Grunting slightly with effort, Xiaodan lifted the clay cooking pot into her arms. A week had passed since her and Zuko's trip to the Sun Warriors' ruins and things had returned to normal. Or at least whatever counted as normal for their mismatched group of misfits. Zuko's place among the group had also become more established since he'd begun training both Xiaodan and Aang in firebending, the negative feelings between him and everyone else no longer as much of a hindrance as it had been. That didn't mean their issues were completely resolved of course; Xiaodan still didn't completely trust him yet and she treated him much like she had when he'd first taken her prisoner almost a year ago while Katara continued to act like he was an enemy. She was also still giving Xiaodan the cold-shoulder.

Xiaodan shifted the clay pot in her arms, lifting it further to place it atop her head as she used one hand to keep it in place. Normally, Katara would do the dishes after breakfast, but the dualbender had told her she would do it, if only because Katara always did it and deserved a break. Of course, Katara had taken offense, accusing Xiaodan of thinking that she wasn't doing the dishes right and when Xiaodan had tried to, gently, correct her assumption, the Waterbender had stormed away with a huff, leaving a very confused and irritated Xiaodan with the morning dishes. She still didn't understand why Katara seemed so angry with her, but the younger girl's attitude was beginning to wear on Xiaodan's once infinite patience.

"Here, let me help with that."

Xiaodan jumped in surprise, upsetting the pot she was balancing on her head and she grabbed it with her free hand to keep it steady. A second pair of hands joined hers when it continued to wobble precariously and she looked up at into Zuko's amused eyes. She'd been so distracted by her thoughts on why Katara was giving her the cold-shoulder and treating her like an enemy, she hadn't heard him approach.

She scowled at him irritably to cover up the embarrassment she felt at being startled. "Do you mind? I'm trying to carry a heavy pot on my head."

"I noticed." Zuko replied mildly, taking the pot off her head despite her protests. "That's why I came to help."

"I don't need your help." Xiaodan retorted, crossing her arms and lifting her chin stubbornly.

He shrugged and adjusted his hold on the heavy clay pot, "I know. Still gonna help."

"Sucking up won't make me forgive you, you know."

Zuko rolled his eyes and turned his back on her, heading towards the fountain. "Just get the rest of the dishes, Xia."

"'Just get the rest of the dishes, Xia.'" Xiaodan mocked under her breath, still scowling as she bent to retrieve the dirty bowls and chopsticks from the ground. "What a bossy suck-up." She ignored the way her stomach erupted with bumbleflies as she walked to the fountain with the dishes in her hands. She sat down on the edge of the fountain, keeping at least a foot of space between her and Zuko, then she placed the dishes down beside her.

"Seriously, you don't need to help me." Xiaodan insisted as she removed her shoes then rolled up the hem of her pants. "You should be training Aang or something."

"It's fine." Zuko replied dismissively, watching her out of the corner of his eye as he picked up one of the bowls and used it to scoop water into the pot, which he'd placed inside the fountain. "Toph took Aang up to the cliff to work on his earthbending some, anyway."

"There's just no getting rid of you, is there?"

Zuko smirked and responded without looking at her. "No."

Xiaodan sighed in defeat as she turned around and placed her feet inside the fountain then dug into her pockets, producing a worn cloth. She tore it in two and held one half out to Zuko with a half-hearted grumble, "Then make yourself useful."

Keeping a straight-face, the exiled prince took the cloth with an overly serious thank you. Xiaodan rolled her eyes at him and, as she set to work scrubbing one of the bowls, she mumbled, "Suck up."

Zuko chuckled under his breath and picked up his own bowl then started scrubbing it with the cloth.

In the shadows, Katara leaned against a pillar near the fountain with her arms crossed over her chest, watching Xiaodan and Zuko clean the dishes with an irate glare. Her eyes narrowed further and the scowl twisting her lips deepened when Xiaodan splashed Zuko, tossing her head back with a loud laugh when the water hit him. Zuko stared at her without amusement for several moments, water dripping down his face, before he smiled slightly and shook his head, showering her with the water. Xiaodan yelped around her laughter, throwing her arms up in a measly attempt at protection.

Katara straightened and uncrossed her arms, her fists clenching tightly at her sides as Xiaodan continued to tease and flirt with Zuko, as if everything he'd done to them had never happened. As if he was actually a decent human being. It irritated Katara to see the girl she thought was her friend treat that traitor like he actually belonged with their group. It wasn't lost on her how ever since their trip to the Sun Warrior ruins, Xiaodan seemed to spending more and more time with Zuko, outside of firebending training. The Waterbender re-crossed her arms and pouted petulantly, thinking back to the times when she and Xiaodan would do the dishes together and the small water fights that would happen; sometimes Sokka, Aang, and Toph would get dragged into the water fights, but not always. The water fights were something Katara and Xiaodan shared, something that they did together like sisters...Something that the older girl was now doing with Zuko.

Katara refused to admit even to herself that one of the reasons she was being so snarky with Xiaodan was because she was a little bit jealous. She had always imagined what it would be like to have an older sister, even wished for one when Sokka was being particularly dense, and when she and her brother had found Xiaodan and Aang in the iceberg, the dualbender had filled the role of Katara's so-longed for older sister. But now it felt like that connection had been lost, and all because Zuko had decided he wanted to be 'good' and teach Aang firebending.

The Waterbender watched sulkily as Xiaodan stood up, the stack of clean bowls in her hands. Frustrated, and just a little bit jealous, the Waterbender clenched her fists and stormed across the courtyard towards the dualbender, forcefully bumping her shoulder against Xiaodan's as she passed her.

Xiaodan grunted as Katara, who was practically stomping across the courtyard, knocked shoulders with her, nearly sending the stack of bowls she held flying. She turned and shouted at Katara's retreating back, "Hey! Watch it!"

Katara stopped and looked over her shoulder scornfully, "Oops, sorry, Xiaodan, I didn't see you there."

"Yeah right you didn't, Katara!" Xiaodan snapped back forcefully. She dropped the dishes on the edge of the fountain then placed her hands on her hips, cocking one to the side as she glowered at Katara, "What is your problem lately? You're moodier than a mother platypus-bear."

"You know exactly what my problem is." Katara retorted aggressively then she scoffed and muttered just loud enough for Xiaodan to hear, "But maybe you don't, since you've been so busy acting like a selfish brat."

"Selfish brat?!" Xiaodan sputtered indignantly and she pointed a finger at the younger girl, "Why don't you come say that my face!"

Katara rolled her eyes and started walking away, "Whatever."

"Why you..." The dualbender growled and moved to follow Katara, but Zuko stopped her by grabbing her arms. She struggled and growled again, "Let me go right now, Zuko. Katara and I have some things to work out."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Zuko replied warily, keeping a firm hold on her arms. He mentally cringed when she looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a look that would have probably cowed even the bravest Fire Nation soldier. "You might say or do something you'll regret."

"I doubt that." Xiaodan huffed but she stopped struggling. After a moment, Zuko let her go, backing up slightly and watching her warily just in case she decided to ignore his advice and go after Katara anyway. He didn't need to worry though, as angry and frustrated as Xiaodan was with the younger girl, she saw the wisdom in his words. That didn't mean she wasn't going to show how upset she was.

She threw her fist out and launched a fireball at nearby pillar with a with a snarl. Zuko winced and went to grab her again, but she spun away from him, blasting another pillar with another fireball.

"I don't know what her problem is! She's so, so, so-" She shouted furiously, abruptly spinning around again and snatching up a bowl. She chucked it at the pillar she just blasted with a wordless shout. "Argh!"

"Um... Are you guys having a relationship spat or something?"

Zuko stopped watching Xiaodan's tantrum to glance at Sokka, who had just walked into the courtyard. The Water Tribe boy was staring at the dualbender with worried perplexity, the hand holding an apple half-raised to his mouth.

Xiaodan made a rude gesture in Sokka's general direction without turning around then continued to take her anger out on a defenseless pillar. Between fiery punches, she shouted, "You're sister is driving me crazy!"

"Yeah..." Sokka said slowly, edging closer to Zuko with a pinched frown, "She's been known to do that to people."

"Are she and Katara fighting?" Zuko asked, making sure to keep his voice down, lest he attract Xiaodan's attention. She still wasn't happy with him and with the mood she was in, he really didn't want to risk having her wrath turned on him. Especially now that she had a better handle on her firebending, even if she was still just a beginner.

"No, not that I'm aware of." Sokka replied then he cringed at a particularly loud explosion that came from the dualbender's direction. He laughed nervously and glanced at Zuko, "She's pretty scary when she's mad isn't she?"

