So, here it is, at long last...chapter four. I hope that you all won't be disappointed with this, but it's more of a filler chapter than anything. No Sokka and Zuko interaction at all. I guess you could say that I just basically re-wrote episode 212 how I would have made things happen if I were a writer on the show. Sokka and Zuko won't meet up again until the next chapter, but this one sets up the triangle of Sokka, Zuko, and Jet.

You may also notice that I write more of Toph than Katara or Aang. I personally love Toph, and since she's Sokka's bestest friend evarz in this fic, she's going to get bigger roles. That being said...

I'm sorry if this chapter is so disappointing, especially since there was such a long wait for it. I'd also like to take a moment and thank all of you who reviewed/faved/alerted this story. I have more motivation to write if I know people like to read my stories. -nod nod-

Disclaimer: Avatar and all related characters, creatures, locations, and stuff like that belong to Mike, Bryan, and Nickelodeon.

WARNING: This fic conatains shounen-ai, blah blah blah. Do I really have to keep saying this?

--

With a heavy sigh, Zuko leaned over the rail of the boat, trying to keep his stomach in check. All of the refugees, including him, had been served rancid food for the past few days--at Full Moon Bay and on the ship--and it was finally starting to eat away unpleasantly at his insides…not to mention the incessant rocking of the boat was definitely not helping.

'If this were a Fire Navy ship, it wouldn't be nearly as turbulent,' the ex-prince thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wished he still had some moon peaches left; they would be so much better than this crap of a platypus bear that was available to eat.

The thought of moon peaches trailed back to Sokka, whom Zuko had been thinking about quite a bit lately. It had been a few weeks since they met in that cabin, and he couldn't help but wonder if the Avatar and his friends were on their way to Ba Sing Se at this very moment, or if they had already arrived and settled in. He missed the tribesman's company; he felt lonely during his travels to Full Moon Bay, and he felt isolated there on the ship. Most of the refugees came in packs--huge families with three or more children, or just a group of friends and neighbors that were forced to abandon their villages in search of protection behind the Earth Kingdom capital's mighty walls. He had no one.

The firebender swayed slightly, suddenly under the influence of a small dizzy spell. His stomach churned and roared madly; he lurched forward, almost positive that something would be coming up this time. Thankfully, nothing did.

"You okay there, pal?" a voice came from behind Zuko--a little too close behind him. "You're completely green in the face."

"How would you know? You can't see my face," the firebender shot back breathlessly, not even bothering to turn around. He was already in a foul mood and wanted to rip his stomach out; he didn't need some random stranger fueling his irritation or his nausea.

"Whoa, take it easy there," the stranger said, taking a few strides until he stood to Zuko's left. He let out a quiet snort and said, "Yeah, your face is green."

Zuko fought to hold in his lunch. His hand flew to his mouth as he bowed his head over the railing. After what seemed like an eternity, the gurgling in his stomach subsided and the firebender was finally able to stand upright.

"So, they hurt you, too," the stranger said out of the blue, his voice dark and sharp.

"Excuse me?" Zuko inquired, snapping his head to the side, seeing the stranger for the first time. He had a nest of dark brown hair, almost the colour of mud. He wore a few pieces of strange armor that seemed to have been constructed by children. He carried himself in a very laid-back manner, apparent by the way he lounged against the wooden rail, elbows propped up comfortably. A lone strand of wheat dangled from his mouth.

A creepy smile slithered across the bushy-haired boy's lips. "The name's Jet," he stated, motioning to two people standing near the middle of the deck. A girl with face paint and a tall archer boy came forth toward their leader. Jet pointed a lazy finger at his friends, twisting the wheat with his other hand until he pulled it out of his mouth completely. "This is Smellerbee and Longshot. We're Freedom Fighters."

"That's nice," Zuko muttered, turning away from Jet and the pair with really odd names. Discomfort radiated off of him in waves comparable to those smashing up against the side of the boat. Obviously, the hooked swordsman either neglected that fact, or was oblivious to it completely.

"What's your name?" Jet asked, chewing on his piece of wheat once again.

"…Li," came the ex-prince's curt reply.

"Well, Li," the bushy-haired boy began, twirling his wheat in his mouth, "I've got a proposition for you."

--

Evening fell quickly upon the gaang, dusk soon darkening into night. The group came to a unanimous decision to pause their journey and set up camp. The woman with child--Ying was her name--was doing quite well for being so far into her pregnancy. Never once had she complained about being tired or anything like that. After everyone laid out their sleeping blankets, her husband lovingly massaged her feet as she rested.

Sokka smiled as he witnessed the gesture. It was obvious how in love they were.

