Zuko awoke in a hospital room, Aang was asleep on the couch to his left and the machines he was connected to sat on the table beside his right shoulder. The door was directly in front of him and the blinds were all closed. He looked at the clock above the door. 7:33pm. He noticed shadows passing by the door and tried to call out to them but his voice got caught in his throat; he coughed and groaned from the pain. He removed the blanket from his chest and noticed his bandaged stomach. His phone was on the table beside him and he looked at the date, 7:34 Saturday 13/March/2013. His heart dropped, he was late in paying Long Feng. He was stuck in the hospital for four days, he pushed the nurse help button and a few moments later On Ji walked in.
"Hello Zuko, glad to see you are awake." She said as she shook Aang awake whilst looking at the monitors. "Now just a warning, the hospital doesn't legally know you're in here. They think the room is empty, so no one knows how you got here, no reports or anything." On ji walked over to Zuko and began removing the tubes and wires attached to his body.
"How did you manage that?" Zuko asked, clutching the wound in his stomach.
"Not everyone who works in the hospital is on the fire nation's side. My co-workers on the 6th floor are all against it, and we secretly treat their victims." On ji replied, Aang helped Zuko off the hospital bed as On Ji grabbed his spare clothes. "Luckily Aang and Sokka brought you in while I was on my break and I was able to sneak you in before any one asked questions."
"Aang we need to get out of here." Zuko pulled a singlet over his bare chest; he was wearing a clean pair of jeans, and socks. "We missed Long Feng's payment." He struggled to lift the jumper over his head as On Ji helped him.
"I know, we have mostly been at your apartment, laying low. Jet hasn't left since everything went down; your sister has been there with him. Toph comes and goes too some times to check in on things." Aang looked through the blinds into the hall, "Your car was gone when we went back, I'm guessing they took it."
"You guys are hiding out at Zuko's?" On Ji questioned, Aang nodded in response. "You shouldn't be there, if they took Zuko's car then they might know where he lives too, they might come looking." She warned.
Aang quietly cursed, "Your right." Aang stepped away from the window and placed his things into a back pack. "I'll call Sokka and Jet. They'll get everything out and we can go stay at Suki and Katara's apartment. I'll have to let them know we are coming."
They left the hotel room not long after. It was a struggle for Zuko to walk but Aang supported him to the car. Aang dialled Jet's number first, knowing he would be at Zuko's apartment. "Jet, Zuko's awake, and he's mostly okay. On Ji gave us a bunch of pain killers and antibiotics to help with the pain. And she's going to come see us once a week to make sure the wound is healing. Listen I need you to do something for me." Aang dumped the bag on the seats behind him. "Call Sokka, get him to come around, Toph too. And move everything to Suki and Katara's. On Ji thinks the police might pay the apartment a visit."
"How long does she think we have?"
Aang shrugged looking at Zuko who did the same, "We don't know, but its best to be safe, bring as much of Zuko's clothes as you can carry on your last trip, we don't know how long this is going to take."
"I got it. We'll meet you there in an hour."
Aang drove the relatively short distance to the Grey Water apartment complex and parked in the small underground car park. "Have you told them we are coming?" Zuko asked as Aang climbed out of the car.
"No, but its Suki and Katara, do we know any two nicer people?" Aang asked, more to convince himself than Zuko.
"Well, On Ji was pretty nice. But I guess not." Aang helped Zuko out of the car and they made their way to the lift.
"Have you been here before?" Zuko asked as they stepped inside.
"A few times, before Katara and Haru started dating." He pushed the button going to the fourth floor and waited.
Zuko sighed, "You liked her didn't you?"
"Still do."
When they arrived at the fourth floor they stepped out and walked to the apartment at the end of the hall. Aang knocked quietly, he expected them to be eating. He heard a slight bump inside the room and Suki opened the door.
"Oh my Zuko, how are you feeling?" Suki stepped out of the way so they could walk inside. "Sokka told us what happened."
Zuko sat down on the large 'U' shaped brown couch that sat in the middle of the living room. "I'll live, it hurts of course but we have medication for it." Zuko said nodding to Aang's bag.
