I'M FINAAAAAAAAAAAALLY BACK! I'm so sorry I disappeared, but my academic life is taking all my time and strength to write! I'm finishing my dissertation though and I hope next year I will have more time to update this fic. I hope you haven't given up on me and my story!

This chapter is long. I hope it makes sense because a lot happens... But I hope you like how it ends.

"Princess…"

Azula forced herself to smile. "Governor."

"Look at you… You look just like your mother when she was your age." He commented, smiling at her.

She frowned a little startled at that creepy comment. She wondered if that was supposed to be a compliment or an insult.

"Tell me, Princess." He went on. "How are things around here? I bet you and your brother are under a lot of stress with everything that has been happening."

Azula looked at him with a serious semblance and shrugged.

"It won't be the first time something like this happen, Governor, and it won't be the last. Of course, during my father's government things weren't so… explicit. For obvious reasons. But they did happen." She paused, giving him a defying look. "And we fixed it. Just like we will fix it now."

The governor's face showed no reaction to that. He simply nodded.

"Your father…" He started, casually. "How is he doing?"

Azula was caught off guard with that question. He asked as if Ozai wasn't in jail, but simply on a long pleasant trip and could come back home anytime.

"What do you-" She paused, blinking at him confused. "My father is in jail, Governor. You know that."

He nodded again.

"Yes, but I mean, how did he handle your betrayal? It must have been really hard for him, after all the time he has spent training you to be the perfect soldier and leader, not only you have turned against him, but also ended up as one of your brother's pawns."

"I didn't betray my father!" She shouted, glaring at him. "And I'm not my brother's pawn!"

Jiang frowned at her.

"No? So, do you still support Ozai?"

She gaped. "What? No! I think you are forgetting yourself, Governor!" She tried to warn him and glared at him.

"It was just a simple question, Princess. If you don't support him, you did betray him, right?" His tone was calm and casual. He smirked, sipping his drink.

The Princess opened her mouth but didn't say a word. She realized she had never thought of things in this way.

Suddenly, Jiang went on, "Well, that's everybody's main concern, right?" Azula couldn't help but look at him worried, her eyes widened. "They don't know what you are doing. You see, they used to respect and fear you because you represented everything your father was and even more. You were our symbol of power. But now… You may betray your brother to regain your old status… Or you may just stay like this…" He said the last words with some sort of disdain, as though she was nothing now, just a shadow of her old self.

The Princess swallowed. She noticed people around them were staring at her. They looked scared and worried. Like before, they were whispering. Her heart was racing fast and she felt difficulty to breathe. She asked herself why Jiang would do that. If he just wanted her dead, why would he try to psychologically torture her? And apparently he was succeeding on it, she was almost panicking. He wasn't lying, after all, was he?

Before Jiang could say anything, she heard a voice. "Princess?" She almost melted at that sound. It was Sokka. Finally. She was safe. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course. We were just chatting, right, Princess?" The Governor answered with a smile.

Azula stared at him for a few seconds and then she faked a smile. "Of course. Will you excuse me, Governor? I need to talk to my brother's friend for a moment?"

"Of course, Princess." He said, walking away.

She got closer to Sokka and whispered, "Take me away from here…" She was looking down trying to avoid everyone's eyes. Why don't they leave me alone? She thought as she touched Sokka's arm softly.

Sokka felt desperate. Everything was happening at the same time. The note… Jiang talking to Azula… People around looking worried and suspicious of her…

He noticed the panic in Azula's eyes the moment she looked at him and asked him to take her away from that place. When she touched his arm, her hand was as cold as ice. He swallowed, trying to calm himself down. If Azula panicked, if she acted differently from expected, people would go crazy… They were already whispering horrible things about her, he couldn't even imagine what they would do if she lost control in front of them.

"Just follow me…" Sokka whispered at her, as he walked with her away from the crowd. Both of them pretending to be casual and calm.

They went to an empty area, behind the palace. When they were finally alone, Azula groaned.

"That stupid son of a…" She growled as she punched the Palace's wall out of anger.

"Azula!" He rushed to her and held her hand. "You will hurt yourself!"

For a moment, she looked at him incredulously. Seriously, that was his concern right now. She turned around, leaning her back on the wall and facing him.

"I knew what he was doing! I knew he was just playing with me, trying to drive me crazy, and I let him! How could I be so stupid?!" She shouted, her eyes burning as she remembered people looking at her with fear.

"You're not-" Sokka tried to say something but was cut off.

"I just wish to know why he was doing that. He wants me dead. Fine. But why torturing me like this? And everyone else kept staring at me… as if… as if I was some kind of… monster." She let out a sigh, looking down tiredly.

