Miscalculation

Chapter 20: Confessions

Ty Lee kept to the side streets. It took longer, but she really didn't want to see any more of her nation's troops moving brazenly through the city. Her heart literally ached for the people here. She couldn't look at them objectively any more, like pieces on a pai sho board. She lived and worked among them. She'd found friendship and the fragile beginnings of love in Ba Sing Se. She'd found a family. It was personal now, this invasion, and she wouldn't take it lying down.

She spotted Mai and Zuko about halfway between their home and Jin's. They had decided to use quieter streets as well. Ty Lee, always ready and eager to express her very exuberant emotions, covered the few remaining paces between them, pulled both her friends into her arms and wept.

"I'm so glad that you guys are okay. I've been so scared all morning and Jin's family, they're in shock, I think. It's awful, and I feel guilty for leaving and not stopping Azula."

"Whoa, slow down, Ty Lee. And I wouldn't use that name." Mai gave the distraught girl a bit of a squeeze before breaking free.

"We all feel bad," Zuko assured the girl. "We've all had chances to stop my sister. She's crazy and getting crazier. Now, now we need to do something." He shrugged then, unsure what Ty Lee would think of a resistance movement. Despite the girl being around a lot during his younger years, he didn't know her that well. He had a feeling that perhaps there was a hidden complexity behind the bubbly exterior. He hoped so; it might come in handy.

"Yes," she enthused and glanced between Mai and Zuko. "We need to do something, something big and important. We need to help. I want to do it for Jin and her sisters and her parents, even her grandparents. They've all been so good to me."

"Well, we don't know exactly what the Fire Nation has in mind, Ty Lee. Maybe everything will be business as usual, but with someone else in charge." Mai didn't believe her own words. She thought about the child who had been so carelessly burned by a soldier. The troops would follow orders, yes, but it was obvious how they felt about Ba Sing Se and its citizens. And who knew what kind of orders the princess would give, what kind of regime she would establish. She liked ruling with terror. Why would that change now? But Ty Lee, she looked so despondent and Mai supposed that a smooth transition of power was possible. Maybe, if they were really fortunate, everyone would simply leave everyone else alone.

"Mai, you don't sound very convincing. You can feel it too, can't you? It's weird and creepy and awful here now. The Fire Nation, Azula, will want to hurt people. You didn't see her, Mai. She's so much scarier than she used to be." Ty Lee trembled at the memories that flooded her mind.

The ebony haired girl heaved a huge sigh. "I'll take your word for it and you used her name again. Look, why don't you come home with us for awhile. Li's uncle would love to see you. He wants to make tea for somebody, anybody."

Ty Lee giggled. "He sure does love tea. I've never seen anyone so obsessed."

The trio turned and walked for a bit along the quiet side street. Mai leaned heavily against Zuko. The day and all its strangeness weighed on her more than she would ever admit. He hugged her close and placed kisses on her head.

"You two sure are sweet together," the acrobat declared. "I'm really, really glad that you decided to stay with Li, Mai. It was the right decision. You're happy. I can see it in your eyes and your aura, wow, it's changed so much. Li, so has yours."

"Well, if my aura's better than everything must be all right." Mai couldn't help but roll her eyes. She didn't believe in the art of reading people's energies, as Ty Lee described it.

"Maybe you should be more open to things, Mai. And just because you don't believe in it, doesn't mean you have to mock me." Ty Lee crossed her arms and narrowed those big grey eyes.

Mai was a little surprised by her friend's response. Ty Lee usually let things slide or laughed them off. Maybe she'd grown tougher. Maybe her friendship with Jin was helping, much as Mai's relationship with Zuko had made her stronger. "I'm sorry if I offended you, Ty. I'll bet your aura is a lot different now too."

That pleased the acrobat. "Oh, yes; I was staring in the mirror just last night and I looked almost sparkly. Jin makes me happy and so does her family. I know I have my own back home and I miss them, but I feel special and different with Jin and her folks. I feel like they need me and want me."

Zuko could certainly relate to that. He felt the same way with Mai and his Uncle Iroh, while his own sister and father made him feel, and always had, like the most worthless human being alive. His mother had been different and Zuko still loved her. Memories of her were memories of warmth and acceptance and unconditional love. He missed her, a lot. "I understand, Ty Lee, and I know that Mai does too. We'll do our best to make things right here, or at least cause some trouble. Mai and I have discovered that it can be fun."

