Chapter 4

Jiana thrashed violently against her bedroll she was having a terrible dream. A flashback of when her mother died.

Her mother and her were running out of the palace. They were out in the open courtyard leading towards the palace gates. Guards were chasing after them with such speed and intensity. All of Jiana's instincts told her to stop running and hide. She climbed up into a tree she had just passed hoping with all her strength that she hadn't been seen by any of the advancing guards or the Fire Lord himself, her father. She hoped her mother had seen her and followed but it was clear she hadn't.

Jiana was about to call but instead she saw a guard come up behind her mother and grab and wrench her with all her strength towards him. Her mum struggled but it was futile. She watched in horror as the Fire Lord was slowly approaching her mum with a sly grin on his face. There clutched in his firm grasp was a shiny dagger.

Jiana shoots!. It was a great shot but not good enough. It misses his heart by two inches. Instead it embeds itself in his stomach. He lets out a ghastly cry of pain but quickly recovers.

She shoots again this time aiming the arrow for the bastard who is restraining her mother. It hits him and kills him quickly. Her mother begins to sprint but is quickly captured by another guard. He mouths something to the Fire Lord and he mouths something back. Now her mother is talking, probably saying something witty and brave. The Fire Lord says something and gives the unmistakable signal for the guard to kill her. Then he tells all the guards to search for her.

Her mother falls to the ground blood pouring out of the wound. Her mum makes an impossible effort to staunch the blood. Pain and agony fills her eyes.

"NO MOTHER! Don't die!" shouted Jiana still in her sleep. LongShot was woken up by Jiana's desperate cry to see tears streaming out of Jiana's still sleeping eyes. She quickly maneuvered herself towards Jianas bed and roughly shook her awake. "GoldenArrow, are you alright" Asked LongShot worriedly.

"Um…Yes…I think so." Stuttered Jiana

"Having a bad dream?"

"Yes, a terrible dream." Jiana wiped the tears out of her eyes.

"You want to talk about it? You shouted something like: No mother, don't die. It sounded pretty serious."

"It was just a dream I suppose. No I really don't want to talk about it."

"You've never told us about your family. Is your mother really dead? Are you Sure you don't want to talk about it, sometimes it really helps"

"Yes, my mother is dead. My father murdered her. That is all I will tell you."

LongShot nodded feeling extremely sorry for the poor girl. She knew what it was like losing family. She also lost both her parents to a Fire Nation raid. Then while she was helpless Jet found her and raised her in the Freedom Fighters. He was like an extremely young father to everyone. "Also Jet sent me here to tell you there is a early morning meeting in fifteen minutes. He said to tell you it's urgent."

XXXXXX

Sokka and Appa's snores filled the air. Together they were making an extremely loud racket. It was early in the morning and both Katara and Aang had gotten out of bed. Although it was early both Katara and Aang were morning people. Sokka on the other hand would bite your head off if you so much as touched him while he was having his precious 'sleep in time.'

Aang had kindly offered to make breakfast. Katara slouched against a tree trunk deep in thought. She remembered back at the South Pole how she loved to practice her waterbending on her brother. He would just growl at her and playfully wrestle her to the ground, in a brotherly fashion.

Whenever Sokka would sleep in she would waterbend her water all over his face and the look of surprise he would give was hilarious. Man, she missed the good old days back at the South Pole. Now she was completely devoted to a superior cause it would be a long time before she returned.

They had made their plan of action after they found out that Zuko's ship was docked nearby at a ship port just outside of Ba Sing Se. Instead of completely leaving Ba Sing Se they were going to move deeper into the vegetation where they would be better concealed. There they would camp. That way it would involve a lot less effort on both theirs and Appa's behalf. Hopefully Zuko would not find them and then go searching somewhere else (that was assuming he was even looking for them.)

They were due to leave later on this morning. Sokka hated the idea of more exercise but this time he used his initiative and realized that no one else was happy about it and kept his always-complaining mouth shut.

XXXXXX

All of the Freedom fighters gathered around their assigned meeting area. It was still and just outside where they camped. It was a large stretch of open bushland which was extremely well hidden. It had a large campfire which they used at nights for meeting just like this or entertaining social get togethers. It was fairly early in the morning and some of the 'not morning people' were wiping sleep out of their eyes.

Just then Jet stepped out to the front of everyone and began his speech "Hello my fellow Freedom Fighters." He yelled loud enough so his voice could reach the interested ears of his recruits. Every time an urgent meeting like this was called it was something important. Jet heard a grumbling of Acknowledgement by his people. All mumbling hello at different times.

"Let me tell you is what this is about. Word has reached me that we have a Fire Navy ship docked just outside Ba Sing Se at a local fisherman dock. Surprises me the dock is large enough for it but anyway that is beside the point. As you know we are all opportunists. We await time for sabotage. The time is now." Jet yelled

"But what are we supposed to do. Considering we only have a small force and they have a large crew. We are outnumbered. And what exactly do you propose we do to them?" Yelled a Freedom Fighter sitting at the back.

"Ah my friend, patience is a virtue. I have the plan already. Now I was thinking we should take a force of ten. I assume we are safe in saying they would have a crew of say…thirty…maybe a bit more. We will be outnumbered three to one. But as you all know from past experience we have the element of surprise. With a small force, in single file we could move about reasonably unseen. Should we run into a rough situation we can fight our way out of it. The only trouble we are likely to run into are say a few sentries or wondering crew members."

