Book Four: Air - Chapter Three

by *Capt-BA

Sokka didn't hear his visitor enter the stables until the door shut.  He knew who it was without looking.

"Hey, Toph."

"Where'd you get the ostrich horses from?"

"A gift.  From Master Piandao and Grandmast-err... from Iroh," he stumbled through the explanation.  "It won't be like flying around on Appa, but it'll do."  He finished brushing out the animal's fur and started checking his tack.  "We're leaving as soon as we're packed."

"You and Suki," Toph stated without a hint of emotion.

"Actually..."  Sokka couldn't look at the young earthbender.  "I was wondering, well, I've got three ostrich horses.  I don't know how long it's going to take to find my weapons, but it'd go a lot faster if we had an earthbender who could read the terrain."

She didn't reply.  

"We make a good team, Toph."   He turned around, feeling hopeful.  "So, wanna come?"

Whatever she might have said next was lost as Sokka realized that she wasn't alone.  The red messenger hawk perched on her shoulder let out a screech in greeting and Sokka's face lit up in excitement and recognition.  "Hawky!!"  He resisted an overwhelming urge to rush over and hug the bird.  "I always knew you didn't abandon me!"

Toph laughed weakly.  "Yeah, sorry about borrowing him for so long.  He's been living with my parents ever since Katara and I sent them a letter.  I guess he didn't know how to find us after we moved on."

Sokka held out his arm and the hawk flew to him.  "Goood Hawky.  I bet you missed me!"  The bird squawked in contentment as Sokka tickled the feathers on his neck.  "This is perfect.  You're gonna help me keep in touch with everyone while we're traveling!"

Toph scratched the back of her neck.  "Yeah, you might want to figure out how it works first."

Sokka turned to his ostrich horse and pet its beak, holding his arm so the animals could see each other.  "Hawky, meet Horsie."

Toph gave a blanker expression than normal.  "Horsie?"

"What?"

"You really don't have any naming sense, do you?"  She chuckled and came over, patting the unfortunate animal on the side.  

"Hey, gimme a break.  Aang named Momo after a piece of fruit."

"True."  

They both laughed.  

"So," he began eagerly, "what are you going to name your ostrich horse?"

"Sokka..."

Her tone was apologetic, but he ignored it.  "Well, that's a funny name for an ostrich horse, but I'm not judging."  He grinned at the unnamed animals, spreading his arms wide.  "So which one of you lucky devils gets to have the best name ever?"

"I can't go with you."

Sokka gave up his little game, his face falling.  "Why not?  You're not actually going home with your parents, are you?"

"No... I'm going to stick around Ba Sing Se.  The University offered me a teaching job."

Sokka frowned suspiciously.  "And you said yes?"

"Not exactly, but I'll tell them tomorrow."

"Just tell 'em no," Sokka urged.  "You hate Ba Sing Se.  Wouldn't it be more fun out in the great wide world doing whatever we want?"

"Yeah, well... Life's not that simple."  She let her bangs fall in front of her face, hiding her expression.  "Besides, I'm the only known metalbender ever.  The scholars and masters want to learn what I've discovered.  I'll probably revolutionize earthbending, assuming they have the skills."  She snorted at the likelihood.  

"Nobody's got skills like you've got skills," Sokka agreed, and she punched him on the arm, hard and affectionate.

Feeling the need to go, she gave a little farewell salute while he rubbed his arm.  "Say hi to Boomerang and Space Sword for me, Captain."  

"Hey, Toph?"

She turned away, hiding her face.

"About yesterday... We're good, right?"

She paused.  "Do you really have to ask?"

His hand was warm on her shoulder as he pulled her back for a goodbye hug.  Out of words, Toph could only bury her face in his tunic and hope he didn't notice the wet spots from her tears.

                                                         -------

"Well, this is it, guys."  Sokka held the reins to two of the ostrich horses while Suki led the third animal, joining them at the front of the house where their friends had gathered to say goodbye.

Katara glanced over the supplies loaded on the mounts, looking anxious. "Did you pack your coat and enough blankets?"

"It's barely even fall," he replied.

"It could get unseasonably chilly.  Do you have your rain gear?"

"Yes, Katara."

"And are you sure that's enough food?"

He shrugged.  "I was planning on hunting, mostly."

