Bridges

"So ya had your first screamer last night?" Sokka asks Zuko as they walk along side the palanquin bearing Katara, Ahni and Tatia. It's about a mile to the site of the installation ceremony, which they will perform right on the dividing line between the twins' new territories.

"Katara told you?" The Fire Lord hadn't gotten back to sleep after his dream. His face is pale and his eyes have deep shadows beneath them.

Not projecting an image of formidable strength at all.

"She said you wouldn't tell her what it was, but I'm guessing that's because something horrible happened to her. So you can tell me." Sokka says proudly, slowing down so the palanquin moves ahead of them and his sister won't be able to hear the conversation.

"I'd rather not." Zuko says quietly.

"Okay, let me guess then. She died in childbirth." Sokka ventures the most common plot line of the impending fatherhood terror dream.

"I don't know."

"Hmmm. Symbolic dream then, eh? Okay, a giant lizard-monkey plucks an ear of corn from a rooftop and throws it like a fire bomb at a cowering angler fish."

"What?" Zuko looks at him blankly.

"Yeah, I still don't get that one." Sokka shudders at the memory. "Okay, you do something to the baby. Lose it. Step on it. Feed it a spider."

Zuko looks at the ground.

"Not exactly." He thinks for a moment and then sighs heavily. He explains the dream to Sokka in sharp detail. Every second has stayed at the front of his mind since the moment he awoke screaming. It's actually nice to get it off his chest.

"Classic fear of bonding dream." Sokka nods knowledgeably. "Typical in new fathers."

"I don't think that was it." Zuko shakes his head.

"You don't really think you were seeing the future in your dream do you?" Sokka asks incredulously.

When Zuko doesn't answer Sokka laughs. But Zuko's upset is real and he pulls back on his mirth quickly.

"Have you ever had a premonition dream before?" He decides to back his brother-in-law into a corner via science so he understands it's just a dream.

"Well, I did dream once I was the Fire Lord…" Zuko begins.

"Gotta tell ya, brother, the crown prince of the Fire Nation dreaming he's the Fire Lord is not prophesy."

"I wasn't the crown prince at the time." Zuko counters grumpily, "I was a fugitive working in a tea house in Ba Sing Se."

"Still, you felt like the crown prince inside so having a …"

"No, Sokka. I didn't feel like the crown prince inside. I felt like shit inside. And why do you think I felt that way? Because my own father rejected me, that's why. Just like I did to my own son in my dream." He spells it out because Sokka's never been rejected by someone that important to him. He couldn't possibly understand.

"Fear of bonding dream." Sokka says under his breath because he can't help himself once he knows he's reached an accurate diagnosis.

"I made a choice." Zuko says angrily. "And I think …" he looks away into the forest. "I'm afraid I'd make it again."

"Like if you were in the position to choose between your own child and your wife you'd choose Katara. Even after the baby's born?"

"Yes."

"Not gonna happen. First of all, I can't see the circumstances that would make that scenario take place, but regardless, once the baby's in the world you won't let anything bad happen to it. It's a father's instinct." He declares with the voice of experience.

"Is it?" Zuko looks over at him shrewdly and Sokka realizes his brother-in-law is looking at him through his formerly scarred left eye. The skin is smooth and perfect now, and it's easy to forget that, five years ago Zuko's face was horribly scarred by the hand of the man who should have protected him against everything.

"I get the point." Sokka mutters. "But I know what I'm talking about here. You're not Ozai. You never were."

Zuko continues walking, gazing broodingly at the ground. Sokka, annoyed, finally grabs his arm and their eyes meet.

"I've seen you with Yukio since he was eleven. And Taoki and Kenya. You may not believe you have enough love but you do. So get over it. It was just a dream. And you know what? You're going to have another bad dream tonight and tomorrow night. You know why? Because of all that stupid love." Sokka tightens his grip on the Fire Lord's arm when he tries to pull away. "Don't tell me I don't understand. I have five children and a wife and my only wish is that I had six lives to give for each and every one of them if necessary. And you are just like me. Unfunny and boring most of the time, but at least in this department, we're the same."

Zuko glares at him with flashing, angry eyes. Very rarely is he confronted by another person. Never do they lay hands on him and remain standing. Certainly not in front of the entire royal entourage.

"Do I need to have you arrested?" He asks quietly.

"Only if I have to tell you this again. Because you'll be on your backside if I do." Sokka matches Zuko's deadly tone.

It's a tense face-off that lasts longer than the guard is comfortable with. As they move in to take the Water Tribe captain down, Zuko raises his hand to halt them.

He turns and begins walking again, the entire line of people moving on his footsteps. He looks straight ahead as Sokka joins him.

"I'm not unfunny and boring." Zuko mutters.

"No comment." Sokka mutters back and the two men continue trudging along in silence.

