Sorry these have been taking so much longer than usual for me. It's been giving me trouble and my free time is becoming less and less... uh... existent. But here it is, at long last. Now the fun begins.

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar

CHAPTER 10

The Southern Distillery and the Northern Distillery were very similar. They were both composed of numerous separate buildings heaped together rather haphazardly. The Northern Distillery, however, was quite a bit larger, and instead of being arranged on one side of the river, it was spread out on both sides. A network of bridges, truck bridges and foot bridges alike, crisscrossed the river within the boundaries of the distillery.

The Northern Distillery almost seemed like a small city to Aang. Everyone seemed to know Katara. The Riversiders were like one big family, something Aang could relate to. The Aces had been the same way.

After a while they gave up on trying to find Sokka. Katara led Aang to a shallower part of the river beneath one of the foot bridges to waterbend. Appa splashed around nearby. When waterbending, Katara and Aang both went barefoot and rolled their pants up to their knees. Katara would strip down to the tank top she wore beneath her shirt. Aang would do away with a shirt completely. It was one of the only times, apart from sleeping, that he wouldn't wear his hat.

The water was high and rushing from the rain that had only stopped a few minutes before they arrived. Katara had taught Aang a great deal of waterbending already, and he was progressing fast. It hadn't taken her long to master it, and he was easily matching her pace. Though he was rather difficult to teach at times. He was always eager to learn, but he was easily distracted and clearly preferred airbending.

The two of them had only been practicing for a short while when something of greater interest roamed into view.

"Aang, shh, look," Katara hissed suddenly, dropping the water back into the river and grabbing his arm. It took her a moment to remember he wasn't wearing a shirt. She blushed and let go of him, hastily putting a few feet between them. He smiled at her, looking politely confused. She shook her head and pointed up at the nearest bridge. Sokka and Yue were crossing, talking quietly.

Aang had never seen Yue before. She had dark skin like Katara, but her hair was what caught his attention. It wasn't dark like most Riversiders, it was white. Sokka said something that made her laugh and she placed a hand on his arm. A moment later when they continued walking, Sokka tripped on his own feet and fell out of sight. Aang and Katara burst out laughing.

"You were right, he does make an idiot of himself around her," Aang laughed, wiping his eyes.

"You should hear him talking to her, it's better than a free screening of The Jazz Singer," Katara replied, placing a hand on his arm to steady herself while she worked her giggles out. Aang immediately slipped on the river bottom and went splashing head-first into the cold water.

0000000

"So who's that boy your sister was walking around with?" Yue asked, taking a seat on the river bank toward the north end of the distillery.

Sokka sat down beside her, tossing some grass into the water and watching it flow with the current.

"His name's Aang," Sokka replied. "He's an Ace."

"Really?" Yue glanced at him, surprised. "I thought they were all killed."

"We thought so too," he nodded. "But then we found him."

"He likes Katara."

"Don't remind me."

Yue laughed. "I've missed you two, you should come around more often," she said quietly.

"Okay," Sokka blurted immediately. "I mean… I will. Katara might uh… be busy, though. Would it be okay if it was just me?"

Yue turned and looked at him for a few seconds. He shifted nervously under her gaze. She smiled. "Yeah, it'd be okay," she said quietly.

He looked at her in surprise. She turned and looked back at the river, blushing faintly.

"Yue, I have to ask you…"

She held up a hand to stop him. "I really shouldn't be spending time with you," she blurted.

Sokka frowned. "What?"

"I'm sorry, Sokka," she sighed. "I shouldn't be leading you on."

"Leading me on?" Sokka repeated quietly. He looked down. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I mean… a guy like me with a beautiful girl like you…"

He didn't get a chance to say anything else, because Yue chose that moment to throw caution to the wind and grabbed Sokka by the back of the head, drawing his mouth swiftly to hers. Several moments later when she pulled away, Sokka looked as though he was going to fall into the river.

"Okay… now I'm really confused," he admitted after a lengthy silence. "Happy, but confused."

