Makes Me Wonder

Chapter 5

AN: Once again, freakishly late, but better than never I suppose! Heh, actually my Microsoft word kinda died on my laptop and made all my MS documents into read only files so I haven't been able to do much without going to the computer lab recently. Fun times….Anyways on with the final chapter!

Much Love!

Disclaimer: Yep, back to this….I don't own Avatar. I'm a poor college student! Don't remind me!

"You know Snoozles, you were sorta my first"

"First…First what?

"What do you think genius? Kiss of course"

"Really? Go figure."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Who was yours?"

Sokka looked up from Toph's face, which was rather close to his own on account that she was leaning against him, the back of her head resting on his shoulder and her face tilted upwards towards his voice. The two had been sitting like this for at least twenty minutes, residing in the same garden that Toph had run off and Sokka had followed her to, but since their kiss and her gracious thanks but refusal to marriage this was the first thing she had decided to say. The question caught him off guard a bit, but he managed to answer as offhandedly as possible. It wasn't Toph's fault that his first kiss surfaced such bitter memories.

"Yue" He simply answered.

Toph waited for him to continue for a moment but when nothing came she sighed.

"You act like I know who she is" Toph replied curtly while wrapping a strand or her long raven hair around her index finger and twisting it. Despite the bored gesture Sokka noticed her blind eyes were still focused intently on his form. "Well who was she?"

"She was the princess of the Northern Water Kingdom. We met her right before we traveled to the Earth Kingdom for the first time."

"Well? Was she pretty?"

"Yeah...She was..."

"And you cared for her?"

"Yeah...I did..."

"You make it sound like she's dead or something" Toph noted, releasing the hair from her grip and allowing it to tumble back down to its place on her shoulders. At hearing no response to her statement she poked Sokka arm roughly. "Hey, you still alive Snoozles?" With the second silence she poked him once more and with a grumble shifted from her spot against him. "Geez Sokka, if you don't want to talk anymore-"

"She did die"

……

Well that couldn't have gotten more awkward

Though she wasn't against him any longer Sokka could feel the smaller girl stiffen considerably at his statement, her eyes now away from his form and facing the ground. She only replied with a small uncomfortable "Oh". Sensing tension in the air Sokka placed a hand on shoulder and offered a small smile without noticing it didn't really matter.

"It's all right though, well not all right…But I mean I'm okay. She did something really cool for all of the Water Nation when she died. It was something that helped everyone."

"And what's that?"

Sokka smiled and looked up at the evening sky. Ever since the wedding it had darkened considerably leaving various stars sprinkled carefully against the darkness and allowing the rising moon to replace her companion, the sun, for the night. "She became the moon" He answered in a happy whisper. Toph raised an eyebrow, obviously confused.

"That's not possible, how can a person turn into the moon?"

"Hey, stranger things have happened." Sokka reasoned with a chuckle "We traveled around with an one-hundred-and-twelve year old master of the elements on a giant bison for almost two years, defeated the fire lord, and ended up all in one piece after it all."

"Touché"

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a few more seconds while Toph contemplated the conversation. "You know" She finally said with a grin "That girl must have been really special if she turned into the moon"

"Yeah, she was" Sokka responded with a nod

"And I guess if you have to go that's definitely the way to do it"

"Strangely worded but I guess…"

Now it was Toph's turn to be silent. Sokka looked down at the blind Earthbender as she pondered.

"You really liked Suki too right?"

"Suki? Uhhh, yeah I guess so"

"Don't you 'Uhhh I guess so' me. You kissed her like a million times."

"It hasn't been a million times, just a few."

"So? I know you liked her."

"What of it?"

"Well, she was a warrior and was pretty special too."

"Maybe"

Sokka continued to watch the younger girl as she thought silently. He noticed the same red hue he had seen so many times in the last day return once more to Toph cheeks as she finally decided on her next set of words.

"Well I don't think I'm ever going to become a spirit like that, and I don't think it'll ever be able to wear and dress and fight at the same time." At this Sokka couldn't help but to chuckle.

