Iroh, Zuko, and I sat on straw mats, our stolen ostrich horse behind us. I had my head on Zuko's shoulder, dozing off, and he was too tired/grumpy to care. a pedestrian walked in front of Iroh. Iroh held his hat out to the pedestrian and began to talk to him.

"Spare coins for weary travelers?" Iroh asked. The pedestrian tossed a couple of copper pieces into Iroh's hat as Zuko turned to Iroh in anger, jostling me awake.

"This is humiliating! We're royalty! These people should be giving us whatever we want." Zuko grumbled.

"They will if you ask nicely." A peasant woman strolled past; somewhat dramatically, Iroh said, "Spare change for a hungry old man?"

"Here you go." A girl said, tossing in a coin.

"The coin is appreciated, but not as much as your smile!" Iroh said, causing them to giggle. I snickered.

"You're pretty suave, Mushi." I said. He gave me a look but smiled. Just then, a man with dual broadswords on his back wandered up to us.

"How about some entertainment in exchange for a gold piece?" He pulled the piece from his pocket with a flourish.

"We're not performers." Zuko said.

"Not professional anyway." Iroh said. He went to stand, but the man held up a hand in a 'stop' motion.

"Not you," He said. He looked to me with a smarmy grin. "You."

"I'll need a song, sir." I said, standing. Zuko gave me a look that said to sit, but I ignored him.

"Dance to this." He said, pulling out his swords. "I mean, we're talking a gold piece here!"

I dodged his swings gracefully, like I was dancing.

"It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se, but the girls in the city, they look so pretty! They kiss so sweet that you really got to meet the girls from Ba Sing Se!" Iroh sang. I jumped up and caught the swords under my feet, standing atop the blades, and leaned forward, placing a hand under the mans chin with a wink. I then hopped off his swords and sat beside Zuko, leaning back against the wall.

"Ha, ha! Nothing like a hot girl dancing for her dinner! Here you go!" He tossed the gold coin onto the ground and walked away.

"Such a kind man." Iroh said dramatically, close to tears. Zuko glared at the man in anger and humiliation.

"That was disgusting and wrong." Zuko said.

"It got us a gold piece, Pouty." I said. An idea clicked and I stood up, brushing off my legs.

"Well, I'll be at the bar getting money. Lee, may I have your knife?" I said. He gave me a look and handed me his knife. "Thank ya, dear. I'll see you men later."

"So... come 'round here often?" A man asked, sitting next to me. Oh dude, that was so cheesy.

"No actually. I'm lucky I got out tonight." I lied, leaning my chin in my hand.

"Oh?" He asked.

"My family isn't very rich... or nice." I said, trailing off dramatically. He gave me a look as if pitying me.

"I'm sorry. Can I buy you a drink?" He asked. I smiled meekly.

"I'm not really an alcohol drinker..." I said. He nodded and hand me two gold pieces.

"Buy yourself something nice. And give me a ring sometime." He said, winking as he walked out. I smirked and slipped the coins into my boot. One guy fooled, the rest of the night to go.

I weaved through the crowd, easily picking coins, pouches, and other expensive things from the crowd before I slid it into either of my boots. I decided it was time to check up on Zuko and Iroh.

"Sup?" I asked, crouching next to Zuko.

"Where have you been?" He snapped.

"At the bar, like I said. Oh, here ya go by the way." I said. I slid off my boots and dumped my pickings into the hat. Iroh was shocked and Zuko was impressed.

"Av-June!" Iroh hissed. "How did you get these coins?"

"Hey, only two-thirds of it was stolen." I said, raising my hands defensively.

"How did you get the other third?"

"Flirtation." I said. Zuko looked surprised. "Hey, treat me like an animal, I'll act like one. Treat me like a person, I'll return the favor. But, if you treat my like a game... Well, I'll show you how it's played."

"You're saying you persuaded this out of some guys pocket?"

"Yup."

"... What the hell?" Zuko said.

"Geez, I'm insulted by the amount of surprise in your tone." I said.

"Sorry, you don't seem like the kind of girl to do that kind of thing." He said. I gave him a deadpan look.

"I grew up in a bar, you pick up some things." I said. I stood and stretched. "Well, I'm heading back. Keep that safe."

