The Storm

I can't believe this is how I die, Sokka thought to himself with great disgruntlement as the ocean surged wildly around him. He clung to the wooden side of the ship and tried to clamp down on his panic. The ocean tossed their vessel angrily, waves battering the sides with tremendous force. He looked to the horizon, vainly hoping to see Appa's shaggy head and any possibility of rescue – even though he knew it was hopeless. The spirits had never liked him that much. He'd never been that lucky. Instead he saw the eye of the storm, a small oasis of calm air - but it was too far and too late. Their boat had sustained too much damage to be able to sail it and seek refuge.

He glanced behind him and saw the Fire Nation boat close by, also been tossed hopelessly about. Good, at least their coming down with us Sokka thought bitterly, as a deafening crack echoed overhead and the sky was lit with a brilliant white light. The lightning illuminated an incredible wave bearing down hungrily on the fishing boat. The force of the water was too strong and though Sokka clung with all his might, it was not enough. He heard the old fisherman frantically call out for him as he was swept overboard.

The water was so churned up that Sokka couldn't tell which was was up or down. Now I really am done for! He thought, and allowed himself a moment to feel so sad and sorry for himself. Sokka was a pragmatic, he was a realist. He knew his chances of survival now had greatly diminished. But still, he struggled on. Another flash of lighting showed him the surface above. He swam with all his strength, breaking through with a loud gasped for air.

He could just make out the shadow of the other ship, lurching from the impact of the waves, just before the current pulled him under again, turning him round and round underneath the surface until he was dizzy and his lungs were bursting for air. His head was pounding. Without any new lightning, Sokka couldn't make out where the surface was. He felt dread deep in his heart. He didn't want to die. He was too young to die. This was such a stupid way for him to die! If only he'd been a water-bender like Katara, or had a flying bison like Aang. He thought of Katara and Aang, waiting for him to come home tomorrow and felt his heart crack. Who would look after those idiots now?

The last thing Sokka knew was being gripped by a pair of strong arms around him. Then everything went dark.

-o-

The first thing Sokka knew was the feeling of someone pushing on his chest, in short, sharp jabs.

Then his nose was pinched and a pair of warm lips clamped down over his and hot air was forced into his mouth. It made Sokka feel like coughing and vomiting at the same time. He felt his whole chest heaving as he spluttered out a large volume of water. He coughed hard enough for it to wrack his whole body. A firm hand rolled him over onto his side, while the other pounded his back, forcing more water out.

"Try and cough it all out" a raspy voice commanded, and Sokka froze (not just from the cold). He knew that voice.

"Zuko?" He spluttered incredulously, as he rolled over. He was saved from the water by Zuko, of all people?

Zuko's one good eye widened in surprise. "The water-tribe idiot?" he asked, equally incredulous.

"Did you just kiss me?" Sokka asked, appalled. He had so many questions, but this was the first one to slip out. It seemed the most important at the time.

-0-

"Did you just kiss me?" The kid asked, looking as disgusted as Zuko felt. He had...technically. They'd had lip-to-lip contact after all. He'd had his lips on that filthy peasant. Gross. The kid turned around and started wiping his mouth savagely and Zuko felt compelled to do the same.

"No! It was not a kiss." Zuko shouted back angrily. "You'd stopped breathing, you moron. It was the kiss of life!" he explained.

"It was a kiss!" the moron said, while pointing at him accusingly, looking aghast.

Zuko made an indecipherable noise of frustration. He'd just done some daring heroics. He'd climbed up the ladder in the middle of a very intense storm, saved the helmsman. Then the little fishing boat had capsized. The old fisherman had been able to grasp the life preserver they'd thrown over. They'd seen somebody else go overboard into the swell. Zuko had (unthinkingly, he admitted to himself) tied the rope around his waist and jumped over as soon as he saw a head break through the surface close to the ship. He'd swam down, pulled the kid out and resuscitated him and...this was the thanks he was going to get!

Monkey feathers, the spirits hated him.

"It was not a kiss!" he yelled, but right before he was going to lurch into a full blown explanation of life-saving techniques to this imbecile, the ship lurched violently again, from another wave. They'd managed to get into the eye of the storm, but they were in no way out of danger yet. Zuko had more important shit to do that argue with an idiot peasant who couldn't even say a proper thank you. He jerked the idiot up by the arm and pulled him along to the door.

"Take him to the brig with the other one!" he commanded, before he pushed the kid through, slamming the door behind him.

-0-

Katara held on to Appa's saddle tightly, as they frantically struggled against the storm. They had searched high and low for Sokka's boat, to no avail. The winds, which had been increasing in strength, had now become a howling maelstrom. Appa ducked and dived, growling from the effort of fighting the storm. Aang looked at her with wide, worried eyes.

"The storm is getting too strong for Appa." He shouted, trying to be heard over the wind. They had been searching for hours, but the dark clouds and the violent swell had made it impossible to see much detail on the surface of the ocean, though Katara held on to hope that the brightness of Sokka's blue water tribe wear would help him stand out.

-0-

Sokka had been unceremoniously thrust into a small metal room. The door slammed and the lock clicked.

"Hang on to something in there" the guard said, before the stomping of his shoes departing indicated he was hurrying away, presumably to do some nasty jerk duties. Judging from the noise and activity as well as the way the ship was rocking, this seemed to be an all-hands-on-deck situation.

Hanging on to something did, however, turn out to be very helpful advice – rather than a veiled threat as Sokka had first assumed. He felt the ship under his feet roll dramatically. The world tilted, and Sokka, unprepared for the sudden lurch, flailed his arms and fell painfully on his arse.

"Ah, still alive I see" observed a harsh voice from the corner. The old fisherman was here, arms wrapped around what looked like a very sturdy pole, face tinged green. Sokka staggered his way over to the old man and tried to grab some of the pole, but the fisherman shoved him away.

"Oi, this is my pole- get your own." He grumbled, gesturing to the other side of the room.

There was an identical pole over there, but Sokka didn't want to go near it. It had evil firebender manacles on it and Sokka wasn't going within 10 paces of those. He said as much before he tried shoving the fisherman back, and wedging his arms nearer to the safe, non-manacled pole. The fisherman responded by throwing up on him. Possibly because this storm was enough to make anyone seasick – more likely he did it to be spiteful. He was a mean old guy, after all.