"So what? You're Toph! You can make a mountain fall, cause a catastrophic earthquake, and beat hundreds of fire nation soldiers at once." He pointed to the 'once' white robes that were still draping her form. "I actually think you'd look funny trying to do all of that in your dress."

"Good, 'cause you'll never see it happen."

"Lady BeiFong!"

"Sokka! Toph! Where are you!"

"Come one Sokka, we have to go!"

The two looked away from each other for a moment, noticing that because of the conversation they had completely forgotten about the pressing matters at hand. Truthfully neither knew exactly what to do in this situation, but without speaking they both agreed that getting caught here by the wrong people could prove disastrous. Luckily those "wrong people" where rather dimwitted when it came to searching for the young earthbending prodigy and the two came face to face with a very angry Katara and a rather winded Aang first.

Of course was that really much better?

Both rushed into the garden and before Sokka could get a word out his tunic was in a death grip and he was being pulled up from the ground by his little sister. The warrior gulped and backed up considerably before managing a small "Hello Katara" and a wave. The girl did not look amused.

"You know, I could probably ask what you were thinking and how come you thought that setting off the entire wedding party would be a good way to solve your problems but I don't think there is anything in the world you could say that could make me understand your freaked out brain right about now Sokka.That and i'm too tired of running around to listen to you...But go ahead and amuse me...Maybe i'll listen!"

Yep...This wasn't much better.

"Hold your ostrich horses Sugar Queen" Toph interjected placing herself between the two causing Katara to relieve her grip on Sokka. He reminded himself that he would have to thank Toph for saving his tunic (and maybe even his life) later.

"Sure Sokka went about getting me out of there the stupidest way possible-"

Ouch

"-And sure Sokka managed to make my entire family and some of the most influential citizens of the Earth Nation hate him in a matter of seconds-"

Oh yeah that wasn't painful at all

"-And sure Sokka has no clue what we're going to do now that he's managed to screw up the biggest ceremony in the last decade around here-"

Now I think she's just enjoying this.

"-And sure Sokka-"

"Are you getting to something Toph?" Sokka questioned exasperatedly. The girl merely placed a hand in his face and continued speaking.

"-has probably become the worst idea guy in the last day than ever before-"

Sokka scowled.

"-But he had the guts to stand up to my dad and everyone here without caring that he was making a total fool of himself. And he did it to help me."

I suppose this is as close as I'm getting to a compliment. Oh well…It's still a lot for Toph

"He did it for me, so I wouldn't have to marry some weird freak who I don't know nor care about. And Sokka did it without caring what would happen"

The shouts of Toph's family seemed to grow stronger in the last few moments of Toph's speech but it seemed as if only Aang noticed them. He frowned and tapped the shoulders of both girls at the same time.

"I hate to break this up but maybe we should take this up somewhere else before-"

"Before what Avatar Aang?"

The group froze and watched as Toph's father followed by several of the priests from the earlier ceremony haughtily strode into the gardens each with a content smirk plastered upon their aging faces. Sokka noticed that behind the group followed the man that he had seen try to take Toph in marriage before. Though he could feel anger (or was it jealousy?) bubble up inside himself he managed to keep himself composed for the time. Without initially noticing both the man and Sokka looked at Toph at the same time.

"Staring is rude you know" Toph replied sharply, though to whom Sokka wasn't sure , but either way both men turned their gazes quickly from the girl and back to her father. Lao looked back and forth between the group before allowing his own eyes to rest on his daughter. Of course she did not say anything him... She was bold not stupid. He surveyed his child in distaste before addressing her.

"My darling lotus, why do you look like this? I mean what did hedo to your clothes, and your hair, and your…." He paused. "Well everything else!" Sokka now noticed that Lao's glare had turned to him as well as many of the words that he used. "I knew that I should have never allowed my wife to invite you to my daughter's wedding. The spirits will making a mockery of this celebration until the end of my days!"

