I'll Walk You Home pt. 49

Chapter 16

pt. 2

Hay on Wye

Sokka sat by the campfire under the predawn gray sky and nursed his third cup of willow tea. He had not gotten back to sleep after Toph had thrown up the barrier between them and had finally grabbed his clothes, crawled out of the tent, gotten dressed and had been sitting by the fire ever since. It was a frosty morning and he was dressed and in his coat and scarf. The hat was beside him, it hurt too much to wear it.

Stupid, spoiled little Bitch! He thought as he flipped the wet rag he was using as a compress against the two lumps on his forehead so the cold side was against his head. "Can I feel your dick?" "Ohev's not my boyfriend!" His mind had been running the conversation the two had had that night over and over again in his head. He had quickly determined that all the pain and the embarrassment he had suffered had been Toph's fault. What a Bitch!

.

What a total Asshole! Toph thought as she lay shivering in her half of Her earthtent. The small stone tent was very cold, frost had formed on the inside and, though she could not see it, her breath steamed from her mouth and nostrils as she exhaled. What a total and complete Jerk! She told herself. "Oh we're too old to play healer." Fine he can play healer with every girl in the world but he can't play with me because I'm too old. I bet he played healer with Pinkle Toes and especially with Fan Girl. What a selfish Asshole.

I can't believe I kissed him! That was the thought that rankled most. That she had kissed the stupid… arrogant… loud… stupid… selfish… stuck up… Stupid…. Thank Oma and Shu that this dumb trip is almost over.

She shivered for a while longer but finally had to admit that she would have to get up sometime and that she really had to pee so it might as well be now. Slapping her hands down by her sides she dropped the earthtent back into the ground.

Sokka turned at the earthbending and saw Toph climb ungracefully to her feet, the blanket still wrapped around her.

"Morning." (Bitch) He called to her.

"Yeah!" (Fuck you asshole) She responded.

The small bender had forgotten to retie the draw string on her shorts during the night and they began to slide down her hips. She made a quick grab for the waist band and pulled them back up, but her hand had snagged the chain of her belly piercing and the sharp tug sent pain shooting through her stomach.

"Fuck!" She cursed under her breath.

"Huh?" The boy asked at the sound.

"Nothing!" (Jerk!) She shot at him.

"Fine." (Brat!) He responded.

With the blanket draped around her shoulders Toph pulled the drawstring on her pants taught to re-tie it. In her agitated state she pulled too hard and the string broke somewhere in the waistband. Just great! She was in no mood to change right now, especially since she had already dropped the small tent into the ground, so, holding the blanket around her with one hand and her shorts up with the other she stepped off of her sleeping mat with her bare foot onto the frosty ground, intending to walk into the surrounding woods.

"Fucking cold!" She cried stepping back onto the mat as the frost burned her foot.

"Yeah." (Spoiled little brat) He observed. "You should put your boots on."

Toph turned towards the young man, thought for a moment then stomped her foot down onto the sleeping mat. The stone Sokka had been sitting on was swallowed up by the earth and with a painful sounding thump the boy's butt hit the frozen ground.

"Any more advice, Captain Obvious?" (Shithead!) Toph asked.

"None whatsoever." (Bitch!) Sokka answered.

With that, Toph pulled her boots on and stomped off into the woods.

.

When she returned she noticed that Sokka had found a new rock to sit on. She thought about bending that one into the ground but she decided it wasn't worth the trouble. She bent a wall between the young man and herself to give her some privacy to change. She left her hair in the long braid not wanting to take the time and trouble of pulling it loose. Once dressed she joined the tribesman at the fire.

The two ate a cold quiet breakfast.

.

The two travelers stood in the ancient road, all their equipment slung about them. Sokka even had his leg brace tied to the outside of his back pack. His leg was stronger now after all the walking he had done and he had not worn the brace since leaving the Travelers camp.

Heat seemed to radiate off of the young man and the young woman, yet still nothing was said between them.

"Well let's go." Sokka finally suggested.

Without thinking he held out his hand to the young woman, without thinking she took it, and the two of them walked angrily down the old road.

.

Around midmorning they passed through another fishing village set by the river. There was another line of children that came out and bowed to the couple as they passed. The two nodded in reply and continued on. People came out of their houses and stores to watch the couple pass.

Three young men in front of the inn stepped out into the ancient road, to watch the earthbender and the tribesman as they walked through the village. One waved to Toph, who smiled shyly and waved back, this earned the villager a scowl from the traveler in black, and caused him to take a step back.

"Do you want to stop?" Sokka asked his companion.

"Why? So you can talk to your fan girls?!" Toph replied sullenly.

"I thought you might want to kiss some more guys while you had the chance!" He shot back in answer.

"I'll kiss anybody I want!" She told him with heat in her words.

"Exactly!" He growled back.

"Forget you!" Was her sullen response.

"That shouldn't be a problem for you." He said under his breath.

"What?!" She asked.

"Nothing, let's keep walking." He suggested.

"Fine!" She told him.

"Fine!" He concurred.

Thus the longest conversation the two had had since they had started that morning ended and the couple passed out of the village.

.

The two bandits hid behind a tree by the side of the ancient road. One was tall and thin, with an equally thin mustache. His name was Bud of the first Spring Flower, but only his mother had called him that. Most people simply called him Bud.

