Here's the next chapter. It's a little shorter than others so sorry about that. I hope you enjoy this chapter though. Read and Review, and thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter. You all rock! =)

The sun was in the center of the sky and we'd been walking for almost a day now. We were tired, but with the thought of almost reaching Ba Sing Se we kept trudging on. Uncle promised us we were getting close when we started to walk by a large river. There were more trees in the region we'd arrived in so we had a lot more shade from the sun than back in the desert. The shade was beautiful compared to what we faced before.

"I guess having Appa fly us around has made me lazy," Kale said between the two of us. "I'm not used to all these blisters on my feet."

I smiled weakly. "Yeah... I miss that guy already. I hope he and the gang aren't lost in the desert."

"They'll be fine," Kale promised. "Aang's a pretty good guide. They'll find their way out if they do."

We eventually reached a tunnel like passage near the river that seemed to go very deep into a dark cave. It almost reminded me of that tunnel we got stuck in a few weeks ago with Oma and Shu. Would we be walking aimlessly around again? Last thing I wanted was to be stuck in another cave in.

"This is the entrance to Full Moon Bay," Uncle reassured, when he saw the three of us hesitate at the entrance. "It will take us straight to the port."

"Why is it so… secret?" I asked, looking around for any sign saying Full Moon Bay or This way to earth kingdom.

Uncle answered, "They make it so it's hidden from the fire nation."

Kale smirked. "Yet you know about it."

"There are many things I know," Uncle confirmed, then started to head inside the tunnel. The three of us looked at one another unsure, but eventually Zuko shrugged and began to follow Iroh into the dark tunnel. Kale and I walked behind him, and as we got deeper and deeper in the pitch black cold rocky earth, we finally saw a small shine of light.

Approaching the light, we saw a line of torches on the rocky wall lighting the rest of the path. At the very end of the path we found an Earth Kingdom soldier standing guard against the wall of the end of the tunnel. We'd reached a dead end!

"State your business," the soldier ordered. He'd tightened his fists in case he needed to fight.

We all stopped when we got close enough and I could see the soldier's eyes dart between the four of us with suspicion.

Uncle stepped forward and answered, "We've come to seek refuge."

The soldier stared at the four of us for another second, till finally he shrugged and turned knocking on the wall behind him. There seemed to be a pause, till suddenly the ground below us began to shake and we stumbled a bit. Then the wall behind the soldier lowered and we were gestured forward. He said as we passed, "Watch your step travelers."

Stepping on the other side of the wall, my eyes widened horror.

We were in a giant cave towering almost thirty feet above us. The stone platform we were on stretched almost a hundred yards. There was a giant stone wall at the end of the platform where I assumed the boarding area for the ferry was. That's not what made my eyes widen though. What made my eyes widen was the four hundred men, women, and children waiting to catch a ferry. Some had set up tents, while others were seated in circles with the only supplies they had. Some were hunched over crying, while others were begging for food.

The fire nation had caused so many people to suffer. It broke my heart seeing so many damaged men and women.

A hand gently took my arm to urge me forward. I looked over to see Zuko was the owner. He had noticed my feet falter and my body tense. "There's nothing you can do for them," he said, knowing what was going through my mind. I hung my head knowing he was right. I moved along, and he released me when he saw I was following again.

Eventually Uncle led us over to a lady seated on a high chair with a desk in front of her. Taking out the passports in his shirt sleeve, he handed them to the lady who looked at the passports then down at us. "Mushi, Lee, Han, and Raina… You all may board the next ferry."

At the name Han, Kale's mouth almost dropped. When we got our tickets and started to head over to the departing deck on the other side of the giant stone wall, I heard Kale say, "Han… What kind of a name is Han?"

Frowning, I said, "At least your name doesn't sound like the weather. Might as well call me Raina Stormy..."

Zuko looked back at us with a smirk. "I don't feel bad for my name anymore after hearing yours. I'll take Lee over those two any day."

"I think Han and Raina are perfect names," Uncle Iroh defended as we reached the other side of the wall where already people were boarding a large wooden ferry. "They suit you two well."

"So what exactly is our story, if anyone does happen to ask?" I asked. "We can't just spout out were running from the Fire Nation because were traitors."

