*Katara's POV*

Sokka was looking at his invasion plans. Again. He rubbed his eyes. He'd been working so hard for the past few days. I handed him a cup of water and put my hand on his back.

Aang jumped up behind us. "Top of the morning, Momo," he said as the lemur jumped onto his shoulder.

Sokka took a sip of the water and I stood up. "Sounds like you slept well," I said.

"Like a baby moose-lion," Aang answered. He took a fighting stance. "I'm ready to face the Fire Lord."

Toph smiled, sitting on a rock next to him. "So what's your strategy for taking him down? Gonna get your glow and hit him with a little Avatar State action?" she asked, pantomiming.

Aang slumped a little. "I can't," he said. "When Azula shot me with lightning, my seventh chakra was locked, cutting off my connection to all the cosmic energy in the universe."

"You know what I just heard?" Toph asked. "Blah, blah, spiritual mumbo jumbo, blah, blah, something about space."

It was then I noticed the fog. "Oh, no. Sokka, do you think the fog will delay the invasion?" I asked.

Sokka stood up and smiled. "No. That is the invasion!"

I noticed the Water Tribe ships in the fog.

Dad.

I wondered fleetingly if they had recruited waterbenders, if they were pulling the fog trick. But then I didn't care.

Dad was back.

Toph and Aang earthbended docks for the ships. Dad got off one. I ran up and hugged him, Sokka right behind me.

"You made it, Dad!" I said.

"Were you able to locate everyone I told you to find?" Sokka asked.

"I did," Dad said. "But I'm a little worried, Sokka." He turned a bit and I noticed Due and Tho getting off the boat behind us.

"Some of these men aren't exactly the warrior type," Dad finished.

"Whew-ee!" Due exclaimed. "This place ain't nothin' like the swamp!" He ran over to a rock and pointed at it. "What'chu recon that is, Tho? Some sorta Fire Nation explodin' trap would eat'cha?"

"It's just a rock, Due," Tho answered.

Due scratched his head. "Well, I'll be," he said.

"Is it just me," Dad asked, "or are those fellas a little loose in the leaf hat?"

"I just wish they would wear pants," Bato said, walking by.

I noticed Huu, scratching his stomach. "Pants are an illusion," he said. "And so is death."

Wow… And, of course, Sokka was grinning like an idiot.

I went over to Aang and Toph.

"Hi, Katara," I heard behind me. I turned around and saw a familiar face with a mustache and goatee.

"Haru!" I said. "It's so good to see you!" I ran over and hugged him.

Aang led Toph over. "Toph," he said, "this is Haru. When we met him, his town was controlled by the Fire Nation, so he had to hide his earthbending."

"Katara inspired me and my father to take back our village," Haru said. I blushed.

Tyro came up behind us and put a hand on each of our shoulders. "You helped us find our courage, Katara," he said. "Now we're here to help you."

Toph frowned and spun around. "No way," she said. "Is that–?"

A huge pair of hands grabbing her cut her off. The Hippo crushed her to himself. "Hippo happy to see Blind Bandit!" he said.

"You guys here for a rematch?" she asked.

"Nugatory," the Boulder said behind the Hippo. "The Boulder and the Hippo no longer fight for others entertainment. Now, we fight for our kingdom!"

Toph looked startled, then grinned. "Sweet."

Alrighty, then, I thought.

And then I heard the explosion.

Sokka, Dad, Aang and I ran over to the ship. The Mechanist came up from below deck along with a cloud of smoke, coughing. Teo wheeled down the ramp. We ran over to him. The Mechanist and Pipsqueak, the Duke and his shoulder, came down after him.

"Was that a new invention?" Sokka asked. Teo was licking brown goop off his hand.

"Yes," the Mechanist said, walking over and scratching the back of his head. "But, unfortunately, the incendiary capabilities of peanut sauce proved to be a failure."

"You're making peanut sauce bombs?" Sokka asked.

"They're destructive," Pipsqueak started.

"And delicious!" the Duke finished. They licked the sauce off their faces.

Sokka and Aang started talking to Teo and the Mechanist.

I heard a chuckle behind me. "Well, aren't you just the little inventor," a familiar voice said.

I turned around. Smellerbee and Longshot were standing there, looking up at the Duke and Pipsqueak.

"Don't call me little!" the Duke yelled.

"Well, you are," Smellerbee said, crossing his arms.

"Hi!" I said, slightly taken aback. I hadn't expected them.

They turned to me. Longshot nodded. Smellerbee said, "Oh, hey." He didn't look that happy to see me.

There was a question that had been bugging me since we left Ba Sing Se. But how to start it?

"Um…" Oh, how creative. "Is Jet okay?"

Smellerbee looked… broken. Longshot put his arm around his shoulder. And then I realized something. The kohl. The way he'd glomped Jet.

It suddenly hit me that Smellerbee was… a girl.

She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Don't be," she said quietly. "It wasn't your fault. You tried to heal him. You did everything you could."

Um… now would be a bad time to mention that I completely forgot about the spirit water.

Later.

Maybe.

If I wasn't afraid she'd kill me.

She shook it off, ran over to Pipsqueak, and threw her arms around him. "I missed you, you big softy."

He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Missed you, too, Smellerbee."

She let go, smiling. "Anything interesting happen while we were gone?" she asked. Longshot stepped next to her.

"Well…" the Duke started.

I smiled and walked away. I had to go greet some more recruits.