Chapter Twelve

It was like the world was laughing at his misery. Aang felt as if a rug had been swept from under his feet, his body tumbling into an abyss of anguish. His father, the one who had given him the bracelet, the one who believed that they would always find each other no matter where they were, was gone.

To Aang, that single word only meant one thing.

Joshua Windstorm was dead.

His head was spinning out of his control. A thunderstorm was going on his mind, telling him that everything he had gone through, everything he had done, was for nothing. One part of his family gone. Never to be seen again. Suki, Sokka, and Katara were there, he knew, but their voices sounded so far away, they might as well be on the other side of a canyon.

Aang wasn't sure what to do, then. If his father wasn't around, what made him think his mother would be? Linda had loved her husband despite his 'veggie ways'. They complimented on another so well, it was hard to imagine them apart. But that had seemed to become realty. Perhaps she wasn't here, like he had hoped, because his father wasn't around. They were a broken family.

He was broken.

Feeling a hand on his arm almost made him jerk back, but the cobalt eyes that met his distressed ones removed some of his sorrow and anger away, though not all. Her voice, soothing and calm, broke through his panic. "Calm down, Aang. Everything is going to be okay."

Throat tight, he muttered, "But you said-"

"I said he was gone. That doesn't mean he's dead, Aang."

Wetness fell from is eyes, chilling his skin. He was confused as to what she really meant. His father was gone but not dead. What exactly was she getting at? "I don't understand," he admitted in a low tone.

Suki wiped away his tears as she spoke. "Mom and I had a feeling. Aunt Kyoshi believes he's dead, but we believe something else was afoot."

"Afoot," whispered Sokka laughingly. Katara glared at him and he shut his mouth, though Aang could understand by now that joking was his way of remaining calm. In a way, it was welcome.

Suki cleared her throat before continuing. "You know Dad was a great animal tracker, right?"

"Yeah," he said, thoughtfully, that one question burning in his mind. His father had run an animal hospital back in Detroit before the move. He had taken training to locate hurt or sick creatures and used herbal remedies to heal them. Learning from the healers in temples around the world, he had taken to learning the ways of medicine before going to vet school as a young man. On vacations, he would join hunters, though he wouldn't partake in the killing, only the tracking portions.

Ever since then he had been a very successful man.

Suki said, "We think he might have been trying to use what he learned to find you. But he didn't say anything to us before he left. All we found was this note, saying he had job to do. That was the last time we heard from him."

Aang struggled to control his thoughts. His father might be, at this moment, trying to track him down. For all he knew, Joshua might have found the place he had been captive in. Instead of relief, like he thought would be imminent, fear clutched at his chest. His father was an amazing tracker, one of the best, and his sense of direction was on point. If he was looking for Aang, finding him shouldn't have been a problem.

Then why hadn't he?

Unless...

"Oh no," he whispered, face going pale as the blood drained from it. It can't be that, anything but that. It was too horrible to think, but he couldn't stop the horror going through his mind.

Katara grasped his shoulder, looking at him in fearful worry. "What? What is it?" she asked frantically.

Aang looked at her, gray eyes wide with terror. "What if he did find where I was?"

Sokka frowned at him. "What do you mean? If he had, then you wouldn't have been trapped for two years."

Shaking his head he said, "No, you don't understand. The mistress made it clear that I was her property, that no on was taking me away." Squeezing his hands together, he could feel the tremors shake his skin, his blood running cold as thoughts and ideas ran wild in his mind. She wouldn't really stoop so low as to do that, would she? But then again, she had threatened to kill him if he wasn't in line with her orders. Now that he had run away...

Katara rubbed his shoulder soothingly, but the anxious and sick feeling welled up inside him. He clenched his eyes shut and swallowed, forcing the bile down as he admitted the last secret in a whisper voice. "What if she did to him what she had done to me? What if she made him into a...a prostitute?"

Shocked silence followed this barely-heard question. Katara, Suki, and Sokka exchanged a look, mouths gaping open, though Aang felt like he was going to hurl. That bitch would do something so evil, just to say she could. She held all that power in that damn house he had been a prisoner of. If his father was there, without Aang knowing this entire time, it meant that he had been close.

But the mistress never let anyone in on the secrets. She like to play with her toys, like a cat with a mouse. Joshua could be at her very mercy right then, wanting her to reveal where his boy was. Aang wasn't there, and that was the reason why he was feeling so sick. He couldn't help him, not here, and possibly not ever. That would mean he would have to return to the place that haunted his nights.

Finally, it was Sokka who broke the silence. "Man." He shook his head, leaning back. "I had thought it had something to do with molestation, but..." He closed his eyes and crossed his arms, looking angry for Aang. He flinched when he heard that word, but he knew Sokka wasn't trying to scare him more. The truth was out now. He had to hope that they wouldn't turn him away because of what he had become.

