Katara gasped when she stepped out of the door. It was so light, compared to the darkness that she had been locked in for hours. She didn't see anything at first, but Aang was holding her hand tightly and guided her forward.

Aang suddenly picked her up and jumped down through a hole in the floor. He landed smoothly on the floor with help of airbending.

"We have to find the door…" Aang said and started to run.

Katara followed, still holding his hand. "But the front door is probably guarded… And I'm sure I saw Azula lock it when we got here. It won't be easy to get out there." She said.

Aang stopped. He let go off her hand, and took an airbending stance. Katara realized what he was doing when he turned his gaze to a window.

"Aang, don't-" Katara was interrupted by the loud noise when Aang blew a window into pieces.

"What are you doing?" Katara asked. "They will hear that!"

"Yeah, so we have to go fast." Aang reached out a hand for her.

When she took it, he pulled her into his embrace and jumped out from the window.

"Come on!" Aang said and started to run. "This way!"

They ran out on the street. Katara tried to keep up with Aang's fast speed, but he used airbending to run faster. Katara was getting exhausted. She stumbled over her own feet and fell to the ground.

Katara just lay there for a moment, panting heavily. Then Aang suddenly was by her side, pulling her to her feet.

"Are you okay?" He asked worried.

He stroked some hair out of her face, and suddenly his eyes widened. He touched her cheek, and then he looked down at the blood on his fingers.

Katara tried to wipe the blood off her cheek. "I'm okay, it's just an abrasion."

But Aang wasn't looking at her anymore. He was staring at something behind her.

Katara turned around. Azula, followed by her army and some guards, was running towards them.

Aang stepped in front of Katara.

Azula slowed her speed until she was walking. She smiled evilly at them. "Leaving already, Avatar? But you just got here!"

Aang didn't answer.

"I have to confess, I'm impressed by you. I never thought you would get here this quickly. But, you would never have gotten this far if it wasn't for that stupid traitor."

Two guards pushed their way through the small crowd. They were holding a furious Jet.

"He will get his punishment, of course." Azula smiled at Aang. "As soon as I'm done with you."

"Let him go." Aang said.

Katara gave Aang a surprised gaze, even if he couldn't see it. Aang was trying to help Jet?

Azula laughed at Aang's comment.

Aang took a step forward, away from Katara. "It's me you want, Azula. Let Jet and Katara go. I'll fight you, alone." He said determined.

Katara gasped and grabbed Aang's arm. "No, Aang! You can't fight them alone!"

"I have to." Aang said, without looking at her. "I'm not going to let anybody else get hurt."

"I'm not leaving." Katara said. "Not without you."

Aang was about to protest, but he was interrupted by Azula. "What would it help me if I let them go?" She said. "Like this, I can end all three of you, and all my problems will be gone."

Azula took a fighting stance. Aang took another step away from Katara.

Azula and Aang stared at each other for a moment. Then Azula attacked.

Aang rejected her fire ball with airbending. He jumped out of the way of the next one, pulling Katara with him.

"Get out of here!" He screamed to her, before he ran towards Azula.

A chaos was released on the street when Aang ran in to the crowd of firebenders. Katara saw several firebenders fly through the air, hitting the ground hard. Jet knocked down the guards holding him. He saw Katara, and came running towards her.

Even if Katara had heard that Jet had helped them, she didn't trust him. That wasn't that hard to believe since he had recently kidnapped her.

"Stay back!" She shouted to him and took a waterbending stance.

"Katara, I'm helping you!" Jet said pleading. "We have to get out of here! My car is parked not far from here."

"I'm not leaving without Aang." Katara said.

Jet nodded, not meeting her gaze. "I'll go and get the car." He started to run down the street.

Katara extracted the water out from a tree. She ran towards Aang, knocking down two firebenders with her water whip on the way. Aang was being attacked by two firebenders, plus Azula. He looked up surprised when Katara attacked one of the firebenders.

"I told you to get out of here!" He shouted and raised an earth wall to block an attack from Azula.

"I'm not leaving without you!" Katara shouted back, avoiding a fire stream from one of the firebenders.

Azula noticed that Katara had joined the fight. She smiled wicked. Suddenly she turned towards Katara and attacked her instead of Aang. Katara was unprepared for the attack, and she wasn't fast enough to avoid the fire. Her left arm was covered with fire for a moment. Her water whip turned into steam when it got hit by the fire.

Katara had lost her only weapon.

Aang noticed that Katara was in trouble, and he came running towards her. He laid his arm around her waist, and pulled her close to him. The ground under them raised, moving forward. The firebenders jumped terrified out of the way of the moving boulder.

A black Toyota came driving, with a dangerous speed. The tires screamed when the car stopped in front of them.

"It's Jet." Katara said to Aang.

Aang lowered the ground, dragging Katara with him. He opened the door to the back seat, practically throwing Katara inside before jumping after.

Jet hit the gas and drove straight towards the firebenders. They escaped screaming as the car came towards them. But some of them started to firebend at the car, trying to stop it.

"Faster!" Aang shouted.

They passed a furious Azula, whose hair was a mess after the fight. But she didn't try to stop them. They passed all the firebenders, but Jet didn't slow down.

Aang suddenly took Katara's hand, extremely carefully.

"You got hurt." He said, examining her burned hand.

"You too." Katara said looking at Aang's burned clothes.

