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Caught	By : whirleeq Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Het - Male/Female Views: 24538 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Sokka was upset.

No, he was more than upset. He was miserable, and it wasn't getting any better; especially with Bosco wailing in the background. He couldn't even think, and he needed to think right now more than anything.

Pacing. Pacing was good – calmed the nerves. He paced, back and forth, on the little sand dune overlooking the serpent's pass, ignoring the slightly squishy feel of the sand between his bare toes. Toph had insisted that he wash his shoes, nasty and dirty and smelling as they were, and he left them back at the sand bender's settlement, near Ghashiun's open window. He felt no remorse for it whatsoever – he owed that brat some payback after the whole Appa stealing incident anyway.

“We have to do something.” He said, for the tenth time. “We need a plan.”

Toph yawned and sprawled out. She was laying on the sand, her face towards the sky that she could not see, her hands cradling her head and her knees bent so that her feet were in constant contact with the ground. He knew she wasn't trying to irritate him, and that she was able to sense her surroundings better by having more of her body in contact with the ever-shifting sand, but it still bothered him to see her laying like that, when something needed to be done. He knew it was irrational and petty, but his nerves were shot, he was extremely worried about his sister and Aang, didn't even know if either of them were alive, and... they needed to do something.

“Will you stop that?” Toph said, irritated.

Sokka frowned, pausing in his pacing momentarily to glare at her. Pointless, he knew, but it made him feel better.

“Stop what?” He said, resuming his pacing.

“That!” She replied, her lips curled into a frown. “All that... pacing. You are giving me a headache, and I'm trying to think.”

His mouth fell open.

“And stop gaping at me, that's irritating too.”

“What... how do you know... wait, I don't even want to know,” he growled. “We need a plan!”

“Yes, you've said that. Several times now.”

From down in the settlement behind them, Bosco moaned loudly.

Sokka threw his hands up in frustration, before dropping to the ground with a loud 'thump'. He sighed, and sprawled out next to Toph, stared at the sky for several long minutes, sighed again, and then stood and started pacing once more.

Because it helped. And because it irritated Toph.

“You know,” she said, “if you would just allow yourself to calm down, something might come to you. Your a pretty smart guy, when you want to be.”

His chest inflated slightly, and his cheeks reddened with her compliment.

“Of course, with your heart beating so fast with anxiety, you're reduced to a babbling fool.”

And then, just like that, his chest fell.

“The best thing you could do for both of them right now, is to calm down. Something will come to you.” Toph repeated, turning her head towards him. “I have faith in you.”

His cheeks reddened again, this time for an entirely different reason, before he shook it off.

“I know.” He said, after a moment. “But it's Katara. She's... she's all that I have right now. If something were to happen to her--”

“She's not all that you have...” mumbled Toph.

“Huh?”

“Nothing. I am just saying that we've always pulled through in the past.”

“Yeah, but this time... I'm not so sure.”

Toph sighed, exasperated. “Sokka, you just need to...” she paused for a moment, her face scrunched up in an expression of extreme concentration. “Look up!”

“I'm trying to, but the situation is pretty bleak.”

“No, dummy! LOOK UP!”

Startled, he turned his head towards the sky. It took a moment for him to recognize the bird for what it was, but as soon as he did, his boomerang was out and just like that, he knocked the messenger hawk right out of the sky.”

“C'mon!” He said, as he pulled Toph to her feet. He dragged her in the direction of the downed hawk, idly thinking to himself that if Aang was with them, he'd have a real big problem with what he had just done.

With shaking fingers, he untied the small, rolled parchment from the bird's foot. He held it gently for a moment, and then, with a sense of excitement mixed with a little bit of fear, he broke the red wax seal stamped with the fire nation symbol, and unrolled the scroll. His eyes fell on the familiar characters, following them top to bottom as he read the scroll to himself.

“Out loud, please.” Toph said, annoyed.

“Oh. Sorry. It's a missive from Fire Lord Ozai, addressed to Princess Azula of the Fire Nation,” he paused, following the characters with his fingers as he read, “It says, 'Daughter – I've received word of your conquest of Ba Sing Se, along with your capture of the fugitive Avatar, and the traitors. I will be accompanying a battalion of soldiers, along with Colonel Shinu, to ensure that the occupation of Ba Sing Se is a permanent one. This is a glorious new day in Fire Nation history, and you will be duly rewarded for your achievements.”

“As for the prisoners, Zuko and Iroh' - huh, he doesn't say Prince Zuko. Some father he must be – 'I will deal with them personally upon my arrival. For the Avatar and his water nation consort...'”

Here, Sokka paused, all color draining from his face, and he stumbled forward. Toph grabbed his arm to steady him, then turned her head towards him in concern when she felt the clamminess of his skin along with the rapid rate of his pulse.

Sokka cleared his throat and continued, his voice shaky. “'They will be returned to the Fire Nation for a public execution.'”

Sokka crumpled the scroll, tore it in several places, and threw the pieces down on the sand. He stared at them for several moments, gritting his teeth.

“No,” he said, “No. It's not going to happen. I won't allow it.” He turned to Toph. “We won't allow it.”

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it, her expression grim and determined.

“No,” she said harshly, “we won't.”

~*~*~

Azula paused on her way to the catacombs, a leather canteen filled with water in one hand, a loaf of bread in the other.