So…Very…Awkward.

One of the priests stepped forward; the group instantly recognized him as the one who lead the disastrous affair. "And what do you say in response to this young man? You ruined this blessed day, this family's standing (At this Sokka swore Lao turned three shades of red…The angry kind of red), and the life of the BeiFong's only daughter, their blinddaughter!" he snarled at the dark skinned boy. "It will be a true miracle if this man actually decides to take her after all of this! She will have to pray to the spirits for forgiveness now!" Sokka shifted dangerously and opened his mouth to speak but found himself being silenced by Toph's tiny hand once again in his face.

"Hey! Think I could have a say in this!" Toph demanded, her arms folded tightly to her chest and her foot stomping down onto the ground with such force that a small quake in the ground was felt and the entire group was silenced and at her attention.

"What is it my child?"

"Well for starters….A miracle if he takes me? Let's try that vise versa shall we?" She stomped her foot and sent a small crater of land at the projected groom knocking him easily off his feet and onto his backside, landing in front of the Earthbender with a thump. "I don't want nor will I ever want some stupid rich guy with a stupid braid, and what I'm sure are stupid rich clothes, and the rest of him which is probably stupid and rich!" She pointed at him and with a flick of her finger the rocks snapped backwards sending him a couple feet away at the feet of the priests. Each simultaneously gasped but none made a move to help him.

"Are you out of your mind Toph!" Lao exclaimed taking now reaching for the girl's arm but only receiving air. The girl was instantly pulled back against Sokka and was now residing against his chest with a blush. She did nothing except let out a small breath.

"Maybe she is but that's her choice." Sokka declared harshly, his azure eyes now piercing into Lao's brown ones. "Is it really your place to decide what she wants?"

"Is it yours young man?"

"Actually no" Sokka backed away from Toph leaving the girl standing between the two. "Toph's the only person who should get to decide; heck this is Toph we're talking about so whatever she does you should be proud. Let her make up her own mind for a change."

Suddenly it was like everyone had decided to stare down the young Earthbender. It was now her turn to shift uncomfortably in her spot.

" I don't want to get married, that's for sure" she finally managed before turning to her father. "Do you really think that's the reason I came back home? I came back because I thought that would make you happy and that's it. So why are you so eager to wed me off? Will you be happy for me even if I don't get married dad?"

...

I don't think I will ever be happy with you if that's your decision Toph .If they are your choice you are dismissed from my presence and the estate.

Toph froze in her spot. Her father's words held such venom that that she felt frightened but didn't move.

Even though Sokka had decided that Toph's father was a total jerk he hadn't actually expected him to reply like that. He had a feeling Toph had not expected it either.

"Dad-"

"You are dismissed Toph"

"But Dad-"

"You will be welcome in the BeiFong estate when you return to your senses and wed a respectable young man. " He turned and motioned for the others who arrived with him to follow which each complied with. "Be safe in your travels daughter, I hope to see you sometime in the near future"

"But dad what about-"

"I will tell your mother what she needs to know. You made a horrible decision and now you are able to suffer the repercussions of it. Independence comes at a price and this is yours.

That wasn't supposed to happen

"Is this what you wanted Sokka?"

"Katara….You know it isn't…"

"We should have never come, she would have been happy if she gave it time"

"I know…It's my fault, everything is."

Toph didn't move from her spot until Aang appeared with Appa and ushered her carefully aboard the bison's back, she sat down in a heap of the cloth for her robes and stared blankly out at nothing, all the while Sokka watched her carefully from his own spot. He remembered back to watching her walking on her father's arm towards her groom, he remembered how small she looked.

Of course that was nothing compared to this.

She makes me wonder how I could have hurt her

AN: Yeah not how I was expecting to end it but hey, this is definitely not the end. I have lots more planned for this and since my summer break is just in a couple weeks I should have lots of time to have fun and write it (Of course I hope to have a chapter or two out before college lets out). Anyways hope you liked it and more shall come from me!