A/N: Enjoy!

Katara took the last sip of her tea before she handed the cup over to Zuko, telling him that she needed to go give some information to the Earth King.

"Alright. Let him know that Uncle and I will be there to discuss it with him as soon as our shift is over." He smiled and leaned down to place a small kiss atop her head before she turned and left, waving as she went out the door, telling him that she would.

Katara had been in a meeting with the Council of Five, the Earth Kings most highest ranking Generals. Iroh- Mushi had informed them that he would let his boss know he wouldn't be able to make it work for the next couple of days before he met with them so his boss wouldn't think he had just up and left or disappeared. 'Jr' had even agree'd to help his uncle during his final shift. The Council of Five had one small meeting that Katara figured she would go to so the plans wouldn't be held back any by Mushi's absence. The waterbender strode into the palace, happy to see three girls draped in Kyoshi Warrior attire. She figured that it had must be Suki and two others.

"Hey, Suki!" She greeted, waving to her. "It's good to see you! You'll never believe-..." Katara paused and slowed her steps, noticing that none of the girls face structures or hairstyles were like Suki's. "The news we have..." She stopped completely, realizing that these were not Kyoshi Warriors she knew. One of them jumped up and immediately struck Katara in one of her pressure points, bringing her down to her side in a matter of seconds.

"Well, if it isn't the Avatar's little girlfriend," Katara gasped, placing the voice with the face before the person even stepped into her line of sight. It was Princess Azula standing right over her, smirking in triumph.

"What should we do with her?" Ty Lee asked.

"Take her to-"

"There she is!" A mans voice called out from the side. Katara shifted her eyes as the trio of girls looked over their shoulders to a small group of Dai Li agent's approaching them. "We need to speak with you." The same man said, placing a hand on Azula's shoulder.

Katara gulped as she watch them begin to walk away. She didn't know if she should yell or scream or what. They must have seen her laying on the floor like that. Perhaps they thought she tripped or something? Did they know what was up? Did they know that she wasn't a Kyoshi Warrior? What on earth was going on? She moaned as she felt herself being pushed up. She looked over her shoulder to see Mai there lifting her.

"You stay here and watch the bear." She ordered to Ty Lee, who smiled and nodded as she scratched the tame beast under it's chin. "I'll take care of her."

Mai lifted Katara up and wrapped her own arm over the waterbenders waist as she made her put an arm over her shoulder before she had them begin making their way down one of the halls of the palace. Katara stumbled, but was finally beginning to gain control over her limbs again as Mai glanced around the hall, making sure no one was around.

"Where's Zuko?" She whispered, still having to support Katara up.

"He's at a tea shop with his Uncle. They're supposed to be here soon."

Mai huffed and shook Katara's arm off her shoulder and allowed her to begin walking on her own. "Is it far?" Katara shook her head. "I have to take you to the catacombs under the palace. I'll keep an eye out for him and take him to you as soon as he gets here." She spotted an agent and called out for him, telling him that she had a prisoner as she took Katara by the wrists, pulling her arms behind her back. "Struggle." She ordered into her ear, to make the situation look more real.

"Mai," Katara whispered as she tugged forward, making it look like she was trying to pull away. "Thank you."

"Yeah?" She asked, pulling back hard on Katara, causing her to crash back into her. "If you hurt him, I'll kill you." Katara tensed up and gulped. The agent shouldn't be fooled, she was sure she looked plenty scared now, because she was. Mai had obvious seen her reaction, a noise that actually sounded like a small laugh escaped from her lips.

!

Mai was just making her way out to the front of the palace when she saw the Avatar's sky bison landing beside two hooded figures. She figured they must be Iroh and Zuko still trying to keep a low profile. She took in a deep breath, calming herself for what she was about to. She wanted to run to Zuko and hug him, but she knew she couldn't. She took long, calm strides over to them, setting her face to stone as she listened carefully to their conversation.

"Aang said he had some vision of Katara and Toph in trouble, so he came back to get us, but we found Toph making her way back to the Palace just fine, so-" The boy in blue paused and looked over his shoulder towards her after he noticed the confused, angered expression Zuko put on his face after spotting Mai coming towards them. "Hey!" The Water Tribe boy called out, waving to her. She narrowed her eyes, confused as to why he would greet her in such a way. "Is Suki around?" He asked. Oh, that's right, she's still covered the Kyoshi Warriors attire. She stopped a couple feet away from them and kept silent as she looked over to Zuko. She could see him tense up and snarl beneath his hooded robe.

"Azula is going to overthrow the Earth King." She droned her words out, as if they were something she had gotten tired of practicing. "I'll take you to that girl."

"Whoa, whoa!" Sokka cried out, holding his hands up. "Where's Suki!" He growled, leaning towards Mai as he pointed a figure towards her. "What's going on!"

