Spring break is good for everyone.

Here we have the end of SIEGE OF THE NORTH, AVATAR STATE, and the beginning of CAVE OF TWO LOVERS. Yay?

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar

CHAPTER 14

"Guys, wake up. Time to go home."

Katara opened her eyes slowly, surprised by the sunlight streaming into her vision. She yawned, then jumped when she realized she was lying beside someone. Someone whose arms were around her and whose face was pressed against her neck. She looked up to find Sokka standing over her, hands in his pockets. She desperately tried to wake up and figure out what was going on, but she was very tired and details were filling in far too slowly.

She was in the watchtower and she had fallen asleep with Aang. There. That was easy enough.

"Home?" she asked, yawning.

"Yeah, battle's over," Sokka replied disinterestedly, glancing out over the distillery. "Pakku said we have to go home."

"Mmmkay," Katara murmured, eyes fluttering closed. "I'll just wake Aang…"

"Katara, seriously, wake up," Sokka sighed, turning to go back down the stairs.

Katara turned toward him on the floor, sighing. He pulled her a little closer in his sleep, hands warm on her back. She smiled gently. "Rise and shine, Sparky," she murmured tiredly, placing a hand on his chest. She was very comfortable beside him, she realized. "Wake up…"

"Hm?"

Katara heard Aang yawn and felt him shift. He froze, however, when he realized what was going on.

"Um… Katara? You awake?" he whispered.

"Trying not to be," she sighed. He sat up and she frowned. "Fine, I'm up."

He was looking around silently, taking it all in.

"It's over, huh?" he said quietly.

"Thanks to you," she yawned, stretching her arms over her head.

"I don't really remember what happened," he admitted, still looking around. "I went into the spring and… the next thing I remember, I was back here with you."

"A spirit overtook you," she explained vaguely, running her fingers through her hair. "And you got rid of all the Dragons. That's… about it."

"Oh," Aang said simply. "So now what?"

"Sokka said we're going home."

"Oh, okay."

The two of them got to their feet. Aang looked at her. She seemed to be avoiding his gaze. He paused, hesitantly reaching toward her. She turned and glanced at him when his hand touched her shoulder.

"You're not looking at me," he pointed out sadly.

"Don't be silly," she muttered, focusing intently on her hands.

"Why?" he asked firmly, taking his chin in her hand and forcing her eyes up to his. She bit her lip.

"I was scared," she blurted. He let go of her and she glanced away again. "It wasn't you, it wasn't Aang. I was talking to you and it was like you couldn't hear me. I thought you might be stuck like that… I was scared you wouldn't come back."

When she looked up at him nervously, he was smiling at her. He pulled her against him in a warm hug.

"I'll always come back," he said quietly.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around his torso, closing her eyes. "What's the hug for?"

"You looked like you needed one."

0000000

When Aang and Katara stepped out of the building containing the spring, they found the distillery to be rather worse for the wear. But the Riversiders were already rebuilding. Pakku and was waiting for them at their unused room.

"Well, I'm sorry your stay wasn't exactly relaxing," Pakku sighed, giving Katara a hug and shaking Aang's hand. "Well, Aang, it looks like you're in good hands when it comes to waterbending." Katara smiled a little and Aang nodded. Pakku gestured toward Katara. "And this one certainly cares about you."

Katara scowled at him. "Why say that out loud?" she sighed.

Pakku shrugged. Aang laughed. Appa let out a snore and rolled off of Sokka's bed, making the three of them jump.

Sokka was standing outside the building with Chief Arnook, both looking skyward at the pale shadow of the moon in the midmorning sky.

"Somehow, I knew this day would come," Arnook said heavily.

Sokka didn't respond. Katara, Aang, Pakku, and Appa emerged shortly.

"Thank you for the hospitality, Chief Arnook," Aang said, bowing respectfully.

"Anytime, Avatar Aang," Arnook replied, shaking his hand.

"Truck all packed?" Katara asked.

"Yep, we're ready to go," Sokka said quietly. "Thanks again."

They all exchanged their final goodbyes and loaded back into the truck, Aang sitting in the back with Appa since the weather was so nice.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked her brother quietly as they made their way through the city. The streets were just beginning to get busy, alive with people.

"Why do you ask?" Sokka replied tonelessly.

"Sokka…"

"I'll be fine," he said abruptly.

Katara knew better than to push him. He'd been quiet like this when their mother died as well.

"Okay," she said simply.

After a long pause, Sokka glanced at her quickly. "Thanks," he muttered.

"Don't mention it."

0000000

"You three are in so much trouble!"

Sokka, Katara, and Aang all stood in a line beside the truck, staring at their respective shoes. Hakoda had been waiting for them, and he looked very ill-tempered.

"I sent you there to avoid trouble," he shouted. "But when it comes, you stay? Have I taught you nothing?"

"You taught us to help people," Katara pointed out stubbornly. "That's what we were doing."

