A/N: Ugh. That's the word I guess. For the task I felt I had to accomplish through this chapter. Like, to make up for what happened in chapter 13 ó.Ò. So... here we go.

Oh and this time, I guess I'm supposed to give you a "language warning": my dear readers, please be aware that there are some dangerous, nasty f- and sh-words lying ahead of you!^^ But I STILL don't feel like changing the rating of this fic to "M" :P... cause... nah. I mean, I've read so many M-stories and all of them were so much "worse" (or actually better ;)... but you know what I mean, right?) than my fluffy-puffy, inocuous lil fic here :)! Apart from that, I'm just not an "M-person" and I don't feel like I could ever write real M-stuff. :P

Plus - c'mon, don't be so hard on him guys, he said he'll be working on his manners :o). Keep reading, my dear readers, and you shall see... ^^

Oh... AND! To everyone who's wondering about the "sloppy villainy" of a certain chief Dai Li agent - keep reading, and you shall see, as well... hehe :P! No, I mean, seriously... I hope I figured it out. ;)

-14-

BACK ON THE GROUND

Agni, damnit! The wait was killing him! Silently, Zuko mouthed swears behind the Blue Spirit mask while clinging to the ledge. After the door to the large cavern had slammed in his face, he had managed to find a hideout by swiftly climbing up the cragged corridor wall to a protruding rock some feet above the ground. Whenever the coast was clear and no Dai Li agent was in sight, the Blue Spirit hurried back to the door, trying to find a secret button or some other way to reopen it... to no avail.

There was one suspicious fact, though, that wormed a smirk out of him. All those Dai Li agents seemed to be pretty alarmed and all of them rushed in the same direction: right where Zuko had come from. The cave in which the flying bison was being held captive! Well, not exactly held captive, to be precise. Zuko couldn't have helped it. Looking at the chained, starving, pitiful creature and, at the same time, realizing that waiting for the avatar's arrival simply wasn't an option right now, the Blue Spirit had eventually made his decision.
After he had unchained the bison (melting nothing but the metal with his flames and avoiding its fur or skin had been challenging as hell) the creature had lost it. It had gone berserk, inexorably destroying the cavern that had been holding it. Dai Li agents had come running from all over, trying to stop the bison from demolishing the catacombs. Zuko had still been able to feel the floor and walls around him quake after he'd gotten countless tunnels away from the bison's prison cell.

Thus, maybe freeing the flying bison hadn't even been THAT stupid after all. Actually, the raging giant creature was turning out to be a pretty effective diversion. As long as the Dai Li didn't subdue the bison, their secret underground headquarters were in danger! And currently, it seemed as though the creature was playing its part perfectly. Maybe - hopefully! - it was only a matter of time before all the Dai Li agents were ordered to help fight the raging bison. And then, finally-

Suddenly, the massive stone door moved aside with a low 'swoosh.' Zuko sucked in a jagged breath. His dao-swords pulled, he instantly jumped down to the ground and stormed into the cave, eager to attack the Dai Li agents, ready to back Jet and Sureen, determined to complete his mission.

But- wait, WHAT? Oh... no way, really?! The cave was empty! The Dai Li really were gone! There was no sign of the fight scene Zuko had watched before the door had been locked. Instead, an eerie silence filled the cavern. Oh no... Something had gone wrong… utterly wrong. Zuko swallowed hard. Frantically, he scanned the place… and eventually, he noticed two figures crouching on the floor. He ran towards them without hesitation.

The closer he got, the more details he could make out… and with each step, his heart sank deeper and deeper. He recognized Jet's limp body lying on the floor, motionlessly, legs bent at impossible angles. He saw Sureen's shaking shoulders, heard her muffled sobs… and all of a sudden, the memory of his uncle's lifeless form returned to him and pushed to the fore. He saw himself kneeling on the floor, shaking and doubling over with pain and grief and despair… Agni, he had felt so lost and helpless beside his dead body. Losing his uncle had hurt so, so much. And now Sureen… Jet… he wasn't… it couldn't be… was he-?! Oh, Agni, please… no!
The prince grimaced behind his mask as the insight hit him. He had failed again. He had promised Sureen to free Jet, and he had promised himself not to screw this up… and he had failed. Slowly, he crouched down next to Sureen. The girl was bent over Jet's lifeless body, her silent sobs making her tremble… and it was Zuko's fault. He had stayed outside the fucking cave and hadn't done anything to help them until it had been too late.

