Hope you enjoy! It's a little AU because I'm not sure if they were around the same age, but yeah. It's for all you Jun lovers! Her thinking about her lost love, not and OC! You might be surprised to find out who it is. ;)

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The Ties That Bind

It had been a long day for Jun.

The process racking the retched burglar that had stolen a rather large sum of coin from that earth kingdom noble, had taken the bounty hunter almost a month. He was a tricky one, that thief. But Jun had got him. Jun always got her man.

Through rain, snow, and sweaty earth kingdom peasants she would follow her targets. Jun hunted and she did it with pleasure. Sure, she loved to hear gold jingle in heavy pouches, but it was also the chase that made the corners of her mouth turn upwards. The defeated scowls of her prey were music to her ears. The feeling of riding bareback as Nyla's limbs bounded through wilderness following some invisible sent was something Jun wouldn't trade for anything.

Jun was free. There were no ties to bind to any person that could hurt her or cage her.

Jun was also pretty rich, her missions ended up being considerably costly and in a certain hovel in a certain cave (because she didn't trust banks) was a pile of treasure that was for rainy days, so to speak. Nyla's sense of smell and Jun's sense of adventure also led the pair into audacious exploits which either ended in narrow escapes or piles of money.

Narrow escapes and piles of money. Yes, Jun was very free. She could do whatever she wanted, when she wanted. She went out drinking and she scammed men out of their money as well as she could track them if they tried hiding from her. She was an expert gambler and if not, well, then Nyla was very fast.

Jun could admit though, at times the life of freedom and riches could…lack. But Jun didn't think of the gangs that killed her parents, the only family she ever had. Instead Jun thought of tracking her prey. Because she could find and hunt down whatever thieves or runaway wives were sent her way. The men that killed her parents however, well they were long gone.

There were some things in life that could never be found.

Deceased loved ones, burned out homes, old friends….people in general were hard to find. Some people were easy to figure out. Others, well, Jun couldn't find them when they were standing right in front of her. She had lovers and old friends, but they were far away and never coming back. It was trying to be involved with a bounty hunter. She never stayed in one place, she was selfish, and she cared about Nyla more than any one person. So they left, they all left. As attractive as she painted her face and as confidant as she acted, she could never make any one stay. Not one single person.

But there was—

No. Jun forbade herself from thinking of him.

Not him, the guy who had promised to stay and then didn't. At least the others hadn't lied to her! He had seemed perfect for her, with his dark hair and bright eyes. But it wasn't the appearance that attracted her to him. It was the voice. His voice was deep, but kind. As if it could be cruel, but chose not to be. That voice made her laugh when she was in the worst of moods. That voice made her heart race when it said her name in sensual tones.

His voice told her he would come back, maybe his eyes told her different. She had thought their arrangement had been ideal, but then again, maybe not.

She was always travelling, her only constant was Nyla. He was always following, but at the same time he was leading himself. His unbelievable status in the fire nation army made him a commander, but his will was always bending to the great general. But not out of fear, but out of admiration. That's what made him different, where most men would be distant, power-hungry, and heartless, he was likely to be grinning and serving tea.

He was always so laid back. When they had first met, he had needed her expertise to track down a few men from his division who had gotten lost on a drunken excursion. Most captains would be outraged, but he couldn't seem to stop laughing at the thought of his soldiers stumbling around as intoxicated as possible. She never would've expected to fall for his as hard as she did. When his companions were found, Jun was disappointed to say goodbye. So when she opened her mouth to bid him farewell, she couldn't have been more surprised when he cut off her words with a kiss.

And so he and his men had left, but they met up some time later. And then she had a mission to follow through and she had to leave, but then he met up with her. That was the nature of their relationship, usually only in the same place for one night at a time, but constantly on each other's' mind.

And for that long stretch of time, she had been happy. Jun was never one for poetry or flowers or dreamily thinking about the joyous aspects of love, but not even Jun could deny her feelings for him. When someone at a bar would ask her, "Are ya with someone, love?" she liked being able to say simply, "Yes."

