Summary: Honestly, not much of a summary here. But, we're almost there. Thanks for reading, thanks to all you loyal followers. And please review.

Chapter 12: Arrival

It was a peaceful morning. The quiet was relaxing to everyone who was there, and they were at all nearly at peace. Sokka and Suki were enjoying being with each other after a long conversation the night before about where things stood. Sokka told Suki about Yue, but the two of them managed to sort things out despite the situation that sat in front of them: Aang was missing, and Katara was not herself.

"So, how'ya doin?" Sokka asked, leaning forward over the kitchen counter towards Suki.

"Sokka, I told you; you don't need to act like this around me. I like you for who you are." She replied warmly. She didn't understand why Sokka decided to try and...flirt. Or whatever it was he was doing.

Sokka blushed. "Maybe I'm just being stupid."

"YAY! He finally admitted it!" Toph hollered in excitement as she too walked into the kitchen.

Sokka hit his palm on his forehead. "Why did I say that?"

"Great question, Snoozles." Toph replied with a bit of sarcasm.

"Snoozles?"Suki asked, slightly tilting her head in confusion.

"Toph gives everyone a nickname." Sokka explained, looking back to Suki.

"What's mine?" Asked Suki.

"Eh. I haven't thought of one yet." Toph shrugged as she found a stool near the counter and sat on it.

Suki nodded. "Well, I need to get going soon. Is Katara up? I want to talk to her."

"Sugarqueen is getting dressed. I think." Toph gestured towards the hallway to her and Katara's room.

"Do you have to leave already?" Sokka turned to her with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Sorry. Duty calls, for both of us." Suki replied, hinting to Sokka with some seriousness.

"Huh?" Sokka scratched his head.

"I have to get back to the ferry docks and you, mister..." Suki poked Sokka in the chest. "...have an Avatar to find."

"Oh...yeah." Sokka mumbled in defeat. Suki began to walk down the hall to check on Katara before Sokka stopped her. "Did Katara say anything about Aang?" Toph perked up, surprised at how well Sokka had been paying attention to everything.

Suki froze. She had hoped Sokka wouldn't ask something like that. It was hard for her lie to him. She swallowed hard and acted like she didn't know what he was talking about. "Huh?" She turned around to face him, but her heart was speeding up. She had promised Katara she wouldn't say anything.

"Did Katara tell you how she feels about Aang?" He crossed his arms, determined to get a straight answer.

Suki steeled herself and replied. "She misses him, and she's worried that he might be hurt or captured." She felt she put on a good display, but Toph could sense her heartbeat and apprehension, but didn't say a word.

Sokka raised an eyebrow and Suki continued. "Sokka, how would you feel if your best friend suddenly disappears and you haven't seen him for two months?"

Sokka didn't know how to respond to that. He wasn't sure of what Katara's feelings were towards Aang. Maybe her feelings were just ones of desperation, clinging onto everything she had left of her friend: hope that she will see him again. "Sorry. I shouldn't have pressed. She just seems...off."

"I understand. She's your sister, after all. You're just looking out for her." Suki smiled. "I'm just going to say goodbye to her real quick."

"Okay." Sokka replied.

Suki continued to walk down the hall to Katara's door. She knocked on the door and leaned against its frame, waiting for an answer.

"Who is it?" Katara's voice rang from behind the closed door.

"Suki."

"Come in." Katara replied.

Suki pushed the door open and stepped inside. She saw Katara sitting on the edge of the bed, writing in a small book. Katara closed it and looked up to where Suki was standing. Suki also took note at how Katara decided to keep her hair down. "What's up?" Katara asked.

"I'm leaving. Thought I'd come say goodbye." Suki walked in and leaned against a nearby shelf, crossing her arms.

"Why do I have a feeling that's not all?" Katara chuckled a little in frustration at Suki's persistence.

"Because you're right." Suki replied with a smirk. "Listen, Sokka just asked me about your feelings towards Aang."

'You didn't tell him! Did you?!" Katara panicked, standing up quickly.

Suki grabbed Katara's shoulders to stop her. "Calm down. I-" Suki was cut off by a knock at the door. Both her and Katara shared a look of fear. They could of sworn it was Sokka.

"Uh...who is it?" Katara asked shakily.

"Calm down Sugarwueen. Your heartbeat is giving me a massive headache." Toph threw the door open and entered. She crossed her arms. "I think this is a conversation I should be a part of too."

"Why?"

"Because, believe it or not, I'm a girl too." Toph gestured towards herself again. "Also, I'm your best bet at keeping this from Sokka."

"How'd you know about all this?" Suki asked.

"I've known that Aang and Katara have had the hots for each other for a while now." Katara blushed at the statement. "They're both just too afraid to admit it to each other."

