Please read the notes at the bottom =) thanks!

Chapter 11 Where too Next

Heavy foot falls echoed throughout the court yard where the young Fire lord and his family were still standing having just seen off their dearest friends. "Avatar! Fire Lord!" Shouted a man in a red and white uniform, the symbol for a Fire Nation doctor embroidered on the sleeves, He stopped infront of Zuko, struggling to catch his breath as the Fire lord stepped protectively in front of his small family on instinct, guards were standing alert nearby, obviously uneasy with the strange man so near. "What is it Dr. Hymono?" "Fire… lord! Terrible news!-"He stopped to suck in a few more breaths, putting Zuko's patience to the test. "Princess Azula… Where's the Ava-""-What of Azula?" Golden eye's were blazing, his voice caused Azuna to whimper as Mai rubbed soft circles on her daughters back while she stared blankly at her husband's tightly wound robed back.

"-She's gone M'lord.""WHAT!" his heart gripped with dread as the young Father allowed his mind to mule over his sister escaping, and what kind of trouble she was going to cause. "I had you put her in the most secure locations, You yourself, the best doctor in the Fire nation to look after her! Full 24 hour guard, Constant surveillance, and she's gone?" "Y-Y-Yes Sir…" He turned his back to everyone present as he stared up at the sky with a scowl, fire shot out of his's hands which terrified the poor doctor even more and made a high pitched whine leave little Azuna. "W-we tried everything… she just… d-disappeared!" Mai put a firm hand on her husband's shoulder before he could say or do anything else. "Zuko…" The word was said with more emotion then she usually used, worry filling her heart as she knew it filled his. "Mama… whas wrong?" Azuna said softly, very much aware of her parents discomfort as she looked wearily at the man in the white coat who was kneeling on the ground shaking, small golden eye's filled with fear of the unknown. "Its nothing Azuna…" Her mother said unhelpfully, "Find her Hymono. Find her as quickly as you can. Guards I want everyone on this, It's a Classified Black Ribbon order. Go, Now!" He got mixed replies as a good portion of their guard left, Dr. Hymono in tow, while the others risked being burned for staying to guard the royal family.

Golden eye's looked unhappily at the sky. "It's too late to call them back now Zuko…" "I know Mai…" Azuna patted her daddy's shoulder as he wrapped her and her mother in his arms. "Is s'ok Daddy! Maybe Aun Azula jus' gots lonely an wans to play wit us?" a shiver went down his spine as he pulled the two most important people in his life closer to him, grudgingly admitting that his daughter was quicker at catching on then both him and his wife thought. "For our sakes Azuna, I hope that's not the case…." Mai said in response as she pressed her forehead against her daughter's soft dark hair while drinking in the comfort that came from those small arms and the larger ones that held all she deemed important in there touch.

"Ahh, this feels so good!" Aang said happily as he relaxed against Appa's fur, hands under his head. "Yeah, I never realized how much I loved the breezes." Toph added much to everyone awakes surprise. "Wait? But you hate flying!" Sokka said as he rubbed his eye's in an attempt to wake up more. "Yeah I do! But it's so freaking hot in the Fire nation!" Teo nodded in agreement as he held her hand gently in his own. "It's not the same as gliding but I can see how You guys like it so much, I could get used to this…" Appa gave a rumble of appreciation and agreement, then made a lower sound like a question. "I know buddy, I'm sorry I didn't come see you as much as I should have… "The large creature made another sound and Aang sighed."Momo met a girl! I know it's not the same without him, but I didn't want to make him leave her." A huge sigh left the creature. "Hey maybe when we save Tinly she can tell us if there are any Sky Bison left? You'd like that wouldn't you?" The bison rumbled a happy sound to which the avatar stroked his hand through Appa's fur in a comforting gesture.