Katara walked out of her room from a door to Aang's left, behind Zuko, an empty tub of ice cream in her hand. "Hey Aang, and Zuko." Her voice was cold as she stepped into the kitchen behind Zuko and threw the empty tub in the trash.
Haru dumped her Suki mouthed to Aang and Zuko before looking back at her friend. "Katara, dinner will be ready soon, you hungry?"
"I guess." Katara walked back into her room and closed the door.
Suki walked back into the kitchen and continued stirring the food in pot that was steaming on the counter. "Suki, I know this is sudden, and asking for a lot. But could Zuko and I crash here for a few weeks?" Aang fiddled with his sleeves. "It might not be safe at Zuko's apartment."
"It's fine with me Aang, I want you guys to be safe. You'll have to ask Katara though, we do share this apartment. And there isn't any spare rooms." Suki replied. "Zuko you can have my bed until you're feeling better, and I'll stay on the couch, its big enough for Aang and I to stay on for the first few nights."
"You don't have to give up your bed for me Suki, I'm sure the couch will be enough."
"Nonsense, you got shot Zuko, take my kindness and don't argue. It's not every day I give up my bed, so don't get used to it either." Suki smiled and turned back to the food.
"Thank you." Zuko returned the smile.
"I better go ask Katara." Aang said walking towards her room. He knocked first. He could here a muffled come in.
He stepped through the door and found Katara laying arms and legs spread out on her bed staring at the ceiling. "Hey Aang." She muttered.
"Hey Kat." Aang sat down on the edge of her bed, facing her.
"What can I do for you?" her voice was still cold, but he heard the genuine care in her voice.
Aang sighed, "Zuko and I need a place to stay…"
Before he could finish she cut him off, "You know you're welcome here."
"Are you sure, we don't want to intrude."
"Of course Aang. Make yourself at home."
"Thank you Katara. Now, would you like to tell me what happened with you and Haru?" Aang asked moving to the back of her bed, pushing his back to the wall.
Katara sighed and sat up beside him. "Where do I begin?"
"So they had Jet, and knew yours and Aang's names?" Suki asked Zuko as they sat at the small dining table eating the stir fry Suki prepared. Aang and Katara were still talking so she left them alone.
"Yeah, it was actually quite scary, they must have picked up on what we were doing and ran reports on us." Zuko replied finishing a mouthful of food.
Suki finished her own mouthful, "How long do you think you will need to stay here for?" She noticed the surprise and worry on Zuko's face. "Not that it's a problem, just you know, a general guess."
"Well, we are going to need to find a way to pay back Long Feng as soon as possible, as well as a way to get the shipment to him." Zuko sighed realizing how hard that would be. "And we need this whole thing to blow over. It really could be a long time. I'm sorry Suki, and I'm sure Aang is too, we can leave at any time."
"Don't worry about it Zuko." Suki looked over at Katara's door. "Katara and I have been thinking of moving into a bigger apartment for months. This really just doesn't cut it. If you and Aang are in, we could all think about making this little arrangement more permanent. I know Aang has been looking for a new place. And your lease is running out soon right?"
"Same time as yours, end of this month." Zuko remembered the day the year before. Aang had to help them both move into separate apartments on the same day, it really made Zuko think about how good of a friend Aang had always been.
"And are you interested in moving into another apartment?" Suki asked finishing her food.
Zuko did the same "I will have to think about it, and we need to ask Aang and Katara." Zuko answered, unsure how he would deal living with Aang and the two girls.
Katara's door opened behind him, "Ask us what?" Katara asked, Aang stepping out behind her. They both took a seat at the table.
"We'll we have been looking for a new apartment for the last few months, but money has been a problem. Zuko and Aang need a place to stay. So why don't we all move now?" Suki asked, the idea seemed far off in her own mind. She had been crushing on Zuko since their final year at high school three years before and living with him was something she had always dreamed about. Of course Katara knew this.