"You have no idea." Zuko grimaced, his mind briefly reminding him of Xiaodan's reaction to him helping his sister in the Catacombs. She'd been mad then too. He quickly returned to the matter at hand, "If they're not fighting then why does Katara seem mad at Xia?"

Sokka scratched his head with the hand holding his apple, "You know, I noticed she's been treating Xia oddly, but I thought it was just girl stuff. 'Cause girls are, you know, weird like that."

"Yeah, I don't think that's what this is." Zuko stated drily as Xiaodan finally stopped her assault on the pillar. His eyes narrowed in concern when she instead began to storm off and he stepped forward, "Hey, where are you going?"

"To find Toph!" She shouted back without turning around, "I need to blow off some steam."

Zuko looked over at what was left of the broken pillar and muttered, "Isn't that what you just did?"

Sokka snorted and clapped the former prince on the shoulder, "You obviously don't know Xia as well as you think. 'Blowing off steam' is Xia-speak for 'I need to plot some terrible prank to make myself feel better'." He paused then scratched his head, "Or maybe it means 'I need to spar'? Eh, one of those two."

He nodded sagely and took a bit of his apple while Zuko rolled his eyes, looking in the direction Xiaodan had disappeared in.

Xiaodan was still frustrated as the group sat around the fire after dinner, waiting for Zuko to pass around the tea he'd just made while subtly glowering at Katara over the flames. After storming out of the courtyard, she'd gone to find Toph, pulling her away from her training with Aang to spar and rant about the Waterbender. Toph had listened, occasionally making smart remarks that steadily cooled Xiaodan's burning anger to a simmer.

"No one can make tea like, Uncle." Zuko stated as he finished filling the cups on the tray in front of him, successfully pulling Xiaodan's attention away from Katara and to him. He smiled slightly down at the cups, "But hopefully I learned a thing or two."

"Hopefully." Xiaodan murmured, smirking cheekily at him when he glanced over his shoulder at her.

Shaking his head, Zuko set the teapot down and picked up the tray, "Would you guys like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?"

"Definitely." Xiaodan called out with a grin.

"Sure." Katara agreed reluctantly.

"I like jokes." Aang added eagerly.

Toph smirked and added her own confirmation, "Bring it."

"Okay." Zuko said as he stood and walked over to kneel between Haru and The Duke, both of whom helped themselves to a cup from the tray. "Well, I can't remember how it starts but the punch line is 'Leaf me alone, I'm bushed.'"

Xiaodan made a choked noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh she tried to cover up as a cough while the rest of the group just looked at Zuko with deadpanned expressions. Zuko coughed uncomfortably as he stood up and walked over to where Aang and Katara were sitting.

"Well, it's funnier when Uncle tells it."

"Right." Katara drawled mockingly as she picked up a cup from the tray. "Maybe that's because he remembers the whole thing."

Aang laughed, helping himself to a cup while the rest of the group chuckled in agreement. Zuko smiled slightly and straightened then made his way over to Toph and Teo. He handed a cup to Teo then Toph.

"It's nice to get a chance to relax a little." Toph commented with a smile, accepting the cup Zuko placed in her hands. "It hardly ever happens."

"Isn't that the truth." Xiaodan agreed from Teo's other side. She gave Zuko a half-smile when he walked around Teo to her, kneeling on her other side and handing her a cup. He returned her smile with a small smile of his own before he stood and went over to where Sokka was sitting just outside of the group with his back to them, poking at the ground with a stick.

Sokka looked up at Zuko when he stopped in front of him, "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"

He got up and walked away, Zuko watching him leave before setting his tray down and following. Xiaodan watched them as they walked out into the courtyard where Appa was resting, several yards away from where the group was sitting around the fire before being pulled into conversation by Teo.

"So," Zuko said quietly as they came to a stop beside Appa, who woke up and looked at them a moment before going back to sleep, "What's up?"

Sokka crossed his arms and stared out at the canyon with his back to Zuko. "If someone was captured by the Fire Nation, where would they be taken?"

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked suspiciously then he narrowed his eyes and demanded, "Who was captured?"

"When the invasion plan failed, some of our troops were taken." Sokka replied, turning around and gesturing with both hands, "I just want to know where they might be."

Zuko was quiet for several moments then spoke stoically, "I can't tell you."

"What? Why not?!"

"Trust me, knowing will just make you feel worse." The former prince stated flatly and he turned to head back to the group.

Sokka quickly stepped forward and grabbed Zuko's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He hesitated a moment then sighed, "It's my Dad. He was captured too. I need to know what I put him through."

"It's not good, Sokka." And it really, really wasn't. The prison Zuko assumed Sokka's father had been taken too was the worst in the Fire Nation.

"Please."

Zuko closed his eyes and exhaled heavily before replying. "My guess is..." He paused and opened his eyes, turning to stare Sokka in the eye. "They were taken to the Boiling Rock."

"What's that?" Sokka questioned, frowning slightly.

"The highest security prison in the Fire Nation." Zuko explained, keeping his tone flat while Sokka gaped at him slightly. "It's on an island in the middle of a boiling late. It's inescapable."

Sokka frowned harder and turned away, crossing his arms tightly over his chest as he thought furiously. He forced himself to sound nonchalant as he asked, "So, where is this place?"

"Why do you need to know?" Zuko demanded suspiciously, "What are you planning?"

"Nothing." Sokka replied hurriedly and he turned around to stare at Zuko innocently. When Zuko just narrowed his eyes at him he laughed and waved his hand dismissively, "Boy, you're so paranoid."

Zuko didn't believe the other teen's innocent act for a second, but he answered Sokka's initial question warily, "It's in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation. You guys actually flew right past it on your way here."

"Thanks, Zuko." Sokka said with a grin and he yawned widely, patting Zuko's shoulder as he walked past him, "Just knowing makes me feel better."

"Yeah." Zuko deadpanned as he watched Sokka's back, "I'm sure it does."

He knew the other teen was planning something and he was going to make sure he was there to either stop him or, if it was unavoidable, help him.

"I know that look. What are you up to, Zuko?"

Zuko turned his head slightly and stared at Xiaodan as she slipped out of the shadows of two pillars and approached him. He glanced towards the others and saw them happily chatting and drinking the tea he's made around the campfire.

He looked back at Xiaodan with a blank expression, "Nothing. Guy stuff."

"Don't play stupid." The dualbender chided with an eye roll. "It does not make you cute."

"You think I'm cute?"

"You're unbelievable." Xiaodan rolled her eyes again then she crossed her arms and stared him down. When he remained quiet, she sighed and shook her head, "Fine, whatever, don't tell me." She pointed at him sternly, "Don't think I won't find out though."

Zuko remained quiet as she headed back to the group. Once he was sure she was out of earshot, he muttered under his breath, "I don't doubt it."

He loitered by Appa for a few more minutes then returned to the campfire, taking a seat between Xiaodan and The Duke.

After everyone had settled down for bed, Sokka feigned sleep until he was certain his friends and sister had drifted off. When Aang began snoring, he slipped out of his bed-roll and quietly began gathering some supplies, careful to avoid making any noise or step on any of his sleeping friends.

Once he'd gathered enough supplies in a red sack, he tiptoed past his sleeping sister and towards a sleeping Appa in the nearby courtyard, turning around to make sure the others were still asleep. He sighed in relief when he saw that everyone was still sleeping peacefully. He turned to continue towards Appa, only to suck in a quiet breath and freeze, his eyes widening when he saw Momo sprawled out in front of him, just beneath raised foot.

Sokka glanced over his shoulder at the group to make sure the small noise hadn't woken anyone, then carefully stepped over the sleeping lemur, tiptoeing the rest of the way to Appa. When he began climbing up the sky bison's side, Appa woke up with a quiet grumble.

"Shh..." Sokka whispered, continuing to climb up to the saddle as the sky bison went back to sleep. He was still watching the sky bison warily as he grabbed the rim of the saddle to pull himself up into it.

"Not up to anything, huh?"

"Wyah!" Sokka yelped in shock, losing his grip on the saddle and falling to the hard stone floor with a loud thud, his supplies spilling from his bag.

Zuko moved across the saddle and peered over the edge at the other teen with an impassive expression. Sokka groaned quietly and sat up, rubbing the back of his head while glaring up at the former prince.

"Fine. I'm gonna rescue my Dad." He grumbled in annoyance as he began gathering his supplies and putting them back in his bag, "You happy now?"

"I'm never happy." Zuko deadpanned.

"Sure look happy when you're around Xia." Sokka muttered under his breath, grabbing a bundle of food and shoving it into his bag. "Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea. It was my decision to stay when things were going wrong." He straightened and hefted his bag of his shoulder, walking back over to Appa as Zuko jumped from the saddle. Sokka stopped in front of him and stared him straight in the eye, his expression determined. "It's my mistake and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor." Sokka brushed past the other teen, "You can't stop me Zuko."

