Suki made sure that she showed no signs of her little outburst with Sokka. She didn't want the others to start sticking their noses where they weren't wanted. Suki sat down by the fire that Zuko was stoking, and watched the embers dance before her eyes.

Katara and Zuko exchanged glances. She came back without Sokka. That was a definite indicator that something was wrong. Suddenly, The Duke ran over to the group. "Guys! Firebenders!! In the meadow!!"

Worry erased all the other emotions from her face. Suki rose faster than everyone else and began sprinting toward the meadow, praying that he wasn't in any danger.

xXx

"Owch... that's one hard fall isn't it?" Ganju asked rubbing his bruised bum.

Misa gracefully dropped into the tree. She perched herself in one of the higher branches, making sure that they weren't being followed. "Those idiots... I don't know why they were ever accepted into the military... all bron and no brain... tsk tsk, what a pity."

She swung from the branches, flipping herself in the air before silently landing on the ground. Sokka's eye twitched. He'd hoped he'd never have to explain what he'd been doing for the past couple of days.

"How goes it?" Misa asked him playfully.

Sokka merely sighed.

"That bad huh?"

"I got burned badly..."

Ganju raised a brow, "Really? Where?"

"All over my heart..."

"Oh, so sorry to hear that..." Misa told him half-heartedly, more interested in the wonders of the meadow.

Sokka suddenly became curious as to their prescence. "Wait, why are you guys here anyway?"

Ganju began speaking, "Well, we were kind of am-"

He was cut off as a water ball hit him in the back of the head. Ganju turned around to find a water tribe woman in a fighting stance. Misa laughed her ever tiresome laughter with that hint of insanity she posessed, "Hahahaha!! Look they've been so kind as to bring the hole welcoming commitee... get it? Hole!"

Hakoda snickered some; she had the same sense of humor as his own. Zuko ran over to Sokka, Ganju, and Misa. "Zuko! What're you doing??" Katara yelled.

"They aren't our enemies... Sokka and I met them in town. They really helped us out."

The group lowered their guard. Misa walked over and poked Aang in the head. "Nice tatoos, oh Bald One... where can I get myself one of those?"

"You can't... they're only given to master airbenders." Aang explained, a bit annoyed with her attitude.

"Oh? I guess that makes you the Avatar then, huh, Kiddo? Neato! My name's Misa, everyone! Howdy-do!" She winked at the group and saluted them.

"And I'm Ganju... as I was previously saying, we were ambushed... forced to flee." the other man said.

As Katara looked at him she was reminded of Jet in so many ways. Even the way Ganju smiled.

"Jet..." she whispered to none but herself.

The memory of Jet, laying on the floor of the Dai Lee's Head Quarters... dying. She went through many nights of grieving, of crying, of praying without sleep. For even if she closed her eyes for a split second his face, beaten and bruised, would appear. It was something she would never forgive herself for, but what could she have done? His fate had been sealed.

Misa climbed back into the tree, "We don't have time to be fooling around... I'll tell you now, I'm a no-nonsense kind of girl... we're in the middle of a war, and I don't intend to be on the list of prisoners."

Suki clung herself to Sokka. She'd been so worried that he was going to get hurt. She didn't want to hold him, but she couldn't help herself... Suki didn't have the strength to stop herself from loving him. She didn't want to leave his side ever again, for fear of all the dangers of war.

Misa glanced over at the girl clinging to the water tribe warrior. "mm... what a cutie..." Misa mumbled to herself.

"I think what my sister means is... we got arrested and then we had to fight our way out of a prison hold in the center of a military base... and now we've retreated here to hide away for a while."

"Fools! You'll lead them right to us!" Jitsang yelled, fighting to control his anger.

Misa shrugged, "Perhaps..."

Sokka thought that Suki would never want to see his face again, so when she grabbed him from behind, he was quite surprised. It was a welcomed gesture... it meant that she still cared. Sokka knew then that he would have to make a choice between Suki and the moon spirit... but he wasn't ready to give one up over the other... not yet.

"We won't be staying long... but we heard you guys intend to relocate within the next day or so, right?" Ganju asked.

Aang nodded, "Yeah. I'm thinking it will be tomorrow night... we won't stand out so easily and the night will shadow our movement."

"Good plan." Ganju complimented the Avatar.

Haru yawned, "Well... okay... I'm beat... I think I'll turn in early tonight."

"Yeah, me too..." Teo announced.

"Oh no... we don't have any place for you to sleep!" Katara realized, knowing that many were already sleeping on or with nothing.

Misa smiled warmly, "'Tis okay. Ganju and I will feel most comfortable sleeping in the meadow tonight... we'll keep a constant vigilance for Fire Nation scum."

The thought seemed to put the others at ease. As the group headed back, Sokka and Suki stayed behind. Misa jumped down from the tree.

"So this is your girl, huh?" Misa took Suki's chin, and examined her face up close, "She's so cute! Definitely a keeper!"

Suki slapped Misa's hand away, "Don't touch me! Next time you do, I'll kick your butt!"

Misa giggled, "Fiesty too, huh? Lovely..."

Ganju pulled his sister away from Suki, "Nice try, Sissy, but she isn't interested. You keep your mind out of the gutter."

Misa sighed, "Ah yes... well... you can't blame a girl for trying, no?"

Sokka's mouth dropped, "You're kidding, right?"

Misa winked playfully at him, "About what? Honestly, you are so peculiar, Water Tribe!"

Suki suddenly didn't feel so comfortable around the two idiot siblings... well... at least the girl was an idiot... okay, okay... maybe not an idiot per se... but mentally insane to say the least.

"You best head off then... big packing day tomorrow, yes? You'll need some rest to boost your energy!" Ganju told them.

Sokka nodded, taking Suki's hand into his own. They walked down the path together, Suki felt like something was out of place, but she couldn't place her finger on what it was.

The siblings watched the lovers fade from sight. "Misa..." Ganju asked his sister timidly, "Are you sure we're doing the right thing?"

"You're having second thoughts?"

"No... but..."

Misa's insane laughter started once more, but she suddenly became very serious and very scary, "We have a mission to accomplish, Ganju..." she pinned her brother to the tree, holding a knife to his throat, "And we're getting paid a lot of money for it... so if you get in my way... I won't hesitate to kill you."


Damn! It's like these people are born bad! Who said they thought Ganju and Misa were up to no good? You get brownie points!

Misa needs to be put in a straight jacket and placed in one of those comfy white-padded rooms lol XD

Another chapter down... the next one will be the last, just to forewarn everyone! Please Review happy thoughts so Misa won't go all psychopathic on you! :D