But what hit him most was the realization that he could exactly feel Sureen's loss and grief. He could feel her pain… because it was his own.

The lump in his throat made it almost impossible to breathe.

"Su-… reen. We- we gotta go. We need to leave this place. Like, now," he heard himself say, his voice hoarse and shaky. He wasn't sure if the girl had heard him as well, though, since she didn't show the slightest reaction. "They're still… after us. They'll be here any minute. We gotta hurry," he added.

Eventually, Sureen shook her head, firmly grabbing Jet's shoulders. The sudden move made another stream of tears run down her cheek.

"We need to get out of here. There's nothing… " Zuko's voice cracked. He took another shaky breath and forced himself to speak on. "… Nothing you can do for him anymore. 'Cause he's… he's…" He couldn't. The word just wouldn't come out. Embarrasedly, the prince blinked away his tears and hurried to force some more determination into his voice. "We gotta go. NOW!"
They really had to get going, they couldn't stay any longer! The flying bison wouldn't keep the Dai Li busy forever. Sooner or later, the agents would get back! Assertively, the prince reached for Sureen's shoulders, pulling her backwards and making her let go of Jet's body. He forced her to her feet and pulled her wrist to make her follow him.

"No. No… Jet… I'm not gonna leave him… no…" Sureen whispered protestingly, her voice thick with tears. She didn't even move an inch away from where she stood. "I don't want to leave!"

Shit… Zuko knew exactly what this felt like. He knew it so damn well! He truly wished he didn't have to do this right now, but he didn't know any other way.
The prince pressed his eyes shut for a second. Then he grabbed Sureen around the waist… and started running. He felt her body stiffen, felt her twist and turn in his merciless grip… but he didn't let her go. He couldn't. Oh Agni, what was he doing to her?! This was even worse than what he had done back in the restaurant the other night… like, so much worse! But they had to get out as quickly as possible and he didn't know how to… what else he could've… damnit, but this felt so wrong. SO WRONG!

Sureen's sobs echoed in Zuko's ears as they left the cave behind, running along the tunnels that guided them out of the catacombs and back to the surface, to the shore of Lake Laogai.

-x-x-x-

As the sun slowly began to sink into the lake, a white, fluffy little cloud crossed the orange-pink-purpleish sky. Zuko's eyes, which had restlessly been wandering over the waves, caught sight of the cloud and followed its path. Oh, wait, no! The prince sighed. Great! The 'thing' he was watching wasn't a cloud! It was... well, let's say the only outcome of his oh-so-easy "This shouldn't be a problem for me" Blue Spirit mission. Congrats, moron!
The damn flying bison certainly was on its way back to the avatar and his friends now. The creature would definitely know how to find them. And then they'd leave Ba Sing Se. 'Cause... why should they stay any longer now that their bison's back? Aaaaaaaarrrgggghhh! Desperately, Zuko clenched his fists. Things couldn't have gone MORE wrong.

Apparently, this Blue Spirit shit didn't seem to work for him, either. Neither did his alter ego stop him from messing things up, nor did it improve anything about his situation. Apart from that, all his secret Blue Spirit missions had solely been about hiding, he figured. Hiding his way of thinking, hiding his true plans, making up fake stuff to reach his goals. And he was getting so damn fed up with hiding. He was hiding freaking EVERYTHING from EVERYONE, maybe even from himself… because… fuck, because he didn't want to reveal that everything about him was a mess! That he didn't have a clue what he was doing and why! But at the same time, he was done with hiding. Furiously, he slammed his heel against the toppled tree he was sitting on.

With a growl of frustration, he ripped the painted mask off his face and threw it into the lake at his feet, as far away from him as possible.

And the worst part about everything was… Anxiously, Zuko glanced over to his left. Sureen was sitting next to him on the trunk, bent forward, her fists pressed against her forehead and her elbows resting on her thighs. At least she had fallen silent for now. But for all that, Zuko felt incredibly helpless looking at her, knowing how lost she felt right now. He didn't know what to do, didn't know what to tell her, how to comfort her. Agni… Why was he so bad at being helpful, why couldn't he just-

"I'm sorry that I didn't want to leave the cavern… didn't want to come with you." The girl's low voice suddenly interrupted Zuko's bleak train of thought. "I just… I just couldn't… you know? I- I… 'Cause I don't want him to be gone. I don't wanna… I can't… oh God, I miss him so much. I miss him so, so much. I don't know how to... I can't do this, I-" And again, she couldn't bite back the sobs that burst out of her.

