Chapter 6: Can You Spare Some Milk?

"I need to see Yue and Ummi Taqqiq. Ticket Four Hundred Seventy-One."

The announcer raised his eyebrows at the anxious tribesman who was standing in front of him, a large bouquet in hand, "And who are you?"

"Sokka Urumiq. I'm Yue's best friend," Sokka's chest twisted longingly as he kept sneaking glances around him, hoping to not be spotted by anyone of interest, "I'm coming from Fen's Sweets and Goods in Gansu."

"It says this ticket number is booked for a final stop at Gansu. You could've waited to pick her up there."

"The storm's gonna make it difficult for me to take her back home. It's inconvenient with a baby, too. I know a shortcut from here, that's why…"

The announcer took another look at him for a moment before sighing and turning to his assistant, "Call Miss Yue Taqqiq up to the front, if you will—"

"Tell her I'm here to take her to Gansu," Sokka insisted. "My name's Sokka. Sokka Urumiq."

"Sokka Urumiq, got it—"

"And tell her to hurry," brushing away the sweat at his neck, "Please."

For what seemed like a century, Sokka kept waiting, pacing back and forth to calm his racing heart. Jolts of impatience made him demand entry inside the monorail so he could look for her himself, but the announcer was persistent, responding to his requests with glares. Sokka's anticipation quickly turned into fear as the minutes rolled on, and when it became increasingly obvious that it was taking quite long for the search for a passenger, the announcer caved in and opted to check, stepping inside. Another minute later, he came back outside, wearing an apologetic look as his assistant dragged behind him the towering figure of a middle-aged man.

"Where's Yue?" Sokka asked.

"We're very sorry, but it seems she got off at an earlier terminal," the announcer said. "Terminal One, Omgur." The assistant shoved the older man out of the monorail, "This idiot told her to get off there. He apparently told her there was a shortcut to Gansu through its neighboring province, Shurai."

Sokka's heart stopped, the flowers in his hands dropping into the murky water below. Shurai. Not only was that Snake-Blood territory but it was also a category red district, an area known for sex trafficking. "What the hell?!" The tribesman grabbed hold of the older man by his neck and threw him against the monorail, shoving the alarmed announcer and assistant aside, "What did you tell her, you imbecile?!"

"He told her it would take another three hours from Shurai to the next terminal," pitched in another passenger who was dragged outside by the other authorities, "and that she had to get off there if she didn't want the baby to starve. It was all deliberate. I tried to stop her, but poor thing got off before I could get out."

The man behind the deed, however, remained unmoved despite struggling in the tribesman's ferocious grip, "She said she was running out of milk for the kid, and that little brat wouldn't shut the hell up. The woman's not married, besides, all the authorities were talking about it. We can't entertain a whore in a public setting. She's a threat to the culture and values of Ba Sing Se! So I told her to get off at Shurai. That's where her kind gets off anyway—AAHHHH!"

"YOU FUCKING PIECE OF YAKSHIIIIT!" an enraged Sokka kept swinging his fists at the man, whose nonchalance morphed quickly into fear and shrieks for mercy with every speck of blood that oozed out of his body.

"Please, sir, we have other passengers!" the announcer begged Sokka, trying to pry him off of the perpetrator, "They're terrified, sir, please! We'll hand him over to the Dai Lee officers!"

Sokka roared and threw the bleeding man aside, seized by rage and urgency. A particularly paralyzing kick to the man's groin later, he raced back to the carriage, "Shurai, let's go."

"Shurai?" the coachman widened his eyes, "But sir, we could get stuck out there. The Dai Li are very strict about—!"

"I'll handle it!" Sokka growled, throwing another stack of money beside the man, "Now GO!"