"Stay safe." Iroh said.

"Of course!" I said before walking to the bar again.

Night was always the most dangerous time to pull these tricks. Drunk men are always more desperate. I carefully weaved through the crowd, pickpocketing as I went. I had my ass grabbed on multiple occasions, which was not fun. And then I ran into the broadsword man from earlier.

"Oh, hello, sir." I said. He grinned, and that's when I realized he was drunk... majorly...

"Ah, sweatheart! I wasss wondrin if ya were schtill in towwn." He slurred. I smiled, pretending to be okay with his drunkenness.

"I am, sir." I said. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and held me close to him. I swear my eye twitched. "Um, please let go, sir."

"Ya schtill want dat gollen peishe?" He slurred.

"I'm fine, sir." I said, pushing at his arm. He tightened his grip. When he spoke next, his voice wasn't slurred. In fact, he didn't even sound drunk.

"Ya sure about that, sweetheart?" He said. I paled. He gripped my arm and began dragging me towards the exit. I pickpocketed two people on the way out.

"Sir, let me go now." I warned.

"What are you going to do, scream?" He taunted. He covered my mouth with one of his massive hands and began pulling me away. His puke green scent was everywhere and it was driving me up the wall. I tried biting him, but his grip on my arm was so tight that he threatened to snap the bone. He pulled me down the road and I struggled to rip away. I heard rustling and looked about. The Broadsword Man must've heard it too, because he looked for the source. He then grabbed rope from a nearby pile of boxes and other trash and tied me with it. He placed me on the ground, turned and drew his blades. My nose began itching.

"Who's there?" He called. All of a sudden, a figure jumped from the roof, landing in front of the man. The figure grabbed the man's hands and disarmed him. He threw the man against the nearby boxes, his swords falling useless to the ground. His assailant approached the swords. He picked them up and I gasped through my gag. The assailant was the Blue Spirit himself. He turned and looked at me. Wait... he wasn't a spirit... he had a scent... and it was amber. My eyes widened and I whined at him. I heard him gasp through his mask, and Zuko pushed up his mask, revealing his face.

"Avery? What the hell- Are you okay?" He asked. He knelt in front of me and tugged down the gag. I pulled a face.

"Ugh, I am now." I said. "Help me?"

"Where's my knife?"

"In my boot. Have fun." I said, lifting my foot. He sighed and pulled off my boot, then the other.

"Which boot?" He asked. I paled.

"I just realized that it isn't in my boot like I hoped..."

"Avery, where is my knife."

"My bindings." I said bluntly.

"Why the hell would you put a knife there?!" He said. I shhed him, jerking my head at the knocked out man in the boxes. He repeated his question in a hiss.

"I have my reasons!" I said. "Again. I grew up in a bar, cut me some slack."

"Well how am I supposed to get you untied now? I am not reaching in there." Zuko said. I sighed.

"The broadswords you just stole could be helpful." I said nonchalantly.

"I'll cut you." He said. I quirked an eyebrow.

"So you're saying you want to carry me home, to Iroh, like this?" I said. Zuko frowned.

"Fine." He said. He grabbed one of his swords and began carefully cutting me out.

"So, what's with the get up?" I said casually, as if I weren't sprawled in his lap with a sword against my gut.

"I used this disguise to break the Avatar out of jail." Zuko said. I nodded.

"Hey, are you okay? You look like you're about to pass out." Zuko said. I shrugged, and that's when I realized Zuko had managed to cut me free. I grabbed the knife from my bindings and handed it to Zuko.

"This is yours." I mumbled. He plucked the knife from my fingers and I sighed.

"Please tell me you didn't drink anything."

"I didn't." I assured him. I curled into him. "I'm just tired."

"You're sick." He said. I mumbled a no, but I realized he was right. I was sick. How'd I get sick? Zuko grumbled something before sheathing his new swords, slipping his mask on, and picking me up bridal style.

"I'm not doing this because I want to, so don't get any ideas." He said. I laughed.

"You said that the night the ship blew up." I said. He looked at me in surprise through the eyeholes.

"You have a good memory."

"I never forget." I said. And then I blacked out.

Disclaimer : I don't own ATLA, only Avery, her dad, and her mom