A/N: Okay guys I have a confession to make. I've been horrible these last few days in updating this story, but it's not for lack of interest, I just kept hitting rough patches with the story line that made me go a little crazy. But I think I've gotten over it, for the most part, and I have an extra long chapter here for you as a way to say "sorry for taking so long".

That being said, I love you guys for all the support, reviews, adds, and alerts. If I had you guys constantly reviewing my life maybe I'd be more prone to getting things done...

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar!

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Ch. 9- Revelations

As the three caught sight of the voice's owner their eyes widened in shock and, in Zuko's case, disbelief.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Zuko groaned under his breath as he slapped his palm to his face in exasperation, "Fate can't hate me that much."

There before them stood Sokka in all his elegant glory: his hair was loose but much of it was still mussed from sleep, in his mouth hung a strip of seal jerky and both of his hands wrapped around a large collection of fire wood. He stared at the trio before him, slowly chewing on his jerky, and seemed to take in their positions.

"I missed something, didn't I?"

Katara glanced at her father, who looked to Zuko, who still had his face in his hands, before they both burst out laughing. This prompted Zuko to lift his head out of his hands and look at the two of them like they were insane.

"Yup," Sokka continued, tearing off a chunk of jerky before turning back to camp and leaving the three behind, "Definitely missed something."

As soon as he was out of earshot, Zuko let out a relieved sigh, "I don't know how you did it, I don't understand the reasoning behind it, but that could have gone very wrong."

The two water tribe members were still laughing, though they had managed to quell the raucous laughter of moments before.

"I don't really see what's so funny by the way. If he hadn't decided to just leave things like that he could have made one hell of a scene." Zuko scowled, crossing his arms at the father and daughter before him.

Katara got a hold of herself first, "Sorry Zuko it's just that well, he really did miss something. He was, for once, completely right with his question."

Hakoda chuckled once more, "You see Zuko while my son may be a good strategist and dedicated warrior, he's never really been one for catching on to things. So it's funny when he does but doesn't seem to care."

Zuko cocked a brow, "Still, that was too close for comfort. As far as I know, the three of us and Toph are the only ones who know about our little situation and if Sokka had found out the whole camp would have known before we even got back."

That seemed to sober the two up.

Sighing Hakoda conceded, "You're right Zuko. And then things would really have gotten out of control."

Katara crossed over to her boyfriend and clasped his hand, "Sorry Hotman." She kissed him quickly, aware of her father's slightly put off expression and then dragged Zuko towards the camp site, "Now come on: I'm starving!"

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During dinner that night, Chief Hakoda had made the announcement that he planned to remain with his children and their friends so that he could help them find a place to hide from the Fire Nation. His reasoning was sound: being present would allow him to know the location without running the risk of a message being intercepted.

Everyone seemed to take this in stride before Sokka spoke up, "But Dad you never knew where we were before all this happened, what's different now?"

Zuko felt himself tense up, but Katara's gentle hand on his back slowly soothed his worries away.

Hakoda took the question in stride, "You're right Sokka, I didn't know where you were. But that didn't mean that I wasn't worried the whole time. But that was because I didn't really have a choice—I was off fighting in the war for years and had no idea you'd even left. Now though, I have a chance to make sure you're safe before I head out again."

Having not expected his father's admission, which was accompanied by a few tears, Sokka could only nod in silence, his own eyes moist.

From there the rest of the meeting went off without a hitch. The water tribe warriors would take the ship and head to Kyoshi Island and see what had become of the warrior populace there and determine whether or not they could recruit fighters.

The Duke, Pipsqueak, Haru, Teo and the Mechanist, who had just recently come back from a food run in the closest town—which was a good three day trip both ways—were slated to make their way to Ba Sing Se where they would be able to easily blend in with the population, even with the turn in regime, and keep an eye out on any Fire Nation activity within the walls and, hopefully, get in touch with the Freedom Fighters.

And finally Katara, Toph, Sokka, Zuko and Hakoda would travel to the Western Air Temple by way of the Fire Nation. Once they reached the northern shore of fire territory they would meet Appa, whose job was to fly his way around the capitol, and take off to the former home of the air nomads. The travel plans for their group were the result of Sokka's…intriguing way of thinking.

"The closer we are to danger, the farther we are from harm."

Of course the statement had been met with disbelieving stares and vehement protests, the latter of which came from Katara and Zuko.

"You realize of course Sokka," Zuko growled as he rubbed at his eyes furiously, "that unless I have a mask on my face I'll be the first one to give us away?"

Here the prince received a sharp rap on his head courtesy of the waterbender at his side, "Zuko, you don't have your scar anymore remember? Which means that now you're the person who's least likely to draw attention!"