Jun was never one for being wrapped up in complications, but maybe this wasn't being tied down. Maybe this was holding her back, but giving her something to hold onto.

But the war got more intense as he climbed the ranks in the army as he joined his beloved father in the more elite classes. But those divisions of the army meant harder battles and more time away from her. He still smiled when he saw her, but she could see the tension and stress hiding behind his eyes. He had certain duties that tied into his destiny that was beginning to dawn on him. Rumors of his grandfather's health failing and of his uncle plotting against his father began to rise. She tried her best to ease his worries, but his destiny was getting heavier as it wore down on his shoulders.

They cherished they time together, but his visits became father and farther apart as more and more expectations were placed on him. Then on the last time she had seen him, he had fear hiding within the brightness of his passionate gold eyes. He told her he'd always stay with her, and then he left.

Jun didn't doubt he'd come back. He always did, they'd been seeing each other for over a year, and he promised her. But the days grew longer and her hopes grew slimmer. Weeks slipped into months and hopes slipped into desperations. After five months and a new attitude of bitterness, Jun finally figured out that he was never coming back for her.

He cut the ties that held them together. He cut those ties when abandoned her.

At first she was sad, then angry, and then fearful that she would never find anyone to replace him. After that her only emotion towards love was a mix of all three. She threw herself into her quests and found that the only real love lied with Nyla.

So more months past and he left her mind, returning only on occasion when a man at a bar would ask to buy her a drink and she would decline. She knew she did have to accept the offer one day, but it just didn't seem right.

So this particular day, as she slammed down her money on the bar top and ordered a pint of tequila, she didn't even glance at the two men gossiping like old women next to her. Her case hadn't been going particularly well, but she was ambitious that she would find the long lost cat of the old man she was working for. She would get back on Nyla with a fresh nose, but not without a drink first.

"I don't know if I believe it!" one of the man said as he sipped his drink. "With all this news from the tabloids, I'm not sure if I buy it."

"But you can't deny Li, that a new firelord has been crowned!"

Jun's ears perked up, the royal family was of interest to her.

"Yes, yes, but what I don't understand is why is Ozai taking the thrown instead of Iroh?"

"You need to keep up with the times Kang! Iroh isn't in any state to rule, the poor old man is heartbroken and defeated."

"You're talking about Ba Sing Se, I presume?"

Ba Sing Se. He had been going to fight in Ba Sing Se, but he had promised he would come back for her. If Iroh had failed did that mean…?

"Yes, terrible loss for the fire nation we had there. Simply terrible."

"I guess Iroh bit off more than he could chew."

"Well maybe Ozai will be better and end this terrible war."

"Doubtful, I've heard stories about that man."

"What kind of stories?"

"Uh…well strange stories." The man was stepping a little too close to traitorous topics. He knew well to hold his tongue.

"So what do you think General Iroh will do now then?"

"Maybe he'll be one of Ozai's advisors. I don't think he'll ever go back to the army though."

"I know I wouldn't if I were him, poor man must be in unbelievable pain."

"How so?"

"Can you imagine what it would be like to lose a son?" LOOSE A SON?!

"No, and not one as heroic as Lu Ten. I heard that it took fifty earth benders to take him down."

Jun felt her vision growing blurry and her throat becoming heated. Fifty earth benders?

"Still, he was a good man and an amazing bender. Iroh is beside himself."

Jun tossed the money on the bar table for the drink and quickened her pace as she sped out of the bar. She found Nyla and jumped up onto her back and raced off, not caring where. He was dead. It had taken fifty earth benders, but he was still dead. No more nights, no more smiles, not more laughs, no more tea, no more kind eyes.

No more soft voice. No more ties to hold her together.

Jun felt tears streaking down her face, but she didn't care. He had been dead for weeks and she hadn't even known. How scared was he, when he died? Did he think of her before he…past? Why couldn't she see him again? Why did he of all people have to die?

She didn't even get to say goodbye, not for good at least. She had thought he was going to come back to her. She though for once maybe someone would stay.

But Lu Ten was gone.