"When exactly do you plan on doing this?" Asked another Freedom Fighter

"We will attack tonight. This would give us a full day to survey the area surrounding the ship and create an escape route, supposing we need to get out of there in a hurry."

"How exactly do you intend on sabotaging this ship?" Asked yet another one of Jets recruits

"We infiltrate our way down into the bow of the ship where we will plant seven explosive devices. We explode them and then get off the ship as fast as possible. This should hopefully kill a few of the less confident swimmers but our main objective is to sink their ship and strand them on Ba Sing Se with minimal possessions."

This time it was Jiana's turn to talk. "Jet what happens if we're not off the ship when it fully sinks."

"We won't be on the ship. I guarantee. It would take at least twenty to thirty minutes to sink fully and anyway we can all swim…I hope. Anyway, any more questions?" No one asked a question. "Meeting dismissed and Golden arrow. Can you please see me now?" Jiana's heart lurched. Why would he want to see me? Jiana asked herself.

Jiana marveled over this plan. Jet had thought it out extremely well. It would be almost impossible to fail. She loved the idea of this. If it was a fire navy ship it was obviously doing her fathers bidding. It wouldn't hurt to delay their voyage by a long time. She started moving forward to the front of the meeting area where she saw Jet was standing. "You wanted to see me?" She asked softly

"Yes indeed I did. I just wanted to tell you I have managed to steal more arrows from a local archery shop. I noticed you were running low over the past few days." Replied Jet.

"Thank you so much I am sure LongShot will appreciate that as well."

"The second reason I wanted to talk to you was because I haven't spoken to you for a while. Now that I have a bit of spare time would be a great time to catch up. So how have you been lately?"

"I have been fine. Spending most of my time with LongShot gossiping or training. How are you holding up?"

"Busy as you'd imagine, too much Freedom Fighter business that always needs attending . Jiana, I never really knew much about your life before I found you. What of your parents and family? Why you looked so devastated when I found you? It's been three years now and I am really interested. I have told you heaps about my life in the Freedom Fighters." Jet asked showing a lot of curiosity in his voice.

Jiana chose her words wisely. If she didn't then her whole three years of hiding her true identity would go to waste. She desperately wanted to tell him everything and get it off her chest, but she knew better. Jet after all harbored the strongest hatred against the Fire Nation let alone Fire Nation princesses.

"My life….Well…My life is complicated. My mother was murdered by a powerful Fire Nation official while protecting me and my father was so ashamed of me that he disowned me. He wanted me dead. I ran away from home absolutely heartbroken and that is when you found me."

"So that is why you were so depressed your first year here. You lost your mother, now who would have guessed. You hid your sadness pretty well. Anyway I was also wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me tomorrow night. You know, as a sink a Fire Navy ship celebration."

"Great, I mean that sounds wonderful. So would you consider it a date, Freedom Fighter style."

"Yes, that's one way of putting it." Jet finished. Just then, he leant forward about to kiss her. Jiana was surprised, Jet was giving her heaps of time to pull away if she wanted to. Oh God, oh God she thought what do I do? Do I let him kiss me? Jiana's body was telling her to do it but she wasn't sure. She decided and then leant forward to kiss him. Jet smiled, So I didn't make a complete fool of myself he thought.

Their lips touched. She was absolutely loving the soft tenderness of Jet's lips over her own. Just then Jets lips parted, urging her to do the same. She did it too and they deepened the kiss. Jet wrapped his arms around Jiana's waste and she wrapped hers around his neck. They eventually broke apart but they stayed in a passionate embrace. Jiana regained her full senses. Then she pulled herself out of his embrace.

"Jet, as much as I'd love to stay but I think I should get going, Lonshot will be anxious about what our little meeting was about. Thanks for the arrows and I'll see you sometime later." Jiana finished waving goodbye to Jet.

Jiana made her way back to her tent to find a grinning LongShot. It was almost like she knew something she shouldn't. Surely she wouldn't know about the kiss, let alone the date. Jiana didn't know whether she should tell her. Would she tease her? Would she not care? Or would she question her? Jiana didn't want to find out. "Why are you grinning?" snapped Jiana.

"Doesn't matter." Came the reply. LongShot was half giggling. Now she was making an attempt to stifle her laughter.

"You're lying"

"Fine, I waited for you outside and I couldn't hear what you were saying or anything but whatever you said ended up with a kiss. I just wanted to know why you did it? If my memory serves me correctly you said you thought a relationship with Jet was a bad idea."

"None of your business what he said. But he did give us more arrows which he managed to get his hands on." Said Jiana, handing LongShot a quiver of arrows. LongShot smiled. They needed more, desperately. "That was really nice of him." he said excited.

AN//: That was the end of that chapter. YAY! Finally I have managed to put in a little bit of fluff. It was never planned but as I wrote it seemed like a good idea. Having a little relationship with Jet.

You know what I think is really annoying? The way teachers at my school hardly give me any homework on weekdays but when it comes to the weekend they absolutely swamp me with it. I mean come on, Weekends are for hanging out with your friends, Rowing, writing and reading not for figgin' homework.

Review! Never forget to do that wonderful word