Zuko blinked as her words set in and put his hand up to his face again feeling the spot where his scar had been to find nothing but smooth skin. He stopped for a moment, unaccustomed to the texture before his lips twitched in a weak smile, "Huh…I guess I just don't realize that there's nothing there anymore. I mean…after so long with it on my face…"

Sokka rolled his eyes dramatically, put out that his carefully constructed explanation had been interrupted, "Yes yes there's no more scar we get it. Can I finish no—OW! Toph what was that one for?" he cried, rubbing a spot on his forehead that was quickly turning an angry red.

The blind earthbender smirked, tossing another pebble back and forth between her hands menacingly, "For being so inconsiderate to Sparky Snoozles. After all this time you still haven't developed any sense of tact."

"It's alright Toph," Zuko laughed, "I don't mind."

"Buuuuuuuut," Toph drawled, "I do! So nix the attitude Jerky Boy or I'll have to beat you up again!"

As the sniggers echoed around the room Sokka sulked, "You did not "beat me up"! You caught me by surprise and hit below the belt. That's gotta be against the rules."

"As enlightening as this conversation is," Hakoda interrupted before anyone else could speak, "I believe we were discussing the pros and cons of your decision to travel through the heart of the Fire Nation."

And so things got back on track once more.

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An hour later found the group of teens exiting Hakoda's tent after the end of the briefing. The sun was setting behind the horizon and the temperature had fallen ever so slightly.

Stretching his arms and letting out a tired yawn, Sokka bid the others goodnight and headed for his tent.

"You know," Toph sighed, "I think something's seriously wrong with Snoozles."

Katara furrowed her brow in concern, "What do you mean Toph? He seems fine to me…well aside from his constant jabs at Zuko that is."

Toph nodded, "That's exactly what I mean Sweetness. Whenever he's with others his attitude is relatively easy to handle but when he's around Zuko or by himself his heart rate shoots up and he gets really tense…almost like he's getting ready to explode."

A heavy silence seemed to settle over the trio before Zuko spoke up. His face gave away nothing but concern was evident in his voice, "Is there anything that we can do to…you know…help him?"

The blind girl shrugged her shoulders, "Not to sound rude or anything Sparky, but I think you're part of the problem actually. I'm telling you he feels…dangerous when he's around you." Toph shivered, rubbing at her arms to try and warm herself up.

Zuko layed a hand on her shoulder, "Let me help you there Short Round." He inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly, letting the flames within him flow through his hand and gently caress the earthbender in a soft embrace.

"Ah…thanks Princess."

Katara giggled at the byplay, eliciting a smile from Zuko. She shook her head at the two, "So I guess what you're trying to say is that I should talk to my brother, right Toph?"

"Got it in one Sugar Queen! I'd talk to him myself but…well, I tend to be a little, ah, insensitive when it comes to things like this."

Zuko caught Katara's eye and they both smirked at the same time.

"You're not always insensitive Toph," Katara said nonchalantly.

"Yeah," Zuko continued, "In fact, I seem to recall a recent—"

A swift elbow to the stomach effectively silenced him, "If you know what's good for you Princey, you won't bring up that conversation ever again, you hear me?"

"Always with the physical violence," the firebender grumbled, rubbing a hand over the wound, "I should tickle you for that."

Toph grimaced when Katara gasped, "Toph's ticklish?"

"I'm going to give you five seconds to run Sparky and then I'm going to unleash unholy hell on your firebending butt. Five, four, three, two—"

Before the girl reached 'one' she heard the telltale sign of scampering feet and a satisfying squeak of fright. Smirking she turned to face Katara, "Sweetness, if you know what's good for you I'd suggest forgetting what you just heard, ok?"

The waterbender nodded trying to stifle her bubbling laughter.

"Now if you'll excuse me, there's a loudmouthed firebender waiting to get a beating."

Katara watched as the earthbending master sped off after Zuko, a fond smile playing on her face. Then she sighed, her concern for her brother's wellbeing nagging at her until she made her way towards his tent.

"Sokka?" she called softly, not sure whether or not her sibling was awake, "are you still up?"

No answer met her query, but there was a quiet rustling from inside before the flap of her brother's tent was flipped up, granting her entrance.

Thanks to the setting sun outside there was still enough light within the tent to see her brother's face. There was no smile, no trace of the carefree exuberance that was usually Sokka's forte. His face was drawn and thin and—now that she took a good look—there were dark circles under his eyes.

And his eyes…

Katara gasped as she saw the haunted and dead look in his eyes. How had she not seen this? How had her brother come to this state without her having noticed?

"Sokka?" he didn't respond to her, just continued to lie on his back and stare up at the roof of his tent. She sat down next to him and tried again, "Sokka what's wrong with you? Toph says you've been acting differently when we're not around you and that you've been brooding. Not to mention the fact that almost every time you've been in close contact with Zuko you're liable to explode. What's the matter? What happened to you Sokka?"

