Azula wasn't sure exactly how long it would take for her past to catch up with her now that Sokka had seen her at work, but she thought she had more time than one day. She was proven wrong, however, when she walked into the bar the very night after her encounter and found Sokka already seated on a stool.

"Mika, I want you to stay in the office tonight" she said to her daughter, digging through her apron pocket for the office key.

"Oohhh, why?" Mika complained

"See that man over there?" Azula asked, crouching down to her daughter's height and pointing to a random patron whom she didn't recognize as a regular, therefor there was less of a chance this would come back to bite her.

"Mm-hmm" Mika nodded

"Every time he comes in here he breaks at least three glasses. That's a lot of glass and it will go right through your shoes, I don't want you running around out here." Azula fibbed and although Mika believed it she still didn't want to go to the office.

"I'll be careful, I won't even run." The little girl bargained but Azula just handed her the key.

"Lock it this time," she instructed and Mika looked at her almost in fear.

"But you said to never-" she began to protest.

"I know what I said" Azula interrupted quickly and sternly. Realizing that her voice was growing to urgent and her panic was starting to show she took a deep breath and calmed herself. "I know what I said. But you can open it from the inside when it's locked, if I need to get in I'll tell you to open it. Do NOT open that door for anybody else ok?" She requested and Mika nodded, beginning to realize that her mommy must think a lot of glass is going to break if she's telling her to lock the door.

"Can I come out when it's safe?" She asked and Azula nodded.

Satisfied with that answer Mika took hold of the key and gave her mother a hug. Azula closed her eyes as she returned her daughter's embrace, desperately hoping it wouldn't be for the last time. But just in case she memorized everything about it. The way Mika's little arms just made it up and around her neck, how she could feel her little girl's ribcage stuck in expansion, a sign that she was holding her breath. As she pulled away she kissed Mika's forehead then stood up and watched her daughter hurry into the office.

Once Mika was safely inside of the office Azula decided that it was now or never, she just hoped it would be never. She never paid much attention to Sokka back when they were teenagers but she remembers that he was often one to fight first and ask questions later. Well there wouldn't be a fight tonight. She may have scared Mika enough as is; she doesn't need her hearing a struggle. No if Sokka tried to take her, then she would go peacefully. She would listen and obey; she would face whatever prosecutor he threw her in front of, even if it were to be her own brother. Briefly Azula let a smirk play on her lips; Zuko would probably display a very comical reaction were he ever to learn about Mika. With her thoughts turning back to Mika Azula's face hardened with determination, she wouldn't lose her daughter. She was a mess, an absolute mess. Then just when she thought things couldn't get any worse Mika had decided she was ready to join the world, the baby Azula had cursed saved her life. She and Mika need each other, neither of them have anyone else. So Azula would do everything she could, everything she PEACEFULLY could, to keep them together.

By this point she had reached the bar and as she took her place behind it she glanced at the man from the water tribe who was 'conveniently' avoiding her gaze.

"You never drank your shot" she commented as she began her work.

"What?" He asked, looking up at her but she avoided eye contact.

"The shot you ordered last night, you never drank it" Azula clarified, handing another customer a drink as she did so.

"I got caught up in conversation" he replied with a shrug but the bartender rolled her eyes.

"You said about three words then went into your own world," she pointed out and before he could rebuttal a customer called from the other end of the bar for a drink.

While Azula dealt with the man on the opposite end of the bar as Sokka, for once grateful she had been called by an old man whose daughter was trying to tell him he had had enough, her thoughts did not leave her interrupted conversation. It didn't make sense, why was he engaging in the conversation? He should've called her out already, the suspense of her inevitable capture was killing her so much she was considering coming clean to just get it over with.

Ugh, I really have gone soft she thought to herself as the old man's daughter finally gave up and agreed to let him have a drink. When she was done with him she went back to Sokka and, once again, acted like she knew nothing.

"So, what'll it be?" She asked taking note of the serious and thoughtful expression on the man's face.

"Enough with the act Azula, I know it's you" he admitted, Azula had to stop herself from sighing in relief.

"It's not an act" she replied coolly "it's my job to serve customers," she said to him and for a minute he was silent, and since no one was calling out for drinks Azula had time to kill; so she continued. "I know, not something I would've imagined myself saying twenty-years ago either" she chuckled.

"Technically it's been eighteen years" Sokka finally said, he didn't know what he expected out of Azula, but he certainly didn't expect her face to fall to one of sadness as she looked down at her hands.

"Believe me I know" she muttered then quickly snapped herself back to the present. "Anyway, what brings you back here? Here to take me in?" She questioned just as a woman approached the bar and ordered a drink.

Deciding he could have just a little bit of fun with this, if it were at all possible to have fun with Azula, Sokka smirked and waited for just the right moment when she was halfway done pouring the woman's drink.

"Actually no" he thought he would've had to say more but apparently not, that was enough to get Azula's full attention and cause her to spray a good amount of the alcohol onto herself rather than in the glass.

It was a quick mistake but anyone who saw the bartender losing her grip on the nozzle and spray her own arm shared a laugh as she brushed it off and handed the customer her drink.

"Nice joke" she told Sokka, sarcastically of course, as she grabbed an already wet towel and wiped off her arm.