The second robber was short and stout, with a round childlike face. His name was Lu Lee but his companion called him Lu.

"I hope they're not fishermen." Lu said, rubbing the day old bump on his head.

The two highway men were new to the business of robbery, having just started two days before and had had a difficult time of it. All their victims so far had been fishermen returning home from up north, and citing the example of someone called the Black Lotus, they had refused to give the pair any money and had beaten them up when the bandits had attempted to take it by force.

"I think one of them may have a fishing rod on his pack." Bud remarked, peeking around the tree.

"Maybe we should try another line of work." The shorter of the two suggested, tossing the round stone he planned to use as a weapon up in the air and catching it.

Bud picked up the heavy tree limb that was his weapon and gave it a couple of practice swings.

"Well..." the taller man said looking at his club thoughtfully. "I've heard that there is a ball team in Gaoling that is looking for players. We could try out for that."

"A baseball team?" Lu asked, the excitement evident in his voice.

"Yeah!" Bud answered peering around the tree at the mismatched pair of travelers approaching.

"Do you know the names of any of the players?" His stout friend asked.

"Well..." The thin man thought. "Hu's on first."

Lu had a tremendous feeling of deja vu, but he plowed on anyway.

"That's what I'm asking." The shorter man explained. "Who's the first baseman?"

"Exactly!" Bud answered, peering around the tree again.

Lu slapped his hand to his face at the reply.

.

Toph tugged on Sokka's hand and in an undertone informed him,

"There are two people hiding behind that tree up ahead."

"Where?" Sokka asked looking forward as casually as he could.

"Behind that tree." She told him with a little irritation.

"Toph there are like three hundred trees up ahead." He said in a heated whisper. "We're in the middle of forest after all."

"It's the one with the two people behind it." She explained even more irritated.

"Well that's a big help!" He told her, stopping in the road and pulling her up short. "What are they doing?"

"They're hiding behind a tree!" (Idiot) She was now only a few steps away from shouting.

"Yes, I got that!" (Brat) Sokka said dropping her hand and turning to face her, setting his hands on his hips. "But how are they hiding."

"What do you mean how are they hiding?!" She shot back, turning to face him with her own hands now bunched into fists and resting on her hips. "They're hiding!"

Unheard by the two travelers there was a muffled conversation coming from behind a tree only a few paces ahead of them.

"Yes, but are they hiding like they were caught doing something and are embarrassed about it." He explained as if to a little child. "Or are they hiding because they are afraid. Or are they hiding like they are spying on us. There are lots of different ways of hiding, which one are they using."

"How the fuck should I know!" She yelled at him. "Oma and Shu you are such an Asshole sometimes!"

The two highwaymen jumped awkwardly out onto the road. Their sudden appearance was missed by the young couple.

"Sometimes?! Sometimes?!" Sokka cried out, raising his hands to the heavens. "Don't you mean all the time! According to you I'm always the Asshole in this…" He gestured between the two of them. "…friendship. You're always right, and I'm always the Asshole!"

"It's not my fault that you're always wrong!" She yelled back.

"We want money!" The taller of the two men called out to the mismatched couple.

"Yeah!" The stouter man agreed.

They were ignored by the arguing couple in the road.

"Has it ever occurred to you…" Sokka seethed at the small woman. "…That just possibly, on the off chance, just once, every, oh two hundred years or so…" He spread his arms wide to illustrate the amount of time. "…that you might just be wrong, that you might be the Asshole?!"

"Impossible!" Toph cried out, arms flailing. "You're such a huge Asshole that there is no room left for me!"

"Excuse me!" Bud called out.

"Oh! I see!" The tribesman cried in false understanding, using all the sarcasm he could muster, which was actually quite a lot. "You're saying that since I am such a useless piece of shit, in order to balance the universe, you have to be completely, and magnificently awesome!"

"Yeah!" The earthbender agreed, though she wasn't sure just what she was agreeing to, but it sounded good.

"Excuse me?!" The tall thin bandit called out again, a little louder this time.

Sokka turned his head towards the ragged pair and in a barely controlled voice requested,

"Do you Mind?! We are having a private conversation here!"

He turned back to his companion and added,

"Unless these are two more of your secret boyfriends that you've got hidden all over the Earth Kingdom so you can have plenty of opportunities for more kissing."

"YOU'RE NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" Toph screamed. "You're just pissed because none of your GIRLFRIENDS showed up to play healer with you!"

"I don't have any girlfriends!" Sokka told her in a low dangerous voice.

"EXACTLY!" She shouted in triumph. "I'm not your girlfriend!"

Toph turned to the two robbers and demanded,

"If you kissed a guy would that make him your boyfriend?"

"Ahhhhh…" The tall thin man said. "Oh no, we're not like that." He said pointing to his companion. "We're just business associates."

"I thought we were friends." Lu said in a hurt tone.

"Well yes we're friends but not in that way." Bud tried to back peddle.

"No! No!" Sokka explained. "She mean's her habit of kissing every guy that comes across her path."

"At least I don't play healer with every girl in the world, like some people!" Toph shot back at the teen.

"It was one girl when I was a kid!" Sokka proclaimed.

"Well..." Bud said, leaning on his club as if it were a cane. "If you kiss a lot of guys then no, I would not consider them your boyfriends."

"Wouldn't that depend on how she kissed them?" Lu asked his friend.