Sokka shook his head groaning and got closer to her. "Stop it!" He scolded her and she looked up at him her startled. He was so close now he felt her breath against his face. "Don't you ever call yourself that again, okay? You know you are not a monster. How many times will I have to tell you that?!"

"Sokka, you don't-"

"When have I ever lied to you?" He asked, seriously. His eyes looking deeply into hers. "Never. So, stop saying that about yourself… It's not what you are!" Azula rolled her eyes and looked down, sighing. "And I think Jiang was just playing with you, because he probably wanted you to snap."

She looked at him again now, angrily. "I know that! But why?!"

"I don't know… Maybe it would make everyone freak out at you and Zuko… Thinking that you shouldn't be here and Zuko made a terrible mistake?"

Azula just shook her head. "They wouldn't be exactly wrong…"

Sokka looked at her unamused. "Stop that, Azula!" He complained again. "I know you are mad at Zuko, and so am I, but stop pretending you hate your life here with him. You know your place is here, it doesn't matter how angry you are!"

"You don't understand!" Suddenly, there were tears running down her face. And Sokka cursed himself, feeling terribly guilty. "Didn't you see what happened there? The way they were all looking at me… And the things Jiang said…" She shook her head and looked away.

"What did he say?" He asked softly, wiping her tears with his hands.

"I really don't want to talk about it now, Sokka…" Azula swallowed, still not looking at him. "I'm so tired of this…"

Sokka felt his chest tightening. He hated seeing her like that. And he still had to tell her about the note, but first she needed to calm down. He needed her at her best to help him figure out what to do.

"Azula, look at me…" He cupped her face with both hands. She avoided his eyes for a while, nervously. "Shh… Look at me" His voice was low and soft. "I know this is a horrible situation. Believe me, all I wanted right now was to take you away from here, so those creepy nobles would never get near you again! But you know it's not that simple, right?" He said as he got so close, his forehead touched hers.

Azula felt her legs going numb as she looked at him, her breathe mixed with his. She let out a weak laugh though. "It's funny how you say nobles. With almost as much disdain as I say peasants."

He couldn't help but laugh too. He felt a warm feeling inside when he realized she seemed a little better.

"Come on, these people are horrible! And they are so boring. Seriously, after all this, I'm taking you to a peasant party… You will like it much better…" He teased her, chuckling.

She stared at him in silence for a while, and then she shook her head smiling. "How do you even do that?"

"What?" He asked, genuinely confused.

"Calm me down and make me feel… safe… so easily…" She whispered at him.

Sokka blinked at her for a moment, as though he was processing what that could really mean. And then his next reaction was simply to lean forward and kiss her. The kiss wasn't desperate as things used to be between them. No, this time he kissed her gently and tenderly. He wanted to show her that no matter what happened, he was there with her.

Azula's heart was pounding so hard she could barely listen to her thoughts. She hated him for making her feel like this. She should be worried about the assassins, the current situation in the capital, the governor, her plan… But right now she didn't even know why all that mattered anyway. Sokka was there with her. Kissing her. Again. That's all she wanted right now. She ignored the annoying little voice in her head telling her to stay away from him as she put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

When Sokka pulled back from the kiss Azula feel dizzy. He rested his forehead on hers, breathing hard.

"I-I think we should go back…" She mumbled to him. For a second she wondered how they ended up like that anyway… She couldn't even remember why she was upset a few moments ago.

"Yeah…" He agreed smiling, but then he blinked at her as though he was coming back to his senses. "No, wait. I need to show you something." He grabbed the note inside his pocket.

Azula frowned, curious. "What is it?"

"Okay, look, don't panic… Nothing will happen to you, I promise!"

Azula rolled her eyes.

"All right, Sokka, enough with this mystery… Just tell me what's going on!" She demanded.

Sokka sighed and handed her the note.

"Someone bumped into me and gave me this."

Katara, Toph, and Ty Lee, who were talking to each other in the crowded garden, saw Azula and Sokka walking towards them.

"Where were you guys?" Katara asked.

Azula felt her cheeks burning and her heart racing – what would even happen if the water peasant found out about them? –, but she kept her usual cold face. Before she could come up with a lie, Sokka answered his sister.

"Azula wasn't feeling well, so I took her away from the crowd…" He said, shrugging.

The Princess glared at him. What kind of lie was that? Fine, she also didn't want him to tell them what actually happened there, but he didn't need to make it sound as though she was weak.

Sokka frowned, confused at Azula's death glance.

"Oh, geez, are you better, Azula?" Ty Lee asked, concerned.

Azula sighed, annoyed. "Yeah… I'm better now."

Sokka looked at the other girls. "Where are Zuko and Aang?"

"They went to the town to greet the commoners and to make sure everything is fine there, Suki went with them." Toph answered.