Sokka tried to shake the vomit off as best he could, then went over the the manacled pole with an exaggerated sigh and lamented his lot. Sokka knew he had a tendency towards sarcasm and exaggeration. He had previously claimed that many days had been the worst day in his life – but this one was definitely it. Today was the easily the worst day. Today beat out being nearly buried by gennamite while Bumi made terrible puns, being stuck in the wacko-spiritworld and all days relating to that jerk Jet.

Today he had come to realise that no only would their water-tribe money be increasingly refused the further into the earth kingdom they got, but that they probably didn't have enough to make it to the north pole anyway with their current pace and Aang's spending habits. They were going to be fresh outta cash, and soon! Judging from Grumpy Old Mate's reception of Aang, they wouldn't always be able to rely on the Avatar card to get them fed and housed. Sokka, as a good male provider, had volunteered to work for the world's most grumpy old guy, while Katara and Aang lounged it up, blithely unaware.

He then had to spend an entire day with the grumpiest old guy doing a great deal more manual labour than he would have liked, been hit in the head with slimy fish more times than he thought was necessary. Then they were hit by the worst storm he had ever seen. The entirety of their catch wash over the side, and with it Sokka's chance at being paid. Then the fish were followed by Sokka himself.

He'd drowned. He could have died. He nearly died today.

He'd been saved from dying by a fire-bender. Icy balls, he'd been saved by the Prince of all fire-benders. Frozen balls, he'd been kissed by a fire-bender. He now knew what Prince Zuko's lips felt like on his face. He'd never unknow this. It was in his brain.

This made a Fire-bender his second kiss.

At least Suki had been his first kiss. Ah Suki. Why couldn't she be here to save him from drowning with the kiss of life? But that would mean she would have been stuck on a Fire Nation ship – and he'd never wish that on her.

Sokka was now stuck on a Fire Nation ship, clinging to a manacled prison pole and covered in vomit – and it wasn't even his own vomit! Though if this storm didn't die down soon, his own vomit was going to be added to the mix. Thankfully, the relentless rocking subsided. Sokka had a brief moment to feel happy that they were through the worst of it.

"Prince Zuko will see you now" announced of voice from the door.

Damnit! The worst was yet to come!

Zuko strode in, caught one whiff of the vomit smell, made a disgusted face, then promptly strode back out. Sometime later, a quartet of guards arrived, with fresh clothes, Fire Nation black of course. They were clean, warm and dry. Sokka refused them on principle. He put on a big hooha about not wearing dirty Fire Nation clothes. One of the guards raised an eyebrow.

"You do realise you are covered in vomit right now, don't you?" he asked, with what Sokka reckoned was an unnecessarily snide tone.

"No, that had completely escaped my notice!" Sokka said with a roll of his eyes. The guard gaped at him, as if he had never had anyone be sarcastic to him before. Then his expression changed, becoming pissed off.

"Put them on, or I'll set your vomit rags on fire, with or without you in them." He hissed.

Sokka put them on. He was sarcastic, but he wasn't stupid. Fire-benders were dangerous, and he wasn't going to be saved from drowning only to go down fighting over vomit clothes. That was not the hill he wanted to die on.

-o-

Zuko sat next to his Uncle, sipping the calming tea that he didn't even need. He was completely calm! He was just excited. Finally something good had come out of the lava-cluster that was Zuko's life. The storm had been terrible and the damage to his ship severe, but from that he had managed to pull an associate of the Avatar's out of the ocean.

The law of the sea dictated than anyone who didn't do what they could to save fellow travellers during storms would be severely punished by the spirits. Zuko didn't have the best of luck to begin with, and he didn't want to give the spirits any excuse to heap more bad luck on him.

Zuko was a good swimmer. It had only taken a moment. It wasn't that reckless. Uncle didn't need to carry on the way he did about it. It had seemed like the right thing to do. The idiot was stupid and annoying, but that wasn't any reason to let him drown.

Zuko knew this buffoon could help him get the Avatar. He was sure the Avatar would come for his friend. That made the buffoon ideal as bait. He'd gone down to the brig to ask a few questions but had been assaulted by the worst smell. Vomit. Zuko was a sympathetic vomiter. Just the smell of it was enough to make him toss his noodles. While he never gave up without a fight, he had to beat a hasty retreat.

His Uncle had suggested a change of clothes for their "guests" - as he referred to them, and that they invite the two up to his quarters for tea. According to Uncle, it was common courtesy to treat those rescued at sea respectfully, or misfortune would plague the rude host. Misfortune already plagued Zuko, but he felt it would be unhelpful to point his out to his Uncle again.

The old man came in first, followed by the grumpy looking water-tribe buffoon then by the guards. The buffoon glared at Zuko with intense dislike.

"Welcome to our ship. I am happy to see you have both recovered from your ordeal. Please sit. " Uncle began amiably while gesturing to the cushions. "Take some tea with us. It is a jasmine blend that will help restore body and spirit." The old man sat happily.

The Water-tribe buffoon sat opposite with a huff, his eyes still narrowed mistrustfully. He refused the tea and folded his arms angrily, the very image of a sullen teenager. Zuko knew a lot about being a sullen teenager. Now that he could see him up close and in proper light, he realised the buffoon was older than Zuko had originally guessed. He was probably closer to Zuko's age than the Avatar's.

"This is my nephew, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation and I am General Iroh of..." Uncle began introductions.

"Oh spirits have mercy! The Dragon of the West!" a wail of dismay escaped the fisherman and his eyes grew to the size of saucers, and he threw himself on the floor next to Uncle. "Please don't disembowel me with flaming knives, or set my whole body on fire while my weeping wife watches, or..."

What in Koh's lair was he going on about? Uncle didn't do those things. Nobody did those things.

"We mean you no harm. We only wanted to ask which port you set out from, so that we can return you there, as the law of the sea dictates." Uncle cut in.

The old man openly gaped at them in confusion and lifted his head slightly. "You mean you don't want to cook me over your fires, then feast on my flesh."

"No!" Zuko insisted angrily, before adding "So gross! Who does that?" He was aghast.

"We just wanted to know which port you are from and what your association is with this young man." Iroh said, maintaining a calm and affable tone.