Uncle answered, "Already planned! We all come from a village that was conquered by the Fire Nation. We managed to escape and made our way here. You and Zuko are brother and sister, I am your uncle, and Kale is a family friend. We just have to remember not to give anyone our real names. I'm sure were all starting to be known in these parts."

"Why did I have to have a fake name?" Kale asked. "No one cares about m-"

"Don't think so low of yourself Kale. You're names starting to be known everywhere as well. I heard from The White Lotus that there are posters popping up with a bounty on your head too," Uncle said. "The Fire Nation wants you in prison as much as Amber. It comes with being a traitor of the Fire Nation."

"Oh…" Kale said, and I could see this news somewhat made him guilty. He knew he was doing good, but he also must've felt he let his dad and brother down.

Smiling at him with reassurance, I said, "You chose the right path, Kale."

He smiled back at me knowing I was right.

Finally we reached the line for the next ferry. After waiting a good thirty minutes, we boarded onto the vessel and began to blend in with the crowd of refugees. As we mingled with the men, women, and children on the boat we came to learn a lot of them were kicked out of their homes by the Fire Nation, or forced to flee from fires set by soldiers. At the thought of the fire nation setting homes on fire I frowned even more. Why did fire have to be used for so much violence? Why did the Fire Nation have to act like heartless savages? I felt nothing but sympathy toward each man and woman I spoke to.

An hour later the ferry began to leave Full Moon Bay, and the four of us stood against the railing of the ship watching as the port grew smaller and smaller till all we saw was a small line of land in the distance. We were on open water now, and there was no going back. We were on our way to Ba Sing Se.

After a good thirty minutes of standing against the rail, an Earth Kingdom soldier walked by and handed us each a bowl of soup for lunch. It reminded me of the soup back at the Earth Bender prison when Haru, Katara, and I were prisoners. Cringing at the familiar food, I placed it on the ferry railing and pushed it aside in disgust. I didn't feel like reliving my past.

"Who would have thought, after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace...as a tourist!" We all looked over with disbelief to see Uncle put a straw hat decorated with flowers on his head. Kale laughed while I looked at him with question. Where did he get that thing?

Zuko scowled. "Look around you, we're not tourist, we're refugees!" He took a sip of the food I should have warned him about and spat it out with disgust. "Ugh! I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt… I'm tired of living like this."

"Aren't we all?" a voice suddenly said. A voice I never thought I'd ever have to hear again. Immediately my body grew stiff and I felt my heart pound hard. My mind took me back to a few months ago. To the time when the owner of that voice tried to kill me and I was lucky to have Sokka save me in enough time.

Jet looked at me with fury. "No! You're supposed to be dead!"

Glaring at him, I said, "Sorry to burst your bubble."

Oh my gosh! If Jet found out it was me he'd try to kill me again. Not to mention he'd grow suspicious of Iroh and Zuko. Just to take a small glance so I could confirm my fears, I hid my face behind my hair as I looked over at the owner of the voice. Jet stood about ten feet away, the girl Smellerbee and the boy Longshot with him. Immediately I looked away and tried to keep my trembling body under control. Please don't recognize me! Please!

"What's wrong?" Kale asked softly, touching my shoulder with concern. My ears stayed alert as Jet started to talk to my brother and Uncle about stealing food from the captain.

"It's him…" I said low enough for Kale to hear.

"Him?"

"The one I told you about," I answered. "The one who tried to kill me a few months ago… Jet."

When I looked over to meet Kale's eyes I saw his eyes were wide with at first horror, and then they narrowed as he grit his teeth with rage. "I'll kill him," Kale hissed. He touched his sword ready to protect me.

Immediately I grabbed his arm with my blood going cold. "You can't!" I insisted low enough for only Kale to hear. "As long as he doesn't know who I am, then he'll leave me alone. There's no use in getting revenge. It will get us nowhere." Kale seemed to at first want to argue, but then he relaxed and sighed giving in. His hand left the hilt of his sword in defeat.

"Hey… You coming too?" Jet suddenly asked Kale, and it was then I felt his presence right behind me. I tried not to tense, but I couldn't help but stop breathing.

Kale remained calm and turned to face Jet. "No… I think I'm going to sit this out. I don't want to steal. I'd rather eat the muck they already serve us."

"It's not stealing," Jet defended. "It's surviving. You'd be helping out tons of people."

"Well in that case…" Kale began, "My answers still no. Like I said before... I have no desire to thief around." If I wasn't so scared right now I'd have laughed.