She was met with nothing but silence again. Her brother hadn't so much as flinched when she mentioned his behavior and she was getting ready to ask again when he spoke. His voice was soft and broken so drastic in comparison to just an hour ago when he was speaking in front of the entire congregation of rebels.

"Suki."

Katara blinked, not sure if she heard him right, "Suki? What about Suki?"

He swallowed thickly and blinked rapidly, as if keeping tears at bay, "Azula and her cronies were posing as Kyoshi warriors in Ba Sing Se, right? Well, I didn't see Suki again before we left because of all the…chaos that Aang's death set into motion. And I think…I think they have her Katara, I think they have Suki!"

He took in a shallow breath, though it did nothing to stem the flow of tears that were now running freely down his face, and sat up abruptly his fists clenched in rage, "They have Suki and I have absolutely no idea where they would be holding her so I can't do anything about it! I've been pouring over all of the maps and intel that dad and the others have collected and I can't come up with a damn thing!

"You want to know what's wrong with me? Why I'm "brooding" and why I feel like killing Zuko every time I see him? It's because I'm scared out of my mind for Suki, Katara. I'm falling apart at the seams because I can't manage to find a single shred of information having to do with prisoners of war, I'm brooding because the Fire Nation issued a decree condemning anyone—man, woman, or child—to death if they've associated with Water Tribe citizens and Azula knows that Suki's helped us before.

"And Zuko? I want to kill him because every time I see his face, every time I look into those eyes I see his sister's maniacal ones staring right back at me! I see the unquenchable bloodlust right before she attacked us in Ba Sing Se, and I see someone so completely bent on causing chaos and destruction to innocent civilians that it takes everything I have not to run him through with a sword because sometimes I can't tell the difference between the two!"

Katara could only gape at her brother in shock. Again she asked herself how she had missed all of this. How had she not noticed her own brother falling deeper and deeper into depression?

"Sokka…"

"But then," Sokka cut in, "then I see how happy he makes you. I see more and more of the old Katara coming back each day and I find myself thinking that there's no way that I could possibly repay him for what he's done for you." He shook his head as he sighed deeply, "I don't hate him Katara I just…I can't see him right now without thinking about his sister and what she could be doing to Suki…or what she's done already."

"Oh Sokka I had…I had no idea," she scooted closer to her brother and wrapped her arms around him as her own tears began cascading down her cheeks, "I'm so so sorry! I should have been there for you but I've been…I-I—"

"Katara don't worry about it. I didn't exactly come seek you out for comfort or anything. I realize that your relationship with Zuko is something fresh and new and I can respect that. I'm not holding anything against either of you. I've actually been talking to dad about everything and…well…he's helped me, a lot."

This information surprised Katara at first, but she guessed going to their father had been the only option Sokka had seen with her constantly occupied with Zuko and Toph for the past few weeks.

"He said he'd do everything he could to help me find her. I need to find her or find out what's become of her…I need closure Katara. I've prayed every day since we left Ba Sing Se that she be kept safe or at least alive but I…I love her Katara and I don't want to stand by and wait for something to happen to her! I can't do that…not again."

Katara hugged her brother tighter as she remembered Yue, Sokka's last love interest. She'd sacrificed herself to save her home and her tribe from destruction at the hands of the Fire Nation.

"I think," Katara started, "that you should talk to Zuko about this. He's from the Fire Nation Sokka," she hurried, trying to explain before he shut out her suggestion completely, "and he's the prince! He probably knows more than you'd think about where prisoners would be kept, even if it were for interrogation." When he didn't look convinced, she let out an exasperated sigh, "If you really want to get anywhere in this search, you're going to have to talk to him, especially if you want to save Suki!"

That did it.

Closing his eyes and swallowing, Sokka pulled away from his sister, "You're right. I'll…I'll go talk to him right now. It's worth a shot, right? For Suki…"

He stood from her embrace and left the tent, leaving his sister to dry her eyes and pray that everything would work out for her brother. She didn't want to see what would become of him if he lost Suki as well.

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Despite his sister's assurances that Zuko would be able to help him, Sokka couldn't help but remain skeptical the entire walk over to the prince's tent. It wasn't that he doubted Zuko had the knowledge—it was a given with who his father was—it was whether or not he would share it with him due to his recent behavior.

After nearly every confrontation with Zuko that resulted in a storm out, Sokka found himself regretting it. The Fire Nation royal really didn't deserve any of it and had every right to be a stubborn ass to Sokka if he so chose.

Having made it to the older boy's tent Sokka took a moment to gather himself and try and mentally prepare for the conversation ahead.