The old man turned to the buffoon, before turning back to his Uncle, saying in a rush. "I don't know him. I only met him this morning and he was desperate for the money. He begged me to take him. I needed a young nubile boy to..."

"That's enough, thank you." Uncle said firmly, his voicing losing all veneer of friendliness as he looked in horror at the old man. Zuko was also looking between the old man and the young buffoon with revulsion. Had the young buffoon let that old guy... use him? For money? He exchanged a revolted look with his uncle.

"It's not what it sounds like. He needed me to help him haul in the fishing nets. I was helping him with fishing... On the fishing boat...Where we were fishing. " The Water-tribe boy cut in quickly, blushing a furious red. He seemed to understand what the old guy said had sounded like to Zuko and his Uncle. He was clearly embarrassed. "We came from Harbour town." he added before turning away.

"Tell Lieutenant Jee to set a course for Harbour Town. You two - bring the old man up to the top deck." Zuko said as he turned to the guards. "You two, help me escort this one back to the brig." He said, gesturing towards the Water-tribe buffon.

"Why are we being separated?" the buffoon asked angrily as they started down the hall.

"Did you want to hang out with the old pervert?" Zuko asked.

"No!"

"Okay then." Zuko said with a shrug.

"Oi, Jerk. Am I being taken back to the harbour too?" the buffoon asked.

Zuko bristled at his attitude and tone. Zuko was a prince! Zuko had just saved this asshole! He felt that these two things entitled him to a little more respect – not this endless parade of hostility. "I know manners probably haven't made it down south yet...but I just saved you, less than 12 hours ago. Maybe a thank you would be in order."

"Thank you?" the Buffoon mouthed incredulously, before yelling. "Screw you! I'm not thanking you for throwing me in prison!"

The two had initially been put in the brig because it was one of the only empty spaces on his ship where they would have been safe from being injured during the jostling of the storm. But he wasn't going to tell the buffoon that. The Wani was too small to accommodate idle guest quarters. Zuko had made use of every inch available. Still, he felt a wave of shame and anger wash through him. His father had given him the oldest, smallest, and most dilapidated vessel in the fleet, barely fit for rats, let alone a prince.

Perhaps the state of the Wani meant that his father believed he would be able to accomplish the task with only minimal resources. Surely, his father hadn't intended it as an insult or to humiliate him further. Zuko told himself that it was all just part of the challenge of getting his honour back.

"Listen peasant - it wasn't easy saving your life you know! I didn't have to dive in to get you. I could have just let you drown!" He fired back angrily, pushing that old hurt aside.

"Why didn't you? It doesn't make sense. Especially if you think I'm such a worthless peasant. It makes no sense to risk your life for mine." The buffoon asked, only slightly less hostile.

Zuko stopped and stared at him, before looking away quickly. Truthfully, he hadn't really thought that deeply. You were reckless his uncle had said. Everyone had been busy on deck trying to secure the ship, and Zuko panting from the effort of helping the helmsman down, had held to the side railing and tried to catch his breath. It was from that vantage point that he saw the buffoon go under. He'd been the only one looking. The only one close. The bright blue of the buffoon's shirt had been sinking.

Zuko'd grabbed the rope and tied it around his waist and jumped, simply because he could save someone and it felt wrong not to. It felt wrong to just watch someone drown.

He couldn't just tell the buffon that. He couldn't say "I did it because it was the right thing to do". He heard Azula's voice in his head. That's the stupidest reason I've ever heard Zuzu – you really are an idiot. It made him sound naïve and weak, and he knew that.

-o-

"Oh, I see. You're too high and mighty answer me!" Sokka said, feeling pissed off.

The angry jerk was just looking off to the side, ignoring him – which was fine by Sokka. He didn't need an answer from this asshole. Who cares what his motives were? Not Sokka!

It was just so weird though. A firebender had saved him and Sokka didn't know how to feel about it. Sokka wasn't stupid. He would be dead right now, if it hadn't been for this jerk. Sokka felt grateful for each lungful of air since being pulled out of the sea, but he'd be damned to the hottest hell if he ever said thank you to a firebender.

"Rule of the sea. Everyone knows you must help vessels in trouble, otherwise you'll be cursed by the spirits, you idiot." the Angry jerk said angrily, after a long beat. That didn't track for Sokka. He couldn't associate fire-benders with any kind of moral code. There had to be some kind of devious ulterior motive.

"I don't buy it. You've got some evil plot brewing. There's no way you're just dropping us off back at port." Sokka said accusingly.

"The old guy is being dropped off. He is going to take a message to the Avatar for me." The jerk replied as the door to the brig opened.

"What message?" Sokka asked as he was pushed in.

"That we have his buffoon in prison." The jerk said as he slammed the door closed. "If the Avatar wants you, he'll have to come and get you."

"Hey! I'm not acting as bait in a trap for Aang!" Sokka yelled back, beating on the door, but feeling strangely vindicated.

Ah ha! There it was. The evil ulterior motive Sokka needed. He knew a firebender would never do anything from the goodness of his heart. Sokka wasn't even entirely convinced firebenders had hearts. He didn't have to feel any disgruntled gratitude to this jerk.

"Let me go, asshole!" He yelled through the hole in the door. It had once been a glass porthole, but had broken during the storm. His voice sounded so loud reverberating of the metal of the ship. Asshole...asshole...asshole echoed down the corridor. The jerk turned and stomped back to the door.

"Wow, calling me an asshole has changed my mind completely!" He said with a roll of his eyes.

What a sarcastic jerk!

Sokka felt affronted. Being a sarcastic jerk was his thing!

Sokka quickly resolved to beat this jerk at his own game. He could be more sarcastic, more annoying and a bigger asshole than that jerk bender. If he was going to be used as bait and kept prisoner – fine! But he wasn't going to make it easy for the angry jerk.

Oh no.

He was going to be the worst prisoner ever. He'd make that sarcastic jerk regret ever locking him up!

-0-

" Ding dang, Ding dang dong! This is my annoying sooooong. Everybody sing along.

Shalalalalala – aaaaaaaaaaaah!" echoed loudly all around Zuko.