Katara looked like she was about to cry. Despair was heavy in her gaze as she stared at him, hands over her mouth. Aang waited with bated breath. Was she going to leave and forsake their friendship? Did she see him for the plaything the mistress had made him? His crush was blooming for her, but if he had to, he would lock it away forever, though he really didn't want to do that.

Heart pounding in fear, he was about to get up to run when Katara suddenly hugged him tightly, sobbing into his shoulder. Shocked into stillness, Aang could feel his heart galloping inside his ribs, and his blood sang in his ears. He wasn't sure why she was weeping, but the sound was so broken, like shattered china, that he slowly wrapped his arms around her, hugging her body close.

Confusion was the most dominant of emotions. Why wasn't she running away like he expected? In fact, why weren't the others disgusted? They looked like they were about to do something bad to the people, or person, who had turned him into a plaything.

But why was Katara taking his secret so hard? "Hey," he whispered, hoping to soothe her, "it's alright. Please, don't cry." Aang didn't like it someone he cared about started the waterworks. Whenever his mother started tearing up, his dad would cave into her demands.

She backed away, sniffing. Her eyes were red and gleaming. "I'm sorry, it's just..." Katara wiped away her tears as she spoke. "I hate the idea of someone being forced into something like that." Giving a watery smile, she grasped his hand again. "I'm so glad you're not there."

Aang was surprised, though perhaps he shouldn't have been considering her reaction. For once in a long time, he felt accepted, despite what he was now. At least they were not afraid of him, or had turned their backs. After swallowing the lump in his throat, he looked at the three of them in turn. "I'm glad to be here, too."

Suki grabbed his other hand as Sokka stood up to touch his shoulder. "We'll do what we can to help in any way," he said with determination. "We could try to look for your dad, if you want."

Remembering what they had spoken of earlier, he sighed, feeling glum. "For all we know, he could be dead." The thought pained him, but if his father had tracked him down, like everyone thought, it was unlikely that the mistress would let him go. She has spies; it was the only way she'd had Aang located. The idea of Joshua in her clawed clutches as well made his stomach constrict.

Katara shook her head, long chocolate waves swishing. "You don't really believe that, do you?" she asked with a fierce frown.

Aang licked his dry lips, and almost could have sworn that she glanced at them for a millisecond, but maybe that was wishful thinking on his part. Thinking about her question instead of dwelling on his imagination, he desperately wanted to be wrong, but the other part, the more logical part, said that his dad was most likely not in this world anymore.

He looking down at his hands as he clasped them together. "I-I don't want to believe it, but if the mistress had gotten a hold of my dad, I don't see her having mercy on him. You guys don't know her like I do; she's crazy, and if someone defies her or her rules, she..." He had to stop there as the image of the little girl came to his mind again. She had only been thirteen, an innocent much like he had been, and she had been brutally murdered in front of his eyes.

H clenched his teeth in anger and sorrow. "She kills people," he gritted out, eyes shut tight and hand curled into fists. Now that his own secret was out, it was hard to hold everything inside his bruised heart. "The whole time she would laugh as if it were some great game. She's a sick, twisted person who enjoys other peoples pain and misery." Tears threatened to fall in his anguish. "There's no way he's alive."

Suki took a deep breath before she spoke, as if gathering her thoughts and emotions before they started boiling over. "Aang, you can't know that for sure. This mistress seems like someone who toys with emotions. If anything, she probably torments Dad with little tidbits about you."

Aang hadn't thought about that, and the idea was still horrible, but a spark of hope ignited in his chest. It was fifty/fifty that his father was still alive. If only they knew for sure...

Taking a deep breath to calm himself and his heart, then on the exhale, he said, "Maybe you're right."

Sokka piped in. "We'll help you, but until we know more about your dad, we should focus on what we can control right now." He rubbed his chin in thought, starting to pace. "We know you have to get healthy again, and you're already starting to look better, but you need more time to get your strength back."

"Especially before I see Mom," he mumbled with an internal shiver. The idea of his mother seeing him like this made him want to curl and hide, but that time had passed. Speaking of her, he turned to Suki. "What about her, Suks? Is she...?" If Linda wasn't there, he wasn't sure what he would do.

Suki nodded in understanding. "She's here, Aang. After Dad left, we decided that it would be best to leave after not hearing from him either. We didn't want to, but being in New York was too painful, especially for her. Kyoshi told us to come to her hometown, here in San Fran, saying it would be good for everyone."

Aang could imagine why. The place was beautiful and bustling, with enough to distract oneself in its lively aura. The people and places a person can go to was mind-boggling.

He said, "I get it. At least I know for sure that she's here." He looked down, swallowing hard. "I really miss her," he murmured before turning to her again. "How has she been, anyway?"