First and foremost Sokka would have to establish that he wanted to have a civil conversation with Zuko and make sure that he was listening. Second, he had to make sure that he kept his temper in check: Zuko was renowned for his ability to go from completely passive to stark raving mad in seconds flat and the two of them—angry and together in the same tent—would only result in unnecessary violence. And finally the third thing: he had to be able to separate Zuko from Azula and realize that Zuko was their ally, past history aside.

Now focused on the task at hand, Sokka heard voices coming from inside the tent, Toph's witty banter being fended off expertly by Zuko's dry sense of humor. Taking a nervous breath he spoke, "Hey umm…Zuko? It's Sokka…uhh are you…um I mean…can we…talk?"

'Not exactly eloquent, but it'll do.' He thought.

There was a slight pause from inside as if the occupants of the tent were frozen in shock. 'Which they probably are.' Sokka guessed.

The flap of the tent was pushed back moments later and Toph stepped out, her sightless eyes narrowed in suspicion at the boy who had made her "brother's" life unnecessarily hard the past month.

"Listen to me Snoozles," she growled poking a finger into his chest, "I figure you need to talk to Sparky alone and I can respect that so I'm going to get out of your hair. But," she warned looking up and staring straight into his eyes, "if you so much as insult him again I will kick your scrawny butt from here to the North Pole, you got me?"

Taking an involuntary gulp he nodded, "Y-yeah I got it Toph and…and I don't intend to start anything."

Still keeping her eyes locked with his, the earthbender nodded, "Okay." She stuck her head back into the tent and murmured something to Zuko before pulling back and titling her head towards the entrance, "Go on in Jerk-Face, he's waiting."

Grimacing at the nickname Sokka ducked and entered.

Bare and devoid of any type of decoration, save the knapsack that rested atop his bedroll, Zuko's tent was uncharacteristically small. This was illustrated when Sokka nearly ran into said firebender, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, after only two steps inside. It didn't seem to bother the fire prince however.

"Sokka," Zuko greeted with a nod, his eyes calculating…waiting. He refused to make the first move, instead waiting for the Water Tribe warrior to explain himself.

Swallowing nervously and fighting down the urge to attack—the fire nation royal's eyes glinted in the waning sunlight that managed to enter the tent—he spoke, "I need to know where a prisoner of war would be kept."

Zuko blinked and then raised a brow, "Well that would depend on the caliber of said prisoner. Were they important?"

"Of course she's important," Sokka growled, his fists clenched angrily. His eyes widened when he realized what he'd let slip, "I-I mean…she's important to the war effort. Or at least she was before your sister captured her and killed Aang!" He bit out the last part, determined to show Zuko ho much he still blamed him.

To his credit, Zuko continued the conversation without any indication that he had picked up on the not so subtle nuance in Sokka's words, "Who was she, in regard to the war I mean."

"She's the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors. You know," Sokka sneered, "the female warrior tribe whose village you burnt to the ground."

This time Zuko flinched, his eyes falling out of focus as he recalled that debacle. Shaking his head he frowned, "Right…well…if she was a leader of any sort and actively moving against the Fire Nation then I know exactly where she is. And hopefully she's still waiting for interrogation."

Sokka's unreasonable demeanor brightened instantly, his hate for the boy in front of him overshadowed by the hope that had suddenly sprung into his chest, "Where? Where is she?"

Zuko let out a defeated sigh, "Therein lies the problem." At Sokka's questioning gaze he continued, "High profile prisoners of war are taken to one prison in the Fire Nation: the Boiling Rock. Two day's journey from here, it's the one prison that boasts a completely spotless record when it comes to prison breaks—no one, once inside, has ever managed to escape."

A derisive snort met that statement, "Oh come on we've gotten out of some sticky situations before. I'm sure I could get in and out of a simple prison."

The look Zuko shot him caused Sokka to stop dead, a chill running up and down his spine.

"There's a reason no one has ever gotten out…well, two actually. The first is the origin of the prison's name: a boiling hot lake surrounds the entire complex. The water is so hot that you could be looking at the skin burning off and not even know what was happening until after you were dead."

Sokka gulped thickly, a grudging respect for the prison beginning to develop.

"But that's not the worst part," Zuko continued as he heaved a heavy sigh, "The second reason is lesser known but infinitely more dangerous. Within the Boiling Rock there is a room that houses several individual holding tanks affectionately known as 'The Cooler'.

"The tanks were originally designed to keep the firebending inmates docile and quell any sort of insurgence. The room keeps the heat out and, as the temperature drops, keeps the cold air in…hence 'The Cooler'. While it's not enough to do any permanent damage to a firebender because of the ability to regulate their body temperature, the prisoners who aren't firebender's…hypothermia sets in and they die after too long.

"It's…a favorite tactic of the Warden and the guards after a prisoner goes through interrogation. Once they've extracted all the information they can, or if the inmate refused to break, they get thrown into The Cooler. It's only an hour but…that's usually enough."