"You need to regain your honor?" Zuko stated rhetorically, watching Sokka start to climb up Appa's leg with his arms crossed over his chest. "Believe me, I get it. That's why I'm going with you."

"No. I have to do this alone."

"How are you going to get there?" The former prince demanded sharply and he gestured towards the sky bison, "On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison day cares."

"Especially Fire Nation prisons."

Sokka nearly fell of the Appa's back again while Zuko whirled around, staring at Xiaodan in surprise. The dualbender quirked a brow at the two boys and took a bite of an apple that Sokka hadn't picked up.

"Xia!" Sokka hissed, glancing over towards the other worriedly, "What are you doing? You're supposed to be asleep!"

"Didn't take a genius to figure out you guys were planning something." She replied with a shrug. Sokka gave the former prince a look that clearly said 'suck-up' and Zuko glared at him. Xiaodan rolled her eyes and flicked her wrist at Zuko, "Don't give him that look, he didn't say anything. He didn't have to. Besides, Sokka, you suck at sneaking around. You're louder than a three-legged komodo-rhino drinking cactus juice."

Sokka scowled slightly at her as he hopped down from Appa's saddle, "So what? Are you gonna try and stop us from going? Because you can't."

"Why would I do that?" Xiaodan asked, taking another bite of the apple. "As long as you guys don't do anything stupid to get yourself hurt or killed, then I'm fine with you going fishing. We do need some more meat after all."

A slow smile spread across Sokka's face as he realized she was pretty much giving them her approval and he rushed over to Xiaodan, embracing her tightly. "Thanks, Xia."

Xiaodan patted his back with her free hand, "Yeah, yeah, just be careful and watch each other's back." She stared pointedly over at Zuko, "I mean it. If I have to go rescue you're sorry butts, that prison is gonna seem like a vacation, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Zuko muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes at her as he walked past her. "Come on, Sokka, we'll take my war balloon."

"Just a sec." Sokka called out quietly and he dug into his bag, searching for a piece of parchment. Silently, Xiaodan handed him a blank piece she'd tucked into her samghati as well as a charcoal stick. When she knew something was up with them, she figured she might as well be prepared, knowing Sokka would think of everything else, but forget to leave a note. "Thanks."

"Welcome." The dualbender murmured before moving over to where Zuko was waiting impatiently. As she walked past him, she touched his shoulder gently and whispered, "Try not to die, Firebug."

Zuko blinked in surprise, but before he could say anything in reply, she'd slipped away, heading back towards the others. Shaking his head, he walked over to Sokka just as he finished writing. Silently, he took the note and charcoal, quickly scribbling his own note below Sokka's then he handed the parchment back to him. Carefully, Sokka tucked the parchment under Momo's body.

"Ready?"

Turning back towards Zuko, Sokka nodded determinedly, "Let's go."

The next morning, Xiaodan followed The Duke into the courtyard, each of them carrying an armful of hay. She glanced down at Momo as she passed the snoozing lemur, noticing the crumbled piece of parchment under his arm like a blanket. The dualbender shifted her gaze to Appa and The Duke when she noticed Katara walking towards Momo, tossing the hay into the sky bison's mouth.

"What does it say? Toph asked, coming up beside Katara after she'd picked up the note, her keen ears having caught the sound of rustling paper. Aang, rubbing one eye sleepily, approached from Katara's other side, peering curiously over her shoulder.

"'Need meat.'" Katara read and she squinted, turning the paper and tilting her head as she tried to decipher her brother's horrible handwriting. "'Gone fishing. Be back in a few days. Sokka and Zuko.'"

Aang yawned disinterestedly and turned around, heading back towards his sleeping roll to get some more rest.

"'One more thing. Aang, practice your firebending while I'm gone.'" Katara continued, reading the slightly more legible handwriting below her brother's note, "'Do twenty sets of fire fists and ten hot squats every time you hear a badger frog croak.'" Katara lowered the parchment and looked over at Aang, who had laid down on his sleeping bag, "'Zuko.'"

There was a sudden chorus of croaking and Xiaodan made a small noise of delight as Aang stood up with an irritated frown.

"Nobody else has homework." The young Airbender muttered sourly as he moved to stand in a clear area and placed his hands behind his head, shifting into a squatting position. "One hot squat. Two hot squat. Three hot squat. Four hot squat..."

Xiaodan shook her head at him in amusement and called out to Toph and Katara as they walked away, "I'm gonna head up to the cliff to gather some veggies and herbs for me and Aang."

Katara gave her a condescending look, "Don't you have something else to do? Like the laundry?"

Xiaodan scowled back at her and replied sharply, "You're right, Katara, silly me. I should have realized dirty laundry is more important than food. "

"Whatever." Katara sniffed, striding stiffly past the older girl.

"'Don't you have something else to do?'" Xiaodan mimicked quietly in a high-pitched voice then thumbed her nose and stuck her tongue out at Katara's retreating back. "Nyah."

"Uh, what are you doing?" Toph asked in an entertained tone, 'watching' Xiaodan as she stomped into the group's sleeping area to snatch up her glider.

"If Katara wants to the throw a hissy fit about me not doing laundry well then she can just go and do it herself. I'm going to go forage for some herbs and stuff at the top of the cliff. Monkey-feathering Katara..."

"Riiight..." Toph drawled then edged away from the irate dualbender when her words descended into unintelligible muttering. "You just do that, Xia."

Sokka leaned against the back of the war balloon's basket, near the propeller while Zuko firebended into the fuel tank with one hand, the other held behind his back. Awkwardly they caught each other's eye as Zuko stopped firebending for a moment then looked away in uncomfortable silence.

"Pretty clouds." Sokka commented after a moment, looking at the clouds they were flying through.

"Yeah..." Zuko muttered flatly as he glanced at the clouds, "Fluffy."

Silently clearing his throat, Sokka began whistling idly to fill the uncomfortable silence. Zuko frowned at the sound and turned towards the other teen.

"What?"

"What?" Sokka unintentionally echoed then shrugged sheepishly, "Oh, I didn't say anything." He hesitated a moment then stated awkwardly, "You know, a friend of mine actually designed these war balloons."

"No kidding."

"Yup. A balloon. But for war."

Zuko turned back to the fuel tank and sent another blast of fire into it, "Well, if there's one thing my Dad's good at, it's war."

"Yeah," Sokka agreed nonchalantly, "It seems to run in the family.'

"Hey, hold on." The former prince protested sharply, turning to scowl slightly at the other teen, "Not everyone in my family is like that."

"I know, I know," Sokka replied with no small amount of sardonic humor, "You've changed."

"I meant my Uncle. He was more of a father to me." Zuko sighed, turning away and bowing his head sadly, "And I let really let him down."

"You know, I think you're uncle would be proud of you. Leaving your home to come help us." Sokka shrugged emphatically, "That's hard."

Zuko shook his head and bended more fire into the fuel tank, "It wasn't that hard."

"Really?" Sokka questioned, leaning forward with a curious look. He wasn't sure he believed the former prince's statement. It had to have been at least a little difficult to leave his home, "You didn't leave behind anyone you cared about?"

"I-" Zuko hesitated before he said he'd had a girlfriend, remembering that Sokka was Xiaodan's friend. He cleared his throat and forced the words out, "I did have a girlfriend."

"Oh." The Water Tribe boy said then realization brightened his face and he snapped his fingers, pointing one at Zuko, "Right, right, Xia mentioned that. That gloomy girl, right? The one who sighs a lot?"

"Yeah. Mai." Zuko answered and shifted his feet awkwardly. "Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I'm a traitor. I didn't want to drag her into it. Especially because..." He trailed off then rubbed the back of his neck and scowled at himself before speaking again, though it seemed as if he was talking to the fuel tank instead of Sokka. It made him feel more comfortable with what he had to say, but he couldn't seem to force the words out of his mouth either way. "Because..."

"You care about Xia more?"

Zuko exhaled heavily and jerked his chin down in a sharp nod, "Yeah."

Sokka leaned back against the basket and tapped his fingers against the rim, speaking with forced flippancy, "My first girlfriend turned into the Moon."

The former prince glanced over at him, "That's rough, buddy."

"Yeah," Sokka agreed with a soft sigh then he perked up and grinned slyly, "But, hey, at least she's not throwing things at my head." He goaded, reminding the former prince of how for the first couple of weeks he was with the group, Xiaodan would throw whatever was closest to her at him whenever he irritated her, which was all the time.

Zuko grunted and gave him a deadpan look at the dig. Sokka to chuckle mirthfully, leaning his head back against the basket rim with a grin.

"Ugh! I can't even be around you right now!"

