Hakoda saw the avatars bison return once again, he saw it in the morning when the avatar said his daughter was in danger, and by nightfall they were back. It must've been a false alarm.

He smiled kindly seeing both his children but soon his smile dropped when more people, and a bear, was with them, Katara and another boy were focused on something else while Sokka and three other people got off appa.

"Is everyone okay?" Hakoda asked as Sokka was focused on other things as well.

"We need clean water and bandages asap," Katara called to her father when Zuko gently lowered Aang down to Sokka to catch.

"On it," Hakoda gulped seeing the small boy being carried by his son and the other boy.

"Bato clear a tent for my children," Hakoda called back to the other water tribe men and one was immediately cleared. The two teens with the avatar went in with Katara following quickly.

"Lay him on his stomach," Katara told them seeing the bed. They did so and moved out of her way, Katara used whatever water with her to begin trying to heal Aang.

"We need bandages!" Sokka called out the tent.

"Here's more water," Hakoda brought in a bucket and bato came in with bandages and more medical supplies.

"What... what happened?" Hakoda asked as Katara pulled more water into her healing to cover aangs back.

"He was struck with lightening, don't focus on the main injury focus on his breathing," Zuko told her softly seeing her hands shaking. She tensed but directed her healing, hands moving more above aangs heart and lungs instead of the main scar, the pain in his face draining.

"Who is this?" Bato looked at the new face unsure.

"Let's give them some space and talk outside, Katara are You going to be okay?" Sokka looked at his sister worried.

She didn't answer.

"Oi, you with us?" Zuko asked more stern, it snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Don't leave me please," she whispered not looking up. Zuko was taken back but knelt on the ground next to aangs bed, adrenaline finally leaving his body. His legs were weak and the ache was settling in, but he stayed.

Sokka nodded seeing he had his sisters back and good intentions, he motioned for the men to follow him outside.

"His names zuko, he's fire nation," Sokka told the men as the tent closed behind him. The earth king heard him and immediately joined.

"Excuse me?" Bato blinked.

"You brought a fire bender?" He asked in disbelief.

"He was a soldier before," Sokka nodded.

"He was in ba sing se," the earth king jumped in.

"Yes he was, but he meant no harm, he got a lot of that anger out before we got there," Sokka waved him off as Toph walked over and held onto sokkas arm.

"What do you feel?" Sokka looked at her softly.

"I feel aangs heart beat still," she whispered but there was fear in her voice. They all were afraid.

A moment later Katara and Zuko walked out of the tent. Zuko looked defeated, there was no emotions in his eyes, Kataras eyes were red and exhausted, she looked everyone who waited outside the tent.

"Hi dad," Katara whispered with her voice cracking.

"Hi Katara," Hakoda walked to her and wrapped her in a tight hug, first time he's seen his youngest child in two years. She clung on tightly trying not to cry anymore.

"How is he?" Sokka asked Zuko.

"Breathing, he should be stable," Zuko rasped with his eyes down.

"What happened when I left?" Jet stormed over.

"You think cause your a soldier that we're scared of you? What the hell happened? You out numbered the lightening psycho," Jet shoved Zuko back.

"How do you let this happen you fire nation scum?!" He shoved again and Zuko fell back in the dirt.

"Hey don't touch him," Sokka ripped Jet back as Katara covered her mouth surprised as her father held her.

"It's his fault! His fucking people! His country! Fire nation scum like him should be locked away!" Jet yelled as bato and Sokka held him back. Toph was down next to Zuko to help him up.

He stayed on the ground.

"I'm sorry," Zuko sat up.

"Your a monster! You know Aang only wanted your forgiveness for some reason?! He thinks he's a murderer cause of you!" Jet screamed at him.

"Look at us! Look at them your friends! Look at Aang! Look at katara! This is your people's fault!"

Zuko stood up looking angry again but he didn't look at them, he was angry with himself, conflicting himself again and again, where he stood. Bato walked to the soldier but it startled him, Zuko flinched away when he saw the men getting closer. Looking at them unsure if they'd attack, he took a few steps back like a scared animal.

"He's not a threat," Katara told her father.

"He is fire nation," bato said unsure.

"He's on our side," she stared at him dangerously.

"Katara, he is a fire bender, you know they're dangerous, you know what they've done, what about your mother?" Jet tried to get to her but suddenly he was punched in the face and fell to the ground. Sokka standing over him with rage.

"Keep talking, go on," Sokka clenched his fists.