Suddenly, the lump in Zuko's throat was back. "I- I know… believe me, I know how you feel," he eventually ground out. "'Cause… my uncle… back in that village, after he… when he was lying there, on the floor, motionlessly… and I realized he was… he was gone… I-" He stopped in mid-sentence, sucking in a shaky breath. He couldn't speak on. But he didn't need to. All of a sudden, he noticed a movement in the corner of his eye. Then he felt the girl leaning into him, resting her head against his shoulder. Desperately, the prince tried to regain his composure. "Shit… I'm just not good at this. I… um… I wish I knew what to-"

"Nothing. Just stay here," Sureen interjected, pressing her face against Zuko's shoulder. The prince could feel her tears soaking the fabric of his shirt. Awkwardly, he placed his hand on the girl's back and rested his chin on top of her head. He struggled to blink away the tears in his own eyes. He knew exactly how she felt… because he felt the same.

He couldn't tell how long they had been sitting there like that, leaning into each other in silence. But as the prince opened his eyes again, he noticed that the sun had almost disappeared behind the lake.

Reluctantly, Zuko interrupted the silence. "Um… so… it's gonna get dark soon… like, um, the sun's almost gone… so I think we should set out for home."

"Yeah… right." Sureen sat up and sheepishly wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Slowly, she slid down the trunk until her feet hit the sandy ground. From the corner of his eye, Zuko saw wince in pain at the motion, one hand pressed against her stomach. Swiftly, he jumped off the toppled tree and hurried to her side.

"You okay?"

"Yeah… never mind. It's just that, for some reason, inexplicably some jerks knocked me out by shooting boulders at me last night, you know." A thin smile flashed over the girl's tearstained face.

The prince didn't get the opportunity to reply, though. All of a sudden, the air was filled with a loud rustling and crackling from the shrubbery behind them. Damnit! The Dai Li! They'd found them! They were coming after them! Zuko whirled around, his eyes wide with horror.

But at the same time, Sureen's face lighted up and her thin smile grew bigger. "Relax, your Highness." Amusedly, she patted the prince on the back, then stumbled past him, her hand still pressed against her stomach. But she didn't care anymore, because -

"SERA! Girl! Oh my God, there you are! I missed you… c'mere girl… my big pony! Oh God, I missed you SO MUCH! There you are…"

Now even Zuko could make out two large black wings between the trees. He sighed with relief. Eventually, the black albatross horse stepped out of the shrubbery. A second later, Sureen flung her arms around Sera's neck, digging her face into her mane and stroking her forehead. At least Sera was still here… at least someone had come back to her! The girl had never been more happy and relieved to see the albatross horse again.

And even Zuko was glad that, apparently, something – or, well, someone? – was able to cheer Sureen up and to distract her the slightest bit. So long as no one would make him fly through the air on Sera's back again, Zuko was happy about her appearance, too. Maybe she was kind of good at taking care of people or something, he mused, reminisceing about that night. He'd been hardly conscious and miles above the ground, but it seemed as though the creature had kept him safe.

Suddenly, said creature turned its head towards the prince and looked him straight in the eye. For a second, Zuko was sure it shot him a knowing glance. 'WHAT? Don't you dare look at me like that! What would YOU know,' he thought, folding his arms and glaring back at the winged horse. He could've sworn he had heard it snort derisively before it turned towards Sureen again. Oh, well. Shaking his head bemusedly, Zuko retreated to the toppled tree, leaned against its trunk, and waited.

-x-x-x-

As unexpectedly as the albatross horse had appeared, it soared over the trees after a while, rising into the dusky sky. When the prince detached his gaze from the – admittedly pretty fascinating – creature, he saw Sureen stumbling towards him. Although she appeared a bit more alive now and seemed to have snapped out of the wretched state she'd been in after they'd left the catacombs, she still looked incredibly sad and fragile. She even looked as though her legs were about to give in… whoa! Just in time, Zuko pushed himself away from the trunk and hurried towards the girl. He caught her the second her knees buckled. Without thinking twice, the prince lifted her off the ground.