A brief pause passed, till suddenly I heard Jet speak again. "How about you… You want to help?" It took a second for me to realize who Jet was talking to. Then I realized it was me.

What should I say? If Jet hears my voice he'll definitely know it's me. My heart rate increased again as I searched for a way of escape.

"Raina hasn't been feeling well since we left our village. I think she'll probably want to sit this one out too," Kale said. "You'll do fine without us."

There was another pause till finally Jet said, "Alright… Come on guys. We need to formulate a plan." As they started to walk away, I looked over to see Zuko follow them. I noticed Smellerbee and Longshot were with Jet. They must've left the freedom fighters to go their own separate ways... Or maybe, the kids Jet was with decided he was a horrible leader and threw him out.

Zuko looked back at me with question as he followed the group and I smiled reassuringly letting him know I was okay. When they turned the corner of the ferry disappearing on the other side, I finally relaxed.

To my surprise tears poured down my eyes as I could finally breathe again.

"I know who you are. Silly Katara told me everything last night Princess."

Jet scared me… a lot. Even more than the Fire Lord scared me. If Jet found out it was me, he'd hurt me. He'd hurt me bad. The thought terrified me even more. I knew I could probably take him if he did attack, but I also feared he too had grown stronger. He also had his hook swords with him, which made me ten times more uncomfortable.

Uncle suddenly placed a comforting hand on my shoulder saying, "From the way you reacted to that young man, I'm assuming you've met him before."

Wincing at the memories, I said, "He tried to kill me… I'm not very excited about seeing him again."

My Uncle's eyes widened by what I said, but he could tell I didn't really want to talk about it. Instead we remained silent as we found a nice spot on deck to sit on. A few hours passed, and as they went the three of us just made idle chit chat. Uncle and I were worried about Zuko, especially since he was doing something that could possibly get him thrown off the ferry. At least the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, so that meant by the time Zuko and the others returned Jet wouldn't be able to see my face.

Almost five hours passed of sitting on deck, and I was beginning to worry about Zuko as it got darker. Was he okay? Jet better not have hurt him. The thought made me grit my teeth with rage. If Jet hurt my brother then I'd be the one to kill him. He could tie me to a dam and try to blow me up, but hurting my brother would earn him some pain.

The moon's rays soon became the only source of light on this crowded ferry. People huddled in circles talking as the ferry we were on continued to trail across the bay. The cold moist air sent shivers through my body and I pulled my knees close trying to get warm. Luckily the fire inside me didn't make me as cold as everyone else.

"I wonder what they're doing…" Kale said, resting his chin in his hand. "They've been gone for hours."

Sighing, I pulled my knees tighter to my chest. "Whatever it is, I hope Zuko's okay."

Uncle, who sat cross legged in front of me, sighed. "Your brother will be fine…I just had hoped his thievery days were over. I guess I was wrong."

Kale was curious by Iroh's words. "What do you mean by that?"

"He used to rob wealthy travelers during our time in hiding," Uncle began. "When I voiced my feelings on the matter with him that's when he left me."

Rolling my eyes, I muttered, "He's stubborn."

"Yes… Very stubborn," Uncle agreed. "And I fear he may always be that way."

Footsteps suddenly approached then and looking up I saw with relief Zuko, Smellerbee, and Longshot headed over to us. Zuko held some containers in his hand. Immediately I looked away when they sat across from me, and I tried to cover my face with my hair as much as I could. The two Freedom Fighters would recognize me quickly. I knew Longshot wouldn't hurt me, but Smellerbee was swift with her knife.

As Zuko passed the containers of food around to us, I saw past my hair he was staring at me with question as he handed me my food. Taking the food, I looked away not wanting to speak. If I spoke Smellerbee would know and lunge at me. That girl could really hurt you, especially with her knife.

As we began to eat the rather tasty food that Jet and his gang had gathered, I heard Uncle ask, "So, what brings a bunch of kids like you here?"

Smellerbee calmly answered, "We we're forced out of our home by the Fire Nation. We decided to go to Ba Sing Sei and start a new life. We've all done things were not proud of, and we want to have a fresh start."

Immediately I resisted the urge to scowl. Fresh start huh? Was that decided after they tried to kill me?