"Sokka that's enough," Hakoda told him.

"Fire nation or not, he's on our side, I trust my children," he told the people that started to crowd them around the tent. When they heard fire bender more of the water tribe came closer.

Zuko stayed silent, he didn't know what to do, he couldn't fight any of them. But he didn't belong here...

He looked down when Toph wrapped her arms around his bicep and stood close, he noticed she was shivering a little. There was a cool breeze he didn't even notice till now, the ocean splashing against the shore close by. He let her use him for warmth, they all felt so defeated.

"Can we go inside the tent?" Toph asked. Katara heard her and saw the tears rolling down the youngest face as she leaned against the fire bender.

She looked at her brother and motioned for him to come inside the tent, bringing Zuko and Toph along.

"If you have a problem with how we do things Jet, I suggest you take it up with the chief or leave," Katara told him coldly before closing the tents door.

"Who's the chief?" Jet made a face.

"I am," Hakoda crossed his arms.

"Oh," he whispered with regret.

-

"Well that was pleasant," Sokka sighed rubbing his face stressfully as Katara sat on the edge of the bed looking at Aang who was still unconscious.

"I'm sorry," Zuko sat on the ground leaning against the bed.

"For what?" Katara looked at him confused.

"I didn't mean to be a problem, I should've known coming to you tribe there would be tension," he gulped but was tense when Toph leaned all her weight against him.

"I'm tired," Toph kept her eyes close as she laid against him. She looked small and fragile for once, Aang looked like a child as well. They all felt helpless.

"Get some rest, we all should," Katara told her softly.

"Can I?" Toph asked Zuko.

"Go for it," he sighed and she rested her head against his arm, not really reaching his shoulder. Zuko lifted her feet off the ground and rested them on top of his knees.

"That means you too," Katara poked him a little as Sokka sat on the ground exhausted as well.

"I'm not tired," he shook his head.

"Zuko we got captured before the sun went down yesterday and I know you haven't slept since, I haven't, you can rest now," she urged more but he groaned a little.

"I'm sorry to bust balls right now but I need to point out the reality, what are we going to do?" Sokka cut in as he looked between them.

They were the oldest of this group of misfits, Sokka was the oldest of them all, but he couldn't take the lead alone. He felt responsible but so did they.

"I know we're tired, and scared, and angry, I need you two in this though, yes You Zuko, your stuck with us now," he pointed to the teen who seemed a little surprised he was apart of the conversation.

"We have no plan, and I have no idea what to do," Sokka pressed his palms against his eyes frustrated.

"I don't think there's anything we can do," Katara whispered.

"There isn't," Zuko tsked rubbing his head.

"Not now, right now you have to keep yourselves and Aang in hiding, to heal from the blow you just took, the best thing to do right now is nothing," he explained looking at the siblings.

"Azula won, the earth kingdom has fallen, the avatar is down, you need to heal from this, not rush into another battle," he told them.

"We, we all need to heal from this," Katara corrected.

"Azula told You to choose today Zuko, your with us now, we have your back like you had ours," she pursed her lips. He chose them over his country, his family.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"We lost the battle but we didn't lose the war, this isn't the end," Katara inhaled a shaky breath nodding.

"Is it going to be okay with Jet here? He hates fire nation pretty bad," Sokka tilt his head to the side.

"I'm fine but he definitely won't be liking me any time soon, you remember hais shops door broken back in ba sing se?" Zuko looked over at Katara.

"Yea, crazy customer?" Katara frowned.

"That was me and Jet fighting, tried confronting me being a fire bender," he shrugged casually.

"And that's how he got arrested... great," she sighed shaking her head.

"Wasn't my fault he's crazy," Zuko hummed but felt Toph shift against him more.

They fell quiet again, to tired to think of the future, think of the war.

For the longest time he was the youngest of his troops, he was the runt, he was their little brother. He didn't understand why they picked on him, made him train harder to catch up with them, but also kept him safe when he was younger. But now he wasn't the runt anymore, there was younger ones in this war, and now he was starting to understand.

Katara sat on the ground next to her brother, he wrapped his arm around her to keep her warm, Sokka rested his cheek against her head and fell asleep as the siblings rested against each other. But Katara didn't sleep, she kept her eyes on Aang to watch him breathe, to make sure he was alive. She and Zuko knew they weren't going to sleep even if they kept telling them it was okay but it was harder said than done.

So they sat in comfortable silence letting their minds rest for the time being.