Aang's eyebrows shot up at Katara's angry shout, his brows climbing further when the Waterbender stormed past him, seething with frustration. He watched her go then looked towards Xiaodan, who was glaring at Katara's retreating form.

"Fine!" The dualbender yelled at Katara's back. "I didn't want to deal with you and your issues anyway!" She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, turning around so her back was to Aang.

Cautiously, the young Avatar approached his sister, his brow pinched in a concerned confusion. "Uh, Xia? Is everything alright with you and Katara?"

"I don't even know!" Xiaodan exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air before covering her face with them. Her words, when she spoke again, were muffled by the tanned and tattooed appendages, "It's like she hates me."

"Katara doesn't hate you, Xia." Aang said confidently, placing his hand on her shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly, "It's all probably just a misunderstanding."

"Gee, you think?" The dualbender snapped sarcastically then winced and ran her hands through her tangled hair with a sigh. She looked over Aang apologetically, "I'm sorry, Aang, I shouldn't have snapped. I'm just really frustrated right now."

"It's alright." Aang replied affably, then asked curiously, "What were you guys arguing about anyway?"

Xiaodan groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose, her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she explained, "It was stupid. I went up to the top of the cliff to find some herbs and things for us to eat, instead of doing laundry. Katara made a snide comment when I came back and I might," She stressed the word with a small grimace, "Have replied in a way that Monk Gyatso would have disapproved of."

"What did you say?" Aang asked with small sigh. Sometimes the monks' teachings were lost on his sister, at least, now that they knew about her heritage, he knew why she could be so temperamental.

"Weeelll," She drew the word out, looking off to the side with a sheepish expression. "I might have insinuated that if her clothes smelled so badly, she could do the laundry herself..."

"Xia..."

"What? It's not like I meant it." Xiaodan mumbled and she crossed her arms sullenly, "She was just being so bossy and-and naggy."

"You're going to have to apologize, you know that right?" Aang pointed out, giving her a stern look when she whined wordlessly and looked at him with a plaintive expression.

The dualbender huffed and pouted like a child, "Whatever. I'll apologize when she does."

Aang sighed again, knowing that he wouldn't be able to change her mind. His sister could be as stubborn as an Earthbender when she wanted to be. And in this situation, Aang knew his sister felt justified in her frustration, so there was absolutely no chance him getting her to apologize to Katara before the Waterbender apologized first. Rubbing his forehead quickly, he decided that he was going to have to use his peace-making skills to help settle whatever was going on between Katara and Xiaodan. Since he wasn't going to get anywhere with his sister, he figured he go talk to Katara instead.

"I'll go talk to her."

Xiaodan mumbled something too quietly for him to hear and turned away, heading over to the pile of herbs, vegetables, and fruits she'd found. Aang shook his head at her then headed out in search of Katara. He was going to figure out what was wrong between his sister and his friend and use his Avatar-ness to fix things between them. He couldn't stand to see the two people most important to him fighting.

Aang found Katara practicing her waterbending in the pagoda right next to the waterfall that cascaded over the cliff. He closed his glider, twirling it above his head as he landed on the ledge a few feet from her, then he took a moment to observe her. Her movements, while still fluid, were strained and stiff, expressing the frustration she clearly felt even better than the pinched expression on her face.

"What do you want, Aang?"

Aang winced slightly at her sharp tone and held his staff behind his back, rocking slightly on his heels. He chuckled nervously, "Oh y'know, I just wanted to see how you were doing. I mean, we haven't seen each other practically all day."

"I'm fine." Katara replied shortly, her mouth twisted into a scowl as she formed a water whip and lashed out at a broken pillar.

The water cut deep into the old stone, sending several shards flying in several directions. Aang winced at the destruction, but refrained from commenting, instead he cleared his throat. He opened and closed his mouth a couple times, but couldn't think of a way to gently ask what he needed to. Sighing softly, Aang decided to take a page from Toph's book and be blunt.

"You seem upset."

"Really?" Katara stated sarcastically as she turned towards Aang, placing her fists on her hips and scowling slightly, "What gave you that impression?" When Aang just continued to regard her with a patient, open expression, she threw her hands in the air in frustration, "I don't even know why you want to talk! You'll just side Xiaodan anyway, just like everyone else!"

The use of his sister's full name was not lost on Aang and his brow furrowed slightly in confusion. He couldn't remember a time when Katara, or any of their friends really, had used Xiaodan's full name; they always called her Xia. Keeping his voice patient and gentle, he replied with equanimity.

"There aren't any sides here Katara. I'm sure whatever happened between you and Xia," He stressed his sister's nickname a bit for emphasis, "Is just a misunderstanding. You guys can work it out."

"Oh, it's more than just a misunderstanding." Katara spat and she folded her arms stubbornly over her chest, "She lied to us, kept secrets from us, am I the only one upset by that?!"

It dawned on Aang then, why Katara was so upset. He mentally smacked his forehead for not realizing it sooner. Katara hadn't known about the relationship Xiaodan and Zuko had shared while they had been in Ba Sing Se, not until recently. Aang had known for months, having been told by his sister after he woke up, then Xiaodan had told Sokka shortly after the invasion had failed, and Toph had figured it out after Zuko had joined, getting confirmation from Xiaodan shortly after. But Xiaodan had never told Katara.

And when Xiaodan and Zuko had gone to the Sun Warriors' ruins, Aang, Sokka, and Toph had unintentionally rubbed it in her face that she had been the last to know. Aang felt so stupid right then.

"Katara," Aang spoke softly, laying his staff against a pillar and approaching the irate Waterbender slowly, "Xia didn't keep the feelings or the relationship she has with Zuko a secret to hurt us and she didn't mean to lie. Xia doesn't share her problems with anyone, believe me, I know that better than one else. She's like you, she has to take care of everyone, and a lot of the time that means she's taking on everyone else'sproblems instead of dealing with her own. She didn't say anything about her and Zuko's relationship to hurt you."

"But she told everyone else. I was the last to know!" Katara shouted then she scoffed and shook her head. She refused to admit that she felt hurt, because it seemed that Xiaodan didn't trust her enough to talk to her. "And that doesn't change the fact that sheshouldn't have been in a relationship with Zuko anyway!"

Aang could only watch with a sinking feeling in his stomach as Katara whirled around and ran away, heading towards the stairs that hidden behind the waterfall that led to the top of the cliff. His stomach twisting into knots, Aang began to think that he hadn't fixed anything at all with his interference. He'd probably just made it worse.

Night had fallen several hours ago as Zuko's war balloon continued to sail through the sky. The former prince stood in front of the fuel tank, firebending into it for a few minutes before closing the grate and brushing his hands off. He glanced over at Sokka, who was passed out with his head tilted back against the basket rim and his mouth wide open as he snored loudly. Shaking his head slightly, Zuko leaned against the front of the basket rim, narrowing his eyes slightly when something caught his eye between the thinning clouds.

Straightening, he leaned forward slightly then called out over his shoulder, "There it is."

Sokka jerked awake instantly and practically jumped from his spot at the other end of the basket, rushing over to stand beside the other teen as the war balloon neared the top of the volcano, where steam billowed out of it.

"There's plenty of steam to keep us covered." Zuko stated as the war balloon flew closer to the steaming crater at the top of the volcano. He glanced over at Sokka as he continued, "As long as we're quiet we should be able to navigate through it without being caught."

He headed back over to the fuel tank and pulled open the grate, firebending into it quietly. Sokka, clutching one of the ropes holding the basket to the balloon, peered over the edge at the steaming water below as the balloon slowly descended into the crater. He glanced up at the burner when the balloon began to fall more rapidly and his mouth dropped open in dismay after noticing the way the burner was loosing power, no matter how many times Zuko firebended into the fuel tank.

"We're going down." Zuko whisper-yelled, rapidly firebending into the fuel tank with both hands. "The balloon's not working anymore!"

Frantic, Sokka rushed to the other side of the basket, grabbing the rudder in an attempt to direct the balloon. He started speaking as Zuko began firebending into the vent instead of the fuel tank, "The air outside is just as hot as the air inside so we can't fly."

The balloon continued loosing altitude and the basket tilted, causing Zuko to lose his balance. He grunted when his back his the basket rim at the front, and he clutched at it, turning to look at Sokka with wide eyes. "So what are we supposed to do?"

Sokka grabbed the onto the tank for balance and shrugged helpless as he looked over the tank at Zuko, "I don't know. Crash landing?"

Pushing away from the tank, Sokka moved over to the side of the basket and peered over it as the balloon got dangerously close to the steaming water. The basket suddenly skimmed the surface of the boiling lake, sending up a wave of water onto Sokka's hand, burning it.

"Hmmph!" Sokka slapped his unburned hand over his mouth to muffle his yelp, flailing his other one wildly.