Katara shot Suki a questioning glance and then spun on her heels back toward the house.  "I'll go pack you some more dried fruits and vegetables."  She muttered to herself as she headed for the door.  "Can't just eat meat all the time."

Sokka shook his head in amusement and grinned at his friends.  "Sisters, am I right?"

"She's more like your mother," Mai intoned and everyone else but Ty Lee laughed at the unintentional joke.  Zuko tried to explain the humor to the two Fire Nation girls while Aang came over and stood at Sokka's side.  

"Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Talk as long as you want."  Sokka grinned and waved toward the house, upsetting the bird perched on his shoulder.  "Something tells me Katara's going to take more than a minute to find all sorts of useless junk to pack."

Aang went on his tiptoes, whispering around the feathered obstacle.  "I meant, can we talk alone?"

Sokka raised an eyebrow and shrugged at Suki.  "Here, hold Hawky while Aang and I have a man-to-man."

"Man to man?"  Suki smirked as she accepted the messenger hawk.

Sokka and Aang headed away from the others until they was satisfied that nobody could hear them.  

"So what's on your mind?"

Aang rubbed the tips of his fingers together, fidgeting.  "You know how Katara taught me waterbending?"

Sokka blinked and nodded.  "Uh huh."

"And how Toph taught me earthbending?  And Zuko taught me firebending?"

"Yeah?"  Sokka had no idea what the young monk was getting at.

"And Monk Gyatso taught me airbending..."

"Sure, but what's your point?"

"Well, there's a lot of stuff I wanted to learn... uh, from you."

Sokka went through his list of talents in his head.  "Well, you don't eat meat and I doubt you want to know how to throw a boomerang.  Is this about the ladies again?"

Aang nodded with enthusiasm and then blushed, looking uncomfortable.  "The only thing is I've been worried what you'd think... it's sort of complicated."

"It's not complicated," Sokka assured, surprising the airbender.  "She likes you, I mean, really likes you."

"You know?"  Aang's eyes widened.  "And you're not mad at me?"

"Of course I know.  The three of us spent every waking hour together for practically a year.  I'd have to be blind not to notice," he paused a moment and corrected himself, "blind in the non-earthbendy way."

"And you're not mad?" Aang repeated, just to be sure.

"Aang, Aang."  Sokka put his arm around the young Avatar.  "As long as Katara’s happy, what she does in her private life is really none of my business.  And besides, we're already family.  I love you," he hurried past the awkward declaration, deepening his voice and puffing out his chest, "in a brotherly and very manly way.  I knew it was just a matter of time for her."  

Aang threw his arm around his surrogate brother, trying to say all the things he couldn't put into words through the hug.  "Thanks, Sokka."

"Don't mention it."  Sokka patted him on the back and glanced at Suki and Ty Lee who were watching them and giggling.  "Seriously.  Don't mention it."

Katara was just finishing loading the last of the additional supplies on the pack ostrich when the two boys returned.

"Great, an extra tent and a year's supply of vegetables!" Sokka joked and his sister ignored his sarcasm, securing an extra pack in place with one quick tug.

"And some more first aid supplies in case you get a couple fishhooks stuck in your thumb again," she teased, patting the bulging bundles.  "You'll thank me later."

The pack ostrich whinnied a complaint and Toph snickered, pointing at the animal.  "Ok, that guy is Ostrich Sokka!  He's already got the whining down."

Sokka put a comforting hand on the burdened animal's shoulder, shaking his head while the others laughed.  "Don't listen to them, Sokka.  They don't know how hard we have it."

"And speaking of which," Suki said, "we should really get going.  We've got a lot of ground to cover."

"I miss you already, Appa," Sokka said and cast a longing look at the sky bison.  Appa tromped forward and gave the warrior one last very fond farewell lick.  Dripping, Sokka turned to his friends and held out his arms.  "So who's next?  Zuko?  You look like you could use a nice, soggy Sokka hug."  

He stepped toward the Fire Lord and Zuko glared.  "Don't even think about it."

Sokka went for the hug anyway and everybody laughed as Zuko dodged out of the way.  Sokka turned on his other friends, making a game out of it, and for a short while they all forgot they were there for goodbyes.

Sokka finally straightened up and wiped the bison slobber from his arms and face.

"Well, it's about that time."  He gave his friends a lopsided grin.  "So, bye everybody, I guess."

