"What are you thinking, Aang?"
"Hm?" Aang turned towards Azula.
His face glowed with dappled light as the sun sunk behind the trees.
He stretched his arms out, taking in a joyful breath then said, quite calmly, "No one talks anymore."
A pause.
"What do you mean?" asked Azula, her voice sharp as she tried to dissect his words. Did she make a mistake somewhere? Was there something she missed?
"Right now," continued Aang, oblivious to her distress, "you're not saying everything that's on your mind."
Azula frowned. "No one says everything that's on their mind," she said.
"Exactly!" agreed Aang.
Azula huffed. "I don't want you to know everything I think. It's called privacy."
"But if it's something you want to say you should say it," said Aang and then he turned and gestured towards the others in the group. "Sometimes they don't say everything that's on their mind either. I don't understand why."
You have so many friends. So many wonderful qualities. I am waiting for you to choose someone else.
"Not everything needs to be said," replied Azula, her voice a measured level of indifference.
"There are no consequences here. It's okay."
"There are always consequences."
Aang opened his mouth then closed it without saying anything.
"Now who's not saying what's on their mind?" said Azula bitterly. There were times when she wanted to hold Aang's face between her hands and demand answers. Do you love me? How can I make you stay? Questions Azula could never ask. Would never allow herself to ask. Because it was dangerous to care too deeply and even her mother left.
Azula stepped away from Aang.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"You did nothing wrong," she replied. It was her. Azula was the one breaking things. She was the monster.
"Azula—"
"Hey, uh," Katara trailed off as she took note of the tension between them. Her face morphing into a wide-eyed look.
Like a fish out of water, thought Azula with wryness.
"Is everything alright?" Katara asked.
Azula folded her arms and subtly dug her nails into the flesh of her arms.
"Yes," replied Azula at the same time Aang said "No."
She shot him a glare that he met dead on. An action that filled her with a spike of pride.
They had a good run.
"What's on your mind, Katara?" asked Aang with a pointed look towards Azula that made her send him another glare.
"Um, I was wondering if there's a place to bathe?"
Aang nodded. "There's a river down there with a waterfall," he said, making the two girls blanch in unison.
Bathing in a river. Of all things.
Azula was grateful for her firebending. The water was freezing.
"Can you heat up the water over here?" asked Suki, politely.
"It's bad for the environment," protested Katara but after a minute in the frigid water she relented with a "Keep it restrained to one area and not too hot, please."
Azula obliged, using the opportunity to stretch her firebending.
"Useful," chirped Suki before proceeding to wash herself.
Azula copied the pace, not wanting to seem too eager to leave or stay. Commonality made people trust you, as her father would advise.
She wondered what her father would do once he realized she was kidnapped. She couldn't remember seeing him be openly worried since her mother's departure. Anger was more familiar; he'd likely be furious.
"Did you and Aang have a fight?" asked Katara, the question breaking her musings.
"We had a slight disagreement, but it's nothing for you to concern yourself with," answered Azula, keeping her tone pleasant. "Is Toph not joining us?"
"She said she'd rather keep a healthy coating of dirt," said Katara with a frown. She sent a questioning look towards Azula but pushed no further on the matter.
Azula assumed that would be the end of the conversation.
Then Suki chimed in with a, "It's healthy for couples to disagree every now and then," and, like dominoes, her comment cause Katara to add one of her own, "If there's anything we can do to help—"
"There's not," cut off Azula.
"Perhaps offer advice? Or a listening ear?" pressed Katara, "We're girls. We should be able to rely on each other."
"I agree," said Suki, "You can also talk to Toph when we get back if you're more comfortable with her, but it's like Katara said, talking to others helps, and we won't share anything you confide with anyone else. Including Aang."
Suki does have the most experience with relationships, thought Azula.
"Okay," she relented, "Aang and I did have a quarrel about communication."
"Communicating what?" asked Katara quickly.
"Not communicating. Communication. Aang thinks people should talk more about their feelings."
A hypocrite considering he has the most to hide. Why had he never seen a squirrel? What made him disappear for a thousand years?
"And what do you think?" asked Suki.
"I think everyone has secrets," replied Azula, looking up to catch the two other girls share a look. "What?"
"Well, it doesn't seem like a fight," said Katara, glancing over to Suki, "Right?"
Suki dried herself off with a towel she had the foresight to pack and for a moment nothing was said as the other two concentrated on using their respective bending to dry themselves.
"I think you had a silent fight," said Suki at last. "It's not about what was said but what was left unsaid. If that makes sense."
"How do I fix it?"
Suki shrugs. "Not everything needs to be fixed."
"The guys still not back yet?" asked Katara as they returned to the area.
Toph was resting on a lounge chair fastened out of dirt. Upon Katara's question, she replied, "You know the guys. They're obsessed with their looks. Kinda like you and your hair loopies."
"It's a cultural thing!" snapped Katara the abrasiveness of her voice causing Toph to defend herself with an "I didn't say it was bad."
Katara took a deep breath. "Right. Sorry. It's a touchy subject."
"Yeah…if you wanted to get some vigilante revenge on some old school bullied after this, I won't think less of you," said Toph, "In fact, I would join you."
"No, it's" Katara blew air through her lips, "It's not that. I took care of my bullies a long time ago." She tugged on her hair and turned to face everyone. "I need some advice but you absolutely cannot tell the guys."
"What kind of advice?" questioned Suki at the same time both Toph and Azula said "Deal."
Katara crossed her arms. "You're okay with not telling Aang?" she asked Azula with a definite, judgmental, edge to her voice.
"Depends on what advice you need," answered Azula, then she shrugged and added, "I wanted to hear what you had to say first. After you told me I could tell Aang regardless."
Katara sighed and rubbed her temple. "Okay. You know Jet?"