The balloon's basket glided across the water for several minutes before crashing onto land, throwing Zuko, Sokka, and their belongings out of the basket just before it shattered. Groaning and holding a hand to his head, Zuko straightened slowly while Sokka sat up behind him, spitting the dirt that had gotten into his mouth out. The two teens turned to look at the balloon, watching in dismay as it slowly deflated onto the broken strips of wood and metal.

"How are we gonna get off the island if the balloon won't work?" Zuko hissed, staring at the wreckage with a grimace. If they didn't return to the temple, Xiaodan would kill them. It didn't matter that they would be stuck in the Fire Nation's highest security prison, the dualbender would find away to get to them.

Sokka waved his hand dismissively as he got to his feet, "We'll figure something out. I figured it might be a one-way ticket."

"You knew this would happen and you wanted to come anyway?" Zuko demanded quietly, staring at the other teen in disbelief as he walked over to the wrecked balloon. He groaned slightly and covered his eyes with a hand, "Xia is gonna kill us..."

"My dad my be here. I had to come and see" Sokka stated, ignoring the former prince's second statement, even though he knew it was true. He'd deal with that issue when he had to. He contemplated the destroyed war balloon for a moment then began gathering the fabric of the balloon, putting it into what was left of the broken basket.

"Uncle always said I never thought things through, but this," Zuko grumbled grabbing his head and throwing his arms out in exasperation, "Ugh, this is just crazy!"

"Hey!" Sokka protested, frowning over his shoulder at Zuko before turning back to the wreckage. "I never wanted you to come along in the first place, you chose to come instead of staying at the temple with Xia. And for the record, I always think things through." He grabbed more of the balloon's fabric and tossed it into the basket as he continued, "But my plans haven't exactly worked, so this time, I'm playing it by ear. So there."

He tried to push the basket, but the metal burned his hands and he yanked them back with a small yelp. Frowning in determination, he proceeded to kick the basket into the water.

"What are you doing?!" Zuko whispered-yelled as he ran over to the other teen, watching as his destroyed war balloon slowly began to sink into the boiling water.

"It doesn't work anyway." Sokka stated as the vent slowly disappeared beneath the water, "And we don't want anyone to find it."

Scowling, Zuko crossed his arms over his chest as stated grimly, "I hope you know what you're doing." They both turned to stare up at the huge metal prison looming over them, "There's no turning back now."

"I know." Sokka replied just as grimly, then he gestured for Zuko to follow him, "C'mon, let's find someplace to rest for a bit then we can sneak in and steal some disguises or something."

"I hope these disguises work." Zuko, dressed as a prison guard, murmured after slipping out of a storage room filled with uniforms. He and Sokka had managed to sneak into the prison just before dawn, stumbling upon the storage room rather quickly.

Sokka, also dressed as a guard, closed the door quietly as he replied, "We just need to lay low and find my Dad as soon as possible."

Suddenly, over a dozen guards ran down the corridor connected to the one they were in and the two teens froze, hoping they wouldn't be noticed. Unfortunately, a guard at the end spotted them and stopped, calling out hurriedly.

"Guards! There's a scuffle in the yard, come on!"

Zuko and Sokka glanced at each other quickly then hurried to follow the guard, running behind the group. They were last to enter the yard, where a mass of people wearing ragged, red clothes had formed a circle.

The guards, plus Zuko and Sokka, shoved the spectating prisoners aside to the get to the middle of the circle where a guard and a prisoner were circling around each other.

"I didn't do anything." The large, burly prisoner snapped at the guard and he turned to walk away, "I'm going back to my cell."

"Stop right there, Chit Sang." The guard called out mockingly, lashing out at the prisoner's foot with a whip of fire.

Zuko, who had reached the inner part of the circle with Sokka, made to step forward, but the other teen grabbed him by the elbow, stopping him.

"We can't blow our cover." Sokka whispered under his breath as the bully guard approached the prisoner, Chit Sang, from behind.

"I've had it with your unruly behavior." The bully guard stated with malicious glee.

Chit Sang turned back to the guard and scowled, "What did I do?"

"He wants to know what he did." The bully snickered and turned towards Zuko and Sokka, leaning towards them with a smirk that was hidden beneath his helmet, "Isn't that cute?" He looked back over at Chit Sang, expecting a response, but when the boys remained silent he turned back to them, lifting his helmet to eye them suspiciously.

"Uh, yeah," Zuko replied quickly after catching the nervous glance Sokka sent him from the corner of his eye. "Very cute, sir."

"Super cute." Sokka added nervously.

The guard eyed them for another moment then smiled in satisfaction and walked back over to Chit Sang. He smirked and drawled out cruelly, "You didn't bow down when I walked by Chit Sang."

"What?!" The large prisoner demanded in outrage, "That's not a prison rule!"

"Do it." The guard sneered up at the taller man.

Chit Sang narrowed his eyes into a glower of defiance, "Make me."

The two stared each other down while the other guards and prisoners looked on then the bully guard smirked. He straightened and began walking away from Chit Sang, who let out a small sigh of relief that was short lived.

The bully guard, who had walked a few feet away, smiled cruelly as he bended another fire whip and spun around, lashing out at the large prisoner. Chit Sang, sensing the whip approaching, quickly turned around and firebended the whip, directing it back at the guard, who kicked the flame aside.

"Tsk-tsk," The bully guard clucked his tongue, shaking his head with mock regret, though gleeful smile on his face was unmistakable. "Firebending is prohibited. You're going in the Cooler." Chit Sang dropped the stance he'd taken and the guard pointed at Sokka, "You! Help me take him in."

Sokka jumped in surprise and gulped, whispering quickly to Zuko, "Meet me back here in an hour."

Zuko gave an infinitesimal nod of agreement, watching as Sokka helped the bully guard escort the large prisoner out of the courtyard.

Sokka walked along side the bully guard down a long metal hall that had multiple pipes on the ceiling that extended into the numerous doors on either side with Chit Sang, his hands changed behind his back walking in front of them.

When the bully guard stopped in front of one of the doors, Sokka quickly grabbed the handle and pulled it open, revealing another metal door which he opened as well, water vapor pouring out. He got a quick glimpse of metal room laden with frost and some icicles before the bully guard shoved Chit Sang into the chamber.

"The Warden will deal with you soon." The bully guard stated gleefully and gestured for Sokka to close the doors. When they were closed, the guard gestured at the doors with his thumb, "Can you believe this guy?"

"Prisoners." Sokka shrugged, getting into the act of being a guard as he grinned, "Am I right?"

"Ugh." The bully guard scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall beside the door, "Tell me about it."

Sokka chuckled quietly in reply and folded his hands behind his back, standing on the other side of the chamber. He hoped Zuko was doing okay and was having better luck finding out if his dad was in the prison.

Zuko, who had made his way into the guard's cafeteria after helping disperse the prisoners in the courtyard, stood at at the buffet table, getting some food.

"Hey new guy." A guard sitting at a table behind Zuko with two others called out, "I know it's the rule to have your helmet on at all times, but this is the lounge." He patted the table he was sitting at with a grin, "Relax."

Keeping in the character of a new guard, Zuko approached the table and asked innocently, "What if there's an incident? If I'm not prepared, someone could strike me on the head."

The three guards laughed and the lone woman sitting at the table quipped, "Give it a week, he'll loosen up."

"Can the new guy as you veterans a few questions about the prison?" Zuko asked as he sat his plate down and took a seat beside the guard that had first spoken.

"No," The female guard drawled drily after assuming what his first question would be, "You can not date the female guards."

"Trust me," The guard Zuko was sitting next to joked with a smirk, "You don't want to." He yelped a second later when a tin cup hit the side of his head, the guard sitting next to him laughing loudly.

"No, that's not it. The Boiling Rock, it holds the Fire Nation's most dangerous criminals, right?" Zuko questioned and when the guards nodded in assent, he continued seriously, "So what about war prisoners?"

"Have you guys noticed something...strange going on between Katara and Xia?" Teo asked as he rolled down a hallway in one of the many pagodas of the Western Air Temple with Haru and The Duke on either side of him.

"Yeah, I think it has something to do with Zuko." Haru replied, shrugging slightly before crossing his arms over his chest. "I think Katara is upset about how much time Xiaodan spends with him."

Teo hummed thoughtfully and stated, "I think she's upset about how much time Xia spends with him."

"Maybe she's jealous." The Duke suggested then snickered and began making kissy-faces, "Xia likes-likes Zuko an' wants to kiss him an' stuff, an' maybe Katara does to."

Haru gave the younger boy a miffed look over Teo's head and shook his head in denial, "I don't think that's it The Duke." He muttered lowly under his breath, "At least I hope not..."