His eyes wide and frightened Sokka let out a hoarse whisper, "Suki.."

"I can help you Sokka," Zuko breathed after a moment's silence, "I can help you get her back. If you'll let me…if you'll trust me."

A tense silence settled inside the tent as both boys stared each other down; Sokka's eyes a mixture of distrust and veiled hope and Zuko's pleading but understanding.

"It's so hard for me to trust you," Sokka mumbled, "and I know I'm being irrational but…but for so long you were the enemy. You were constantly trying to capture Aang, relentlessly pursuing and attacking us. Some nights I'd wake up in a cold sweat, heart pounding and I swore I could see your eyes; emotionless, cold and ready to do nothing but inflict pain. And then your sister came into play…and hers are so much worse but they look just like yours."

Now it was Zuko's turn to stare in shock, a vague sense of understanding creeping up on him. Sokka's behavior was beginning to make sense. How could he have overlooked such a simple explanation?

"Sokka…I know we've never been on the best of terms. I was never exactly...social before I started traveling with you guys. But I'm on your side now, I really am. I'm not planning on leaving or betraying any of you especially with K—" he caught himself before he could accidentally divulge that little bit of information, "Anyway if you want to try and rescue—Suki was it?—then I'm with you all the way. It's the least I can do to even begin to repent for what I've put you guys through. Just…say the word."

Sokka regarded him closely his cerulean eyes, just like his sister's, burning with passionate fire. He wanted Suki back. He wanted her safe in his arms again. And Zuko was the only chance he had to get her out.

Meeting his golden eyes, eyes that had haunted his dreams and plagued his thoughts for so long, Sokka growled, "Dawn. We'll need transportation."

Zuko smirked, "I'll take care of that."

Nodding, Sokka turned to leave. He stopped suddenly and looked back to the firebender, "…Thanks." With that he left, hope burning within him for the first time in what felt like years.

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A few hurried words to Haru and Teo yielded the location of the closest farmstead which both boys assured Zuko housed at least four ostrich-horses. Thanking the pair and heading for his own tent to make sure he had what he needed, he was stopped by a soft, "Zuko!"

Though it was dark outside, the glow of the nearby campfire was enough to illuminate the face of his favorite waterbender and he felt a smile stretch across his face. He went over to her and gathered her into his arms, her lithe frame molding perfectly with his. He caught her lips in a swift kiss, "Hey. What're you still doing up?"

Katara shrugged, "Nothing in particular. I kind of just wanted to make sure that Sokka actually talked to you about…"

"Suki," he finished for her, "Yeah he did."

"Well, do you know where she could be?" the waterbender asked softly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Zuko nodded, "Yeah…yeah I do. And he asked for my help in trying to break her out."

Her blue eyes widened, "Are you…are you going to do it?"

"Yes. I have to or else there's no hope for either of them. We don't have much time either unless we want to risk losing Suki."

"W-where? Where are they holding her?" Seeing the reluctant look on her boyfriend's face, Katara pushed a little harder, eyes narrowed, "Zuko where are they holding her?"

Looking into her determined eyes, Zuko realized he wasn't going to be able to get out of an explanation, "She's being held in The Boiling Rock prison compound. It's a facility that is renowned for being impossible to escape."

Katara watched his expression darken and even though he hadn't continued she knew there was something he wasn't telling her…something dark. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing," Zuko lied quickly, schooling his features, "I was just lost in thought for a moment."

He received a scowl in response, "Don't lie to me Zuko, tell me the truth before I drag it out of you!"

Closing his eyes in defeat he told her exactly what he had told Sokka. Her reactions mirrored her brother's almost identically, save for a few growls of anger at the mention of "The Cooler".

"My only worry," Zuko confided to her as they sat before the campfire his arms wrapped around her as she lay nestled against his chest, "is how to get out. I just can't think of a way to do it that doesn't involve an all out brawl with the guards or the rest of the prisoners."

Katara frowned, her mind trying to find a solution to the problem. He had mentioned a wire gondola that transported the prisoners to the actual facility from the mountain pass that surrounded the fortress.

"What about the gondola? Isn't that an option?" she asked softly, "Couldn't you just wait until nightfall and then sneak out and take it back up?"

Zuko considered the plan for a moment before speaking, "That's a possibility I guess but I'd be surprised if they didn't have guards watching the controls twenty-four hours a day."

"Yeah you're probably right," Katara sighed before a thought occurred to her, "Zuko, you said the prison is surrounded by water right?"

"Yeah, so?" he replied disinterestedly as his finger played with a few strands of her hair.

"There's water all around it?" she pressed, hoping to get her point across.

Now Zuko frowned, "Yes Katara there's water all arou—NO! Absolutely not! You are not going!"

It seemed he had finally caught up.