Aang gave her a gaze that she couldn't interpret.

"Where will I take you?" Jet asked.

"You can drop us of at the next crossroad. We'll walk from there. It's safer."

Jet nodded.

Katara got out from the car as soon as it stopped. But Aang delayed for a moment.

"Where will you go now?" He asked Jet.

"To the freedom fighters clubhouse. It's well hidden, so Azula won't find me there."

"Okay. Be careful."

Aang got out from the car, and they watched Jet drive away. Aang started to walk, and Katara followed. She wanted to ask about Jet and Aang's sudden friendship, but there was something about Aang that made her hesitate. He was not the normal, happy Aang. It was like he had been through too much lately, which he probably had.

"Where are we going?" Katara asked to break the silence.

"To Suki's. Sokka is waiting there." Aang answered.

They were silent the rest of the way.

As soon as the door to Suki's house opened, Katara was pulled into a tight hug.

"Katara!" Sokka said happily. "Are you alright? What in the world have happened?" He asked when he saw her burned hand.

Katara was too tired to answer. Aang noticed that, and he laid an arm around her waist to support her.

"You need to get healed, and then you have to get some sleep." He said.

Suki's mother appeared in the hallway, and she immediately grabbed Katara's arm and pulled her into the living room. She placed Katara in the couch, and Katara pulled Aang down next to her.

"Dear, dear, this is just horrible!" Suki's mother said as she saw their burns and wounds. "I'll get you some water for you to heal with, Katara. You can go into the bathroom."

While Suki's mother made the bathroom ready, Aang told the others about everything that had happened. Everything except for the kissing in Katara's prison.

"So… are you guys like officially back together now?" Suki asked after a while.

Katara didn't know what to answer. She had assumed that they would get back together when Aang kissed her, but they hadn't really talked about it.

"Yeah, I guess so." Aang said with a smile.

Katara was amazed about how much older he suddenly seemed.

"The bathroom is ready!" Suki's mother said. "I took some of Suki's clothes for you, Katara. And Aang, I'm sorry but you will have to settle with some clothes that Sokka has forgotten here."

"That's good, thanks." Aang said.

He and Katara walked into the bathroom.

"Take off your shirt." Katara ordered.

Aang obeyed, and sat down on a stool while Katara healed his back.

"So… What now?" Katara asked.

"Katara… I have to face Azula ." Aang jerked when Katara touched a wound on his arm. "You stay here with your brother and Suki, and try to get some rest."

"What? No!" Katara said chocked. "You can't face Azula now! You have been up all night, and you're exhausted. If you face her now, you'll lose!"

"I have to do this now, or it will be too late! Who knows what Azula is going to figure out next? She could go for anyone that's close to me, and I can't let that happen… again."

"Okay." Katara said. "But you are not going alone. If you decide to face her now, you'll have to take me with you."

"Katara…" Aang started.

"I just got you back!" Katara interrupted. "I'm not going to let you walk into a sure death! There are other ways to solve this. Azula is guilty for kidnapping and attempted murder. If we contact the police, we can get her arrested!"

"I doubt that would solve anything… She is a fire nation princess."

"At least it's worth a try. Please, Aang." Katara begged.

He hesitated for a moment. But then he sighed heavily. "Okay. It would be the best if this got a peaceful ending. I'll go and discuss it with Gyatso."

"I'll come with you." Katara said.

"Katara, you need to sleep…"

"I don't want to sleep unless I'm next to you."

Katara met Aang's gaze. He just stared into her eyes for a moment, but then he nodded.

oOoOo

Katara felt like she couldn't take another step. Sokka had dropped her and Aang off half ways to Aang's home, because Aang had said that it would be safer to walk the rest of the way. Azula might recognize Sokka's car if she saw them.

Katara stumbled, and Aang grabbed her arm to support her.

"I knew I should have left you at Suki's. You are way too tired to walk." He said.

"No, I'm fine." Katara said, but then she yawned deeply.

Aang shook his head. "I'll carry you the rest of the way."

Before Katara could say anything, he had picked her up bridal style. He started running with airbender-speed. Katara kept a tight hold of him, but she felt really safe in his arms. She rested her head at his shoulder. Slowly, she started to drift off…

Katara woke up when the warmth from Aang's body disappeared. She looked around and saw that she was lying in Aang's bed.

"Aang?" She said sleepy.

Aang leaned down over her.

"Go back to sleep, Katara." He said.

Katara took a tight grip of his shirt. "Don't go." She whispered.

Aang grabbed her wrists. "I have to go and talk to Gyatso. I'll be right back." He pulled himself free from Katara's grip.

Katara sat up in the bed. "I'm coming with you then."

Aang sighed. He pushed her back down on the bed. "You need to sleep!"

Katara met his gaze. "I'm not going to sleep if you don't stay with me."

Katara saw that Aang gave up.

He pulled off his shirt before he lay down under the cover, next to her.

Katara felt like she should say something to him. Like she should tell him how much she loved him, and how much she needed him… She didn't want him to underestimate her feelings for him.

But she was too tired. Even thinking seemed like an effort. Her eyes closed, and she started to drift off. She didn't know if she was dreaming or awake anymore. Aang pulled her close to him, caressing her face. She didn't know if it was a dream, but she thought she heard him say:

"I'll go through anything to make you safe. I promise."