"I don't care how many years we've been traveling together, Aang… I still don't know how you understand him like that." Sokka said with a side glance, one hand gently rubbing Suki's stomach as she slept with her head in his lap. "I don't know how I do it either Sokka, but I do…" Steal gray eye's drifted down the saddle as he sat up onto his elbows, until they rested on the soft face he had been seeking. Her eyes were closed as she slept curled against the area closest to him, his heart skipped a beat as he just allowed himself to enjoy her tender features for a moment in the early morning light. "It's still weird though…" Sokka spoke up again a few minutes later, his eyes closed as he lost the fight to keep them open. Aang gave a soft chuckle as he took in his rag-tag family, all of which were in varying states of sleep as the sun slowly began peaking above the horizon. Despite their attempts none of them had gotten to bed early the night before. But he didn't mind this, it was moments like this that reminded him just how much each one of them meant to him.

"So what do we do if they're not in Omashu?" Suki questioned as she and everyone else minus Aang who sat at Appa's reigns, peaked over Sokka's shoulder at their map. "Well, Aang's the one that's gotta decide that, But I defiantly think we need to stop in one more fire nation city before we can make that trip across the water…" At this Sokka looked up with questioning blue eyes that locked onto the blue arrow line at the back of Aang's head. "Well, Appa will need to rest for a bit, sense we are going to cross the sea…" The monk looked out at the water below them contemplatively, already he could see the slowly growing mass of land that would be their last possible stopping point before they left the Inlet and hit the actual sea. "Ok… Appa lets land on the other side of this island where that one town was we hit a year ago…" He got a chorus of cheers at this. "Good, let's eat in the village and not use our supplies just yet." Katara said as she ran a comb through her hair, pulling it back into an intricate braid.

"Oh great… are you telling me were not hitting any more islands Twinkletoes!" he smiled as he turned to address his blind friend. "Nope. We're going to fly all night… Appa will be able to handle it so long as we let him rest once we reach the earth kingdom tomorrow afternoon." Katara piped in, "It should be perfect timing…-" Her brother quickly followed totally interrupting his sister in the process, to which she gave a nasty glare. "Yeah, by flying over the ocean like this it's going to make it harder for the ASSU to follow our trail, that should make it easier for us to find Zuko's Mom and Tinly in Omashu before they have to run again…" Toph moaned before mumbling several complaints about how much she hated flying. Tao worried his brows as he looked over to Sakka. "Why would they run before we get to them?" Aang was the one to answer first. "Tinly said that the ASSU were powerful, even for me as the Avatar… I think the only way they will be able to stop running is if we can get to them before the ASSU can stop us…" Sokka nodded his head, though the Air bender seemed to question the situation as well."She has a very good strategy Aang, think about it… Lady Ursa might be a fire bender herself but she can't get away as easily as Tinly could if things got ugly before we could safely meet them. And she won't leave the one who saved her just to get her own safty…" Aang nodded his head as Suki spoke up.

"Oh man, this will get tricky… so we have to find a way to meet them quietly… before the ASSU can figure out where they are…without contacting them in any way to tip the bastards off before hand…" Everyone noted mentally that she was in one of her pregnant lady pissed off moods by the tone of her voice. "Right…" Sokka said cautiously. "Haha!" Toph started laughing, the sound sarcastic more so then actual amusement as everyone turned worried eye's on her. "Oh man…" all she got were raised eyebrows for a reply, which was obviously unseen to her. "Did you all miss this?" the earthbender said as she wiped a errant tear from her eye. "Miss what?" Suki said slightly more irritated then before at having been interrupted. "This time tomorrow, Will be in Gaoling!" Everyone groaned, they all remembered what happened the last time they had visited Toph's home town. It wasn't a memory anyone enjoyed. "What happened in Gaoling?" Teo asked mildly as everyone's features seemed to take on a paler tone then before.

