A/N: This is the last one! I hope you have enjoyed this series, and I especially hope you'll enjoy this last installment!

Title: Zenith

Setting: After the war.

Viewpoint: Toph

It was strange to listen to the clank of rock against wood and tile, yet be unable to feel it through my feet. In fact, Sokka was the one moving rock around, for once. My idea. I fidgeted.

"Of course," Sokka said affably, as if there hadn't been a long lull in our conversation. "Katara's going to kill us when they get here."

I snorted, having never stopped to think about consequences. "What makes you think Aang won't beat her to it?"

He laughed, and I heard a stone clatter out of his grip, to fall far below us. I turned away, agitated. I didn't need to be reminded how high up I was.

"Aang?" he asked, hopping up beside me to retrieve another load of rocks. "You serious? I couldn't imagine it."

I smiled in spite of myself, and shook my head. Airbender by nature or not, Aang was an earthbender too, and it'd never do to underestimate that.

Then again, Katara was Sokka's sister. Consequently, she'd be merciless. In my case, she treated me like the little sister she'd never had. The contrary, troublemaking little sister.

We had reason to fear.

The smile fell from my face as the moments passed, and I became preoccupied with what was before me yet again. Sokka was working steadily, humming off-key - I could never figure out how he'd become so tone-deaf - and, as far as I knew, not paying one whit of attention to me.

Admittedly, why would he? If he didn't get this job done, we'd have to leave it half-finished. I certainly couldn't write out the message to Aang, even if it was written with earth.

I shivered as a light breeze picked up. It was a stupid idea in the first place. What had I been thinking? The breeze grew stronger, and I clutched my sides.

For below me lay Aang's house.

That is to say, I was on the rooftop of the Avatar's residence in Ba Sing Se.

Leaving him a message as a warning of what was inside.

Because, really, what else would Toph and Sokka do? Would anyone really expect us to sit still like good children when we'd heard our friends were going to stop by this dreadful city for a week?

Nope. I had to tell Sokka that we should 'redecorate' Aang's house. No, no. I had to insist that I wouldn't be happy otherwise.

Turns out, arranging rocks on a rooftop with your best friend was about as personal as turning the inside upside-down.

I could recall thinking "Never again," about returning to Ba Sing Se. Cities never sat well with me. But I'd been willing to make an exception, because Sokka had suggested I come with him. I said yes in an instant - long before it ever could have occurred to him that I loathed the place.

I sighed, propping my chin on my palm. "So," I said, wishing for conversation - anything besides the constant knowledge that I was sitting on a roof in order to be with Sokka, who didn't realize it. "Near done, yet?"

"Oh, another character left," he said, sounding far away in the steady breeze. "I think your store of rocks will do."

I laid a hand on the pile of earth beside me. I should do something else. Make him think about "What fun it is to be with Toph," rather than, "What fun it is to make mischief," like it always seemed to be.

I stood up - cautiously - and began to pace the beam that stretched the length of the rooftop. Perhaps this wasn't the most intelligent thing to do. I was, after all, not much keen on meeting the ground on anything but my own terms, and was unable to see where I was going. It was a balancing act, between unrest, boredom, and Sokka.

C'mon, lunkhead, I thought at Sokka. Don't you realize your blind friend is walking on a rooftop?

"Something the matter?"

I stopped, and took a step back to maintain my balance. The chill wind blew strands of hair into my eyes, and I brushed them away.

I'll say, I thought, casting about for something to tell him.

"I don't want to do this any more."

The regular clank of rocks halted. I couldn't hear where he was, and I straightened a little bit.

"It was your idea," he stated, a cautious edge to his voice.

"Obviously I changed my mind." I waved a hand jerkily. "Why don't we..." I trailed off, and shivered.

I heard his boots join me on the beam. His presence was close - I could probably reach out and touch him.

"I don't get it," he said. "I thought you liked this sort of thing."

"Maybe you do," I said, trying to keep the bite out of my voice. "I never did."