"I DON'T KISS LOTS OF BOYS!" Toph shouted.

"Yeah right!" Sokka said, just loud enough to be heard, as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Then the type of kiss would make all the difference." Bud stated, agreeing with his companion.

"Errrghhh!" Toph growled, raising her fists over her head in frustration.

"It was like this!" The small woman cried out grabbing the teen's head.

Toph pulled Sokka's head down towards her as she rose up on her toes to close the distance between them. She had been taught how to kiss, when she was a child, by Madame Wang so she could kiss her parents on the cheek. Toph pursed her lips into a tight little "O" shape as she rose up on her toes, and crashed them into the tribesman's mouth, but this time it was a little different than the previous night's kiss. Well actually it was a lot different.

Sokka had seen this kiss coming, literally, unlike last night in the dark tent and so he was able to prepare for it.

The first surprise for Toph was that her nose was not smushed up against Sokka's. He's tilted his head! She quickly realized, and tilted her own in the opposite direction. This seemed to make it easier for their mouths to join.

The young woman had intended this to be a fast violent kiss. She wanted to get it over with quickly, but as she pulled back, dropping back onto her heels, Sokka's lips maintained contact with hers.

His lips are moist and warm! She realized as the kiss continued. Instead of a hard "O" Sokka's lips, she realized, were slightly open in an "Ahhh" shape, that seemed to capture her mouth. She relaxed her own lips and followed the young man's lead.

She could feel that his jaw was also relaxed, his mouth open behind his lips, allowing more contact between the two of them, and letting his lips move against hers.

She felt his left hand move up behind her neck supporting her head as she had to tilt it back because he was so much taller than she was. Her hands released his face and moved up to behind his neck and head. She was amazed to feel each strand of his hair where it was pulled up into his wolf tail.

She felt his right hand move to her waist and pull her gently closer to him, her packs and bags preventing him from actually circling her waist.

His lips were chapped and rough, strong but gentle and they pulled against her lips drawing her in to a more meaningful, more emotional kiss.

She continued to follow his lead, letting her own mouth go slack and her jaw to open, her lips moving with his. It was all very strange and wonderful the way their mouths moved , as if they had done this hundreds of times, but it still held the surprise and discovery of the first time.

As she felt Sokka begin to withdraw she rose up on her toes and pulled his head back down not willing to lose the wonderful feeling. His hands pulled her tighter to him as he lowered his face to hers continuing the kiss.

Toph felt her heart pounding in her chest, beating itself against her ribs trying to free it self from the cramped confines of her body. As her breasts crushed against Sokka's chest she could feel the shock waves of his heart pounding against his own ribs. Their two hearts beating out a rhythm that only a dancer of great passion and skill would ever be able to dance to.

She could feel his jaw move behind his lips, his head move as he tried to find more and more of her mouth to explore. She did the same, sometimes following, sometimes leading him in this dance of lips and mouths.

Toph had no idea how long the kiss had lasted, perhaps a second but more likely and hour, maybe two. She wished it could last a life time. But finally Sokka began to pull back and she let him, but before he broke contact he returned for one last touch with her lips. Loving and caring and needing, and then he pulled back, and it was her turn to follow his lips for one last fleeting contact before it was finally over.

She collapsed against him, her cheek against his chest as she panted desperately for air. The air in the mountains was obviously very thin and she was unable to fill her lungs with enough of it to sustain her. Sokka was obviously having the same problem as she felt his chest rise and fall and heard his heart pound against her face.

It was quiet in the ancient road for a time, except for the sounds of the birds in the trees, and of the two young people breathing.

"Wow!" Lu finally sighed.

"Ah... Yeah... I would call that a boyfriend kiss." Bud opined.

At the sound of the voices the young couple broke apart. Toph grabbed for her hair to hid the intense blush that was suddenly heating her face, but it was still in the long braid and was useless for camouflage, so she just lowered her head and turned away from the young man and the two robbers.

Sokka was in a similar predicament, and cleared his throat while looking off into the forest.

"Thanks for the help." The tribesman finally said, in a thick voice.

"Yeah." Toph added.

"Well we should be going." The tan teen suggested, holding out his hand to the blind woman.

"Yeah!" She agreed taking his hand.

Bud raised his club, but before he could say anything Lu cut him of by asking,

"You wouldn't have any spare change would you? We're trying to get to Gaoling to try out for a baseball team."

"Oh... sure." Sokka said pulling two small silver coins out from his robe and handing them to the shorter panhandler as he and Toph passed them.

Bud and Lu watched the couple as they walked down the ancient highway.

"That was a good idea." Bud said. "About the panhandling, we actually got some money and didn't get beat up."

"Thanks." Lu replied with a bit of smugness in his voice, then he added,

"So, who's on first?"

"That's right." Bud replied, happy that his friend had finally got it.

"What's right?" Lu asked in frustration.

"No! Watt's on second base." Bud explained yet again.

"I don't know!" Lu cried out.

"Third base" Bud told him.

.

The young couple walked down the road for a while in silence. Eventually Sokka cleared his throat.

If he says he's sorry I'm going to bury him! Toph thought.

"You were absolutely right last night." He finally said. "Being kissed is completely different from..." His free hand searched the air near his head for the right word. "Sharing a kiss. I apologize for being such an asshole about it."

Toph felt a small smile move across her lips.

"That's ok!" She told him. "It was your turn."