"You could've been killed," he continued as if he didn't hear her. "You're my best team."

Katara cleared her throat pointedly.

"And you're my kids," he added hastily. Aang smiled a little and Katara rolled her eyes.

"Go to your rooms," he finished lamely, pointing at the house.

Katara patted his shoulder as she walked past. "Good to see you too, Dad," she said, smirking. He pointed again. She shrugged and grabbed Aang's arm as he walked by, marching back to the house with Appa at their heels and Sokka trailing behind.

But as soon as they were out of Hakoda's sight, Katara veered off and went running across the distillery toward the river, Aang being dragged behind her. They ended up at the small hole in the fence that they had visited together what seemed like years ago but was really barely a month. Katara dropped down onto the grassy bank, Aang following suit.

"We made it," she sighed after several silent minutes.

"I didn't think we would," Aang admitted frankly.

"That Avatar State is really something," she began hesitantly after another lengthy silence.

Aang looked down. "Yeah, I guess."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "But you can't control it, can you?"

"No," he sighed. "I don't like it."

"Why? It's so powerful, you could probably take out Boss Ozai today if you wanted to," she said carefully, not quite meeting his eyes.

"You're scared of me," he said, sounding disappointed.

"No," she said quickly. "I'm not scared of you…" She still refused to look at him.

"Then what are you scared of?" he asked quietly.

"You were so angry," she sighed. "The only way for you to get into the Avatar State is for you to be hurt or scared or in pain. I don't like seeing you like that."

When she looked up, Aang was looking at her as though he had never seen her before.

"You really…" he began uncertainly. "You really care about me."

Katara smiled at him, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "Yeah, I do," she replied simply.

Aang grinned at her and lied back on the grass. She did the same.

"It's nice to be home," he sighed.

0000000

After the trying events at the Northern Distillery, Hakoda gave them a few days off from deliveries. Sokka wished he hadn't. It just gave him time to think, and that wasn't something he wanted to do.

Aang and Katara were enjoying the time. They spent most of it together, unsurprisingly, either waterbending or just wasting time around the distillery. They even got a chance to sneak off into the city when Katara's father was visiting the Northern Distillery.

It was the first perfect day of the spring. All sunlight, not a cloud in the sky. It had rained all day the day before, so the whole city seemed clean and beautiful. Everybody was out to enjoy it, and Aang and Katara were not about to pass up such an opportunity. So they snuck out of the distillery and took to the busy streets, strolling carelessly along the sidewalk and talking about nothing in particular while Appa trotted behind them.

"Gyatso gave him to me when he was a puppy," Aang was saying as they passed Oyaji's, waving to him through the window. "He's actually getting pretty old, I've had him for eight years now."

Katara smiled. "Well you do seem to be great with animals," she consented.

"I was raised underneath a pet shop, what did you expect?" he replied, nudging her shoulder.

Across the street, a few Dragons were walking the opposite direction on their way to collect payment from an earthbender-run speakeasy down the street. One of them stopped, catching sight of Aang and Katara.

"Hey, look," he hissed, pointing. The other two Dragons looked. "Isn't that the waterbender that was with the Avatar at the Northern Distillery?" These particular Dragons had been on one of the river boats Katara had massacred.

"You're right, and that's the Avatar," another one said quickly. "Come on, let's see where they're going."

0000000

"I'm surprised you're not out looking for the Avatar."

"I'm tired."

Iroh smiled at Zuko, sitting quietly in the booth of the diner toward the south end of the city.

"A man needs his rest," Iroh consented, nodding.

"Well isn't that a nice picture."

Iroh and Zuko looked up in surprise. Zuko sighed.

"Hello, Azula," Iroh said politely. "How is your father?"

"Oh, fine," Azula sighed carelessly, sitting down at the table without an invitation.

Azula, Zuko's younger sister, looked about as dangerous as she was. There was something dark and pointy about her that was hard to place. Her face was becoming more and more common these days as the mayoral election approached.

"I'm glad you mentioned Father, actually," she continued in her same bored way, scrutinizing her pointed nails. "He doesn't blame you at all for the failure at the Northern Distillery, Zuko. Some of his inner circle is getting treacherous, and he's realized that his family members are the only ones he can trust." She looked at Zuko directly for the first time since she arrived. "He wants you to come home, Zuko. He wants you to rejoin the gang."

Zuko stared at her in silence for a long time.

"I see this is too much for you to handle," she sighed, going back to looking at her nails. "I'll give you a moment to think about it." She got to her feet. "I'll be waiting outside."

"I'm… going home," Zuko said after a lengthy silence.

"Zuko, think about this," Iroh warned delicately. "I have never known my brother to regret anything. Ever."

"What, you're saying he doesn't want me to come back?" Zuko snapped.

"No," Iroh sighed, holding up his hands defensively. "I'm simply saying you shouldn't get your hopes up. Azula isn't always the most trustworthy."

