I'm sorry, again. Life sucks and has gotten busy. (But I'll be getting my own room out of it, so that's good.)

It was about three days later that the Gaang plus three left the campsite. Katara's broken limbs were healing nicely. Iroh guessed it about two weeks more before she would be able to safely try walking.

"Finally. Aang's cooking isn't the best," Sokka complained. Aang stuck his tongue out at Sokka.

"Then why do you eat the most?" he asked.

"I can't help the way I am," Sokka shrugged. "I like food."

"A lot of food," Zuko muttered. "I've seen komodo rhinos that eat less than he does."

"I heard that!"

"So?"

Aang decided to break up the fight before it got started. "Maybe we'll just let Suki cook." That seemed to settle the matter. The two boys settled down and ignored the other like they had been.

"Hey Katara, got any stories from the Water Tribe?" Toph asked. "Like anything about Sokka being stupid?"

"Actually, there was that time he got two fishhooks stuck in his thumb…" Katara began.

"Oh, no." Sokka covered his sister's mouth. "You're not regaling that one." Katara rolled her eyes and bit her brother's hand. "OW!"

"How do you get two fishhooks stuck in your thumb?" Zuko asked softly.

"He tried to get the first one out with another one. Gran-Gran had to give him sleeping potions and get them out the hard way," she explained.

"The hard way?" Katara nodded.

"She had to pry them out with a slightly larger fishbone sewing needle that had been dulled. It good thirty minutes to get the hooks out." The young Waterbender laughed. "Sokka was milking the pain for weeks afterwards."

The group had decided to continue on at night, so everyone was spread out on Appa's saddle, save for Aang, who was sleeping on the bison's head. Katara's little "nest" was huddled near the back of the saddle. Toph was using part of it as a pillow, and, surprisingly, so was Zuko.

The said Firebender had unconsciously moved his head up near Katara's hand, and Katara's hand was resting on Zuko's head. Momo, still awake, cocked his head. Was this allowed? He didn't think the Screaming-Hungry-Human would approve, and Aang mightn't either. But Katara was nice to Momo, and so was the Human-With-The-Funny-Eye; the lemur didn't care as long as the Screaming Human was asleep.

Unable to get to sleep, Momo started digging through Katara's things. (Actually, he was just rummaging randomly, but Katara's bag happened to be closer.) He found the white silk handbag and opened it.

Out poured a few trinkets from Ba Sing Se; a dragonfly hairpin Katara had gotten from the spa (didn't taste too good), a shell from the banks of a river (pretty, but not edible), a golden ribbon for someone's hair (shiny), and a little carving of something that looked like those two tasty fish back in that place with the ice and snow and a glowing Aang (not tasty rock, though). Sighing, Momo returned everything. Everything except the yin yang carving. That he tossed around until it hit Katara in the head.

"Huh?" Looking around, she saw the rock and Momo. "Oh, Momo. Stay out of my bag, okay? Sokka doesn't know about it and I want it to stay that way." Momo seemed to nod. He took the rock back, starting playing with it...

And threw it at Zuko's head.

The Firebender started awake. "I'm going to cook that lemur," he muttered, temper flaring. He felt Katara wince behind him. "What? Oh. Are you okay?" Zuko turned and noticed Katara tenderly touching her arm.

"I think something's wrong with my arm. It feels…funny, as in different."

"Let me check." Zuko gently took the broken arm and checked for any more breaks (he had been trained in basic field first aid). "Nothing's wrong with your arm."

"Every time I try to move it, it feels different. Sometimes I can't move it at all," Katara insisted. "My leg feels the same way."

"It might be because you haven't used the limbs in so long," Zuko replied. "Just carefully move them around, but not too much."

"Since when have you known about broken bones?" Katara asked curiously.

"Basic field training required a proficiency in first aid." Zuko looked at the sky. "Stupid lemur. It's not daylight yet. I'm going to attempt to sleep." That reminded Katara.