With a tired sigh, he glanced over to Suki, who was cleaning and shining her warrior's headpiece. It was so weird seeing her again; the tribesman wasn't exactly sure how to act. When they first met, of course they hit it off after Sokka admitted to being a jackass…and it was clear that Suki still held some sort of feelings for him. A kiss on the cheek when they first reunited? Yeah, that practically spelled everything out. He would have loved to say he returned those feelings, but…he wasn't all too sure that he did.

His gaze shifted to Toph, who sat alone near the edge of the cliff they took rest upon. She was slightly hunched over, her shoulders tense. Come to think of it, since the incident with that Fire Navy ship earlier that day, the little earthbender kept quiet and distant from everyone. Sokka had to admit that it was totally out of character for her, but for fear that she would bury him beneath a bunch of boulders, he decided against bothering her.

Toph wasn't the only one keeping a distance from the rest of the group. Mister Avatar himself remained cut-off from everyone…including Katara, which bothered the tribesman, seeing as Aang was the closest to the waterbender. Master Arrowhead headed off somewhere alone, and Katara followed soon after, probably to comfort him and stuff…like she always did with everyone.

Sokka also decided to take a leave of absence from the encampment and venture off by himself; he needed some time to think. After weeks of time just dragging on, their travels being of the uneventful sort, everything just all of a sudden started piling up on them…and through these odd twists and turns, here they were--braving the treacherous Serpent's Pass. What luck.

The tanned teen couldn't help but wonder what Zuko was doing at this very moment. Was he already in Ba Sing Se? Was he still making his way to the great city, battling through the hardships of traveling alone? Had he been captured by the Earth Kingdom army, or turned over to his sister as a prisoner?

'Whoa, Sokka…get ahold of yourself, buddy…,' he mused, shaking his head violently. The ex-prince was probably already comfortably settled in the capital, chilling with his uncle and stuff like that, right?

Right.

Heaving a sigh, Sokka warily glanced up at the moon. It glowed like a giant wheel of cheese hanging from the sky, with a huge chunk missing. His cerulean eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the pearly, incomplete sphere. A small smile crept across his lips, but soon vanished upon him hearing quiet, approaching footsteps.

"Sokka…?" a feminine voice called out.

"Oh…hey, Suki," the tribesman replied, his tone that of slight disappointment.

The Kyoshi warrior took a seat next to the Water Tribe boy, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Is everything okay? You seem a little…down," she said, worry laced in her voice.

"I'm fine," came his curt reply as he turned his head away from her, now focusing on the ground.

"You're lying," she stated, taking her hand off his shoulder. "I know you, Sokka; what's really bothering you?"

"How can you know me when I barely know myself?" Sokka snapped, immediately wishing he could take back his words. Suki flinched at his harshness, her gaze then downcast, her shoulders weighed with guilt.

"I'm sorry…," she muttered as she rose from her seat. As much as Sokka wanted to stop her from leaving…he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He watched her walk away in silence, sighing heavily.

He felt like a royal prick.

--

Flaxen irises stared hesitantly at the plate of food before him. He glanced around the circle, watching the others dig away at their meals. As much as Zuko wanted to eat the fresh meat, since it was an excellent change from the rotting bile he had been consuming recently, he just…couldn't bring himself to eat. His stomach growled at him, prodding him to take at least one bite.

But…he didn't.

"If you're not going to eat your food, I'm giving it to someone else," Smellerbee said, interrupting the firebender's train of thought.

"Take it; I don't want it," he replied, shoving his plate in the young girl's direction. He sighed and crossed his arms, focusing his gaze elsewhere.

Jet tilted his head slightly, wondering what the hell could be going on inside the scarred teen's head. He shoved the last piece of meat into his mouth, barely chewing it before he swallowed. Picking up his strand of wheat, which had been temporarily resting on his plate, he placed it into his mouth where it belonged. His brown eyes remained locked on Zuko, studying and scrutinizing him carefully. Multiple times did he gander at the scar that adorned almost the entire left side of the ex-prince's face. He could only imagine where that scar came from…how intense that fight must have been.

Taking a deep breath, the bushy-haired boy said, "Hey, Li, can I talk to you for a minute?" He smiled when Zuko gave a small nod and he rose to his feet, the firebender following suit. The two boys headed over to the railing where they met earlier that day, even assuming similar positions.

"What is it?" Zuko inquired after a long period of silence.

"…This," Jet said, raising his hand to the paler teen's face. He gingerly fingered the other's scar until his hand was slapped away almost immediately.

"Don't touch," the firebender snapped, his voice low and dangerous. If looks could kill, Jet would have toppled over the side of the boat already.

"Still painful, huh? That's okay; I understand," the darker teen said. He twirled his wheat in his mouth nervously. Why did he all of a sudden feel…warmer? The air around him seemed to climb in temperature, but returned to normal moments later.