"I hear Ba Sing Se's good for that kind of thing. A fresh start is something everyone needs," Uncle said. Then after another brief pause he asked, "I never caught your names by the way?"

Smellerbee answered, "My name's Smellerbee, and this hear is Longshot."

"Smellerbee… That's an interesting name for a young man," Iroh said.

Just as Smellerbee went to snap at Uncle, I laughed cutting her off, unable to believe Uncle thought she was a boy. Everyone looked at me with surprise, seeing as it was the first sound I'd made all night. Quickly I covered my mouth and looked away, but I caught Smellerbee and Longshot's attention. Oh crap.

"Hey… Do we know you?" Smellerbee suddenly asked. She leaned forward trying to see behind the shadow of my hair.

Immediately I looked down trying to hide my face more, my eyes wide as I realized how stupid I'd just been. "Um… No…" I said, praying she wouldn't recognize my voice. "We've never met."

Kale immediately drew attention away, saying, "Smellerbee's a girl Mushi… I think that's what Raina was trying to point out."

Glancing over at Uncle, I saw he looked ashamed and apologized immediately. Smellerbee just shrugged it off, but I could feel her heated gaze on me. She was trying to see my face. She felt she knew me, and I could tell she knew I knew her. This would be a problem. The longer Smellerbee stared was a greater chance of her figuring out who I really was.

"From what I heard people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se," Jet suddenly said, taking a seat beside Longshot and right in front of me. He held his own bowl of food in his hand. Immediately I dropped my gaze even more. The boy who tried to kill me was seated right in front of me. "I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall."

"It is a magnificent sight," Uncle commented.

"So you've been there before?" Jet asked, curious to know.

"Once… When I was a different man," Uncle said with regret.

"I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of. But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se, for a new beginning. A second chance," Jet said.

A second chance...

He didn't deserve a second chance! He was a cruel and heartless kid who only wanted to kill!

Instead of laughing at Jets lies, this time I scowled and slammed my bowl of food down. Standing, I went to leave. I couldn't take Jet's bluffs and crap anymore. If I stayed I'd probably fry him right where he sat. That wouldn't be good for the others so I decided to just walk away.

"Am- Raina… Where are you going?" Zuko asked, quickly covering up my real name.

Trying not to show my rage, I said with my back to the group and a leveled voice. "I need to stretch my muscles… I've been sitting too long." Just as I went to leave, I glanced back at Jet to see if he had caught on. His eyes stared straight at me, and I knew he was suspicious. Without saying another word, I quickly walked away hoping Jet wouldn't follow.

Walking past the happy refugees who ate their stolen food with pleasure, I walked over to the railing on the boat and looked down at the dark waters below. My blood was pulsing through my veins as I boiled with fury. So Jet wasn't proud of what he did, huh? Well he shouldn't be! First he tries to kill a whole village, and then he tries to kill me! There's no telling how many people he's actually killed! Jet shouldn't be proud! He should be ashamed!

"People can change," my heart tried to say.

My gut shouted, "Not Jet… That murderous monster will never change!"

Gripping the railing hard, I tried to contain the fire that so longed to escape me. Jet could have a second chance all he wanted, but I'd always remember him for what he was in the past. He was a murderous monster who only cared about revenge. He was no better than Zhao, Azula, or my father.

"But Zuko changed…" my heart spoke again. "So maybe Jet changed too."

Growling, I clutched my head as I tried to battle with my heart and my thoughts. How could I trust Jet's words, when he's lied before? He promised not to hurt me and in the end tried to kill me. How do I know he's really changed?

With a hard sigh, I calmed and managed to cool down. Turning, I started to head back, deciding avoiding Jet wouldn't solve the problem. Kale was probably worried, and I didn't want to worry him anymore. Plus I was starving. I hoped my food was still there.

As I walked back to the other side of the ferry, I was just passing a stairwell that led up into the control room and other parts of the ferry. Something grabbed my forearm from the shadow of the stairwell and as I tried to scream a hand covered my mouth quickly. Soon a warm arm was wrapped around my body locking my arms to my side and restraining me from escape.

Struggling, I kicked and let out a muffled scream as I was pulled back into the darkness of the stairwell out of sight from the other refugees on board.

"Calm down," Jet's voice suddenly said. "I'm not going to hurt you… I just want to talk."