The idiot had been singing for at least 3 hours now. The idiot was tone deaf. His singing voice harsh. However there was a definite tune. That made it worse. The tune had gotten stuck in Zuko's head. At first, Zuko had been determined to just ignore it – to show it wasn't getting to him, but you could head that blasted song all over the ship. He was going down to shut the bastard up, for everyone's collective sanity.

He stomped along the hall, his patience thin. The annoying song momentarily stopped in favour of affected, disgusting coughing. Frozen hell, the noises that imbecile was making were so gross. It sounded like he was trying to cough up a lung. He obviously knew how people hated that hacking sound, because he was doing it more and more frequently.

Zuko burst into the room and was tackled from the side by the imbecile. Zuko easily threw him off, and he landed hard on the floor in an inelegant tangle of limbs. He looked up, his blue eyes narrowed and his gaze was on the still open door behind Zuko. Surely he wasn't trying a poorly planned and executed escape attempt? No one would be that stupid.

Except this imbecile - he was that stupid.

The oaf seemed determined to live down to Zuko's lowest expectations. He tried again, jumping up and rushing Zuko ineptly and yelling incomprehensibly. Zuko neatly caught his arm and twirled it round his back, using his free had to put the oaf in a choke hold. It had been too easy.

"Do you yeild?" he asked. The oaf nodded. Zuko let him go, but kept his arms up defensively. The oaf stumbled away from him. "Don't try again." Zuko warned.

"Why – you scared I'll win?" he spat angrily at Zuko.

Zuko threw his head back and laughed loudly at the very idea. He would have been able to beat this imbecile blindfolded, with both hands behind his back. His laughter seemed to enrage the imbecile, who made a furious howl as he charged again. Zuko nonchalantly turned around to shut the door, then lowered his shoulder and flipped the imbecile on his back.

"Look, you're never going to win. I'm too good." Zuko goaded, standing over him, by this point almost half hoping the oaf would try again. After all the frustrations and annoyances this oaf had heaped on him, it felt oddly satisfying to push him around. Over and over again, the oaf tried to get past him

Zuko had so few sparring opportunities where he felt completely confident with his abilities and secure of his victory. Uncle was always trying to keep him to the basics, and though he'd won the Agni Kai against Zhao, it had been awful. He remembered that point when he'd fallen, and the rush of fear he'd felt, the rising panic. Fighting this oaf was cathartic for the soul.

He was hopeless, untrained, inept – so easily beaten. Though he never stayed down for long. He was determined, Zuko had to give him that. He kept trying anyway, a further 18 times before he relented. Zuko had pressed him against the metal floor, one hand holding him in place, while the other wrenched his arm back and held him in a wrist lock. He felt all the fight and struggle go out of his opponent as he sagged onto the floor.

"I yeild" he heard the oaf say softly, defeated and resigned. He was clearly exhausted from his ill-timed, ill-judged and ill-executed attacks. Zuko let him up and he scrambled away to slump against the wall, forlorn and sad. He didn't start singing again, didn't have any sarcastic quips. He looked heartbroken and hopeless.

Zuko felt an itch in his heart. He tried his best not to scratch. This water-tribe youth was close to him in age, but completely untrained as far as Zuko could tell. It hadn't been a fair fight and Zuko knew it. He'd been training since a child, but no one had even taught the oaf even the basics. Zuko had humiliated him.

Don't feel sorry for him, a voice in his head that sounded like Azula urged, that's weak and pathetic. The idiot attacked you, he brought this on himself. You could punish him so horribly for it. Zuko knew he probably should. It would be what was expected. Azula or Zhao would do it. Still, he recoiled from the idea of hurting an unarmed, defeated opponent.

Azula always had a cruel streak. He remembered being paired against her by his father, after she had risen two firebending levels above him. He remembered how hard he tried, how easily she beat him, how unfair it seemed, how she seemed to enjoy toying with him. Hadn't he been doing exactly that to the oaf? It made him feel bad.

He didn't want to be like Azula and do that to other people.

"Hey,..." He began coaxingly, trying to search his memory for the oaf's name. "…. it's Sokka, right?" he asked. Sokka glanced up at the mention of his name but didn't correct him.

"Sokka... look..." He trailed off. He certainly wasn't going to apologise to the annoying bastard. But he felt bad all the same. He'd beaten up a kid who didn't even have a correct stance. He could start there. "You're stance is absolutely terrible. It's the worst I've ever seen." He began, encouragingly. Sokka looked very offended.

"Excuse me?" He asked, eyes wide, sounding annoyed.

"You're making it too easy for an opponent to take you off balance. That's why I beat you every time." Zuko explained as he reached out his hand and pulled the other boy up. Sokka stared at him in great confusion, not saying anything.

"You've got to plant your feet like this." Zuko demonstrated briefly, and Sokka copied. "No. Like this... more like you're a big stubborn jackass." Zuko corrected, then he couldn't help but add "...That shouldn't be too hard for you".

"You are such a jerk." Sokka said, dropping his stance.

"Look, I'm just trying to help you out. That display was pathetic." Zuko replied harshly.

"Maybe you only won because I'm getting sick. If I was healthy I would have beaten you easily." Sokka said acidly, before he began another fake coughing fit. Similar to the ones he'd been doing all morning just to annoy everyone. He was really milking it too – completely doubled over and coughing so hard his shoulders shook.

Zuko raised an eyebrow"You don't really expect me to fall for the 'sick prisoner' routine after you've been trying to escape for the last hour?" he asked, irritated. Sokka continued to cough dramatically.

"I'm not falling for it." Zuko said as he turned to go. Still Sokka didn't drop the act, and that more than anything else peeved Zuko. He hadn't been born yesterday. This whole display was an insult to his intelligence.

"Exactly how stupid do you think I am?" Zuko asked angrily from the door.

"Pretty stupid." Sokka gasped between coughing fits, before he promptly fell to the floor.

-o-

Aang and Katara had searched high and low for the most of the morning and had been unable to find Sokka or any trace of the fishing vessel. Yesterday they had flown through the eye of the storm and reached the safe air above. Appa had refused the fly back under into the raging storm. Aang had insisted he need a rest and they would set out again at first light. Besides, maybe Sokka had made it back to the harbour. When they had gotten back into the harbour however, there had been no signs of the fishing vessel. They had spoken to the fisherman's wife, found out the fisherman's usual spots and set off again after Appa had a brief rest and the storm had died down. But the longer the search went on, the more Katara felt her heart sink in her chest. Still, she refused to give up hope.