Momo jumped up on the back of Sokka's ostrich horse, prompting another round of laughter.  

"Looks like Momo doesn't want to come with us and the refugee fleet, after all," Katara joked.

"Aww, it won't be so bad, buddy," Aang promised.  "You, me, and Appa'll go flying every day!"

Momo turned his large green eyes from Aang to Sokka and back to Aang, finally using Sokka's head as a spring board to hop over onto the young Avatar's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you too, Momo," Sokka grumbled, checking his hair before sliding his left foot into his mount's stirrup.  He hopped once and then Suki was there, boosting him up into the saddle so he could avoid putting unnecessary pressure on his injury.

Not one for long goodbyes, Sokka tossed a casual wave once he was seated.  "Good luck everybody!"  

"We'll send letters," Suki promised after leaping onto her own mount.  

"Horsie, yip yip."  

Sokka tugged the reins and the ostrich horses had turned before Zuko realized he'd forgotten something.  The others called out their farewells and waved while Zuko stepped forward.

"Sokka, hold up."

The water tribe warrior turned back in the saddle, eyebrows raised.  

"Here."  The young Fire Lord pulled something from his belt and tossed it to his friend.  

Sokka blinked at the weapon he'd snagged out of the air.  "A dagger?"

Zuko pointed.  "There's an inscription."  Sokka drew the blade from the sheath and Zuko smirked as he guessed what was coming next.

"Made in Earth Kingdom?"

"Other side, smart guy."

Sokka shook his head in amusement and flipped the blade.  "Never give up without a fight."

"It was a gift from Uncle a long time ago, but I figure you need it more than I do right now.  It's good advice."

Sokka sheathed the pearl dagger with a click and a grin.  "Thanks.  I'll get this back to you."

"Someday," Zuko said with a smile of his own.

"Someday soon," Sokka vowed and for the first time any of them had seen, he placed his fist below his open palm, saluting Zuko in the style of the Fire Nation.

Zuko returned the salute and held it long after Sokka and Suki had disappeared down the cobbled street.

Appa bellowed and Aang went to him, burying his face in the bison's fur as he hugged him.  His voice came out muffled as he said, "Me and Appa and Momo are going to miss you guys."

"This isn't the end."  Zuko reminded him.

"I know."  Aang pulled back, smiling at his friends.  "It's just another beginning."

                                                            ------

"This place stinks."

"We're in the sewer system.  What did you expect?"

Hahn scoffed and Long Feng considered how many of their schemes and plans would fall apart if the arrogant and irritating Northern Water Tribe noble were to suffer a fatal strangulation.  Just enough, he decided, to make it unfavorable.  

"We'll be leaving soon enough.  I just want to show you what your money's bought."

Hahn followed him down the dim corridor until they came to an imposing, metal door.  Long Feng knocked twice, his stone gauntlet clanking against the iron, and the door opened inward.

Before they could step inside, a dark clad figure dropped from the ceiling, startling the warrior.  Long Feng placed his hands behind his back and looked down at the hooded man kneeling before him.  

"The hatchling has left the nest."     

"Excellent," Long Feng replied.  "Inform the Colonel that his prey is on the move."

Chains erupted from the man's arms and he disappeared back up the way he came.

Hahn still had his weapon drawn.  "Who or what was that!?"

"One of many."  Long Feng allowed himself a moment to enjoy the look on Hahn's face at his cryptic response.  "Come."

Not bothering to make sure he was followed, Long Feng stepped into the underground chamber, past rows and rows of cages and pens.  Something growled and threw itself against the bars as they passed and Hahn yelped in surprise.  Long Feng smiled.

"This place is like a zoo.  An evil zoo."

"Your powers of perception are staggering," Long Feng mocked.  "Our contact is a man known and respected in the underworld.  They call him The Beastmaster and I think even you can see why."

"So what, we're paying him to let his beasties do the job?  I could have done it for free if you hadn't stopped me."

Long Feng took a deep breath in his frustration and regretted it.  He stopped and scowled at the northerner.  "A seemingly random animal attack out in the wilderness will arouse much less suspicion than an outright assault in the city.  You're testing my patience again."

Hahn rubbed his neck.  "Fine, we'll do it your way."

"Welcome, gentlemen."