She pulled her hand free from his, which earned her a worried look from the boy that she couldn't see. Then she punched him hard in the arm.

"Thanks." He told her with a smile, rubbing the new bruise.

"Just don't think that that means I..." But she couldn't finish the catch phrase, she really didn't want to say that to him any more.

"Well..." She continued taking his hand again. "Maybe it means I like you just a little."

The fifteen year old suddenly felt like he was a little kid again. A huge smile spread across his face, and he added a little happy skip to his step as he continued with his friend, who was a girl, definitely not his girl friend, down the highway.

.

Around mid day they ate a cold lunch on a small grass covered hill by the side of the river. It felt good to drop all their gear and even take off their coats and scarves under the warm sun. After eating the two lay down to just enjoy the warmth and the sound of the river.

After a few minutes Sokka rolled up onto his side looking down on Toph.

"Is it ok if I move your bangs?" He asked her.

Toph had been absently rubbing the feathery end of her braid back and forth across her lips, it reminded her of the tingly feeling of Sokka's lips on hers, and she had not noticed her friend's change of position.

"Why?!" She asked surprised quickly letting go of her hair and trying to look innocent.

"I want to look at your eyes." He explained, pushing her bangs to the side with a finger.

"Why? They don't work." She asked, letting her frustration enter her voice.

"They don't work for seeing but they work for a lot of other things." He explained leaning in a little closer. "They are beautiful, and the way you are always looking off somewhere that no one else will ever be able to see makes you special and interesting. And they tell me when you are happy, and sad, and they tell me when you're pissed off at me, which I really hate by the way, and they tell me when you like something, and they tell me when your planning something evil, and they tell me when you got my joke but won't admit it. Your eyes tell me lots of things. They work great for all of that. I love your eyes."

Toph didn't know what to say. She thought she should say something but nothing was coming out. All she felt was the Saber Tooth Moose lions playing kick ball in her stomach and that little tickle from last night down between her legs, and Meathead had not even touched her.

"Well if you love them so much..." She finally said remembering something Katara had once said to her. "... why don't you... kiss them."

"I'd love too." He told her.

Sokka threw his left arm over her and put his hand on the ground just past her right shoulder, and leaned over her. She could almost sense his face hovering above hers even without her earthbending.

"Close you eyes." He whispered.

She closed her eyes and a moment later felt the breath light touch of his lips on first one then the other.

"I love your nose too." He whispered again.

She felt the touch of his lips a little more firmly on the tip of her nose.

"And I really love your..."

He said it so softly that she could hardly hear him, but she felt the lightest touch of all on her lips. She reached up and running her right hand past his chest up onto the back of his neck she pulled him down to make the contact real and strong. After a moment he pulled back, rolling onto his back beside her again.

"We should probably get going." He sighed.

"Not just yet." She told him, reaching down and taking his hand.

The two lay there another half hour, but eventually the sun went behind a cloud and the air grew cold, and the two got up to continue on their way.

.

So kissing little girls now! Sokka the Great observed.

The young man snuck a quick look at his companion as they walked hand in hand down the ancient highway. Yes she was very young, but he never thought of her that way.

She hasn't been a little girl since she was six. He told himself.

Well not really himself. It was the image of himself he had created long ago when he was a young boy. Sokka the Great, who looked like an older version of his father, but scarred and worn by many battles and cares. The Big Chief of the tribe, who would one day be acclaimed ruler and guide to his people. The old man had limped out of the back of the young man's mind to berate him for his recent actions.

Which was only six years ago! The old man told the younger.

She's worn her hair up! Sokka argued back.

Once! Sokka the Great shot back.

It counts! He told himself.

You've ruined your friendship! The older version of himself observed in a sad voice.

Yeah, I know. He told himself in an even sadder tone.

You should have grabbed her ass when you had the chance! His lizard brain told him.

Shut up! He told himself.

He's right! Sokka the Great said, the disdain evident in his tone. If you're taking advantage of her feelings for you, you might as well get all you can.

She doesn't have feelings for me. He told his other selves.

She kissed you back! The Big Chief replied. She has to feel something for you, she is a girl after all, a little girl.

Yeah man, I bet you could get a good feel off of her. Lizard cheered. Maybe even a hand job!

He's right. The older version of himself advised. She's already offered. If that's all that this is about than you should take all you can get.

That's disgusting! He shouted to himself.

Then why are you kissing her. The big chief wanted to know.

Because I care about her. He responded.

I thought you cared about Suki.

I do! He told himself.

So that makes it ok to get anything you can from Toph and when you leave her and go back to Suki you can get what you can from her too. And because you care for both of them that makes it ok.

Hell yeah! Lizard crowed in agreement.

No! Sokka shouted in his head. I love Toph! I would never use her like that.

And what about Suki?

Yeah Man! Lizard agreed. Suki's a hot piece of ass and she puts out! You don't want to give up on that till you have something better.

I Love Suki. He told himself. But...

But what? The big chief asked.

When I kiss Toph. He told himself remembering the feeling of her lips on his.

Yes?

It's not the same. He told himself. It's different with Suki. Yes Suki is amazing and beautiful and the first girl I ever met. But when I kiss Toph it's like when I kissed Yue. It fills my soul when I kiss Toph.

You owe Suki. Sokka the Great told him. She saved both of your lives, and she has given herself to you.

