The hour went by too quickly, and Zuko could not help but feel it had been nothing more than a waste of time. There was no trail, no signs of anyone passing through there. Eventually he and Toph made it back to the meeting spot, and soon Aang and Katara were there as well. Sokka and Suki had yet to show up. "We looked everywhere," said Katara sadly. "There was no sign of her."

"I couldn't pick up any vibrations of the Dai Li either," said Toph. Wherever they are, they definitely didn't go that way," she added, pointing to the path behind her and Zuko.

"Maybe Sokka and Suki had better luck," said Aang.

"No," said Sokka as he and Suki stepped in. "Sokka and Suki didn't have any luck." Zuko frowned and shook his head.

"They can't have just disappeared," he muttered. "Where did they go?" They all frowned in defeat and as Katara raised her head, she spotted something on her brother.

"What's on your neck?" she asked, grabbing on to her brother's shoulder and yanking him towards her.

"What?" he asked, a little surprised.

"It's a hickie!" she cried. Zuko raised his eyebrow and Aang put his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Toph merely snorted, wishin she could see the expression on Sokka's face now.

"What?!" cried Sokka. "No!" Suki raised an eyebrow and glanced at the spot as well.

"You are unbelievable!" snapped Katara, shoving him away, but he turned bright red from embarassment and shook his head.

"It's not a hickie! I don't know what you're talking about!" Suki stepped up to him to get a better look at it. Smirking a little, she licked her thumb and rubbed the spot and it smeared into a streak of brown.

"Relax, it's just dirt, Katara," she said, glancing back at her. "Guess this means your brother's been cheating on me with a mole." Aang and Toph started laughing and Katara just shrugged.

"Oh," she said. "Sorry."

"Yeah," said Sokka, rubbing away the dirt and the remains of Suki's saliva from his neck. "Thanks for that, Suki," he said sarcastically. He glanced over at Zuko, who didn't seem to have been amused in the slightest by this and he shrugged. "Maybe we should make camp here. We've got a better chance of finding them when it's at least a little more light out."

"But we're in the heart of the forest," said Aang. "Daylight won't have much of an effect."

"It doesn't really matter either way with me," said Toph, waving a hand in front of her eyes to indicate what she meant. "But I wouldn't mind making camp for the night."

"And a little bit more light is better than nothing," said Sokka. "Besides, we won't be of any help to her if we're exhausted when we find her, you guys."

"You okay with that, Zuko?" asked Katara, deciding to be the first to actually see how he felt. Zuko hesitated, then nodded.

"We'll need to take turns looking out," he said. "I don't trust these woods." Aang nodded.

"There is something a little creepy about them," he muttered, looking around unsure. "Someone should really keep watch... not it!"

"Not it!" shouted Zuko, Toph, and Katara at the same time.

"Me neither!" said Suki quickly and Sokka groaned.

"I see how it is," he sighed. "Fine! I'll keep watch. I'll be the hero here."

"Good luck big guy," snickered Toph. Katara headed over to Appa to grab her pack and patted Sokka's shoulder as she passed him.

"You do us all proud," she teased and Sokka rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah..." he muttered.

----

"Poor Sokka," muttered Suki as she laid herself down with a blanket, but she was smiling which showed she really didn't feel sorry for him at all.

"He brings this stuff on himself," laughed Katara. "He has the reflexes of a dead dog."

"I can hear you guys!" shouted Sokka from where he sat and they all started laughing... everyone except for Zuko. Katara noticed and frowned.

"I'm sure Jin's okay," she said softly. "She's a tough girl."

"Yeah," said Suki. "She'll be all right and I'm sure we'll make better progress in the morning."

"She was unarmed," said Zuko, not looking up at them. "Without her weapons she's practically helpless."

"I doubt that," said Katara. Zuko shook his head.

"You're a girl, you're supposed to say that... even when it's not true."

"And you're supposed to be gloomy cuz you're a guy?" she fired back.

"You don't understand," he said, looking up at her. "You don't know what it's like when you can't even protect the ones you love. You don't know what it's like to have someone you love die. I never want to go through that again." Katara stood up and he knew immediatly he had said the wrong thing.

"Oh I don't?!" she cried. "My mother was killed by the Firenation!" Zuko immediatly felt guilty, not believing that he'd forgotten that, but before he could apologize she added, "At least your mother came back," she she stormed out. There was a moment of awkward silence and he sighed, throwing his head back so it hit the stone wall of Toph's shelter behind him.

"Great..." he growled.

"It was an honest mistake," reassured Suki. "Just let her cool down."

"I think we all need to get some sleep and cool down," said Aang. "I think we're all about to get on each other's nerves, and that's the last thing we need right now."

"Wake me when it's my turn to watch," said Suki, and she rolled over, not saying another word. Aang did the same, but Zuko just sat where he was, unable to sleep. Soon Katara returned, her face looking softer now than before, but she went strait to sleep, not seeming to notice him. He'd have to apologize later.

After an hour he sighed, standing up, and went out to Sokka. "You may as well get some sleep, cuz I can't," he said, pointing to the shelter behind him.

"You sure?" asked Sokka. Zuko nodded. "Uh... okay?" He stood up and headed towards the shelter, then paused, looking back at Zuko. "We'll find her, Zuko..." he said, wishing he was good at offering comfort. "If not today or tomorrow... eventually... I hope..." He slapped himself and turned. "That didn't help..." he groaned. "I'll just... goodnight." He turned and left and Zuko glanced over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow, then shook his head with a sigh.