"The guy who tried to murder me and my brother? Yes."
"He was mind-controlled!" defended Katara. She fidgeted with her hands before stating, "I'm thinking of dating him."
"So you can bend all the elements?" asked Sokka.
Aang demonstrated by sending a wave of water towards him. "Yeah, pretty much," he laughed.
Sokka responded by splashing him in return and the two immersed themselves in an impromptu splash fight.
"Okay, okay," said Sokka, waving his arms in surrender. Aang stopped splashing only to get hit by a wave of water.
"Surprise Splash Attack!" yelled Sokka before swimming to the shore.
Aang shook his head mirthfully and followed. He had just put his pants on when Sokka spoke.
"Hey, Aang? Do you know how Long Feng hypnotized Jet and wiped his memories?"
"No?" Aang paused in putting on his shirt and waited for Sokka to offer one of his explanations.
But Sokka only shrugged and changed the subject. "So, that's your girlfriend?"
"Yeah," Aang smiled and rolled down his shirt before nervously looking up. "What do you think?"
Sokka poked his head through his shirt and frowned. "I dunno. She seemed a bit…caged."
Aang sighed and Sokka quickly added, "Just an impression. You have my permission to date her if you want. Or my approval. Whatever, it's up to you."
"Thanks Sokka." Aang sat down and reached for his shoes. "It means a lot. Your approval."
"Everything alright?"
Aang stared into the distance. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong," he quietly admitted.
"You want to date the guy who tried to commit a double-homicide." deadpanned Azula.
"Well, when Princess puts it that way I think you should go for it," remarked Toph with a shit-eating grin.
Azula made a note to have a rematch sooner rather than later.
"Maybe we should let Katara tell her side of the story," mediated Suki.
Katara nodded in gratitude before elaborating, "Jet and I used to be part of the same activist group before he got frustrated with the lack of progress. He joined a new group that was more focused on immediate action." Katara looked down. "To give credit where it's due, his group accomplish a lot of good before, well, they tried to set off a bomb.
"What?!"
Katara winced. "I know! I, we weren't together but we were quasi-flirting, and I cut ties with him after the incident."
"Okay, the police force is incompetent but we definitely would have heard about this," pointed out Toph.
"The bomb didn't go off. Me, Sokka, along with some detective and his brother intervened and managed to shut it off."
Azula narrowed her eyes. "Where was the bomb supposed to go off?"
"In the financial district." Katara crossed her arms and glared at the trees. "What Jet did was wrong, but he's not a bad guy."
"Katara—" began Suki only to be cut off by Toph.
"Setting off a bomb seems pretty bad to me."
"It didn't go off," defended Katara, "and legally we've actually committed more crimes as vigilantes."
"Katara," continued Suki, "Can you trust him? Do you think he's a good person?"
Katara chewed on her lip. "If you asked me this before, I would have said no. He wanted to hurt a lot of people. Innocent people. He let his anger for his parents' death cloud his reasoning. But, after the Long Feng incident, he apologized—"
"He also attempted murder-suicide," cut off Azula.
"Only because he was under Long Feng's control. Jet told me he quit the group after the bomb incident. That he had made a mistake. That he's sorry."
"That's still a terrible track record," argued Azula.
"Aang would want me to give others a second chance."
Azula pressed her lips together before turning to Suki. "You've known her the longest. You decide."
"I think," said Suki, "that it's up to you, Katara. What does your gut say?"
"My gut says it's a terrible idea and that I'm an idiot for even considering it," replied Katara.
Azula nodded at the same time Suki shook her head.
"That's what your mind is telling you, and it's a good thing, that you're recognizing the risks and letting us know so we can keep an eye out, but…"
Suki shrugged. "I don't think anyone chooses who they fall in love with, not entirely at least, and if you have feelings for him and he has feelings for you then you should at least try to see how it goes."
At that, Suki turned and addressed Azula. "If you knew everything you do now about Aang in the beginning, would you still choose to date him?"
Azula hesitated.
"I want her to be happy," continued Aang, "with me. But I don't know how to do that and I keep messing up."
"Whoa, whoa, hold up." Sokka put his hands up. "What makes you think she isn't happy?"
"She doesn't act like Suki does," answered Aang.
"Not everyone is as amazing as Suki," rebutted Sokka.
"She also," Aang sighed, "She also didn't want to go on this trip with me, and I had to push her, and now I can't tell if she's having a good time or not because she won't tell me."
"Have you asked her?"
"She'll just say yes," Aang sighed again, "But I won't know if she means it."
Sokka patted him on the back. "Look, Aang. I think you're complicating things. If she's not happy she'll leave. If she hasn't left then she's happy."
"I guess that makes sense."
"Of course it does. I'm a genius."
"Yeah, you are," said Aang in realization. He smiled. "Thanks Sokka."
"I wouldn't have," Azula admitted.
"But now, knowing his criminal record, you're in love with him?" asked Katara.
Azula gave the barest hints of a nod, but it was enough to make Toph shout, "Hey Twinkletoes! Your girlfriend loves you!"
"Shut up!" snarled Azula much to the merriment of the others.
"Is it really okay?" asked Katara quietly once the laughter ebbed away.
"If he tries to hurt innocent people again I'll drop a building on him," vowed Toph, "but if he doesn't then I guess he gets my approval. Might change my mind once I actually meet the guy, you know."
"Likewise," affirmed Suki.
"What?" blinked Azula underneath Katara's stare.
Katara made a small frustrated noise in the back of her throat before elaborating, "Are you okay with this? With me dating Jet?"
"No, but," Azula groaned, "You were right. Aang would want you to forgive him."
"And you?" she pressed.
"I think it's a foolish idea, but if you don't realize that yourself after a week of dating Jet then maybe there's more to him. I doubt it, but I can wait a week."