A/N: All 12 Days of Christmas gifts to you, my sweet reviewers: Bunnybaekbyun and Themmvp. My loyal PM, you keep corresponding and being true: ML8991. Sugarplums to all my storyfollowers & favorites: sukiduststepping, Ninjaferret1313, and H3LLF1R3IIOS. You gave me such joy but those reviews, especially Bunnybaekbyun's in-depth one, wow, it made me find time to type away. I adore all your speculations, keep them coming. What is true or not will be revealed :) Themmvp and Bunnybaekbyun, double awesome-sauce that you both went to read my other tale, Guardians of the White Lotus, and reviewed it, too. Thank YOU! That was such a Christmas gift of happiness to me.

Disclaimer: I wrote this with love but sadly can't claim the characters of Avatar the Last Airbender as my own.

The carriage car stops at the end of an alleyway in the lower district. The damp odor of grunge and garbage mixes with the general smell of villainy. The area is quiet, devoid of life, but all is not serene. The air is listening, waiting. Abandoned dwellings and boarded-up buildings, not fit for life or inhabitation, have the appearance of watching.

Suki examines the vacant alley with a penetrating look. Depressing a button on the console next to her, the window slowly rolls down. Suki reaches into the pocket of her dress and pulls out three bronze denarians. The coins glint in the moonlight. Katara watches the night; the lamp post's light has the courage to push through the silence and darkness.

Sticking her hand out the window, Suki drops the coins. The denarians fall in a steady clink on the cobble-stoned street. Shadows shift; nebulous shapes scurry over to the carriage. The desolate alley is peppered with bodies that form a blockade around the car. Katara gasps at the faces gaping at her through the window. The rag-tag congregation surrounding the car are children.

A high pitch whistle issues, and the children slip back into the shadows. A worn top hat hides the face of the swaggering figure that approaches the carriage. The long dust jacket with high collar billows behind the confident person who makes a steady progression to the car with no sign of urgency. There is a finery to the clothes even though there is obvious wear to their appearance.

Katara eyes the figure with suspicion. "Suki, can this person be trusted?" Katara hadn't a chance to accurately count the number of children, but the sheer number of bodies is upsetting. It is another tally in the endless column of injustices that the Imperial Empire has brought to the world. The ill-effects are endured by the young and the old.

"They are only children," Sokka says with a braggadocious manner. "What can they do?"

"They can do a lot." Suki glares at Sokka. "Do not be fooled. The Runaway's gang is a highly skilled band of thieves and pickpockets. They can slip in and out of shadows. They will have long since gone before you will notice something is amiss."

Sokka couldn't resist adding, though unnecessary commentary. "So, Katara, we should be very worried."

A cooking pot that acted as a helmet slips down below the eyes of a little boy staring at Katara through the window. Her heart surges in pity as she reaches to caress the window and vicariously tries to soothe his little dust-streaked face. The image of care is disrupted by a spittle that dribbles down the pane; Katara rears back in surprise. There is another obvious fact that if these little children should see fit, the carriage could easily be overtaken, and it would not be an evenly matched fight.

Suki sits straighter, steeling herself for a battle of wits as Toph reaches the vehicle. "Let me do the talking."

Toph stamps on the pavement, and the coins rise in the air, easily slipping into the folds of the dust jacket without Toph having to make any other movements to pocket the money. "A fine evening, isn't it, Captain Suki?"

"It is a beautiful evening for a score."

"If you're inquiring about the Royal Opera House…" A fringe of bangs obscured Toph's eyes but a thin grimace was evident.

"Only the perpetrators would know of what I was hinting at."

Toph throws back their head and guffaws. "The whole city knows about it." Placing their arm across the window, Toph leans in and glances around the carriage, steering the conversation away from the inquiry. "I see your promotion got you some nice wheels, besides some in name only useless title."

"What would you know about titles?" Suki knows that Toph has a history of being privy to which society party will yield the most loot.

"I'm the Lord and Lady of this world, so I know enough. " Toph twirls; the dust jacket flares out revealing bare feet. Stopping the demonstration of their worn finery, Toph pretends to survey the interior of the vehicle while gripping the carriage. "Hate to see you leave and please don't come visiting again." Toph taps the car, and the vehicle rumbles to start.

Suki quickly depresses the button on the console. The car was in park, and she hadn't switched it to run. Toph was up to their old tricks again. Suki needs to be extra vigilant, especially with the Southern Water Tribe dignitaries in her care. "Not so fast, Toph, I want to know what you know about the Royal Opera House?"

"Let's see, what do I know about opera. Opera equals bores-ville. Don't leave until the well-endowed lady finishes singing, and someone dies."

"Usually of boredom," Sokka quips.

