A. N. : Aang's character continues to evade me, and while it's completely in-character for him, it's also very annoying to write. Still, I try my best.

Aang is so dead.

Sure, nothing happened yet, but Lin is in his hands and the last time he held a baby he almost got set on fire by Zuko's sister. And it wasn't even hers.

Spirits, he wants to go back to the normal firebending lessons. These aren't fun – more like the opposite, and Aang is still not comfortable with the idea of fire even if, rationally, he knows he's a firebender and he guesses fire isn't all that bad. And even then, the lessons are hard and repetitive and it feels like Aang is never going to get it right and that's just as scary as the idea of using fire to burn someone.

He doesn't even know what he's supposed to do. Hold Lin and that's it ? Can he play with her ? What if he messes up ? Maybe he could ask Zuko. He should. These sparrow-hawk eyes are really scary. He should give up. But Zuko said he wouldn't hold Lin for the next two hours and he always keeps his word and it's not like Aang can just drop her. Katara ? No, she's back to the village to help clean the water.

Aang can't believe Sokka actually accepted to spend the rest of the day here just so Zuko can torture him. And after all that fuss about being late too ! It's not fair. Why does Zuko know distances and travel times so well ? And now the others are all having fun in the river while he is stuck with Zuko and Lin. And Jet, but he is training with Zuko's swords so it's like he isn't there.

Why does he even have these swords anyway ? Why not his own ? Maybe Aang could ask that. Maybe Aang could finally ask how come Zuko and Jet are friends, and pretend he isn't holding a baby in his hands and that if he messes up Zuko will kill him. Wait, no, if he forgets he is holding Lin then he risks messing up even more !

There is no solution. No way to avoid this situation either. It's like earthbending training all over again, except now he doesn't even know what he's supposed to do.

Jet sheathes the swords and Zuko throws him the canteen. Aang wishes he could take a break too. It must show on his face, because Jet laughs at him and says he shouldn't worry so much, that if Lin sets him on fire he can easily bend it away after all.

If she what. She's a – Fire Turtle, everything makes so much sense now but also – what !?

Zuko and Jet look at him like he's grown two news heads, then Zuko pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs while Jet – Jet laughs. Jet full out laughs an clutches his stomach and – is he crying too ?

Aang remembers Jet's breakdown the other day and it was terrifying and he really doesn't want that to be happening again, because of him, and –

And Jet says between laughs that this is the most normal anyone has ever reacted to – or even learned about – Lin's bending. Oh. So he was really just laughing apparently. Good. But also what happened with the others for Jet to find his confusion so funny ?

Zuko shrugs when Aang looks at him – Toph and Katara reacted pretty normally too.

That gets Jet to calm down a little, think for a short while, say something about almost drowning Sokka – what – not being exactly a normal reaction – uh, yeah ? – but Zuko shakes his head and says they knew before, and Jet goes oh, frowns, looks to the side awkwardly, and obviously there is something here – something bad from the way both of them have gone silent – but Aang wasn't there, doesn't know, and he just keeps missing things doesn't he ?

All he can do is sit in place with Lin drooling on his arm and look in confusion at the history he missed because he was unconscious. Again.

On the bright, this time it was only three weeks or so. And he didn't run away. So, there's progress.

The same, but better. Next time he'll get it right. Zuko said there's a big chance of failing again, but Aang can do this. He won't let everyone down again. He refuses to miss important things one more time. And if he has to endure Zuko's lessons for that, he will do it.

He asks Zuko if they can start the firebending lessons again, and Zuko looks at him appreciatively and he – refuses.

Why !? Wasn't that the goal of the exercise, to make Aang want to train even though it's hard and boring ? But Zuko says something about patience and endurance – what's next, breathing on top of a mountain for hours even though he said Jeong Jeong was wrong ? – and sighs when Lin starts sobbing.

Oh no. Oh no Aang didn't mean to shout please don't cry Lin please please don't do this what is he supposed to do this is bad this is so bad. Zuko should take her back. Right now. Please.

But Zuko doesn't. He shakes his head, tells Aang to stop panicking. To speak softly and to move Lin gently so she sits on his legs with her back to his stomach, and to start rocking slowly from left to right while holding her. Gently. Softly. Keep talking while moving. Zuko puts his hand near Lin for her to grab, but that's all he does.

And Lin does calm down, after a little while.

Zuko smiles softly – Aang still isn't used to seeing that, and it's weird but it also makes him wonder why Zuko was always so angry before. It's like there are two of him or something.

It's weird, and Aang wants to ask, but he doesn't think Zuko would like that, and anyway before he can think more about it Jet crouches next to Aang, puts a hand on his shoulder, and tells him see, there was no need to panic – and he is wearing the same face he was wearing in the forest, assured and slightly arrogant, before it all went to hell and the dam exploded. It makes Aang uncomfortable.

And anyway, he wasn't panicking, he just didn't know what to do and there was no way he could've calmed Lin down – but he did, didn't he ? Zuko told him how to, but it was Aang who did it, and if Lin cries again he'll know what to do. And Zuko tells him – this is why he didn't take Lin back, why he won't cut the babysitting short and teach Aang firebending instead.

He goes on but Aang cuts him – it's because he's running away. Even though Toph told him not to – but that was about earthbending and that time Sokka almost got eaten by a moose-lion, it's not like very bad things would happen if he gave Lin back to Zuko, right ?

It's not like he really has to reject everything he was taught, he doesn't say.

And Jet – why him, he's not the teacher here – Jet says that yeah, but nothing bad happened by keeping her either. And that sometimes retreating is a good thing, and sometimes it's not, and Aang needs to learn which is which – and isn't it easier when the stakes are low ?

Zuko, of course, looks outraged at that – calling Lin low stakes was pretty stupid, Aang thinks – but he does calm down a little when Jet reminds him that no life was in danger – and yeah, a crying baby does seem like rather low stakes next to the fate of the world, but it was still badly worded.

Still, Aang gets it. He got it before too, when Bumi told him he couldn't avoid things forever, when Toph told him to face that boulder and pushed him to face her – but he couldn't just stop, because that's what air is, and he doesn't like confrontation, and the idea of letting everyone down again is terrifying enough to stop him from even trying –

He got it, but it just went against who he is. But Jet said that sometimes running is alright, even if he is the Avatar and he can't fail, and that's – that's new. If there is a middle ground between not being a monk anymore and failing, then –

Aang can try.