The streets of Shurai were seemingly endless, overlain with filth and half-broken glass bottles emptied of intoxicants. Trails of booze mingled with the muck and grime of the bustling province, which was well known for its rice paddies during the day but raunchy rendezvous by night. Sokka brushed the sweat off of his upper lip as he craned his neck out of the carriage window, terrified of calling out her name in Snake-Blood territory. After they went around in circles enough times, he decided to send the coachman on a separate search, describing Yue's appearance to him before jumping off the carriage and hitting the ground to search by foot.

"Excuse me! H-Have you seen a woman with a baby around here—?"

"No, sir, I haven't—"

"Tall, long white hair, blue eyes? Tribeswoman?" he fumbled. "Please, it's an emergency!"

"No, there's no one like that here."

"What about you, sir? Have you seen—?"

"Nah, man, I haven't seen anyone."

"And you, ma'am—?"

"Nope, sorry."

The streets eventually began emptying beneath the final rays of the setting sun. Stalls and bazaars closed down at the spark of seven hours past midday. Shadows lurked in dim corners, occasional flickers of lamplight bringing into view beckoning eyes and biting lips, eager arms squeezing a waist, and desperate palms groping in the dark. It wouldn't be long before the Dai Li commenced their surveillance for the night.

"Who are you looking for, stud?" a scantily clothed woman called out to the panicking tribesman, her eyebrows raised in interest.

"Please, please, I need your help!" he raced over, "A woman with a baby—"

"Who has long white hair and baby-blue eyes," she finished. "I heard you preaching around."

"Have you seen her? Please, I need to find her before—!"

"Is she your wife?"

"She's my best friend, I—!"

"I might've seen her," the woman reached for his tunic, frowning when he stepped back with an unamused glare.

"Where is she? Please, I need to—"

"My place is nearby." Her eyes scanned him up and down, her hands reaching for him, "Maybe you can do me a favor first, and I'll do a favor for you next—"

"Get off of me!" he shoved her off of him, nearly on the verge of tears, "Just tell me where she is, please!"

"Spirits, calm the hell down, Cry Baby," she rolled her eyes, all of her interest withering. "I don't really know, I just said I did."

He wandered the streets, frustrated, his fingers nearly tearing out his hair. So close. He had come so close to seeing her, and this was the time the universe decided to flex its prowess? He cried out in agony, unable to risk calling out her name. Yue, where are you?!

"Has anyone seen her?!" he croaked at all he could see, "Please, has anyone seen a woman with a baby around here?!"

His knotted stomach seemed to somersault from the adrenalin, but the universe decided to finally spare him of its ball game. A cry eventually came, lifting his spirits, "Yes! I've seen her!"

The declaration came from a man who was closing his shop. "Tribeswoman, right? Has a newborn with her?"

"Yes! Where?!"

"I was coming from Murim Street a few minutes back. She asked me if there was a shortcut to Gansu from here. Poor thing looked lost, but she didn't want my help."

"Where's Murim Street?!"

"Go down this road, take a left, then a right," he directed. "And when you find her, both of you take cover for the night. The Dai Li will be patrolling soon."

"Excuse me?"

An old tribeswoman at the only open stall on the corner of Murim Street turned around to greet her customer, but she only ended up gawking at the speck of the brilliant moon standing before her in human form, holding a baby in her arms. This young lady was also a tribeswoman— a simply gorgeous one at that despite her disheveled appearance, destitute state, and the glaze of exhaustion eating away at her bleary eyes.

"Uh…ma'am?"

"Yes?" the old woman blinked, "What can I do for you?"

"Can I get a large can of yak milk? The ready-to-go pack?"

"Sure thing," the old woman reached for a can in the corner and placed it before her, "Here you are. Boiled yak milk."

Yue swallowed as she looked around, taking note of the very few people passing by, retiring to their homes. She looked at the very few copper pieces remaining in her hands, then shifted her gaze to the bread and sweets that were cast on display, but an all-too-familiar ache in the pit of her lower belly directed her attention to the hygiene products on the other corner of the stall. Ultimately choosing dignity over hunger, she asked in a low voice, "Can I get some sanitary pads?"

