OH HEY LOOK A NEW CHAPTER! INCOMING SENOR ZUKO!

"Yes I suppose but what is your name?"

"Iroh. Lieutenant Iroh Pryo of the third Western Branch. At your service."

"How did you know I was a Bei-Fong?" asked Toph as she sipped her steaming cup of hot chocolate. She smiled contently, she loved chocolate as much as she loved herself, and that was quite a lot.

"I saw your ID, it was sticking out of you back pocket, I'll I saw was the seal of the Flying Boar. Everyone knows that the seal of the Bei-Fong Family. The only reason you would've had that is if you were -Fong's wife or child. I chose the latter. I don't think that -Fong is a pedophile." The older man took a sip of his jasmine tea carefully.

"I suppose I should get rid of that thing…I can get a fake one made…"

"I'm sorry of I'm being intrusive but why have you left your Father's estate I'm sure he could give you anything you'd ask for. Your family is rich." Sipping his tea with a content sigh he continued, "It's not safe for a girl your age to wander around without any one for help."

"You just think that because I'm party blind."

"No disabilities are anything. There was a man in my branch during the army. He had severe headaches and migraines and one during battle, he had one but still kept fighting through it. Disabilities can be overcome. They are not what make a person who they are. Although they can help define them."

"I don't understand."

"You will in time." He sipped his tea again, "You remind of my nephew, you feel so wronged that the world…you're so angry and frustrated."

"I'm not angry with the world. How can I be angry at something that doesn't know I exist? I—I just want to be able to live without walls to hold me back." I sipped the chocolate and smiled content; my parents never got me chocolate saying that it wasn't good for me.

"But the world you knew still shunned you for your 'disability'. You're angry with them for not accepting you. You feel wronged by the fact that they just wanted to protect you. Even if it was a little blinded…no pun intended."

"I—I don't wanna talk about this anymore." Toph stood to her feet and began to walk away.

"Your temper even reminds me of my grandson."

"I'm not angry…I just…ARG!" Toph threw up her arms and ran out the door of the restaurant. She skated back down to the bus stop before sitting on the curb her head buried in her arms. She sat like that for a while when she felt something tap her backside. She turned sharply read to punch who ever the hell was bothering her.

"Hey…do you mind your sitting on my lighter…" she glared up at the young man in front of her. His long dark hair blocked out his amber eyes, he had a cigarette hanging from one finger. His leather jacket and jeans were dirty, torn and obviously used. The belt hung off his waist was a dark scarlet and the buckle was a silver flame.

"Fuck off…your too young to smoke anyway." Toph replied, leaning back against the back of Bus Stop wall.

"Look Short-One I'd rather not move you by force. So get the hell up, I'm supposed to meet someone here. SO if you don't mind…get your ass of my lighter."

"You idiot I'm not sitting on your fuckin' lighter, it's over on the ground over there!" She pointed at a black and red striped lighter that was on the ground a few inches away from her foot.

"Shit…" He reached down for it; Toph swung a foot at his head, "What the hell!"

"I suggest you apologize first for being so rude to me!" She glared up at him through her bangs.

"No! Hell no am I apologizing to a Shorty like you!" He looked into her eyes, "I can't even hit you 'cause you're fuckin' blind!"

"I AM NOT BLIND! ITS ONLY ONE FUCKIN' EYE!" She threw a fist at his head. He caught it, emotions played across his face, anger, amusement, confusion.

"Calm down there Shorty!"

"Shut the fuck up Sparky!" She yelled at him trying to wiggle her hand out of his grip.

"Sparky huh?" he laughed, a deep baritone laugh, "All right I'll shut up." He let go of her hand and took a seat next to her. Lighting up and gently puffing smoke rings into the air. Toph sat a little ways down, she was seething, and he was taking her for a fool, baiting her. She shot a glare over at him. He caught her eye and puffed another gray ring into the air.

She tapped her foot against the skateboard, trying to keep her eye off the young man next to her. She growled under her breath, biting at her fingernails…the silence was killing her.

"JEZZ! OK OK! Can we stop with the uncomfortable silence please?" She finally yelled.

"Oh…I didn't know it was a contest." He said coolly flipping through his messages on his very expensive phone.

"Jerk…stop acting like such a Princess!"

"A princess huh…couldn't come up with anything better than that Shorty?"

"Shorty? That's one of the most used nicknames for short people everywhere!"

"Are we really having this argument?"

"Seems like its Princess Sparky."

They glared at each other for a few more minutes. Let the staring contest begin. They sat there…neither blinking nor looking away for even a second.

That's the position Iroh found them in. He stood over them for a few moments clutching a cup of hot Jasmine Tea. That was until the tea's smell made it down to Toph's nose.

"Jasmine Tea, year 1955, maker White Elephant Trade Company." Recited Toph out of the blue, the sound of her own voice frightened her enough to look away.

"How the hell would you know that?" asked the younger man.

"It's my Dad's favorite. I memorized all the tea's in our kitchen, there wasn't anything better to do." Whispered Toph she shook herself and looked up at Iroh.

"Well, Ms. Bei-Fong it looks like you've met my hothead of a nephew." The older man chortled and took the seat next to her.

"Nephew…? Oh you mean Princess Sparky?"

"Princess…Hahaha Yes! Princess Sparky indeed." He gripped her should tightly and smiled down at her, "He's very angry at the world…as you may have noticed."

"He's a right piece of work if you ask me."

"I don't get why you talking about me…IN FRONT OF ME!" the younger man stood and glared down at the pair.

"Keep your pants on your Highness. We know your there. I could hear you seething from a mile away my friend." Toph smiled and punched him in his leg.

"Why did you…?"

"I don't know…hmm…But whatever."

"Well then. Now that we're all acquainted with each other do you mind telling us where you're headed?"

"South…to the town of Yue." She replied she didn't know why she was telling him all of this. It made no sense to trust a complete stranger who also happened to know who she really was.

"My! It's a small world. That's where we were headed! We own a nice house over there. My nephew and I have been travelling most of this summer and since the school year is about to begin we were going home."

"I understand." Toph leaned back against the clear glass that was behind the bus benches.

"…humph…"

"What has gotten in your pants Princess?"

"You are just so damn oblivious. It's obvious what my Uncle is offering. He wants you to stay with us while you stay in Yue."

"Stay with…ARE YOU OUT OF YOU DELUSITIONAL HEAD!" she yelled.

"I wasn't even thinking of that Zuko…but now that you've voiced it I have no other choice but to offer. You can't survive on your own young-one. However, I can promise you a roof over your head and freedom if you come with us. I understand how you feel. It's as if you're a canary in a cage. The harder you try to free yourself the more you are hurt. Now that you are free, where would you go? You have no experience outside your estate. It's better this way." Iroh looked into Toph's eyes, "I'm not one to judge others by their choices. Nevertheless, this is a damn good offer. I'm afraid you'd be stupid to not take it."

"Stupid huh…for me to trust an older man and young man whom I've never met before…at a bus stop in some town…to take me in and give me a roof over my head…it sounds like some bad book or story." Toph said putting her chin on her hands, "But as you said…I'd be stupid not to take it…after all weirder things have happened."

Iroh laughed and Zuko cracked a smile and thought, 'She may be a weird kid…but I kinda like her.'

The bus pulled up and the party of three piled into it.