A/N: Sorry for the incredible delay. Life is... well, life and sometimes I require a break from things I enjoy. Thank you to those that review as it does really give me insight in what ways I can refine a story. Hope everyone had a good New Year, a happy Valentines day, and a solid winter (summer for those southern hemisphere folks).

Chapter 3, enjoy.

Ty Lee had never been so furious. She wanted nothing more than to lash out and injury the Water Tribe warrior. The Fire Nation girl wanted to make him a limp noodle for making her chase him half way across the city in nothing but her belly shirt and pants, for making her slip and fall into the snow and get soaked.

Yes, Ty Lee had never been so furious… but she had never been so cold.

Sokka saw her shiver, and realized she wasn't wearing nearly enough clothes to be outside. Moving quickly, he pulled off his jacket, pulled her to her feet, and threw it on her. He was wearing a similar sleeveless shirt with a high collar like he had in the bar, except it was completely black. Ty Lee was starting to shiver more intensely and he saw her lips were turning a deeper color from their normally pretty pink luster.

"Come on Ty Lee." He said grabbing her arm, and hauling behind him.

The jacket Sokka had given her helped keep some of the cold at bay, but Ty Lee was still freezing. On the bright side, the smell of him was enveloping her senses, giving her butterflies in her belly. She let him drag her along the streets.

"Damn stupid girl for chasing me," Sokka mumbled. He tugged her along even harder, giving the impression that she had no say in the matter.

She realized that he wasn't leading her down to the docks and the inn. "Sokka," she chattered through her teeth, "The inn is the other way."

"I know," he spoke softly, "you are going to freeze before you get there. My hut is a block away."

As if universe hadn't thrown enough at them, a cool arctic breeze started pick up and whip at their bodies. Even Sokka, who had grown up in such weather, felt the cold that permeated the body and set into your spirit… where it sapped your will and inner heat. Soul-Freeze is what they called it in the Water Tribes. In the old days, they used to believe it was a curse of the Snow Goddess. The cold nipped at the corners of you chi, made you as frosty at the wind around you. Then the Snow Goddess opened her arms and welcomed you to the warmth of her nude body. You'd feel happy, content, warm, and safe…

Then she took you to the spirit world.

Sokka couldn't let this happen. He trudged forward quicker down the barren streets toward the ally where his refuge lay. Another strong gust of wind and Sokka almost faltered against its bite.

Suddenly Sokka felt colder no longer.

At first he worried that he might be suffering from Soul-Freeze, but his body felt stronger and warmer than ever before. Power coursed through his veins and his feet planted themselves firmly with every step. Sokka looked up into the night sky and realized where the sudden power from coming from.

A brilliant moon hung overhead, giving him the strength it possessed. Sokka smiled a wolfish grin, and sent a silent prayer to Yue. She always looked out for him when he needed it the most.

They started to move down towards the alley that his door was at the end of, when Ty Lee's numb feet gave out and she started to fall. Sokka reacted quickly and put an arm under her knees and shoulders. Ty Lee wrapped her arms around her body in an attempt to get warmer. Sokka reached the door, yanked it open, stepped through, and shut it just as quickly.

Tui trotted over to them, and pawed at his master. Sokka just kept moving towards his very warm bed and laid Ty Lee down on it.

"Ty Lee, your clothes are wet, I'm going to need to take them off." Ty Lee's eyes were clenched shut as if she was willing herself to warm up.

He pull his jacket off of her, before quickly pulling off her pants. He also made quick work of her shirt. Sokka put the back of his hand on her underwraps and felt that why were also soaked.

"Im sorry, Ty Lee." He whispered. His hand started to unwrap her chest wrappings. It only took a few moments before the wrappings fell off, and exposed Ty Lee's chest. Sokka gulped when he saw her supple chest, and diverted his eyes quickly. Trying to end this situation as quickly as possible, Sokka pulled off her lower wrappings and quickly got her nude body underneath the covers.

Moving over to the fire, Sokka threw some logs onto the fire. He placed Ty Lee's clothes near the fire, letting them dry. He heard movement on the bed, and saw Tui hopped on the bed and had curled up on Ty Lee's feet. That damn dog was always looking out for him, he wasn't surprised he would do the same to her.

His survival training had kicked in. Step one, get the persons wet clothes off. Step two, get them covered. Step three, warm the person though whatever means. Cold weather injuries were common in the Water Tribes, so from a young age he had been taught on how to prevent and treat Soul-Freeze.

Sokka walked over to his bed and pulled off his clothes. Standing only in his under wrappings, he looked down at Ty Lee. Her eyes were still closed and she was curled up into ball with Tui resting on her feet. She was shivering, and her teeth were chattering. He knew there was one way that would warm her the quickest.

Pulling back the covers, Sokka slid into the bed next to her.

Ty Lee was swearing to herself she would never come back to the Water Tribes. She missed the warmth of the Fire Nation, or event the Earth Kingdom. Damn Zuko for sending her on a mission to the ass end of the world, damn Sokka for making her chase him, and damn him for getting a free look see.

She felt the bed sag as a weight plopped down on to it, and she felt the covers get peeled open, losing what little heat she had made. Then she felt warmth right next to her, and she instinctively rolled towards it. Reaching out she felt muscle and she realized Sokka was slipping in bed next to her. Ty Lee then felt strong, and incredibly warm, arms wrap around her body and pulled her flush against his naked chest.