"Well, whatever it is, I hope Katara and Xia can work it out soon." Teo said as he turned the corner and rolled down the hall that would take them to the courtyard where the group was staying. "Because I think Xia's gonna snap soon."

"No kidding." Haru and The Duke chimed nearly simultaneously.

The younger boy suddenly laughed loudly and shook his head at his companions' curious looks, "I was just thinkin' that Katara would totally get her butt kicked if she picked a fight with Xia."

"Why do you say that?" Teo asked, genuinely curious. He remembered seeing both Katara and Xiaodan fighting against the Fire Nation tanks back at the Northern Air Temple and they were both impressive. "They're both pretty good fighters."

The Duke just gave him an incredulous look, "Have ya seen Xia spare with Toph? They're both crazy scary." He continued in an awed and impassioned tone, "Katara wouldn't stand a chance."

Teo glanced over at Haru questioningly, but the older teen just shrugged, just as skeptical as the other boy. Haru moved behind Teo's chair until he was standing on The Duke's other side and he patted his head as they entered the fountain courtyard.

"Whatever you say, Duke."

"It's The Duke!"

Sokka peered into the cooler curiously, observing the way Chit Sang sat huddled on the floor with his legs pulled up to his chest, shivering violently. Sokka glanced over at the other guard and commented, "It sure looks cold in there."

"That's why were call it the Cooler." The bully guard snapped drily as Sokka slid the panel shut, "He won't be firebending in there." The guard's eyes suddenly widened and he straightened from slouching against the wall, sliding his visor down and hissing under his breath, "It's the Warden. Look alive!"

Sokka quickly stood at attention with the other guard on either side of the Cooler's doors as an older man with a serious face walked down the hall flanked by two more guards. The Warden nodded at the metal doors and Sokka pulled them open hurriedly before stepping to the side as the Warden stepped forward.

"So Chit Sang, I hear you used firebending to try to escape." The Warden tsk'd then smirked coldly, "You should know better."

Shivering violently, Chit Sang spat out, "I wasn't trying to escape!"

"He's lying!" The bully guard stated loudly, peering over the Warden's shoulder to glare at the large prisoner, "I saw him with my own eyes!"

Ignoring the guard as his own pushed him out the way, the Warden continued talking as if nothing had happened, "No one has ever, ever escaped from here. I'd sooner jump in the boiling lake myself than let that record fall." His dark amber eyes narrowed viciously and he snarled, "Don't forget it." His expression relaxed and he smiled almost pleasantly, "Now, go back to your shivering."

Chit Sang glared at the Warden's back as he stepped away and the of the Cooler were slammed shut, leaving him in the dark and the cold. Shivering, he tucked his face against his knees and closed his eyes.

After hurrying away from the Warden and the other guards, Sokka found his way up to one of the guard towers and leaned against the railing, looking out of the yard as several prisoners milled about. He heard shuffling come from his left and he glanced over just as another guard edged closer to him.

"Hey there, fellow guard, how goes it?"

Sokka straightened when he recognized Zuko's voice and quickly raised his helmet's visor, "Zuko?"

"Shh." Zuko raised a finger to his lips and shushed the other teen. He glanced around quickly then spoke quietly, "Listen, I asked around the lounge. There are no Water Tribe prisoners." He hesitated then lifted his visor and looked at Sokka sympathetically, "I'm afraid your father's not here."

"What?" Sokka asked in shock, staring at Zuko in dismay and he quickly asked, "Are you sure? Did you double check?"

"Yeah," Zuko sighed with a small nod, "I'm sure."

"No." Sokka whispered and closed his eyes. He grasped his head in despair and walked over to the wall of the tower, slamming his fists against in frustration. "No!"

"I'm really sorry, Sokka."

Sokka shook his head and glared at the metal wall of the tower, "So we came all this way for nothing. I failed." He closed his head and leaned his head against the wall, "Again."

"Err..." Zuko faltered and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "What would Uncle say?" He tilted his head back and look at the sky contemplatively for a moment then began to speak slowly. "Sometimes clouds have two sides, a dark and light. And a silver lining in between. It's like a silver sandwich."

Sokka turned around and stared at the older teen's back disinterestedly as he continued to speak.

"So...when life seems hard...take a bit out of the silver sandwich!"

Sokka's eyes suddenly widened when something in the yard caught his attention and he rushed to the railing with an excited smile, "Maybe we haven't failed after all!"

"That's the spirit." Zuko said with a pleased expression then he crossed his arms, "I can't believe that worked. I didn't even know what I was saying."

"No, what you said made no sense at all." Sokka refuted distractedly then he pointed towards the yard, "But look, it's Suki!"

Zuko followed the direction of Sokka's finger and saw a girl with short light brown hair around their age sitting on a rock, her eyes downcast and expression dejected.

"Prisoners!" A guard suddenly shouted and a bell began ringing loudly throughout the yard, "Back to your cells!"

Zuko glanced over at Sokka and quirked a brow beneath his helmet at the love struck expression on the other teen's face just before Sokka lowered his visor and rushed off. Shaking his head in bemused exasperation, and silently hoping he didn't look like that when he looked at Xiaodan, Zuko followed Sokka at a quick walk so as to remain unsuspicious.

Sitting on the hard cot in her dark cell, Suki pulled her knees up to her chest and leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes tiredly. The creak of the door sliding open caused her to snap her eyes open and look towards the door, her face illuminated by the light from outside.

"What is it?" She demanded sharply, sitting up and glaring angrily at the guard that entered her cell. "Did I do something wrong?"

The guard crossed his arms and asked cockily, "You mean you don't recognize me?"

"You people all look the same to me." Suki muttered with a scoff and she looked off to the side.

"Oh." The guard quipped smugly and she glanced over at him just as he leaned forward, "Then maybe you'll recognize this."

He puckered his lips and made smooching sounds at her. Suki grabbed his chin and lunged to her feet, shoving him back towards the door with her forward momentum. The guard slammed into the door with a metal clang and a grunt, his helmet falling off his head.

"Sokka!" Suki gasped and her eyes widened when she saw a familiar tan face and blue eyes. She rushed towards the dazed teen, throwing her arms around his neck in relief, "It's you! I'm so glad!"

Sokka's dazed expression melted into a warm smile and he closed his eyes, hugging her back tightly. After a moment, he helped her to her feet and he asked seriously, "The other Kyoshi Warriors, are they here?"

"No," Suki replied with a worried frown, concerned for her friends and fellow warriors, "I don't know where they are. They locked me here because I'm the leader."

"Well," Sokka said with a soft smile, reaching up and ducking her cheek with his hand, "You won't be here for long. I'm busting you out."

"I'm so glad." Suki repeated as she grasped the hand touching her face, "To see you, Sokka. I knew you'd come."

Their hands lowered from her face as they stared at each other, slowly leaning closer.

Outside the cell, Zuko stood stoically in front of the door with his hands clasped behind his back. He idly wondered how Xiaodan and the others were doing as he waited for Sokka to finish talking to Suki. Footsteps pulled him from his musing and he glanced to the side, noticing a female guard walking up the steps. Quickly, he knocked quietly on the metal cell door as the guard approached.

Inside the cell, Sokka and Suki broke apart from their kiss and looked towards the door with slightly panicked expressions. Sokka grabbed Suki's hands and pulled her down beside him, pressing his back against the metal door.

"'Scuse me." The female guard stated gruffly when she reached Zuko, "I need to get into that cell."

"No, you can't go in there." Zuko said hurriedly and he turned to look into the viewing slat in the door before looking back at the female guard, "The lights are out...the prisoner could sneak up on you." He pointed at the door for emphasis.

The female guard frowned severely and snapped as she tried to push Zuko out of the way, "Step aside, fool." When her hand touched his shoulder, Zuko grabbed her arm and threw her against the door, twisting her arm behind her back. "Hey, hey! What are you doing!?"

The female guard and maneuvered her way around, flipping their positions and slamming Zuko against the door instead. Zuko grunted when his helmet hit the metal door and he quickly broke her hold, turning around and grabbing her arm again, hooking one leg behind hers.

Sokka and Suki exchanged worriedly looks inside the cell before Sokka's expression became determined and he slipped his helmet on his head then stood up. He quickly peered out of the slat, saw Zuko bending the female guard over by her arm, and took the opportunity to slid the door open quietly and sneak past Zuko and the female guard after closing the door silently behind him.

He was only a few feet away when the female guard turned her head and noticed him, calling out.

"Guard, help!" Sokka cringed and turned back as the woman continued to shout, "I think he's an imposter! Argh! Arrest him!" When Sokka continued to just stand there, she shrieked, "Get him off me and arrest him!"