XXXXXXXXX

Assembled at the ridge where the bloody tunic was found, the grouping of officers and security men go over what they've learned in their overnight search. Suki sits between Chin and Bokussu in a position of honor she wasn't expecting. She found the divot where the bear slid over the cliff and that allowed them to track the rest of the event back into the clearing where they found copious amounts of blood in one spot. Broken branches and ruined patches of grass told of a violent confrontation in the woods, the outcome of which is completely uncertain.

"The wagon tracks are fairly fresh. We should get going." Bokkusu says impatiently.

"But there still may be some information we can dig up here." Chin counters. "There might even be a body." He chokes a bit on the last word but he forces it out.

"Pick a team to leave behind. I'm taking my people and moving on." Bokkusu announces.

"And leaving a bunch of crewmen with no security leadership? Nice." Chin grouches.

"My gut tells me to move on." The box man narrows his eyes at his friend.

"I'll stay." Suki pipes up. "I've got a lot of tracking experience. I can lead a search."

"Great idea." Bokkusu claps her on the shoulder, moving her ahead about three feet. "Chin, you stay with her. Keep as many searchers as you want and the rest can come with me."

Chin glares at his friend. Suki glares at him as well. If she hadn't seen the security man treat so many others the same way, his assault on her shoulder would bring about a frenzied payback his underlings would have nightmares about for years to come.

Loath to complain about being treated like one of the guys, though, Suki just nods.

"One problem." Chin says dryly. "We are authorized to have one Fire Nation unit moving about the Earth Kingdom. You're going to make it two."

Bokkusu curses creatively under his breath.

"Give the documents to Bokkusu and I'll be your authorization here." Suki offers.

The box man raises his hand to go at her shoulder again and she ducks fluidly around him to the other side of the circle. Their eyes meet and they both grin.

"Fine." Chin grumbles feeling suddenly, and very inexplicably, angry with both of them.

"Pick your group and I'll take the rest." Bokkusu says buoyantly to his friend. "I want to start out in the next half hour though, so be quick about it."

"Bokkusu … " Chin's voice is low with warning. "You're getting annoying."

The box man merely smiles. Despite the seriousness of the situation he's happy to be taking some action. And he's very happy to leave Chin with the Kyoshi warrior. As much as he hates it when people try to match him with women, he's not above doing it with his own friends.

And concerning himself with Chin's love life certainly does a good job of keeping his mind off his own.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I wish we were walking with the Fire Lord and Sokka." Taoki says as he rides an ostrich-horse alongside his brother. The two of them do know how to ride, but they're not comfortable.

It was decided that the two new barons would lead the party to the location of the ceremony. Riding provides them with stature. At least it does unless one of them falls off.

"Relax." Kenya says. "We'll be there soon."

"And then it's really for real." Taoki says soberly.

"Did you recognize anyone back in Imiyo?" Kenya asks hesitantly.

"Yeah. A few." He responds.

"I hate them."

"So do I."

"We're supposed to be good barons to them, though." Kenya muses.

"It'll be hard not to spit in some of their faces."

"Yeah."

"But we represent the Fire Lord so we have to be perfect all the time." There's a note of bitterness in Taoki's voice.

"Yeah."

Neither one of them is typically vindictive. Even as companions to Prince Yukio they've taken their share of obnoxious comments. But these people are part of a horrible history. People who might not have known the young boys could communicate or understand language, but who certainly knew they were being abused. Their grandfather didn't do much to hide that aspect of their relationship and not a single acquaintance stepped in on their behalf.

The Fire Lord's decision to travel with the princess to their installation ceremony marks them as his voice in the province. If they repay in kind those who disdained them and left them to their brutal fate so long ago they dishonor not only themselves but the monarch as well.

"I don't think it's in me to do anything to anyone anyway." Taoki says on a ragged sigh.

"I wish we didn't have to do this." Kenya responds.

"Same here."

"At least this gives you the position to ask for Lin's hand."

"It'll be hard. Her father won't approve, even if I am nobility." Taoki adjusts his seat on the animal but finds no comfort.

"You're higher than he is." Kenya points out. "You have the personal approval of the Fire Lord. Cho Sung can't say a word."

"What if she doesn't want to leave her family?"

"With those brothers of hers? If she doesn't want to leave them for you she's not worth having." Kenya snorts.

Taoki is silent for a moment.

"Never say anything like that about her again." He says, his voice a deadly whisper.

Kenya looks up, surprised.

"Don't threaten me, Taoki." He bites back. "If she denies you she's my enemy and there's nothing you can do to keep me from feeling that way. Retribution is yours but I don't have to forgive her and I wouldn't."

They ramble along for a bit, the tension subsiding at a snail's pace.

"Besides," Kenya finally breaks the silence, "there's no way in this world it's not going to happen. I'd bet my life on it."

Now it's Taoki's turn to snort. Kenya's bluster is always comforting. He'd surprised himself by getting so angry at what he perceived to be an insult to Lin. But Kenya's words had also caught him off guard. It had never occurred to him the three of them might not be one happy family. Kenya's habit of worrying over and protecting Taoki could get in the way in the coming months.