"Oh, yes, of course." The woman packed the items, leaning forward and asking Yue with a whisper, "You want some condoms, too? The fellas here don't carry 'em around as much as they should be."

A mortified Yue moved away, shaking her head, "No, no…"

The old woman blinked, a blip of judgment flaring in her gaze, "Oh."

Frowning, "What?"

"I mean, if you and your client are down for it, what can I say about it?"

"Client…" With a disgusted look, "What?"

Confused by her reaction, "You're not a prostitute?"

Yue widened her eyes and shook her head vehemently, "No!"

"You must not be from around here, then," the woman noted, frowning, "You do know that you're in Shurai, right? What are you doing here this late at night?"

"I was looking for a shortcut route to Gansu—"

"Gansu? Honey, who in the world told you this?"

"Someone told me… I-I was traveling by monorail. They told me to get off here. They said I can find supplies here and everything. I've been asking around and someone told me to come this way…This is the only stall I've seen for miles."

"Of course it is. Whoever told you there's a shortcut here must've told you wrong. Gansu's three hours away, dear. There is no shortcut here and there won't ever be. This area has been labeled a red district by the government of Ba Sing Se, you know that? We're not supposed to interact with green districts like Gansu."

"A red district?"

"It means this area is well-known for sex trafficking and prostitution. It's under constant surveillance, especially after sundown." Lowering her voice, "There's a brothel on nearly every street, haven't you noticed? Once it turns dark, the hunt for women begins."

Yue stiffened with every sentence that flew out of the woman's mouth, "Oh Spirits…oh, Spirits, I…! B-But that man…!" And several incoherent sentence fragments later, it dawned on her; it had all been deliberate. A slap in the face by the noble people of Ba Sing Se: this is where whores belong. Rage simmered in her boiling blood.

"Might wanna get home quickly if you don't wanna get caught by rogues or locked up by the Dai Li," the woman said. "Even if you tell the Dai Li you're not a prostitute, they won't believe you. You have a baby with you, too; they'll easily take the baby away from your custody."

Yue held a crying Ummi close to her, raided by a shaken look. She brushed it off, though, with a fuming glare.

"Oh you poor thing," the woman placed her hand on Yue's shoulder, "It's okay, dearest. Tell me, do you have anywhere to go for tonight?"

Shaking her head, "C-Can you tell me how to get back to the monorail station?"

"You've come pretty far to go back now, and there's a storm coming very soon." And a moment later, "Why don't you come with me for tonight, dear? I have an inn nearby. You can stay there for the night, and you can hitch a ride to Gansu in the morning when the rain stops."

"I…I don't have any money to pay you…"

"Oh, don't you worry about that, dearest. It's been so long since I've seen anyone from the Poles. And I've been missing home so much lately. I just want to be of help."

But Yue shook her head, uncertain, "No, thank you. I think I'll just go back to the station…"

"Please, my dear. Think about your baby. She'll get very sick if you wander around in the storm, and by the looks of things, it's very likely that the monorail will be stuck in the storm anyway. I'll take good care of you. Just give me a chance."

Swallowing a sob as she spoke in the Water Tribe tongue, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"No need to thank me," the woman gave her a wrinkly smile, "Anyhow, my name is Hama. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe. What about you?"

"I'm Yue," Yue answered in the Southern dialect. "From the Northern Water Tribe."

"You seem know the Southern dialect quite well for a Northerner."

Yue dried her eyes, "I had a Southern friend many years ago. I picked it up from him."

"Oh wow. You still keep in touch with him?"

She swallowed, shaking her head.

"Anyhow, don't you worry." Hama led her to a bench by the entrance of the stall, "In a few minutes, I'll be closing my shop. You can stay right here and feed your baby in the meantime, and then we can head on over to my inn for some spiced tea and warm beds."