'What am I doing?' She asked herself, annoyed. It was one thing to torment the boy, and quite another to bring him sustenance – especially when he refused to eat the dried fish the guards had been bringing him for the last couple of days. She snorted, not understanding how he could even now refuse food just on principle, especially since he was still recovering from the injury she had given him. Even with the water bender's healing, he was still weak and slept over half the time.

She had ordered the guards to bring him a blanket and some warmer garb – not because she was concerned, not at all – but because she couldn't have him falling ill and dying on her, not after she went through all that hassle of having him healed. And certainly not before her father sends word as to what is to be done with him.

She already had an inkling what that would be, and it disturbed her, although she didn't know why it disturbed her. Possibly, because he was powerful and if there was one thing she respected, it was power. And though she loved to torment the boy, she did have to admit to herself a grudging respect for him. In theory, there was no one more powerful than the Avatar.

In theory.

Behind her, she heard a soft exhale, and she paused. As fast as lightening, she dropped the bread and the canteen and had the follower pinned against the wall by the neck. When she saw who it was, she released her grip – but only slightly.

“What,” she asked Mai, “do you think you are doing?”

“I – I need to talk to you.” Mai said, her voice coarse.

Azula dropped her hands, allowing Mai to take several deep breaths. “And you think that allows you the privilege of spying on me?”

“I wasn't – Azula, I wasn't spying on you, honestly.”

Azula regarded her for a minute, her expression carefully blank.

“Then what, exactly, were you doing?”

Mai took a deep breath, and straightened her back. She opened her mouth once and closed it, before repeating the action, and then she cleared her throat.

Intrigued now, Azula relaxed her stance and crossed her arms, waiting for the other girl to speak.

Emboldened by this, Mai lifted her head and met Azula eyes with her own.

“Azula. Princess Azula. I have been your friend and loyal companion for years now.”

'She wants something from me,' Azula noted to herself, unsurprised.

“You know that there has been only one thing, and one thing only that I have ever wanted for myself,” Mai continued, stumbling slightly over the words.

“Don't presume that I pay that much attention,” Azula responded.

Mai's cheeks reddened briefly and she narrowed her eyes somewhat before she continued, as if Azula hadn't spoken. “And that is your brother, Prince Zuko.”

Mai looked at her closely. Azula did not respond and kept her expression carefully blank.

'It puts power into the hands of your opponent,' her father once said, 'when they can read your emotions in your face. Better to be cold than weak.'

“So, I ask of you Azula. I beg of you. Please remove that girl from his quarters.”

Ah. So that was what this was about.

“You want Prince Zuko all to yourself, then.” Azula stated.

“Of course,” Mai responded, passion in her voice. “Someday, when you meet someone, you'll understand.”

Azula turned away briefly, hiding the angry flare in her eyes.

“Any man suitable for me must be able to beat me in an Agni Kai,” Azula stated, flatly. “Since there is no such man, anywhere, be assured that it will never happen.”

“Azula, please --”

“Mai. You are of higher station than her, and Prince Zuko is a Fire Nation prince. As such, he is entitled to have concubines,” she said, silently adding 'at least until father arrives' to herself. “I see no reason for your jealousy. And, you are of lower station than me, so you are in no place to question my decisions. Are we clear?”

Azula did not miss the brief look of rage in Mai's eyes before the girl responded, in as calm and sweet a voice as possible.

“Crystal.”

“Good,” Azula said, and then motioned to the bread and canteen on the floor. “And while you are here, take this down to the Avatar. See that he eats it.”

And with that, Azula turned and exited the catacombs.

~*~*~

It was late at night, and most everyone in the palace of Ba Sing Se was asleep. Everyone, but a few Dai Li soldiers standing guard, and a lone figure dressed entirely in black. His head was even covered, wrapped in black fabric in the manner of the dead, covering everything except the slant of his golden eyes.

Without a sound, the dark figure made his way down into the catacombs, passing the few bored looking Dai Li guards with ease. He came to a stop directly in front of Iroh's cell.

Iroh was humming softly to himself. When he saw the dark figure standing just outside the bars to his cell, he grinned softly.

“So,” Iroh said, “Have you come to your senses, or should I go back to humming the song of the four nations?”

“Uncle,” Zuko said, ignoring his comment. “I have a plan...”

~*~*~

A/N – Okay everyone, sorry this has been a little while in coming. I have been distracted by a very cute bishie in green, with a green hat and pointed ears. Link owns me right now... and I'm not a big game person, but... damn. Twilight Princess = Best. Game. Ever.

Also, someone thought that Azula tossing the Spirit Oasis water into the air was over the top, so I just wanted to clarify. I probably over think my stories. So much so, that I am absolutely anal about every single minute detail. In this case, I believe that Azula is a complex character, and a product of her upbringing. She has been very spoiled by her father and placed on a pedestal since she was born. She is used to power, and being in control, and not being in control is outside of her comfort zone. Also, she is a little immature, spiteful and manipulative, and in my mind, asking Katara for help fell under the category of 'giving control to someone else', leaving her a little insecure. So, she threw the bottle up in the air, knowing that the other girl was going to catch it. Petty, yes, but absolutely, utterly, in character – or at least I think so.

Anyways, I hope you all like this chapter. I have this whole thing outlined (I find that makes writing the story soooo much easier...) so it is a matter of time for me. Expect the next update after the holidays.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year!

--whirleeQ

P.S. - Normally, I post my stories on several sites. This one, however, is going to remain here until I finish it, and then I'll put it up on fichaven as well, since I'm notoriously bad at going back and changing itsy bitsy little grammer errors. It's a PITA to constantly update more than 1 site. :)
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