Author Note: Thank you everyone who's either following me or has made this a favorite! And for my first review! I'm excited that you're enjoying it as much as I am!

This chapter is a bit longer than the others. I'm catching my stride writing this and I don't want to leave anything out Hope you still enjoy it!

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own ANY rights to Avatar the Last Airbender.

Chapter 4: Planning Freedom

"She's terrified" was all Sokka could think after Zuko made his announcement. He watched as her face went from cool confidence, to rage, to a look of hopelessness.

"Never thought I'd see that look on her face," Sokka thought. As he continued watching her, he noticed that cool persona coming back.

With a careless shake of her head she said, "Well then stop being so dramatic Zuzu. Tell me, no tell us, what is this quest you want me to go on?"

Trust Azula to challenge the one person who held her freedom in his very hands. Sokka had to admire it. Pushovers had never done anything for him in the past, and they certainly didn't do anything for him now.

"Not that she does anything for me anyway," he had to remind himself. He spent a few minutes thinking about all the whys that she didn't do anything for him. His inner thought process lead him to miss Zuko's plan for Azula's freedom.

"Our mother? You want me to go out into the world and find our mother? Haven't you had seven years to find her?"

"So that's what he had planned." Sokka thought. In a way it made sense, Azula always did have a way with tracking people down.

"I've been spending the last seven years rebuilding the Fire Nation, Azula. I've sent guards out to find her, but they've all returned empty handed or not at all. It's not easy for them to move across the nations any more. They are targeted by the rebellions still set on revenge. I can't risk any more guards being killed." Zuko was saying.

"Oh so you can risk my life but you can't risk the lives of some guardsmen? That makes me feel real great about this you know. What about family being important Zuko? Isn't that what you told me this morning?" Azula exclaimed.

Sokka had to agree with Azula. Family was important and if she agreed to this journey she was going to have to face some perilous areas to find her long lost mother. While most of the world was at peace thanks to Aang and the gang, rebellion groups were spread throughout all of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. Thankfully, the Northern and Southern tribes were willing to let the past be the past and move on. The rebels however, would not let the past die. Some fought because they believed the Fire Nation was in the right to start the war and wanted the war to start again. Others fought, seeking vengeance against the Fire Nation for all the cruelties that they had suffered from the war.

"Azula, your freedom is not just going to be handed to you. You have to earn it," Zuko started. He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms in a careless gesture, "Of course you do not have to do this either. We could call this a failed experiment and you can go back to your sunless cell and live the rest of your life in a cage…"

Sokka watched as Azula contemplated. He could all but see the wheels moving in her head. Thinking, planning, weighing the pros against the cons. She was looking down at her tea, her hands, Sokka noticed, slightly shaking in her lap.

That cell must really be frightening. Sokka had never seen the cell. He helped design it, but never had an interest in seeing it. Mechanical projects, weapons, those were his strong traits. Cages and prisons he found quite boring.

After a few minutes Azula looked up at Zuko directly and quietly said, "I will not live my life in that cage any longer. What…..how do you want me to do this?"

She's going for it. She's terrified, but she's doing it. Sokka thought. But then again, if I had to choose between a world of secretive rebels or living my life in a cage, I'd choose the rebels to.

"You'll leave tomorrow with five of my best under cover guards. You will make your way to the last place mother was seen at, and you will find her…"

"You just told me that the guards you've been sending aren't returning Zuko. Why would you send me with five of them? I would move faster and quieter by myself." Azula interrupted using her hand to emphasize her point.

Again, Sokka had to agree. One was better than six. But letting Azula out in the world alone was not going to work, he knew, for any of them. Too many places to hide, too many people she could hurt.

"I cannot trust you to go alone Azula. I know you hunger for freedom and I believe you would double cross me in an instant to keep that freedom. I don't have time to hunt you down. I will consider taking the amount of guards going with you down a few, however." Zuko began, "but first I have to make sure everyone at this table is okay with allowing you to leave these walls freely." He turned towards Iroh first, "Uncle, what do you think?"

Iroh took a moment to compose himself and looked at Azula. Sokka noticed her hands clasping tightly together in her lap once more.

"Far too long did I watch my brother poison the minds of this Nation. Even I once believed we were doing the right thing by fighting. I have traveled this world hunting the Avatar and I have traveled this world with the Avatar to bring peace." Iroh said pointedly staring straight at Azula. Once she made eye contact he continued, "This journey is one that may change you Azula. This one may help you see the wrongs of the past and help fix them for the future. I am for you taking this journey," Iroh finished.

Sokka watched Azula take a deep breath of relief. But her relaxed posture was not to last. She tightened up once more as Zuko looked towards Aang and said, "Aang you are the Avatar. You alone were almost killed by Azula herself. Would you be comfortable letting Azula go on this journey?"

Like Iroh, Aang took a long look at Azula then began, "Forgiveness is something the monks taught me was the greatest thing you could do for yourself and for others. And I believe it's time to give you a chance for us to give you that forgiveness. I'm in for letting you take this journey."

"Toph?" Zuko asked.

Sokka turned towards the Earth Bender sitting to his right. She had no reason to look towards Azula because of her blindness, but Sokka knew she could see and was seeing more than any of them.