Yue sought a bit of reprieve, whispering her gratitude before taking her seat on the bench, working quickly to fill Ummi's bottle. She didn't notice Hama's repeated glances of interest in her direction.

The early rays of moonlight spilled over Shurai's streets. Yue looked both ways while feeding Ummi, surveying the area with a burdened awareness trapped in her gaze. And overseeing the scene was a rugged man who stepped out of the shadows, chewing on a blade of grass, the tattoo of a snake climbing up his back.

The man took a whiff of his intoxicant, finally deciding to approach her. "Princess…"

Yue nearly hiccuped at the voice, the tone and inflection of which was vaguely familiar if deeper than she remembered. The face that came into the light confirmed her guess: Jet.

"Is that really you, Princess?" Jet slurred and laughed, tossing aside the bottle of intoxicant. He fiddled with the grass in his mouth as he ambled towards her. "Such a small world, isn't it?"

Hama shared a brief look with Jet, whose response was only a grin. The old woman nodded, pretending to sieve through some of her inventory and not notice him.

"Where in this small world had you been, Princess?" he sang, amused as Yue held Ummi away from him. "Just look at you. You've changed so much. Filthy clothes, impending starvation. You have a baby now, too." Taking a look at her neck, "And no betrothal choker? Wow. And here I thought tribeswomen had some pride…"

She turned away, opting to ignore him.

"What even happened to you? We all thought you died. Except for Sokka. You remember him, don't you? Engineer Boy?"

The specks of moisture in her eyes gave him his answer.

"That fool insisted you were out there somewhere waiting to be rescued by him or something. He even took a swing at the investigation officers all those years ago," swinging his arm in another direction before crashing onto the bench a few feet away from her, causing her to scramble her way up, "'cause they said you were probably dead. Didn't even show up for exams that semester." Shaking his head, "But I see you whored yourself out to someone else and gave up on him."

Jolts of yearning bolted through her heart. "Didn't even show up for exams that semester."

Several alcohol-stenched yawns later, "What a shame, Princess. Everyone was convinced you two would get married one day…" Looking at Ummi, "I mean, unless you found each other again and he's the father. Wait…did he dip after knocking you up?" A look that was sadistically delightful, "Man, does that suck for you! I was convinced he wouldn't abandon you. That dog was always shamelessly licking the ground you walked on—"

"JET!" she roared, catching him off guard with the octaves of her tone and the glare in her bloodshot eyes, "It's been a decade. Grow up."

Casting her a dark glare, "Even after all these years, I don't look like a man to you, do I?"

"If you want to call yourself one, then leave me alone," came the hiss.

Despite himself, he only gave her a leer, "Still playing hard to get, are we?" And he stood up, retreating to the stall, leaning against the counter despite keeping his attention on her. Yue took her seat at the bench again, calming a whimpering Ummi and continuing to feed her.

"I can't believe this is her," Hama whispered to an approaching Jet, switching to a local dialect, "My goodness, she is stunning. I hear her sister was beautiful, too."

"Yue's always been hot. Even in university."

"She's on her way to Gansu. Night Wolf territory. Once she makes it in, no one can touch her."

"We can't have that, can we?"

Turning to him, "I asked her about her 'friend.' I played the tribeswoman card. She didn't say much, just that she doesn't stay in contact with him anymore. But she might as well be if she came all the way here, right?"

"He's not here, though. He's long gone. After his mom died, Mama's Boy stayed behind in the North to look after his sister and get her through healing school. That's the last I heard of him."

"Well she doesn't know all that. She could still be coming to see him."

His stares boring into the young tribeswoman's back, "You should've seen that look in her eyes when I mentioned him. Gotta love Water Tribe women. They're loyal as fuck." Sighing, "Though this would all be so much easier if the Red Fang didn't choose the legal route. You heard the latest buzz, didn't you?"

"Yes, he's going legal."

"We've got the main targets right in front of us," Jet said, annoyed, "Now we need Engineer Boy, too?"