I know. Sokka thought sadly. But if I love someone else, like Zoltan said, I will just make the two of us miserable. No matter what happens with Toph, I have to break up with Suki.

Dude noooo, Suki's hot! You should keep her on the side. Lizard insisted.

Toph doesn't love you. Older Sokka told him. You'll end up alone in the end.

Fine! Then I'll be alone. He answered himself.

You'll have to tell her how you feel. The big chief told him. And that will end your friendship forever.

I know, but I don't have any choice. I'll tell her tonight. Toph and I can have at least one last day together before I destroy it all.

What an idiot! Lizard pronounced in judgment.

.

The fingers of Toph's free hand skated along her lips again.

I swear they are still tingling. She told herself.

He kissed me. I kissed him. We kissed!

He's kissed lots of girls. Madame Wang told the young girl. It doesn't mean anything to him.

I don't care! Toph told the nanny. We kissed! More than once!

Maybe he'll play healer with you now! Toph's lizard brain suggested.

None of that! Madame Wang insisted.

The blind girl felt a hot flush fill her face and neck at the idea. She dropped her hand to feel the jade coin at her throat, under her clothes.

He really likes me!

And he loves that Suki girl! The nanny pointed out.

I don't care! Toph told herself, suppressing a little giggle. We kissed!

I'm sure he's done a lot more than kiss his girlfriend. Madame Wang insisted.

Yeah and we're next. Lizard screeched.

You are not going to throw yourself away on some non bending water triber. The nanny told both Toph and her lizard brain. What would your parents say.

I don't care about them. The young woman thought. They've never cared about me.

They love you! Madame wang insisted. And have always wanted what was best for you.

Sokka is what is best for me. Toph came back to the harsh older woman. I know, I know, he loves Suki not me. I know he's kissed lots of girls, and it doesn't mean anything to him. But I love him and no matter what happens I need him, and will take whatever of him I can get.

If you love him so much then why haven't you told him? The Nanny played her trump card.

He'll laugh at me. Toph admitted, feeling her eyes begin to burn. I'll never tell him how I really feel.

.

The two young people continued on, consumed by their own thoughts as the road led them out of the mountains and into the high foothills to the south. The road followed the now large strong river as it slowed as the grade eased.

For some reason Sokka was reluctant to call a halt to the days traveling, and it was close to sunset before he thought that he could not put it off any longer. But then he saw a good excuse ahead in the shape of an old friend lying by the side of the road.

"Foxy Guy!" Sokka called out, waving.

Toph pulled from her own thoughts used her bending to feel the fox/wolf as the animal rose up from where she had been lying.

The tribesman tossed a piece of dried meat to the knowledge seeker, who snatched it from the air with a jump, and ate it happily.

Sokka watching the animal jump up realized something for the first time. Foxy Guy was actually Foxy Girl. The young man had just not noticed before.

The teen squatted down before the animal and gave her ears a good scratch, which earned him a lavish lick or three on his face.

"A friend of yours?" Toph asked.

"She's one of the book finders that Wa She Tong uses." Sokka explained. "She helped me out when we went to the 'Library' that time in the desert."

There was reverence in his voice when he said the word "Library".

He looked down as he felt a tugging on the hem of his coat. Foxy girl was pulling towards a very old cart track that lead away from the main road. The track was old but from the sign, was still in use.

"She want's us to follow her." He explained to his friend.

"Oh boy, books!" Toph exclaimed with false enthusiasm.

"Come on, it's an adventure." Sokka told her pulling her down the track.

The young couple followed the fox/wolf for maybe half an hour before they lost sight of her as she entered a thick fog bank ahead of them. Sokka could hear the barking from the fog and followed the fox/wolf in. The fog was very thick and the teen had to use the wheel ruts of the track to guide him as they moved through the dripping cloud. Even Toph's bending sense was suppressed by the heavy blanket of moisture on the earth.

After awhile Sokka could see the glow of lights up ahead.

"I think we're almost there." He told the bender.

"Good!" Toph told him, shaking the heavy water drops from her hat and coat.

The fog finally thinned revealing a series of shops lined up along the wagon track. Each one was connected by a wooden board walk and a narrow over hang. The sound of dripping water was everywhere, and hanging outside each shop was a paper lantern glowing white in the wisps of fog.

Sokka led Toph up onto the side walk and began to move down the line of shops. Each one was brightly lit on the inside. And the hanging lanterns on the outside of each illuminated a series of signs written in various languages and alphabets. He finally found a sign he could read on the first shop.

"A Change of Hobbit" He read aloud. "Not very good spellers." He observed to his companion.

The next was named "Camelot Books", and after that was "The Bookman".

"They're book stores!" Sokka exclaimed with glee, nearly jumping up and down in his excitement.

"Oh joy!" Toph replied in her most lugubrious tone.

Movement down the line of shops pulled Sokka's eyes to a beautiful young woman stepping out from one of the stores. From the sign it was "Acres of Books".

The young woman was dressed in the Kyoshi style, with her dark brown hair pulled back in a long sheaf down her back and past her waist. She was hurriedly arranging her long kimono and obi and as she finished and looked up Sokka was struck by her face. Her skin was white, not pale but dead white, even her eyebrows were white. The only hint of color other than her large dark brown eyes, were her pale pink lips, and her red tongue which was just showing between her lips. She had sharp features a distinct nose and long ears, and her eyes slanted up and back at a high angle.