'No, you don't understand,' Zuko mused, biting his tongue to keep from speaking his thoughts. He tilted his head toward the sky, inhaling the cool night air in attempts to calm himself down.

Jet shifted uncomfortably before saying, "Well, I'm going to…check on the other passengers." He received a silent nod from the ex-prince, and with that, he headed over to Longshot and Smellerbee.

Zuko sighed, rubbing his temple. Something about Jet really rubbed him the wrong way; he just couldn't figure out what the hell it was. Fortunately, they would reach Ba Sing Se's outer wall by morning, which meant that he would part ways with the bushy-haired boy and his friends--the "Freedom Fighters"--and finally set to work on finding his uncle.

But for now…he needed some sleep.

--

Sokka groaned groggily, annoyed by the foot repeatedly prodding his lower back. He thrashed his feet inside his sleeping bag, mumbling angry words that were incomprehensible to any human.

"Katara, he's not getting up," Aang said in an emotionless tone, deciding to cease kicking his older comrade.

"Sokka, if you don't--" the waterbender started, but was silenced by Toph's hand practically in her face.

"I'll get him up, Katara," the little earthbender said with a playful smirk. "Step aside, Twinkle Toes," she commanded, and the Avatar gladly backed away from the sleeping tribesman. Toph then proceeded to stomp on the ground furiously, jabbing Sokka's still form incessantly with sharp rocks, eliciting screams of pain from the tanned teen. His sleeping bag flew about six feet up in the air, then came crashing back down upon the flat earth with an extremely loud thud. "Time to get up, Snoozles," the blind girl said, giving him an extra kick for good measure.

The newcomers of the group merely stared upon the scene in awe, dumbfounded that Sokka had no broken bones after such abuse.

Once everything was packed up and such, the gang pressed on. Sokka grunted every now and again, his entire body sore from his early-morning beating, courtesy of Toph. Why did she always have to torture him like that? What had he done to her to deserve such harsh treatment? The tribesman gave up on thinking for the time being, rubbing his shoulder to alleviate the pain.

Sokka nearly ran into Toph, backing off just in time. Irritated that the group randomly decided to halt, he was about to send off a stream of various swears and complaints. However, his breath hitched in his throat as he caught sight of what lay ahead of them…or rather, what didn't.

"What do we do now?" Than asked, hugging his panicking wife.

"We create a path," Toph stated, stepping forward ahead of the gang. Her shoulders quivered and her hands trembled as she held her arms out straight from her body. The ground rumbled slightly beneath their feet. Ying clung to Than's shirt in fear. The little earthbender raised her limbs, commanding the earth deep below the water. The earth gave a shudder as a strip of land rose from the depths. The sea swished and sloshed against the newly-formed path stretching across the gap.

The group began the long trek along the trail, Katara and Aang in the lead, Sokka bringing up the rear just behind Toph and Momo. The lemur had taken quite a liking to the earthbender recently; he was always seen perched safely on her shoulder, which she didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

The tribesman twisted his head to the side, ever so sure he had caught something out of the corner of his eye. Waves upon the surface of the water were the only things moving, despite what Sokka had thought; he was probably so tired that his mind was playing tricks on him. Yeah, that was it.

…No, it wasn't.

A creature of comparable size to the unagi rose from the water, roaring and hissing at the gang. Than held Ying protectively. Aang twirled his staff, releasing the glider wings.

"Sokka and Suki, get everyone across to safety! Katara, I need help! Go!" the Avatar commanded, taking flight toward the sea beast. Katara leapt from the path, forming a patch of ice beneath her feet like a surf board. Bending the water around her, she surfed on a giant wave, ready to attack the sea serpent.

"I can help, too!" Toph called, sinking into her stance and raising a boulder from the path.

"No, Toph!" Sokka said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. He motioned to Suki, gesturing her to get Than and his family to the other side. "You can't see to attack it!"

"Tell me where to aim, then! Please, Sokka…," the blind girl pleaded, breaking another chunk of rock from the pathway. "I want to help."

"Fine," the tribesman sighed, moving directly behind her and taking her arms in his partially-gloved hands. Sticking his tongue out in concentration, he pin-pointed the exact location of the serpent; even as is thrashed about, Aang and Katara were doing a pretty good job of keeping it subdued. He moved her arms to perfectly aim at the sea monster. "Right about there…NOW!"

Toph struck the rock with all her might, sending it flying toward the beast. It just so happened to move directly into the boulder's trajectory path, howling in pain as the chunk of rock struck it square in the eye.

"Great, Toph! Aang and Katara should be able to take care of the rest," Sokka said with a smile, even though he knew the earthbender wasn't able to see it. "Let's go!"