"What other option does Hahn have?" Hama said. "His legal advisors told him it would be better this way. Murdering that child after the transfer of assets will land him in an investigation of his character. That's not good for the Snake-Bloods. The only way the transfer can happen with the least amount of problems is when she and her boyfriend falsely testify that they're the biological parents." Huffing, "Whatever it may be, though, it's a shame the Red Fang wants her. It's no surprise but…just imagine how much business would be booming if that beautiful face became the face of our brothel. Who wouldn't want to fuck that?"

"Maybe we can strike a deal with him. Once he's had his way with her, he can share her with your customers."

"You think that'll happen?"

"Why not? He's gotta get bored of her at some point, and I'd never seen him with the same woman for more than a few weeks at the most." A grunt of resolve, "But I want her first. Before your customers, before Hahn." A chuckle, 'Make it easy on her so she can handle him later."

"Penetration isn't ideal right now. She's on her—"

"She's got other holes, doesn't she? Besides, no one said we're turning her in just yet. I want my fun first."

"But you do know the consequences of turning her in after you've had your turn," Hama raised her eyebrows, "Hahn wants to be the one to break her in—"

"He cares more about the money than her maidenhead, Hama," he reached for the condoms in the corner. "The audacity she had to reject me and choose Boomerang Boy. If I don't have her suck my cock tonight and scream my name to her primitive gods, I won't show my face in this town again."

"Fine, then. Wait another hour. I'll take her to Pleasure Palace and doll her up for you. Once I get that little brat out of the way, you can appreciate Pretty Face all you want."

A masked man in a dark cloak took his seat at the other end of the bench where Yue was. He sat far enough to where she would be comfortable but close enough where he could whisper and she would be able to hear him. His sharp blue eyes wavered, tearing up as he caught a glimpse of her; she was just as beautiful as he remembered her to be — the features of her face held more mature contours, but she was Yue all the same. Her rippling white locks were concealed beneath her shabby cloak, and her baby-blue eyes were lost in the bundle of squirming life she was currently bottlefeeding; Ummi was looking back at her, tiny fists waving beneath her blanket.

It wasn't until Ummi blinked at Sokka and fixed her delicate gaze on him that Yue noticed his presence; under the blips of lanternlight, she saw that the masked man was looking at them, particularly at Ummi with a smile beneath his mask. She only shot him a death glare.

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean…" he sputtered, turning away, "I just…"

Unmoved by his efforts at explaining himself, she scooted all the way to the other end of the bench, storing the emptied baby bottle in her bag. She didn't care to look at him again, unwilling to take any chances in trusting anyone else for anything.

"H-Hey, excuse me, ma'am. Please, I'm not trying to hurt you," he croaked. "I'm just trying to help you." Swallowing, "Don't look now but that guy can't be trusted."

Yue said nothing, simply getting up and walking around, rubbing Ummi's back in efforts to get her to burp.

"Please, you need to listen to me," Sokka insisted, looking both ways before scooting to the edge of the bench where she'd been sitting earlier, "That woman is with him. She's a madam, she's not really gonna help you! She's trying to take you back to her brothel. And they'll turn you over to the Red Fang from there, I just heard them talking about this…! We need to get out of here, please—"

"We?"

"No, no, I don't mean it like that," he shook his head frantically, "I-I'm from Fen's Sweets and Goods. She sent me here to pick you up…" And upon noting her skepticism, "Wait, I have the note, I…" Fumbling through his pockets, "Dammit, it's in the carriage…Please, you have to trust me. I'm a friend. In fact, you know me! I just can't…I can't show my face right now…"

She huffed in impatience.

