DON'T LET ME DOWN

Disclaimer: I do not own "Avatar: the Last Airbender", "The Beatles", or anything else in this story either outright mentioned or parodied. I only say I wrote the story; that's it.

Story: takes place during "Sozin's Comet: Part 1 – The Phoenix King"

Summary: Toph wanted a life-changing fieldtrip with Zuko. Well, this was about the closest she'd ever get…

Pairings: Zuko + Toph (friendship), slight Zuko + Katara (friendship)

Rating: PG-13 / T to be safe

"Well?" Toph asked, sounding annoyed.

"'Well' what?" Zuko responded.

"I just told you that gripping story about my childhood, and you've barely said anything. Where's the reaction? Where's the compassion?"

Zuko sighed. "Let's just concentrate on finding Aang…"

"Where's the adventure I was promised? You're more disappointing than 'The Boy in the Iceberg'," Toph grunted.

He shook his head in disapproval. "Nothing could be more disappointing than that theatrical disaster."

Toph nodded. "Okay, true… But you're still cheating me out of that adventure."

"How am I cheating you out of an adventure? You keep asking about it, but what are you talking about?"

Toph crossed her arms. "First you take Aang to this super-secret ancient firebending temple, and now he can suddenly firebend like a pro while doing the Dancing Dragon. Then you and Sokka fly off in your balloon and return with his dad and Suki, who you just helped break out of the highest guarded prison in the whole Fire Nation. And then you oh-so romantically whisk Katara off in the middle of the night and now's suddenly all kisses-and-hugs with you."

"Wait a second!" Zuko interrupted her, his cheeks just slightly red. "I'm going to stop you right there!"

"See the pattern?" she said, ignoring his outburst. "You've gone on some crazy, life-changing fieldtrips with everyone but me!"

"First off, this is neither the time nor place to discuss these things. We should be looking for Aang. Second, I didn't plan for any of that. They just kind of happened when the situation called for them."

"Yeah, right…" Toph mumbled sarcastically.

"Third, and I don't even know how this thought crossed your mind, Katara and I are not dating."

Toph rolled her eyes. "Before your little midnight date, she wanted to stab you with all kinds of waterbended icicles, but afterwards she's been super buddy-buddy with you. You don't think that's suspicious? And come on, do I really need to mention that hug?"

His cheeks were red, but he kept his composure. "Okay, you're taking things completely out of context."

"Yeah right! Your little Crystal Catacombs escapade with Sweetness was the total focus of the end of act two!"

"'The Boy in the Iceberg' is not an accurate representation of our lives!" Zuko responded, obviously not a fan of the play.

"Okay then, tell me what really happened on your midnight date with Katara then."

He crossed his arms. "I helped her find the man who killed her mother. That's hardly what I'd call a date."

Toph said nothing for a moment and then nodded. "Okay, wasn't expecting to hear that. You're right. That'd be a pretty lame date."

Zuko shook his head. "Can we just go back to looking for Aang? You know, the kid who's crucial to saving the world. I think that should be a more pressing issue right now."

Toph shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever…"

They continued their search for the Avatar in silence. Toph had felt no need to talk to Zuko if it meant he was only going to make excuses for today. And Zuko couldn't really think of a way to get her out of her funk, especially since he knew she was looking for an apology and he had nothing to apologize for, so he kept quiet.

After about twenty more minutes that didn't lead to anything, Zuko had decided to move on. "Aang's not here."

Toph spat on the ground. "No duh. And I'm supposed to be the blind one."

"Where could he be? I mean, he couldn't have gotten far…"

"Are you serious?" she asked. "He's an airbender. He can fly. For all you know, he's a thousand miles away, chatting it up with a peacock whale or a lobster fox or a lion turtle or who knows what."

Zuko scratched his head. "I'm out of ideas… Okay… um… I guess we should go to the market then."

"Why?"

"Because I can't think of anywhere better," Zuko answered. Truthfully, he was hoping he could buy her some fire gummies or ash banana ice cream that would improve Toph's mood. But he would never admit that, especially not to Toph.