-o-

Sokka was lying on a soft comfortable bed somewhere warm. For a moment he had no idea where he was. He could smell something herbal, and hear a muffled conversation nearby. He opened one eye a tiny slit to examine his surroundings. He seemed to be in a bigger room than the holding cell. It had a few beds along the wall, bolted into place. Shelves were full of jars and supplies. There was a man sitting on the far bed while and second man examined his arm, tutting to himself.

"Well, this seems to be healing nicely, however you will still need two weeks to recover. I'll recommend no active duty to Prince Zuko."

The man snorted angrily, and said something about not being in the storm in the first place if it wasn't for Zuko.

The doctor chiding him, saying if it wasn't for Prince Zuko, the injured man would be dead. The injured man expressed a great deal of disgruntlement at being saved by Zuko. Sokka had never felt such kinship with someone from the Fire Nation before - but the man was right. Being saved by Zuko sucked!

The Doctor disagreed, and said he'd come around to the Angry Jerk after hearing how he really got his scar. He'd felt kind of sorry for him since then. It explained why he was such a difficult person most of the time. The injured man didn't know what the doctor was talking about.

"Look, you can't tell anyone I told you. General Iroh said it had to stay secret..." Sokka had to wonder. Surely the General knew that whenever you said "Don't tell anyone else" - precious few people could resist the urge to go blabbing. This doctor seemed to love a good gossip. He got up, check out in the hallway, then closed the door. He came over to check on Sokka, who promptly feigned sleep.

"So last night, before the storm hit, some of us were in the hold, complaining about the Prince. Then General Iroh came out from the shadows. We thought it'd be our necks, you know. But instead the General sat down and told us the real reason why were are in this rust-bucket of a ship and the real reason behind this blasted Avatar finding mission..."

Sokka's curiosity was piqued. He listened with growing astonishment at what the doctor was saying. The Angry Jerk had stood up for some soldiers, and then his father...Sokka suppressed a shudder when the doctor described the official jerk bending fire-fight. The Angry Jerk had been tricked, and had to fight his own father in what sounded like a brutal fight-to-the-death type situation. Sokka couldn't even imagine how awful that would be. Despite himself, Sokka felt his stomach curl in disgust. Something that felt horribly like sympathy rose in his chest.

He'd always thought Firelord Ozai was possibly the worst person who had ever lived, and this just confirmed it. What kid of a father would do that to their child? Sokka's father would never...

What would dad do in this situation? He certainly wouldn't lie here, pretending to be asleep and feeling sorry for a fire bender.

Oh no, Dad would lie here, pretending to be asleep and come up with a cunning plan to escape!

-o-

When Katara and Aang made it back to the harbour docks, they were surprised to find the old fisherman man waiting for them. He waved them over and relayed a message to them. Katara turned what he'd said over in her head. The Fisherman had said that the ship had pulled straight back out to sea, after dropping him off. They were waiting for Aang to come and get Sokka.

"Look Aang, I don't know if we should just follow them – it could be a trap..." she said slowly.

"Of course it's a trap girly, I just told you it was a trap. So do with that what you will" The fisherman interjected. Katara and Aang both ignored him.

"...We can't leave Sokka in Zuko's evil fire-bender clutches either." Katara added quickly.

"He don't want him in his clutches. Your brother is super annoying!" The fisherman snorted.

" Maybe we don't go out to sea to meet them. We wait for them to come into land. All ships need to come in sometime" Aang said hopefully.

"Oh, trust me. It'll need to come in sooner, rather than later. That ship took some damage in the storm." The Old fisherman interrupted again.

"So it comes in...while they are busy repairing the ship... we can create a diversion. A big diversion. Then we can get Sokka." Katara began thinking aloud. She looked around the tiny harbour. Zuko's ship was large. It didn't look like this harbour would have the means to repair it.

"Where's the nearest port that could provide repairs to a ship of that size?" She turned and asked the fisherman, who was still listening in.

"That'd be Pouhai" the fisherman said with certainty.

Aang and Katara set off for Pouhai immediately. Tossing around for ideas for "Operation Rescue Sokka." As they were talking, Katara noticed her voice growing more and more husky. She started coughing. Her head began feeling heavy and foggy. Aang grew increasingly concerned, his eyes wide. Katara tried her best to reassure him, but her whole body was sore and she was shivering all over.

She must have been getting sick from being out so long in the storm, searching relentlessly. Her determination to find her brother had caused her to just ignore the rain and the cold. Aang had been able to warm himself using an air-bending technique, which must have made all the difference, because he wasn't even slightly sick. He just looked young and lost and worried.

Aang landed quickly, near some old ruins, some distance from Pouhai. He helped her down and tried his best to make her comfortable. He wrapped her in blankets, instructed Appa and Momo to look after her.

"Katara, stay here. I'll go get some medicine for you." He said after a moment.

"Be careful!" she managed to croak out, before illness and exhaustion claimed her and she fell into a dreamless sleep.

-0-

Zuko paced around his room, lost in thought. It didn't make sense. He thought the Avatar had cared for the annoying oaf Sokka. He thought his sister would definitely want him back – or perhaps they both found Sokka annoying too. Maybe he sang the annoying song around them as well and they were glad to be rid of him.

Zuko had received a rumour that the Avatar's bison had been seen flying in the direction of Pouhai. Zuko had given the fisherman clear instructions and directions, but now the Avatar had evidently chosen to go to Pouhai instead, and leave Sokka. He felt a little sad on Sokka's behalf, to be just abandoned by your sister and friend. That was rough.

He felt a little sorry for Sokka, but not nearly as sorry as he felt for himself. Zuko never got a break. He'd had another full day of the annoying song for nothing! Sokka had recovered after the ship's doctor began ministering a linctus made from frogs. Zuko had enjoyed telling the oaf all the ingredients he had swallowed. He'd been moved back to the brig and persisted in being annoying for the whole day.

Zuko had put off the repairs to the ship for far too long. As soon as they heard word of the Avatar moving north, he'd set the course for Pouhai. He was puzzling over what to do with Sokka. . His gamble hadn't paid off. Perhaps he should just put Sokka off the boat in Pouhai for all of their collective sanity – before somebody strangled the him.