"I'm spoken for, Sokka," Yue sighed. "I'm engaged."

"Engaged," Sokka repeated tonelessly. "You're engaged."

She nodded miserably.

"Do you want to be engaged?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Well… he comes from a good family and my father says it's the reasonable thing to…"

"That's not what I asked you."

She didn't answer. He sighed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay, okay… that's fine," he said, sounding tired. "We can still be friends, can't we?"

Yue smiled sadly. "I'd like that," she sighed. "I'm so sorry, Sokka…"

"It's not your fault," he said with a smile. Yue frowned.

"What's that?" she asked, leaning over to get a better look at the river. Sokka did the same, eyes narrowing. Something upstream was darkening the water. It looked like motor oil…

"Oh no…" he muttered, jumping to his feet. He grabbed Yue's hand and pulled her up beside him. "Where's your father?"

"What? I don't know," Yue said, bewildered. "What's going on?"

"Sokka!"

Sokka turned to find Aang and Katara racing toward him, both dripping wet. They were both barefoot, Aang was shirtless, and Katara was down to a tank top. Their bare legs were stained black.

"Sokka, it's… they're…" Katara panted, pointing at her legs. "What do we do?"

"What's going on?" Aang asked loudly.

"That's what I'd like to know," Yue added.

"This happened once before at the Southern Distillery," Sokka said darkly.

"What is it?" Yue asked, crouching down to look at Katara's legs.

"Motor oil," Katara replied nervously.

"The Dragons aren't attacking our distillery," Sokka sighed. "They're attacking here."

Aang and Yue fell silent.

"Yue, where's your father?" Sokka asked again.

"Come on, follow me," she said quickly, grabbing Sokka's elbow and racing off toward the bar. Katara took a deep, settling breath and closed her eyes.

"You okay?" Aang asked quietly, hesitantly touching her shoulder.

"It's just like last time," she said under her breath. "Except I still had my mother then."

"Well this time you've got me," Aang blurted before he could stop himself. Katara looked up at him. He flushed in embarrassment. She moved forward in the blink of an eye, pulling him into a hug.

"Katara…" he muttered, blushing even more. "I'm all covered in oil…"

"So am I, what's your point?"

Aang smiled. "Come on, we left our clothes by the foot bridge," he said quietly.

"Oh, right, let's go."

0000000

When Katara and Aang got to the bar, no longer up to their waists in motor oil, Sokka was already addressing Arnook and Pakku.

"They dump motor oil in the river before they attack," he was saying quietly.

"Why? It just gives them away," Arnook replied. "Gives us time to prepare."

"The oil makes it harder to bend the river water," Katara said quickly. Pakku and Arnook looked over at her. She sighed and looked down. "They alert us to their presence, but they take away our best weapon."

"You can't bend at all?" Arnook asked darkly.

"You still can," Pakku corrected quietly. "It just makes it very difficult, especially if they coat the whole river with the stuff."

"We don't have a lot of time," Sokka said quickly. "They'll probably come down the river in boats, that's what they did six years ago."

"Alright, let's get ready then," Arnook sighed. "Get everyone together. I want every single Riversider in the center hall in three minutes. Go!"

The bar emptied around them. Yue sat down abruptly, and Katara took a seat beside her.

"Kind of hard to take in, isn't it?" Katara said quietly, placing a comforting hand on the older girl's back.

"Yeah."

Aang looked down at Appa, tail swishing back and forth over the floor. "I'm taking Appa back to the room. I'll meet you guys at the center hall."

"Hurry back," Katara said quietly as he left.

"Come on," Sokka said after a few moments of silence. "We'd better go."

Aang jogged back over the river while everyone else was racing the other way. The atmosphere felt familiar and it was making him nervous. The dormitories were completely empty by the time he got there. He opened the door to their room, just two cots and a bed with their bags lying on the floor.

"You stay here, okay Buddy?"

Appa barked and sat down on Sokka's bed. Aang smiled.

"Good boy."

He closed the door behind him and made his way slowly back across the river.