She snarled and turned away from him, walking into the direction of the catacombs. "Come on, I have to get back before Azula does or they'll know something's up." The annoyance in Mai's tone was obvious.

"Where is she?" Zuko asked, following closely behind her as the group began to make their way towards the Palace building.

"I don't know," She shrugged. "A couple of Dai Li agents said they needed to speak with her and she left with them. Ty Lee is watching the King's bear."

"I meant Katara." Zuko growled at her through clinched teeth, irritated with how simple she was making the situation out to be. His girlfriend and mother-to-be of his son was being held prisoner by his crazy sister while his ex-girlfriend, who was probably very much in love with him, and he may or may not still have feelings for her, was taking them to her even though they could all be spotted by the Dai Li agents, who were now apparently working with Azula, which would result in their capture and most likely all but the Avatar's death. This situation is one that should not be taken lightly by anyone!

"In some catacombs under the palace. The Avatar can tunnel down to them without being seen." She informed him of this simply, she still seemed to be completely unfazed by everything that was going on at the moment

"Wait." Aang called out suddenly, stopping in his tracks. "How do we know this isn't some kind of a trap? How can we trust you?"

Mai sighed. "Betraying people just get's easier the more you do it. Doesn't it Zuko?" She asked, looking at him over her shoulder.

"I didn't betray you!" He growled through clinched teeth, leaning towards her a bit.

She shrugged and continued walking, taking them to the side of the palace and pointing to the spot she figured could get them to the catacombs the fastest. She couldn't take them to exact spot where the Dai Li had opened the tunnel to the makeshift prison cell under the ground, they were keeping it well patrolled under Azula's order, so they'd have to start here if they wanted a chance at getting to the waterbender without being spotted.

"Wait, we can't just sit back and watch as the Earth Kingdom falls!" Sokka protested, putting a had on Aang's shoulder to stop him after he had begun tunneling down in the spot Mai had pointed towards.

"Well what do we do? Go save the Earth King or Katara?" Aang asked, annoyed that Sokka had tried to stop them from getting to Katara.

"Both." Sokka stated flatly. He then went on to suggest that Aang, Iroh and Zuko go down and get Katara while him and Toph went to go warn the Earth King about Azula.

"You guys will have to wait until I get there first. I'm already taking way too long." Mai shifted towards the palace, picturing Azula and Ty Lee sending out agents in search for her, only to find her here helping the Avatar, which would of course result in her being seen as a traitor to the Fire Nation, and she honestly did not want to think about, or know what the consequences for that would be. Sokka nodded and motioned for her to go ahead and go, assuring her as she walked away that him and Toph would be there shortly, he also joked, telling her to go easy on them with the knives and daggers. He heard her scoff as he watched her shake her head at his words.

Aang continued tunneling, Iroh and Zuko both holding a flame in their palm to light the way. It took them a little bit, but they eventually came to what looked to be a large, underground court yard with a waterfall in the far back with connected, decorative canals of water. Even though it seemed as though they had no idea where to look now, Aang smiled and slammed a foot down into the ground, having his first try at the seismic sense without Toph present. He couldn't see far, but he had been able to detect a small clearing to the side he figured Katara was being held in. They made their way over and Aang manged break through the stone wall with a single earthbending movement.

"Zuko!" He heard Katara cry out, immediately jumping on the young firebender and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Did Mai help you guys, too?" She asked, pulling away from him a bit to look at him. He nodded and Aang suggested that they go ahead and try to catch up with Toph and Sokka as he began making his way back through the tunnel he had made earlier. Katara turned to follow him, but Zuko reached out and grabbed her by her arm before she could leave.

"What?" She asked, twirling around to face him.

"I have an idea." He admitted, his amber eyes staring intensely into her blue ones. She furrowed her brow at him, silently asking him what it could possibly be. "Do you trust me?" She nodded and saw him swallow hard. He let out a huff and tried to keep himself from shaking too hard. "I'm going to show myself to Azula."

"What!" Katara and Iroh gasped in unison.

Zuko laced his fingers with Katara's and brought her hands up to his mouth, planting a light kiss onto her skin before he continued. "You have to trust me."

"But, the eclipse, the invasion- I don't understand what you're doing!" Katara argued as she tried to pull away from him.

"What if that doesn't work? What then?" He paused and waited for her try and answer. Of course, she stayed silent. "We can meet up somewhere when the invasion happens. I'll tell you where every man is stationed-" He paused and looked around the catacombs, hearing the earth around them begin to shift. He turned back to Katara and continued, worry beginning to seep into his features. "You have to trust me, okay?" She nodded. "I'm doing this for you."

"I know it, but-" She was still confused, unsure of what exactly he was planning on doing. He interrupted before she could ask anymore questions.