"I brought a carriage with me. It has food and supplies. Just for you! A-And there's milk and diaper cloths for the baby and…" Noting her increased suspicion, "Please, just think about it. A stranger offering a room for free. She has the only stall open past seven hours midday in a category red area, and she has an inn. Just think about what that "inn" could be. It's all too good to be true. Please, we need to go…"

But what also seemed too good to be true for Yue was the possibility of any man trying to help her out in an area such as this one, especially after one deliberately led her here and another was reveling in the act of calling her a whore every five seconds and yet several more had made passes at her during the entire monorail ride. "I can take care of myself. I don't need your pity. If there's anything fishy about this, I'll handle it. Now get lost."

"But—"

"Hey!" came Hama's shriek, "Leave that woman alone, you leech-pig!"

Sokka glared at Hama, who had started making her way towards them, observing the alarmed look on Yue's face, "Don't you worry, dear, I'm here for you," she spoke in the Water Tribe tongue, "These idiots can't be trusted. They're looking for one thing and one thing only, and they'll do anything to get it."

Yue only glared at the ground, disgust filling her gaze. Sokka trapped a whimper in his throat, his fist clenching determinedly as an idea struck him out of the blue. "HEY!" he bellowed, standing between Hama and Yue. "Cut the yakshit, you witch!"

Hama glared back at him, "Either you get out of here, or I'll—"

"I'm tired of waiting around!" Sokka pointed at Yue, "I want her. Tonight."

Yue widened her eyes. Hama scowled, "What in the world?! What kind of women do you take us for—?!"

"I heard you talking to your buddy over there about your newest catch," he insisted as Yue stared at Hama's expressions, baffled. "I also know that you're the best pimp around these parts." He threw a stack of money at Hama, "Let me spend the night with her. There's plenty more where this came from."

Yue slowly inched away from them all, her horror kicking in when Hama's persona of kindness collapsed in front of the stack of cash. The old woman seized the money as fast as she could, a near-maniacal spark in her eyes that ignored Jet's hollers of protest, "I would wait a few days before choosing her. It's her time of the month, and she's not gonna comply very easily—"

"I don't care," placing another stack in front of her, "I want her now—"

"Hama, what the hell—?!" Jet roared, grabbing hold of Yue before she could make a run for it— "I called her first—!"

But in a fit of rage, Yue roared and grabbed hold of a bottle of intoxicant from the corner of the stall. She slammed it against Jet's face, the glass shattering against his cheek, splintering his right temple and eye. Jet screamed in agony as Yue dropped the remaining glass pieces and wriggled herself free of his grip, a kick to the man's stomach sending him toppling backward. Hama launched herself at Yue with a water whip, but the old woman was surprised when the tribesman who had approached her with the offer shoved her aside and quickly jammed at her pressure points, pushing her against an already-agonizing Jet and knocking them both over.

"Go!" Sokka told Yue, keeping a strong hold on Jet as the rogue howled in pain and pursuit in Yue's direction, "They're both Snake-Bloods! I swear, I'm on your side!"

At which Yue took off. Despite wailing in pain and notwithstanding the torrents of blood that covered the right side of his face, an enraged Jet shoved Hama off of him and lunged forward to make a run for Yue, but he was held in place by a dagger that struck through his palm and pinned him to the ground, eliciting sharp cries of increased misery.

Despite her subdued condition, Hama still sought to pursue Yue; with Sokka distracted by Jet, she forced herself up, slicing the ties at her wrist with a jagged piece of glass on the ground and racing after the tribeswoman. Before Sokka could follow her, a blow to his arm from behind him knocked him off of Jet, throwing him aside. Earthen cuffs tied his hands and feet together, and his screams were muffled by the plaster of earth around his mouth as the figure kicked him aside. A rusted Dai Li uniform came into view, its wearer peering down at Jet.

"Fong," Jet breathed in relief as the ex-military personnel pulled him up. Sokka widened his eyes at the disguised Hound.

"Yes, let me end your misery," Fong replied, unmoved as he sliced a dagger through Jet's stomach several times. With every stab, the rugged man's life was sucked out of him little by little.