However, Sokka seemed fiercely loyal and protective the the Avatar and his sister. He had seemed surprised that they wouldn't come to get him. This made Zuko pause. When Zuko had expressed his frustration that Sokka still hadn't been collected, and the other boy had smirked slightly. Muttered something that sounded like 'too smart for you.'

Perhaps that was it.

Zuko had counted on their feelings getting the better of them, and had thought they would rush in to perform a daring rescue. However, maybe it had been too obviously a trap. Still, anyone who deliberately broke into a prison barge to make an emotional speech about hope clearly functioned more on impulse than logic. Now he realised he had underestimated Avatar and the Water-tribe girl.

They were approaching Pouhai now, and that gave Zuko something to look forward too. When they were docked, he would have a chance to sneak out as the Blue Spirit. They'd be docked here for several nights, he thought with anticipation, as he carefully lifted the mask out of it's hiding place. The Blue Spirit gave him the chance to temporarily leave behind the lava-cluster that was his life.

He'd started doing it just to get away, then the Blue Spirit had proven useful in gathering information, and then he hadn't been able to stop himself. He did it every time they docked. Nobody hated, or ridiculed the Blue Spirit. The Blue Spirit had never lost his honour or been given an impossible task to restore it. The Blue Spirit wasn't heartbreakingly lonely. Zuko loved being him, if only for a little while.

There was a knock at his door and Zuko quickly slammed his trunk shut. "Come in." He called out.

His Uncle popped in his head, with an unreadable look on his face.

"Prince Zuko, we have just received another important message from the newly appointed Admiral Zhao." He said, sounding strangely solemn. Zhao's gloating missives had become a common occurrence. Zuko had been one of the first people he'd written to, upon being promoted. He'd always loved rubbing Zuko's face in it.

Zuko snatched the letter away from his Uncle, ripped it open and began to read.

-o-

Sokka had anxiously waited until all the commotion had died down. He was alone in the brig, his old clothes restored to him after they had been cleaned. One of the best things about his water tribe parka was all the pockets, he thought as he slid out the long, thin metal tongs he'd taken from the medical room. He'd slipped them into his shoes while the doctor, who had assumed he was asleep, had been pottering about with the herbs.

This morning Zuko had come to check on him and woken him up. Sokka was extravagantly grumpy about this. Zuko was even grumpier back. There had been sarcasm. Zuko pointed out that Sokka had eaten frog guts. Sokka had been rude and unhelpful again. Zuko had declared that he was the worst prisoner, which Sokka took as huge point of pride.

Then Zuko had asked a lot of questions and muttered about how it didn't make sense that Katara and Aang hadn't come to try and get Sokka yet. Sokka felt something warm bloom in his chest. His sister hadn't fallen for the ridiculously obvious trap – instead she had embraced his paranoia in his absence. Katara was way too smart for Zuko.

Sokka had then been moved back here and he'd been biding his time, singing the annoying song out the window. The song had covered the noise of him fiddling with the lock. He'd been able to wiggle and bend the metal to fit into the keyhole. Sokka had never picked a lock like this before and it had been taking him ages. He'd been interrupted many times, by the sounds of footsteps. Sokka would quickly hide his makeshift key then press his ear against the cool metal and try his best to listen. He'd gleaned snippets of alarming conversation, from passing jerk-benders.

They were talking about the fact that Zhao had caught the Avatar, and discussing what would happen to them now. Would they still have to stay with Prince Zuko? He hadn't given them an order for hours. Did that mean they'd get to go home? Prince Zuko only got to go home if he caught the Avatar himself, and that was plainly impossible now.

"What happens to songbird?" One had asked as they passed the brig. Sokka looked up to see two faces looking at him through the broken window.

"Well, Zhao's requested him to be brought up to the stronghold tomorrow, so he can be imprisoned with the Avatar. But if he tries that annoying singing stuff with Zhao..." The jerkbender drew his finger across his throat in a thin line and made a slicing noise, before departing. Sokka's eyes had widened in horror.

Zhao had caught Aang? How? He was being kept in a stronghold. What had happened to Katara? No one had mentioned her – so she must still be out there. Sokka felt a tiny bit of relief. At least nothing had happened to her. The relief didn't last long. Sokka' situation was still very dire.

Zuko wouldn't just hand him over to Zhao, would he?

Zhao would kill him! Zuko, for all that he was an evil jerkbender, was surprisingly not-homicidal. Un-homicidal? Whatever. Sure, he got shouty and angry. Sure, he stomped about, but Sokka had quickly figured out Zuko's bark was much worse than his bite. He'd not hurt Sokka at all. Well, he'd roughed him up a bit, that first day, when Sokka had tried attacking him, but nothing since then.

This, admittedly, had not been Sokka's finest hour on the planning front. He blamed the fever to be honest. Feverish Sokka thought charging and tackling the fire-bender was the best plan ever. Zuko had easily overpowered him, over and over again.

Sokka had exhausted himself and had withdrawn to the wall, trying to gather up his courage to face what he had assumed would be a horrible punishment. He'd just attacked the Prince of the Jerkbenders, and he felt sure that he was about to have his face burned off, or something equally horrible. But then...

Sokka must have been really sick at the time. He'd obviously been getting delirious, because he thought he remembered Zuko helping him up, insulting his fighting stance and showing him a better one.

He began to concentrate on the lock in front of him. He needed to get out of here. Aang needed him.

They'd pulled into the dock a little while ago. Sokka felt the engines stop. He heard the noises of a bustling port. He waited till most of the crew were asleep. He was going to sneak out and make his way to this stronghold.

He'd have come up with a plan to save his friend and find his sister. His head was much clearer, since the doctor had fed him the horrible frog concoction. Sokka hated to admit it, but it had actually really helped. He felt so much better now. He'd be able to come up with a better plan. He was sure of it. They were counting on him.

His lock clicked, finally. Sokka slid the door open as silently as he could. He crept on tip-toes down the hall. His progress was slow, but eventually he made it to the deck. There was a pair of guards on watch, patrolling around. Sokka waited until they had turned the corner, then ducked low and ran for the gangplank. He landed on the dock, and made a run for some nearby crates. He hid behind them, trying to catch his breath.