Toph throws back their head with raucous laughter. "Exactly, I'd rather go see a rock rumble myself but can't explain some people's taste."

"Not everyone thinks the opera is boring." Katara turns to Aang and sits primly. "Aang, you like the opera, don't you?"

Aang is startled. He had only managed to control his obvious growing excitement with Katara disrobing right next to him. He hadn't been paying attention to the discourse. "What, yes?" Is it that you usually say yes, and it will get you out of trouble, or is that no?

Toph points at Aang while staring off to the side, "He's lying."

Aang blusters, "I was…"

"Lying!"

Aang hangs his head. "I don't like opera, Katara."

Sokka slaps Aang on the back. "Buddy, you are so busted."

Katara sits forward and folds her hands. "Everyone is entitled to their opinion." She adds to herself, even when it is wrong.

Suki has lost control of the conversation again. She steers them back towards the reason for the visit. "Toph, what do you know about the Royal Opera House being besieged by a rabble mob, not dissimilar from your gang."

"That was an ambitious achievement. It's not easy to impress the original G.O.A.T in this one ostrich-horse city, but we all have burdens to carry, right, princess?" Toph flicks her bangs towards Katara.

"I'm not a princess!" Katara replied indignantly. To be compared to the likes of Azula was beyond insulting.

"Sure, princess, sure."

Sokka is tired of this chit-chat. The sooner they find the necklace the better they all will be. Sokka can take Katara back to the palace and then see if Suki wants to go somewhere to talk while naked. He leans forward, "Alright, cutting to the chase, the Blue Spirit stole my sister's necklace. We want it back. Can you help us?"

"Sokka, I don't think…" Katara thought that information shouldn't be revealed. Katara doesn't think this Toph is rather a trusty-worthy individual.

"Katara, we don't have a lot of time. Toph strikes me as someone that appreciates the up and up, even though they're less straight and more narrowly inclined in their profession."

Toph likes this one, a little bit on the nose with the rugged-good looks but they might be able to be swayed to be of interest. "Smarty-pants isn't wrong. Because I'm feeling generous, the Royal Opera House was an inside job, through and through."

Suki wouldn't have been as direct but did admire that Sokka was able to get Toph to speak so freely, usually, it takes a lot more denarians to get that kind of information. "Listen Toph, your story," Suki held up her hand. "And do I mean the story is a nice one…"

Katara cuts off Suki, thinking Toph has revealed that their gang was responsible. She can get her mother's necklace back. "A-ha! What makes you so sure that it was an inside job? "

"Because Princess, the access was very tight, too messy for us or other known local gangs. Plus, other areas in the city were wide open for a little clean sweep."

Aang leans forward to Sokka and Suki. "Toph isn't wrong. The navy was even pulled off to help escort and guard the perimeter of the Royal Opera House."

"Toph could be throwing us off…" Katara pleads a counter defense. If Toph was a dead-end for leads, then her mother's necklace would surely be lost.

Toph cuts off Katara. "We don't need that kind of heat, an easy score is the best score."

"Toph always goes for quick and fast hits." Suki adds reluctantly, "It tracks what Toph is saying about an inside job. "

"It is why the Royal Opera House got messy. Not everyone can be as smooth as me and my crew here, but we would have even had to make a big entrance and exit to get out through that level of security." Toph sucked in between their teeth and flicked their head toward Katara, Sokka, and Aang. "So, you can call off the coppers, and let us go about our business."

Katara glowers, "I'm not a police person. I'm one of the victims."

Toph backs up, "Sorry, princess, didn't realize, well, start lookin' somewhere else, cuz, we were in the dock areas, ask around."

Suki hates to admit that Toph was in the clear. She still needs the Blind Bandit's ability to see what is not obvious but to coax loyalty to their predicament will cost Suki. The question is how much or little will Suki have to sacrifice to retrieve Katara's necklace and get Sokka alone. "Toph, I thought you were a business person."

"I'm listening."

"We want you to help us find the stolen necklace."

Toph's mouth eases into a large grin "Is it valuable?"

Katara pokes her head out the window, practically sitting on Aang's lap. "Don't get any ideas."

Aang is desperate to suppress the sudden need to grow very hard. He closes his eyes and mentally recites the primary tenets of meditation: control your mind, body, and chi. He also thinks upon eating a meat kabab anything, and revulsion rises up in his throat.

"You've got spunk, princess; I like that. I'm not interested in your necklace. I am interested in denarians." Toph pushes Katara out of the way. "I'm not running a children's charity here. I help for a fee."

Suki knew it would always come down to negotiation time. "I can get you a day of no inquiries from the imperial police."

"You are obviously desperate to come to seek me out. I want a week."

