Chapter 4: Trust

He barged into her modest-sized home on the outskirt of the city, finding her without difficulty in her bedroom. She was hastily folding some clothes from a chaotic heap on her bed.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, his blue eyes dark and cold.

"Packing," she sighed with irritation, keeping her back toward him. "What does it look like?"

It was clear from her nonchalance that she had been expecting him to follow her home. "You know what I mean," he spat. "What are you doing here? In the Northern Water Tribe?"

"That's really none of your concern." She kept on folding her clothes without missing a beat.

"The bounty on your head says otherwise."

"Then I assume you've already delivered a letter telling dear Zuzu of my whereabouts?"

"No," he snarled. "I'm going to personally escort you back to the Fire Nation."

"Is that so?" She released a snide laugh.

Her amusement made him grit his teeth. She always knew just how to push his buttons.

"Well, I can assure you I won't go peacefully."

"Oh yeah?" he challenged a little too smugly. "Are you really willing to firebend in public? With your infamous blue fire?"

"I don't need firebending to take you down." She continued packing, stacking her folded clothes in neat little piles. "I believe I demonstrated that earlier."

His pompous grin vanished. "I'll make you eat those words, Princess!" he roared, grabbing her by the shoulders and spinning her around so he could stare her directly in the eye. But that's when he saw it again. Fear. His menacing glare faded. "Azula…"

"I really wish you'd leave me alone, Sokka."

So she wasn't going to fight him. It looked as if she had no more fight left in her. Something was very wrong. "A-Are… you in trouble?"

"Oh, you mean besides being a fugitive?" she scoffed, crossing her arms.

"If you'd just tell me why you're here, maybe I could help – "

"Well I can't, okay?" she hissed, averting her gaze down to the floor.

"Look…" He huffed with frustration. "I'm sure the only reason why Zuko put a bounty on you is because he just wants you to return home. He must be worried sick about you!"

"No," she exhaled, shaking her head. "He's not worried about me." She spoke quietly, her voice soft and raspy.

"How do you know?"

"Because..." She closed her eyes. "I just do." With a soft sigh, her eyes fluttered open, distant and despondent. "All Zuko wants is to lock me back up in the asylum or… throw me in prison to rot with Ozai."

So she did have something to fear. But it still didn't explain what she was doing in the Northern Water Tribe with her underground 'dojo'. He racked his brain trying to think of ways to get her to talk. He needed answers. How could he reach her? How could he gain her trust? It was time for a different approach. "Well, it's pretty obvious that you've been living here for quite some time, which clearly means you're not trying to interfere with the sister tribe Reunification Ceremony, so then what's your – "

A flash of hurt overtook her delicate features. "That's what you thought I was doing?!" Her jaw began to tremble.

Oh no. It seemed derailing the ceremony had never even crossed her mind. Wrong choice of words. "I – well – "

"The reason why you would even think that is the same reason why I can't tell you anything!" she bellowed, desperately trying not to cry. "Not a single fiber in your body trusts me."

Of course! How could he possibly make her trust him when he didn't trust her?

"But it doesn't matter. None of this matters. I'm leaving. Tonight." She took a deep breath.

"Where will you go?"

"Anywhere!"

They stared at each other in silence, Azula's face strained with anguish and Sokka's bleeding with concern. And then she broke the tension.

"Sokka…" she whispered. "Please go. I… I need to be alone."

He sighed with defeat and turned to leave, his head spinning with questions and inexplicable feelings. He took a few strides over to the door and then stopped. "No." He turned back around. "I need to tell you something."

She eyed him with curiosity.

"Remember when we were searching for your mother and you dropped that incriminating letter?"

She nodded her head slowly, her eyes staring into his with such an intensity, he nearly forgot what he was about to say.

"Aang believed that you did that on purpose, and I…" He gave her a meek smile. "… the skeptic, thought it was an accident."

The depth of her stare only intensified.

"But now… I think Aang was right – people can change." He chuckled. "And I should have known you would never make a mistake like that."

Her golden eyes softened.

"The point is, I didn't trust you back then, but… if you're able to give me a second chance, I will do the same for you. If you're willing to confide in me… I'll believe everything you tell me." He watched her eyes fill with tears. "Everything."

Although she was fighting the urge to cry, he saw the corner of her lips curl slightly upward. She just needed someone to believe in her.

She inhaled deeply, held her breath for a moment, and released it slowly and steadily through her mouth as she reflected on his words. "Okay." She quickly nodded a couple times. "I will tell you. Everything. Now… where shall I begin?"