"Really, what did you do?" Ty Lee was excited to hear their story. They gave her all the details of their exploits under Lake Laogai. The girl was impressed. "Wow that must have been scary too. You work so well together. I told you, Mai, that you and Li belong together. I told her that when we were little, Li. She never thought it would happen. But Mai was never exactly optimistic."

"Ha, ha," the knife thrower intoned.

"We're home," Zuko informed them as they turned a corner and joined up with the main street.

The courtyard was bustling with activity, people gathered in little groups everywhere. Mai stopped by the well, bent over a bit, dipped the bucket in, and drank a ladleful of clear, cold water. "Are you thirsty, Ty Lee? The water's good. How about you, Li?" Her tone had suddenly become almost seductive.

"I'm all right, Mai. Tea's fine." The acrobat skipped up the steps to the apartment.

"Maybe later," Zuko replied with a smirk.

They followed their friend and headed inside. The smell of something delicious cooking greeted the group.

"Come, sit down," Iroh smiled. "I've made stew." He patted Ty Lee on the shoulder and gave both Mai and Zuko affectionate looks. "We will all need our strength over the coming days."

Jet ate dinner with Smellerbee and Longshot, a quick and delicious stir fry that the archer had whipped up.

"Did you cook back in that tree house too?" Jet asked innocently, "Because this stuff tastes great."

"Sometimes," Smellerbee answered for him. "We took turns and everybody pitched in, just like a family." She looked stricken for a moment, but gained control quickly. "We're glad that you're all right, Jet." She wasn't sure what to say about the Fire Nation's takeover of Ba Sing Se. Mere words didn't really convey how she felt. Terrible and frightening and horrible were not enough. Perhaps silence was best. Maybe that conveyed more.

She picked at her food, forcing herself to finish. She'd been hungry for days at a time more frequently than she cared to remember and wasting food was something Smellerbee simply didn't do.

Longshot touched her arm gently and looked into her eyes. "It will be okay," his own eyes said. "Somehow, it will all be okay."

She nodded and managed a weak smile. Maybe he was right. Maybe one day soon this entire nightmare she had been living would end. But for now, they were stuck in Ba Sing Se, once the last stronghold of the Earth Kingdom, the one city where everyone was safe. Well, that turned out to be a lie too. But the Fire Nation stomping through the streets, the Dai Li working for the Fire Nation princess, Long Feng dead, the King gone and the Avatar….Smellerbee recalled the boy, so cheerful and full of enthusiasm. He was the world's last hope. Was he really dead? Was hope dead too?

"That old man, Mushi; I think he's got some plans, he and his nephew and Mai." Jet stuffed the final piece of pepper into his mouth, grinned and rubbed his stomach. "Are there seconds?" Longshot got up from his seat and scraped the remainder into Jet's bowl. "Thanks, buddy." The affectionate term seemed to flow off his tongue naturally.

"Plans, what do you mean?" Smellerbee asked. Despite her glum mood, her interest had been piqued.

Jet told the story of the burned boy, how Mushi had stopped him from attacking the Fire Nation soldier, saying it wasn't time. "He was all cryptic like, but to me, it sounded like he meant a resistance force of some kind. Do you think that's possible?"

Smellerbee and Longshot exchanged a glance. "Um, I don't know much about them, but Li, he's good with those swords and Mai throws knives, lots of knives. Mushi, he makes tea, but thinking about it, I'll bet there's more to him."

"So that's a 'yes', then?" Jet quipped.

"That's more like a maybe; why don't we just come out and ask them tomorrow; as long as they're around and we're around, as long as the Fire Nation doesn't start killing people." She couldn't help the pessimism. She was scared and when she was scared, it tended to take over.

"Tomorrow," Jet mused. "Should I go to work, stay home, what?"

"You need money, so if your boss is there, you'd better be too," Smellerbee reminded him. "How about we meet at Mushi's after work? Then we'll talk about this little rebellion or whatever."

The thought of bashing some Fire Nation heads again was a little too appealing for the girl's comfort. But that was good. If they were going to fight, they had better all be prepared to shed some blood.