"HEY, what-?! Put me back down RIGHT NOW! Stop carrying me around!" Obviously, there was still enough energy left in Sureen to protest. "FOR ONCE stop dragging me with you and making me go where I DON'T want to!"

Shit. That one hit home. He knew exactly what she was referring to. Zuko hurried to put her back on her feet, reluctant to let go of her arm, though. He wasn't too sure whether Sureen's legs would really carry her weight. But, apparently, they did.

"FINE! Suit yourself! Go wherever you want!" Huffily, the prince folded his arms and looked the other way.
"I was just… I mean, I just tried to… 'cause you were, like… but I didn't mean to..." he added eventually, his voice getting lower with each stammered word. "I- I'm sorry. For treating you like that. I mean… um... damnit, you know what." Sheepishly, Zuko lowered his eyes.

"Yeah. Of late, you haven't exactly been treating my like a lady," the girl snapped.

"Yeah... whatever. So much for 'not hating me for being me' then, I guess." Zuko's voice was scarcely audible.

"Huh? What?! N- no!" Sureen shot him a surprised glance. "I mean... ah, c'mon, lately, I haven't acted much like a lady, to be fair! So I guess I had it coming... in a way." The prince didn't reply. Almost indiscernibly, he shrugged his shoulders.

"Oh, but I think we should really set out for home now. I don't want to spend the night in the woods, you know." Saying that, the girl stumbled forward with faltering steps. Zuko couldn't help but place her arm around his shoulders and firmly grab her waist to support her. The girl moaned protestingly but apart from that, she humored him. Slowly they set forth, heading for Ba Sing Se, leaving Lake Laogai behind.

Still feeling Zuko's remorse, Sureen eventually continued. "Look... I'm, well, I'm a real stubborn person at times, I guess. And sometimes I'm even like... my mind goes blank and I STILL act stubborn, although I can't even tell what I'm doing and why. Then I'm just... not making sense... probably. And then there's pretty much nothing you can do, I guess... I mean, to make me snap out of it. Except for being even more stubborn than me and just, well, doing whatever stupid stuff that's, like, strong enough to override my reluctance. And that's just what you did, I'd say. And I can't blame you. So please don't... don't blame yourself."

"Don't blame myself? Sure. Easy for you to say. I mean... damn, I wasn't even helpful back there. After all, my only contribution to this mission was... to let it fail. Like, you know... the original plan was to FREE Jet. That was why I came out here. But now he's... and I didn't... I couldn't... shit," he muttered.

Sureen sighed. "Not helpful? If only you knew."

"Yeah, great. What is this? 'I spy with my little eye'-day with Zuko or what?"

"Huh?"

"Your albatross horse. Stared at me with exactly that 'if only you knew'-look, too. Like, great, thanks! Okay guys, I get your point - I don't know A THING, but YOU do. Sure."

"Well... right, maybe we do... in a way." Sureen couldn't help but smile impishly. "Sera... she's wondering why you always pretend to be such a nasty guy even though she knows you're not."

"What the... I don't pretend... and I'm NOT... I mean... hell, what would SHE know?!"

"Well, she spent hours carrying you through the air..."

"Yeah, you don't say. So what? And that's why she knows me inside out now?"

"Um... kind of. But I'm positive she won't tell anyone about it, so don't worry."

"She... won't...? DAMNIT! Why can't you just keep out of my mind? Like, both of you! It's MY decision if I want to share something or keep it to myself."

"I- I know. It's just... well, I'm afraid that's the way it is. All I can say is that it's not my intention to spy on you." Sureen hesitated for a second before she went on. She knew she wasn't supposed to talk to anyone about that kind of stuff, but... oh well. Zuko already knew the score, anyway. "But speaking of sharing things... and knowing things that you don't know-"

"Agni, WHAT ELSE? I'm fed up with playing that sick little game! Seriously! WHAT is it this time?"

"No, it's... I mean, it's something different. Entirely different."

"Oh really. So? What is it?"

"It's the reason why I think you were anything but 'not helpful' today."