"I can feel your nervousness Azula. I can feel how much this means to you and how much you fear that cell. I can't say I'm sorry for it, because what you've down to the Earth Kingdom, my homeland was horrendous. You brought a lot of fear to this world, and it's satisfying to know that it's only taking six of us and a few hours, to give you a taste of your own medicine. But I'm willing to see you go on this journey. I'm willing to give you the chance to try to be good. I was the first to accept Zuko into Aang's group, even after he burned my feet, and look how he turned out. Plus if you do succeed, you owe me a rematch for the eclipse and the western air temple," Toph finished, emphasizing her statement with a fist to her palm and a smile on her face.

Leave it to Toph to want a person to succeed so she could fight against them. That woman was born to fight and throw her rocks, Sokka thought. Again he turned back to Azula. She was giving Toph a quizzical look, but that quickly changed back to a nervous look as Zuko continued.

"Well, that's an interesting reason," Zuko said shaking his head. "Katara? What's your thought?"

"While I do not agree with you getting any freedom what so ever, I do see the irony in this situation. Your father once banished Zuko from these lands and how did Zuko respond? He turned the banishment around and defeated your father and you, to become the Fire Lord. And I have to say, I think it's a decent idea," Katara said in her superior voice looking directly at Azula. Sokka felt a moment of pride for Azula as she held her head up and looked directly into Katara's eyes.

"That's it, hold your head high Azula. You'll need that strength to survive this journey." Why Sokka was starting to support Azula, he wasn't sure. But he continued to study her as Katara continued her speech, "BUT there is no way I will even consider allowing you to go alone into the world. You can do too much damage in a short amount of time. I believe if you do this, you should be watched as much as possible. Even five guards is too small amount in my mind."

Sokka noticed Azula's face of shock, quickly disguised by a mask of cool composure, but it was there. And now it was his turn.

Before Zuko could say anything Sokka began, "I'm up for letting you do this. And furthermore I agree that five guards would be too much to take on this journey. They'd slow you down and no matter how good at being undercover they are, they would stick out like sore thumbs. They're not used to hiding Zuko, they're used to strutting around being the kings of the world." His last statement was delivered directly to Zuko. Then he turned towards Azula and said, "If you're to succeed on this journey, you need someone who knows how to hide and how to blend in. I think if you do this, I should be the one to go with you."

Sokka sat back and waited for the storm to hit. He looked around the table, Zuko had leaned forward looking at Sokka like he'd lost his mind. Iroh's eyes were narrowed and he was stroking his beard a contemplative look upon his face. Katara was furious, but that was Katara. She never did like Sokka doing anything without her, particularly dangerous things. Aang and Toph were surprised but didn't seem overly upset about his statement.

He had been thinking about it since Zuko had mentioned his plan. Five guards would get Azula killed almost instantly. Or make her escape easier. Even in this unusual state of nervousness Azula still gave off a sense of power. Any guards sent with her were more likely to follow her command versus commanding her. And Sokka was very good at commanding.

"WHAT?! No! NO I won't allow it. You're not going with her Sokka! Are you crazy? Zuko tell him no!" Katara yelled.

Sokka watched to see what Azula would do. Her eyes were narrowed as though she was thinking about the why's of his offer. She confirmed his belief by saying, "Why would you want to go on this journey with me? It's a journey set up for me to fail. Why would you want to help?"

"I haven't been on a worth wile journey in a long time. This one just seems to be one that's right up my alley. Plus I can keep you from running and hiding better than any Fire Nation guard." he stated still looking directly at Azula.

No need to inform her of the commanding part. At least not yet.

He turned towards Katara, "And you have no say in what I will and will not do Katara. I'm a grown man, and I can make my decisions without your consent." He gave Katara a challenging look while continuing to talk, "So what do you say Zuko? You think this will work if it's just me and your sis?"

Zuko sat back in his chair giving Sokka a hard look. With a deep breath he said calmly, "If you want to join my sister on this journey and truly believe you can keep her on track, then I'm for it. I know you're a good tracker and an even better planner. If she's to go with anyone from this group, you would be my first choice."

Sokka nodded in agreement to Zuko. Turning back to Azula he began, "We start…"

"No he's not. He's not even a BENDER. How will he stop Azula if she decides to fire bend at him? Or worse yet lightening bend at him? What are you going to do Sokka? Block it with your sword? What would Suki say if she were here? She'd think you were crazy and wouldn't allow it! That's what she'd do!" Katara yelled angrily. An instant later she covered her mouth in shock. She started to apologize, "Sokka I'm…"

But Sokka was done with this discussion. No one, not even his flesh and blood was going to insult him in such a way. He stood up from his seat and coldly stared Katara down. In a deathly quiet voice, "I may not be a bender, but I know how to protect myself Katara. I don't need your permission or anyone's permission, alive or dead, to do what I want to do." Turning towards Azula he ordered, "Pack your stuff. We leave at dawn tomorrow." And with that he stormed from the dining hall.

As he left he heard Azula say, "I think you'll be a perfect addition to the family." Who her statement was directed towards, he didn't know, nor did he care.

Author Ending Note: Thanks for reading! I'm hoping to get another chapter up tomorrow but may take a day or two for me to get it finished. I try to stay a chapter ahead of what I've posted so I don't leave anyone hanging for more than a few days. (added note for the re-write – as I sit here 2 years later, story still not completed I think…wow did I have a lot of enthusiasm…)