Ty Lee's nervous gaze shifted from Mai to Zuko to Iroh and back again. She bounced on the cushion like a baby rabbaroo.

"Spit it out, Ty Lee; you're driving us all crazy." Mai ground her teeth and frowned at her friend. "It's obvious that you have something to say."

'Um, yeah, I do." She took a gulp of tea as if to fortify herself and then continued. "I'm tired of lying to Jin about who I am. I hate it, Mai. I hate lying and I hate hiding where I come from. I'm," she sucked in her breath then and tears filled her grey eyes, "I'm going to tell her everything. Then she can decide whether she still wants anything to do with me or not. I'll leave you guys out of it, if that's what you want, as best I can anyway."

The other three exchanged a look, nodded and then Mai spoke. "Tell her everything. We're going to confess as well, to Smellerbee and Longshot and Jet. If we're going to run some sort of resistance, we want to do it as us, not as other people. It's time. What are they going to do? Hate us? I'm hoping that reason will win out in the end."

"Oh, wow, that's great. I won't be alone at least. But, I'm so scared. I don't want Jin and her family to reject me. I really love them all. But, if they do, can I stay with you guys until I find somewhere else?" Ty Lee actually began to cry, so upsetting was the thought of leaving her second family behind.

"You don't need to ask," Iroh replied kindly. "There's always room for one more. So when will this great confession take place? I suggest tomorrow. Mai? Zuko?"

"Works for me," Mai drawled. "Let's get it over with. But we'd better be prepared for a lot of backlash. I just hope everyone uses their brains. That's probably too much to ask." She sighed heavily and rested her head on Zuko's shoulder.

"When I get home, I'll tell Jin. I can't wait until tomorrow. I should go now. If I show up with my things in a little while, you'll know how it went." The acrobat stood up, thanked everyone for their hospitality and left. Mai looked out the window at her friend. She was running.

"Are your friends okay?" Jin asked as soon as Ty Lee got back.

Everyone was crammed inside the little apartment now, grandparents included. They were sipping on tea, chewing on pipes and discussing the situation they now found themselves in.

"Yeah, they're all right. I had dinner with them. Look, Jin, could we go somewhere quiet?" Ty Lee looked shiftily about the room.

"Glad to see you back," Kang called out to the acrobat. "I don't think being out at night is a good idea anymore. I've heard rumors of a curfew being imposed. You girls are not to leave. Do I make myself clear?" His voice was firm but kind.

"Aww, Dad, what about just out front?" Jin wheedled. "It's so crowded in here and the girls are so nosy."

Kang stood up from his rough chair and shouted. "NO! Better to endure a bit of crowding than end up dead. Don't try my patience, Jin. Privacy will be a luxury from now on."

"Fine, fine; we're going to my room then; goodnight, everybody." Jin's father was a good man and he would never strike his children, but he had little tolerance for backtalk or whining. She knew when to stop.

A chorus of 'good nights' followed them up the rickety narrow stairs to Jin's attic room. Once inside, the Earth Kingdom girl reached for Ty Lee's hand and pulled her to the bed. She simply looked at her friend and waited for her to begin. Something was bothering her, besides the obvious, and Jin would let Ty Lee talk at her own pace.

The acrobat chewed on her lip for a moment and looked down at their joined hands. "I really like you, Jin. And I like your family." She paused and Jin's sympathetic green eyes watched her. "So, you all deserve the truth about me." Jin raised her eyebrows a bit at that and used her free hand to nervously tug at one of her braids. "I'm not from the Earth Kingdom."

"Oh, then where are you from?" Ty Lee said nothing. She waited for Jin to figure it out. Jin did. "Oh, oh, that means you're Fire Nation." She pulled her hand from Ty Lee's grasp, not because she was repulsed but because she wanted to hug the girl. "Oh, Ty Lee, I know you and I don't care. What a burden that must have been for you."

Ty Lee wept then, soaking Jin's the cheap cloth of Jin's green robes. She spoke haltingly of her entire life, her relationship with Azula and Zuko and Mai, her recruitment by Azula, the horrors she had witnessed and her escape, the escape that had led her to Jin. "I'm so sorry that I lied. I'm so sorry." Her words came out a garbled mess but Jin got the message anyway. She rubbed Ty Lee's back soothingly, trying to calm her down.

