**I am so sorry about how long this has taken to get to you guys. A lot of personal stuff happened and when I came back I lost my muse in writing this story. So I stepped away and began work on other stories until I found the inspiration to come back. I have edited the first 10 chapters and posted them. I am already working on Chapter 12 which will be Day of Black Sun!

*Thank you to everyone who is still following and please let me know what you think...transition chapters are the hardest for me.

Chapter 11

Zuko found himself frowning as he left, yet another, long war meeting with his father and his finest generals. He had played the perfect prince once again but continued to find their droning monologues and tyrannical ideas both boring and disturbing. He walked the carpeted halls deep in thought before entering the expansive library on auto-piolet, having promised to retrieve a new book for Katara.

After making his selection of various Fire Nation horticultural books, he made his way down to the archives. For the past two days he had been doing some research of his own. After he and Katara made up, he wanted to find something that would not only please her but showed how much he cared about her.

The conversation she'd had with Azula ate at him the more he thought about it. As long as they stayed here in the capital with his father and sister she could never publicly be anything more than a slave. Thinking over his relationship with Katara he realized he wanted more than they were allowed to have…if he stayed here.

Everything came back to leaving, thoughts on these war meetings, Katara's yearning for her friends and family, their relationship. If he wanted her forever he couldn't dishonor her by keeping her as a mistress, he doubted another woman would even appeal to him. He knew what needed to be done, that's why he was in the back of the library.

Nearly an hour had passed as he sat in between the darkening shelves. A pile of scrolls littered the table where he sat with a single glowing lamp. His eyes skittered across each page trying to find some reference to his research. Time ticked forward as he reached again for yet another scroll…his eyes widened in surprise Finally! he thought as he read and reread the page. This was what he had been looking for.

Quickly he stood and blew out the lamp before rushing out the door, scroll in hand.

Zuko made his way back to his chambers thinking of the best way to share his news with Katara. He rounded the final corner with thoughts running ramped through his mind. There was so much to do and only a few days to do it in.

As he approached his door he caught sight of the edge of a cloak hidden behind the closest pillar. He pushed forward irritated that someone was spying on them, and curious if it was his father or sisters' doing. He'd bet his inheritance that it was Azula. This changed a few things.

Entering their rooms, he yelled out "Katara draw a bath. I'm exhausted from training today and need you to wash me." Katara came in from the courtyard with a confused irritated look upon her face. Zuko raised a finger to his lips before tapping his ear and pointing at the wall. Her eyebrows lifted and she nodded in understanding.

"Yes sir" she headed to the bathroom and drew the water. He followed her in and heated it before stripping down and slipping in. He motioned for her to do the same and within a few moments she was resting between his legs with her back against his chest.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?" she whispered.

"Someone has been spying on us...not sure if it's Azula's doing or my father's" he whispered back as he wrapped his arms around her. "I wanted to tell you about the meetings I've been attending" she perked up at his words, turning to look him in the eye.

"What happened?" she asked in a barely audible whisper.

"My father has been informing us of the Day of Black Sun. It'll be here in three days and he knows the rebels are planning an attack" Katara gasped but he continued on "he plans to leave guards by the docks as little more than a distraction and fodder for his cause.

"The entire palace will hide beneath the city in the hidden tunnels. We've been ordered to specific rooms. You and I will not be hiding" she stared at him in shock, anger seeping into her veins at the thought of being left as fodder. "We will be leaving while everyone else hides" he whispered into her ear.

"What? Really?" she turned around to face him, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist. This is what he hoped for, for her to want him to go with her…he just hoped when they were free that she'd stay with him.

"Yes, everyone will be distracted and I promised you that you weren't my prisoner. I want to help Aang; Katara I know he needs to master firebending and I want to teach him." He lowered his gaze diverting his eyes from hers "I've made a lot of mistakes but the Avatar needs to bring down my father, it's the right thing to do" his voice trailed off as he spoke. Katara wrapped her arms around him and kissed him deeply.

"Thank you Zuko" she said as she kissed him thoroughly. He met her passion for a few moments before pulling back.

"One last thing, I want to make a stop before we meet up with Aang" she looked at him with a puzzled expression "I found the general who killed your mother and I thought you'd want to go...beforehand." he let his words hang in the air and she stared at him with wide eyes before devouring his mouth with her own, molding her body to his, and rocking her hips to slip him between her folds.

Sokka stepped down from the podium to allow his father to finish explaining their plan of attack, his nervousness overwhelming him. He felt like a failure for not being able to share his plan properly, the one he had been working on for months. Ashamed with his head hanging low, he made his way to sit with Toph and Aang. "Don't be so hard on yourself Sokka, public speaking is challenging for everyone." Sokka shrugged at Aang as he sulked in his seat.

"Eh I think speeches are over rated. We all know what we're supposed to do. You and me are going to find and free Katara while twinkle toes takes out the Fire Lord. Pretty easy seeing as we've got those palace maps. She'll be held in the princes' chambers, right?" the others agreed "Then it'll be easy as pie, we may even have time to come and help you twinkle toes" she laughed, feeling confident in her abilities to take down Zuko and any guards with the sun blocked.

