Sorry it's so short and that I didn't update sooner. Blame Senior year in High school. Anyways, I don't own Avatar nor the Avatar-verse but the ocs are mine. Hope you enjoy it!

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Heshun and Akiko looked at each other before springing towards the door.

"Mom!" cried Akiko as she hugged the slight woman in the doorway. The woman staggered at the force of Akiko running into her and giving her a bear hug. "We were worried!"
"You said you'd be back yesterday," said Heshun a little gruffly and leaned against the wall across from the door.

Their mom eyed both of them with tired, irritated eyes. "And I thought I told you that I wanted everyone in bed when I got home."

Akiko looked helplessly from her older brother to her mom, not wanting to draw attention to herself but at the same time wanting to side with Heshun. In the end, her loyalty to Heshun won out.

"How could we sleep if we were worried sick about you?" said Akiko sharply, "Be happy we waited at all!"

"Worried sick?" huffed their mom, unbelieving, "If all of you were worried sick, why is it that only you two couldn't sleep?"

"Mother," said Heshun, his voice pitched low so it almost sounded like a growl, "The two little ones could sleep through a fire, earthquake, and stampede of ostrich horses… all while it was happening at the same time."

"He's right," said Akiko shaking her head with a small smile at the memory of trying to get them up each morning, "they're able to sleep in almost any condition and in almost any position, since I've found them in the most contorted poses come morning light."

Akiko's mom gave her daughter a glare full of daggers. "Whose side are you on anyway?" said hissed.

Akiko shrank back from the glare, but when she looked at her older brother, she was encouraged enough to say, "On his side."

The look that crossed their mom's face was enough to scare a demon, and both Heshun and Akiko were sure that their mom was going to start cursing and try to kill them. But instead, their mom's anger disappeared and she looked at her two oldest children with tired but calm eyes.

"I want you two to go to your room and stay out of sight for the next few days, okay?" she said as she walked out of the entry way and into the family room.

Heshun shuddered and Akiko bit her lip so hard that it started to bleed a little.

"What about our jobs?" asked Heshun, arms crossed over his chest.

"Your jobs? Well, I guess you two could leave through that window in your room," answered his mom as she opened a chest and pulled out three pillows. Akiko made a noise of indignation and Heshun's mouth dropped open.

"Out the window? Mom, you can't be serious!" cried Akiko angrily.

Their mom rounded on Akiko so fast Akiko didn't know what hit her, literally. One minute she was glaring at her mother the next she had a face full of cloth that was fill with something rather hard.

Turns out that Akiko's mom had flung the one thing on hand at her daughter and that turned out to be one of her lumpy pillows.

Heshun snickered at his sister and he too got a face full of pillow, but it wasn't from his mom. Akiko had turned and let him have it before tossing it lightly back to her mom. "I think you might need to plump that one since Heshun's face can break mirrors."

Heshun glared acidly at his sister but Akiko chose to ignore the childish action of his.

Their mom sighed and ran her hand through her wind-tangled hair. "The reason I don't want any of you being seen is because I don't want anything to happen to you. Heshun, they would probably take you away to fight in their damn war and Akiko, you'd end up being mistreated as would the other two." Their mom inhaled jaggedly, fighting back tears. "I love you guys too much to want you hurt, so please just use the damn window to get in and out, buy your meals instead of lighting a fire outside and cooking it, and I want you to make as little noise as possible. Please, I don't want you hurt!"

"Mom…" said Heshun, his voice thick with emotion. Both he and Akiko walked up to her and gave their mom a hug.

When the hug was over, their mom gave them a weak smile and said, "Now go to you room and stay there. Don't look in on me tonight since he's supposed to come. I swear everything will be okay."

Heshun and Akiko didn't say anything.

Their mom smiled again then shooed them away towards their shared room. Both went willingly.

"I wish she wouldn't bring them here," whispered Akiko when they were out of earshot, "I hate it when she brings them here…"

Heshun stopped and turned to his little sister. She wouldn't look at him but he knew there were tears in her hazel eyes. Without a word he gave her a hug and she seemed to melt, like a small hurt child.

"I know, I hate it too," said Heshun as he rocked her sister softly, "I hate them all…"

Akiko looked up at him, surprised at his bitterness but she didn't say a word.

The front door opened and they heard their mom murmur something before two sets of footsteps retreated to the family room, turned their mom's bedroom since the one all the kids shared was nothing more than a glorified closet.

Akiko slipped out of her brother's embrace and tugged on his sleeve to get his attention. After what seemed like eternity, Heshun turned and crept into his shared room and shut the door.