"It's okay, it's okay. We'll tell my family tomorrow. They'll accept you, Ty Lee. You're still the same person. And wow, I've met the prince of the Fire Nation. That's so cool."

Her attempt to make the acrobat laugh half worked. Ty Lee snorted and pulled back, looking into Jin's warm eyes. "Are you sure, Jin? I can leave if you like, if you think it's best. I don't want to upset everything."

"I won't let you leave. I like having you around and so does everyone else. We love you, Ty, Fire Nation or not." That was the end of the argument, just like that.

Ty Lee could hardly believe it had gone so well. She'd expected raging and accusations and fear. But there had been none of that. She had gotten acceptance instead, something Azula had never given her. She snuffled a bit, wiped her nose and gave Jin a brilliant smile. "Then I'm not going anywhere. Thank you, Jin."

"You're welcome, Ty Lee." Jin had never meant those words more in her entire life.

The city awoke from an uneasy sleep to find notices posted everywhere. Some printer must have been coerced into working all night, cranking out copy after copy of the new laws set down by Princess Azula herself.

1.Curfew is at sunset. Anyone, young or old, male or female, healthy or infirm, caught outside after that time will be imprisoned for six months. Anyone resisting capture will be executed.

2.Loitering is strictly forbidden. Citizens of Ba Sing Se are to move promptly from place to place. I leave it up to my soldiers to determine who is loitering and who is not. The punishment for said crime is six months in prison. Anyone resisting capture will be executed.

3.Any gathering of over ten people is now illegal. Any such gathering will be considered a potential mob or protest group and as such will be dispersed, its organizer imprisoned for ten months. Anyone resisting capture will be executed.

4.Anyone heard uttering oaths against or speaking ill of the Fire Nation or any of its citizens will be taken into custody immediately and jailed for eight months. Those resisting arrest will be executed.

5.Anyone who attempts violence against a Fire Nation soldier or a member of the Dai Li shall be summarily executed.

6.Anyone who kills a Fire Nation soldier or a member of the Dai Li shall be summarily executed.

7.Anyone who incites rebellion shall be summarily executed.

Princess Azula of the Fire Nation

Mai and Zuko scanned the notice that was posted centrally in the courtyard of their apartment block. There was a lineup of people behind waiting their turn. Zuko swallowed hard and squeezed Mai's hand. "It's a police state, more now than it ever was. There is no way we're not fighting this crap." He was tempted to tear down the notice and burn it right there in front of everyone, show them that not all Fire Nation people were monsters.

"Li," Mai cautioned. "Leave it there. People need to read that." She dragged him back over to where Iroh waited.

"Well?" the tea maker asked. "Is it as bad as we feared?"

"Worse," Zuko spat. "It will be intolerable to live here. We have to do something."

"And we will, nephew, we will; all in good time. Let's get to the tea shop and see what Yun is up to today." Zuko hesitated and looked back at the people. He saw anger and indignation, even resignation on their faces. They felt hopeless and helpless he was sure, no longer in control of their own lives, subject to the whims of random soldiers who might just feel like killing someone, use one of the 'rules' as an excuse and do it.

Their employer had his own notice up on the doorway of his shop. He would not return until afternoon. He apologized to his faithful customers and reminded his workers to arrive sharp at noontime.

"He bosses us around even when he's not here. I'm surprised he isn't cheering Azula on." Mai gave her eyes a roll. "What should we do now? What about finding Jet and Smellerbee and Longshot?"

"Yes, we have unfinished business," Iroh agreed. "Let's walk."

They passed at least ten Fire Nation soldiers on the way to Smellerbee's place. All three looked down at the street as if in fear, and the soldiers barely glanced at them. They all seemed jovial enough, talking amongst themselves, laughing, smiling and occasionally complaining about being stuck in a foreign city for Agni only knew how long.

Zuko's fists were clenched the entire way. His entire body was coiled tightly like a spring and Mai hoped that it would uncoil itself too soon. He needed an outlet for all that pent up anger and she would find him one.