"That seems like a plan that could work." Katara stated looking at Aang for his opinion. Aang and Katara were the couple everyone thought would last forever. But they never even truly began, they shared a kiss at homecoming but then Aang went away for almost a year, and when he came back Katara and Haru were together, the feelings between them never died, while Aang was with Mai he pushed his feelings for Katara aside, he loved Mai, but not the way he did Katara. They went their separate ways a few months ago. Katara had done the same with Haru, when Aang left she was so sure he would lose interest in her. She found comfort in Haru and eventually fell for him. When Aang returned she ignored her love for him because she didn't want to hurt Haru. Surprisingly things were never awkward between one another, they ignored the fact that they had found love in someone else and continued to be best friends.
"I'm okay with that." Aang answered. Katara got them both something to eat while the group talked amongst themselves, trying to forget about everything going on. Jet brought them back to reality when he knocked on the door with Sokka and Toph. The three piled into the room with Zuko's belongings and a bag that had the clothes Aang had taken to Zuko's house.
"Glad to see you're out of that place Zuko." Sokka said, shaking his hand from across the table. "Mind if I grab something to eat Suki, I'm starving." She nodded and he filled a plate with the leftover food.
"Put that stuff over there." Suki said pointing to a large cupboard next to the door that was almost empty.
"Jet stay with Azula and Iroh for a few more days before going home. I don't think they will come after you. Long Feng won't at least." Aang instructed, "Stay away from the police for a while. Best to be safe. Toph you should be okay to return to your life, check in with us every now and then so we can make sure you're okay. Zuko and I are going to stay with Suki and Katara until things are cleared up." He told them the plan and made room at the table so they could eat the remaining left overs.
Zuko sat down on the edge of the couch, "Do you normally cook this much food?"
Suki sat beside him, "Its Saturday, I like to cook extra so I have food to eat during the day tomorrow."
"She does it every week." Katara said sitting on the other side of the couch, Aang beside her.
"Thanks for eating all my food you guys." Suki called to the group behind her. "Appreciate it."
Katara turned the TV on and they sat together and watched whatever was on whilst they waited for the group to leave. It was nine thirty when they did. Aang and Zuko said goodbye as Katara closed the door behind them, Sokka carrying a bag of chips he had taken out of the cupboard on his way out.
Tuesday came around before they heard anything from Long Feng. Zuko got a call requesting his appearance in the park he was shot, he said he wanted to finish what the police started. Zuko hung up and shuddered, he was generally scared for his life. Aang left the building every day with Suki for work whilst Katara left in the evenings for her job at the hospital. She was a part of the sixth floor that saved Zuko's life. Zuko remained inside, he had Sokka scouting out the other factories they had thought of hitting. The needed a way to repay Long Feng quickly so that Zuko could get his life back. He wasn't directly afraid of the Fire nation men, or the police, he didn't believe they would follow up on anything as they had an entire nation to worry about. But he still didn't want to get caught by them.
The following Wednesday Sokka found a factory that held the shipment. It was out in the industrial zone by the dock, surrounded by a bunch of abandoned buildings and old warehouses. It was guarded day and night by men in suits with different types of fire arms, to say the least it would be a hard job.
He took a few photos from his car and drove back to the apartment to see Zuko. Zuko was healing well, he was able to walk comfortably but was unable to bend down and moving too quickly caused shooting pains up his spine but he managed his way around the apartment. Long Feng had given him a chance, if he could get the payment in before his men found him, then he would be spared. Zuko took this as his only chance at survival.
Sokka opened the door and found Zuko laying on the couch, going over a few notes Sokka had given him about the ware house. "Figured out a plan?" Sokka asked dumping his camera on the couch beside Zuko and walking into the kitchen to get a drink.
"Not yet, we would need an armoured tank to get in there without dying first. And that would only get us in." Zuko flipped the page and looked over very basic drawings Sokka had made of the factory and its layout. "Do you guys still have the Uzi we took from that freak?"
"Yeah it's at Jet's house, there isn't much ammo left, but we have it." Sokka sat down beside Zuko and started looking at the photos he had taken.
Zuko sat up, wincing as the pain shot up his spine. "I think I may have worked out a way in. But it will require quite a lot of stealth." Zuko showed the note book to Sokka and pointed at a far corner of the building. "From your drawings it seems that this corner isn't as heavily guarded as the others. If we strike at night, we can sneak up the fire escape and go in through the windows onto the third floor."