She sucked on her teeth for a moment before replying. "Right now or before? Well, after Dad had left, she, um..." She took a deep breath, as if the thought pained her, before saying, "It's not the right time to tell you, and it's about Mom, so I think it would be best to wait until you actually see her."

Aang wanted to protest, but decided against it. It made sense, anyway, considering how long it had been now. He wanted to see his mom, to make sure she was okay and handling her loss well, but also...he needed her hugs. When he was a child, after a nightmare or injury, she would hug him close and tell him that he was her little warrior, who will stand strong against adversity. Those always made him feel better afterwards.

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod. "Let's do that."

Katara chimed in. "When we get home, Dad can lend a hand. Now that we know your last name, it might help in finding your father."

That brought to mind another question. "I still don't know what your last name is," he said sheepishly, feeling kind of dumb for not asking the day before, but hey, there was a lot on his mind.

Sokka grinned, standing by his sister. "Aang Windstorm, we are the Rivers," he announced with a low bow.

He grinned at his friend, laughing a little. "Rivers, huh?" he asked, leaning back with a raised brow. "Sounds like you guys live in the water."

Sokka shook his head, raising his hands. "I like the water, but I could never live in it. Now, Katara, on the other hand..." he trailed off, nudging her playfully.

She pushed him, though she couldn't hide the grin. "Shut up, Boomerang Boy."

Now he looked offended. "Hey, you never know!" he protested. "That weapon might come in handy."

Aang had to laugh hard at that, and the other three looked at him in shock. It was then he realized: It was the first time they had heard him laugh as loud as that. He blushed, but he didn't stop smiling because, damn, did that feel good after all the depressing feelings.

"I'd like to see Boomerang Boy in action some time," he said.

Sokka straightened up proudly. "I'd love to show you, Aang." Just then his phone went off, I Want It That Way blaring from the speaker. He blushed when everyone snickered. "Stupid friends," he muttered, looking at the text he had received. Looking up he said, "Dad wants us home."

All humor vanished when Aang realized that he had never actually met Mr. Rivers. 'Oh, God,' he groaned internally. What did he think about his son bringing in a stranger? Did he want him out? No, surely not. Otherwise, he would have been kicked out the moment the man knew about him. The teenager was still a little nervous, but he told himself that, with his friends around, nothing or no one could hurt him. Maybe they had convinced the man that he was harmless. His friends would fight to keep him around.

He blew out a breath and stood up. "Well, I guess now's a good time to meet him." His stomach exploded with butterflies, and these were not pleasant. Aang honestly thought he was going to be sick.

Katara must have sensed the distress coming in waves because she grabbed his hand, sending tingles throughout his body. "Don't worry, Aang," she said with a small smile. "Dad wants to help." Sokka nodded in agreement.

Suki hugged him, though it was kind of hard to do with Katara holding his hand. "Everything will work out in the end, you'll see." Backing away, she grinned at him, but he could tell she was worried for him. It was one of the reasons he loved her like a sister. She was one, despite not being blood-related.

He nodded, calming slightly, and turned to the siblings. "I'll meet you guys by the truck. I won't be long."

They looked at him in confusion, but didn't seem to want to argue as the two of them walked out after giving Suki a hug goodbye. When they were gone, he turned back to her. "Thanks for dinner, Suks." He grabbed her hands and held on tightly. "I'm really glad I found you again," he whispered with a tight throat. Seeing one of his best friends again made him hopeful, but also fearful. If anything happened to her, or Katara and Sokka, he was scared of doing something he would regret later in life.

She smiled sadly, releasing a hand to wipe away an escaping tear he hadn't notice. "I'll always be there when you need me. You're my brother, Aang. You always will be."

"I love you, sis." That was the one thing that the mistress never took from him: His ability to love his family, which now included the siblings.

"I love you too, bro." The warmth and affection in her expression made his darkness a little easier to bare.

He hugged her one more time, but before he could leave, she said, "Oh, and Sokka brought your art stuff into the house. Come on!"

Aang saw the plastic bag that held his stuff. He grinned in excitement as he held the supplies close. "Pretty awesome, huh?" He couldn't wait to get drawing. His fingers were itching worse then ever.

She chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Yeah." She ruffled his hair playfully. "Take care of yourself, Aang. Make sure to eat," she added sternly.

He rolled his eyes but mock-saluted her. "Yes, ma'am!" Aang headed for the door. "See you around, Suki."

His last image was of her smiling face as she closed the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, he headed for the truck, feeling the cooling breeze of the early night, and hoped that Suki was correct in her assumption. Everything will get better.

Aang got into the cab, and Sokka started for home. It was time to head into another challenge: Time to meet their father, Mr. Rivers.