Smellerbee and Longshot were shutting the door of their place as the trio approached. "Hi," the girl said morosely. "Can you believe all this?" She gestured with her arm, a look of disgust on her face. "Jet came to see us. We need to talk." It was then she noticed the paper glued to the wall, perfect print, a list of rules and Princess Azula's seal on the bottom. She scanned the characters and her face eyes narrowed. She growled, pulled out her blade and sliced the paper to ribbons, before Longshot could stop her. "I know," she shouted at the archer. She made to run away but he put a hand on her shoulder, not hard enough to physically make her stop, but it was enough anyway. "I know," she repeated in a softer tone. "Let's get out of here."

"Where's Jet" Zuko asked as they all began to walk towards the laundry. "We really need to speak with all of you."

"Is it about a resistance?" the girl asked in a near whisper. "You can count all of us in."

"Yes, no, sort of," the prince stumbled. "Look, this can't wait."

"Well you'd better make it fast. We have work soon and Jet probably does too. Let's go to his place. We can talk there." Smellerbee changed direction and headed off purposefully for Jet's shabby room, the rest of them following along behind.

Zuko breathed a sigh of relief when the Freedom Fighter opened his door. He was tired looking, eyes sticky with sleep and wearing no shirt. "Oh, the gang's all here; must be important then." He stood aside and they all filed in. "Well, um, there's nowhere to sit, so I guess standing is in order."

"That doesn't matter," Zuko snapped. "We, Mai and my uncle and I have something important to tell all of you."

The prince's tone was almost strident and Jet opened his eyes wide. "All right, the floor is yours. Speak."

Now that permission had been granted and the Freedom Fighters were waiting, Zuko was at a loss for words. He looked to Mai and then to Iroh. Since when had it become his job to give the 'news'?

"I thought you wanted to speak." Jet shrugged his shoulders. He was beginning to get impatient. "I have a job, you know. I need to get ready."

Zuko licked his lips then took a deep, cleansing breath. "We're Fire Nation, all of us. My uncle and I are benders. Mai isn't." There was no response at all. The Freedom Fighters' faces were completely blank and that unnerved Zuko. He began to babble. "My name is actually Zuko and I'm the Fire Lord's son. I was banished three years ago. My uncle's name is Iroh and he's the Fire Lord's brother. My sister, Azula, is the one who took over Ba Sing Se. Mai; she was a friend of Azula's but left her service to come with me a few weeks ago." He took another deep breath and waited for some reaction, any reaction.

"Funny," Jet finally said. "You're making me late for that?"

"It's not a damned joke, Jet," Zuko insisted.

"It's all true, every word," Mai agreed.

"Yes, and there is much more to each of our stories. Perhaps if you can get your minds around who we really are, you will allow us to share those stories with you." Iroh's amber eyes stared at each Freedom Fighter in turn, pleading for some kind of understanding.

"You're all Fire Nation," Smellerbee said deliberately. "That means Jet was right. When Jet accused you and we told him to leave you alone, when we told him that he was obsessive and out of control, HE WAS RIGHT. Jet went to prison; the Dai Li took his memories and all because HE WAS RIGHT!" She moved then, quickly and gracefully pulling the knife from her belt, knocking Zuko to the ground and placing the blade against his throat. "Give me a reason not to kill him? Her huge brown eyes looked at Mai. "You love him, don't you? Save him, then."

Mai had her own blades out now and held them threateningly. Tears stung her eyes and angrily she blinked them back. "He's, he's not what you think. He's not like his father or his sister. He's a good person and he wants to help. We can all help put a stop to the Fire Lord, the war, this whole damn mess." She shrugged then. "You don't want to kill him, Smellerbee. You know that he's not evil just because he's from the Fire Nation. It doesn't work like that."

"Mai is right. My nephew's life has not been easy and he's struggled and he's fought. We came here looking for refuge like everyone else. We don't want to hurt you or your friends, we never did. We just wanted to be left alone. But everything is different now. My niece has taken over Ba Sing Se. As a general, yes the Dragon of the West, I couldn't do that. I lost my son outside the city walls and I will not lose my nephew too. Listen to us, Smellerbee. Please!"

It was Jet, bizarrely enough, who put a stop to everything. "Put the knife down, Bee." He gaped for a moment and wondered where the nick name had come from.

"That's rich, coming from you," the girl shrieked. "But you're not really you and that's the whole problem. You don't remember any of it. You can't recall how you watched the tea shop and their apartment day and night. You were so sure they were Fire Nation and you hated them so much. What happened to that?"