"And why not?" Katara challenged as she sat up, crossing her arms and glaring at the firebender, "It's a foolproof guarantee that we would get out! As soon as we get Suki I can bend us up and out of there before anybody has any idea what's going on, you know it!"

"Katara I don't want you involved in this! It's going to be dangerous, I don't know how long it will take and I'd rather rest easy knowing that you're safe here and not risking your life needlessly!" Zuko had thankfully managed to keep his voice in check as by now everyone had long since gone to sleep.

"You think it's going to be easy for me to just sit here and wait for you to come back…if you come back? You're putting yourself in just as much danger as I would if I went and you think it's fine to just write me off? How dare you!" she shoved him away as she rose to her feet and began walking back toward her tent.

"Katara!" Zuko hissed as he chased after her, catching her elbow and spinning her to face him, "I'm not writing you off! There's a very specific reason why I don't want you going." His hand drifted to her stomach, caressing it lovingly with a small smile on his face, "And I think it's a valid argument."

Katara grumbled knowing that she had lost this battle. Zuko's argument was solid and he was making sense, "Dammit."

"I promise you Katara, I'll come back. We'll come back. I don't know how yet, but we'll make it…we'll be the first to put a blemish on The Boiling Rock's spotless record." He kissed her forehead lovingly, "We're leaving at dawn so I need to get as much sleep as I can. And when I get back I promise that I'll make it up to you, okay?"

The waterbender grinned devilishly, "Or you could start making it up to me now…"

Confused Zuko raised a questioning brow, "Wha—"

His question was cut off as Katara crashed her lips against his in a fiery kiss, her tongue playing at his lips and demanding entrance. Just as he was about to reciprocate, she pulled away.

"Everyone's asleep Hot Man," she whispered, her voice husky and her breath hot on his ear, "And I might not see you for awhile…"

Click.

"Oh…oh!"

It seemed Zuko was a little slow on the uptake tonight but Katara smiled nonetheless and, taking his hand, walked toward his tent her hips moving sensually from side to side completely aware of the firebender's eyes following from side to side.

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It was a few hours later as the two benders lay content in each other's arms that Zuko felt the telltale stir in his body that signaled the subtle birth of a new day. It was a light tickle that, had he been completely asleep, wouldn't have woken him for at least another hour. As it was, the firebender was already awake and he reluctantly tried to extract himself from his lover's arms without waking her.

His attempts were unsuccessful as she began to stir as soon as his body left hers, a small frown marring her features at the loss of heat. Her eyes fluttered open and took on a slightly confused look before they settled on Zuko's naked form as he tugged on his pants. After taking an appreciative glance, which he was completely aware of, Katara smiled softly at him.

"Hi," she whispered as she lay on her side holding the blanket close to try and keep herself warm, "is it time already?"

Zuko pulled his shirt over his head before answering regretfully, "Yeah I've got to go meet up with your brother before he decides to poke his head in over here." He slipped on his shoes and knelt down next to his girlfriend, "Can you imagine how that'd turn out?"

Katara giggled, "Definitely not the best way to start off your trip, huh? 'You're sleeping with my sister!'"

Zuko chuckled lightly as he brushed a lock of hair out of her face, "Agni he'd never trust me." With a sigh he leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I'll be back before you know it, ok? With your brother and Suki, I promise."

Katara's smile faltered slightly before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, "Please be safe Zuko please! Things have only just begun for us and…and I'm going to kill you if you die understand?" After getting a smile and nod from the boy she continued, "And please watch out for Sokka. I know that he really cares for Suki and that might drive him to be a bit…reckless. I need both of you back."

Zuko kissed her lips softly then, quelling her fears somewhat, "I love you Katara."

"I love you too Zuko."

"Now," the prince prompted as he adjusted the blanket around her, "you get some sleep so you're not exhausted later today! Someone's going to have to explain to Toph why she didn't get to come along and I'd rather you have a clear head so you know when to dodge the flying rocks."

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully as he stood up, "If you think that'll be bad just wait until you get back. That's when, as Toph is so fond of reminding us, 'the shit will hit the fan.'"

"Thank you for giving me something to look forward to," Zuko snipped dryly, "I have all the motivation in the world to end this quickly now. I love you."

"You too."

With a wink and a blown kiss goodbye he stepped out of the tent and made his way to Sokka's lodgings.

"You know we're going to have to talk about what exactly is going on with you and my sister at some point," Sokka's voice stopped him cold and his heart dropped into his stomach, "Aside from the obvious of course."

"Sokka! What're you doing here?" 'Well that's a stupid question!' Zuko chided internally, of course he knew what he was doing here!

The warrior in question didn't even dignify the query with an answer, merely raised a brow condescendingly and proceeded to make his way out of camp, "I assume you got transportation figured out?"