Sokka swallowed then fixed and unreadable expression on his face as he stormed over to the struggling pair, grabbing Zuko's arm and throwing him against the floor, "You're under arrest!" He stated loudly then helped Zuko to his feet and whispered quietly, "Don't worry, I'll figure it out."

Rubbing her sore shoulder, the female guard glared at Zuko's back as Sokka lead him away.

Slipping her bare feet into the stream and resting her elbows on her thighs, Xiaodan pursed her lips and frowned at the water in consternation. She'd escaped to the stream at the top of the cliff after another confrontation with Katara that had almost ended in a physical fight. Aang had stepped in before that could happen though, managing to keep the two girls from coming to blows and destroying what was left of the fountain courtyard in the fight. Xiaodan had then gone up to the stream to cool off while Katara went who-know-where.

"I wish I knew what was wrong with her." Xiaodan grumbled, kicking the water in frustration. "It's like everything I do is wrong and makes her upset." She frowned as a thought occurred to her then rolled her eyes, "Ha, I bet this is the universe's idea of a joke, letting me know how Zuko feels when I treat him like Katara is treating me. Very funny."

She kicked jumped to her feet and thrust her hand out, shooting a ball of fire into the stream. Steam erupted in an explosion of hissing, the water bubbling for a brief second before settling as the steam dispersed.

Straightening from her stance, Xiaodan sighed and rubbed the side of her head, ruffling her hair. Dejectedly she muttered to herself, "I know Aang wants us to resolve whatever's wrong peacefully, but I don't think that's gonna happen." She sighed again and sat down heavily, "Some times words aren't enough to fix things..."

Either Katara would push her too far or she pushed Katara, either way, a fight between them was inevitable. Xiaodan knew this and as much as she didn't like it, she had accepted it. Now she just had to wait for the big blow out. She had a feeling it would happen sooner rather than later...and hopefully before Sokka and Zuko got back from their 'fishing' trip.

Zuko leaned against the far wall and stared down at the metal floor of the empty room he'd been placed in, his arms crossed over his chest. He glanced up when the door suddenly slid open, eyes narrowing slightly when the Warden of the prison stepped into the room.

"Well, well, well." The Warden drawled smugly as he stopped a few steps into the cell, his hands clasped behind his back. "I never thought I'd find you here,Prince Zuko."

"How do you know who I am?" Zuko demanded sharply.

"How could I not?" The Warden retorted, furrowing his brows in anger. "You broke my niece's heart."

Zuko straightened in surprise, "You're Mai's uncle?" He swallowed and looked off to the side guiltily as he whispered, "I never meant to hurt her."

"Quiet!" The Warden spat harshly then he sneered at the former prince, "You're my special prisoner now. And you best behave. If these criminals found out who you are, the traitor prince who let his nation down. Why," The Warden smiled thinly in satisfaction, "They'd tear you to shreds."

"So what's in it for you?" Zuko asked coolly, tilting his chin up in defiance, "Why don't you just tell my Father and collect the reward."

"Oh in due time believe me," The Warden replied darkly, "I intend to collect."

Zuko lowered his arms and clenched his fists at his sides as the Warden walked out, the door sliding shut behind him and leaving him in the dark. Walking back the few steps to the wall, he leaned against the metal and slid down to the floor. He brought his knees up and rested his arms on them, hanging his head.

"I'm sorry." He muttered under his breath, apologizing to everyone he'd ever hurt; his uncle, Mai, Xia, and everyone else.

Sokka walked into the prisoners' cafeteria in the center of the prison block, glancing around quickly before walking over to where he saw Suki and Zuko mopping the floor underneath a set of stairs.

"Oh, good." He said in relief as he came to a stop before them and crossed his arms, "You guys have met."

"A-actually, we met a long time ago." Suki commented mildly.

"We did?" Zuko muttered back in confusion,

"Yeah, you kinda burned down my village." Suki replied, glancing over at Zuko with an angry frown before continuing to mop the floor.

Zuko looked up and thought for a moment before wincing in realization, "Oh. Sorry about that. Nice to see you again." He quickly pushed his mop over to the stairs and leaned it against the wall, Suki following him a moment later.

They crouched down and after checking their surroundings, Sokka joined them.

"So listen, I think I have an escape plan." He said quietly as he kneeled in front of them and lifted up his visor, "I checked out the Coolers again, the whole point of them is to keep firebenders contained, right?" he addressed the question at Zuko, who nodded slowly.

"Yeah..."

"So they're completely insulated and sealed to keep the cold in." Sokka continued with an excited grin, "Well to keep the cold in it also has to keep the heat out, right?"

Suki sighed, "Just get to the point, Sokka."

"It's a perfect boat," Sokka explained, raising his left arm and moving it across his body in a fluid motion, "For getting through the boiling water."

The other two glanced at each other skeptically before Zuko questioned warily, "The cooler as a boat? Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Sokka replied confidently and he began explaining, "I walked around the perimeter. There's a blind spot between two guard towers. It's the perfect launching point. I already tested it out." He made motions with his hands as he spoke, "We'll roll the cooler into the water and just float with the current. It'll take us straight across." He smirked at the other two, "As long as we don't make a sound, no one will notice. And bing, bang, boom, we're home free. And then Xia can't kill me!"

"What?" Suki questioned then shook her head, "Never mind. How are you going to get the cooler out?"

"Yeah," A deep voice asked from above them and the three teens looked up in surprise, staring wide eyed at Chit Sang as he peered down at them from the stairs. He slid under the rails and dropped down to land beside Zuko in a crouch, "How are you gonna get the cooler out?

"What?" Sokka asked in panic, chuckling nervously as he gestured wildly with his hands, "We didn't...We didn't say that."

Chit Sang gave him a flat look, "I heard you hatching an escape plan and I want in."

"There's nothing to get in on." Zuko snapped coldly.

"Yeah," Sokka agreed with a vigorous nod, "The only think we're hatching is...an egg?"

Zuko and Suki sighed simultaneously and closed their eyes, shaking their heads at the other teen.

"Okay," Chit Sang drawled with a smirk, "Well, I come with you or the Warden hears about this egg too."

Suki looked over at Sokka with a reluctant expression, "I guess we have no choice."

Scowling fiercely, Sokka glared at Chit Sang, "Okay, you're in. Now, first we need someone to unbolt the Cooler." He pulled a wrench from his pocket and held it flat against his arm before passing it to Zuko, "From inside."

Zuko took the wrench and tucked it into the waistband of his pants at the small of his back, nodding grimly.

Chit Sang smirked over at Zuko, "Oh, I cat get you inside."

Chit Sang walked across the cafeteria, stopping beside another staircase and crossing his arms over his chest as he looked around. Zuko, walking backwards, as he mopped the floor bumped the mop handle against Chit Sang.

"Ugh, hey! What are you stupid?" Chit Sang demanded angrily and he grabbed Zuko by the shoulders, "Watch where you're going!"

Zuko grunted and dropped the mop, mimicking Chit Sang by grabbing the older man's shoulders. They grappled for a moment before Chit Sang picked Zuko up and tossed him to the side. Zuko grunted and twisted in the air, landing on his feet and whirling around to glare at Chit Sang.

"Hey, you want who you're shoving!" Zuko snapped back, rushing forward and shoving Chit Sang back.

"I think you mean whom I'm shoving." Chit Sang retorted and the two locked hands, pretending to struggle against each other while the other prisoners began cheering and chanting around them.

They pushed against each other for several minutes before Zuko broke off and attempted to throw at punch, but Chit Sang grabbed his fist and threw him to the ground.

"I need back up over here!" Sokka shouted as he walked over to the fighting pair, pretending to just notice the fight.

Chit Sang attempted to jump on Zuko, but the former prince kicked his legs up and shoved himself up and flipped out of the way, landing in a crouch. He thrust his fist forward and firebended a blast at Chit Sang's feet, the old man jumping up to avoid the flames.

"No firebending!" A guard shouted, pointing at Zuko as he stormed over with two other guards, "Into the cooler."

Zuko grunted as the other two guards tackled him to the ground before dragging him up by his arms, holding them behind his back as they forced him out of the common area and towards the section of the prison that housed the Coolers.

A little while later, Sokka slid open the door to one of the Coolers and crossed his arms sternly, "I can take you back to your cell if you've learned your lesson."

Zuko lifted his head and exhaled a breath of fire then smirked, "Yes, I have. Completely." He unfolded his arms from around his midsection, revealing the various bolts and nuts he'd removed from the cooler inside his shirt.

Sokka grinned then leaned forward and lifted his visor as he whispered, "I got Suki and Chit Sang out of their cells a few minutes ago. They'll be waiting for us at the shore."

Zuko was about to respond when a noise got his attention. He quickly grabbed Sokka and yanked him inside the Cooler, sliding the doors shut as he whispered in explanation, "Someone's coming."

