Hello everyone! Welcome to part 4 of Freedom! How are y'all liking it so far? I'm trying to stick to the major plot line of the original story as much as I can, but as I said, things change when you change one thing. This chapter will go back to a normal rating as per usual. Also read my authors notes at the end for my other stories besides this. One thing I personally love is that because of this story I get to go back and watch a bunch of the episodes from season 3, which I haven't done in years! When did you watch an avatar episode last? Leave a review and read on! Also I own nothing from Avatar except for the Shin-Wo prison. That I made up.

What could have happened if Aang and Iroh were a few minutes more?

Let's find out!

Chapter 4: The Plan

Team Avatar sat in a circle, looking at a map they had stolen of Shin-Wo prison. Sokka had holding his chin with his usual scheming look on his face, "So there are guard towers here, here, here, and there, at each corner of the camp. The recreation area is here. That should be where he spends most of his time. And here is the main cell building, but he probably won't be here. He will probably be in the high security building with the rest of the death row prisoners. But he could be somewhere else entirely". Katara rubbed her face, "Probably? Could be? I'm not liking these odds" she sighed. Aang looked at her, "We won't know until we get there". Katara wringed her hands, "About that Aang…" she looked away guiltily. Aang furrowed his brow, confused, "What?" Katara sighed, "I was thinking you could maybe… possibly… Stay with Appa?" she turned away waiting for him to blow up. "Absolutely not!" Aang looked from her to Sokka with anger in his eyes. Katara bit her lip, "Aang…" she let out a breath, and said "I knew you wouldn't like it but… We have to keep you safe. Going into a high security prison isn't exactly safe. It's what's best". Aang got up and crossed his arms, "Can we talk? Alone" he then walked away from the group into a small group of trees, as she followed him.

Katara turned to look at him and saw the hurt look on his face, "Aang…" she said trying to be compassionate, to be the mother she's been for him since he got out of the iceberg. He looked at her, so confused, so hurt and asked "Why are you doing this?" she could see his eyes show signs of tears waiting to fall. Katara looked away from him, knowing he would act this way. She had known about his crush for a long time, but chose to ignore it because that was easiest. She didn't want to think about having to hurt him, or have to learn to love him the way he loved her. "I told you why… We owe Zuko" she told him, trying to make him understand. "We don't owe anyone anything! Especially Zuko! He chased us around the world for months! Does that mean nothing to you now?!" he turned away from her, not wanting to meet her gaze. Katara looked at his back, "Aang, you could be dead if it weren't for him… I could be dead. I can't let him die by the hands of his family". Aang looked back at her, "What if it's a trap? What if he actually just attacked Azula so you would trust him and when we get to the prison, he's going to be trying to kill me again?" he questioned, trying to make up excuses so she wouldn't leave. So she wouldn't leave him. So she wouldn't leave him for Zuko. Katara laughed lightly, "That would be the master plan huh… But I don't think that's going to happen… We don't know what he's been through". "That doesn't excuse how he treated us!" Aang exclaimed. "No it doesn't…" Katara sighed, "When I healed his scar… He didn't tell me how it happened… Where he got it… Who gave it to him… But I looked in his eyes as I
healed him and I know enough that it was beyond something either of us could imagine… I mean what father would banish their only son in the first place! We've established the fact that Fire Lord Ozai is not a nice person…" she shook her head a little, trying to get back on track, "What I'm trying to say is… We don't know Zuko's past… That doesn't excuse what he's doing in the present… But we should give him a chance… Because he gave us a chance… He gave us our best chance to survive and I don't think he should be punished for that… It doesn't matter if it's Zuko or Zhao or the top fire navy general… If he gave us our best chance… I'm going to give them their best chance… And you have to accept that… Even if you don't like that. Trust me" she looked him in the eyes, breathing deep, as she finished her speech. Katara could tell Aang was trying to give her a reason to prove her wrong. But when he couldn't find one, he said "Fine… But I'm going with you… I'm not letting you go alone. You don't have a choice. Even if you make me stay, I will follow you", he looked her in the eyes and Katara knew he wasn't lying. She sighed and nodded, "Now come here…" she held out her arms to embrace him. He walked to her and she pulled him close. He had gotten much taller since they had found him so many moons ago. Now he came to rest his head just on her shoulder, and she held him, she begged Tui and La to make her feel something other then motherly love for this young boy.

