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Sokka doesn't know it, but they're at the Chicago end of Lake Michigan. They've steered clear of people and cities, made their way through the countryside, found a quiet field sloping down to the edge of the water. On the way they stopped to pick up what they needed.

There's even a boat. Just a rowboat, but it's in good shape and it's big enough for four and a weighted coffin.

Sokka is expressionless as he rows them out, watching the shore disappear behind the boat.

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Toph is quiet, as well. For all sorts of reasons, but mostly just sadness.

Hatred of being in a boat on a lake where she can't see anything it just irritating. Confusion and envy about Claire and Sokka is another. Those at least, she can hold on to and stew in gently.

Because every time she remembers it's Katarain that coffin, another tear falls.

Claire's sitting with her arm around Toph - who didn't protest at least, so Claire took that as permission - and her other hand scratching Mr. Muggles as he lies quiet in her lap. But she's watching Sokka all the time across the coffin between them, her eyes filled with worry.

He doesn't really know how to do this. It's been a long time.

He isn't sure what he should say.

He's worried about Claire. She doesn't get it, and she's scared of the man -- Sylar -- and she needs him to be strong, so that's what he'll be. But he doesn't know what to say to her.

He settles for a slightly weak, entirely false smile, the next time he looks up and she's watching him.

Claire's mouth twitches in return - looking for a reason to smile but not finding it.

Somewhere along the line she's managed to get the impression it's not about her in the slightest, and now she's just allowed in this ritual as a spectator.

She feels a bit like an anthropologist. Invading where she doesn't belong.

So next time Sokka looks up, she'sgazing out over the lake.

There, a few hundred yards away, something stirs. Not fast, not threatening, in any way.

A long neck rises out of the water, snaking tall and vine line in the air, before curving around and disappearing in an arc.

A large rounded body follows - huge flippers cutting thorugh the air smoothly while the beast arcs around and hits the water again with a huge splash.

---[This tag has a soundtrack (http://www.mitrevski.net/downloads/music/jpark.mp3)]---

"Toph? Did you s-- Claire, did you see that?" Sokka asks, eyes wide, attention taken for a moment from the wooden box in the bottom of the boat.

"Oh my god."

Claire doesn't sound scared, not this time.

"Was that a dinosaur?"

"I ... don't know what it was." He's frowning, hand going up towards his sword hilt for a moment before he realises how little use that would be against something this size.

Can he put Katara in the lake with things like that?

... does he have a choice?

The boat rocks slightly as Claire leans over Penance to get a better look. She laughs when the neck appears again, not arching up,now, but stretching out long across the water, the dives again.

Only this time there's another similar movement further away.

"It is! It's totally a dinosaur!" she says. "Oh wow!"

"Are they going to hurt us?"

Or otherwise interfere with the funeral?

Claire shakes her head.

"No, the only ones you have to worry about are the T.rex and velociraptors. That's one of those fish eating ones."

She's now genuinely smiling for the first time since they scrambled out of the mud. But when she sits back, she catches sight of the coffin and the smile softens.

"They're peaceful, and look happy. I don't think anything bigger and meaner than that could be here."

Sokka nods, the tightness around his lips easing a little with her words.

Peaceful and happy.

That's good.

That's ... it's good, yeah.

"Thanks."

Toph has her arms folded.

"When you're quite finished being all soppy. Some of us would like to be able to see again soon."

Sokka looks across at her, and then back at the coffin, and does a reasonably good job of supressing anger when he replies. It's just Toph being Toph. He shouldn't be angry at her. She's just ... being Toph.

"...sorry. I'll row faster."

He still has to clench his hands tighter on the oars for a few strokes.

Claire glances angrily at Toph: the girl wasn't one of her people, so why is she being tetchy?

Then back out at the plesiosaurs. She's sure she saw a baby.

Sokka stops before they quite lose sight of the shore, letting the oars hang in their locks and his hands fall to his lap; losing the car would not be a good thing, not when he's aware they're well out of the circle of safety around that Kansas place.

Even if that hadn't been proven by -- finding her.