"Aang… can't we skip that place?" Suki asked going from anger to worry in her mood swing. "I don't think Appa will be able to…" His voice was pained and nervous as he focused his eyes on the land mass below them. Toph felt a nudge in her shoulder as Teo tried to get her attention. "Huh?" She asked seemingly subdued. "What happened in Gaoling?" He questioned quietly. "My parents sent out every bounty hunter they could find to catch the Avatar and either kill him or jail him for kidnapping me again…" The boy's eye's shot up in alert as he whispered quieter than before pulling himself close to her ear in the process. "He kidnapped you?" She rolled her eyes as a small smile slid across her lips, a deep bubble of unknown feelings swelled up with the touch of just his breath on her skin. "No… I left on my own, but because I've traveled with him and trained him they assume he took me against my will… they want to believe anything that keeps me their small helpless little girl in their minds…" the only response he could muster was. "Oh…" He chewed his bottom lip in worry. "I take it you guys didn't leave on the best terms then?" Toph chuckled as her eyes looked unseeingly out towards the sky. "You could say that…"

"Yeah! How about they tried to Kill us!" Sokka suddenly added, Teo hadn't realized that the entire group had been listening, despite his attempts at being quiet. His cheeks turned a few shades of pink. "Don't worry guys, we will just camp out in the woods… no one will even know were in town…" Aang said with mock hope, His eyes lit up for real, as Katara climbed over the saddle to cuddle up against him. "That will be perfect, then we can fly straight to the mountains and then to Omashu." She said with a soft smile as she gave her boyfriend a soft peck on the cheek. He grinned as one of his arms slipped around her waist, more for personal desire then protection. "Hey, why don't we have King Boomy help us?" Suki said as she rummaged through one of her own bags for something to snack on. "You know, that's not a bad idea at all… but what if that draws too much attention?" her husband added as he dutifully sharpened his boomerang. Toph finally added. "It's like Suki said, this is going to be tricky." She shot a grin in the direction of the pregnant woman, knowing full well that Suki had thought she had ignored her earlier

"Oh how I love fire flakes!" Sokka said dreamily, he lounged contently on the ground, his head in his wife's lap as she leaned up against a rock near where Appa rested. She rolled her eyes but kept playing with his hair that had yet to be tied up for the day. Toph and Teo were still in the town while Aang and Katara were just within eye shot as they surfed on bended ice against the huge waves. "You know regardless of if we get to Tinly or not we will have to get to the Southern Temple in a few months right…" Suki asked quietly, her eyes locked on her sister-in-law and she assumed would one day be brother-in-laws forms as they both disappeared beneath a wave's barrel. "Yeah I know… Katara already talked with me about it earlier…" "She did?" "Yeah, She promised that she'd stay to help deliver our baby… That and something about wanting to get things fixed up there…" His wife smiled as a tiny foot pressed against her growing abdomen. Sakka instinctually placed a hand there, his own features mimicking hers.

They stayed like that for a while before she spoke up again. "I've been thinking… about names…" "Suki… didn't we agree to wait until the baby was born? That way we didn't end up fighting like last time!" She shrugged her shoulders "Yeah, but I wanted to have a few in mind… like one if it's a boy and one if it's a girl… I was thinking Saorise for a girl…" He opened his blue eyes skeptically looking up into her green. "Freedom? Ok… I can see that…but what if it's a boy?" She smiled sheepishly. "I'm still working on that… I want it to be something with meaning." He nodded as his eyes drifted to her rounded belly where his hand had been a few minutes before. "Kaito..." Suki drew her brows together defensively. "That name means Water or Ocean… What if he's not a water bender?" "That's not why I picked the name…" he said understandingly, than his voice softened."It was my great grandfather's name…"

He smiled gently as he drew circles on her stomach, her features relaxed as she watched him. "Oh… well then I like it… I never thought of that… I guess we could name a girl after one of my own ancestors… Emi…" He nodded. "Beautiful view, not bad… What about Ismau?" She scrunched up her nose in the adorable way he loved. "No… I don't like that one…" "Aww why not! It means strong! Ok ok… what about…Masaru…" She laughed. "Your only picking boy names!" "So! Your only picking girls!" he mocked back with a playful air.