"You can think all you want," Zuko said darkly, getting to his feet. "I'm going home."

Iroh sighed and followed him to the door. Azula was standing just outside, talking to another Dragon. Zuko paused, hearing her voice through the door.

"No, if you try to subdue them now, Iroh will just kill you all," she was growling. "We wait until we get back home."

Zuko froze, clenching his fists. Iroh grabbed him firmly by the elbow.

"Come on, we'll go out the back," he said through gritted teeth.

"I'm gonna make her pay for this," Zuko hissed, trying to pull away from Iroh's grasp.

"Live today, fight tomorrow," Iroh replied, pulling Zuko through the diner and out the back.

0000000

"I'm hungry."

"Me too."

Katara stopped and looked around the busy street, shielding her eyes from the sun with one hand. "Where should we go?" she asked lightly. "We're in the middle of the city, we're close to just about everything."

"You say you were hungry?"

Aang and Katara turned quickly. A tall, smiling man that neither recognized stood behind them.

"Sorry, couldn't help overhearing," he continued. "The name's Lee. My brother own a restaurant down the street. Sandwich sale, this weekend only. Lucky you, huh?"

Aang and Katara shared a glance. Aang shrugged. "I guess we could check it out."

"I was just on my way back," Lee said. "I can show you the way."

"Thanks," Katara said with a smile. "Come on, Appa."

The three of them followed the smiling man down the street. He chatted amiably the whole way.

"…Great pickles, too. Our grandma used to make pickles all the time, family recipe. She could slice tomatoes so thin, they were practically transparent. It was an art, really…"

He stopped at an unassuming store front. The sign hanging over the door simply read "Dao's Place." He held the door for them and followed them in.

Katara and Aang stopped dead. Two handguns were suddenly pointed at each of their heads, held by two men standing on either side of the door. Appa let out a bark and ran off. Aang did nothing to stop him.

"Aw shit," Katara sighed, annoyed. "And I'm still hungry, too."

"Well aren't you a feisty one?" the man on her side of the door said.

"Touch her and I'll kill you," Aang replied casually.

"That'd be a sight," Lee said, taking both of them by their elbows and dragging them through what turned out to be a bar. Katara recognized it. She'd delivered here before. Apparently the Dragons had taken it from the earthbenders she remembered. One of the Dragons opened a thick metal door at the back of the room behind the counter.

"This is a closet," Katara pointed out, peering into the small space populated by a mop, two buckets, and three empty crates that had doubtless held alcohol at some point. A bare light bulb hung from the ceiling, buzzing faintly.

"No, it's a cell," Lee replied, gesturing for the two of them to enter. They obliged and he closed it behind them. What sounded like a dozen locks were clicked and slid and turned into place. Then all was silent.

"Well they weren't that bad for Dragons," Katara obliged after several silent moments.

"Suppose we should try to escape?" Aang asked, looking at the door. He knocked on it. "Solid metal, whatever it is. Boy, this actually is a prison."

"Appa went for help, didn't he?" Katara asked with a smile.

"He's a smart dog," Aang shrugged, grinning. "We shouldn't be here too long." He sat down on the floor, leaning against the crate. Katara did the same, facing him.

"So now what?" she sighed.

"I don't know. What do you want to talk about?"

Katara thought for a moment. "Oh, you never told me what happened in the Spirit World," she said suddenly, smiling.

"You're right," Aang realized. "Okay, well, it wasn't what I expected at all..."

0000000

"I can't believe you didn't let me fight her," Zuko snarled, stalking through the backstreets of the busy city. They weren't nearly as crowded as downtown, but there was still plenty of pedestrian traffic.

"Are you kidding? She's crazy," Iroh exclaimed. "I do not doubt your skill, Zuko, but she will not hesitate to use underhanded tactics to get what she wants."

"And I will?"

"Well, yeah, you'll at least hesitate," Iroh replied, shrugging. "You probably got that from your mother's side of the family, though I like to think I'm hesitant at the right times as well…"

"Stop trying to change the subject," Zuko shouted, turning on the older man. "You realize we're on the enemies list of the Dragons now. We're not safe in our own city."

"Yes, that will serve to be rather irritating," Iroh obliged thoughtfully. "We can't go back to the apartment, that's for sure."

"Great, we're homeless," Zuko groaned in frustration.

A young woman, walking past the two of them, stopped upon hearing Zuko's outburst. She looked over at them and opened her mouth as though she was about to speak. But she paused. Zuko glanced at her.

"What?" he snarled.

She frowned. "I'm sorry, I just heard you saying you were homeless and I was going to offer you some help, but if you're going to be rude…"

"What kind of help?" Iroh asked before she could leave. Zuko scowled at him.

The girl shrugged. "Just some dinner," she replied lightly. "My mother always makes too much roast duck-"

"Where do you live exactly?" Iroh interrupted with a grin. Zuko rolled his eyes.