SQUEE! (Explantion after the chapter.)

Aang landed a few hundred miles later in a forest near to the Eastern Air Temple. Not they knew that, of course.

The second they landed, Sokka started yelling at Zuko for holding Katara in such a compromising position, at least to him. Finally, Suki slapped her "boyfriend".

"Sokka, shut up. Zuko saved Katara and you're berating him for it! Keep it up and you'll be sleeping outside, with Appa."

"Suki, we're all sleeping outside," Sokka pointed out. Toph spoke up.

"There's a cave about one mile from where we are right now. It's not quite large enough for all of us and Fuzzy," she informed him. "Enough room to keep his head dry in case of rain, but his rump on the other hand…" Toph shrugged. "You get the point."

Suki nodded. "So shut up unless you want to take the place of Appa's rump."

"Has word 'butt' fallen out of popular use in the last hundred years?" Aang asked. "No one uses 'butt' anymore." There was a moment of silence and then…

Zuko had to choke back a snort. The fact that the Avatar had used 'butt' so randomly had hit his funny bone. And for Zuko, that took a lot.

Katara, still seated in his lap on Appa, cracked up at the look on Zuko's face. That started Iroh and Sokka laughing, and Suki started when Sokka nearly tripped and fell on his boomerang. Toph was frowning in confusion until Suki's laugh, infamous on Kyoshi, hit a snort. That just started everyone laughing even harder. Even Momo fell off his perch, shaking in mirth.

"Okay, okay, okay guys," Aang gasped. "We should get to that cave. Toph, lead the way. Zuko, just stay on Appa with Katara for now. Sokka, not a word." With that, Aang went off in the direction Toph had pointed to when informing them about the cave. Toph went after him, followed by everyone else.

Katara was silent for a few minutes. "Thanks for saving me up there, Zuko," she murmured. Zuko nodded. "Could untie us now? I'm getting sore."

Zuko deftly untied the knots that kept him and Katara together. Katara shifted, wincing when she moved her broken bones. The young Firebender carefully moved her so she was nestled back in her pile of cushion, which surprisingly hadn't been blown off Appa in the flight. "Thanks, again."

"What is it with us and debts?"

"Excuse me?" Zuko looked at her.

"I owed the Avatar, and therefore you, a life-debt when he saved me from Zhao, then again when you three saved me in the North Pole. Then I save you from thugs in Ba Sing Se and just saved you from painting the ocean with your blood." Katara paused.

"I guess we're even now, right?"

"Almost. I still owe someone for saving me from Zhao, whether I help you or the Ava-Aang, or Toph," Zuko muttered. "Even that Kyoshi warrior, Suki." Katara noticed he had made a point of leaving out Sokka, but didn't press it.

"But you saved me twice."

"Only one was really a life-debt. I just saved you dishonor in Ba Sing Se." Katara nodded. She had never realized how seriously Zuko took his honor and whom he had to pay back.

The group arrived at the cave a short while later. Zuko tossed the packs down to a waiting Aang and Sokka, who set them out in respective piles; Aang's pile, Sokka's Pile, Iroh's miniature store, Toph's few belongings, Suki's spare armor, and Zuko's swords and light pack. Katara held her things and waited as Sokka and Zuko worked together (without killing each other) to get her down. Against Sokka's wishes, Zuko held her as Sokka helped Aang get the nest down.

"You really need to get over your paranoia, Bro," Katara said as she was carefully set down. "Zuko's not gonna hurt me."

"Yeah, and the day that happens in the day I'm married and you're expecting his kid. And if that happens, he won't be able to hurt you. He'll be dead," Sokka stated simply. Zuko rolled his eyes. He had had enough.

"Listen, just shut up. If I really wanted to hurt your sister, whom I might point out is injured at the moment, don't you think I might have by now? If I hurt anyone, it's going to be you." Zuko crossed his arms across his chest. "Since the day you found out my uncle and I were the ones working for you in Ba Sing Se, you've been…"

"Almost sad—sadis—sadistic, Sokka, hate to admit it," Aang piped up. "I saw how you did things to purposely annoy Zuko because he wouldn't fight back; he didn't want to risk Firebending." Katara glared at her brother, as did Suki. (In the short time she had known the reformed Prince Zuko, Suki had grown to like the prince.) Iroh busied himself getting the fire started and dinner going. Toph was relaxing, petting Momo.

Sokka seemed to shrink in size. "All right, I'll behave. Sorry, Zuko." Zuko nodded in acceptance.

"Next time, I won't be so nice. Katara will be an only child by the time I'm through with you," he threatened. Given the lighting in the cave, Zuko's scarred side stood out more than usual. Sokka gulped visibly.