At the market, he decided play it safe and buy her both the gummies and the ice cream, as well as an overpriced komodo chicken bun for good measure. After she had some food in her belly, she was noticeably happier. Sensing a better opportunity for conversation, Zuko tried to figure out why she was behaving like that earlier. "Toph, I'm curious. Why are you so set on having an adventure with me? I'm not exactly the first person you think of when you think of fun. Wouldn't you prefer a one-on-one trip with Sokka or Katara? They'd definitely be the fun ones."

"True, I probably would have more fun with Meat-for-Brains and Sweetness. But that's not the point," she said as she dropped her last fire gummy into her mouth.

He raised an eyebrow. "Any more colorful nicknames I should be aware of?"

"Just 'Twinkle Toes', 'Fancy Fans', and 'Prince Ponytail'." she said with a grin.

Zuko rolled his eyes, but he was smirking. "You know, 'Prince Ponytail' isn't really that accurate. I haven't had my hair like that for a while now."

"How would I know that? I'm blind."

"Good point…" Zuko crossed his arms. "Anyways… if having fun on this adventure isn't the point, then what is?"

"It's too late now. And it's stupid. Forget it."

"What?" he asked. "Go on."

"Well, it's just that you helped Aang become stronger, Sokka become more confident, and Katara get over her past. I thought that… you'd be able to do something like that for me too. Something awesome and life-changing that'd make me a better person."

Zuko grinned. "Toph, you're already plenty strong and confident."

"Shut up…"

"It's true," Zuko said. "Out of all of us, you're the least likely to have a mental breakdown. Aang's got the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sokka's feels guilty for the failure on the Day of Black Sun. Katara was near breaking point when I joined the group because she couldn't forgive the Fire Nation for killing her mother. Even Suki's probably got some issues now, having been in the Boiling Rock for as long as she had. I don't know… I just thought that you were pretty… sane… compared to the rest of us. You're always acting so tough and all, I just assumed that you really were like that. I'm sorry that I thought that you didn't need anyone to talk to."

"No, you're right…" Toph said. "I do try to pretend that I don't need to rely on others. And the more I think about it, the more I feel like I'm making mountains out of badger mole hills. I mean, my problems with my family are nothing compared to the ones you have with yours."

Zuko softly chuckled. "Yeah, it's my megalomaniac father, my homicidal sister, and me, the banished prince with half his face scarred. Such a happy, little family we are."

Toph looked down at her feet. "Exactly… So I guess I shouldn't be complaining about my life."

"That's not true," Zuko said. "If you're unhappy, then it's important that you talk about it. You shouldn't have to deal with problems by yourself. One of the worst mistakes I ever made was thinking that I could manage everything in my life on my own. I ignored my uncle and put myself on a path that nearly destroyed me. And I regret every minute of it, knowing that I had almost ruined not only my life but lots of other peoples'. But my mistakes helped me learn and grow and become a better person because of it. What I'm trying to say is… don't just bottle these things up and pretend they're nothing. Because they're not nothing. If there's ever a time that you want to talk, either to me or someone else, you do it, Toph. You're special to us. Don't forget it."

"Don't get all sentimental on me, Prince Ponytail…" she said, though her cheeks were slightly flushed.

He then snapped his fingers. "How about this? Let's go buy a messenger hawk and write a letter to your parents. Sound like a good idea?"

Toph laughed. "I already did that not too long ago. But thanks for the offer."

"Oh… so what did they say?"

She sighed. "I don't know. I never heard back."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Zuko said.

"Yeah…"

Zuko slowly turned to her. "Um… Now that I think about it… how exactly would you hear back at all?"

"What do you mean?" Toph asked.

"Did you write down your location so your parents would know where to send a reply? And even if you did, was it accurate considering the fact that we move around constantly? It just sounds like there's no way they could have written you back."

"Oh yeah…" Toph said slowly. "I might have forgotten about that… I blame Meat-for-Brains. He wrote it for me."

Zuko grinned. "Well there you go. I'm sure that your parents got your letter and are eagerly waiting for you to return home."

"Do you think they're keeping Hawky as a pet too?"

"Uh…" Zuko said, not exactly sure who Hawky was. "Sure… Hawky too…"

"How can you be so confident about this stuff? How can you know that my parents want me back?"