"Who's Ursa? And who's Azula?" Zuko stopped.

"Where did you hear those names?" he growled. Katara looked at him.

"You talk in your sleep. You've mentioned Ursa, like she was important to you, and you've said 'Azula always lies' a lot. Didn't Long Feng mention her?

"Azula is my sister, and she's the youngest person to ever bend blue fire and lightning," Zuko explained.

"Oooh…so she's that wench who took a cheap shot at Iroh." Katara muttered something that sounded rather…obscene. "Who's Ursa?"

Zuko looked away. "My mother." The way he said that, it was obvious something had happened to her. Nothing more was said or asked, except two words spoken by Katara.

"I'm sorry." Zuko looked at Katara. Was she being sympathetic or empathetic? Or had she lost someone close to her as well? Whatever the case, he felt oddly comforted by her. He never felt comforted by anyone, except perhaps his uncle.

Before he could stop himself, Zuko nodded. "It's okay."

Everyone else woke up a little while later. Actually, Sokka stayed asleep for at least another hour before Zuko carefully lit his pants on fire. Toph was laughing for hours.

"I think Suki would have liked to see you without your pants on, Snoozles," she teased.

"I wear underwear!"

"Yeah, a loincloth."

"How would you know?"

"It's amazing what you pick up when you help Katara with laundry."

Suki turned to Katara. "This is an interesting conversation," she muttered.

"How do you think I feel? My brother is embarrassing me, and there's only you, Iroh, Aang, and Zuko around to be embarrassed in front of!" replied Katara. "I just want to stick his lips together with sticky sap!"

Momo flew and landed next to Sokka. There was some pale amber goop stuck to his hand. Suki laughed. "I think Momo heard you. Look."

The little lemur stuck his hand on Sokka's closed mouth, firmly sticking it shut with the sap on his hand. "Mmmmph. Mmm-m-m-m. Mnmn!" Sokka flayed about, motioning for someone to detach his lips from each other. Uproarious laughter rang out around Appa; even Zuko had a hard time keeping a straight face. Sokka pouted and started washing the sap off with Katara's flask.

Suddenly, a fireball flying overhead stopped the laughter dead. "Watch out! Fire Nation!"

"Who, Aang? Who is it?" Toph asked.

"Those girls with the giant drill," replied the Avatar. "They've got some sort of catapult!"

Iroh and Zuko shared panicked looks. "Get out of range as quickly as possible, young Avatar," Iroh said hurriedly. "That's not just a catapult. It can also shot spear-like arrows two hundred feet. The catapult itself can shoot rocks three hundred feet."

"So unless you want to be a giant flying pincushion, fly away fast," Zuko muttered. Katara looked at him, but didn't say anything.

Appa lurched. Sokka finished washing the sap off. "We've been hit!"

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Snoozles. Where were we hit?" Aang looked behind them.

"There's a nasty looking arrow in the tip of Appa's tail. I have to land soon."

"What? And get us all roasted, toasted, and served on a platter? Are you mad?!" Sokka asked.

"I said soon, not right away. Now, sit down and shut up! I have to focus on steering!" Aang yelled. Sokka looked positively and thoroughly chastised by the young monk and sat down. "Everyone, hang on to the saddle and tie yourselves down with rope or something. I might have to dodge ammo." Everyone obeyed.

Unfortunately, Katara wasn't completely tied down when Aang was forced to loop-the-loop. Gravity found her hanging on by a thread. "Katara!" Sokka tried to reach for her. "Don't let go!"

"I might not have a choice," she muttered. She started when she felt two warm, strong hands take hers and bring her back. Zuko brought her into his lap and tied her down with him.

He could feel Katara trembling uncontrollably. "I've got you. You're not going to fall again." Zuko shifted so they were more comfortable. "You are one lucky girl," he murmured. "Even if you are danger-prone."

I just looked at the calendar...six more weeks until Christmas!!!! (Sorry, I'm a Christmas-freak.)