The prince kept silent. Hesitantly, Sureen continued. "I... as you probably know, I'm, um, pretty used to feeling other peoples' emotions and, like, putting myself in their position. 'Cause I kinda do it all the time... well, mostly. I mean, more or less. Um... but... I'm not sure if I ever retrieved it. If things have ever been the other way 'round, I mean. But today, eventually, I did get something back. 'Cause you- you felt me. I know you did. And it wasn't just because of some stupid oh-so-clever extraordinary ability... it was because... you REALLY felt it. It was yours. You've been there yourself. And you shared it with me. And that's... I mean, I never... it's more than I ever... I... thanks. Thanks for sharing."

The girl swallowed hard. She knew that it costed Zuko a lot of effort to lower his defensive walls and to reveal his vulnerable side... but nevertheless, he had taken that risk today. He had ALLOWED her to catch a glimpse of his feelings. Voluntarily. And knowing that Zuko had felt the same as she had meant a lot to her. "You're really brave for not giving up and still try and keep going, although you're... you're feeling the way you do," she mumbled. "I know I already told you so... a while ago... but anyway. I still think you're a true warrior, Prince Zuko."

Zuko's breath caught. Once again, he felt the lump in his throat return. He wasn't ready for this. And Sureen hadn't even finished yet.

"So... um... what you don't know is - you're a real loyal friend and you ARE helpful. Like, remember? I told you I'd be lost on this mission without you. And I was right. 'Cause I... I WOULD've been lost without you. I'd probably still be sitting down there in that cave now, next to..." The girl took a shaky breath. "And without you I'd be way more lost than - um... than I'm actually feeling right now. So... I could NEVER hate you for being you."

He felt like turning around and running away. Shit, why did this... why did her words affect him like that? Why couldn't he just make that unapproachable face and pretend he didn't care? Why was he fucking tearing up now?!

"But don't flatter yourself too much because of that, okay?" The girl hurried to add. "I mean, hey, you're a PRINCE, right? You could really work on your manners! You should know how to treat a lady - even if said lady doesn't behave like one... your Majesty!" Smiling whimsically, Sureen slightly lifted the arm that was wrapped around Zuko's shoulders... and pinched the nape of his neck. He winced at the unexpected touch and failed to stifle a squeal. Sureen couldn't help but chuckle.

"Oh, his Highness is TICKLISH?"

"My ass! I'm NOT! How dare you?! Do that again and you can walk the rest of the way by yourself," Zuko hissed.

"Seeeee? That's what I'm telling you. Not a spark of decency. Where are your manners, Prince?" The girl bantered. "And just for the record: whose idea was this? I've wanted to walk by myself all along!" Impishly, she elbowed him in the ribs. "Seriously, I'm fine. I think you can let me go now."
As soon as the prince did as he had been told, Sureen deliberately moved a little away from him - unremarkably giving him some space to regain his composure. She knew she had gotten him pretty close to the edge by speaking her mind, but she had been serious about every word and she had really wanted him to know.

When Zuko caught up with her a while later, he looked as standoffish as ever.

Sureen flashed him a relieved smile and walked on, heading for the city gates that had finally appeared on the horizon.

-x-x-x-

Hell, what a day. When they'd returned to the restaurant - both of them heading for their rooms immediately - Sureen paused for a moment, head hanging, shoulders drooping.

"Last time I was here, I was so freakin' sure that... I was so convinced that this mission would end differently. Like, there'd be three of us now." She had put in words just what Zuko had been thinking. But for all that, he didn't have a reply.

"I- I know. Me, too. I'm sorry. I wish I could... but... Sorry," he ground out eventually.

"Nah, don't be. I mean... you agreed to join me on this mission. You had no objections freeing Jet with me. So, believe me, you already did more than I could've asked for." Smiling sadly, she gave him a pat on the back, then turned around and opened the door to her room.

A deep-drawn sigh escaped Zuko's lips. "Yeah... sure. Anyway. Good night then."

He collapsed on his bed like a stone. He had been wide awake for two days straight now without having the slightest break. He was tired to death. His eyes were falling shut on their own. But still, he couldn't sleep - because even through the walls, he could hear Sureen's strangled sobs.
Back in that abandoned village, the night after he had lost his uncle, he had been the same way. Lying there, all alone in the darkness, realizing what had actually happened - and what it really meant - his thoughts had been so damn scary and overwhelming that he hadn't been able to fight back the tears anymore. And Sureen... of course she had heard him back then. By no means had it been a coincidence that she had gotten up and walked over to the fireplace to put another chunk of wood onto the coals. And then she had just started talking. Had told him about her village and what had happened to her people... and in the blink of an eye, Zuko was distracted from his own grief.