"Because," Zuko began, "if I had a daughter like you, I'd never let her out of my life."

Toph smiled slightly. "Don't make me cry," she replied. She then lightly punched him on the shoulder. "Thanks…"

He gave her a small hug. "Anytime, champ."

Toph shook her head and smiled. "Okay, let's head back. Maybe the others will have some good news."

"Yeah…" he responded.

Toph then took a couple steps back, and ran at Zuko. She quickly leapt into the air and landed on his shoulders. "Yip yip, Prince Ponytail!" she shouted.

"What are you doing?" he asked, very much confused.

"Hey, you still owe me for burning my feet, remember?"

Zuko sighed. "Yeah, I do…"

She smiled as he began to carry her on his back. "Faster! Faster!"

Zuko complied and started to jog. Toph laughed. "I am a leaf on the wind! Watch how I soar!"

"What does that mean?" he mumbled to himself.

Zuko spent the next couple of minutes running through the streets with a laughing Toph on his back. As Zuko ran past a sign that said "Manoj, the Greatest Song and Dance Man in the Fire Nation", that street performer was proclaiming the glories of Fire Lord Ozai and the war. Disgusted with hearing how magnificent it was that the Fire Nation's war was bringing proper civilization to the rest of the savage world, Toph interrupted his speech with a loud burp and then stuck her tongue out at the man.

"How dare you do that? Get back here, you meddlesome kids! May Ozai boil you in oil!" Manoj shouted at Zuko and Toph. But it didn't matter, as they were already around the corner by that point.

"Jerk…" she said. "Anyone who supports Loser Lord Ozai is an idiot! Especially that idiot! I mean, how great of a 'song and dance man' can you be when your entire routine is about praising a politician and not actually singing or dancing? What kind of a musician does that?"

"A terrible one," Zuko answered.

"There's this awesome musician in Gaoling named Sungha. He's a billion times better than that lame-o! He plays the best music! And I never have to hear stupid partisan hackery from him! Give me Sungha any day!" She then looked backwards. "You suck, Manoj! May Aang drop a tornado on your head!" she yelled into the air.

Zuko laughed. "You know, I don't know if we needed the added attention, considering we're supposed to be in hiding, but I must admit I'm entertained by your spirited outbursts."

"Yeah. I rock," she said with a smile.

"And I do support your dislike for my father."

Toph then gripped onto Zuko a bit tighter and leaned closer. "Hey, Zuko… can I ask you something… personal?"

"You're not going to bring up 'The Boy in the Iceberg' again, are you?"

"No," she responded with a smirk.

"Then go ahead," he replied.

Toph paused for a moment before speaking again. "How'd you get your scar?" she asked quietly.

She felt his body tense up, but he continued jogging. "Family," he said simply. Then Zuko took a deep breath. "Aside from my mom, I've been a disappointment to my family my whole life. But she wasn't around that day. And when I spoke out of turn, my father finally grew tired of having me for a son. I begged for his forgiveness, but it didn't matter. He never cared for me, and that day, he showed me just how much he didn't care. He punished me. A punishment I would never be able to forget. And my sister just laughed as she watched it all happen."

Toph shuddered. "Whoa…" she whispered to herself.

Zuko said nothing, but nodded in response.

"You really weren't kidding when you said your family was more messed up than mine."

He sighed. "No… I wasn't…"

"I'm sorry…" she began.

"Don't be. If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't be here now with you, Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Suki." Zuko was quiet for a bit before speaking up again. "Half my face was worth meeting you guys. You're my real family."

She hugged him and smiled to herself. "Zuko, thanks for today."

"You're welcome," he said.

"This has been a decent adventure, I'd say. Well, decent enough," she added as she slipped off his back. "It's no midnight date, but I'll take it."

Zuko shook his head. "I still don't see why this is your new favorite way to torment me. I told you, 'The Boy in the Iceberg' is completely wrong. Katara and I aren't dating."

"I know, I know," she responded. "You're dating that cheery acrobat girl."

"What? No! I'm not dating Ty Lee!"

"Really? You're dating the other one? The depressing girl with the knives"

Zuko coughed awkwardly. "Yes… Mai…"

Toph crossed her arms. "You don't need to get so worked up about it. I just really like giving you a hard time, is all. It's fun."

