A/N: thank you again to all my reviewers, you guys are awesome! I know there's a lot of stuff in here, and it's a little longer for you die hard addicts like me, ), so please R&R! Next chapter won't be up till next week. Oh, I saw episode 313, Loved it! But unfortunately won't be able to incorporate it into my story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar!

Chapter 12

Zuko landed on his feet and looked up to see the ground quickly closing the hole above them. A flame appeared to his left when the hole had disappeared and he saw Aang helping Katara to her feet as Toph walked over to him.

"What happened up there? You suddenly felt really heavy. Heavy, powerful, and dangerous."

"Azula attacked with lightning," he told her as he created his own flame over his palm as he sheathed his swords. "I took it and redirected it to the balloon."

"Can you teach me that?" Aang asked from beside him, Katara at his side. There was excitement in his voice and eyes.

"Yes, but we should move before they start blasting the ground," Zuko said as he glanced up again, and as if to answer him, an explosion sounded above them, sending a small amount of dirt onto their heads.

"This way," Toph said as she turned and started earthbending. Aang quickly let his flame go, handed Zuko his pack, and started helping Toph. A tunnel formed that led away from the balloon, and when Zuko looked back, he saw the earth close in fifty feet behind them.

Zuko and Katara followed the two earthbenders as they headed away from the balloon. Zuko took off his mask and slipped it back into it's' velvet bag before slinging the pack to his shoulder, keeping his palm alight all the time. Katara took off her hat, having tucked her veil into her own bag, and gave him several sideways glances as they walked on.

"What?!" Zuko finally said, irritated with the sidelong glances.

"Why'd you tell me to run?" she asked as they walked on.

Zuko sighed. "I didn't want them to capture you."

"And it would be ok if they captured you?" she asked, irritation in her voice.

"No," he said as he slipped off the hood of his ninja suit and ran a hand through his hair as he searched for what he wanted to say. "I just…I don't know. I didn't want them to capture or hurt anyone else."

Katara sighed as she cast another side glance at him.

"I can take care of myself, you know," she said, still irritated.

He sighed again before he turned to study the waterbender. "I know. Why wouldn't you run without me?"

Katara stopped in her tracks for a second before walking again. She looked at her hat and fingered the rim, looking thoughtful and shy.

"I don't know," she said after a minute of silence. She looked at him and he saw that she was puzzled over her own behavior. "I guess I didn't want them to capture you either."

Zuko gave her a small smile to which she smiled weakly back. He then noticed that Toph and Aang had stopped and a small opening stood in front of them. Fresh air suddenly flooded in and it felt refreshing. Toph looked exhausted as Zuko walked up to them.

"You ok?" he asked her when he reached her.

She gave him a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm ok."

"Liar," he teased.

Toph just smiled back at him, but her shoulders sagged as she relaxed, letting her weariness show.

"Just a second to rest wouldn't hurt," she said as she slumped down against the earthen wall.

"No, won't hurt at all," Zuko replied before he turned to Aang. "Where are we?"

"Nearly a mile north of the little cave. We just needed some fresh air." Aang smiled as he glanced at Toph. "And some rest."

Zuko followed the Avatar's gaze and saw that Toph had fallen asleep with her head on her shoulder. He started to smile before he noticed her wrists. He frowned as he knelt to examine them and saw that they and her ankles were rubbed raw, though her wrists were far worse.

"Katara, can you heal Toph?" he asked, not caring to turn his head away from the small earthbender.

"Heal her? Why? What happened…oh." Katara said as she came up to them.

She immediately knelt as Zuko stepped out of the way and bent out a small amount of water from the water bag at her waist and laid her glowing hand on Toph's wrists then ankles. The smaller girl shifted once, but never woke while Katara treated her wounds.

"I think she has the right idea," Katara said as she stood up, stretching after the healing. "Rest would be the best option right now. It'll probably be another day or two until Sokka catches up with us anyways."

Aang and Zuko both agreed at the same time.

"I'll take first watch," Zuko offered as Aang and Katara sat down across from Toph.

"Are you sure?" Aang asked, concern on his face.

"Yeah, you guys rest."

Aang nodded and Katara gave Zuko another weak smile before a yawn threatened to overtake her. Zuko just nodded as the two lay down and fell asleep, again moving closer to each other once they were asleep.

He smiled as he watched them. They were perfect for each other, even if Katara was physically older than the Avatar. He sat down next to Toph and felt his smile widen as she shifted and her head fell on his shoulder. She let out a content sigh as she fell into a deeper sleep.

"I wonder how you do it." he whispered to her. "You're so strong. Can you teach me to be like that?"

She just snuggled further into his shoulder in reply. Zuko sighed and stared out the small opening as the light started changing from night to pre dawn.

