They make it to the North Pole. First Sokka thinks the place is beautiful. The architecture is amazing, and the princess is too. They talk little at the dinner the first night, but things just seem awkward. Sokka has no idea what to say in front of the other girl who seems to be everything Sokka wishes she could be. Princess Yue has grace and class and is just the most amazing thing Sokka has ever been in the presence of, and Sokka knows the Avatar. Sokka tries to ask her if she wants to hang out later, but she's not even sure if she asks the question properly.

Before Sokka can get too upset over her failure to get Yue to hang out with her (and give Sokka the chance to ask her how she does what she does so effortlessly) something good happens. In the morning, Sokka runs into Yue… Or more accurately follows her around until she gets her attention.

"Princess Yue, good morning! How about that picnic last night?" Sokka says with a big grin. "Boy, your dad sure does know how to throw a party."

Yue's smile puts Sokka's to shame, looking much more composed than how Sokka assumes hers looks. "I'm happy you enjoyed yourself."

"Well, it wasn't much fun after you left." Yue blushes when Sokka says this, and it makes Sokka's face start to heat up too. "So, I still would love to spend more time together. I mean if you're not too busy with everything."

"I'd love to." Yue says with a pleasant little laugh. "I'll meet you on that bridge tonight."

"Great!" Sokka grins. "I'll see you-" Yue puts her hand into Sokka's to give it a little squeeze. The movement surprises Sokka and she falls into the water.

The whole ordeal makes Yue laugh more. "Sorry."

"That's okay." Sokka climbed out of the water. "It was worth it. See you tonight."

Sokka's good mood doesn't last long. The Northern Water Tribe is excessively sexist. Their water bending master won't train Katara and none of the warrior's will even acknowledge Sokka's presence. But the sisters try not to let the situation get them down too much.

Katara ends up spending her day with Yugoda, the woman who teaches the female water benders how to heal. Sokka spends the whole day doing her hair up in different styles. It's not as productive as she knows she should be, but she wants to look good when she sees Yue.

Eventually Katara shows up and tells Sokka all about the betrothal necklace. When Sokka finds out that GranGran is from the Northern Water Tribe, she's surprised. The two try and come up with reasons why GranGran left and they come up with the same conclusion. This tribe was just too sexist.

Sokka's mood worsens after her brief meet up with Yue. First it goes pretty great. Yue compliments her on her hair and Sokka of course compliments right back, telling Yue how beautiful her hair is. Of course, she doesn't know how to shut her mouth, and she also lets it slip out that she thinks all of Yue is beautiful. That's when Yue says that meeting there was a mistake. The princess says that she shouldn't have asked Sokka to come there, and she runs away.

Sokka really hates her big mouth after that.

Sokka continues to hate her big mouth when she encourages Aang to teach Katara what Pakku is teaching him. Not because it's a bad idea, it's a great one. But then the guy catches them and Katara challenges the guy to a fight the next day.

Watching Katara fight scares Sokka. She worries about her the whole time. She cheers when Katara seems to be getting the upper hand and she's happy to find that she's not the only one cheering along.

Too soon Katara is subdued, and it takes all of Sokka's self control to not go punch the guy in the face when he tries to take Katara's necklace.

Sokka's shocked when she learns that her GranGran was supposed to marry Pakku.

"I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged." Pakku explains. "I thought we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her."

"But she didn't love you, did she?" Katara says. "It was an arranged marriage. Gran-Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life. That's why she left. It must have taken a lot of courage."

When Katara says this, Yue starts to cry and runs away. Sokka barely hears Aang say to go get her before she is racing off to catch the princess.

It takes awhile and finally Sokka catches up to Yue.

"What do you want from me?" Yue demands.

"I just want to talk to you." Sokka admits. "I think you're so beautiful and so amazing, and I just wish I could be like you." She pauses. "At least I thought that at first. But I think maybe we're a lot alike."

"You don't understand."

"I think I do understand now." Sokka says sadly. "You're a Princess, and I'm… I'm just a Southern peasant."

"No, Sokka…"

"It's okay." Sokka doesn't like the desperate little crack in her voice. "You don't have to say anything. If I see you around, I won't bother you." Yue suddenly grabs her face in her hands and kisses her. Sokka stands there dazed for a second. "Okay, I did not expect that." Yue looks at her warily. "I liked it. I really liked it," Sokka says with a grin. "I just didn't expect it."

"Do you wanna do it again?" Yue says with a grin that puts all of her little smiles to shame. It looks more real, Sokka realizes.

The two end up finding a tiny little abandoned area away from the eyes of anyone else. They talk more openly with each other while their hands are linked. They also kiss a lot.

"I'm so glad we talked to each other." Sokka says. "I'm even more happy that this happened. I've always been so scared about getting married and maybe that was because I don't like boys."

Her words seem to make Yue realize something. "Oh, Sokka. I do like you, a lot." Yue sighs. "But no matter how we feel or who we like, we still have to get married. It's our duty." Yue unlinks their hands. "I don't think we should do this again. I don't know what I was thinking." Yue stands quickly and runs off.

Sokka spends the rest of the night trying to sort out her thoughts.

It doesn't work.