"Sorry, Jet, nothing personal," Fong shoved Jet back to the ground, watching his eyes burn in fires of betrayal, "She's the property of the Hounds, that's all."

Sokka struggled with the earthen cuffs tying him down as the Dai Li impersonator spared him one last look before racing in Yue's direction, not recognizing the man he subdued was the Night Wolf.

When she found that she had reached a dead end, Yue seized hold of a torch on the wall nearest to her. She held it out in front of her in time for Hama to spot her.

"Not one step closer," Yue hissed, her other hand clutching Ummi.

"There's nowhere to hide, dearest," the old tribeswoman huffed, taking careful strides forward even with Yue threatening to light her aflame. "How about a wager? I won't turn you over to the Red Fang if you promise to work for me. You can do that, can't you?"

Yue was firm in her stance, waving the flame in Hama's face, making her take several strides back.

"My goodness, you're a stubborn one," Hama said. "Why waste your youth in the streets when you can have everything you want? I'll pay you more than the others. All you need to do is keep up your figure… or you can rot away in Hahn's hellhole…" Reaching into her boot and pulling out a dagger, "Think it over. You only have a few seconds—"

"Dai Li, drop your weapons!" came a bark.

Hama dropped her weapon immediately, whipping her head around in the direction of a man in official-looking robes. Yue still gripped the torch in her hand, "Please, help!" Pointing at Hama, "She's trying to sell me off to someone! She's a Snake-Blood!"

"No, officer! She's my daughter!" Hama howled, "Running away from home! I'm trying to stop her—!"

"No, she's lying!" Yue screeched, "Please, I'm trying to get to Gansu, but I'm stuck here, please, I—!" Yue's explanations died in her throat as the "Dai Li agent" slit Hama's throat. The younger tribeswoman froze in place, jarred by the blood that spilled from the old woman's neck as she hit the floor.

"Don't worry, I'm not a Snake-Blood. I'm Long Feng, a Hound."

"And I'm Fong," came another voice as another man in a similar Dai Li uniform joined Long Feng, "We are your enemy's enemies, which means we're your friends. Come with us, Miss Taqqiq. You'll be safe with us."

Long Feng seemed to be the least patient of the two; he beckoned her, a flicker of interest in his eyes, and when she didn't budge, he stepped forward. A silent Yue only held Ummi close to her heart, backing away slowly despite knowing that doing so will do nothing. She backed up against the dirt wall, keeping a firm hold on the torch as she waved it in their faces.

"Drop that," Long Feng growled low in his throat, stepping over Hama's body, and when Yue refused, he rolled his eyes and easily extinguished the fire of the torch with a ball of earth that encapsulated the flame.

"Come on, now, don't drag this out further. We're not going to hurt you. We just need to ask you some questions…"

Despite the lack of flame, Yue swung the extinguished torch in Long Feng's direction, whacking him against the head and sending him toppling down. She raced past him and swung at Fong, but he dodged her blow and grabbed hold of her arm, tossing her onto the ground. Yue stopped her fall, shielding Ummi with her arms, but she was unable to save her supplies as they drowned in the torrents of milk that flowed out from the now-demolished can knocked out of her bag.

The furious tribeswoman pulled herself up and slammed a tight slap against Fong's cheek, "That was for my daughter, you cretin!"

"If you're that desperate, make her lick it off the ground, filthy peasant!" Fong shoved her to the ground again, his harsh grip tearing the back of her shirt in the process. Yue landed on her back in an attempt to protect Ummi from the fall and preserve her modesty, sending a kick in Fong's direction that managed to knock him to the side for a few seconds, but before she could leave, he launched himself back at her, one hand grabbing her throat, the other raised in an attempt to slap her. Before he could do so, however, a dagger from behind him burrowed through his palm.

Yue screamed at the sight, fumbling away as the figure that was hell-bent on warning her earlier delivered a kick that sent the man flying against the wall, knocking him out.