"That brings me to the other thing I wanted to talk about." Suki added. "As soon as you can, you need to tell Aang how you truly feel when you see him."

"Seriously, Sugarqueen. I'm sick and tired of your heart going crazy every time he is brought up. Like now." Toph added.

"Okay. I'll do it. But for now, can you give me some space?" Katara whispered.

"Sure thing." Suki replied, following Toph out the door. "Bye, Katara."

Suki and Toph walked down the hall a little ways before Toph turned around, stopping Suki. "And you, Princess, need to stop being so mushy with Mister Boomerang over there."

"Princess?" Suki asked.

"Yeah. I decided on a name. Now, stop being all mushy with Sokka around me." Toph demanded.

"Okay, fine." Suki looked around and noticed Sokka had left. "So...do you think she'll do it?"

"If she doesn't, I'll make sure Aang does." Toph voiced confidently.

"You know we can't hide this from Sokka forever." Suki added. "He's smarter then he looks sometimes."

"Yeah, but we can delay it as long as possible." Toph sat down in the living room and continued. "With what Katara's been through, she deserves something only Aang can give her."

"Love." Suki mumbled.

"Exactly." Toph stated.

"I see. Well, it's been nice meeting you Toph. I probably should go say goodbye to Sokka. Wherever he is." Suki muttered.

"That is why you're Princess. You're too proper." Toph waved her off.

"Uh...okay." Suki replied hesitantly. She had no idea how to respond to Toph. She was an intriguing girl. "Bye."

"See ya."

Suki eventually found Sokka walking back to the house. "I'm leaving now. Just wanted to say goodbye."

"I'll never forget your last goodbye."

Suki blushed. "Oh...that." She gave Sokka a shy smile. "How 'bout a better one." She leaned in and gave him a small peck on the lips. Sokka blushed furiously.

"I guess that is better. So, see you later then?" It came out as a question, though Sokka didn't mean it that way.

Suki smiled. "Of course." She paused in a moment of thought. "Give Katara some space, okay?"

"Will do. I just don't like seeing her like this. It just makes me want to know exactly what's wrong." Sokka looked down, saddened.

"You know exactly what's wrong." Suki crossed her arms in frustration towards Sokka's resistance to let it go.

"I think there's more to it though." Sokka mused.

"There isn't. Trust me." Suki lied rather convincingly.

"Okay." Sokka replied, downcast. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, but don't worry, we'll see each other soon." Suki reassured him.

"Okay. Bye."

"Goodbye." And with that, they bid farewell and Suki was on her way.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Are we almost there, Uncle?"

"Patience, Zuko. We are getting close." Iroh replied. It was early afternoon and the three travelers were getting close to the ferry docks. Zuko was getting impatient, and Aang...well...he was anxious: he wanted so badly to see his friends again, to see Katara again, that he often went from highly talkative to a strange reservation. He was obviously thinking about something during those times. Iroh decided to ask what was wrong. "You seem troubled, Aang." Iroh looked down at the young man to his right and then back up. "We are getting close to your friends. You should be ecstatic."

Aang sighed. "I am...but...I don't know how I'm going to explain all this to them." Aang gestured all around him as he remained looking down at the dirt in front of him as he walked.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't think they'll like hearing I've been travelling with you two." Aang looked straight ahead as he walked. "For all they know, you captured me. And...after the North Pole, I don't think Zuko would fare too well being introduced to Katara."

"Please don't let her kill me. She already froze me in a block of ice before." Zuko pleaded in a joking, yet somewhat serious tone.

"She's not a killer. I don't think she'll ever, ever do such a thing. But, she holds grudges, and you're the worst of them all, in her mind."

"Do...do you know what I'm in for." Zuko asked nervously.

"I honestly don't know. She attacked a guy named Jet after he betrayed her trust. But with you, she hates you, honestly." Aang paused to think for a moment. "You chased us from pole to pole, you kidnapped me at the North Pole, and what the Fire Nation has done to her family. She believes all Fire Nation citizens are the same as the soldiers."

"What happened to her family?" Zuko asked.

"Her mother was killed a Fire Nation raid when she was a kid, and the war forced her father away from home. All she has left is Sokka and her grandmother."

"And you." Iroh added, causing a blush to rise on Aang's face.

"Sounds a lot like me." Zuko mused. "A mother taken away, and a father at war...well mine's different." He corrected, knowing all too well what his own father has caused.

"Well, hopefully that will get you extra points." Aang joked.

"Uh...yeah." Zuko grumbled.

"It appears we have arrived." Iroh interrupted. They stood before massive stone gates that opened up when the three travelers arrived and the guards recognized the true avatar when Aang gave them a brief airbending demonstration to prove that fact to them.

