AN: No computer yet gah! Well anyhow I would still LOVE fanart :) I just wanted to make sure that I was clear in my writing when I say for example that someone smiles. Toph can see that with her earthbending or she can hear a smile in their voice, depends on the situation :) Just wanted to make sure I wasnt confusing anyone like I forgot she could see. Oh and I think you guys might like my other story called Disaster in the Dead of Night, its a short Korra story and very angsty... I've been called more of a monster than Amon AND Ozai for writing it teehee ^.^

It was busy in town despite the crisp winter air. Katara had insisted I wear one of Sokka's spare parkas. I grudgingly accepted it and was soon drug off by the same waterbending master to buy maternity clothes that I was sorely past needing. We entered a little boutique specifically for pregnant ladies. Within only a few seconds I had a whole armful of dresses. I understood why Sokka and Aang had bolted when Katara told the we were going shopping. I entered a dressing room and was quite pleased when the dresses actually fit... and they were super easy to get on, not to mention comfortable. I opened the door once I was dressed in the first outfit for Katara to see. "Awe! Toph you look so cute!" She cooed. I slumped.

"Cute?" I deadpanned.

"Well, yeah. That green just makes you look so... adorable," she giggled. I rolled my eyes.

"So its ok then?"

"Oh yes."

"Good. Let's go," I said flatly.

"Toph," she crossed her arms, "You're going to need more than just one maternity outfit."

"Ok, ok," I whined going back in the dressing room. The next dress I tried on fit securely around my chest and tied in a bow right above the swell of my belly. It was flowy and brushed against my ankles. After Katara affirmed it looked good, I tried on a pair of pants and a tunic. They were a little small so Katara gave me a size up. Next my hands landed on a courser material than the other clothes. From what my fingers and palms could tell this dress dipped to just below my collar bone and was basically a straight shot down to my ankles. It had long sleeves that were lined with the finest layer of... Jackolope fur that's what it was. Regardless, it was warm and would be great for cold evenings like this. My waterbending friend told me that the blue fabric looked so pretty against my skin. I told her I liked how warm it was and she scurried off to get me more long-sleeved dresses.

I finished trying on the (what felt like thousands) of outfits and got four fur-lined dresses, two lighter dresses and three pairs of long pants with a shirt for each pair. I left in the blue fur-lined dress I liked so much. I had noticed Aang and Sokka arrive a few minutes earlier and the pair was waiting for us outside when we left. Sokka stumbled from his lazy lean on the wall and just didn't move. Even I knew he was staring. Blood heated my cheeks and I scuffed a newly leather clad toe in the frozen dirt. It muffled my vision but only in the slightest. Besides, I didnt want my toes dropping off. "Wow, Toph, you look really... pretty," he stuttered.

"Thanks, Chief," I replied just as shyly. I heard Aang and Katara snickering under their breaths. I took the liberty to throw Aang fifty feet in the air with a well-placed earth pillar, but he just floated back down laughing. Stupid airbending bald-headed Avatar.

"Let's go eat," Katara chuckled leading us down the street. I jumped when Sokka's large hand snagged mine up. He lifted my knuckles to his lips and brushed a feather-light kiss against them. I could feel the smile on his mouth. It only made me blush even more. Then he leaned over and pressed a quick peck on my cheek before Katara and Aang could spot us. Then it made me ponder why Katara wasnt asking a million questions about me and her brother. Aang had definitely seen us earlier. I guess he just hadn't told her yet. Sokka held the door open for me once we reached the little diner where we would be eating. He even pulled my chair out for me. I smiled and punched him in the arm. He sat across from me, next to his sister, with my airbending friend by my side. I got a heaping plate of muscovy duck meat with a side of pickled cucumbers. Oh, and a tall glass of leechy juice.

Dinner was warm and full of laughs, eliciting strange looks from other tables, especially when Sokka and I engaged in a belching contest. Katara and Aang were cracking up as they tried to hide under the table. I punched Twinkletoes just for the heck of it and declared myself the winner. We had our fill and left well after the early sunset. Sokka grabbed my hand and dragged me off the very second Aang said he wanted to take Katara shopping. I found myself laughing as we darted around and through the crowded street. As silly as it sounds, we played a mild game of hide and seek tag which ended with his kissing me on the lips once he caught me.