"I love you."

"I love you, too." There was a shake in her voice as she told him this, and she even flinched back as he leaned down to kiss her before he turned her around and pushed her into the tunnels direction. She hesitated, still unsure, but she heard another shift in the rock and knew it must be the Dai Li, probably accompanied by Azula, so she made her way through the tunnel as she ran towards Aang, who was a pretty good ways away from her in the courtyard now.

Zuko snatched Iroh up by his wrist and pulled him behind a bunch of crystals. Just in time, too. A couple of agent's and Azula busted through the walls right after they had settled behind their cover, out of the agents and her sight.

"They must be through there." They heard her say. They waited until they were sure she was gone before they stood and peeped out from behind the crystals.

"I take it you've got more than just that planned out?" Iroh asked, raising a brow at his nephew.

Zuko nodded his head. "Of course."

"I see. So, what if that plan doesn't work and they found that we've been lying?"

"We die."

Iroh shot a look towards Zuko, before his face unscrunched and he allowed a small smile to form across his lips. Zuko had planned out what was going to happen if everything went his way, and he had obviously thought about the plan enough to know how everything could turn out if something took a sudden turn for the worse.

"You're finally beginning to think thing's through." Iroh said softly. "I'm proud of you." He admitted, lightly patting him on the back before he turned towards him to begin telling him the details of his plan.

!

"Aang!" Katara called as he bolted in his direction, having to run fast to catch up with him.

"What?" He asked, glancing in her direction over his shoulder as he continued to run towards the tunnel that lead out of the catacombs.

"You have to trust Zuko, okay?" She huffed, reaching out to land a hand on his shoulder, stopping him from running away from her any further.

"What?" He asked, turning to face her.

"You have to-" She yelped, barely jumping out of the line of blue fire that had been sent her way. Aang furrowed his brow and snarled at the fire before him. The anger and confusion was obvious on his face as he looked back up to Katara. "Trust him!" She shouted at him as she turned around and began to collect water from a small canal for a wave she planned to send Azula's way. She of course used her firebending to turn the water to steam, disappearing into the fog. Aang stepped towards Katara as he glanced around, looking out for Azula to pop out of the could at any moment.

"What's going on?" He growled out. Before she could answer him, Azula jumped out from behind the cover of the steam cloud and sent a couple of fire blasts their way. Simultaneously, Aang and Katara lifted up an arch of water to shield themselves from the fire.

Azula landed on a stone pillar. Aang used this to his advantage and broke it down, leaving her no choice but to land between him and the waterbender. She stood with her arms stretched out, fingers pointed at both of them, glancing between the two to see which one would act first. None of them had the time, though. A fire blast landed right between them all.

"Zuko!" Aang and Azula both gasped, surprised to see him there.

"You're alive!" She breathed out, her arms lowering a bit for a split second before she caught herself, shifting back into her stance as she glanced between Aang and Katara, letting them know that she was still aware of them before she returned her focus back towards her brother. Aang turned his face slowly towards Katara with a scowl. She lifted her brows and nodded once, silently telling him that there was nothing to worry about.

"Don't tell me you actually care," He heard Zuko call out towards Azula. Aang turned back around to face him just in time to dodge a fire blast he had sent his way.

"What are you doing!" Aang shouted out as he sent a large gust of wind towards Zuko. He dodged it easily and placed a finger over his lips, telling the monk to be quiet. Aang snarled and used his airbending to lift himself up to the ceiling, splitting one of the stalactites in half with his earthbending to jam it down into the ground, knocking Zuko back into some of the crystals.

Zuko recovered quickly and saw Katara getting the better of Azula, using her waterbending to lift her into the air. Zuko smiled, figuring Katara was probably the only person on earth who could compare to his sister when it came to their skill of bending. He broke the water binds Katara had on Azula with some firebending. They spotted Aang crawling out from the crater he had created. Zuko motioned for Azula to handle him while he shifted into a stance towards Katara.

After Zuko focused on her feet and broke her balance, Katara rolled over onto her back and smiled up at him as he stood over her still in a stance. He opened his mouth as if he were about to speak, but he was cut off when he heard the earth shifting terribly. Azula had gotten the better of Aang somehow, but only for a moment. He bolted towards them on a wave of earth.

Zuko ran over to Azula's side, shifting into a stance beside her after a platoon of Dai Li agents had entered the catacombs and knocked Aang off his wave. He watched as Aang glanced around, realizing that he and Katara had been far outnumbered and outmatched. He bit his lip before he turned away from them and sat as he bent the crystals into a small tent around him.

"What is he doing?" Zuko heard Azula ask, obviously confused by the situation as well. He then let out a gasp, suddenly remembering that Aang had gone to see a guru to master the Avatar State.