"Just because there aren't as many guards, that doesn't mean there isn't any ay all Zuko." Sokka thought over his plan. "If we can get inside we can make it up as we go, but getting in would be almost impossible."
Zuko sighed and continued looking at the drawings and notes. They continued discussing thoughts and plans for another hour before Aang and Suki got home from work. "Hey Sokka and Zuko. Figured anything out?" Aang asked putting his bag inside the cupboard beside the door.
They both shrugged, "It's too heavily guarded, none of the plans we have come up with really seem to work." Zuko sighed; he smiled to Suki as she disappeared into her room to change out of her work clothes.
"I've got it." Sokka stood up, a smile across his face. "The new plan, is the old plan."
"Sokka what are you talking about?" Aang questioned, sitting on another part of the couch.
Sokka picked up the note book, "A distraction, if the guards aren't looking we can get in the way Zuko said, through the fire escape here." Sokka pointed to the far corner of the building again. "Once we are in, we get the job done, and leave the same way. Only we cause another distraction on the inside. It's a factory, there will be boxes piled up, if we push them over, the guards will go and look at it."
Zuko smiled too, looking at Sokka, "I hate to say it, but you're a genius. How did this not occur to us sooner."
Sokka bowed, and looked to Aang for his opinion, "This would have worked at the shopping centre, but they can do whatever they want to us here. They are too dangerous to leave Toph in their hands." Aang worried out loud.
"She won't be alone. Jet can drive, maybe shoot up the place a bit, and get them to chase after him. I'm confident enough in Jet's ability to drive. And it would be the perfect distraction for us. All we need is for them to simply look away from the stairs long enough for us to get up and in through the window." Zuko replied. "As long as the two of them are up for it though."
"Toph is up for anything." Aang laughed, the others joining in with him.
Katara came out of her bed room, a long black coat pulled over her nurse outfit. "Hey guys." She called walking into the kitchen to pack her dinner. Throughout the week she had almost completely forgotten about Haru, she spent a lot of time with Aang when he came back to the house in the middle of the day for lunch, and during the weekend. And he was really helping her move on. Almost every afternoon they had watched a movie, and then after they would go back to her room and talk for another half an hour before she left for work. "I need to leave early tonight, On Ji is coming over so I need to fill her shift."
Zuko sighed; he had forgotten about his weekly check-ups and had missed his daily medication. "Katara could you please pour me a glass of water while you're in there?" He asked standing up from the couch and getting the three boxes of antibiotics and the bottle of painkillers out from his back pack that always sat at the end of the couch. Katara poured his water and placed it on the small kitchen island as she walked back to her room. Zuko took his medication and sighed. "I'll never get over how bad this stuff tastes."
"Well that's what you get for getting shot." Sokka laughed. "Should I call Jet and Toph, get the plan sorted?"
Aang looked at the time, "Jet will still be working in the diner, maybe we could go see him, while On Ji looks over Zuko?" Aang suggested.
"That sounds like a good plan Aang, I really wish I could get out of this place every now and then." Zuko sighed, he hadn't been out of the apartment since he arrived, too afraid to be seen by one of Long Feng's men and to endanger his own life or anyone else's.
Suki walked out of her room in a green tank top and grey sweats, her hair tied in a ponytail. "You guys got any plans for tonight?" she asked sitting down beside Aang.
"Sokka and I are going to run a plan over with Jet, we'll probably end up staying with him tonight, and Katara has the night shift again, so you and Zuko are stuck together."
Aang noticed the slightest fraction of a smile dance across her face before it was instantly gone. "Movie night?" Suki asked looking at Zuko. He nodded and took his other medication.
Aang drove around another corner, since everything had gone down almost two weeks ago he did what he could to stay out of trouble. When they arrived at the diner they saw Jet working through a window. "Mai is here." Aang said looking down at his feet. Since their break up they had lost contact, Mai moved to Omashu with her parents and for the first two weeks she didn't return his calls, and replied to his texts late at night, the time zone difference was too much to deal with and they split after seventeen days of her leaving. Twenty one days after they told each other they loved one another. They hadn't seen each other since, and things between them were awkward. "I didn't know she was back."