"What?" he squawked, and the beam wobbled at an unexpected movement. "Never? Why the sudden-"

"Not never, never," I said, turning my head so he didn't see me bite my lip. "And only you would think it sudden."

There was a pause, and I wished with all my might that I could tell what he was thinking.

"So... what should we do?" he asked warily. "Prank someone you don't know?"

"No," I said, my hands in fists before I knew it. I gestured towards him. "You're entirely missing the point!"

What have I gotten myself into? I wondered, turning around with a swift movement.

"You think," I began, trying to keep some of my mind on the wood beneath me, "'Oh, Toph likes mischief,' and 'Oh, Toph won't mind,' but you never really ask."

The oppressing sense of open air before me stopped me before I got close to the edge. I turned around again. "Do you ever think about my feelings?" I demanded, flinging both arms towards him. When did my voice get so high? "Or that, just maybe, I have a reason not to just say everything I think outloud?"

"Toph-"

"Well," I interrupted, starting back towards him. "I haven't seen any indication of it in you, and you sure don't see anything in me."

I closed my eyes, wishing it wasn't true. But I couldn't stop now. "And another thing-"

I shrieked at the sudden sensation that the world was no longer under me. My mind, as well as my hands, whirled about to find something to cling to. I'd walked too fast - slipped off the beam. My fingernails dug into the roof for a handhold, and an avalanche of stones fell along with me.

There was a shout above me, and my breath caught when I came to a stop, my hand clenched around the edge of the roof. I took a breath to cry, "Sokka!"

His name was barely out of my mouth when something grasped my wrist, far faster than my fear had hoped to anticipate. He grunted as he raised me up to the roof edge, where he cautiously led me back to the beam.

"Off the roof," I ordered, shaken both by my outburst and my fall as we crouched on the beam for balance. You really got yourself in thick, this time, I thought in disgust.

"No," he said, shaking the hand I still clenched. It reminded me to let go, but he drew my hand to him again. "You've got to finish what you were saying."

Great. I couldn't even get out of the hole I'd dug with a life-threatening experience.

"Forget it," I said, my shoulders drooping. "I don't want to."

"I don't care," he said sharply. "Clearly you did a minute ago, and I don't want to keep fitting your accusation of me."

My breath caught for the semblance of hope he gave me. But at the same time - there'd been hurt in his voice. I tightened my jaw, angry at myself for opening my big mouth.

You just had to insult him for not catering to your every thought.

"Listen, I didn't really mean it." I bowed my head low. "I just suggested we do this because I thought you'd like to, but..."

He had the gall to laugh, a long one of simple enjoyment. The heat I'd begun to feel creeping into my face flamed, and I grimaced.

"Hold, now," he said, cutting off his laugh to lay a hand on my cheek. "I think we're both suffering misunderstandings."

I pursed my lip and managed a mild glower. "What do you mean?"

"You think leaving trouble for Aang in our wake is the way I'd most like to spend time with you?" he asked, shifting his balance to make some gesture. "Well, I say, same as you, let's do something else."

I blinked. "Like what?"

"Like going out to lunch and talking."

My mouth parted, and I shook my head. "Talking about what?"

"About us."

"Us?" I repeated dumbly, feeling a thrill go through me.

"If you'd like," he said, a grin prominent in his voice.

Like? Of course I would! But this wasn't really happening... was it? I'll probably wake up momentarily.

Well, I wasn't going to say no just because I thought it might not be real.

"I would," I said, and a smile snuck in. A big one. "You pay."

He laughed as he drew me up to stand. "You mean you want us to work in the kitchen?"

"Of course. You could learn to juggle plates," I said.

"We're going to get into trouble," he warned good-naturedly.

"Yeah," I said, stepping down the stone stairs I'd made to reach the roof. "But not alone."

Once again on earth, I could feel his heartbeat quicken, his hand still in mine.

I had a sense I was in the air - but couldn't fall.