What happened next was all a blur. The flaming end of another torch— this time in the tribesman's hand— struck a returning Long Feng's back this time, simultaneously setting him ablaze before he could curb the flame. As Long Feng screamed and struggled to put out the fire and fought to stay conscious from the heady blow to his head, Yue felt a gentle but electrifying grip on her wrist pull her away from him. She was seized by fear and suspicion, though, and as the fire from the torch burst forth, quickly spreading across the alcohol-bathed street, Yue shoved the masked man away and made a run for it in the smoldering chaos, her long hair covering her exposed back. She didn't think to look back until desperate cries tugged at her heart.

"Yue! I was just trying to help! Yue, it's me, Sokka! YUE!"

"YUE!"

Zuko, Lu Ten, and a few of their friends raced toward their bawling tribal friend and held him back before he could charge into the commotion ahead. The group of boys stared before them at the clouds of smoke that had completely consumed the girls' dormitory. Sokka, uncaring of the consequences, sought to dive into the chaos, tears racing down his face, "Yue! Yue's in there—!"

"Do you wanna get burned, too?!" Zuko yelled, "Please, Sokka, stay put—!"

"But Yue's in there!" he wailed.

"It'll be okay, Sokka," Lu Ten attempted to console him, "They'll get her out…they'll…"

"She could be hurt, I need to go! LET GO OF ME!" Sokka's attempts to free himself failed as the other boys shuffled out of their rooms, holding him down firmly. He sobbed and fell to the ground, ignoring their attempts at consolation, "YUE!"

Yue jarred to a stop, turning to take a look at the man, whose mask withered away in the wind, leaving behind his matured face that was entrenched completely in tears. She caught a glimpse of the half-moon that glimmered atop the man's pendant, matched by the gleam of the boomerang carving on her identical one.

"S-Sokka…?" came a whisper, then a scream as he nodded, "SOKKA!"

How long had it been? He couldn't hold himself back any longer; he tore down the street towards her, desperate arms and quacking bodies finding purchase in a long-overdue embrace. They shivered and fiercely held onto each other, losing track of reality among a chorus of sobs rivaled by Ummi's cries. Tears soaked each other's shoulders as they pulled away, taking another look at each other.

"I'm sorry—"

"It's okay," he wept, planting a kiss on her forehead out of sheer instinct before he could realize what he did. She didn't seem to mind, answering with a kiss of her own to his head, quivering fingers brushing away the specks of blood and dirt by his nose and cheek.

"Spirits." He fumbled to dry his eyes and took off his cloak, wrapping it around her. He proceeded to take his shirt off, too, helping to wrap it around a squirming Ummi with her previous blanket having succumbed to muck and dirt.

"I'm taking you two home," his words were imbued with a fierce promise, "Once we get to Gansu, everything's gonna be okay—"

"What's going on here?"

They both froze as a real Dai Li officer looked them squarely in the eyes, his team having apprehended Long Feng and Fong. Sokka wrapped his arm around Yue, his voice rumbling sternly, "They're with me."

The officer stared at their disheveled states, the child huddled in their shared grip, and their matching necklaces that gleamed in the lanternlight. He looked back to the cuffed criminals being ushered into the Dai Li custody wagon. With a sigh, "I'll take care of it. Just get the hell out of here with your wife and baby."

The statement was left uncorrected.

There were very few words exchanged as the carriage rolled away from Shurai. They huddled together, basking in each other's presence, his rhythmic stroke of Yue's arm eventually lulling her to sleep against his shoulder. Ummi, too, was comfortable as she slept, nestled against his chest, still wrapped in his shirt. Despite all the other blankets he'd brought along with him, he didn't mind, content with feeling both of their heartbeats against him. The hand that traced the newborn's cheek occasionally smoothed over Yue's hair, keeping both of them close.

It was crazy how much lighter he was feeling even with his arms full.