When they caught sight of Toph in the village mid-afternoon, Zuko sighed internally. Externally he said, "We've found them."

Katara didn't mask her emotions. "Well, vacation's over."

"You were in a dungeon… stabbed."

"That part wasn't fun, but the rest was." She shrugged as she said, "You work really well as a heater at night too." He was glad he was able to serve her.

"I'll miss the kisses."

She shook her head, "We can sneak those. It will be exciting."

Toph shifted her feet on the ground. She then smiled and took off running. "You're finally here!"

Zuko snorted, "She was in a dungeon. How didn't you all know?"

"Hunh?" Toph said. "She was?"

"Yeah, and stabbed in the thigh." He added. "She needed-"

"It's fine." She said, cutting him off. "Let's go." He wanted to protest, but the look on her face stopped him. He decided to ask her later why she wasn't upset that she had been in danger and they didn't know.

"You were stabbed? How did you let them get you?" Toph asked accusingly.

Katara smiled and replied. "I was chained at the time."

"What did you say to piss the guy off?"

Zuko chuckled that she guessed what happened. "She told him he was stupid."

"Was he?"

Katara nodded, "He wasn't bright, but he was smart enough to figure out I insulted him."

"I'm glad you're out. Aang will be glad to see you." Zuko didn't know what to make of the glance that Toph sent his way.

"Is he here?" Katara asked with a forced light tone.

"Town over on Appa. He'll be back tomorrow midday. Sokka and Suki are with him."

"Why did you stay?"

"They didn't really need me, and the town is a resort town. It's sandy, and my feet can't see there. I didn't want to be going around blind," she joked.

Zuko wanted to groan. Of course, the one person that stayed behind would be the one that could see them literally through walls. It would make it impossible to sneak kisses.

Katara knew Toph's range of "sight." She learned it early on. She had to. When things got too rough, she snuck away and cried. She ensured that Toph never sensed her cry after that embarrassing first time.

It was strange for her that night getting ready with Toph there. She and Zuko had the routine down so well that it was odd adding another into the mix.

When Toph made her rock tent, Katara smiled up at the stars. She waited for Toph's loud snores, then got up and made her way to the river nearby. She stepped in and sighed in contentment. Toph couldn't see her now if she woke up.

A short time later, Zuko came and saw her standing in the water. "Need your element around you?"

"No. Toph can't see me here."

He beamed and strode out into the water. He then pulled her close and kissed her passionately. "I'm so relieved! I was aching for your kisses. You're smart to think of using the water to blur her sight."

She blushed, and he could barely make it out in the moonlight. She then cast her eyes to the water. She couldn't look at him, but she wanted to let him in more. And to share more of who she really was. "When I get overwhelmed and need to cry a little, I sneak off. The water was the place I figured I could go to hide."

He pulled her tightly to him and pressed her head to his chest. "A little," he teased.

"Jerk," she said with no heat. She smiled into his chest. She was glad he didn't make a big deal of it. She wanted to let him in. She just didn't want him to try and solve the problem.

"You're so strong, Katara. You amaze me."

"I just admitted to crying."

He shrugged, "Tears don't make you weak. You press on anyway. That shows your strength."

She let out a little sigh, "There is so much riding on this. We're trying to stop a hundred-year war. It can get overwhelming."

He breathed in her scent and kissed the top of her head. "True. It can be incredibly overwhelming. Thing is, that doesn't change the fact that we're going to succeed."

"How can you be so sure?"

"We have The Avatar and each other. We're strong, and once we stop my father, I will have the right to rule. We aren't toppling a Nation. We're stopping one man."

"He's powerful."

"So is Aang. We got this."

She moved her head so her lips were nestled to his neck then she began giving him light kisses. He moaned, and she said, "Thank you. I needed that."

They spent the next thirty minutes kissing while standing in ankle-deep water.