"Want me to go in alone?" Sokka asked, he was the same around Ty lee. "Go wait in the car, I'll bring Jet out when his shift finishes."
Aang turned around and sat back in the driver's seat. He took his Ipad out of the glove box and looked over the area of the factory on Google maps. The sun had already set and the car park was emptying out as he studied the area. He looked into the diner and saw Jet serving Sokka an alcoholic drink of some kind. Mai was sitting on the other side of the diner. She was sitting with a female friend, both sitting facing each other and talking. Aang couldn't see who the female was but she had long black hair and was around the same height as Mai.
He sat in the car for another half an hour, eventually moving on to playing games before Jet and Sokka finally walked out of the diner. Jet folding his apron as he followed Sokka to the car. He and Aang nodded to each other as they climbed into the back. "Lets get out of here."
Zuko flinched as On Ji removed the bandages from his stomached, she examined the wound closely. "Seems like its healing well." She observed, she reached into her medical bag and pulled out a smaller bag filled with various medical creams. She removed the lid of one of the small bottles and poured the liquid over the stitches and carefully rubbed it into his skin. She poured a disinfectant over he cut next and then applied more gauze patches and wrapped him in fresh bandages.
"How much longer will the stiches need to be in?" Zuko asked pulling his shirt back on as she finished with the bandages.
"Another week or so, you should be able to move normally soon. You're lucky the bullet got stuck and didn't reach your spine." On Ji remarked.
"I got shot and didn't die, I already count myself lucky." Zuko tried stretching; his injury allowed him more movement than usual.
"On Ji, would you like to stay for dinner? I may have prepared more than Zuko and I could eat." Suki asked from the kitchen, she wore a white apron over her casual clothes and had a small glass of wine in her hand, the opened bottle on the kitchen island.
"Oh I couldn't, I need to get home to my daughter." On Ji smiled slightly at the thought of her young child.
"You have a kid?" Zuko asked pouring his own glass of wine.
"She's four months old, and she's the love of my life." On Ji replied, smiling from the door.
"And the father" Suki asked, shock on her face.
"He's was a soldier. He died eight months ago; he never got to meet his daughter. He never knew he was even a father." On Ji was almost in tears. "I found out I was pregnant four days later. I had never cried so much in my life."
Suki walked the small space across the living room. She hugged On Ji, whispered words of comfort in her ear. "How do you get by?" Suki asked as she ended the embrace.
"During the day she stays with my mother in law. We are living there while I get back on my feet." On Ji almost smiled, "Coco reminds me so much of her father."
"I'm sorry, let us know if there is anything we can do to help." Zuko lightly hugged her next.
On Ji mouthed a thank you and left the apartment.
Two empty bottles of wine sat on the floor beside the table, and a half empty bottle of bourbon sat on the table. "Are you sure you should be drinking with your injury?" Katara asked, she had walked in on a very surprising sight of Suki kissing Zuko's neck, they were both clearly drunk and probably had no idea what they were doing.
"Oh come on Katara, it's not like I was doing anything wrong." Zuko replied, his words slurred from the drink.
"Yeah Katara, we were being careful." Suki replied, her words matching Zuko's.
Katara sighed and picked up the empty bottles and threw them in the bin. She walked back to the couch and helped Suki to her feet. "Come on Suki, off to bed before you to do something you may regret." Katara noticed the disappointment on her best friend's face but ignored it, she practically carried the other woman into her bed room and helped her out of her pants. "You can do the rest, go on off to bed." Katara said lightly shoving her onto the bed.
"Katara" Suki called from the bed right as she was about to open the door. "I actually wanted that." She rolled over then, facing away from Katara, "I have for years." She may have been intoxicated, but maybe it was what she needed to finally convoy her feelings for Zuko. Katara sighed again as she realized what Suki meant.
Hey everyone, the first chapter didn't get much attention, so I'm hoping by updating so soon it will give people some more incentive to let me know what they think through a review.
Thanks for reading.