The three of them walked in and took note at the enormous size of the cavern and the crowds of people. Aang, Iroh and Zuko walked forward to a counter to gain admittance.

"Greetings. We are here for the ferry."

"Tickets please." The woman grouched. Iroh handed over the tickets.

"Mr. Lee, Mr. Kuzon..." Aang had decided to use a cover name and hat while at the ferry port in order to be inconspicuous. "And...Mushy."

"It's pronounced 'Mushi.'" Iroh corrected.

"You telling me how to do my job?" She replied, annoyed.

Iroh approached the ticket counter, "Oh, no, no, no. But may I say, you're like a flower in bloom. Your beauty is intoxicating." Iroh replied with a sincere smile. Zuko smacked his palm on his face and Aang stifled a chuckle.

"You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself handsome." She flirted in reply and then purred. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se." She stamped the tickets and then handed them to Iroh.

"I'm going to forget I ever saw that." Zuko grumbled and snatched his ticket from Iroh.

"I thought it was pretty funny." Aang chuckled.

"Oooh." Iroh awed. "They have a tea stand." Zuko shook his head. "Zuko, come with me. I hope they have jasmine tea." Iroh grabbed Zuko and drug him to the tea cart.

"I'll find us a bench to wait at!" Aang hollered. He found a seat on a nearby bench and took his hat off. It was so itchy for him he was willing to ditch the disguise for some relief.

"Aang?!" A girl's voice gasped in shock from nearby. Aang looked up quickly, thinking it was Katara. For a fleeting moment, his heart pounded in excitement, and anticipation. But the girl who walked up to him was not Katara. It was an older girl, with auburn hair and pale skin. Aang looked at her in confusion until she realized he didn't recognize her. "Oh...it's me, Suki."

"Wow, you look way different without the face paint."

"That's what Katara said too." Suki replied. She wanted to gauge his reaction to her seeing Katara.

"What?!" Aang nearly yelled.

"Shhh. Keep it down."

"Sorry."

"You saw Katara?"

"Yeah. She came through here yesterday. I went with her to meet up with Toph and Sokka in the city."

"Wait." Aang held up a hand. "She was alone?"

"It's a long story. Ask her when you see her." Aang's eyes flickered briefly with an emotion Suki recognized. It was the same emotion she saw in Katara's when Aang's name was mentioned. "She misses you." Suki was trying to hint at something, but didn't want to go too far. Aang looked up again. "A lot."

"I...I miss her so much. All of them."

"You'll see them soon. They're-" Suki suddenly became extremely alert and pulled out her fans and entered a battle stance. "What are you doing here?"

"Huh?" Zuko took a step back.

Aang realized the issue immediately. He jumped up and pulled Suki's arms down. "They're with me."

"What?!" Suki gasped. "They tried to kill you. He burned my village."

"That was all in the past. They've changed, and so have I."

"Huh?"

"I've learned firebending from them, and...well...they've helped me through a lot of emotional pain."

Suki understood what Aang meant by that last part. She relaxed. "Katara's not going to like this."

Aang sighed and looked down. "I know."

Suki gently squeezed his shoulder. "Don't worry. She trusts you."

Aang smiled. "Thanks." Aang thought for a moment. "Do you know where they are?"

"They're staying in a small house in the Upper Ring. Here, I'll write down the address for you." Suki pulled out a small piece of paper and a pencil. She quickly scribbled the address down and handed it to him. "If I could, can I speak to you in private?"

Aang was a little confused. "Uh...sure." He gestured to Zuko and Iroh and they left. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Something a litle blind earthbender told me about how you feel towards Katara." Aang stiffened and blushed. He sat back down on the bench.

"Why did she tell you that?"

"Because, right now, she needs you. More than anything. And...well, we want to see it happen." Suki smiled.

"Thanks for the advice, but I don't even know if she feels the same way about me." Aang sighed. "We didn't exactly leave things in a good state between us."

"What happened?"

"She didn't tell you?" Suki shook her head. "We got in a fight. A bad one before we got separated."

"Well, it doesn't matter. She probably forgot about it, and plus, she need you and I have feeling she does feel the same way. Just tell her exactly how you feel, when you get the chance of course."

"Thanks. I will."

"You've got a ferry to catch." Aang began to walk away. "And Aang..." He turned around. "Be careful." He nodded and caught back up to Zuko and Iroh.

"Um...who was that?" Zuko asked hesitantly.

"She...uh, is the leader of the Kyoshi warriors." Aang replied. Zuko went as white as Appa. He had no idea who it was and now just realized what he had done to her in the past.

"Oh." Was Zuko's measly reply. He had no idea how else to continue. "So, what were you two tslking about before we got there?"