He couldn't believe how easy that had been. He'd just made it clear off the ship with no problems. He started sneaking towards the town. He heard footsteps coming towards him - ordered, rhythmic footsteps, marching in time. It must be a fire-bending patrol.

He ducked into the nearest alley. His heart pounding wildly. The footsteps passed and Sokka moved to poke his head around the corner, when suddenly he was grabbed roughly from behind, a strong arm was around his chest and a hand was covering his mouth, muffling his cries completely.

"Going somewhere?" a grumpy voice that had become very familiar rasped harshly in his ear.

Well, crap.

-o-

Zuko would never know what urged him to do it, but he pulled Sokka, the great idiot, back from the edge of revealing himself to Zhao's patrol. Sokka struggled like a giant, pissed-off octopus in his arms.

"Ssssh – another patrol's coming. Idiot. They'll hear us." Zuko whispered.

Sokka stilled. Zuko released him and ducked into a door frame and motioned for him to do that same. The idiot ducked into the door frame opposite and stared at him. They both flattened themselves against the wall as the patrol stomped past. Zhao had tripled patrols in the city, and it was crawling with soldiers.

This was going to be difficult – even without the added complication of the escaped buffoon.

Zuko had made it out of the ship, and was scoping out the town. He'd been counting patrols and their routes, trying to formulate a plan of getting the Avatar back to his ship without being spotted, when he'd seen the idiot running along the docks.

It had pissed Zuko off, seeing the buffoon escape so easily from his ship. How could he hope to keep the Avatar, if he couldn't even keep the buffoon locked up. Too much was slipping through his fingers tonight, and he'd be damned if he couldn't at least keep this idiot prisoner until tomorrow.

"How did you even escape?" he whispered.

"Zuko?" Sokka whispered back, sounding shocked.

"Yes. Idiot. Who else would it be?" Zuko rolled his eyes.

"What are you wearing?" Sokka asked, looking him up and down. Zuko quickly understood Sokka's confusion and groaned inwardly. For once, Sokka wasn't the idiot - Zuko was. He'd revealed himself to this numbskull.

Uncle was right. Zuko never thought things through. He'd seen Sokka escaping and acted on impulse. Sokka was useless to him now. Zuko didn't even need him as a prisoner. How could he act as bait for the Avatar, when Zhao already had the Avatar prisoner?

Zuko really could have let Sokka be caught by Zhao's patrol and continued on his merry way. It would reflect badly on his competence and reputation, that Sokka had escaped him – but that was a lost battle anyway, Zuko thought bitterly. Zuko already knew what the other captains and governors thought of him and his mission.

"What are you doing dressed as a ninja in the middle of the night?" Sokka whispered, interrupting that train of thought.

"It doesn't matter." Zuko replied, and he quickly weighed up what to do now. He needed to get rid of this imbecile. Could he just run for it? He would be much faster than Sokka, he was sure. Sokka had already seen Zuko, which was bad enough – but at least he still didn't know why Zuko had snuck out.

"I know! You're sneaking off to get Aang back from Zhao - so you can catch him yourself!" Sokka hissed, with narrow eyes.

Well, crap.

"No, I'm not?" Zuko replied, trying his best to sound convincing, and kicking himself for being such a idiot. Sokka blinked twice at him, looking unconvinced.

"Look, I wasn't born yesterday. Can you at least try lying with more conviction." He whispered angrily, before declaring "I'm coming with you."

"No!" Zuko hissed back. A frustrated noise escaped him and he clenched his fists in anger. He only had so many hours of dark to climb the hills, break into Pouhai and find and free the Avatar before the sun rose. He had to get rid of Sokka, now.

"Look, this is wasting time. You're not my prisoner any more, so run along now." Zuko made a little dismissive wave with his hand.

Sokka looked very offended at being told to run along. "I am not running along anywhere. I am running along with you to save my friend."

"Seriously Sokka, this is a secret mission. You'd be terrible at this." Zuko said honestly. Couldn't the idiot see how inept he'd be?

"No, I wouldn't." Sokka said loudly, before Zuko held a finger up to his lips to remind him of the need for silence.

"You are the noisiest person I have ever met. You'd be useless to me. " Zuko whispered back. He wasn't trying to be mean. It was the truth. In the time he'd had Sokka in custody, Sokka had done nothing but alternate between accusing Zuko of kissing him, yelling 'Yeeeha -sneak attack' or singing the annoying song. The only thing Sokka did quietly was be unconscious.

"There's a five minute break between patrols along this street. Then they come two groups close together. If you make a break for that tree line now, you should be able to make it." Zuko whispered, pointing to where the forest started. It was the safest route, but he'd let Sokka take it. Zuko could find another.

Zuko needed to get rid of Sokka, but he also didn't want him to be caught. Sokka had seen him, and knew what he was up to. The last thing he wanted and needed now was for Sokka to be caught by one of Zhao's patrols. What if he blabbed to Zhao's patrols? Zuko would be in such deep shit if that happened.

Sokka looked at the trees, then back to Zuko with narrowed eyes. "If you don't let me come with you, I am going to make the biggest amount of noise, get everyone's attention, ruin this secret mission and tell everyone what you were up to." He threatened.

What the hell?

That fucking bastard!

"Fine! You can come." Zuko hissed angrily, hating his life, his luck and Sokka all in equal measure.

Zuko readjusted the bag on his shoulders, took a quick look around the corner, then made a dash for the forest. He didn't need to turn around, to know his annoying, loud shadow was behind him. Zuko tried to think up a solution and he moved through the trees.

He couldn't just leave him. Sokka would have been caught before he went more than 2 steps on his own. Zuko couldn't have bopped Sokka on the head and left him unconscious in the alley. He'd be found by Zhao's men, sooner or later. Zuko didn't have time to bop him on the head, then carry him back to holding cell on the ship. He'd never get the idiot back to the brig quietly.

Letting him follow right now was probably the best solution.

-o-

Sokka followed the Prince's indignant backside all the way up the hill. It was amazing how someone could stomp away from him without making a single noise. Zuko was actually a surprisingly good ninja. Sokka tried to copy his movements and step exactly where he did, but he was much less skilful at this.