"He's going into the Avatar State!" He cried out frantically, honestly pretty frightened by what kind of power the kid may have and use wisely now that he would actually know what he was doing and be fully aware of his actions while possessed. Zuko hadn't the time to explain his plan to him and he was sure Katara hadn't either. Aang probably thought that he had betrayed him. Zuko gulped, he was sure he was going to be the main target of the Avatar's wrath.

"Perfect." Azula hissed as she left his side, much to his surprise and confusion.

Everyone watched as the Avatar lifted from the ground, only to be shot down by a bolt of lightening. No one had the chance to move before a wave of water crashed over them all. Zuko rubbed his temple and looked up to see Katara holding a limp Aang in her arms. Before either of them could say anything, a wall of rock came up between them. It was Toph standing on a ledge, Sokka and Iroh pretending to fight not too far from her side.

Toph held off the agent's while Katara used her waterbending to lift her and Aang up a waterfall, out of the catacombs. As soon as they were gone, Sokka grabbed her by the arm, letting her know it was time to go. Toph closed the tunnels opening and used her bending to shift the rock beneath their feet, escaping quickly before any of the agent's could act.

!

"So, all this time," Azula began, speaking softly as she crossed a leg lazily over the other, getting comfortable in her new throne, the one that had once belonged to the Earth King's. "You've been alive." Zuko and Iroh nodded in unison. "Doing what?" She asked through a light laugh.

"Waiting," Zuko answered. "For the perfect moment to strike."

"So clever," Azula laced her fingers together and lifted them to her chin in thought. "Father will be thrilled." She smiled and beamed over to her brother and uncle. "Would like some tea before we begin to prepare for the trip back home?"

! Weeks Later !

Aang woke from his sleep with a groan, pain searing throughout his entire body. He slowly opened his eyes, noticing the metal ceiling above him and the metal walls adorned with Fire Nation decor around him. He gasped and sat up, immediately regretting doing so, a sudden wave of light-headedness crashing onto him. He groaned and placed a hand on his temple, waiting for the wooziness to subside before he slowly stood up, a bolt of pain striking him in the chest.

He slowly turned the wheel on the door, slowly peeking through the small opening. He grabbed his staff and began to make his way through the halls as steadily and quietly as he could, having to pause and lean against the wall every now and then, waiting for the woozy feeling to leave him. The young monk continued forwards down the hall, pressing through his pain and ache. Aang took a second to calm down before he made his ways up the stairs and onto the deck.

"Momo?" He asked, surprised to see the lemur allowing one of the soldiers to pet him. Actually, Aang was surprised to see the lemur at all.

"Twinkletoes! That's gotta be you!" Aang looked to his left as Toph and Katara made their way over to him.

"Aang, you're awake!" The waterbender wrapped her arms lightly around his neck, gently giving him a hug. The young Avatar was confused out of his mind, he felt as though he was dreaming, and had absolutely no idea as to why everyone was dressed in complete Fire Nation garb, even Sokka was fully covered with the metal armor, a helmet with a face piece and all. Aang let out a small groan as began to fall backwards, overwhelmed with both pain and confusion.

!

Zuko stood alone on the ship, forearms resting on the railing. He slowly lifted his gaze from the water and up the full moon above him, slowly letting out a soft sigh.

"Yue," He called softly, barely above a whisper, but before he could continue on with his plea to the great moon spirit, a voice called out from behind him.

"Aren't you cold?" It was Mai. She came up and stood beside him. He lowered his gaze from the moon and stared straight off into the distance. He did not want to be seeing her right now. In fact, he didn't want to be seeing anyone right now.

"You do realize what I'm doing, don't you?" He asked coldly, ignoring her gaze, making sure to keep his face stone and voice flat, no emotion. He could see her face and shoulders fall out of the corners of his eyes. He wondered how she was feeling and what she was thinking about all of this.

She sighed and placed her arms on the metal railing, leaning over, looking down into the dark abyss below them. "I have a hunch." She breathed out. There were a couple reasons Zuko would be returning to the Fire Nation. One, to learn what his father's war strategies were and what he was planning on doing next. Two, to take his place on the throne. Her and him both knew it was for the first reason. "You know, if they find out, your-"

"Punishment will fit my crime." He interrupted and finished her sentence harshly. He did not want to be thinking about what would happen if someone where to find out what he had done, what he was currently in the process of doing. If he were to be killed, the group would never get the information they need, Katara would be left alone.

She would be left alone to raise their son on her own, in a world engulfed by flames of hate. If she were to be captured as someone who aided the Avatar, she would probably be killed despite her pregnancy. "But so would yours." He reminded Mai. Everyone whom had helped the Avatar would probably be killed, and that included her. Aang would be kept alive, but just barely. He didn't want to be thinking about those things. At all.