Hahn spun toward the new voice, brandishing his club, and Long Feng resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

A slim man stepped from the shadows, unblinking eyes locked on Hahn.  "A real water tribe barbarian.  Fascinating."

"Shou, this is Hahn."

"Enough with the pleasantries," Hahn interrupted.  "Show me your most fearsome creature."

Before Long Feng could object, the beastmaster smiled like a hungry wolf bat and led Hahn toward the back of the chamber.  

"I was thinking spiders," Long Feng said, not bothering to hide his irritation.  "Or maybe a rabid boarcupine or two."

He came up behind the other men and stopped, schooling his expression to hide any sign of surprise or fear at the dark intimidating beast before them.

"You have a dragon viper."  He kept his tone neutral.

"The deadliest predator known to man," Shou explained to the bewildered water tribesman.  "It kills for sport."  His grin widened, exposing pointed, white teeth.  "If you go with the dragon viper, I offer you one hundred percent success or your money back," Shou said, all business.  "And I will see to it, personally."

Hahn didn't hesitate.  "Done."

                                                             ------

Zuko knew he didn't need to, but he knocked anyway.  If Toph was home, she would have heard or felt him coming.  The house was too quiet and Zuko reflected again on how empty the city of millions seemed now that Aang and the others were gone.

It had only been a week, but it felt much longer.

He was about to knock again when the short earthbender opened the door, looking sleepy and disheveled.  She scratched her chest and seemed to shift her focus past him.  "You're alone tonight."

"Nice to see you, too."  He greeted in wry amusement and stepped into Team Avatar's house.  "The Ember Island Players are in town and Mai and Ty Lee went to go see The Boy in the Iceberg.  They wanted us to go, but..."

Zuko and Toph both shuddered at the thought.  

"Apparently it has a new ending."  Zuko didn't pretend to be interested.

"Yeah, no thanks."  Toph stretched.  "Well, I'm starved.  Wanna get food?"

"Yeah."  He glanced around the living quarters, taking in the dirty dishes and piles of random clothing lying on the floor.  "Did housekeeping take a vacation?"

"A permanent one."  Toph looked bored.  "I can take care of myself."

Zuko said nothing as Toph ran her hands through her tangled hair and seeming satisfied, headed for the door.  

"Actually," he said, "I was thinking we could go somewhere nice tonight.  My treat."

She snorted.  "You say that like I'm not loaded.  My parents did just receive nobility on top of everything else."

"Well, as money is no object to either of us," he said, sketching a small bow, "I'd be honored if you'd accompany me to dinner, Lady Toph."  He smirked.  "Or should I call you Professor Bei Fong?"

She blew her hair out of her face.  "How about neither?"  

"How are things going at the University?"

"About like I expected."

Zuko winced.  "That bad, huh?"  

"I'd really rather not think about it.  Can we just go eat?"

"Sure."  He walked past her toward the sleeping quarters, careful to avoid the mess.  "Where do you keep your nice clothes?"

She held out her arms, taking in the expanse of the living room.  "Pretty much wherever they land."

Zuko stopped, scanning the disaster area.  "On second thought, how about somewhere in the Middle Ring?"

Toph laughed.  "Now you're talking."

A collection of rain cloaks hung by the door and even though the night sky was cloudless, Zuko took two off their hooks.  He tossed one to Toph without thinking but the blind earthbender managed to catch it.  She threw it around her shoulders without question and headed out the door.

It had become a nightly routine of theirs now that the gang was gone.  Usually Mai and Ty Lee joined them for an evening away from politics and fame.  The hooded cloaks hid their identities, allowing them to walk the streets without drawing attention.

Comfortable silence stretched between them as the Fire Lord and the world's only metalbender made their way to Zuko's favorite little bistro.  

"So how'd you find this place?"  Toph asked, feigning innocence.

He glanced around to make sure no one he knew popped out of the shadows or overheard their conversation.  "I came here on a date once," he whispered.  

Toph snickered.  "I just wanted to hear you admit it.  Your pulse quickens and you get all shifty whenever we come down here."  She laughed as he tensed.  "It's great."

"You know," he said, glancing at the menu, "for someone with your level of perception, you sure are clueless about your own self sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, what are you even doing here still?"  He put the menu down and gave her a serious look he knew she couldn't see.  "You should be out there with your friends."  

"Are you saying we're not friends?"

