Suki wakes up when the sun rises, as is her custom. She does not have anywhere to go until evening, but the deep-seated habit of waking early has been with her since she was young. The thought of visiting Sokka later brings a smile to her face as she walks over to the window and looks out to Ba Sing Se around her.
She surveys the waking city from her usual room of the apartment Iroh keeps near his tea shop. Although their friendship was awkward at first, she has grown to truly care for the old general, as she is sure he now cares for her. When they had time to talk after the war, they found they have much in common. It's three years after the war now, and he lets her stay there when she comes for delegations between the nations, or simply her usual visits, as today's is. She has long since declined staying with the others at the Earth King's palace; she prefers the quiet, calming company of Iroh.
She opens her closet to find her usual garments there. She lives simply, as she always has. Deciding what to wear for later, she trails her fingers over her Kyoshi uniform, her Earth Kingdom dress and her old Fire Nation attire. Her fingers flutter back to her usual warrior uniform, but then she changes her mind, selecting the Fire Nation clothing. With a smile, she recalls the way Sokka had first looked at her in those clothes and how she could almost feel his eyes on her, making her heart speed up and her cheeks color.
The late afternoon finds Suki in Iroh's tea shop, sitting at her usual table in the corner. There is a lull in the usual never-ending number of customers while Suki is there, and Iroh takes a break to come sit with her.
"How is your tea?" he teases gently, his smile reaching all the way to his eyes in the way that reminds her of how another one of her favorite people smiles.
"Delicious as always, Iroh," she answers with a similar smile, although one not reaching quite up to her eyes. She gives the same reply as she has since her first visit, although after the first few times he convinced her to drop the title "General" from his name.
"Are there any new treaties to be signed or is it time again?" Iroh inquires as he sits across from her.
Suki absentmindedly traces the rim of the slightly steaming cup. "No official business this time. Just-," her voice breaks off and she quickly takes a sip of tea to cover it up. "Just him."
"I assume you have much to tell him; it's been a little longer than normal since your last visit," Iroh points out quietly and takes a sip of his tea.
Suki plays with her cup for a few moments before answering. "Yes, it has been a while, hasn't it? I've already started training the younger girls." She pauses for a moment and her heart tightens slightly. "Do you...do you think he's missed me?"
"Of course he does," the wise old man answers gently. He watches Suki with a look of concern as she stares at the table, now tracing the flower pattern with a finger. A commotion occurs near the door as new customers come in and Iroh notices the dimming light outside. "It's nearly sundown," he comments, "you should be on your way."
Looking up, Suki sees that he's right and smiles. "You're right. I should go." She gets up from the table and repeats the same line she says when leaving for her visit every month. "Don't worry about staying up for me; I won't be in too late."
Iroh nods, but Suki knows that he'll be sitting up in the kitchen no matter how late she gets back, waiting with a cup of tea and a listening ear.
As she exits the tea shop and heads towards the edge of the city, Suki remembers Sokka telling her all about Ba Sing Se and it's many walls and buildings and the controlling Dai Li agents. A movement catches her attention out of the corner of her eye and she turns her head as she walks. The movement was from a young couple, the girl giggling as the boy leads her along, hand in hand. Suki flexes her own hand as she continues on, feeling an almost forgotten tingling in it as the couple tugs at her heart.
The giggling couple reminds her of the time after being rescued from the Boiling Rock: all day was spent hardly out of the each other's sight, comforted by the fact that the other was just there, and the nights that were spent sharing body heat laying on the grass, watching the night sky, with a full feeling in her heart as she listened to his steady breathing.
When Suki comes back to her senses from her reminiscing, she finds that she's already passed the last of the buildings and is on the grassy hill where she knows she'll find Sokka. Iroh had first suggested the spot three years ago for their visits and she had agreed that it fit. Anxiously, she hurries up the rest of the hill and approaches the tree where she'll find him, her heart pounding.
"Hi Sokka," she starts softly. After her first few visits, she finds it easier to talk when she's speaking quietly. She sits down, spreading her skirts around her as the familiar tightening of her heart starts.
"It's been a while since we've seen each other, hasn't it? There's so much to tell. I've just started training the youngest warriors. It's great; they learn so fast. Their favorite topic to talk about is how we saved the world, though. They try to hide it, but it's just so hard when I overhear the whispering sometimes..."
She remembered a quick kiss and Sokka telling her that they'd watch each other's backs.
She pulls her knees up to her chin, tears welling up in her eyes and her heart becoming tighter. As she closes her eyes, warm arms wrap around her.
The airship had broken apart and Suki was separated. She and Sokka reached out towards each other, reaching as the distance grew, reaching with all her heart and mind and soul. But they separated, and she landed on another airship.
Her eyes stay closed as she feels the tight pressure building inside her.
She called to them saying to finish the mission, but she wanted to scream for him to come back to her. A sudden jolt reminded her of the danger she was in on top of a moving airship and she grabbed onto something solid on her side, trying to keep her eyes on them.
"I was so afraid..." she starts, but the words get stuck in her throat.
She saw Sokka and Toph run toward the giant rudder on the ship, then saw it bend and knew Toph must be bending it. That's it, she thought, and started back towards the rudder of her ship. The need to get back to Sokka was quickly taking over her need to finish the mission, even if it did save the world.
"I just keep thinking about that moment...," Suki continues in a whisper, the first tear rolling down her cheek.
Suki started moving back as quickly as she could without falling off the ship or taking her eyes off the two small moving shapes that she knew as her boyfriend and the girl now becoming a good friend of hers. She had to get the airship over there.
"...how I was too late..."
Suddenly, she saw Sokka and Toph fall off the side of the ship. Then they were dangling, barely hanging on to the side of the ship. No, she mouthed, her heart pounding. She watched as the figures stayed suspended and Firebenders surrounded.
"...and how I watched you..." Her voice breaks off and she keeps her eyes closed so the warm arms will stay around her.
And as if time had slowed, she watched the figures slip off the tiny piece of metal. Falling, falling, falling as she watched in silent horror.
"...and watched my heart go with you," she whispers, tears falling freely.
Then there was nothing.
"I'm so sorry," she breathes out as the pressure inside begins to choke her.
Just the empty space beneath the airship and Suki screaming, pleading for him to come back while the world clouded over with tears.
"I love you so much."
She opens her eyes to find nothing but a view of the sun falling in the distance, just as he did, the memorial stone for the boy she loves placed next to Lu Ten's - and Toph's - as heroes of war and the lingering warmth of the arms that she pretends to feel everytime she closes her eyes.