"You really love that girl, don't you?" Mai asked softly, remembering that his new motivation was that waterbender girl he traveled with. Zuko remained emotionless, his face set in stone, his eyes focused on the horizon in the far off distance. He simply nodded once, silently giving her the answer. She huffed and turned around, leaning up against the railing, using her elbows to prop herself up. "You know, if we don't act like we're still together and all happy to see each other, especially since you're supposed to be back from the dead, Azula will think something is up."

"I'm very well aware of that issue." He said, his lips barely opening up far enough for the words to escape his lips properly.

She huffed again before biting her lip, raking her brain for the words to say next. "Well, don't you think we should-"

"Azula isn't out here." He said quickly, cutting down her hopes of getting any sort of affection from him as of now. She let out a sigh and scooted over to him, resting her cheek on the back of her shoulder. She knew he probably didn't approve or want even a small touch like this, but she knew the princess was probably up in the wheel house, peering down at them from the window, watching the actions between the two supposed to be lovebirds carefully, for anything she deemed as odd.

"I've missed you terribly, Zuko." She admitted softly, tilting her chin upwards to be able to look at him. He turned and opened an arm up, allowing her slide into the open space in front of him. He placed his hands on the railing, one either side of her as he leaned dangerously close to her.

"Is Azula in the wheelhouse?" He asked quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, as if somehow his sister would be able to hear him asking about her whereabouts. Mai shifted her eyes upwards towards the tower of the superstructure, Azula's silhouette darkening a patch of the orange glow the torch somewhere behind her in the room gave off. Mai nodded, informing him silently that she was.

She gasped, her eyes widening in shock, caught off-guard and surprised when Zuko swooped down to catch her lips in his. She slowly eased down and relaxed as she closed her eyes and kissed him back softly. He wrapped an arm around her back as he used his free hand to cup her cheek into his palm, continuing to kiss her slowly. Zuko put both arms around her and lifted her up onto the side railing of the ship, resting a hand on her hip after she balanced and settled.

She pulled away for a second for air before she smiled and blushed. Kissing was something he had most definitely gotten better at. She nearly rolled her eyes and scoffed, the thought of him practicing with that waterbender annoying her, but before her facial expression could change, Zuko leaned back down to kiss her again.

He pressed into her too far, causing her to tip over the edge. She let out a loud yelp, honestly believing that she was about to fall into the water. She gasped and gripped Zuko's shoulders, realizing, thanking Agni, that he had kept an arm around her and caught her. She hissed at the sound of him laughing. She did not think that was very funny. At all!

"I've got you." He assured her after finishing his laughing. He leaned back down as if he were about to kiss her again, but then in the last second, he suddenly tensed up and glared at her. She furrowed her brow at him, surely he couldn't be mad about what had just happened, he had obviously thought it was funny. He couldn't be mad at her for kissing him back, could he? He had been the one who started it! She wanted to sink back, away from him, with the way he was staring at her in such a intense way, but she held her ground and stared straight back at him.

"She's pregnant." He informed boldly and swiftly, ignoring the shock that appeared on her face. "I'm going to marry her." Mai was stunned and had to force herself to tilt her head downwards, away from his piercing gaze. She couldn't breathe and she struggled to keep her tears to herself. She tore away from him and pressed pass him, making sure she took short, calm strides as she made her way back into the superstructure of the ship, leaving him alone on the deck.

She let out a growl as she slammed the side of her fist into the steel wall of the hallway she was trekking down. She couldn't believe him, kissing her like that, giving her hope, then just snatching it all away in one, swift movement. What was it? Seven words? No, the first two hadn't mattered, she didn't care, it was the last five that had ripped her heart out. 'I'm going to marry her' banged up against her ear drums repeatedly. It hadn't been her he was speaking about, he wasn't going to marry her. Oh, no. He was going to marry that little waterbending tramp!

Why would he do something like that? He had just been hugging her- kissing her! She let out a huff, figuring it had just been a show for Azula, but with how far away she was and how close he had gotten to her, it probably looked like they had been kissing before. Maybe- Mai let out another huff as she slammed her door shut before she plopped down onto her bed. Maybe he had actually wanted to kiss her? Maybe he had to stop, maybe he had to blurt out that news in order to remind himself of his situation? She wasn't sure as to why he had done it, but she knew it hurt her terribly.

She cursed at him, even though he was long out of ear-shot. How dare he toy with her like that? Stand there and be all cute with her and then tell her such heartbreaking news! She wanted to cry and sob and curl up into a ball underneath the covers and stay like that forever, but she knew Azula would probably come down any minuet to ask about how things were going with Zuko. Mai growled his name under her breath. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to hate all that he's done and what he's doing, who he's been, who he is and who he's becoming. But she couldn't, she just couldn't, and she was really beginning to hate herself for it.

