seriously, Aang," Sokka hugged him, too, then keeping an arm around his shoulder, led him after Suki back to her house. "It means a lot."
"Guys, really, I'm happy to do it."
Suki laughed, turning back to look at him over her shoulder. "That's what you say now. Just wait until we give you the list."
"There's a list?" Aang asked, grey eyes wide. He sounded worried for the first time since deciding to take on Katara's Maid of Honor duties.
"Oh, yeah," Sokka replied, grinning. "There's a list. And it's long."
...
Suki's house was small, but comfortable. As she gave him a quick tour, Aang could see that it was simple, but tastefully decorated. Her bedroom was painted a soft green with off-white borders. Thin, white curtains hung from every window and her Kyoshi Warrior armor was displayed elegantly on the side wall. The other bedroom, a guest room Sokka had claimed as his own, looked like a dumping ground for the Water Tribe. Various articles of Water Tribe clothing, weapons, and scrolls containing floor plans littered the bed and floor. Sokka had insisted on painting the room an icy blue color and as long as he didn't change any other part of her house, Suki let him. The living room was a large open space with the kitchen situated in a corner.
Aang sat by a window to enjoy the cool breeze and keep an eye on Appa and Momo outside. After going over the list, which was indeed long, requiring items from different parts of the Earth Kingdom, they simply sat around to catch up. As they ate the fresh fruit Suki brought out, they reminisced about old times, Sokka getting misty-eyed when he spoke of his long lost space sword.
After dinner, which Suki made especially for Aang and which Sokka complained about the entire time because it lacked any meat, the Kyoshi Warrior came back from the kitchen with a bottle in hand.
"This," she said to Aang, pointing to the clear blue bottle, "Might be the best thing to come out of the Water Tribe."
"Hey!" Sokka shouted.
Ignoring him, Suki opened the bottle and poured them all a drink.
"What is this?" Aang asked, taking the offered glass and sniffing it cautiously. It smelled pretty strong which worried him. After all, he wasn't much of a drinker.
"Water Tribe Vodka," Suki smiled. "Try it, it's smooth."
Aang didn't look convinced.
"Just in case you don't like it, I created a special drink." She didn't tell him the name she'd come up with the night Sokka proposed (Sex on the Beach). The Avatar was a monk after all. "It's sweet and fruity."
"Just like Aang," Sokka chuckled. He had made quick work of the vodka, downing two glasses before his fiance or the Avatar could even begin to catch up.
When Sokka started getting a glazed look in his eye, Suki took his glass away. "No more for you," she insisted.
"Aw, why not?"
"Because then you'll pass out and you won't tell Aang about Toph's party!"
Aang was surprised. "Toph had a party?" Why hadn't he been invited? He placed the untouched vodka on the table and Sokka swiped it before Suki could notice.
"Oh, yeah!" Sokka hiccuped. "I almost forgot about that."
"When was it?" Aang asked. "Where?"
"At her parents house," Suki replied. "It was her fifteenth birthday bash!"
"Yeah, it was huge! They had the most amazingly delicious food and all these animals! Just walking around in the garden. It was crazy!"
"Wow, a bash?" was all Aang could say. He was sorry he missed it, though he hadn't been invited in the first place... But people sure liked throwing parties for Toph. No one had ever thrown a party for him, not that he expected one. In the Southern Air Temple, none of the monks or kids had birthday parties. Everyone sat around to eat together and sing songs while the birthday boy got a whole fruit pie for himself. He also got first pick for his airball team. It was all very simple.
Zuko had told Aang about Toph's fourteenth birthday, which she apparently showed up for for like a second and soon disappeared from. And now her parents, too? Both events sounded anything but simple. Aang knew he and Toph were different and it had never bothered him (he liked that she made him look at things in a way he would have never thought of otherwise), but he wondered if perhaps they were too different. Aang was happy for Toph, he really was. Especially if she was getting along with her parents. No, it was something else. It was that...well, it was that...hmm, he didn't know exactly what it was, but he knew it meant something about Toph and himself. About why they were so different and maybe why they couldn't-
"Hey, Aang, you okay?" Suki asked, breaking him out of his reverie.
"Oh, um, yeah," he smiled at her, "Just thinking."