"Uh…yeah, yeah I talked to Teo and Haru and they said there's a farm about two hours from here that has a few ostrich-horses that we can borrow for the trip. Once we get those it shouldn't take us more than a couple of days to get to the prison."

"Good," Sokka whispered, "the sooner we get there the sooner we can get Suki out."

It wasn't long before the campsite had passed out of sight behind them and, after several failed attempts at conversation by Zuko, the farm, thankfully, came into view just as the sun was peeking out from behind the horizon.

"Now the only thing we have to watch out for," Zuko said quietly as they watched for any signs of life from the otherwise quiet house, "are the owners. More than likely they're firebenders so they should be up by now, which means it'll be a little bit more of a challenge."

Sokka scoffed, "I got this." He moved toward the pen and stopped at the fence, seeming to deliberate over what to do.

'Is he stumped already?' Zuko thought in disbelief as he face palmed, 'that's…kind of a let down.'

There was an audible click that drew him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see Sokka pulling the pen wide open. With his jaw hanging slack he watched as the Water Tribe warrior simply walked in, picked up a pair of saddles, tossed them onto the nearest mounts, and after tying everything down, guided them right back out.

Catching sight of Zuko's expression he snorted as he shut the pen, "What did you expect some kind of ninja move? Sometimes a direct approach is the easiest."

He handed a baffled Zuko the reins to his own ostrich-horse and the pair mounted swiftly. As they were about to take off they were startled by the sound of a door opening on the opposite side of the house followed by an older man's voice.

"Mara can you watch the baby while I check on the ostrich-horses? I swear I heard something out here a few minutes ago."

There was a muffled response and the sound of shuffling feet as the man made his way out toward the pen. And then a shout went up from inside.

"NOVA NO! Seto get back in here! She's doing it again!"

The footsteps that had been growing closer stopped and, judging by the sound of a slamming door, had retreated back into the house.

Zuko let out a relieved breath, blowing his hair out of his eyes, "Well that was a close one, huh?"

Sokka sighed indifferently, "I've had worse. Let's move."

They pushed the creatures hard trying to cover as much ground as possible and making sure to stick to the less populated roads. Neither of the boys saw any reason to try and make conversation; it was hard enough to stay balanced atop the ostrich-horses at the speed they were going.

As the sun began to set hours later, a swift hand motion across the throat from Sokka told Zuko that it was time to stop and make camp. Nodding at him Zuko quickly scanned the surrounding area and found an outcropping of tall rocks just ahead. It was relatively well covered by trees and other plant life and seemed to have only one approachable entrance allowing for easy defense.

'Perfect.'

Calling out over the rushing wind around them, Zuko caught Sokka's attention as he pointed out his find, "Sokka! To our right just ahead there's a perfect spot for camp!"

The ponytail wearing teen followed the prince's hand and turned to him as he slowed to a stop, "Yeah I see it, that'll do."

Camp was set up in a matter of minutes as they had forgone anything deemed unnecessary. Sleeping bags, food and water skins were all the two needed and Zuko was quick to start a fire.

Night fell quickly and the temperature along with it. The two teens were laying snug in their sleeping bags and staring up at the stars above them lost in thought.

It was Zuko who broke the silence first, his voice low and raspy with fatigue, "You know I really am sorry for everything I've done to you. I…I was under the impression that I could regain my honor by catching Aang and bringing him back to my father as a prisoner. I thought…I thought that by forsaking reason and ignoring the plights of others I could get my father…to love me."

Sokka remained silent for a moment as Zuko's words settled in his mind. "What do you mean get your father to love you?"

Zuko let out a sharp breath, almost as if he was fighting off tears, and began his story.

"When I was younger, before everything happened with my banishment and the Avatar, I was a relatively happy kid. I had a father who was well respected within the capitol—though at the time I didn't know that the respect came only out of fear—a cynically witty younger sister, and a beautiful, loving mother. I thought life was great. But then…then things went downhill when my sister started firebending…before me."

"Why was that the turning point?" questioned the Water Tribe native off-handedly.

"Normally a firebender doesn't make their first flame—or even show signs of bending capabilities—until they are at least eight years old. My sister managed her first flame when she was six. I had been eight for almost a whole year and I still hadn't shown any potential to be a bender. That was the first time that my sister's achievements began to overshadow mine and, naturally, my father was ecstatic.

"He dubbed my sister a prodigy and got her the most sought after firebending teachers in all the world. He lauded every one of her accomplishments, praised her abilities time and time again. When I made my first flame the only witnesses I had were my mother and a cook who had happened by. There were no praises from my father for me.

"My mother assured me that I didn't need any of the overzealous praise and worship my father was piling on top of Azula: she said that I should be proud of my flame and the fact that I was a firebender. She was always supportive of me…always there when I needed her. But a son always wants his father's approval and I was no different.