!

"I don't understand this," Aang admitted as he looked around at everyone around him. "Why are we on a Fire Nation ship? Why are you all dressed that way? Why am I the only who is out of it?" He asked, motioning inwards with his hands towards himself.

"There's a lot that happened, Aang," Katara held her hands up, motioning for him to calm down. "Take it easy, you got hurt pretty bad. You were out for a few weeks..." She trailed off at the sound of footsteps coming towards her.

"Everything okay?" Hakoda asked.

Katara hummed as she nodded, letting him know everything was fine.

He turned towards Aang and held his hand out to him. "Hello, Avatar Aang, I'm Hakoda, Sokka and Katara's father." He greeted with a nice smile on his face.

"I nice to officially meet you, Chief Hakoda." Aang smiled up at him and held his arm out. Hakoda took him by the forearm, expressing that it was honor to meet him. "I'd - ah!" Aang kneeled over, a sharp pain stabbing him suddenly in the side before he could tell the warrior that he was interested in hearing more stories of his adventures. Sokka had already told him about his father would play pranks on everyone in the village with his good friend Bato in their younger years. Aang had honestly been disappointed when there hadn't been an actual prank war back in Ba Sing Se and had wanted to get some ideas from Hakoda, especially ones he could use against Sokka.

Katara let out a small sigh and gently placed a hand onto his shoulder, telling that it do him good if they had another healing session. The wounded monk nodded and allowed her to pull him up and help support him as he wobbled down the halls and up the stairs of the ship to get back to his room.

She had him face away from her as he sat down in front of her. She summoned up water from two bowls placed on either side of him and covered her hands, gently placing the water on the wound that marred the middle of his back. Katara asked him to tell her where his pain was most intense. Aang groaned and told her it was little higher than the spot she had been focusing on.

"I can feel a lot of energy twisted up around there," She breathed out as she slowly began to pull the water away from him. Just as the last of it left his skin, he let out a terrible gasp and arched his back away from her. Katara gasped, fingertips lightly covering her lips as she watched over him cautiously. He gasped for air and ran his fingers through his new head of hair as he spoke frantically.

"I didn't just get 'hurt pretty badly'! It was far worse than that... I was... gone." He breathed out, trying to catch his breath. Katara furrowed her brow with worry as she leaned clover to him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder again. "You brought me back... to life."

"You should thank Zuko, he's the one who told me to save the spirit water for something drastic. I had wanted to heal his scar," She admitted, shrugging a bit. "You can thank him later, you need to rest." She said, trying to keep the shake in her voice under control and undetectable. Not only was she worried about Aang, she was terribly worried and fearful for Zuko. Aang nodded before leaning back into the bed, falling into a much needed cat nap.

!

"Now the hero's have returned home!" Li and Lo yelled out the crowed below them, knowing the people of the Fire Nation would be stunned with the information they were about to be told. "Your princess, Azula!" The Fire Princess causally stepped out of the fire and made her way smoothly over to the railing of the balcony she stood on.

"And back from the thought to be dead, your Fire Prince and heir to the Fire Lord's throne, Zuko!" Zuko stepped out, no expression on his unfazed face. He took simple strides over to his sister, standing beside as her as he kept the overwhelming feeling covered with stone as he looked over the railing, down the rows and rows of people below him. He couldn't believe just how loud the fire citizens were shouting for him, far louder than they had for Azula. He wanted to smirk. He had them fooled for months, and he was now in the process of fooling them even farther. He wasn't exactly on 'their side' just yet.

!

"We've seen a few Fire Navy ships, but none have bothered us." Sokka informed, holding up a map to point out where they were to Aang.

"Yeah, and we haven't seen any pirates ships, either." Katara smiled, pounds of worry off her shoulders. Aang ignored her statement and kept his focus on Sokka, asking him what had happened and what the new plan was. Sokka informed him that after what had happened, they flew back to Chameleon Bay and found Hakoda and his fleet. The bay was soon over ran with Fire Navy vessels, but instead of attacking them all and losing terribly, they took one over and made it their disguise, leaving them able to hide in plain sight. Since they took control of the ship, they had been traveling west and had just made it through the Serpent's Pass a few days before he woke up.

As for the new plan, it was just a modified version of the original invasion plan. Instead of having the support of the Earth Army, they were going to gather up a rag tag team of their friends and allies they had made from around the Earth Kingdom through their travels. Sokka smirked and shrugged, stating that the eclipse wasn't even their greatest advantage. He hid his mouth with his hand and leaned over towards Aang, whispering to him that he was the secret and that the whole world had thought he was dead, exclaiming that no one from the Fire Nation would be chasing after them anymore.