He doesn't lift his gaze from the coffin or break the silence; they're surrounded by the gentle lapping of the water on the boat and the splashes of the plesiosaurs, but no other sounds of life. Still more than they would have seen at the South Pole, and the sun is too warm.

But at least it's water.

"...I don't know the prayers," he says after a minute, voice bleak. "I don't even know which spirits live here."

Claire sits quietly, not really noticing that her hand has left Mr. Muggles until she cuts herself on Penance. But she's watching Sokka.

When he speaks, the silence lapses again, and she breaks it herself.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."

She pauses, in case someone wants to interrupt. They don't, so she continues.

"He maketh me lie down in green pastures.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
Thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

Toph can't really stand in the boat, but as Claire talks, she extends two hands in front of her.

The coffin, propelled by the movement of the rocks with which they weighted it, lifts up smoothly and slides out over the water.

Sokka stands, because that feels -- more respectful, or something -- and watches the coffin, because that way Claire doesn't have to see his expression.

His hand is clenched tight around Katara's necklace, the carved medallion leaving imprints in his palm and the ribbon cutting into the side of his wrist. He doesn't notice.

"I'm sorry, Katara. I'm so sorry."

Claire tries to stand, but the boat lurches dangerously, and she sits again, clasping Mr. Muggles again.

She catches the name though, and looks up suddenly.

Toph felt that, and kicks Claire sharply in the ankle to stop her saying anything.

As the coffin sinks slowly, it jerks once when the bender chokes back on a quiet sob, but otherwise it descends carefully and slowly.

Only when it's completely covered in water does Toph bring her arms in, and the coffin disappears.

Sokka makes his way back to his seat, pausing only to put a hand on Toph's shoulder for a moment.

He doesn't say anything as he starts rowing them back to shore, though. What would he say?

Claire heeds Toph's warning and says nothing, but she does put an arm back around the blind girl, squeezing her tightly.

Now it's out, sort of, Toph turns her head into Claire's arm, and after a second, returns the hug.

Now tears are flowing freely, if quiet.

Katara.

Katara.

Sokka is blank-faced and silent, but when sand scrapes against the bottom of the boat he jumps, startled out of the rhythm of rowing.

"...we'll go back to Kansas," he says quietly, as if it's not a total non sequiteur. "Where it's safer. All of us."

Because he still has to protect them.

The trouble is; Claire was leaving Kansas just to get away from the man who did that.

"Not the farm," she says,letting Toph go in order to pick Mr. Muggles back up and stand out of the boat.

"Somewhere else. In Kansas."

"Not the farm," he agrees. He isn't sure he wants to go back there either.

He should. He has to, because he has to tell the other Sokka. He just ... doesn't want to.

He'd rather pretend like nothing ever happened and never say his sister's name again. That's what Sokkas do.

"We'll set up somewhere else. Not near ... not near where we were, though."

"OK."

It seems safe enough here, so Claire sets the dog down into the surf.

When the boat's been pulled ashore and dry she turns back to him, and says nothing else. She just pulls him into a hug.

There's reassuring kisses as well, if he wants.

He's never wanted anything more.

But kisses soon fade into just hugging, and then into just holding, like he'll fall over if she lets go.

Katara.

When it has bben established kisses have stopped and won't be coming back, a pair of strong arms wrap around them both at waist level, and the clinging becomes a group hug.

Toph can't feel too jealous now. Not when she needs them both.

Further up the shore, crouching within the line of trees, Penance watches all three of them. She knows better than to board a boat, especially a wooden one, if anyone wants it to stay afloat - and besides, being exposed in the middle of a body of water is as uncomfortable for her as it is for Toph.

But these people, who might be friends and definitely aren't going to hurt her, are hurting all on their own.

The least she can do is venture out into the open and sit beside them, offering presence if not touch.

LALA *RETCONS ALL GODDING I DID*

Still love me? <3

ALWAYS <33333

I think I totally missed all godding anyway 'cause OMG CLAIRE AND TOPH AND SOKKA AND T_T

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