"Then we made a house of blocks…" Mika was currently spending the entire walk back to the apartment recounting her day for her mother who she didn't even notice was preoccupied with her own thoughts.

"Mika" Azula finally interrupted as they reached the building.

"Yeah?" Mika asked, her story about the school day momentarily forgotten.

"Listen, something came up today and I have to go away for a little while" she began to explain.

"What?!" Mika practically shouted with tears in her eyes as the two of them entered the building.

"Shush! It's only for a little while, probably not longer than a few days." Azula tried to explain while unlocking the apartment.

"A few days!" Her daughter exclaimed

"Yes, one of my friends from before you were born is sick and I need to go take care of him" she lied, there was barely one ounce of truth in that story but there was no way she could tell Mika the truth.

"So you're going to leave me here all alone?" Mika sobbed and Azula's eyes widened, how could Mika even think that?

"Of course not. You're going to be staying with my friend Sokka here in the city, so pack a bag with enough for a few days, I'll leave Sokka the key in case you need anything else." She explained while beginning to heat up last night's noodle soup leftovers.

Azula was not facing Mika: instead she was concentrating on making a quick supper so Sokka wouldn't have to worry about feeding her. But she knew that Mika was still standing behind her, a blank expression written on the little girl's face. Sure enough when she turned around Mika was right there; her expression confused as if she were lost in thought.

"Mika, can you please pack?" Azula asked her daughter for the second time, her patients now wearing thin.

"Who's Sokka?" Mika questioned and in response Azula sighed

"Another old friend from before you were born," she answered, though again she was lying because her and Sokka have never been friends and most likely never will be.

"How come I never met him?" Mika asked

"Because I didn't know he lived in the city until just the other day" Azula excused, even though technically it was about a month ago. "Now would you please go pack your bag?" She asked.

"Do I have to?" Mika whined and Azula ran a hand over her face in frustration.

"Yes" she answered

"But mommy…" she continued

"Mika now!" Azula was now fighting to keep from shouting

"But I'm going to miss you" Mika whined one more time.

Collecting her patients Azula crossed the room and crouched down in front of her daughter.

"I'll miss you too," she said before getting up and, without warning, scooping Mika up into her arms. "Now come on and pack your bag," she said in a playful voice as she hurried into the bedroom, carrying her giggling daughter through the air like a blimp. She raced into the room laughing along with her daughter before she finally dropped her on the bed.

Mika landed with an 'oof' and a plea to do it again. Azula couldn't help but roll her eyes before she began tickling the squirming little girl.

"Stop! Ha, ha ha ha, sto, stop!" Mika pleaded but it was no use, she was laughing too hard.

"I'll stop if you pack" Azula bargained before she began to tickle Mika even harder.

"Deal!" Mika finally managed to get out through her laughter and with a satisfied smirk, even though she knew she would have to redo any packing Mika actually did, Azula left the bedroom to go check on dinner.

It wasn't that late, just a little bit past seven-thirty, when Sokka heard a knock at his front door. He wasn't expecting anyone but he wasn't really surprised either, that is not until he answered the door. He had assumed it would be Katara or Aang, maybe even one of the guys from work. It could've been Toph but he doubted that, she normally just barged right in. However, out of all the people Sokka knew it could've been, he was not expecting to open the door and see Azula on the other side. Furthermore he was not expecting to see Azula, staring down at the ground, with her daughter hiding behind her.

"I may have been wrong when I said I don't need your help" she said and finally looked up at him.

"What do you need?" He asked with a nod, though judging by the bag strapped to the little girl's back he already had a guess on why the two were here.

"For you to watch her. I should be back by tomorrow but just in case she has enough clothes for a few days and the spare key to our apartment" she explained and for a moment Sokka nodded, but something about this wasn't sitting right with him.

He's never known Azula very well, and clearly a lot has changed with her since the war, but he never knew her as one to run from a fight. She would always fight until the end, and he could tell that's exactly what she's about to do.

Stepping aside Azula placed a gentle hand onto the back of her daughter's head and ushered her forward.

"You're going to be good for Sokka, right Mika?" She asked and Mika nodded, though her face still showed that she was afraid. "Thank you" Azula continued before crouching down to hug her daughter goodbye. Mika wound her arms tightly around her mother, muttering her goodbye and that she was going to miss her. Azula did the same before she pulled away and kissed Mika on the cheek.

"Go on inside, I just need to talk to your mother for a second." Sokka said to Mika in the friendliest voice he could manage. With a nod Mika did as she was asked and Sokka closed the door behind her, the small smile on his face instantly turning into a frown.

"What are you doing?" He questioned Azula

"It was either you or one of the guys at the bar, at least with you I can pretend you have a half a clue on how to take care of a kid." She retorted, crossing her arms defensively as she spoke.

"I meant where are you going?" Sokka tried again, completely ignoring her comment.

"Nowhere" Azula answered simply, "what do you care anyway?" She demanded, internally she was beginning to second-guess her decision to leave Mika with Sokka.

"I care that I was around Mika's age when I lost my mother-" he began but Azula narrowed her eyes at him and cut him off.

"Don't even go there icicle boy, I'm coming back. Also keep in mind that I was seven when my mother left me so don't even pretend I would ever consider putting Mika through that." She snapped but Sokka's expression only hardened.

He took a minute to cool himself down and collect his thoughts, to think of something useful in which he could say to get through to the woman he was arguing with.

"Look, I'm not going to stand here and interrogate you, that's Toph's job. I'm also not going to tell you what to do, mostly because you won't tell me what's going on. But I'm assuming you don't dress like that on a daily basis so whatever it is you're getting yourself into, make sure you can handle it." He advised, noticing how her clothing was made of her old boots, black pants with a black skirt over them sort of resembling what she used to wear, and a sleeveless black hoodie.

She seemed to consider his words for a moment, though Sokka couldn't really tell because her face remained so stubbornly determined, before she finally looked him in the eye.

"I can," she promised, but Sokka watched her as she walked away and despite how confidant she seemed he couldn't help but think that this was a promise she couldn't keep.