He shook his head. "Happy I can be such a source of boundless entertainment for you."

"Besides, I'm tormenting Sweetness just as much as I am tormenting you. And she really can't handle it at all," Toph said with a grin. "Katara, stop ogling the Fire Prince! Katara, is his firebending really making you that hot? Katara, how fun was your alone time with Zuko in the Crystal Catacombs?" she said as she laughed.

He flushed and groaned in annoyance. "I think Azula is less of a sadist…"

"Thank you, 'The Boy in the Iceberg! Now I totally support the one true pairing of Zuko and Katara! The forbidden love of the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit!"

"I want to burn the Ember Island Theater to the ground…" Zuko groaned. "If I ever become Fire Lord, I swear that will be the first thing I do…"

"Come on, Prince Ponytail! You need to learn how to take a joke! Besides, you totally owe me one for burning my feet."

"I thought that's what carrying you around all day was for."

"That was just the beginning. You owe me a lot."

He groaned in response.

"Hey, I think that's Katara and Suki up ahead." Toph said. "I recognize their stance."

"Your ability to 'see' still boggles my mind…" he said as he started to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Toph asked.

"I'm going to buy a glass of watermelon juice," he replied. "Being your own personal Appa is tiring."

"No more yip yip?"

"Just go ask them if they heard anything about Aang," he said as he left.

Toph ran up to Katara and Suki. "Any luck finding Twinkle Toes?"

Katara frowned and shook her head. "The closest we found was the Ember Island Player version of Aang. And that was just wrong. So wrong. How about you guys?"

Toph put her hands on her hips. "Sadly, nothing to report. Sorry, Sweetness."

Katara grimaced. "You know I hate that nickname."

"Oh, go tell it to Fancy Fans," Toph retorted. Suki turned to them, looking slightly confused.

"Are you talking about me?" Suki asked.

"Don't worry about it," Toph responded with a smirk.

Suki nodded slowly, and then returned to munching on her komodo chicken bun.

"So where's Zuko?" Katara asked.

"You mean your 'boyfriend'?" Toph joked, a big grin on her face.

Katara blushed slightly, but crossed her arms. "Toph! He's not my boyfriend."

Toph yawned. "Yeah, that's what you said about Jet. And Haru."

"We're not dating," she said, flustered that she had to explain herself again. "Is this still all because of 'The Boy in the Iceberg'?"

"Oh man, I still can't get over that scene in the third act where the Painted Lady possessed you and then the Blue Spirit possessed Zuko and then you two proclaimed your undying love for each other! And in song! Wonderful, wonderful song! It was priceless! You're so lucky Aang wasn't there to see that!"

Katara groaned, turning away to try to hide her flushed cheeks. "She doesn't mean it… She's just trying to get under my skin… She doesn't mean it… She's just trying to get under my skin…" Katara was muttering to herself.

"Want me to sing the 'Zutara' song again? I memorized those awesome lyrics!"

"Don't you dare!" she almost shouted. A few people walking nearby glanced at her before continuing on their way.

Even Suki grinned with how much Katara was getting flustered by this. "Come on, Toph. Go easy on her. No more 'The Boy in the Iceberg' jokes about her and Zuko."

Toph then chuckled. "Fine, fine. I won't mention it again… At least, for a little while anyways…"

"Thank you," Katara replied, happy that they were no longer joking about her dating life.

"So… where is Zuko? We didn't lose him too, did we?" Suki asked.

Toph took a deep breath and then spit on the ground. "Prince Ponytail's just buying something to drink. He'll be back in a bit."

Katara sighed in response. "'Prince Ponytail'? I don't remember that one," she mumbled to herself.

"Anything interesting happen?" Suki asked as she finished her bun.

Toph shrugged. "No ancient firebenders or prison break or crazy revenge mission. It was simple. We walked. We talked. He Appa'd."

"So did you still got the Zuko field trip you wanted?" Katara asked.

Toph thought to herself before responding. She recalled what she and Zuko had discussed, and she smiled. And it was a genuine smile. "Yeah. It was life-changing. I couldn't be happier."