Sokka nodded, tensed. "I see… Guys, we need to talk to you about something."

The girls got closer as Sokka told them about the note.

"I don't get… They told Sokka they wouldn't come!" Ty Lee exclaimed.

"Shhh…" Toph scolded. "It was obviously a lie, genius."

"You think Jiang knows?" Katara asked Sokka.

"I have no idea, to be honest…" He replied.

"I will tell the other Kyoshi girls!" Ty Lee said leaving the group.

Toph followed her, saying she was going to warn the guards and check if she sensed something odd.

"Okay, I will look around and try to recognize any of them." Sokka said after a while. "Katara and Azula, stay here."

"Excuse me?" Both girls asked at the same time, giving her a death glare.

He sighed cursing himself.

"Come on, guys… You two can kill me for this later, I need to be discrete if I want to find any of them in this crowd and being around Azula won't help. No offense, Princess…" He looked at her with an apologetic look. "And, Azula, it's better for you not to be alone, since they might be here!" He growled as the two girls stared unamused at him. "Please?"

"Fine, Sokka…" Katara finally agreed. "Just go."

"Okay, fine." Azula groaned, crossing her arms.

He grinned, "thank you!"

He gave Azula a reassuring look before leaving, but she only rolled her eyes at him. He knew she would be mad at him for this.

Azula sensed Katara looking at her. "What?!"

Katara just sighed. "Nothing… I was just wondering how Sokka get along with you so well…"

The Princess shrugged. She was about to come up with an insult or something when she saw Mai. Azula frowned. "I hadn't seen Mai was here."

"Yeah," Katara commented. "She has arrived a few moments before you and Sokka showed up."

Azula nodded observing her former friend, who was talking to some of the guests.

"You like it, don't you?" Katara asked angrily and the other girl just frowned at her. "Treating everyone as though they were pawns at your own game…"

Azula shrugged again. "What kind of question is that? Of course, I do."

Katara's eyes widened at her.

"You don't even pretend otherwise! Why does Zuko even keep you around knowing you are like this?!"

"I know don't know. Why don't you ask him?" Azula shouted at the waterbender, trying to keep her voice down.

Suddenly, they heard a loud noise. An explosion. People cried scared. It wasn't where they were, it came from the city, for they could see a big cloud of smoke coming from there.

Azula heard Katara gasping, "Aang!"

The Princess then felt a weird empty feeling at her stomach when she realized Zuko was there too.

Sokka knew leaving her sister and Azula alone would probably be a disaster, but he had worse problems now. The plan was recognizing any of the assassins, call the guards and try to take them down immediately. How he would find anyone in that crowd was a mystery… But he needed to at least try.

At the very moment he noticed a guy standing alone in a corner staring startled at him, he heard a horrible explosion. Sokka closed his eyes and covered his ears instinctively. When he opened his eyes, everything was a mess, people crying and screaming, some going inside the Palace, others going down town, where the explosion's smoke came from… He finally looked at the guy who was staring at him before and he was running way. Sokka ignored everything that was happened around and ran after him.

It didn't take long to Sokka catch him. The guy was short and scrawny, so he didn't run that fast. Sokka held him against a wall, when he looked at his face he knew he had seen him before, although he didn't know his name.

"Let me go!" The guy shouted. Sokka realized he seemed to be younger than him.

"What are you doing here? You guys told me you wouldn't come! And what the hell happened in the city?"

"I don't know… Let me go! I knew we shouldn't come! But my father insisted and he didn't want to tell you because he knew you would betray us!" He let everything out in despair.

"Your father?" Sokka frowned.

"I mean… Our leader. He knew you would betray us!"

"Betray you? I didn't betray you!" Sokka complained, still holding him by the collar.

The boy frowned. "Aren't you arresting me and the others?"

"Others? So, are there more of you here?"

The boy gulped. "Come on, man, let me go… I thought you also wanted the Princess dead. I don't want to go to jail, because of my father stupid revenge!"

Sokka blinked at all that information. The young boy seemed really scared and that could help him. But at the same time, Azula could be in danger, he had to go to her.

"Okay, look, you have to tell them to call off the plan. The guards already knew you were here... They were warned."

"What?" The boy's widened. "No, but now it's too late. The explosion was our sign… It meant to be a distraction… Shit." He groaned. "Just let me go, man, I can't do anything anymore. Come on, I will tell my father you helped me, even if the others don't succeed he will be pleased by you. Please!" He begged, desperately.

Sokka felt his heart racing, he needed to take a decision fast. "Okay, fine, leave." He said letting the guy go. He wasn't sure if he made a smart choice or not. But if the boy was right that might help him to get the assassin's trust… Well, if they didn't succeed. Suddenly, he panicked. Azula. Then, he started running to where he left her and Katara.