Katara laughed as she watched Aang fail at an attempt to flip with the waves curl, then wasted no time in zipping past him only to accurately execute what he had been trying to do and then surfed out of the tunnel. The avatar grinned wide as he proudly watched her before climbing back onto his ice board and bending the waves to move him again. He quickly passed her as she shredded against her own wave, she rolled her eyes before trying to catch up. As he manipulated the waves mass to grow bigger, soon they were riding side by side both half concentrating on the skill it took to make the water so big, and half on shooting smiles and small water balls at one another. Before either of them new it the wave was well into twenty feet as they skillfully arched the water into a perfect curl as a team.

Aang gave his girlfriend a very devious look that lasted just long enough for her to get nervous before he sprang from his ice to hers and knocked them both into the water. The wave crashed hard against them as they lost control of it, and sent them tumbling deeper before it slowly reached the shore line and dissipated. At first Katara panicked but before that could reach any measure of action Aang had pulled air from the water and circled them both into it effortlessly. "Aang! That was dangerous!" He laughed as she smacked his bare chest halfheartedly. "No way! Do you think I'd ever put you in real danger Katara? I had that under control." She shook her head in mock surrender. "I guess I just forget how powerful you are sometimes…" She laughed a bit and he smiled while rubbing circles on her back where his hands held her securely against him. They were suspended in his air bubble, it remained deep in the ocean where he held it. He looked down into her blue eyes with a soft smile as he was reminded once again of how beautiful she was, This thought pattern slowly heated up as he realized this small moment of opportunity that they had.

It didn't take Katara long to pick up on the heightened feeling that began filling them both, the fire that always filled her stomach when he touched her ignited as her body reacted instinctually to his hands, which had gone from comforting to enticing as while one held her against him, the other would trace down her sides before sliding slowly up her back to give the other hand a chance to move and play against her skin. She let herself go for a moment; her lips found the sensitive part of his neck as she began toying with it, letting her tong dart out to taste the salty ocean that still clung to his flesh as her teeth nipped up the trail she had just licked. He let out a low sigh as her mouth slowly reached his. The second her lips touched his he took control, suckling her top lip then the bottom before expertly sliding his tong to meet hers.

As they kissed his subconscious began slowly letting their personal air bubble rise until finally they broke it off as the surface crashed to meet them. "How'd we get up here?" Katara asked with a breathless voice. Aang shrugged as he mentally thanked his subconscious for stopping them before anyone would notice their disappearance. Again that devious light filled his eyes. "Um… Aang… what are you-EEEAHHH!" She screamed playfully as he had created a huge wave that splashed her, and began surfing again. She laughed before joining him as they rode one last curl to the shore.

Toph shouted out the soaking wet couples approach before anyone could see them with a bit of pride. "I can see you guys in sand now!" She said in triumph, having worked hard for the past few years to be able to do so. "Nice job Toph! You really are the best earth bender alive!" Aang said cheerfully as he walked hand-in-hand with his beloved. Katara shivered then realized she had yet to bend the water off of herself, it took her less than two minutes to have both her and Aang water-free. "Hey Aang…?" Sokka asked with a strangely irritated air, Suki glanced at the air bender in question to see what caused her husband's ire, then quickly covered her mouth to stifle her giggles. This made the avatar nervous. "Yeah Sokka?" He tried not to sound how he felt as he helped Teo into Appa's saddle, while avoiding the older man's gaze along with the younger one in the wheel-chair who was outright laughing. "What's that on your neck?"