"This is why I never liked you," he muttered. Momo heard that and jumped on Sokka's head. Appa swatted him gently with his tail. "Hey! Stupid bison."

Fiery Eye is nice, you stupid human, thought the giant bison. Any animal can see that he's attracted to your sister. Well, with the exception of Little Peach. He still thinks Water Girl is his. And I am not stupid.

Unaware that the bison was thinking about her and Zuko, Katara got a little more comfortable on her nest. The warmth from the fire was intoxicating; she soon found herself dozing and dreaming about the end of the war. It was all perfect except that someone vital seemed to be missing, someone who deserved to see the end of the war as much as the next person. But Katara couldn't figure out who it was.

"Ow!"

Suki sighed as she stitched up Sokka's pants the following morning. "You're lucky I don't tell Katara that you ripped your pants and practically destroyed your shirt," she muttered. "Keep getting those elephant briars out." Sokka winced as he plucked another giant thorn from his back. (Actually, elephant briars weren't much larger than an average thorn. They just were more spread out, like an elephant's ear.) He stood on the other side of a tree, wearing nothing but his…unmentionables.

"Look, how was I supposed to know that flying rabbits really do fly? I thought it was just because of their ears!" Suki laughed softly.

"Sokka, they fly with their ears." She tossed the half-naked warrior his pants. Sokka caught them. "Here. Your shirt is ruined; someone will have to make you another one."

"Actually I have a second shirt. Katara insisted on it," explained Sokka as he dressed as best he could. "She said to save it for when we see Dad again, but I don't think she wants to see me shirtless." Suki tittered. She wasn't about to admit it, but she would have liked to.

"Well, come on, Mister "I'm-The-Best-Hunter-and-Flying-Rabbits-Don't-Really-Fly". Let's go get your spare shirt." Suki stood and brushed her pants off. Suddenly, she felt Sokka's hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, Suki. I want to talk you." Suki hoped Sokka couldn't see her blush.

"Well? Start talking." Sokka gently turned his sweetheart around to face him.

"About that night at the Serpent's Pass, before Katara helped deliver Hope…"

"Look, Sokka. It's fine. You were just having a moment," Suki interrupted. "I under-"

"No, Suki, you don't understand. After we left Kyoshi Island and got to the North Pole…I met someone. She was the princess, Yue."

"I get it Sokka. You like Yue more than me," the warrior said, feeling slightly crestfallen.

"Yes…and no. Yue died. This idiot named Zhao had killed the mortal form of the Moon Spirit, just so he could take the North Pole. Well, Yue had been touched by the Moon Spirit as a child and had some of the life force in her. She gave that back, so now she's the Moon Spirit."

Suki blinked. "Following you so far, but what does that…?" Sokka grabbed Suki's hand.

"When we went back to Kyoshi to help Aang out, I asked for you."

"You did?"

"Yeah. I was…disappointed to learn that you weren't there. I had wanted to talk to you. And then when we found you at the ferry, and don't tell Katara this, it took me almost all of my self-control not to kiss you." Suki blushed.

"Really?" Sokka nodded. "I can't begin to describe how excited I was to see you again." Suki bit her lip. "What about…that kiss? After the pass? Wouldn't Yue be upset?" Sokka looked up at the sky. It was daytime, so there was no moon, but the symbolism was enough.

"Somehow, I think she'd ask Katara to kick me in the blubber if I didn't do what I had been trying to convince her to do all along," he mused. At Suki's confused look, he elaborated. "She was engaged to some loser she hated. I was trying to convince her to cancel the marriage and go with her heart."

"Oh. But why would she ask Katara to kick your as-as-asitchoo!" Suki turned her head as she sneezed.

"Bless you." The response was automatic. Sokka handed Suki a handkerchief. (She decided against asking.) "Yue wanted to be happy, but she also had a duty," Sokka explained. "I think she wants me to be happy, and if I fulfill my duty in the process, so be it." Suki frowned.

"I don't get-" She was cut off as Sokka captured her lips with his own. Oh.

Meanwhile, Aang and Toph were snickering from behind some bushes. "I knew it was a good idea to plant that thorn bush there, Twinkles," Toph whispered.

"Hey, it was my idea in the first place," Aang protested. "And I was the one who caused him to trip anyway!"

Explantion for squee:

Thanksgiving break is coming up, which means Christmas is coming up, which means my birthday is only two months away!

THE SEASON FINALE!!! (no explaination needed)

And did anyone else see "Fire Lord Zuko" in the episode? He looks...almost freaky without his scar. Nice, but a big "OMG". And Azula is a convinning little bitch. So are the two Gaoling dudes (whose names escape me). So...

SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!! (yes, I'm on caffeine)