Zuko would turn around, and hold a finger to the lips of the blue mask he was wearing every time Sokka snapped a twig, or stepped noisily. This occurred frequently. Sokka was sure his expression was furious underneath that mask.

They climbed the ridge line and Sokka saw Pouhai Stronghold for the first time. He couldn't help gasp. It was an imposing, formidable structure, towering above the landscape. Sokka felt dread, deep in his belly.

How could they get Aang out of there!

Zuko gestured for silence again, and they ducked back behind the ridge. Zuko sat with his back against the rocks, and moved his mask up to rub at his face. He looked at the sky, and sighed anxiously, like even he was doubting the wisdom of this course of action. He seemed young then, in the light of the moon. Sokka wondered how old he was. The scar made him look older, but he was probably around Sokka's age.

What Zuko was doing was pretty shady, even by Fire Nation standards. Sokka knew he'd be in huge trouble if he got caught. It would be treason. After what his dad had done to Zuko for simply speaking out of turn, Sokka didn't want to imagine what the consequences for straight up treason would be.

What Zuko was doing was crazy, it was such a huge risk – but still Sokka thought he understood. Zuko needed Aang free so that he could have a chance at going home – and if he needed to break into his own nation's fortress, then so be it. Sokka had to give him props for the sheer balls of it.

"So Aang's somewhere in there?" Sokka whispered. Zuko nodded.

"So how are we going to get Aang back from terrible muttonchops Zhao?" Sokka asked quietly. They were too far away to worry about their voices carrying, but Sokka was still sufficiently paranoid about being caught. Zuko smirked at Sokka calling Zhao muttonchops, but caught himself quickly, his expression becoming serious once more.

"We aren't doing anything. I'll go in by myself and get him." he whispered.

"Hey, I came to help!" Sokka insisted.

"No. You came because you threatened to reveal this whole secret mission to Zhao's soliders." Zuko snapped back, petulantly.

In hindsight, Sokka could understand why Zuko was pissed off about that. It had been a dick move. Sokka was just lucky that Zuko wasn't the homicidal type at all. It hadn't even occurred to him what the easiest way to ensure Sokka's silence would be – or if it had, he hadn't acted on it. Zuko just didn't seem to have cold-blooded murder in him. Sokka had already assumed as much, or he never would have threatened him like that. Still, Sokka felt like a jerk for using that against him.

"Listen, I'm sorry about that. That was a dick move." Sokka whisper, in a tone that would placate even the grumpiest of penguins. Zuko turned to face him, looking shocked. "Look, I just want you know, the secret mission is safe with me, okay. Even if I get caught, I'm not going to turn you over."

Zuko made a very sceptical face. "Why are you being nice to me?" he asked, slowly, sounding extremely confused.

"I think we should call a truce and properly team up. I'm here. You're here. Aang's in there." Sokka said, pointing over the ridge line. "If we work together, we have a much better chance of getting him out."

Zuko did not look convinced.

"I know you think I'm going to be useless and noisy...and you're right. But maybe we can use that to our advantage. I'll create a huge distraction out here, then it'll be easier for you to sneak in and get Aang." Sokka explained. It wasn't a very detailed plan, but it had been the best he could come up with on short notice.

"Why would you even help me?" Zuko asked. "You hate me."

"No, I don't hate you." Sokka said quickly, surprised that it was true. Zuko seemed surprised too. His scowl dropped away and was replaced by a tragically bemused look – as if he couldn't understand someone not hating him.

Sokka couldn't hate Zuko. Sokka didn't trust him. Sokka had no idea what made him tick. But if Sokka had to choose between Zuko and Zhao, Zuko was definitely the lesser of two evils.

That was the crux of the issue really. Right now, that bigger evil had Aang in his clutches. While Sokka inwardly recoiled at the idea of working with a fire-bender, he knew that he would never be able to get Aang out of that fortress on his own. Zuko was here, on this ridge line with him, he had some crazy ninja skills, and he was prepared to risk his life to get Aang out.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Sokka said, and Zuko nodded in response. "We both hate that muttonchops bastard – and he's got Aang. At this exact moment, we have a mutual goal. You don't have to do this alone." Zuko looked thoughtfully at Sokka.

"Our goal is not mutual once the Avatar is out. It's my destiny to capture him" Zuko said hesitantly.

"Once Aang is safely outside that fortress, we will go our separate ways. You can go back to trying to catch him and we'll go back to trying to run away from you." Sokka stated.

He knew Zuko was going to try snatch Aang, and Zuko knew Sokka was going to try and stop him. Even if Zuko did manage to get away with Aang, he'd have to take him back to the ship to be able to get him back to the fire nation. Sokka knew how to escape that ship pretty well.

"We work together, until Aang is past this ridge. Then all bets are off." Sokka said, while holding out his hand. Zuko stared at his hand curiously for a long moment. Sokka waggled it at him, impatiently. "Do we have a deal or not?"

"Deal" Zuko replied, shaking Sokka's hand firmly.

-0-

Author's notes.

Lovely readers! Welcome back. I hope you're well.

It's been a while, I know.

I have returned to my land down under and writing comes so much easier to me here . I do intend to finish my WIPs, I promise. But currently all my creative energy has been eaten by this idea. I love this idea. I hope you will too. This story is actually pretty much completely written, so I will try post a new chapter every week for your enjoyment.

For this story, I will be also be posting at Ao3 and putting my notes on tumblr.

So this story was inspired when I was re-reading the wonderful Kimberly T's "Promises to Keep." Forever favourite, and always one of my go-tos when I am want to read some lovely Zutara. Katara is the bomb in it, and it starts when she is taken prisoner during the waterbending scroll. Anyway, I was reading it and thought to myself "This would go so differently if Sokka had been the one taken prisoner. Sokka would literally be the worst and most annoying person to try and imprison." This idea spouted from there.

There are heaps of fics where someone is taken prisoner (most Katara - my poor baby girl, why is it always you?). There are heaps of Zuko joins the Gaang at a different time fics too - but I have never read a "Zuko is accidentally and stupidly taken prisoner by the Gaang in season 1 fic." So I have decided to remedy that situation. Next chapter there will drama with Pouhai/blue-spirit nonsense and Aang and Katara will have a much bigger role.

Til then my lovelies.