Just after dawn, Toph woke up with a start.

"Everything ok?" Zuko asked her, worried that Azula might be close.

"Um…yeah," she said, ducking her head as she started to blush. "Sorry about sleeping on your shoulder."

Zuko smiled at the earthbender. "No problem."

Toph remained silent for a few minutes before she spoke up again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You never had to ask before."

She blushed again. "Katara and Sokka, well…they, um, they said you have a scar on your face. Can I…can I look?"

Zuko studied her. He was glad the water tribe siblings had not brought up his scar since he joined them. He was sure he would have been angry if they had asked, but it was different that Toph had asked. She seemed almost embarrassed to ask, and she kept blushing. He shrugged.

"I guess. How?"

She smiled and held up her hands, wiggling her fingers. "The old fashion way."

Zuko smiled back at her. "Sure."

He closed his eyes and felt gentle, light touches on his chin. They traced the edge of his face up to his brow before coming down to his eyes. He marveled at how soft her touch was and how different it felt between his scarred eye and his normal eye. A finger strayed where his eyebrow used to be but quickly moved on to his nose and then mouth before rising to his cheekbones. The touches then went outward to his cheeks and traced those back to his chin, almost caressing his face before they left.

"You look normal to me," she said. "Thank you."

Zuko opened his eyes and saw her blushing again as she stared down at the floor. He felt a surge of joy rise within him as she finished and declared that he looked normal to her. He tried, but failed, to keep his voice calm as he spoke.

"You're welcome. And thank you."

She looked up at him with surprise on her face before her expression changed to one of studying him.

"For what?"

"I don't know," he said as he leaned back against the earthen wall again, grinning.

She sighed and leaned back with him, closing her eyes.

"Do you think Mai and Ty Lee got out of the balloon ok?"

Zuko thought for a minute. He had knocked the gymnast out, but Mai was alert and was probably the one who had set off the alarm.

"Yeah, Mai would have returned to check on things, she would have made sure they got out."

He couldn't keep the note of worry out of his voice as he thought of the two girls trying to get out of the flaming balloon.

Toph must have heard the hint of worry, for she gave him a look of sympathy and placed a hand on his arm. He scowled as he thought of them trying to get out of the flaming wreckage that he had caused, before turning to look at her as she placed her hand on his arm and into her misty green eyes. Her eyes didn't hold pity, but strength and confidence.

"I think you're right, they'll be ok," she said.

He studied her. She seemed confident the girls had gotten out all right.

"Why were you worried?" he asked her.

Toph shrugged as she turned her head to stare into thin air, leaning back, looking thoughtful.

"I don't know. They seemed…nice. At least when they weren't trying to kill me."

Zuko sighed. "Yeah, I know."

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" she asked suddenly.

Zuko sat up straight and studied her. Where did that come from, he thought. She looked like her normal self, though her hair wasn't as neat as it usually was.

"Yes," he whispered, "I think you're very pretty."

"Really?" she asked, smiling. She then blushed again. "I think you're very handsome, even if I can't 'see' like you can."

Zuko chuckled lightly. "You 'see' fine enough for me."

She laughed along with him before leaning back. Zuko leaned back as well and they sat in companionable silence as the light changed to midmorning.

Aang awoke to find them like that. Zuko rose once Aang was up and gestured for the Avatar to follow him to the back of the tunnel.

"Yes?" Aang asked once Zuko had stopped.

"Just because we're waiting doesn't mean you get out of a firebending lesson," he replied.

Aang sighed and looked downcast. "Ok, what do you want me to do?"

"Sit," Zuko said as he fell gracefully into a cross–legged sitting position.

Aang sighed again and sat opposite Zuko. Zuko then created a flame over his palm.

"I want you to enlarge and diminish this flame for a bit." Zuko smirked as Aang reached out to take it. "While I hold it."

Aang frowned, but withdrew his hand. He concentrated on the flame and started breathing regularly. The flame flickered several times before it fell in rhythm with Aang's breathing. Zuko felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth and willed the flame back to his own rate.

Aang frowned up at him, but continued to concentrate on the flame, and it quickly responded. Zuko tried to will the flame back to his own rate again, but the Avatar's will was too strong. He stopped trying and saw a smile form on Aangs' mouth.

Zuko smiled back with a smirk on his face as he tossed the flame at the Avatar. Aang's look went from almost gloating to surprise and back to concentration as he caught the flame and held it in his palm.

"Good. Meditate on that flame for about ten minutes, then that will be all for this morning." Zuko got up and walked back to where Toph still sat, but not before he heard Aang sigh again.

Toph was giggling and trying to hide it as Zuko sat down next to her again.

"Was he that hard for you?" he asked her once her giggles had subsided.

"The bending was at first, but no. Not that bad."

