"What are you doing sitting out here like a sulky mooselion cub?"

"I am not!" Zuko protested, but much like her uncle, Toph seemed wholly unimpressed as she plopped down next to her. Grumbling, Zuko rested her chin on her knees. "Katara hates me."

"Of course she does!" Toph said with a snort. "You have been trying to kill us."

"CAPTURE!" Zuko shouted. "And besides, that's all in the past! I want to help you guys now."

"Sugar Queen's got a mama bear complex the size of the moon," Toph said. "She's not going to forgive you so easily."

Just like that, Zuko deflated. "I know." Of course Katara wasn't going to forgive her. Why should she? Why should any of them?

After a moment, she asked: "Why did you stick up for me? Even after I burned you..." She immediately regretted asking, but it was too late to take back now.

And then Toph completely threw her for a loop when she said: "Your hands."

"My hands?"

The younger girl nodded. "I like your hands. They're rough, even though you're a royal. It shows you work hard. I mean, we already knew that you're crazy obsessive dedicated with your whole 'I MUST CAPTURE THE AVATAAAAR' thing, but you don't get calluses like that just in the time you've been chasing us. You've worked hard all your life, and I respect that. You've got the unyielding determination of an earthbender."

As a firebender, Zuko shouldn't have found that flattering, but she still felt a little warmed by the praise. (Her uncle had said that every element had something they could learn from the others...)

"Thanks," she said quietly.

"Whatever," Toph said. "Now stop sulking and make me some tea, Flameo."