Taoki looks over at his double and sees him narrowing his eyes, focusing on something in the distance. Knowing whatever it is won't be visible to everyone else for another hundred yards or so, Taoki looks ahead with no small amount of anxiety uncurling in his stomach.

They're close now. Almost land-holding nobility. Responsible for the care and livelihoods of all the people who let them down for so many years.

The area of the ceremony crawls into view. A dais has been constructed that rises above the river with columns that soar high into the trees with banners and streamers waving and fluttering all around.

The tiny village beside the river is part of Kenya's domain and it appears to be no more than a collection of about ten tiny structures doubling as businesses and domiciles.

"This is it." Taoki breathes.

"I'll only be a mile or two away." Kenya shares his own worry. He and Taoki have never been separated for more than a day. For the first time ever they'll be setting up their own, individual households.

Even as insignificant as the physical distance between them will be, once Lin joins Taoki, Kenya will be alone.

And that's something he's very afraid of getting used to.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You idiots!" Cho Sung rails at his sons.

Bai and Dozo look at the thick, luxurious rug beneath their hands as they prostrate themselves before the fury of their father.

"How could you not know the White Spirits were more than just hangers-on?"

No answer comes from the lumps on the carpet. The baron hadn't expected one and they know it. He walks over and kicks Bai in the side causing the boy to expel air in a loud oomph.

"They are the grandsons of Baron Konjin." Cho Sung hisses. "They have inherited more land than I can possibly imagine. Combine that with the Fire Lord's obvious affection for them and I have no choice but to allow that … thing … to marry Lin if he asks."

"No!" Dozo looks up. "You can't! The Fire Lord wouldn't force you to …" Another oomph sounds as he too is struck in the side.

"Shut up! I have no intention of allowing her to mate with that freak. Can you imagine what their children will be? Even if I disown her, their … offspring … would still be part Cho Sung. Spirits know what they could create between the two of them." He spits in disgust and returns to his cushions by the giant windows where the dappled sun warms the room.

"What can we do?" Bai chokes out angrily, not daring to lift his head.

"What you should have done before!" The baron roars, stalking back around the room again, too agitated to sit on his luxurious throne. "Find out everything you can about them. And find out if he's contacted Lin another time. Maybe the distance will save us."

"Yes father." Bai says quietly.

"He hasn't sent any messages since she played at the last palace gathering." Dozo ventures weakly, most of his strength going toward keeping himself from rubbing his side. "I'll question the maid again."

"Draw blood if you have to." Cho Sung orders through clenched teeth and stomps from the room.

After at least a minute of remaining prostrate, Bai rises from his position.

"You know, Dozo, if we're going to get punished every time something happens between Lin and the freak that's beyond our control, we're going to end up dead."

"Yeah." Dozo says, finally rising and rubbing his side where he's certain he's sporting at least a couple of bruised ribs.

"But all the trouble goes away if he's dead."

"What? We can't kill father!" Dozo gasps.

"Of course not, idiot. The freak."

"Oh. Yeah. He can't really court Lin if he's ashes, can he?"

"Maybe we should think about that." Bai suggests.

"Definitely." Dozo agrees and starts painfully climbing to his feet.

XXXXXXXXXX

Lily collapses beside Yukio in the back of the cart and shoots Farmer Fu a glare.

"Thanks for all the help." She grouches at the back of the old man's head as the cart begins a steady rumble along the pitted road.

"Well you can thank me, miss. I might have been able to give you a hand with those thugs if your boyfriend here hadn't been trying to crawl out of the wagon to join the fight." Fu explains curtly.

"You what?!" Lily raises up on an elbow and looks down at Yukio.

Yukio couldn't look less ready to fight. His skin is the color of a fish belly and his wound is the color of fire cherries with the exception of the awful, light yellow liquid oozing from the stitched gashes.

"How many?" His eyelids only open a slit as he looks at her dazedly, his eyes bright with fever.

"There were only three. It was mostly easy." She picks up the damp cloth that has fallen beside his head and dabs at his burning cheeks, neck and forehead.

"I wish I could have …"

"Don't you dare put yourself in more danger. If I need someone's help then I'll get it, but don't you … " She stops, overwhelmed suddenly with worry as his eyes close again and he drifts off into another fitful sleep.

"Please hurry." She nearly whimpers to the farmer.

"No more stops until we get to a healer." The farmer promises, his big, gnarled hand patting her shoulder awkwardly. "I promise."

Allowing the tears to flow now that Yukio can't see them, Lily nods, accepting the comfort of the promise and gently wipes the prince's brow again.

As Farmer Fu turns his attention toward urging his stubborn ostrich horse to a trot Lily lays down beside her patient and allows herself a moment of much needed rest.

"Don't die, Yukio." She whispers to his unhearing ear as she smoothes his hair back and away from his face. "I love you. Please don't die."