Even if he said he wasn't going to hurt me that made me only struggle more. He pulled me tighter to his body, which happened to be a lot taller than I remembered. I assumed he'd grown some since we last met. His arms were strong, so escape was hard. Escape wasn't impossible but it was more of an effort than I really wanted to take.

After struggling a bit longer, I finally stopped deciding there was no point. If Jet really tried to kill me, then of course I'd definitely use my water tribe warrior skills on him. If I could give Turk a broken nose, then I could give Jet a broken jaw.

Jet sighed, glad to see I'd stopped struggling. He turned then and shoved my body against the wooden wall beside us. His hand still covered my mouth, and his other hand was pressed against my shoulder. Through cracks in the stairwell, I saw from the light of the moon Jet's brown eyes stare right into my own.

"I'm going to let go of your mouth now… Don't scream or it's getting covered again," Jet threatened. "I need to talk to you."

Deciding not to test him, I nodded letting him know I understood. He sighed and pulled his hand away from my mouth. When my mouth was free, I tried to lie, "Please… Let me go… I don't know what you want…"

Jet smirked, and I could almost see he was amused. "I'm not a fool, Amber. I know it's you. You may be able to hide that pretty face under your hair, but the way you gave me cold shoulder back there was a huge eye opener." Immediately I wanted to kick myself. If I hadn't stomped away he wouldn't have caught me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I tried, though I knew I was already discovered. "I'm just a refugee."

"Stop trying, Amber. You've been found out," Jet stated. Immediately I let out a heavy breath and hung my head in defeat. "What are you doing here?"

The question took me a bit off guard, and I looked up at him surprised as his eyes burned with curiosity.

"Sokka, Katara, and Aang aren't with you… Why are you with these refugees?" Jet asked. "Why are you alone?"

There was no point telling him I wasn't who he said I was, so instead I decided to focus more on protecting my brother and uncle. Immediately I tried to come up with a lie. "Fine... You caught me. I got separated from the others during a battle. These refugees offered to help me find a way into Ba Sing Se so I tagged along with them."

Jet scowled at my lie, and I felt his hand on my shoulder tighten making me wince. "Then tell me something… Why is your name Raina? Why are you telling people that Mushi and Lee are your family, and the dude Han is your friend? Why are you lying? There's more to this than your letting on!"

Scowling, I decided to try and change the subject. I hissed, "Why are you lying? You say you're not proud of your past… That's a load of bull! You probably wish that whole town died when you blew up that dam!"

The boy who I hated with a passion, frowned deeply and let go of my shoulder crossing his arms. He regretfully said, "You're wrong... I'm not proud of that. I wasn't lying when I said I want a second chance."

"Yeah right… You honestly expect me to believe that you regret what you did in the past? You almost killed me Jet! You almost killed men, women, and children and you didn't even care!" I hissed, my blood starting to boil again. "Why should I believe you?! Why should I trust a single word coming out of your mouth?!"

"Because I've changed!" He defended. "Your sister showed me how much of a monster I truly had become when she froze me to that tree, and I didn't like that side of me. I'm sorry for trying to kill you, and I'm sorry for trying to kill everyone else. You have to believe me." Jet stepped closer. "I'm not a monster!"

Staring at him for a few seconds, taking in what he said, I tried to find the words to speak. My heart was pounding as I took in what Jet said word for word. I'm sorry for trying to kill you.

He was sorry...? He had sounded so sincere too. Could someone really change? Could Jet really change?

Taking in a hard breath, I finally calmed my nerves completely and brushed Jet's hand off my shoulder. He willingly pulled away from me and took a step back. Crossing my arms, I leaned back against the wall and looked away as I started to speak. "Even if you say that, and I do in a way believe you, I'm still not a big fan of you Jet. You tried to kill me. Forgive me for not being thrilled to see you."

Jet seemed relieved that I didn't hate him anymore, and he sighed running a hand through his hair. He spoke after a moment of silence. "I really meant what I said to Mushi. I do want a second chance."

Clenching my jaw, I tried to push back the old Jet and be more welcoming toward the new. It was hard though. The last time I saw Jet he was frozen to a tree calling me a monster. "Are you saying that with this second chance, you want me to give you a second chance also?"

Jet nodded. "I feel terrible for what I did to you. You were only trying to save the world from the fire nation, and I was blaming you for the side you weren't even on. You were on our side, but I blindly looked past that and only saw you as the enemy. You never deserved to be drugged and tied to a dam. I'm truly sincerely sorry for that… do you ever think you can find it in your heart to forgive me?"