Katara shot up from the bags she had began packing, her cheeks stained red as she glared at her brother in a shut-up-were-old-enough-to-kiss-like-that kind of way. Though the warrior completely missed her look, and instead narrowed his ice blue eyes on the younger man. "Whats on Aang's neck?" Toph asked innocently, for once actually lost. "I um…" The avatar looked over to his girlfriend with a helpless-help-me glance, not knowing for sure what was on his neck but figuring it had something to do with her kissing it earlier. She mouthed a 'I'm sorry' as her brother yanked her boyfriend up by his robes. "I know that I told you I approved of you being with my Sister Aang! But I Don't approve of seeing Proof of your relationship like That!" He hissed as he pointed his finger at the red and slightly bruised spot on Aang's neck. After saying this Sokka dropped Aang and stalked over to his sister, opposite to her slightly shaking from fear boyfriend, Katara stood proud and arrogantly her eyes glaring daggers into his as he pointed his finger at her. "And you!-" Her glare grew more intense and he quickly pulled his finger back, forming fists at his sides as she remained eerily silent. "And Me What?" She finally ground out as he began to step back while fighting with himself to remain the Big-brother. "Just… don't… make those things so… public next time… I don't wanna see it!" He said half deflated as she began stalking forward her anger rising.

"Don't tell me where I can Kiss my boyfriend! Were Adults! If I want to kiss him on his neck then damnit I will! You are NOT the boss of us! And How Dare you tell me what I can do in my relationship when all we ever see is you and Suki sucking face!" Sokka had by that point slowly cowered into Appa's saddle where he hid behind his wife, who was still cracking up. Katara had steam rolling off of her as she stomped her foot in irritation and embarrassment on the ground that caused a massive wave to crash on the shore near them before she stormed off. Toph was chuckling with Suki as Teo shivered in fear. "That woman is scary when she's mad…" Sokka whimpered. "Tell me about it! You haven't had to live with her your whole life!" "You did kind of warrant it yourself though honey…" Suki said after she began calming down, she was the first to notice that Aang was missing too.

"Katara?" the avatar called out meekly, unsure if he would unleash her wrath onto himself but unable to let her walk off alone. "what?" came a sharp but otherwise non I'm-going-to-bite-your-head-off voice from behind a cluster of rocks. Aang made quick work of jumping over them before lightly landing beside the most beautiful yet terrifying women he had ever met. He said nothing as he slid down beside her, pulling her into his arms as she fought the blush that refused to leave her cheeks. She was stiff in his arms for a few minutes, but slowly she relaxed as her breathing began to even out. "I'm sorry Aang…" "For what?" He asked gently.

"Well, for leaving a hicky on your neck for one… for my brother freaking out on us… for…-" "Katara stop… Sokka's just being a protective brother, he's been very easy on us because were always so careful… and don't feel bad for leaving your mark on me!" He said the last part with a bit of amusement as he poked her gently in the ribs. She looked up at him sadly. "But I should have known better, it's very un-professional… " He laughed. "So what… You're my girl, and I'm your man… if you want to leave your mark on me, so long as it's always just you that ever does so… who am I to complain?" She smiled some before kissing him on his cheek. "I still feel bad though…" She looked at the spot on his neck that brightly proclaimed where she had indeed left her Mark. taking a finger to gently trace it. "And I know about Sokka… he just gets so… Infuriating when he acts like that!" they both let out a soft chuckle at that. "Yeah… I can't say that it doesn't get annoying to me when he goes out of his way to embarrass us…"

He smiled as he slowly pulled his now calm girlfriend to her feet. "You know… maybe we should get him back some time…?" An evil look crossed Katara's face that made Aang shiver. "I like that idea…" He smiled as they both wondered back to Appa and quickly took off into the sky.

Tinly sighed as she blew out the camp fire that her and her companion shared, "What's troubling you?" Ursa asked gently, setting the coals to a gentle glow with her fire bending, to keep them ready for breakfast in the morning. "I'm just worried…about… my brother." The older woman sighed as she ran a hand through her younger friends long brunet hair. "Do you think he's really chance his own life?" She knew the answer before she even spoke it though she tried to think otherwise as steel green eye's met her golden ones. "Absolutely… and that terrifies me, he's only ten years old… not even a master…" a low chirping sound picked up as a dark grey lemur-bat landed next to the airbender, his hands full of berries. "Well looks like you had a good hunt Tomi…" She gave a weak smile as the creature began chatting away about his night in his own little language that she hardly understood.