"I'm saying there're other people you'd rather be with.  You're not happy here.  You've been pretending like you don't need anybody, but I can tell you feel like you've been abandoned."

"Wow, Zuko.  Who died and made you King of Insight?"

He ignored the jibe.  "So why'd you stay?"

Toph considered the question while the waitress came and Zuko ordered for the both of them.  If the waitress disapproved of their cloaked appearances, she did a good job covering it.  

Zuko wasn't going to let the conversation drop.  "So?"

"Hey, you're all Mr. Insight.  You tell me."

Zuko took a sip of his water.  "You're funny, for an earthbender."  

Toph folded her arms.  "I take it you're not talking about my superior sense of humor."

Zuko made a fist and slowly punched it into the palm of his other hand.  "Earthbending is the most direct of all the bending arts.  You pride yourselves on facing things head on."  He lowered his hands.  "But you ran away from your parents and now you've let your friends walk away from you without a fight."

Toph smirked.  "And here your perception fails."

"Is this your superior sense of humor?"  Zuko cocked his eyebrow.

"Have you ever heard of neutral jin?"

Zuko raised his eyebrow higher and Toph took his silence as a cue to continue.  "Sometimes, the best thing you can do in a fight or in life is to sit, listen, and wait for the right moment.  My parents aren't ready to accept me for who I am, so I wait.  I could try and force the issue, but that would be wasted effort."

"Ok.  But that doesn't explain what you're doing in Ba Sing Se."

"I'm waiting."  Toph grinned.  "You didn't really expect me to tag along on one of those romantic getaways, did you?"

Zuko blinked.  "Wait.  Everybody knows about Sokka and Suki, but Katara and Aang?  They're together?"

Toph laughed.  "I thought I was the blind one."

"He's like twelve!"

"Thirteen," Toph corrected and then frowned as though she'd been insulted.  "People don't stay twelve forever.  I'm not sure what'll happen, but they're giving it a go and I say power to 'em."

The waitress brought their appetizers and Toph didn't hesitate, digging in like a half starved street urchin.  Zuko was about to try and snag a few bites when a familiar bored voice carried over the background noise.

"There he is.  In the cloak."

Zuko turned while Toph spoke through a mouthful of food.  "Oh yeah, your girlfriend is here with company."

Mai pointed in their direction and a royal courier rushed to their table, dropping to one knee and holding out a sealed scroll.  People stopped what they were doing and stared.  

"Fire Lord Zuko, you've received an urgent summons from your advisors in the Fire Nation!"

A whispered murmur spread through the evening crowd as Zuko took the scroll without a word.  The messenger stood, bowed, and hurried off.  Mai came to his side, her hands tucked away inside her sleeves, and he shot her a look of minor irritation before pocketing the scroll.  

"Thanks for that."

She lifted her shoulders in an imperceptible shrug.  "Hey, you think I liked getting dragged out of the play to come deliver your mail?  We were just watching your escape from the Boiling Rock."  She paused, considering.  "I was almost enjoying myself."

"Where's Ty Lee?"

Mai frowned.  "Enjoying herself."  

Toph shoved as many appetizers in her mouth as she could, grabbed the rest, and got to her feet.  "'Ets go."    
  
Zuko dropped ten gold pieces for the meal they hadn't eaten and the disruption his presence had caused.  Everyone was still staring and whispering so he took his hood down and gave a brief nod to the diners.  "Please enjoy your meals."

Zuko checked the scroll as they walked to Mai's waiting carriage.  

"What's it say?"  Toph asked as the footman lowered an extra step for her.  

"In short?"  Zuko said, irritation plain in his voice.  He waited until they were safely inside the moving carriage.  "They want me home.  They don't say why."

"They can't just summon you with no reason."  Mai knew she was right.  "You're the Fire Lord.  Not some child."

"Do you want to explain that to them?"  Zuko turned to his girlfriend.

Mai gave one of her rare smiles, a malicious glint in her eyes.  "Gladly."

                                                          -------

The night was young, the breeze was cool, and fresh meat sizzled over open flame.  Sokka took a deep breath and sighed in contentment, prodding the campfire with a stick.

"Nice work out there, Mr. Hunter."  Suki finished gutting the second rabbit fox and tossed the extra bits to Hawky.  The three ostrich horses had been fed, watered, and brushed, and the camp was all set up.  There was nothing left to the evening except for dinner, chatting, and a good night's sleep in the cozy two person tent.  