"Speaking of the Fire Nation," Aang growled as he glared over to Katara, memories of what had happened beginning to flood to him. "Zuko attacked me in Ba Sing Se!" He yelled at her, leaning over towards her. She furrowed her brows and glared right back at him.

"Aang, there's a lot that happened you don't know about. Zuko did not attack you!"

"Yes he did!" He stood and leaned over her. "He did this to me! This is his fault! He betrayed us!" He shouted, waving his arms out the best he could without causing himself too much discomfort or pain. Katara slammed her bowl of noodles down onto the steal deck of the ship and stomped as she stood up, being tall enough to lean over him a bit, putting him in a submissive position now.

"No! He didn't!" She growled, getting dangerously close to him. "Azula shot you with lightening," She yelled as she pointed towards the monk. "Azula did that to you! He did not betray us! You have no idea what he's doing right now!" She sliced the air horizontally with her hand before continuing. "How dare you accuse him like that, Aang!"

"What is he doing? Where is he, then!" He shouted at her as he stretched up, matching her height.

"He's in the Fire Nation, getting information on what the Fire Lord plans to do with the war."

"What! He's probably there living it up right now, telling the Fire Lord where we are! All he's wanted to do his get back home, he betrayed us to get back home. He betrayed you!" He yelled, putting emphasis on the 'you' as he pointed towards her.

"Aang," Sokka warned, feeling the anger radiating off his little sister.

"What!" He barked, turning to face him. Sokka opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get any words out, Aang continued speaking. "You know Zuko did it, don't you? You know he betrayed us! Say it!" He yelled, pointing towards him. Sokka narrowed his eyes at Aang. He was being terribly ignorant and Sokka knew Aang still had a crush on Katara, he was trying to pin Zuko as the bad guy, unknowing just what that young man was literally putting his life on the line for Katara, for them all, for the whole world.

Sokka leaned towards him and smacked his hand away from him. "Aang, you have no idea what Zuko is putting down on the line for us right now." He said lowly, carefully watching his temper. "If anyone were to find out that he had been helping you, and lied about being dead to be able to do it," Sokka paused and bit his lip, knowing Katara did not want to hear the words that were about to come from his mouth. He huffed, but continued anyways. "His punishment would fit his crime. You know he would never betray us or Katara like that."

Aang groaned and shook his head. "He betrayed the whole Fire Nation! Why would he not betray Katara!" The last sentence confirmed Sokka's belief that the main reason Aang was going off like this against Zuko was because he still wanted a shot at getting with Katara. He wasn't angry or hurt that Zuko had betrayed them, it wasn't about them, it was about him hurting Katara. Aang was trying to turn this all around on Zuko, making it seem as though Katara was the main one he betrayed in Ba Sing Se.

Sokka began to literally shake with anger. He stood on his tip toes and clinched his fists as he took a small step towards the young monk before him. "You know very well why he would never betray Katara, Aang!" He leaned over towards him, knowing the only way the twelve year old was going to match his height is if he stood on something. "You've just woken up after weeks of being unconscious! How about you let us explain to you what happened before you start accusing people of doing terrible, outrageous things everyone knows they would never do!"

Aang huffed and eased up as he slowly brought his gaze up to the waterbenders blue eyes. Her face was still covered in a layer of anger, but hints of other emotions such as fear, worry, and hurt seeped through the mask. "What is he doing?" He whispered softly in defeat, staring down at the steel deck of the ship.

Katara shifted her weight onto one leg as she crossed her arms over her chest. She glared at Aang as she cocked her head towards him, silently telling Sokka to tell Aang what was going on with Zuko.

"Zuko came up with a plan that he would reveal himself in front of his sister in Ba Sing Se. He'd say that he had been in hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike against you. He's going to tell his father that he kept secret about surviving the explosion to take the pressure of time off his shoulders while he waited for you. He's going to say that when he saw Azula, he knew that was when he needed to show himself and take his final act against you. While he's in the Fire Nation, he's going to find out as much about his father's plans for the war as he can. Then, after the invasion, he's going to meet with us at a rendezvous point we've agreed on. The eclipse still isn't for a while, you have plenty of time to heal and he has plenty of time to gather information."

Aang narrowed his eyes. "This sounds more like a back up plan than a plan."

Sokka shrugged. "Well, yeah. It's kind of the plan and the back up plan all wrapped into one. When we attack the Fire Nation on Black Sun, he'll meet us the spot and tell us what we have to look out for, making the cut to the capitol city easier than it already will be. But, if... you know, things were to go wrong, we still have a spot to meet up with him so he can join us again."

"And if his father were to find out he's on our side, the Fire Lord would have him killed?" Sokka ignored the rising tension and nodded. Aang sighed and turned towards Katara. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Tell it to Zuko when you see him!" She said, waving him off as she turned away from him. "Because you will be seeing him!" She stormed off into the superstructure of the ship, making her way to her room.

