Tatiana sat up slowly and took in her surroundings. White beds lined up along the wall, she was in the infirmary. She could feel her pulse beating in her lip, she put a hand up to it and gently ran a finger over it. It was swelled but not too bad. She pushed the thin white covers off of her and got out of the bed. She was still in the dress, and the sash was still tied around her waist.
She reached a hand inside the sash and her hand closed on Sokka's boomerang. Her comb was nowhere to be found. She was a little disappointed that she had lost the comb. Better than losing my virginity to some fire bending dog, she thought angrily as she stuck the boomerang back in her sash and walked to the door.
The door creaked slowly open to reveal an empty hall way. Tatiana closed the door behind her and looked for a telltale set of stairs that would lead her onto the deck. As she found the stairs she made an attempt to smooth her hair out, it had come undone from her earlier excursions that day and was tumbling in and out of her face.
Tatiana walked up the stairs after putting her hair behind her ears and looked for the door that would lead her too the navigation room, none too eager to meet anymore fire benders.
"It looks like they're coming back this way," Aang said as he jumped off of Appa's back. Sokka looked up at him. Why did they turn around? He thought as he glanced at Katara who's face expressed his thoughts.
"Why are they coming back?" Katara asked. Momo hopped on Aang's head as he shrugged.
"They left their campsite. They had too come back sometime," he said.
"I don't know, I'm going to go and check things out at the village," Katara said.
"I'll go too," Aang ran to catch up with Katara who had already started walking. Sokka nodded and waved as Appa began munching the branch off of a tree.
"I win, again," Iroh said as he sat back and smiled. The crew members he had been playing with resignedly took out several coins from their pockets. "Thank you, you really are getting much better. In fact if we play another game you will surely win," he said smiling again. The two crew members shook their heads and went for the exit.
As they opened the door Tatiana walked in with her head bowed under their elbows. They shut the door behind them. Iroh looked up merrily at the girl. She lifted her head and he let in a sharp intake of breath. Her bottom lip was swollen and a thin line of blood ran down her chin where the lip had split. Her hair was slightly messy and the fabric on one of her shoulders was torn, showing the beginnings of bruises on it.
"Here," he got up and pushed a chair out for her. She sat down.
"Where is Prince Zuko?" she asked as she scooted it up the table.
"I believe he is in his room straightening up," he lied.
"Oh," she said and looked down at the game board. "Is this Pai Cho?" she asked as she picked up a lotus tile and examined it.
"Why yes it is. Do you play?" he asked. She nodded as she put the tile back on the board. Tatiana began arranging pieces on the board to suit her. He nodded as he looked at the standard 'Guarding Dragon' defense.
"I've been known to," she said and looked at his attack pattern 'Gliding Swan' this was going to be interesting, and it would help her get her mind off of the more unpleasant events of the day.
Tatiana listened with interest as Iroh told her the answers too every question she could think of about the ship, the Fire Nation and, the Fire Prince.
"How do you know that there are rogue fire benders at your deserted campsite?" she asked. Iroh moved his left flank back and studied the game board.
"It's actually a miniature submarine, although it travels on top of the water," he said.
"Really, how big is it?" she asked as the new subject peaked her interest.
"Oh, its about a fourth of this room," he said studying the board.
"It must be really hard to operate," she said making her voice lilt as to make the casual listener think that anyone who would dare go out in a submarine were the bravest to have ever sailed the ocean.
"Actually it is not hard. You see it is just like operating a rhino, you just steer it where you want too go. It goes three times as fast as this ship, useful on stealth missions in particular," Iroh said. Tatiana changed her attack pattern to 'The Stampede' and looked casually back to Iroh. She saw an opening, if she switched her defense back to 'Guarding Dragon' she would lose. If she changed it to 'Hiding Rat' there was no way that he could be able too repair his attack pattern.
Tatiana pretended to look perplexed as she made unsure seeming gestures towards the pieces. She changed it to 'Guarding Dragon." Tatiana smiled inwardly, a plan forming in her mind.
"Ah, one more game?" Iroh said as his pieces overtook her inner defenses.
"Of course," she said rearranging the pieces to 'Creeping Snake' attack pattern. A few more games and he'll forget what he has told me, she thought as she smiled back at Iroh.
Prince Zuko shot fire out of his hand at a target bearing a strange resemblance to Admiral Zhao. It hit the target square in the head making the pieces of an old boot that were the sideburns burst into flame. One of the crew mates splashed water on it to ready for his next attack.
Zuko smirked as he imagined Zhao's head on fire.