Suki glanced at Sokka and felt her cheeks warming as she thought of a few other activities that might pass their time.  Things had been nice enough in Ba Sing Se, but out in the wildness, Sokka was almost a completely different person.

And they were finally alone, with no obligations and no distractions.

He grinned at her, not seeming to notice her blush.  "Did you see me run that guy down?"  He pointed his stick at the remains of the rabbit fox in her hand.  He'd named the pair of them Dinner and Breakfast.  "Man truly is the top of the food chain."

"It was impressive," she said, careful not to stroke his ego too much.  "I take it the leg's feeling better?"

"It's doing great."  He patted the top of his knee twice for emphasis.  "Everything's great.  I wish things could stay like this forever."

"I'm in no hurry to get back," Suki said with a coy smile.  "We somehow managed to find time to enjoy ourselves during the war, but I can honestly say I've never felt this free or happy in my whole life."

Sokka pulled out one of his maps and held it above the fire, giving her his best roguish smile.  "Maybe we'll just get lost out here?"

The ends of the parchment started to blacken.  

"Um, Sokka?"  

She watched as he realized his precious map was burning.  He yelped and tried to put out the flames by waving the map in the air and when that failed he reacted without thinking and stuck it in their drinking water.  She hid her smile as he attempted to dry it off, muttering under his breath the entire time.  

"How much longer on Dinner?"

He spread the map over their firewood stack to dry and checked the meat.  "A while.  Why?"

Suki got to her feet and hung Breakfast from the meat rack, cleaning her hands when she was done.  It was time to add another nightly routine to the mix.  She tossed him his practice sword.  "Think fast."

He barely had a grip on the wooden weapon before she lunged with her own.  She would have hit him, but quick reflexes sent him rolling back off his log, out of harm's way.   

He brandished the wooden blade, rising from his knee.  His gaze was focused, but he was still grinning.  "You're quite the taskmaster, you know that?"

She smiled in determination, edging toward him.  "You asked for it."

"I did," he acknowledged and went on the offensive.  Their styles were different but compatible.  She brought her curved blade around and deflected his attack, the sharp crack of wood echoing through the night.

They dodged and parried, taking the fight away from their camp.  He still favored his left leg but Suki didn't hold back.  "Don't watch the tip of my blade," she said, offering advice as they fought.  Sokka had come a long way since they'd first met, but his formal sword training had been limited to one or two intense days with Piandao.

"It's hard not to," he admitted.  "I mean, that's where the danger's coming from."

Suki feinted and stepped in, breaking his stance.  She shoved her hand under his chin and lifted his leg with her own, toppling him to the ground.  He stared cross eyed at the wooden blade as she pointed it in his face.  

"There are always other dangers."  

He should have surrendered, but Sokka never did and Suki knew she should have anticipated it as he lashed out with his foot, kicking her hand away.  He was on his feet faster than she'd expected, pressing the attack.  Using his superior strength to his advantage, he pushed her back, keeping her on the defensive.  She dropped down, aiming a sweeping kick at his legs but he jumped back out of her range, counterattacking without a moment's hesitation.  

They were sweating and panting as the fight intensified, and Suki blocked a blow that sent a tingle up her arms, rattling her teeth.  Sensing an opening, he caught her wrist and twisted.  Her blade dropped to the ground as he locked her arm behind her back.  He crossed his arm over her chest, holding her close.

"So are we gonna keep score, or what?"  He breathed into her ear, oozing smug superiority.  

Suki brought her free hand down on the pressure point above his wrist and he dropped his weapon.  Before he could react, she jumped and rolled out of the arm lock, freeing her shoulder from the strain and pulling Sokka off balance.  She flipped him, hard, and placed her knee on the back of his neck, twisting his arm behind him and applying just enough pressure to drive her victory home.  "Suki one, Sokka zero."

"Mmph!"  Face in the dirt, all he could do was tap the ground in surrender.  She released him with a chuckle and he rolled onto his back, tangling her legs and pulling her down on top of him.  She gasped as he switched their positions, pinning her hands above her head.  

She laughed unrepentantly at the sight of him.  "You're a mess."

He kissed her then, hard and passionate, sharing the dirt he'd collected, but Suki didn't mind.  Dinner sizzled over the flames, forgotten.