!

"Sokka," Hakoda called, finally finding his son on the stern deck of the ship. The young warrior was leaning over the side, his forearms resting on the rail. He turned his head and looked towards his father, who was now making his way towards him.

"Hey, dad." He greeted, giving a small wave before turning his attention back to the ocean, the moon's refection shining brightly in the water.

"I need to ask you something," He informed, stopping a few feet away from his son. "It's about Katara." Sokka raised his brow and looked at Hakoda through the corners of his eyes.

"Sure," He shrugged, giving the okay to ask.

"Why is she so paranoid about pirate ships? And worried about this 'Zuko' fellow? Isn't he the Fire Lord's son?" Sokka gasped and stood straight, turning towards his father, shock covering his face. He huffed and turned, hunching back over the side of the ship, resting his forearms on the railing again as he looked down into the ocean below him. Hakoda furrowed his brow and took a couple steps forwards, leaning over, resting his right forearm on the metal railing as he crossed a foot over the other.

Sokka sighed and slowly looked towards his father before quickly returning his gaze to the deep blue water of the night. "Well," He started slowly, refusing to meet his father's gaze. "It's not exactly my story to tell, but... I'll tell you," He paused and turned his face took stare Hakoda in the eye. "But you can't tell her I told you, you can't let her know you know what happened." Hakoda scowled, but nodded, a wave of concern crashing over him. Sokka huffed and slouched even more, resting his chin on one of his arms. "I don't know the details of what happened- and I don't want to, but I know that when Katara found Aang and I, she had changed."

"What do you mean?" Hakoda asked calmly as he leaned over more, trying to get his son to look at him while he spoke. Sokka turned and glanced at him before bringing his gaze to the steel floor.

"She became so paranoid, and never left Zuko's side. She never let him out of her sight, and he wouldn't let her out of his. He'd wake up before everyone, but lay there still for hours until she woke. They were both irritable, and very touchy about certain subjects. And, apparently, when they were held prisoner on the pirates ship together," Sokka's voice caught in his throat. He bit his lip and turned away from his father, struggling to hold back his shakes and tears. "They-" He tried.

"What?" Hakoda breathed out, leaning towards his son.

"They," He swallowed hard and lifted his arm to quickly wipe away a tear. "They used them for entertainment." He said lowly, ashamed that he would ever have to tell his father this information, ashamed that he would ever allow anyone to use his baby sister in such a disgraceful way.

"What!" Hakoda growled, standing up straight in shock. Sokka turned around to face father, boldly showing him his tears.

Sokka breathed out heavily, trying not to completely break down as he held his arms and hands out to his side. "You're gunna be a grandpop, dad!" He breathed a nervous, angry laugh as his shoulders shook and his hands clapped against his upper legs. "And am gunna be an uncle!" He squeaked out, having a hard time admitting this.

Hakoda stood, eyes wide and jaw dropped as he watched Sokka's facial expressions. Turning from an angry disgust to plain angry, to pain, to pure sorrow as his face twisted and tears fell from his eyes as he slouched down a bit, taking in a big breath. "I'm so sorry!" He admitted, no longer holding back his shakes. "I didn't protect her, dad! I didn't protect her, I could have been there to stop it! I should have been awake, I could have protected her but I didn't!" He sobbed and began to kneel over. Hakoda caught his boy in his arms and held him, allowing him to cry into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault. I didn't protect her. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, Katara." Hakoda bit his lip and held his son tighter as he shook in his arms.

Sokka took in a sudden gasp of air and pushed himself out of his father's arms. Taking a step back as he huffed and straightened as he clinched his fist and stared at his father, forcing his sobs to come to a halt. "Iroh says, 'were there is shadow, there is light'." Hakoda wasn't sure if Sokka was telling this to him, or to himself.

"She loves him, dad." Sokka paused and took in a deep breath after hearing the terrible shake in his own voice. "And he loves her. They're happy together. And," He paused again, an odd squeak escaping his throat. "When they marry, she'll get to be Fire Lady," Sokka huffed and swallowed hard. "I mean, how cool is that?" He asked, shrugging with one shoulder. Hakoda stood and watched. This was something Sokka was trying to convince himself in order to ease his guilt.

A/N: Our poor babies! Sokka! He's still having trouble accepting what happened. Mai! She just can't let go, she just can't hate him, she loves him way too much.. I feel this kind of ended on an awkward note, but I hope you guys enjoyed anyways! Leave a review, tell me what you think!

I already had most of this chapter done before hand, so I figured, why wait? Next chapter is a freaking doozy! 10,000+ and I'm still probably going to add and change things...