The kimono she was wearing had a white hem but as it climbed it faded into a dark rich brown that matched the young woman's eyes.

Her smile turned into a bark of delighted laughter as her eyes fixed on those of the young man.

"You found us. How wonderful." She said beckoning him forward with her hand.

"A... Yeah." Sokka said leading Toph down the boardwalk. "Are these all book stores?"

"Yes!" She answered with delight. "This is 'Hay on Wye' the village of booksellers."

Sokka bowed to the woman in greeting.

"I am Sokka of the water tribe." He told her in greeting.

"Oh how polite." She clapped her hands and licked her lips in happiness.

"And you may call me Su-Kami." She said bowing.

"And this is my friend Toph." Sokka said indicating the young girl by his side.

"Yes! Yes!" Su-Kami said in delight. "Come in, Come in."

With this last she took the teens free hand and pulled the two travelers into the shop. The sight took Sokka's breath away. It was full of tables and shelves all covered with books. Old books, new books, small books, huge tomes, bound in every style. The shop somehow seemed to be larger on the inside then it could possibly be, judging from the outside. It really did seem to contain acres of books.

"So... This is him!" A squat little man behind a short counter by the door said.

Sokka's blue eyes were met by a pair of small dark ones peering over a pair of spectacles perched on the end of the old man's long nose.

"Forgive me." Su-Kami said, bowing. "This is Aki, this is his shop."

"Don't bother taking your shoes off." The old man said. "But leave your bags and packs here by the door."

The pair divested themselves of all their gear, and when they had finished Toph asked,

"Is there a chair I can use?" The floor was wood and with her boots on she was unable to sense anything in the shop, not to mention that she had no use for books.

"Here you go Toph." Sokka told her leading her to a comfortable looking chair by the door.

It appeared to be the only flat surface in the shop with out a pile of books on it.

Once Toph was sitting Su-Kami pulled Sokka to a large table covered in more than a hundred books of various types, sizes, and bindings.

"I set these aside for you." She told him indicating the large pile.

"Ahh... Thank you." The young man replied in surprise.

"You'll like this one." The strange woman said holding up a black bound book. "It's a poem, the story of a very clever man returning from a very long war and all his adventures and how he escapes using his wits to return to the woman he loves."

"That sounds really interesting." Sokka said opening the book and seeing page after page of small indecipherable symbols. "Only I can't read this."

"Yes." She gave her throaty laugh. "It is written in a very old language. But using this book you can learn to read it, once you have learned another old language, which you can learn from this book."

She piled all three books into the young man's arms.

"Of course once you learn the old language you should read this book first." She told him holding up another large book. "It's the poem of the war the clever man is returning from. It is the story of a young prince who is so enamored of his honor and lost in his pride that he abandons the true path to honor and glory until it is almost too late."

"Sounds familiar." Toph groused from her chair.

"Yes it is a very old story." Su-Kami agreed, licking her lips.

"I'll need something to carry them in." Sokka observed.

"Aki, get a sack for the customer." The woman called. "Better make it two."

There were more books. A lot more books. A thin one on strategy by a Sun Tzu. One on tactics by Musashi. Another about the conquest of a place called Gaul that required another book to teach him another language. Books of history about places he had never heard of. Books about fictional villains and heroes and spirits out of legend. The song of a great hero of the Geats. The story of the Great Cattle Raid of a place called Ulster. The story of a great prince called Rama and Sita the woman who loved him. And another, the oldest of all according to Su-Kami, the story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. All in there own languages that the teen would have to learn from even more books.

The largest set weren't books at all. They were wooden boxes as long as the tall young man's forearm and as wide and as deep as his hand. Each one contained leaves of paper stacked one atop the other written in a strange language.

"These are the books of the air benders." Su-Kami explained. "their history and their ways and beliefs. The whole story and life of the air nomads is written here."

.

"How much do I owe you?" Sokka asked as he tied the ends of the two very full sacks together.

"For the books, nothing." The stout old man replied. "They're not mine, Su-Kami has been bringing them here for months just waiting for you to show up."

"Oh, Thank you." The young man said bowing to the shop keeper. "And thank you very much." He said bowing to the young woman.

"Toph, time to go." He called to his friend where she dozed by the door.

"Finally!" She sighed stretching her arms out and rising from the chair.

Sokka handed her her bags and packs.

"The books are not mine." Aki said from behind his counter. "But the sacks are mine, and must be paid for."

"Aki..." Su-Kami said warningly.

"Of course." Sokka said pulling out some coins. "How much?"

"Not that stupid metal." The old man said waving the coins away. "You can't read coins. But I smell something there that is of interest."

With this last the long nosed shop keeper pointed to Sokka's pack by the door.

"I don't have any food in here." The teen said putting the ruck sack on the counter.

"What's in here?" Aki asked tapping the map tube lashed to the side of the pack.

"Just a map and some letters." The teen explained opening the case, and pulling out the contents.

The squat old man snatched up the map from all the papers and unrolled it on the counter. He examined it minutely his nose almost touching the paper.

"A copy, but very old, very old indeed." The shop keeper mumbled. "There's is blood and fear, and trust and love, and mmmmm... terror and dreams. Yes... and the birth of legends. Yes this will do nicely."