He captured my hand in his again and led me off to a stall selling various items. Something cold and wet suddenly landed on my nose. "It's snowing," we both said at the same time. We laughed at eachother and he tugged me along to another stall. I waited patiently as he glanced over the items. Suddenly he was wrapping something around my neck. "What is this?" I asked.

"A scarf, to keep you warm," he said quietly as he took special care to tie it around my neck, making sure it covered the chapping skin on my collar bone. I shivered when his cold fingers brushed my skin.

"Thanks, Sokka, that's really sweet," I blushed.

"You're welcome," he said back. As we walked along the streets in silence I took the time to study the people around us. It was quite busy and noisy but not like those hot summer days when everyone was hurrying around to get their shopping done and return to their cool houses. This was a different kind of bustling, it was happy. Everyone seemed to be out enjoying themselves. Venders were shouting out their goods, luring people in to buy hot drinks and other tried to sell their cold-weather clothing. Sokka led me into a warm building which I quickly identified as a book store.

We said hello to the owner of the shop and then I was tugged along as Sokka sifted through the dozens of books on the shelves. "Young Ming must search the fire nation and his heart to find his true love he met so many years ago," Sokka read in a sappy voice. I laughed and he put it back on the shelf. "How about this one, ahem, "A man named Jing finds himself in the icy clutches of the north pole. He isn't sure how he got there but and he's determined to get home. But everything changed when he meets a mysterious girl, but, she's a ghost."

"Oh, please," I snorted.

"I was thinking the same thing." The sound of leather sliding against wood signaled the replacement of the strange book. We went through Tui knows how many books searching for just the right one. surprisingly enough we found it in a book claiming a love story of peril and disaster surrounding a young Fire Nation couple. We left after purchasing it and walked down the streets again. "You know, something just hit me," Sokka said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, you haven't been baby stuff shopping," he announced as thought he had just made a clever discovery.

"Baby stuff shopping?" I scoffed. I shook my head and smiled. "Well, what do you propose? Neither of us know anything about babies, how are we supposed to know what to buy without Katara?" I challenged.

"I think we can do it, I am the plan guy after all," he smirked.

"Well babies need blankets," I said.

"To find some blankets!" He shouted, flinging his arm in the air. I elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow! Must you feel the need to do that?" I nodded sharply. "I can't wait until I can just tackle you again."

"You couldn't do it even if the universe didn't want to prove you wrong."

"Pffft!"

"You spit on me," I deadpanned.

"Sorry," he answered mischievously.

Hours passed and Sokka and I were laden down with various "baby stuff". "What on earth?" Katara asked upon seeing us. "What's all this? Toph you shouldnt be carrying all that!" She chastised piling my things into Aang's arms.

"Well, my dear sister, we took it upon ourselves to prepare for the little bundle of joy," Sokka said matter-of-factly with his nose in the air.

Katara eyed the load in his arms suspiciously. "Sokka what is this!? A baby doesn't need a war club!" She yelped.

"I told you we didn't need it," I muttered.

She sighed and looked over her shoulder at Aang. "Well, you did get a few things right; the blankets and clothes and bottles." We all started to walk back to my house slowly. "So what do you plan to do for a crib?" She asked.

"Well I was thinking of earthbending one so I could feel everything that goes on, and maybe using a nice fluffy fur-stuffed mattress."

"You should use Koala-sheep wool, it's very comfy," Aang piped in. We all laughed at the memory.

By the time we reached my house, Katara had to bend the three inches of snow away from my front door so we wouldn't drag it the house. Katara set to work starting a fire in the living room fireplace. When I had built the house, Sokka had taken special care to install a piping system that would heat the whole house. It was good idea but it didn't work as well as we all thought, but it did raise the temperature by a few degrees. Sokka and Aang put all the stuff I bought in my room, with me tagging behind them. "What happened in here?" Aang asked, bending the snow drift on my floor back outside.