0000000

Zuko and Iroh stood on a street corner at the north end of town, watching the motor oil drift down the river.

"I don't understand," Zuko said flatly. "I thought he was going to attack the Southern Distillery so he could get the Avatar."

"Zhao may not appear to be so, but he is a clever strategist," Iroh said slowly, eyes following the course of a bubble in the oil. "The Southern Distillery will have gotten wind of the attack. From what I know of Hakoda, he is very protective of his children. He probably sent them somewhere safe. And his daughter's boyfriend would be sure to join them."

"The Avatar is at the Northern Distillery," Zuko finished for him. "And Zhao actually asked for your help?"

Iroh nodded. "And I accepted," he replied tiredly. "Because he thinks you skipped town."

"How did that happen exactly?"

"You know… I actually have no idea. I think the Chopper Boys started a rumor by mistake."

"I suppose we should use it to our advantage."

"It's your decision."

Zuko sighed. "Okay, let's make a plan."

0000000

"Katara…"

"Shh, Aang, Arnook is talking."

Aang glanced around quickly. Katara, Sokka, and Yue were all sitting in the back of the center hall. Arnook was telling everyone what was happening. He had just finished explaining what Pakku and Katara had told him about the motor oil and moved on to naming Hahn as the leader of a special team. Aang sighed and placed a hand on Katara's back.

"Katara," he whispered again. She looked at him, slightly surprised. "I need to talk to you." Katara watched him for only a moment longer before she got to her feet and took his hand, pulling him out of the center hall.

"What's wrong?" she asked quietly once they were outside. "Are you okay?"

"Katara…" he sighed, eyes glued to his feet. "I'm the Avatar."

"I know," Katara smiled a little, perplexed.

"It's just… this is what I'm here for, isn't it?" he said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "To… I dunno… resolve conflicts like this."

"I suppose," she murmured, beginning to understand where his train of thought was going. "But this isn't your responsibility, Aang."

"What if they switched the attack to here because I'm here?" he blurted.

Katara opened her mouth to respond but wasn't sure what to say. "I hadn't thought of that," she admitted quietly.

"I'm just burdening everyone," he sighed. "Maybe they'd call off the attack if I turned myself over."

All of a sudden her hands were on his shoulders, trying to bring his focus back to her. "Don't say that," she whispered. He still stared at his shoes, so she slid her hands up from his shoulders to the sides of his face, turning him to look at her. "You're not going anywhere."

"But I'm putting everyone in danger."

"Who's to say they're not here for me and Sokka?" Katara replied, smiling gently. "Plenty of high ranking Dragons would pay through the nose for Hakoda's Kids."

Aang took her wrists and pulled her hands from his face. "I suppose that's possible," he admitted, glancing away from her again.

"Aang, don't worry," Katara said, taking hold of his shoulders again. "Nobody expects you to be anything more than Aang today."

"Thanks, Katara," Aang sighed, smiling a little. "But I expect more from myself. I'm not going to be unconscious in the cellar this time. I'm… I'm gonna make a difference… this time…"

Katara looked at him steadily as he dropped his gaze to the ground again. She smiled and stepped closer to him, straightening his hat. He glanced up at her.

"Hold onto that, okay?" she said quietly. He smiled.

"Okay."

The two of them reentered the center hall as quietly as they could. Sokka was fuming in his seat, and Yue looked terribly embarrassed, not to mention miserable.

"What happened?" Katara hissed at her brother.

"Oh nothing," Sokka muttered mutinously. "I just pointed out that Hahn is a moron, so I'm not allowed to fight. Apparently Arnook has some special assignment for me."

"Sokka…" Katara sighed, shaking her head.

"What? I'm right," he growled.

Yue buried her face in her hands, groaning.

"Embarrassed for your fiancé?" Sokka said through gritted teeth. Yue scowled at him. Aang and Katara froze.

"You're engaged to Hahn?" Katara whispered doubtfully.

Yue groaned again. "Can we talk about this later?"