Did I forgive Jet? Did I truly want to forgive him?

Every part of my gut told me to ignore Jet, turn away from him, and leave without giving him one ounce of trust. He was sorry today, but tomorrow he could stab me in the back. I knew denying him forgiveness would be cruel on my part, but at the same time he didn't really deserve forgiveness. Then my heart tugged in the other direction, telling me that forgiveness would be a good way to let go of the past and focus on the present.

Dropping my arms to my side, I let out a heavy breath. "I guess I can forgive you… I still don't entirely trust you, but I do forgive you. Besides, I'm tired of hating people. I just want to be able to have a heart at peace, and if forgiving you is the first step then I'm willing to take it. But…" Looking up I narrowed my eyes, "If you try anything to hurt me again I'll burn you to a crisp."

He smiled widely at my words. I pulled from the wall wishing I could be back with the others. "I have to go," I said. "Don't grab me like that again, or you might lose your arm." I took a step to leave, but Jet got in my path. He stepped forward so he was only an inch away from me. "I'm so glad to hear you forgive me," he began. I backed up with surprise, and I felt the wall meet my spine trapping me. "I was afraid you'd hate me forever." Then he leaned forward, placing his hand beside my head, and my eyes widened as I realized what he was about to do.

Oh spirits no! There was no way in the world I was letting this dude kiss me. I knew Jet was a player, but I didn't realize until that moment just how big of one he really was.

Grabbing his hand beside me, I twisted it making him turn and hiss in pain. Then I wrapped my leg around his own and knocked him off his feet onto the ground. Crossing my arms, I towered over him as I said firmly, "Sorry, Jet… But I'm actually taken. Go make out with some other refugee chick."

He winced, standing and rubbing his hand where I'd twisted it pretty hard. When he stood straight again and met my eyes once more, I saw him smirk with amusement. "So the rumors were true… I'd heard the Fire Nation Princess was an elite warrior now. I didn't really believe it, so I thought I'd see for myself. You've really changed. There's a new fire inside you that I really find interesting."

It was then I realized that's why Jet was going to kiss me. He just wanted me to fight back so he could confirm his suspicions about my new strong physicality. "You could've just asked me to show you some moves instead of trying to kiss me," I muttered bitterly.

He shrugged. "I wasn't really trying it just to see your moves. I really did want to kiss you. I didn't get to kiss Katara, so I wondered if I'd be able to kiss you instead. I guess you both are too good for me."

Scowling, I snapped, "You're such a player! Why don't you go make out with Smellerbee!"

He grimaced. "Smellerbee's like a sister to me. I'll pass." He then smirked. "You should let Katara know that I'm still available if she ever needs I shoulder to cry on."

"I won't," I promised.

He laughed. "I didn't think you would."

Rolling my eyes, I tried to leave but he grabbed my shoulder again and stopped me. "Really Amber… Who are those people you're with?"

Now it was my turn to smile. "Like I said… They're just refugees who offered to help me. No one special."

He narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe you."

"Well you'll just have to not believe me then," I said, starting to pull from his hand.

He pulled me back again. "The dude Han… Is he the one you like?"

My eyes widened and I looked at Jet amazed. "What makes you say that?"

His eyes shined in the moonlight. "When you walked off he tried to go after you. Mushi stopped him saying you just needed some time alone. He's been fidgeting for the last hour."

"And for good reason," Kale suddenly hissed. His hand came out of nowhere and yanked Jet's off of my shoulder. As soon as I was free I was pulled into Kale's arm. "You have no right to touch her like that! Leave her alone!"

Sighing, I said, "It's okay, Kale. Jet and I are cool now. We were just talking."

Kale stepped between Jet and I more, his arm still wrapped protectively around me. "I don't care. I still don't trust him."

"Kale… I thought your name was Han?" Jet asked, suddenly confused. My eyes widened as I realized my mistake. Oh crap, now Jet would really be curious.

"Come on, Amber," Kale said, pulling me away from Jet. "Let's get out of here." As we walked away, I looked back to see Jet watch us go. He stared at me suspiciously as Kale and I turned the corner and left him behind.