"I think it still has to do with his first time firebending," Katara said from across the tunnel.

Zuko frowned as he glanced back at Aang who was breathing with the flame. "He'll just have to get over that if he truly wants to be a firebender."

Katara sighed. "I know. He will though, he's strong."

Zuko nodded and noticed Toph staring from Katara to him and back in shock.

"When did you two start getting along? Are you sure you're not imposters?"

Katara and Zuko both smiled at Toph.

"You'd be able to tell," Zuko told the earthbender.

"I guess last night, when we had to work together," Katara said.

"Ok," Toph said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I want to hear what happened. Everything."

Katara gestured to Zuko as she started digging in her bag for something. He sighed and relayed the events to Toph from when they had discovered that she had been taken to when they rescued her.

"Hmm," Toph said as she sat in thought after Zuko had finished. She smiled in thanks up to Katara as the waterbender handed her an apple before handing one to Zuko.

"I heard about the Blue Spirit before I met Twinkle toes, but never figured it was you. The Blue Spirit helped the Avatar, but you were chasing him. Why?"

Zuko took a bite out of his apple as he tried to think of a way to phrase his reasons.

"I couldn't let Zhou capture him. Aang was my ticket home. Zhou was an evil admiral, by the way. He led the invasion into the northern water tribe. So when he captured Aang, I snuck in to free him, and then capture him myself. Unfortunately, one of the archers struck my mask and knocked me out before we were away.

"Aang saved me, and when I awoke, he was there, and my mask was off. He asked if it was possible we could ever be friends. I'm ashamed to say that I replied with a fireball, though part of me wished that we could have been friends then."

"I know," Aang said.

Zuko looked up and saw Aang and Katara seated against the far wall with their own fruit. Their eyes held sympathy and understanding for him. Aang nodded his head in understanding as Zuko bowed his head to him.

"Can I see it?" Toph asked.

"See what?"

"Your mask."

"Oh, yeah, here."

He picked up his pack and felt inside for the velvet bag. He took the mask out and handed it to her. She ran her fingers over the details, drinking them all in and smiling as she did so.

"I think this suits you better, especially now," she said as she handed it back to him.

"Thanks," Zuko said as he put the mask back in it's' place.

Once she had finished her breakfast, Toph got up and stretched, cracking her knuckles.

"I don't feel Snoozles or Fluffy yet, so we should get moving. There's a group of soldiers about a half mile south of here. C'mon Twinkle toes, let's keep going."

Aang smiled and got up to start eathbending, but Katara stopped him with a touch on his arm. She looked at Zuko.

"You haven't rested yet. We should wait for you to get some rest."

"No," Zuko told the waterbender as he stood up. "I'm fine, I spent plenty of times losing sleep when I was searching for you. I'll be ok."

Katara looked unsure, and was about to voice her opinion again when Toph spoke up.

"He's telling the truth Sugar Queen. Now c'mon or those idiot soldiers will actually find us," Toph said as she stood before the wall Katara sat against.

Katara sighed and got up as Aang and Toph started earthbending, extending the tunnel northward.

Zuko bent down to pick up his pack before he followed the younger members of the group as they extended the tunnel to the north alongside the valley. They walked in silence till early afternoon, Toph occasionally making a small hole so that fresh air could come in. They stopped and ate a simple lunch of melons from Katara's bag.

"Can you tell if Azula's anywhere close by?" Zuko asked Toph once she had finished her fruit.

She sat and concentrated, frowning for a minute.

"No, I can't feel her anywhere. But that group of soldiers has kept pace with us, and two basilisk mounts are up on the plateau above us. I think Ty Lee and Mai are searching up there."

"What is your range anyways?"

"About a half mile for people, couple hundred yards for a specific person, and more for larger animals or objects."

Zuko nodded and turned his gaze to Aang who had just finished his meal.

"So how are we going to meet Sokka if we're in here and the soldiers are searching out there?"

Zuko saw a smile tug at the corner of the Avatar's mouth.

"If there's trouble, we'll send up a flame at midnight from the valley and he and Appa will come down and get us before the soldiers can get us. We'll go out tonight and check and see if we can see them."

Zuko frowned. "You know that my sister will be looking for us at all times, even midnight."

Aang smile faltered a little. "Yeah, but that's why we'll check first. We can rest now, the soldiers will pass us and we'll check tonight."

Zuko continued to frown, but shrugged it off. If it came to a fight, they could create a diversion and leave. Azula wouldn't be able to follow them quickly since he had destroyed the balloon.

"We all need rest, especially you two," Katara said as she looked at Toph and Zuko, giving her stern, motherly look at them.

"Ok," Zuko sighed as he scooted forward to lie down completely. He laid his swords next to him and used his pack as a pillow before closing his eyes, falling asleep easily.