"Aki!" Su-Kami scolded in anger. "You can't take that. The books are mine to give."

"Do you want me to tell the old one that you have been stealing from him for a human." The short fat man replied, his nose still in the map.

"These are all extras." The sharp featured woman declared. "They are duplicates that have been weeded from the collection. Better that they go to someone who will read and cherish them then to be thrown out onto the sands. I stole nothing."

"No matter!" Aki told her.

He held up the map and told her, "This is my price."

"It's all right. Let him have it." Sokka said closing up the tube and shouldering the back pack. "I don't need it anymore."

Toph walked out of the shop into the wagon track running through the village. She had had enough of book stores.

Sokka began to pull on his bags and duffles.

"You could stay." Su-Kami said as she walked over to him. "He could stay couldn't he?"

"Of course, he's a reader." Aki said without lifting his face from the map.

"You could stay here with me." the beautiful woman told him, resting her hand on his cheek. "And we would read to each other in the light and hunt in the dark, running down game in the woods. And our children and our children's children would be the wisest of the wise. They would be the Onmyoji and would stand behind all the thrones of men and guide the world through a thousand thousand years of peace and prosperity. Where the teacher would be exalted above all others, even kings."

"Sokka?" Toph called from outside.

"I... I have to go." Sokka told her pulling the joined sacks over his head. The books weighed as much as he did and the teen had to strain to stay up right.

"Of course you do." Su-Kami said.

She held the young man for a moment then moving her face close to his she sent her tongue out and licked his cheek.

Sokka felt the rough dry scrape of her tongue on his face and was very surprised by it.

"Sorry." She gave her throaty laugh. "I couldn't resist. You just taste so good."

"Sokka! Something's wrong!" Toph called. "I can't use my bending."

"I've got to go!" The teen said rushing out to his friend.

"Of course." The strange woman said.

"Bending?!" Aki said finally lifting his head from the map. "You didn't say she was an earth shifter."

"What of it?" Su-Kami asked.

"Fool!" The old man cried in fear and anger. "My people hate the earth shifters. They're the ones that build the towns and the cities. They're the ones that have driven us from our ancient homes. If she's been trying to bend my people will have felt it and will be coming for her."

"Oh FLEAS!" The woman cursed and scampered out onto the village road.

"What's wrong Toph?" Sokka asked coming up on his friend.

"What's wrong is my bending." She told him anger evident in her tone. "I can hardly feel anything and the most I can do is raise a little bump in the road. At first I just thought it was the fog, but there is something about this place that makes it impossible for me to bend properly."

"Follow me!" Su-Kami commanded running up to them. "You have to get past the ancient road. Aki's people cannot cross it due to the old protection laid on it. But if they catch your lover before you get there they will never let her go."

The young woman leaned down and pulled up the hem of her kimono and ran down the wagon track into the fog.

"Hurry!" she called.

"Come on Toph!" Sokka said grabbing her hand and pulling her down the road into the fog.

"Oh goody!" Toph declared in false enthusiasm as she was pulled along. "Running for our lives again!"

Outside of the village the fog thickened again till Sokka could only see a pace or two in front of him. He guided on the wheel ruts of the track and ran as fast as he could which was more of jog due to all the weight he was carrying. His left leg was already starting to burn with fatigue.

"Hurry!" Su-Kami commanded from somewhere in front of them.

Sokka was already panting after less than a minute. The weight causing his shoulders and back to ache.

"Something's coming." Toph declared between breaths.

The tribesman could hear it. At first it seemed to be a large number of small animals running, but as it got closer it became clearer to him. It was the familiar sound of a large number of men in full armor running. An army chasing fugitives.

"Faster!" Su-Kami barked from out of the fog in front of them.

Sokka's left leg was starting to fail.

"Toph grab my belt." He panted out to her, pulling her hand to his belt.

He felt her strong hand latch onto the leather freeing his hand. He slid both hands under the straps of his gear and still running he shot his hands forward and up while ducking his head dropping all his gear onto the road behind him.

"What was that?" The blind girl asked.

"Getting rid of my gear." He told her taking her hand again.

He felt Toph struggle for a moment then he heard her own packs hit the ground. This was better but it was the books that were the real weight that was slowing him down. He hated losing the books, especially the air nomad books. Aang needed those to rebuild his people. And while he would die to save them. No book was worth Toph's life. He pulled them off his shoulder and dropped them into the road.

Behind him he heard the crash of a large number of armored men going down on top of each other. He smiled to himself. He would take any good luck he could get right now, and a bunch of packs and shoulder bags in the fog would be good trip falls.

"Hurry" Su-Kami growled invisibly in front of them.

Free from all the weight Sokka could really run now and he put his long legs to full use, almost dragging Toph along beside him. The blind bender was doing her best but her smaller stature could not keep up with the tall hunter. She latched both hands on his arm and nearly lifted herself off the ground to keep up with him.

"Almost there!" Came Su-Kami's strangled cry from out of the fog.

Sokka reached with his free hand for the buckle of his weapons belt. There was one more weight he could sacrifice for Toph's safety. Weapons would be of no use against an army of armored men, and the scabbards and weapons might trip more of the pursuers as they tried to catch the pair.

To the left and right he could see shapes moving in the fog. Behind him he heard the sound of the pursuit. They were almost upon them. He put on his last burst of speed hauling Toph up off the ground. They were running down slope and he was in danger of running out from under his feet but he kept going.