For a moment, her training at the Fire Nation Academy kicked in and she remembered no lady of the Fire Nation should be caught in such a compromising situation. She was, after all, completely naked and everything was pressed up against the older teen. But along with the strange closeness came intoxicating heat.

"Modesty be damned." She mumbled against his chest, and wrapped her arms around his torso.

She felt a rumble in his chest as he chuckled lowly at what she said. Slowly, her body began to regain its normal temperature, and Ty Lee began to relish in the intimate feeling she was now getting from being with the Water Tribe Warrior. Feelings that had left her so long ago when she joined the Kyoshi Warriors began rushing back to her. The crush she had on him so long ago was rearing its head again, and being naked in a bed with him wasn't helping the situation.

Sokka, for doing the right thing, was having just as hard of a time staying focused. Ty Lee's soft and beautiful body was pressed up against his, leaving no room for imagination. Plus seeing the glimpse of her naked skin was still burned deeply into his brain. Being on the move as the Shadow meant he had let go of his desires, and his mind and body were telling him how long it really had been. Subconsciously, Sokka's hands moved up and down her back, admiring her skin. Nothing compares to touching a girl, as juvenile as it may seem. Just the very action feeling her soft body sent electric shock up his arm and into his heart.

Ty Lee sighed softly has his hands moved up and down her skin, leaving a trail of fire where it went. If it weren't for the fact she knew Sokka wasn't gifted with the ability to manipulate the elements, she would have sweared that he was a fire bender. His warmth was almost unnatural, and peculiar. Cracking open her eyes, she saw his aura wasn't his normal blue, but a brilliant while. Something else was giving him power, and she intended to find out eventually. But right now she just wanted to focus on warming her spirit. Snapping her eyes shut, Ty Lee cuddled in closer to his chest.

"You were sent here to find the Shadow, weren't you?" He asked softly a few minutes later.

Ty Lee didn't look at his face, embarrassed that pulling back would expose her chest.

"Yes." She sighed, "There has been an Imperialist movement in the Fire Nation." She tucked her head a little deeper into his neck, "Your actions have been spoken around the nations. People speak of a person who defends the weak, never kills, and brings those who are evil to justice. Fire Lord Zuko sent me to find this 'Shadow', ask him to help our cause."

Sokka nodded slowly, contemplating the effect that his alter ego was having on the world. It was… empowering, and invigorating.

Silence once again overcame them. Though neither would confess, the time just spent lying in the bed was… soothing. Sokka, for once, felt at ease with what was going on around him. His daemons didn't haunt him, and his fears didn't nip at the edge of his mind.

"Why do you seem so different when you are the Shadow?" She asked quietly.

He sighed deeply, "It's hard to explain…"

Risking exposing herself, Ty Lee looked right up at his face, "We have plenty of time, and you owe me the full story. Now start talking."

Though going for intimidation, all Sokka was seeing was an incredible beautiful and alluring face. All of a sudden, the idea to kiss her popped into his head and he quickly shook his head to get that thought out of his mind.

"It's the only way I feel normal." He finally said. "When I am the Shadow, I don't have any faults, no demons, nothing. I'm just a man with a sword." He sighed deeply, "It's a high, and I crave it. Specially today. Seeing you… reminding me of Suki… I needed to get out."

She had tucked her head back into his neck, "That isn't good for your chi, Sokka," she said caringly.

His hand drifted up and started to play with her hair. The silence let him know that it was his turn to ask some questions. "Why did you leave Kyoshi Island?"

"When Suki…died, I planned on staying. The Island needed to be rebuilt. Lives needed to be brought back together. And they looked to me to be their second in command. But Zuko gave me an option to get back at those that had killed my friend." Sokka heard her sniff, "To get justice against the Imperialists."

It was true. Ty Lee and Suki were good friends during Ty Lee's tenure as a Kyoshi Warrior. The Fire Nation acrobat managed to get Suki to agree to girl days, with makeup, gossip, and giggles. Suki seemed to bring Ty Lee down to earth, and ground her in reality, while Ty Lee encouraged Suki to relax from the fears of command. They had a symbiotic relationship, and it always made Sokka happy to see them together.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you. I-I had to get away." He said quietly.

"We thought you were dead too, Sokka. We found the air ship..." Sokka closed his eyes, "It was in flames. We knew that you arrived on it. And when we found it… we thought nobody had survived. It was so intense… we didn't know." Ty Lee whispered the last part with pain was clearly laced throughout her voice.

Sokka hugged her a little bit tighter. After a period of silence, he spoke, "It's okay. I'm here. I'm alive. I'm not going anywhere."She hugged him a little bit tighter, affirming her recognition.

"And you are never leaving us again, Cutie." Ty Lee said softly into his chest sleepily.

The Water Tribe warrior smiled, "Sleep, we will talk more in the morning."

It seems she had already agreed to that idea, because her breathing had already evened out.

The past three hours had brought up more emotion than Sokka had shown in almost three years. Pain, love, lust, happiness, serenity… all because of this Fire Nation girl. He realized it had been too long since he had been able to express himself and feels without the guise of being the Shadow. It was almost pathetic to rely on an alter-ego to be who he really was. His heart hardened when he came to the conclusion it was time for Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe to come back, and to make his mark on the world. It was time to bring back the sarcasm and meat guy. He would come back to his sister, his father, and his friends. He was going to let go of the pain that had been driving him.

Sokka was happy Ty Lee was asleep…she wouldn't be able to see the tears fall.

~AJF