"Idiot," he muttered under his breath. He glanced up at the stars and thought of Jin. She'd all he'd been thinking about even before he'd learned she was kidnapped. All he wanted was to see her safe and to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. He missed her smile, her laugh, her eyes... her everything.

A star burned brightly in the sky, brighter than the others, and somehow he knew his uncle was in it, watching him. "Please," he said to him. "Watch over her until I find her."

A sudden sensation flowed through him and he glanced at the ground beneath him. He couldn't explain it, but he could feel Jin in the earth beneath him. It made no sense to him, but when he placed his hand down into the grass, he could feel her, almost as if she were right there. He laid himself down on his belly and rested his face against that spot and closed his eyes, allowing the sensation to take over. She was there, inside of him, and he could almost smell her. A tear fell down his face and he opened his eyes pushing himself up slowly and looking down at where he'd pressed his face. "Sweet dreams, Jin," he whipsered and then, not caring how ridiculous he looked, he kissed that spot on the ground.

Deep beneath the earth he'd kissed, Jin poked her head up from sleep, swearing she could have felt lips brushing her cheek, and she stood up slowly, looking at the low ceiling above her. "Zuko?" she whispered, and reached her hand up, touching the ceiling.

A sharp sensation shot through Zuko's hand, right where it was pressed against the ground, and he smiled, running his fingers down deeper so the grass entangled around them.

Jin couldn't help but smile, feeling the first bit of warmth since she'd entered that awful place, and she stood there, not moving her hand from that spot... at least, not until exhaustion got the better of her. When she finally gave in, she sank slowly to the floor until her fingertips were the last things to leave that spot, and as quickly as the sensation came, it was gone. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep, having no dreams that night.

Zuko felt the warmth fade and he slowly frowned. He could still feel a bit of Jin's presence lingering there, and he focused on it, allowing it to give him strength to face the dawn, which was not but an hour away now.

Behind a tree, a man hidden in the shadows narrowed his eyes and then spread the ground apart beneath him, allowing himself to sink down to the hidden prison below.

----

"My lady!" called a voice and Mai glanced up from her book.

"What is it? I don't have time for meaningless drabble," she muttered lazily. The guard stepped into the room and gave a quick respectful nod.

"A small group of travelors have been spotted right above us, all of them young, traveling on what appears to be a giant bison."

"The avatar..." muttered Mai. "He must be looking for the young women who've gone missing the past few nights. Have they shown any sign of finding the lair?"

"No, ma'am."

"Let them pass then. Attacking them now will only draw attention to our hideout. I don't need them ruining everything."

"There was another spotted with them. The Firelord himself has accompanied them." This got Mai's attention and she looked up at him with an intense gaze.

"What?" she asked.

"Firelord Zuko is among them," he repeated. Mai's breathing became heavy and she leaned her back against the wall, gazing down at the ground. He had come. Her plan had worked. "Shall I still tell the rest of the Dai Li to let them pass?" asked the guard, catching on to her sudden interest in the situation.

"Yes," she with a nod. "No! Wait... arrange a group of about five earthbenders to accompany me and the prisoner, Jin, at dawn to the surface. I want to speak with him."

"Yes, ma'am," said the guard, and with another quick nod he stepped out. Mai closed her eyes and fingered the bracelet.

"Zuko..." she whispered. "Soon we'll be together, just as you promised. Soon we'll be free to love each other, and no peasant will stand in our way. Soon..." A tear fell down her face. "I've been alone in the dark for too long... only you will save me now. Only you, Zuko."

----

Jin woke to the sounds of guards walking up to the cells and opening them. Everyday they'd go to the cells, one man per cell, then escort the prisoners into the dining room to eat. There they would have their feet encased in stone to assure no one would try to escape, but truthfully there was little fear of that since it was a group of young starving women against the firmly built up Dai Li. Jin had not laid eyes on the dining room since she'd arrived, and now she could feel her stomach attaching itself to her spine she was so hungry. However, when a guard stepped up to her cell and opened it, her eyes lightened in hope. When Mai stepped in front of her, the light vanished.

"We're going for a walk," said Mai. "Above the ground. I have some business to attend to with an old friend." Next to her, Kiri's cell was opened and she was pulled out by Long Feng. Rather than being lead down with the other women, Long Feng kept her there and Mai turned to him.

"What are you doing?" asked Jin, knowing at once whatever was coming would not be good.

"You may proceed," said Mai and Long Feng smiled, turning to the five men assigned to escort them above.

"Men," he said, and he threw Kiri at them. All at once they went at her, beating her violently. They threw her around like a ragdoll, kicked her in the ribs, punched her face, stomped at her when she fell to the ground. All of them were laughing, and Jin went to run for her, but Long Feng encased her feet in stone, stopping her at once. "Watch," he hissed.

"Kiri!" screamed Jin as she watched them beat her to a bloody pulp. Finally, when Jin was certain they would kill her, they stopped. Kiri lay on the ground like a lifeless rat, and they picked her up, tossing her back into her cell, and when she rolled over, her face was so beaten and bloody. "Kiri!" Jin screamed again. Her feet were released and Long Feng clamped his hand down on her shoulder.

"That is what will happen to you, should you try anything up there," came Mai's hateful voice. "Come quietly, and we'll have no problems." Jin gritted her teeth, wanting then and there to lash out on them all, not caring if she died or not, but she was too starved and weak. Hanging her head helplessly, she allowed them to bind her wrists, and she was lead above the ground. For a moment, just as they stepped into the sunlight, she wondered if that was a tear she saw in Mai's eye.

----

(A/N: Happy birthday! 2 updates! Booyah!)