Suddenly, the hall was emptying around them.

"Oh great," Sokka sighed, getting to his feet and marching to the front of the hall. Yue remained in her seat, scowling. Aang and Katara exchanged a mystified glance before getting up and following Sokka.

"What do you want me to do?" Sokka asked flatly as he approached Arnook.

Arnook looked at him in confusion. "Something wrong, Sokka?"

"You're not letting me fight," he replied tonelessly. "I'm one of Hakoda's Kids, Chief Arnook. I'm the best."

"I know," Arnook said lightly. "I have a more important assignment for you." He glanced toward the back of the room where Yue was still glowering. "I want you to protect my daughter."

Sokka started. "What?"

"She's not a waterbender or a fighter like your sister," Arnook said quietly. Katara grinned and pretended to brush her shoulders off. Aang laughed. "She was never meant to be a bootlegger. I need you to watch out for her."

Sokka glanced back at Yue, still fuming in her seat. "Okay," he sighed.

"So you're a fighter, huh?" Aang laughed.

"Hey, I may be small, but I'm scrappy," Katara replied, smirking.

"So what do you need us to do?" Aang asked Arnook.

"Well… your father sent you here to be safe, so maybe it would be best if you stayed in your room."

"No," Katara said instantly. "We're here, we're going to help."

Arnook smiled, shaking his head. "That's what I thought you'd say," he sighed. "Well, the two of you can help Pakku and the other waterbenders. With all that motor oil in the river, we'll need all the help we can get."

Katara nodded. "Okay," she said simply, turning to Aang. "Looks like we get to put your waterbending to practical use."

"Don't worry about it, you're a great teacher," he replied lightly as he turned and headed for the door. She smiled and followed him.

Sokka moved to the back of the hall and sat back down next to Yue.

"So I'm supposed to babysit you," he said flatly.

Yue glared at him. "How can you babysit me when we're the same age?"

Sokka sighed. "Fine, your dad told me to protect you."

Yue looked down. "Well… I don't mind spending time with you," she murmured.

Sokka glanced at her. He sighed again. "Yue…"

"Look, I'm not married yet," she snapped. "I can still… enjoy being with you, can't I?"

Sokka couldn't stop himself from smiling a little. "Come on, let's go find a safe place to watch."

Yue nodded. "I know where we can go."

0000000

Katara and Aang stood on the river bank, looking down into the muck that was once clear water. Katara sighed and looked up at the other side. It was a very wide river and would probably accommodate a lot of Dragons in their boats. This was a full scale invasion of the Northern Distillery.

"This is gross," Aang said flatly.

Katara nodded. "It messes up the river for weeks," she muttered. "Kills all sorts of wildlife, too."

"Is there any way to get rid of it?" Aang wondered aloud.

"Yeah, but it takes a while," she sighed. "We'll basically have to clean the river by hand. But there's no time for that now. Right now we have to get used to waterbending with polluted water."

Aang nodded and Katara settled into her stance. She closed her eyes, reaching for the water. It came rather slowly, moving sluggishly through the air. She looked at the water suspended between her hands and grimaced. The water was dark and murky. It was difficult to manipulate. Aang attempted to pull water from the river for himself, but he couldn't even get it up the bank.

"This is gonna be tough," Aang sighed. Katara smiled gently and passed the water she already had to Aang.

"Practice with that," she said lightly, pulling more water from the river. She twisted it in her hands, slowly pulling the oil away. She sighed again. "I hate this."

"It's not that bad," Aang muttered, concentrating on his water. "It just takes some getting used to." He moved one of his hands too fast and the water dropped to the ground, getting oil all over his shoes.

Katara tossed her own water back into the river and looked out at the oily mess.

"I don't think we're ready for this," she sighed. Aang didn't reply. Moments later, however, he gasped.

"Look."

Katara glanced upriver. A single river boat was emerging from the evening gloom.

"There's just one?" Aang asked quietly. Katara shook her head. "Oh." The next boat appeared, followed by another… and another…

"We're in trouble."