"Funny as that was, I'm not joking" the chuckling councilman insisted and Azula eyed him with extreme skepticism for a moment but then found that she actually believed him, he wasn't lying.

"When asked about what to do with you, given your state of mind, Zuko pardoned your crimes." The water tribe warrior explained and Azula rolled her eyes, annoyed that the only reason she was now free was because she spent one year of her life 'in a bad place' as she liked to call it.

"Well I'm not crazy anymore" she commented, a small voice in her head was practically screaming at her to shut up. She had been let off and she should keep it that way, but she didn't listen to that voice.

"I can see" Sokka chuckled before both his voice and his face became serious, "Azula, Zuko's been worried about you and if you're ok, then why didn't you ever go home?" He questioned.

Azula wanted to cry. She wanted to slam something, break something, anything! But she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to destroy, not again. One action would lead to another and before she knew it her new life would be gone, again.

He asked and he regretted it. The way Azula turned away, was she upset? He never would've thought Azula to feel guilt, if that was what she was feeling, but then again he never would've imagined this situation. He had watched her with her daughter when they first arrived, he didn't know what was said between the two but he did know what he saw. He saw a little girl hugging her mother and in the mother he saw love and tenderness, something he NEVER could've imagined seeing in Azula eighteen years ago. But clearly a lot has changed, because Sokka was one of the most distrustful people he knew and yet here he was; fully believing every trait of good he saw in Azula.

Sure enough someone called out for a drink and Azula went off to do her job, but not before wiping her eyes. While she was gone Sokka contemplated an idea, an idea which he could only describe as either the stupidest or most brilliant thing he has ever done, only time will tell which. It was awhile before Azula returned to his end of the bar, so long in fact he could swear she was avoiding him. But eventually the young man seated next to Sokka called her over for a drink and though she did her best to ignore the councilman he was equally stubborn and on a mission to get her attention one last time.

"Hey" he said when she exchanged the drink and money with the young man, knowing she was stuck at the register for at least five seconds gave Sokka all the time he needed.

"Hey" he said again and this time she looked at him, pretending to not have even heard him the first time.

Sighing he realized that she wouldn't talk to him again so soon as she looked away he stood up and 'accidently' knocked over an empty glass.

Upon hearing the shattering of the glass Azula looked up, and gritted her teeth when she realized that it had been done on purpose.

Huh, so some man did end up breaking a glass tonight she thought to herself as she grabbed the dustpan and hand broom from under the bar and went to clean up the mess.

"I really hate you," she quietly growled at Sokka before she crouched down, as she swept he crouched down with her.

"I saw you with your daughter tonight, so I'm betting you lied about last night being a one time thing. If you ever need a babysitter I'm always around," he whispered before dropping a crumpled up napkin into her dustpan and leaving.

Once she had the mess cleaned up Azula returned to her place behind the bar and dumped the glass shards into the trash, but against her better judgment saved the napkin.

How long had it been? A long time, that's for sure.

A year? No, too long

A month? No, way longer.

Eventually Azula decided that it had been just under six months since she ran away, give or take a few days. She had gotten used to living in the forest, she learned how to hunt and fish and discovered that there was water in Forgetful Valley aside from the four spirit pools, which she didn't completely understand why she was avoiding. She figured it had to do with the Mother of Faces. She was out here just trying to survive, the last thing she needed was an angry spirit attacking her for drinking water from a specific pond. She stayed near her camp most of the time, it was by a lake so she could fish and collect water, and small animals weren't uncommon.

"I can't stay out here, or else I'll really wind up crazy." She remarked to herself one morning as she ran her fingers through her long hair in order to brush it.

Her physical appearance had changed during her time out here, though she couldn't be sure of how much since the lake water wasn't as reflective as one might think. Her hair had grown to reach just past her lower back and she was sure she had lost some weight. Summer was coming to a close; she could feel it in the air. But it was still warm enough for her to wear only her tattered pants and shirt, and her boots of course. The rest of her clothes she had lost months ago at the beginning of summer and she was starting to wonder what she would do when the weather became cold again, she wasn't ready to go back.

With a startled gasp, though in retrospect this should not have been a surprise, Azula took the hand she was combing through her hair and gripped it tight, trying to keep the hair out of her face. Supporting her weight with her knees and one hand as whatever food was left in her stomach forced its way up she let out painfully for the second time that morning.

"Ugh, knew I shouldn't have eaten that Frog Squirrel" she muttered to herself once she felt as though she was done vomiting for the time being. Some Frog Squirrels were poisonous, she didn't think the one she killed and ate was but now she wasn't so sure.

As the day went by it just got worse and worse. Not only did she throw up a total of two more times but she also fainted, got three bloody noses, started seeing spots, had a massive headache, and then, just as night fell and Azula felt as though she was surely going to die, she started hearing things.

At first she thought it was just an animal, but then she heard the voices. They were human voices, and she was no longer anywhere near Hira'a. They seemed to get closer and then further again, she thought there were two of them, but that was all she could tell.

"Doesn't matter, not real." She whispered to herself as she curled in on herself even more than she already had. She was laying in the dirt just listening to these voices she insisted were only in her head, but she knew hallucinations and deep down she knew that these voices were not one.