Crap! I didn't fix that!? He couldn't find out I did that because I was totally distraught that my clothes didn't fit! And Aang was sure to interrogate me about it later. The less he knew the better! "Oh, uh that's nothing, nothing at all! Thanksforcarryingallmystuffs hoobye!" I sputtered pushing him out of my room. I shut the door and let out a relived breath.

"So what exactly did happen?" I screamed when Sokka spoke. I forgot he was in here!

"Nothing, like I said," I chuckled nervously stomping a slab of stone up with my heel to repair the damage. I shrugged innocently. He laughed and sat down in the chair, pulling me into his lap. His hands found the back of my neck immediately and he pulled my lips to his.

I couldn't help but giggle from surprise. He laughed in his throat and kissed me harder, trying to demand a kiss in return. I teased him and kept pulling my lips away from his. He wrapped his arms around my waist and gave me a heated kiss. It burnt all the silliness right out of me I kissed him back immediately. His hands found my hips and my arms snaked over his shoulders. After a few minutes of... making out... I guess one would call it, I pulled back and leaned my forehead on his shoulder. "So you think I'm pretty?" I asked, remembering his words from the boutique.

"No." My fell into my stomach. "I think you're beautiful," he said in a husky voice, giving me a chaste kiss. He'd never used that tone with me before and it sent chills down my spine. He settled his hands on my waist and gently pushed my feet back onto the floor. My favorite warrior started a warm fire and told me goodnight, giving me one last kiss.

Three weeks later and something was pecking impatiently at my front door. Sokka closed our book and Aang went to investigate. "Well hi there friend," he said cheerily as a messenger hawk hopped inside. He shook the snow out of his feathers and gave a powerful stroke of his wings and landed on the counter. Aang patted his head and took the little scroll from his back. I heard the paper unroll as he read it. "No way."

"What?" Katara and Sokka asked at the same time. It took Aang a second to answer. "I hope this letter finds you all in good health," he read, "I wished for my our closest friends to be among the first to receive the announcement. Mai is carrying the first heir to my throne-" Aang was caught of by Katara and I screaming like little girls.

Crazy talk was coming out of our mouths as we blubbered over a little fire baby. "Anyways," he said with a shake of his head. "My Fire Lady is doing well and will be ten weeks along when this letter reaches you. Mai and I wish you all well, especially Toph -Love Zuko."

"That's so exciting!" Katara cried. Sokka got up, leaving a cold spot on my side.

"Hey, there's another one in here," he said taking another scroll from the hawk's message cylinder.

"You are cordially invited

to attend the announcement party of

Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Mai's first child.

A new era had begun under Fire Lord Zuko

and is now ensured by a royal heir.

To be held in the Fire Palace

at the next full moon.

Thankyou,

Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Mai."

"Well Toph is in no condition to travel," Katara said when Sokka finished reading.

"Thankyou captain obvious," I mumbled.

"You're welcome Lieutenant Sarcasm," she shot back.

I perked up. "That was bad, Sugar Queen," I rewarded.

"And I don't want to leave this close to the due date," Katara said. "You boys are going to have to go."

"But I don't want to leave Toph-" Sokka complained.

"Why because you like her," Aang teased poking him in the ribs. Sokka swatted at his hands.

"As a matter of fact, I do."

A blush instantly burned my cheeks and my heart raced.

"I knew it!" Katara cried, throwing her arm in the air. "I knew it! Did you know it Aang!? Cuz I knew it!"

"Yes, yes oh sleuthy one," I quipped. A sharp "awe!" followed after that... from Aang and Katara both.

"You already knew, Baldy!" I scolded.

"You knew? And you didnt tell me?" Katara asked. I rolled my eyes as Aang and Katara started bickering.

"Ok well now that we've established Toph and I like each other, who's going to the party?" Sokka said, silencing our friends squabbling.

"Like I said." Katara crossed her arms. You two are."

"Aw sis!" Sokka groaned. I wasn't exactly fond of that idea either. We had been attached at the hip for the last five months and I wasn't looking forward to being separated. But, in the end, Sugar Queen won out and it was decided Aang and Sokka would zip over to the Fire Palace, attend the party and come back.

