In the early clear light of Christmas morning Sokka softly crept out of the house. Aang had woken him up early, far earlier than Sokka had even realized possible for getting up on Christmas. Excitedly, Aang told him about the beaded jewelry he had crafted for the girl's presents.

Still groggy, all of a sudden it hit Sokka that he had no gift for Katara. Quickly he jumped out of bed, pulled his hair into its wolf tail and ran out the door. He tried to remember the holidays at the South pole, unfortunately recalling that the last happy one had been their mother's final Christmas.

She had made the most mouth-watering, delectable tea Sokka had ever tasted, and would ever taste, he guaranteed himself. iWhat was it called? Something…hot...Hot Spiced Pineapple Tea. That's right. Katara would love it.i

He headed toward the bazaar. The spice shop keeper, an older woman with large cheeks and round lips greeted him.

"Merry Christmas, young sir. What can I get for you today?"

"I need a whole clove, two cinnamon sticks, 2 pineapples..."

Sokka paused and turned his head when he thought he heard someone echoing him. To another store clerk someone was reciting the same ingredients.

"A clove, two delicious cinnamon sticks, and oh yeah, two scrumptious pineapples, and…"

"Ty Lee!" Sokka shouted shocked as he pulled his boomerang from his pack.

"Oh! It's you." She smiled.

He stood still, ready to defend himself against her chi blocking attacks. But she just grinned at him, rooted to the spot. For half a minute he waited, until he asked her,

"Well, c'mon. Aren't you going to attack me?"

"No silly! I never fight on Christmas. Don't tell me that the Water Tribes do."

"No, of course we don't. I just…I just thought…You're with Azula! You're one of the bad guys, you don't take breaks or time off from hunting the Avatar."

"Sure we do. Like today."

"Knowing Azula, that's impossible."

"Hmm, maybe you're right. But I'm not Azula." Ty lee bounded closer, right into Sokka's face.

"Hey, woah!" Sokka backed up immediately.

"Like I said, I'm not gonna fight you…. what was your name cutie? That's so funny that I never knew it all these months."

"Yeah. Funny." He dryly responded.

"So what is it?"

"Sokka."

"Sokka? Ooooo I like that. Very manly. Very macho. It has a very sky blue aura."

"Sky blue?"

"Sky blue's a good thing."

Sokka shook his head and lowered his weapon.

"Ty Lee, what are you doing here?"

"Oh! I'm making a special Christmas treat for the girls."

"Let me guess, Hot Spiced Pineapple Tea."

"Wow! You're a good guesser. How did you know?"

"I'm making the same thing."

She grinned. "Really? How brilliant is that? We really should cook together."

Sokka choked on a laugh. "You're kidding right? We're enemies. We don't do things together, except fight. And especially not cooking."

"We could form a truce."

"A truce. Even if I did consider it, how would I know you'd keep your word?"

"Because it's Christmas! There should be peace between all nations. Especially fire and water." She batted her eyelashes at him.

"I still don't buy that. After months of being hunted and assaulted by you, you're expecting me to suddenly forget all of that for a day?"

She nodded, beaming.

Sokka furrowed his brow. He shouldn't trust her. But something deep within himself told him she was honest, at least for today. Maybe she was playing some kind of trick to get him to confide in her, just so she could strike when he least suspected it. Alright, he'd play her game. It might give him an insight into the enemy's mind.

He soon discovered that the enemy's mind was pink. And cute. And full of giggles.

The older woman had allowed them to use the kitchen in the back of the shop to cook in. Sokka leaned against the sink with one eyebrow raised as he watched Ty Lee cheerfully chop up lemon slices. She winked at him and began to sing a Christmas song.

i"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,

in the lane, snow is glistening"/i

She giggled as she grabbed another fruit from their bags. "Your turn!"

"I don't sing."

"Course you do. Everyone does. All you have to do is open your mouth and go aaaaaAAAA."

Sokka pretended to be interested in the pineapples he was preparing. Ty Lee shrugged and continued singing.

i"A beautiful sight,

we're happy tonight,

walking in a winter wonderland."/i

She stopped and sighed. "I bet it's beautiful at the water tribes this time of year."

Sokka's face lit up. "You wouldn't believe how beautiful. The winter sun lights up the freshly fallen snow and it glitters like angel dust. My mother always said it was like heaven on earth."

"I wish I could see it. I've never been to a water tribe."

"If you ever do get to visit the southern tribe, there's this one mountain peak you have to stop at right as the sun sets. At the first moment of twilight, the last rays of sun create a rainbow of lights across the early night sky."

"It sounds so magical. You must miss it."

"I do. It'd be nice to go home just for the holidays. Be with my family again. But life happens. What about you? I can't even begin to imagine what the Fire Nation does for the holidays."

"What do you mean?"

"Aren't there parties around mass executions and worshipping of the Fire Lord?"

"Oh! How dreadful! No, it's nothing like that! Christmas back home is different from other parts of the world, but I still love it."

Ty Lee's eyes brightened as she explained, "There are more candle flames then you've ever seen in your entire life. They make the fire lands shimmer and glow like a painting. We set them in little lanterns, and then release them to float down rivers and across lakes. Then of course we go home to eat. The Fire Nation has the best baked goodies on the face of the planet."

"Now that I believe." Sokka laughed.

"Hey, I got a chuckle out of you." She smirked.

Sokka tried to regain his composure as he slipped the pineapple pieces into their small mixing bowl. He grabbed the next spices and began measuring away when he realized, that uncannily, Ty Lee hadn't said or sung anything for the past two minutes.

He looked over at her. She wasn't smiling as she swirled the wooden spoon through their concoction. Her gaze was down at the table, her mind somewhere else entirely.

"Ty Lee? Is something wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About the Fire Nation. We're doing so many wrong things. It makes me sad."

"If you disagree with them, then why are you on Azula's side?"

"It's not like she really gave me a choice, Sokka. But anyway, who am I to deny the Fire Lord, or his daughter for that matter. I can't turn my back on my nation. Would you turn your back on your tribe?"

"If it was led by a cruel despot, yes."

"It's not that simple."

"Yes, it is. Ty Lee, you're a smart girl. You can make your own decisions. If you know something's wrong, then stand against it."

She slightly smiled and then shot up. "You just called me smart. No one's ever done that before."

"Well, why not? I mean you'd obviously have to be gifted to learn all those advanced chi attacks, wouldn't you?"

She nodded. "It is pretty complex. You're smart too. I mean, you were the one who figured out how to take down the drill, weren't you?"

Sokka blushed. "Yeah, I guess so." He looked down at the tea they had prepared. "Wow, we're finished, I didn't even notice."

Ty Lee glanced at the table. Her shoulders sunk. "Oh yeah, you're right."

"Well, I guess I better get going. They'll wonder where I am."

"Me too. Azula likes to keep us on a very tight schedule."

They each took half of the brew and made their way for the door.

"Sokka wait." He turned back just as Ty Lee kissed him on the cheek. He blushed even more.

"What was that for?"

"For talking to me like a real person. And making me feel good about myself."

"Merry Christmas Ty Lee."

"Merry Chrstimas Sokka."