A. N. : Once more, Jet hijacks a chapter. This is a mutiny. As a side note, I think Jet would like scars a lot. To him they mean you fought back. Zuko's scar ? He would love it. In a creepy you're an outcast like me way. Also intrusive thoughts suck.

Li looks like he's expecting an imminent attack.

Which, well – Jet can't really blame him for that. Bee and Longshot's concerned looks at the station were a pretty good indication of what he must have looked like. He hadn't felt this bad since the day Katara froze him to a tree and told him exactly what she thought of him – sick sick he's a monster and Gaipan is safer now that he's gone –

Stop. Not thinking about this. Maybe later, if he can find somewhere he can be alone. Right now ? Li will probably behead him with his teeth if he so much as looks like he's going to freak out.

Which he won't. So long as there's no fire close to his face when he's not expecting it.

And that was what set him off at the station, really. He's been fighting the Fire Nation for long enough to be able to forget his fear and the screams of his parents when he's facing soldiers. He knows they'll come at him with fire. He knows and he's prepared to turn his brain off and let his body react instead.

When looking at a war child whose appearance is so Earth most people would miss the fire ? Not so much.

It a sense, it was a good thing. If he had reacted instead of being too stunned – afraid – to move, well – a child what a monster how horrible –

No. Thinking. Bad brain.

Lin holds her tiny little hands up to play with the wheat – really, what's with her obsession with the stuff – and it makes Jet smile. He almost takes a step forward but –

The station. She had done the same at the station.

He gold eyes are shining and he sees the fire in them and he can't, he can't –

She's a baby. A child – she's fire fire it burns he's scared someone help him –

Li makes the kid lower her hands and says some nice parent nonsense to her – you'll play later, don't annoy the man – and he's looking at Jet warily, and Jet gets the feeling he knows –

Li knows. Of course he knows – they are the same, he probably spends his nights replaying in his mind whatever terrible things the Fire Nation did to him, dreams of the day he got that scar, that horrible, horrible – beautiful – scar. Maybe he flinches when fire gets too close, too. Maybe he's not just afraid for Lin, but he tries to forget about it because she's a child and he has to protect her.

He is strong. Li is strong, perhaps even stronger than Jet.

But then again, Jet already knew that. One doesn't get a burn that bad and survive without being strong. Even more – Li hadn't just survived, he had held. He walks with assurance, doesn't back down, doesn't look afraid. And he still cares – spirits know that's the hardest part, caring, even when your world turned to ashes. He cares for Lin the same way Jet cares for his Freedom Fighters.

What would Jet have done if one of his kids had been – well, everyone knew about Longshot and Sneers, but that –

Later. Focus on the matter on hand, thinking – breaking – later.

Jet is vaguely aware that he's been standing there for too long – the merchant is poking him and this is why you can't trust refugees to work efficiently –

Right. Work. He has to settle the fire problem quickly.

He looks at Li. Hurt and scarred and broken Li. Li who holds and protects his firebending child like a mother turtle-duck would.

They're the same. If Li can do this, then so can Jet. He can do this. So long as Lin doesn't – he can do this.

He smiles at Li, takes a box of peaches off the ground, and asks how he's been.

He can do this.