The next few days we were all hurrying around making gifts for the little fire brat (and I say that lovingly). Sokka made a miniaturized version of his war club, Katara knitted together a soft blanket and Aang and I made something called a mobile. It was supposed to hang over the baby's crib to give him something to look out (and I was just sure it would be a boy). I made the frame for the spinning object with Aang's very specific instructions and after I was finished he covered it in cloth and put little stuffed animals on the ends. Once of course, was Appa, another Momo, a little red dragon and a Badgermole (I insisted upon that last one to make sure the little fire-breathing, ankle-biter knew it was from me).

Sokka and Aang were scheduled to leave on Appa in two days so I was spending every second with my favorite Water tribesman. Well, that is... until something very strange happened. I just got this... unyielding need to make a crib for my baby. It took me hours, Sokka keeping me company when it all reality he was really just pestering me to no end. I had never felt like something I made was more important and I built and rebuilt probably a dozen times before I was satisfied.

And then, another unyielding desire popped up in me; well now that it was built I may as well put blankets in it. I had Sokka go out and hunt me down some kind of animal so I could stuff a little mattress with it. While he was gone, I assigned Katara to sew together a few animal hides and leave one side open so I could put the fur in there. So Sokka was back and the mattress was filled to the brim and sewed together. Then I covered it with a soft blanket and folded another blanket at the top of the crib. Well, now that the crib is done I should make a little shelf to put all the cloth diapers. So I carved out a shelf in the wall, close to the crib and stacked all the little squares of cloth in it. Hmm, everything feels dirty. I went about washing everything I could get my hands on, and that would have included Sokka if he had left my room a second later.

I found myself disassembling the mess of "baby stuff" in the corner of my room and re-assembling it in various places. I made another shelf and folded all of the blankets (best I could, I'm blind thankyou.). Then I lined all the bottles in a row on the second shelf down. Next I hung the war club Sokka gifted me with when we were shopping, on a earthen nail. But something wasn't right. I rearranged everything on the shelves until it seemed right then I put new blankets and sheets and pillows on my bed. The next victim of my cleaning was the bathroom.

"What is she doing?" Sokka asked in a loud whisper behind me.

"Nesting," Katara answered.

"What?"

"Nesting."

"I know what you said but what is it!?" Sokka asked as though I couldnt hear him whispering.

"It happens when a pregnant woman prepares for her baby."

"Oh... but why is she cleaning?"

"I can hear you Meathead," I deadpanned. I felt his feet running off almost immediately.

I managed to make time the next day for Sokka being as he was leaving in the morning. Of course, I was all twitchy what with the kitchen still uncleaned at that blasted blanket tossed in the corner of the living room. So Sokka cautiously helped me clean that day and chalked it up as our 'last day' time together.

Appa's saddle was loaded and ready to go early the next morning. Katara and I stood in the snow, about to see our boys off for a whole weeks. Sokka climbed down from Appa's saddle and pulled me into his arms. I buried my face in his parka, memorizing his smell so I wouldn't forget it. I knew I was being ridiculous, it was only for a week but I missed him already...it was kind of like losing an arm.

Aang and Katara embraced a ways from us and said their goodbyes. Sokka took his gloves off and stuffed them in his pocket, then he took cupped my jaw in his hands. "It's only a week," He said rubbing his thumbs on my red cheeks.

"I know... I'll miss you," I admitted.

"I'll miss you too," he said. He pulled my scarf up around my chin and rubbed his fingertips against my scalp. "Stay warm, I'll see you in a week, ok?"

"Kay." He leaned down and gave me a long, gentle kiss. As soon as he pulled back Katara shattered the peace.

"Ew! You two are kissing!?"

"Yes, dummy!" I yelled reaching down and making a snowball. I threw it at her and heard a very satisfying thud telling me I had hit my target.

"Come on, Sokka," Aang called from above us. I hated it when he did that, I could never tell where he was going when he airbent.

"Bye," he said pecking me on the cheek and scurrying off to climb aboard Appa.

"Bye!" I called after him, waving.

And then they were gone and out of my sight. Well, it was only for a week, I could handle that.

AN: Sorry for any typos or grammar mistakes, it's not a time crunch this time, I honestly just feel incredibly lazy. Kind of a filler but when they get back, Toph will be 8 months and just who knows what can happen :)