Disclaimer : I don't own anything relating to my stories. Except for maybe Avalon. I'm pretty sure I own her. Other than that though, nothing. On with the story.
Avalon bounced by Katara's side the whole five minute walk back to the encampment. Katara didn't question her, but she knew it wasn't jitters caused by facing the people she had so blatantly insulted earlier.
Avalon pulled Katara's arm, making her stop, right before they were about to enter back into the camp.
"Is he here?"
Katara knew who Avalon was referring to, and she nodded, too intimidated to say anything.
Avalon nodded back, and noted Katara's expression, "It's alright, Katara. Nothing is going to happen."
"Ok," Katara smiled, relieved that Avalon had her head screwed on nice and tight.
Avalon strode confidently into the camp, trying to hide her discomfort under poise. Everyone stared up at her. Toph approached, and apologized softly.
Avalon shook her head and smiled at Toph, and then wrapped her up in a big hug.
"It's great to see you, Toph. You never came to visit me."
"Um, sorry," stuttered an astonished Toph, "I, uh, didn't know you'd want me to."
"Of course I would've. Doesn't matter know but …" Avalon stopped abruptly. She had prepared herself for this, why was she choking now?
He stood there gazing at her, penetrating her defenses with his golden eyes. She swallowed loudly, unable to break the stare.
"Ok, everyone, time to go," Katara started ushering people away. They complied confusedly, and wandered off, glancing back at the pair. Toph tried to sidle out from Avalon's arms, but she held a death-grip on Toph's shoulders. Toph looked towards Katara with a meaningful, get-me-the-hell-outta-here expression on her face.
"Avalon?" Katara touched her shoulder gently.
"Hmm? What was that?" Avalon snapped back to reality. She released Toph's shoulders and started staring hard at her feet. When she gathered the courage to look up again, Zuko was gone.
It was as if he was a figment of her own imagination, a phantom that could appear and disappear at will. She almost giggled when she realized that that was her who did that.
"Avalon, I think you have to go talk to him," Katara suggested tenderly.
"What?! Why?!" There was an edge of hysteria in her voice.
"Because," Katara went on bravely, "otherwise you won't ever get over this."
Avalon hung her head again; she knew Katara was right. Blowing her cheeks out, and letting the air hiss through them, she glanced one more time at Katara, who pointed out the direction he had taken, and departed.
She found him easily. He had cut a swath through the woods and was sitting alone against a tree.
Avalon closed her eyes one more time, took a deep breath, readying herself, and turned tail and ran.
She arrived back to see Katara's disappointed face blaming her.
Avalon shook her head despondently, "I'm sorry, Katara. I couldn't."
Avalon seemed close to tears, so Katara lightened up, "It's ok, honey, it's ok."
Katara, a never-ending well of comfort, hugged her friend.
"You are going to have to do it though," she said.
"I know," Avalon replied morosely.
"Soon," Katara added.
Avalon grinned at Katara through her near-tears, "I know, Katara, I know."
"Good," Katara said briskly, "Then let's have Aang and Toph make you up a house, hm?"
"Sounds great. Do you think they could get me a feather-down mattress and maybe my own bathroom while they're at it?"
Katara smiled jovially. That was something pre-Zuko Avalon would say. Her cheeriness was cut short though. Avalon darted out of her arms, shouting something unintelligible.
Four figures were making their ways through the now-shadowy woods. Night was falling fast. Avalon leaped into the biggest of the four.
"You guys are fast!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, we just wanna fight," replied a scrawnier shape. Katara held her breath, afraid that Avalon would flip out, but she just laughed carelessly.
"So eager to die," she sighed breezily, and then she remembered the camp of people at her back.
"Everyone, these are some friends of mine from Ruby Lake."
A fire had been started in the fire pit, and the strangers were invited to sit on the logs and sip hot tea while they were being introduced.
"This," began Avalon, after everything had settled down, "is Steevo." Her hand was resting lightly on the broad shoulder of the big man. He was giant; his powerful frame wrapped in thick bands of muscles visible through his shirt.
"And how old are you, Steevo?" Aang asked in wonderment, gazing up at the goliath.
Steevo rumbled with laughter, "I'm 20, little man."
Avalon grinned at him, and then moved on to the Amazonic girl at his side. She was tall. Even sitting next to Steevo, who dwarfed Avalon so much she looked like a child, she was tall. Six feet, in fact. Her figure was slim and she had a ready smile. She had a wild mass of dark curls, and large, obsidian eyes set in a soft, pretty face.
"This is Jamie. She is 19. Aang." Everyone chuckled at Aang's extent.
"Man, what do they put in the water at Ruby Lake?" Sokka asked, "Miracle Gro?"
Another bout of laughter sprang up, even Avalon giggled at Sokka.
"And these two rascals are Fingers and Peanut," Avalon finished, waving her hand loftily towards the two scrawny boys, twins in fact.
"Fingers and Peanut?" Sokka repeated incredulously, "Sounds like their parents had a tad too much of the cactus juice during the naming process."
The circle tittered again, glancing at the two boys.
"That would have been hard for them to do," one of the boys said through the chuckles, "Seeing as they abandoned us as soon as we were born."
Sokka's mouth fell open, and he choked on the words he was going to say.
