I haven't written the Kataang stuff yet, but it's implied. This is a lot of Toph's character and her relationship with her family.

and finishes with a kiss! Yay... uhh... Teoph... :P

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She took his hand and got herself up. Now taller than him again. Only because of the chair. She wasn't taller than anyone else.

It was late but she followed him through twists and turns in the temple, up ramps till finally they got to the very top of the temple. A little room, with a big window, packed with cylindrical tubes and a hot air machine.

"My Dad made this. He figured, from the Air Temple, you could send letters to anyone. These tubes drop down to various places in the Earth Kingdom. So people here could contact people back... home..."

Teo grinned again and spun his wheels to a stop before the small desk with a pen and paper and a place to put the scrolls down the tubes.

"I just know that... I would want to tell my dad where I was, if I was ever off helping the Avatar without him... like you are."

Another single tear ran down Toph's face mingling with the previous one. She'd wanted to contact her family. But she knew they'd force her home if she did and she didn't want that. There was too much at stake. Now, there wasn't much stopping her. The end would come tomorrow. For better or for worse and she would like to at least get the chance to get something to them. Let them know it wasn't their fault that she ran away.

She really loved her family. But if only they could understand!

Toph lifted her head to the boy with gratitude.

"The destinations are written on the tubes... you just write something and send it down..." he then closed his mouth, realizing his mistake.

"I'd hate to break the generosity... but I'm not much of a writer... or a reader, that we're on the topic." She grinned and waved her hands in front of her eyes.

"Ok. How about I write something... and I'll send it for you?"

"Alright. Send it to the Beifong's. It should get there easily if the machine is as reliable as you make it out to be."

"The Beifong's? You're a Beifong?"

"Yeah. I'm a Beifong."

"Oh. Wow. I just didn't think..."

Toph held her hand up at him, palm pointed out. "Ok, Ok! Are you going to write this thing?"

She blushed. She didn't really want to let out her personal feelings in front of this boy she didn't know. Especially in regards to her family. But there was really no other way.

Teo wheeled over to the desk, pushed away the chair and picked up a pen.

"Alright. Dear mom and dad."

"Yes?" Teo asked, scribbling it quickly.

"I'm sorry that I ran away from you. I just wanted to do the right thing for me... for everyone..." Toph continued, trying hard not to show any particular emotion.

"OK..."

"And tomorrow we go to war to the Fire Nation to end it once and for all."

"Go on..."

"I needed to do this and I... hope you will understand when I come back... I love you... mom... dad..."

Teo was silent.

"You got that?"

"Yes."

"Ok, just add my name to the bottom. Toph... oh and say that the Avatar says hi." Toph grinned. She didn't want to rub it in her parents faces, but she was in good hands with Aang. Plus, she could take care of herself fine.

Teo rolled up the paper and sent it down a chute, he turned his wheelchair back around and wheeled over towards her.

"Sorry about your parents."

Toph nodded and grimaced back another tear.

"It's Ok... You might just want to be alone?" he continued, fumbling from all the static tension in the air.

"Yeah," she said. "Get ready for tomorrow."

"Don't be afraid of the air!" He said brightly as he rendered his wheelchair to inch forward and move away. Before he got to the ramp, he stopped... hesitated.

Tomorrow was a big day.

His wheels went back and forwards a couple of times before he turned back around.

It was now or never... they left at sunrise.

Teo rolled back over to where Toph was standing and put out his hand again.

"What?" She asked bluntly. He put his hand in hers and then pulled her down gently but swiftly so she was sitting on his lap and then leant in to kiss her, her head hitting the air goggles on his forehead as he got close.

She blushed beet red as he met her in a slightly unpracticed, sloppy kiss.

It wasn't the type of violin playing "you're my hero" type kiss that she'd previously wanted. But it was... normal. He was normal. The first normal boy she'd met in a long time.

And she was embarrassed that he kissed her and that she, Earth Rumble champion wasn't sharing her first REAL kiss with a macho man or a heroic Avatar.

Just a normal kid around her own age, who made her feel like maybe this war wasn't happening after all.

Maybe it had all suddenly disappeared and life could be lived without threat, without fear.

They broke apart, rather he broke apart. She had moved only slightly, plagued from embarassing memories of her previous kiss.

He smiled again but was also acting a little odd to be in new waters. "I'm uh, sorry for that too..." he said.

She continued to blush, but was speechless. She opened her mouth, but repeatedly nothing came out.

He dropped her hand and helped her back up. "Aang might be upset if you don't get any sleep" he said cautiously.

"I... I'll keep that in mind" she said, and the boy turned back around - leaving the room for good this time and leaving Toph with an excited feel to the new day.

She had been kissed... by a boy... and she felt like she was floating on air. She grinned as her feet lifted off the ground onto her toes and she jumped about like Twinkle Toes had when he beat her during the Earth Rumble... Maybe she could get used to this whole air bending thing after all.

:D

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Toph's so cute! Meep! I think Toph's my favorite!

And there should be more fics with Teo.

Appa will be on you if you don't review... don't say I didn't warn you...

(I guess he's not in Ba Sing Sei after all... )