"Toph you need to remember, though Zuko won't have his powers for about ten minutes doesn't mean he's an easy target. He's very skilled with swords and hand to hand combat. I know you will have the advantage of your bending but it won't guarantee anything. Plus, we are hoping Katara will be in those chambers…who knows where he might keep her." Aang visually shuddered at the horrific thoughts that plagued his mind. He was worried about Katara and how much she had been through…all for helping him.

Unfortunately, he could not help rescue her. He needed to use this time to his advantage and take down Ozai. They had argued about it several times, but in the end, he knew they were right…Katara could not be his priority. One person over thousands was not justifiable.

"Oh, twinkle toes I could take Zuko without a breaking a sweat, you'll see" she said before laughing wildly at her own joke. Sokka and Aang gave each other skeptical looks but didn't comment further.

Katara laid curled in Zuko's arms discussing what they needed to pack in hushed whispers. Both agreed to pack as light as possible with mats, food, and very little clothes. They would take the scrolls he'd found in the library to track the sea raven's logs. "Katara" Zuko started after laying in silence for a few minutes stroking her hair.

"Hmmm?" she asked.

"I want to free my uncle and bring him with us" she looked up into his golden eyes.

"I think that'd be a great idea. How will we get him out and escape within under ten minutes?"

"Well, I've been thinking I'm going to tell my father I'm leaving. Wait, let me explain" he took a deep breathe "I want to tell him why I'm leaving and during the eclipse will be my only chance. It'll only take a few moments then I'll hurry back here and we can climb to the roofs. They'll never suspect we'd go to the prison to help him escape. After that we can take one of the war balloons and go to find Yon Rha." Katara was silent for a minute before she nodded.

"Okay Zuko, if that's what you want to do. I'll follow you" she leaned up and kissed his cheek. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and drew her close to his chest. He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead before resting his cheek upon her head. Both of them were nervous about the days to come, there was a lot to do and not very much time to accomplish everything.

"What do you mean I can't storm the beach with you? You're making me stay back with the kids? This was my plan!" Sokka shouted at his father "I've earned the right to fight by your side!"

"Sokka I want you to lead the others in a second wave attack. I'm not keeping you out of the fight, I just need you to surprise the soldiers. We will lose a lot of men in the first wave, we won't be able to get through initially but with your team following behind us we will over take them. It'll be a surprise to them when they think they've weakened us."

"But…but…" Sokka was angry and though the plan made sense he couldn't help feeling slighted and forced back to stay safe.

"Enough Sokka, my decision is final. You, the avatar, and the other's will follow a few minutes behind us. I expect you to take out those towers and help us march through the front gates. It'll give you enough time to get in and find Katara. She is your priority. Aang's is the Fire Lords. There isn't time for personal glory with such a short window of opportunity" he clasped his hand on his son's shoulder. "You've already made me proud, you are a warrior and have gone above and beyond to prove your worth to our tribe. Now I want you to bring your sister home, who knows what has happened to her."

"I'll bring her back dad. Don't worry, I won't mess up again" Sokka said in a clipped tone as he internally berated himself for losing her in the first place. He could see the angst and worry in his father's eyes as he stared off, clearly envisioning the worst for his baby sister. He could only hope that she was alright…but that was best case scenario, for all they knew she could very well be dead.

Aang was meditating atop Appa when Sokka exited his father's tent. He was trying to center himself each day and prepare to take on the Fire Lord. Sokka stood to the side and watched him, wondering how on earth a passive kid like him was going to kill the Fire Lord when he couldn't swat a fly. He shook his head and headed to his tent.

"What's wrong Captain Boomerang?" Toph's voice cut through the dark startling him from his darkening thoughts.

"Nothing" he sighed pulling back the tent flap.

"Come on it's me…not your sister and definitely not twinkle toes. I'll tell ya like it is, what's on your mind?" Sokka seemed to contemplate her words before huffing and plopping down next to her.

"I'm worried about the battle. We're going to lose a lot of people just to get through the gates, we aren't certain of where Katara is, and we're counting on a passive monk in training to kill the Fire Lord. What could possibly go wrong?" he huffed.

"Sokka" she sighed "this is war, you always lose people in war there's no way around that. You know the best place to look is Zuko's chambers, remember we overheard those soldiers gossiping about the Prince's personal servant that he kept locked up. The most logical place would be his part of the palace." Sokka sighed knowing she was right. "As for twinkle toes…I honestly don't know if he'll pull it off. But while we're there we can at least save Katara and take out some of his personal guard…maybe even Zuko!"

That seemed to cheer Sokka up, he wanted to get back at the two-faced Fire Nation prince who had held his sister captive the last few months. "Thanks, Toph, I think I'm gonna get some rest while I can."

"Any time Snoozles, any time" she laughed before hitting the ground and disappearing into her own earthen tent.