"Tinly, don't worry… we will get to the Avatar, then we can get you back to the Kai Temple…" The green eye'd girl glowered at the nearly non-existent fire as she relaxed against the soft grass, across from the older woman she called her friend."That's just the thing though Ursa… I don't want to go back, I want to be free. I want my brother to be free, to see what it really feels like to fly to any part of the sky he chooses, not to have to hide behind that barrier. I want them all to know… those children don't deserve to live their lives in hiding… I didn't. My Parents didn't…" She sighed as her hand subconsciously began running fingers through Tomi's dark fur where he lay curled against her. "I'm all that's left of the older generation that's strong enough… I have to fight with Master Aang to defeat the ASSU… or I can't ever go back home. I just hope Lui'Lan doesn't do anything stupid until I can get back to him…"

Ursa sighed sadly as she looked up into the night sky, she had learned to live much like an air nomad, sleeping under nothing but the blanket of stars, and having only the cushion of soft grass for a pillow. She yearned to help the young woman that held a place in her heart much like her own children did, but she yearned more so to be with her own family again. She wanted so badly to hold her granddaughter in her arms, to hold her son and daughter-in-law. And even to see her daughter, though she was sure would refuse to do so. Just before she fell asleep a shooting star darted across her view from under the cover of trees. She made a solid wish then, that everything would finally work out for her and her friend.
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Ok first off... I'm soooooo sorry, I know I took WAAY to long to update... but I swear it wasn't intentional... I'm in college and work full time for both so that combined with tests life and my muse deciding to take a vacation without notifying me are what caused this... =)

Hopefully I will have chapter 12 The chase is on.
out by tomorrow night or thursday, but I'm not making promises... I don't wanna let y'all down if I do and then don't have time to get it done.
This chapter btw was meant to have more plot, but I felt bad for how long I took and my mind also wanted more fluff so I gave more fluff... =)
Please Review if you can I LOVE getting them, you have absolutely no idea how amazing they make me feel just to hear a quick "I like your story" Because honestly I'm still struck that so many DO like it... =D It means alot to me, but if you don't I still just appreciate the hits and the fact you enjoy reading. =) Thanks for your patience everyone!

Surf-

KimJuni2: =D I know wouldn't they make awesome relatives I'd totally love to have them in my family! Thanks for the reviews!=)

Hyperpotterprincess: ;D Heres your update, I hope its to your liking! I appreciate your reviews and dedication to my story! :D

Ryuken: I actually have one more surprise for a "Home" for the airnomads other then the Kai Temple... but this one isn't really one they ever leave... I'll explain that later. As for the confusing way I post them talking, I tried to make that better this time. My goal is to never post something to much, I like using different words and ways to say different things so that it doesn't get boring to read, but it isn't easy to do that so especially with speaking I tend to get caught up and forget to place things certain ways... mostly I just need to make it a bit more clear, hopefully I will improove with that! =D Oh and as for your own story, I so think you should post it! I'd read it! Thanks for your reviews!

Loopy Kid: Here ya go darlin! I'm sorry it took me so long... I hope its enjoyable and promise things will actually start "Moving" more... you know... like Aang and Katara getting engaged, not to mention a few more Airbenders and attacks and a lot more I have planned. =) Hope to hear from you again!

DCP1992: =D I'm really glad you like it! Hopefully you'll continue too! thank you for the review!

As always I appreciate everyone who just reads even if you don't review, if you do you get extra awesome chocolate chip cookies of awesomeness! Much Love!

P.S. I want to know, What should Sokka and Suki's baby be? A boy or girl? =D the names except for Saorise are all Jap! BTW.

P.P.S (10/15/2010) If you want to know my status on this story and how long the next chapter will be visit my deviantart. h t t p : / / surfbaby89 .d e v i a n t a r t . c o m If that doesn't work look up "Tinly" in the search bar, it will bring up a few pieces but one is mine, its my version of the character in this story and will have my author tag (Surfbaby89) for you to click! =)

Til next time!

Thanks! SURF-