Suki rolls down the window. "I wouldn't say desperate, more like seeking out the best."

"Flattery only works on those that are insecure." Toph pulls a rock sliver from her coat and begins to pick their teeth.

"Fine, we'll lay off patrolling the upper quadrant for a week."

Toph opens the door and gets inside, "Head to the third warehouse in the Earth kingdom block, quadrant 55-2006. Toph shoves themself between Sokka and Suki.

Sokka is pushed against the window and the side of the car. "I was sitting there!"

"Now, I am sitting here, thanks for keeping it warm."

"You're not welcome." Sokka slinks down in the seat.

Toph smirks at Suki. "You know, I would have settled for a day."

Suki folds her arms; her black-painted lips turn into a similar grin. "I would have given you a month." She adds while typing in the quadrants that Toph had indicated. "It doesn't mean we won't bring you or your gang in when any…" Suki pretends to think but barely pauses in her sarcasm. "What do you call it, borrowing is reported to the imperial police. "

Toph leans back and folds her arms, jabbing Sokka in the face. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

The carriage weaves through the city streets. It goes deeper into the industrial section of the city. The smell of smoke and general grime is apparent on the buildings and circulating in the air. Stacks of shipping containers that are several stories high form tight lanes. The carriage arrives out of the maze to a long row of windowless metal buildings. A small lamp flickers over the white imprint of 55 sprayed in boxed stencils on the front of one of the buildings. The car idles in the pool of light cast from the sole lamp.

The door opens for Toph without any button pushed. Hopping out, Toph taps their bare feet on the ground. "We have arrived, mind the gap as you exit your vehicle."

"Thanks for nothing. A metal building with no apparent entrance is a lot of help." Sokka absently reaches for Katara, oblivious to Aang's pro-offered arm to Katara. Sokka helps his sister from the carriage. Aang glares at Sokka.

"Here, I thought you saw more, but like most, you are blind." Toph side-steps her foot across the ground and a hole opens down into a tunnel. "They ain't inside that building, Sucker."

"It's Sokka."

"Sokka, Sucker, same difference ." Toph taps her foot and feels the vibrations of a network of hidden tunnels underneath. "Do you need an embossed invitation? Get in!"

Katara peers down into the hole. "We're supposed to go in there." She looks up and glares at Toph, who is busy picking their teeth again with the rock sliver. "How do we know that this isn't a trap?"

"You don't" Toph does a maniacal laugh.

"You need to get in there with us." Sokka steps forward, "Or are you afraid you're wrong?"

"I'm never wrong and never afraid." Toph jumps down the hole, landing lightly. "Now jump in, ya' skunk-fish."

"I am not a skunk-fish." Katara gasps.

"Relax, princess, I was talking to Sokka."

"Oh, well, it was…" Katara didn't know how to respond. Skunk-fish isn't completely wrong as a name for Sokka, considering Katara washes her brother's socks; they weren't the best smelling of items.

Sokka peers down. "It's a bit of a drop."

"I can give you an airlift." Aang sweeps his arms upwards. A cloud of wind sweeps under Katara, Sokka, and Suki's feet and floats them down into the ground opening. Aang then hops on a cushion of air and floats down next to Katara.

"Nice job, twinkle toes," Toph cackles, "I slay me." She sobers, "Alright, walk ahead and try to not trip over anything." Katara stumbles over a rock. "Told ya to watch it, are you blind?"

Katara whips around and tries to sputter a comeback at Toph. "No, are you…" She stops herself, realizing that being blind isn't a comeuppance.

"Spit out, Princess, am I blind?" Toph lifts up the dust jacket and wiggles their toes. "I might be, but I got eyes where it counts."

Katara trips again over a sudden appearance of a rock. She whirls around. "You did that on purpose."

"I can't help it if a rock just appears." A gust of wind face plants Toph onto the dusty rock hallway.

"These tunnels are awfully drafty." Aang looks around innocently.

A rock pushes Toph to stand. "I see what you did there, Twinkle Toes." Pounding their chest, Toph flips her bangs in honor. "Respect!"

"Where are we going?" Suki sees a faint light.

"Not sure, but we are close. "Toph says as the group suddenly emerges into a large room. A spotlight directs a blinding light on them. Everyone shields their eyes but Toph.

"Let's get ready to rumble!" The statement echoes over a loudspeaker. The crowd sounds erupt into joyous screaming and hooting. "Ultimate fighting showdown is ready to begin!"

A/N: Twittering about the next scene! Toph makes me laugh so much. Again, keep up those reviews, follows, but especially reviews, they help keep me typing. Happy holidays and see you all next year :)

Easter Egg: Anyone figure out what is 55-2006? Guess and then check the answer on my bio :)