Jamie smacked Fingers or Peanut on the backside of the head, while Steevo rumbled again with laughter. Avalon put her head in her hands, but only to hide her smile.
"Ha! You were right, Avs, this is fun!"
It took Sokka a moment to grasp what was going on.
"Wait. I'm confused."
"It doesn't take much," Avalon muttered.
Sokka ignored her, "So, those are your names?"
"Nicknames, Sokka, nicknames," Avalon butted in, "And let me tell you why, because I know you're going to ask. Fingers here," indicating the one who had pulled the wool over Sokka's eyes, "is called Fingers for two reasons. The one he would like more known is that he is a brilliant pianist. Honestly, me on my …" Avalon stopped again; the words were too painful for her to say.
After a short silence, Toph probed, "And the other reason?"
Avalon continued, "The other reason is that he can't keep his hands outta other people's pockets. He is the most talented pickpocket I have ever known. And I've known a lot of pickpockets."
Jamie picked up where Avalon was content to stop, "Bu we have reined him in in the last few years. He at least gives back what he took."
"Sometimes," murmured the other, Peanut.
"And Peanut?" questioned Toph again.
Peanut answered himself, "I'm Peanut because-"
"He's Peanut because he's always the peanut gallery," interrupted Steevo, with another gigantic chuckle.
Sokka guffawed along with Steevo, and after the introductions, they really hit it off, Sokka bragging of his ingenious plans and Steevo boasting about how strong he was.
Everyone was hitting it off with the amiable Ruby Lakers. Avalon sat quietly next to Peanut, basking in the new friendships and good times. The Duke had some food heated up, and they ate and drank and laughed.
The good times came to a swift end though. Zuko walked into the camp sullenly, and Avalon's four friends fell into a menacing silence.
Zuko glanced up at them as he passed, and he halted in surprise.
The stony glares of the four strangers had honestly confused Zuko. Avalon was sitting on the other side, so Zuko couldn't see her. Toph nibbled anxiously on her lip while Katara wrung her hands out in apprehension.
"This the one?" Steevo grumbled forebodingly.
Avalon popped up from her hiding place almost begging, "Steevo," as Fingers shot up from his log seat like a gopher-bird from its hole.
Steevo glanced back at her, already cracking his knuckles.
"No." She hissed at him, simultaneously stepping in front of Fingers.
Jamie put her hand on Steevo's shoulder, trying to comfort him and constrain him at the same time.
Zuko bowed his head and hurried out of sight towards his cabin. Avalon sank back to her seat, head in hands, only this time it was disguising a deep frown, instead of a smile. No one breathed.
"Avalon," Steevo whispered.
"No, Steevo!" she shouted at him, her voice tainted with fury, "We talked about this, didn't we?! Just forget about it!"
For the second time that day, Katara began ushering people away.
"I can't, Avalon," Steevo retorted, his voice rising in anger, "It's inexcusable! I outta smash his head in for what he did to you!"
"No, damn it!" Avalon yelled, her tone raising a few decibels, "Stop it!"
A dead silence filled the now-empty circle, only Jamie remained at Steevo's side, rubbing his arm soothingly. Fingers stood bashfully next to him, trying to sink into the ground. Peanut just stood there.
"You know, Avalon, I wish you would mature enough to realize how this makes us feel," Fingers blurted.
"Me?" Avalon gaped at him disbelief, unable to put together a whole sentence.
"Actually," Peanut popped in," It takes quite a level of maturity to attain that level of commitment and love."
"No one asked you," Fingers snapped at him.
"I'm just saying," Peanut mumbled.
"Oh, listen up everyone. The peanut gallery has a comment!"
"Stop it, you two," Jamie scolded them, delivering swift smacks to both of their heads, "Save the sibling fighting for later."
No one spoke for a few moments.
"It's not your battle," Avalon finally said, faintly, "It's mine, and mine alone. This is the last I want to hear about."
Steevo nodded dourly, and then he softened and pulled Avalon into a bear hug, "Sorry, Avs."
"Yeah, sorry," Fingers added sincerely.
Avalon smiled weakly, "It's ok, guys."
Zuko exhaled a loud breath. They turned to see who it was. Steevo's hands curled into tight fists.
"Avalon," Zuko said delicately, "I think we need to … talk."
"Not on my watch," Steevo snarled, and then recoiled from Avalon's hard slap.
"Go. Out of my sight," she barked back at them. They nodded complacently and, like puppy dogs that had been kicked, retreated.
Five minutes. Five whole minutes went by before either of them got the courage to speak.
"Sorry, um, 'bout the guys," Avalon mumbled.
"It's ok," Zuko responded.
Avalon nodded her head and bit her lip uncomfortably, "What do you need to talk about?"
"We need to talk this out if we are ever going to … coexist."
"I don't have anything else to say," Avalon retorted, suddenly sharp. No way was she letting him back in; she couldn't. It was probably psychically impossible.
Zuko gawked at her in shock, "I thought …" he stuttered, and then stopped.
"You thought what?" Avalon snapped at him, her body tensed to bolt at any moment.
"I thought you forgave me," he whispered.
"I did," Avalon replied harshly, "But that doesn't mean I have to like you."
On that note she turned and walked away, every pore on her body exuding scorn and hatred towards Zuko, her Sunshine that had been eclipsed long before the Day of Black Sun. Permanently.