He took a few hesitant steps toward the girl. "What happened to not judging people, Smellerbee? You talked about that just the other day. Well, here's your big chance. Are you going to let it slide?" Ever so carefully, he put a hand on her shoulder. "You don't want to kill Li, Zuko. Let him go, Bee. I want to hear their stories. We've got two firebenders on our side. Imagine the damage we can do here. Imagine all the trouble we can make for the soldiers. Come on, give me the knife."

Smellerbee looked to Longshot. The archer nodded and then approached his friend. She put the knife in his hand. Backing up toward the doorway, she stared them all down. "You can be friends and listen to stories but I can't, not yet. I'm going to work, Longshot. Are you coming?"

The archer gave Jet a grateful look, took in Mai, Zuko and Iroh with soulful eyes and then followed his girl out the door.

"I'll skip work; I want to hear everything, absolutely everything," Jet announced. "Start at the very beginning." He dropped down onto the floor, sat cross legged and waited.

It was Iroh who began.

Jet was true to his word. He didn't interrupt unless it was to ask a question or two and he listened intently to everyone's words. The Freedom Fighter knew what the Fire Nation had done to his family and his people, but the emotions that went along with the knowledge were gone, the actual memories were gone. What had clouded his judgment before, made him cruel and vicious at times, even murderous, was gone. Sure, he could see from the events of the past day that the Fire Nation needed to be stopped in its tracks, but so did the Dai Li. He wanted the war to end. All he had to do was look into Smellerbee's eyes or Longshot's or the eyes of any new refugee; they were proof enough of the pain and misery that this hundred year long war had inflicted on the people of the Earth Kingdom. And memories or no memories, Jet would use any help available. If that help included the exiled Fire Nation prince and the former Dragon of the West along with a knife throwing Fire Nation girl then so be it.

When all three had finished, Jet nodded, acknowledging what he believed to be the truth and sincerity of their words. "So, what do we do first?" He was brimming with energy and excitement and a sense of purpose that had been missing when he got out of prison. "I need a good reason to use my new swords." He pointed to the corner where his gleaming twin hooks rested.

"Perhaps I should tell all three of you about my Pai Sho club." Iroh gave them a broad wink.

"What's he talking about?" Jet asked.

Mai shrugged. "Zuko and I have our theories."

Iroh patted her shoulder and grinned. "And if they include the Order of the White Lotus, they would be on the right track."

"They do!" both she and Zuko exclaimed.

"All right then; let me just say that while we I did play pai sho on those evenings out, I was also getting to know the Order members who live here in Ba Sing Se. There are only three, but they will do whatever they can to help any resistance movement we may come up with. And with the laws set down by Azula, we will need to be extraordinarily smart and cautious."

"Um, I'm kind of lost here," Jet spoke up. "What is this Order of the White Lotus?"

Iroh stroked his chin and looked at the young man thoughtfully. "Well now, it's a group of people from all nations who share a love of truth and beauty, honorable people, who despise this war and want to end it. There are firebenders, waterbenders, earthbenders, weapons masters, along with intellectuals and artists."

"All of them men," Mai muttered indignantly under her breath.

"Yes, that is true, Mai. But who's to say that won't change. Perhaps you will be the first female member of the Order." Iroh patted her shoulder again. "Anyway, two of the Order members are professors at Ba Sing Se University…"

"Great help in a fight," Jet sneered.

Clearing his throat, the tea maker continued. "They know this city extremely well, every street, every alley and every warehouse. They could be a great help. The third member is an earthbender, a good one, from an old Ba Sing Se family. He fought in the war, was a captain in charge of his own squadron. He and his wife run a spa in the Upper Ring. She is a waterbender from the Northern Water Tribe. Woman there are not allowed to fight so female benders are trained in the healing arts. And she is an excellent healer, more than willing to help us out too. So those are the people I've been spending my evenings with. I'll need to make contact with them again soon."

Jet looked a bit more enthusiastic now. "A healer, she'll definitely come in handy."

"Indeed," Iroh agreed. "And she's a fine woman too. We're very fortunate to have all these people on our side. We should be getting along now, Jet. Our employer is expecting us at noon. Though this takeover is the main thing on all our minds, we still need money. Bellies need to be filled no matter what, right?" He winked at the Freedom Fighter and rubbed his considerable stomach. "And I have quite a belly to fill."