"From that day on I strove to become the best firebender in the world. My mother chose my teachers because my father was too busy with his prodigy daughter to even spare me a thought. Unfortunately, while I could produce fire I was nowhere near as gifted as my sister—I couldn't pick up on all the subtle nuances of the forms and katas as quickly as she could.

"When my father would come to watch me I always managed to slip up somewhere. There was always something that went wrong be it my katas, my forms…even maintaining my breath became difficult. And after each failed attempt to please him my father would say the same thing, 'Your sister was born lucky Zuko but you? You were lucky to be born! And yet every day you do nothing but disappoint me.'

"By the time I was ten and she eight Azula had managed to produce blue fire, a feat nearly unheard of in even the most experienced benders. The blue flame is one of the hottest known to man and to be able to wield it as easily as my sister…at any rate, my father soon took up her training himself.

"Then came one of the worst days of my life. My father had requested an audience with his father, Fire Lord Azulon, to discuss something of importance but first he wanted to show off his daughter and how advanced she was in her training. She, of course, performed flawlessly. But I was eager to please my father and I asked for the same opportunity. Things…didn't go so well. Azulon, tired of the show, dismissed my mother, sister and I so that he could talk to my father alone.

"As we were leaving Azula stole behind the curtains near the back wall and pulled me along with her. She wanted to know what father and grandfather were going to talk about. It turns out that my father wanted Azulon to skip over my uncle, Iroh, as next in line to the throne because he had all but given up the invasion of Ba Sing Se after the death of his son Lu Ten. I panicked and ran out at my grandfather's rage but Azula stayed. "Later that night she came to my room and told me what had happened.

"Fire Lord Azulon told my father that for his heartless suggestion he would have to go through the same pain as his brother: the death of his first born. 'Father's going to kill you Zuzu.' I refused to believe her…I couldn't believe her. And yet her words haunted my dreams. And then suddenly, the next day, word had spread throughout the palace that Fire Lord Azulon was dead. He had died in his sleep and had declared my father the next Fire Lord. And my mother…was gone."

Silence fell as Zuko paused, a sniff the only sign that he was affected at all, "But that wouldn't be the end of it. When I was thirteen I begged my uncle to take me into a war meeting with him so that I could see how things were done and how I'd have to act in order to be a good Fire Lord someday. He agreed, reluctantly, so long as I promised not to speak only watch and listen.

"Yet as always seems to be the case with me, I couldn't keep my mouth shut. One of the generals, an old man who probably hadn't seen battle in at least a few decades, proposed that we send in a group of green recruits against some of the Earth Kingdom's best benders so they could be a distraction while the more experienced firebenders snuck around and hit them from behind.

"I voiced my opinion loudly and passionately, saying that it wasn't right to sacrifice an entire regiment like that. I called the general out, saying that he wouldn't have been so willing to do the same if he had been fighting. My father didn't like what I had to say: he said that I was to take part in an Agni Kai, an honor duel to the death, for being so disrespectful. I bragged that I wasn't afraid. But I should have been.

"I had been foolish to believe that my father wouldn't have something up his sleeve. When I turned to face my opponent…I was met with the cold, glaring eyes of my father. By speaking out against the general's plan I had disrespected him yes, but it had been in my father's war room during his war council. I was to fight my father to maintain my honor or die.

"I couldn't do it. I threw myself to the ground and begged on my hands and knees for him to forgive me; I didn't know what I had done. But he kept shouting at me to get up and fight, to prove myself to him. Still I refused pleading for forgiveness and blubbering apologies that fell on deaf ears. 'You will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher!' Ashamed at my display of cowardice, my father attacked."

A deafening silence engulfed the campsite and Sokka couldn't even begin to think of what to say so he settled on the obvious, "He burned you…he gave you your scar."

"I bore that scar for so long…I let it define who I was and what my purpose in life had to be: to please the whim of a madman." Zuko's voice was soft now as he was clearly drained from reliving and revealing his past.

"I'm sorry Zuko," Sokka managed to whisper as the shock of Zuko's story began to set in.

"It doesn't matter anymore Sokka," Zuko assured him, "I'm not the same person I was back then or even a month ago. I stopped letting the mark on my face rule my life once your sister talked some sense into me. She and Toph have helped me so much…I can't even begin to tell you how much I owe all of you just for letting me join up with you. It's…I've changed."

Staring up at the night sky and into the moon Sokka nodded, "Yeah…yeah you have."

Sleep claimed them not long after.

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A/N: So the whole time I was writing this I kept thinking to myself that it was getting too long. I've found that, more often than not, walls of text discourage people so I try and keep things under 3000 words most of the time. I'd like your take on that though. Also, if there are some discrepancies with my interpretation of anything in this chapter and the actual Avatar timeline, I'm sorry. I just happen to like it my way a little better. Until next time!

-HakushoRurouni