"Yeah," she agreed, nodding knowingly, "Fire Whiskey makes you forget. Water Tribe Vodka makes you think."
Aang agreed even though he didn't drink any of the vodka.
"That made no sense, Suki-poo," Sokka said, but he was smiling.
Aang chuckled. "What did he just call you?"
A very faint blush rose to Suki's cheeks. "He didn't say anything," she lied, then turned to the offender. "Come on," she stood and helped Sokka up. "It's late. Aang, you should probably get some sleep if you really want to head out early in the morning." The airbender nodded. "I still think you should stay a few more days."
"Yeah, why do you want to leave so soon?" the Water Tribe warrior asked, his words slurring together ever so slightly. "It's not like Katara's here to make you leave at the crack of dawn."
Aang chuckled. Maybe he could stay an extra day.
"I guess we can leave tomorrow, if you guys want?"
The words gave Suki pause and she glared at her fiance. "You didn't tell him?"
Sokka cringed. "Well...?"
"Sokka!"
"What? I didn't know how to tell him that he'd have to go get all those things for us all on his own!"
Aang turned to the newly engaged couple. "What do you mean? You guys aren't coming with me?" he asked. At this rate, he was going to continue traveling alone forever.
"Well," Sokka shrugged apologetically. "There's lots that we have to do at the South Pole to get everything ready for the wedding."
"Like what?" Aang wailed.
"There are a lot of things that need to be taken care of," Suki explained. "I'm sorry, Aang, I thought Sokka told you. I have to spend some time with his grandmother before we get married. And, then with some of the other elders as well."
"I saw you roll your eyes!" Sokka cried, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Just now when you said you had to spend time with Gran-Gran!"
"Well, I told you I didn't want to spend our first two months of being engaged learning how you guys do things when we're not even going to live there year-round!"
"WHAT!?"
Suki rolled her eyes again. "We've discussed this, Sokka. Half of the year there, the other half here. Besides, your grandmother told me that practice of 'learning from the elders' is outdated and I didn't need to do it!"
"But I asked you to do it and you said YES!"
"Which is the ONLY reason I'm doing it!" she yelled.
By the time they calmed down from that screaming match, Aang had already jumped out the window. Sokka had to go find him.
"Sorry about that, Aang," the Water Tribe warrior apologized, bringing the younger man back inside the house.
"It's fine. I was going to sleep outside with Appa anyway."
"I just wanted you to know that if we could, we would love to go with you," Suki smiled apologetically. "But since Sokka has to return to the Southern Water Tribe to-"
Sokka cut her off, irritating his fiancé even more in the process, but he'd wanted to be the one explaining the importance of it. He was excited about all of it, actually. "We're going to build a hall where the reception can take place, the wedding platform where the ceremony will take place, and the guest rooms where-"
"The guests' sleeping will take place," Suki added, cutting him off. "And the alter where the offering to the ocean and moon will take place."
Sokka lowered his head, his expression grim. "I know you don't think we need all that-"
"You're right," Suki replied, not letting him finish. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him expectantly.
"Call her Suki-poo again," Aang whispered to Sokka because he was starting to feel uncomfortable once more looking between his two friends. When the older man didn't apologized, Aang muttered, "I, uh, forgot something on Appa. I'll be right back." He was almost out the door but Sokka stopped him.
"You don't have to leave, Aang. Right, Suki?"
"Of course not," she replied, forcing a smile for Aang's benefit, but when her gaze returned to the man she was marrying, the bright smile died. "Let me ask you something, Aang." The expression Suki wore looked innocent enough, but for some reason the young airbender had a feeling the question would only lead to more yelling. "Don't you think that everything Sokka must build sounds a little, oh, I don't know, unnecessary and excessive?"
"Well, I, um-"
"Hey!" Sokka cried, "You're the one with the super duper long list! Poor Aang's going to have to travel the whole wide world to get all the things you want!"
"I don't mind..."
"Oh, don't give me that!" Suki snapped and Aang inched towards the door since they had shut the window. "We're getting married in the South Pole, following all of your tribe's customs! You better believe that the little I can squeeze in of my people's traditions, I'm going to do!"
"Little? Ha! Did you see the size of that list!" Sokka yelled in return. "It's taller than Aang and Aang's taller than me!"