They walked back to camp together. Toph looked up when she felt them approach, "Did you too kiss and make up?" she laughed at her remark. Aang's cheeks turned a bright crimson as he sat back in the circle. Katara sat next to him, "Back to the plan…".

As Zuko opened his eyes, he saw nothing but darkness. Am I dead, he wondered. Suddenly there was a bright light as the door opened, revealing a female guard. "Wakey, Wakey" she said, laughing as she taunted him. He sat up slowly, ignoring her remarks. As he sat up, he received a shooting pain in his back. He suppressed a wince. "Someone is here to see you" she smirked as she said this, and he immediately knew it couldn't be someone he would want to see. He saw a man step forward from the hallway.

"Hello son". It was his father.

Zuko glared up at him. "No greeting for your darling old dad? Pity" Ozai said when Zuko refused to reply to him. "No matter… I just came to tell you the manners of your execution". This caused Zuko to look back at him, "Execution?" he asked. Ozai laughed, if you could even call it that, "You really think I could let you live? Zuko, you are more naive then I thought… In three days, you will be dead. And it will be spread throughout the nation, that the banished traitor prince is dead". Zuko looked up at the man he called his father. He wanted to be surprised. He wanted to tell him he was kidding. But he knew for a fact he wasn't.

Katara walked through town. The group decided they needed as much information as humanly possible before they infiltrated the prison. Katara was about to walk up to a stand to try to ask about the Shin-Wo prison, when something caught her eye. A poster. For Zuko. For Zuko's execution. Katara felt her eyes well up with tears. They only had 3 days. In 3 days, it would be too late. In 3 days, he would be dead. And it would be her fault. She thought they had at least a month. Toph had said that was earth kingdom law. Figures the fire nation would give him 3 days she thought. She ran around town, gathering the group, clearly frazzled. She just hoped they wouldn't be too late when they got there.

The only one with information was Sokka. Sokka began to speak, "Whenever someone is executed, they send a representative to the prison from the capital. But the big controversy is that Ozai is refusing to send anyone for his son. He doesn't even want to be there. So here's what we do" he pulls out the execution announcement and points to a big scribble at the bottom of the page, "The Fire Lord's signature. We send the warden a messenger hawk with a letter saying he changed his mind. He would send one of his most ruthless representatives to survey Zuko's execution and she would be accompanied by a solider since she's not a bender. This will be me. Then Toph and Aang would steal guard uniforms, because they look the most fire nation. If anyone notices, they're from the colonies" he smiled at his plan, "it's fool proof!" Katara sighed at this "What if we get find out? I don't exactly look Fire Nation". Sokka nodded at this "You don't need to be. If anyone asks, you just shoot them one of your death glare looks and that shut them up". Toph then spoke up, "Right now, it's the best plan we have" she looked towards Katara, "It's the only hope we have of saving your boyfriend". Katara blushed crimson at this; "He's not my boyfriend!" she looked away. Toph laughed, "Right". Sokka quickly changed the subject, not wanting to hear Zuko as Katara's boyfriend, "It's the only chance we have. You might be able to delay the execution if you have to". Katara nodded, and then looked towards the horizon.

La, protect him.

That's it for this chapter! I graduate today so I don't think that I will be able to post again today but there will be another part tomorrow! But I want to ask you about some possible stories beside this. I have a few ideas and I plan to do all of them at some point. But which one first? Let me know in a review!

A modern AU, not sure what, but something with no bending

A Vampire Modern AU, Katara is doing an internship at the hospital, when she catches a man (Zuko) hunched over one of her patients. He quickly leaves through the window when he sees her.

Has anyone read The Selection Series? Well it would be the Selection Avatar Style. I really recommend that series if you haven't read it already.

What I like to think happened about season 3, completely canon, with my affair twist.

Let me know which you like and also if you have any other ideas! Thank you for reading! See ya next time!