"Yeah, new arrivals coming in at dawn." A male guard said as he and a female guard walked down the hall, passed the Cooler the two teens were hiding in.

"Anybody interesting?"

"Nah, just the usual. Some robbers, couple of traitors, some war prisoners. Though I did hear there might be a pirate!"

The female guard sounded impressed, "No foolin'."

"War prisoners." Zuko repeated, glancing over at Sokka in concern after the guards had disappeared, "It could be your father."

"I know." Sokka replied quietly, looking away and closing his eyes sadly.

"Well, what should we do?" Zuko asked with a small shrug, "Are we going ahead with the plan or are we waiting another night?"

"I don't know." Sokka shook his head then look at the older teen with tears in his eyes, "Is it right for me to risk Suki's freedom? All of our freedom on the slim change that my dad is gonna show up?"

Zuko shrugged helplessly, "It's your call, Sokka."

Sokka closed his eyes again then sighed as he came to a decision, "We're going."

When night fell, Zuko and Sokka removed the Cooler from the prison, using their body weight to slow its rapid roll down the slope to the water's edge. Suki, who'd been waiting with Chit Sang, rushed up to help, the large prisoner following her a second later.

"Took you guys long enough." Chit Sang grunted as they slid down the slope. He nodded towards the woman and man waiting by the edge, "This here's my girl and my best buddy. They're coming too."

Sokka frowned in annoyance and growled an agreement as the Cooler finally slid the a stop "Fine. Everybody in the Cooler. Let's go."

The four shifted the cooler into position and while the others were getting inside, Sokka hurried over to the rock he'd hidden his stuff under, grabbing his old clothes and sword.

Zuko approached the other teen and asked quietly, "Are you sure you want to go? You're the one who said you have to redeem yourself. Redeem your honor. Rescuing your dad is your chance."

"Your dad?" Suki repeated in surprise, having walked up to the others and heard the last part of Zuko's statement.

Sokka looked up at Zuko with a desperate expression, "If I had just cut my losses at the invasion, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. Maybe sometimes it's just better to call it quits be you fail." He slipped his sword over his shoulder and onto his back.

"No, it's not." Zuko denied instantly, "Look, Sokka, you're going to fail a lot before things work out."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Sokka asked drily as he stood up and slung his back over his shoulder before starting towards the shore."

"Even though you'll probably fail over and over and over again."

Sokka stopped and glanced over at Zuko with a deadpan expression, "Seriously, not helping."

Zuko rolled his eyes and grabbed the other teen's shoulder, turning him around. "You have to try every time. You can't quit because you're afraid your might fail."

"Hey," Chit Sang suddenly called out in annoyance from where he was holding the cooler in place, "If you two are done cuddling, can we get a move on?"

"No, I'm staying" Sokka replied, shaking his head and dropping his bag to the ground then turning to address Zuko and Suki, "You guys go." He placed a hand on Suki's shoulder, "You've been here long enough."

Suki grabbed his hand and smiled at him reassuringly, "I'm not leaving without you, Sokka."

"I'm staying too." Zuko added, stepping up to stand beside Sokka.

"Not me, I'm out. Let's roll, baby." Chit Sang stated then he pushed the cooler into the water and jumped inside.

"We gave up our only change of escaping." Sokka sighed as the three watched the cooler shrink in the distance, "I hope we haven't made a huge mistake."

Chit Sang groaned quietly and wiped the sweat from his brow. Dawn was rapidly approaching and the cooler wasn't even half way across the boiling lake. He growled quietly, "Argh, this current is so slow." He stood and tore off a small section from the outside of the metal cooler, "I can use this to paddle."

He dipped the makeshift paddle into the boiling water, the metal instantly searing under the heat. Chit Sang's eyes widened and he immediately let go of the metal, looking at his burned hand as he struggled not to scream.

His face and whole body began to redden as he continued to struggle to not emit a sound. Unable to take the pain, a loud scream escaped his mouth, echoing around the lake.

A guard on one of the walls heard the sound and looked in that direction, noticing the cooler floating in the water. He ran as fast as he could to the alarm bell, hitting it with the hammer leaning against the post.

"Guards!" The Warden screamed, summoned to the wall the by bell and he glared down at the floating cooler, "Secure the perimeter and lock down the prisoners! Now!" Several guards ran past him while others ushered prisoners out of the courtyard and into the prison.

Pressed against the prison, out of sight of any guards, Sokka, Suki, and Zuko looked up in panic.

"The plan failed!" Sokka whispered in dismay, "They're caught."

"Get the fugitives and throw them in the Cooler!" The Warden shouted furiously.

"Uh," The guard in charge of turning a massive crossbow's wheel stated in confusion, "They are in the Cooler, sir."

"One that's bolted down and not floating in the water!" The Warden screamed at the guard angrily, "This is a lockdown!" He pointed at the approaching gondola behind him, "We have new prisoners arriving! Everything must be completely secure!"

The guard nodded rapidly and turned back to the crossbow's, turning the wheel rapidly until the bolt was pointed at the computer. He quickly fired the large crossbow, the bolt striking the front of the cooler before beginning to reel it in.

Sokka glanced away from where the cooler was being towed in to look at the gondola that was approaching the prison, "The gondola's moving."

The gondola slowly moved towards the drop-off, Sokka biting his lip and staring at it anxiously. "This is it." His voice was hushed and he watched the gondola get closer to the platform, "If my Dad's not there, we risked everything for nothing."

Behind him, Suki touched his shoulder comfortingly, "We had to."

"C'mon, c'mon." Sokka whispered urgently, willing the gondola to move faster. His breath quickened when it finally reached the platform and a guard pulled the door open.

A big burly man with long, shaggy hair, a long beard, a nose ring, and a tattoos on his arm walked out, his hands cuffed in front of him.

"Is that him?" Zuko whispered.

"My Dad doesn't have a nose ring." Sokka glanced over his shoulder derisively then looked back as several more men filed out of the gondola, his hopes falling each time one wasn't his father. "Where is he?" A shirtless man with a topknot walked out and no one followed him, Sokka stared in disbelief. "That's it? That can't be it."

"I'm so sorry, Sokka." Suki whispered sadly.

Sokka closed his eyes and lowered his head in dismay, "Oh no."

"Hey, you, get off the gondola!"

The trio looked up at the guard's shout, all of them watching with bated breath as covered foot stepped out of the gondola, before being followed by Hakoda. The Southern Water Tribe chief looked around before completely disembarking from the gondola.

"Dad." Sokka breathed in relief, watching as his dad was escorted into the prison.

Unaware of the events transpiring miles and miles away from her, Xiaodan stood beside the stream at the top of the cliff, several piles of clothes and sleeping rolls piled around her. It was mid-morning and she had decided to get a start on the laundry before Katara could complain, but only after she had set everything up for breakfast before the others had even been awake.

The dualbender stepped out of her shoes then slipped off her samghati and tunic, leaving her in her sarashi and pants. Tossing her shoes out of the way, Xiaodan kneeled on the ground and grabbed a random article of clothing from the pile to her left, dipping it into the water and scrubbing it against a flat rock that had been leaned against the edge of the stream over a hundred years ago for the sole purpose of serving as a washing board.

As she scrubbed, Xiaodan worried. She worried about Zuko and Sokka, who had been gone for almost three days now, and if she would actually have to tell the others that the two weren't fishing, but needed to be rescued from a Fire Nation prison that they had gone to willingly.

"I can already see that going over well. Especially with Katara." The dualbender muttered under her breath, wrinkling her nose as she thought about the Waterbender.

An armful of clothes was suddenly dropped into the water beside her, snapping her out of her worrisome thoughts. Xiaodan jumped and quickly grabbed the clothes before they could be swept down stream by the sluggish current then she looked up, squinting against the morning sunlight to stare up at Katara in surprise and annoyance. The Waterbender loomed over her, an almost haughty expression on her face.

Xiaodan scowled and demanded sharply, "What was that about, Katara!? These could have been swept down stream!"

Katara sniffed, "You forgot it. Since it's your chore to take care of, you might as well do all of it. That is, if you're not to busy."

Xiaodan's scowl darkened and she carefully set the wet clothes she was holding in the pile to her left and got to her feet, standing just a few inches taller than Katara. She put her hands on her hips and glared down at the younger girl.

"What is your problem, Katara? You've been acting like a jerk for weeks now."

Katara scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, turning slightly away, "What's the matter, Xia? I thought you liked jerks." She sniffed condescendingly and sent a scathing glare at the older girl, "That's why you wanted Zuko to join our group, isn't it?"

Xiaodan felt her jaw drop and she gaped at the Waterbender in disbelief. "Excuse me?!"