But he couldn't do the same for her now. Walking over to her room simply wasn't an option. He wasn't even good at talking. The prince didn't have the slightest clue what he could possibly tell her right now. But then again, he couldn't just lie here and do nothing, either. There had to be something, anything! He sat up in his bed and kept pondering. No good manners, huh? So what would someone who actually HAD good manners do? What would... his uncle do?

Finally, it occurred to him. In an instant, he left his room, sneaked down the stairs, and disappeared into the kitchen.

-x-x-x-

Sureen flinched as a sudden noise startled her out of her desperate thoughts. There was a knock at her door. The girl caught her breath and choked back her sobs.

"Who- who's there?" She eventually managed to ask, her voice shaky. She was pretty sure who was there, though. It wasn't too hard to guess. But nothing happened. No one replied. But she had heard someone knock, hadn't she? Confusedly, she got up and headed for the door, wiping the tears off her face. Weird. When she opened the door, the hallway was empty. Bemusedly, Sureen shrugged her shoulders.

Just as she was about to close the door again, she noticed something on the floor. What the...? Crouching down to take a closer look, Sureen recognized a cup of hot tea and a scroll. There was no sign of Zuko, though. Slowly, she reached for the cup. Then she opened the scroll. As she read, she couldn't help but smile through her tears.

Hey, seriously, have a cup of tea and try to get your mind off things. Get some sleep.

His Highness Prince Zuko
who's trying to work on his manners and treat his only friend more like a lady

P.S.: Sorry, I know I haven't thanked you yet. For earlier. For what you told me.
I guess I just didn't know how to react. And I'm still not sure what to say.
I'm not good with words and all of this. Sorry. But thank you, I appreciate it.

In spite of herself, the girl chuckled. She swiftly put the cup of tea on her bedside table and hurried down the stairs. By the time she returned a few minutes later, she had added her reply on the back of the scroll:

A cup of tea AND a thank you.
Seems like there's still hope for your manners, your Majesty.
Thank you. I appreciate it, too.

Regards,
Sureen
who really feels more like a lady now

P.S.: I know. Don't worry!

Still smiling at Zuko's words, she folded the piece of paper and shoved it under his door.

Then she locked her door behind her and returned to bed. Snuggling in her blanket, she reached for the cup of tea and took some slow, careful sips. As she closed her eyes, another stream of tears ran down her face, but the girl didn't care.

The day had smashed her heart to pieces. The loss and the emptiness inside her consumed every thought, every breath, every component of her being. The only thing that kept her going was - a certain grumpy prince next door.
She would never hate Zuko for being himself. She had never been more sure of that.

I know you left me standing there
Out of the calm of the coldest air
I don't believe the words you said
But I can't find the words I want
Oh, I can't find the words I want

If you were gone in another life
I don't believe I would just survive
I could feel you next to me
An escape from the world I'm in
Oh, I'm afraid of the world I'm in

... ...

Somebody found me here
Somebody held my breath
Somebody saved me from the world you left
If you're gonna cry my tears
If you're gonna hold my breath
If you're gonna let me see the sun you set
Oh, I am lost and found
Oh, I am lost and found

[KATIE HERZIG - LOST AND FOUND]

-x-x-x-

A/N: Yeah, well, I really needed some FLUFF now... after that last chapter ó.Ò. Could you tell :P? Ugh, but I hope I didn't get ooc with Zuko :S! Cause, well, I know he's not a touchy, cuddly kind of person. He's freakin' un-fluffy o.o! Plus he's super awkward when it comes to being helpful and supportive and comforting and stuff. And I'm sure he hates those situations like hell. So... yeah... I kinda had to push him "to the edge of his character" here, I guess. Hopefully I didn't go too far with it though... just because I wanted all that fluff so bad :P.

And last but not least: This chapter's dedicated to and inspired by BlueIsTheColourOfOurPlanet... in case you're wondering why - go and read "Numb". Then I'm sure you'll get what I mean :D.