As the night went on, and I lied near Uncle Iroh, Zuko, and Kale to sleep, I had a bad feeling the Jet I'd just met was about to stick his nose somewhere he didn't belong. Trying to push the thought of Jet aside I eventually fell into a dreamless sleep.

When I woke up in the morning, it was because someone was shaking my shoulder. Groaning, I opened my eyes only to wince at the bright sunlight. When I focused I saw my brother kneeling beside me. "We're approaching land," he said. "It's time to get up sleepyhead."

Sleepyhead...? Zuko calling me that was completely unexpected. I opened my eyes groggily to see he was kneeling beside me. I saw a small smile on his face, which he quickly covered with a straight line.

Managing to sit up, I winced at how sore my back felt from lying on the hard wooden floor. It was probably also bruised from being slammed against the wall by Jet the night before. "What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes and trying to stretch my stiff muscles.

"It's just passed sunrise… Jet told us the captain said we'd be docking in a few minutes," Zuko answered. He stood when he saw I was awake.

Immediately my eyes widened. "You spoke to Jet today?" I asked.

My brother nodded a bit confused by my reaction. "Yeah…?"

Sighing, I decided not to freak out over it. I didn't want to worry Zuko or Uncle with the chance of Jet learning all of our identities. Looking around, I saw Kale and Uncle were standing by the ferry rail staring at the land approaching in the distance. Getting to my feet, I walked beside Zuko as we both stepped up to the rail as well. My eyes widened when I saw the large stone wall in the distance. So that was Ba Sing Sei's great wall? The wall Uncle was unable to penetrate. I could see why. It was massive!

"It looks so much bigger than I imagined," I said, my breath shaky as I tried to imagine what it was like inside the city.

"They say it's the best place to be right now, safe from the fire nation," Jet suddenly said, making me jump and turn to see him and the other freedom fighters. Smellerbee's eyes pierced through me like daggers as she knew who I was, and I remembered the moment when she sliced her knife on my hand a few months ago. She probably still hated my guts. Longshot didn't meet my eyes, but I saw him smile a bit glad to see me again. Longshot was the only freedom fighter I actually liked. He had common sense.

Kale stepped closer to me, almost to protect me if Jet tried anything. "I hope your right," Uncle said, his mind seeming to wander off as he thought about life inside those walls. "Safety is important right now."

"So what will you do when you get in the city?" Jet asked.

Iroh answered, "Hopefully find a job and place to stay. It would be nice to settle down and start our new life."

Jet nodded. "I'm ready to start a new life too. This is a time of change for everyone." As he turned and started to leave again, he stopped and looked over at me with a smirk. "It was good seeing you again, Raina. Try to stay out trouble. I'm sure we'll cross paths very soon." When he said my fake name I knew he was teasing me. The way it rolled off his tongue made me narrow my eyes at him. Then he walked away with Smellerbee and Longshot at his heel, and I watched him go a bit confused.

Why hadn't he commented on Kale not really being Han, or Mushi and Lee not really being my family? Why was he acting like he didn't care. I'd thought Jet would pester me for hours to get answers, so why was he shrugging it off.

"What was that?" Zuko asked, looking at me with question. "You two didn't share two words last night!"

"Jet knows who I am," I muttered.

"What? How?" Zuko asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

Crossing my arms, I turned around and looked down at the bay water below. "Let's just say we met in the past and we're not very big fans of one another."

"Seemed to me he was a fan of you," Kale muttered. "Especially when he tried to kiss you last night."

Zuko looked shocked, and then glanced over at where Jet and the others had previously been with a scowl.

My cheeks blushed beat red. "You saw that?"

"Yeah… It was pretty fun though watching you almost break his hand," Kale complimented. "It made me pretty content."

Zuko sighed, relaxing when he realized I could take care of myself. It warmed my heart though to see him care so much.

"He was just doing it to mess with me," I muttered, kind of annoyed by how much of a player Jet could be. "I had no problem fighting him off. He learned his lesson last night."

Kale's warm arms wrapped around me suddenly as he stood behind me and I felt his lips press on my cheek as he kissed me. When he pulled his lips away he whispered in my ear. "I would've torn him to bits if you hadn't been able to stop him."

"It's funny how a few months ago I wouldn't have been able to stop him… Guess that warrior training really did come in handy," I said, leaning back against Kale as his warm body eased the cool wind on my skin.