Then just ahead in the limited view the fog allowed he saw the slope drop away. Because of the mist he couldn't tell how much of a drop there was. It could be just one hand or it could be a hundred paces. Without slowing he pulled Toph to his chest and yelled,

"Hang on!"

He felt her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as he leaped over the gap, turning in the air so he would land on his back. In less than a second he felt the ground knock the breath out of him as he hit the grassy slope of the hill. He slid on his back, Toph on top of him for what felt like a hundred paces down the wet slope, until he finally stopped.

He pushed Toph off of him and scrambled to his feet, pulling Gia's knives from his boots as he stood. Running on pure adrenaline he shouted.

"Toph run!"

"I'm not leaving you!" The bender cried out as she wrapped her arms around him.

With a flick of his wrists the two blades sprang out and locked in place. Sokka looked up slope waiting for the attack. And then he realized they were out of the fog on the far side of the ancient road.

"I can bend!" Toph panted in triumph.

She stomped her foot to the ground and an earth barrier rose up between the couple and the road.

The two stood for a moment. Sokka grabbing his friend returning the hug she had him in.

"Toph are you ok?!" Sokka asked between pants.

"Fine! You?" She panted in reply.

They held each other for a while letting their breathing slow. Finally Sokka eased his hold on her and took a step back closing his knives and returning them to his boots.

"I think they're leaving." Toph said facing up the slope.

With a strong gesture she lowered the wall she had raised.

"That was scary." Sokka finally said.

"Yeah..." The small woman agreed, but then a big grin found its way onto her face. "But hey we're The Blind Bandit and Meathead. Nobody can take us on and win."

"Yeah..." He joined her in the smile.

Inside Sokka knew that he had almost lost Toph, for a second time. And he couldn't let that happen without telling her the truth.

"Toph... I've got to tell you something." The young man said turning to the young woman and letting the smile fall from his face.

"What's wrong?" She wanted to know.

"Nothing's wrong." He told her. "It's just that I want you to know that...Well... I love you. And I don't mean that I like you. I mean that I love you. And not like a sister, or as a friend, but that I love you like someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. Like someone I want to make babies with, and grow old with, and live forever with just so I can spend more time with you."

"But... What about...Suki?" She asked.

"I don't love her the way I love you." He told her. "I can't go a second without thinking about you, and I've gone months and never thought of her for a second."

It was quiet between the two of them. Sokka cleared his throat with a little cough.

"I know that this will end our friendship, and I hate that." He finally admitted. "You can't be friends with someone that loves you. It gets too awkward. It's just that I couldn't risk never telling you how I feel. I love you Toph. I love you so much I forget to breath sometimes."

The young woman stood there for a second or ten with her head down. She wanted to say something but her heart was trying to beat itself to death against her ribs and her stomach had decided that now of all times would be a good time for it to turn into some sort of flying creature.

"What if..." She finally asked in a voice so quiet that Sokka had to lean down to hear her. "What if the other person loves you back? Can you still be friends then?"

"Well... Yeah I guess that could work." Sokka answered puzzled by the question.

"Ok... Then we're still friends." Toph squeaked out, never raising her head to face him.

"Oh... OK then." He agreed. "So can I kiss you then?"

"Not if I kiss you first." She told him, stomping her foot.

Sokka felt the ground give way beneath him as he dropped into the earthbent hole. Luckily he had been on the receiving end of so much earthbending over the last year that his body automatically reacted, absorbing the shock, and keeping him on his feet, even though he felt a twinge of pain shoot up his left leg.

When he looked up, he saw that he was just a little shorter than Toph was now.

The lovely earthbender stepped into the handsome water tribesman, and taking his head in her hands she brought her lips to his. Sokka wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his chest, kissing back for all that he was worth. Which from Toph's reaction was more than the entire Bei Fong fortune.

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To be continued:

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Disclaimer: "Avatar the Last Airbender" the characters and the world were created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and owned by Nickelodeon and Viacom or Paramount or some huge corporation. This is purely a work of fan fiction because I wanted to play in their world and I love the characters that they created.

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Author's notes:

Hi All,

I apologize for the very long delay in getting this chapter out to you. If you've read it you will know just how important a chapter it is to the story and hopefully you will understand and forgive me for spending so much time on it. I only hope you find it worth the wait.

Thanks so much for reading.

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More Fanart; There is more fanart for the story on DeviantArt; Totalfanboy21 has a great picture of an older Toph and Sokka inspired by the story and Abi-chan14 and Cutubulla as well as Kawayui-Kage have created Fanart for the story. I am really honored that talented artists have liked the story so much that they have actually made art based on it. Please check them out.

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Thank you all so much for sticking with my story.

I have to thank everyone for the really generous and kind reviews. You guys keep me going and I really appreciate all the support. I always try to answer all reviews. If I missed any one please forgive me.

Normally I answer anonymous reviews in this section but there are so many since the last chapter and I want to get this one out, that I hope you will forgive me if I save the answers for a later chapter. I just want to thank everyone who has reviewed for taking the time to send one in.

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Once again thank you to all those who have added this story to their alerts and especially their favorites, and a very special thank you to all who have added me to your author alerts and favorites. That is a real honor for me. I hope I have not disappointed you with this chapter.

Thank you to all for reading

All comments and/or criticisms are more than welcome.