"Good shot sir," said the crew member as he stepped away from the steaming practice dummy. Zuko smirked even harder. Suck up, he thought as he set a jet of fire balls at the dummy leaving it blazing. The crew member raced to put it out and started throwing bucket after bucket of water of it. Zuko left him to it and walked back to the navigation room where his uncle would most likely be trying to fool someone into playing Pai Cho with him.
"She is still in the Infirmary recovering," Zuko said as he watched his uncle move a piece back. Iroh rubbed his chin through his beard.
"Really? She seemed just fine when she left," Iroh said. Zuko's eyes widened.
"What?" he said.
"She wanted a game of Pai Cho, and she nearly beat me. Very good defense. She grew tired after the fourth game so she went back to her room," he surveyed the board.
"Where did you say she went?" he asked.
"Too her room to have a nap."
"Her room has been locked since she left this morning," Zuko got up and ran down the stairs again.
"Wait, where are you going Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked as he glowered at the game board. He was about to win.
Zuko raced down the second set of stairs leading to the earth bender girl's room. The guard was playing cards with another crew member. They snapped too attention as they saw him approach.
"You!" he pointed too the guard. "Has the girl been here recently?" he asked. The guard shook his head.
"No sir," he said.
"And the door has remained locked?" he said.
"Yes sir," the guard looked at the other crew member. Zuko fought the urge to hit him.
"If you see her take her to the navigation room," he said and walked off down the hall towards his room. The little thief, he thought as he walked through the doorway. If she hadn't have come prowling through his things then he wouldn't have to stop and get a knew door. Probably off hiding… or getting into even more trouble. I should just let the men have her after we get our camp site back, he thought regretfully as he recounted knocking out one of his soldiers. I could have used him in the raid tomorrow, he thought as he checked to see if everything was in place.
The silver comb was on the floor. Most likely where she dropped it, he thought as he angrily picked up the comb and slammed it on his table. He picked up the piece of black cloth on the floor and realized with a surge of anger that it had a hole in it. That had been his blanket as a child. The water brat's boomerang was missing as he had figured. Lieutenant Sen now had a large bump on the side of his head where it looked like the girl had hit him over the head with something. That solves that mystery, he thought as he checked on the water bender's necklace. It was on the floor under the table.
"Sir!" shouted a soldier as he skidded to a halt in front of the what used to be Zuko's door. Zuko turned around.
"What?" he snapped.
"The submarine is missing-"
"WHAT?" Zuko yelled as he pushed past the soldier and ran down the hallway and up the stairs. Obviously his Uncle had spilled on how to work the submarine, he thought angrily as he raced towards where the submarine was kept.
There was a large empty spot where the submarine usually sat by the trap door that it was drove down into the water. He walked over to the handle and looked at it. It was only halfway down, the sign of someone that was in a hurry. Zuko gritted his teeth and punched the wall.
"Tell the crew to double up on the coal!" he yelled at the guard standing behind him. The guard flinched and raced back up the stairs. He kicked the side of the ship and stomped up the stairs to go and harass his Uncle.
Tatiana sighed and wiped her forehead. Iroh had significantly left out the tiny detail that it was so hot in the submarine, she had already removed her sash and rolled up the sleeves of her dress to her shoulders. Her burn was a lot better as long as she didn't press too hard on it. The submarine was fairly easy to steer, she was just following right behind the ship, where they couldn't see her. It would not have been safe for her to go out in front of the ship until dark. So she waited.
After a few hours the sun set. Tatiana steered slowly around the ship until she was in front of it. She headed in the direction that the ship was heading. The tiny submarine quickly outdistanced the navy ship.
Tatiana kept a constant vigilant watch over her course, making sure that it never wavered. The general had been quite helpful indeed.
By twilight she could see land in the distance. She sighed wishing for the feel of her own mattress under her back. Before she knew it she was moving on the land. The sand on the beach glowed faintly blue in the moonlight, casting over the fact that the small beach was deserted. Tatiana looked around to make sure she had not caught the notice of any unwanted witnesses. She got out of the small submarine as she stopped under the cover of the forest.
She would come back during the morning and bury it beneath the sand. Tatiana didn't have time, the fire benders would have likely found out by now that she had stolen their submarine. She would have to get back to her home and gather what belongings and money that she had left and leave. It would probably be safe in Omashu, however long it took her to get there. Along with Omashu she could try and find out about her brother and her father. And if she couldn't find anything out about them then she could just come back, it would not be likely that the fire benders would hold a grudge. Or she might not ever come back, she could train with the earth benders and go into battle.
