Spin Me Around Chapter 3, Out of Here

A/N- If you know what sound a desert chicken llama makes, let me know. I'm not entirely sure.

Spoilers in their minor form for episode 1:20, and maybe 1:19. Depends on your opinion of spoilers.

Disclaimer- Why is this necessary? Isn't it sadly obvious that I don't own ATLA or any of the characters etc? (The Green Cactus Inn and the desert chicken llama are of my own invention, though.)

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EErryEEskIAAAh!

Katara woke that day to the rather loud squawk of the desert chicken-llamas that an anonymous merchant was selling. She yawned and stretched, washing her face and braiding her hair. Soon after she wrapped her ocean-blue dress around her body and securely knotted her snow-colored belt around her waist, she heard a knock at the door. As she cautiously opened it, Sokka came bursting through and hugged her.

"Excited, are we?" Katara asked, squirming her way out of his embrace.

"Guess what?" Sokka was nearly jumping with excitement.

"Oh, I don't know…" Katara began sarcastically. "Yue is back in the mortal world and…" she trailed off. Sokka looked slightly subdued, sadly remembering his lost princess at the North Pole.

"Really, what?" Katara placed her hands on her hips.

"Follow me," Sokka motioned out the door. Katara raised an eyebrow and followed his gesture. He went after his sister and swept her down the corridor to his and Aang's room in the Inn.

"You're not going to believe it!" Sokka exclaimed. "Admit it, you've been waiting for this forever, haven't you?"

"I'd agree, but I've no inkling of what you're talking--"

Sokka opened the door and presented his achievement to his sister.

Oh spirits, Katara put her hand to her forehead, as if she were feeling faint.

"Zuko…"

--

Zuko was still mulling over the fact that a moronic water tribe peasant had outwitted him like this. Sokka had used the prince's largest weak spot against him, other than his glaringly obvious inability to control anger. Zuko had even considered the possibility in his mind that the note "Katara" had written was a forgery. So had said his intuition, but his intuition had been smothered under a blanket of desire to see his sweetheart again.

Gosh, I'm foolish.

On the more optimistic side, he did end up getting to see Katara. She was standing before him now, a look of pure shock and untainted disbelief spread over her beautiful features. And here he was, tied to a chair, bound by the same rope with which he had imprisoned Aang at the North Pole, what felt like eons ago.

He heard her whisper his name. Her hand moved from her forehead to the tip of her braid behind her back, nervously playing with it.

"Sokka," she began to her brother, then halted. "Sokka, are you certain this is a good idea?"

"What do you mean?" Sokka asked. "Of course it is." He turned and slapped Zuko across the face. Katara winced for him, lightly touching her cheek with her hand.

"I've always wanted to do that," Sokka giggled tirelessly. Zuko was unable to do anything more than glare daggers at him.

"So what, pray tell," Katara asked, "do you plan on doing with him?" Sokka faltered slightly, she continued, "We can't quite march up to Ozai and say 'Hey, we've got your outlaw son; can we have our reward money?'"

"Well, obviously…" Sokka looked slightly embarrassed. He clearly hadn't thought that far ahead. Zuko was mildly amused; these two were talking not five feet away from him like he wasn't even there.

"I'd prefer," he loudly cut into the argument, "if you would untie me now so I can be on my merry way, so to speak." Katara mouthed "quiet!" at him and Sokka ignored him entirely.

"Nor," she continued to Sokka, "could we keep him bound. I've been wondering myself," this was directed at Zuko, "why he hasn't burned the ropes already and get away." Zuko nodded nearly imperceptibly.

"I was planning," Sokka countered, a grin creeping over his face, "on selling him to bounty hunters, who could then turn him in to the fire lord. No one would know a friend of the Avatar caught him."

Katara bit her lip. Zuko could tell she was doing her best to get him out of this, but things were not working out as well as she'd hoped. He could read it in her expression.

"I suppose," she slowly started, "we will have to find some bounty hunters, in that case. We should still leave now, though, as planned, and get to the next town, at least. Perhaps we can find that woman with the Shir-shu who was chasing us that one time." An idea was forming in her head. It was written across her features, if you were looking for it.

"Sounds good," Sokka smiled, relieved he wouldn't have to do any more persuading.

"I'll go get my things to load onto Appa, then?" Katara inquired.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Sokka said, "and could you find Aang and Toph? Aang is most likely talking to an animal breeder in the market and Toph'll probably be having another one of those mango juices."

"Sure."

"Thanks, Katara, that'd be great."

Katara skittered of to go find her friends. Toph was indeed sitting in the lobby of the Inn, dirty feet up on a table, sipping her iced mango juice. Aang was actually talking to a Professor Zei, "head of anthropology at Ba-Sing-Se University," about the history of the Southern Air Temple. She informed Toph and Aang that they needed to leave the Si-Wong Desert soon. They followed her back to the Green Cactus Inn, proceeding to stow away their belongings in their traveling bags. Within ten minutes, everyone met up at the yard where Appa was patiently waiting to take off. They loaded up their things into the saddle, and Katara helped Zuko up, as his hands were still bound behind his back and it was difficult for him to move. One time they caught each other's gaze and held it, until Katara became aware of Toph quietly sniggering behind her hand. Katara glowered at her, and Toph stuck out her tongue in return.

By the time everything along with everyone was safely in place in the saddle and Appa had taken off and was airborne, the sun had risen high into the cloudless desert sky. Aang was lounging on Appa's head, steering, Sokka was sharpening his machete with a stone, Toph was building structures from sand and pebbles, then demolishing them with a flick of her wrist, and Katara was flowing through waterbending forms in her head. Occasionally she would glance around and pretend to check that Zuko's ropes remained unsevered, merely as an excuse to touch his hands. Once she was certain everyone was off in their own worlds and not paying attention to her, she leaned over and pressed her lips to Zuko's cheek, murmuring,

"I'll get you out of here."