Aang grew a wide smile. One of pure joy. "They're in Ba Sing Se, and I know where they are." Aang exclaimed excitedly.

"That's wonderful, Aang." Iroh chimed in. "I must only assume you will go to them once we get there."

"I do, but I want to know where you guys will be at before I go. I need to introduce you...somehow."

"Uh, yeah. I'll let you handle that, Aang." Zuko replied.

The trio continued onto the ferry and waited for it to set sail. Zuko and Iroh found the time not walking very relaxing, but Aang was another story. He was not relaxed at all. All he wanted to do was see his friends again. He missed all of them so much. From Sokka's sarcasm, to Toph's stubborn personality. But most of all, he just wanted to see Katara again; the love of his life.

Aang had thought about what Suki said, that Katara 'needed' him. But what did she mean? Just that she missed him like any friend would, or if she truly loved him the same way and that 'needing' him meant that she needed his love, and someone to love. Her best friend.

The ferry ride seemed agonizingly slow for Aang. He just wanted to get to Ba Sing Se and see his friends. But, he was also worried about other things. He felt as though he would be abandoning his new friends for his old ones. No matter what, Aang would cherish his friendships, but he felt like he has already started ignoring Zuko and Iroh. But, then again, they understood his position and what he was going through; that didn't help the matter.

"Troubled?" Iroh asked as he sipped his tea. They were all sitting on the deck of the boat, for it was packed with people.

"Hm?" Aang mumbled as he rose his head to look at Iroh. The setting sun blinded him for a moment. for it was directly behind his firebending master.

"You seem troubled. Is something wrong?"

"It's...nothing." He didn't want to speak his thoughts in fear of planting seeds of abandonment.

"Aang..." Iroh spoke softly. "You can tell us."

"It's just that I feel like I'm...abandoning you, if that's the right word, for Sokka, Toph and Katara." Aang spoke in a hushed tone. He felt ashamed.

"Aang, they were your friends long before us. We didn't come all this way for nothing." Aang looked up, a glint of hope in his eyes. "We came all this way for you...and your friends."

Aang was speechless, he always thought there was an ulterior motive for them to come to Ba Sing Se. Starting a new life here is probably just something that came with helping me, Aang thought. "I...I don't...I don't know what to say."

"You need not say anything. Zuko and I are your friends as well; we always will be." Iroh mused , giving Zuko a sideways glance, noting the smile on the banished prince's face. Zuko had changed a lot on this journey and Iroh couldn't be more proud. "We're almost there, Aang. Hang in there."

Aang did just that as the ferry continued towards Ba Sing Se. When they finally arrived at the far side of the lake, Aang, Zuko, and Iroh were getting fatigued. It was a long hard journey. But, it was nearly at an end. Dusk was falling, but they had arrived at the train into the city. They boarded quickly, and prepared for what was to come. Iroh was set up with an empty shop in which he planned to start his own tea shop. He and Zuko were discussing a name for the shop, but were getting nowhere at this point.

Aang, on the other hand, was thinking about what to say to his friends. And more specifically, Katara. He loved her, but he wasn't sure he could say it. Suki had hinted at some things and had told Aang to speak his heart. Aang also didn't know how to explain that he had been travelling with 'enemies' while he was gone. He also didn't want that to hurt his friendship with Katara. She hates Zuko and the Fire Nation with a blazing fire for what they had done to her.

Aang couldn't keep dwelling on these things, for they had arrived in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"What do you think of 'The Jasmine Dragon?'" Iroh mused. "Fierce and poetic."

"I think it sounds great, Uncle." Zuko replied as he set his small bag down on one of the tables.

"Aang, what do you think?"

"Hm?"

"What do you think of 'The Jasmine Dragon?'" Iroh gestured triumphantly.

"Oh...um, I think it sounds great." Aang mumbled as he sat in one of the nearby chairs, staring off into the purple twilight sky, for his mind was elsewhere.

Iroh stepped over to Aang, kneeled down, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I think you should go see them now."

Aang looked up at his new friend...or family member for that matter. Aang gave a soft smile. "Right, I probably should." Aang stood up and headed out the door. 'I'll probably see you tomorrow."

Iroh and Zuko nodded. "Good luck." Zuko gave Aang a nod.

"Okay, thanks." Aang exited the shop and headed for the address Suki gave him. He walked in silence, thinking about what to say. But, before he knew it, he was at the house in question. Aang pulled the note with the address out of his pocket and double checked. This was it. Aang walked up the steps and to the door.

He hesitated, and then knocked.

A/N: Haha. Cliff hanger! Sorry if that angers you guys, but I promise that the next chapter will be entirely devoted to The Reunion. Which brings me to the name of the next chapter: Chapter 13: The Reunion.

Again thanks for reading, reviewing and following this story. It means a lot.