Tatiana's mind raced as she paced through the forest feeling her way along the paths towards her home. As she walked she contemplated going to the shop where she had bought the dress, it somehow didn't feel right to have ripped the old woman off. No doubt she thinks I gypped her, she thought as she smiled. She really didn't know what to think of herself lately, she had snuck into a Prince's room and stolen back a few things, not just any Prince, the Fire Prince's rooms. She had stolen a fire navy submarine and cheated an old lady out of a beautiful dress. Honestly, you'd think that I was born in the Fire Nation. She smirked and tried not to think as she sped up to her house.
Sokka sat in a tree beside Tatiana's house. Aang and Katara still hadn't returned from the village. He was beginning to worry. Sokka couldn't bear losing Katara and Aang. He began to stand up and jump out of the tree to go and try to find them when a twig snapped behind him and he froze.
A shadowy figure emerged quietly from the trees and began sprinting under him. Burglar! He thought as he sprang down on the figure below him.
Sokka landed with a thump, the figure below him shoved him off and sprang at him. They rolled down the small hill. Sokka shoved the figure off of him in a similar fashion and reached for a boomerang that was no longer there.
The trees cut off all light leaving them in semi darkness. The figure tried to race back up the hill. Sokka caught up with them half way and jumped on the shadowy figures back. He drug them down and lifted himself up. In the moonlight the person was obviously female, with long hair about mid back.
She whipped out something shining from a black sash tied about her waist and spun to face him. Sokka stared at her shockedly as the moonlight glinted on her face illuminating shocking green eyes and a busted bottom lip.
"Tatiana?" he whispered breathing harshly. Her bottom lip was busted and a thin line of blood ran freshly from it shining in the moonlight.
"Sokka?" she said. Sokka felt guilty for busting her lip. She looked different somehow. Her hair was very disheveled and she looked older with it down, and lovelier. Tatiana jumped on Sokka bringing them both to the ground. And before either knew it their lips had met. Sokka's eyes widened in surprise as he realized what was happening and then closed as he realized that he liked kissing Tatiana, that that was something that he had wanted to do for a while.
Tatiana closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment before she realized that she was kissing Sokka. When she did, she found that she didn't care about being embarrassed anymore. Sokka's hands were on her back as he rolled over and Tatiana's hands found the sides of his face and felt of the smooth skin. As the kiss started to end Tatiana opened her eyes and saw Sokka's eyes staring back at her. She could have drowned in those beautiful blue eyes. They reminded her of everything beautiful, the river, the night sky, and the stars all mixed into one.
They finally broke apart. Tatiana sat up on her elbows as Sokka looked down at her. They were under the shade of the trees but she could still see the moonlit grass that made up the hill behind him, and the starlight that bled through the leaves of the trees made his eyes sparkle. She sighed and grinned. Sokka seemed to be short of breath, and she realized looking into his eyes, so was she.
"I thought you didn't carry weapons," he said. Tatiana sat up all the way facing him.
"I don't," she whispered as she handed him his boomerang. He looked down at it like one looks at an old friend. Sokka looked back at her and put the boomerang on the ground beside him before he kissed her again.
Tatiana melted under his embrace as his fingers played with her hair. She shivered as the wind blew around them, although Sokka's body heat kept her far from being cold. They fell backwards into the grass, Tatiana's head rested on Sokka's shoulder.
As she looked up she realized a lined of blood was running down the left corner of his mouth. She reached up to touch it and realized that it was her own. He looked down at her and smiled.
"I'm sorry," he said looking guiltily at her lip.
"What?" she said as she sat up.
"I didn't mean to hurt you," he touched the thin trickle of blood that ran from her lip.
"You didn't do it, I got it while I was with the fire benders," she said. Anger swirled in his eyes and he sat up clenching his fists at his knees. How could he have left her with the fire benders. How? He looked over at Tatiana her green eyes searching him.
"I shouldn't have left you," he said.
"Sokka, you tried to save me," she said and put her hand on his shoulder. "You would have if Zuko hadn't grabbed me." She put her hand on the side of his face.
"I'll kill him," he said.
"No. He saved me from getting worse," she said. It seemed strange to her as her own words floated in her ears. He actually saved me…but he was also trying to use me… he still saved me from getting raped. Sokka looked at her in disbelief.
"From what? Who did that to you?" he asked.
"I don't want to talk about it right now," she said. She was already doing enough harm by letting him know that she had been hurt. Letting him know that worse could have happened would only further his sadness.
Sokka didn't press the matter, he looked back at her. He took lifted her hand from the ground and looked at it. He looked up to see Tatiana studying him again. He grinned and kissed her again.
(All of the romance that you have been hoping for… or not. A lot longer of a chapter than usual. I hope you've liked it so far, remember, I LOVE reviews!)