The Avatar's hand was on the doorknob.
"Ugh! Are you back to that?" she yelled louder. After a moment, Suki sighed, throwing her arms in the air. "Look, you're scaring Aang again."
"I'm scaring him? You're the one who's eyes grew two sizes!"
Sokka winced under her glare.
"Guys, really...um, Appa and Momo...and...I'll be outside..."
Suki sat down on a chair, looking defeated all of a sudden. "I'm sorry," she apologized again. "As you can see, we haven't agreed on everything regarding the wedding yet."
"It's okay," he said, walking back cautiously towards them and taking the chair Sokka offered.
"No, it's not," Suki replied, with a frown. "How can we...?" she sighed. "How is it possible to get married, expect to live happily ever after, if we can't even agree on the small stuff?"
Sokka was frowning, too. "Don't say that," he said, sitting next to her and taking her hand.
"But it's true."
Aang thought for a second as he watched Sokka trying to think of something that would make everything better again.
"It seems to me," the Air Nomad began, "That marriage is a lot like war."
Suki's face dropped. "What?"
"Aang, buddy, I know you're trying to help, but..."
"No, no," Aang said, "Let me finish." The couple nodded reluctantly. "The monks used to say that two nations at war are like two people wanting to get married, each wants something the other has, but instead of asking for it, they simply take, convinced it's their due." Both Suki and Sokka wore a blank expression on their faces. Aang continued anyway. "Two people, like two nations, are never going to agree on every single thing, but as long as they are willing to compromise," grey eyes looked from one of his friends to the other, "Then, everything has the possibility to work out."
Sokka and Suki looked at each other.
"However, the monks ultimately saw marriage as a selfish endeavor," he added and Sokka and Suki both scowled. "But, I think they were wrong," Aang admitted. "The Air Nomads didn't practice traditional marriage, so I don't think they could appreciate why it's such a long standing institute, but I've traveled all the world and after talking with so many happily married people, I've come to realize something." He looked between the two again. "I've learned that you shouldn't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the one you think you can't live without." Suki took Sokka's hand, her eyes warming. "And, I realized something else. You guys probably already know this, but love is the only thing you get more of by giving it away."
Trying to keep the tears from falling, Suki whispered, "That was beautiful, Aang."
The Avatar's smile was sincere.
"You know, for a young bald, monk whose never even had a real girlfriend, that was pretty impressive," Sokka admitted.
"Um, thanks?"
Suki ignored her fiance and got up from her chair to hug the Avatar. "No, thank you."
Sokka joined her. "Well, since the wedding's still on...what? Don't tell me you weren't worried there for a second?" Suki rolled her eyes and remined herself she really did love him. "Anyway, since we have all this stuff to do, I know you'll be able to help us out just fine on your own, buddy," Sokka patted him on the back reassuringly.
"Actually," Suki wiped her eyes dry. "I was thinking you could stop by Gaoling first."
"What do you need from there again?" Aang asked, reaching for the list on the table and pretending to look it over. He didn't say that he planned to make Toph's hometown his first stop anyway.
"I do need ribbon from Gaoling and they have the most beautiful ones there. But, maybe Toph can join you? Then, you won't have to travel by yourself."
Aang tried to rein in his smile. "You think she'd want to go with me?"
"There's one way to find out," Suki said with a sly smile. "Tell you what, I'll write to Toph and her mom to let them know you'll be stopping by. Once there, you can ask her yourself. What do you think?"
"That'll mean you get to stay here a few more days," Sokka said in a sing-song voice. With all those Kyoshi Warriors, he was really missing being around other men. And that guy who foamed at the mouth didn't count.
"Yeah, that sounds great, let's do that," Aang replied, smiling. The thought of traveling with Toph again, just the two of them...
"Good," Suki interrupted his thoughts. "Because I wrote to Lady Bei Fong already and they'll be expecting you at the end of the week."
Two quotes I used above:
Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without. -James C. Dobson
Love is the only thing you get more of by giving it away. -Tom Wilson
Not a lot of Taang here, I know, but trust me it's coming! ;) I don't usually like to give away what's in the upcoming chapter (especially since sometimes I change stuff around), but you've all been waiting very patiently for it, so yeah, Toph and Aang will see each other again next time! Yay! \o/