A throat cleared suddenly, and we both looked over to see Zuko watching the both of us with crossed arms. "I said no couple stuff," Zuko said, and then stepped over pulling us both apart.

Uncle chuckled. "Don't worry kids. Zuko's just jealous because he hasn't found love yet."

My brother pulled me behind him scowling. "No… I'm just making sure my little sister stays out of trouble."

Kale crossed his arms and looked at Zuko with a smirk. "What's wrong? You think I'm a bad influence?"

Zuko stepped forward so he was eye to eye with Kale. "Yeah… I actually do. My sister got into a lot of trouble because of you back at the palace. She'd sneak out to be with you and stay up all night, and then when she got back she slept till noon and got punished for it."

"Um, Zuko…" I began but was cut off.

"Just admit what you're really thinking… You don't like the fact that a poor tea serving peasant is dating your sister. Well I got news for you, buddy... I'm not the same wimpy kid you remember. I know my way around with a sword now, so don't test me. I love Amber more than anything, and you can try all you want but you're not separating us again," Kale said firmly.

"Um guys…" I tried again.

Zuko clenched his fists snapping, "Get this through your skull… I'm not letting my guard down for one minute. As long as you're here I'm watching you and my sister like a hawk!"

"Guys!" I shouted louder, trying to get their attention. They continued to argue back and forth and I was getting a bit irritated that they were both ignoring me. I loved them both, but their bickering toward one another wasn't entertaining in the slightest.

"Gentlemen!" Iroh suddenly snapped, and this time they shut up at Uncle's call. Turning, they met Uncle Iroh's stern eyes and immediately stepped apart. "We will be together for a long time, so let's try to remain civil. Kale can love Amber if he wants to, and Zuko can be her overprotective brother if he wants to. Do we all agree?"

Kale and Zuko shot one another a heated glare but eventually they calmed and relaxed their fists. This made me calm as well, seeing as my heart had been racing scared they'd hurt each other.

"I agree," I answered, deciding Uncle's question was for everyone.

The other two sighed, and after a brief pause nodded. Their agreement made me fill with relief.

"Good… Now let's head to the front so when we dock we can get off of this vessel," Iroh said, trying to lead us along and end the conflict. "Last thing we need is you two breaking the ship."

As we started to head over to the front of the ship, I heard Zuko say to Kale after a few minutes of silence, "Sorry... It's not that I think you're a horrible person. It's just I've lost her once already, and I guess the idea of you taking her away just makes me more over protective." I don't think I was supposed to hear what Zuko was saying, seeing as he was saying it in a low voice, but they didn't notice I was listening.

Kale responded, "I know how you feel. Now that I've found her I don't want to lose her again. I guess we're both scared she's going to just disappear again one day."

Kale's words made my heart ache. Frowning, I tried to concentrate on Iroh's back as he led us to the front of the ferry. Kale's words echoed through my mind though. I guess we're both scared she's going to just disappear again one day.

The thought of being taken from Kale and Zuko made my heart heavy. What if Huo did take me away from this world forever? Then I truly would break both Zuko and Kale's hearts.

"You'll defeat Huo," Roku suddenly said, which took me a bit off guard. Roku was rooting for me. He wanted to see me become free.

"Thanks..." I thought, smiling at his encouragement. It felt good knowing one spirit was on my side.

We suddenly reached the crowd where everyone was gathered and waiting for the ferry to come to a stop. As we saw the land approach more and more, I glanced at the great wall of Ba Sing Se with wonder. It was huge, almost fifty feet tall, and soldiers could be seen positioned at the very top as they guarded the safe haven from the Fire Nation.

Who would've thought in all my years, I'd ever come to the great city of Ba Sing Se? Just a few months ago I'd never even stepped on dry land. The world was so much bigger than our small home in the South Pole.

As the ferry came to a stop, and the ramp was lowered, I felt Kale take my hand in his. The crowd began to move as they departed the ferry, and Uncle and Zuko went to follow the crowd. Kale and I hung back for a moment, and through the crowd of people I felt Kale wrap his arms around me and hug me close to him.

"I love you so much," Kale whispered in my ear.

Smiling, I hugged Kale back and rested my head on his chest. "I love you too."

There was no way I would allow myself to disappear. I loved being on earth with Kale and the others, and I wouldn't mind staying.

Huo would soon see how much of a fighter I truly had become. No spirit was ripping me away from the people I loved.