"Right! Hang on, Snoozles!" Toph ordered, raising a diagonal pillar of rock from beneath them at such speed that it sent the both of them flying through the air. The little earthbender, of course, landed safely on her bare feet. Sokka, on the other hand, face-planted it upon the hard ground. The path crumbled and fell beneath the turbulent surface of the water. The tribesman sat up in time to see the airbender and his sister soaring above via antique glider.

Now that the serpent was defeated, Sokka prayed that it would be smooth sailing to Ba Sing Se.

--

"Li! Wait up!"

Zuko halted his steps, twisting his head to look over his shoulder. He caught sight of Jet trotting toward him. Had he been the asshole he used to be, he would have turned tail and run away. However, his feet remained glued to the floor. It wouldn't hurt to see what the bushy-haired boy wanted; after all, the next train wouldn't arrive for another twenty minutes, so the ex-prince was in no rush. He pivoted around as Jet neared.

"Look," the darker teen started, running his long fingers through his hair, "you and I are alike."

Zuko cocked his brow, his head tilting slightly to the side. 'Is this guy smoking his wheat?' he thought, trying to keep his face as emotionless as possible.

"We were both hurt by the Fire Nation," Jet continued, lazily gesturing to Zuko's scar. "We share a common pain. That's why…I want to invite you to join my Freedom Fighters."

"Thanks," the firebender immediately spat out, turning away from the leader, "but I'm not interested."

"You sure you won't think about it?" Jet pressed, roughly grabbing Zuko's shoulder and twisting him around to face him. He leaned closer to the paler teen, their foreheads nearly touching. "We would make great partners, you and me," he whispered, bringing his lips closer to Zuko's. The air around them spiked in temperature, the heat almost unbearable…

Jet gasped as the firebender shoved him away forcefully, and he stumbled to regain his balance. Golden irises shot the brunette an angry, threatening glare. A snarl emitted from deep in the darker teen's throat; how dare he push him away like that! His dark brown eyes narrowed as the ex-prince hastened from his sight. Smellerbee and Longshot came up behind their leader, holding their passes into the city.

"So, he didn't take you up on your offer?" Smellerbee inquired, handing one of the green and yellow leaflets to Jet.

"He's still thinking about it," the brunette lied, fishing a new strand of wheat out of his shirt. His brows furrowed in anger.

You better watch your back, Li. I'm coming for you.

--

"Geez, Snoozles, you're more of a girl than I am," Toph teased as she handed a cool cloth to her tanned friend. "I can't believe you fainted!"

"Hush up," Sokka said, rubbing his sweaty face with the cloth. "I get squeamish with those kinds of things."

"Obviously."

"You--"

"Guys," Suki interrupted as she poked her head out of the giant earth tent. "Do you want to come in and see the baby?"

Rising to her feet, the earthbender said, "I'll come in, but I won't be able to see it." She and Suki both chuckled as they disappeared into tent.

Sokka pressed the cloth firmly against his forehead and leaned back against the side of the tent. He still felt a bit dizzy, so he really didn't want to push himself too much. His attention was so unfocused, he barely even noticed Katara coming out to fetch Aang. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he placed the cloth over his eyes to block the sunlight. Not even a minute later, he drifted into a light sleep.

…

"Katara, we need to hurry!" Aang said frantically.

The tribesman cracked open an eye, his sight greeted by darkness. His hand fumbled its way to his face and he removed the now-dry cloth, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He blinked, his oceanic orbs focusing on Katara and Aang standing a few feet away, conversing about something "important."

"What's going on?" Sokka questioned in a slightly strained voice, scaling the outer wall of the earth tent as he stood on tired legs.

"Oh, good, you're awake," his sister said, running over to give him a hug. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little, yeah, but that doesn't answer my question," the elder Water Tribe sibling stated, returning the hug in a sleepy manner.

"…Ba Sing Se is in danger," the Avatar stated, pounding the tip of his staff into the ground. His grey eyes glanced downward. "The Fire Nation is trying to drill a hole in the outer wall."

Whatever sleepiness Sokka had been feeling moments ago completely vanished. He went through one of his usual, momentary spaz-fits, then regained his composure. "We have to stop them!" he exclaimed, pounding his fist into the palm of his opposite hand. "Wait…what about Than and Ying?"

"Suki's escorting them and their baby to the wall safely. They left a while ago," Toph informed him from behind, moving her open palms in a downward motion to "pack up" the rock tent.

"Let's get going," the Avatar said with urgency in his young voice, extending the wings of his glider. "We need to stop that drill."

All the while, Sokka couldn't help but wonder…did Zuko know about this?

--

That does it for chapter four. Just as an FYI thing, I'm not going to write about the gAang taking down the drill in the next chapter. I'm going to use a lovely time skip, since I really don't feel like writing so close to the plot again. That's why this chapter was so hard to dish out. - -;

So, uh, don't forget to review...or whatever it is you do. Until next time!

-Chibi