"I'm not touching that one," Jet joked. "I'm going to see if I still have a job. I'll walk out with you." He grabbed a shirt, pulled it over his head, ran a hand through his hair and then pulled open the door. "I'll talk to Smellerbee, all right. When should we meet again?"

"I need to contact the Order members and perhaps your friend needs a day or so to gather her thoughts and come to terms, if she can. How about tomorrow, two hours before sunset? We'll meet…" Iroh scrunched his face up in thought. There were not a lot of options, and they couldn't arouse suspicion. "At our apartment, I suppose. You'll have to leave well before the sun sets, though. Getting arrested will not help anyone."

"Your place, that's….."

"Your friends know where it is. Ask them."

"I will," Jet agreed. "Tomorrow then."

Yun was just opening the door of his tea shop, when Zuko, Mai and Iroh arrived.

"I thought you would be late, use this takeover as an excuse," he said accusingly. "Go on then, get your aprons on and get to work. Mai, Li, keep the fraternizing to a minimum. You can touch each other all you want on your own time."

"Jerk," Mai hissed softly. "He's the one who shut down for a day and a half. I'm starting to really dislike him." She deliberately reached for Zuko's hand and held it tightly as they made their way to the back of the shop.

Yun shot her a dirty look and Mai's free hand automatically reached up inside her sleeve, letting the feel of the blade calm her down. She did not let go of Zuko's hand until she had to.

Customers began to trickle in, slowly at first, only a few tables occupied. Within half an hour, though, the tea shop was bustling. Towards the end of the busy afternoon, two familiar men entered the shop. Yun's back immediately stiffened and he angrily tried to usher them out.

"Yun, what are you doing?" Mai asked. "Those men want to speak with Mushi. How dare you try to shove them out the door? Come back to the kitchen with me, gentlemn." Mai was in the mood to do whatever she could to tick Yun off. And allowing the wealthy men back to speak with Mushi definitely upset the tea shop owner.

"Indeed we do; and thank you, young lady." They flashed bright smiles at Mai and glided along behind her in their expensive robes.

"Mushi, you have visitors." Zuko was in the kitchen too and they both jerked their heads up. The prince made to protest immediately, but the older of the two men held his hand up.

"Let me speak! I want you to know that our offer of your own tea shop in the Upper Ring, a shop fully under your control, with a generous monthly allowance for any changes or improvements you see fit or luxuries you crave, is still open. And," he raised his hand again, "I sensed that something other than Yun is holding you back. I want you to know, Mushi, that our power and influence is great. No one, and I mean no one, will bother you at your shop. I don't care if twenty men in the Upper Ring are looking for you. We can take care of everything. All you have to do is make tea." He paused then and looked deep into Iroh's eyes before glancing at Mai and Zuko. "Do we have a deal?"

Everything had changed. Azula had won. She would soon head for home to get her reward from Ozai. And there was important work to be done. What better place for a resistance headquarters than a luxurious tea shop in the Upper Ring? The offer was too good to pass up.

After a quick look at his nephew and Mai, Iroh gave the man a nod. "Yes, we have a deal." They bowed then and Iroh took off his apron, tossing it aside carelessly. "Now that we are in business together, I think it's a good idea to know your names."

"All in good time, Mushi, all in good time," the younger man grinned. "Why don't you go home and start packing. Make any arrangements you need to. We'll meet you here the day after tomorrow, opening time. Make sure that you're good and ready to start new lives. I'm looking forward to doing business with you, Mushi."

The entrepreneurs left and the trio followed close behind.

"Where, where do you think you're going? You can't leave in the middle of a shift. Who do you think you are?" Yun was frantic and tried to block the door.

With one well placed punch, Iroh laid the man out flat. "That, little man, is for being a miserable boss, a miser and most of all for insulting Mai. Good day."

Yun spluttered and wiped at his bloody nose. "What, when did I insult Mai?"

Mai stepped over the man's prone form, her nose wrinkled with disgust. "Think really hard, Yun. It may take you some time."

A/N: That seemed to take forever to write. Thanks, Ix, for your assistance.