Fire and Flame [Iroh II x OC]

Chapter 80: Black and Blue

Iroh's P.O.V

My eyes widened as her words proceeded in my head. She suddenly punched me and damn, she still had strength. Then she grabbed a chain, sat on top of me and wrapped it around my throat. She pulled the chains tighter and although she didn't have much energy to choke me to death, I acted as if she had succeeded. I knew that she wouldn't stop until I was dead since she didn't believe who I was. She still thought that I was Zen but the truth was that we already captured him and that she didn't need to worry about him anymore.
But suddenly I heard a crack and Saira fell on top of me. I opened my eyes to see her unconscious on me and a rock behind her. I got up carefully and tried not to hurt my wife. As I looked up, I saw Seraphine and the others and then I realized what had happened. Toph had hit her with a rock.

"Are you damn mad?", I yelled.

"Mad? I? No! That wife of yours is a psycho!"

"That doesn't excuse the fact that you nearly killed her! I could have handled her!"

She laughed:"If I wasn't there, you would have been dead!"

"No, I wouldn't! I had everything under control til you appeared!"

"Under control? She was choking you!"

"She didn't success, Toph! She is too weak for that now!"

"Why didn't you do anything then?"

"Because I don't raise my hand on women! That's beneath my dignity!"

"You don't see how much she turned into a psycho! Do you think you can change her? Don't you see that it's impossible?"

"You don't see anything Toph. You don't know how it is to loose someone you love. You don't even know what love is!"

Toph only shook her head and walked back upstairs. What have I done? She was right. She only wanted to help me and I yelled at her in return.
I picked up Saira and walked outside to see Zen laughing:"Didn't I tell you? She isn't the same anymore."

"Just shut up.", I hissed and kept walking. We then walked back to the ship, where Seraphine gave us her farewells. She wanted to join us but couldn't since she was the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and had to take care of the island.
Back on the ship, I brought Saira to our cabin where I laid her down on the bed. Katara then entered the room and checked Saira. She turned around and looked at me with a serious expression:"It doesn't look good. There was a lot of drug consumption and abuse. She barely ate, drank, she's dehydrated and she barely slept. That would explain her aggressive behaviour. It's possible that Zen manipulated her against you. Or better said against him. She can't see what's right or wrong."

"Is that the reason why she thinks I'm Zen?"

"It's possible. Looking at her, we both can tell that she went through hell. You said that she wanted to protect you that's why she sent you away. That's why she doesn't believe you. She thinks Zen is imitating you because she knows that it can't be you."

"How long will that last?"

"Oh, I'm not a psychologist. I don't know how long she'll be like this. It could take years for her to be the same again. She could stay like this forever. Or she'll be normal after waking up since Toph had hit her."

I sighed:"Toph. I should talk to her, right?"

"Iroh, I know Toph my whole life now. She can be very harsh sometimes but she always tries to help. And when she found out that you were in danger, she immediately rushed down to help you. We've seen you growing up, Iroh and you are like a grandson to us as well. Toph doesn't show her affection but deep inside she really cares, especially about the people who are dear to her."