Sokka could only breathe when he saw Azula safe and sound. Actually, she was better than safe, she seemed to be a little amused by the situation. There were two men on the floor. One of them frozen on an ice cube but with his hair on fire, and the other one pinned down by his clothes with small knives. Then he saw not only the Princess but also his sister, Mai, Ty Lee and Toph were around them.

He couldn't help but smile.

"At least I'm never bored when I come to a party with you…" He listened Mai talking to Azula in her usual gloom tone.

The Princess only smirked.

Then Sokka noticed Appa arriving with Zuko, Aang, and Suki. He sighed in relief.

While Katara cried the Avatar's name and ran to his arms, Azula couldn't help but feel a little lighter when she saw her brother walking towards her.

"Azula, are you alright?!" Zuko asked alarmed.

Usually, she hated when he played the protective older brother, but for some reason right now she didn't care he acted this way.

"I'm fine, Zuzu." She gave him fake casual smile as if nothing unusual had happened. "I'm glad you're alive."

"Are you guys okay?" Sokka asked, showing up next to Azula, looking at Zuko and Aang. "What did even happen there?"

Zuko nodded. "We're fine. It was the town hall, it exploded. It was empty, so thank goodness no one got hurt. But I guess it was a message or…"

"Or a distraction." Azula completed, glancing the mess the party was. "Well, someone broke in and tried to kill me as always…" She said when she looked at his confused face. "Now, you need to make an announcement."

Zuko just stared at her seriously. "What kind of announcement?"

"Something to calm people down. I mean, all these nobles are terrified. They must be already angry at you with everything that has been happening and the fact that you brought me here. You need to make them believe you have everything under control."

Zuko sighed. "I will try." He paused. "Azula, can we talk later?" He asked in a tired tone.

She almost said no and walked away and she usually did, but something was loosened up inside her now and her brother helpless look didn't help. She just nodded. "Tomorrow, morning, okay?"

He agreed, before leaving.

Later that night, after all the guest went home, Azula was at her room. The servants had helped her to get ready for the night and were already gone. She was alone sat on her bed, agitated. Zuko would talk to the people in the morning. She was anxious for him. Not that she cared about her brother that much, but she didn't want people causing even more trouble. They had arrested two guys, which meant they had people to interrogate… And Sokka had helped one scape, which could be something good or terrible, depending on how things turned out. They still had to talk more about what happened.

Sokka.

The Princess laid on her pillows angrily. Her mind always ended up on him. She swallowed remembering their kiss during the party. How he made her feel calm and confident so quickly... She didn't even have time to thank him or say anything else… Suddenly, she felt stupid. He was just next door. She could go for him. And say… Well, she wanted to say so many things but at the same time, she had no idea what she would say. She felt her heart racing as she stood up slowly. She could just tell him she wanted him, and she had wanted him for a while. Not because she was drunk or upset but because he was Sokka, the stupid peasant from the water tribe who could mess up with her head so easily. She couldn't help but smile at that thought.

When the Princess opened her door she gasped, because there was Sokka, standing right in front of her. He looked just as startled, his cheeks were red.

"Sokka?!"

"Princess! I-I'm so-sorry." He started, awkwardly. "I was going to… I was going to knock, but… but then I realized you might be already sleeping. It's just I can't sleep and I wanted… I needed to see you."

Azula stared at him, her heart racing. "I was going to see you too." She said, not really sure of what she was doing.

When Sokka left his room, he was hoping he could talk to the Princess about what happened during the party and the things he had discovered. But the moment he looked at her, all that vanished from his mind and he stood there speechless. Why on earth was she going to look for him at this time? He felt unsure, what was he supposed to do now? But before he could even think of his next action, Azula reached her arm to grab his hand and pulled him inside.

"I never thanked you for helping me keep control today at the party." She whispered, getting close to him.

"Y-you don't need to thank me, Princess…" Sokka swallowed nervously, looking down at her. Her hair was down and she wasn't wearing any makeup. He couldn't help but think she was one of the most beautiful women he had seen. "What a crazy night…"

"I know…" Azula agreed, rolling her eyes, but still smiling. She couldn't decide if she hated or loved the fact all her worries simply disappeared from her mind when she saw him. Usually, she would feel stupid and mad at herself for that, but she was tired of scolding herself. She wanted him, and he was there, she was not going to stop herself anymore.

Suddenly, he realized she was locking the door, never breaking eye-contact. "W-what are you doing?" He noticed she was trembling, but she didn't look scared or worried if anything she looked peaceful and joyful.

Then, the Princess just smiled in a wicked way, and answered before pulling him to a kiss, "This time, no one will interrupt us."

I hope you liked it! Reviews will be appreciated! :)